New chapter! Author's note at bottom. Usual disclaimer applies.

XXX

As they got closer to the Oasis, the tone in everyone's voice became more upbeat, and suddenly they were all quickening their pace to reach the settlement. Everyone exhaled sighs of relief once they reached the shade of the tall palm trees and adobe buildings.

"Oh thank god," Weiss breathed, holding a hand to her heart. "I thought I was going to pass out."

"Don't suppose there's a place we can grab water and food?" Jaune asked. He wiped some of the sand and sweat from his brow. Miriam laughed.

"Of course! We've got some of the best eats around here!" she said, grinning like a cat. "As for water, ours is the best in all of Vacuo. We get most of it from the spring." She gestured at the pool of water that the city curved around. "Usually there's vendors out by the shores selling water and iced desserts."

"Desserts?" Nora perked up.

"Don't worry, I'll show you all around." Miriam waved at them to follow her. Qrow looked around as they entered into the main drag. There did appear to be a number of vendor stands and streetside shops with colorful awnings and tall windows that opened up into the building. However, most of them were empty. A number of the stands had closed signs hanging from them, and a few shops even had windows boarded up. A chill ran up his spine despite the heat. Something was wrong.

"Something isn't right," Winter whispered beside him. He glanced at her. Her shoulders were tense, her eyes darting left and right, as if she expected an enemy to jump out at them.

"Yeah, I get that feeling too," he muttered.

Miriam hadn't seemed to notice yet. Instead, she practically bounced over to a vendor that was set up right in front of the spring's shore.

"Excuse me, sir," she drawled. The man looked up. He had dark brown skin with freckles sprinkled across his cheeks. Deep wrinkles cut around his eyes, and he looked very tired. He didn't appear to be wearing any kind of uniform, but he did have a tan apron thrown over his clothes. "Alano! It's you!" Miriam's smile grew wider, and she reached over the stand's counter to give the man a light cuff on the shoulder. "Guess who's back in town?"

"You?" the man asked monotonously. Qrow and Winter exchanged a glance, and even the kids shifted on their feet. This man didn't appear happy to see Miriam, but Miriam either didn't notice or didn't care. Qrow hoped this was how the man usually acted.

"Me!" Miriam exclaimed. "And Clint too, of course. He'll be back in town in a few. I'd love to regale you with our tales, but these guys-," she pointed at Ruby and the others "- have been looking for a place to get a drink. They're not used to the desert climate yet," she stage-whispered. "So, could I get a dozen glasses of water? I'll be paying."

"Sorry, the stand's not officially open," Alano said. "If you were desperate, I could probably find something for you, but it's going to take a while to get that much Water Dust and prepare it, so you might be better off-,"

"What?" Miriam cut him off, looking simultaneously confused and annoyed. Her tail stopped moving and went stiff. "What are you talking about? You don't need to get Water Dust, just use the spring water."

"Sorry, can't." Alano shrugged. "It's not safe."

"Not safe? We've always used the spring water. It's the cleanest and safest in the kingdom! I was here a couple weeks ago and everything was fine!"

"Sorry," Alano said again. "The spring water has been showing up contaminated recently. Everyone in the Oasis has been advised not to drink from it." Alano glanced around, licking his lips. "And if I were you, I'd probably stay low for awhile." Miriam looked taken aback.

"Why? What's going on?" She asked, her tone suddenly very low and dangerous. Alano gave her a look.

"Things have started happening in the past week," he said. "Honestly, I'm surprised you made it to the Oasis. You didn't face a wall of Grimm on your way in?"

"Oh, we did. But we disposed of them," Miriam said proudly.

"And ya didn't see … anybody else?" he asked, the words coming out in a rasp. Miriam raised an eyebrow.

"Noooo. Why? Is there someone who's been doing something? Have they been attacking the Oasis?" Miriam questioned. Alano slung his pack over his shoulder, and stuffed a worn out cap on his head.

"There's been a lotta strange people around. Keep your eyes open and your head down," he warned. "I've no doubt they're lingering around here somewhere. And this isn't even the worst of it, not yet. There's a lot of strange rumors going around the Oasis. Strange things happening here. I heard the same for the capital too." Qrow stiffened.

"What do you mean by that?" Qrow spoke up. Alano jumped, then narrowed his eyes at Qrow.

"Can't say for sure. Just that there's a lot more Grimm, and I don't know what else. Something … strange."

Time seemed to freeze around Qrow. He could barely get a breath out. Was the capital in trouble? Had Salem already sent her forces to Vacuo? Or was there another reason for the strange rumors? Was there another culprit?

"We can help then!" Ruby piped up. She gave the man a sweet smile. "We're Huntsmen!" Alano smiled back at her, except his was not kind or cheerful, but rather pitying. A shadow covered the group for a brief moment, then disappeared. Alano shielded his eyes, staring up at the sky. Qrow followed his gaze. A Ravager was flying around the perimeter of the Oasis.

"A Ravager so close to the Oasis?" Miriam reached for her whip. She grinned widely, then her smile faltered. She snapped her head back, looking at the empty street behind them. "Why isn't anyone doing anything? I know Ravagers aren't an unusual sight, but there's usually more shouting and people running to get their weapons when one shows up!" She waved a hand at the settlement behind them. Empty. Not a soul in sight.

"There's been more of those around lately. They're here constantly now. But strangely enough, they haven't been bothering us. Unless you leave the settlement." Alano tilted his cap forward, his eyes covered. "Like I said, keep your head down." And then he left them standing by the pool, hurrying back to the main street before turning down one of the alleyways and disappearing. Miriam watched him leave with wide eyes.

