The Wall was not a great towering structure, it was around a hundred metres in height, however it did stretch from one coast to the other a monstrous distance of of near five hundred kilometers in distance. Of the Walls many planned castles only three were complete. West-watch-by-the-sea and East-Watch-by-the-sea and lastly the Nightfort in the middle. The use of giants and other ice mages, was moving the construction of the wall along quicker then what would have normally been possible. However Oz mused as he rode his destrier with Qrow walking in his griffon form beside him. They would be lucky to see it completed in their lifetime, maybe their grandchildren. . .
Ozpin had entrusted Glynda of House Goodwitch to the creation of the wall. Her magic lent itself very nicely to creation and repair and she proved to have the skills to manage the hundreds of workers and warriors upon the wall. Still he hoped she found time to have children, it would be a shame for her magic to die with her.
The huge wall was grey in the dull overcast light, even so as they approached with a band of men near two hundred strong he could see the little ice mages working with the giants. Laying spells into the wall that would keep Grimm from crossing. It would not be perfect as the Grimm capable of flight and able to swim would still be able to get around. However it would reduce the numbers and types of Grimm, which was the goal.
The core castle of the Wall was Nightfort, a huge expansive labyrinth cut into into the very ice of the wall. Within the earth and ice were tunnels that allowed travel between the vaults and buildings of the castle. For in winter venturing out was a death sentence. A bell tower rose in one corner, while other buildings; rookery, brew house, library, dungeon, armory and forge. The great hall while not as large as Winterfell's, could house five hundred men.
The Nightfort's most dominant feature was the Weirwood tree that grew in the courtyard. Ozpin's father Octavian had refused to cut down the Weirwood and why he decided to build the castle around it no one knew.
Glynda was waiting for them as Oz's company entered the courtyard already setting out do their various tasks. Ozpin thought the heavy grey cloak and even heavier layers underneath made Goodwitch look smaller than normal. Her blonde hair hidden under a hood, she bowed all the same as Ozpin dismounted. "My King."
"Glynda." Ozpin stepped to her and they shared a brief hug. "How goes it?"
"As expected, however there have been two breaches. We lost too many men in the effort to seal them." Glynda pulled away hugging herself against the cold.
"I noticed as much, I have brought you twenty five replacement soldiers and fifty more stonemasons. Any wounded you have we will take back to Winterfell with us." Ozpin looked over to the Weirwood, it's smiling carved face. He could have sworn those eyes were watching him.
"Thank you my King, if you and Winter could spar time to assist the mages and giants I would appreciate it." Glynda said.
"We can, my men need to rest and warm their bones." Ozpin dipped his head. "I will join you for the evening meal." He turned and Ghost moved up beside him and dumped Oz's shoulder with his head. Oz reached up and stroked the direwolf's cheek. "Go hunting my friend, I will warg you should I need you."
The direwolf departed as Qrow spoke up. "Come on, we have other things to check on."
Ozpin nodded a farewell to Glynda and stepped away with Qrow, they quickly entered the maze of passages heading down for the library. "Maybe you should talk to him alone." Oz said softly. "You've always been better at it."
"Just because we don't know for sure doesn't mean you should ignore him." Qrow said softly.
"I've already given him, safety, education and a career. I won't say any of that counts as ignoring him." Ozpin said drawing his grey cloak in.
Oscar Pine was apprenticed to Maester Oobleck and through some unfortunate stroke of luck was stuck in the coldest place in the north. Though the King had shown him some kindness naming him Pine instead of Snow. As a bastard he had right to no other name. Still it could be worse, he mused he mostly worked in the library and with the ravens. Rather then out on the cold wall. Boot falls shook him out of his work and he looked up from the oaken table, his heart leapt into his throat. His father and Qrow were approaching.
Oz swallowed thickly, looking at the twelve year old boy. The tan of his skin and black hair could have come from either Qrow or himself. The eyes though however were hazel, Starks were known for grey eyes. His mothers were violet, Ozpin remembered them vividly. Perhaps the hazel did indeed come from Qrow, for his were red and always had been. The stature of the boy was still wrong for a Stark as well. Ozpin forced a small smile upon his lips. "Oscar."
