Next Update: Friday, April 6th
Chapter 2
When the sun began to rise, the duties for the day began in earnest.
Blake scratched the back of her neck as she cringed, looking at the group of youthful Faunus in front of her. "There must be a mistake." Blake replied, looking at the number of them. "They're younger than I expected."
"I know, Blake, I thought the same, but it's their nature that dictates this, not us. If you're old enough to produce offspring biologically, you're old enough to hunt beyond the village walls." Ghira replied, stating the same phrase that governed all of Menagerie during this time of year.
Blake rubbed at her eyes before steadily looking to the girls. Respectfully, most of them kept their head lowered to avoid insulting the rulers of their island. The female Faunus in question ranged in ages. Some of them as young as twelve. The oldest among them no older than sixteen. It was the youngest batch she had ever been trusted to look after. They were going to be more than a little inexperienced out in the wilds, most of them stepping out beyond the village walls for the first time.
"I hope all of you can fight." Blake said then. "At the very least, I hope that you know what you're getting into. Shadowing someone like myself isn't easy. For the duration of the mating season, you can look me square in the eyes if you'd like. Honestly, you're going to have to learn to keep your eyes on me for your own protection. Watching what I do is how you'll learn."
The younger, more demure girls looked up slowly, studying Blake with renewed excitement. The older cat Faunus bit her cheek, withholding an annoyed little growl when she realized just how green these girls possibly were.
"I'll leave them with you." Ghira said then, a much larger group of village boys following after him.
Blake could already feel the headache beginning. Several Faunus species had a habit of going into heat at a rather young age, and feline Faunus such as herself were some of the earliest bloomers. As she looked to all of the teenage girls under her protection, she felt the weight of what it meant to be a matriarch fall onto her shoulders. One day, she would likely have a daughter to teach about the ways of the village. Until then, these young pupils were awaiting her direction.
"Alright then, let's get started with something basic. Maintaining your field knives." Blake said, gathering her own set of throwing knives, she looked at the girls crowding around her. As she taught them how to sharpen and care to the blades, she took the time to inspect the throwing knives the girls also carried.
This particular group planned to partake in the foraging and hunts that sustained the villages. That meant learning to survive outside of the protective barrier of the walls. They'd spend years learning a wide range of combat, and about herbalism. Menagerie was not like other places in Remnant. It didn't have the endless supply of dust, or advanced medicine found in the big cities. Electronics were kept minimally, and without one of the Schnee family's famed communications towers, most long distance communication had to be sent by word of mouth, or by written documents.
Because of this, many who lived on Remnant thought Menagerie, and the people who inhabited the island, were behind the times.
That, because they lacked such luxuries, they were by nature a primitive people. Animalistic, even by the standards of Faunus. However, that was simply not the case. Although the island had some questionable quirks, they were very successful at sustaining themselves under harsh conditions. There were many. Unpredictable rainy climates. Grimm activity. Not to mention the bigoted views found on the mainland.
The islanders had to learn how to cope when living conditions could be at their worst. Training the youths early and often was a primary staple of the mating season, when smaller Grimm were easier to find, and the combat was the most stable.
"What's that?" One of the girls asked, pointing to a powdered substance tightly sealed in a small glass jar. "What illness does it fix?"
"I'm not a medic." Blake said to the child. "My jars contain things to eliminate threats. Poisons, venoms, anything lethal. Substances made for killing. This, is one such mixture. Atropa Belladonna, otherwise known as Deadly Nightshade."
"A berry bush?" Another young girl asked, this one slightly older.
"It does have berries, but you cannot eat them." Blake told her. "It's a plant that is very poisonous. The roots are the most dangerous part of the plant, but the poison runs through all of it. The berries included." She picked up the vial, ever so carefully opening it and on a cloth, dispensing just the slightest bit. "It won't slay a Grimm, but, if used liberally enough on your weapons, it may be enough to drive them away. Sometimes, it's the best you can hope for."
"But it would kill a buck, or a fish, wouldn't it?" Came another inquiring question from an equally curious bystander.
"Well, yes…it would, but then you wouldn't be able to eat it." Blake said slowly. "If you ever plan to lace your blades with anything, keep in mind you do so with the intent to kill."