"Uh, that wasn't normal, right?" Nora asked. "Or is that what people in Vacuo are like?" Miriam shook her head.

"No, that wasn't normal." Her tail drooped, dragging along the sand. For once, she seemed speechless.

"So, what's next then?" Ruby asked.

"We should still find supplies. And a weaponsmith, if there's one," Qrow said. Miriam was still staring at the spot Alano had disappeared. "Miriam." She snapped out of her stupor.

"Yeah?"

"Is there a place we can get supplies? And possibly weapons?" he asked, nodding his head at Winter. Miriam straightened up, the energy returning to her posture. She flashed a bright smile at him.

"Of course!" She shook her head. "Clearly Clint and I were right to return. Something is happening here that we have to figure out. For now, you guys will stay with us at our place. It's going to be a tight squeeze, but I doubt you'll have much luck at the inn."

"There's only one inn?" Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This isn't Atlas, heiress. As beautiful as the Oasis is, Vacuo isn't really the kingdom that gets a lot of visitors."

"And … then what?" Jaune asked. "What do we do? Where do we even begin?"

"We start investigating the Oasis, talking to the people who live here," Miriam said easily. "You should all stick with Clint or I. Even under normal circumstances, Vacuo citizens are pretty wary of outsiders."

"Aye aye!" Ruby saluted. Yang and Blake share a long look. Blake bit her lip, cocking her head to the side with a questioning gaze. Yang shook her head.

"We should find a way to get to the capital soon too," Qrow said. "If something is happening like that guy said, they could be in trouble. And if Salem's influence has reached Vacuo, we need to get in touch with Shade Academy."

"The students should be informed too. They might even be able to help," Blake added. Her ears bent back against her head. "I hope Sun and the others are ok." Yang reached over and took Blake's hand, squeezing it tight.

"Well, that's gonna have to wait. As you guys said, we need to restock our supplies." Miriam waved at them to follow her. "I'll show you guys the market area."

They walked back down the main street and took a left turn onto another large street. This one was even more colorful, with banners and flags flying from nearby windows, and heavy silk cloths hanging above the street. Unlike the main street that was nearly empty, this street was littered with stands and vendors. Many of the stands appeared to be open and had people ready to sell their wares, but Qrow could still see the signs of some vendors' absences. An empty spot between two stalls, a stand with a large tarp thrown over it.

There was a mix of human and Faunus throughout the street. A human woman chatted with a nearby Faunus vendor with small horns sprouting from his forehead. Two young Faunus children, no more than 9 or 10, chased each other around the street, each wearing muddied ponchos. One had green scales along his arm, and when they turned and darted behind one of the vendor stalls, a fluffy, white rabbit tail could be seen on the girl.

"This reminds me a bit of Menagerie," Blake said.

"Vacuo has the largest ratio of Faunus to human citizens out of the four kingdoms," Miriam explained. "People have their prejudices here too, but most of the time, everyone's just worried about surviving." Blake frowned, her ears lowering.

Qrow glanced over at some of the vendors they passed. Two were leaning their heads close together, shooting the group distrustful looks and whispering behind their hands.

"Your neighbors seem suspicious of us," Qrow murmured to Miriam. She just shrugged.

"That's Vacuo for you." Was it though? Miriam seemed very laidback about the chilled reception they'd had so far, but Qrow could feel a prickling sensation of worry creep up his spine.

He heard the strange sound of scuffling behind him, and somebody gasped. It seemed to be Weiss, who started to cry out. "Winter-,"

Qrow turned and saw Winter spin around and grab the wrist of the small Faunus child. Their arm was mid-reach, close to Winter's pocket. Her hood fell back to reveal a very young looking face, with light, dusky brown skin and wide brown eyes. A fluffy, white cotton ball tail quivered behind her. It was the same Faunus girl they saw moments before.

"Is there something you needed?" Winter asked evenly. Miriam made a shooing motion behind her.

"Scram kid, we're Hunters. You're not going to have any luck pickpocketing us," she said, sounding bored. "Now beat it." She nodded at Winter, who released her hold on the girl's wrist. The Faunus girl's eyes widened, and then she darted away, disappearing down the street.

"She looked so young," Weiss whispered.

"Vacuo's harsh," Miriam said, but when Qrow looked over at her, he could see a faint trace of worry in her eye.

Miriam led them further down the street to a section of the market area where the outdoor vendors were fewer, and stores with colorful signs and exotic flowers hanging from the windows dotted each side of the street.

"Here we are!" Miriam stopped in front of a store with a bright yellow awning over the door. "Dust in the Wind!"

"It kind of looks like the shop back in Vale!" Ruby said with a smile.

"But with more character," Yang mused.

"You kids can go in. They sell various forms of Dust and Dust rounds, as well as normal supplies a Huntsman or Huntress might need," Miriam said. She pointed at Winter and Qrow. "You two come with me. I'll show you to the weaponsmith. She's an old friend of mine."

"Thanks," Qrow said, turning to Ruby and Yang. "You guys have Lien?"

"Yeah, we got some," Yang said.

"Ok. Try not to go crazy and destroy the place," Qrow said, giving them the side eye. "We're trying to keep a low cover for now." Ruby and Yang saluted him, giving him mockingly serious looks. He rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, you got it." He waved at them to go, and the kids hurried into the Dust shop. Qrow and Winter followed Miriam, who took them to a shop that was only about three buildings down from the Dust shop. Unlike the colorful awning and fabrics that hung around the Dust shop and vendor stands, the smithy was cast in shades of brown and black. The sides of the building were wooden, unlike the majority of buildings on the market street which were adobe and brick. Qrow could smell smoke coming from inside the shop.

