Disclaimer: RWBY and League of Legends belong to Rooster Teeth and Riot Games respectively. I do not own the characters or settings used, I'm just a fan that fell in love with a pairing.

(Author's note at the end for those interested.)

Chapter 4: Pruning The Tree

As always, traveling proved to be quite uneventful for Xayah. The sun was already halfway through its trek toward the horizon, and soon she would see it paint the landscape with several shades of orange. Things had stayed quiet for the most part as they walked, but her traveling companion had made sure the silence was broken every now and again. He had asked some pretty unimportant questions about different types of flora and fauna they encountered, and Xayah had answered them quickly.

Now that they had decided to take a break and set up a quick campfire, he asked a more interesting question.

"So what's the story with Noxus?"

The Vastayan could answer this question quickly. As far as she was concerned they were a bunch of warmongering fools that got their asses handed to them on multiple occasions. However, she supposed her companion probably wanted a more educational answer. He was busying himself with making food, so she figured it wouldn't kill her to add more detail.

"All you really need to know about those thickheaded idiots is that they believe in strength above all," Xayah saw that her words made her companion wince slightly, and she paused for a moment to receive a response but continued when he didn't have one. "Their nation is large in size, and that's because they trampled anyone who made the mistake of getting in their way. Of course, when you're the bigger guy kicking the little guys around, people see you in a certain way. So their list of friends is at an unsurprising zero."

"And their list of enemies is a stark contrast of that," Qrow commented.

"Bingo," she confirmed, "the main people that are actively trying to get rid of them is the nation of Demacia. That place is full of stuffy holier-than-thou pricks that claim that loyalty and lawful acts are important above all else."

"So those would be the, 'good guys'," her traveling companion surmised while waiting for the water in front of him to boil.

To Xayah, despite how ignorant it may be, no human was better than the other. They were all stupid stubborn airheads that floundered when it came to the simplest of issues. From the stories her father told her, they didn't seem so bad. Hell, he seemed to be alright with them entirely. However, when she had decided to get some first-hand experience herself, she learned of all the atrocities they committed.

They butchered nature in efforts to try and tame it, a task any Vastaya would know was not only distasteful, but also impossible. Nature was wild and unpredictable, not orderly and malleable. That's what made the idea of it so beautiful, and its creations so majestical.

Not only that, but they weren't as welcoming as she had been told. The second she stepped foot into a human settlement she had to be on alert at all times. If not, she'd be captured and sold, or just straight up murdered. So no matter what they claimed to believe in or fight for, Noxus, Demacia, Ionia, they were all the same. They were all disgusting, inside and out, some were good at hiding it, but she knew their true nature.

"It's done," Qrow stated, pulling Xayah from her inner musings.

She watched as he procured a wooden bowl and spoon from the moderately sized pack he had asked her to buy. He then quickly filled the bowl with rice before handing it to her which made her raise an eyebrow. They had only bought one dish, so that meant he would be waiting for her to finish eating before he could get a chance to eat himself. Either that, or eat out of the scalding hot pot with his hands, which she doubted anyone sane would do.

Whether or not he was doing it to be nice, Xayah didn't really care. She simply took the food and began to eat, a decision she regretted immediately. Not only was it still above a satisfactory temperature, it lacked any kind of flavor to the point where she tasted leftover rice water. Despite all this, she somehow managed to keep a straight face.

"Wow," the Vastayan began, "it's tasteless yet it's still disgusting."

"Is that right?" her companion inquired sardonically without missing a beat. The quick timing of his response made Xayah wonder if he had expected this outcome, "well do you know what does have flavor?"

Oh no, here we go again.

"Salt!" Qrow answered his rhetorical question, "and if I recall correctly, the person in charge of buying the salt was…"

Xayah rolled her eyes and began to look away in exasperation, she thought he had given this tirade a rest hours ago, but it seemed like he still hadn't forgotten. So what if one of the things he asked for managed to slip her mind? If he wanted it so badly he would've checked inventory before they had marched four hours away from the village.

"I'm not eating the rest of this," she stated simply before moving to hand the bowl back to him.

