Alone, but not forgotten:
Jaune was the black sheep of his family. The Arc's were renowned throughout the land as Beacons of hope and light, and they held great political intrigue and prowess in every kingdom. But that did not matter for Jaune, he was only a bastard taken into the family out of social embarrassment more than anything else. When his mother dies, Jaune finds his time with the Arcs is over, and he sets out on his own to find his father. With only a name to guide him, our intrepid hero must undertake this journey to find his father, Qrow.
0-0-0-0
"Oh Jaune, you've done me so very, very proud." my mother trailed off, raising a pale hand to caress my cheek. She was quickly losing focus, in a few more minutes she'd be gone and so would I. "Please, do not hate me for forcing you into this awful life."
"I never did mom, you know that." I said, my face giving nothing away.
A silver tear trailed down her face. "Your father... I-I wish I had been able to give him to you, he'd have been so proud."
I squeezed her limp hand, it felt so fragile and weak. Her breathing beneath the sheets of the white bed became labored and slow, a sign that she was leaving me here very soon. She smiled that same sad smile, perhaps she was wishing that my father was here and that she was not alone here save for me.
"Oh Qrow, please take care of my baby..." she trailed off, a final wish for my father before she closed her eyes and stopped breathing. I laid her hand down gently, fluffed her pillow, and fixed her sheets so that she was tucked in and exited the room. The hallway outside was empty, save for the older woman who sat there leaning against the plaster walls. She regarded me with one eye, cracked open just enough to look at me.
"So is she...?" Blanca asked slowly to which I nodded. She sighed and stared into the ceiling before speaking again.
"This is it then, for what it's worth, I'm sorry." she murmured, not looking at me. "Perhaps we will meet again, and perhaps it will be on better terms."
A sentimental thought at the end of this road, and nothing more. Blanca never truly cared about me in any measurable way, not enough to stop the others from bullying and not enough to sway the bitter hate from Nicholas. But, in her own way, perhaps she felt some detached emotion when she looked at me in that sunlit hallway. I walked by her slowly, only pausing as she asked me another question.
"What now then? I assume you are leaving, but where will you go?" she asked, closing both her eyes again. "I know of someone who could use a squire, he's working on his third year at Haven, maybe he'd take you in."
"...Thank you Blanca, truly, but you know what I must do." I said, staring straight ahead.
She sighed heavily before making a small noise of agreement. "I understand, I wish you luck then Jaune, may your journey end in happiness."
And with that, and another pause of silence, I walked away, leaving her behind to find a duffel bag in the main hall. Nicholas Arc stood there, burly arms crossed, near the door and suit pressed so finely I wondered if he even had room to breath. I wordlessly picked up the duffel bug and paused once again near the door where I waited for him to say something.
"I... Your mother will get her place in the Arc family grave. I promise that." he rumbled and I nodded. It was a damn sight better than he had to do, especially for his wife that had cheated on him. "I would recommend you not return here, save for the Day of Remembrance when I will grant you passage to visit her."
"Thank you Nicholas, I wish this could have gone better." I acknowledged before stepping out into the warm summer air. Penniless, directionless, and without a weapon or clue where to go I made for the docks where the next boat to Vacuo would be leaving soon...
0-0-0-0
Vacuo was a place for stragglers, the unloved and forgotten, and the dangerous. So it was the only place where I could hope to find this man named Qrow, my father. I doubted that the sailors would take too kindly to me stowing away, but this was my only hope to get to Vacuo without being mauled by some Grimm. I felt the crates shift in the cargo hold as we left port, if I was correct, then we'd only make one more stop before we'd reach Puerto Del Sol near Vacuo.
The space was cramped and smelled thickly of spices, perhaps this was the ship I'd die on. I often found myself thinking stuff like that, after all, I was stowing away on a Vacuan spice ship, these guys would probably throw me overboard if they caught me. I wasn't sure how I felt about dying to be honest, it was less of an afterlife subject and more of how I would feel never getting to meet my father, but at the same time not having to worry so much about it.
