'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,

'Tis the gift to come down, where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

-Joseph Brackett, Simple Gifts

Chapter 8: An Adventure

Raven relaxed in front of the fire. Truly relaxed. She let the tension ease from her shoulders, her neck, and her abdomen as she lay back on the sheepskin rug before the fire. Rex, Summer's dog, curled up by Raven's feet. Emilia, Summer's little sister, played cheerfully nearby.

Summer was in the kitchen, helping her mother with the dishes. Taiyang and Qrow were playing a card game Summer's father had taught them, and they quickly became addicted to. And Summer's father was on the couch, picking quietly at his lute. Raven sighed, and nearly giggled as Rex began licking at her toes.

The Rose-Powell cottage was named "Hollyhock House", and Summer's mother, Karen, explained that in the summer, hollyhocks bloomed all through the yard. Summer's step-father, Dean had planted them twelve years ago, after his marriage to Karen.

Summer's father had been a Huntsman, and it was from him that she inherited her silver eyes, but he was killed when she was still a toddler, and so it was Dean who was a father figure for most of her life. Summer explained to Raven that at first her parents were hesitant when she asked to enroll in combat school, but they acquiesced once they realized Summer's will was set.

"Now if Emilia wants to become a Huntress, I might not be happy about that," Summer had said.

Emilia was five, and was constantly accompanied by her kitten, Sweet Pea. She loved coloring, helping her mother in the kitchen, and playing her own mini lute. Raven felt the same way as Summer, and desired to protect this little girl's happy life.

Raven turned on her side, so that she was facing the flames. She hadn't imagined herself enjoying this vacation as much as she had. Hollyhock Home was the polar opposite of the tribe where she and Qrow had been raised. And before they were in the tribe, when they were Emilia's age, things had been even worse. She stared at the flames, allowing them to burn into her irises.

She hadn't been able to believe the warm welcome Karen and Dean had greeted them with. Though it was close to midnight when they arrived, there was warm pie and hot cocoa ready for them, and their beds were made up. The next day there was a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs, and they went on a hike with Dean down to the seashore. When they got back, there was another amazing meal of beef stew, and Karen had given them all hand-knit hats in their favorite colors. Apparently she and Summer had been planning this visit for some time.

Now it was evening, and everyone was relaxing. Was this how Summer had grown up? Had these warm and cozy feelings somehow permeated Summer's personality? They must have. And if that theory of environmental transcendence was true, it would explain why Raven was so cold and suspicious, even though sometimes she hated those parts of herself. Don't forget emotionally unavailable, Qrow would have said, if she had been thinking out loud.

"Hey!"

Raven sat up, blinking away the flames. "Hey Summer."

Summer kneeled down beside Raven, absentmindedly scratching Rex's head. "So, how's the trip been?"

Raven put her hands on Summer's shoulders, a move that seemed to surprise Summer. "Summer, this is the most relaxing weekend I've had in my entire life."

Summer beamed. "Well, lucky for you we still have, let's see… hot springs, clam digging, making smores, climbing Mount Doer, eating Mom's onion soup, and the village's New Year Festival."

"We're going to fit all that in, in a week?" asked Raven. She just wanted to lay by this fire for five more days.

"We Rose-Powells are nothing, if not efficient," Summer laughed.

"Raven, Qrow," Dean called to them. "What kind of music did they play out in your part of Anima?"

Qrow shrugged, looking to Raven. "We had folk songs," she said. "Drinking songs, hunting songs, even a couple nursery rhymes."

"Are you familiar with 'Coming Home'?"

"Oh, I know that one!" said Taiyang. Qrow and Raven also nodded.

"Excellent. Emilia, come here." Dean pulled the little girl onto his lap, and between him and the lute. He began to play the familiar melody, though the sound was different than Raven remembered, due to the differences in instruments used.

"Coming home now, gather in, we're back the road a stretch. Coming home now, friends and kin, with tidings of our best. Back at home the candle's burning, back at home they wait. Coming home now, hasten home now, lighten load and rest." They all sang the song which apparently was known across the kingdoms, and even in the barren Anima.

Karen came into the room then, settling beside Raven and Summer in front of the fire. "Come on, Dean, play 'Merry Men'." Her smile was as bright as Summer's.

Dean again played a familiar tune, but this time the lyrics were different than Raven remembered. She caught Qrow's eye as they listened. "Merry men we take the mead, collect the toll and tie the steed, merry men we won't be tricked, by the barman's lies or greed. Merry men come ye to town, toss the bullies yet around, once the stars shine in the sky, we'll be out til dawn is nigh." Dean strummed out the introduction again. "Come on girl, and you too, Qrow, you know a different verse, don't you?"

Raven blushed, but she was having too much fun to deny Dean. "Merry men by phantom's fortune, merry men lay thee to rest, come the riches come the barter, come the time to stand the test. Merry men be warned through darkness, merry men outstand the Grimm, through the toil of the battle, merry men return to kin."

Dean finished strumming and the room was silent for a moment. Raven felt her face go red. "You can sing?" asked Tai.

"As well as anyone else," she said casually.

"You'll have to write those lyrics down, girl, I enjoyed your version. Who taught it to you?"

"No one, it was always being sung here and there."

Emilia had taken her father's instrument and was plucking out a nursery rhyme. Beside Raven, Summer's eyes were growing heavy. Tai and Qrow had abandoned their game.

"Alright, time for bed, all of you! You four have a big day tomorrow." Karen stood up, picking up Emilia and carrying her off to bed.

"Before you go, listen to me." Dean spoke low, and the four members of Team STRQ moved closer to listen.

