I only own my OCs.
At breakfast the next day, everything was somewhat somber. Sorrell was sitting beside Blake and Sun as usual, but he seemed to be waiting for something, ears flicking calmly before he eventually looked up.
"Don't open the door. It's them."
He said, his tone being somewhat detached. Blake was about to ask what he meant by that when there was a knock on the door and she heard the clear voice of Fennec. Blake glanced at Sorrell for a split second before a brief nod, telling him to run for cover. Blake's sudden movement masking the sound of Sorrell running up the stairs to hide. When Blake opened the door, Fennec spoke quickly.
"Ms. Belladonna, it is to our great displeasure to inform you that High Leader Sienna Khan was recently murdered."
Blake said nothing for a moment, letting her anger die down some before she responded.
"I choose to believe High Leader Khan died a noble death. Now, will you please leave me to my own devices?"
She asked, wanting to get rid of them as soon as possible to ensure that Sorrell didn't accidentally reveal himself. Corsac spoke quickly.
"That isn't all Ms. Belladonna. Former High Leader Sienna Khan's son, Sorrell Khan, has gone missing. Do you have any ideas as to his whereabouts?"
Blake forced her ears not to twitch, seeing that she was listening to Sorrell upstairs, who was holding his breath to avoid being heard.
"I was unaware that High Leader Khan ever had a significant other, let alone a son. I'm terribly sorry, but I don't know."
Blake said, an underlying tone of protectiveness in her voice that the Albains couldn't place.
"Very well. Thank you Ms. Belladonna."
They said before turning to walk away, letting Blake shut the door and lean against it.
"We're leaving. Now. And changing his name. He'll be found out too quickly if we don't. Might even have to hide his ears. Their distinguishable. No matter where he goes it'll be fairly easy to figure out who he is."
Kali and Ghira were surprised at the protective tone their daughter had taken on, but knew she was right. Even Sorrell was nodding along, slowly peeking from behind the wall.
"Or you could just call me Cub. No need for a name. I promise I'll stay close. And wear a hat. Promise!"
Blake smiled a bit, picking Sorrell up and hugging him, surprising everyone when she gingerly reached up to stroke Sorrell's ears, and not only did the boy let out a soft chuffing sound, the tiger equivalent of a purr, he leaned into her hand. A sign that he already trusted Blake immensely.
"Blake is right, as is Sorrell. We leave at dawn. Hopefully, we'll be able to get to Mistral without raising too many eyebrows."
Blake nodded a bit and went to help Sorrell pack his clothes as they prepared for their departure the next day, or, even better, that night.
"Thank you for protecting me Ms. Blake."
Sorrell said softly, hugging Blake's leg as she finished packing everything. Eventually sitting down with a sheet of paper and a pencil, taking Sorrell into her lap, and trying to figure out a way to make the basic blueprints of his own weapon. She was actually rather impressed when the boy started to slowly sketch out how the weapon's transformation mechanism would work.
"How did you know how to sketch all of this?"
Blake asked, her leg bouncing under Sorrell. The young tiger leaned back into her arms.
"Mommy taught me. She said the weapon that would work best for me would be a weapon I made myself."
Blake nodded and eventually realized.
"You're gonna use your Mom's symbol, aren't you?"
Sorrell nodded, a bit shy.
"That's okay, right?"
He asked. He was going to eventually make a few minor changes to it, but it would for the most part be the same.
Blake smiled a bit at how timid he looked, black, orange, and white tiger eyes splayed out to the side as she hugged him.
"It's okay Sorrell. I think it's very sweet of you to keep your Mother's legacy alive like that."
Sorrell's ears perked up and he finished drawing the blueprints for his weapon before folding it up and tucking it away into an inside pocket.
"We're leaving?"
He asked as Blake picked him up after letting him put on his backpack. He was now wearing colors a bit more similar to the Belladonna family, with black pants and shoes, a dark purple shirt, and a grey beanie pulled down snugly over his tiger ears. He could easily be explained as a cousin to the Belladonnas, of course, his amber eyes being a popular trait, especially amongst cat faunus, he could easily pass as a relative.
"Come on. We'll have to hurry. The last ferry to Mistral for today leaves in an hour."
Blake whispered, chuckling when Sorrel yawned. It had taken the whole day for him to finish drawing the blueprints for his weapon, and they were all getting ready to leave when Sorrell let out a yawn, showing surprisingly sharp teeth.
Blake had barely noticed it as she scooped the boy into her arms and let him put his head on her shoulder.
"Ready?"
