Edit: This is NOT a new chapter, nor has any edits been made, save adding the date for the next chapter down below. Apologies for the re-upload, but realized I never included it.

Taking a week to make a chapter feels slow, but dang does it help my sanity!

For those who read and are attending/watching RTX (I assume most, we're all RWBY fans here), here's to hoping we get some juicy Volume 6 deets!

Where did magic come from? Was it from some divine beings as the Church would have people believe, or something more… Mundane? By what method was it decided who was born a Magi?

What was magic?

Just a few weeks ago, Weiss never would have questioned these things. Magic came from faith, and she'd accepted that. The gods chose to bestow power upon mere mortals, granting them the ability to fight back against the Grimm scourge. And how was it decided who became a Magi? Either lineage, in the case of Schnee, or something much more random: chance.

As for what magic was, well, that had never been clear. The manifestation of will, some would argue, or the manipulation of energy in the world around them. Maybe magic didn't have a defining trait, or a specific, clear origin point. Maybe magic simply was.

Now, Weiss was certain of only two facts: whatever the truth surrounding magic might be, the Church endeavored to keep it hidden. Grimm, the very beasts the Church fought to eliminate, attracted to the tools the Church itself pushed - spells, any form of magic use risked the chance of Grimm attacks.

The only certainties she now had were uncertainties. What she once thought foundational now sat behind a curtain, obscured, like a magician concealing the method of their illusion. One of those dreadful, carnival 'magicians', Weiss stressed, which in of itself seemed like an absurd notion. Real magic existed, yet for some - children, a sleight of hand or card trick was captivating.

Traveling among a group of eight meant moments alone were rare. Even bathing, something she'd once relished for its solidarity, was now spent with four other women. Blake, perhaps out of modesty, though Weiss doubted it, refused to bathe with them, and naturally, Ren and Jaune would bathe on their own time, alone. Yang had trotted out the 'no boys allowed' phrase, and while Weiss rolled her eyes at the time, she was grateful they'd listened.

So, moments like these, sat alone on the edge of their camp, were a rarity. While she'd hoped to plan their next move, Weiss found instead her mind was like a wheel, constantly turning, refusing to remain stationary. With thoughts came more questions, uncertainty, and inevitably, distress.

They knew they were abandoning the Church, and they knew what that meant for them; being branded a rogue Hunter was perhaps their biggest, though not only issue.

Traveling as often as Hunters did, many never quite settled down and bought a home for themselves, not until retirement. Most lived their lives out of an inn room, or in a city with lodging provided by the Church. Weiss had fallen into the latter, as had most of them, which brought up one slight issue: none of them had homes anymore.

Returning to their homes, something Weiss hadn't been able to do before anyways, was out of the question. Not unless they wanted to endanger their loved ones. Where they could visit now, whether to resupply or rest, changed drastically too. Smaller towns further outside the kingdom might be safe, but cities were out of the question, as were more robust settlements. Word of their defection wouldn't have spread already, not only after three days.

Word would spread, however, and they'd lose any hope of returning to whatever homes they may have had, temporary or otherwise. Which brought Weiss back to her original point.

They had no home now.

Living out of tents was no way to live, certainly not for active Hunters. Magi, you're just Magi now. Hunters belong to the Church. It was going to take some getting used to, no longer being a Hunter. What she'd told May was still true: Hunter was mostly a title, albeit a title with benefits. You earned pay from the Church for missions, could always count on lodging, and had access to any resource you might need.

Now? If it wasn't in their bags, they didn't have it, plain and simple.

As a Schnee, she should have everything she'd ever need, and more. As a Hunter, she'd have a livelihood, and just as important, an income. Now, she had neither. None of them had either. Everything would have to be either made or found, and in the unlikely event they made Lien, they would spend it scrupulously.

Weiss wasn't the only one among them to notice how drastically their lives had changed. Nora complained about aches from sleeping on the ground, and Ruby had grown homesick, increasingly so when told she likely couldn't visit her father. That had driven her friend to tears, and Yang had to pull her aside. Only after an hour, an hour of consoling, had Ruby calmed enough to rejoin them.

Weiss' family, at least her father, had never wanted her around to begin with, and she'd managed. She missed her mother and Winter dearly, as she did a few of the staff, but being all the way in Atlas as they were, her status hardly made a difference, she wasn't going to see them any time soon. Ruby's father was half a day's travel, to the coast and then to Patch, yet he might as well be in Atlas too.

