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

Anyway, here is the next chapter which is a Blake chapter XD.

Enjoy

Chapter Fourteen

The Frozen North

Silas Ruins

The Faunus Clans have been staying in Silas for the best part of three weeks. When they had first arrived, the old fort stood like a silent shadow against the storms of winter, it's wall covered in snow and in ice. The ancient walls had stood there for many centuries, it's true builder and occupants long forgotten in the ashes of time, leaving it to crumble in the long time since people had sought refuge within its walls.

During the first weeks they were there, the Faunus had run into some animals which had made the old fort of Silas their homes and were quickly taken care of, their fur and meat used as provision for the winter which was in full swing now. Freezing winds were howling day and night throughout the fort as many tents were settled within the courtyard and around the Fort's presence. Given the location of the Fort on the Glaciers, other than the mountains were their previous camps were, there was no natural barrier to protect them against whatever else that was out there in the cold. Ghira Belladonna had quickly set a watch using Faunus from different clans so that the part that they were protected by the Fort will protected day and night.

A few miles off the Fort was a river and a forest, a place that many went to hunt in the days during their stay here and Blake even had gone along with them as well, wanting to do her part for her people. Ever since her return, people have been looking at her strangely. She knew that they were rumors going around the Faunus that she had gone off with the Huntress and then had come back and drawn a deal with them to help her people. A lot of people were not as quick to trust the Huntsman as she had done, and Blake hadn't found herself trusting the Huntsman either. She had seen how quickly the Hunt had wanted to abandon her people to their deaths and Weiss had promised her that she will do whatever in her power to help her but…

Can she really help us?

Blake was walking through the empty hallway of the Silas lost in her thoughts. The hallway was once, empty and devoid of light now had torches which bathed it's surrounding in their orange glow. She had walked those hallways more than once before when she was doing a search of the Fort to see if anyone lived there weeks ago but now, this place was theirs for the Winter…but once winter is over, they will march toward the Gate and hopefully by that time, when they arrived Weiss will open the Gate for them…

That was the hope of course, but Blake knew within her that hope like that won't stay for long. Something was bound to go wrong and it would be naïve of her to think that Weiss would be able to do everything in her power to help her…

Her attention was then turned toward the dagger at her waist that she was gently touching. Pulling the weapon out of it's sheath, Blake looked over the weapon once more. The black blade already told her whatever made it was possibly similar material to Weiss's sword and just like Weiss had done, she had used her own Aura again and a strange sucking feeling came upon her hand as the weapon itself as a soft purplish like glow started to wave around the steel of the dagger…like the waves of the seas.

Dust made weapon were rare...like weapons out of legends and the Huntress manage to have two weapons of such magnitude upon her. Blake couldn't help the small smirk at how disbelieving that she was that Weiss had given her the weapon to protect her. Not like Blake hadn't been living in the Frozen North for her entire life or anything, however, when she had given Blake the dagger, something stirred inside the Faunus's girl heart.

Weiss was worried about her.

Blake was proven warrior by her people. She wields two smalls swords and is fearsome in battle if her father is to be believed and many people respected her skills and her leadership. But to Weiss, she wasn't any of those things. She was someone that she worried for, someone she called friend despite whatever bad history that lays between her people and Weiss's father. It was strange to have someone worry for her like that, other than her parents.

As she was holding the small dagger in her hand, Blake took in the design that were drawn upon the handle. It was woven leathers and some type of metal which were twisting together until they reached the end of the dagger in a small yet strange wolf design. She blinked lightly at it taking in the level of detail that were placed into the making of this weapon. This wasn't something that one would find on a common soldier…this was handmade, practically built for someone like a king or someone with a lot of liens.

As she was spinning the weapon in her hand, something on the corner of her eyes caught her attention. Blake turned her gaze toward the direction she had seen whatever she had seen and quickly made her way down the hallway and into the opening which lead down to a large courtyard. Blake's eyes searched through the darkness for whatever she had seen and then, found her target, a female figure with red hair was moving through the courtyard dressed in her fur to protect her against the cold.

Lady Ashla.

The woman had been the one who lead them here to Silas, thanks to her knowledge of the Frozen North. The Awasha were not a Clan that came to mind about battle but, many of the Faunus respected and seek their wisdom in troubling times. They are considered wise beyond most with their deep knowledge of Aura and their teachings about what the Frozen North was. When she was a child, Blake remember someone from the Awasha coming to their clan for the Blessing, a rite that many young Faunus Children goes through when they first awoken their Aura.

Back then, the Awasha member had been a man, with long brown hair and ashen green eyes. He had long rabbit like ears upon his head and when he had awoken her Aura, the man's eyes had looked straight into her own and it was like he was seeing right into her Soul. His words from that time, she can still remember them, even now.

