Long chapter is long, just because I needed to reach a certain point.


Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Dishwasher1910

Book 4: Chapter 4


For a druid, Qrow wasn't exactly what I would have expected. He was loud and gregarious, leading us down the road with an easy air that quickly made him feel like he'd always been one of the group. Every now and then, his eyes would stray over us, but he didn't seem bothered by whatever he saw, not even batting an eyelid at Blake's class – a factor which had her relaxing, and me nodding my head in approval.

"I work for Ozpin," he explained, "Think of me as someone who is an independent Hero, but who's giving an old friend a hand."

"And you're Ruby and Yang's uncle?" Pyrrha asked.

Ruby answered for him, leaping onto the Druid's back and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yep!" she said, laughing as the older man stumbled forward a pace before catching himself. "Uncle Qrow is a real Hero."

"Brat," he replied affectionately, rubbing her head. "Yeah, I'm the uncle of these two nuisances, much to my despair. That'll be part of our cover in Mistral, too. I'm a family member giving my nieces a hand on their Annual Quest."

"Wouldn't that be against the rules?" I asked.

"That's the cover. People will be so busy thinking whatever they will about that, that they'll not even think to dig deeper and look for the real reason."

That made sense, I supposed. It was probably better than saying he was a teacher, since it would only take someone with common knowledge of Beacon to prove that wrong. At least we knew he could be trusted, which was a lot more than we'd ever had for Kaedin and Viktor. Qrow was Ozpin's man through and through, and had good reason to make sure everything went safely for his nieces.

We'd already been travelling for a few hours since meeting him, the first one or two offering little opportunity to get anything out of him since Ruby and Yang wanted to be filled in on everything they'd missed from home. I picked up a few little things from the conversation, such as the fact their father was called Taiyang or Tai, and that he was a Brawler like Yang. That must have made Summer a reaper.

We broke camp around one or two in the afternoon, with Qrow explaining that it would be easier on us to rest now and travel through the night to reach the port. "The sun will just sap your energy," he said, "and with less Grimm around during the day, at least on the busy roads, it's usually safer to camp while the sun is up."

He received no argument from, certainly not from me. We'd been trekking for hours now, and my armour had begun to weigh on me, not to mention how uncomfortable it was with all the sweat. As the others dropped bags, I took the chance to shuck it off and bask in the fresh air against my linen tunic. Ren and Nora quickly set about making a camp, while Yang and Blake went for wood for a fire. Ruby offered to collect water with Pyrrha, and I would have gone with them if not for Qrow grabbing me by the shoulder.

"We'll hunt for some meat," he called. "How does deer sound?"

It sounded good if their responses were any indication. Weiss looked like she wanted to offer to help, but she had the least stamina of all of us and was currently panting on an upturned log. I took pity on her.

"Weiss, can you keep first watch while everyone gets ready?"

She shot me a critical look, but there was no hiding the relief she felt. "Y-Yes, of course. Leave it to me." She began to cast some spells around the camp, chanting softly under her breath. Luckily for her, that didn't require her to give up her seat or much-needed rest.

Qrow chuckled under his breath and dragged me off into the nearby forest, in the opposite direction of Yang and Blake's loud woodcutting. "That was kind of you," he said once we were alone. "Poor girl looked like she was fit to collapse. I take it our esteemed Atlesian Mage isn't used to roughing it in the field."

"You'd be surprised," I said, coming to Weiss' defence. "She never complained when we climbed the Fang." I held his gaze to make sure he didn't insult her again, but the Druid simply chuckled and moved deeper into the woods. I followed at an easy distance. "I'm not sure we'll be able to catch any deer, Qrow. I'm not exactly a good shot. I don't even have a bow."

"You won't need one."

I waited for him to expand on that, but gave up with a sigh after a few minutes. "Is there any reason we didn't come by horse?" I asked instead. "It would have been easier on Weiss." Not me, probably. I still had that wild excuse for a Beowolf in horse's skin back at Beacon. I could put up with Faith if it meant everyone else had an easier time though, and we might have been to the docks by now if we'd travelled at any speed.

"We're trying to avoid notice, so horseback is a bad idea. There's no telling if any Greycloaks will be around, or if the villages we passed by didn't have sympathisers. A group like that can't be as successful as it is unless it has help."

"You think people are being won over by them?"

"Hard to say when we don't know their motives." Qrow paused to sniff the air, and quickly motioned for me to follow him in a slightly different direction. "Either way, a group like us on horseback makes it seem like we're travelling far. On foot, they're more likely to think it's a Quest nearby. We don't want them to panic or sent word to the Greycloaks in Mistral. We don't even have a ship booked for fear of someone noticing. We'll get one when we reach port," he added with a dark chuckle. "I'm not asking you lot to swim the channel."

"You're too generous. Is that the real reason you want us to camp for the day?"

"You catch on quick."

"Why lie to the others, then?" I asked.

"Because it's a harmless lie and it'll make pretending it's not easier. If I told them the real reason, they might feel nervous going through towns. People notice stuff like that, especially a bunch of Heroes trying to not look suspicious. Better they're all relaxed."

