Chapter 9
Thaw
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At some point, the rain had stopped. They were cold even still, covered in mud and shivering lightly in each other's arms. The wind was cold as well. It blew in staggered gusts over the cliff, carrying the scent of sea-breeze and pine and poplar. It danced through the trees like a wisp, whistling and rocking the boughs.
Weiss was aware of all this and more, so alight with life was her every nerve. Each carried a signal louder than gunfire and brighter than newborn stars, dancing up and up through her mind and into her soul. The feel of the breeze, cold and cozily scented; the sound of its stride, whistling like a merry tune; the odd shift of the mud, unpleasant but far away.
Ruby felt these things as well. Her surprise was aloft on ascending wings, climbing for the cosmos with no sign of halting. This mixed with the transcendent awareness in her body, making each detail feel as a vast sea of tactile information. Every sound, every color, every little touch; anything that could be felt was magnified a thousand fold.
For both of them.
But more than this—at the forefront more so than any other detail—was their connection. Clothes and mud stood between them, but even this offered little resistance. Their embrace was ethereal. It was as though a door had opened on a cosmic truth, scattering all else before it like chaff in the wind—mayhap a truth not fully grasped, but a truth nonetheless bright. And where their skin did touch, flesh meeting flesh to speak unspoken truth, it was deific. Short-lived in the end and lost like a ghost once parted, shining like the sun crashing against the very earth at that moment.
Lavender… Weiss thought with amazement and no small fear. Soft, sweet, warm… Like lavender…
Ruby sat dazed in the heiress's grip, vaguely aware that she needed oxygen. Her head was spinning and her lungs were trying desperately to hold out. Yet, this felt so unimportant it was funny. Like an ant considering, at the moment the boot comes down upon it, that it definitely needs to run. Somewhere, anywhere, that isn't right there.
Warm… Ruby's mind echoed calmly in her whirling head. So warm… and safe…
All said and done, the exchange lasted maybe a minute. A single parley, brought about by trying circumstances, accomplished through some sixty seconds of primal understanding. A conversation between two ailing hearts—and confused minds—spoken by action and intent alone. A reassurance of sorts that said enough was enough.
And then they parted. Two pairs of lips, now red as if bloodied, separated from each other. Two pairs of eyes then regarded each other in the failing light of the cloudy day, asking silently what neither mouth could utter. Two women sat on the cliff—with the wind blowing all around, cold and ominous and incessant—with nary a clue in their hysteric heads of what to say or what to do next.
Another watched this from the tree-line, her gloved hands digging hard into the bark of the pine she stood hidden behind. This one too was floored by the revelation. To her it was simultaneously outrageous and upsetting, not the least reason being she misunderstood the witnessed gesture. Understanding it or not, however, she had most certainly not expected it.
The hidden witness turned and left. Her footsteps, already stealthily taken, were masked by the last round of the salute cracking into the sky. Neither woman saw her and neither heard her depart.
ϴ
It was really quite an odd thing. No sooner had Winter stepped foot from the woods back into the knoll did the sky open up. The little bit of light escaping through the grey sheet above was cut off and the rain began to pour again, hard and cold. She took a second step and the loudest thunderclap she'd ever heard roared across the sullen clouds. It cracked like a bomb.
For a moment, Winter was back in the field of war. In the mud, the blood, the screaming and the fire. She dipped down, bolted forward and readied to draw her blade. She stopped herself just before reaching the crowd of mourners, momentarily embarrassed but otherwise unfazed. It had been a long day and many unknowns had cropped up. She could allow herself a little mercy, no?
Winter straightened up and entered the crowd. She pushed through easily and politely. People and faunus alike parted as she stepped between them. A White Fang looked at her with an uneasy eye, but neither paid the other any mind aside from this brief glance.
She reached her father, still standing with the Atlesian honor guard, and stood beside him as naturally as if she'd never departed. He cast her an acknowledging glance, but did nothing else. He was busy overseeing the last of the display—ordering the ease of stance and inspecting each soldier.
Not wanting to, but unable to stop herself, Winter cast a forlorn look back to the woods. The crowd was so thick she could only make out the trees. So she looked at those trees, into those trees, and thought. She truly didn't want to, but she did.
Weiss… She mused with unease, what are you doing…
Ђ
"We need to go back…"
Ruby said the first thing that came to her fevered mind. It was obvious, yes and thank you, that this was so. It really bore no need to mention. The funeral was still going, albeit in the last swing with the guests preparing to leave, and her lack of presence would not look good at the least. Bearing mention or not, though, it was all she could think to say.
She looked into Weiss's eyes with unhidden disbelief. What had just happened was beyond unexpected; it was so far out of left field, it may as well have been impossible to anticipate. They were friends, she would never dispute this. They had even grown close enough that she found herself cherishing the heiress's company. But this was something else.
Warm... Safe… Ruby thought, and blushed furiously not a moment after.
Weiss was still busy trying to piece her mind together and did not hear Ruby at first. Her mind was chasing the four winds, her breast swelling deep with every ragged breath. The world—every sight, smell, sound and all—spun like a roulette wheel, nauseating her a tad. In some far off part of her mind, the piece that was presently filing away the recent revelation, she knew what she'd done. This didn't mean she accepted it, however.
Lavender… Weiss echoed the memory.
"Come on." Ruby said, and she stood.
Weiss looked up at her with eyes that said her thoughts were out for tea. Ruby brushed this aside, bent down and grabbed her hand. With a squeaky grunt, she pulled the heiress to shaking legs.
"Ruby…" Weiss said, sounding like the echo in her head.
"Come on." Ruby said again, and began to lead her friend back into the woods.
They took one step in and the sky opened up. The last bit of light puffed out like a candle. Rain began to tear through the canopy above and the clouds roared like an angry god. Thunder clapped loud, vicious and violent. It thudded in their chests, causing Ruby to shriek in surprise and Weiss to come back to awareness. Ruby let go and crouched, clapping her hands to her ears and squinting her eyes shut in mixed fear and pain.
