Chapter 2: Tevasa Mountain

The sound of rushing water was almost deafening as Qrow got to work cleaning his wounds. While trekking through the forest earlier, Xayah had found a river that split the line of trees directly down the middle. They refilled on water there and the huntsman didn't need a mirror to know he probably looked like hell. Not knowing when the next opportunity would present itself, he thought it best to take the chance to bathe now.

His feathered companion waited for him within the dense line of trees, adamantly turning down an invitation to join him. Well, as adamant as a scoff, a death glare, and instantly walking away was. Not that he had expected a different response, knowing the answer was the reason the huntsman had asked. Although, he'd have to make sure not to push her too far, the last thing he wanted was to be left alone in the middle of nowhere.

It was a good thing he had let the remark about Faunus slip when she was interrogating him, that was probably the only reason she allowed him to travel with her. Hearing that there was a group of people from a different planet if not world, that had qualities similar to her own made Xayah's interest visibly perk up ever so slightly. She hadn't exactly invited the huntsman to follow her, but she mentioned that there was a village located on a mountain nearby. Then it felt as if she was waiting for him to be ready to depart, and when Qrow followed her, she didn't say anything except finally give her name.

The river they were currently visiting had taken about an hour or two to reach, and by now the sun was shining down exuberantly. The giant burning ball made its climb to the heavens every single day, and no matter where you were, it never failed to reach its destination. If it were a person it would have quite the tenacity. Although, Qrow couldn't help but wonder if his new traveling companion would give even the sun a run for its money when it came to determination. The Vestayan seemed quite stubborn about a few things, namely, smiling.

Sure, Qrow had only known her for a handful of hours, but she already struck him as the type who would go out of their way to avoid having fun. Either that, or their definition of fun was quite questionable. It also didn't help that she seemed to be brooding over something constantly, especially when she would stare at him. There was a degree of suspicion in her golden eyes, and the huntsman had made note of all of the times she tried to stare at him surreptitiously.

It was subtle, and she was really good about averting her eyes any time he even thought of looking back. However, you didn't spend as much time in the field as Qrow did without picking up on the smallest of gestures. Sometimes noticing the tiniest movement meant you got to live another day, especially when you were around the creatures of Grimm. Even he had to admit though, she seemed to be quite experienced herself, just how experienced would remain to be seen.

Knowing that the person in question wouldn't be looking any time soon, Qrow took the opportunity to take to the skies. He willed his body into his avian form before beginning to ascend with great speed to get a better view of the area. The forest around them wasn't too large, but it'd still take a while for them to be free of it. There was a mountain pass nearby in one direction, and a large lake in the other. There was something about this place, Ionia, that made every portion of the landscape look almost like a painting. It was as if nature itself was trying to create one stunning set piece.

After he became satisfied with his quick scouting, the huntsman decided to spy on the woman he was traveling with. It took some work, but he eventually found her hiding in between several tree branches of an apple tree. She was very adept at concealing herself, and he probably would've missed her had he not known what to look for.

Carefully landing on a branch a few feet across from her, Qrow observed Xayah for a moment. Her face held no emotion as she seemed to absentmindedly preen the feathers on her wing. It only took seconds before she halted her task and instead stared directly back at him. Normally he wouldn't have minded, lots of people had seen his avian form. However, there was something different about this case.

It didn't feel like Xayah was staring at him as much as it felt like she was staring into him. That was a feeling he got only from people who knew about his shape-shifting ability. It was also a feeling he wasn't a fan of.

Soon the 'Vastayan', as she said she was called, began to carefully outstretch her arm toward him. It was hard to believe that she didn't know that something was off about the bird in front of her, and for once Qrow found himself thankful for the semblance that normally haunted him. Just before Xayah could touch him, a ripe apple fell from a few branches above them and struck her in the head. The distraction was enough for the huntsman to be able to take flight once more and he returned to the river where he quickly got dressed.

