I'd just like to preface this chapter by saying it's another of those "don't assume a mistake, look deeper" moments. Something where, as you read it, you might think; "That's stupid! X would never do Y! That's just dumb!"
Well, it's intentional, and there are reasons for it. You might be able to see them if you look for the clues, but if you don't want to, don't worry. All will be revealed in time. For now, however, just feel free to recognise it, nod, and realise it does have a reason, rather than assuming I've shat the bed and messed everything up.
College Fool was able to beta the plot synopsis for this chapter (and actually the next 12 or so as well), but didn't see the finished thing. Time constraints and all that goodness.
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Dishwasher1910
Book 3: Chapter 2
"Is this the place?" Pyrrha asked.
"I'm not sure. This is where we were told to meet." I looked up at the squat Guild Hall. It wasn't crafted from timber like ours, and didn't look like a house at all. It was concrete and stone, a square and squat building that looked to not have a second floor. The windows were open, but there was no sign of life behind them. The place looked abandoned. I glanced towards the door and hesitated. "Should we go in?"
"I guess it couldn't hurt…" She didn't sound quite so sure of those words, and neither was I. This was another Guild's home – TRE to be precise. We'd been asked to meet here, and this was definitely the place, but I'd expected at least some welcome. "We'll just step in the door and see if anyone can help us," Pyrrha said, edging towards it. "If no one comes… I guess we try again another time?"
"I don't know." I followed her forward, and although the door wasn't locked, there was also no one inside it. We hovered in the entranceway. The hairs on the back of my neck tingled. "I think we should try and get this done today," I whispered. "I wouldn't put it past him to impose some kind of penalty on us if we delay. You remember what Weiss said, right?"
"Don't agree to anything, don't sign anything, and don't tell him anything," Pyrrha repeated. "Don't worry. I've got it."
Weiss had been particularly keen on imparting that message into our skulls, even going so far as to test us on it multiple times. Well, it wasn't like I didn't understand. After what happened the last time, we were all afraid of being tricked into something else. This was only supposed to be a meeting, however. Torchwick wouldn't try to hurt us now… not when it would mean cutting off his own income. We were paying him back. We were doing exactly what he wanted.
"Aren't they afraid of people just wandering in?" Pyrrha sighed and crossed her arms. "You'd think they would at least have someone watching the entrance."
We didn't on ours. I decided not to bother pointing that out. A quick tap of my elbow alerted Pyrrha to the plan even before I cupped my hands to my lips. "Hello?" I called. "We have a meeting with Torchwick. Can anyone help us?"
Silence. Absolute silence. There was a room to our left, the door open. It was dark inside, however, and what little I could see showed the room was bare of furniture. Come to think of it, the whole place was bare. There wasn't so much as a chair, tapestry or potted plant. It was just stone walls at the edge of a stone floor, with a wooden ceiling – likely topped with stone.
Pyrrha looked my way and shrugged. I sent one back, then cupped my hands to try again.
Something touched my back.
"Argh!" I leapt forward, spinning about as my hand fell to my sword. My heart pounded, body trembling. It took approximately two seconds to see who it was, and only half that amount to feel stupid and lower my hand. "I-I'm sorry," I said. "You surprised me."
The little girl tilted her head and smiled. She didn't seem offended. She didn't speak, however.
"Um…" Pyrrha shuffled awkwardly. "Excuse me, are you from this Guild?"
The girl nodded.
"We're here to see Torchwick," she continued. "Could you take us to him?"
She nodded again, and then moved towards a door. She turned at it, and gestured for us to follow. The door opened to reveal a staircase leading down, which answered a few questions. It wasn't that the Guild Hall was small, but rather than most of it was underground – a basement building. The underground rooms would probably be where all the decoration was too. I was proven correct as we descended, for everything became lighter as torches lined the walls.
It also let me get a better view of our strange guide. I'd been right and wrong when I called her a little girl. She was smaller than us, for sure. In fact, I'd say she was smaller than Ruby. She wasn't young, though. That was obvious from her developed figure. What stood out the most was her hair, a curious mixture of pink, brown and cream.
The words above her head said she was called Neo.
She was a Dancer.
A Dancer is a member of the Labour Caste. We never had any in Ansel, but that's only because they normally travel in troupes. In a way, they were colloquially known as a different Caste. Not officially… they were still part of the Labour or NPC Caste, but we tended to call them the Entertainer Caste. It referred to those Classes who never really settled down, and instead travelled across Remnant, usually in groups of a hundred or more, holding festivals and parties wherever they went. Ansel was too small to attract many, but my parents had taken me to one in a neighbouring town once. It had been an incredible thing to see. Still, why would a member of the Labour Caste be here?
