Surprise, the rare Monday chapter has appeared!

Was a bit too busy to finish the chapter to put it up Friday, and decided to parse it down further Saturday. So, it's a touch shorter than originally planned but it's edited at least.

Dad's home, on a more personal note. Doing pretty well all things considered, so that's a big weight off my shoulders.

Weiss had never seen pirates before.

She had ideas of what they would look like to be sure. Roughshod, with outfits hewn of scraps of cloth and whatever else they took. Unpleasant, crude, and most certainly carrying a disease or six. When they had met the Branwen tribe and, to a lesser extent, the bandit Amber and her group, she'd adopted a kinder impression. Still brutes, still uncivilized curs who would cut you down for one wrong look, but they would show some semblance of humanity.

Those upon the jet-black ship looked more like a formal military power than a group of vagabonds. Though no singular uniform existed among the crew they all showed common themes; black clothing with the twin-dagger crest on their breast or back. Some wore vests to show off rippling skin turned golden by the sun, others chose long, flowing clothes made of chiffon or silk. Finery that surely was stolen, Weiss guessed, but finery nonetheless. With everyone staring them down with eerie interest she felt no reason not to stare back. Few men sported the unkempt beards she'd always pictured pirates as sporting. They seemed well fed, healthy, and a little more than pleased to have found them.

"This is typically the part where you beg us not to kill you."

Weiss' eyes slid to the girl with the viridescent hair, red eyes gleaming dangerously. A vest placed over a lime green, low cut top, and black pants that billowed out around her ankles and held to her waist by a red sash.

Unarmed, but that didn't mean much. Not when several dozen potential threats were staring you down.

Yang's lip curled in a viscous grin. "Try me, see where it gets you."

"I could have flattened you all against the hull you know." Silver-hair smirked, crossing his arms over his exposed chest. He arched an eyebrow as Yang leveled her angry stare at him, tilting his chin and winking. "Right here, blondie."

"Emerald, Mercury, enough." The woman who had somehow snuck on board raised a hand and the pair went silent. As did the rest of the crew, although sneers and grins lingered. A lone amber eye roved over them, her face a mildly amused mask that told Weiss nothing. "Forgive them. Our time at sea has been rather dull and the crew was looking for some entertainment."

"You almost killed us!" Ruby squawked.

"Did we though?" Mercury cooed.

Weiss bit her lip and stuffed her hands under her arms to keep from lashing out. They all knew what their predicament meant. Even as the Varuna, seemingly forgotten by the pirates, continued to revel in their newfound safety just beyond the crowd. Lashing out and rising to bait wasn't going to do them any favors.

That single eye of amber settled on her and Weiss tried to look back at it, eye to eye. Her left throbbed and she could feel blood beginning to dry, no doubt scabbing and sealing it. She'd have to clean that later, assuming they weren't thrown into some cell in the next few moments.

She continued to stare back as silence reigned on deck. Within amber Weiss swore she saw swirling flames, the hint of shadow, and something else there. Something in it that made her spine crawl and sent her mind into a fit. The woman appeared pleasant enough even with half her face masked and scars poking out beneath the fabric. A disarming smile, hair windswept and messy in a style not unlike Ruby's. Another shiver wracked her, and she let her gaze drift down, choosing to take in the woman's outfit instead. A black robe of sorts, thin like chiffon but opaque, fell at an angle to the backs of her thighs and danced in the gentle ocean breeze. She had left it open to show off her toned figure, stomach pale despite exposure, muscle defined. Not overly so, not like Yang, but sleek and lean.

Where Emerald wore flowing trousers, the woman settled for fitted ones, open toed shoes that seemed ill-advised for walking around on a splintering ship. Weiss' eye roamed back up to the bandolier across the woman's chest, absent of weapons, and the sarashi that bound her breasts within.

"It's been a while since I've been so admired by a Warden." Weiss snapped her eye to the deck of the ship. The woman purred, stepping closer, shoes clicking against the floorboards. "I should kill you now and save us the headache…"

Qrow stepped in front of her of all people, leveling his greatsword at the woman. Weiss could see his arm tremble as he tried to hold it steady, more from fatigue than fear, she figured. Hoped. If he had reason enough to be afraid of this person then she should be soiling herself.

"Not another step. She's not your enemy."

"I know."

"You know?" Blake balked on Weiss' behalf, ears flattening as she scowled. "Then why threaten her?"

"To gauge your reactions. Considering you all look ready to gut me I'm convinced you are who I thought you were." Her eye landed on Yang briefly, lips curling slightly, before resting on Weiss again. "It seems our meeting is happening ahead of schedule. Not that it matters…" Not caring that Qrow's sword hovered inches from her face she waved a hand dismissively and sighed. "We weren't likely to find much sport out here anyways, not with the Charybdis prowling. But it seems we have you to thank for solving our little headache."

Headache? They had nearly been killed fighting that abomination! They lost their ship and most of their belongings beating it. Weiss felt like 'world's worst migraine' mde for a more apt description, or sheer terror.

"Anyways," the woman drawled, yawning as she turned her back to Qrow. Ignored his sword aimed right between her shoulderblades. "Welcome aboard, I suppose. You're free to continue standing there, gawping like chaff before a scythe, or you can settle in. We'll be returning home before long."