Picking up his sword that was reluctantly handed back to him, he headed to the location where Xayah would be waiting. It was a short walk, and when he arrived he noticed that she was leaning against a tree instead of being perched in one. Sunlight filtered through the canopy of leaves in such a way that made her face glow, serving as a reminder of how attractive she was. If the crimson-winged woman had even the ghost of a smile on her lips, she'd have a look almost as deadly as her feathers.

It probably went without saying that back on Remnant, Qrow wasn't particularly a fan of the way the Faunus were treated. Growing up in the tribe with his sister, they never thought much of the difference in races. Even if the tribe's intentions were shady, if you were powerful enough to prove you deserved to be there, you deserved to be there, looks be damned. The nomadic group had equality, and many independent communities that managed to survive were also like that. It was the kingdoms that drew lines in the sand and questioned anything different than themselves.

To the raven-haired huntsman, attractive was attractive, no matter what you were. That was his equality. Even though Xayah was similar to the Faunus he was familiar with, he had to admit that she was quite different as well. Most Faunus tended to share qualities with only one animal, and one animal only. Those qualities would usually be small like something as simple as ears or a tail. Athough, he had seen his fair share of people who had much more larger similarities to their animal counterparts.

The woman in front of him had a body similar to most female humans. Two hands, two legs, one head, and fantastic curves. You know, the usual. However, unlike most Faunus, Xayah seemed to share traits with possibly several different animals and maybe some that were only native to this world she called 'Runeterra'. From her thighs and below she wore black bindings that could possibly be natural and ended with talons instead of human feet. Her ears looked to be much higher on her head than most humans, and they were the same shade of color as her almost maroon hair. That's not to mention that they resembled feline ears except they were a bit taller than usual ones, they also had more of a cone shape to them opposed to sharp triangles.

When she spoke Qrow had taken note of the two fangs on the top and on the bottom of her mouth, and they looked about as sharp as her black nails. Most obvious of all though, was the large, singular wing on her back. The huntsman had yet to see her fly, but he was certain she couldn't. One wing alone might lift you off of the ground for a very short time, but without the second one you wouldn't be able to stay up for long or even direct yourself.

The similarities and differences didn't stop at her features, Xayah's clothing proved to be quite unique. She wore what resembled a tight fitting cocktail dress that was made asymmetrical due to a slit that exposed her left thigh. The huntsman surmised that the slit was so she could move her legs in a much larger range of movement since a skirt alone could limit how far apart your legs could be. (He had some personal experience.) Gauntlets that kept her fingers exposed and matched the shade of red mixed with purple of her dress were present on the Vastayan's wrists, and to top it off she wore a short blue cloak with a hood that wrapped around the base of her ears and shoulders.

An apple flying toward him at an almost threatening speed let Qrow know that he had been caught staring. If that wasn't enough, the look that Xayah gave him had a blatant 'I'm watching you' feeling to it as she took a bite from an apple of her own. Qrow had easily caught the colorful fruit, and he noticed it was the same one that had hit his companion in the head earlier. That fact alone made him seriously wonder if appearing in his bird form had been a horrendous idea. It had been extremely careless of him, but at the same time, the bold maneuver wasn't something new.

Whether or not she knew his secret would remain unknown, as no more words were shared while the pair continued onward toward their destination. Earlier in the morning Xayah had mentioned that the mountain village would be a two day walk from their current location. Had Qrow been on his own, he knew that the amount of time to get there would've been shortened significantly by his bird form. Not that he minded walking such a far distance, but that meant two days of thinking to himself as it was clear his companion wasn't one to speak very much.

Nightfall was quick to arrive, and it had been quite some time since the two travelers had exited the forest they had awoken in. Of course, in Ionia flat areas were few and far between, and it wasn't long before they had entered another large patch of trees. Not that there were any complaints to be had, trees offered lots of cover, and they offered homes for edible woodland creatures.