"So, you don't use it to hunt?"
"Not food, no." Blake replied simply. "If you consume anything that's been contaminated by your poison of choice, you run the risk of killing friends and family. That's why you never use the same tools to hunt Grimm. The two require vastly different methods, and Grimm are meant to be eradicated. Hunting Grimm is what I do, and it's very different from the work you girls plan on doing. Poison like this is something that I won't be teaching you."
"But what if we want to hunt Grimm?" A wolf Faunus, probably about twelve or so, looked up to Blake. The young noble wolf Faunus was part of a proud pack that many of Menagerie's warriors hailed from.
"You're too young to take down a Grimm." Blake replied with a chuckle. "This is your first heat. You're a woman of the village now, and though you might one day become a huntress like myself, that's only one path. It's not the only option open to you. Hunting Grimm is a skill that takes time to master. If you can do that, you can stay safe, and be aware of what your surroundings are telling you."
A loud ruckus broke Blake's concentration, and she gripped the poisonous powder in her cloth covered hand to keep from spreading it. Not far away a few single village men around her age made fools of themselves. Obviously they were trying to keep her attention for more than a second. Rolling her eyes, she began to ignore them entirely. Carefully disposing of the poison by dousing it in a vial of dark liquid antidote, she set fire to the small white cloth to dispose of it completely.
"Ignore the boys, they're being idiots." She said, causing the younger ones to laugh. Leave it to the rowdy eligible lion Faunus to catch a whiff of her scent and make calls at her like maniacs. She could hardly believe her ears as the three men, all littermates, tried to one-up their siblings by being even louder. The eldest of the men roaring in a display that had even a few of the people surrounding him looking mortified.
Blake side-eyed one of the young women in her care, a sixteen year old lion Faunus with a beautiful tail of white fur. It curled upward excitedly as the young Faunus woman was taken by the display. "Don't even think about it." Blake said, giving her a pointed look. Knowing exactly where her mind was going, and not liking that prospect one bit. "Someone ever roars at you like that, you don't even give them the time of day. Don't look at them, don't speak to them. If they keep at it, you snarl. If it continues beyond that, you find an older female and stay be her side. Do you understand?"
"They don't mean any harm. Besides, they're kind of cute when they roar though, don't you think?" The lion Faunus asked, practically swooning.
Blake raised an eyebrow to the still roaring men. "Roaring isn't cute. It's a display of power." Blake told her, still in complete disbelief over the matter. "Think with your head, not your instincts. If this wasn't the spring claiming festival, they'd be in trouble for making such a scene and disturbing the peace."
Much to Blake's dismay, the spectacle was an eyesore that made the younger females in her care prattle on. Snickering and gossiping like the young, inexperienced, girls that they were. Blake had forgotten how easily distracted and curious they could be. Interested about shirtless posturing going on not so far away. It didn't take long for Yang to hear the noise, chasing Blake's hopeful suitors away with her own aggravated bluster.
Her body casting a light that looked like a fireball as she charged after them, terrifying the eager young men away from their positions. Narrowly avoided a pummeling by the hotheaded blonde for even thinking to make such a scene.
"Yang." Blake spoke out above all of the shouting. "Leave them alone and get my armor. It's time for the hunt."
"Got it." The blonde put her thumb up, indicating she heard, before grinning and amplifying her semblance. The explosion managing to singe the fur of one of the young men Yang had been chasing down.
"That wasn't a license to set things on fire…" Blake mumbled under her breath as she felt her temper rise. "Yang, now!" Blake shouted again.
"I heard, but just a sec." she called back with a shit-eating grin plastered on her face.
Deciding that Yang on one of her famous tirades wasn't something the girls needed to see, she moved the lecture elsewhere. "Nothing good will come from this, so everyone follow me." She guided her young wards through the crowd, so as not to leave them with rambunctious the partiers.
"Are going to choose someone this year and make a litter?" The female lion Faunus asked.
"I don't have time to make a litter." Blake groused. "Besides, I'd never choose any of those three as a mate."
"Why not?" she asked, head cocking to the side, and ears perking curiously.
"In my eyes, they're not suitable."
