I do not own RWBY (also, somewhat important question at the bottom!)


Chapter 4:

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Qrow shook his head in the cold night, breathing in the cutting air. He had wanted to turn around, to glance over and see falling white locks upon his shoulder. But it was not the case. His eyes were trained to the dark sky, hoping to see that faint gathering of bats. The moon had begun to slim, and though it was difficult to see he still strained his eyes and ears in hope.

Besides, those footsteps were of the other night sentries who were with him. These were quick and hasty, not slow and measured like hers. With their paces came the sounds of metal armor, of thick leather grinding against padded jackets and chattering teeth, and of a lantern swinging in their grip. That woman suffered none of that. But even though he knew that it was not her, Qrow found himself hoping.

It had been one week since his mysterious dream, and since then there was neither hide or hair of the Schnee sisters. Weiss had told him her sister needed only a few more days of rest and left it vaguely at that. She stated nothing of its extent, nor how much longer she was expecting to take to recover. So far, his meetings with the sisters had been during the times when the moon was at its brightest. Here, though, with the moon beginning to wane, the guards would be on high alert. But so far he had not read nor heard of any oddities in the reports from the other sentries. A few seemed to indicate that a lithe black cat had been spotted on the iced rooftops on since three weeks ago, but it had yet to make a return after its third spotting.

Such animal prowlings were not unusual, but it was the dead of winter, which raised caution amongst the guards. He himself had seen a few odd nighttime creatures that ultimately posed no danger to the village of Patch. And yet he could not help but feel that this would be the night, for he had seen the supposed black cat for what must have been the fourth time. At each instance it paid him no heed and was always on another rooftop looking away from him, as if it had its own agenda for the evening.

And when he saw it for the fifth time, all doubts were laid to rest. As he made his ways around the Xiao Long estate, not as large or grand as his but infinitely more welcoming on any day for any reason, that black cat had leapt down from the wall and spared him a quick glance before dashing away. His eyes followed it as best as he could, but he gave no chase. While the ground was covered in snow, the cat was fast and the lack of light meant that there would be no easy way to find it.

He readjusted his coat and carried on with his patrol, and while he kept his eyes open for the cat it did not want to be found and eluded him. Letting his gaze fall back upon the path in front of him, he realized that he had not seen or heard any of the other guards for some time. Quickening his pace, he found his feet had begun to take him towards one of the guard towers, but he paused when he noticed that it appeared unmanned. There should have been a guard in the tower at all times, but he could see no lantern light emanating from its top.

And then it had returned.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Crunch.

His heart quickened when he heard those measured steps and he whirled his body around, lifting his lantern higher into the night. Its soft light fell against that same soldierly pose he met on that full moon. But in this light she was different. Whereas the moon had given her a pale glow, candlelight gave her a more healthy demeanor. It was easy to see the sheen of her hair wrapped in its tight bun as well as the pink of her skin, though it was just a little pale.

Even easier was the smile forming on her lips, a soft pink that glistened with the reflection from his lamp.

"How nice of you to not reach for your blade this time." Her voice was as crisp like the air and with a pleasurable lilt. "It is my pleasure to see you again, Lord Branwen." Unlike Weiss, however, who greeted him in a curtsy, she instead gave a more formal bow, tucking one arm in front of her waist as she leaned forward. When she straightened, she moved her arm behind her back once more.

Qrow tried not to scoff, but amusement still crept onto his lips. "Formality must be in your blood. Your sister acted just the same way."

She smiled, and he felt himself take a breath. "I assure you it is all in good form." She slowly walked up to him, taking her telltale pace, step by step.

At this he did scoff, but it was for a reason far from scorn. "Good form?" He extended a hand to her. "Good form would be telling me your name instead of leaving me to wonder for nearly a moon and a half."

She poignantly brought two fingers to her lips and merely widened her smile, as if calculating her next move. "Alas, I do hope you'll forgive me," she let that same hand fall into his, their dark gloves meshing in the thin night lights. "I enjoy flight, and my hobbies often get the best of me. However, I was not expecting to be delayed, and for that I humbly apologize."

"My full name is Vlada Tepes Schnee, but that is a mouthful." She gave him that alluring smile again, the one that he could not tear his eyes from. "Winter is easier for many."