Xayah took it upon herself to go hunting again, and Qrow took the opportunity to get a fire started. They still hadn't spoken since the morning, and that irritated him for one huge reason. The crimson-winged Vastayan still had his liquor. Too much time had passed since the last time he was this sober, and to say it was an awful experience would be nothing short of an understatement. If it weren't for the fact that he was more focused on his unfamiliar surroundings, he knew unpleasant thoughts would've begun to surface by this point.

A few minutes after flames came to life, Xayah appeared with a pair of rabbits. The huntsman had noticed the burnt one that had been left out in the morning, so he began to wonder if she really liked the tastes of those things. Either that, or it was all she could catch if she was having them two nights in a row.

He watched as Xayah sat down and got to work skinning the furry animals with a feather. Her dexterity was displayed as the task was completed with a certain finesse to it. It was done quickly and flawlessly, well almost until she uncharacteristically nicked her finger with the end of the sharp quill. She inhaled sharply, unable to contain her own surprise, and Qrow couldn't help but feel that the slight injury was his fault. Well, less his and more his semblance's.

The huntsman cleared his throat, "you alright?"

No response.

He tried again, "need some help?"

"So you can hold it over me later on?" she shot back as she plucked a feather from her wing and wrapped it around her injured finger, "No thanks."

The raven-haired man was taken aback by that, the bitterness in her tone was as unexpected as the response itself. It took him a second to regain his composure, "do I seem that petty?"

She must've met her conversation quota with that remark alone, because she chose to remain silent once more. Her expression hadn't changed during the quick exchange, and now it felt as if it hadn't taken place to begin with.

Figuring there was no point in even trying, Qrow laid down and crushed the slightly wet grass around him. He'd wait for dinner and then go to sleep, then they'd walk until nightfall once more and just barely make it to the village before the moon fully rises. What he'd do after, he was unsure of, but hopefully there would be some clues that would lead back home. It was a simple plan on paper, one that would probably end up far more complicated than anyone could ever imagine.

"Tell me more about the Faunus," Qrow heard the woman across from him say.

Despite the soft and even tone, it was clearly less of a request and more of a command. For a second the swordsman thought he might have imagined it. His companion hadn't exactly been talkative before, so why would she be now? However, he quickly remembered that the only reason she was even sitting across from him was because he had mentioned Faunus earlier.

"Well, I don't think there really is too much to say," he began, voicing his earlier thoughts in the forest, "like you, they look like humans except they share certain features with animals. Some have different ears, others have some kind of tail. These features aren't limited to those two areas, but they tend to be the ones you see the most."

She seemed to consider it for a moment, but that was hard to tell as she seemed far more focused on making sure the meat didn't burn this time. Her golden eyes hadn't moved from the rabbits in front of her.

"How many are left?" she asked.

How many are left? The way the question was phrased was far too specific.

"Hard to say," that caused her to shift her gaze toward him and Qrow couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable. His intuition told him to choose the way he phrased his next sentence carefully. "Depending on where in Remnant you reside, you may see more or less of them. If I had to guess I'd say that there are probably just as many Faunus as there are humans if not just a little less."

As quickly as they had shifted to focus on him, Xayah's eyes darted back to the food she was preparing, not saying another word. Her expression was indiscernible, leaving Qrow in an uncomfortable position once again. He was now beginning to get curious about the Vastayan race, but he felt it inappropriate to ask. Reason being is how she asked how many Faunus lived in Remnant.

How many are left? The question echoed in the huntsman's mind. There was something presumptuous about it, like the answer was supposed to be a very low number. However, it could also be the expectation of something happening to them and only leaving a certain amount standing. This alone lead Qrow to believe that there probably weren't very many Vastaya alive. It could definitely be a leap in logic, but there was nothing else to go off of.

"How did they come to be?" Xayah broke the silence once more.

"The Faunus?"

A curt nod.

"I can't answer that one for sure either," Qrow admitted, "as far as I know they have always been on Remnant. Since the dawn of time itself."