"It was you," the huntsman filled in the blank from earlier, "just so we're clear."

Instead of taking the bowl back, Qrow reached into his pack once again and produced a strip of dried meat and placed it on top of the rice. "There, that should make up for any lost flavor."

"You had a solution in mind, but you still chewed me out?" Xayah asked in disbelief.

"Of course," the raven-haired swordsman replied with a smirk, "it's more fun this way."

"I'll never understand your kind," the Vastayan muttered before trying the dish again. To no one's surprise it was edible now, well, at least it had a taste that made someone willing enough to eat it.

After they finished eating, her companion packed up his things and they were back to walking once again. Nightfall was still two or three hours away, and the walk to the capital city of Ionia was not a short one. If they kept moving they'd make it in three days, and so far they had only traveled for a little over a quarter of a day.

The silence that overtook the air between the two for the next hour was mutual. Xayah was left alone to her thoughts, while on occasion, glancing at the human next to her. She still didn't trust him. At any moment he could show that their journey so far was a ruse, something to get her to drop her guard just enough before he could cut her down. Sure they had been in each other's company for a few days, but it was the persistent ones that were the most dangerous.

"How many do you count?" he asked in a hushed tone, but still shattering the silence.

The question alone lacked any sort of context, but Xayah knew exactly what it meant. She had noticed the subtle presence of several pairs of eyes watching and following her. It had put her on edge more than usual, and to see that her companion had felt the same way spoke volumes about his combat experience.

"Five," the Vastayan answered quickly.

"Divide and conquer after we pass the tree with three branches on the right side?" the huntsman proposed.

"Works for me," she shrugged.

And it was done. Both travelers continued to walk forward at a steady pace, making sure to avoid doing anything out of the ordinary. Xayah rolled her neck around to ease any tension that had built up, while she flexed her slim fingers as the designated tree grew closer with each step.

Five seconds.

Four.

Three.

Two.

Both the huntsman and the marksman shot off like bullets in opposite directions as they had planned. A wicked grin possessed Xayah's normally impassive face as she heard the sound of movement within the forest following her. Her last skirmish was at the temple she had found her current traveling companion in, and that was far too long ago as far as she was concerned. The rush of battle helped split up the tedium of life, and any chance to hone her skills was welcomed with open arms, and feather daggers.

Xayah had left the ground early on and was now effortlessly bounding from tree branch to tree branch until she landed on one of a suitable height. There she waited patiently, her ears twitching at the soft sound of leaves being disturbed. Not too long after, someone dressed in green ninja garb swiftly appeared directly under the Vastayan's location. Their head moved slowly as they scanned the area around them, looking for any sign of their target.

The ninja's vision would soon be clouded by darkness thanks to Xayah dropping down on them from her perch above.

If only you knew. She mentally chuckled to herself before backflipping over what was probably a kunai. The Vastayan then brought up a feather dagger to catch a sword swing just before it got a little too close to her body. She stared into the cold eyes of a brunette shinobi before moving to sweep the woman's legs out from under her. The shinobi dodged the maneuver with a backflip of her own, but to her dismay she was soon pinned upside to a tree that was directly behind her.

The culprit for her lack of movement was a vibrant purple quill that was identical to the one that had blocked her sword swing. It had caught the extra cloth from the sash the ninja wore around her waist. Xayah saw an attempt to try and remove the feather from her clothing, but she quickly followed it up with several other feathers that pinned the rest of the woman's body to the sturdy tree trunk. The feat was nothing more than a impromptu game of darts for the winged marksman, and soon the brunette joined her unconscious partner.

In what felt like the blink of an eye, the skirmish came to a close. It was a result Xayah had expected and was slightly disappointed about.

Maybe I should've taken it a bit easier and let it drag out a bit more? Nah, they may not be as good as me, but if I showed any hesitation they would've exploited it.

"Ninjas," the Vastayan scoffed as she began to drag the bodies toward the tree she and her partner had split off from.