Despite knowing it wasn't her fault, guilt clung to her, tainting her thoughts. When Ruby had returned she'd been all smiles, even going as far to laugh at her earlier outburst. Seeing her eyes, however, Weiss knew the smile had been for show. Yang had noticed it too, shaking her head when Weiss nearly brought the matter up again.

While not her idea alone, Weiss had been the one to pull the trigger. As a result, everyone here - with exception of perhaps Blake and Yang, gave up their lives, their families, essentially, who they were.

So, yeah, there was some guilt.

Though it felt like climbing a mountain, Weiss pulled herself from her self-ridicule and rejoined the group; there would be ample time to argue with herself later.

Ren knelt studiously beside a fire, stirring a pot of assorted root vegetables and meat. When asked what meat it was, Nora boisterously declared a handful of squirrels had 'valiantly given their lives to fill our tummies'. Squirrels, huh?

"Thank you," muttered Weiss, smiling as she accepted her bowl. The browned broth, what she hoped was broth, swirled with chunks of seared meat and roots that she liked to imagine were edible. Ren and Nora were accustomed to this way of life, so surely, they knew what was safe to eat… Right?

Taking a seat on a fallen log, only to move when Jaune pointed out a slug near her leg, Weiss settled for the grass instead. Repulsive, writhing little beast, how dare it take her seat.

Legs to the side, Weiss had just settled in when Yang approached, grinning broadly. "Hey, this seat taken?"

"It is, yes. As you can see I'm quite popular," Weiss commented, lips curling as she stifled a smile.

"Well then, make room for me, cuz I'm comin' in!" Weiss slid over to make room, tentatively prodding at her stew. She'd yet to take a bite, unsure of how palatable squirrel stew might be. Yang plopped down in the grass, crossing her legs and nesting the bowl between them. "So, how we doin', Weissy?"

"Well… Considering we've just abandoned our posts, have nowhere to go, and may be set upon by Hunters at any moment?" Weiss listed, "I think we're doing quite fine, all things considered."

"No, you goof," Yang jabbed, both verbally and literally. Ouch. "I mean how are you doing."

Truthfully? A nervous wreck. Not including the undeserved guilt, she didn't know what they were going to be doing, though to be fair, none of them did. Her mantle as 'leader', something she'd still argue was absurd, only added to the nerves already screaming inside of her.

"Fine," she deflected carefully, preoccupying herself with her meal. The meat was gamey, and tasted only of the broth, which she assumed was carrot and… Ginger?

"Fine? Ri-ight, cuz, ya know, tossing and turning all night is fine. Especially since you slept, what… Three hours?"

"It was four hours." Weiss retorted, blinking before letting out a huff. "I've never slept well, your concern is misplaced. I'm fine."

Weiss squeaked as a finger prodded at her nose, the surprise making her nearly fall over. What was that supposed to be? Rubbing her nose and glaring while Yang snickered, she took a breath and composed herself, flush at her own absurd reaction. "You're a child…"

"Big child then, 'cuz I'm way taller than you," the blond sniggered, "Ya know, you could be a bit Weiss-er to me, I'm just trying to help."

Groaning, Weiss turned away, silently fuming as her friend glowed with pride at her abysmal joke. "You're so immature, making puns like those. You could learn a thing or two from Ruby."

Yang scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "Yeah right, she's still totally the baby of the family. Just because I like to make Schneesy puns doesn't make me immature."

"No… But it might just make you a complete dolt," Weiss rolled her eyes, unable to suppress the hint of a smile that threatened to break her facade.

"Sheesh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the dirt today." With a snicker, Yang leaned away as a finger threatened to flick her, flashing an innocent smile. "Seriously though, what's up? You look broody, and that's Blake's job."

That obvious? Maybe sitting by herself gave it away. She'd hoped not to trouble the others, and apparently, she failed at that "Do you ever miss being able to go home?"

"Eh? You mean like, seeing my dad?" Yang went silent, her brow pulling together slightly as she plucked at the grass thoughtfully. "Sure, now and again, but it wasn't like I saw him a whole lot as a Hunter either, ya know?"

"I suppose. Still though, as a Hunter you could have visited, given time." Downtime as a Hunter was remarkably rare, usually only being granted when you were injured. There was always work to be done. "Now that we're all… On the run," Weiss muttered, stopping herself short of using 'rogue', "We can't go back to see our families."

