The cold rays of the early spring sun fell on the Grimm Forest, and on the lonely figure who lay there who lay there after running throughout the night.

Winter blinked few times and opened her eyes before groaning heavily and rising up from the mud. At first she did not know where she was, but she soon remembered; she had fled into the Grimm Forest to escape from the Queen's forces! However, her relief did not last her long as she soon heard a loud shout coming from somewhere deep within the forest. Her eyes winded; they were still looking for her! She spun to her right and broke into a run, navigating between the blackened trees and jumping over fallen logs and protruding roots. She never glanced back, too afraid to do so, but at the same time she kept looking for a place to hide.

And soon enough, she spotted one. There was an old, almost uprooted tree before her, with a tangle of roots and branches. She ducked into it, holding her breath and watching. The seconds like hours as they ticked by, but soon enough she saw someone enter the scene. It was a man, tall, with spiky black hair. He was dressed in a gray jerkin with black patches on the side, black pants and a tattered red coat, and wore a huge sword on his back. He looked nothing like the Queen's men, but she was still cautious. She did not stir, hoping that the man would leave, however Lady Luck was not on her side as the man turned and looked directly at her, locking eyes. She gasped a little; his red eyes were sharp, like none she had seen before. They were the eyes of a predator, someone who never misses his prey, and her assessment was proven correct as the man jumped forward and grabbed her hand, dragging her from her hiding place. She tried to resist and even break free but his grip was strong, and she stumbled a little when he pulled her, leading her back out of the wood.

It looked like her small taste of freedom had come to an end.

Qrow finally found the girl, not that she was difficult to find in the first place; between her light coloured clothes and her white hair she stood out against the ebony wood like a fresh snow. He pulled her out of her hiding place and found himself staring into her eyes. They were cold and hard like ice in the harshest of winter, filled with pride that belied her otherwise haggard appearance.

This caught him slightly him of guard. She was the Queen's prisoner after all, and probably had been for quite some time, yet she still had an air of pride and confidence around her. Astounding! In a way, she reminded him of both his sister and Summer...

"You've done your job well, Huntsman, I'm impressed!" His musings were interrupted by Roman's voice. The girl has noticed the man too, and renewed her attempts to free herself. "Now, hand her over."

Qrow glanced back at the girl and she shook her head. Then he looked at Roman, and reached for his sword.

"What exactly do you intend to do with her?" He didn't know why he asked this question, it was none of his business after all. Maybe it was the strange look in the girl's eye, maybe it was this nagging distrust for the Queen in the back of his mind, maybe it was the way she somehow reminded him of the old days when he still had everything. Or maybe it was because deep down he was still a Huntsman, and Huntsmen were protectors of the world, independent from any rule. Whatever the reason, he refused to give the girl up, at least for the moment.

"That is none of your concern!" said Roman, "Now keep your word."

"She will kill me! And you too and then everyone!" cried the girl in his arms. Her voice was filled with anger and steel confidence; he could FEEL her aura levels rising.

"I will keep my word when the Queen keeps hers", he told the Commander in a steely tone, "so show me Ruby and Yang first."

"She is going to betray you!" cried his hostage.

Upon hearing these words the small voice in the back of Qrow's head grew louder and his buried doubts resurfaced.

"Show me Ruby and Yang first!" he repeated.

Roman's lips curved into a smile.

"Queen Cinder has many powers; she can take life away, she can control fire, but even she can't bring your girls back from dead, you drunken fool!" he said, practically spitting the last words.

That was the final straw. Qrow's eyes hardened as he let go of the girl, leaping forward with sword in hand. He swung at Roman's men, easily cutting them down. He was on a roll, anger ruled him now.

They tricked him! He should have expected it, and in the back of his mind he did, but still...giving someone hope and then taking it away would make anyone dangerous, and Qrow had been a dangerous man already. He dodged one of the Guards trying to block him when he suddenly felt a new yet familiar aura nearby. He saw some movement in the corner of his eye, and astonishment washed over him when he turned around and saw the girl fighting the other guard with a sword she must have gotten hold of at some point. He had to admit, she was good at it. It was clear that she had been trained.

