Chapter 10: Who Designed This Silly Forest?

"Oh no..."

Her words came out reflexively, uttered before she could even stop herself, and Nora Valkyrie couldn't help but flinch at her own voice as she turned her eyes to the person behind her. It was always like this, wasn't it? Just when things seemed to have been going her way, something related to the miniature shoulder people ruins it. Don't think she's too blind to see the trend!

It had only been yesterday morning when she had been forced to reveal things to Ren, all because of an argument between Cinder and Ozpin. Then there was the whole being late for their airship ferry thing, then the whole confetti incident, both of which were also sorta-kinda Ozpin's fault... Maybe. Either way, the things that happened were definitely his fault! The Valkyrie was reminded of the awkward bundle of words she had tried to throw out last night, to that one girl who had spotted her talking to herself.

And now, it seemed like she had to do it again. But, unlike the black-haired girl from last night, this little explanation would be a stressed-induced bubble of wrath that'll explode all over them. Why? Because of the person who was staring straight at her. Nora tried to compose herself, nervously swallowing down her doubts in an attempt to collect her thoughts, only to find them returning full force as the other person's light-blue eyes stared back at her. And could you blame her? The person who had stumbled on Nora's little argument with Cinder was none other than-

"You!"

Her.

"I-I can explain!" Nora's response was immediate, but even she doubted that the other girl would listen. Why would she? After that incident yesterday with the cart filled with dust, Nora was certain that the white-dressed girl hated her and Ruby... Not like it was her fault or anything! The girl should've just kept a better eye on her cart filled with exploding powder bits! Even the hammer-wielder knew enough not to leave Dust lying around like that! Really, she had no choice but to-

"You're that girl from yesterday! The one who destroyed my dust supply! Do you know how much damage you caused with that little weapon of yours?" The girl with the white hair glared at her, her face red with anger as she pointed an accusing finger at Nora. "I had to stay up all night to get another two cases flown in from Atlas!"

"Hey! It wasn't our fault you let your stupid cart roll down the stairs!" The moment she yelled those words, the Valkyrie regretted it. The last thing she wanted to do was to make the situation worse... But c'mon! It wasn't her fault! And can you blame her for being cranky? She did crash headfirst into the ground earlier, before passing out for who-knows-how-long... Yet, she knew that Ren wouldn't want her to cause more trouble for people. The Valkyrie lowered her tone, turning her eyes to face the girl. "I-I mean... I'm s-"

"Stupid cart? I'll have you know that that 'stupid cart' carried more than enough Dust to pay for your tuition twice over!" But the girl in white was having none of it. "A-and besides! It wasn't my fault that that blonde oaf tried to distract me! If you want to blame anyone, blame him!"

"What does that have to do with anything? You still dropped it!" To Nora, it was clear who was in the wrong. Just because someone tries to talk with you doesn't mean you suddenly push your stupid Dust cart down a flight of stairs! "And besides, that doesn't matter! If I didn't stop it when I did, it would've hurt someone!"

"It did hurt someone! Do you not understand how much your actions have hurt the SDC?" It seemed like the girl wouldn't budge on her position, as she crossed her arms in irritation. "Then again, I suppose not, especially if you're the kind of person who takes the time to argue with herself during the middle of initiation. I knew you were trouble the moment I laid my... eyes on..."

Just how was that fair? She couldn't believe the silly logic that the other girl had used to blame everything on her. As the other girl continued talking, the Valkyrie felt her frustration grow, Nora's eyes narrowing as she saw the expression on- Wait... what? Confusion immediately replaced Nora's thoughts as she saw the other girl's face change from irritation to... dread? Fear? Something very important, at any rate, and Nora had seen enough shows to know where this was going.

The hammer-wielder immediately turned around, ready to face the oncoming grimm horde that had taken this moment to... Nope. There was nothing. Nora's face turned back to the girl in the white dress, not quite sure why she was standing there in frozen silence.

"... Oh dear. Of all the things I expected, it certainly wasn't this." However, judging by Ozpin's voice, the tiny man seemed to have an idea of what was going on. Fortunately, Nora learned from her previous mistakes, and didn't even turn to address the man, simply shifting her shoulder a bit in some sorta-sneaky way to let him know that he should continue. Thankfully, he took the hint... Or he just decided to continue talking anyways. Ozpin was wordy like that. "I never would've imagined your partner to be Weiss Schnee, of all people."

"Weiss... Schnee?" Nora repeated the name, her eyes fixed on the girl, more for show than anything else.

"Oh no. She even knows my name." Nora heard the girl named Weiss, voice low as she whispered to herself, her light-blue eyes locked with the Valkyrie own turquoise eyes. For some reason, the other girl blanched, her face growing even whiter than before as she stood in silence.

