Chapter 2:
Vernal and Raven approached the Northern gate of Plumeria. On the outskirts awaited a caravan of vehicles. The Tribe members were loading three box trucks with the blundered supplies, while the remaining four were long bed trucks with two parallel rows of seats. "How are we on time?!" Raven asked.
Sitting on top of the lead one, a raccoon faunus turned her head, "We're just over half-an-hour!"
"Alright, let's wrap it up!" Raven announced. She walked to the back of the truck, opening a compartment under one of the seats for a folded quilt. "Here. When we get back to camp, we'll get you some more fitting clothes."
"Thank you" Vernal said. The nights started growing chillier this time of year; and with being in nothing but a short-length kimono, a soft, thick blanket was certainly welcome. She draped it over her shoulders and climbed into the back of the truck, taking the very first seat up front. Meanwhile, the rest of the members gathered around.
"We're all set Raven" the man with dreadlocks said.
"Good. Time to go everyone! I'm gonna fly up and scout" Raven said. But then something happened that utterly shocked Vernal. From her view, Raven crouched below her line of sight, and a black bird took off into the air.
"How did she?" her thoughts were cut off when the other members climbed on board. The man with dreadlocks sat opposite her, while the rest found spots of their own. The raccoon faunus climbed down and through the window into the front seat, starting the truck as all the others followed suit.
When they started moving, Vernal clutched the quilt tighter around herself. It was an understatement to say she felt out of place. The other members broke in the chatter about the raid and the hull they brought in, yet no one was questioning how Raven turned into a bird.
"Vernal right?"
She looked up at the man opposite her, "…Yeah."
He laid his bladed rifle upright, then leaned back relaxed in his seat. "I can't blame you for still being suspicious, but you're one of us now. You're okay"
"Just give her some time babe, she'll loosen up after a while" a coyote faunus said, resting her fluffy tail on his lap. "Name's Lyra, and he's right. You can relax, we're all kin."
The way Lyra rested against the man surprised Vernal. They appeared to be lovers, but she did not expect Raven to allow such things, given the group's lifestyle. Speaking of which, "How did she turn into a bird?" she asked.
The two looked at each other, "Sorry, afraid you'll have to wait for Raven to tell you herself." the man answered.
"Oh yeah, what happened when she found you anyway? It's not often a random civilian pique her interest" Lyra asked.
Before Vernal answered, she noticed their conversation started drawing attention from the others on board. "Well…I killed a beowolf while I was running."
"You killed a grimm by yourself? Have you ever fought before?"
"No, I just picked up a sword and…acted on instinct."
"Heh, wow. We may be in the presence of a future badass. The name's Onyx" the man introduced.
*Caw*! *Caw*!
He looked up at Raven flying overhead, grinning ear-to-ear, "HaHA! We're in the clear!"
"YEEAAH!" the members from all trucks cheered, everyone on theirs high-fiving and embracing with congrats.
All the while, Vernal looked at Raven confused, "You guys can understand her?"
"…Pffahahaha! She's a fucking bird, of course not. That's the signal for all clear, meaning there's no grimm or any kingdom reinforcements coming for us. Now it's just a smooth trek back to camp" Lyra explained.
A strong breeze blew past, making Vernal sit up into a fetal position to conserve more heat. "Yeah, sorry about that. You must be pretty tired to after being woken up like that."
"Woken up." Vernal scoffed in her head.
"But once we get back to camp, we'll be having a feast to celebrate tonight's raid. You're free to join us if you want."
"Are you kidding? She's had a rough night. She probably wants to rest" Lyra said.
"Words right out of my-" Vernal's thoughts were cut off by a loud growl from her stomach. How long has it been since she ate? The idea of a feast suddenly did not sound so bad.
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The drive took nearly an hour, taking them through several valleys of the Sakura mountain range, occasionally going off-road to cut through deep forests. Eventually, they arrived. Approaching from within the thick canopy, was a border wall made of large wooden pikes. All the trucks stopped in front of a gate. From above, Raven descended, shifting back to human instantly as she landed, "Alright, get those spoils into storage. Vernal, come with me."
Following her orders, the other members dismounted towards the box trucks. Vernal, meanwhile, joined Raven at her side as the gate opened. She was initially surprised by the length of the border wall, covering a sizeable amount of forest, but inside was something too. Passing by three gunmen on guard, the inner grounds revealed a large settlement. Dozens upon dozens of tents were set up with many torches spread throughout to illuminate the camp.
But then, Vernal was struck by an amazing scent. The tribe members who remained here had several bonfires blazing, four with giant rotisseries cooking, while another two had cauldrons, presumably broiling stews. It was enough to make her stomach growl again, and her mouth water too. Another surprise, was among the remaining tribe members, were a few preteens and teenagers as well. "Coming?"
She had not realized she stopped. "Sorry" she caught up to her, "it's…a lot livelier than I thought it would be."
"Heh, we may be bandits, but that doesn't mean we're uncivilized. We just prefer a simpler way of life" Raven said. Walking to the very end of the camp, they approached the largest of all the tents. "This is where I stay, you can rest here for tonight" they walked up the wooden steps as she held the flap open.
When Vernal stepped inside, she was taken aback. The room was spacious, and quite homey for a bandit leader. Several large rugs collaged the floor, while the left wall was decorated with dreamcatcher netting and large feathers. In the back, a chest, barrel, dresser, and a map of Remnant above it. Three amber dust lamps lit the room, one on the dresser, one on the nightstand next to Raven's bed on the right, and the last on the small table in the center, surrounded by red seat cushions.
"Make yourself home" Raven said, taking her weapon and resting it upright against her bed. "There's some extra clothes in the dresser…" she walked to the chest, opening it up to get a towel and a fresh bar of soap. "If you want to bathe, they should have prepared a tub of water out back."
Vernal set down the quilt, taking the toiletries in hand, "Thank you."
"I'll get us some food, take as much time as you need."
When she left, Vernal took a moment for herself. "…I can't believe this is actually happening." Just yesterday, she was a prostitute in one of the most corrupt villages in Mistral; and now she is about to share a meal with a bandit leader. She chuckled thinking about the odds of such a circumstance. Walking out through the back of tent, a sizeable wooden tub laid next to the staircase. She noticed it had a lid, and when she removed it, the water was steaming. Since the small area was secluded, she quickly stripped down, stepping into the tub, and sitting down.
"*sigh* …Gods" the calming embrace of the water was certainly welcome. It was the perfect temperature too, and she felt like she could stay in it forever; but the prospect of food made her not want to dottle.
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When she entered the tent again, she saw Raven sitting at the table in the center. She had set a plate and a bowl for them both, pouring tea into fancy cups from a matching pitcher. She had also changed attire, removing her gloves, forearm guards, leg warmers, and wearing her kimono top around her waist, a black undershirt beneath. Vernal was still wrapped in her towel, and when she looked at the dresser, a set of clothes was already laid out for her. "… …Um… Raven?"
"Hm?"
"Would you mind…you know…" she motioned with her hand for the leader to turn around.
"What? We're both women here" Raven chuckled.
"…Please."
Noticing the somberness of her voice, Raven sighed and granted her privacy. Soon enough, Vernal joined her, taking the seat cushion on the opposite side. Raven turned back, "I'm sure you have plenty of questions."
"I do."
"But it's late, and trust me, it'll be easier to process with a night's rest." Raven explained. She sipped her tea. "Mm~. You know, it's better when it's hot."
Vernal looked at her food, a juicy slice of lamb and a bowl of vegetable stew. It was the most decent meal she had seen in a long time. Taking her utensils, she dug in, the savory taste of the meat alighting her tastebuds. "Mm, wow. This is so good." She looked at Raven, who was sipping her tea again. It was then she truly noticed Raven's physique. She was absolutely ripped, her muscle definition like that of an Amazon.
"…It's pretty rude to stare like that" Raven said.
Vernal blushed, "S-sorry. It's just…you seem really strong."
"I am strong. When I was younger, I attended Beacon Academy to receive huntress training."
"You did?"
"Yes. Aside from the Grimm, huntsmen are the only ones capable of thwarting our raids. We needed a counterforce" Raven explained.
"So…you killed Plumeria's huntsmen?"
"That's right."
Vernal did not know what to say. The huntsmen of Plumeria were top of the line, and she had the unfortunate pleasure of 'servicing' a few from time to time. But Raven managed to kill all six of them? "We needed vital supplies" she continued, "We do well enough sustaining ourselves throughout the year. But when winter comes, things can get rough. To prepare, we pillage villages; we go in, get what we need, then we get out, letting the Grimm have the rest. I think you'd agree that place won't be particularly missed."
"…You'd be surprised."
"Whatever the case, with all the destruction and Grimm, the kingdom's authorities will have a hell of a time trying to trace it back to us." Raven said as she started eating. Vernal scarfed her meal down rather quickly. She picked up her cup, her tea cool enough to drink now, "It's ginseng. I find it helps recover my aura faster." Raven explained.
Vernal looked at her curiously, "What's aura?"
"The very essence of your soul, and crucial for when you learn to fight. With enough training, you'll be able to project your own, allowing you to shield yourself from lethal damage and heal small wounds."
"…Will you be teaching me?"
"Of course. But not just me, my lieutenants Onyx and Lyra too. It's not going to be easy, but with time, I'm sure you'll become one hell of a threat." Raven said. She took out a scroll, opening it and setting it on the table. A hard-light dust screen shown above it, playing video of two women about to fight.
"What's this" Vernal asked.
"The Mistral Regional Tournament. Every year the junior combat schools hold an even to test the skills of their students. That girl there is Pyrrha Nikos, and she's won the tournament two years in a row already."
"Really?" Vernal looked at the screen. The girl in bronze armor with blazing red hair faced another with brown skin and platinum blonde hair, who seemed confident fighting empty-handed. The referee between them gave the signal to start, both girls dashing forward to engage. Vernal was immediately blown away; their speed, their technique, and their creativity were the likes she's never seen. The Nikos girl seemed proficient with her sword and shield, but the other girl appeared nimbler. In one crisp motion, she unraveled and wrapped the bandaging on her right hand around Nikos's ankle, sweeping her legs from under her and landing a heavy kick to her midsection. It sent her quite a distance, and a red glow momentarily shimmered across her body.
"Was that her aura?"
Raven only nodded. Back on screen, Nikos stood to her feet again as other continued the offensive. But instead of going for her weapons, she held her fists up and engaged in hand to hand. This caught Vernal, and apparently the other girl off guard too. Nikos seemed just as good empty-handed as she was with her weapons. They exchanged several blows, until she through a right roundhouse kick. The other girl ducked, but when she stood, Nikos's shield came flying in, slamming into her temple. She reeled, the shield somehow reattaching to Nikos's forearm as she planted her feet, throwing all her weight behind a backhand. Her shield connected with the other girl's face, sending her to her back as her aura crackled before dissipating. The referee blew their whistle, indicating the match ended. The crowd in the stadium cheered, the video ending with Nikos declared the winner.
"Wow, so I'll be able to fight like that too?" Vernal asked.
"Not exactly. It's up to you to develop your own style" Raven said closing the scroll. "We'll start tomorrow morning. You can sleep over there" she got up, going around to turn off the dust lamps.
Vernal looked behind her, where a makeshift bed was laid out for her. Three furry elk pelts were layered over each other, while a silk sheet was spread on top. Raven opened the chest again, taking out another thick blanket and handing it to her. "Thank you."
"…Listen…I know you've been through a lot tonight but do try to get some rest. I promise you don't need to worry anymore… …your safe here." There it was again. A smile so warm and genuine, one would never guess it belonged to a killer. It gave Vernal an overwhelming sense of comfort, making her blush and look away sheepishly. Raven went to her own bed, turning off the last lamp on her nightstand before getting under the covers. Vernal laid down too, resting her head on her soft feather and closing her eyes. With a sigh, she let her drowse take over and fell asleep. Tomorrow was the start of her new life.
To Be Continued…