And yet he's quite blatantly told me, and dragged me off to hunt with him solely for that purpose if I was seeing things right.

"You're wondering why you, right?"

I tried to keep the surprise off my face. "Am I that obvious?"

"When I'm not even looking at you?" Qrow laughed. "No. It's just an obvious question anyone in your boots would have. I'm telling you because you're the de facto leader, or at least as Ruby explained it. It's better if someone knows, just in case anything happens to me."

I hesitated to ask the next question. "Can we expect something to happen to you? Are we being followed?"

"Nothing that dramatic, kiddo. I might have to scout ahead at some points, though. Having a bird form is pretty convenient for that. If I do that in Mistral, it's best to have someone in your group who knows what's going on." He flashed me an easy smile. "You've got a head on your shoulders from what I see, and Knights make natural leaders, so it might as well be you."

I couldn't fault his reasoning, even if it wasn't quite perfect in reality. I nodded and remained silent for the following few minutes, until Qrow led the two of us into a beautiful meadow adorned with flowers and insects. There was a small herd of deer at the other end, several does and foals surrounding a single ram with majestic antlers.

They were still on the other end, though. They'd bolt the moment they caught wind of us, and I could already see one beady eye aimed in our direction, prepared to call out a warning if we moved closer.

"What now?" I asked, trying to stay still. I was glad I'd left my armour behind.

Qrow motioned for me to stay behind as he moved forward. The Druid didn't creep low like I expected, but instead walked slowly into the meadow and sat down on a small, grassy knoll. He waved a hand in the air and remained almost perfectly still.

To my surprise, the deer reacted to him. The stag noticed first, its head suddenly rising as though it had heard someone inaudible to my ears. It looked towards Qrow, and the others soon followed suit, intrigued by the Druid. He remained still and silent. Eventually, curiosity won out, and the herd slowly moved over towards him. The behaviour was so counter to everything I knew that it had to be some kind of spell of special ability. Druids were on with nature, which meant he could maybe commune or influence animals in some way.

One deer, an older doe, reached out to gently sniff his face.

Qrow struck like lightning.

One second it was an endearing scene of a deer interacting with a human, the next, it was a blood stained Druid happily smiling over a dead deer as the rest of the herd fled in panic. Qrow waved his bloody knife at me. "Caught one!"

"You didn't catch it," I accused, coming up to stand by him. My face went pale and I turned away as he started to skin and cut meat from the poor animal's body.

"Don't tell me you're squeamish," he laughed.

"I… don't really like seeing the thing butchered before my eyes."

"You eat beef."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I ask for the cow to be killed in front of me." I tried not to listen to the sound of tearing flesh. It was normal, I knew, and like I'd said, I had no problem with eating the meat once it was cooked. But still… there was a reason I usually left hunting to the others. They were much better at it than I. "What was that, anyway? Why did they come up to you?"

"I'm a Druid. Animals trust me."

"To their detriment," I said, nodding to the poor thing. "This feels weird. Shouldn't you be living in harmony with nature or something?"

"I am. I'll be living in harmony with the meat this one gives, and the rest will go to hungry scavengers. Wolves are a part of nature, too."

"It just…" I struggled to find the right words. "It doesn't feel very Druid-like."

Qrow burst out laughing, but wouldn't say anymore. He finished gathering what meat he could, and then laid the rest out on the grass for other animals to take. In a way it would probably protect the herd from predators tonight, since they'd be sated with what we left behind. Maybe a local hunter would find the skin and a use for it.

When we returned to the camp, a fire was already going – and Ruby cheered at the sight of her Uncle laden with tender meat. Ren took it from him and started to cut it into smaller pieces atop a chopping board he'd brought with him. Nora had a pot already brought to boil, and there were chunks of bread on a cloth nearby. It looked like stew and bread, which I honestly couldn't find it in myself to complain about.

I sat down next to Blake, who had found a flattish rock big enough for two. She made no complaint at me sitting next to her, but I knew she'd shy away if I tried anything overly romantic. She preferred such things done in private. "What do you think of him?" I asked instead, nodding to Qrow. He was busy regaling Pyrrha and Weiss with some story.

"He's not what I would have expected," Blake replied. "From what I was always told, Druids are calm and serene individuals. I very much doubt they would spend their time drinking as much as he does." Blake noticed my surprised expression and nodded towards him. "I smell alcohol on his hip flask – and quite a lot of it, too."

"Maybe it's for medical purposes."

"I doubt it." A thought occurred to her and she snorted in amusement. "Maybe it's his way of being one with nature. Most alcohol comes from plants, after all."

I laughed along at her little joke, but wondered inside whether I should tell her about what Qrow had revealed. She was my girlfriend, not to mention stronger than I was. If anyone should be in charge of the group in Qrow's absence, it should have been her.

She smiled at me, however, and I kept silent. Blake was happy – and the idea of spies watching our every move would only take away from that. I grinned back instead, and offered her a bowl when Ren started to pass them out and around. The stew was thick and rich, with far more meat than any inn would have provided. It was wonderful, and there wasn't a word of conversation from the group as we dunked in the bread and shared in the bounty.

