Shamrock Trailer

Freedom lies in being bold

Sonia Zeleny sighed as she pushed another round into the magazine. Once the projectile clicked into place she turned to her father, whom she'd been having a twenty minute argument with, in the doorway of the shed she'd commandeered as her workshop.

"Papa," she said, her exasperated voice indicative of the fact they'd had this conversation dozens of times before. "I understand why you don't want me doing this, but I've already told you a thousand times now. This is what I want to do with my life."

"That's not what we were talking about, Sonia," her father grumped. "I might not be able to stop you from training, but I don't like you going into the forest alone."

Sonia groaned in irritation. "And like I said, I'm not. The Headman couldn't afford another Huntsman and I'm the only one still in town with any combat training. I let you talk me out of going to Signal, or Sanctum, or any of the other combat schools and instead got a personal tutor. But next year, I'm eligible to apply for Atlas and the other main schools. And I'm going to apply. So this smoke screen about the Grimm right now isn't fooling me, Dad! I've gone out alone before. And this time, I may be clearing an area alone, but I'll have backup just in case," Sonia stood up and grabbed her weapon, Gaia Splinter, shoving the fresh magazine into it. She pulled back the charging handle and placed the rifle/cleaver hybrid on the magnetic plate on her hip. "Look, I have to go, Dad. I'll be out late so I'll be as quiet as I can when I get home." She grabbed her Scroll and pushed open the door next to the one her father was standing in and strolled into her yard. Glancing back to make sure her father was out of the doorway, she hit an icon on her scroll, causing both doors to slam shut. A whirring sound indicated the doors automatic crash bar locks had been secured. A chirp from her scroll let her know the shed was secured.

It depressed her that she had to lock down her workshop, Sonia mused, but it was unfortunately necessary. The previous winter she'd found her father trying to confiscate Gaia Splinter from her room as a bargaining tool to keep her from continuing her training. So, she'd moved into the shed and used some obsolete mecha-shift and her busted old Scroll to rig up the automatic doors and locks. The fallout had made the environment in the house very tense, as Sonia had bluntly refused to speak to her father for almost a month. She'd told her mother a few weeks in that if her father tried something like that again, she'd leave and never speak to him again.

She shook her head, clearing those thoughts from her head as she made her way to the Headman's house to get her assignment.

She knew from day one most of her peers wouldn't take her seriously. She was on the short side, standing only 5'03" and had a very slender build. Out of her armor, her long blonde hair that had a tendency to fall over half her face and large, deep green eyes made her look like the average girl-next-door trope. But between her aura and training, her slight frame held a shocking strength, letting her overpower most boys her age and even many much older. This immense strength and her natural ferocity earned her the nickname of Björn, or bear from her teacher. He even had it emblazoned on her pauldron when he gave Sonia her armor.

Sonia smirked. She'd prove her nickname true once again in these woods tonight.

Sonia hopped out of the Bullhead, grabbing her weapon and held it up, scanning the landing area. Satisfied it was clear, she gestured for the pilot to fall back.

The Grimm in the forest had been getting more numerous lately, worrying the village and causing the village elders to call in Huntsmen and Huntresses. Realizing that paying 5 professionals could possibly cause a financial crisis for the town, the Headman approached Sonia to be the fifth. Agreeing to take half the pay and a discount from most shops for a year, Sonia had headed home immediately to prepare her armor and weapon. This led to her argument with her father.

Sonia headed deeper into the forest, her weapon lowered but still ready. After about five minutes of walking, she stopped. With a sigh, she let go with her off-hand and lifted her weapon to aim to the right of her, squeezing the trigger. With a harsh report, a 7.62 by 39 millimeter round tore through the underbrush and the skull of a Beowulf that had been sneaking, or attempting to, anyway, up on her. The Grimm slumped to the ground, already dissolving into greasy, inky black vapor.

[Start Come With Me Now by Kongos]

Sonia's hand darted out and grabbed the casing as it flipped through the air. "The bunch of you? Trying to ambush me?" she snorted. "Amateurs."

She swung around, her rifle barking as she quickly aimed and fired, rounds ripping through the forest and striking numerous Grimm. Her tutor was once an Atlesian soldier and Huntsman, and wielded a combat rifle similar in design to Gaia Splinter. He'd drilled her extensively in aiming and firing quickly while still taking in and understanding her surroundings. Without this at times grueling training, she likely would have tripped over the root she deftly stepped over without looking, or had her head taken off by the massive Ursa that swiped at her blindside, which she ducked and responded with a double tap from her rifle.

While the heavy round could rend Beowulf and young Ursa hide like paper, they merely served to annoy the Ursa Major Sonia had just shot. Taking note of the beast's large size and numerous bony spikes, Sonia quickly reevaluated the Grimm. She began backpedaling, aiming for the more vulnerable joints but it wasn't having the effect Sonia had hoped for. She grimaced when she heard the ominous click of a spent magazine and rather than reach for a fresh one, she activated the mecha-shift and spun her weapon around as it shifted into its cleaver form.

Charging in, Sonia continued to target the weak joints, her blade biting deep. Just as she was certain the fight had finally turned her way, another pair of lesser Ursai broke from the cover of the trees. A split second of hesitation was all it took for the Major to send Sonia reeling.

She quickly regained her balance in midair and dug her boots into the ground to slow her momentum, her hand dragging in front of her to help keep her balance. Sonia growled, finally having enough, and clipped her weapon back to her hip. Straightening up, she clenched her fists. Her eyes began to glow a bright yellow, her hands encased in a similar aura. With a swing of her arm not unlike the swipe that sent her reeling, Sonia triggered her Semblance. Spikes of stone erupted from the soil and impaled the two younger Ursai. The pair of unfortunate Grimm struggled briefly before succumbing and slowly beginning to dissolve into inky black smoke.

Semblances controlling a traditional element were rare. Polarity, Pyrokinesis, or her own Geokinesis, we're extremely versatile but tended to be more of a drain on Aura than Speed or the Schnee family glyphs, but Sonia had trained to lessen it and also had the benefit of an unusually large amount of Aura.

Which was why she felt no worries in flaring her Aura and summoning a pair of jaggedly spiked slabs of stone from the earth on either side of the Ursa Major. She raised her arms again and swung them across her body, the glowing stone following her lead and slamming together like an Iron Maiden of antiquity. The dull thump, crackle of stone meeting stone and the instant leaking of familiar black vapor assured Sonia it had worked as efficiently as the barbaric tool.

Sonia gave a satisfied nod and drew her weapon once again, exchanging magazines before continuing her patrol.

The Headman, Roux Mazarin chuckled heartily and embraced Sonia, lifting the small young woman off her feet. "My dear girl, you are a treasure!" he exclaimed boisterously.

Sonia sighed fondly, far too used to Roux's loud and affectionate nature to be upset - though the hug was getting a tad too tight. She quickly tapped his arm as best as she could with own pinned to her sides by the embrace of the headman. Roux looked up, a tad confused. "While the praise is flattering, you're beginning to warp my spine," Sonia giggled.

Roux flushed a bit and set her down. "Sorry about that, dear girl. You have just save me more than a few grey hairs. With the Grimm driven back and not having to gouge the budget as badly as I feared. It also keeps the other elders from putting my arse in a sling, if you'll pardon the language."

Sonia giggled again. "I heard far worse from the Huntsmen we hired."

"What can I say?" came a gravelly voice from the doorway. "We're a colorful bunch."

A tall, thin man likely in his early to mid forties strode through the open door of the Headman's office. He had graying black, spiky hair, red eyes, and slight stubble along his jawline. With a red, tattered cloak, and a necklace with a crooked cross-shaped pendant. Under the cape and along the small of his back was what looked like a a collapsed broadsword, shaped like a single edged blade, but Sonia could tell what would normally be called the false edge was sharpened as well.

"Ah, Sonia," Roux gestured to the newcomer. "This is Qrow Branwen, one of the Huntsmen working alongside you tonight, though I imagine formal introductions weren't on the priority list."

"You know how it goes," Qrow rasped, taking a sip from his flask. "Things to do, Grimm to kill. Formalities can wait till the fun stuff is over. I heard there was an ankle biter hunting with us. You did good, kid."

Sonia frowned. "I don't remember seeing you after we boarded the Bullheads."

"Had a little birdy keepin' an eye on you," Qrow returned with a smirk. "Anyway, Roux. Just dropped by to pick up my payment before heading to the inn to bed down for the night. Gotta be gone pretty early tomorrow."

Roux nodded and went to his desk, pulling out a pair of envelopes. "Will your fellows be dropping by?" he asked.

"Nah," Qrow grunted. "Already sawin' logs when I left."

"Then I request you send them here tomorrow so I may thank and pay them personally."

"Will do," Qrow rasped after taking another pull from his flask. "As for you, blondie," he turned to Sonia before jerking his head towards the door. "C'mon. Wager you're hungry and I could use a drink."

Sonia decided not to mention the flask still in Qrow hand and looked to Roux. The Headman nodded. "Despite his gruff nature, Mr. Branwen is trustworthy, Sonia."

"Alright," Sonia sighed. "I suppose a late night meal would keep me from raiding the fridge at home. Lead the way, Mr. Branwen."

"Bah," the grizzled huntsman snorted. "Drop the mister bit, kid. Makes me feel old. It's just Qrow."

After a hearty meal provided by Morado, the innkeeper, Qrow pushed his plate to the side. "Alright, kid. I'll cut to the chase. I'm guessin' you don't much feel like stickin' 'round here and playing town guard with that kinda training. Your old master, Koll, told me all about the runt he put through hell. So, since old Ozpin has me keeping an eye out for promising potential students, if you wanna keep going, I'll wager he'd scoop you up before you can say Nevermore."

Sonia had expected a pitch with how often the older huntsman had sent backhanded complements her way, but, given her age, she expected an offer for Signal at best.

"You do know I just turned sixteen, right?" she asked.

Qrow snorted. "Seventeen is the recommended age, but Oz's been known to bend that from time to time. You wouldn't have been the first or the dozenth to get in a year or so early, but it doesn't happen often. Honestly, you're just that damn good. But, ultimately," Qrow leaned back. "The choice is yours."

Sonia looked down at the remains of her meal. "My father might be a problem. He doesn't want me to be a Huntress full stop, so getting in early might give him an aneurysm."

Qrow chuckled. "My brother-in-law is like that with his youngest. At the end of the day, though, he can't stop her. And neither can your old man. He can try to talk you out of it, but if a certified huntsman and a Headmaster endorse and accept your application, he can't legally do anything more than rant."

Sonia lapsed into silence again. She knew her father loved her and wanted to protect her. And while his stubbornness grew more annoying by the day, she knew the real reason he didn't want her to be a huntress.

But she couldn't let her father's misgivings stop her. This was what she was good at and wanted to do with her life. So she looked up and nodded. "Alright. I'm in. I'll send an application in tomorrow morning."

Qrow's knowing smirk morphed into a mischievous grin. "Why wait?" he asked, reaching into his pocket. Before Sonia could inquire what the blazes he was talking about, he drew a battered scroll and equally scuffed stylus. Opening it into its tablet form, he turned it around and handed the scroll to Sonia. "Took the liberty of filling this out for ya. All it needs," he tapped the screen with the stylus. "Is your mark." When he noticed the slightly skeptical look, Qrow rolled his eyes. "Yeah, the old thing is a bit raggedy looking, but so am I, and we both work just fine."

Sonia took the scroll and found all the pertinent information already filled out. She felt a small twinge of annoyance when she saw Qrow had marked her as shorter than she was, but he had everything correct or at the very least, very close. She quickly adjusted a few things (I am not that short, thank you very much) and scrolled down to where her signature was requested. She debated briefly, spinning the stylus like a pen around her fingers before quickly signing and handing both items back.

Qrow's grin grew. "Alright, short stuff, someone from Beacon Academy should be in contact with ya within a few days." His grin grew to a full chuckle when noticed the mulish scowl Sonia had directed at him as they stood up. "Sorry, kid. Your reactions remind me of my niece. Call her pipsqueak all the time and she gives me the same look."

Sonia scoffed. "Not very gentlemanly to make fun of a lady's height."

"Trust me, kid," Qrow laughed. "You're as much a lady as I am." They walked to the door of the inn. Once outside, Qrow looked back to Sonia, reaching back into his pocket. "Here," he said, drawing the envelope Roux had given him and handed it to Sonia. "I ain't that hard up for Lien at the moment. Honestly, I was planning on letting Roux keep it, but I'd wager you'll need some spending cash when you get to Vale."

Sonia was baffled. She was already pleased with her payment, but this tripled it. "You don't-" she started only to be waved off by Qrow.

"Like I said, I don't need the cash," he said. "Trust me, it's easier to buy extra rounds in bulk in Vale than rely on the school. With the amount of brats running around with all sorts of calibers, it ain't easy or cheap to keep them all swimming in brass. So keep it. It'll take a bit of stress off the school and you."

Sonia contemplated a moment before nodding, seeing the sense. "Thank you," she said after a pause.

"You better get home kid," Qrow grunted, scratching his stubble. "Sun'll be up 'fore ya know it. And, yeah this feels odd for me of all people to say, but, good luck."

AN: Okay, so this sat half finished for far longer than I intended, but this is the last trailer before the prologue. You didn't think I would leave out how my misfits met, did ya? The prologue will likely be a good deal longer than the trailers, but I have no idea how long. If I have to split it, both parts should be up around the same time. Anyone who's taken a look at this, thanks for the chance and hope you enjoyed. ~Sin