Hey guys, here is the next update of this fanfiction. Hope you have been enjoying the read so far.

Now read on.

Chapter 11

Beacon

When she had first learned how to use Aura, Weiss had never expected to be teaching it to others. At first, she hadn't really understood what Aura was in the beginning however, ever since the Lord Commander had wanted her to teach the people of the Hunt about it, the young woman had been thinking of how she would go to teach it to them. But that had been easier said than done as she recalled the first lesson she had given.

It had started the very day she had given her speech to them, reminding the people of the Hunt of the duties they had sworn themselves to. From what Lady Ashla had told her back when she had first started to learn it is that Aura was the power of one's soul. The young woman looked at the group that was in front of her, a light frown upon her face.

"As many of you have realized about that power," she started, "It form a shield around us to protect us from harm. Any Aura can be used up and like a muscle it needs to be trained so that it can grow stronger. Using your Aura, however is what we're going to focus upon your training on. Be warned that even I didn't fully understand it on my first time and don't expect to be able to do it on your first try as well, but practice in the craft is what makes you perfect."

Those were her words to the Huntsman and Huntresses that were with her and as the day was passing by it was clear that many of the men were frustrated at what they were doing. They were still trying to drawn upon the power but with little direction on how to do that exactly, many of them had become frustrated and even angry that they weren't making much progress at all despite it. However, they were a few people that still trained despite that. A young man who was quickly becoming a friend, Neptune who was used to fighting with a Lance as well as another Huntsman by the name of Flynt Coal, a young man from Mistral who had joined in the weeks she had been away from Beacon these past few months.

These past few days, however, found Weiss spending most of her time in the training ground with her sword at her waist and teaching the people as since the few that had fighting experience were fighting in the ground as she was looking at them and then when it was done, Weiss stepped forward and started to talk to them yet again.

"Good," she said, "It get easier to draw upon the power during battle, I found. The first time I actually had to draw my sword and using this was against the Grimm when they attacked the Faunus camp so let's just hope that our people here will be able to be more experienced with their Aura rather than be unprepared on the battlefield."

It had gotten easier to teach them thought she always reminded them to practice with reaching within themselves toward the power that was now lying beneath their skin. Which was that led her here now, looking out toward the empty lands of the Frozen North. She was once again on duty tonight on top of the Gate observing the empty lands in front of her. There was no wind tonight and the sky were clear, giving the light of the moon that shone down from the sky a silvery blue glow. She looked up toward the celestial light that was above her for a few moments before turning her attention back toward the empty lands once more.

Despite she was working to improve the Hunt's chance against the Grimm, deep within herself Weiss knew that they were starting to run out of time. Winter was slowly but surely ending as the new year was already two months in and she knew that the Faunus would have already noticed the change in the wind as well, but even so, she knew that Raze will have the news on what the Lords of the North have decided to do about the Faunus of the North.

There was a sinking feeling within Weiss's heart that things were going to get worse for them from here on out. If by some miracle the Lords of the North decided to let the Faunus through the Gate then Weiss would feel most of the burden that she had taken lessen slightly however, from Lord Argus Nikos reaction to what she had promised the Faunus, Weiss wasn't hopeful for them to let the Faunus through…but if that happens, would it mean that the next time she saw Blake…they will be enemies?

Weiss hated the though, or even consider it to be possible. She didn't think she would have the strength to face Blake in battle as enemies. The Faunus girl was someone that she trusted and she had even given her the black dagger as a token of that friendship and thinking about it now, Weiss knew for a fact that it was made of the same material as her own sword.

Dust steel.

Which made her wonder exactly how such a weapon ended up in Silas in the first place? The Hunt didn't really know what type of weapon dust steel was for such high level of equipment was not something that many people was aware of. And since it was found in the General's room, it could be that the man was a noble at least to have a weapon like that upon him. Weiss turned her attention away from the Frozen North before making her way toward the pathway that was built in the mountain so that she could get down toward the ground and toward Beacon.

Her watch had ended up here and the Huntsmen who had come to relieve her had only given her a brief nod of acknowledgment before moving away. The young woman continued downward until she reached ground level and passed through the people that were working there. She gave them a brief glance.

"Weiss,"

She found Neptune approaching toward her.

"Neptune, you're done with the horses?" she asked.

The young man nodded.

"Yeah," he said, "Not much else to do so the horse master send me off. C'mon, let's go and find something to eat in the mess hall."

Weiss thought about it for a few moments before following the young man. She was famished from her watch so getting something to eat before she turns to bed would not be harmful. The duo entered inside the mess hall finding an empty table and soon enough, the duo were seating together and enjoying their food.

"Why did you join the Hunt Neptune?" she asked, finding herself curious about it.

The young man looked up toward her as if surprised by her question.