The ship rocked back and forth soothingly, a small porthole illuminating the wide ocean which had been swathed in shades of orange and purple as the sun set. A wonderful sight to behold, and one that calmed my mind. Eventually I felt my eyelids grow heavy and knew sleep was near, so I crammed myself into a dark corner to prevent being discovered and let sleep take me away...
6 hours later...
I was jostled awake by the boat's horn, having come in and out of sleep regularly, we had arrived at Evergreen Plains, the only stop before Puerto Del Sol. If I could just stay hidden then I'd be home free. I heard some nearing sounds of conversation and could faintly make out the outlines of two sailors in the moonlight, I silently folded in on the mass of crates I was behind to be safe and decided to listen.
"...Then he has the nerve to tell me to mind my own business!" one of them remarked to which the other made a sort of "tsk tsk" sound.
"Huntsman, I swear dude those guys act like they own the damn place." the girl, for it sounded like she was, sighed. "It's not that I'm not thankful, but do they have to be such assholes about it?"
"Yeah I know right, but I guess if we're attacked by Grimm then it's worth it right?"
"Yeah, you said it..."
Apparently finding what they came here for, the pair left continuing to chat along the way about this or that. It was another 3 hours before the boat set sail again and we were back on the shining waters, bound for Vacuo and hopefully my father. Once again, I drifted in and out before I was awoken at the sound of heavy steps coming down into the cargo hold.
"Hmm," I heard a gruff voice hum. "no, I could've sworn that..."
I slowed my breathing, who was this guy? A huntsman, a sailor? Either way, if he found me I'd be dead meat so I once again lowered myself into the tight corner and adjusted behind some of the boxes. I could hear boots thumping around the cargo hold, almost pacing, as they circled once, twice, and three times before they ended directly across from the boxes I was hiding behind.
"...And you would be?" the voice called out. I made no move, no sound at all to give away my position. It hardly mattered for I heard the distinct sound of a sword being pulled from its scabbard.
"Come out now, I know you're there." I didn't move an inch. "I'll turn those boxes to kindling if you don't come out this instant, so you have to the count of three.
"One..."
If I stepped out, I'd be a goner. I'd never find my father and I would have wasted all my life away at that wretched house.
"Two..."
What if he was bluffing? Could he just be assuming that I was here? Could I take that chance?
"Having it you way then, thr-"
I got up slowly from behind the crates. Making enough sound that the man could acknowledge that I was here, and after a moment to take a deep breath, I exited from behind the crates standing up tall as I did. The huntsman across from me didn't lower his weapon, but his eyes flickered with definite surprise and he took a moment to sigh deeply.
"Who're you kid? A stowaway?" The man asked, lowering his sword only a tad.
I nodded silently and he seemed to ponder that for a moment.
"I'll have to take you to the captain kid, and I can't tell you what he's gonna do." The grizzled huntsman said, running a hand through his hair tiredly. I just nodded and followed along with him as he kept his weapon aimed at my back.
The walk to the bridge was uncomfortable, and it wasn't any better now that the crew had begun to stare intently at my back. Maybe this was it, maybe they were just gonna feed me to the Grimm. I'd have failed my mother, my life would've ended quite pathetically, and my dad might never know he had a son, but maybe the man didn't care anyways.
When we got to the bridge and the huntsman explained my story, the captain began to look over me with an inquisitive gaze. He rubbed the salt and pepper beard on his chain, quietly thinking what to do with me.
"Boy, why did you stowaway on my ship?" he asked, cocking his head.
"I needed passage to Vacuo, my dad might be there." I answered honestly, the captain hummed and narrowed his eyes. If I were to guess then he probably heard that one before.
"And why do you think your pa might be in Vacuo?" he asked.
"Mom always told me Vacuo was the place where all drifters ended up, a refuge for the unwanted and unsavory." I closed my eyes. "I figured it'd be as good a place as any to look for him."
The captain chuckled at that and eyed the huntsman who just shrugged a shoulder. "Well, can't say that you're very wrong about Vacuo there son. However, I don't appreciate stowaways on board my vessel."
"If it matters, I don't think the boy is lying. His emotions don't convey and desperation or trace of nervousness." the huntsman chimed in, I suppose it never struck me that the man was an empath.
