Hello, hello! It's your favorite getting-slightly-more-consistent author, MakaS0ul! More Freezerburn! Yay! In this chapter, we learn a little bit more about Weiss and Yang, which is always good. Also, a special someone makes a guest appearance this chapter! Ooo! Mysterious, I know! Anyway, there will be some notes at the bottom about locations mentioned in this chapter, so check those out afterwards. As always, I'll blather on more at the bottom, so for now, on with the story!
As it turned out, Weiss hadn't been unconscious for a few hours like she had thought. According to her new traveling companion, she had been out for about 5 days. During that time, Yang had fashioned splints for her broken bones and made sure to find a large piece of wood to put Weiss on to keep her back level. Yang had also made sure to be careful with Weiss's neck and eye, since the girl had clearly hit and scratched them during her tumble down the embankment.
During the week that went by after Weiss's awakening, the days went by slowly. If the former princess wanted to do anything, she needed Yang to assist her, and while the blonde was more than willing to do so, Weiss missed her independence. She hadn't realized how much she would miss being able to eat on her own, much like one forgets how much they like to be able to breathe out of their nose when they have a cold. It sounded like an odd sentiment, and it was, but Weiss felt it all the same.
As for Yang, taking care of Weiss was something that helped keep her busy during the long days of recovery. When the white haired girl had been unconscious, Yang had spent most of her days fishing, mending tears in her possessions, changing Weiss's bandages, and waiting for the former princess to wake up. They were important activities, but most would agree that they were not very entertaining. At least now, Yang could actually talk to her companion to pass the time, or at least listen to the other girl talk; Yang didn't usually have much to say, so she let the other girl fill the air most of the time.
"Yang?" Weiss called out to the sell-sword who was a few feet away fishing at the river. The sun was in the middle of the sky, so Weiss knew that Yang was currently fishing for their lunch.
"What is it?" the blonde called back, turning slightly to look at the near-mummy.
"What did you do before you found me?" The former princess's voice was curious, yet at the same time, slightly cautious. It was as if she was concerned that she might have brought up a topic that was better left untouched.
It seemed that today, Weiss was in a curious mood, so Yang would likely be speaking a lot. The blonde paused for a moment before she began her story when she felt a tug on her line. Pulling back the stick that served as the rod and finding nothing, Yang tossed the line back into the stream with a slightly annoyed grunt.
"I was a soldier in the militia on Patch for two years. We never really did much to defend the island itself. Instead, we often went to assist nearby villages back on the mainland." Her tone was matter-of-fact, clearly unbothered by the question.
The former princess hummed in response before speaking up again. "Is that where you got those gauntlets from?"
Yang shook her head. "My uncle is a blacksmith. He made these for me, then insisted I give them a name. Something about how 'you've gotta name your weapon in order to bond with it and draw out its full potential.'" She chuckled at the memory.
Weiss felt herself grinning in response. "And? What's its name?"
"Ember Celica. The name just came to me when I saw them, but I'm not sure why." Yang chuckled again after she saw the quizzical but amused look Weiss gave her.
"Interesting," Weiss hummed. She knew of a few soldiers in the Atlesian military who had named their weapons. They each had special weapons like Yang; ones that Weiss had yet to see a duplicate of anywhere. In particular, she remembered two soldiers. One, a foot soldier, who happened to be a bumbling idiot, named Jaune Arc. He had the standard equipment for a soldier –a sword and a collapsible shield—but he named them in an attempt to stand out; Crocea Mors. The boy had been relentless in his attempts to impress the former princess, something which irritated her to no end.
The other soldier was a captain named Pyrrha Nikos. The woman was striking, with vibrant red hair and green eyes, not to mention her overall build reminded Weiss of Yang. Pyrrha wielded a round shield and a javelin that could also transform into a xiphos and a rifle. The javelin and shield together were named Miló and Akoúo̱. Pyrrha had been Weiss's personal guard on several occasions, so the two had spoken a number of times and got along well, something which Weiss was grateful for.
The former princess had kept the captain out of the loop on her plan to escape; the fewer people that knew about her plan, the better. Still, Weiss rather liked the woman and wished she could have said something to her. At this point though, the former princess doubted she would ever see the woman again.