"Well…I'm a bastard," he said to her.

She blinked surprised.

"You are?"

"Aye," Neptune answered her, "the Vasilias of Mistral, that's the family I was born in. I had brothers and sisters of course however, I was still not part of the family."

"Even if they taught you how to use a blade?" Weiss asked.

It was highly unusual for bastards to even learn how to use a weapon. Weiss knew that it was because of her father that she had even managed to get to learn about it and Sir Young had always been kind to her even as a child and he had been most eager to teach her. Most noble families barely gave bastards a second chance nor even a second look.

Neptune only shook his head.

"I've left that life behind," he said, "I only joined the Hunt so that I could be part of something…even if that something that many people forgotten. But we have purpose now, the Hunt is preparing for battle against the Grimm and you've been teaching us on how to use Aura."

Weiss let out a small sigh.

"I hope it will be enough," she said, "the Grimm I fought against were only skirmishes…and I have never even seen their true forces yet…how many are they going to be…and can we really hold them here at the Gate?"

Neptune gave her a look.

"Maybe with the Faunus we will have a fighting chance," he told her.

Weiss looked at him.

"Maybe….that also say that we should get them through the Gate," she said, "But from my meeting with the Lord Paramount…I have little faith that something like that would happen."

Neptune looked at her confused.

"If the Faunus aren't let through, won't they have a battle here?"

The white-haired girl nodded, noticing just how fucked the situation was for them. How was she going to do anything to rationalize this? She won't even be able to keep one promise to a friend and that would lead to a needless battle and who's to say that the Grimm won't interfere with that fight. There was little she could do however, here at Beacon, but the Lord Commander had her teaching the people here how to use Aura and maybe gain an advantage they didn't have before.

"There is no honor among the Huntsmen," Weiss said softly, repeating the words she heard long ago from Lord Argus himself.

Neptune gave her a look, but the young man didn't say anything at all and then a odd tugging feeling distracted her from her thoughts. She knew that it was Dust and that he had returned to the castle. The young woman suddenly sat up from where she was seating and made her way out of the building following the strange tugging feeling in her chest and sure enough, the large white form of her direwolf appeared in the distance and as soon as he took notice of her and made for the young woman. Weiss gently petted his head as the large wolf sniffed at her.

Taking some treat from her clothing she gave it to him letting him eat it from her palm. She could feel the Huntsman looking at her, but Weiss didn't care as she was gently petting the animal in front of her. However, there was a strange feeling in her gut as she was looking at Dust. She still remembers that strange dream she had about the place that she had been. She didn't really understand what that place was and why she had seen it in her dream however, something tells her that since she had never been there before, then Dust must have been the one that had seen it.

Could the bond between them be changing somehow?

Dust looked up at her as if sensing her thoughts and she found herself staring into those blue eyes once more. She smiled at him and feel him lick her face before he moved away from her and from where he was going, he was heading up toward her room to sleep. Weiss simply chuckled and made her way after her companion, having the same idea that he has…

Maybe some sleep will ease her worry a bit about what was waiting for them in the future.

Weiss turned her gaze toward her left.

She had felt someone watching her, a familiar prickling feeling that she remembers from back in Atlas whenever there was a noble talking about her. The white-haired girl chanced a glance around the training area where she was standing observing the two new recruits fighting against each other, however, there was no one with their eyes upon her, so she passed it off as nothing. Glynda Goodwitch was there as well, the severe blonde woman looking at the recruits fighting.

"Next," the woman called out.

Another duo approaching and one of them was a woman with long red hair tied up into a ponytail. The girl was holding a short sword in her hand as she was holding the makeshift shield in the other. Her opponent was also a girl but it was easy to see from the way the girl was reacting, she was never trained with a sword before.

"Begin," Glynda called out.

The redhead was the one who defeated her opponent quite easily, looking to be barely trying while doing so. From the way she moved, Weiss can tell that the redhead had previous experience fighting, though where she learned was a mystery.

"Good Ilia," Glynda said, "We'll make a ranger out of you yet…Beatrice, take your training seriously. Your enemy is not going to hold back against you. You should go to Master Gnis to learn a blade at this rate."

"Yes ma'am," the other woman said with a light nod.

Weiss turned her gaze toward the two girls finding that the redhead, Ilia, was staring at her. Her eyes were a curious shade of silver. The girl's gaze however wasn't like those of the Huntsman who knew about her as a bastard or anything like that at all. They were just empty of all feelings, almost like the girl didn't show her feeling at all to the world at least to them all but then the moment was broken and redhead, Ilia, walked back to the place she was in among the other new recruits that were there.

"That girl…Ilia, she is a new recruit?" Weiss asked Glynda with a curious tone in her voice.

"She joined a week ago," Glynda told her, "Keep to herself mostly probably someone's bastard the girl is…however, she is well trained and I'm curious who would have taught her and given how skilled she is, she must have started young."

Weiss simply hummed lightly.

The sound of a horn blowing drew their attention. Weiss made her way toward the Gate finding a horse and a rider thundering into the courtyard. The young man was dressed in Huntsman clothing as he was looking around himself for a few moments. However, Glynda seems to know him for she quickly approached.

"Henry," she greeted.

The young man looked toward her.

"Lady Hand," he said, "I bring news…Faunus were sighted in the woods."

There was a whisper at that. Weiss can feel her eyes widening lightly in surprise.

"How many?" she asked stepping forward.

"Just over eight I saw," Henry said, "From what I can understand, it's not the host that are at Silas. They haven't started marching…not yet at least."

Glynda narrowed her green eyes.

"Then let us go and warn the Lord Commander of the situation," she said.

And that's exactly what they did. Ozpin was seating at his desk after Henry had finished telling him his tale. He was simply doing a recon mission for one of the Fort they have across the Chain when he came across them. They didn't see him, but he managed to get away and rode all the way here to Beacon.

"For them to be this close to us," Ozpin spoke out a light frown upon his features, "must be a scouting party of some kind…or some Faunus trying to brave the Chains."

Weiss looked at the man.

"I could go and try to meet with them," she said drawing everyone's attention in the room, "We are no longer fighting against them anymore and if they are indeed trying to cross the Chains, they could get attacked by our own. If I can meet with them and learn of their intention here maybe we can reach an understanding."

Ozpin stayed silent thinking about it for a moment.

"You are a Ranger now," he said, "And it is a sound idea, however, if they are hostile and attack you and whoever comes with you deal with them, understood?"

"Yes sir," Weiss said feeling a surge of happiness rising through her.

The girl didn't say anything anymore for she was already out of the room and into the courtyard. as she was walking she made her way toward the stable finding Mercury there. The young man looked up as she was approaching and straightened up.

"Let me guess, you're going out there to meet the Faunus?"

She gave him a look.

"That's a pretty good assumption," she said, "Where you listening at the door as well?"

"I know you Weiss," he said, "Anyone can tell that you of all people want the Faunus through the Gate and if making good relationship with those out there then you think you can get them to join you."

Weiss had finished preparing her horse.

"If you're talking this much then you want to come?" she asked.

Mercury smirked lightly.

"I thought you'd never ask," he said, "Oh…and I've gathered some people for the team as well…five of us should be enough."

Weiss gave the men a glance before nodding.

"Six," she said, "DUST,"

As if heeded by her call, the large wolf approached to her side as she climbed upon the horse and then when everyone was prepared, the group made their way out of the Gate and into the large empty land of the Frozen North. Dust was running ahead of them as Henry led the group forward leaving the Gate behind as they were no making their way through the Frostbite Woods.

"How far along?" Weiss asked, giving Henry a glance.

"Ten miles out east of here," Henry spoke back, "We will have to hurry if we are to catch up to them."

Weiss nodded and spurred her horse on traveling through the trees and keeping her breathing calm, the cold air wiping her cheeks. The girl wanted to know exactly what those Faunus where doing this close to the Gate. Blake had told her that they were some families that didn't want to fight, risking the Chains rather than face the Grimm but it had been Winter, surely, they weren't foolish enough to try crossing the Frozen North during the Winter…

The hours passed as they rode, the sky darkening as night was approaching and it was around then that Henry came to a stop looking out in front of him. Weiss, and Mercury came to a stop beside him.

"That's where I saw them," he said pointing, "Just there."

Weiss observed the trees carefully, thought there was nothing that could have shown that anyone was here. Weiss glanced at her direwolf noticing the animal was sniffing around at the ground.

"Dust, look for a scent," she said, "We need to know where they've gone."

The direwolf looked at her before moving forward. The girl jumped down from her horse as well as the group that was with her.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked, the only one that remained on his steed.

Weiss glanced at him.

"I need to see if they left tracks behind," she answered him, "Maybe we can tell just how many they really are from these."

Mercury let out a soft hum.

"A good plan," he said, "You're good at tracking?"

"My mentor taught me some tricks," she answered him walking forward, "Maybe if we found those Faunus we can learn what's happening in Fort Silas."

"That is if they are even part of that group," Mercury reminded her.

Weiss nodded. He had a point.

The duo walked together through the woods before reaching the area that Henry had indicated. The white-haired girl glanced around the area for a few moments taking it in. There was little sign that showed that anyone had been here for long and there was no camp fire remains and since it hadn't snowed in a couple of days, the remains of the campfire should be here.

"No campfire," she said, "Must have been passing through when Henry saw them."

"Must have," Mercury said, "I'll go check this side to see if they are any tracks leading anywhere."

Weiss gave the young man a glance, but she nodded at him. Weiss then made her way toward the area keeping her eyes upon the ground searching for any sign that Faunus had been here but there was nothing at all to be seeing. The white-haired girl looked around herself for a few moments narrowing her eyes as she crouched down toward the ground brushing the snow off a fallen log and ice could be seen but there was no sign of footprints at all.

Even in the snow…they should have been prints left behind and yet the area that Henry showed me…is devoid of anything, she thought, Could Henry be mistaken…or he hadn't seen any Faunus at all or…

Sound of someone's footsteps drew her attention, finding that it was Henry and the young man was fugitively glancing around himself. Weiss pulled herself to her feet.

"Henry," she said, "Are you sure that's where you saw the Faunus?"

The young man nodded.

"Of course," he said quickly, "I saw them myself."

Weiss looked at him, puzzled by his nervousness.

"I don't see any tracks at all," she said, "If the Faunus had come this way then…"

Suddenly blood splattered upon Weiss's face forcing her to jump back as something stabbed straight through Henry's neck in front of her. It was a knife causing the young woman to widen in her eyes in shock at what just happen. Henry gurgled but he fell upon the ground dead before he touches the snow-covered floor.

Weiss instantly drew her sword out looking toward the assailant but found none other than…

"Mercury?"

She was shocked at the young man across her so shocked that she didn't move until a knife had stabbed her straight through her gut. The girl gasped in pain as the young man was approaching toward her, dragging another knife out as he approached toward her and he wasn't alone for the other member of the Hunt that came with him where there but they were just standing there…watching.

W…What the hell is going on? Weiss thought holding her sword at the ready, Why are they…

Another knife stabbed her, this time right above her chest and she found herself stumbling back, her sword falling out of her hand and into the ground. Warm blood was already seeping through her clothing from her wound and Weiss back found a tree to lean against, the pain stabbing through her like hot knives.

"Why are you…?" she said.

Mercury approached toward her.

"The Queen sends her regards," he said.

Weiss's eyes snapped at him, feeling nothing but confusion at that.

The Queen…

The woman who had killed her family. The woman who had killed her sister…and now, she had come for her.

However, before Mercury could give the fatal blow, one of the man suddenly screamed in pain drawing both of their eyes were drawn toward a large white shadow tearing into one of the men that was behind them.

Dust…

The direwolf tore him apart and before the man could finish screaming it was already moving to another who had made to grab his sword but had his arm ripped out instead by Dust's lunge at him. Mercury noticing the men with him were busy with the wolf, chose this moment to escape leaving them all to be ripped apart by the large feral beast.

And it was at this moment Weiss saw why Blake says that the direwolves were feared creatures by her people. Dust by himself had ripped four men apart before they could even put up a fight and they were now all lying dead on the ground with her against the tree. Dust approached toward her, his jaws wet with blood as well as some flecks of it upon his fur but despite it's fearsome appearance, Weiss had never felt so relieved to see him.

The wolf let out a soft whine as he noticed her injuries. Weiss raised a hand and he gently licked it.

"Thank…you, my friend," she said softly.

This is the second time you've saved me from death…

Weiss then turned her attention toward the knife that was at her shoulder before pulling it out, gasping in pain as she did so. The weapon was coated in red and she let it fall upon the ground. Turning her gaze toward the other knife, Weiss pulled it out as well, gasping as she held on upon the weapon.

The Queen sends her regards.

Those were Mercury's words. The new Queen of Remnant wanted her dead and after even killing the Schnee family along with her sister, this new Queen wanted her dead as well.

Morgana Fall.

An odd smell from the weapon in her hand drew Weiss's attention. She stared at it for a few moments before lifting it to her nose to smell it. She can smell the rusty tang of blood but there was also a fouler smell coming from the blade a smell she recognized…

"Poison," she whispered, "Not only he wanted to betray me but he poisoned his daggers as well…"

Weiss coughed, blood falling from her lips when she did so, causing Dust to whine even more. She can feel her strength weakening so Weiss find herself leaning upon her wolf to keep herself standing. Dust seems to understand for he lowered himself lightly and taking this as a cue, she pulled herself upon the animal.

"Dust…find…help," Weiss gasped, already feeling the poison weakening her.

The wolf suddenly started to gallop forward, and Weiss tightened her hand upon his white fur letting the animal ride her back to Beacon…at least, that's what she believed. Unknown to Weiss, however, instead of turning back South back to the Gate and the Huntsman, Dust was heading straight North his destination unknown…

Dust saved Weiss once more...but his destination is...

Hope you have enjoyed the read.

Jacques0 out.

R&R