"My King." Oscar hesitantly bowed. Father. The word whispered in his mind.
Awkward silence stretched out for a long moment before Ozpin turned his attention to the books. "Do you enjoy them?"
"Yes my King, Maester Oobleck lets me read in my spare time." Oscar said.
Qrow looked between the two and sighed, well this was going well. "Shown any magic yet Oscar?"
"No my Lord. Though I must say I do not know what to look for." He knew he couldn't summon ice.
Qrow lifted a brow at Ozpin who sighed. Oscar watched as the King snarled for a moment, his features warped. His ears drew back and his canines extended, his hair thickened and Oscar could see it spread down his neck. Ozpin pulled off a glove and showed Oscar his claws. Before switching fully over like Qrow was, he reverted. "That is the most common manifestation of the wolf's blood. Another Stark ability is warging, but you have no pet and unless you are close to a raven I doubt you could trigger it."
Oscar's heart fell a little, he hadn't felt anything like that. Qrow ran a hand through his feathered mane watching Oscar's expressions. "Why don't you go help on the wall Oz."
Ozpin nodded his expression chilled over and departed in a billow of cloak. As soon as the door closed Oscar let out a relieved sigh. "That wasn't awkward at all."
Qrow grabbed a stool and perched on it, rubbing a hand over his feline face. "Yeah well, you are an accident. And he is a Stark, they are not known for showing emotions. Don't take it personally kid… and Oz was raised half wildling. He still has places in decorum where he struggles."
"What about you? What were you raised?" Oscar jumped back up onto his stool, he always found Qrow easier to talk too.
"Wilding with a splash of Northman, that's how I met Oz. His mom had taken him through for a visit to her clan, my father was a northern lord that sired me on a raid. When I was around your age my clan was culled by Grimm and Oz's mom found me and brought me home. After that I studied to be a Lord, but well the Boltons and Branwens never saw eye to eye and a little war later… well now I am the only Branwen left." Qrow said.
"Doesn't that make you a bastard?" Oscar asked.
"Oz's dad legitimized me after the rest of my House fell." Qrow said with a shrug.
"Do you think the King would ever do that for me?" Oscar asked, though he wasn't sure he wanted to be a prince.
Qrow sighed and slumped, his wings slid forward and Oscar stared at the black feathers peaking out from under his cloak. "It's unlikely kid."
"Oh."
"Not for the reason you think. Oz just isn't sure you're actually his." Qrow said with a drawl.
"Who else…" Oscar looked up at the shapeshifter understanding shining in his eyes. "You… That's why you always visit. But how does that even work?"
"Oz and I are very good friends. There was a Tourney at Harrenhal some twelve years back. Oz and I fell in love with the same woman, she was happy to have us both. She was southern so she was very open to what Oz and I share. You were the result." Qrow threaded his fingers together.
Oscar was silent for a long minute. "What was my mother like?"
Qrow sighed and stood up, adjusting his cloak to cover his wings. "You know we can't talk about that right? It's not my place."
"Do you think the King will ever tell me?" Oscar asked.
"... No. Not for any reason you may think." Qrow turned and headed out his tail swishing over the ground.
Oscar raced after him. "Wait! You can't just say all that and leave! Again!"
Qrow rounded on him and Oscar swallowed, Qrow was bigger then Oz in this form. It was so easy to forget sometimes. "You happy here kid?"
The question made Oscar pause, he was warm, educated, feed. "I guess."
"Then don't push. I doubt you really understand just how kind Ozpin has been to you. Don't look the gift horse in the mouth." Qrow strode away and shut the door before Oscar could respond.
It took a while for Qrow to find Ozpin, he was at a hole in the wall about twenty meters in diameter standing on scaffolding as he glared at it. Qrow leaned against a rail and watched.
Oz thrust his hands forward lips set in a grim line, frost gathering from them. He twisted them up right and snarled forcing magic from him into the wall. Ice started to grow straight up out of the hole. As Oz lifted his hands the ice grew, growing thicker and filling the breach. Around him mansions and warriors let out shouts of delight. He had just saved them weeks of work, Oz let his hands fall and stumbled back a step, Qrow quickly moving up to support him. "You alright?"