"Huh?" They all asked it in unison, turning to each other before addressing the woman with puzzled, bemused expressions.

"Come again?" Weiss asked.

"What? Did you expect me to attack you? To order my men to rape and pillage?" Weiss wished she could hide the flush of embarrassment on her cheeks. The woman chuckled. "I'm sorry but we aren't interested in any of that. Besides, you're much more fascinating than any cargo you were carrying."

"And what? We're supposed to just pretend like we're welcome here?" Yang snapped.

The crew had already begun to disperse but those close enough let out a laugh at Yang's retort. Emerald and Mercury, the only two who remained close to the woman, smiled and offered their own vulgar replies. Yang shot one right back and Weiss began wondering if someone would be dead before the day finished.

"Do or don't, it doesn't matter to me." The woman stopped and sighed, turning back to face them with a lazy smile. "We're supposed to be working together, aren't we? I could have a feast prepared to welcome you if that's what you were expecting. I could order Emerald to grovel at your feet."

"Ma'am, please don't."

"At ease. The fish-men have the right idea." Naranča and his remaining crew had somehow found a container of alcohol and were wrestling the cover off. It tipped over and two Varuna held on as it rolled across the deck. "Catch your breath, relax. You all look like hell."

"You're who we're supposed to be working with?" Weiss breathed the question silently, but the woman's smile grew, pleased by her shock and disbelief.

This seemed par for the course by now. They had an ally in a bandit, so pirates seemed to be the next natural step of things. What would be next? Cultists? Fanatics preaching to some false god? Gods, the Church of Remnant might be wicked but at least its people were normal. Or whatever passed for normal nowadays.

Qrow lowered his sword at last with a sigh of relief, blade sinking half a foot into the deck. If it bothered the woman, she didn't show it beyond a soft click of her tongue. Qrow rolled his sagging shoulders and straightened up, flashing a haggard grin and stepping forward. "Right, okay, let's start over. Qrow Branwen, nice to meetcha…"

"I know who you are, Harbinger. And what you are." The woman's eye narrowed briefly before her easy demeanor returned. "I'm well aware of who you all are, so spare me introductions. Raven is nothing if not thorough."

"A thorough pain in the ass," Yang grumbled.

"That too. Cinder Fall." Cinder waited for someone to speak. When no one did she shrugged, smiling, and waving a hand over her shoulder. "There's a dining hall one floor down, help yourselves. There's a washroom if you need it. Oh, and we do have a doctor on board if you'd like your eye looked at, Weiss."

Cinder sauntered lazily until she disappeared among the crew, no doubt off to some other riveting adventure. Weiss stared after her until she vanished before letting out a long, tired sigh. Over the railing she could just make out the remains of the ship disappearing into the depths, wincing as a book - not the journal - floated to the surface, pages crumbling from the saltwater. So much for getting any of their belongings back. So much for making anymore headway with Merlot's sparse notes.

"I can throw you overboard if you'd like?"

Mercury. Weiss narrowed her good eye and turned her nose up at him. "Touch me and I'll entomb you in ice."

"Easy there, Ice Queen, it was a joke!" He grinned and held his hands up. "Jokes, you know? Funny stuff. Like pretending to sail the ship into you."

"You're not funny," Ruby huffed. "You're actually kind of an ass."

Weiss balked, eye going wide hearing Ruby curse. Qrow and Yang snorted.

"Kind of? He's a complete prick," Blake added in.

Mercury chuckled, twirling his wrists before placing a hand over his chest. "At your service, ladies. Old man." He bowed at the waist, winked, and turned, strolling off with barking laughter.

"Don't mind him. He's… No, he's always a prick, but you get used to it like a hangover." Emerald eyed Qrow and smirked. "If you need anything go bother someone else, we're busy."

"You could at least try being nice if we're working together," Ruby said.

"Nice? We just saved you, I'd say that's pretty nice. Try showing a little gratitude."

"I'd rather choke on saltwater, thanks," Yang grumbled.

Emerald let a flicker of irritation show before snorting. "Whatever. Be glad that Cinder keeps her word, otherwise we'd have let you all die out here." She took a step back and dragged down an eyelid, sticking out her tongue. The childish gesture drew a snort from Weiss, then a groan as Ruby returned it wholeheartedly.

"Oh, and welcome aboard the Autumn Fleet!" Emerald called, flipping them off as she too joined the milling ranks of black-clad crewmembers.

/+/+/+/+/+/

Weiss had a difficult time reconciling her idea of pirates and what she saw before her. They were rough and rowdy but not uncouth. Boisterous, energetic, but not destructive or aggressive. Beyond some crass remarks, taunts and jeers they made no effort to harm her or anyone else in the group.

If their meeting had been a little kinder she might feel guilty for thinking so poorly of the lot. Instead, she glared back at each verbal jab, doubling down and snarling when that only incited things further.