"Here we go." Miriam shoved the doors open, a bell going off to signal the arrival of guests. Winter stepped through, and then Qrow, both gazing around the shop. It was fairly empty and small, though some standard weapons hung on the walls, like broadswords and battle-axes. There was a long counter towards the back that stretched the entire width of the room, and behind the counter there was a doorway into another room.

A large, muscular woman walked out of the back room, wiping her hands on her black apron. Her curly blond hair was atop her head in a messy bun, but long strands had escaped and hung around her face. Her arms were tan, and her face had a rosy glow, as if she'd sat in a sauna for hours on end. She raised an eyebrow when she spotted the three new guests.

"What can I do for you?" Her accent was heavy, making her words come out in a permanent drawl. Her eyes landed on Miriam. "Miriam. You're back I see."

"Uh huh," Miriam said, giving the woman a smile.

"If you've come to tell me that you broke your weapon, or it's 'not good enough' again-," the woman threatened. Miriam gave her a placating gesture.

"No, no, I'm good. I'm just bringing you business!" She motioned Winter forward. "Eden, Winter is looking to replace her weapons." Winter grimaced, but she nodded her head. Eden looked her over.

"You don't look like the kind of people we get around here." She glanced over at Qrow. "You neither. Though yer sure scruffy enough for it." Qrow scratched his head, unsure if that was a compliment.

"Yeah, they're out-of-towners. Acquaintances of mine," Miriam explained. "And I swear, this is an easy job." Eden barked out a laugh.

"Right! I hear that all the time."

"I'd really appreciate it," Winter said, her tone low. "I can pay." Eden gave her an appraising look.

"You don't even know my price."

"Then name it."

Eden smiled, leaning against the counter. She looked over Winter up and down, before finally nodding to herself. "First, I need a description and sketch of what yer looking for. I'll need you to answer some questions too. I think my prices are fair, but I don't have a single, steady price per weapon. It all depends on the complexity of the design and how long it takes me." Eden reached under the counter for something, pulling out a pad of paper. Winter stepped up to the counter and, to Qrow's surprise, immediately started sketching and explaining what her weapon was like.

"The weapon I previously used was a sabre, with a smaller, secondary sword that could be separated from the hilt. Each had a very small cartridge for Dust that I could use in tandem with the sabre and my Semblance," she explained. Eden leaned over, watching the drawing unfold, nodding and asking questions about the makeup of the swords. Qrow walked over and leaned over Winter's shoulder, curious. The sketch was very technical looking, but overall very accurate.

"Where did you learn to draw?" he asked. Winter frowned.

"It was part of my studies," she muttered. Qrow blinked in confusion. To the best of his knowledge, Atlas didn't offer art classes. If she didn't learn it at the Academy …

Oh.

She shot him a quick look that said 'Don't you dare say anything', then returned to describing her sabres to Eden. For all of her initial reluctance, Eden was now nodding rapidly, taking the pencil from Winter and adding a few notes on the drawing.

"Ya know," Eden said, "this is a really simple weapon. I could add a few things if you want." Winter wrinkled her nose.

"I'm used to this weapon. And I don't want anything gaudy."

"I could make it tasteful," Eden offered.

"You sure you don't want to add a gun?" Qrow suggested helpfully.

"No, Qrow."

Eden huffed, scratching something else onto the paper. "Well, I'll at least fix the flaws in your old weapon." Winter's mouth fell open as she sputtered like a fish out of water. Qrow had to reign in his laughter at her expression.

"My weapon perfectly suited me," she said, stumbling over some of her words. "It did not-,"

"Don't worry, I mean no offense," Eden said. She hadn't raised her head. She just kept humming as she looked over the sketch. "Everything can be improved, I always say." Winter's face soured, and Qrow couldn't stop his shoulders from shaking as he stifled more laughter. "Trust me. I'll just fix a few things up. Yer Dust cartridge holder, the mechanism of the parrying dagger." Eden's eyes lit up. She ripped the sketch off the pad. Winter almost reached a hand out, as if she might snatch the sketch back and change her mind. But she withdrew her hand, and took a step back.

"How long will it take to make?" Winter asked. Eden hmmed, tapping her chin.

"Give me … five days."

"Five days!?"

"We don't want to rush you, but is there any way to get them done a little faster?" Qrow jumped in. "But still be good quality? We're on a bit of a time crunch."

Eden rolled her eyes. "Everybody wants it done faster, but they still insist on high quality weapons." Qrow decided to turn on the charm, and flashed her a winning smile.

"Guilty as charged."

"Listen, I only make high quality weapons. Any roaming nomad or bandit can grab a piece of junk and call it a weapon. I make 'em by hand." Eden crossed her arms. "5 days is what I need if I go at my average pace with my normal supplies. If you really want it done sooner, I can have it to you within a couple days, three tops. But it will cost you extra."

"Deal," Qrow said. He felt Winter's eyes on him. She was probably worried about the cost since she'd left Atlas with very little of … well, anything. But he knew he had enough. And at any rate, there was a practical reason for helping Winter buy a new weapon, he reminded himself. If she ended up getting in a battle again without her weapon, she could be at a serious disadvantage and put herself and others in danger.

"You sure?" Eden drawled.

"They're good for it," Miriam said.

"We don't wish to hurry you," Winter said, attempting to make it up to the weaponsmith, who just waved her off.