The celebration continued around them obvious. Mansions moving up to check the new ice. Oz leaned on Qrow. "Yeah, being the King really sucks."
"Lets get some snow back under your feet, that will perk you up." Qrow said and helped Oz away from the former breach and people.
The King of Winter, drew his strength very literally from the north. There was a reason that whenever a Stark went south someone often died in the family. The North was their strength, it fed their souls and magic. The King was tied to it even more so, tossing ice around in combat was one thing, but making as he just had was something only he could do on that scale. His ties to the magic of the land making it possible, however he needed to be in contact with it usually. Upon the ground, being in buildings weakened it. The farther north he went the more power he had.
They stopped in the courtyard, Qrow easing Ozpin down it sit below the Heart Tree. He didn't miss the way Oz touched the white wood even going so far as to remove his gloves to be closer to the Gods. "Qrow, I need you to go scouting. See if the Thenn's have any news. Be back by tomorrow night at the latest."
"As you wish my King." Qrow stepped away and pulled his cloak off and stretched his massive wings. He put his cloak over Oz who smiled at the gesture. "Stay safe."
"As you wish." Qrow said giving Oz those secret words between them, then he lept into the air a great beat of his wings taking him high up into the sky.
The surprised shouts always made Qrow smile as he flew higher and higher, soaring above the wall before banking northward. He let himself glide downward over the Haunted Forest. He could see Grimm black upon the white snow within it, more then was normal. Worried he beat his wings gaining altitude, keeping his head on a swivel for Nevermores and Griffons. His fur and feathers kept him warm even as the bitter arctic air gusted around him.
From on high he saw the Iron Keep, one of the few places that Wildings gathered with the vassals of the King of Winter. It was a Stronghold though larger than the Nightfort was still smaller than Winterfell. To gather there was to do so under a truce for all Houses and Clans. They hadn't needed it in decades, but Ozpin kept it in repair just in case.
Qrow banked west soaring over the First of the First men, the Fort was manned by a skeleton crew of Wildings and vassals. Their job was only to record Grimm movements as the first was located on a high hill with steep slopes to the north and west. It was in short perfect for watching the Grimm move through the Haunted Forest.
The man closed his wings and dived for the Fist before opening them with a flare startling the poor watchman into near soiling his breaches.
"Qrow!" The man barked.
"I need your latest report, the King of Winter is readying to launch a raid." Qrow watched the already red nosed man pale and dash as fast as the ice slick ground would allow him for the trap door that lead the way into the outpost.
The shapeshifter turned his gaze north to the mountains of the Thenn. Finding the wild foke upon them could prove challenging and Oz hadn't given him much time. The watchman returned and shoved a small scroll into Qrow's clawed hands. "Thank you." Qrow said and took off again before the man could speak.
He pushed himself against the wind going northward. It was about six hundred kilometers between him and those mountains and he had half a day of light left.
The sun had set by the time Qrow came to the mountains, he flew lower looking for the valley he knew to be hidden among them. The wind gusted from the north and he shivered, without the sun even he was starting to get cold. Eventually he saw lights and let out a sigh of relief but unlike before he dived for the edge of the small village and landed with considerably less grace then normal.
He waited and in mere minutes spears tipped in bronze were pointed at him. "Magnar." Qrow said his voice already twisting in what he knew would be many conversations in the Old Tongue. He took a deep breath and stood straight and tall, towering over the other men as he wrapped his wings around him.
"Qrow!" A middle aged man dressed in heavy furs moved through the growing audience. Magnar of Thenn was the lord of these wildlings, among the most civil of the fractured groups. "You look frozen to the bone, come eat. It has been to long since we had word from beyond the Wall."
The men pointing their spears at Qrow relaxed and the shapeshifter strode into the village most of it was wood with trees pushing in around them. Qrow dipped his head to Magnar. "Greetings wise one."
"Come my old friend you are frozen through, what has that king of yours asked of you this time. That drove you to fly in the dead of night." Magnar clapped a mitten covered hand on Qrow's shoulder.