"Yang?" Weiss called again.
While the white haired girl had been lost in her thoughts, Yang had turned her attention back to fishing, catching one in the process. Upon hearing her name, the blonde half turned once again to answer the former princess. "Yes?"
"If you were in the militia on Patch, how did you end up in a forest in Atlas?" It was a question that had been weighing on Weiss's mind for the past week since she had awakened. Most people did not wander through forests –especially not at night—for a simple change of pace.
Yang's face remained neutral. "Well, the militia disbanded since there was never any threats toward Patch. Since I no longer had work, I had to leave the island to find some. Patch is small, so what few jobs there were had been snatched up by the soldiers with families to feed. That was about a year ago."
Yang paused when she felt another tug on her line, quickly bringing it in when she spotted a fish on the end. As she began dressing her catch, she continued her story. "I traveled around Vale for a year looking for work, but Vale didn't have many jobs to suit my skills, so I decided to head to Atlas. I had considered joining the military here, but considering the strict tenure requirements, I decided to look for something different. When I arrived, I landed in Atlas's port of Hafen, but I couldn't find any work there either, so I decided to head to Atlas capital, Castle Town, and see if I could find work there. On my way there, I passed through the town of Eurlos and heard that the capital was having an influx of jobs for an expedition, but it would leave in two and a half days."
The blonde paused again to put the fish on their sticks and place them near the fire. "I had to hurry, so I took the road through Geister Forest to get to Ameren in the middle of the night that I found you. Along the way, I found some belongings in the middle of the road, probably where you were attacked, and then found the rest of the wagon a little further down. No bodies though, so you can still find the driver who left you behind."
At the last bit, Weiss snorted. She would find that damned driver if it was the last thing she did. Never before had she felt such a strong urge to wring someone's neck; Jaune hadn't even come close, despite his constant and pitiful attempts to impress the former princess. "So, when you found the wagon you decided to investigate?"
Yang nodded. "I found the embankment and saw you at the bottom of it."
The former princess gave the blonde a bewildered look. "Wait a moment. How did you manage to see me in the middle of the forest, down an embankment, and in the dead of night?"
The sell-sword shrugged. "Your hair and skin kind of glow in the moonlight. When I first saw you at the bottom, I thought you were a ghost," she said, chuckling a bit.
Weiss, despite herself, had to giggle as well. She knew her hair and skin were pale, but she didn't think she was that pale. Perhaps she would tan a little out in this forest.
Seemingly sensing the end to the questions for the time being, Yang checked on the fish; the skin was just starting to brown, indicating that they would be done soon. While Yang was not a picky eater, she was beginning to tire of eating the same fish for every meal. It would be time to hunt for something else soon; perhaps some rabbit or even deer if she was lucky.
"Miss Schnee?"
"Weiss," the former princess cut in. Yang had kept forgetting that they were on equal footing, so addressing Weiss as "Miss Schnee" was a common problem. "Yang, we are equals on this trip. I'm no longer a princess and this will be quite a tiresome journey if you keep treating me as your superior. I haven't hired you, remember?"
"My apologies, Weiss. I will try to remember that from now on."
"Good. Now," Weiss's voice softened, "what was it you wanted to ask me?"
"You mentioned you had a sister, right?"
Weiss stiffened a bit, or at least as much as someone who was almost completely immobile could stiffen. "Yes," she said, her voice tight, "that's right."
"What was she like? I've always wanted a sister."
Weiss sighed; her sister had always been a sensitive topic for her. Constant comparisons between the two had put a damper on their relationship, at least from Weiss's perspective.
"Well, her name is Winter and she's 22, so four years older than myself, which meant that she had to look after me a lot when we were little. She was really kind, caring, and patient when we were children."
Weiss paused a moment, seemingly collecting her thoughts before continuing. "When she turned thirteen, our father started formally drilling her in her studies in order to inherit the throne. At that point, our relationship started to deteriorate; we saw each other far less often and when we did, she always kept the interactions short. She became cold, calculating, and ruthless towards others. She was never horrible to me, but watching her change was painful in its own right."
