I can't believe I'm doing this, Weiss thought to herself, as she stepped gingerly towards the edge of the forest. Weiss thought back to what Yang had said ten minutes ago. 'Don't worry, she's super calm! Just talk peacefully, mention Ruby's my sister and she'll be alright! I'll follow you in an hour!' That had better work, Weiss thought. If not, Ruby might be a goner. A goner? What did that even mean? Would this kidnapper kill Ruby? She was Yang's girlfriend, so... Actually Weiss didn't know Yang to well. For all she knew, Yang might be totally into the murderous crazy type. Uhg.

How had this even happened? Weiss was certain at this point that her disappearance wasn't public knowledge, so how could some bounty hunter or assassin have found out her whereabouts? A bell sounded in Weiss head. Oh.. She thought back on the past few days, past week even. That shadowy figure she'd convinced herself was just paranoia. That time she thought there was someone with her in the woods. That figure she saw outside the second story window at the inn– ok maybe not that last one, bounty hunter/stalker/assassin or whatever they were, it would be pretty impossible to get up there that silently. Unless they were like magic, or a faunus. Both highly unlikely. But that still didn't explain WHY they had known to look for her in the first place!

Weiss was at the edge of the forest now. "Ruby?" She called. Silence. Well, if that would have worked then she wouldn't have needed to be so stressed in the first place. Ugh. She lifted a foot to step inside, when a blade landed right where she would have stepped a moment later. Weiss gasped and drew her sword on instinct. Her eyes darted around the dark foliage, unable to make our much.

"You came." A voice said. A female voice. It seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, but also nowhere. All that did was make Weiss even more tense.

"So I did. Where's Ruby." Weiss gritted her teeth. Ohhhhh she was gonna stab this girl SO hard when she found out where she was!

"Put down the sword." the voice said.

"I'd like to keep my head thankyou." Weiss kept looking for the source of the voice. Stall, stallll..!

"Drop it or she gets hurt."

Weiss felt a twang of guilt. She didn't want to be responsible for any harm coming to Ruby, dragon or not. Weiss set her sword down gently, and kicked it away from the forest, so the voice couldn't have it. Nyeh.

"Come into the forest." The voice said. This voice was starting to really piss Weiss off. But, Ruby..

"If it's me you want, let her go, she has nothing to do with this." Weiss growled.

"Hmm, I could do that.." The voice said evilly. Evilly? It didn't sound, truly evil? More like someone trying to play a villain in a school play. Interesting. Weiss decided to play her trump card.

"She's Yang's little sister!" She said loudly.

A branch snapped, as if someone had lost their footing in the trees for a second. Ohoh, so she was in the trees? "You– how do you, what?!" The voice lost its composure. Heh.

"She's Yang's sister! Ask her!" Weiss yelled.

The voice went silent. A few moments later, it spoke up again. "If you're lying, you're going to die on the spot." The voice threatened. Again, it sounded like someone playing a role they were bad at. It didn't scare Weiss at all. Who knew a death threat could be so un-threatening? "Come." The voice tossed a rock or something in front of Weiss. She had no choice but to follow the path that was being created.

Weiss walked silently, and to her annoyance, she could never tell where the rocks and sticks that made sounds when thrown at the ground were coming from. How could someone be this agile and silent!? Her foot was starting to ache even more.. Yang had said to stay off it a few days... Weiss came upon a cave. Inside, she could see a faint flicker of light around the corner. Weiss immediately dashed into the cave and to the light source. "Ruby?" she turned a corner, and saw Ruby snuggled into a mess of blankets, sleeping peacefully. Next to her was a lit lantern, the source of light. Weiss sunk to her knees in relief. As un-threatening as Yang's kidnapper girlfriend's threats had sounded, Weiss had still been worried. But Ruby was fine. She was fine. Weiss stood, and went to Ruby's side. "Wake up!" Weiss yelled and stomped her foot. Ruby's body jolted, but stayed asleep. "Hey! Do you know how worried I was?! How were you so carless that you go kidnapped just trying to get a glass of water! Hey! Heyy!" Ruby didn't wake up.