"Your path will be long but always remember to not close your eyes to the future."

Blake shook her head of the memories before walking forward yet again, following as to where Lady Ashla was heading for and passed through the courtyard. It was desolated and empty since not many people even reside in this part of the Fort. With how old it was, they didn't it to collapse upon them in their sleep. Some of the walls were crumbled leaving only part of the walls still standing. She followed past the wall and found herself in what remained of a garden.

They were dead trees all around her as she walked past them, glancing round. They died a long time ago from the looks of it and with the snow on the ground, it seems that they were some that were still standing thought it was only the barks that remained instead of having flower in them and then Blake turned her attention forward, finding Lady Ashla there upon her knees and she seems to be softly singing to herself the words lightly reaching Blake's own ears.

Blues of the snows and ice,

The ravens will caw and fly,

When Lords of Winters come,

The wolves shall sing, as a Northern moon shine

Ice and shadow shall dance again,

She abruptly stopped.

"Having a night time stroll Blake?" she spoke, without turning around.

Blake could feel warmth in her cheeks at being caught sneaking.

"Forgive me Lady Ashla," she said, "I…I didn't mean to interrupt your prayers."

The Fox woman didn't say anything, but she raised her hand and beckoned at her. Not wanting to disobey her, Blake approached toward her, her footsteps unusually loud as the snow crunched beneath her boots. She came to stand beside the still knelt woman. She glanced at the Awasha woman, noticing the soft glow of Aura within her palm. It was a soft golden color and Blake had never seen someone use their Aura in such a way before. Most of the time when their Aura awaken, most Faunus simply work at developing their Semblances so that they could learn how to fight but this form of Aura manifestation…

"What were you singing about?" Blake asked her.

Lady Ashla stopped what she was doing with her hand and turned her blue eyes toward the girl that was standing beside her.

"It's an old song that an Awasha mystic wrote long ago," Lady Ashla answered her, "I believed that it was during the Dark Ages."

"A song managed to survive for that long?"

"As long as they are some who will remember it, songs will always survive longer than us," Lady Ashla told her, "My people remember much of the past. We sing to remember those who has given their lives to end the Dark Ages, so that they know their sacrifice allowed the world to continue."

Lady Ashla let out a soft hum as she was looking out toward the dead trees that were around them. Blake looked down toward the woman on the ground beside her.

"Is it possible for your people to see the future?"

The Fox woman gave her a glance, her blue eyes curious but waiting for her to continue her train of thoughts.

"When I first awoken my Aura," Blake continued, "The Awasha who came told me to not close my eyes to the future…I didn't understand what he meant back then, and I had forgotten it, truly. However, with everything that had happened…The Grimm attack, me vouching for Weiss in front of my people when they wanted to kill her…It makes me wonder if that was what he had seen in me. Did he see me choosing that path?"

Lady Ashla stayed silent for a moment.

"What is Aura to you Blake?" she asked.

The young woman frowned lightly.

"I…It's a power that people has within themselves," she answered.

Lady Ashla let out a small chuckle at the uncertainty in her voice.

"Aura it is a power as you said but it is also so much more" she said, "It is the power of your Soul. Everything that is alive can produce Aura in some way. One of the reason why my people decided to awaken your Aura as children is because that's when it is at its brightest. It is when your heart is unburdened and unclouded. To awaken that power, we connect our Soul to yours and in that moment…you could say that this person understood you more than you can ever understand yourself."

Blake was silent thinking back to the moment.

"Then why did he tell me that?" she asked.

"Could be that he saw something in you that needed a gentle push," Lady Ashla answered, "It's true that many of the Faunus have closed their eyes to the future. You heard them during the meetings. The thought of going to the Hunt for help disgust them and I noticed that you also were getting some strange looks among them ever since your return."

Blake stayed silent. She had noticed the looks she had been getting but she hadn't mind them as much as she had been completely focused on her work to make sure that Silas was habitable and keeping busy…and yet, it still hurt her to see how her own people were to her…

"It makes me wonder…just how different things will be if Weiss never came to us," Blake said, taking a knee beside the Awasha.

Lady Ashla chuckled, "Our path would have been harder. I'm sure that the others would have launched that attack against Grimm and that would have been a slaughter. However, I believe our path will always lead us to her."

Blake nodded.

"Do you really believe that she can help us?" she asked.

Lady Ashla looked at her.

"What does your heart tell you?"

Blake stayed silent at that. She was thinking back to the time she and Weiss parted ways. She remembers just how worried the girl had been for her and had even wanted to send her direwolf with her just to keep her safe. Her attention turned toward the knife that was in her hand. Looking at the weapon, it brings a gentle smile to her lips.