On a ship with vagabonds and ne'er-do-wells somehow they managed to look more unruly. In part it had to do with their saltwater laden clothes and fatigue. All of them save for Weiss bore the effects of combat; mentally she felt tired but still lucid, physically she felt like she hadn't cast spells at all. The result left most of their group trudging across the deck, weaving between cheering and dancing thongs as they tried to find a quiet spot to speak among themselves.

Blake moved slower than usual, one eye closed and ears flattened against her head, hands clamped over them. Loud, twangy, and with no rhyme or reason to it the music carried across the flagship, shrill strings plucking, leatherskin drums beating erratically, and some kind of wind instrument whistling merry, off-kilter notes. Weiss had given up trying to cover her own ears and settled for the "grimace and bear it" approach.

Yang looked knackered, face slack and eyes distant beneath a knit brow. She cracked a smile whenever Ruby bumped against her side, spoke when spoken to, but looked like she wanted to be anywhere other than there.

Not that Weiss could blame her in the slightest. Failing to find a spot on the deck for themselves they instead headed for the stairs. Beyond the sprawling deck filled with writhing bodies, devoid of any discernible cargo beyond the crew themselves, they descended into the first level of the ship.

Weiss had expected narrow quarters and poorly lit spaces. To find instead a sprawling hall with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, tables spread across the floor, and yet more people still occupying them, it resembled more of a lively tavern than a ship's hold. Complete with a bar stocked with more bottles than she could count the people here carried on without a note of concern for their presence. Card games, dice, and one table sporting a lively arm-wrestling contest. Despite the flagrant gambling it all managed to come across as composed and orderly.

They weren't military, Weiss figured, but they were closer to that than something like the Branwen tribe.

Honestly, she had no idea what to make of it.

"We are in a ship, right?"

They were, obviously, and yet Weiss could echo Ruby's befuddlement. Crewmembers sporting aprons came and went from bifold doors from a kitchen hidden behind partitioned walls, delivering plates of food and drinks. Another band played somewhere off to the right, their music just as haphazard and patchwork as the quartet above deck.

"This place is fricken' massive…" Yang whistled, looking around and allowing a small show of astonishment to appear. "I've seen estates smaller than this place."

"It would have dwarfed our ship even before it fell apart. It's no small wonder there's so much inside."

Blake's dry tone and flat expression belied a different sentiment. More annoyed if anything, and Weiss suspected she had an inkling of why. From a cursory glance at the crowd she couldn't pick out a single Faunus among them. One served food, another played an instrument, but they seemed more tokens than anything. Even among those non-Faunus it didn't appear that other races were included either; no scales like Yang's denoting a Dimuran, no pointed ears. That fact made the table in the corner housing Naranča and his remaining crew more telling.

Perhaps the Faunus were at other stations. Maybe there were none onboard whatsoever. All human save for the few providing services to others.

Well, it is an Atlesian ship, Weiss thought dryly, pursing her lips. It felt fitting the crew 'honored' the ship's original owners by carrying on their biases.

"Nobody goes anywhere alone," Qrow drawled, standing before them and waving a hand lazily. His red eyes narrowed, and his lips drew into a scowl. "They're given' us free reign here but I don't trust 'em, and neither should you. Take a partner anywhere you go and try not to get into any fights."

The last remark went to Yang and she knew it, pouting but remaining silent.

"Unless the captain graces us with her presence, don't trust anything anyone says, don't take any offers. And don't go trying to make friends with anyone." A warning for Ruby, Weiss suspected. Qrow let out a sigh and his posture became insouciant. A wry grin and a wink came their way before he turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Ruby asked before he'd taken more than a step. "Didn't you just say not to go anywhere alone?"

"I'm an adult, kiddo." They all were technically. "And I'm gonna see what I can figure out about this lot. We're going to be workin' with them, sure, but I still want to see the viper before I lay in bed with it."

"So, you're going to disregard everything you just told us?" Blake raised an eyebrow slightly, folding her arms. "Somehow I'm not surprised."

"It's called 'reconnaissance', kid, and I happen to be pretty good at it," Qrow said as he eyed the bar. Winking again, he threw them a lazy wave and slid his hands into his pockets, sauntering over to the overfilled counter. Immediately he split a duo in a discussion and put an arm around each, and Weiss could just barely hear him declaring their next round would be on him.

With what Lien? Qrow's coinpurse had sunk to the ocean floor along with the rest of them. Along with her own, and the others' as well. It hadn't occurred to Weiss until now that they had no money to their names. Fine if they could work for it but they didn't have the time for that.

Ruby needed healing. Yang needed a cure. The Church, Summer Rose, the White Fang.

Lien would be the least of their worries.

Weiss' stomach growled, as did someone else's. Not a second later a Faunus woman passed them by with a sizzling plate of fish fillets. Blake's eyes lingered on it for the longest before indignation replaced hunger, her arms crossing as she scowled at the floorboards.

"Well… No sense in trying to do things on an empty stomach, right?" Ruby offered a hesitant smile. "And if we don't have to pay…"

"They're out of their minds if they think I'm doing dishes," Yang growled.

"I doubt the captain charges her own crew to eat, and considering we're part of them now," Weiss trailed off with a shrug. Perhaps not part of the crew but allies. Close enough. Even if it felt too easy, too sudden.