Weiss felt a chill run down her spine. She was sleeping, and not dead right? Yeah, she was alive, she'd jolted in her sleep a moment before. Maybe she was just a heavy sleeper.. Weiss shook Ruby, calling for her to wake up, but nothing worked. Not even pulling her hair. "She won't wake up unless she takes the antidote." The voice from before said. A black haired girl with a large bow in her hair stepped into the cave. Weiss reached for her sword, but then recalled how she'd gotten rid of it at the forest edge. ...uh-oh.

Weiss stood in front of Ruby, as if guarding her. "What do you want from me." She said cooly.

The kidnapper leaned against the wall, and spoke casually. "You."

"Slavery?" Weiss blurted out what she had been secretly dreading the whole time. Her statement made the kidnapper stumble in place.

"What? No! God no!" the kidnapper held up her hands in front of her. "That's illegal!"

Weiss stared at her like she was an idiot. "...so is kidnapping?"

The kidnapper glared. "Ok technically. But I was going to let her go anyways so it doesn't count. Besides, she won't even remember it."

Weiss was at an impasse. Why would anyone want to kidnap her, even going as far as to kidnap someone else just to get her, if it wasn't for slavery? There's no way her father would want her back. The only person who would want to retrieve her, might be... "Winter?"

"Hm?"

"Uh, why do you want me? If not for slavery?" Weiss asked. She'd ease into asking if it was winter who'd requested it.

The kidnapper seemed to cringe every time Weiss said the word 'slavery'. "My client is none of your business."

"So then it is slavery? Because if its anyone but my sister, its going to be slavery." Weiss said.

The kidnapper twitched at the word again. "Stop saying that! And you can't just run away from your problems! It doesn't work.." She sounded like she spoke from experience.

Weiss felt a wave of melancholy wash over her, and folded her arms tightly. She, really had just been running from her problems. Running from the throne, running from an arranged marriage, running from her father.. Maybe her father really HAD hired someone to find her, if only to lock her down even tighter when she returned. I don't want to go back. I do"n't want to go back.." Weiss found herself mumbling half her thoughts out loud.

"...To bad." The kidnapper said, not looking Weiss in the eyes.

Weiss needed a way out. Even if she left Ruby here, Yang would find her and rescue her within the hour for certain. And now that Weiss didn't need to worry about Ruby's safety, all she had to do was run. The farther she ran, the safer ruby would be from anyone who wanted to attack Weiss. It would be better to leave her..

"You don't have anything on me." Weiss stood her ground, banishing her depressing thoughts. "Yang will come soon and get Ruby, and once she's safe, you've got NOTHING tying me down." Weiss growled in defiance.

The kidnapper reached a hand behind her to grab her blade. Weiss lunged like she was going to tackle her, but ran out of the cave instead. She was free. But alas, that freedom was short lived. Apparently the kidnappers blades had ribbons or ropes attached to them, easily snagging Weiss's injured foot and flinging her back into the cave.

Weiss shook off the foot ribbon, but now the kidnapper was intensely guarding the exit. "What now princess?" The kidnapper challenged.

"Ahchoo!" A sneeze. Weiss and the kidnapper looked behind them, and saw Ruby sitting up, bleary eyed. She stretched and yawned, slowly taking in her surroundings. "Hey... Weiss.." She mumbled sleepily. The kidnapper was in shock. Weiss looked between her and Ruby. Maybe, whatever she had drugged Ruby with was supposed to be permanent! But it wore off because Ruby was a dragon!

...oh no.

This put a damper on Weiss's plan. How was she supposed to run and abandon Ruby, if she was awake and watching? Oof... Abandon... That is, what she'd be doing if she left. Abandoning her. "Go back to sleep Ruby." Weiss tried to sound as calm as possible. But her voice woke Ruby right up.

"Weiss? Where are we?" Ruby looked around frantically. "Who's that?"

"This? This is Yang's girlfriend." Weiss introduced the kidnapper harshly, but Ruby's eyes lit up.