Non-lethal definitely wasn't Xayah's usual style, but the human she traveled with liked to talk. That meant that he probably would want to ask these people questions. Maybe he would be satisfied enough when he heard his voice as he questioned them and that would stop him from talking until they reached the capital.

Not likely.

With the excitement over with, the tedium of life returned in full. Xayah continued to drag the unconscious humans along with her until she saw her companion waiting for her. He was leaning against the specified tree, drinking from his flask as per usual. However, the lax nature of his demeanor was missing. She could tell he was on alert, even if his body language didn't give that away.

As the crimson-feathered marksman had predicted, the huntsman had two unconscious bodies lying at his feet. He intended on questioning them after all, and he had used a taut vine to bind them. Xayah expected him to make some comment about how he had taken care of his adversaries faster than her, but the remark never came.

"There is still one left," they stated in unison.

Xayah was taken slightly aback by the vocal interaction, but she quickly recovered. She couldn't tell if they both thought on the same wavelength when it came to combat, or if her companion had just predicted what she was going to say. There was a very slight glint of humor in one of his sanguine irises and that told her it was probably the latter. It made sense, this was their first time doing any combat together so there was no way he could've gotten a read on her right?

Ugh, I'm overthinking again, she thought to herself while fighting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose out of annoyance.

Part of her wanted to thank this human for breaking up the tedium of traveling alone, and the other part wanted to make him a pincushion for having to deal with his antics. She would do neither as she pushed any irrelevant thoughts to the back of her mind. There was still one person unaccounted for, and ninjas weren't exactly known for having a grand entrance. They could stand here until nightfall without any other activity. That wouldn't do though, Xayah would just kill the four they had captured and move on.

She viewed having hostages as a cowardly tactic, and most of the time it was more work than it was worth. However, being a one woman rebellion, she understood that underhanded tactics would be necessary for results. Not to mention the fact that she didn't doubt both she and the swordsman could handle whoever was left. Their would-be assailants were well trained, but with her experience she had been able to incapacitate them quickly.

"When they wake up they'll probably try to break free from the vines I used," Qrow pointed out, "they'll probably succeed since I have no doubt they've been trained to evade capture. Hopefully we can figure out why they followed us before they have a chance to escape."

Xayah said nothing, but instead she simply hummed to show acknowledgement.

"Killing isn't really my style," the huntsman continued, "but there really isn't much other option here is there? Can't have them run away and come back with more friends, things are complicated enough as it is."

The sound of a twig snapping nearby alerted both travelers, and it was soon replaced with the sound of steel meeting steel. Xayah watched as Qrow shifted his body to block a projectile aimed for the side of his torso. The projectile itself was a kama, something that was usually a tool for farming. However, it was a tool that could easily be turned into a deadly weapon.

It glanced off of the sword on her companion's back, but before it could hit the ground it was caught in mid-air by a green blur of movement. Then all was silent again as if the event had never happened. Whoever was the fifth person in the party of ninjas was clearly their superior.

No more sounds were made before Xayah's instincts alerted her to jump immediately. She did so without protest and evaded the same kana that had been aimed at Qrow previously. It curved like a boomerang and threatened to catch the Vastayan's leg as gravity took over once more, but grabbing onto a tree branch took away any chance of the weapon connecting.

Xayah tried to catch a glimpse of who the weapons were returning to, but all she saw was the same green blur.

"I don't have time for games," she heard her companion shout into the surrounding trees. "I'll let your friends go free if you show yourself and answer a few questions. No one has to get hurt."

Time stood still as they waited for a response,but the forest remained deathly silent.

"Might as well start killing them now," Xayah suggested, "it's clear whoever is left doesn't care."

The marksman then began circling the tree where all the unconscious bodies were gathered. She readied four feathers in between her fingers as she waited for confirmation from the raven-haired huntsman. If it were up to her, these four would've already been dead. There was never a good reason why people were trying to follow you secretly. However, she didn't want to deal with the argument that would ensue if she killed them outright. Instead she threw her feathers slightly above the unconscious ninjas' heads, followed by embedding several quills into the surrounding trees. Xayah could feel Qrow giving her a questioning look, but she ignored it. If the fifth assailant was going to engage them again, she wanted to be ready.