"The Grimm have been getting worse here as well. Our valley hides and protects us but hunting is growing more dangerous." Magnar said warming his hands before the fire as Qrow tore with feline teeth into the leg of a deer. "Ozpin chooses a wise time to launch a raid, I am readying to move my people closer to the Iron Keep. The protection the men of the Wall will give as well as it's walls I believe will be invaluable soon."
"You've dealt with high Grimm numbers before. Why do you move now?" Qrow asked, splitting the bone open between his teeth and scraping out the marrow.
"My men and a few giants have been bringing word of Grimm armies moving down. I fear the Long Night will close on us soon." Magnar said.
Qrow paused in his systematic devouring of the deer leg. "That's an old wives tale."
"Winter is coming Qrow. We are in but fall and the days are shortening and game is moving south. I will move my people with it."
"I understand, I will let Ozpin know, but I get the feeling he already does. He's been off for the last few weeks. Spending more time in the Godswood." Qrow said and resumed munching on the deer leg.
"He is the King of Winter, tied to this land. If the Long Night is coming he undoubtedly feels it."
"He has been putting more time and attention into the Wall. If you and yours are heading south, any giants or ice weavers you have would be of enormous help. It will be impossible to finish before winter without more aid. The South has it's head in the sand and will never send us any support." Qrow tossed the last bit of inedible bone onto the fire.
"Once my people are safe within the Iron Keep I will send my spell weavers and giants. Ozpin has already made it clear we have a place beyond the Wall should we ever wish it. It is only right we aid in it's creation." Magnar said. "Rest my friend I remember enough of your tongue to write a report for your King."
"Thank you." Qrow stood as well and embraced Magnar.
"Hmm I have always envied you shape changers, you belong up here more than in that warm south." Magnar said stepping away.
"I love my King, no amount of flattery will get me to leave him." Qrow said this was an old conversation between them.
"You can not blame an old man for trying." Magnar departed into the depths of the longhouse.
Qrow just smirked and unrolled a bedroll before the fire and laid down. He let out a long sigh and was drawn into sleep as soon as he shut his eyes.
This time Qrow flew east, with the Shivering Sea on his left side. He had wanted to take the direct route down but the ever thorough scout he was. Knew he had to fly over the river, even if the clans among them were often cannibals, he really didn't fancy being shot out of the sky. So he flew as low as he dared, keeping a mental tally of the Grimm he saw. Of course his luck was not with him that day.
He didn't see the arrow till it was embedded in his wing. He cried out in pain, his glide thrown off as he plummeted towards the earth. He tried to slow himself but curled his wings around him as he slammed into the snow drift, only just missing a few trees. He groaned and unfurled his wings, pain laced up one and he hissed.
He looked at the bone arrow head in the meaty muscle of his wing and hissed his hackles raising. Well he wouldn't be flying for a while, whoops and shouts filled his ears his gaze snapped up and he growled like a large cat.
Wildlings had just crested the hill, spears in hand and Qrow knew them by their garb, some crafted from human bones. He got up and shaky legs and pulled his wings in tight behind him ignoring the ooze of blood from around the arrow head.
Their were six of them and they were not afraid of the shapeshifter. They smiled at him with rotten teeth.
"Come and get some." Qrow growled even as his head spun from the impact into the snow.
They all rushed him at once, Qrow side stepped and grabbed the spear of one by the shaft snapping it like a twig. Only his size worked against him, another stabbed him in the leg. He twisted and spun flaring his wings out to surprise and stun them. He ripped the throat out of one with his claws only for another to graze his leg. They had formed a strategy and it pissed Qrow off as soon as he saw it. They were treating him like a wounded wolf, every time he lunged they were waiting.
They forced him back against a tree, but he didn't dare turn and scale it. He snapped his wings in tight and wished he had his sword, but those damn spears were keeping him at a distance from the men.
Above him blue winter rose petals gently blew through the trees. Neither party was prepared when they turned into a woman who plunged her own spear of pure salthrim into the head of a wildling. She landed on the ground ripping the spear out of the man's head and spinned it over her shoulders, her boot hitting the head of a second man so hard his neck snapped. Qrow lunged into action taking the last two out while they were too stunned and surprised by her.