"I see, well we have another 8 hours or so before we reach our destination." The captain smiled. "Tell you what, kid, if you work on this ship as hard as ever in your life until then we'll call it square. Sound good?"
I was speechless, this guy could've just done away with me and fed my body to some Grimm. In lieu of being unable to answer I wordlessly nodded my head, mouth agape in surprise.
The captain laughed heartily. "What, boy? Did ya think we were gonna just feed you to some Ankheilos? I ain't that cruel."
The huntsman nudged my shoulder and shuffled me off onto the deck of the ship to start working. Seeing as how most of the crew gave me glares and untrustworthy looks, I opted to stick close to the huntsman who patrolled the boat. I felt a little ridiculous, following this grown warrior like a lost puppy but whenever I offered to help one of the sailors I was answered with a "fuck off".
Eventually the huntsman stopped and gaze out along the sea. At first I thought he was admiring the few (for it was stunning) but I could see in his eyes he was looking, scanning for something.
"Grimm" I thought immediately. Why else would they charter a huntsman for a merchant's vessel? After a moment to make sure that the boat wasn't in danger, he sighed and leaned against the railing. As for me, I just stood there like a third wheel until he finally spoke.
"Grizzel." he said.
"Ugh... what?" I answered lamely, the huntsman shut his eyes before sighing.
"My name, it's Grizzel. Grizzel Bar." he said, opening his eyes to scan the sea. "Hey kid, I was wondering if what you were saying was true back there? About your dad?"
"Y-Yeah, my mom died today- or rather, yesterday I suppose, and she only left me with the first name of my dad." I said, leaning on the railing beside him. "Apparently he swooped in and whisked my mom away, and he left her saddled with me."
Grizzel laughed bitterly. "Yeah? Sorry to hear that kid, world's a shit place."
I laughed as well, equally bitter, and continued. "Yeah, it was made worse due to the fact she was married at the time. My, ugh, foster father took me in due to the fact he couldn't have a scandal on his hands or he'd be in deep shit. I am- was, an Arc you see."
He eyed me, surprised if nothing else. "No shit? I thought you looked familiar, blonde hair and blue eyes and all, but goddamn to be saddled with the bastard title in a family like that? Shit kid, you got my sympathy."
"Hmm, well you win some and you lose some." I hummed, resting my chin on the steel bar. "Now, I only got my dad left."
"Your dad's name kid, what is it?" Grizzel asked looking at me. "I get around a lot, might've heard something."
"I only know his first name, Qrow." that made Grizzel stop, and frown deeply before shaking his head.
"How was it spelled. D'y'know?"
"Q-R-O-W I think, my mom wrote it down when I was little." Grizzel whistled softly, leaning his back against the bar. "You heard of him?"
"Kid, there ain't a professional hunter over 30 that doesn't know that name. Now I ain't sure if he's your daddy, but the only Qrow I know is a fella named Qrow Branwen, and that guy is a beast in human's clothing."
"Really?" I asked, digging for more info.
"Yep, he was a member of this really popular team named Team STRQ. If Branwen is your pa, then I reckon that Vacuo is a damn good place to go find him. The guy "works" at Signal back in Vale, but rumor has it he spends more time drifting around the kingdoms. I think he likes the drinks in Vacuo kid, so when you go looking check every seedy dive you can find."
"Thanks Grizzel, I owe you." he waved a hand away.
"No you don't kid, you got it hard enough without juggling a favor to this old empathetic fart." he breathed deeply, toying with the sword at his waist. "Tell you what, I got some leave at Puerto Del Sol, I'll see if I can help you before you roll out, 'k kid?"
I was floored. Never in my life had someone been this kind to me, not one single person even my mom, bless her, kept her distance from me most of the time. I was unwanted, a bastard at heart and I would never amount to anything. But this guy finds a stowaway with a sappy story, but he's still willing to put up with him if it means he can find his dad.
I turned my head away as unshed tears shined in my eyes. Tears that hadn't come forth in so long, tears that I had thought could never again be produced.
They reflected off the ocean's silvery waters...