It wasn't too long before a sign of their attacker appeared again, but unfortunately it was a sign that threw a wrench into the Vastyan's plan. The sound of something popping followed by a sharp hiss filled the previously undisturbed air, and soon a cloud of smoke enveloped both travelers. Xayah's mind immediately raced with possibilities as she covered her mouth

Poison? Not likely, it'd kill the others. Will she try to carry them out? No, it'd take too long. I could call my feathers back now, but they might miss and he might get hit.

The sound of combat filled the air as steel met steel once again, adding a sense of urgency to the situation. A possible chance of suffocation from the fumes around her was quelled when Xayah began to use her wing to blow away the smoke. She found moderate success as the vapors began to clear, soon revealing Qrow locked in combat with a woman.

The fifth ninja dressed similarly to those in her group with dark green clothing that restricted the least amount of movement. Her fighting style was clearly built on the back of martial arts due to the fact that she used more than just the two kamas in her hands to strike. The agility on display would impress even the most skilled fighters as she converted one maneuver into another in fluid economic motions.

On the receiving end of the assault was Xayah's raven-haired companion. His blade that normally rested on his back had telescoped into the size of a greatsword and he was wielding it effortlessly. He met his assailant's attacks head on, refusing to be overwhelmed by the onslaught of blows. The stern look on his face was the most serious that the Vastayan had seen him since their first conversation. She found some comfort in knowing that he truly was no slouch when it came to battle.

Both combatants used the forest around them for any advantage possible. The ninja launched herself off of trees and converted the momentum into flying kicks. Qrow on the other hand remained steadfast, only moving his position when absolutely necessary. Sometimes a sword swing would go wide and slice through the bark of the surrounding trees like a hot knife through butter. To any spectator it would be a terrifying prospect to be on the receiving end of his strength.

Through his positioning decisions, it was clear that he was trying to create openings for Xayah who had channeled some of her magical energy into her body. Her pace of movement was noticeably increased as she weaved through the forest while propelling her projectiles toward the kama wielder. Frustratingly so, the ninja was able to focus on her opponent while dodging around the incoming feathers. However, the marksman always had a backup plan if things weren't as simple as stabbing her enemies from afar. All she needed was an opening.

Thanks to Qrow working to hold his ground as often as possible, the opportunity Xayah was hoping for was quick to present itself. A diagonally upward sword swing had sent his opponent into a swift backflip before the woman used a tree behind her to launch herself forward once more. She then went for an overhead swing with both of her weapons, but her attempt was immediately rendered null due to a block from the swordsman. He had raised his sword in such a way that made it so his opponent's curved instruments of death were caught on his blade, leaving the woman dangling from the handles of her weapons.

The ninja's response was executed in less than a second as she used her upper body strength to throw herself over her enemy. She landed quickly, and pivoted on her feet in time to see the huntsman be knocked to the ground by his companion. The slight shock was enough of a distraction, and by the time she realized that projectiles that had missed before were barreling down on her, it was too late.

Feathers from around her collectively weakened the ninja's Aura until Xayah's magic caused the deadly plumage to grow in length and wrap around the fifth assailant's body. With loss of control in her arms and legs, the woman clothed in green fell over with a grunt.

"If we keep meeting like this people are going to talk," Xayah heard Qrow say as he stared up at her.

She scoffed as she rolled off of the huntsman and got to her feet, "I don't know how long my magic will last so don't take too long."

Qrow nodded before dusting himself off and retrieving his weapon that had been dropped when he was tackled. They both then headed toward the trapped ninja who was unable to struggle in her situation.

"Alright, we just want some answers," the huntsman began, "give them to us and you go free."

"The idea of death does not persuade me," the bound woman spat back.

Xayah watched as her companion took on an expression of wounded pride as he responded, "death? No one said we'd kill you if you didn't answer."

"You'd be a fool to set me free."

"Well.. yeah, but it wouldn't be the first time I've done something questionable, nor would it be the last," Qrow admitted as he placed his weapon on his back and crossed his arms.