After a few more seconds of silence, another unexpected question was asked, "Would you take me to them?"

"That depends," the huntsman replied quickly, not wanting to miss this opportunity, "what do I get out of it?"

"I'll help you, it's obvious you don't know a single thing about this place."

Qrow pretended to think about it for a moment, but he already intended to say yes the second the question was asked. There was much to consider, however, everything lead back to him not having much choice. Immediately he was concerned about how his semblance could adversely affect a traveling companion. It was already starting to present itself in different ways, from something as harmless as an apple falling, to something as bad as making someone cut themselves. Not only that, but it was important to be wary about allowing someone from another world to just walk into Remnant, but again, he didn't really have much of an option. It was either that or be forced to start from scratch.

Normally, starting from nothing wouldn't be too bad. Hell, that's how things were before he joined Beacon so many years ago. He could find a job as a mercenary, or see how prevalent bounty hunting was. If you had a sword and experience, you were already leagues ahead of many others. Problem was, when he found the portal to Runeterra he was on a mission of Ozpin. If a doorway to another world wasn't time sensitive information, then what was? It didn't help that the doorway in question was behind enemy lines.

"Okay, but on one… no, two conditions." Qrow held up two fingers to make himself clear.

"Shoot."

"Give me my-" before he finished his sentence the flask he normally carried in his back pocket was in the palm of his right hand.

Damn, am I that predictable? He asked himself before taking a drink. A grimace was on his face when he noticed the container was already half empty.

"And the second one?" Xayah asked while handing Qrow a skewer that had an assortment of rabbit meat on it.

The raven-haired man took a bite before answering. He wasn't a fan of the taste, but he didn't completely hate it either. With some salt it would probably be rather pleasant.

"Talk more," he said plainly which seemed to slightly surprise the woman across from him. Feeling like he now needed a reason, he gave one, "I'm getting sick of hearing myself think."

That made the Vastayan bite the bottom of her lip pensively. It was the first time since they had met that she had shown any real emotion. If nothing else, that was was at least a start.

"No promises," she finally answered in a neutral tone before continuing in a more sinister one, "but if you're lying to me about all this, I'll rip your tongue out and make you watch as I feed it to wolves. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," the huntsman replied easily.

Dinner went by with only the sounds of the creatures of the night to fill their ears. The air was nice and brisk, not so chilly that a blanket was necessary, but not so warm that a second layer of clothing was too much. After the meal was finished, they both laid down on opposite sides of the fire.

Qrow interlocked his fingers behind his head as his gaze wandered to the stars above. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Xayah using her colorful wing as a blanket to cover her body, now it made sense why she traveled so lightly. She was resourceful and believed in her abilities to be able to provide any necessities for herself. It was an admirable skill, and one that took years of experience to learn.

"Huh, it's whole," Qrow thought out loud as he stared at the full moon looming above.

"Hmm?" his companion hummed.

"The moon,* he clarified. When he didn't get a response he continued, "on Remnant, it's missing a piece that has been shattered into smaller pieces. Depending on its cycle it can look whole, but in reality it's not."

"Odd," was her simple reply.

The rest of the night was uneventful, and there were no more words shared save for deciding the watch schedule. Xayah volunteered to take first watch, leaving the second shift for the huntsman. Before the tendrils of sleep could grip him, Qrow couldn't help but think about how nice a Grimm-less world was. Every night before this one was spent on edge thanks to knowing that any campsite or village could be overrun at the drop of a hat. There was no doubt that this world had its perils as well, but one less overbearing one was appreciated.

Both watch shifts passed without a hitch. There were a few times Qrow double checked to make sure the sound of a twig snapping or a bush rustling wasn't an undesirable visitor, but other than that, things were all clear. Leaning against a sturdy tree, the huntsman examined the sky. The lack of sun and the hue of color indicated that it was just before dawn. This was around the time he usually woke up while in the field, and it was good to know his circadian clock remained the same even in a new world.