He rubbed his lips together, aware that her blue eyes were staring into his own red ones. "Then, Winter, you may call me Qrow. And for the record, the pleasure is mine." Dipping his body, he brought her hands to his lips and kissed it.

He should have been more concerned about what he was doing, he reasoned. Winter was a mysterious woman, capable of walking on air and turning into bats. And yet… something about her was alluring. He could not deny how attractive she was, but there was something beyond just the physicality behind it. Patch had its fair share of beautiful maidens, and yet year after year he found himself looking past them. Even during his prime, when he was more apt to fool around, his own body seemed unable to remain in any one place long enough to warrant a lasting relation, either by wanderlust or circumstance. In the end, he gave up and resigned himself to singleness back in Patch, his decision solidifying even more when Raven disappeared. With his sister already having produced an heir, there was no need for another and he was more than with Yang inheriting his property.

Rising to his feet, he closed his eyes and breath once more. When he opened them, Winter was still in front of him. "You traverse the night like it is day and you're capable of shapeshifting. You're an interesting woman, Lady Winter. Tell me, what reason have you to come and see an aging man such as myself?"

She gave a quick response and moved towards his side, "That is no different than yourself, do you not agree?"

Qrow's body fell still for a moment, glad that he had gloves over his hands to hide his ring. There was no possible way for the sisters to have conducted such needling by chance alone, he concluded. They must have learned of his ability somehow. "That is quite a claim to make," he carefully said. "I am no magician, just a man."

"Are you so sure that you wish to play such a game with me, Qrow? I assure you, Lord Branwen the Seventeenth, that you may safely drop your pretenses before my sister and I." Her tone had barely changed, still playful, but there was a particular edge behind it that bade him to speak seriously. "Anything you say is safe with me. Besides, for every night you were on watch, you have watched my family manor like a hawk. I am not so foolish as to miss such constant observation, nor am I to believe that you are so foolish to deny that as well."

As she stepped past him, she followed what he realized was his patrol path. Cursing himself in losing sight of his task, his own feet moved and he settled on her right. "Very well then," he took a breath and looked at her in the eye as they moved step by step. "How do you know of my family's secret?"

"Many hundreds of years ago, before the Branwens became established as lords, the very first one of your line helped my father in a very important task. For his assistance, my father awarded him with the magical ring you now carry." She reached for his left hand, brushing a knowing thumb across his ring finger before letting it fall back to his side. "Since then, the Schnee residence has been keeping an eye on your line and its accomplishments. I daresay that he was pleased, though towards the end of his life he was very worried about the line of his friend and as part of his final will he tasked me with watching over you."

"Just watching over me? Weiss had described it as you having a vested interested."

Winter seemed surprised, her body becoming stiff for a brief moment, but she resumed her pacing. "That would not be incorrect, but I assure you that it is nothing sinister."

She seemed fearless in her forwardness, something that he was sure would have amused him, had it not been for what she was sharing right now. Churning his thoughts in silence, he spoke again, his mind unable to leave what she mentioned about her father. "Forgive me if I bring up painful thoughts, Lady Winter, but-"

"Winter will do, Qrow."

"... Then, Winter, you say that your father knew my forefather. But when we first met, you mentioned how your father had only recently passed away. That is a span of over four hundred years."

This time it was her turn to scoff. "Come now, Qrow. You don't really believe me to be just a woman, do you?" She sounded confident in her tone. But she had spoken slowly as they continued down his patrol path, as if concerned of his answer. In spite of it all, though, her voice was firm in the face of the light she was now shedding to him.

To this, Qrow found that he had no response. He desired to speak, but how should he say it? If she wasn't human, then what was she? And yet if she was here to feast upon his body and soul, Winter had more than enough time to do so. She seemed harmless, and if her family truly was friends with his own line, then should he not extend the benefit of the doubt to her?

Before his lips could move, though, Winter had stopped walking and turned towards the sky, frowning. "I should return. Weiss is starting to fatigue."

Qrow looked around, trying to spot the smaller girl before casting his gaze upward. He had not noticed that Winter had come with her sister. "Has she?"