Weiss blinked twice as she regained herself, only vaguely aware of the echoing thunder and Ruby's scream. She looked down, saw her friend crouching like a frightened child and set upon her. One arm wrapped around Ruby's shoulder and the other around her stomach.
"You're ok." Weiss whispered into Ruby's ear, "I got you…"
Slow and cautious, Ruby opened her eyes. The forest was dark as pitch and rain enveloped them. The cold was seeping into her from all directions save the back, bringing shivers in waves. Her teeth chattered and her heart raced, but somehow she felt only a little fear. Dark, cold, muddy, morose…
Warm… Ran through her head again, and Ruby clutched the hand perched on her shoulder.
"Let's get back." Ruby said.
"Let's." Weiss agreed.
They stood. Weiss's hand fell from Ruby's shoulder and she started to walk ahead. Before she could take a second step, Ruby's hand shot out and took hold of hers. The grip was shaky and cold from the rain, but it was also firm and sure. Weiss looked back. It was hard in the nigh-total absence of light, but she could barely make out Ruby's face.
Was that a smile?
ϴ
Their trek through the woods felt like forever. In truth, it took less time to leave than it had to get to the cliff. This was mostly due to Weiss having lost her heels in all the commotion, making every fumbling step in the dark all the more unnerving.
When they reached the knoll and left the woods, a fair portion of the mourners had already departed. The few that remained would not for long, with the torrential rain returned vengeful. They were huddled under umbrellas and slowly filing to offer their last condolences to Taiyang.
The rain washed most of the mud from the women by the time they reached what was left of the crowd. Weiss pushed into them first, pulling Ruby behind her as she made her way through. They reached her father just in time for Winter to turn around. Weiss only made it two steps further before realizing, with a reeling dismay, that she still held Ruby's hand. Winter saw this and leveled a scowl on her sister.
Weiss paused for a moment. The entire day ran through her mind in an instant—every last detail, from waking up at her friend's house to the clifftop parley—and she found something alarming. She did not think on it overmuch, however. Only another moment and, with a wan smile, she let go of Ruby's hand.
"Where have you been, Weiss?" Her father said. He had turned only just in time to miss the sight of his daughter holding hands with the sister of the deceased. Maybe it wouldn't have bothered him—he hadn't seen what Winter had, after all—but Weiss breathed a sigh of relief all the same.
"I was… preoccupied, Father." Weiss said.
Her father looked them over—Weiss first, then the shaking Ruby—and sighed. He turned to the honor guard and gave a salute. The soldiers saluted him back and departed. They marched off to an Atlesian transport, grounded over the knoll, in perfect lockstep. The man turned back to Weiss.
"I assume your business here is done?" He said. The one raised eyebrow on his stony face told Weiss he already knew the answer he expected to hear.
"I'll be returning to the University posthaste, Father." Weiss said.
"Good. Let us join the transport then. It's a military craft, but the accommodations are satisfactory."
Then it happened.
Weiss looked to Ruby, who stood behind her with both hands unconsciously clasped over her heart. She shook from either the rain or her own wild emotions. Whichever it was, Weiss knew what she had to say. Or, more truthfully, what she wanted to say in reply. Her head still spun enough to notice and her breathing was not yet fully under control. The heiress was still well aware of what had just happened, and she was beginning to believe she understood a great many things at last.
"I'm coming back with Ruby." Weiss said, still looking at her friend. A weak smile played across her lips when she saw Ruby's face brighten up at this.
"Oh?" Her father said, "And why is that?"
"Because." Weiss replied.
There passed a few moments of silence. The last of the mourners were on their way out and the rain was gradually getting worse. In the wicked wind, it had even turned sideways by this point. The last of the dirt was tossed onto the grave and Mister Axter hobbled by the quartet, not even casting them a single glance. He could feel what was transpiring and only shook his head with sagely foreknowing. At last, Weiss looked back to her father.
"It was good seeing you, Father." She said, giving a shallow curtsy, "We'll be back within the next two days."
And with that, she turned to leave. Weiss took Ruby by the hand—the same hand, now much warmer—and they walked off. Her father made as if he wanted to say something as they left, and he had much to say in all truth, but held his tongue with a scornful look. Winter's scowl grew all the darker, but Weiss saw none of this. She walked on, barefoot and determined, with Ruby close behind.
"Do you know anything about this?" The man said to Winter.
She turned to him, face still painted with her awful scowl. For a moment she considered telling. In the end…
"No." Winter said, "I'm really not sure what's gotten into her."
It wasn't fully a lie, either. But it was enough for her father to pick up on.
"Keep an eye on her, Winter." He said, then turned and left without so much as a wave goodbye.
Winter looked to the direction her sister had gone. Her heart stirred with conflicting emotions and thoughts. Even the rain could not cool the fury reddening her skin. Yet, in some long-repressed part of her mind, the same feeling that held her tongue panged for her baby sister. She had no idea what to do with this.
Under the rain, the wind and the blackening day, Winter found herself lost for how to proceed.
Ђ
The rain, the rain, the rain. Oh, how sick of its constant patter she was. Incessant and grating on her every nerve.
Weiss sat in the Patch hotel room, watching the window. The occasional boom of thunder—no lightning flash in sight—was all that broke the monotony of the storm. Streams of water slid down the glass surface with unbroken constancy. Beyond that was the grey, shiftless mass of fog conjured by the endless rainstorm, hiding only darkness where the streetlamps did not light it. It looked to her as if the storm were on its way to becoming a tempest by this point.
In the room, she could hear the shower vaguely. Ruby was still busy within, washing off the grime the rain hadn't reached. Steam crept from under the bathroom door, making wispy streaks that climbed to the ceiling and disappeared. She looked from the window and observed these watery ghosts, praying for an end to the tempest in her head and in her heart.
So many things to think about. So much to ponder upon that had come to pass. So very much illogical mess to reconcile with her logical self. Why? Why, why, and why some more.