"You homesick too? Ruby had a bad night last night because of that. Kept saying she was worried how he'd be, now that we're both gone." Not that anyone would know that now with how animatedly she spoke with Nora and Jaune.

"Not homesick, not exactly. The fact that my decision to defect - and I know, it was a group decision," Weiss added before Yang could correct her, "But still, the decision to defect means none of us have anywhere we can call home now."

Something they'd all taken for granted until their first day skirting the law. It was as they said: you didn't know how good something is until it's gone. Staring into her dirtied reflection, Weiss exhaled, dragging her wooden spoon through the broth. "I just… I understood how drastic the changes would be, or I thought I did."

"It ain't easy. There were loads of times I wanted to see Ruby, or go home and visit dad. Hell, there were a couple of times I almost ran into Qrow," Yang chuckled sadly, "But he woulda thought I was a rogue, probably would attack me on sight. My own family thinking I'm some kinda criminal. So, yeah, I get it. This stuff sucks, and I hate to tell ya, but it doesn't get much better."

Yang's honesty was welcome even if it wasn't what Weiss wanted to hear. Their path wouldn't be easy in any way, shape or form, and they'd accepted that. Admittedly, perhaps they'd been a bit naive and too ready to abandon everything.

Scratching at her cheek and exhaling, Yang settled back, precariously balancing the bowl in her lap. "Ya know… It's not all bad. Sure, going back to our families probably isn't happening for a long while, but… Doesn't mean we can't have a home."

Weiss' curiosity piqued, she appraised Yang with a curious stare. "Unless you're sitting on a fortune and not telling us, I fail to see how we might find a home."

"Dad once said 'home is where the heart is', or something cheesy like that," she smiled, and what sadness Weiss could see in the expression quickly vanished, making her wonder if she'd imagined it. "He always was real meloexcited or whatever."

"Melodramatic," Weiss corrected, "And I think that's a lovely sentiment, though unless you suggest we live in our tents and consider those home…"

Yang grinned, patting Weiss' back despite protests."Nope! I'm sayin' maybe we can find somewhere. Vale's loaded with empty towns and buildings, you just gotta know where to look!"

Not a terrible idea, though there was one slight issue: they'd traveled for almost a week now and hadn't seen anything of the sort. Wishful thinking, and little more than that. "Wouldn't finding a home be impractical? We're traveling, unless you've managed to forget that."

"Didn't forget! It would still be nice having a place to go back to though, wouldn't it? Sure, we'll probably spend more time away from it than actually at the place," Yang admitted, "But that doesn't mean we can't have somewhere."

"True…" Weiss absentmindedly agreed, watching Blake curiously. Sat alone, apart from everyone including Ruby and hardly eating. She knew Blake agreed to come with them, yet if she had any desire to be with them, it wasn't coming across.

"Man, she's still a total loner, huh?" Yang commented. Lifting her bowl, she scarfed down the last morsels before drinking the broth with a loud slurp, causing Weiss to openly grimace.

"Manners! Just because we're in the woods doesn't mean you can eat like an animal," she chastised.

"Uh, I think it's because we're in the woods I can. Or are ya gonna make all the animals use forks and knives?" Yang retorted, holding Weiss' own bowl out to her, "Go on, try it! Live a little, Ice Queen. Or are you one of those hoity-toity rich people like Blake mentioned?"

She couldn't get a simple idiom, but somehow Yang managed to use that word right? Weiss huffed, snatching her bowl and nearly spilling its contents. "Am not! I'm perfectly capable of doing that!"

"Then do it," baited Yang, eyes shining excitedly, "Come on, give it a big 'ol drink!"

Weiss wanted to tell Yang off for her childish taunts, but she knew it would only invite even more teasing. It was easier to just do what she said, lest she endure nonstop jabs. Eyeing the bowl hesitantly, Weiss closed her eyes and held it to her lips, taking a deep breath before tilting it back. Immediately, her mouth filled with more broth than she knew what to do with, leaving her sputtering and spitting as excess dribbled down her chin.

Beside her, Yang howled with laughter, doubling over on the ground. The noise attracted the attention of the others, and Nora and Ruby joined in the laughter while Pyrrha, Jaune and Ren at least had the decency to stifle theirs. Was she mistaken, or had Blake even cracked a smile?