Nora couldn't understand it. What was so bad about her knowing Weiss's name?

"This can't be happening..." Weiss, for the most part, seemed like she was going to ignore her, as the white-haired girl stared into her quaking hands, muttering more silent words to herself. "No. No no no. Of all the people it could've been, why her?"

...Okay, even Nora could tell that the other girl was being a bit rude. With a huff, the Valkyrie crossed her arms, copying the girl's actions as she shot an exaggerated look towards Weiss. "Well, excuuuse me! If you hate the idea of having me as a partner so much, why don't you just find someone else?"

"You think I don't want to?" Weiss's face immediately snapped upwards to face Nora's, her tone filled with frustration as she stared at her. "Believe me, I would love nothing more than to just find someone more sane. But, in case you forgot, we were instructed by the Headmaster himself that the first person we make eye contact with will be our partner. Do you honestly think I can just pretend I didn't see you and..."

Silence reigned for a few moments as the girl stared at Nora, only for her gaze to shift downwards to the grass below. Gradually, the other girl's face began to brighten, eyes growing wider at some realization as Weiss muttered to the air.

"... Of course. It's so simple."

Just like that, the other girl's worries faded away, as Weiss quickly came to her decision. Part of Nora's mind was a bit offended that she was so eager to get rid of her... But only a small part. It wasn't like Nora cared or anything; She definitely didn't find it a bit hurtful that the girl was so happy about not having her as a partner.

And she meant it! After all, Nora didn't exactly want the girl as a partner either! It would've been better if her partner had been Ren or Ruby or Yang... Really, just about anyone would've worked, except maybe that girl from last night who thought she was crazy. Either way, now that Weiss was apparently set on not having her as a partner, the Valkyrie could do the same. Really, she appreciated the chance to get a completely new partner, and the only concern that Nora had over the arrangements was whether or not her next partner would be a jerk.

"Yep. Really simple." But besides that, Nora couldn't help but agree with their little plan, giving a slow nod as she turned to the girl in white. "We'll just walk away and pretend we never saw each other. Deal?"

The moment she finished her words, a tiny chuckle erupted from her shoulder. The Valkyrie resisted the urge to shoot a glare towards the source, as the voice of a certain tiny headmaster echoed in the air. Just what was he laughing about? She had just finished having an argument with someone who was definitely not her partner anymore, so she couldn't see what the man found so funny.

"Deal." Not that it mattered, since Weiss soon turned her attention back to the Valkyrie. The white-dressed girl straightened herself up, making a show of brushing at her dress as she fixed her eyes with Nora once more. "Neither of us saw each other, or anything of the sort. I'll even keep quiet about your silly little habit of talking to yourself, so long as no one hears about this."

"Fine by me." Nora's voice had a sense of finality to it, and she gave the other girl a single affirmative nod as she turned around to leave.

"I will have to object to this particular arrangement."

Only to see another person standing behind the trees. Just like Weiss, this woman wasn't exactly well-hidden, as the green shrubs did little to mask her blonde hair, black and white outfit, or purple cape. However, unlike Weiss, the woman was also making absolutely no effort to hide herself, as she stared at the two girls with a very visible frown.

...At least she found out what Ozpin had been chuckling about.

"Honestly. Did you two really believe we'd allow something like this to happen?"

Glynda Goodwitch glared at the two girls, a stern look on her face as her eyes shifted from Weiss to Nora. She kept one arm around her Scroll, her free hand occasionally pressing the device's screen every so often, its purpose completely unknown to Nora as the teacher continued lecturing the two students. "This is Beacon Academy, the most illustrious huntsman institution in all of Vale."

Both Nora and Weiss had their eyes fixed to the ground, unable to voice even a single word of protest. The Valkyrie flinched at every tone, every word that the teacher made, her chastising voice far more painful than the worst lecture she had ever received from Ren. From the corner of her eye, the hammer-wielder noticed Weiss flinch in a similar manner, but the shared sentiment did little ease her growing sense of shame.

"Were you two completely unaware that we've been keeping all students under surveillance?" However, Glynda's next words threw those feelings aside, replacing them with a terrible sense of dread as worry filled Nora's thoughts. "Barring Miss Valkyrie's unique case, the faculty has been completely aware all the actions taken by prospective students since their initial deployment from the cliffs. Why do you suppose I'm here in the first place?"

"What?!" The tiny woman on Nora's shoulders hissed at the sudden information, turning her attention to her male counterpart. In return, Ozpin averted his gaze, merely releasing a single awkward cough. "Why the hell didn't you let us know they were keeping watch?"

"Would you believe me if I said I forgot?"

Nora tried to drown out Cinder's frustrated cries. That task in particular was hard, as the Valkyrie herself felt a similar amount of frustration. If Ozpin had just told them that everything had been under watch, Nora wouldn't have even tried to do anything suspicious. Not that it mattered anymore; it was clear that the staff of Beacon knew something, if they were willing to send someone to interrupt the initiation. Pushing those thoughts out of her mind, Nora slowly turned her attention back to the blonde instructor.

"...okay, Miss Valkyrie?"

Just in time, too. Well, a bit late, since she didn't know what the teacher was talking about, but it was clear that she was in trouble. The hammer-wielder's tone was quiet as she spoke out, reaching for the first words that sprang up to her mind. "I'm sorry..."

"Sorry...?" Confusion was evident in the woman's voice as Glynda blinked at the Valkyrie's sudden statement. Immediately, Nora's mood sank further, and it took all the effort the girl could muster not to turn her eyes away in shame. Once again, she had just messed something up again. She alway-

"Miss Valkyrie, I was asking if you were okay."

"What?" And now, it was Nora's turn to be confused. Some of her doubts still lingered, but they were muted when she heard the worried tone in the teacher's voice. "U-uhm, I mean... Yes?"

"If you are certain..." The teacher's voice trailed off as she settled her eyes on the Nora, a skeptical look fixed on the woman's face as she stared at the orange-haired girl, standing in silence for a few moments before finally tapping something into her Scroll. "But if you aren't, do not make the mistake of ignoring it. Despite the Headmaster's speech earlier, the faculty still holds the safety of its students, attending or otherwise, in high regards."

At those words, the blonde instructor turned her body fully to face Nora, her eyes not quite holding the same steely expression as before. "Which was what prompted my presence in the first place. Were you aware that your landing strategy brought you outside of the initiation area, Miss Valkyrie?"

Of course not. And she answered as such, slowly shaking her head as the Valkyrie tried to figure out what the teacher was saying.

"That was nearly half an hour ago. So you can understand our concern when, half an hour later, you return to the initiation area completely covered in injuries, all while making a very concerted effort to withdraw to the academy itself. Not to mention your bouts of frustration."

Oh. Ooooh. Slowly, Nora felt some of her tension fade away. So they hadn't seen her talking with her shoulder advisors, at least not when she landed. Still, part of her was still worried that they had heard the little argument she had with Cinder. Then again, Glynda wasn't bringing it up or anything, so that was a good sign, right?

Yeah, sure! And with that, the Valkyrie pushed those particular worries out of her mind, feeling a bit more relieved now, ready to face the challenge of-

"Now that that's out of the way, we still have to discuss the matter about your partnership." The challenge of having Weiss as a partner. The hammer-wielder couldn't even delude herself to thinking that Glynda had forgotten that particular topic, which was why she gave Weiss a single worried glance, before turning her attention back to the teacher. She wasn't quite sure what the instructor had in mind, and before she could ask, the older woman spoke out. "Namely, that there will be no discussion. You two are officially recognized as partners."

Welp. That's that.

As unhappy as Nora had been about that decision, she knew that there was no way to argue it. And it seemed that Weiss felt the exact same way, as Nora saw the girl flinch from the corner of her eyes, the other girl's shoulders falling as the instructor made the assignment official.

"Now, I believe we're done here. Unless you two believe there's something else to discuss?" Glynda let the question hang in the air for a few moments, her tone completely neutral as she turned back to the two girls. She gave each of them a single stare, as if daring them to speak up, but neither the Valkyrie nor her newly appointed partner could find the strength to protest. Seemingly content with this development, the teacher gave a single nod as she submitted one final entry into her scroll. "Good. Now, since you two seem to have no concerns about the arrangement, I suggest you two return to your initiation."

Those were the teacher's final words, and without waiting for another response, the instructor of Beacon walked away, leaving the two prospective students alone to their test. Silence followed Glynda's depature, the air slowly filled by an uncomfortable tension as the two girls stood still. Neither were willing to make the first move, Weiss's eyes locked to the grind as Nora looked at everything except her new partner. Eventually, the Valkyrie's eyes settled on some random shrub, a good a prop as any as she slowly cleared her throat.

"So, erm... Any ideas of where we should go?"

Weiss simply scoffed, staring at Nora for a few seconds before stepping into the woods.

"H-Hey! Wait for me!"

"You dolt! Wait for me!"

The Valkyrie could barely hear her partner's voice. And unlike the last hour or so, when Weiss had taken the role of leader and led them through the thickest parts of the forest lead, it wasn't because Nora ignored her. This time, she really did have difficulty hearing the heiress's voice. Oh, and apparently, Weiss was an heiress, a word that Nora never really paid attention to until today, when she had been forced to sit through a ten-minute lecture about why it was so important. Incidentally, that's also why they were currently in a rush.

Or, at least, Weiss was in a rush.

Nora turned around, a curious look on her face as she yelled back to her partner, one hand up to her mouth as she tried to project her voice. "I thought you said you didn't want to ride the Ursakart!"

"That was before you woke up the King Taijitu!"

She could hear Weiss this time, which meant that she was either getting closer, or getting louder. Regardless, Nora kicked her foot downwards, pressing against the Ursa's neck as she pulled back on its fur. The poor beast slowed its pace, now running in some sort of murderous trot rather than a frantic sprint; hopefully, this was enough to allow her partner to get on. Nora leant backwards, one hand outstretched as she tried to reach for the white-dressed girl. "Quick, Weiss! Hop on!"

Just like the last few times the Valkyrie had offered, there was a slight pause, doubt in her partner's eyes as she gave her a worried glance. However, those times didn't involve a giant murderous snake grimm, so Weiss didn't spend too long debating the issue. Once the heiress was on the beast proper, Nora kicked her heels together once again, willing the grimm forward with a single commanding shout. "Hi-yah!"

"I still don't understand how you managed this." Weiss's voice came up from behind the Valkyrie, her tone filled with doubt. Still, her partner seemed to trust the vehicle enough not to immediately jump off, which was always nice. "...So how did you manage it?"

"Does it help if I say that I don't know either?" It wasn't like she knew the science behind it or anything. She wasn't even completely convinced that she was actually steering it, or just threatening it to run in a specific direction... Which might be the same thing, now that she thought about it.

"You know what? Forget I asked." At least her partner was satisfied with her answer! Nora was worried that she'd have to come up with some random reason for her mysterious Ursa-driving-skills. Sure, she could just make something up, but it was a little hard to think of an origin story while attempting to steer a rampaging bear monster between a bunch of trees, while a bigger, rampaging-er snake monster chased them.

Actually, speaking of the snake monster... Nora threw another look behind her, curiosity evident on her face. "Hey, Weissy?"

"Please don't call me that." Her partner sounded exhausted all of a sudden, which was weird considering it was the bear doing the running. "And please watch where you're... Driving I guess. I don't know anymore. What did you want?"

"I just wanted to know why we aren't fighting the snake thing." Nora tilted her head back, gesturing to the King Taijitu behind them, as the beast continued weaving around—and occasionally demolishing through—countless trees. "I betcha we could take it just fine!"

"Of course we could. I don't doubt our abilities. However..." As she spoke, Nora's partner activated her semblance, creating a fancy symbol thing in the air that used a bunch of dust. It took a few moments, but gradually, a large icicle formed behind them, floating still for a split before shooting off towards the distant grimm. Unfortunately, the grimm was more than ready, quickly knocking up the remains of a tree to intercept the attack. "...As you can see, our opponent is a troublesome one. Since Taijitu aren't known for their ability to chase down their quarry, it's more efficient if we simply flee. Besides, we've wasted enough time in that elusive labyrinth of a forest."

"But... it wasn't that bad. You jus-"

"Elusive. Labyrinth."

Weiss's semblance punctuated her words again, except this time, Nora felt the chill of ice dust or whatever it was called, and her body instantly flinched away from the sensation. Not because she was scared Weiss would actually hurt her or anything; she was honestly worried that her partner would do something evil, like dropping snow down her back. That's what she'd do if she could control dust to that degree, at least. "Okay, okay!"

"Now, unless I'm mistaken, as long as we maintain this pace, we should be able to lose our pursuer in five minutes."

Huh. Actually, that didn't sound too bad. Though, if Nora was perfectly honest, she was certain that they'd be able to defeat the stupid snake thing in less time than that. Oh well, Ursa racing was still fun, so the Valkyrie didn't really complain too much. All she had to do was keep her eyes in front of them an-

Oh. That's not good. The Valkyrie threw a hesitant glance behind her, only to see that her partner was more focused on what was behind them than what was in front of them. "... Hey Weiss?"

The heiress gave a sigh, pausing for just a moment, her glyph half-formed as she turned around back to Nora. As a result, this also meant that she had turned around to face what was in front of them. "Yes, Nor-... Is that what I think it is?"

"Yeah. I think so. This is bad, isn't it?" Nora voiced her concern, and her worries grew when she realized her partner was unable to do anything but nod in agreement. After all, why wouldn't she be worried after seeing what was in the distance? There, right in front of them, barely a minute out from their current location, was a bunch of their fellow students running around a bunch of ruins.

All while being chased by a bunch of giant, murderous grimm.