"Done it before. The extra Lien is for special Dust-powered tools that will make my job easier and faster," Eden said. She reached under the counter again, scrounging for who knew what. Qrow could hear the clanking of metal objects. She poked her head back up over the counter. "Yer still here?" Barely ten seconds had passed, and she already sounded annoyed.

Miriam patted Winter on the shoulder. "Come on, Eden works best alone. She's got all the information she needs. And if you need any more, you know where to find us!" Eden shot her a dark look. "Which you will not need to do, of course, because you're so good at your job."

"Just leave already!"

Miriam spun around without even a goodbye, Winter following her. Winter still seemed uneasy, but the tight lines in her face had relaxed a little.

Qrow was the last out of the door, but he stopped just at the door frame, taking a good, long look at the other side of the door. There were multiple, bulky, metal locks on the door, each a different kind. A single one of them would be enough to prevent the average break-in. Qrow furrowed his brows.

"Sure got a lot of heavy duty locks on your door," Qrow commented. Eden gave him a tense smile.

"In case the Grimm or something comes knocking," she said.

"Or something?" Qrow asked. Her smile dropped, but she didn't add anything to her previous statement. He wouldn't get anything else out of her. He gave her a wave, then swung the door open and joined Miriam and Winter out on the street.

When they arrived at the Dust shop, most of the kids were waiting outside already. Except for Nora and Ruby. Blake, Weiss, and Jaune each held a small bag with boxes in them. Most likely Dust rounds and various Dust types. Yang just held a lollipop in one hand, eagerly licking it and turning her tongue bright red.

The glass store door slid open, and a second later, Nora and Ruby appeared, arms full of things they bought and mouths stretched into wide smiles. Among the boxes of special Dust rounds were bags of junk food. Qrow groaned. Kids.

"Well, if everybody's ready, you can all follow me to our house," Miriam announced.

"Our house?" Ruby questioned.

"Clint and mine," Miriam specified. "You guys will be guests while you stay. Remember that!" Qrow caught Yang rolling her eyes, but she didn't give any snarky remark. "And we're pretty limited on extra rooms, so most of you kids will probably be bunking on the couch or floor."

"What?!" Nora nearly yelled. Qrow almost winced at the girl's high pitch.

"We'll figure out the rooms once Clint and the others arrive," Miriam said. "But considering there's about a dozen of you guys, you should be thankful you're even staying with us. Unless you guys would rather try to get a different place in the Oasis? Or camp outside?" Qrow turned around and glared at the kids. They mumbled for a little bit, but assented.

"Dr. Polendina and Ozpin will be taking guest rooms," Winter added. Qrow nodded in agreement. Aside from the two men being on the older side, they were certainly not used to roughing it like he or the kids were. Dr. Polendina probably wasn't even used to leaving Atlas.

Miriam took them through winding streets to a residential area of the Oasis. Qrow had to admit, overall, the city was beautiful. Certainly more so than Atlas, and it wasn't like anything he'd seen in Vale or Mistral. The heat was a little bit much, but even the most simple looking buildings were picturesque.

But just like every kingdom, it all hid a darker underbelly.

Miriam and Clint's house was a two story building, not very wide. It reminded Qrow a bit of Sable's old apartment building back in Mistral, except the Roo's house was made out of clay and seemed a bit smaller. It was stuck between two other almost identical houses, but there was enough space around it for a tiny yard area in the back and on the sides. There was a cement wall around some kind of gated area next to the house. A personal garden maybe? A patio? Whatever it was, the Roo twins had a nice setup here. It felt homey, and even reminded Qrow a little bit of Tai's house back on Patch.

As they approached the Roo house, Miriam stopped by the building to the left, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Hello Mrs. Ginger!" Miriam called. No answer came. The house appeared empty and quiet.

"Neighbor?" Qrow asked.

"Yeah, nice old lady. Usually outside doing gardening or some kind of chore." Miriam's tail twitched. "Guess she's not in right now." She stared up at the second story window for a moment, then turned and headed for her own door. "Welp, time to get you guys all settled in."

The Roo's house opened up into a sunny living room area, with a dull, green couch, a few armchairs, and a patterned rug on the floor. There was a dining area just beyond it, and a small kitchen off to the left. There were two separate hallways to the right, and a staircase to the second floor.

"Ooooooh!" Nora shoved her way through the group, arms still clutching her Dust rounds and snacks. "Nice!"

"Thank you for allowing us to stay here," Blake said. Miriam shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah." She pointed at the hallway closer to the back wall. "That hallway has a bedroom and bathroom. You guys can wash up. I recommend you do." She pointed at the screen door out to the back. "There's a fountain right outside the door too, if you want to use that." Then she gestured at the hallway closer to the front wall. "Down that hallway, you'll find a door into the courtyard area with the pool. Feel free to use." Then she rounded on the kids, giving them a warning look. "But don't get it filthy!"

"You got it!" Jaune squeaked. Ruby nodded, her head bobbing up and down a mile a minute. Miriam stared them down for another four seconds, before nodding once and leaving the kids to their own devices.

"I'm grabbing a drink then. It's only the afternoon, and it's been a long day." Qrow could hear the sound of Miriam opening the refrigerator and grabbing a can, cracking it open. He forced himself away from the kitchen, deciding to check out the rest of the house. The kids began to pile in, throwing their bags on the floor and immediately exploring, though Weiss insisted that she would be taking the first shower.