There was something oddly satisfying about eating our own food in our own camp. It might have been better were it night, so that the fire wasn't quite so uncomfortably hot, but even that couldn't detract from the general mood in the air. Eventually we finished the food, and the topic soon turned towards the quest ahead.

"What can we expect in Mistral?" Weiss asked. "I've never been there myself, but I've heard it's a very strict land."

"We're traditional," Pyrrha replied. "There's a lot of history and heritage there, and the people worship that almost like some do deities. They're a proud and old people. Family is important, position more so. It's… different from Vale, but I shouldn't think there will be any problems fitting in."

"It'll be less different than Atlas at any rate," Qrow said. "Mistral follows the same Caste system we do with no special measures for Mages or the like. We'll be landing somewhere on the western shore."

"Somewhere?" Yang asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Qrow held his arms out and laughed nervously. "Well, let's just say I maybe forgot to book us passage ahead of time."

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby whined.

"Ugh, typical," Yang echoed.

Qrow simply laughed and rubbed the back of his head, taking the complaints in stride. He never once gave away his true thoughts; that such actions were entirely on purpose. I tried not to give it away either, staying silent as the rest chatted.

"It'll be fine," he went on after they'd calmed down. "We're heading to a little place that basically makes its living off ferrying people back and forth. Besides, it's not like we actually have any idea where the Greycloaks are. They must be based somewhere near the shore if they're finding it easier to raid Vale, but as for where? Your guess is as good as mine. It honestly doesn't matter where we land, so long as it's Mistral."

"What is the plan when we do?" Ren asked.

"Information gathering first, and then locating the representatives from Haven. Ozpin's ally in Haven will be sending out a team of her own to look into things, and they're the ones who are meant to finish off whatever we find." Qrow reached under his top and brought out a rolled up scroll. There was a picture inside it, which he passed around to each of us. "That's the seal of Julianna Verdant, the headmistress of Haven. Whatever team she sent out ought to have something like that to show us as proof. If not, don't trust them."

"Do we have reason to believe they might be working with the Greycloaks?" Blake asked.

Qrow shook his head. "Not really, but remember that we're still there on a clandestine quest of sorts. The team she sends out will know, but we don't want to be spilling the truth to any others. That crest is their way of proving they can be trusted with the full story."

I nodded and memorised it as best I could, an emerald-coloured shield with a vine-entangled sword crossed over it, a rose going the other way. I passed it onto Blake when I was done. Nothing sounds too out of place so far. Our biggest concern is people wondering what we're there for, but we can just say it's to visit or kill mobs in Mistral. I would have liked to know more about the team Ozpin's counterpart had sent, but they were probably as secret as we were. They'd likely neither trust nor reveal anything to us until they were certain we weren't Greycloak spies.

What a complicated mess this was going to be.

"It's a pretty simple quest all things considered," Qrow said. "We go in, look around, find what's up and then let someone else deal with it. Even so, that doesn't make it any less important for Vale. The difficulty comes from the diplomatic risk, not the danger. I'd say stay sharp, but that kinda runs against what we want you to do." He grinned. "Act like tourists instead. Be silly, carefree and like a bunch of fresh Heroes on your first-ever trip into the wild."

"We're being paid to act like idiots?" Yang laughed. "I'm game."

"Not idiots, idiot," Weiss shot back.

"Who are you calling an idiot?"

"If you can't even figure that out, you must be even worse!"

The two quickly descended into one of their usual squabbles. None of us bothered to intervene, far too used to it, and even Qrow just laughed once he realised how blasé we were about it all. "Well, we should all get some sleep while we can. It's not long to our destination, but it would be best if we can arrive at night and be gone before the sun rises. We'll have plenty of time to sleep on the journey. Since these two are still at it, we might as well leave the first watch to them."

I couldn't have agreed more – and we all slipped away into our tents before either of them realised. As I ducked into the one I shared with Ren, we exchanged a quick and silent laugh as we heard the exact moment the two realised.

"Wait, what!? Where is-? Son of a bitch!"

"This is your fault!"

"What? It's not mine. It's yours!"

/-/

We rolled into Ferry's Crossing hours before the sun was even set to appear over the horizon, and at a time where most people were quietly abed. The small collection of wooden houses that marked the village gave way to a pier that was fully cobbled and set in stone. Several ships were moored along it, and unlike the rest of the village, the area bustled with life. Trade stopped for no man, and the early trader caught the lucrative deal. The point appeared to be a hub for commercial ships to and fro, as well as ferries. Hence the name, I supposed.

Qrow has us wait in the cold wind and sea salt while he spoke with some neighbouring captains, and we huddled together for warmth, fighting a chill the hardened sailors didn't even seem to feel. Whatever skill Qrow had at bargaining must have been good, that or the money made up for it. He had us on a ship within thirty minutes, though not exactly in the nicest of holdings.

"This is a trade ship, so you won't be getting rooms I'm afraid." He seemed to delight in Yang's furious glare. "The ferry ships don't leave until light is up since they're waiting for people to use them. It's the traders who set out early."

"And we're trade goods now, are we?" Weiss asked.

"If anyone would buy you, sure."