"She gave this knife to protect me," she said softly, "I feel that we will meet again, and I will be able to give it back to her."

Lady Ashla didn't say anything as her attention was once again looking in front of her. Blake glanced forward as well, wanting to see what she was looking at. The garden in front of them had given way to a large and empty lands that extended out for miles and miles. In the distance she can even see the shadows of mountains.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Lady Ashla said, "Despite the darkness…one can't deny there is beauty in the Frozen North."

Blake couldn't help the small smile.

"There always is."

The two stayed together long after the conversation had finished.

The next day, Blake woke up late that morning and there was a small show shower as she walked through the many tents that were set up around the Fort and then Adam approached toward her. The young man was wearing his fur thought he had his sword at his side, his red hair shining lightly in the morning sun that was shining down upon them.

"Adam," she greeted with a small smile at seeing the young man.

He returned it, "Patrol are up and running and nothing will happen without one of us hearing about it. This place is defendable but there has been no sign of any Grimm as of late."

Blake knew that as well. Ever since the attack that had happened at their old camp, the Grimm have all but disappeared. She didn't like it when they just disappear like that. Not even on the journey to Silas has they've run into any type of Grimm.

"But that's not why I have tracked you down," Adam continued as they walked together, "I'm sure you already know of the rumors that are flying around the camp about you."

Blake gave him a curious glance as to why he was bringing it up, "What of it?"

"There might be a way of dispel the rumors," he said looking straight at her, "You become my mate in a bond."

Blake stared at the young man, her golden eyes going wide with shock.

"You…what?"

"It will be ideal," Adam told her.

"Adam…this is really isn't the place," she started, "The rumors, they don't bother me because I know what I am doing is for the future of my people. They can talk as much as they like and Adam, I do have some feelings for you…but other than hunting together, we've hardly did anything else."

"That's because you left with the Huntress before we can even do anything else," the young man told her, "They are some people who are saying that you mated with her."

"Don't bring Weiss into this," Blake said.

"So, it's Weiss now?" Adam argued.

Before she could retort however, a familiar voice called her name out. Both Adam and Blake turned toward Sun who was running toward them. The monkey boy came to a stop, breathing heavily as if he had been running for a while.

"What is it Sun?" she asked, "Did something happen?"

"Doval and his team never returned from their hunt," Sun told her, "They were gone for two days and should have been back by now."

Blake frowned. That doesn't sound like Doval at all. The man has been a sticker for rules so for him to be breaking them.

"Where did they go?"

"In the forest not too far from here," Sun told her, "We've hunted there before so he should know his way back but…I'm worried."

Blake let out a small sigh before nodding at him.

"Then let's go and find him."

She turned toward Adam but before she could say anything, someone else had come to them as well. It was a small Faunus girl.

"Adam, your father wishes to speak with you."

"We will continue our conversation later," Adam told her.

"I know," Blake answered before the duo walk off their separate ways.

Blake walked along with the blonde monkey who was looking back toward Adam's back. Then he turned his attention toward her, "Why do I feel like I just walked into something that I wasn't supposed to?"

"It's nothing," Blake told him, "It's just Adam thought that mating him would quell the rumors about me."

Sun let out a hum, "Adam had liked you for months now. I guess he didn't want anyone stealing his girl."

Blake glanced at him confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Some of those rumors are saying that you and the Huntress are…you know," Sun indicated with a small blush upon his cheeks, "lovers or something. I mean, you did spend a whole lot of times with her when she was staying with the Awasha, and you disappeared with her as well. It's not hard to think why people would be spreading rumors about you."

Blake stayed silent. As it really seems that way to everyone else? She never once feels that type of feeling when she had been with Weiss at all. All the wanted was to know how she tamed the direwolf…but she had found herself becoming closer to the human, close enough for her to call friend…Blake pushed the thoughts from her mind.

"Let's go and find our friends, shall we?" she said.

Sun didn't say anything else about the subject, so Blake was glad for it. In no time at all, Blake, Sun along with two other Faunus were on foot aiming toward the direction where Sun had believed Doval had gone to hunt. The trees were empty of anything as they continued to advance, and a light flurry had started to fall. Blake had her sense spread out with her Aura wanting to feel if there was anything around them but it all came up empty.

"Just how far would he have gone just to hunt?" she asked.

"Not too far I hope," Sun answered, "We don't know these woods."

Blake moved forward placing a hand upon a nearby tree. She was searching the woods with her eyes but there was nothing out of ordinary. There was silence in the woods that was almost chilling. Her ears flicked upon her head as she tried to listen for any type of sound but all she can hear was the sound of the wind as the flurry had started to fall from the sky above them.

"C'mon," she said.

The group followed her as the Panther Faunus beside her was sniffing the air around them and the other Faunus, was also searching the surrounding around herself with her bow at the ready in her hands.

