Welcome back. I hope you like exposition.
"So, when you said your life is cleaning up messes, how did you mean that?" She continued tending her herb garden, Jaune working dutifully beside her.
"I am member of an order called, 'Beacon.' Simply put, we are peacekeeping mercenaries."
"So… You charge people, to keep them safe?" A chuckle rumbled from Jaune.
"It's not quite that way. Many us simply roam the land in a set yet shifting pattern. If we find a situation, ranging from highway robbers to a simple lover's quarrel, we restore peace in the gentlest manner possible. Sometimes combat is the only way, most times we manage a situation without resorting to steel. Sometimes, we happen upon a situation, other times, we are sought out. When we happen upon a situation, we work for the sake of peace and accept the satisfaction of peace as payment, when sought out, we charge depending on the severity of the measures needed to restore peace." He resumed pulling miniscule weeds from among the herbs.
"When Lord Schnee offered you half his gold to kill me?" She delicately harvested several leaves from various plants, replenishing the stock she'd used healing Jaune.
"That was an extreme and double-edged case, yes. In that case, there were obvious signs that violence was necessary to ensure peace, and Lord Schnee felt great enough urgency to place that large a bounty on your head to ensure the task was done." He sighed, "It isn't a perfect system, mistakes are made, but, it is better than having a standing army that requires taxes to maintain and can be turned on the populace at a moment's notice. If we are not needed, we roam and live off the land, keeping our skills sharp should we ever be needed." He took the pile of weeds he'd pulled and set them gently in a basket for a village girl to feed to hens.
"Do you ever tire of it?" Pyrrha waved over her niece and handed her the topped off basket.
"The violence, or quiet spans between?" He scratched at the belly of a puppy that had come to play.
"The quiet." She giggled as the puppy playfully bit at Jaune's fingers.
"The quiet is everything I fight for, so, no." Suddenly, a musical tinkling made Jaune sit stock still, his spine straight, as a crystalline crow swooped gracefully in, and landed on his head. He held out a hand, and the bird spat up a small scroll that Jaune unraveled and read aloud. "'Lady Fall has contracted for the presence of Huntsmen Ark and Belladonna, she fears assassination during her birthday party. Collect usual security bounty.'"
Jaune held his right fist before the crow, which pricked gently at the back of his hand, drawing a small droplet of blood, which Jaune then pressed into the scroll, vowing, "'Let our blood be shed, so other's may not.'" Then rolled the scroll, and fed it to the bird, wincing as the bird pushed off from his scalp and flew away.
"…What was that?" Pyrrha asked as Jaune stood, dusted himself off, then helped her to her feet.
"Courier crow, a relic of a lost time. It's how Beacon ensures we receive a contract." He led the way into Pyrrha's cottage. "Since you are not a Huntsmen, I doubt Cinder will mind your tagging along, seeing as you don't charge for your services..."
…
"What would they expect of me? At the party?" Pyrrha continued collecting herbs from her various jars, wrapping them in cloths dyed a variety of colors.
"You? Nothing, you'll be my guest. What they'll expect of me, is to keep an eye on absolutely everything, entertain guests with tales of my adventures, smell the food constantly to, hopefully, guard against poisoning, and lob the occasional fruit at Blake's head to assure everyone we are, in fact, Huntsmen."
"That sounds odd." She gently wrapped her mortar and pestle in a large, soft cloth and packed it into a satchel. "Why would you lob fruit at her?"
"It's a show of power, reflex and precision, you'll understand when you see. How wide a variety of wounds can you treat?" He eyed the volume of herbs she was bringing along, despite Cinder's region being a mere two days walk away, and was almost glad she insisted on carrying them, herself.
"I've been taught healing Weaves for everything from scratches, piercing wounds, poisoning, mindbreak, I even know how to reattach limbs, within reason." She belted on Miló, then hefted the satchel to her shoulder. "Why did this Lady Fall ask for you and Huntsmen Blake?"
"We were friends before she was elected Noble." Jaune hefted his pack and held the door for Pyrrha.
"She wasn't born Noble?" Earning her an odd look from Jaune.
"…Just how isolated has your village been?"
She shrugged, "Considering you've never heard of us, despite our abilities? Very."
"Nobles aren't born, Pyrrha, they are elected, based on competence. When a group, be it village, town, or city, requires a leader, they first ask for 'Suitors', one's that seek the position. Then, the assembled populace proposes hypothetical problems for said Suitors to solve. Depending on how just, graceful, and moral the answers, the people decide if the Suitor becomes the serving Noble."
"How do you mean, 'serving Noble'?" They bid farewell to the small gathering at the edge of the village as they passed.
"Nobles don't rule, they serve. While they serve, they receive no salary, accept no gifts of any kind, and are only allowed advisors relevant to the problem at hand. Every problem the people do not, themselves, solve, the Noble is required to. It is not meant to be a position of ease, though it is one of honor and comfort. The serving Noble is quartered in comfortable, often grand, arrangements, then practically every care in their region is placed squarely on their shoulders. They are allowed rest only when they have solved all problems or retire. If the people are not satisfied with their service, they are forced to retire. If they turn tyrant, Beacon steps in to restore peace, usually resorting to extreme measures." Jaune paused for a moment and sniffed, finding the trail he'd left on his way in.
"Why extreme measures? And if Nobles receive no salary, why would Lord Schnee have gold to offer as a bounty?"
"Tyrants are rarely conductive for peace. However, we haven't needed to resort to extreme measures-regularly- for quite some time. As for Schnee, he was a merchant before he was elected, somewhat against his will, I might add." He chuckled, "A story for another time."