The shower cut off and Weiss jumped a little. She could hear more clearly now without its constant drone backing up the clatter of the rain. In the quieter atmosphere, she realized there was a thudding somewhere in the room. A low, constant beat; rhythmic and calm in its cadence. She looked around—from bathroom door, to both beds, to the window again, to the television and back to the door—but could not find a source. Every time she turned her head, thinking the sound would weaken in one ear or the other and give its position away, it continued.
A few minutes passed and, just as Ruby opened the door to exit, Weiss recognized it was her heart.
"Shower's all yours." Ruby said, clothed in remarkably girlish pajamas and patting her hair dry.
Weiss stood and gathered up the nightclothes and towel she had laid out. She crossed the room, briefly noting the red flush of Ruby's face, and entered the bathroom. She shut the door, turned on the water and stripped down before stepping in.
The water was hot, but it felt almost cold on her flushed skin. The heiress found herself amazed at how furiously she was blushing all over. Even the loud rush of the shower was almost deafened by the throbbing in her ears. She sighed and went about cleaning.
Ruby hopped onto her bed and rolled to the other side. She snatched the remote and a book off the nightstand before rolling back to the center. Book in one hand, she flipped the tele on and snuggled under her blanket.
Though the lighting was low, she had little trouble making out the print. Always had good eyes, as her father and sister never hesitated to point out. Easily distracted, but still good. Yet, as she began to crawl her gaze over the lines of words, Ruby found nothing stuck. She read, reread, and reread some more. Ten times she tried to consume the first line, but nothing settled.
With a heavy sigh, Ruby shut the book and plopped it onto her stomach. She looked instead to the tele, tuned to the news again, and hoped it would help her mind drift.
The scene on the cliff kept playing through her. What she had said; what Weiss had said. What she had done; what Weiss had done. The way it all went hazy and bright and warm. The way time seemed to have frozen…
Safe…
The word flashed in her mind's eye and Ruby blushed furiously. Hot, sudden and rampant, it crawled from her collar to the top of her forehead in an instant. She snatched up the remote again and flipped through the channels, settling eventually on what looked like a crime drama. But the blush did not leave; if anything, it only grew stronger.
Her mind was locked to that one bit. When Weiss's hand had found her face, almost knocking her over, and she'd whispered it. So soft, so quiet, so earnest…
Why would you leave me…
And the blush grew. A consuming fire, a living heat.
Ruby focused on the show, trying to fill her head with every detail coming from the flashing box. Every uttered word from the actors, every sound from the background. Nothing, and what's worse is there was now the sound of a drum. Somewhere, something thudded and thudded and thudded some more. After a few moments, Ruby began to struggle to hear anything else. It was so loud, so harsh, it drowned all the other sounds from the room.
She turned the tele off, fell onto her pillow and turned over. She closed her eyes, hoping maybe to get some sleep and escape that awful drumming, when it hit her.
Not drums, but her heart echoing loud in her ears.
The bathroom door opened and out stepped Weiss, patting her hair dry as she walked to her bed. Ruby wouldn't turn over, not like this—not with her face afire and her ears deaf with the beat of her racing heart.
Again, the world swam. It twirled like a ballerina at the apex of her performance, setting Ruby into a momentary nausea. The drumming grew louder. Her face grew hotter still. Somewhere in her mind, Ruby wondered how she wasn't sweating. That thought and all others were quickly silenced, however, when a warm feeling gripped her shoulder.
Warm, that is, in spite of her fever-level blush.
"Are you ok, Ruby?" It was her voice. Soft… and caring?
She'd heard Weiss pick up that tone a few times before, but it still came as a slight shock. At most it was usually a begrudging sort of concern, masked with explanation or justification—by tone if not by words—but not this time. This time it was naked as any great truth, unsilenceable and immutable.
"Yeah." Ruby said, "I— I'm alright…"
The hand squeezed a little tighter and Ruby felt every bit of its warmth. It tugged and, against every want to do otherwise, she rolled over.
The light in the bathroom was still on. Steam still drifted out in ghostly streams. Weiss stood kneeling on one knee, her head silhouetted by the bathroom light like an archangel. Her eyes held no trace of their characteristic cold, aloof detachment; they held only an obvious concern. Looking at them, Ruby could feel a lump welling up in her throat. She sat up to keep from choking.
"Really, Weiss, I'm fine." Ruby said, offering a weak smile.
Weiss looked at her plainly, smiling a bit in return. She let her grip relax and pulled her hand away. But before it could move more than a few inches, Ruby reached out and took hold.
"About what happened, out there on the cliff…" Weiss started, but was quickly hushed.
Ruby squeezed her hand. Tight and sharp, and just a bit painful, but not violent.
"Don't." She said, "Please…"
Were those tears? In the yellowish glow of the weak lighting, they could easily have been mistaken for streams of melted gold. A shiver ran through Weiss's spine.
"I was out of line." Weiss said, looking away and to the floor, "I should've been thinking of you, not my own feelings."
"You weren't?" Ruby said.
Weiss brought her gaze back and was a little alarmed. At a glance, she couldn't tell what she was seeing. Happiness? No not quite, but the smile made it an easy mistake. Pity? No, no, that wouldn't be like Ruby at all. She looked—practically stared into those silver eyes, now hued gold—but couldn't decide what she was seeing.
"Tell me what you were thinking of, then…" Ruby whispered.
She took the heiress's hand and placed it on her lap, crossing her other over top of it. Ruby smiled wider, tears still streaming down her blushing cheeks, and gazed into her friend's startled eyes.
"I was worried." Weiss said.
Ruby only continued to stare, and after a moment of this awkward silence Weiss went on.
"I was worried you would do something…"
What? What was she worried would've happened? Not so long ago—not even a year—Weiss couldn't have cared less for those around her. There were plans to make, goals to meet, schemes to see to fruition. What were the daily troubles of her lessers? Nothing more than mere annoyances to be ignored is what.