Qrow headed down the closest hallway, opening a screen door out into a tiny courtyard with a small, square pool. It was a pretty little area, hidden away like a secret sanctuary. The pool looked calming, inviting even, but Miriam's warning rang in his head. Like the others, Qrow's clothes were dusty and still covered in grains of sand, and if he was being perfectly honest, he'd prefer a hot shower.

With little else to do while, Qrow decided to take a break and clean off his weapon. Dirt caked the edge of the blade, and Qrow spied a few drops of dried blood, now the color of rust. He couldn't remember when that had happened. Had he gotten that good of a swing in on Harish or Altair? He hoped so. The thought gave him pleasure.

Qrow sat out in the courtyard area for a while. The sun began to drop in the sky and cast more shadows around him. Finally, after nearly every one of the kids had taken turns using the bathroom, he was able to take a shower and wash off all of the sand, dirt, and grime he had accumulated since he arrived in Vacuo. He let out a deep sigh as the hot water pelted his skin, soaking it in. The past few days had been so hectic. He'd nearly forgotten how great a hot shower felt. It was a small luxury, and he certainly wasn't anybody who needed a 5 star hotel or anything like that, but this felt great after a Grimm attack and a trek through the sands of Vacuo. He decided to take his sweet damn time. After all, the kids had hogged it for two hours.

When he finally exited the shower, scrubbing at his hair with a towel, he found the rest of the house eerily quiet. Though he enjoyed the kids' company most of the time, he did relish the occasional peace and quiet. It'd been days, no, weeks since he'd last enjoyed such a relaxing atmosphere. For now, he decided to push the thought of Shade Academy and Salem out of his head. He and Miriam agreed that they would need at least a day before they tried to visit the capital. They needed to prepare, and it might be a good idea to do some digging around the Oasis first. He threw his towel back into the bathroom and headed for the main area of the house.

There he found Winter staring at a round mirror in the living area, alone. No one else was around. At first, he wasn't sure what was wrong, or why she seemed so intent on staring at her reflection. Then he watched her raise a hand to her hairline, brushing the scars there. She caught him watching her, and gave a forced smile.

"It's the first time I've looked in a mirror since before the battle," she explained. She rubbed at her cheek, just over the end of one of the scars. "I suppose this is why you kept asking me if I was ok after the fight. I didn't realize how bad I looked."

"You don't look bad," Qrow said immediately. "And the scars will fade over time, I'm sure." Winter hummed in response, returning her gaze to her reflection.

"That story you told, back when we first met Sable, about the three people who were able to steal half of the Fall Maiden's power … is that glove what they used?"

"Yeah. I severed the connection by cutting through it." Qrow shifted on his feet. "But it still left Amber physically scarred and in a coma."

"Do I look as bad as she did?"

"She looked worse," Qrow said honestly. He thought he saw a tiny bit of relief fill her eyes.

"I suppose I shouldn't be asking that. It's not appropriate of me, and I have more important things to worry about than my physical appearance," Winter added.

"Hey, don't worry 'bout that. You're more than allowed to be happy that you came out of that situation alive and well," Qrow assured her. Winter gave him a small smile, taking one last look at herself in the mirror before walking away to one of the bedrooms. Hers and Weiss', he presumed. The two would be sharing a room. He could hear her talking with Blake about organizing the room. He decided to leave them to that.

He fell back onto one of the couches in the living area, sighing loudly and cracking his neck. He leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling and sinking into the cushions. Thoughts of Salem and Shade Academy and Ozpin were beginning to creep back, but he knew there was no point in worrying about it today. The sun was already lowering in the sky, and they would probably be in Vacuo for a while. They would take the time to prepare, to investigate … even if Qrow felt like time was slipping through his fingers like the sand he'd washed away earlier.

His conversation with Miriam from earlier popped back into his brain. This could be a distraction … for what? For Oz? he thought. Ozpin certainly made the most sense as a target. Though Salem had sent Harish and Altair after him and Ruby. And those two jackasses mentioned Winter during their attack too. Were he or Winter really such important targets? They couldn't be, right? Though he was sure they both had quite the reputations. And of course, anyone with Maiden powers was a given mark for Salem's plans as well.

The sound of footsteps rattled Qrow out of his musings. They began to grow closer, coming from the other side of the front door. A second later, Clint came through the door, followed by Oz, Dr. Polendina, and Ren. "We're back," Clint called. Qrow waved at him.

"Where's Nora? And Jaune?" Ren asked. Qrow shrugged.

"Either in one of the rooms, or out by the pool in the courtyard area." Miriam appeared from the kitchen, leaning against the wall. "Run into any trouble?"

"Not really," Clint said. His ears folded forward. "Though, the Dune transport took a while to come get us. Seems to be something weird going on around the Oasis."

"It appears so," Miriam said in agreement. She clapped her brother on the back.

"Did you guys run into any trouble?"

"Grimm attack. Multiple Ravagers, Nevermores, a Deathstalker, and a Blind Worm," Miriam listed. Clint whistled.

"Nice."

Miriam grinned, then shifted her attention to Ozpin and Dr. Polendina. "We have guest rooms ready for you two upstairs," she said kindly. Qrow didn't think he'd ever heard her sound so gentle.

"Thank you," Dr. Polendina squeaked. Ozpin just nodded. Qrow caught Oz's eye for a quick second, then he glanced away. Their last conversation had been a mixture of disappointing and frustrating, and he wasn't quite ready to have a one on one with Oz yet.

"I'll show you to them," Clint offered. He led the two men up the stairs, and Ren excused himself to go find the other kids. Qrow was once again left in silence. He leaned back, closing his eyes. He reached down for his flask absentmindedly, thinking a drink sounded really good in that moment, before remembering that the flask was empty. He gritted his teeth. Damn, this is hard. Hoping to find a distraction, he pushed himself off the couch and headed for the kitchen. Miriam raised an eyebrow at his appearance.