"Ack! I could have choked!" Weiss growled, wiping her mouth with her hand, then cleaning it on the grass.

Through her giggle fits, Yang sat upright. "But did you?" she asked as she wiped away tears.

No, though for a second, she thought she might! Where was the sympathy? "Aw, come on Weiss, no need to be so mad!" the blonde continued, lips quivering as she strained to keep herself from laughing. Weiss pulled a strand of root from the corner of her mouth, flicking it away with a huff. "I guess you… Got to the root of that problem, huh?"

"You're so… Ugh!" Weiss threw her empty bowl at Yang, missing by a wide margin and drawing even more laughter, both from the blonde and the group at large. Fuming, she jumped to her feet, giving chase as Yang desperately avoided her grasp. "When I get my hands on you…!"

"Easy, Weissy! No reason to be so brothered!" Yang howled, ducking behind a tree, circling when Weiss tried to grab hold. "Watch out, I'm real squirrely!"

The puns must stop, otherwise her sanity would be completely frayed. Luckily, even if she couldn't catch Yang herself… "Ruby? Be a dear and grab Yang, won't you?"

Lilac eyes went wide, and Yang had barely turned when Ruby barreled into her sister's back, sending both sisters to the ground in a mess of flailing limbs. Yang continued to laugh, and Weiss wondered if she would pass out at any point from oxygen deprivation.

"Heh, aw, look at you, Rubes!" Yang chortled, squirming to avoid Ruby's clutches. "Defending your princess's honor!"

Ruby's face quickly matched the color of her cloak, knocking her fists into Yang's arms with a whine. "Weiss, Yang's being weird! Freeze her or something!"

Tempting as it was, no one wanted to lug around a Yang-sized ice block, meaning her frozen fate would be postponed. Besides… Who else would carry her things for her?

Entertaining as watching the sisters fighting was, Weiss would prefer not risking injury. Clapping her hands, she smiled, barely suppressing a laugh as Ruby flailed helplessly, held at arm's length. "Alright, that's quite enough. Thank you Ruby."

Held up like a small child, Ruby puffed her cheeks up, reaching for Yang's face. "She pinched my cheeks! You know I hate that!"

"Yeah? Well you got sticks in my hair! You have any idea how hard it is to keep this clean?"

"Ladies, that's enough!" Weiss clapped her hands, trying to put an end to the scuffle… That she admittedly initiated. "What are you both smiling at…? Is there something on my face?"

Ruby giggled. "You sounded just like professor Goodwitch!" Yang's hands finally released her, only to grab her cheeks and pull at them. "Yan, cu' it ou'!"

"You kinda did, real bossy bitch," Yang laughed, then quickly changed her tone when Weiss' eyes narrowed, "N-Not that you're a bossy bitch! You're awesome, Weissy!"

Whatever remark Weiss had in response was drowned out by an excitable Nora squeal, followed swiftly by a human bullet darting past her. Ruby narrowly moved before a mess of red and pink collided with Yang, sending them tumbling.

"You two are wrestling without me?!" Nora squealed, laughing as Yang tried to peel her off, "Count. Me. In!"

What had been a match between sisters now devolved into more of a brawl between powerhouses, with Ruby desperately trying to break up the fray. That was all hers, Weiss wasn't getting anywhere the flailing mass, not unless she wanted a black eye.

Ren jogged over and seemed to think much the same, watching the melee with concern. "Sorry, I tried to stop her, but she just rushed over as soon as she noticed."

Yang rolled away from a pounce by Nora, laughing as she threw the redhead by her outstretched arm. Exasperated, Weiss closed her eyes, smiling even as she felt a vein pulse in her forehead. "It's quite alright, maybe they'll get out their excess energy this way," she muttered. "Or maybe," taking a deep breath, she glared at the pair and shouted, "MAYBE they'll knock each other out and we'll be forced to carry them!"

A boot from seemingly nowhere suddenly appeared in her face, and Weiss only managed a confused noise before she doubled over, falling onto her back. Why was the sky spinning? Head throbbing, she sat up with Ren's help, wincing as her fingers teased a slow forming lump on her forehead.

It wouldn't take a scholar of Ozpin's ability to decide who the culprit was, not when Nora hopped awkwardly, one foot bare. Still, she had the gall to point at Yang and smile like she was innocent, eyes darting between Weiss and Ren.