I rolled my eyes and stepped cautiously out of the way as a nearby barrel shifted ominously in my direction. What Qrow had failed to warn us about in advance was that we'd be staying in what was essentially the cargo hold of the ship, alongside hundreds of barrels, crates and chests. While I was confident in the sailor's abilities to keep it all steady and safely stacked, there was no fighting the queasy sense of panic whenever the ship swayed and it looked like an overly tall stack of crates was looming over me.

I wasn't the only one apparently, for the others quickly decided to eschew sleep in favour of walking around on the decks above. The captain assured us it would be fine so long as we stayed out of the way and didn't disturb anyone. Not exactly a difficult task since there were only about eight crew members on the whole ship.

Pyrrha explained it to me when I brought it up. "The strait between Mistral and Vale is relatively safe from pirates, unlike the waters between Atlas and Vale. There's just not enough open sea for them to retreat into, and the Vale and Mistral navy tend to work together to deal with any pirates that appear."

"So, we'll be safe here?"

"As safe as we can be." The Champion smiled and leaned on the wooden railing, not at all bothered by the rolling waves. "If you go further south or north things get worse, but the strait marks the narrowest point between the two continents. The distance is relatively short, so the navy can watch over a lot of it with ease. Most pirates take the long way round to avoid it."

That was good news if nothing else. The memory of our first encounter on the seas still lingered in the back of my mind, even if I'd come to terms with the fact I'd not only killed someone, but kind of felt good about it. At the very least I no longer wondered if I was secretly a psychopathic killer. I instead wondered what kind of Blacksmith developed such a taste for adrenaline-pounding combat. It was a strange world.

"It looks like you've gotten your sea legs at least," Pyrrha giggled. "That's good."

I didn't have the heart to correct her. All I'd gotten better at was hiding the nausea. As it was, I had to leave her behind and head back to the centre of the deck, which at least felt a little nicer. Blake was back up top in the crow's nest, and lacking a crippling reason to talk to her, my stomach didn't dare make the climb. The damn thing was swaying back and forth too, and I had no idea how she could stomach it. I slouched against the mast instead and sat down to bring my centre of gravity a little lower.

"Still bad?" someone asked. Ruby poked her head around the side, grinning at me.

"Still bad," I confirmed, chuckling a little.

"Do you want some company?"

"I wouldn't say no." I patted the deck next to me, and she crossed her legs to sit down. Somehow, the chipper look on her face made my stomach feel even worse. Her eyes widened when I clutched my stomach, but I held a hand out to stop her before she could flee. "It's fine. I can keep it in."

"I-I trust you."

Don't say that when you're slowly backing up, Ruby. I sighed and shook my head, dispelling the vile taste that had rushed up my mouth. The salty sea air helped a little. "Talk to me," I begged, eager for a distraction.

"What about?"

"Anything." I waited, but Ruby's silence said I'd left her with no ideas. "How about your Uncle? You two looked close."

"Oh, we are," Ruby said, happy with his choice. "Uncle Qrow's always been a part of the family. He's not actually my uncle; he's related to Yang's Mom who I never met, but he treats me like a niece wither way, and I've always called him it."

"Is he strong?"

Ruby nodded happily. "Really strong! He uses a sword that's curved like my scythe, but he doesn't have the haft. It's more like a scimitar or a sickle. He's really fast and strong, though not as fast as me."

I didn't doubt the last bit, even if it sounded a little arrogant. I'd never seen anyone capable of moving at Ruby's speeds, especially when she was wielding her scythe. I wasn't sure if that was related to her Passive or not, but it seemed unreasonable. The amount of Agility that would have been needed for that would be obscene, easily thirty or forty times my own. Unless Ruby was over Level one-hundred or so, that kind of gain was impossible.

"Uncle Qrow was there for us when Mom died, too," she continued. "Dad was really beaten up about it, especially because he kind of blamed himself. It wasn't his fault," she added, catching my worried look. "Someone had to stay behind to look after me and Yang. We were just kids. If Dad had been there to save Mom, we'd have starved or died on our own. It wasn't anyone's fault."

"I guess it's just one of those things," I said.

"Hmm." Ruby nodded. "He just wanted someone to blame, and there was no one else. Either way, he was totally lost until Uncle Qrow came down to sort him out. I think he even threatened to take us away if Dad didn't shape himself up. He did, obviously. I think he just needed someone to shout at him, and listen as he shouted back."

"And things got better after that?"

"Yeah. Dad started to go back to normal, even if he was still upset. We all were, but things were good. Uncle Qrow dropped by all the time to make sure we were okay, and to look after us whenever Dad had to go on a Quest."

I nodded to show I understood. It couldn't have been easy to be a single parent and a Hero. The usual troubles aside, there was still the undeniable fact that your income came from slaying Grimm, which wasn't exactly a job you could take your children to. Not unless you were the worst parent ever. That Qrow had stayed behind to look after Yang and Ruby probably let their father keep the family afloat.

"He sounds like a good man."

"Eh, kind of…" Ruby scratched her cheek and giggled awkwardly. "I mean, he's okay…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Yeah, sweetest niece of mine," a deeper voice echoed. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Ruby's face turned an interesting shade of red, and then white a second later. Before my eyes, she leapt up to flee – only to be caught by an arm that wrapped around her neck and shoulders. She was dragged back into the Druid's side with a yelp, and then whined piteously as he rubbed his knuckles into the top of her head, messing up her hair.

