Hey guys, here is the next update of this fanfiction. Hope you have been enjoying the read so far.
Anyway, enjoy this new update.
Chapter Ten
I shouldn't have said that.
That was what was running through Jaune's mind as he was looking at the direction that his sister was going. He didn't even bother to call the girl back, from how stiff her shoulders were as she was walking away making her way at the direction of the stable. Well, there goes the idea of Joan spending any time in Gryphonhall tonight. It was two years after what happened with Catelyn that Jaune had found out between his sister and Mia. It had been on a summer day when he was in town when he had spied his sister with the young Faunus girl. The two had their heads together as they were softly talking to each other and from how they were holding each other, the blond had instantly realized that they were more than friends and with what the scandal with the Glenn had revealed about his sister, he hadn't been really surprised to see her with a woman. He had simply thought it was a passing fling if her sister had managed to move on from Catelyn.
But it hadn't been, and Joan had continued to see the Faunus girl, Mia, and it made him wonder if she was truly feeling for the girl. It was expected for girls to plays with each other so that they could practice before they were married. The young man shook his head lightly before turning his attention forward and walking back into the hall. With the Vale going into what was a civil war basically with House Glenn, it made Jaune wonder why they would betray him?
He found his mother in the hallway as the woman was talking to one of the servants and then she caught sight of him approaching. The woman sends the servant away before turning toward him. Marianne Arc had a light frown upon her features as she approached him, her fur as gold as her hair.
"Your father left then," she told him.
"He did," Jaune told her, "And he left Gryphonhall in my hands to protect."
"You have done a decent job when he went to Atlas," the woman told him as they walked together, "Where is your sister?"
"We had a disagreement," Jaune told her, "I don't expect her to spend the night here."
A frown appeared upon Marianne's face at that. It was like the woman had smelled a foul odor in the air the way her expression had changed.
"She went to that whore again," she growled, "I have had it with that girl. I told your father if he let her do as she please, she will bring shame to our House, and she turned the Glenn against us."
"You don't honestly believe that it is because of that that House Glenn turned against us?" Jaune asked her.
She turned her gaze to him.
"A marriage between her and Dominic would have brought that whole business to an end," she said, "However, it won't seem that this wouldn't be possible with how everything had gone through. If only she knew of her duty as an Arc…"
"No matter how much we talk about it, Joan isn't going to change her mind," the young man told her as they come into the solar where they had much work to be done, "Father always said that she had the Gryphon's blood in her veins. Too wild to be tamed or controlled."
"You would think with six older sisters she would have at least learned something from them," Marianne spoke out with a sigh as if she was tired.
Jaune chuckled as he filled two cups with wine and gave one to his mother. She gave him a small smile of thanks as he drink from his own cup. The young man let out a small sigh as he stood in front of the fire that was in front of him.
"I wish he had had let me go with him," he said, "I'm the heir to this place and yet he still keeping confined to the keep."
"I hardly think that he is keeping you here," Marianne told him with a frown.
"He is," Jaune said turning toward her, "How am I to inspire hope in my men if I am always the one being protected. I called the banners so that I could prove myself on the field of battle and earn my men's respect…but of course, dad come in again to save the day."
"Was this why you called the banners when Whitley imprisoned your father?"
"I called them to rebel against the King that took my father prisoner," Jaune answered her, "However, I wanted to show my father that I could lead…that I can do something. I don't want to be heir if all that I can do is keep the castle safe."
Marianne stood up from where she was seating and approached him. She placed her hand upon the young man's cheek. Jaune looked at his mother, seeing that familiar look within her eyes. It was the same look he always gets when his mother was worried about him in the past when he was younger or whenever he was hurt in training.
"War is not a place that you ever wish to be Jaune," she told him, "You are doing your duty as heir by keeping this place running and safe. A good leader never seeks out war my son. A good leader learns to protect his people and keep them safe."
Jaune let out a small sigh.
"Father is already doing that marching toward the Rock," he said.
"But your father isn't here," Marianne reminded him, "You are."
The young man looked away again, his eyes toward the fire that was burning in the hearth. His father had trusted him both time to keep Gryphonhall safe and protected during his absence. Jaune knew that if he couldn't be with his father on the frontlines as he had hoped, maybe he can do some good here in protecting a home to have to return to.