Yang's stomach rumbled this time and the four of them found themselves a table by the stairs. Cramped and in the way of people coming and going but as private as they could hope. Weiss didn't feel welcome even with the greeting they'd received. If it could even be called that. After they sat for several minutes waiting for someone to approach their table Yang flagged down the nearest server, then all but dragged the man over when he tried to continue on his way. Orders were given and Weiss, feeling a slight compunction, thanked the man before he hurried off to see them filled.

It all felt strangely out of place. The polished tiled floors that made up the dining hall, the maple tables covered with lacquer, plush wooden chairs with velvet cushions sewn in. No signs of cargo still. Between the crystal chandeliers which swayed lazily with the waves and the paintings adorning the walls Weiss began to wonder if this ship could put up a fight.

There had been no cannons on deck, no portholes that she recalled seeing. Besides the massive wheels at the stern of the ship it looked like more of a merchant vessel than their previous one had.

A hot meal should have been enjoyed, not fussed over like they did with theirs. They spent more time reorganizing plates than dining, and even the warm cider went mostly untouched.

To the credit of the ship's kitchen the food looked delicious. Largely seafood which made sense - there weren't many cows swimming in the ocean - and prepared with enough variety to appeal to most any palate. Weiss still managed only a few mouthfuls of flaking tuna, some kind of creamy sauce filling the rivets in white flesh, before she felt too tired to continue. The others seemed to share her sentiment, even Blake who, as Yang once so crudely put it, would "fornicate with a fish if she had the chance".

Weiss didn't know what astonished her more; the fact Yang knew the word 'fornicate' or the fact she almost believed it.

Ruby swirled a carrot around in a thin glaze, then mushed it with the flat of her fork. A yawn escaped and she laid her head on the table, cheek flattening as she looked up at Weiss. "I'm tired."

They all were. Once the adrenaline had gone their bodies began to feel the toll of their efforts. Blake's face had gone paler, a light case of spellcast sickness coming on, and she sat with the heels of her hands in her eyes, rubbing and focusing on her breathing. Yang finally took her glass of cider and downed it one go, grimaced, then downed Blake's as well when she wasn't looking.

"Where do we even sleep?" Yang drawled, looking over the hall absently. "How the hell are there even enough rooms for all these people?"

"It is a large ship. It's no wonder there's so many inside of it," Weiss commented.

Although 'ship' felt like she did it a disservice. The deck alone had been massive, large enough for near a hundred crewmembers to mill about without it being cramped. Below deck there had to be just as many among the tables and still room remained to dance or wander. A floating city felt more apt. Twin staircases ran up and down not far from their table and Weiss suspected several more layers were beneath them still.

"It almost doesn't feel like a pirate ship," she went on, plucking at a thread on her sleeve. Her wet clothes continued to cling to her and she shivered. "They most certainly didn't make this; it looks too much like Ironwood's craft."

"How very astute of you, Schnee."

Weiss went rigid before turning stiffly in her seat. The fact Cinder would become their newest ally didn't keep Weiss from grimacing at her arrival. The woman's self-assured smile whittled at her more than she cared to admit.

Perhaps the fatigue of their battle finally caught up to her, or maybe her concern for their wellbeing dragged her down. Whatever the case, she felt anything but relaxed as the captain sauntered up to their table, eyebrow raising as she looked over their food.

"Hm, I'd have thought you'd all be hungrier than that."

"You didn't poison it, right?" Ruby asked.

Cinder pursed her lips and trembled slightly, sparing Ruby mocking laughter. "Isn't that something you typically ask before you've eaten?"

"She kinda has a point, Rubes."

"Besides, why would I bother poisoning you after saving you? I could have just as easily ordered my crew to ignore your ship and left you to perish." Cinder shrugged lazily. "If that's what you would prefer, we could always throw you overboard."

"Taking your ass with us if you do," Yang growled.

Blake gave her a pointed look, one which screamed 'Don't piss off the woman in charge'. Yang chose to ignore it and kept a glare leveled at Cinder, one finger tapping anxiously on the table. Cinder managed to not look threatened in the slightest.

"You all look tired." More a statement than anything. "Assuming you're through with your meals perhaps you'd like to be shown to your quarters? Rooms have already been arranged; one for each of you."

Weiss' eyebrows peaked hearing that. "You have that much space still?"

"You'd be amazed at how extravagant Atlas likes to make their ships. No luxury was ignored when they crafted this vehicle." Cinder's lips twisted into a grin. "And it would be a shame to not use every bit of it, wouldn't you agree?"

A bath did sound nice, although it wouldn't amount to much if they didn't have spare clothing. "We have a change of clothes waiting for you in your rooms as well," Cinder added, smiling knowingly as Ruby plucked at her sodden tunic with a grimace. "I'm afraid all we have left are uniforms however, so I hope you don't mind black."

Yang sent a knowing look Blake's way and grinned when amber eyes narrowed at her.

"Down two levels, you'll find four rooms open and ready for you. Take whichever ones you wish or take another if you find it empty. Whatever works for you."

"Why are you being so nice to us?"

Cinder smiled at Ruby, mildly amused. "Is there a reason I should be cruel?"