But then her. The woman on the bed she now worried so keenly over. The woman who had taken a burden from her; who had liberated her without either of them fully realizing it. She had seen something like this befall someone before—losing a loved one, being left hurting in the dark—back before her heart had iced over. And then…
"Brash." Weiss said, finishing up and pushing the unsavory memory from her mind.
"See?" Ruby said, squeezing the hand in hers a little tighter, "That's not thinking about yourself, Weiss. So don't apologize."
Weiss looked away again. She hadn't started this conversation to justify herself. Somehow, she knew Ruby was aware of this as well. There was more to be said; a truth that needed speaking, even if already spoken through action. Weiss took a deep breath, looked back to those tear-streaked eyes and decided.
It was time to be frank.
"I really do care about you, you know?" Weiss half stated, half asked, "I was out of line, not for worrying but for how I went about it all."
Ruby's grip got tighter still, and now it began to hurt just a little. Weiss ignored it and went on.
"You've done a lot for me, Ruby. More than I'm sure I could explain. Watching you go through all of this has… hurt. A lot. And feeling powerless to help you has hurt even more…"
"But you have helped me!" Ruby interrupted, her voice stressed and more than a little loud.
"Maybe." Weiss said, "But I haven't been doing it right…"
Weiss stopped, trying to feel for the words. The knowledge was there, and the emotion as well. Even her understanding had waxed to a certain zenith. Yet her words failed her. It was coming out wrong, somehow.
"Ruby, I—" Weiss tried again, stuttering.
Suddenly, she was pulled with unexpected force. If not for the surprise, Weiss might've pondered exactly how strong her friend could possibly be. Such a small, lithe frame couldn't hide enough muscle to jerk a grown woman with such force, could it? But that was neither here nor there. All Weiss realized was that she had been yanked from her kneeling position toward the woman, with blinding speed one might add.
And then she was wrapped in warmth. It almost felt hot enough to rival the flush of her own skin.
"We can talk about that another time." Ruby said, hugging Weiss with uncanny firmness, "For now… thank you."
The dampness of Ruby's tears clung to Weiss's neck immediately, feeling cold and out of place. The heat of her face, however, quickly settled in and kicked that sensation aside. Both were taken back to the cliff and the moment not so far past. Wrapped up in it again as that door to a cosmic truth peeked open a little further.
"Thank you for being such a good friend." Ruby whispered.
Ͼ
The morning came. A night of fitful, restless sleep passed them by, leading into a morning both queer and unexpected. The sun was bright, the sky cloudless, birds sang and not so much as a drop of water was to be found even in the shaded places. It was warm, too, like no great storm had passed over the land.
Weiss woke first and roused her friend shortly thereafter. Their morning was spent mostly in silence, packing their things and straightening up the hotel room. To her slight amazement, Weiss found Ruby to be just as conscientious of leaving the place in a reputable state. Admiration filled her chest briefly at this discovery.
With all that done, the two headed down to the lobby for breakfast. A simple meal of bagels and sausage, chased with blessedly cold milk. Both still felt the flush of the previous day upon them, unsurprisingly. After this was finished, they checked out and left the hotel. They were outside and Weiss was in the middle of hailing a cab when Ruby spoke up.
"Hold off on that cab." She said as if in a hurry.
"Did you forget something?" Weiss asked.
"Yeah. I'm gonna go say goodbye to Dad before we go." Ruby said, looking a little bashful, "Do you mind waiting an hour or two longer?"
Weiss thought about it for a moment, briefly admiring the beauty of the day. She spotted a cab coming down the street and held her arm up again, looking back to Ruby.
"A taxi will get you there quicker."
"But I don't have any money, remember?" Ruby said.
"It's on me." Weiss said with a sly smile, "Make sure you thank him for me while you're there, ok? That was a really good meal."
Ruby looked a little shocked, but went along. By no means was she coming to expect the heiress's charity, but it was becoming less and less surprising. She was no less grateful, all the same.
The cab came and Ruby hopped in. Weiss fiddled with a few of her pockets before finding her spare cash, handing the cabby a neat—albeit thin—roll of Lien. The man counted it out, then looked at her with unhidden awe.
"I don't got change for this, Miss." He said.
"You're going to idle and wait for her." Weiss said, watching to see that he followed, "Then you're bringing her back here and taking us to the airship landing. Got that?"
Ruby found herself admiring the powerful tone in Weiss's voice while the cabby counted out the Lien again. And again, he looked at the heiress with stunned eyes.
"I don't got change for that either, Miss…" He apologized more than said.
"Consider it a tip, then." Weiss said, then looked to Ruby in the back, "Be safe, ok?"
"You sure you don't wanna come too?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah." Weiss said with a nod and a smile, "You need some family time before we go back to the University. Best you get that on your own."
Ruby grinned and Weiss stood back from the car. As the cab pulled away, she waved and watched them go with a slight pang. Now she had time to kill, and without the friend she'd become so close to—attached, one might even say.
Weiss looked around, both admiring and mistrusting the gorgeous day. So bright and alive. By no means could one tell that storms had plagued the area for a straight week. Even the ground looked nowhere near as soggy as it should. If anything, it looked only a step above parched. The heat, too, felt so far out of place it was unsettling. A little too hot for Spring, Weiss would've said if asked, especially this early on.
She put these thoughts from her head and began to actually look for somewhere to spend her next couple hours. She spied the café, where Blake had summoned them and given Ruby the cloak. A brief moment's consideration was enough to decide against it. Next she spotted a small clothing store, and considered having a look at what was in season in these parts. That idea, too, fell short of her liking. Weiss was about to give it up and choose to walk around when something interesting caught her eye.
It looked ordinary from the sidewalk, but it had a sign most intriguing hanging over the tired brick arch of its entrance. Patch's Pocket Editions, it read in gigantic, bold lettering. Not much else of note stood out to her on the building's exterior, but the name was enough to draw her interest. Another moment of contemplating and Weiss decided this would do well enough to spend her time. She reentered the hotel, asked the concierge to look after her luggage and left for the intriguing little store. She walked down the street to the crosswalk, looked both ways, and crossed to the other side. Standing before the entry, a feeling of both calm and slight terror washed through her.