"Her veil is no longer as strong as when we started this night. She is powerful, but still young, after all. She is unable to maintain her magic over Patch for much longer."

"Magic?"

"It is not the same as the the magic you possess. But it is harmless. It merely shields the village from outside eyes, including the Grimm, as well as an individual veil over you and I. Before I leave, however, I must return something to you." Winter turned to him before reaching into her coat pocket. His eyes had traced her hands, but as they brushed over her chest he felt his eyes turn away.

Those hands were the same that in his dream after all, or so he assumed. And as decently covered as she was, it was rude to let his gaze linger too long.

She chuckled, "I was unaware that you were so easily embarrassed, Lord Branwen."

"I have certainly looked upon more than one barmaid during my younger years." The words came easily from his mouth, as if there were no more hindrances for at least this night. He had received some answers, and he was sure that Winter would come to meet him again to provide more. "And while it may have been acceptable then, I feel that it is hardly appropriate now."

Her pink lips formed into that smile again, and fished out the container he had left on the roof. "To the elder of the Schnee sisters." Qrow felt his cheeks heat up in the cold - she was quoting the letter he had attached to his steel flask to her that night. He was not expecting her to have spent so much time to memorize it.

"I have recently been informed by your sister Weiss that you have tired yourself to protect my property. I did not believe it at first, but upon visiting the forest in the northwest I can only confirm that it is true. I am grateful, and yet troubled. You must forgive me for being able to only offer this small token for your troubles, but it is something that was crafted by my own hands and I felt it would carry forth my sentiments most truly. I look forward to our meeting. Sincerely, Qrow Branwen."

When he looked up again, her face had a look of mirth and the fingers of her other hand once again flew to cover her lips. "Perhaps that was too embarrassing for you, Qrow?"

He gently reached for the flask she was extending to him. "Perhaps not when I was seated at my desk, but hearing it from your lips is a different entity all of its own."

Winter gave a short but true laugh, her fingers unable to hide the smile behind them. "I was surprised that you would provide me with mead. I had expected something a little more rugged from a man such as yourself. Still, thank you. I enjoyed it to the last drop."

"I was concerned for your humors, but I can see that it is no longer an issue. I shall simply procure something stronger the next time I offer you a drink."

With her hands behind her back once more, she gave him yet another bow. "Then I look forward to when we meet again. I intend for the next one to be more fruitful than just these single nights." When her body rose to her full height, her pink lips flashed him one more simple smile before she fell away into bats, once again taking to the night sky.


After the night had come to an end, Qrow had sent a quick apology to Taiyang that he would be unable to join them for breakfast. In return, he received an invitation for dinner with the Xiao Long family after he had rested. The last meal of the day was often a more interesting affair with varied dishes along with a simple side of dessert, even in the heart of winter. That night, Qrow found himself seated in front of a thick and hearty winter squash soup with preserved mutton and sweet peas, the traditional and ever-present side of bread with cheese, and a serving of what was said to be sliced and honeyed cranberries on top of a light pumpkin-flavored cake.

Perhaps it was the fact that he had finally been able to see Winter and get some answers, but Qrow found himself easily partaking in the meal that the cooks prepared. It was true that her visit brought up more questions, but at least he had some proof that she was not here for ill machinations. He had been investigating to see if there were any oddities in the night after his watch, and much to his relief, no guards indicated that anything was amiss. There were no strange sightings outside of that black cat, no signs of a woman in white and blue talking with him, and no description of white bats.

But it was also a clear indication of their power, and he could not help but feel concern wash over. No matter how Winter had phrased it, power was power. If the two sisters desired it, Patch could be leveled without a doubt. But she planned to meet with him again, and this time for much longer. Some questions would simply have to wait.

"So, Uncle Qrow, it would appear that you're more at ease than before. You actually eat for once."

He did not need to look up to know that it was Yang who was needling him with words. She had remained silent in regards to his demeanor over the past week, but she must have seen him change and was eager to learn more.

"Yang," her father carefully warned, "Uncle Qrow has already said that he would speak when all is done."

Surprisingly, though, Ruby was the next to speak. "I know that we are to give him the time he needs, but we, too, are curious." She gave a cautious look to her sister before continuing. "Uncle Qrow, we mean to be respectful to your affairs, but your silence hurts us all as well."