"Even if we're working together you hardly know us, and we haven't exactly had… Great experiences with people recently." That felt like an understatement. Ruby frowned, folding her arms and sitting straight in her chair. "People always want something from us, so what do you want?"

Rather than laugh it off or deflect, Cinder grinned and stuck out a hip, placing her hand on it. "I appreciate the candid approach, Rose. And you're right, there is something I want from you all. Namely Weiss." Her lone eye slid over and her grin widened. "The three of you may go to your quarters, I need to speak with her first."

"If Weiss goes, we all go," Yang argued.

"You'll do no such thing." Cinder didn't even bother looking at Yang to address her.

Blake's ears flattened as the music fell silent, the musicians changing their instruments, probably. "We don't have any real reason to trust you won't try to harm her."

"Why do you all insist she's incapable of defending herself? From what little we witnessed of the battle she appears to be stronger than all three of you."

Not by her own volition or ability. Weiss didn't expect Cinder to know that though, nor any of her friends. Not everyone believed her actions had been wholly her own either; Blake's accusatory looks earlier had said as much. She hadn't told the people she trusted most and if she kept mum with them then Cinder, a perfect stranger, would never hear a peep of it.

"Weiss isn't going anywhere with you," Ruby hissed.

Cinder's grin waned as she took a half step towards the table. Weiss shot up from her chair and nearly knocked it over. "It's fine, honestly. I'll join you in our rooms before long."

She hoped so. Whatever reason the pirate captain had for wanting to speak with her couldn't be good. The joke she'd made earlier about killing her for being a Warden came crawling back. Cinder wouldn't actually kill her, right? After saving them, after extending an olive branch, would the woman turn around and murder her in cold blood?

Weiss didn't know enough about Cinder to even hazard a guess, and the woman's taunting, easy smile didn't betray anything.

Before she had a chance to second guess her decision or let her friends protest, she gestured for Cinder to lead and fell in line behind her. At the top of the stairwell she sent one glance over her shoulder and found three faces watching after her, concern laid plain on them. Offering a wistful smile, she waved, then hurried down the stairs after Cinder.

/+/+/+/+/+/

Down into the ship they went.

From the exterior Weiss knew that the black craft Cinder commanded dwarfed anything she had seen before. Even Ironwood's ship paled in comparison to its sheer scale. Four levels, five, six… It kept going and going. Rather than show cargo holds or prison cells they were greeted by ornately decorated floors.

One with lounges spaced some distance apart from one another, circles of leatherbound armchairs and sofas gathered around circular tables. Another floor sported, of all things, a greenhouse. Some unseen lightsource shone on crops from above and Weiss gleaned a glimpse of carrots and radishes, corn and potatoes growing among the planters. How did they manage to maintain crops aboard a ship? Where did the light come from?

Two floors down and they passed by the engine room. Cinder made a point of stopping there, of throwing wide the metal doors to reveal the crew hard at work within. Twin pistons churned ceaselessly on either side of the room, steam hissing and spilling outside from pipes and vents. Gears ground against one another. A furnace at the head of the room burned brilliantly, its hefty iron gate pried open. Greedy, ravenous, eager to be fed. Weiss watched Dust hurtle in by the shovel full, crackling and hissing before breaking down in the kiln.

"Dust is dangerous," Cinder mused, smirking as she curled a finger at Weiss to follow. "I'm sure Ozpin drilled that into your skull."

Weiss gave an impassive look and only a slight nod. Ozpin and the Church had told her plenty over the years, most which she now counted as baseless lies. Some of it held true; they had seen Dust destroy a village's walls. Holbrook's gates, which while not imposing to begin with, had been solid enough, had been turned to rubble by a single crate of Dust. If a group like the White Fang gathered carriages full of the stuff and brought it to Vale's walls? Weiss doubted even the city's defenses would withstand it.

Dust could be dangerous, sure, but so were swords, hatchets, and pitchforks. Dangerous in the wrong hands but perfectly acceptable for those deemed worthy to use them.

Perspective. If Weiss had gleaned anything in their travels is that everyone saw the world in their own view. Heroes and villains were all the same depending on your viewpoint. To save one meant to damn another. Cinder fancied herself the heroine of some tale too no doubt, striking out to save Remnant from itself. Weiss rubbed at her sore, throbbing eye and winced, feeling dried blood chip away and fresh blood seep to the surface.

What would they be to Cinder, she wondered? She didn't try to put much stock into what other people thought of her. Pretentious nobles lost in their own world. Shortsighted priests whose devotion blinded them to the plights of their followers.

Are you the hero, or the villain in this tale?

Weiss tripped on the carpet and hit the floor with a grunt. Pain erupted in her face and she groaned, getting to her knees and covering her wounded eye. Fresh blood warmed her palm and she winced, debating whether trying to rub tenderness away would help or hinder more.

"I thought you were supposed to be graceful."

Glaring at Cinder didn't heal her, but it did wonders for her soul. The woman's mocking smile remained and she hummed, cocking her head before waving Weiss along.

The size of the ship alone made it stand out among the rest. The addition of Dust engines, a greenhouse, and the small city within made it feel almost alien. Yet even alien felt inaccurate as soon as they descended another floor.