"A bookstore, huh?" Weiss mused before pulling open the door and stepping in.
She walked into what looked, at first glance, like some kind of dive bar—poorly lit, unmistakably musty, dusty and claustrophobic. Once her eyes adjusted to the lighting, however, a neighborly sense of warmth settled in with the other sensations. Books lined shelves which in turn formed a packed maze of aisles. It was like an entire supermarket for the mind crammed into a small coffee shop.
The presence of knowledge settled upon her and Weiss took a deep breath, closing her eyes and tasting the ink and yellowed paper that hung on the air. Paradise, her mind whispered as the scent bled into her. She opened her eyes and looked around.
To her right—in what formed a nook full of chairs and small, round tables—there was a reading area for the customers. A sign hanging almost directly above and in front of her proudly read, Welcome to browse and read; no purchase necessary! The lettering was bright red on a chalkboard-black backdrop.
"Welcome, Miss!" called a portly man from behind a small counter to the left of the reading nook.
Weiss looked his way. He wore the kind of smile you can only find in the back places, where the world hasn't fully reached out with civilization and mass society. His stubbly beard reached from his rosy cheeks to halfway down his neck. On his head sat a worn black beret, tilted down and to the side like an artist might prefer.
"Anything in particular you're after?" He called again.
A smile twitched at the corner of her lips as she walked over to the counter. The polished slate surface twinkled in the dim lighting, winking at her like lightning bugs as she approached.
"Only people that really love learning wanna take a deep breath like that in a place like this." He said, punctuating his remark with another smile.
"Glad I decided to stop by." Weiss agreed, casting a look back to the maze of shelves. There were so many books in such a small place, it looked to her like a tiny little library. Seeing this and thinking that, she was reminded that a battery of tests awaited her and Ruby upon their return. No rest for the weary…
"So, what can I help you find?" The man asked jovially.
"I'm sure I can spot something interesting." Weiss said.
The man chuckled and Weiss looked back to him, her elite blood heating a little at the assumed condescendence. The man swung his right arm out toward the maze of bookshelves.
"I'm Oliver, and this is my little literary heaven." He said, smiling wider, "You're welcome to browse, but you're likely to get lost in there without an idea of what you're after. So I'll ask again, Miss: Can I help you find anything?"
Weiss's blood calmed and she gave Oliver a little giggle. When it hit her just how unlike herself this was, a light blush crept across her nose and cheeks. She cleared her throat and thought, trying to imagine just what would be palatable to her mind this day.
"How about 'The Wealth of the Kingdoms'?" Weiss said, her eyes glazing over with deep consideration.
"A real scholar, huh?" Oliver said.
"The Schnee MTU doesn't tolerate academic slackers, Mister Oliver." Weiss said, flashing a haughty grin, "And I'm feeling a little rusty on my historical economics. I'd be interested in two copies, if you have them."
Oliver straightened up, took off his beret and scratched his head. His jovial face took on the look of a man planning the heist of the century. Weiss watched this with moderate interest, thinking surely there was no way he could be looking for it in his memory. Even she had her limits for such a thing. No, there had to be a catalogue of some sort nearby and he was just putting on a show.
Right?
"Alright." Oliver said suddenly, snapping Weiss to attention, "Follow me, Miss Scholar."
And with that he was off. The portly man moved like liquid, squeezing out from behind the small counter and flowing into the maze of aisles. Weiss followed him quickly, not wanting to lose him, and found herself hard-pressed to keep up. What was with all these odd people she seemed to keep encountering? Thinking on that, she started to wonder if her prestigious intellect was really such an impressive commodity.
Oliver led her into the maze and Weiss followed like Alice chasing the Rabbit.
α
The cabby took the short route after Ruby told him the address. The ride was smooth and the driver pleasant, even talkative when she would venture to chat. He shared a few stories of his own family—mentioning he really needed to thank that the weird woman with the icy eyes for such a considerate tip, to which Ruby assured him there was no need—and Ruby reciprocated with some of her own. Never a stranger in the world to her.
The road was just as dry as could be, the trees a verdant green complete with singing birds of all colors in their boughs. Patch was full in the grip of Spring an entire month early, it seemed. Ruby noticed there was no trace of the week's storms. Even she caught onto how drastically the weather had turned around, and seemingly overnight no less.
When the cab finally pulled into the driveway, Ruby hopped out with a wave and a thank you. Just as Weiss had instructed, the man shifted the car into neutral and reclined his seat, clearly readying himself for a wait while his fare did whatever she'd come to do. Ruby saw this, smiled briefly and turned to go.
She walked up the long driveway and reached the door before knocking twice. Her dad's footsteps echoed loud on the wooden floorboards, telecasting his approach like an alarum. A moment later, the door opened and Taiyang's face—quickly covered with a wide grin—greeted Ruby.
"Rubes!" Taiyang said, "You still here?"
Ruby smiled back and went in for a hug.
"Come to say bye to your old man, eh?" Taiyang said, squeezing his daughter proudly.
"Yeah. Got a minute?"
Taiyang pulled away and, with his hands on Ruby's tiny shoulders, gave another wide grin.
"Of course." He said warmly, "Come on in, kiddo."
They walked into the house and Ruby dragged the door shut behind her. Taiyang stepped into the kitchen while Ruby sauntered over to the couch, plopped down and sighed. She was feeling pretty good, all things considered, but a pall still hung about her head. It was much weaker now, but still there enough to notice.
"Black tea ok?!" Taiyang called from the kitchen.
"Yeah!" Ruby called back.
She listened to the sound of her father rummaging around—pots and pans clanging, cups clattering, water running and splashing—and sank into the nostalgia. She'd only been gone for some eight months, but with all that had happened it felt like eight years.
Before she could drift too far into her thoughts, the clamor in the kitchen stopped. Ruby looked over and saw her dad come out, looking a little redder and a little flustered. He crossed the room quickly and hopped over the couch, landing just beside Ruby like some kind of acrobat wannabe. Ruby giggled.