"Do you work here, Neo?" I asked.
She kept her pace and didn't turn, but her hair bobbed, indicating a nod. I couldn't help but wonder what her voice sounded like, or why she didn't speak. Was she afraid of us? I'd already seen that some Heroes could treat those beneath them cruelly. Was Torchwick the same?
"Are you the Seneschal here?" It seemed impossible, but it was all I could think of.
Neo nodded again.
Well… at least we were in good hands. Every Guild in Beacon needed to have a Seneschal, someone in charge of the property when the Heroes were away, and also in charge of keeping it in a good state. For a small Guild Hall like ours, that wasn't a big deal. Velvet was our Seneschal. For larger ones, though? It was impossible to tell just how big this place was, but I'd seen the intimidating fortress the Mercenary's Guild had. That must have taken a small army of cleaners and labourers.
Neo led us off the stairs and into a wide and open room, circular in nature, with torches interposed about it, and four central pillars keeping the roof from falling in. We moved through them slowly, my eyes adjusting to the gloom. This place felt more alive than the room above. There was a rug on the floor, and some animal-head trophies on the walls. The small girl took us down a central corridor, past several rooms, until we came to an ornate-looking door. She knocked on it once.
"If that's Junior, you can get lost." a voice yelled back. "I don't pay for no results. You know that."
Neo didn't answer. She smiled and knocked again, louder this time. There was a pause from within.
"Neo?"
A third knock.
"Come in. Come in. You know I've said you don't need to knock."
Neo smiled and pushed on the door with both hands. It groaned as it opened. The room inside was well-lit and far more opulent than those we'd been through. It had a thick bearskin rug before a fire that merrily burned, and a pair of couches stood near it. Off to the other side, a mannequin wore a full set of heavy armour.
It was the man at the wooden desk who caught our attention, however. Dressed in a form-fitting black outfit, with a clashing white coat thrown over the top, the Thief was looking at several forms, but dropped them when we entered. He had bright hair a similar shade to Nora's, and his teeth glinted as he smiled at us. "Well, well, if it isn't the Hunters. Welcome to my humble abode."
"You knew who we were," I said, surprised. "How did you know our faces?"
"It's my job to know things, kid." Torchwick, or as his name labelled him, Roman, smiled. "Well, I would say that, but in this case, it was more process of elimination. I don't expect many other Knights and Champions to visit me. Who else could it be?" He gestured to some chairs. "Pull up a seat and get comfortable. I see you've met Neo."
"She helped us get here," I said, taking a wooden chair and moving it closer to the desk. Pyrrha did the same alongside me and we sat down awkwardly. "Thank you for that," I added.
Neo nodded.
"Neo can't speak," Roman explained. "No idea what caused it, but it doesn't seem to be injury-related. Some people are just born without the ability." He shrugged his shoulders and shot her a charismatic grin. "Doesn't stop her being the best Seneschal a Thief can ask for, eh?"
She giggled silently.
Ah, a mute. Well, at least I hadn't asked her why she wouldn't talk to us on the way here. I also couldn't help but be a little impressed with how he acted towards her. It reminded me of Azure, and his words about how the leader of the Guild didn't discriminate against the Labour Caste. I had to remind myself that didn't necessarily make him a good person – and our current predicament was evidence enough of that!
Roman picked out a cigar from his desk and lit it, the sandalwood scent wafting over to my nose. "Want one?" he asked. Pyrrha and I both shook our heads. "It's an acquired taste. Here, let me grab you a drink." He reached over to a pitcher of water on the desk and drew three glasses off a stack beside it. He poured himself one and drank it, then pushed two towards them. For a moment, I thought he was being rude in not pouring us any, but it wasn't until I felt Pyrrha relax next to me that I realised the truth.
He was making a show of it not being poisoned. By drinking first, he proved the water was fine, even if the glasses might not be. He's a Rogue-type Class, I guess. Poison would be how they fight. At least, that was what the prejudice towards Rogues would have had me think. As it was, I wasn't sure what I felt. Blake was completely different and proved them all wrong, but she was just one person. Hadn't she as good as told me that was the case, and that I shouldn't judge any other Assassin the same way I did her?
