"The majority of these marks are from that nightmare of a day.

Looking back on it, I don't know what I was thinking charging into battle. I remember the commotion hitting us very loudly and all at once, like a cannon's ammunition hitting its target. I was at the edge of the village with some other children when felt the ground shake and the screams. I can't recall what the other kids did, but I feel as though we all ran toward the screams; toward our families.

Grabbing my daggers, I began to fight, doing my best to take down Beowulf's and Creep's. It was easy to get over run, so I did my best to use my small stature and dodge the Grimm, easily dancing in between openings.

That didn't last, however, as I soon found myself being bitten and slashed by Beowulf's. The three scars I have on my face is from an Alpha going toe to toe with me. The only reason I was able to take it down was because I activated my power. My head began to split as a surge of energy pumped through me. Before I knew it, my cries of pain became battle cries. I tore through the heard of Grimm before me.

The only reward I had for tearing through them was to see my older brother's catch fire and burn to death. I tried to extinguish the flames, but ended up burning my left side in the process. I began to get overrun by Grimm, until my mother grabbed me and pulled me to safety. I can still recall her bloody face and missing eye to this day, but she cried all the same and pleaded that I stay hidden inside a small shambled shack in the corner of the village. I think she knew that it was going to be a long shot that I would make it through the carnage, but what else could she do?

I watched her leave…and…

Immediately get trampled by a Goliath.

I honestly don't know if I've ever screamed so loudly in my life. I soon watched my father share her fate, slaughtered by another Grimm.

My body was in flames and ached beyond my comprehension, but I did my best to stay hidden. It was when I saw a friend of mine at the time, Terra, get cut to pieces by an Ursa that I couldn't take it anymore. I panicked. I ran. I actually remember spotting Salem drift through the chaos at this point. She seemed so otherworldly, so out of place. Amongst her was death and destruction, and she treated it as a leisurely stroll through a meadow. Watching her, I wasn't looking where I was going.

Then, I wound up on the business end of a Grimm's claws.

From using my power too much, too long, I must've blacked out just as the Grimm struck me, because I awoke to Mary Schnee saving my life.

It wasn't until weeks later, in her mansion, that I even learned that I had lost my voice.

Other than that day, I have two gunshot wounds that have left scars on my body. One that went through my shoulder, and one through my left foot. I believe the ones who gave me those battle scars were The White Fang and…Hazel? I can't remember if that is his name, but the man who chased me for a few years and then assaulted me the other day. That man shot me in the shoulder."

Qrow let the journal lay in his lap, letting all the information sink in. He had heard of the SEW genocide even before Salem showed up. Rumor had travelled through the grapevine that a hidden clan had been overrun with Grimm of all sorts and slaughtered, right down to the toddlers and babies. No survivors were rumored to have emerged from the blood and ash. Once Salem took in the Branwens, she had informed them of how she had been the one who committed the massacre, stating that every living person in that clan was her enemy.

Witnessing Summer's power and her ability to render the Grimm helpless, he could now understand why his queen had exterminated the SEW clan. Now, however, he could put a face to the victims of that day in his mind, and even though Summer was rather vague with details, he felt a pang of sympathy for her. To lose everything you hold dear within just the span of a few hours? It must have been an unbearable weight to carry, especially at her age.

Qrow paused. Looking up, he met eyes with Summer, whose glistening silver eyes were unusually shimmery. A quick rub against her eye and he understood.

When she met his eyes once more, he quietly asked her, "Bright Eye's…how old were you? When your clan fell?"

Summer placed her two pointer fingers in close proximity together.

"One…one? Oh, eleven. Wait, hang on a second! Eleven?!" He was rather shocked, expecting her to be in her early teen years at least. She simply nodded in response, shifting her position against the iron bars and stone corner of her cell.

Qrow attempted to recollect his jumbled thoughts, and reminded himself that he, too, was a child soldier. Twisting his ivory ring with his finger and thumb, he calmly asked her something that didn't cross his now unsettled mind until this very moment.

"Summer…how old are you?"