"I'm not telling you anything," the ninja stated bluntly.

"Not even if I set you and your friends free?"

"I'm not one to mince words with either of your kind!"

That statement made the Vastayan spectator's fingers tense up and her temper flare. Not only was it aggravating to just stand and watch the huntsman on a fool's errand, but now she was being insulted. It's fine if she doesn't want to mince words with 'my kind' now, once I'm done with her, she'll wish she had.

Qrow watched Xayah rush forward without warning and immediately wrap her hands around the ninja's throat. At first the captured woman didn't react, but soon she began gasping for air. For once, the huntsman was at a loss of what to do. The choice of words on their captive's part had been beyond poor, and interfering at this very moment could make his companion abhor him.

Getting necessary answers was never the prettiest process when dealing with people who were tight lipped. Frankly, Qrow would rather leave that up to someone else, he gained no pleasure from the several tactics he had seen implemented. He'd rather have the person he needed answers from on his side rather than forcefully prying information out of an enemy. There was a clear choice here to show he had no ill will toward the woman they had captured, but that would mean opposing the person who had kept him alive and in the loop up to this point.

It was obvious that his companion wasn't one to give out trust easily, and going against her created a large chance of any faith she had in him being dissolved. However, if he didn't stop this there would be another possibly unnecessary murder on his hands for simply being a bystander. Not only that, but it was likely that they'd be hunted with renewed determination.

No one won in this situation.

"Stop!" a man screamed from a short distance away, "please stop! I'll tell you anything just let Akali go!"

Qrow's sanguine irises shifted toward the source of the unexpected plea. His eyes landed on one of the ninjas he had disarmed and knocked out earlier. The fight had been a bit sloppier than he would've liked and the man ended up with a broken leg and a dislocated arm. His brown hair was matted with sweat, and his facial expression did little to hide his pain.

The huntsman needed no more motivation, he knew what he needed to do.

He quickly closed the distance between himself and the two women before grabbing a hold of Xayah's shoulders and throwing her off of her victim. The huntsman had tried to be gentle about it, but the adrenaline that was pumping due to both the external and internal conflicts from before caused him to use more force than he would've liked. His companion hit the ground hard before sliding into a tree trunk.

Thankfully her Aura was still intact and it took the brunt of the force, but knowing that didn't stop Qrow from rushing over to her to make sure she was alright. He looked over to see that the feather cocoon had unraveled itself, and the once captive woman was now sputtering and gasping for oxygen. The man that had pleaded for his leader's safety had a clear look of relief on his face as he rushed over as best he could to see if he could help his friend.

"Why?" the sound of Xayah's voice was soft and shock was written all over her face as she sat up.

Shit, was all the huntsman could think as he realized that she did indeed feel betrayed.

"I don't think she meant it the way you took it," he replied, hoping that it would at least make some semblance of sense to the woman he was crouched in front of. When he didn't get a response he tried to explain further, "she said 'either of your kind', so unless she's a third race I don't know of, it doesn't make sense."

The Vastayan said nothing as she got up and began to head into what seemed to be a random direction.

"Where are you going?" Qrow called after her.

"For a walk."

"Are you coming back?"

The huntsman saw his companion's ears visibly perk up for a second as she halted all of her movement. She stood there silently for a moment before turning around to look back at him. He could feel her golden eyes evaluating him as she came to a decision. Time slowed to a painful crawl until finally the winged woman sighed and gave a slight nod before turning around and heading off.

"You idiot!"

Qrow turned around to see the woman who had been referred to as 'Akali' scolding the person who had granted her safety. If he hadn't intervened, the huntsman doubted he would've made a decision in time to stop Xayah from completely crushing the ninja's windpipe.

"The first lesson you had to learn before joining our ranks was to let your emotions go!" Akali shouted, "you've failed that miserably."

"I wasn't just going to let you die," the brown-haired man interjected.

"I made peace with the fact that I may die in this line of work when I was ten years of age," the leader retorted, "whether I live or die is not something you get to choose!"