I had to judge Roman on his own level, and right now my mind was telling me he wouldn't poison us like this. It would be too clumsy. I poured Pyrrha and I a drink, then made sure to sip mine first so she could know if anything was wrong.
It was sweet and fresh. Nothing more.
"You wanted to meet with us," Pyrrha said. "We're here as requested. Is there something wrong with the contract?"
Roman took a puff of his cigar and leaned back in his seat. Neo stood patiently beside him, and although he dragged a stool over with his foot, she didn't sit on it. The Thief rolled his eyes at us in an almost friendly manner. What can you do? His expression seemed to ask.
He was more relaxed around us than I'd expected. Against my will, I found myself feeling the same. The room was warm, the water fresh, and even though I didn't smoke myself, the scent of his cigar was pleasant and heady.
"There's nothing wrong with the contract," Roman said. "Don't worry about that. I have to say, I'm kind of impressed with your ability to get on with it. Most people would have ranted and railed, whined and cried, and ultimately failed to even cover the rent. You guys did the opposite. That's resourceful. I can… no, I do respect that."
"We're just doing what we have to," I said.
"Don't we all? The thing is, it's rare for people your age to take the Annual Quest so soon, let alone survive it. When I heard you were going, I knew why, of course." He sighed. "I'll admit… I even felt a little guilty. It was a breath of relief when you all returned in one piece, and then some cheer when you started to get the Hall repaired. It looks to me like you're on track to buy it out from me and complete the contract."
My shoulders tensed. "Is that a bad thing?"
"No. Not from my point of view." Roman puffed away, a smile on his face. "Keep in mind, I can just buy another if I have to. Even if you take this one out of my hands, I'll have made my profit. The only thing I'd get from causing you problems is a loss of earnings and a whole load of risk." He looked me in the eye. "I neither want nor need that, trust me."
I nodded. It made sense, and in some strange way, I did trust him. Not unreservedly, of course. We were beyond that. I felt like I could trust him not to lose out on some profit, though.
"Tell me, do you intend to pay it off in full and complete the contract?"
"Yes," Pyrrha said. "We do."
"Great. You're not far off in all honesty. I'd say maybe twelve thousand for repairs, then five thousand to buy it off. However long that takes, you'll need to cover the rent, though." He scribbled something down on a piece of paper before him. "If you manage it this month, that'll be seventeen thousand. That seems unlikely, though. Maybe you're looking more at twenty-three, assuming you manage it next month and have to cover the rent for this one."
Twenty-three thousand lien in two months. That seemed a ridiculous sum, especially by the standards I was used to back home. The work Dad did paid only a fraction of that, but how much could one expect a farmer to pay to have his horses shoed?
"There's one thing I don't get, though," Roman said. "If you want to pay all of this off so quickly… why haven't you tried to sell that staff?"
My shoulders tensed. "The staff?" I asked. How did he know about that? He'd said information was his business, but this was a little beyond that. The only ones who knew were Ozpin and Miss Goodwitch, surely?
"You came back with one from the Quest if I recall," Roman said. "Where did you get it?"
"It was from a Mage in Atlas," Pyrrha answered. "He gave it to us as a gift."
"Pyrrha," I hissed under my breath.
Her eyes widened. "O-Oh, sorry. I shouldn't have…"
"Now, now," Roman laughed. "There's no need to be like that. I have my ways of finding out. It's not like she said anything wrong." He smiled again, and I felt my anger slip away. Pyrrha hadn't done anything wrong per se, but we weren't supposed to be giving anything away. "I don't see why you don't sell it, though. I'll knock eight thousand off the debt right now for it. Doesn't that sound good?"
"It does," Pyrrha nodded. "We should-"
I clamped a hand on her arm. "It's not for sale," I said. That had been given to us by Kaedin, given to us by a man who lost his best friend because of our – my – weakness. I wasn't going to sell it to some random guy, and least of all someone like Roman Torchwick.
Also, eight thousand? That was barely more than what Coco's bow went for, and I refused to believe a staff used by someone two to three times her Level would be worth a similar amount. This was a scam. There was no way it wasn't. Mom would have laughed in his face. She hadn't trained me to be an idiot, either.
"Everything is for sale," he said. "How about nine? Trust me, it's a good deal. You won't get better elsewhere."
"Jaune, I think we should," Pyrrha said. "It's a good deal."