Yang simply nodded, listening as Weiss told her story. At one point, tears had formed at the corners of the white haired girl's eyes and the blonde reached over to brush them away.
Weiss was thankful for the gesture, smiling a bit at Yang before pressing on. "Do you remember when I mentioned that my father had always viewed me as an imperfection?"
The blonde nodded again; it was hard to forget something as heavy as that. Yang herself had a good relationship with her father, so she could scarcely imagine a parent treating their own child so horribly, and especially since a young age.
"When Winter began her formal studies to take over the throne, his comparisons between the two of us lessened. It was probably because Winter was completing her studies perfectly, so he had no reason to bother me. He was likely too busy taking pride in her accomplishments to bother worrying about my supposed failures."
Weiss laughed bitterly. "It's funny; even though I hated life in that damned castle and hated the change in Winter, I can't help but miss her. A part of me wants to return so I can see her again, but I know that it won't be worth it. She'll keep me at a distance like she did before I left."
Yang reached over and clasped Weiss's hand within hers, hoping the gesture would bring some kind of comfort to her downcast companion. It seemed to have the desired effect, as the former princess smiled slightly, gently squeezing Yang's calloused hand.
Weiss moved her eyes up towards the sky; the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon. It was likely around 1 PM; the sun's rays were pleasantly warm as they shined down on the forest.
"You know," Weiss mused, "my disappearance has likely caused quite the stir in the castle."
"Do you think it will be labeled as a kidnapping?" The blonde's voice was soft, but weary at the same time; she could only guess how short-lived their journey would be if that were the case.
"It won't be. My father wants to keep up appearances, so he will likely send out search parties discretely. No wanted posters, no public announcements, nothing. In other words, as long as the search party doesn't find us, we should be fine." Weiss's voice was firm; she knew her father well enough to judge his likely actions, so she was sure that she would still be able to travel around Atlas for the time being.
Weiss's thoughts drifted back to her sister. How would Winter react to her younger sister's disappearance? Surely she would be worried about her. Right? The former princess could only speculate. "I wonder what Winter's doing…" Weiss murmured.
Winter Schnee was currently making her way to her father's study at a pace that was barely less than a full on sprint. She had matters to discuss with the king that could not wait. Without bothering to knock, Winter burst into the king's study, instantly setting her eyes upon her father's form behind his large desk and moving past rows of bookshelves to stand in front of him.
King Schnee was a tall man, and much like his daughters, had a full head of close-cropped white hair. His features were hard, something which intimidated everyone around him, and the large golden crown adorned with various jewels that sat atop his head did nothing to ease his daunting presence. As usual, the elder Schnee was wrapped in a large, ice blue robe and his fingers were adorned with many jeweled rings; Winter had always considered the rings to be nothing more than a way to show off his wealth. Noticing his eldest daughter's presence, King Schnee looked up from his work with a glare.
"Winter," King Schnee rumbled, "you are to knock before entering a room. Have you forgotten your lessons?"
"Certainly not, Father, but this is a matter that is too important for formalities." Winter's voice was crisp as she regarded the man before her; her hands clasped behind her back in something akin to a military stance.
"And what matter is that?" The elder Schnee's voice was tired as he rubbed his temples; he had been attending to the affairs of the castle guards. Despite having a captain of the guards who would usually take care of the majority of guard affairs, King Schnee liked to attend to the finer details himself to ensure they were done right and up to his exacting standards.
"The matter of Weiss's disappearance. She has been missing for twelve days now. Are we going to sit idly by and do nothing?" There was a firmness to the younger Schnee's voice that indicated that she was on the edge of losing her temper. Despite this, Winter knew that taking her anger out on her father was an exercise that would be counterproductive to her interests, so she restrained herself.
King Schnee's icy eyes hardened. "Watch your tongue, Daughter, lest you say something you will regret."
Winter merely regarded him coolly. Over the years, she had tested the limits of her father's patience and knew that she had only begun to scratch the surface of it at this point, yet she knew that the shallower the scratch, the better her chances would be to receive the answers she wanted, thus, she obeyed.