Taking a drink from his now almost empty flask, Qrow moved back toward the campsite and noticed that his companion was still asleep. Deciding to let her rest a bit longer, he gathered a few dead branches that were laying around and rekindled the fire. While he fulfilled this task he picked an assortment of berries from bushes nearby, and then he reheated any leftover rabbit meat. Making a decent meal without any cooking equipment or even ingredients was an inconvenience that Qrow made a mental note of to ameliorate when they arrived at the village. It would mean more to carry, but that was a better problem than having to forage for everything constantly.

Xayah still hadn't moved an inch by the time breakfast was prepared, and while he would've preferred to leave her alone, Qrow knew that they would have to start moving soon if they wanted to make it to the village by nightfall. Hesitantly he put a hand on the Vastayan's shoulder to rouse her, but the second his fingers made contact, all he saw was a flash of red and purple. In less than a second, the huntsman was flat on his back with a knee pressed against his chest and a dangerous feather hovering centimeters over his neck. Two golden orbs enshrouded by anger bore down at him, threatening to pierce his skull.

"Good morning," he greeted calmly, even going as far as to have a slight smirk on his face.

Their eyes remained locked for a couple of minutes that felt like a couple of hours, with neither party backing down. Xayah's gaze softened back to a neutral state, and soon the pressure from the knee on his chest subsided as she got up, heading toward the fire.

"I'll make sure to poke you with a very long stick next time," Qrow deadpanned as he stood up and brushed himself off.

"I've hit roosters a quarter-mile away in my sleep," she stated matter-of-factly, already eating her breakfast.

"Fine, I won't wake you up next time," he smiled as he sat across from her.

"I was already awake."

"Since when?"

"Probably a little before you ended your shift."

"Why didn't you get up? I thought you wanted to help me get back to Remnant as quick as possible?"

"I didn't want to find breakfast," Xayah stated, the corner of her lip tugging just slightly upward into a smirk.

Not quite a smile, but I'll take it, Qrow thought to himself as he took a bite from his meal. If things just stay like this, then traveling with her won't be so bad.

"To clarify, I never said I wanted to help you get back home, I said I wanted to meet the Faunus you've told me about," the Vastayan explained. "Helping you is just a side effect."

Brutally honest, got it.

Breakfast was finished quickly and soon the pair of travelers were once again headed for Tevasa Mountain. Now that they were getting closer to signs of civilization they took the main dirt path laid out by many travelers before them. It lacked cover, but it was a straight shot to their destination and it meant avoiding having to trek through more forests.

The path itself had been cleared well, and it was worn down with all the use it had seen over many years. It wasn't too long before they ran into other travelers, and Qrow made sure to exchange respectful greetings as they passed. Xayah remained reserved while keeping a safe distance from other humans. It didn't take a genius to see that the Vastayan had an aversion to other members of the huntsman's race. Not that it was too much of a surprise, especially coming from Remnant.

As what felt like an event that was steadily becoming tradition, not much was said as they followed the dirt path. Sometimes Qrow would ask about the distance and time remaining, but other than that, things remained quiet. It wasn't as bad this time around when compared to the previous day though. The air around them no longer felt as stiff, and the raven-haired swordsman felt as if he could be a little more lax. This was a stark contrast from the feeling of walking on eggshells before.

As planned, when the sun began to sink below the horizon, the mountain village came into view. The Tevasa Mountain itself wasn't too tall, and the peak looked relatively flat. A natural path spiraled up the landmark, its large width was more than enough for the village built on top of it.

"Here," Xayah spoke up as she handed Qrow a small pouch that had some weight to it. She waited until the huntsmen checked the contents that clinked inside of it before continuing, "there should be one-hundred gold in there. It's the currency the humans use here."

"Uhh, than-"

"Don't," she cut him off, "it was never my money to begin with."