Red stained the snow and dripped from Qrow's claws as he stared at his rescuer. She as maybe five and a half feet tall, wearing typical heavy furs with a hood up hiding the rest of her frame. Embroidered on the shoulder of her coat was a blue winter rose. Winter Rose Clan, I thought they were all gone. Qrow stiffly moved to stand, one perk about the cold was it slowed bleeding. "Thank you."
The woman looked at him, shining silver eyes. "Come." She turned away flicking the blood off her spear before it dried and setting off at a trout over a the hill and deeper into the woods.
Qrow forced himself after her, he needed help and she seemed inclined to help him. She kept several steps ahead of him but he saw her looking back checking on him every so often. It wasn't long before they came upon a small camp, clearly made for one hidden among a few thick ironwood trees. It had but one tent and a rack for meats to hang.
The woman disappeared into the tent as Qrow slowed taking the place in. Was this what the Clan of the Winter Rose, had been reduced too? One spearwife? Smoke quickly started climbing through the tiny vent at the top of the tent and the woman poked her nose out. "Come."
Qrow had a feeling she wasn't a conversationalist, but ducked his head and stepped into the tent. It was tight fit but he couldn't shift with wounds, that never ended well. He pulled the flap of the tent closed tight behind him. The woman was warming what appeared to be a cream on the fire.
"Wing." She said and Qrow lowered his wing offering wounded area to her.
She wasted no time, she grabbed the arrowhead and pulled it swiftly up, blood gushed but she quickly pressed a cloth tight to it as Qrow grit his teeth. He needed a distraction. "I thought the Winter Roses were all gone. Dead by Grimm."
"Not all." The Rose said.
"Just you?" Qrow asked his arm wobbled he ached to lay down but he forced himself upright and pressed one of the other cuts into his thigh. Now that he was warming as the blood would start to flow more freely.
"Yes." The water hanging over the fire had come to a boil. "Hold."
Qrow held the cloth over his wing while the woman put a curved needle into the water and followed by a gut string. "You got a name?"
The woman looked up to him and for a minute didn't say a word. "Ruby. Wing."
Qrow spread the wing and Ruby pulled the cloth off then grabbed another dipping it in the boiling water then cleaning the wound. Qrow keeled over to the side and whined like a cat to keep from screaming.
Ruby quickly set to stitching the skin back together, Qrow was too far into the pain to notice she was skilled at it. When she was done she applied the cream to the stitching. "Try not to move it, I have no bandages for wings. Leg."
Qrow forced himself to move spreading his injured leg out for her to tend too. "Ruby's a nice name." He said hissing as she started to clean the bigger deeper cuts.
"So I've been told."
"Why are you helping me?" Qrow asked and swallowed thickly as she put a new string on her needle.
"You are the voice of the King. Everyone knows that, if you died he would rage." Ruby said plainly and started to stitch again.
Qrow whined again and clenched his jaw, he couldn't help but watch the needle pierce his skin this time. Again she applied the cream but bound his leg tightly with a bandage. "What are you doing out here?"
"Living." Ruby moved to the last cut.
"Not much for conversation are you?"
"No." The small wildling woman cleaned the last wound.
Qrow forced himself to talk. "Well I'm of the mind to chatter as this fucking hurts. You all on your own out here?"
"Yes."
"Why not join up with one of the other Clans?" Qrow asked.
"Maybe I like being alone, maybe I do not look for a husband. Having men chase me when the Red Wanderer and the Moonmaid is in the sky, as if they could catch me." Ruby scoffed, no man had managed to even come close to catching her yet. It was almost annoying.
"Hey, my King is looking for a wife. If I set him on your trail, there is no way you'd get away." Qrow said and bit his lip as she started stitching again.
"I doubt it." Ruby said but there was the faintest tiny smirk on her face that Qrow found endearing.
"He can shapeshift to a wolf," He added. "I don't see your short legs being able to escape him. Even if you turn yourself into roses, he can hunt on even the worse days. He'd hunt you long after the night is done if that is what it took. You strike me as the kind to give him a merry chase." Qrow said.