"Before you burst into my study unannounced, I had been forming a search party to look for her, though it seems you have taken a keen interest in your sister's recovery. Am I to interpret this as a desire to lead the investigation yourself?" King Schnee's lips curled into an amused smirk; it reminded Winter of a snake.
"Yes, Father. I would like to lead the investigation," Winter said firmly. If it had taken her father this long to act on his youngest's disappearance, Winter could only imagine how little effort he would put into the search itself. The younger Schnee knew that her father had never liked her younger sister, so she knew he was only forming a search party to keep up appearances. Knowing this, Winter had realized that Weiss would have a higher chance of returning to the castle if Winter was in charge.
King Schnee rested his head against his fist, tilting his head slightly and smirking at his eldest daughter, the look of a predator that had found trapped prey resting on his face. "My dearest daughter, I find myself curious: why have you suddenly become so interested in your younger sister's whereabouts? Why, not even three weeks ago you acted as if she was nothing more than a pebble on the roadside. Why should her disappearance matter to you now?"
Winter tensed slightly before clearing her throat. "Father, Weiss's disappearance is something that would bring shame upon our prestigious household, thus, I feel that it is my duty to find her and return her to the castle before any damage can be done."
A positively devilish smirk crossed King Schnee's lips. "Is that so? I'm pleased to hear that you hold our name so dear. Though I must confess, I fear that you've never shown much interest in the prestige of our name. Tell me, what brought on this sudden change of heart? Surely it was not simply a lie conceived out of personal concern for your younger sister?"
Winter could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise: her father was cornering her, though into what, she could not say. Regardless, she was in danger, so she quickly gave her reply. "I simply realized during the time of her disappearance that which really matters; the Schnee name. As you have said, Father, before we are ourselves, we are Schnees. I wish to conduct the search with the intent to preserve the dignity of the Schnee name, not with the desire to see my kin returned."
The elder Schnee sneered. "Truly? Then I'm sure you wouldn't mind going to search for her by yourself, would you? Surely finding your sister would not be too difficult a task for someone of your abilities."
There it was. Her father was making his move. Winter could feel her throat going dry as she attempted to stand her ground. "Well, Father, while I could find her myself, sending out myself and a search party would be far more efficient, wouldn't you agree?"
"Do enlighten me on how the squandering of valuable soldiers in the search for a petulant child will be more efficient." King Schnee's voice was just short of venomous.
"Father, surely you can understand that searching for someone with one person is a nigh impossible task. The more people there are that search for Weiss, the better our chances of finding her quickly. Do you not wish to expedite the process of returning your youngest daughter back before she does damage to the Schnee name?" Winter took a deep breath; if she couldn't get through to her father here, Weiss would never be returned to the castle. The corners of her mouth upturned slightly before she spoke. "After all, it wouldn't do for the people to find out that the second heir to the Schnee throne was missing, would it?"
The grin on King Schnee's face faltered, if ever so slightly, before he grunted and shoved the papers on his desk towards Winter. "Very well, Daughter," he hissed. "You have full authority on the search. I'm allowing you one unit of fifteen soldiers, including one captain. I'll leave it to your discretion to decide the participants." He waved his hand. "You are dismissed."
At this, Winter bowed, effectively hiding the smirk that occupied her face, before turning and swiftly exiting the room. She made her way along the large corridors of the castle, her pace considerably less brisk than before.
Winter was heading for the training grounds, as the guards would likely be out there at this time of day, practicing their swings and whatever else. She knew exactly which captain would head the soldiers; Pyrrha Nikos. The woman was not only incredible capable, she had also been Weiss's personal guard on any outings the youngest Schnee had gone on. If anyone would have motivation for finding Weiss, it would be Pyrrha.
Along the way, Winter stopped in front of Weiss's rooms, resting her hand gently against the wood of the large door before stepping away after a moment and continuing on to her destination.
The training grounds were a large, open grassy area with the stables off to the left side and the barracks off to the opposite. Currently, the soldiers were sparring with each other; their usual swords traded for wooden ones. At the head of a particularly intense match, Winter spotted the flaming haired captain and briskly made her way over.
"Captain Nikos," she boomed, her hands clasping behind her back once again.