What? No. No, it wasn't. I shot her a confused look, but shook my head. "It's not for sale," I repeated. "It has sentimental value. I'm sorry, Torchwick. That's not on the table."
Irritation flashed across the Thief's face, but it was gone before I could really process it, replaced by an easy smile. He chuckled and stubbed out his cigar. "Well, how can I argue with that? It was just an offer. If you ever change your mind, it's still there for you."
"Thank you." My mind wouldn't be changing any time soon, though. I wanted to find someone to give it to… someone who could and would use it to good effect. It felt like the right thing to do, to pass it onto another who could use it for good. Selling it felt… it felt like we would be betraying Kaedin and Viktor's sacrifice. "Was that what you wanted to meet us for?" I asked. "Was there something else?"
"Just to meet you and get the measure of you," Roman said. "The offer is there if you ever want it, but there was one other thing…" He leaned forward. "I hear you and your Guild are looking at Quests?"
"We only decided that yesterday," I said.
"Like I said, it's my job to know things." He smiled. "Either way, I've got nothing against you all earning me more lien. What if I told you there was another way, though?"
"Another way for what?"
"Another way to earn." Roman stood up and moved over to a bookshelf. He pulled out a scroll, considered it, and then moved back over to sit down. He pushed it across the table. "NPC's aren't the only ones who can give Quests," he said. "I can too."
I didn't dare touch it. "You want us to work for you…"
"Temporarily. I'm not asking you to join my Guild, but there is some work that my people aren't so adept at doing. You guys have shown yourselves to be pretty resourceful. The offer is there." He leaned back. "I can't legally pay you for it. Quests can only be given from a Questing House. We'd both be in trouble if I tried to skip that. What I can do, however, is take money off your debt."
A good offer. It would cut down what we owed, while also letting us avoid the small cut the Questing House, or Beacon in this case, would take.
Why did I feel so reluctant, then?
"We'll consider it," I said, taking the scroll and stashing it away. "We make decisions as a group, though, so I can't give you an answer right now." That could also be my excuse for not reading it. I wasn't sure what to think. A part of me was telling me to trust him, that he was hardly going to screw us over when we were paying him.
Another part of me said that was nonsense. That I couldn't trust him at all.
"Heh, that's all I ask. Well, it's been nice, kids. I'll look forward to doing more business with you in the future. I can tell this is going to be a profitable relationship." He waved a hand towards the girl beside him. "Neo. Can you show our guests out?"
Neo nodded, and motioned for them to follow.
I didn't think I'd ever been so relieved to be out of someone's presence. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with it. He'd been friendly and calm, not at all like the threats of violence I'd secretly expected. That was why Pyrrha had come along, after all. This… I felt like I could have done this on my own. Part of me felt it would have been better that way. I waited for Neo to show us out, and for the door to close, before I turned to Pyrrha.
"Why did you tell him about the staff?" I asked. "Weiss told us not to say anything. If she hears about this…"
"It was a slip of the tongue." Pyrrha sighed and palmed her forehead. "I don't know. I just… he asked, and I just answered before I could think about it." She sighed. "Do you think we should have sold it to him? Eight thousand sounds like a good deal." She smiled. "We don't get better elsewhere."
"Yes, we would," I said. "Look, Pyrrha… I'm not willing to just sell that. Let's leave it be, okay? Even if we have to down the line, I can get us better than eight thousand for it." I sighed and moved on. "Come on. Let's see if Ren and Weiss managed to find us all some Quests."
"We're not going to do Roman's?"
I thumbed the scroll in my pocket. With a sigh, I drew it out, and looked at it. I didn't unfurl it, nor read it. The parchment was worn and marked, the wooden casing made of oak. I took a deep breath, turned, and then threw it away. It landed in a nearby pond, and slowly started to fall to pieces.
There was my answer.
/-/
"It sounds like you made the right choice," Weiss said once I'd finished recounting our adventure to the Guild. We were all sat around the main living room, a pile of scrolls on the table in front of us. Weiss and Ren had come through, it seemed. "I, for one, would not be willing to do any work for one such as him."
"Kind of have to agree," Yang said. "I mean, it could have been illegal for one. We don't want to get in even more trouble."
"There are plenty of other options too." Weiss held a hand out at the scrolls. "It's not like we're starved for work. These are just the Quests Ren and I found which seemed suitably easy enough. There were many more for larger groups. Those had higher rewards too."
"More danger," Ren added.