And came upon a corridor lined with blooming vines, potted plants, and birdsong trilling in the air. The air felt crisper, smelled fresher, and a wind ambled through the hall. Soft ground crunched beneath their feet and Weiss hesitantly touched one of the walls, mouth open as she felt them give, vines and moss swaying beneath her touch.

Beyond the walls she could hear waves splashing against the hull and the faint creak of the ship as it pitched and settled. Even so, Weiss swore she stepped from the ship into a forest.

"He's turned this place into a menagerie…"

Cinder paused halfway in the hall and scowled at a squirrel as it skittered across her feet, disappearing beneath a flowering forsythia. Weiss took in everything around her in silence. Wisteria lined the corridor the further they went, turning the air into a fragrant, and somehow not overbearing mix of scents.

At the end of the hall a metal door blocked their path. It looked garish compared to the greenery around it, just as out of place as the small forest itself.

"How is this possible?" Weiss touched leaves to test their veracity. Her fingertips came away wet with dew.

"One of your friends is half-Grimm. You fought a beast the size of a colosseum, and this is what you're questioning?" Weiss clamped her mouth shut with a huff. "He has a penchant for nature, and insisted I let him bring some with us. You wouldn't believe what a headache it is to maintain this magic."

"He?"

Cinder gestured lazily to the door and said nothing.

Well, if they were going to kill her off at least they provided a decent place for it. Weiss placed a hand on the metal door and bit her lip. "No more snide remarks? Not going to try anything?" The voice that teased her seconds ago remained silent. Aloud, she huffed and looked back at Cinder, "If this is a trap…"

"I've brought you here to make you smell roses. You got me."

Weiss barely resisted rolling her eyes and settled for sticking out her tongue. Childish but immediately gratifying.

Testing the door again she grabbed the handle and twisted. It gave with no resistance and she pushed it open silently, expecting… Well, she didn't know what to expect. When she stepped into what looked like a forest, a pond taking up most of the clearing, she stopped before she marched into the water. A bird trilled and took off from a fallen log nearby and she caught wind of a heavy lavender, grimacing as she recalled her time in Galloway.

Oak and birch formed a cage of wood and the trees towered over them. An unnatural light illuminated the area and turned the air warm, though not unpleasantly so. Weiss felt a hand push her back and she stumbled forward, wincing as her boots squelched into wet earth.

A lone man glanced up from the pond, looking at her almost in a daze before smiling slightly. He nodded to Cinder behind Weiss and stuck his fishing pole in the earth, pushing to his feet with an audible creak of his joints. Weiss saw the wooden stool he'd been sat on and figured that made much more sense. The man moved with languid ease, dusting off his hands and stretching himself out as he walked.

His eyes settled on Weiss' face and his lips thinned, pale scar that spanned the bridge of his nose and left cheek stretching. "I thought I asked you to have her healed first."

Cinder smiled and shrugged. "You had, but you also said the matter was urgent, so I brought her here first."

Witch.

"Cinder, I didn't think I needed to be that specific with you. They're our guests…" The man smiled apologetically and extended his hand. It dwarfed Weiss' when she took it, his toned skin making her pale complexion all the more glaring. "We can wait if you'd like to be seen to," he offered, his voice a curious mixture of gravelly and soft. "Gods, did you even offer her a change of clothing?"

"I did."

"She did," Weiss confirmed, narrowing her eye back at Cinder. "Although she dragged me here before I ever had a chance to take her up on the offer."

If the woman could at least make an effort to look apologetic Weiss might have forgiven her. Instead she huffed when Cinder busied herself by picking at her nails and choosing to ignore her entirely.

"We'll talk about this later. For now, thank you for agreeing to come see me. I know you and your friends just went through quite the ordeal." The man released her hand and gestured to another stool beside his own. Unbidden, Weiss made to follow, stepping over clumps of moss and reeds. "I'm impressed if I'm honest. Culling a Charybdis is no easy task and yet you all managed admirably."

"Our ship is gone along with most of our cargo. I'd hardly consider that 'admirable'."

"But you're alive, and that's not something many can say after such an encounter. Hunter or Warden," the man mused, smiling as he took a seat. Weiss stiffened and he waved a hand lazily. "I don't care if you're marked. We're safe here in this place. Take a seat and rest a moment."

Letting herself be lulled into a relaxed state felt wrong. They knew nothing of these people still and first impressions had left a lot to be desired. Weiss glanced back at the door and considered whether she'd be allowed to march right out, back up to her friends and family. Would he still be so generous if she tried to leave?

"We have time to talk if you'd rather not do this now." His voice carried a hint of amusement as the man picked up his fishing rod again. "I can send you back, if you'd like."

Another waft of lavender, another gentle song from an unseen bird. Weiss exhaled, letting her shoulders settle before dropping herself onto the stool. "No, whatever this is I think it's best we get it out of the way now. I'd rather not be interrupted later."

"You're our guest, we'll 'interrupt' you whenever we please."

"Cinder."

Cinder rolled her eye and wandered off, taking a seat on a fallen log and whittling at it with a knife of obsidian. Where she had drawn it from Weiss didn't know. Curiously, she watched Cinder stab at the wood with an impassiveness, almost detached from the lethally sharp blade on display.

