Chapter 13:

The ferry had finally pulled into port. Once safely docked, the captain walked out onto the main deck, "Attention everyone! We have officially arrived at Patch! Please depart the ship in an orderly fashion! We will be leaving again in exactly two hour!" he announced.

When the group exited the ferry, they took a moment to examine their surroundings. From what they could tell, Patch was definitely an agriculturally rich society. All along every street, and around every corner, there were stands selling diverse varieties of fruits, vegetables, meats, and other delicacies.

"Alright, we're here. Where do we start?" Jaune asked.

"Hmm, Glynda said that Lady Rose is a farmer. If that's the case, then we should ask the owners of these stands; one of them is bound to be selling her crops" Ren suggested.

"Agreed, let's split into groups; Ren, you and Nora can start from the east, while Jaune and I start from the west. We'll meet back here in half an hour to see what we found" Pyrrha said.

Everyone else nodded as they set off on their search.

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"Wooah, Ren look at the size of these watermelons! They're huge!" Nora said in amazement as she and Ren approached their first stand.

"Ha ha ha! Well I'm glad you think so lil'lady" The large owner said, "These are some of the biggest, juiciest melons you'll ever find on Remnant. I make sure to grow them with not only the up-most of fertilizer, but with as much passion as my heart can give. So…what can I get for ya'?"

"Actually sir, we were wondering if you know anything about Lady Rose of Signal, or if you can give us any hint as to where she may be?" Ren asked.

"Lady Rose huh? That's a name I haven't heard in a while. I knew she abandoned her role as leader of Vale, but I can't imagine why she'd ever come to Patch. We're independent from all four kingdoms so if anything, I thought she'd stay in Signal, if not anywhere else in Vale"

Ren and Nora looked at each other oddly, "Okay. Thank you"

"Hey anytime. Feel free to come back whenever you like"

The duo then started making their way to the next stand, "Well that's one down…I guess" Nora said.

"Yeah, hopefully we have better luck with the next"

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"Why hello young travelers. Could I interest you in some sweet potatoes? Or perhaps some cumquats freshly picked this morning? If not, then…"

"I-I'm sorry ma'am, but we were wondering if you've seen Lady Rose of Signal? Or if she's selling crops like you anywhere around town?" Pyrrha asked.

"Lady Rose? I don't recall ever seeing her here" The old lady explained.

"R-really? Are you sure?" Jaune asked.

"Positive. Trust me I would know. I've been selling here for forty years, I would have remembered a face like hers"

"Oh…well thanks anyway" Pyrrha said as she and Jaune left.

"Was she telling the truth? How could she never have seen Lady Rose?" Jaune whispered.

"She had to have been. I mean you heard her, she's been selling here for forty years" Pyrrha whispered back.

"Hmm" Jaune wondered as they moved on.

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After thirty minutes, everyone returned back to their original starting point. "Did you guys have any luck?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, nothing. Every stand owner we asked kept saying they've never seen Lady Rose either here, or anywhere else on Patch" Nora said.

"Same here. Maybe Glynda was wrong?" Jaune asked.

"Not possible. She said Lady Rose grows crops and raises animals here along with her wife; she of all people would never get that information wrong" said Ren

"Maybe we'll have more luck if we went further into town" Pyrrha suggested.

After arriving downtown, they spent another hour and a half asking every person they saw whether or not they have seen Lady Rose…to unfortunately no avail. Deciding to momentarily postpone their search, the group headed for the town's Inn in order to rest.

When they approached the Inn, however, they noticed something at the bakery across the street that particularly peeked their interests.

Near the bakery's entrance, there was a large cart with a mule. From it, people, presumably workers of the bakery, were carrying armfuls of wheat from the cart and into the building. Next to the cart, there was a man with side-burns handing lien over to a woman with bright orange hair with a pink bow. She wore a white blouse with a light grey corset and a long black dress that had a slit on the right, showing off her black stockings, while the left had a bright green vertical stripe.

"Hey guys, maybe we should ask her if she knows anything" Jaune said.

"Should we even bother? She'll probably give us the same answer as the rest" Nora sighed begrudgingly.

"We might as well. We have no other option" Ren said as they started to make their way towards her.

"Thanks again Penny, we should have your order of bread ready by tomorrow morning"

"Your welcome Tucson. And sorry I couldn't give you any more eggs than I had today. The chickens didn't lay as much as anticipated" the woman apologized.

"Ehh don't worry about it. I'm sure they'll come around tomorrow" the man chuckled heading into the building.

"Hehe, I hope so" the woman chuckled as well. When she took hold of her mule's bridle and began to walk it away from the bakery, the group approached her.

"Excuse me miss? But we were wondering if we could ask you something" Jaune said.

The woman looked at them curiously, "Really? What about?"

"We wanted to ask you if you knew anything about Lady Rose of Signal?" Ren said.

The woman raised an eyebrow, quickly eyeing all of them, specifically their armor, "Yes, I know Lady Rose" she said in a quieter tone.

"You do?! Oh thank goodness. Do you think you can tell us where she is? We're kind of searching for her?" Nora asked.

The woman looked to her left and right before leaning in, "I can, but not here. Follow me" she said. She then grabbed a strange looking bag from her cart before putting it around her shoulders like a backpack. Motioning for the group to follow her, she began heading towards an alley with the group following suit.

The alley was a considerable distance from the street. When the woman made sure they were far enough, she stopped and turned to the group, looking at them with narrowed eyes. "… ...So um…are you gonna tell us where…"

Before Jaune could finish, the woman raised her hand, and out of her bag shot twelve short swords, quickly flying around her until they levitated in an arch above her head; all of them aimed at the group.

"Woah! Woah! Woah! What are you…"

"QUIET!" the woman shouted, making Jaune gulp and the rest grow looks of concern. "You have exactly thirty seconds to tell me who you are and why you're looking for Lady Rose"

"Wait miss, I think you have us misunderstood…" Pyrrha started taking a step forward, until one of the woman's swords flew at her, stopping with its tip pressed against her neck.

"That's not what I asked. I asked who you are and why you're looking for Lady Rose. Nobody is supposed to know she's here and as her retainer, it is my duty to protect her from anyone who seeks her harm"

Pyrrha looked back at Jaune, Nora, and Ren, giving them a look as if asking for assistance.

Nodding, Ren stood forward as well, "We're knights from Beacon Guild in Signal. We were sent by our Headmaster Glynda Goodwitch because this boy is a descendent of the Great Wizard, and is next to receive his powers" he explained motioning to Jaune.

Another sword flew towards him, this one stopping just in front of his nose, "And how do I know you're telling the truth?"

Ren slowly reached into his back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, "We have her seal" he said, unfolding the paper and holding it out.

Recognizing the insignia, the women's eyes widened before she immediately retracted her swords, "Oh dear, m-my sincerest apologies" she said as her swords gathered back into her bag. "Please, I shall take you to Lady Rose right away"

To Be Continued…