"Uncle Qrow – stooop…"

"Stop? When a certain niece of mine is spreading malicious rumours about her beloved uncle? An uncle who is already overworked from looking after her when she was a baby? An uncle who has all sorts of interesting stories about what a ten-year-old Ruby Rose did when she tried to use a scythe for the first time?"

Ruby gasped and went still, her eyes darting to mine quickly. Her face flushed and she suddenly looked far more nervous. "N-No, you're the best uncle. The bestest!"

I had to smile and add my own fuel to the fire. "I'd like to hear those stories."

"Jaune, no! Uncle Qrow, don't, please!" She squirmed in his grasp. "You promised you wouldn't!"

"Okay, now I really want to know," I said.

Ruby finally managed to break free, though mostly because her uncle let her go with a chuckle. "Alright, alright, I won't tell. As long as I don't catch you badmouthing me again, that is." He reached out to flick her forehead, but Ruby dodged out of reach with a pout. Her hair was sticking up at odd angles, and she tried to press it back down to little avail. "Still, worried of looking bad in front of someone, hm? Don't tell me you've found your Knight in shining armour already."

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby hissed, stomping one foot. "Don't say things like that. Besides, Jaune already has a girlfriend."

Qrow looked in his direction with a raised eyebrow.

"Blake," I said, nodding upwards.

"The Assassin?"

"Is that a problem?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No need to get your knickers in a twist. No, it's not a problem. Just surprised is all. Wouldn't have expected to see a Knight and an Assassin together. Then again, wouldn't have expected to see my little niece pining, either."

"QROW!" Ruby's cheeks were red, as were my own, and she stormed away before he could continue. Qrow's laughter followed her, at least until I shut him up with a little glare.

"Chill, kid," he said. "I was only joking. Ruby knows not to take it seriously."

"You're not what I would have expected of a Druid."

He shot me a confused look. "You're still on about that deer earlier?"

"Not just that. I always thought Druids were supposed to be wise and calm, but you're nothing like that. Even leaving the deer earlier aside, Ruby says you fight with a sword. Aren't Druids mainly spell casters?"

"I know a few tricks," Qrow defended, holding out a finger and making a little bit of green energy dance on the end of it. "Never been one for fitting with what others expect, though. Maybe that makes me a bad Druid. Who knows? Not like I care either way." He sighed and pulled his arms back behind his head, using them for a pillow as he leaned against the mast. "Isn't it the same with you? You're not exactly what the typical Knight is supposed to be."

"Just because of Blake?"

"Not just that, no."

"And what is a typical Knight supposed to be?"

"Brave, courageous, a natural born leader capable of uniting people under a common cause. A Knight is someone who commands through the power of Charisma, a figure who is trapped somewhere between Noble and Hero – the commander who leads from the front, or the figure who breaks the enemy's charge."

It sounded wonderful, and I had to wince at the implication I didn't meet those criteria. Not that I expected any better, of course. What was I compared to someone as apparently powerful as him? "I'm trying to be those things," I whispered. "It's not easy."

"But that's not all," Qrow interrupted, voice low. "A Knight is callous and cruel, uncaring of those beneath him or those he considers unimportant. An Assassin like your girl, he should hate. People like Yang and Ruby? Trash to be ignored. That Mage might make an acceptable companion, but not with how she talks to you. About the only one you should give a damn about is the redhead, and only because of her Class. Knights are leaders, but only so long as there's glory in it. Those that don't match up to your petty notions of honour and glory are tossed aside in favour of the Kingdom."

Qrow stared at me, his eyes sharp and deadly. It occurred to me at that moment why he'd teased Ruby so badly. He'd wanted to get rid of her so he could corner me. Still, was that really what a Knight was like? I only had fairy tales and stories to go on, and those always portrayed Knights as gallant defenders of the people.

Then again… they would, wouldn't they? Tales were just that, and normally appeared thanks to acts of great daring and bravery. Glory, as Qrow put it. No one ever remembered the names of the little people who died in those stories.

"I'm not like that," I whispered.

"Are you sure? Earliest Annual Quest in the year, then a battle with a dangerous criminal followed by a trip to another country at a time when tensions are high. Sounds to me like a pretty good way to get yourself noticed. You aiming for glory, brave sir Knight? How many people will you drag down with you on that journey?"

"I'm not…" I trailed off, hands clenching into fists. I wasn't like that.

Or was I?

I'd never betray my friends, nor throw them away for something as petty as personal honour. Hell, I wasn't even a Knight at all, so the comparison shouldn't have hurt. But it did. It struck deep. Was I any different just because of my Class? I'd snuck my way into Beacon despite not really being strong enough. Now, I was better – more able to keep up, but I'd still risked my life early on. That was fine. It was my life.

But in the Dungeon my weakness had almost gotten Ruby killed, and was not that weakness born of the fact I wanted to be a Hero, despite not having the skills to be? Hadn't Ruby almost died because I selfishly wanted a life better than that of a Blacksmith? Because I wanted glory?