"Rhodes, by the way. I'm assuming she never introduced me, or anyone for that matter."

"No, she did not," Weiss acknowledged, glad to turn her attention away from Cinder.

"Hm. Well, you've met Cinder, and I assume you've met Mercury and Emerald as well. Don't worry about remembering all of their names. The crew, I mean." Rhodes chuckled and flicked the lure from the water, frowned, and cast it again. "I've long since lost track of all of them. Nowadays I just smile and nod when I pass someone."

"There are a surprisingly large number of people aboard this ship."

"It's a large craft, and as you've seen, not a regular one either. Some of that's our design," Rhodes said, smiling wryly. "And the rest is Atlesian know-how. I always thought its scale was more of a headache than it was worth, but it has its uses."

"Like housing a zoo for your amusement," Cinder grumbled.

"I do have something to ask of you, but there's no rush. And it's only fair I offer something in return before I make any requests." Rhodes leaned forward and laid his elbows on his knees, smiling as he looked at Weiss. "Questions? I'll do my best to answer them."

"I… May have one. Or twenty."

Rhodes let out a soft chuckle. "Well, I'll do my best to answer them."

Not a terrible start all things considered. Weiss took one look at Cinder and caught the girl's eye flickering to her in response, lip curling back in a sneer. Maybe she should reserve her questions and ask for pertinent information. "What crawled up her rear end?"

Or she could indulge her agitation just a bit.

Rhodes' chuckle exploded into a booming laughter so suddenly that Weiss nearly fell off her seat. She heard Cinder growl at her but ignored it, blinking owlishly as the man beside her trembled. "Ah, it's been a good while since someone has spoken back to her." Weiss unclamped her hands from her ears and he held up his hands. "Sorry, sorry, it was rather funny though."

"You're an asshole, Rhodes."

"And we still have yet to tame that mouth of yours, Cinder," Rhodes retorted through a chuckle.

Weiss smiled despite herself and managed a small laugh of her own. "I'm sensing a little animosity between the two of you." History at the very least. Maybe she could use that? Cinder hadn't seemed trustworthy from the first but maybe Rhodes could be easier. First impressions meant a lot and so far he did a much better job.

Another whiff of lavender. Something stirred in the back of her mind, restless and demanding attention, but she brushed it aside.

"If there is any animosity then it's solely on her part. Nowadays I'm positive my mere existence is enough to agitate her."

"No, it's only when you open your mouth, or dawdle in this…" Cinder waved her gloved hand aimlessly. "Plaything of yours."

"Cinder is the captain of this ship." More a question than a statement, one which Rhodes answered with a nod. "Then what does that make you, exactly?" Weiss asked. Cinder seemed to answer to the man, or at least respected him enough not to lash back at him.

"I'm her father."

"He's a nuisance."

Well, not lash back physically anyways. Weiss blinked and glanced back and forth between Cinder and Rhodes. The former scowled, then let out a heavy breath and turned on the log to put her blindside towards them. "He's my father who happens to be an absolute nuisance."

"And she's my daughter who just so happens to be a handful at the best of times." When Weiss giggled Rhodes smiled at her, disarming and easy. "I suppose you could say I'm an adoptive father, if we're being exact. No blood relation."

Not having blood relation to one's family… Weiss could sympathize with that. None of her so-called blood relatives seemed too bothered by her being off on her own, shunned and discarded. Even Winter whose correspondence she'd once clung to had stopped sending letters.

Although, in fairness Weiss supposed sending letters to someone traveling Remnant would be nigh impossible.

"This ship is from Atlas, but clearly you're not all Atlesian." Weiss pursed her lips, unsure of how to address the Goliath in the room. "Did you steal the ship? You are pirates, aren't you?"

Cinder took a turn at laughing, although it lacked the honest and genuine amusement Rhodes' had. She leered at Weiss and gestured to the space they were in. "What pirates spend their days fishing in a pond?"

"What pirates have a pond in their ship?" Rhodes added.

"We only have it because you insisted on it, you relic."

"The ship was a gift, actually." Rhodes tapped a boot against the marshy ground, his black and grey vest sliding open slightly. More scars ran along his arms and Weiss caught a larger one on his chest before the garment slid back into place. "Although I had been meant to return it after a time, I decided I still had uses for it. As for the pirate question…" He chuckled. "Well, you do wear an eye patch, Cinder."

"The only one who thinks you're funny is yourself, Rhodes!"

Weiss let herself laugh, both because of the comment but also because she'd do anything to spite Cinder. She felt relaxed here, tension leaving her with every gentle wind and soreness fading. Even her eye had ceased to throb, although she hesitated to try opening it still.

"We're privateers if you must know. We ply our services to anyone who will hire us and fill in gaps where the Church fails to. Any kingdom, any city or town, we'll take a job so long as the client can afford to pay us."

"And your current client is…?"

"None of your business," Cinder answered haughtily.

Her father wasted no time in rebuking her. "A wealthy merchant in eastern Mistral. We had been paid to clear Grimm along trade routes, but…" Rhodes wore a bemused smile and nodded towards Weiss. "It seems someone has taken our job from us. With any luck we'll still receive payment."