Ruby laughed and finished with the stitches, applying cream to the wound. "You barely know me and you want your King to marry me."
"I'd hunt you, but it's my King that needs a wife. He'd marry me, but that doesn't help in the heir department." Qrow said casually.
That got another chuckle from Ruby. "Ahh I see, you think because I am a wilding that I wouldn't care, thus allow you to continue loving your King."
"Am I wrong?" Qrow asked.
Ruby cocked her head at him as she finished with this leg. "No, I like you. You are funny and you are one of my kind if you chased me, I just might let you catch me."
"Oh?" Qrow asked.
Ruby smiled and closed her eyes, her features shifted her nose grew flat and cat shaped, her hair paler as a white thin fur covered her face like his with pale grey spots. She opened those silver cat eyes and Qrow moaned. "You're beautiful."
He reached out and cupped Ruby's cheek. He had not met another cat shifter before but his loins were tightening just looking at her face. Ruby leaned into the touch and purred. "This is why I have never been caught."
"Ohh my King will love you, he loves my feathers and fur and as a wolf shifter he will love chasing a kitty." Qrow wanted to chase her, pin her beneath him and take her.
Ruby pulled away from him and pulled her gloves off relieving more white spotted fur and claws. "You really are determined."
"You shouldn't be living alone, he needs a wife. You like me and are a shapeshifter, you're already perfect. And I've a feeling you wouldn't give a shit about politics and that is something that Oz wants in a wife. He wants someone to come home too, not a political loveless marriage." Qrow said shifting around and pulling his wings tight around him, while stretching out his hurting leg.
"He sounds like quite the romantic." Ruby said, fetching a few large pieces of salted meat and putting them in a pan with some water.
"He is, but don't ever tell him I said that." Qrow said chuckling.
"What else is he like?" Ruby asked.
"Well physically, he's six and a half feet tall, but pushes eight when he shifts. He's a great grey wolf. He's broader then I am but still on the lean side. His hair is black with just a little brown in it that only shows in warm light. Some call him cold, but he just hates being King. Being cold and stoic are just his way of coping with his duties. At his core he is a kind man, I've never seen him treat anyone poorly." Qrow said and sniffed the cooking food, his stomach growled.
Ruby hmmed and threw a few root vegetables into her pan. "I don't think I'd make much of a queen, but as you say he is looking for a wife not a queen. Perhaps if he can catch me, I would not object to leaving this place." She flipped the steaks.
"It must be lonely." Qrow itched to reach over and kiss her. She was just so cute and every instant he had just screamed at him to fuck, but he refrained. He got like this on the rare occasions that Ozpin shifted over, it was just a weird if traceable habit among all shifters.
"Yeah." Ruby fell silent as she dished up the food and offered a plate to him.
Qrow took it and a huge bite of the meat, he was already starving and while it wasn't very good. It was red meat, he looked up out of the vent as he ate. The sky was turning golden to dusk, Ozpin had asked him to be back by tonight but that wasn't going to happen with a hole in his wing. He didn't think they were far from the Milkwater river, which would put them close to the Iron Keep as well. However that still put a good hundred kilometers between him and the Wall. Well he wasn't getting there tonight with a busted leg.
After he finished the food he let himself lay down on the bedroll he had been sitting on. Ruby washed the dishes and looked out as well, then stripped. Qrow couldn't help but watch her, her thick spotted pelt made his mouth water. She was just so beautiful, those legs of her seemed to go on forever in her shifted form and that fluffy tail~ Ohh he got the urge to pet that for hours. Maybe even wrap it around his arm while he-
Qrow yanked his gaze away from her and looked at the ceiling. Clean thoughts Branwen, doesn't matter if she's really hot. Oz first, we don't need another Oscar case.
Ruby sat down beside him saying. "Seeing as you've stolen my bed, we will simply have to share." She turned putting her back to him and coiled her tail around a her own leg. "I take it you will need to return to your king tomorrow."
"Yeah." Qrow shifted and let a wing settle over her.
"Then I will help you."