"Nora… I'd apologize," Ren cautioned, watching Weiss raise a finger threateningly, "Before she freezes you."

"What? Naaaah, Weiss wouldn't freeze me!" Nora's confidence refused to waver even as Yang backed away, pulling Ruby with her. Weiss' finger wove through the air, a blue character forming as her eyes shone dangerously. "Weiss wouldn't freeze me…" she repeated, less confident now.

Fortunately for Nora, she was right. Weiss wasn't about to risk a Grimm attack for a little petty revenge. Letting her rune fade, she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and holding a hand as Ren offered his support. "Nora… Do me a favor? Next time you see them, or any of us having a fight and you want to jump in… Don't."

"It looked fun though! Besides, Yang was totally having a blast!" Nearby, the blonde shook her head vehemently, trying to stay well out of their discussion. "What about if we're like… Fighting-fighting. If someone gets into an argument, I could break it up!"

Speaking to Nora was like speaking to a child sometimes. If a child could lift several times their body weight, eat more than most grown men twice their size, and found pleasure in grappling with Grimm. So… More of a manic child, then.

"Just don't, please." Weiss grabbed the boot, throwing it back to Nora and watching as it hit the dirt, several feet short. Nora snickered, swiftly silencing herself when Weiss glared daggers, though she went on grinning as she hopped to her shoe.

While Ren reeled in his rowdy partner, Yang slipped away with Ruby, escaping Weiss' wrath. Glancing at the spilled contents of her bowl, the brown liquid rather unappealing now that she looked at it, she collected the dishes and placed them with the others, handing them off to Pyrrha.

Jaune quickly took them and ran a cloth over each, cleaning them as best he could. "You uh… You got a little…" Gingerly tapping his own forehead as though he'd been the one struck, he laughed nervously and resumed his cleaning.

"I'm aware, thank you," Weiss grumbled in agitation, fingers again feeling the growing welt. "When you're through with that, may we keep moving? I feel like I'm going to freeze someone if this keeps up."

"We wouldn't want that," Pyrrha mused, barely suppressing a smile at Weiss' expense. "Though… I wonder if a block of ice would work well against Grimm."

"I don't know," Weiss smiled darkly, "Care to find out, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha's eyes went wide and she began putting away the remaining dishes, her bag bulging at the excess of supplies. Bowls were an odd thing to purchase, but having some semblance of civility was nice… Even if they ate while sitting in dirt.

Weiss exhaled, the single breath enough to quell most of her annoyance. It was still best that no one begin acting out though, and the remainder of the group went about cleaning their camp studiously, all dreading the Ice Queen's wrath. For once, she was grateful for that ludicrous nickname.

/+/+/+/+/+/

What would people think, Weiss wondered, if they saw her and her friends? Too well dressed to be bandits, carrying too much and far too armed to be simple pilgrims. If anyone who had half a brain saw them, the only reasonable conclusion would be Hunters.

It was an assumption that wouldn't be completely wrong, and that fact was unnerving, it meant they stuck out. Should Ozpin send anyone after them, and they had every reason to assume he had, it wouldn't be hard to find them.

The lone saving grace was their distance from the city. Durham had already been far from the capital, and with a week's travel under their belts they were further still. The road they traveled seemed to lead nowhere; oxymoronic, for why else would they build a road? If this path had a destination, then Weiss couldn't see it. There were no towns they passed, not even a settlement. For two days, they went without seeing a single soul.

Traveling in a group might be dangerous, but Weiss was at least grateful for the company. She'd always hated these long, solitary walks between missions, left with nothing to do but muse, or sometimes, talk to herself. Of course, now that she had people to speak to she couldn't get a word in edgewise, though that was okay too. She preferred chatter over the alternative.

"Not having a toilet to use really stinks…" Jaune groaned.

"Perhaps… But… At least you have the freedom to go as you please?" Pyrrha attempted to console her partner, drawing her hand back as Jaune whined.

"I almost used poison oak to wipe, Pyr! Do you have any idea how much that would have sucked?"

Okay, she preferred most chatter over silence.

Heading the group were Yang and Ruby, caught up in their own animated discussion, with the latter gesturing wildly to convey some point. In no particular formation they walked, spanning the entire width of the road, loosely gathered. Weiss glanced around, relieved to see everyone was at least enjoying themselves, as much as one could on an endless walk, anyways.