"I don't think you'll see anything on that mountain, but bring your weapons just in case. There've been a couple Beowolves spotted around here recently. If I were you, I'd just stay closer to home, but Summer insists you see the view from the summit."

"We'll be careful," said Qrow, his gravelly voice providing reassurance.

"Sing cheerful songs, keep the negativity away," said Dean. "I'm no Huntsman, so I'll just be a liability if I come with you. And if you miss Karen's soup, she'll kill you twice over."

They laughed at this. "Thanks for the tip dad, we'll be safe. Goodnight!" Summer hugged her father, and the others bid him goodnight and followed her to their bedrooms.

The room was still dark as Raven felt something heavy fall on her. Snapping awake, she sat up to meet silver eyes, glinting in the dark. "Morning, sunshine."

"I was about to punch you. Don't startle me."

Summer backed off the bed, and Raven could see that she was already dressed. She wore leggings, tall socks, a warm sweater, and a hand-knit scarf. "I didn't want to wake my mom, so I'm going to go down and make breakfast for us all. Get dressed!"

Summer lit a small lamp on a side table and disappeared down the stairs. Raven followed her soon after, donning a similar outfit. The boys joined them minutes later, and they sat down to a breakfast of cinnamon toast, coffee, bacon, and sliced apples. The three guests followed Summer down a path in her backyard, and it took about half an hour for them to hike to the base of the mountain.

Raven trailed behind, sipping coffee from her thermos. The boys had made jokes about her taking after Barty, but her fingers were warm. Her breath came out in little puffs in the cold mountain air. Ahead, Summer was climbing up a large boulder, looking at the view from halfway up the mountain.

The Beowolf appeared up the path from Taiyang, right as he was turning back to say something to Raven. It was small, but it would still do damage to Tai in his vulnerable position. Summer and Qrow were further ahead, and facing the wrong way to see it. Raven shouted, drawing her sword, but Taiyang's reaction time was poor. Perhaps he was still sleepy. Instinctively, as she had done with Qrow so many times before, she sliced a portal with her sword, using her semblance. She popped out right beside Taiyang, and slashed at the Beowolf. It swatted her aside, but it gave Taiyang enough time to draw his weapon and finish the attack.

"What the hell, that one was sneaky!" he cursed.

"Taiyang, Raven, are you alright? Oh, I shouldn't have let us get so far apart like that." Summer ran back to meet them, Qrow in tow.

"Raven, did you just…?" Qrow looked at her inquisitively. Raven nodded.

"I- I made a portal to Taiyang." Hesitantly, she cut open space again, revealing the swirling red abyss of her semblance-fueled portals. Diving in, she emerged beside Summer this time.

"Holy shit!" said Taiyang. "This is crazy!"

Raven nodded, agreeing. Summer took charge. "Let's get to the summit, I'm worried about seeing more Grimm on the narrow path. Then we can discuss this more."

Following their leader, Team STRQ ascended the mountain. Raven stayed close this time, her excitement growing the more she thought about this new development with her semblance. At the top, the view was beautiful. To the south, the sea stretched out endlessly. To the east and west, small colorful villages dotted the seashore. To the north, great plains and deep forests covered much of the island.

"Can I go through your portals?" asked Taiyang.

The others were quiet. Raven thought for a moment. "I have no idea. Before today, I could only make them to Qrow."

"Yeah but you never sent anyone else through?"

"Hey, come off it, blondie," said Qrow. "It's not like we were rich in friends."

"I mean, you can try," said Raven.

"I don't know if that's such a great idea," cautioned Summer.

Raven opened a portal to Qrow. Crossing his fingers, Taiyang ran through… and emerged beside his teammate, unscathed.

"Oh my God, that felt weird!" he said.

Summer looked thoughtful and excited. "This. Changes. Everything!" she shouted. "This completely changes what our team is capable of. Raven can send herself, or anyone else to where the others are during combat."

They spent the next hour practicing with portals, until Raven had to sit down from exhaustion. Her aura was being depleted from overusing her semblance, she could feel it. But more than that, she felt good. She had made progress.

"Hey, I have an idea," said Summer. "Raven, you look tired, and I don't want you to run into a Grimm on the way down. Why don't you and Qrow wait here, Tai and I will climb down, and then you can make one more portal and meet us at the bottom?"

Raven gave Summer and thumbs up sign and she disappeared down the path with Tai. Qrow came and sat beside her.

"You've really settled into family life," he teased her, cutting right to the chase.

She shrugged. "I didn't think I'd like it as much as I do. But, just… not worrying about anything is amazing."

Qrow laughed. "I can't say I hate it myself. Though I don't think this is the endgame the tribe sees for us."

"That's true. But it's nice to pretend for a week at a time."

"Raven, why don't we come clean?"

Raven looked at her twin like he had grown another head. "To who? About what?"

"To Tai and Summer, to Oz, even. About where and who we came from. They could protect us. We could start a new life, being Huntsmen in good faith."

Raven laughed softly, in a cold, you know nothing sort of way. "Maybe you could pull it off, little brother, but I doubt it. I definitely could not. There's no protecting us from them. There's no escape."

"Oz is pretty powerful, Rae. And the tribe would never come to the kingdoms, they wouldn't risk it."

"They're called mercenaries and assassins, Qrow. They'd find a way to make you dead. Don't go soft." Despite her harsh words, she rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to die, Qrow."

"I know."

They sat on the mountain a while longer, before taking the portal back to Summer and Tai, who were already on the path back to the house. Raven was upset by her conversation with her brother. She could no longer relax.