Hey, everyone. Thanks a bunch for the continued support with the follows and favorites. As thanks, here's a new chapter for you all. Be sure to drop a review and give me some feedback. I really want to make this story enjoyable for you all and improve, but I can't do that if you don't say anything. Now, let's get to it!
Legend:
Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/
Right, so Mom and I went the other way to cut off the family we were hunting down in case they tried to make a break for it. Raven's blank face was still engraved in my mind and it terrified me. Sure, she was calm and collected when it came to missions and even more so when fighting the creatures of Grimm, but fighting other people? This was weighing heavily on her and if she was not careful, it could be deadly.
"Qrow, look." Mom pointed from our perch in the trees.
We were overlooking a large clearing in the woods. I looked to where she was pointing and saw a lone figure burst from the tree line on the other side. The woman was probably around my height. Her long dark hair flowed behind her as she continued her dash across the field. It looked like she was carrying something in her arms, but I could not tell what it was from my position.
A small grind of steel met my ear as Mom drew her blade, and out of the corner of my eye I could see its crimson color reflecting in the sunlight that managed to catch it. Mimicking her movements, my hand rested on my scythe. I had taken a leaf from Dad's book and decided to go down the same weapon route he chose when he became a Huntsman. It may not have been as cool as his, but it was mine and I was proud with it.
"Let's go." Mom jumped from the trees.
I jumped down into the field and ran ahead to intercept the woman.
It did not take long to reach her and she ground to a halt when she spotted me. Her eyes were wide and they shifted between me and my scythe before they hardened into a mean glare.
"You're with that wretched man and little girl, aren't you?" She demanded.
I didn't say anything. You can't give an enemy any information about you, because that's how they destroyed you. They learned your secrets and went after what you cherished the most. Once they broke it, it broke you. Enemies live to watch you suffer and will put off killing you until they are satisfied with what they reduced you to.
My hands gripped my scythe and my knees bent just a bit as I prepared to dash at her. Then I heard it.
It was a small whimper, and it came from the bundle in the woman's arms. When I realized what was in that bundle she was holding, a chill went down my spine and my blood went cold. It wasn't just a man and a woman we would be killing tonight. We would be killing this baby along with them.
I was so distracted that I barely registered the weapon the woman generated in her hand. It practically materialized into existence and took shape of a vicious looking blade. She pointed it at me and her amber eyes burned bright.
"If you're here to kill me, I suggest you do it now. If not, I will cut you down first!" Her words were filled with venom.
I shook my head and glared back at her. With a push of my feet, I lurched at her with my scythe back and swung. The blade caught nothing but air as she sidestepped it, but I was ready for that. Fixing my grip, I spun on my heel and carried my scythe around to my side with a hack. It cut through the air like a knife through butter with a loud whoosh.
I did not hit the woman, so her Aura was untouched, but I did hear a piece of clothing tear. With quick feet I turned and saw a fresh cut on her pants that she took a moment to observe before glaring at me again.
"I suppose you have some skill, but you'll need more than that to beat me," she said.
My lips remained sealed. I had gotten lucky with that strike, but this is where it would get harder.
The woman nestled the baby in the small cloth harness and slung it around so it was on her back. She held out her now free hand and another blade took shape in it.
"How fast are you on your feet, boy?" She shot at me.
My breath caught in my throat and my eyes tried to follow her movements. She was fast with her attacks, but she had the grace of a dancer. The balls of her feet were barely touching the ground with each jump and dash she made. Add that in with her strikes it was truly frightening.
Where was Mom? She jumped out here before me, yet she was nowhere to be seen. There's no way she couldn't find me or could not hear the clash our weapons, so what was she doing?
This was her testing to see whether or not I could truly do this on my own. If I was ready to do what was necessary to enter that secret society that she and Dad were a part of.
If she was doing this for me… what about Raven? Was Dad doing the same for her?