He did not have time to admire her skills however, as he had his own opponents to take care off. Not that they were much of a challenge, and it was not long until they all laid on the ground, either knocked out or slain. There was no sign Roman anymore, having probably fled during the commotion. Qrow sighed deeply and put his sword aside, panting as his anger considerably subsided. He then turned around to check on the girl, old Huntsman instincts that refused to die.

However, the moment that happened he found himself with a sword pointed at his throat. He looked up from it, and at the young woman holding it; her eyes were cold and her brow furrowed. He had to say, even with wild, dishevelled hair, the few scrapes on cheeks, dirty clothes, and despite the fact that she was holding a sword on him...she actually looked quite pretty. He smirked.

"So," he asked, "what does the Queen want from ya?"

"I should be asking you that, since you're the one hunting me!" she answered, slightly offended.

He shrugged. "No clue, I was just ordered to bring ya to her. But that deal is up, so if you would be so kind as to get that sword away from me, I'd be grateful."

There was a long silence but finally she did step back, putting the blade aside, her hands remaining on the hilt though. 'Smart girl', he thought. He said nothing to that however and turned around, heading towards the edge of the woods. He didn't go far when he heard sound of someone running. He turned and saw the girl approach him.

"Wait!" she called after him. "Wait a minute," she said, pausing for a while to catch her breath, "...You're a Huntsman, right? And you know these woods?"

"Huntsmen don't exist anymore, kid," he said bluntly without breaking stride.

"But you do know the woods?" she pressed, walking alongside him.

He nodded. "Well enough."

"I...I have a proposition for you," she said. "I'm trying to get to General Ironwood."

Qrow froze at the mention of the name. It reminded him of the distant, much simpler times when he was still a Huntsman. Of times when there still were schools and when the Kingdoms were free, times when he would squabble with the General and send him glares or laugh at the man for his over the top ways. Now though, it seemed like it all happened in another lifetime.

His companion noticed his silence, and seemed to have taken it for reluctance to answer as she spoke up again.

"You've seen how the Queen hunts me," she said, "I'm valuable; the General will pay you for my safe return."

He blinked a few times, woken form his musings and turned his eyes back to her. He studied her for a moment, pondering over her request. He wasn't a very helpful person, not anymore, and he really didn't feel like getting even further into some sort of sick trouble. Then again, what did he have to lose? The answer was nothing; his life was pretty much gone for years, and now that the Queen turned out to be a lying wench, and that he killed her men, there was really no reason for him to return home. He didn't know this girl, nor he did he really care about her, but he couldn't deny there was certain appeal to helping her. For one it was a challenge, and he loved those. Secondly there was a thrill to it all, of travelling again, of protecting someone. Like in good old days when he was one of the best. And there was ever something to gain it it too in the form of compensation.

"Just for the sake of argument, let's say I accept your offer," he said; he had to keep an appearance, that was what she expected of him, "how much will it be?"

"How much will be enough?" she countered.

He thought for a moment. "...Thirty golden pieces," he answered.

"I'll give you a hundred!" she said, completely stunning him. For a second he stood there surprised by such a generous offer.

'Who is she?' came to his mind. Then he composed himself and spit into his hand before extending it to her.

"You got yourself a deal," he said. "And by the way, the name's Qrow."

Winter hesitated for a while, regarding the man before her. He had introduced himself and was expecting same of her. It was fair enough, she guessed; after all, it would be simply ridiculous if they only called each other girl and Huntsman all the way...but the thing was she didn't trust him enough to tell him who she was. She didn't necessarily think he'd betray her to the Queen, since he seemed to hate the woman and only went along before she promised to bring Ruby and Yang, whoever they were, back from the dead.

But who was to say he wouldn't abandon her if he knew she was a Schnee? For now he thought she's just a special but ordinary girl, but if he were to discover just who exactly she is then he might think that a hundred golden pieces isn't enough. Or he might just hate her family altogether; she was more than aware that her father was greatly disliked in all four Kingdoms.

After a while, however, she realized he is still waiting for her reply. She took a deep breath and grasped his hand, finally opting on giving him her first name. (She couldn't be the only Winter around, colour naming was a rule in Remnant, and the story of the Four Maidens was a beloved tale of both the nobility and common folk.)