Everyone except Blake, that is. The Meera stood out at the far back of the group, eyes staring off into the distance. Having no one to speak to herself, Weiss slowed her stride and walked alongside Blake, smiling even as she went ignored. Only when she was giving a fleeting glance, almost indiscernible, did she take the chance to speak.

"I just wanted to say I appreciate your help thus far. Your ability to hunt is invaluable." So too were Nora and Ren's, but Blake was a superior huntress. Given no reply, Weiss licked her lips nervously, gears churning for some topic of conversation. "Shadow magic… It seems very versatile."

"It can be."

"Shadow-walking is an amazing ability. Did you know I used it against Merlot…?" Judging by the surprised look she was given, apparently not.

"How…?" Blake asked, amber eyes narrowing slightly, searching Weiss' face for an answer. "You use runes…"

"I do, which when given the right combination, I can replicate most spells," Weiss explained, "Granted, the potency of my magic pales in comparison to someone like Yang, or Nora, or even you, for that matter." Given a quizzical look, Weiss hastily raised her hands in defense. "Not that your magic is weak, in fact I'm certain it's quite powerful!"

"Not strong enough," the Meera shook her head.

"I'm… Sorry? Not strong enough for what?" Killing Grimm? Weiss begged to differ, even if she hadn't seen Blake really fight with spells herself. The Meera's eyes refocused, and Weiss followed her line of sight, feeling worry begin to swell as they stared at Yang.

"You don't mean to fight her, do you?"

"No, I don't. I don't have a death wish," Blake answered, shaking her head again, "Besides, we're… Allies now." The word came forced, Blake's face contorting in a barely perceptible disdain before resuming its impassive default.

"You are. In fact, we're all allies now," Weiss repeated, stressing the point, "And I'm glad that whatever shared past you two might have isn't preventing you from cooperating."

"The Church is the enemy, that hasn't changed." That was a relief to hear. "I still don't like Yang though," Blake continued, amber eyes on Weiss, "And I still don't like you."

Oh… Well, at least they weren't at each other's throats? Still, she'd liked to think after nearly two weeks of traveling together they would be on neutral, if not amicable terms. "What do we need to do to earn your favor? So, you don't hate me or Yang? If we're working together, it's better we get along, don't you agree?"

"I can work with people I hate, I did it for years," Blake said. "I never said I hate you either, I said I don't like you. There's a difference."

Was there? 'Dislike' and 'hate' might be two different degrees of disdain, but if it compromised their ability to work together, one was just as bad as the other. "If you want me to like you," the Meera went on, "Then be more like Ruby."

Be more like Ruby? What was that supposed to mean? Be optimistic to the point of naivete? Have an unhealthy obsession with sweets and weapons both? Weiss looked to Blake for further explanation and found herself staring at the Meera's back, signaling their conversation was over. Be more like Ruby… For the life of her Weiss couldn't think of what that might mean.

With clear blue skies overhead and an empty road before them, there was an odd serenity about their journey. Despite knowing the destination, despite the threat of a Hunter appearing any moment, a peace of mind Weiss hadn't known in a long while managed to take root, blossoming and filling her with a welcome calm.

Around them, birds sang, their melodies filling the air with a chorus of wonderful sounds. Leaves rustled gently in the breeze, some of which had begun to turn varying shades. One carried on the wind and Weiss deftly snatched it out of the air, holding its stem between her thumb and forefinger, inspecting it. Autumn would be here soon, that's what the leaf told her, as did the crispening air.

Absentmindedly running a finger over the veins of the leaf, Weiss watched a pair of birds take off, circling each other as they flew. Their sky-blue feathers fluttered noiselessly, carrying them like a whisper on the wind, disappearing into the leaves of another tree. How nice it must be, she mused, to be able to move so freely.

Releasing the leaf and watch it flutter away like the birds before it, joining many others along the roadside, where it would remain, unnoticed.

Analogous to their lives, Weiss noted somberly. How many Hunters before them had walked a similar path? How many would after? Try as she might Weiss found herself again thinking herself into a hole, her emotions as tumultuous as waves against a cliff. Seeing the group smiling and laughing together lifted her spirits, bringing a smile to her face, hopeful that they might just be okay. Then reality set in, feeling like a punch to the gut, reminding her how dire things were for them now.