…
"I have to know, why did that crow land on your head?" Earning a bark of laughter from Jaune.
"To catch our attention. As for why it was made of crystal? As I'd said, it's a relic from a lost age. Somehow, they made a lightweight, living gem that heats up, violently, when pressure is applied. Try to grab it, you lose fingers to the burns. Strike it with iron, it unleashes a shockwave that knocks, cold, everyone within a stone's toss. They don't eat or sleep, can fly faster than an arrow and have even saved my life a few times by crashing into an opponent at full speed. Very handy." Jaune spotted a fleeing hare from the corner of his eye, dipped a hand in his coat and flicked a dart at the hare, piercing it just behind the skull.
"Wouldn't that knock you out?" She waited as he walked over, picked up the hare and dusted it off.
"Somehow, no. It's always, however, an impressive sight."
…
"Why is Cinder having a birthday party? Taking liberties of her position?" Pyrrha took a pinch of tinder and rolled it between her palms, a tremor rippling as a flame wisp sprouted to life, then dropped it onto the pile of firewood, giggling as the wisp grabbed and voraciously gnawed a twig.
"It's not actually her idea, her people are having a party to celebrate her birthday. She's served them well, attacking every problem as if it was a mortal enemy, and, because of her, the region has flourished." Jaune finished tying branches together and set the tripod over the fire. "What is this little creature you've made?"
"A flame wisp, isn't she darling?" Pyrrha reached into the building flames and tickled the wisp's chin, the wisp turning blue at her touch, smiling. "If Cinder's served so well, why does she fear assassination?"
"An old political rival. If someone believes they can serve better than the current noble, they issue a challenge, the people pose their questions and choose whomever they prefer. Her rival often answers questions better than Cinder, but, the people have seen Cinder's results and choose her time and time again. As months and rejections passed, Amber stopped taking her losses gracefully and is rumored on the verge of violence. We haven't yet stepped in because, yet, there have only been heated words and arguments settled on the spot. Really, I think Cinder just wanted to see Blake and me again." He set a brass kettle half full of water over the campfire, then started cleaning the hare he'd killed earlier.
"These darts you throw, what are they made from?" Pyrrha plucked the dart from the hare's neck and turned it in the light, admiring the dark, heavy metal.
"We call it 'wolfram steel', we only know that the Grandmaster of our order forges them, and keeps a plentiful supply ready at all times, along with a comprehensive assortment of other weapons and tools." He dropped the hare's meat into the kettle, rinsed his knife and fingers, then started cutting vegetables.
"I don't see why you aren't letting me cook." She drew Crocea Mors from its scabbard to examine the curious blade. "Gold? How? It's so light and strong!"
"You can cook tomorrow night." He dropped the vegetables into the kettle and stirred. "We call it 'mythril', it's actually a coating on the steel of the blade. The blade is actually two metals, mythril plates with a wolfram steel core sandwiched in between and the golden layer you see wards off rust and weather."
"Tomorrow night we'll be dining at Cinder's manor." Pyrrha twirled the blade in her hand, marveling at the balance. From the corner of her eye, she spotted the flame wisp out of the campfire, trying to grab some dry pine needles. "Ah! Back in the rocks with you."
"What a shame, that was your turn." He chuckled as the flame wisp slumped her shoulders in defeat and tromped back into the circle of stones 'round the fire. Stooping down, he grabbed the pine needles and handed them to the wisp, which beamed at him.
"So, I've another question." Pyrrha piled more wood on the fire as Jaune stirred the pot. "Since Huntsman are the watchmen of the land, who minds you?"
For a time, Jaune was very quiet, a chill creeping into his bones, before whispering, "…Beings who give us very, very good cause to stay very, very solidly in line…"
…
As they passed through the manor gates, a woman in a simple, yet elegant dress ran forward to embrace Jaune. Holding him at arm's length, she quickly examined him, confusion lining her face. "I'd heard you'd been beaten to pulp, saving Lord Schnee from a group of assassins-yet here you are, unharmed."
"There was only one, but they certainly did leave a few marks." He grinned at Pyrrha's deepening blush. "Of several varieties." Causing her to flick her hair in place as a curtain from him, a smile building. Cinder looked to Pyrrha, her brow creasing.
"Who is this?"
"Her name is Pyrrha. As for her trade? Apparently, 'dread assassin of legend.'" Earning him a swat on the arm from Pyrrha. Cinder's brow creased further.
"Let us speak in my study, it seems this may be quite a tale…"
…
"…So, in return for her not telling Lord Schnee of my mating with Pyrrha, I agreed to return to the village to court her."
Pyrrha paused in eating a sweetroll, "Court me? Is that what you call silently following me about while witnessing my slow decent to madness from endless tormenting by my village sisters?"
"All you needed do, was listen when they said to turn 'round." He said with a wolfish grin.
"I did. Seven times. In a row." She narrowed her eyes in playful menace.
"Yet you still didn't trust them enough to check 'round a corner." Earning him a swat on the arm.
"You, sir, are a blight on my sanity." She was powerless against the finger that guided her to his kiss.
"You're very welcome." He purred, a sigh emanating from Cinder.
"You never change, Jaune." She stood, "Well, I'd best be off, seeing as I've a party to prepare for. Pyrrha, you'll need a party dress. There's a seamstress nearby that does excellent work, if you hurry. The party is tomorrow night and she'll need every moment she can spare to get it ready in time."
*Slaps roof of chapter* This baby can fit so much exposition! Hopefully I kept it interesting enough. Either way, the plot moves foreward!