"No rest for the academic, eh Rubes?" Taiyang said with a wink, sinking into the couch and getting comfortable.
"Guess not." Ruby agreed, "After this I'll be going back there and diving right into all of it again. Kinda hard to imagine, really."
"Nah."
Ruby looked at her dad and snorted a short, squeaky laugh.
"Oh?" She said cheerfully, "And how do you figure that?"
Taiyang looked away, turning his gaze toward the cold hearth. A look of sorrow washed over his face—a startling contrast to his cheery mood—and faded the next moment. Ruby only barely caught it.
"You girls were never ones to give up easily." Taiyang said with mixed pride and melancholy, turning back to look Ruby in the eye, "You're gonna get back there and you're gonna kick some academic ass! I know you will."
From there, the two shared some amiable, albeit less than lively, conversation. When the water came to a boil in the kitchen, sounding off with its high whistle, Taiyang leapt up and poured the tea. He brought it back in steaming mugs. A pair that was once a quartet, now missing two of its partners instead of only one.
Ruby took the mug, trying not to think of her sister's matching piece that now sat with her mom's. When it cooled, she drank. The conversation went on. More reminiscing, more encouraging, and not a little bit of condolence shared between the two of them. Some tears, too, but certainly less than would have been expected.
And when it was all done—the mug empty and all the words to be said spoken—Ruby glanced at her watch. Only an hour had gone by.
"Hey Dad…" Ruby muttered, staring at the watch's Cheshire grin, "What was being a hunter like?"
Taiyang nearly choked on the tea he'd tried to finish in one go. Only a quarter of the cup, but more than enough to hurt in the lungs. He coughed, knocked his chest a few times and looked at Ruby.
"Why do ya ask, Rubes?" He said, a little worried.
Ruby looked up and opened her mouth like she would say something. After a moment, she closed it; if there was something to be said, she'd decided against it.
"Forget I asked." She said instead, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture.
Ruby stood up and stretched. The couch was comfy—the many days she'd spent on it in her youth, playing games and reading books with Yang, were a testament to this—but it did have a habit of leaving one stiff after sitting on it for long enough. She sighed and looked at the hearth. The mantel above held a few plates flanking a single wide picture frame. Looking at the smiling faces in the frame, Ruby grimaced weakly in return.
"Thanks for the tea, Dad." She said, staring at the picture, "I'll make sure to come back for some more when the next break comes."
Taiyang watched his daughter—his only remaining little girl—and stood as she approached the front door. He followed after and, just before she could pull it open, took hold of her shoulders. He spun her around and pulled her into another hug.
"We're all proud of you, Rubes." Taiyang said with unusual gravity, "All of us."
After a moment, Ruby returned the hug. Taiyang could feel a soggy warmth begin to spread where her face was buried against his chest.
Λ
Sure enough, Oliver knew exactly where it was. Two copies of The Wealth of the Kingdoms, sitting tight and tidy in their own little pocket of forgotten shelf-space. A little dusty too, but after picking one up and discovering it was a first edition—and checking the other only to see the same—Weiss was floored. Vale had restricted access to this book, for heavens knew why, to only those that were deemed to need it; Atlas, on the other hand, had completely banned all but the edited rerelease. Courtesy of the Schnees, no doubt.
For the first time in her entire life, that thought crossed Weiss's mind.
"So, does that look good to you?" Oliver asked with a curiously raised eyebrow. Against the brim of his beret, it looked like the eyebrow had disappeared and left him with only one.
"Yes." Weiss said, pausing for a breath if only to take it in, "Yes, Mister—"
"Just Oliver, if you please." He interrupted.
"Oliver, then." Weiss said with a sigh, "These will do just fine."
She took both books—and by Dust were they heavy—and followed the portly fellow back through the maze of shelves. Again she was struck with faint awe by his eerie agility. He flowed more than walked as they made their way back to the counter. There he rang her up, and Weiss was struck by another oddity. The price was ridiculously low; the sort of low that says your store is a hobby, not a business for generating a living.
"Care for some coffee while you read those?" Oliver offered after accepting her Lien.
Weiss took her massive first editions, tucked them into a complimentary bag and considered the offer. A glance at the clock on the counter told her she'd only managed to spend about twenty minutes thus far. What harm could it do? A nice brew if he had it and a relaxing read…
"Do you have Atlesian?" She asked, with no small hint of hope.
"Of course!" Oliver almost shouted, "A scholar and a connoisseur! Where do they keep the customers like you buried?!"
Oliver's stubbly cheeks lit up red as he said this. Weiss ignored him and turned to the little reading nook, searching for a good spot while the oddly jovial man set to preparing the offered brew. She found a good one—a seat by the window with a hanging lamp overhead—and seated herself. It hit her, if only for a moment, that Ruby was rubbing off on her.
Not such a bad thing, maybe?
She sat down and pulled one of the books from the bag. A moment's observation and appreciation was given for the exquisite cover art. That done, Weiss opened and began to read.
Icy eyes crawled over every word with scrutinizing detail, consuming and digesting every bit of information on offer. During her travels for her first college degree, she'd come across the book once. A miserably chopped up, edited version to be sure, but a copy nonetheless. That time just as now, she had devoured it ravenously as though her mind were a starving peasant, famished for the tiniest scraps from the master's table.
"Not many people appreciate the classics these days." Someone said.
Weiss glanced up, expecting to see Oliver with her cup of Atlesian. She did not. What she saw instead was a man—another customer, no doubt—that looked very much at home in the seat across the tiny table from her.
"Classics are the foundation for anything new." Weiss said, looking back to her newest treasure and turning the page.
"To be sure." The man said, "But even still, it seems like most would rather ignore that…"
Weiss ignored him and kept reading. Maybe she could squeeze in fifty or sixty pages before Ruby got back. She thought so and decided this newcomer wasn't going to distract her. Another five pages and a familiar smell caught her nose, peeling her attention away in time to see Oliver.