Of course. That went without saying. I reached out for one and picked it up. The scrolls came in wooden tubes, the top able to screw off. Inside, the paper was tightly coiled. Everyone else shrugged and did the same, and the sound of shuffling paper echoed around the room.
A trade caravan wants to make a route from one village to another and needs an escort. The threat level was low, mostly Grimm, and the reward was… average, really. I hummed, wondering whether it would be worth the effort. In the end, I decided not. It wouldn't be hard to complete, but we'd have to move at the speed of the wagon – and that might drag it out. I didn't want to lose that much time, and protecting someone else added in a level of pressure I didn't like the sound of. I put it back on the pile, though. Maybe someone else would.
It carried on like that for half an hour or so. We read in silence, with the occasional whisper as someone showed a scroll to someone else. Several were placed aside, either as Quests people liked the sound of, or those they really didn't. I hadn't really found any which made an impact on me. Maybe I was being too picky. These were low reward for a reason. Beggars couldn't be choosers.
"I've found one I want," Ruby cheered. The first to choose, all eyes turned to her. The Reaper smiled happily, scroll in hand. "There's a small village nearby who have had their trade caravans attacked by Grimm. They want us to scout the area and kill any Grimm we see."
"Seems fairly simple," Weiss said. "How far is this village?"
"Two or three miles. It's close enough to be similar Grimm to what we get in the forest, though. At least it's not escorting, defending or gathering herbs, though."
"True. Grimm extermination are probably our best bet for saving time. We can move at our own pace and consider it done as soon as the fight is over." Weiss sighed. "It's better than these ones where we have to rely on the villagers to do something while we protect them. There's no telling how long that might take."
Ruby giggled. "Yep. That's why I'm doing this one."
"Not alone you're not," Yang interrupted. She raised an eyebrow towards her sister. "You do remember us saying these aren't going to be solo Quests, right?"
"Uh…"
"Ruby…" Yang sighed. "Right, then. I guess I'm coming wit-"
"Jaune is going with me!" Ruby yelped. "He said he would."
I cringed a little as everyone's eyes turned to me. My memory might not have been perfect, but I was fairly sure I'd said no such thing. The look Ruby sent me, however, was filled with pleading. That wasn't enough to sway me. But the Quest did sound pretty easy. It would be a safe introduction to them, and even though it would be just the two of us, I knew for a fact Ruby and I could hold our own in the Emerald Forest. "It's just Grimm, right?" I asked.
"That's what it says."
"If it were anything more, you'd have the freedom to cancel the Quest," Ren said. "It's in the contract of the Questing Houses."
Understandable. It would probably count as false Questing or something. Well… was there any reason for me to say no? I'd have to do a Quest with someone, and this definitely sounded like a quick and easy one. "Well, a promise is a promise," I said, grinning when Ruby practically collapsed with relief. "I guess that's us done. Is that okay with you, Yang?"
The Brawler gave me a considering look, but eventually nodded. "I suppose so. You'll be careful, right?"
"We'll back out if it's dangerous. I think Atlas has gotten rid of any overconfidence we might have had." I wasn't the only one to grimace at that, and Yang nodded her head. I could well imagine students first going on these things getting into trouble because they had a chip on their shoulders. Us, though? We weren't going to take any risks. Not after Merlot.
"Oh, oh, Renny – I've found a good one for us." Nora skipped over to him and showed him the scroll. "It's a bit more complicated, but Pyrrha could come along too. It's more of a three-person Quest anyway. Will you come, Pyrrha? Will you?"
Pyrrha laughed. "I'd be delighted to, Nora."
"Yeah!"
"I guess that leaves you and me," Yang said, looking to Weiss.
"Trust me. I'm thrilled."
Yang made a wise crack back, but Ruby grabbed my arm and tugged me out of the room before I could hear it. She took me outside and around the back of the Lodge, then let go and kicked at the floor awkwardly. Her cheeks were flushed. "I uh… I guess you want an explanation for the lying thing."
"That would be nice," I said. It wasn't that I was particularly upset, more curious. "Is there a reason you wanted to go with me?"
"Ugh. More a reason I didn't want to go with Yang." Ruby stuck her tongue out. "I know we went on our Annual Quest, but that was a group thing. This is going to be our first proper Quest. It's a big deal! It's like… the first time you ride a horse, or your first words." Ruby pouted. "It's important!"
"And… Yang would ruin that?"