"Ruby-"

"Peace, Tai."

The dinner table fell silent. Taking one last sip of his soup, he placed the spoon down in front of him, threading his fingers. "I admit that I have been…" he wished that he had thought this through more thoroughly, but what was said was said. He wanted and needed to finish, "unfair in regards to this concern of mine. I admit that I have not truly come to a conclusion over it all. But recently I have finally been able to investigate the issue and for now I am optimistic that there is nothing for me to fear in the end."

Yang leaned forward, her wild hair in danger of falling into her soup. "So… will you at least tell us what it is about?"

To this, Qrow took a deep breath, letting his eyes fall closed. Forethought was always best in hindsight. "It... " his mouth fumbled for words. "There is… There is a woman."

His mouth continued to move, but it was drowned out by the cries of Yang and Ruby.

"Aha! So I was right!" Yang stood triumphantly and leaned over to where her sister was sitting. With a broad smile on her face, she quickly placed her thumb and finger on the edge of the plate containing Ruby's slice of cake. "I believe my little sister's dessert now belongs to me."

"What? No!" Perhaps still in shock, the little girl whirled around just in time for her hand to miss the plate that Yang had dragged away. She let out a small whimper and hung her head low before turning to Qrow, looking absolutely betrayed. Her love for sweets was legendary, and for her to make such a gamble upon him indicated in some way that she was expecting the issue to be much more serious.

And to an extent, she was right. Winter was to be taken seriously. He snorted a little in humor and slid his cake to her. "Sorry, Ruby. I didn't mean to worry you all so much."

To his surprise, she didn't immediately reach out and take the dessert. Instead she almost didn't acknowledge its presence. "Is all of this really just for one woman?"

"It is much more than just a woman, I assure you. There are other things that I can't quite speak of yet."

As he straightened in his chair and resumed eating his soup, Taiyang opened his mouth to speak and winked, "So, this old bird does yet still fly." He looked as if he wanted to say more, but a sudden knock on the wall of the dining hall stopped him. Turning towards the distraction, they spotted a lone servant at the wall.

"Lord Xiao Long, Lord Branwen, forgive me for the intrusion. However, we have a visitor asking for the presence of Lord Branwen at our door."

Qrow felt his eyes narrow. A visitor at this hour? "Very well then. Please lead the way." Rising to his feet, he began to make his way over. Ruby and Yang gave each other a look before quickly standing to their feet, meaning to follow after him.

"No. Finish your meal."

A ruckus of "But Father!"s and mild complaints arose, but Taiyang was firm and the two daughters fell back to their seats. As Qrow followed the servant through the halls, feeling the twin stares of his nieces boring into his back, he was brought to the front door where a man was waiting for him inside.

"Roman?"

"Ah, Lord Qrow Branwen," removing his cavalier hat, the man gave him a quick but low bow, his orange hair falling over his green eye. While it was never a feeling of maliciousness, Qrow always felt that there was more to Roman than meets the eye. As the primary town crier of Patch, his role was that of a messenger, often going to and from the capitol of Vale, delivering messages both from the state as well as locally. But for a town crier, he seemed awfully well off compared to some of the others he had seen. His robes were always fine and colorful, sometimes gaudy with cravats and capes and wide and puffy sleeves, but never truly out of line for his position. Seeing him here, however, gave rise to concern.

"I hope you forgive me for interrupting your evening meal, but…" at this Roman's face fell to confusion, drawing out a letter from his coat. "I have a letter addressed to you. It was brought to me a strange yet fine lady and demanded my utmost urgency in delivering it." Extending his hand out, Qrow gingerly took the letter before bidding a half-hearted farewell. His eyes were lost on examining the emblem of a snowflake emblazoned on the white wax used to seal the letter. He had never seen it before, but he had no doubt from whom it came from. He hastily opened the envelope and began to read.

To Lord Qrow Branwen,

I am happy to have finally met you again after so much time has passed. Again, I ask that you forgive me for the delay. I sometimes forget that patience is not a quality everyone is blessed with.