There was a long pause as they seemed to both be at a loss for words before Akali's fierce brown eyes softened slightly, "but… I suppose I should be saying thank you."

Qrow cut in before the woman's companion could give a response, "I hate to break up this cute display of camaraderie, but I was promised answers."

"Right," the man said, "I'll give them to you."

"Good, I'll start with an easy one then," the huntsman began. "Why were you after us?"

"We have suspicions that you're a part of the Order of the Shadow."

"Well allow me to put your suspicions to rest, I don't even know what the Order of the Shadow is," Qrow stated plainly while crossing his arms.

"We find that highly unlikely," Akali replied for her companion, "our scouts saw you and the Vastayan exit one of the temples they recently occupied."

"Oh, that."

"Yes, that."

"Hate to tell you, but you made an ass out of yourselves by assuming," the raven-haired protector of Remnant replied with a smirk.

"Excuse me?" the leader of the five ninjas furrowed her brow.

"I woke up inside the temple with an awful case of amnesia," Qrow bluffed, "she found me and carried me out. Everyone else in the building was already dead, and I have nothing to go off of besides my personal belongings. I don't even know my name."

"You expect us to believe that?" Akali inquired flatly, "you can keep up with me in combat fairly well for someone who doesn't remember how to fight. Not only that, but The Violent Raven isn't exactly known for her sympathy toward humans."

The Violent Raven huh?

"I hear they say that people with amnesia still retain their previous skills without the knowledge of them," the huntsman replied after drinking from his flask. "That was my first fight since waking up in that damn temple."

The two ninjas exchanged glances for a moment before returning their attention back to the man in front of them. They had no real way of proving that he was lying unless they found someone he had told his name to. Not only that, but during his bouts with both Akali and her two subordinates, he hadn't used any known shadow techniques.

"That still doesn't explain why the Vastayan went to the temple in the first place, or why she carried you out," the wounded male mentioned.

"She also thought I was a part of the group that had occupied the temple, so when I woke up I was immediately bombarded by questions," Qrow explained. "One of the questions she asked had to do with any Vastayan connection to whatever was going on inside the temple. My amnesia meant that I had no answer, and I think she's keeping me around in hopes that I'll have an epiphany."

Bluffing was easily one of the huntsman's strengths, and he had a lot of practice. He could spin stories that sounded fantastical, yet still be one-hundred percent believable. It was almost second nature for him, just like his ability to weave through an interaction without once having to say his name. Perfecting how to become a generic nobody was imperative when searching for information or executing the missions he was sent on. It also helped that there was always things going on in his head that he would rather not share.

"Is there anything else you want to ask?" Akali spoke in an indifferent tone now, one that hid whether or not she believed the swordsman's lies.

Qrow was satisfied with his answers and almost waved them off, but one final question popped up in his mind, "do you know the location of any other temples?"

"Why do you want to know that?"

"Well, maybe if I arrive and enter another one I'll have that epiphany my companion is hoping for. If not, maybe she'll at least find the answers she is looking for. Plus, I could take out some of the people from the Order of the Shadow for you since your party is going to be short staffed due to injuries." He finished his explanation while slightly gesturing toward the man with a broken leg.

"You're foolish if you assume that there are only five of us in the order we belong to," Akali stated.

"So you're not going to tell me if there is one nearby?" Qrow raised an eyebrow.

"There is one east of here, it should only take you a day to reach it," the female leader replied while wrapping an arm around her injured companion to support him. "If you're lying to us, we will know, and we will come for you again."

"Noted," the huntsman responded before whispering something under his breath when they began heading in opposite directions, "really worked out for you this time."

It had been quite some time since the sun had set, but Xayah continued to ignore all the mundane sights and sounds as she walked aimlessly around the forest. She didn't know where she was going, but it didn't matter to her either way. What did matter to her was the events that had just transpired, the emotions that she had allowed to seep out. It was all so uncharacteristic of her. She hated overthinking simple things, but she just couldn't ignore it anymore.