"She'd coddle me." Ruby sighed and stepped away from the wall, looking out over the forest. "Yang and I are only half-sisters, really, but we consider each other family. Yang's mom abandoned her and my dad, and when my mom died, I guess it felt like she'd lost her too."
"Is that why she always looks out for you?"
"Hm." Ruby nodded. "Yang had a hand in raising me when I was younger. Sometimes she acts more like a mom than a sister, but she's gotten better." She turned to face him, silver eyes hard. "If I went on this with her, though? She'd fight all my battles for me. She wouldn't let me get into danger and she'd just do it all on her own."
"I think I understand." I didn't have anything to relate it too, and now that I thought about it, my family situation was practically blessed. In a world of Grimm and death, mine were all alive. Ruby's mother… "Was she a Hero?" I asked. "Your mother?"
"Yep." Ruby giggled. "Her name was Summer. She was a Warrior."
"Not a Reaper?"
"Ah… uh, no. It doesn't matter. Mom went on a Quest and didn't come back. Her body was found by my Uncle."
"I'm sorry…"
"It's fine. I've had a lot of time to come to terms with it." Ruby smiled to prove it. "Anyway, the point was that this is an easy Quest. It's not going to have anything dangerous, and it could probably be done by one person. We're only going as a two to be safe."
"And if you went with Yang, she could – and probably would – finish the whole thing on her own?"
Ruby sighed. "Yep. I wouldn't even get to do anything."
Well, she certainly couldn't have picked a better partner. I'd need her help all the way. I wasn't sure if she recognised and picked me for that, or because she felt I was the only one who might have gone along with her request. I suppose it really doesn't matter which. "We're still going to play this carefully though, right? I don't want us getting in danger if this is over our heads."
Least of all since I wasn't strong enough to carry us out of this if it did.
"I promised Yang I'd be careful. I'm not going to go back on that." Ruby sighed. "I went to Atlas too, you know? I also nearly died in that Dungeon. I'm not stupid."
I winced, suddenly sorry I'd brought it up at all. "I didn't mean it like that. I… ugh, sorry."
"It's fine. You're just worried." She smiled. "I appreciate that, I really do. I didn't think I'd have a lot of friends coming into Beacon."
"Why?"
She looked away. "That's not important. My point is, I really do love that you get worried over me, like you do with everyone else in the Guild. I'm not weak, though. I can look after myself. I'm a Hero, after all."
And I wasn't. Personally, I appreciated the fact she thought my worry was more for her not being strong enough. It was actually quite the opposite. Still… it was just Grimm. Even if it wasn't, even if it was something we couldn't handle, this wasn't like our Annual Quest. We could fail these left, right and centre if we wanted. The only thing we'd lose is our reputation and any chance of a reward. "Alright, you win." I said, and then laughed when Ruby whooped happily. "I guess we need to pick up a map to this village of yours, then get on our way. Three miles is going to be a bit of a hike."
"Hike?" Ruby tilted her head to the side, confused. "Why would we walk all that way?"
"What other choice do we have? I doubt Miss Goodwitch is going to be willing to open a portal for something as small as this." And I sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to ask her. "Unless this place is across the ocean, we're walking."
"Or we could ride. Beacon has a stable. We're allowed to take horses from them for Quests, as long as we bring them back and care for them." She seemed excited by the notion.
Me… not quite so much.
Ruby noticed. "You can ride a horse, right?"
"Uh…" How to answer that? "Yes?"
"Great. Well, I mean of course you can." She slapped her forehead with one hand. "You're a Knight, after all. Can you imagine a Knight who didn't know how to ride a horse?"
"Yeah… ha… crazy, right?"
/-/
Contrary to what it might have sounded like, I wasn't a stranger to the equine world. Horses were fairly plentiful in Ansel, though they definitely weren't huge and powerful things like the ones Beacon kept. I was used to sedate mares and geldings, and the occasional stallion for covering – one that often had to be wrestled into position when me or my dad had to shoe it.
Give me a horse stood on the ground and ask me to change its shoes, and I'd be fine. I'd grab it by the hoof, secure the foot between my knees, and then get to work prying a damaged or old shoe off with a pair of tongs. As long as the owner kept a bucket of feed in their vision, they were normally okay.
My mount, on the other hand, slammed one hoof against the straw and snorted the moment it saw me.
"I don't think it likes me."
"Don't be silly," Ruby laughed, leading a mare out by the bridle. She was securing the reins onto it, and the way she slipped underneath to secure the saddlebags and straps said she was used to doing it. "Just go up and say hi. A horse can sense your fear so as long as you show it you're not afraid, it'll be fine."