Not someone from the Church then. Weiss figured there could be a lie there. Raven had left them with only the vaguest of details, barely even a location, and they were somehow meant to discern the rest. Nothing kept these people from claiming to be one thing while working to undermine them. For all she knew they were Hunters themselves, primed to either kill them at earliest convenience or turn them in.

These thoughts felt wrong though. Weiss felt too at ease to be accusatory. Too relaxed to doubt Rhodes' words. Her paranoia felt childish almost, unjustified. She leaned back on her stool instead and reached behind herself, grazing damp reeds with the palm of her hand. The tickle against her skin soothed her and pulled her from her thoughts.

"You're being awfully liberal with information, Rhodes."

"That's because they are our allies, and allies share information with one another. It's how you build trust." Rhodes shook his head. "Pardon her. She is a good girl beneath all the posturing and scowls."

"Don't speak of me as though I'm a child!"

"Apologies, Cinder. Or I suppose I should address you as captain now, hm?"

Cinder's cheeks might have been tinted pink but Weiss couldn't tell, not before the woman turned away with a low growl.

"You are rather forthcoming, I'll admit," Weiss let out a long sigh. "Your candid answers are appreciated. I feel like we've been led blind for ages now."

"I find people too often try to speak circles around one another, and many fancy riddles and obscurity over honesty." Rhodes shrugged. "I'm too old to be bothered to try, and too impatient to play games with anyone. I figured it's only courtesy I do the same."

Now that she could appreciate. The last time anyone had been entirely honest with them felt like an eternity ago. None of their allies had given them the full truth and, as much as it pained Weiss to admit, even she had withheld things from her friends. Her family. Chewing her lip she folded her hands together, twisting her fingers as she looked down at the surface of the pond.

Only to cringe and look at the treetops instead.

"You're welcome to go see that healer any time. I'm not holding you here by force."

Weiss shook her head, catching herself glancing back down at the pond again. Half her face covered in flaking or fresh blood, her hair matted and clothing still clinging to her. It itched now thanks to the salt; no wonder people had stared at them. They all looked like they'd come out on the receiving end of a bad bar brawl.

"No more questions then? I would think you'd have quite a few more for us."

Maybe another one or dozen or so, but Weiss didn't want to bog down their conversation any longer. Even if she felt relaxed now she still felt filthy, and though her eye wasn't aching so badly visiting a healer would be a good idea. "You're speaking of trust, and you'll have to forgive me by saying I'm not certain we trust you all. Not yet. Your first impression left…" Her eye flickered to Cinder. "A lot to be desired."

"What? You're still hung up about us pretending to run you over?" Cinder sighed loudly. "It's in the past, let it go."

"It was two hours ago!"

"Two hours ago is still the past."

"It's fine if you don't trust us yet. I understand you've all had… Difficult working relationships in the past." If that's what Rhodes wanted to call working with bandits, a cult-like organization, and criminals then sure. "Which is why I had hoped to meet with you. I'd have elected for you all to come here together but my plan revolves around you, if you're inclined to agree to it."

Ah, a plan. Some scheme that would inevitably thrust them into turmoil. Weiss looked for surprise that didn't manifest. They always found themselves in the midst of someone else's problems, turned into exterminators or mediators. Sometimes both. All the lavender in the room couldn't keep Weiss from feeling exhausted by the proposal and a long, heavy sigh slipped through her lips.

"And this plan is…?"

"We're going to storm Mistral's grand cathedral and burn the Archbishop to a crisp." Cinder's flat expression made it hard for Weiss to discern the honesty of her words.

"Not that. We've been over this Cinder, and -"

"We can't beat them with brute force alone. I know, Rhodes. I know. It's called making a jest." Cinder's nose wrinkled and she spat in the pond. "It's still more sound than your plan though. Yours is stupid."

"My plan doesn't involve murder."

"You make it sound like these men and women are innocent," Cinder drawled.

"Innocent or not, slaughter will only hurt us in the long run. We both know this."

Weiss leaned forward and raised a hand. "Am I going to learn what this plan is, or should I just leave?"

"Stay, please," Rhodes answered quickly with a raised hand. He looked to Cinder as if expecting another retort, then smiled again. "It's a simple plan, and one that doesn't involve any real risk. At least, assuming no one goes overboard. A little demonstration is all we'd need from you, that's it. And, if you're willing and capable, a few words of encouragement to win over a crowd."

Weiss' eyebrows rose slightly. "Okay? And how will I do that?"

Rhodes reeled in another fish and chuckled, dropping it into a bucket with the others. "As I said, it's simple. Put on a performance, try and coerce the crowd, and the rest will take care of itself. In fact, I think you'll even have fun with it." He smiled as he wiped his hands on his trousers. "That is, assuming you like fairs."

"... What?"

Cinder snorted, her knife thudding as it buried itself into a log. "I told you it was stupid."

Oh boy, I loved fairs as a kid. Except clowns. Less so because they're creepy and more they just usually sucked at their jobs.

I hope Weiss knows how to make balloon animals!