"Need something?"

"You got coffee or something to drink?" Qrow asked.

"Yeah, second cupboard." Miriam pointed to Qrow's left.

Qrow stubbornly refused to meet Miriam's eyes as he brewed the coffee, only settling down once it was finished and he took a long swig of it. He grimaced at the bitter taste, but at least it was something. He took another sip.

Damn this is hard.

As the sun disappeared and night fell, the house began to grow quieter. Miriam and Clint were kind enough to throw a quick, makeshift dinner together for the household, and by the time everyone had finished eating and cleaned up their dishes, the sky had turned a dark blue, with only a few pale rays of sun left. Dr. Polendina and Ozpin had excused themselves soon after they ate, and most of the kids followed soon after. Everyone seemed exhausted. Qrow finished up his conversation with Clint and Miriam, then excused himself and walked out into the living room.

Yang, Ruby, and Blake were all piled on a single couch, with Yang sandwiched between Ruby and Blake. Ruby was practically draped over her right side, mouth open and a threadbare pillow clutched in one hand. Blake was curled up on Yang's left, her head inclined toward Yang. She shifted in her sleep, and nestled closer to Yang, who looked down at the girl with glittering eyes and a soft smile.

When she lifted her head and saw Qrow, he raised an eyebrow, nodding his head at Blake in question. Yang grinned at him and winked an eye.

He usually thought Ruby took after him more than her sister did, but in situations like this, Qrow saw a younger version of himself in Yang's smile. She was so much like Tai in every other aspect however. Not Raven though. Even when Raven was young and in school, she'd never had the zest for life that drove Yang.

Everyone seemed to be asleep or getting ready to call it a night. Miriam was sitting at a tiny square table in the kitchen, watching a video on her Scroll. Ren was lying back in a chair, eyes closed, though it was hard to tell if he was sleeping or meditating. Jaune and Nora were nowhere to be seen. They must have found a spot elsewhere in the house to sleep. As Qrow looked around, he noticed that Weiss and Winter were nowhere to be seen. He still had yet to really talk to Winter for more than a minute that day, so he figured he'd find her now, when everyone else was asleep. Something told him she was still awake.

He knew where she was. As he headed to the pool just outside, he passed by Weiss, who was coming from the same direction. She looked him up and down suspiciously, and Qrow didn't quite know why, but he held his hands up in a surrender motion. Weiss relaxed a little, nodding. She gestured her head behind her, and then gave him a sincere smile before leaving him alone in the hallway. He soon found his way to the screen door that led outside. He could hear the faint buzz of insects and the almost silent rippling of water.

Qrow opened the door outside to the small, enclosed courtyard space. In truth, it could barely be called a courtyard. It was just big enough for an inground pool that was slightly smaller than average, and a pathway around the perimeter of a pool. Potted plants were shoved into the corners of the walls, and a few seats and lounge chairs were placed along the stone pathway. A thin, see-through screen was hung above the area, providing slight cover from the sky, though the stars and moon were still visible. Winter sat on one of the lounge chairs, facing the pool with an unreadable expression. The dim lights of the pool cast ethereal reflections over her face.

"Hey, Schnee," Qrow said. She looked up at him, not surprised in the slightest. Had she expected him? Probably. Her hair was out of its usual bun and loosely braided down her back. She had changed out of her Atlas uniform and now wore a loose, baby blue shirt and long, flowing white pants. Miriam must have loaned her the clothes or picked something up from a shop. It was the most informal outfit he'd ever seen Winter wear.

"Hello, Qrow," she said, watching him as he joined her and sat down on the same lounge chair. They sat by each other's side for several minutes in silence, neither one speaking or making eye contact. Finally, Qrow spoke up.

"We … should talk," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Winter sighed.

"Yes. I suppose we should," she said quietly. She fidgeted with her fingers, looking a little nervous. So she had expected him to find her and talk to her.

"So, I guess the first thing is … how are you doing?" It was a stupid question in a sense. Qrow knew she wasn't doing well. But he needed to get her to open up and talk about it herself.

"I've been managing," Winter said, pursing her lips. Then she sighed again. "But that's not the answer you're looking for, is it?"

"No, it's not." Qrow leaned back on his hands, keeping his eyes on Winter. "It's only been a day since we left Atlas. I want to know how you're doing, honestly." He paused. "Your thoughts are your own, and I don't want to pry too much. But I'm not gonna ignore the fact that you're clearly not fine with everything that's happened in the past couple of days." Winter remained quiet, staring at the pool. Qrow took a deep breath. "About two days ago, you told me that if I needed to get somethin' off my chest, I could go to you. That I could talk to you." He leaned a little closer. "You told me not to go down the rabbit hole."

"Yes," Winter mumbled, still staring away from him.

"Don't do the same thing I did," he said. Winter's breath left her, her eyes widening. Her hands tightened on her knees. Finally, she leaned forward on her knees, holding her face and running a hand through her long bangs in a frustrated manner.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't want you to see me like this. I didn't want anyone to see me like this, if I'm being honest. I give you a whole speech about insecurity and letting your feelings overcome you, and not even two days pass before I'm doing the exact same thing." She let out a long breath, sounding angry with herself. Qrow's eyes narrowed, and he sat up straighter.