It was exhausting shifting between highs and lows so rapidly. The mood swings didn't discriminate either, coming on late at night, midday, whenever they pleased. If they were a visitor Weiss would have kicked them out and banned them from her home long ago. A shame it wasn't that easy.

Is this why Qrow drinks? He never seems troubled, but I can almost understand if this is the reason. Weiss shook her head, slapping herself before nursing her temples irritably. Now she was justifying being a drunk, wonderful.

She just needed to focus on the road and their mission; their first potential ally was another source of anxiety, and Weiss was envious how well the rest of her group was managing the stress.

Eyes forward, head high. You can fret about everything later. Breathing deeply to quell the surging anxiousness she felt, Weiss hurried along, joining Yang and Ruby with a polite smile. Worried or not, she had to at least look confident, for their sake. Who knows, maybe if she faked it enough then she'd start to believe it too.

Expending their limited supplies was risky, but so too was stopping for extended periods of time. Stopping meant making it easier to be found and ran the obvious risk of a Hunter catching them. Whoever came upon them would be dealt with. Beating the enemy wasn't the point though. Fighting meant expending magic, either on their behalf or by their opponent, and that meant Grimm.

When a lone figure approached their group then, alarms went off in everyone's heads. Weiss had just been finishing a can of peaches when Blake alerted everyone, weapon already in hand. The group followed, and Weiss took it upon herself to greet their visitor.

Alone and barely able to walk, the man stumbled down the road. When his head raised, and their eyes met, Weiss lowered her weapon. There was blood, quite a bit of it, and the man's clothing had certainly seen better days. Weiss opened her mouth to address the stranger, covering her head as wind kicked up and Ruby raced past her. "Ruby, be careful!"

Using the last of his strength, the man greeted Ruby with a weak wave before collapsing into her arms. Weiss watched his blood soak Ruby's clothes, and Weiss feared he may have succumb to his wounds.

"Weiss, he needs help!" Ruby called, straining to carry the man herself. That went out saying as Yang rushed forward to help, much more capable of carrying someone than her sister

What if this was a trap? Could someone have sent him here to throw them off guard? Ruby gingerly moved the man, silver eyes wide and pleading. "Ren, get bandages out, please!"

Trap or not, they were committed now thanks to Ruby. "Pyrrha, Jaune! Keep an eye out for movement, form a perimeter! Blake, help them!" Waving the sisters over and setting the man in the grass, Ren hurried to his side, bandages in hand. The man spoke in a rasp, his voice too quiet to make out any words.

"Don't worry, you're going to be okay," Ruby reassured, smiling as the man took one of her hands, unphased by the blood. Ren and Nora stripped away ruined cloth, exposing wounds and cleaning them before applying a salve.

Fifteen minutes passed and with no sign of an impending attack, Weiss called everyone back. Though weak from his ordeal the man sat up under his own power, drinking greedily from what appeared to be Weiss' waterskin. When had they…?

He was on the brink of death, you can make an exception. She'd just have to spend extra time drowning it to clean it later. Sporting more bandages and bruises than clothes, the stranger was in a sorry state indeed. If this was some attempt at a trick to disarm them, then he'd gone to great lengths to accomplish it.

Not without sympathy, Weiss knelt before the man, smiling politely as she gestured to herself. "You're fortunate to have found us. My name is Weiss, and these are my friends, Ruby, Yang…" she let the rest introduce themselves, watching the man carefully. No flashes of recognition, meaning he had no idea who they were. That was good.

"Thank… Thank you…" Even with the drink she strained to hear his voice, gravelly and weak. A hand reached out and held Weiss' arm, and fatigued as it was, she barely felt the fingers wrap around her wrist. "You must help… Please, my caravan…"

"Easy, you're safe now," Yang gently urged, eyes locked on the man's hand.

Weiss smiled, trying to ease his visible distress. "Why don't you begin by telling us what happened? Were you attacked by Grimm?"

Grimm would be easy to deal with, even in the absence of magic. This far removed from civilization, Grimm seemed like the only possible culprit. Watching the man shake his head then was troublesome.

"Bandits… Whole lot of them too."

"How many? Do you know where they came from?"

"I… I don't know, I'm sorry. One moment we're traveling just fine, and the next, one of my guards is dead. It was like we bust open a hornet's nest; they wasn't there one second, and the next we're surrounded."