Kali asked, not surprised that Sorrell was going to sleep. Blake, Ghira, and Sun nodded, and that night they set out for Mistral. The entire time watching Sun talk to Blake, who was now displaying a rather fierce protection streak when it came to Sorrell.
By the time they'd arrived in Mistral, Sorrell had woken up, but looked rather sad to be in his home city.
"Bad memories little cub?"
Kali asked, Sorrell walking beside her. Sorrell nodded, his head down and amber eyes glinting in the light of the rising sun.
"Yes ma'am…."
He said softly, making it clear that there was something on his mind.
"What is it Sorrell?"
Kali smiled a bit, scooping him up and into her arms.
"How about I tell you a few stories about your mother?"
Kali asked, laughing when Sorrell nodded happily. She was more than content to walk with the boy in her arms, telling him stories of his mother's past. Sienna had been a very kind woman to those she considered her family. Sienna had also been a formidable fighter, excelling in hand to hand combat. So Sienna was the epitome of a mothering tigress, even before Sorrell's birth.
"Mrs. Belladonna, can we see if my Dad is here?"
Sorrell asked, tiger ears splaying out to the side in anxiety. Kali purred.
"You know who he is?"
She asked. Sorrell nodded.
"Mommy told me so that if there was ever an emergency I could go to him. His name is Qrow."
Kali blinked, somewhat surprised.
"Qrow Branwen?"
Sorrell nodded. Blake, who'd heard everything, was surprised. The little cub she'd been growing rather attached to was none other than the younger cousin of her partner.
"I think I know where he is. Sun, check the bars close to Haven Academy and ask if they've seen a guy with black hair and red eyes."
She offered before taking Sorrell from her mother.
"Come on, let's see if we get lucky and find your big cousin and her friends, okay?"
She asked, jogging off with him and leaving Kali and Ghira to visit with friends, faking mourning over the death of Sienna Khan. Sorrell however, was running alongside Blake and headed straight towards Haven Academy, until of course, Blake slammed headlong into an all too familiar blonde.
"Jaune!"
Blake said excitedly, giving him a hug. Sorrell tilted his head.
He'd heard the blonde boy's armor when he was coming, but hadn't thought much of it.
"Blake! You're here! And you brought extra company?"
Blake glanced at Sorrell.
"Yeah, about that, where's Ruby and the others? We gotta talk."
Jaune nodded and led the two back to the house where the others were staying with Qrow and Oscar.
"Look who's here!"
Jaune called, initiating a chain reaction that Sorrell barely rolled out the way of. Unfortunately rolling right into Nora's arms.
"Awwww! How cute!"
Sorrell squirmed, thrashing drastically in her grip before his brilliant golden eyes turned blood red and all of a sudden the room around them started to warp, the shock of watching the room change forcing Nora to drop the boy, whose eyes turned gold again and the room returned to normal. Qrow, who was slightly disoriented from basically watching reality start to bend and warp, looked at the kid.
"What was that?"
He asked, Sorrell still panting, partially from aura exhaustion and partially from Nora squeezing the air out of him.
"I dunno. It's never happened before."
Qrow seemed concerned about a small boy having such an obviously powerful gift, but let it slide.
"Anyway….why'd you bring the kid in the first place?"
Blake shifted a bit, rather uncomfortable.
"Because he's yours?"
She said, though it came out as more of a question as Sorrell removed his beanie, just for an instant, to let his tiger ears show before pulling it back on. Qrow blinked twice and remembered when the boy had been conceived. He'd been roaring drunk, and hadn't ever seen the woman again. At least, not with a kid.
"Oh…...I'm not drunk enough for this….Ruby, take care of your little cousin."
He grumbled before heading out, already holding his flask to his lips. Sorrell however, seemed somewhat upset.
"Is he always like that?"
Sorrell asked, not used to the man's chronic drunkenness.
"Yeah kid, sorry. What's your name anyway?"
Sorrell grinned.
"My name is Sorrell. Sorrell Khan."
Ruby smiled and introduced herself and the rest of Team RNJR before introducing Oscar. Blake smiled.
"Actually, there is one thing Sorrell could use some help on...and I think Ruby would be the perfect one to help."
Ruby tilted her head and Sorrell handed her the blueprints for what he wanted his weapon to be like. Ruby took one look at it and grinned.
"Yet another scythe…..I think I can help you make this."
Sorrell grinned and tackled Ruby in a bear hug and went to one of the local forges. Somehow, Blake was convinced by a mere pleading look from Sorrell to accompany them. Though in the back of her mind she did have one throbbing fear.
How was she supposed to explain to the partner she'd abandoned that she was now basically the chosen guardian of the young cousin she didn't even know she had?
A/N
Leave reviews!