Qrow shrugged as he stared down at the gold pieces once again before closing the bag and awkwardly tying it to one of the belt loops of his dress pants. He never thought he'd ever appreciate how simple it was to carry Lien around in a wallet, but here he was, doing just that. While finding a place to store the new currency, he took note of the state of his clothing. There were several rips and tears where he had gotten attacked by Grimm just before showing up on Runeterra. It wasn't too bad, but things could definitely look better.

Another priority added to the list, he mused.

The sun continued its descent, and as the pair got closer to their destination, lights became easier to make out. Most stayed near the base of the mountain where the village was located, while a few stray ones wound up the path. The layout wasn't too different from most villages that cropped up around Remnant. There weren't any main walls that provided protection, but with their backs to a mountain, and forests nearby, it would probably be unnecessary. Points of interest like shops stood out by simply being bigger than homes, and some were made of sturdier material than wood.

Running into other travelers also became more frequent as they neared civilization, and immediately Qrow noticed another similarity. The people in this village dressed akin to those that once lived in Kuroyuri, before it was tragically destroyed. However, there were plenty of others not dressed in that fashion as a plethora of different cultures were shown off. That and the high amount of traffic when compared to the size of the village lead the huntsman to believe there was some sort of event going on.

After taking in a few more sights and sounds of those around them, the pair of travelers headed for the large inn located between an armorsmith shop and what looked to be a general store. Its architecture was as common as public logging could be. It was two stories high, with the front door leading to a tavern area that was quite spacious and was lit by several oil lanterns.

All eyes fell on Qrow as he pushed the door aside and entered with Xayah close behind. No single pair of eyes felt hostile, and soon all patrons were back to their previous conversations. No longer a point of interest, the huntsman nonchalantly strode up to the bar area and spoke with the barkeep. He was a bald man who looked to be somewhere in his later forties or early fifties. His attitude made him seem warm and approachable, but his muscle mass suggested that he was as likely to throw you out on your ass as he was to give you a handshake.

"Two rooms, and a bottle off the shelves behind you that's worth fifteen gold," Qrow ordered in an even tone, one that worked to betray the fact that under his circumstances, most would be out of their element.

The barkeep nodded and turned to fetch a bottle near the top shelf. A sign that the huntsman was happy to see as it confirmed he had accurately guessed the worth of the kind of money in this world. Not only was he sating his alcoholic desires, but he had been specific about the price to gauge the value of the new currency he was working with.

Setting the bottle of golden-brown liquid in front of the raven-haired man, the barkeep explained that he would only be able to rent one room out. In a few days time the Blossom festival would be happening at the peak of the mountain, and due to that there was an influx of tourists that needed rooms. Qrow simply nodded and at a rate of ten gold a night, he parted with a quarter of the contents in his pouch.

Giving a nod toward Xayah who had opted to sit at a secluded table during the transaction, the huntsman headed down a hall on the first floor that lead to their room. The door opened smoothly once unlocked, and it revealed a room that wasn't quite spartan, but was very close. A wooden desk sat under the only window in the room which was on the far wall, with a twin bed on each side of it. There was an oil lamp on the center of the desk with several candles surrounding it, and the window itself was rectangular in shape with wooden paneling in a criss-cross pattern within the glass.

"How much was that?" Xayah asked while leaning against the doorway as she watched Qrow sit down on a bed and begin to fill his now empty flask with alcohol.

"Fifteen."

"So you spent a fourth of what I gave you," the Vastayan stated before sighing, "I want half of that."

"I thought it wasn't your money to begin with?" Qrow smirked as he shifted his gaze from what he would describe as a paramount task, but by the time he looked, she was already gone.

The raven-haired man shrugged, and capped the bottle after taking a swig to make it exactly half. He then propped his sword against the sturdy desk before laying down completely and shutting his eyes.

Letting out a deep breath, he thought about how nice it was to be sleeping in a room after what felt like forever. Four walls and a roof was always a sight for sore eyes after being in the field, and after being shelterless on Remnant for two weeks and then transporting here, shelter felt twice as welcome.