"But they're big and strong." A short and slender cat Faunus replied, one of Blake's extended cousins from a nearby village. "They'll only get bigger too, maybe even as large as your dad, Blake."
"Strength alone is not enough for mating." Blake replied. "Remember, it's important that you pick mates that you enjoy being with. Choose carefully, and be picky. They should share your interests, and your goals. Most importantly, they should be the sort of person that you care deeply for. Breeding and mating are two very different things, and it is important that you keep that distinction at the forefront of your mind."
"But if you don't choose anyone, you can't mate."
At this, Blake only smiled as Yang came walking up, standing behind her with armor in her hands. Her voice instantly gentled as she answered the child's retort. "The thing you have to keep in mind, there will always be other festivals. The most successful courtships happen as the years go by, and you see people for who they really are." Then, she glanced over at Yang, holding that smile and lingering gaze a moment longer. "A mate truly interested in you, will take the time to know you as a person. One day, you'll come to understand on your own. Now, go stand in formation, but stay in my line of sight."
They ran off to do as they were told, Blake's keen gaze keeping track of them, as if they were small ducklings taking to water.
"Kids, always such a handful." She sighed to herself, scratching the base of one of her ears as it itched. The good natured snickering coming from behind her caused Blake to roll her eyes. "Do you find our customs funny, Yang?"
"No, not really. It's kind of cute the way you look over them, that's all." The blonde replied as began to outfit Blake in bright leather armor. The Faunus woman stood still, allowing Yang to work swiftly and diligently. "Although, I still think they're a little young."
"Old enough to breed, old enough to hunt. It's their own bodies that dictate the time, not us." Blake said simply, ignoring the shiver slipping down her spine with every affection kiss Yang pressed to the nape of her neck. Her eyes slid closed, but her voice remained stern. "This is only the start of their training, Yang. Keep it simple, don't allow the girls to stray far from you."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
"I'm not kidding. No charging ahead, or showing off. This isn't like last year when we had that older group ready to take on the initiation."
"I know, Blakey, I know." Yang chuckled. "You know me, I'd never let them get hurt."
"I don't doubt your protectiveness. I doubt your ability to show restraint. This is their first time out in the wilds, and you're to treat the matter with the due respect it deserves." Then Blake cast her gaze towards the village gate where the girls stood in formation waiting for inspection. "I don't expect them so much to slay a Grimm, as I expect them not to go fleeing in terror in the face of one."
"If you say so, but you don't have to worry. We took care of it. Neon, Sun, and I went and cleared out everything bigger than an Ursa early this morning. I don't think the grounds we've set up will be too hard for the girls to manage." Yang shrugged as she lightly slapped at Blake's armor. "There, finished. How does that feel?"
"Cumbersome." Blake deadpanned.
"It's your battle garb." Yang laughed. "Not mine."
"Today we introduce the girls to the dangers of the outside. No random killing of any Grimm shall be done, not even by you. Do you understand this?" She asked, rolling her shoulders under the thick material. She didn't often wear the armor, as it restricted her movements, but this too, was part of the tradition. That, and its bright colorations would help her stand out in the foliage, something she knew the youths would need if they had any hope of keeping up with her.
"Relax Blakey, I know the drill."
"Know it or not, I expect perfection from you." Blake told Yang. "This is an important day for them. If I had any doubts, I'd have my mother accompany me this year. Do not mess this up. You can go harassing the Grimm another day, but it will not be during this outing."
Instead of offering words of comfort to her obviously worried lover, Yang merely nodded. She pressed one last kiss to Blake's neck, a sign of affection that was very personal. The wordless promises kept there would mean more to the Faunus, and Yang knew that.
Amber eyes drifted over the built form of Yang Xiao Long.
Her tall stature, and wild mane of hair aside, Yang's features were distracting on normal days, let alone ones such as this. The more primal parts of Blake's mind demanded satisfaction, and truth be told, Yang's own battle garb did very little to conceal her shapely body and more than bountiful breasts. Blake bit the inside of her cheek, muttering curses, and promising herself that she would see to the matter later.
Squaring her shoulders, Blake stalked ahead. "We best get a move on, then. The girls shouldn't be left waiting, and we need to get them back to the village before nightfall."