Yeah… there was a small problem with that. I took a step forward, swallowed, and then instantly froze as its ears flicked back. I could remember my father telling me that meant something. The ears represented emotion and one of the directions meant anger. I couldn't remember if that was ears forward or back. I really wished I did. "Hey there," I whispered. "It's fine. My name's Jaune. What's yours?"
"Faith," a nearby Stablehand said, arms crossed over the stable door as he watched on with a bemused expression. "That's her name, anyway. It's pretty apt, since you'll need a lot of it if you want to ride her."
My eyebrow twitched. "Then why was a horse like this assigned to me?"
"Well, you're a Knight, aren't ya?" The young man chewed on a piece of straw. "Figured you'd be able to take her in hand. Might even do us a favour if you can break her in."
The black mare snorted and started to turn the moment she heard him say that. I yelped and followed, keeping myself at her front lest she try to kick me. "You're not helping!" I yelled, which proved a mistake as the loud noise made the mare's eyes flash. "Can I have a horse which has already been broken in? This is a bit ridiculous!"
"Jaune…" Ruby laughed and hopped over the stable door. My eyes widened, seeing her approach the horse from behind, and it only got worse when its tail flicked in clear agitation. "Hello there," she cooed, "Oh, you're so beautiful!" Ruby flashed over to its side and ran a hand over its flank. "I bet you're tired of being cooped up in here, aren't you?"
To my shock, the mare actually nuzzled its head against Ruby's arm. It nudged against her, nose poking at her waist. Ruby giggled and played with its ears.
"Eh, looks like you've got it handled," the Stablehand said. "I've got to go muck out. Bring 'em back in one piece, please. Well, bring the other one back. If you lose her, I don't think anyone will complain."
Faith kicked out, hooves catching the stable door and rattling it. The man on the other side yelped and fell back, landing with a muttered curse. He wandered off, swearing loudly.
"Don't listen to him," Ruby crooned, in a bizarre, babying voice. "Who's a beautiful girl? You are. Yes, you are!"
The mare snuffled and nudged at her waist again. When Ruby lifted her hand up, it sniffed and played against it. I could only stare in shock. How had she won its trust so easily? How was she so good at this?
Ruby noticed my stare and smiled. "Mom loved horses," she said. "She had one called Paige, that she used to ride into battle and Quests. When Yang and I were younger, we used to go riding with Mom in the woods. Paige was awesome."
"She died with your mother?"
"Next to her body." Ruby smiled sadly. "Paige would never have left Summer behind."
"And that's how you know so much about horses," I said, shaking my head. "I guess it's a bit late for me to say I'm useless with them…"
Ruby laughed nervously. "I uh… if I'd known, I wouldn't have said those things."
"It's fine." I reached out to stroke the mare. She gave me an evil look but allowed it. Even then, it felt like it was only because Ruby had its attention focused on her. "I grew up between Blacksmith and a Shopkeeper parents. I guess I never got a chance to try." I sighed. "Blake always does call me a Strange Knight."
"I don't think you're strange." Ruby stared at me. "You didn't learn to ride, so why would you know? It's because of Mom and her lessons that I know so much." She grinned. "And how I know the way to an angry mare's heart." She opened her hand.
Faith happily munched on the sugar cubes there.
I sighed.
"That's cheating."
Ruby giggled. "Nope!"
"It really is!"
"Sore loser~" she teased. "Come on. I'll show you how to saddle a horse, then we can get you on and you can learn to ride. Trust me, you'll love it!"
I grew up around horses myself, actually. Have my share of injuries from them, as well as silly stories like when the police assumed it was our horses which were loose on the road, and thought they would help by putting them in our field. Sadly, they chose the Stallion's field – and he broke past when they opened the gate (idiots…). He then caused a scene on the road, closing it for hours until I noticed and went up to get him back.
And then the police are like "What about the other six horses?"
"Meh. Not mine."
The look on their faces, lol. One actually begged for my help, then I had to spent another hour rounding them up, while cars honked at me like it was MY fault. Oh, and yeah, that really doesn't help when I'm trying to catch loads of loose and panicked horses on a road. Even when I rounded them up and gave them to the police, they were like "What do we do now?" My god, is this what I pay taxes for?
Tune in next week for Jaune and Ruby's first Quest together.
Next Chapter: 12th June
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur
