Hey guys, it's me! I will be updating stories more as I am now officially done with High School! I graduate on Sunday and then I'll have more time for updating. I'm going to try and update this one regularly so please continue to read and review! Don't be afraid to add suggestions on things I could add into the story to make it more interesting!
Chapter 6
Ruby woke the next morning to a persistent banging on her door. She groaned and rolled out of bed and onto the floor, whining and rubbing her head. "I'm coming… just give me a moment…" she said. She got up and yawned before opening the door, blinking in surprise as she saw Blake standing there before remembering the conversation with Ozpin the night before. "How long did I sleep in…?" she asked. Blake shrugged.
"It's nearly breakfast, I thought I'd see if you were up. You read the books of Altair and Ezio? As well as Bayek?" she asked. Ruby looked back to her desk, seeing the scrolls and tomes she had been reading before nodding.
"Uh, yeah… I figured if my mom was such an amazing Assassin I should learn all I can about the order… The origins of the brotherhood, what the creed truly means… stuff like that," she said softly.
"You want to feel closer to your mother… don't you?" Blake asked. Ruby looked at her in surprise before nodding.
"How did you know?" she asked. Blake smiled and ran her hands along her hidden blade and her gauntlet.
"I had the same mindset as you after learning about my parents… Your mother helped me achieve that feeling by giving me all their old books, their journals, and directing me towards the very same materials you are reading. I assume Raven oversees your studies then?" she said. Ruby nodded.
"Yep, since you weren't here she was the next best choice. Dad still doesn't like the fact that Yang and I decided to be Assassins, so he doesn't help much…" she said. Blake nodded.
"I'm sure my parents were the same way, that's why I didn't know about it until Summer found me," she looked at the clock on the wall. "Why don't we go eat and get to know each other more?" she suggested. Ruby nodded and went over to where her coat was at. She put on the white and red garment and then followed Blake out to the canteen. "What do you want to know about me before we go train?" the older Assassin asked as they sat down. Ruby thought for a moment before looking into her mentors eyes.
"I want to know who you are Blake," she said. Blake stared at Ruby for a moment, considering on giving her the least amount of information possible but sighed, not being able to do so while looking at eyes identical to her saviors.
"Alright… I guess I should start with my parents," she said. "My father was from Mistral and my mother was from Vacuo, they were both Assassins and they were sent to Vale as reinforcements during the great war. They met and fell in love, they married and eventually I came along however, none of the Assassins knew about me. They kept me secret from everything because they were working on uncovering Templar spies in the brotherhood and they did not want to put me in danger. My father, Ghira, was a Master Assassin and my mother, Kali, was his successor if he were to fall in battle… Though one day when I was four, I had gone out with the other children of the slums like we usually did, only to come back to see my house in flames and my parents nowhere to be found… I spent the next three years on my own until that rainy Hallows Eve when your mother found me, I was starving and cold and did not know if I would make it till the next morning… She took me here when I told her my name and the rest is history," Blake told Ruby.
"So that is why she was so late that night…" the younger of the two said, remembering. "I thought it was because she had stopped to get me my present and just got caught up in the market… I guess she saved you on my birthday that year…" she said. Blake smiled softly, then frowned and looked down. "What is it?" Ruby asked her. Blake shook her head and stood up.
"Come on, let us go see if you're ready to go out on a mission with me," she said softly. Ruby frowned but followed the Faunus to the training ring. Once there Blake threw Ruby a sword.
"Uhh… I do not fight with a sword Blake… I use a scythe like Qrow…" the girl said. Blake rolled her eyes.
"You need to fight with more than just a scythe Ruby, your opponents will not wait for you to find a weapon suitable for your battle style. You must learn to fight with all weapons," she said firmly, swinging her own sword at her. Ruby quickly blocked it and spun around to strike at Blake. They went on for a bit like this, striking and blocking as Blake worked Ruby's swordplay up so she would be prepared to fight with any Templar that may cross their path. After a few hours of training with different weapons they took a short break for lunch, Ruby sitting down with a heavy sigh next to her sister and Qrow. The old man chuckling.
"Blake went all out with you, didn't she?" he asked. Ruby glared at him.
"It was horrible, she'd hit me harder every time I messed up," she said with a slight growl. Qrow laughed.
"That is what happens when Raven trains a kid from the time they are sixteen till they are twenty," he said. "Her harsh training regimen gets passed down and it sucks for the next person that gets trained by the Assassin," he added. Ruby whined and thumped her head on the table as Blake sat down next to Qrow.
"Good afternoon Master Qrow," she greeted. She looked at Yang and nodded her head respectfully. "Yang, it's good to see you both," she said. Qrow chuckled at the look on Yang's face when Blake greeted her.
"Don't start anything Yang, you know you'll never beat her," he said. Yang grumbled and ate her meal, glaring at both Qrow and Blake as the two talked between them about Blake's mission to Mistral. She glanced at Ruby and laughed as her younger sister made a face as the two more experienced Assassins talked, they went back and forth with faces and gestures before Raven came in.
"Qrow, Ozpin wants to see you and Yang in his office," she said. The older man sighed and stood up.
"C'mon Yang, time to go," he said. Yang groaned and stood up, waving at Ruby.
"See you later Rubes," she said. Ruby waved back.
"Bye Yang, have fun!" she said, laughing when her sister looked back in annoyance. Blake chuckled and shook her head.
"Yours and your sisters interactions with each other are quite funny," she said. Ruby looked at her.
"How so?" she asked.
"You two are adults, yet you act like children. I don't understand it," she said. Ruby smiled.
"Well, when you do what we do for a living… you kinda have to keep a childlike personality at times to keep going," she told the woman. Blake thought for a moment.
"I guess I never thought of it like that…" she muttered.
"You never really had the chance to be a kid, you had to grow up faster than everyone else. But that's okay, maybe now that you are older and are mentoring me, you will be able to finally express yourself and be more… free," Ruby said with a smile. Blake nodded and stood up.
"Come on, I have something I need to give you," she said. Ruby tilted her head but stood up and followed Blake to her room. She looked around in wonder, seeing all the little knickknacks that the Assassin had, as well as the carving of a symbol on the door.
"What is that?" she asked, pointing to the carving on the door. Blake looked and smiled softly.
"That is my personal assassin crest, I made it shortly after your mother's death. She inspired me to make it as she had the same thing, though a different design," she explained. Ruby nodded.
"Could you help me make one?" she asked. Blake blinked in surprise, and nodded.
"If that is what you wish," she said, reaching up for a box on the top shelf of her bookshelf. Ruby looked at her and watched as she looked down at the box, seeming lost in memories before she shook her head and turned back to Ruby. "This is for you," she said, holding out the box. Ruby tilted her head and took it, opening it and blinking.
"This is… an Assassin Gauntlet…" she said softly. Blake nodded. "You… Had this made for me?" she asked. Blake shook her head.
"It was your mothers… I kept it safe and was waiting for the day I could give it to you… or give it to your mentor to give to you…" she said. Ruby nodded and took the gauntlet out and placed it on her wrist, making the blade pop out and retract and looking at all the other parts. "It's tradition for anyone whose parents were assassins to gain their blades when they join if their parent or parents have died… It saves on material and time," she explained, running her hands along her own blade and gauntlet. Ruby noticed this.
"That's how you got yours?" she asked. Blake nodded.
"Master Raven gave them to me before our first mission… she told me my parents would be proud to have me carry on their legacy by using their blades… But to me… They just are a weight and reminder that I'll always be in their shadow…" she said softly. Ruby frowned softly before putting the gauntlet on her wrist.
"Well, we can try and make our parents proud together," she said, looking at her mentor. Blake smiled and nodded before motioning for her to follow.
"Come on, I have a contract that I think you'll be able to handle with me," she said, making Ruby smile in excitement and follow her. Blake laughed lightly at her excitement. "Keep on guard Ruby, don't let your emotions get the better of you. Just follow my lead and keep your blade sharp," she told her. Ruby nodded.
"Where exactly are we going Blake?" she asked. Blake smiled.
"We're escorting another Assassin to Atlas," she said. Ruby tilted her head.
"Why would another Assassin need an escort back to Atlas?" she asked, confused.
"Because she has the daughter to a well-known merchant family and she has going in normal clothes, so the high numbers of Templars do not catch onto her," Blake explained as they arrived in the stables, a woman a few years older than Blake with blue eyes and white hair was already there preparing a horse. "It's good to see you again Winter, how have things been in Atlas been the past few years since I was there?" she greeted. Winter looked up and smiled at Blake.
"It's good to see you as well Blake, things have been going well in Atlas. The brotherhood has expanded quite well since you left, I believe in a few years' time the Templar presence in Atlas will decrease dramatically," she said. Blake nodded and motioned to Ruby.
"Winter, this is my apprentice, Ruby Rose. Ruby, this is Winter Schnee, second in command of the Atlas Brotherhood of Assassins," she introduced. Ruby shook Winter's hand.
"It's nice to meet you Winter," she said. Winter smiled.
"It's nice to meet you too Ruby, I suppose we'll be working together quite a bit if you're Blake's apprentice," she said. Ruby looked at the Cat-Faunus who smiled softly.
"I do get sent to Atlas quite a bit, so I suppose so," she said. Ruby smiled at the thought of going to a new kingdom many times. Blake then changed the subject. "I suppose it's still not safe for Ruby and me to enter the limits of the kingdom wearing our robes," she said. Winter nodded.
"Yes, the Templar presence there is still a little too high for two assassins to waltz right into town," she said. Ruby looked at Blake.
"We're going into a city filled with Templars? Isn't that a little risky?" she asked.
"It's always risky for an assassin to go into Atlas, but there is a brotherhood there which is what Winter is a part of. Her family are Templars apart from her and her sister, but it is still dangerous for them to leave and return in their assassin's robes, so they must travel in their regular clothes, so we must travel in civilian clothes as well," Blake explained. Ruby nodded. The two quickly left to change before meeting back with Winter, the three quickly set out on their horses towards the country of Atlas.
"How long until we get to Atlas?" Ruby asked after a little bit.
"It'll take three to four hours depending on how many stops we have to take," Winter told her, making the girl nod and shift. Winter took notice and looked at Blake. "She doesn't do well with long rides I take it?" she asked her. Blake shrugged.
"This is her first mission outside of the things we give novices, it's where I can gauge how she'll do on her own and on future missions with me," she answered. Winter frowned.
"You're taking her on her first mission in Atlas? While it's still crawling with Templars?" she asked. "Even I have a tough time letting Weiss be a part of the brotherhood, let alone letting her do solo missions in the kingdom limits," she told her. Blake shrugged.
"If Ruby is anything like her mother was then she should have no problem with being in Atlas with me on a mission," she told her. Winter frowned, looking back at Ruby who was looking around in awe at the scenery around them.
"Blake, she looks even younger than Weiss. Is it wise to have someone so young coming to Atlas with us?" she asked. Blake sighed.
"I appreciate the concern Winter, but she's the daughter of Summer Rose. Ozpin even agreed to this mission so I'm not to blame for bringing her here, I would've liked to train her more, but Oz thinks she's ready for a mission like this, I've told her of the risks and told her to stay close to me," she said, having a conflicted look in her eyes. Winter noticed.
"She's special to you," she pointed out. Blake sighed.
"Her mother is the only reason I'm alive, I made a promise to Summer that I'd take care of her and this mission isn't helping my confidence in my abilities," she explained. Winter nodded and looked forward at the road ahead.
"Summer knew you could protect her daughter, that's why she asked you such a thing. Don't be discouraged by your mind, believe in the trust that Summer had for you and everything will work out just fine," she said. Blake scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Is that some of your Templar wisdom that you're giving me?" she asked. Winter smiled.
"Maybe," she said simply, causing them both to laugh. They soon arrived in Atlas and Ruby looked around in awe at the new kingdom around her, Blake noticed and called back to her.
"Ruby, stay close," Ruby nodded and quickly caught up to her mentor and Winter, keeping an eye out for any dangers. They soon came upon a large manor that had a familiar looking symbol on its gate. Ruby tilted her head.
"Aren't there a lot of Templars here? Why is our symbol so out in the open?" she asked. Winter chuckled.
"The Templars don't look for this stuff because they've never had a problem with Assassins in Atlas before, so they don't really look at the minute details of the homes they visit," she explained. "None of the Templars in Atlas know that this is the bureau, they all just think it's another manor of the elite," she added. Ruby nodded in understanding as they led their horses to the stable and put them in the stalls.
"Why are we putting our horses away Blake? Aren't we going right back to Vale?" she asked, turning to the cat-faunus.
"We would've if we didn't start so late," she said. "It would get dark on the road and you don't want to be out when the Grimm come out to play… I learned that one personally," she added. Ruby nodded.
"So, we're staying here tonight then?" she asked. Blake nodded, putting her riding gear away and brushed down her horse.
"We'll leave at first light tomorrow, get a good night's rest," she told her. Ruby nodded and finished taking care of her horse before heading inside to find out her rooming arrangements. Blake watched as Ruby took one last look back at her before entering the house. Blake sighed and looked back at Winter. "So, how are things going here? Hope there hasn't been too much trouble since I left," she said. Winter chuckled.
"Things have been well here Blake, though my little sister has taken an interest in our activities," she answered. Blake frowned.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think that the Assassins would have such an influence on Weiss," she apologized. Winter put a hand on the cat-faunus' shoulder.
"Don't apologize Blake, you only did what you were told. I couldn't protect her from the truth forever, no matter how hard I tried," she said, smiling softly. "I just have to try and protect her from the harm of the Templars until she's ready to go out on her own," she added. Blake nodded.
"Let's go inside and get something to eat, I'm sure Ruby is looking for me and I'd rather not linger outside in a town full of Templar's for too long…" she said. Winter nodded and started moving inside, Blake following her.
Once inside Blake found her protégé and caught up with her, asking her what she thought of the city so far. "It's okay I guess, colder than Vale. And I can feel the tension in the air," Ruby said. Blake nodded.
"Atlas is the northern most kingdom, and it's mainly made up of Templars. The lower-class citizens have few rights and the faunus are constantly mistreated," she told the younger woman. Ruby nodded and walked with her mentor as she listened to Blake talk. "While we are here for the night I want you to listen to me and do exactly as I say, all right? I promised your mother that I would protect you and that's exactly what I'm going to do," she finally told her. Ruby nodded.
"I promise I'll listen to you Blake, you don't have to worry," she said. Blake nodded.
"Good, you take direction well," she said, walking towards the dining hall. Ruby watched as the cat ears on top of her mentor's head swiveled as she listened to everyone and everything around her.
"She really doesn't trust people here… I guess that goes along with her hate for the Templars," Ruby thought. They entered the dining hall and quickly got their food before sitting down. "Hey Blake?" she asked. Blake looked up at her to show she was listening. "Why did Ozpin want a Burau of Assassins here in Atlas? Didn't he think it was too dangerous to have this many Assassins living in plain sight of a bunch of Templars?' she asked the woman. Blake smiled.
"You would think that, but Oz is a unique character. He likes to try and do the impossible, and making a Burau of Assassins in Atlas was pretty much the impossible," she answered. Ruby nodded.
"So… Why did he send you then?" she asked. Blake chuckled softly, running her hands along her gauntlet and hidden blade.
"Because it was what my parents were going to do before they were murdered. They had the plans and everything, Oz just needed time to decipher the code that my father had created," she explained. "Once they knew exactly what my parents were planning and that they left key instructions on how to do it, they decided that it would be better if I constructed a Burau here. Though when I had done that and was going to leave for Mistral, the Atlas branch had asked me if I could be their head. I had to turn them down of course," she told her. Ruby tilted her head.
"Why did you have to turn them down?" she asked. Blake sighed.
"Only Master Assassins can lead a branch Ruby, and even though I'm a prodigy among our branch I'm still only an Assassin. I haven't gained the right of Master Assassin," she told her.
"How do you become one?" the younger asked.
"By putting your life on the line in the field or just proving that you're ready to be a master. It's not an easy task either way," Blake told her. "Now enough talk about this, eat and then study your texts that you brought along. I'll be in before you go to sleep to test you on what you read," Ruby nodded and ate her food before bidding farewell to her mentor and heading off to her room. Blake sighed and ate slowly, thinking on her conversation with Ruby. She was halfway done with her food when an irritated Winter Schnee sat down in front of her. "Uh oh… I know that look, who broke the rules this time…?" the Vale Assassin asked. Winter growled under her breath.
"My own sister apparently, she went out on a search and destroy contract without me. I need your help to find her and bring her back here," she answered. Blake nodded and stood up.
"Let me just go tell Ruby and I'll be at the front doors to meet you," she said. Winter looked at her.
"You're going to bring your protégé along?" she asked, confused. Blake shook her head.
"No, just telling her not to wait up for me," she assured her. "I promised her mother I'd protect her, and I'm not about to endanger her by bringing her out into a town crawling with Templars," she added. Winter nodded and stood up as well.
"I'll meet you by the front then," she said. Blake then made her way to Ruby's room, knocking on the door before entering. The younger woman looked up from her book.
"Change of plans Ruby, I have to go out and help Winter," she said. Ruby stood up.
"I'll go with you," she said, getting excited. Blake put a hand on her apprentice's shoulder, shaking her head.
"No Ruby, I need you to stay here. I do not think you are ready to go around a town filled with Templars. You're inexperienced with them and I'd rather not have to explain to your father or sister how you got injured while under my watch," she told her. Ruby pouted softly but nodded.
"Fine… But be safe, I have heard stories about how you get carried away with a mission and do not watch your back," she said. Blake sighed, cursing Raven under her breath.
"Don't worry Ruby, I'll be safe. You just stay here and focus on your studies," she told her. Ruby nodded and sat back down on her bed. "I'll be back before morning," Blake added before leaving. Ruby sighed and stared at the door her mentor left through.
"You better come back safe… Otherwise Raven is going to be pissed with you," she said to herself. Blake met Winter at the main doors, both women wearing their Assassins Robes.
"You always look so cool with all that black," Winter said, making Blake chuckle.
"There's a reason I wear the color, but looking cool is just a bonus," she said. Winter chuckled, and they set out to find Weiss. They walked around the dark alleys listening for any sign of Templars talking about an Assassin, Winter getting increasingly frustrated.
"Damn it Weiss… I keep telling her to wait for me to get back from my missions before going out on hers, but she never listens to me!" she said, kicking a rock down an alley. Blake put a hand on her shoulder.
"Relax Winter, we'll find her. If you can get me to a safe and high place I can use my Eagle Vision to find exactly where she is at," she said. Winter nodded and motioned for her to follow which Blake did. Winter led her to an unguarded church.
"This is the only church in the city that they don't bother to guard," she said.
"Why not?" Blake asked. Winter smirked.
"Because it is in the poorest district and they would never think that the Assassins would use it as a vantage point against them," she explained. Blake chuckled.
"I taught you well the last time I was here," she said, moving to climb the side of the building.
"You are the best in Vale, or so they say," the older Schnee told her. Blake rolled her eyes.
"I'm just exceptionally gifted at what I do," she said with a smile. Winter laughed and kept a lookout as Blake climbed up the building and to the highest point, she looked around at the city before closing her eyes and using her Eagle Vision ability. She looked around the city and finally saw what she was looking for, groaning a little when she figured out what exactly was going on. She stood up and leaped off the roof and into a waiting cart full of hay next to Winter. The woman came over and helped Blake out of the cart.
"Well, did you find her?" she asked. Blake nodded and looked at the woman.
"You're not going to enjoy what I have to tell you," she said.
"What happened?" she asked, worried.
"She was captured by the Templars and is now being held in your father's house," she said. Winter groaned.
"Shit, now he knows that we're working with the Assassins," she said.
"Of course he knows Weiss is, but he does not know you are," Blake told her. "You know Weiss would never give you up like that," she added, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're too important to her," Winter sighed.
"You're right Blake," she said. Blake smiled.
"I'm always right," she answered. Winter rolled her eyes.
"Stop being so cocky, now how are we going to get Weiss out of there?" she asked. Blake thought for a moment before snapping her fingers.
"Jacques doesn't suspect you of being an Assassin, so he'd let you into the home to visit and discuss things, right?" she asked. Winter nodded.
"I'm still tied to the Templars, so I can be trusted with key information," she said. Blake smiled.
"That is exactly what we need," she said. "You're going to distract your father and I'll get Weiss out of there," she told her. Winter sighed.
"Of course… I'm always the distraction when it comes to him," she said.
"You're the only one that can discuss information like that with him, we both know he doesn't trust James, so you have to be the one to do that," Blake told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Winter sighed and nodded.
"Alright, let us go save my sister," she said. Blake smiled and nodded. They made their way to the Schnee Manor, Winter ditching her Assassins jacket and weapons in a safe spot in favor of just her blouse, trousers, and boots. Blake quickly made her way into the shadows as they got closer to the Manor, she watched as Winter walked up to the door and knocked. A maid answered and let her inside, Blake then slowly made her way towards the main house and to the area she had seen Weiss. She listened to the world around her, especially to the Manor before scaling the side of the building to the balcony on the third floor.
Meanwhile, Winter stood in the foyer as she waited for Jacques Schnee to come and see her. She looked around the room and sighed. "Why don't I recognize anything anymore?" she thought to herself. She looked at the family portraits along the wall smiling wistfully at the many good memories that they brought to her mind. She straightened her posture when she heard the door open and caught her father entering the room out of the corner of her eyes.
"Winter, what a pleasant surprise. I assume your business in Vale was a success?" he asked. Winter nodded.
"The Schnee Family now has control of many of Vale's ports father, our hold is almost worldwide with the exception of Menagerie and Vacuo," she told him. Jacques nodded with a smile.
"Perfect, things are going according to plan then, hopefully within the next year we will be able to control every port and shipping lane in the world giving our family total control over the worlds commerce," he said. Winter nodded.
"And the Assassin's?" she asked. Jacques scoffed.
"They'll be no more by the time we're finished, Salem will make sure of that," he told her. "I just wish your sister hadn't gotten caught up with them," he added, pouring Winter some wine. Winter looked at him confused.
"What do you mean?" she asked. Jacques sighed, looking down at the wine in his glass.
"She was caught wearing the robes of the Assassins, trying to sabotage our warehouses in the port district. She was interrogated and then they brought her here, we're keeping her until Salem gets here," he explained. Winter tilted her head.
"And what will she do to her?" the woman asked. Jacques sighed.
"More than likely she will be interrogated more before being killed," he told her. Winter gasped.
"You can't let them do that! She's your daughter! Your own flesh and blood!" she cried out. Jacques turned to her with fury in his eyes.
"She's not my daughter! She sided with our enemies, she will never have any claim to our family as long as I live!" he yelled. This started an arguing match that Blake could hear from outside.
"Come on Winter, don't blow your cover yet… just wait until I have Weiss out of here," she muttered as she picked the lock on the balcony door. Her ears flicked, and she smiled as the lock clicked and she stepped inside the room, she looked around and noticed the room was dark and only had a chair in its center. She carefully and silently made her way over to the chair and looked at the girl who was almost limp in it, she looked over her body and saw a multitude of injuries. She noticed the harsh gash along the young woman's eye and ripped off a piece of her robes, gently tying it across the girls face. Weiss whimpered softly but relaxed as Blake cut the ropes binding her to the chair.
"W-Winter…?" she softly asked. Blake smiled.
"Not quite, but she's distracting your father," she answered her. "I'm gonna get you out of here, just lean forward and wrap your arms around my shoulders okay?" she told her. Weiss did as she was told and grunted as her injuries flared up as Blake stood up.
"Blake? I thought you were in Vale…" she said, clutching tightly to the dark Assassin. Blake chuckled and carefully made her way towards the balcony, she could still hear Winter and Jacques fighting and soon Weiss could hear it too as they got down the wall. "How will Winter know I'm safe…?" the girl asked. Blake chuckled and glanced up at her.
"Cover your ears," she said. Weiss did so, confused but trusted the woman as she pulled out a small little round object. Blake lit it and tossed it towards the front door before holding onto Weiss as she took off running. Weiss gasped as she heard the loud boom.
"That was your signal?!" she cried. Blake smiled.
"Don't worry, Winter's cover wasn't blown. I only made it look like your Assassin colleagues came and rescued you, though you'd never be able to show your face in Atlas for a long time now," she answered. Weiss grumbled.
"It's not my fault… Winter never trusted me, if she had I probably wouldn't have gone off on my own and wouldn't have gotten captured like I did…" she said. Blake sighed.
"Winter only wanted to keep you out of all of this for as long as she could, now quit talking. We're still not in the clear, we're two Assassins out in a town crawling with Templars and I'm being slowed down by you since you can't move that well. So just keep quiet until we get to the Bureau, okay?" she asked. Weiss nodded and held onto the Faunus as they slowly made their way towards the building, they had to duck behind walls and crates every so often as they made their way back to the bureau. Once there Blake called Ruby to her in order to help her with Weiss, she ordered everyone to keep Winter out of the room in order to not have the elder Schnee out of the room. Soon she came out to talk to Winter about what was going on.
"Why can't I go in and see her?" she asked, glaring at the dark-haired assassin. Blake sighed.
"She knows you'll be mad at her, so as the one who helped care for her injuries I feel it's best if there be no added stress to hinder her recovery," she told the Atlesian Assassin. Winter growled and stood up straighter to try and intimidate Blake more.
"You will let me see my sister, you have to," she said. Blake stood her ground.
"As you are family, that does by normal standards mean that I should let you see her. But as her personal health physician right now, in accordance with Brotherhood guidelines, what I say goes. It doesn't matter if your family or not, since I'm obviously the senior member with a protégé here, you have to follow my word," she said. Winter clenched her jaw and turned around before walking away, Blake sighed and turned to the door as Ruby stepped out. "How is she doing?" she asked the young woman. Ruby looked up at her Mentor and smiled tiredly.
"She's asleep but recovering, I think she should be good to go within a week or two. But I would recommend at least a month before she return to active duty," she said. Blake nodded and put her hand on the woman's shoulder.
"Go rest Ruby, it's been a long day," she told her.
"Okay… But you should sleep to," Ruby said reluctantly. Blake smiled softly.
"I will, after I write up a report about the mission," she said. Ruby nodded and headed down to her quarters that she'd been given in the large house. Blake watched her go before heading to her own room, she sat down at her desk and started on the lengthy report she would give Ozpin when they get back to Vale. The two Vale Assassins stayed for a few days, helping the Atlesian Assassins in different contracts. Winter hardly ever spoke to Blake or Ruby as neither of them would let her in to see Weiss, though one day while Blake was changing the woman's bandages she got a surprising request.
"Take me back to Vale with you," she said, making the black clad assassin stop and stare at her.
"Um… What?" she asked. Weiss looked up at her.
"I want you to take me with you when you go back to Vale. I don't belong in Atlas, besides my father thinks I'm dead anyway so there's no point in me staying here," she explained.
"But what about your sister?" she asked. Weiss looked down, clutching her blankets.
"It would be best for the both of us if I left and became an Assassin for Vale. She wouldn't have to worry about me and she wouldn't smother me all the time," she told her. Blake thought for a moment before nodding.
"I will speak to Ironwood about it, but I'm sure the request will go through and you'll be able to ride back with me and Ruby," she said. Weiss nodded, and Blake finished dressing the wounds. She started making her way out of the room when she was stopped by Weiss's voice once again.
"Blake?" she said. The Faunus turned around to face her. "thank you again, for saving my life. Not many Faunus would do that for someone like me, Assassin or not," she told her. Blake nodded.
"You're a comrade Weiss, I swore to never see a comrade die again," she said. Weiss nodded and looked back out the window, Blake watched her for a moment before leaving. She walked around the halls for a bit before going to Ironwood's office where he was currently meeting with Winter.
"Ah, Miss Belladonna. I take it you and Miss Rose are set to leave within the week?" he asked. Blake nodded.
"Yes sir, though there is one more thing I would like to bring up," she said. Ironwood nodded and motioned for her to speak. "One of your own Assassins has requested to join me and Ruby back in Vale. She was pretty adamant on doing so and I'm afraid that if you deny her, she will just follow us anyway," she said.
"And who is this Assassin that you speak of?" Ironwood asked. Blake looked to him and then Winter before sighing.
"Weiss Schnee," she said. Winter immediately stiffened and shook her head.
"No, absolutely not," she said. Ironwood looked at her.
"And why do you think she shouldn't go Winter?" he asked. Winter looked at him.
"You know her record here in Atlas sir, she'd only cause trouble in Vale," she said. Blake looked at her.
"Actually, she believes that it would be irrelevant for her to stay here. Jacques believes she's dead as well as the other Templars, and they don't suspect you of being in league with the Brotherhood. She believes that if she went to Vale and forged her own path, things would be better here in Atlas for you as you'd only be focusing on that and not worrying about her constantly," she told the older woman. Winter looked at her coldly.
"I will not allow Weiss to go with you, she is too young and doesn't know what she's talking about," she said, Ironwood cleared his throat.
"Miss Schnee, I believe that it is my decision to allow Weiss to leave as she has requested a transfer. You must remember that she is no longer your protégé, but an active member of the Brotherhood. And as she is currently under my jurisdiction, I have the say in her transfer. From what I've seen, she only acts out because of your overprotectiveness so I believe that she should be granted permission to travel with Miss Belladonna and her protégé Miss Rose back to Vale to continue her career there," he told them. Winter turned to him to speak but was silenced by a hand that he rose. "There will be no further arguments about this Winter, I need you here 100%," he told her. Winter sighed and nodded, she turned to Blake before walking out of the room.
"I don't believe she likes me very much," she said. Ironwood sighed.
"She just hasn't met someone like you before," he told her.
"Someone like me?" she asked. James smiled.
"You were the youngest Assassin the Brotherhood has seen since ancient times Blake, Ozpin speaks highly about your skill and to a prodigy like Winter, you're a threat," he told her. "She doesn't want to believe that a Faunus such as yourself can be superior to her, it's how she was raised. But she's slowly learning to accept it, just give her time," he added. Blake nodded.
"If we're done, I would like to go train with my protégé. Even though we're on a mission I still need to make sure she's keeping up with her studies and training," she said. Ironwood nodded.
"Very well, I will see you later then. Enjoy the rest of your stay here in Atlas," he told her. Blake nodded and exited the office before heading down to the common room, she looked around and spotted Ruby talking with a few others. She made her way over and tapped the younger woman's shoulder, Ruby tuned and looked at her and smiled.
"Oh, hey Blake," she said. "I was just talking to Flynt and Neon, she's a cat Faunus just like you," she told her. Blake looked at the two and nodded upon seeing the cat Faunus's tail before she looked back at Ruby.
"Come on, we need to go train," she told her. Ruby made a face.
"But we're already on a mission," she said.
"And that doesn't mean you can't just skip training, come on. We need to go," Blake told her, grabbing her by the hood and dragging her off. Ruby complained the whole way to the training arena, up until Blake stopped and shoved her towards the other side. "The longer you complain, the longer we're going to be here," she said. Ruby sighed and drew her weapon.
"Fine, let's just get this over with," she said, taking a stance. Blake chuckled and took her own stance.
"Just don't get too far ahead of yourself Ruby, you may be Summer's daughter but that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you," she told her. Ruby nodded and charged at Blake who quickly anticipated the attack and blocked it. They continued at this for a while, not noticing being watched by the Schnee siblings. Weiss looked at them in amazement while Winter kept a neutral face.
"Wow! They're so amazing! I've never seen anything like it Winter, have you?" the younger asked her sister. Winter watched the two as they fought, both going all out as if it were a real battle.
"I suppose they are quite skilled… though I don't understand why they fight like it's life or death," she said. Weiss looked up at her.
"Maybe it's just a really intense training regimen?" she asked. Winter shook her head.
"No… it seems like it's more than just training… more like, preparation of some sort," she said. "I suppose with who Ruby's mother was and how her and Blake were connected, Blake is preparing her for the hard life of an Assassin. The very same life she lost her mother too," she explained. Weiss tilted her head.
"Ruby's mother was an Assassin?" she asked. Winter nodded.
"Her father is one too, and Blake was the same way. Her parents were Assassins, her father from Menagerie and her mother from Mistral. They were assigned to Vale and on the high council, they were reported to be killed by Templars and no one knew they had Blake, so the Assassins didn't know to look for a child. Summer found her as a child and brought her to the Brotherhood where she decided to be like her parents… Only to lose Summer on her first mission after graduating from being a novice. I couldn't imagine what it must be like to be the mentor to the child of the mentor who you failed…" she told Weiss. Weiss looked back down at the two with a frown and saw them both out of breath, yet still going at it. Both sisters jumped when Ironwood came up behind them.
"You're wrong about one thing Winter, Blake hasn't failed Summer," he told her. Winter looked up at him.
"But, she was the reason Summer died," she said. Ironwood chuckled.
"Summer chose to protect the girl, but Blake didn't fail her. Summers last wish was for Blake to watch out for Ruby, and now she's doing just that. Watching out for Ruby by training her to be ready for battle at any moment," he said. Weiss and Winter nodded, both looking back to the two in the arena.
"To be so young and have such a burden… I couldn't even comprehend what it must feel like…" Winter thought as she watched. "Then I'll do my best to help! I'll rid Atlas of the Templars, and help the Brotherhood and Blake protect the world!"
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll try to update soon!
~FrozenSWLoKFan01