Maybe I was more a Knight than I realised – though clearly not one who deserved any shining armour.

"He's not like that," a familiar voice whispered.

"I wondered when you'd show yourself," Qrow said, not even flinching from the knife that tickled his chin. "Sensed you coming down when your boyfriend started to have his panic attack. Going to slit my throat for it?"

"I'm considering it."

"Blake, don't," I said, even if I was sure she was bluffing. "And Qrow…"

He cocked his head and smiled enigmatically. "Yes?"

"I won't be like that."

"Heh, I guess we'll see." He didn't look afraid, nor did he look offended. He stood without warning, forcing Blake to not only remove her dagger, but hop back as well. "I guess the fact you look so beat up about it says you won't, but actions speak louder than words. I've heard good things about you from Ruby, but I'm sure you know how idealistic she can be." He stepped by me, tapping his knee against my shoulder. "Don't prove her wrong."

He was gone a second later.

"I've reversed my opinion," Blake said. "I hate him."

"He's not that bad. Just worried for Ruby, I guess." I sighed and ran a hand over my face. I wanted to feel as offended as Blake did, but I couldn't quite shake the idea that he might have been right. If so… well, it wouldn't matter. What was done was done. If he was right and I was that kind of monster back then, then the best I could do was make sure it never happened again. "I'm fine, Blake," I said, smiling for her. "I'll be okay."

She watched me for a few long seconds but eventually nodded, sheathing her weapon. "I know. If there's any word that describes you, stubborn would be it. I noticed him watching you cautiously since earlier. I didn't sense any animosity, however."

"I don't think he was actually angry," I said.

"He's certainly a strange one. You were right. He doesn't act like a Druid."

And I didn't act like a Knight, but that didn't really change anything, and it wouldn't for Qrow, either. I patted down my hands and rose to my feet, sliding over to give Blake a soft hug with one arm. "Thanks for backing me up."

"You'd have done the same."

"Still, I-"

My words were interrupted by the tolling of a bell off by the Captain's wheel. The last time I'd heard the alarm sounded had been the pirate attack, but Pyrrha had said that was all but impossible. I looked around wildly, and quickly noticed a man stood by the captain with a long telescope held before his face.

"What is it?" Qrow called, pushing back past us to stand before the main cabin. "Are we under attack?"

"Nay, sir," the captain replied. "Looks to be a ship floundering off the starboard bow." He raised one hand to point, and although it was far away I could just make out a hazy shape on the horizon. "She's not moving with the wind or against it, just sort of bobbing in place."

"Is it navy?"

"Nay, it's a trade vessel like our own, flying the colours of Vale." The same as we were. "It must have come from Ferry's Crossing, or maybe making the journey back. Not sure why she's stopped, though. Shouldn't be any reason to idle out here."

The other members of the Guild had rushed up at the commotion, and arrived just in time to hear the last part. Weiss stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "Could it be a pirate attack?"

"Out here?" The captain shook his head. "If it were, they'd have either stolen the ship or sunk it. They wouldn't want to leave any evidence the navy might find. More likely a little problem of the crew; a broken rudder, sickness or snapped mast. Well, not the mast since I can see that's still standing, but you catch my drift."

The Captain looked nervous for some reason, and I wasn't the only one to notice. "What is it?" Qrow asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"The ship's code says I have to go and help her, or at least check to make sure her crew's safe. I'd not attract bad luck by failing to do that, not when it might be my life in that spot. I'd not soon want a crew to sail me by."

"But you're worried we'll stop you," Qrow said, earning a wary nod in return. He glanced to us, and I stared back, trying to urge him to do what was right. I doubted anyone was any different, and the Druid eventually let out a short sigh. "We can delay if you need to, Captain. It's important we reach Mistral without too much, though. Whatever we find – crew or otherwise – would we be taking it to Mistral?"

The man seemed to cheer up immediately, and nodded to the question. "Aye, we would. We're closer to Mistral than home, so we'd either rescue the crew or offer materials for repair. Worst comes to worst, we tow her back. This'll add maybe two, three hours tops."

"Then I don't see a problem."

"We'll do what we can to help," Ruby added, smiling widely.

"Thank ye, lass. We'll see what needs done, but if there are wounded or sick crew, you lot might be needed to haul them aboard." The Captain reached over and rang the bell once more, and I realised that wasn't only for us, but maybe a signal to the other ship as well. "We're taking a detour, lads," he called to his sailors. "Fetch out the grapples and rope – if she's drifting, we'll need to hook ourselves up to her."

"Yes, Captain!"

The crew scurried about quickly, darting past us and back down into the hold, where they came out with various supplies I barely recognised, let alone could imagine their use. The ship lurched to the right as well, cutting through the waves toward its new destination. We made our way to the bow, looking out towards the shape slowly growing larger before us.

"Do you really think it's just something gone wrong?" Yang asked Qrow. "Could this be related to the Greycloaks?"

"I wouldn't think so," he said. "Pirates or Greycloaks, I think the same rules would apply. If they've got time to attack a ship, they've got time to sink it. We've not had any reports of piratical activity from them. The Mistral and Vale navies have a tight grip on this strait. A lot of trade depends on it. It's a delay we can ill afford, but I'm hardly going to ignore people in need. Like he said, it shouldn't take us long."