"Maybe you're right," Jaune said.
Marianne smiled at him.
"You know that I am," she said, "Now I have to go and see if our guests have done away with our reserves."
"I'll speak with you later then," Jaune told her.
His mother gave him a peck on the cheek before walking out of the room leaving him by himself. Jaune let out a small sigh again as he made his way toward his chair so that he could do his work. Removing the fur that he was wearing earlier and placing it down upon a nearby chair. Staying only in his leathers, the young man took a seat behind the desk and busied himself upon the work of the Lord Paramount.
He had received some letters about Mistral was amid a revolution against the Crown. The former queen was from Mistral wasn't she? It would make sense that they would revolt against the people that killed her. Since his father had bend the knee to the new Queen on the Throne of Jewels, they had received some letters from the capital mostly about the usual taxes that they paid to the Schnee for years.
Jaune continued to work and draining the bottle that he had with him when a servant appeared at the entrance.
"My lord," he spoke drawing his attention toward him, "There is a situation that requires your attention. Your sister had returned, and she had been attacked."
Jaune dropped his quill upon the desk and quickly stood up. The young man made his way out of the room quickly walking through the hallway. A worry was chanting through his heart as the thought of Joan hurt.
"Where is she?" he asked the servant that was with him.
"Her chambers," the servant spoke, "And she had demanded for the Healer."
Goddess, what had happened? The young man thought to himself as he hurried his pace even more and as he was approaching Joan's room, he could hear voices speaking and quickly recognized his mother's raised voice and she sounded angry.
"…brought a filth like that in our home?" she was saying.
He appeared at the door and was hit with the smell of blood. Jaune's eyes was instantly upon the bed wanting to see if his sister was hurt in any way but it wasn't Joan upon the bed. A familiar face with black hair and two cat ears upon her head was lying upon the bed with an arrow sticking upon her body. Her blood was wetting the sheets of the bed around her as she was a deathly pale. Healer Margolis was already there, looking down at the woman's wound.
Joan was on the other side of the bed, blood upon her clothing but the girl's attention was focused upon the Faunus upon her bed. She had a cut upon her left cheek, but the girl seems to be hardly focused upon it, a look of worry and fear visible within her eyes. Her hands however were tightened at her side, her knuckles white with fears.
"Can you save her Margolis?" Joan asked, completely ignoring her mother.
"This wound is fatal," the Healer spoke out, a tone of worry in her voice, "There is a chance that she might not survive the night."
"I want to know if you can save her?" Joan asked, her voice trembling.
"I can try," Margolis told her, the healer giving her a stern look.
"Then do it," she said, "I don't…"
"Don't," Marianne said, "I won't allow it. This whore doesn't deserve such treatment."
Joan gave her mother a look. There was anger within that gaze that terrified Jaune.
"Mia saved my life," she growled, "If she hadn't…this arrow would have killed me. Don't you fucking interfere."
"Alright enough," Jaune spoke out entering inside the room stopping this argument from going on any further, "Margolis, do what you can to save her. Joan, Mother, the two of you come with me."
Margolis gave him a bow at his orders and the Arc family walked out of the room. Joan was quiet as they were walking through the hall before he come to a stop and facing the two blonde women. He turned first toward his sister.
"What happened Joan?" he asked.
The girl looked at him.
"Faunus attacked us while we were at the Nest," she said, "Mia was the one who saw them first and warned me. If she hadn't, I don't think either of us would be alive right now."
Jaune was completely silent. His mother was just as shocked.
"The White Fang?" Marianne repeated, "This close to Gryphonhall?"
The young man frowned.
"I'll gather a group of men and we will go and scout the area," he said, "For them to have come this close to our territory without us knowing…"
"I will come with you," Joan said.
Jaune looked at the girl for a few moments. Joan's face was completely devoid of any emotions right now and it was hard to see what she was thinking but he allowed it. Something tells him that keeping her here with his mother and Mia is just a disaster waiting to happen.
In no time, Jaune was by his horses as his men were with him as well. Joan was already riding upon her own horse waiting for him to come. He turned his gaze toward his mother who was looking at him.
"Keep our home safe," he said.
The woman nodded, "And be careful son."