The sound of someone tapping on glass roused the huntsman from his musings as he opened a crimson eye to glance at the disturbance. A pair of golden irises that were slightly visible from his position made him think it was Xayah, but they were a smidge darker with their eye shape also being a bit too sharp to belong to his traveling companion.

Opting to ignore it the first time as a possible mistake, he closed his eye only to hear the sound repeat itself a few seconds later. With a sigh, Qrow sat up and opened the window to be greeted by a the face of a woman he immediately knew he wouldn't mind seeing more of. She wore a dark cloak that worked to conceal most of her body from anyone around her, but she didn't seem to mind what the huntsman saw as she leaned forward against the windowsill.

Underneath the cloak she wore what looked to be a red and white modified kimono that had gold accents. Red fabric hugged her torso and stopped a little over halfway up her chest showing off a generous amount of cleavage and exposing her shoulders. White fabric extended down her waist and stopped just below her thighs, showing off her creamy white legs.

A pair of black ears on her head that resembled those of a fox, three black marks on each of her cheeks, a bushy white tail that was barely visible from Qrow's position, and those golden irises gave her away as a member of Xayah's race.

Note to self, meet as many Vastaya as possible while you're here.

"Xayah traveling with a human? I never thought I'd live to see that day," the woman cooed. Her voice was smooth, mysterious, and alluring at the same time. It was as if she were trying to seduce him while making such a simple observation. That was dangerous.

"What can I say?" Qrow replied coolly, "I'm a pretty special case."

"Oh?" she hummed, "and here I thought you might be all looks."

"Well, I certainly have those too, but I can assure you I am much more than just a pretty face."

"Even in damaged clothes, you catch my eye a lot easier than most men I see around here," she smirked.

"How much can clothes matter if they're going to come off in the end anyway?" the huntsman matched the woman's expression.

"That's an interesting thought," she leaned forward a bit more, exposing a little more skin. "However, there is a tailor in this village that can fix these," the fox-like Vastayan said as she reached out a hand to trace one of the cuts on Qrow's body.

Her fingers never made contact as it was stopped by the sound of the door to the room opening. Crimson and golden eyes alike moved to identify the person that shattered their conversation only to receive a deadly glare in response. Xayah had entered the room balancing a tray of food on one hand, while the other remained threateningly still by her side.

"Xayah," the unknown Vastayan began, her tone far more rigid than the one she used when speaking with Qrow.

"Mu'takl," the crimson-winged woman spat back in a menacing tone that her companion had yet to hear.

The playful atmosphere the room once had was long forgotten as a much more tense one flooded it. Qrow could see the eyes of the woman that stared in through the open window darken as he waited for her response, but it never came. Instead she shifted her gaze back to the huntsman, taking on a slightly less hostile expression.

"There is an old man named Ousuke who lives in the house next to the general store, tell him Ahri sent you and he'll take care of your clothes for free." Her voice was still rigid, and she took one last look at Xayah before dashing off into the darkness brought on by the night.

With that settled, the huntsman returned his sanguine eyes to his companion that still hadn't moved an inch from her spot. After what felt like an eternity, she shut the door and placed the tray of rice, bread, and meat on the desk and laid on her bed, immediately turning to face the wall.

As he shut the window, the smell of the assortment of food reminded Qrow of how hungry the day's journey had made him, causing him to wolf down half of what was on the tray in front of him. He hardly tasted the food, but he knew it was leagues better than eating rabbit and berries for a third night in a row.

"You're not going to eat?" he asked almost in disbelief after drinking from his flask.

"Mu'takl make me lose my appetite," Xayah answered in an exhausted tone.

"Suit yourself," the huntsman replied before laying back down and facing away from his companion.

He laid there awhile, battling the idea of sleep until he heard the soft sound of the springs of a mattress followed by someone chewing food.