"A ship can flounder for any number of reasons," Blake added, surprising me by her willingness to participate. "It might have run aground, damaged its hull, or even the rudder. The crew could be absolutely fine as well, just below decks working on repairs. Of course, there are also other options – like a mutiny, disease or starvation, but I would expect the captains here to have enough sense not to let that happen. The journey is only a day by sea at most. You'd struggle to starve before you found land, even if you tried."

"You know a lot about ships," Yang pointed out.

"No more than anyone else."

I wasn't convinced. This wasn't the first time Blake had been unusually knowledgeable on naval matters, and now that I thought about it, the fact that she always took to the crow's nest was a little strange, even for her. I knew better than to ask, however. Now was hardly the time.

"We're getting closer," Ruby said. "Can you fly over, Uncle Qrow?"

"Not much point. The wind is against us. I'd be slower than the ship, and it's not like I'd be able to do anything when I got there." He reached over and grabbed Blake by the shoulder, drawing her in front of him. "You've got good eyes, right. Tell me, can you see any crew on deck?"

Blake shrugged his arm off her, but acquiesced to his request, leaning over the railing as she peered at the upcoming ship. I couldn't make out much myself, although the mast and such was coming into view.

"I don't see any movement," Blake said. "The sails are down, too. That's odd."

"How so?" I asked. "If they were all below deck, wouldn't it be best if those weren't up?"

"It would, but that's not what I mean. The sails haven't been drawn up – they've been taken down entirely. You only do that to clean, repair or store them away, and that's not something you'd do in the middle of the ocean. It would only take the wind catching them to whisk whoever was doing it away."

So, something was wrong. I'm not sure why I ever thought otherwise. My fingers drummed on the railing, though my left hand fell to the hilt of Crocea Mors, taking comfort from its pommel. No movement went both ways, I tried to remind myself. If Blake didn't see any crew, then she also didn't see any pirates – and since there wasn't a place for miles another ship could possibly hide, we were safe on that front.

"We should get ready to board," Qrow said, moving towards one of the sailors. "Something is wrong here." He raised his voice. "No one goes on that ship but us! All crew are to stay here. We'll shout you over if it's safe."

I shared a worried glance with the Guild, and all their faces seemed to mirror my thoughts perfectly. It wasn't going to be safe.

I could just tell.

/-/

Things didn't get any better as we came up alongside the ship. Sailors heaved and the captain barked out orders for what looked a simple procedure, but was probably anything but. The hulls had to be kept from striking lest we damage them and ourselves, and some of the crew used long planks akin to pikes in order to push their hull away, arresting our momentum. We eventually came to what was probably as still as we'd ever be on the ocean, and grappling hooks were tossed over.

The damage was apparently long before we boarded, however. Huge chunks were missing from the ship's hull, mostly congregated towards the upper areas like the deck, where a lot of the railing had been torn off entirely. The deck was empty, but not just of life. There were few boxes and crates on it, and it looked as though it had been swept clean.

"The pirate idea's looking more likely," I whispered to Blake. "They could have stolen everything and moved on. Just because pirates aren't normally seen here doesn't mean they couldn't be."

"I suppose." She didn't look convinced. "You would normally aim for the hull or the mast, though. To either fill it with water and slow it down, or remove the sails entirely, leaving it floundered. Whoever did this attacked the deck."

"Is that unusual?"

"It's where the crew manning it would have been. Whoever did this wasn't after the ship."

They were after the crew.

The realisation added a twisted sense of urgency to the air, and those nearby who had overheard shuffled in obvious agitation. It felt like forever until the grappling hooks were in place, and then we had to wait longer as their ship was pulled closer, but not too close. As each second passed, so too did my spirits fall. No one could have missed their ship being grappled and dragged through the waves. If anyone was still alive on there, they'd have surely responded by now.

"I'll be going on first," Qrow explained to us all. "Only when I give you the signal do you follow. Ruby and Blake first, and the heavier members last. First ones across secure the ropes to help the others. Understood?"

We nodded and called our various assents, and Qrow waited for each and every one, paying particular attention to ensure Ruby didn't try and sneak past his clear rules. She'd want to make sure the crew were safe, after all.

I expected Qrow to turn into a bird and fly over, but he hopped up onto the rope instead and dashed across in an admirable feat of balance. Again, no spell casting like I'd have expected. When he reached the other ship, he leapt off onto the deck and drew his weapon. Nothing attacked, and he sheathed it a second later, motioning that it was safe.

As per his instructions, Ruby and Blake went first – and I was one of the last alongside Nora. My sea sickness seemed forgotten and I made it across without too much difficulty. Ren caught my arm on the other side and helped me onto the deck, where the picture soon became clearer.

"The crew are gone," Qrow said. "No bodies, no blood. Just gone. Ruby, you can check below deck, but I doubt there's anything to find."