A chill went down my spine at the thought of Raven doing this alone. As much as I was sure she could handle herself, that familiar feeling in my gut returned like a wicked punch. She would not last long against the man unless Dad intervened like Mom, but that all depended on their agreement on when to step in. Would it be if we were about to be cut down or if was taking too long?
With that thought in mind, it made my goal of defeating this woman grow. I needed to get to Raven and help her!
My arms held up my scythe and my knees buckled from under me. They fell into the cold, hard ground staining my pants with dirt. The shaking in my arms got stronger as I held her blades at bay.
Taking the chance I peeked up at the woman and cracked an eye open. Her eyes were fixed in a cruel glare. I could see the fire of righteous fury in them as she tried to overpower me with her swords.
My scythe got closer to me and it was soon turning into an inevitable loss. A twisted smirk spread across her lips and a chortle left her.
"My, my, you're quite the fighter aren't you?" Her voice was unbearably sweet.
I was too afraid to open my mouth and retort. It was a distraction that would have done me in. My Aura had already taken a bit of a beating when we were trading blows earlier.
A growl escaped my lips as I found a more solid base for my foot. If I could just time it right, I would be able to push her back and take a swing at her.
Once I was sure I had the power I needed, I held my scythe as tight as I could and thrust up with a push of my foot. I didn't get to throw her off, but at least I was back on my feet, so that was a start. Our deadlock was now even once again.
I gave another hard shove and jumped back, narrowly avoiding the slash of both blades. She was quick to lunge at me and I felt the air get sucked from my lungs when her knee burrowed into my stomach. My eyes went wide and I hunched over, desperate to quell the pain, yet stay on my feet to continue fighting. I stumbled forward avoiding her first sword, but I felt the sharp sting across my back when her second one met me.
I bit down on my lip to keep from crying out. That was a good hit and it was no surprise that my Aura was almost shattered. One more hit like that, I was in trouble. I needed to focus.
On an act of instinct, I quickly spun around with my scythe and swung up. A loud clang resounded in the clearing when I deflected her blades and made her stagger back. I acted again and swung again and again. From the right, then the left, under, then left again. She was able to evade my hits, just getting by the last one by the skin of her nose.
It was infuriating. As much as I hate admitting this, I was out of my league. The only purpose I served here was to be a distraction so Mom could finish her off. If that was the case, now would be a good time to do it.
Sparks flew off my scythe when I parried her swords. I was back on defense again and it was driving me nuts.
I ducked under another cut of hers, but in doing so I saw the perfect hit. With a quick jab of my elbow I managed to land a good hit on her ribs, getting a grunt from her. I then followed up with a quick push of my feet and rammed into her, sending her off balance. Her back was exposed, but I refrained from striking. That damn baby would be killed before I got to her.
What really got me was that the baby was now sound asleep. Even with her mother moving around like a maniac trying to cut me down, the baby slept soundly. It was creepy. Most babies are lulled to sleep by their parents, but this one dozed off at the sound of combat.
The woman was just turning on her heel, but snapped out of my stupor. My hands were quick when I swung down with a chop. The blade of my scythe just got inside and cut her waist. She gave a sharp hiss and jumped away, her amber eyes burning with rage.
Her blades disappeared with a flick of her wrists. It was there that I noticed something I failed to catch earlier.
The woman's clothes glowed a bit and when she held out her hand, small particles of Dust swarmed around it and took shape once more. This time her weapon came in the form of a bow. A handful of arrows formed in her other hand.
Her change of tactic surprised me, but I was ready to deal with it. Ranged attacks were easy to handle to an extent. I didn't have anything to shield me, but I would be able to hide in the grass to try and draw her out. Anything else would revolve around my timing to deflect her arrows.
Thunder rumbled in the distance and a cool breeze caressed my face. There was a storm coming and if I held out until it arrived, I could use it to my advantage.
A light thwack met my eats as the woman released the string and then a sharp whistle. She let her first arrow fly and I could see the glint of it in the remaining sunlight. Easy enough to block. It shattered when I twirled my scythe and cut it with the blade. Its remnants shimmered when they landed on the ground and then burst before being carried away with the wind.