Said captain immediately stopped her match and turned, kneeling and bowing deeply to the princess in front of her. "Your Highness. What may I help you with?"
Ever the polite one, Pyrrha held favor with many nobles due to her impeccable skill and manners. Still, she had refused becoming anyone's personal guard, though Winter suspected that if Weiss had asked, Pyrrha would have accepted immediately.
"I'm heading a search party for Weiss. I want you to be the captain of the guards for it." Winter's voice left no room for argument, though she knew that the redhead would have no objections regardless.
"Yes, Your Highness. It would be my honor," Pyrrha said, her voice strong and firm.
"Excellent. Now, I want you to select the other fourteen members. I will accept only the best."
"Fourteen, Your Highness? With all due respect, it may prove difficult to find the princess with only fifteen soldiers."
Winter's eyes hardened, though her irritation was directed not at Pyrrha, but rather her father. "I'm aware of that. Fifteen is all that I am allowed for the party, I'm afraid. We will discuss the details later. For now, gather the soldiers and be prepared to leave at dawn tomorrow."
Another deep bow from Pyrrha. "Yes, Your Highness."
At that, Winter turned on her heel and left the grounds.
Winter's heels clicked along the stone floors of the castle as she made her way back to her rooms. She reached the large door that was identical to Weiss's before pushing it open and stepping inside; leaning against it as she closed it behind her.
With a sigh, Winter pushed herself off the door and approached her nightstand. She reached for the wooden knob and pulled gently, revealing the contents; a small silver tiara –the one that had sat atop the off-center ponytail that her younger sister had always worn.
Winter clutched the item to her chest before collapsing onto her bed. "Mark my words," she whispered. "I will find you, my darling little sister, no matter the cost. You will return to me safe and sound, and this time, I'll never let you go."
Whew! Another chapter done! This one focused on Winter a lot, which may bother a few of you, since this is a Freezerburn story, but it was extremely important! I had to include a segment within Atlas castle! It wouldn't make any sense to not show that a search was being conducted, since it's not like a princess can just waltz out of the castle without anyone caring. Plus, only focusing on Weiss and Yang would be boring at this point. They do a lot of sitting around and talking, since it's not like Weiss can go anywhere yet. I'll include more of their time at their camp, but it won't be my sole focus. In fact, I'll probably start to quickly move through their time there after the next chapter.
At the end there, Winter probably sounded like a creep, and that's what I was going for! She's a bonafide Siscon! (That means "sister complex" for those of you that don't know!) She loves Weiss waaaay too much! She doesn't love her to the point of being sexual though. (I'm not going THAT far.) I just thought a sister complex would be a fun wrinkle to add to Winter's supposedly "perfect" personality. Is that weird? Eh… whatever!
Anyway! Next chapter will have us seeing more of Weiss and Yang. Plus, I plan to include another Winter segment, though that will be the last of them for a while. Nevertheless, I hope you all look forward to it! Until next time! –MakaS0ul :3
Notes:
Atlas: Kingdom from where Weiss hails. Most powerful kingdom in Remnant (huge military force). Large forest (Geister (haunted in German)) at the southern end of the continent, separating the port city of Hafen and Atlas Castle.
Hafen: The largest port city in Atlas and the second largest city overall. Hafen is responsible for 90% of Atlas's naval trade and is the most common entrance point for travelers. 5 days ride from Castle Town
Eurlos: A small town that sits at the edge of Geister forest. Many travelers resupply there. Many inns available. 3 days ride from Castle Town.
Atlas Capital (aka Castle Town): A bustling city sprawled around Atlas Castle. It is a hub of trade and home to the Atlesian military. It takes 1 full day to walk from one end of the city to the other. 5 days ride from Hafen.
Ameren: A small city on the other side of the Geister forest closer to Castle Town. It is similar to Eurlos. It is 1 day and a half away from Castle Town.
Geister Forest: A large forest that sits at the southern end of the continent. Filled with Grimm and dangerous no matter the time of day. Despite there being a road from Eurlos to Ameren through the middle, it is extremely easy to get lost. Countless people have lost their way and died inside.