"Hang on, don't apologize! You have every reason to be upset. Me and the kids are barely holding it together, and we had little to no connection to Atlas. You're the one who had to give up her job and life in Atlas. And while I'm not … the biggest fan of Jimmy, I know you were close with him. I can only imagine what it must have felt like to leave without telling him. That's a lot to deal with."

"Oh, come on Qrow!" Qrow almost recoiled. He'd never heard Winter use that tone before. She followed it with a half-hearted laugh, but it barely covered the frustration and bitterness evident in her words. "I've been nothing short of unprofessional for the past day. I've become a hindrance."

"Hey, I'm not asking you to be 'professional'. You don't have to be professional. Hell, I'd prefer it if you weren't! And you're not a hindrance," Qrow exclaimed. "This isn't the Atlesian Army!" Winter winced. "Ah, I didn't mean it like that!" He ran a hand through his hair. "You know, we've always been at each other's throats. But we've spent a lotta time together these past few months, and I think we can safely say we've built up a lot of trust between us, right?" He waited for her. Winter glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, before looking away again. He raised an eyebrow, still waiting.

"Yes, we have," she admitted. He smiled.

"Good!" he said, grinning. "Then we can skip the whole 'pretending to be fine' and 'trying to act professional' thing." He leaned back again, folding his arms behind his head. "Keep going," he encouraged. He thought he saw her mouth twitch, and he almost felt relieved.

"I don't know what I'm doing, Qrow," she murmured. "When I left with the General from Mistral, I didn't even think of the mess I was leaving behind. I just obeyed orders, as usual. And now I've disobeyed orders and I've left Atlas while it's severely crippled." Qrow nodded, listening to every word she said. He understood. He'd thought the same thing about leaving the kingdoms after Salem's attacks. Winter looked up at him for a quick moment. "Weiss already talked to me about that. She reminded me that I made this choice because I believed the right thing to do was to fight against Salem and try to save all the kingdoms, rather than staying behind to help out in one. And I kept thinking …" She paused, and when Qrow raised his eyes to hers, she tore them away again.

"About what?" he asked.

"About the first time I decided to leave Atlas and join you on your mission," she said. "I made a decision then and I stuck by it. I left the military, even if it was temporarily, because I believed your mission was for the greater good of Remnant. I've never regretted that decision. So I shouldn't regret this one."

It felt like ages since that day. Qrow remembered feeling annoyed, and a little impressed, that Winter Schnee of all people had run after him and asked to join him. He almost said no. In the beginning, sometimes he thought maybe he should have. The last thing he wanted was Ironwood's watchdog following him. But something about the way she had asked, despite her commitment to the military, was so genuine and out of character from the Winter Schnee he was used to that he agreed to include her in his mission. And despite the fact that they'd bickered and argued constantly in the beginning, he was glad for it now. He didn't regret his decision either.

"Good. I'm glad," he said. The words left his mouth easily, which surprised him a little, but he knew it was the truth.

"But I feel … I feel …" She raised a hand to her heart, clutching at her shirt in an almost desperate manner. "I cannot describe it properly. But for most of my life, I dreamed of becoming a Specialist. I worked so hard to leave the Schnee Manor and train at the Academy. I got so far in my career. And now, I can't go back. I'll be arrested, I'll no longer be an Atlesian Special Operative." Her head fell forward. Her bangs covered her eyes. Qrow felt a pang in his heart, and he reached out a hand carefully, before pulling it back. "The thing is," she whispered. "If I disagree with the General, and I left my post and my kingdom, what does that mean? If the choices I've made mean that I can't be a Specialist anymore, what does that make me?"

"It makes you a Huntress," Qrow said. Winter snapped her head towards him, and Qrow was surprised to see tears at the corner of her eyes. He was surprised at how much the sight of Winter Schnee being upset hurt him. "You're a Huntress. Maybe deep down that's what you've always wanted. You know Atlas doesn't handle their Huntsmen and Huntresses like the other kingdoms. Maybe you embraced the military and the government of Atlas because you had to. But what you really wanted was to protect people." Winter gasped quietly. Her breath came out in a soft hiccup, betraying how close she was to crying.

"Qrow?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think-," she cut off, clamping her mouth closed. He looked at her curiously.

"What?" She shook her head. "Come on, you can say whatever it is. I promise I won't make any judgmental comments." He held up a hand as if he were about to take an oath.

"It's nothing," Winter said. The tearful tone was gone, and she raised her head higher. But he could tell that whatever was on her mind, it was still bothering her. She had begun to fidget with her fingers again.

"If you have a question, I'll do my best to answer it. Honestly," he added. Winter hesitated. Then she asked her question. Her face was again turned away from Qrow's, her eyes staring at the pool again.

"You've known the General for awhile." It wasn't necessarily a question, but Qrow got the feeling she was waiting for an answer.

"Sadly, yes." She shot him a harsh look. "Sorry, it was just a joke! No more, I swear. I'll be on my best behavior." She glared at him for a few more moments before continuing.

"And you consider yourself his friend," she said. Another question hidden in a statement. Growing a little wary at where this could be heading, Qrow nodded.

"I don't know if 'friend' is a great word to describe it, especially considering my last conversation with him, but yeah, I suppose." Winter nodded, as if expecting such an answer.

"Would you say you understand him? That you understand how he thinks?"

"I'm not sure anyone does, least of all me. We're pretty different." Qrow lazily twirled a finger through the air. "But I guess I see where he's coming from. Some of the time."

"Do you think he hates me now?" Winter asked. Qrow froze. He should have seen that that was what Winter was thinking, but the question still caught him off guard. She must have taken his silence as indication of something, because she brushed her bangs to the side, biting her lip. "You can be honest with me. I can handle the truth." Qrow scrambled for something to say.

Did he know what James' thoughts were? Did he know the man's feelings towards Winter? Surely he cared about her on some level. Qrow was certain he'd witnessed their interactions enough to say that James was proud of his protege and trusted her. Maybe he even loved her.

At this point, given their current conversation and the tense conversation between Winter, Weiss, and Jacques back at the Schnee Ball, it didn't take a lot of imagination to understand why the Schnee sisters didn't want to be around Jacques. Qrow didn't want to think about it too much. When Winter had joined the Academy, James had taken her under his wing, and Qrow thought Winter found a mentor in James as well as a replacement father-figure.

He shook himself out of his thoughts, remembering that Winter was still waiting for his answer.

"To be honest, I don't know Schnee," he said. Winter's shoulders drooped. "I don't think he would really hate you. Maybe he'd act like it at first. I'm not gonna lie, he's probably pissed about this whole thing. But you know he puts the kingdom first."

"Yes."

"I suppose time will tell," Qrow said with a heavy sigh. "But listen, I know you care about the General. And for what it's worth, I think he cares about you too. Even if he hates what you did, I'm sure deep down beneath that titanium heart of his, he would still care."

Winter didn't seem completely convinced, but she did visibly relax. "I see," she said.

Jimmy doesn't deserve her worry, Qrow thought. The woman had tried giving everything to her kingdom, and then to the world. And then when Atlas was attacked, she tried doing both. And when it came time for her to choose between a single kingdom and the entire world, old James hadn't even given her a choice. He'd tried his best to keep her locked away in Atlas. If he truly cared, he had a horrible way of showing it. But Qrow kept his mouth shut because he knew that to Winter, the General was a very important person. In his honest opinion though, Jimmy needed a nice blow to the head.

"Well, at any rate, I wanted to say … thank you, Qrow. For allowing me to air my feelings and grievances. It was kind of you to do that." Again, she kept her face tilted away from him, refusing to make eye contact. In fact, it seemed like she was leaning away. "I did not wish to burden you with this." Qrow watched her for a moment, then slowly, carefully, reached a hand over and placed it on hers. He watched her stiffen at the sudden touch, then relax again.

"Winter." She was still turned away, curling in on herself. "Winter? Hey." Finally, she looked his way. Her eyes were clearer. They were sad, but also hopeful. "It's ok to feel down, even if you were the one comforting me not that long ago. I don't mind. I know I'm far from being perfect or even put together most of the time, but I don't have a monopoly on misery." He laughed awkwardly. Winter's mouth curled up into a tiny smile.

"Are you sure? You seem so broody all the time," she said. Qrow held a hand to his chest, mouth agape in mock surprise.

"Was that a joke, Schnee? Wow, you really aren't feeling well, are you?" Winter shot him a look, but there was no anger or annoyance in it. In fact, she appeared to be trying her hardest not to smile.

They sat by each other's side, barely touching but still close, for at least another hour. Maybe it was longer. Qrow found that he lost track of the time quickly. Most of that time was spent in a peaceful silence, but every now and then Qrow would break the quiet with a silly comment or stupid joke. Winter would either roll her eyes and mutter something about how ridiculous he was, but on the rare instances that she would chuckle, he felt that it was a victory for him. And as he sat by Winter Schnee's side, keeping her company, watching the billions of stars above them, sharing personal feelings and stories, a thought occurred to Qrow. A thought that had been working its way into his mind for a while, one that he had tried to ignore and explain away, but that night, he acknowledged and accepted it. He looked over at Winter, thoughtful.

Things have changed, haven't they.

XXX

Another chapter within a few weeks! That's pretty good for me! I'm happy I was able to get this one out so soon. I started writing this one immediately after the last one, and I knew that this chapter was going to be a bit more on the relaxing side for the characters, and that Qrow and Winter were going to have a lot of moments together. I've written a lot of chapters from Qrow's POV recently, so I think we can expect to see our Ice Queen's view of things for the next chapter.

Vacuo is going to prove to be an interesting kingdom. Their problems are very unique compared to the other kingdoms.

So strap in for a chaotic journey through Vacuo! Hope you all enjoy the chapter!

GojiraFan455515: Thank you for your review!

Raine Adrasteia: Thanks for reading the chapter, and I hope you like this one too! This is another chapter from Qrow's perspective, and he and Winter definitely take a lot of time to talk things out. If you enjoyed his worry for Winter in the previous chapter, I think you'll like this one too.

Nina Vale: Vacuo's definitely going to be interesting and fun to write! It's going to be a bit difficult to write too. It's been a lot harder to write for Vacuo than the previous kingdoms, and I have a few plans for upcoming chapters that have taken awhile to string together coherently because of the multitude of events and things that may (or may not) be happening. But it's a fun challenge, and I can only hope that it all translates well into the final chapters. The Oasis definitely shares some similarities with the Misty Palm Oasis from the Avatar world, especially its iteration in Legend of Korra since it's a little more advanced than the original series version. I'm glad you liked Winter's troubles that she's having while dealing with her desertion, and I'm glad you liked her talk with Weiss too! She and Qrow definitely take the chance to talk through things in this chapter, and this a major step in their relationship. This slowburn has definitely taken awhile ... but their talk in this chapter is very important as to what it means for their relationship, without revealing too much ;) And as always, I'm glad you like the original characters too! There will be more original characters introduced very soon in Vacuo. As for Salem, it's very interesting that you think it's too perfect and quiet so far. A very interesting observation indeed ...