Only the man survived then, Weiss assumed, the sobering thought sending a hush through the group. Bandits… She felt like an utter idiot for not considering that before. As far from towns as they were, supplies would be scarce, making traders all but impossible to pass up.

What should they do? There was nowhere to take him, and if the bandits were nearby, they needed to be dealt with. This was not an interruption they needed right now.

"Your caravan… Where was it attacked?" Weiss asked.

Shaking, the man pointed back the way he had come. "'B-Bout a mile that ways. You aren't planning on going after them, are you?"

"That was the intention, yes." Unless anyone had any issue with that. Weiss looked back, and not a soul among them seemed opposed to the idea. "I'm afraid you'll have to come with us though, since we can't well leave you here."

The idea of returning terrified the man, but when the alternative was trying to survive on his own, injured as he was, he had little choice. Helped to his feet, the man turned down Yang's offer to be carried, smiling uneasily as she reassured she could more than handle it.

When the time came to move again, Ruby hovered close to the man for support, watching as he slowly trudged along, woefully slowly. Weiss wanted to suggest taking Yang up on her offer but paused when noticing Blake had her attention elsewhere.

The Meera had stopped walking, ears flicking about and eyes darting to the sides of the roads. An unspoken alarm that called for everyone to draw their weapons. Were the bandits here? Grimm? Weiss tried to spot movement in the tree line, straining her ears for any noise. The wind rustled leaves gently, and somewhere nearby, a bird called out.

"Move!" Blake shouted.

Weiss barely had time to react. A blur darted from the tree line, approaching her with sword in hand. Myrtenaster raised and caught a curved blade, the force behind the blow pushing her back. Her arm went numb blocking a second blow, alarmed as her attacker swung their sword singlehandedly, yet delivered such power.

A Grimm mask concealed the woman's face, a pair of red eyes staring back through the slits. Feeling herself being pushed back, Weiss held onto her weapon, muscles burning as she tried to fend off her attacker.

"Leave her alone!" Yang's high kick sailed overhead, missing the woman but driving her back. Giving chase despite Weiss' warning, Yang grunted as a pair of hands slammed into her chest, driving her away. A shorter woman with cropped hair smirked, a pair of robin's eggs shining dangerously.

The trees around them came alive as a crowd emerged, weapons in hand, forming a circle around their group. Instinctively the Hunters drew back, closing around the merchant. Everyone except for Yang, whose arms were licked by flame as she trembled.

The masked woman scoffed, raising a hand. At once, every member lowered their weapons, though as Weiss noted, none sheathed them. "Come now, is that any way to greet me, Yang?"

"The hell do you think you're doing!? Why are you attacking us?" Yang shouted.

"Watch your tongue when you speak to her," the shorter woman warned.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, the masked woman eased her partner back, stepping forward even as Yang's hands flared up. When Yang threatened to attack she finally stopped, reaching up and grabbing her mask. "I thought you'd be happier to see me," she mused, revealing a strikingly similar face to Yang's. "You don't actually mean to fight, do you? I know you're not that stupid. At least -"

Yang's fist tore through emptiness, her leg swept, and in an instant, she was on the ground, a knee to her back and arm wrenched. The woman stopped short of holding her blade to Yang's neck, though Weiss didn't dare move any closer and press their luck.

"Maybe you are that stupid," the woman scoffed, eyes flitting towards Weiss and the group. No, she was staring past them, at a quivering merchant in the center of their formation. "You're trespassing on Branwen territory, and you have something we want. Hand it over, or we can take it from you. Your choice."

Weiss' eyes may have been on the woman, but she was just as aware of the nearly dozen or so bandits who had slipped out from the trees. This had been planned, and they'd walked right into the trap. The good news? They'd found their potential ally.

"Cooperate, or fight, which will it be?" The woman was impatient, pulling hard at Yang's arm and drawing a hiss of pain. "I'm waiting."

Bad news? They were probably about to fight. Not the best first impression.

As a wise woman once said, I like to start my chapter off... With a Yang!

Weiss is plagued with doubt, still, Nora is... Nora, and all shall know the wrath of Weiss and her terrible athleticism!

Oh, and a "mystery woman" is here, and none of you could possibly know who it is. Nope. The "Branwen" name and looking like Yang DEFINITELY doesn't give anything away.

Next chapter: 8/10!