She went nonetheless, as he'd no doubt known she would. The rest of us spread out, trying to figure out what had happened. A storm might have blown the crew off, or it was possible they'd abandoned ship entirely and sailed away on an emergency vessel. I didn't know why my instincts were telling me the truth was worse. There were plenty of perfectly reasonable explanations.

"There's an impact here," Nora called, and we all rushed over. She was knelt by what looked to be a split in the wood, where several planks were punctured inwards and the ends had been forced up as a result. On one side, they stuck up – but on the other, they were shattered. "Something hit the deck here, then rolled or was swept to the side." She indicated the broken wood. "You can tell because the impact made it stick up, but whatever it was then shattered the wood to the left by being dragged across the deck."

"Potentially sweeping the crew off," Blake finished. She eyed the broken railings as further proof of that. "I've seen a broken mast do that before, but the one on this ship is fine."

"Maybe another ship's?"

"No, or we'd have a second floundered ship to deal with." She hesitated and looked towards the ocean. "Unless it sunk. Even then, the surviving crew would have taken this one over. It's in relatively good condition, all things withstanding. There would be an emergency sail in the hold somewhere."

"Well this kind of damage wasn't caused by a person," Qrow said, looking over the Barbarian's shoulder. "While I could split it like this, a normal weapon wielded by a Hero would be more likely to pierce through. Not sure what could have caused this."

I had an idea. "Grimm!"

Apparently, it was the wrong idea. "There's no Grimm out here," Pyrrha said, smiling lightly. "The navy patrols the strait too often and there's not enough negativity to draw them in."

"Grimm spawn and are attracted to negativity," Qrow explained, taking Pyrrha's point and building on it. "There are a lot more Grimm on land because that's where we are most of the time. Out on the ocean, there's negativity too – be it from pirates, sickness, or just the general misery of sailing. But that's out in the deeper ocean. Remember, there hasn't been a proper pirate attack in the strait for years. Not only do Grimm rarely spawn here, but those that do quickly head out to sea, chasing after the pirates and such. Go out there and you'll find some nasty beasts, but this area is so peaceful nothing ever happens. It's why ships like ours can trade without needing a single fighter on board."

Remove the negativity, remove the Grimm. It was an ideal dream, and one made impossible because there would always be someone miserable or in trouble on land. Out here in the ocean, things could be different because people couldn't settle down and the negativity would keep moving. As such, it was theoretically possible for something like a no-Grimm zone to exist.

I understood what they were saying – at least in theory.

It was just that I had other evidence to work with. "That's real nice and all," I yelled, tearing Crocea Mors from her sheathe. "But if that's not a Grimm, then I'd love an explanation for what it is!"

I pointed it at a sudden, fierce bubbling off the other side of the ship – one that grew so fast that it caused a swell, knocking us back and driving the hull of this ship into our own. Everyone fought for balance, and Weiss might have slipped off if not for me catching her. She whispered her thanks, but her attention was soon taken by the huge, black tentacle that thrust from the water. It slammed down onto the deck, cracking into it.

Nora screamed a warning. "JUMP!"

With Weiss still in my arms, I threw the two of us into the air – not a moment too soon as the tentacle suddenly swept across the deck, cracking the wood and tearing the railing off the side. Luckily, it took none of us with it, though it looked like we had our answer to the crew now. "This is impossible," Weiss whispered against me, eyes wide. "It shouldn't be possible. There wouldn't be enough negativity. Not for small Grimm, let alone something like this!"

What this even was remained unclear, though as its long, serpentine head pulled up from the waves, it became more evidence. Far taller than the ship's mast, and with a conical head with six eyes, the beast resembled some bizarre cross between a squid and a dragon, replete with rows and rows of teeth set in a narrow maw. A second tentacle rose from the depths too, whistling through the air as it hissed at us.

"What the hell is that?" Yang howled.

"I don't recognise it," Blake replied.

"I doubt any of us do," Weiss added. "It's something I've never even heard of before, and I've read up on every Grimm I could ever find. Mr Branwen, do you-?"

"No idea," the Druid rasped, twirling his curved blade, "But I don't think there's much time for us to worry about that. The damn thing doesn't look like it's going to sit back and let us have a tea party."

I swallowed my fear. "We have to kill it?"

"If we don't want to be on the bottom of the ocean, yeah. Stay on this ship!" he called out. "Right now, that thing's focused on us. If we go back to the other, we're only going to get the ship sunk. I doubt I need to tell you we're dead if we don't have a deck to fight on." His eyes met mine. "Not all of us can fly away if things get bad."

If things got bad? They already had.

With an ear-piercing screech, the bizarre beast lunged forward.


Oh my, and there we go. Just to address some small thing (again). If something isn't mentioned, i.e. – and let's give a hugely obvious hint here – "Runes on armour", then it's because it hasn't come up yet. Jaune isn't being a complete moron. If you look back at chapter one of this book and the skill list at the end (which yes, I forgot to add the Rune of Con for), you can see that Jaune lists his skills exactly as he knows them to be. The wording is exact.

So far, Runesmithing says it only applies to weapons. That's not to say it might not apply to armour later, but simply that such a Skill hasn't been gained yet. Think of it as tiers for a skill in any RPG. He needs to work on them first.


Next Chapter: 23rd October

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