Still, as I mentioned last night, I would like to speak with you in full and not just for one evening. If it would please you, my sister Weiss and I humbly ask that you let us stay as guests at your estate in a fortnight's time. There, I may further speak with you and enjoy your company. My most trusted servant, Blake Belladonna, shall follow up with you in two days time and see if this arrangement is acceptable. If you have any concern, please let her know and she will do her best to address them for you.

Sincerely,
Vlada Tepes Schnee


A/N: Blake has a job now. Literally. I'm surprised I didn't think of it sooner, but as I was writing this chapter out, I recalled how the SDC hires cheap Faunus labor. And while in canon it's given a more negative light, in here I can play around with it since it's an AU and whatnot. Anyway, the whole thing just kinda fell into place. This seems to happen a lot of in my writing, and so far I don't think it's really let me down.

Anyway, I was stuck a bit on this chapter and what exactly should happen in their conversation. On one hand, they finally needed to meet. But Winter needed to share something meaningful about who she was to Qrow, as otherwise it would have just been a somewhat pointless meeting - something about her agenda needed to be shared. But since I made the decision to keep this story away from the more darker options, I needed to rethink my options.

Originally my idea was that the first Branwen had stolen the ring from Father Schnee, which caused them to be his mortal enemy. He would exact suffering upon the Branwens before finally ending the line. But Winter delayed her father regarding Qrow himself for her own reasons, and then Raven discovers the truth about her family, leaves the Xiao Long residence to challenge Father Schnee and mortally wounds, though at the cost of her life. And since he's now dead, this means that Winter can now keep Qrow alive for her own purposes.

I would have kept that particular plot, but then as I thought about it more I realized that there was little reason for Winter to keep Qrow out of her father's wrath besides that he's interesting to her. And then she would still have to bring up Raven to him in the end, as otherwise that would be a damaging secret to keep from him. It would have killed a lot of momentum in the story and made the romance kinda hard to believe. So instead it became replaced with a more positive spin, with Winter keeping an eye on Qrow as a protector of sorts - with a vested interest, of course. Like I said, this is meant to be more of an equal relationship in the end. Winter holds a lot of cards that Qrow can't match up against, and I'm trying to keep it as even as possible. I think it's just that after so many recent stories where I throw so many wrenches that even the wrench gets a wrench, I kinda just wanted to have something a little more simple and straightforward.

And I couldn't help but fit Roman into the town crier role. But as I mentioned, there is more to him than meets the eye. We'll see him again a few more times, but for nothing sinister, of course. There will be a few more side characters, though their roles won't be as prominent.

Reviews!

Alice Rider: Glad I could make your day! Hopefully you've enjoyed this chapter as well.

Anthologion: Thanks! I was quite happy to see that the letter came out fine. I do it again in this chapter, but I think aside from maybe one more moment, we won't be seeing it again as it won't be necessary.

Nina Vale: I've never actually watched the movie, but I've read that Keanu Reeves' performance was considered not up to scratch in there. We're gonna see a few more dreams for Qrow, though, so stay tuned for that. As for flirting, now that he's met Winter we can see that they're already making light fun of the other. I only intend for it to escalate. As for the food and the Xiao Long household, I meant for them to come across as rich for their time. They have servants that cook for them and they're actually not eating in a kitchen but in an actual dining hall, though they're using a smaller table. And I tried to study what foods were served in the Medieval period, so their breakfast and dinner is at least somewhat accurate. And I know you're praising me about being aware about the relationship, but that's really only because I was called out on one of my main characters lacking autonomy in her particular relationship setting (and once I thought about it I realized how right they were). Learning from mistakes is important, after all.

Warhawk07: Vampire fics seem to be a bit on the rise recently. I have no qualms, though. And yeah, there are a few Vamp Qrow x Winter pictures out there. I don't think I'm the first to actually reverse it, but I think I'm the first to write something like this at least. Good luck on your own though!

EarthGrl210: Qrowin for best ship in 1107.

Also, honest question to all you readers: Wordporn. How explicit do ya'll want it? I know that the last chapter already hinted at some and I have a basic premise of when and what will happen should we buy the farm, but any thoughts or consideration on it for now?

Anyway, have fun and I'll see you all soon!

PS: I haven't actually watched any of the World of Remnants or the new episode yet, please try to refrain from spoilers :S

Beta'd by ImSoAwesome