He nodded and climbed upon his own horse as he placed his helmet on. The young man glanced at his sister and gave her a light nod to start moving. Joan rode forward, and he followed her as thirty men followed them. The ride out of Gryphonhall and aiming straight toward the Gryphon's Nest. Jaune hadn't been there since he was a boy when his father took both him and Joan there together since they were closer in age compared to their other siblings. The man had brought them both here to tell them the story of their family and how they used to ride Gryphons in the air and were once known as Lords of the Skies.
The old tower came into view after a few minutes of riding, and the young man instantly glanced around him searching for any sign of anything that was happening. They arrived into the entrance of the Gryphon's Nest and Jaune noticed that the place was as deserted as it can be.
"Spread out," he called to the men that were with him, "I want this forest searched. A group should stay nearby to see if they are any trouble."
"Yes, my lord," one of the men spoke and then the riders were starting to move around.
Jaune turned his gaze toward where Joan was and found that his sister was already on the ground and was kneeling right in front of something. He jumped down from his own horse and made his way toward her. He removed his helmet and came to stand above her and found that she was looking at a red mass upon the ground.
"Blood," he said.
"I killed one of them here," Joan said, "Why would they take the body?"
"Maybe he wasn't as dead as you thought," Jaune said.
"They couldn't have gone far," Joan said standing up, "We'll hunt them one and kill them all."
Jaune took hold of her arm stopping her from going anywhere.
"Hey, are you doing alright?" he asked her.
Joan glanced at him, and he noticed that she was annoyed with the question.
"I'll be fine Jaune," she said, "I just want to find the fuckers who wanted to kill me."
Jaune gave her a hard stare before letting go of her arm.
"When we get back to Gryphonhall, you will apologize to our mother."
He heard her gasp behind her.
"You want me to what?" she asked hearing her follow, "You heard her…she wanted to let Mia died."
Jaune turned toward her.
"And she is your mother," he argued, "You have always done as you wished Joan and because of that House Glenn almost got our father killed. Father may not have done anything, but you are an Arc of Gryphonhall. Do you know how disrespectful you were to our mother back there?"
"She wanted Mia to die,"
"You know our mother Joan," Jaune told her, "She will talk lot, but I doubt she would have gone that far."
Joan stayed silent as she glanced away. The sounds of horses approaching drew Jaune's attention away from her. One of their soldiers approached.
"My Lord, we have found tracks a mile from here," he said, "North of here and they seem to lead further."
"Send two trackers after them," Jaune said, "I need to know exactly where those White Fang members have been hiding from these past months. What of the patrols that we have in the area, have they been sign of them?"
"No, my lord," the soldier spoke out.
Jaune frowned lightly.
"Send orders to some of our men to try and find them," he ordered, "I will return to Gryphonhall and have our soldiers place on alert."
"Yes, my lord."
Jaune climbed upon his horse as Joan did the same. The duo rode back to Gryphonhall together and this situation wasn't good for him. For the Faunus to show themselves so soon after his father had gone, and it hadn't even been a day yet since his departure. Could the White Fang had been watching them before they made their move toward them?
None of those ideas pleased him at all.
When he had returned to the Hall with Joan, Healer Margolis was standing there waiting for them as they entered. The robed woman faced them and give a bow as they approached.
"My lord, my lady," she greeted them.
"You have finished with Mia?" Jaune asked.
"She isn't out of danger," the Healer said, "But I have done all I can. If she can survive the night then there might still be hope for her to recover…however, I have managed to remove the arrow from the wound."
She presented them with the arrow and Jaune instantly took hold of the weapon. It was quite a well-made weapon. This wasn't the sort of weapon that a criminal organization like the White Fang could get their hands on easily.
"I will go and see how she is doing," Joan said, and she left them.
When she was gone, Jaune was still examining the weapon in his hand before he looked at her.
"This is castle forged," he said, "Not the type of equipment that the White Fang could have gotten their hands on easily."
"That's what I believed as well, my lord," Margolis told him, her face grave.
Jaune looked at the arrow again.
Someone was arming the White Fang with castle forged weaponry; the question was who?
A new mystery in the Vale...
Hope you have enjoyed the read.
Jacques0 out.
R&R