Why was I so surprised? the Vastayan asked herself in reference to the feelings of betrayal that had materialized when she had been pried off of the woman she was asphyxiating. It shouldn't have come as an immediate surprise that her human companion had stopped her from killing another human, but it was. Had she unintentionally invested a level of trust within him, and just expected that he would always be on her side? It was all wrong.

Why am I relieved? Why am I glad that I was wrong about what she meant and that he had stopped me when he did? Despite whatever lie she formed to explain this situation, she knew she felt relieved. She was glad that he hadn't done it because he favored a human life despite a heinous thing that person may have said, but rather simply because she herself had been wrong about the situation.

Going from traveling alone for years to suddenly having someone who was watching your back, whether you admitted it or not, was jarring for Xayah to say the least. It was easy to forget what companionship was like when you simply blocked the idea out with other priorities or excuses. It was also easy to convince yourself that it wasn't necessary. Which, she still believed it wasn't. However, in doing so, she had forgotten just how much a second person could shake things up.

Maybe I'll just spend the night on my own and find him in the morning. I told him I'd be back, but I didn't say when. Or maybe I'll just randomly cross paths with his campsite, like I'm doing now. Nice going.

To her displeasure, she had indeed done just that. While deep within her own thoughts she ignored the smell of a campfire nearby, and in doing so she unintentionally had gotten closer to the source. Now she stood at the edge of a small clearing within the trees, and she had no doubt in her mind that the huntsman who was laying down while watching the stars had already noticed her presence.

Biting her lower lip, Xayah reluctantly marched forward before taking her spot on the ground on the opposite side of the fire. She said nothing and hoped to fall asleep quickly as she wrapped her wing around herself. Unfortunately, her raven-haired companion began to talk.

"You don't have to respond," he began, "but I did want to apologize again for what I did earlier."

His words were as sincere as his stern facial expressions that she had seen earlier during combat. It was perhaps even more sincere than when he had been in those situations. There was no jokes, no smirk, no games, just an apology.

"I was able to get a lead from them," he shifted topics, but still didn't move a muscle from his position. "We can talk about it in the morning."

There was something about her companion that had bugged Xayah since the day she had met him, and despite not wanting to say a word, a question slipped out from in between her lips.

"How do you have an Aura?"

"That's an easy one," Qrow replied, he seemed surprised that he had been asked a question, "most fighters on Remnant have Auras. If you go down the path of a huntsman or huntress, which I have, you're taught to unlock it early on."

In asking that question, the Vastayan had hit two birds with one stone. The first was that she had an answer to how her companion had the force field that was essentially the manifestation of his soul. Vastaya had it at birth, their link to the spirit world provided every species with an Aura of their own. There were humans on Runeterra that had the trait as well, but they were few and far between, it usually being reserved for truly important or skilled people.

The second thing she had an answer for thanks to that question was something both terrifying, and slightly comforting. Whether she wholeheartedly trusted him or not was still up in the air, but like it or not, Xayah had consistently done one thing since meeting the huntsman. She believed him.

(A/N): Hey everyone, A Dusty Old Qrow here, just wanted to give a little insight on some things when it comes to my schedule of posting chapters. Currently there isn't one, and I don't expect there to ever be one. If you've noticed that things have taken a little longer to go live it's because they have. The school semester has started up again, and I have a few hobbies that eat up a good chunk of my free time. Balancing all those plus writing this story makes updates come out a little slower and I apologize for that.

The future updates may come at the same speed if not a little slower, it all depends on what I'm doing that week in real life and all that jazz. I'm really enjoying this story though, and I'm having a lot of fun writing it. I have some ideas in the outline that I'm really excited to execute, and I hope many of you join me on this interesting ride.

Lastly, I want to say thanks to the buddy of mine that edits these chapters and lets me know that the absolute mess I write is coherent. Furthermore, I want to extend a thank you to all of you that have favorited, followed, and dropped a review. Feedback makes me smile, and that goes for critique and kind words.

I don't plan on doing author's notes regularly. I don't know why, but I kind of want to be detached to this story in terms me as a person.

That's all I wanted to share, enjoy the chapters to come.