"Really? Oh my gosh! I wanted to meet her for so long!" Ruby whispered exitedly into Weiss's ear. She turned her gaze upon the kidnapper. "Weissss ask for her name..! Yang's always so cryptic, she's never told me!"

Weiss decoded to humor Ruby. "She asked for your name."

The kidnapper seemed to be running on auto pilot due to the unforseen events transpiring. "...Blake."

Blake, was it? Well, calling her that was easier then calling her 'the kidnapper'. "Hello Blake!" Ruby chirped, then nodded her head and hummed happily next to Weiss, an awkward smile plastered to her face. Her peppiness started dropping. It was as if she used all her social skills for that one moment, and was now back at zero. She really was starting to resemble a brick wall. Ruby looked at Weiss, and regained the ability to speak. "You're so tense Weiss, are you ok?"

"She kidnapped you." Weiss said flatly.

"Huh? Well, even if that was true, I'd be fine since I'm a dr–"

"BLAAAA!" Weiss yelled to cancel out the word dragon. "You DOLT you're no supposed to say that!" Weiss said through gritted teeth.

"What? But it's Yang's girlfriend, why shouldn't I– ohhh right she hasn't told her yet.. Sorry.." Ruby apologized, and went to stand behind Weiss. "Did you kidnap me Blake? Because if so, that's a very bad first impression." Ruby was only able to speak to blake semi-normaly while hiding behind Weiss apparently.

"She's a runaway thief!" Blake pointed at Weiss.

"What?! I am not! Who told you that!?" Weiss hadn't stolen anything! Wait maybe.. No, no there was nothing she'd taken from home that was valuable! Except her sword, but that had always been hers!

"Your Mother!" Shouted yelled back.

Weiss froze. Her mother? Her mother was getting treatment for her addiction to alcohol, in another kingdom. Her mother wasn't within a thousand miles of where they were. It couldn't have been her. Blake was lying.

"Ruby get back, she's lying." Weiss hissed.

Ruby stepped back a little. "How do you know she's lying?" Ruby asked softly.

"My mother isn't even in the country. And if my father wanted me back, it could only be for bad reasons." Weiss was breathing rather quickly. It's as if there wasn't enough oxygen in the room to keep her alive. Strange, no one else was having trouble breathing. What could Weiss do? Blake was accusing her of stealing? Stealing what? And who would pose as her mother?

"Yo whats up girls!" Yang suddenly barged in out of nowhere, holding Weiss's sword. She paused upon entering, seeing Weiss and Blake just about ready to tear each others throats out, with a confused Ruby behind them. Yang set Weiss's sword down and calmly walked over to Blake, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Ok, lets talk through this slowly–"

"She's the second Atlas princess!"

"What." Yang immediately tensed up and took a defensive position. Huh? "Ruby come here." Yang commanded.

Ruby wrapped her arms around Weiss's middle. "No! Not unless you explain whats going on! Why did your girlfriend kidnap me? And why are you mad at Weiss?!"

Yang was still in a defensive position, but spoke to Ruby softly. "Ruby, You wouldn't understand–"

"You're right I don't! Because you wont tell me! Weiss has been nothing BUT great ever since I met her! Even when she's mad she's nice!" Ruby hugged Weiss tighter as Weiss felt her cheeks redden.

Where was this situation headed? Neither Yang nor Blake looked like they'd just sit and 'talk' now. Weiss was so confused. Now that her adrenaline rush was gone, her foot was throbbing unbearably. She was exhausted from her wolf slaying quest and the stress from worrying about Ruby, and just wanted to go to bed. She'd already started crying just from thinking about her life in front of Yang earlier, she didn't want to do it again.

Weiss felt like a caged animal. No way out. Yang was a dragon! With a kidnapper girlfriend! There's no way she could get away from those two! Her foot was starting to distract her to much with the pain, so much so that she had to shift her center of balance. Yang glanced at Weiss's foot and winced a little.

Weiss's vision was getting swimmy. Her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton. What? She couldn't black out now! No! But despite her protest, her consciousness slowly left her. The last thing she felt before the world went dark, were Rubys arms clasped tightly around her, holding firmly as not to let her fall.