"My name is Winter," she said, "can we go now?"

As Qrow gave her a nod he turned around and headed off. She quickly followed after him.

General Ironwood sighed deeply, as he watched the purple leafed trees of Forever Fall Forest, on the edge of which he had been living. It had been a tough twelve years, since he came to Vale. He'd sent countless men to try and get to Queen Cinder and stop her, but none had yet been successful. The only messages he'd ever received was of the Grimm and poverty and of disappearing girls. The worst thing was that these stories slowly ceased to shock him; they just became an everyday occurrence, a normality. He shook his head. Was there anything to shock him anymore?

And in that moment, as if in answer to his question, someone shouted his name. He turned around and saw one of the Falcon Trainers, Scarlet David, running to him with a piece of paper in hand.

"General!" shouted Scarlet, "There are news from Peter Port!"

Ironwood stiffened but otherwise remained unaffected. He let the soldier catch up with him and took the letter from him, reading it swiftly. The first part told about the failed attempt and capture. The General let out a sad sigh, nothing new. As he read further his expression begun to change, plainly showing the emotions he felt. He passed the letter to the soldier.

"Read," he said.

"But-" stuttered the man.

"Read it!" demanded the general. The soldier looked at him with slight fear but obediently begun to read.

"'General, the attempt has failed-'"

"Not this part, start with Jaune," interrupted Ironwood. Scarlet sighed.

"'...Jaune attacked the Queen, despite my warnings. He stabbed her and then...she pulled the dagger out! Right out! And then she just tossed it away as if it were nothing! She cannot be killed, General!'"

Scarlet swallowed at the words, but read further as he felt the demanding gaze of his commander on him.

"'They let me go so I could send you this message and I was going to do it right away, but something occurred in this time that I must inform you about. General, Princess Winter is alive! I have seen her with my own eyes, as she made her escape from the castle. She was taller and looked malnourished but it was most definitely her. I have stayed longer and found out that she escaped to the Grimm Forest. The Queen has sent her men after her, but they haven't been able to bring her back. I have heard from some people that Qrow has disappeared as well, and he is probably with her. I shall stay here to find out more.

Signed, Peter Port.'"

Scarlet stopped reading and looked at the General. The man was pacing back and forth.

"Prepare your men," he said, "we shall be leaving soon."

Weiss let out a soft breath, resting her back against the tree she'd been hiding behind. Winter was alive, her older sister was alright and escaped the clutches of the Queen! The young girl sank down, sitting on the cold ground. She could scarcely believe it! She wanted to see Winter so much, and was about to go to the General and ask for permission to join the rescue party but stopped in mid step. No, she couldn't wait God knows how long for the party to be formed and for the men to leave. She had to go and search for Winter herself, and she already knew how.

She'd been practising her summoning for years now, determined to surpass everyone and get her revenge on the Queen for her destroyed home and slaughtered loved ones, and now came the time to try it out. She peered out from her hiding place to check if the General and Scarlet were still there, and satisfied with the empty clearing, she pulled out her sword. She concentrated with all her will, thinking hard about the right Grimm to summon, and after a while a blue light flashed before her as a Nevermore appeared. It let out a small shriek but she hushed it with a move of her hand before getting on it's back.

"Take me to my sister," she said, "take me to Patch."

The creature let out a soft shriek before taking off into the air.

Uff, I've finally reached the end! Sorry for delay folks, but to write it I needed to rewatch the movie + not everything in the movie exactly fits with the canon here i.e in the movie everything happens in one kingdom so I had to juggle with geography of Remnant here to fit it to how RWBY verse looks like. Also, Winter is a bit different from Snow in the movie so I had to incorporate that too. I'll add some other scenes later on that were missing from the movie(imo) in order for proper pacing and relationships development.

Editor's Note: And chapter 3 is in the can! This one was fun to work on, and also to read, since it reintroduces a couple characters from back in chapter 1. I still haven't seen the movie yet, though hopefully that will be remedied by the time Miss Vale completes chapter 4, so we'll see you all then!