Her head snapped over to him, obviously not expecting him to ask her such a frivolous question. Eyes narrowed and shaking her head slowly back and forth, Qrow read her like a book.

'What does my age matter?'

"Look, that just seems…really young. That genocide happened a long time ago and I'm curious as to where exactly that puts you." Qrow, having pursued his lewd and perverse thoughts of her the other night, began to get sick to his stomach. His brain was on a loop, unable to turn it off. 'Not under 20, not under 20, not under 20, not under 20, not under 20, please, please, please, please not under 20,…"

Summer pouted for a brief moment, observing an unnerved Qrow continue to fidget with his ring and stare at her. A devious smirk crossed her lips, making him take pause.

Quickly jotting down a few words, she handed over one of her loose-leaf parchments to him.

"Let's play a game, shall we?"

Qrow's eyes widened slightly.

"I'll give you three guesses. If you can't guess my age, then I win, and get to pick a prize from you. The same goes for you if you win."

Qrow raised an eyebrow to her. Lopsided smirk and all, he leaned his head to one side, and questioned, "What could you possibly have that I'd want for a prize? You don't have much to bargain with, Bright Eye's."

Summer's face tinged pink slightly as her gaze dropped to the floor.

'Oh, please. This isn't my first rodeo.'

Lifting her eyes again, her sweet yet expressionless face was replaced with sultry, bedroom eyes that were half dazed, and subtly pursed lips. She let her eyes lock with his, and wandered south down his body. Summer's eyes stopped as she eyeballed his groin for a second or two, until she knew he had seen exactly where her eyes landed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Qrow shift under her gaze.

Lifting her head slowly, eyes continued to be dreamy and seductive, she met his crimson ones, licked her lips slowly while shifting her weight while on all fours, and winked at him.

She saw his eyes widen as his entire face turned bright red. The blush, unfortunately, dulled out his captivating eyes, which didn't seem quite so deep and advancing with his entire face looking like a tomato.

Qrow's heart beat rapidly in his chest. Without knowing her true age, he had become both aroused and disgusted with himself for being aroused. He gulped, cursing that he didn't grab his flask on the way to this little meeting. Drinking was supposed to keep this sort of thing from happening.

Without lifting her eyes from him, keeping his own locked on hers, she quickly scribbled on another piece of paper and very delicately tossed it to his side of the bars. Dropping her gaze to the letter, the spell on Qrow broke and he, too, looked down to read the letter.

"I can do much more than that, by the way."

'HOLY FU—'

"So, what's it going to be? Want to wager on a little guessing game?"

Trying his best not to sound flustered, Qrow took a deep breath, and asked her in response, "What…prize do you want from me?" He was half afraid to ask that question, seeing as how she was willing to do, as he saw it, anything and everything. Teeth pressed to tongue, Qrow bit the flavor sensing muscle in an attempt to keep from saying anything he'd regret.

Summer, continuing her flirtatious charade, giggled at Qrow's question. Her only retort was with a wink and a wag of her finger. She wasn't going to give up that information to him. That isn't how the game is played.

It was his turn to drop his head, rereading the beginning of the last line.

"So, what's it going to be?"

Furrowing his brow and allowing a devious smile of his own to lace into his lips, his head lifted.

"Alright, then, you want to play that way? We can play that way. Just know that should I win, I'm not responsible for my actions past that point."

Summer mimicked his facial expression, mouthing 'good luck'.

Suddenly, his heart sank.

Luck.

Luck.

LUCK.

'Ah Scheisse…'

Summer made herself more comfortable, lifting her head in his direction as to challenge him, and seemed to beam confidence. Qrow, shaking off the thought of his semblance affecting this bet, stared at her. It was the same conviction that he felt during their fight, and Gods did it make him want her more. The type of self-assurance that Summer exuded was a far cry different than that of Cinder. Hers wasn't a charade she put up to impress anyone, it was genuine.

Beginning to feel a giddy excitement at the game Bright Eye's was playing and his own confidence building, Qrow felt a genuine smile pull at the corners of his mouth.

With a single wink, Qrow commented, "I don't need luck on my side…I just need misfortune on yours."