"Your coffee, Miss." He said, setting a little cup and saucer by her right hand, "And thank you very much for your patronage!"
Weiss gave him a friendly grin as he left, toddling off for his post behind the counter. She turned back to her book, set it on the table and picked up her cup. Scalding hot or not, her palate was crying for the hickory-tinted bliss.
"Isn't it disgusting when people pretend they know what's what?" The man across from her said.
The sip of Atlesian turned sour in her mouth. Weiss wasn't sure if it was his comment or her rising ire for him. Whatever it was, it had pushed a wrong button. She swallowed the sour coffee, placed the cup back on the saucer just a little harder than she should've and eyed the man.
It was the first good look she'd taken. He sat reclined in his chair, a wide-brimmed hat pulled low and obscuring most of his features. She could make out the lower half of his face, though. He had a meticulously shaped goatee and a very strong jawline. One might even venture to call it handsome. Beyond this, nothing else he wore was of any note; just fairly average clothes, black layered on black.
The man looked up and, for a brief moment, Weiss's heart skipped when he smiled. He was quite handsome, indeed, with his dark green eyes and powerful stare. A curled tuft of dark hair, most likely black, poked out from under his hat. His olive-toned skin sported a small patch of freckles on the bridge of his nose.
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." Weiss said, trying to look back to her book and failing. She simply couldn't peel her eyes away from the handsome stranger. His smile wasn't helping, either. Warm, welcoming and full of celebrity-white teeth.
"But of course you do!" He said, sitting up straight and staring keenly at the heiress, "A Schnee would surely know that better than most—better than anyone, like as not. Especially you…"
His smile widened and seemed to curl, almost looking cruel.
"Right, Weiss?"
Every hair on her body—the nape of her neck, her arms, her legs, even her nethers—stood on end when he sighed her name. Weiss slammed the book shut and clasped her hands together, situating them under her chin and leaning on them. She tried to give off what she hoped was an intimidating aura. By the stranger's continued smile, she failed.
"How rude of me." The man said, "Here I am, stepping on my soapbox when I haven't even offered my name—and even though I know yours, no less. I really can be such a boor, no?"
"I can think of a few other things I would title you under at the moment..." Weiss said with no attempt to hide her venom. And yet, venom or not, she could feel herself shaking a little.
"My name is Levi, and I'm a wandering scholar—much like yourself, by the look of that book." He said, "There, now. Aren't we friends, Weiss?"
Her skin crawled that time, and once more every last hair was at attention. Any effect Levi's handsome features had had was gone; it was replaced with a primal sort of revulsion. Something Weiss hadn't known since meeting the second man her father had tried to set her up with, hardly two months after her sixteenth birthday.
"Well then, Levi…" Weiss said, stopping to stifle a gag as his name left her lips, "Why are you bothering me? In case you can't see past that giant nose you insist on sticking into other people's business, I have a book and some coffee I'm trying to enjoy. I have a little time to kill right now and I'd much rather spend it talking to this book's author than you. So, if you have a point then would you mind making it?"
Levi's smile twisted into more of a snarl. His bared teeth looked jagged and animalistic for a moment, but one single blink had them back to normal. Did she hallucinate that?
"Forgive me." He said, giving a short chuckle, "I'm really not that good with talking to people. I spend more time with books than humans—and talking with the author through his prose, as you so eloquently put it, is not the same as talking to a person."
He sat up and made a show of stretching, like he'd been hard at work in a field all day.
"Mind if we start over?" Levi asked with another charming smile.
"Will you leave me alone after that?" Weiss asked in return, trying to ignore the mixed signals of revulsion and attraction her body was giving her. It was a losing battle.
"Of course!" Levi said, amiable enough, "Thought I'd say hi. Saw you at the funeral—and my, wasn't that a nasty affair—and you looked pretty chummy with the deceased's family. That woman with the silver eyes, specifically…"
Weiss watched every flamboyant move the man made as he talked. Most of this came from his hands, with which he waved and gestured incessantly. A good bit came from his body as well. He twisted and turned, writhed and jived, with almost every word he uttered. To her, he looked like an asylum release rather than a scholar of any sort.
"So tell me, Weiss." Levi sighed, placing a hand on his right cheek, "Exactly how close are you to her?"
Weiss sat up straight and crossed her arms. She was growing very tired of this man very fast. And yet, she found herself hard-pressed to leave. It was like her legs wouldn't listen to her.
"I really don't see how that's any of your concern, Levi." She all but spat his name.
Levi smiled, wide and cruel, and barked a quick laugh—a devilish laugh.
"It isn't." He said flatly, "But it is yours, no?"
Weiss felt a cold sweat come up at that. Suddenly, her sister's disappointed stare and her father's inquisitive posture came back to her. The scene between them at the funeral's end played again. Her eyes were wide as dinner plates, staring nervously into the deep green of Levi's.
"Just thought I'd warn you, is all." Levi said, baring every last tooth with the widest, cruelest smile he'd shown yet, "Best to keep your… indiscretions in mind when you go back."
And now Weiss very much wanted to leave. She wanted to slap the man first—a good, hard one with the back of her hand—but found herself more than a little afraid of doing that. The primal glare in his eyes said she might not get that hand back. What he'd said, too, was upsetting. Had he seen something? If so, how much? Was this the start of some blackmailing attempt?
"Nothing so shady, Weiss." Levi said, and for a moment Weiss thought it was her own inner thoughts.
"Wha—?" Was all she could bumble in reply.
"You see—like I said—I find it very disgusting when people pretend they know what's what. When people act like their ideas are the only truth in this world. It's too big a place for that, isn't it? Too much going on and too much undiscovered. How can anyone know what is and isn't the truth?"
He reached across the table and took hold of Weiss's cup. With utter calm and ease, he sat up and lifted it to his mouth, consuming every last drop of the steaming inkiness. Then, with a flamboyant sigh, he placed it back on the saucer.
"Atlesian…" Levi said, licking his lips, "Sure hits the spot."