"There are no sound in this forest," she said looking around herself.

Blake noticed that as well.

"No sound," she said glancing forward.

Then a crackling sound, like the sound of breaking ice filled the air causing Blake to instantly take hold of the sword handle as she glanced around herself searching for the source of the noise. Then a scream pierced the surrounding instantly drawing their attention at the direction it came from.

"That was Doval," Sun said, "C'mon."

He ran forward, with the rest of the group following him. Blake was worried that it was a Grimm attack that had taken Doval and the three others that were beside him by surprise. They rushed forward through the trees as quickly as they could until they come across the man himself, running toward them. Part of his body was completely covered with blood.

"Doval," Sun cried.

The man looked at them but before he could even say anything, something stabbed straight through his body from the back, spraying the snow with red as the man died right in front of their eyes. Then he fell upon the ground revealing exactly what had killed him and Blake feel her heart freeze.

Standing across them, was a man dressed in the strangest armor she had ever seen. He had long hair, flowing down upon his back and they were black as his armor. But what really scared Blake were his eyes. Twin pool of blackness stared back at them as the strange soldier stood there looking at straight at them. His skin was as pale as a corpse and Blake couldn't feel anything from the man at all. There was no Aura, no darkness like the Grimm has and that made it felt wrong…like he shouldn't exist and yet there he was.

The Pale man raised his hand and shadow spun around his hand as they extended into the shape of a sword but that was all it was, shadows in the shape of a blade. The Pale man then started to walk straight toward them, his face completely devoid of any emotions at all. From beside Blake, the female Faunus that was with them started unleashing her arrows at his approaching form, but they simply bounced from him, like he was made of stone.

"What the fuck?" Sun said shocked.

The Panther Faunus let out a roar as he pulled out his battle axe, aiming straight at the approaching enemy.

"No, wait," Blake called out in warning, but it fell on death ears as the Panther struck out is axe flying straight at the enemy.

The Pale man raised his hand and caught the weapon, looking like he barely did any effort. Then with a single strike form his shadow blade, he split the Panther into two pieces, blood and guts falling upon the pieces fell. The Pale man then continued to walk stepping over the Faunus he had just killed as he refocused upon them.

The Faunus girl continued to fire arrows but none of them ever pierced his skin as the man continued forward and Blake pulled out her twin swords, her Aura surging through her body.

"Blake, what do we do?" Sun called to her and from his voice, the man was panicked.

"We fight," Blake said, "Whatever that thing is, we can't let it find the camp."

The monkey boy nodded at her instantly activated his Semblance. Golden formed shape of himself launched forward, aiming straight toward the Pale man who was almost upon them. They attacked him, but with swings of his sword, he destroyed them with ease and while he was distracted by Sun's attack, Blake teleported right behind him and then with a yell she launched her sword forward aiming it straight at the Pale man's turned back.

Her sword turned to ash to the hilt which touched the man's back.

What…

The Pale man instantly turned toward her and caught hold of her by the throat as she was frozen in stupor at what had happed to her sword. The Pale man started squeezing her throat into an iron grip as Blake struggled against it, her breath completely cut. Blake's hand then turned toward her waist where her other sword and dagger was. Knowing that her sword won't have any effect, she pulled out her dagger, the same dagger Weiss had given her all those weeks ago and in an act of desperation, she stabbed it straight into the Pale man's throat.

Miraculously it worked.

The hand holding Blake's instantly let go and the girl fell upon the ground, gasping and coughing as she massed against her throat and pulling herself away from the man as an inhuman screech as was crying around them. Blake's eyes turned toward Pale man as her eyes widened, noticing shadows leaking out from where the knife had stabbed him. The shadows seem to fall around him like water as it continued to screech the blackness continuing to fall from the wound.

Then those eyes found hers and for the first time, there was emotion in those pits of darkness that was his eyes and she saw fury within them. The creature screeched at her as it launched forward but Sun was there, launching a kick straight at the creature side sending him crashing not too far away from where she was lying down. The monkey boy stood protectively in front of her but it didn't seem that she needed to for the Pale man had stopped moving and his body was evaporating away…just like the Grimm.

"Are you okay?" Sun asked her.

Blake coughed.

"I'll be fine," she said getting back to her feet with the female Faunus's help.

The group turned toward where the pale man was, but his body had already evaporated leaving only the black dagger in the snow. Blake approached toward the dagger and picked it up. She expected it to have at least some stain, however there was no trace of it upon it.

Just like the Grimm…she thought.

"What the fuck was that man?" the girl Faunus asked, her fear noticeable in her voice.

"I…I don't know."

A new menace show it's face...

Hope you have enjoyed the read.

Jacques0 out.

R&R