She was about to leave—about to force her legs, like it or not, to stand and bolt out the door—when Levi moved first. He stood, pushed in his chair and gave a deep bow. Right foot extended, heel planted with toes pointed up; right hand on his chest and left hand swung out to the side. The eerily handsome man looked like something right out of an old fairytale; he looked like the knight bowing respectfully before whisking the princess away.
"I hope you'll find your truth, Weiss Schnee." He said after standing up straight, "It's all we can hope for in this life, is it not?"
Before she could answer, he turned and left. His garish cowboy boots clacked louder than they should've with every step he took to the door. Once he'd gone, the room felt different. Better lit and more alive, somehow.
Weiss released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"Care for another cup?"
Weiss turned slowly, almost fearfully, to see Oliver standing beside her. In his hand was the pot of coffee, steaming angrily from the little pour spout. He was smiling, just as before.
She looked to her cup and saw the man's lips on it. The image of Levi drinking her coffee—from her cup, without her permission—stained the thought of wanting more. For a moment, Weiss wondered if she'd ever want Atlesian blend again.
"Thank you, but I'll pass." She said, pushing the upsetting image away.
"That's a shame." Oliver said, "Not many people enjoy this stuff out here. I'd hate to let this pot go to waste…"
"Do you know that… odd man that was just sitting here with me?" Weiss asked, ignoring Oliver's dejected tone.
"What man?"
Weiss looked up at him. Oliver's face clearly said he wasn't pulling her leg or otherwise feigning idiocy. Had he not looked over her way the entire time?
"The man who just left." Weiss said, her cold sweat returning with a vengeance, "The one with the rancher's hat. I know it's a little dim in here, but surely you saw him?"
Oliver straightened up and looked at Weiss with a funny tilt of his round head. His eyes crawled across her, like he was trying to see if she was joking with him. He sighed.
"Miss… It's just been you, sitting there reading your book. I saw you finish your coffee and thought I'd offer you some more."
A moment of silence passed. Weiss stared with unhidden mistrust at the portly shopkeep, feeling her heart begin to race. Then, without another word, she quickly stuffed the book back into her bag and stood. The table caught her hip and nearly flipped over, skittering aside and wobbling.
"Thanks for the coffee, Oliver." Weiss said, trying not to let the shaking reach her voice, "It's been a pleasure."
"You too…" Oliver muttered as he watched his odd guest all but bolt out the door.
Ђ
Her father's words were still tumbling through her head when the cabby pulled onto the street that would take them to the hotel. Ruby's eyes were affixed to the beautiful scenery just beyond her touch, separated by the thin window of the little yellow cab, but her heart was chewing those words over. Pulling them apart, comparing them to her own thoughts, deciding what she felt about them.
"Hey, Miss." The cabby said, "Isn't that your friend there?"
Ruby looked up. The car had slowed down to a crawl and the cabby was pointing at his window. Beyond it, to be specific, at the heiress. She stood just outside Patch's Pocket Editions, one of Ruby's favorite places to hang with her sister when she was in grade school. She looked pale—more so than usual, that is—and apparently hadn't noticed them pull up.
"Should I let you out here?" The cabby asked.
"Yeah. Here's fine." Ruby said, reaching to unbuckle her seatbelt.
The car stopped and the cabby hopped out, turning around and opening Ruby's door before she could reach the latch herself. He offered her a kind, professional smile as she stepped out.
"Thank you for your custom." He said.
"And thank you for the ride, Sir." Ruby said with a quick curtsy.
She turned and walked over to Weiss. The woman didn't notice until Ruby was right beside her. She looked like a lost child, turning this way and that as she appeared to look for something. Or someone…
"Thanks for waiting for me, Weiss." Ruby said with a cheery grin.
Weiss turned her way, eyes wide and face white as paper. For a moment, she looked like she might cry. This went away quickly enough, replaced with the heiress's usual calm demeanor, but not before Ruby had the instinct to pull her into a hug.
"Did you see him?" Weiss asked, sounding alarmed.
"See who?"
Weiss's shoulders slumped and her face straightened. She looked back up the street, maybe thinking somewhere in herself that she might catch a glimpse of that black rancher's hat. She didn't. Looking back to Ruby, her heart finally slowed pace a bit. Of course she hadn't seen him; how could she have?
Weiss took a deep breath and sighed.
"Nevermind…" Weiss said at last.
Ruby eyed her with head tilted, a little worried and a lot lost. The cabby, who had waited patiently during this exchange, stepped forward. He nervously twiddled his thumbs with eyes on the ground before looking up, meeting Weiss's icy stare and almost choking. Even he, out here in Patch, knew the Schnees and their famous heiress.
He'd never personally met a celebrity before this day. Now, having done so twice in the span of just over an hour, his nerves were stretched thin.
"Thank you very much for the tip, Miss." He said, "Was there anything else you might need?"
"Yes." Weiss said, "We require transport to the airship landing. Take us to the hotel so we can get our things."
"But, Weiss… I already have my stuff in the trunk… and the hotel's in easy walking distance, just up the street." Ruby said, now a little more worried over her friend's odd behavior.
The heiress turned to her. The look she gave was one Ruby hadn't seen in a while. It was that same look she'd sported endlessly when they first met—aloof, professional and elite—no mistaking it.
"I left my things there after you were off." Weiss said, "I still need to get my luggage."
Ruby left it alone at that.
They hopped in the cab, it pulled up to the hotel and Weiss exited. She was back in a moment, baggage in hand and suitcase pulled behind her. She rounded the cab and put it in the trunk once the cabby popped it open. Ruby watched her the whole time, wondering what had gotten into her.
When they got to the landing, Weiss purchased an expedited ticket. They were on the airship—first class, Baron's cabin—and headed for Atlas within the hour. Weiss made little conversation the whole way. She looked to Ruby like something heavy was on her heart. Ruby couldn't have guessed what, of course, but certainly spared no effort in trying. Weiss, on the other hand, could only think of one thing the entire trip…
The handsome man and his startling words.