Glass?
I was broken from my thoughts when another whistle soared through the air. It was a stroke of luck that it didn't shatter my Aura and hit my face. The arrow just missed me when I tilted my head to the side.
Screw this, I need to get into the grass.
I dove away from the next arrow and felt my pants rustle as it just missed me again. Just how strong was this woman? She could fight proficiently with two blades at close range and her aim was on point with each arrow she sent at me.
I rolled in the grass and was crouched low. It was tall enough to hide me, but if I moved too fast she would see it move and send an arrow right at me.
My throat went dry and I could feel every agonizing pump of my heart as it beat. Even now I'm not sure if it was adrenaline or fear that was causing it.
Finding the strength to move, I carefully lifted my foot and inched it out to my right. When it touched down without a sound, I did the same for my other. My body got low to the ground and my hands slowly carried me over. The grass did enough to muffle the sound. I waited for a couple of seconds before shifting again.
How long did I have before she came into the grass to hunt me down?
My heart got lodged in my throat when I heard a blade cut through the air. It was a quick swish and then a loud tear as grass close by was cut down. At least now I had my answer.
I could hear her trekking through the grass with each step she took. The grass crunched under her feet and would then stop for a painfully long time before she took another step. She knew I was close by and this may have been her way of trying to draw me out. It was a cautious play on her end, but for me it was torturous. It got to the point where I was tempted just to jump up and wing it, but that was just stupid. She would be expecting that.
Taking the chance, I moved a couple of feet to the side again. My head was facing the direction I heard her feet last. Just a few feet ahead of me.
Thunder boomed again and the sky flashed a bright white as lightning stretched across it. Another breeze swept the clearing and the grass blew back and forth when it did. Something wet touched my neck and I heard it pick up one drop at a time before it came in waves of torrential rain.
My feet were slipping out from under me. I tried pulling up my hand and the grass gave an audible splash, making my heart freeze.
"Where are you, little boy? Don't tell me that you're afraid?" She taunted me.
I kept my mouth shut and took the chance to move again. My body shivered under the assault of the downpour.
"Qrow!"
My head snapped up. It may have been in my imagination, but I swore I heard my name called clear as day. I took my attention off the woman's taunts and strained my ears again to confirm if I heard that or not. Only heavy rain met me.
Was that Raven?
I shook my head. She couldn't have been in trouble. No way! Dad was with her and he was the toughest son of a bitch in Remnant. She was fine, she had to be!
My hands shook as my mind began to crumble away at the negative thoughts. I could not let those get to me, lest I wanted to draw the Grimm.
"Qrow!"
It was faint, but this time I was sure it was her. She was calling for me. She needed my help.
My breathing began to slow down as I took a few deep breaths to calm down. I opened my eyes when another rumble of thunder rolled across the clearing. Lightning flashed and I shot to my feet. The woman's back was to me and I took the chance.
I jumped at her and my scythe gleamed over my head as I got ready to cut her down.
The baby cried and I silently cursed when the woman spun around with her bow aimed for me, her arrow already drawn back.
Thwack! The whistle met my ears and everything slowed down. The glint of the arrow shone in my eyes and I shifted my arms to protect my face. My Aura shattered and a sharp, stabbing pain entered my forearm. I could not hold back the cry and dropped my scythe.
I gripped the shaft of the arrow and wrenched it out and winced when it cut me again. Another sharp pain struck my shoulder and I stumbled back and fell into the mud. When I tried to pull the arrow out, it snapped in half.
I rolled over and tried to scramble away, but the pain in my shoulder made it lock up. My legs pushed through the mud and inched me through it, but it was not fast enough. The ugly realization hit me when the light splats of mud grew closer behind me.
This is where I was going to die? In a muddy field at the hands of some woman I don't even know?
I flipped to my back and saw the woman's amber eyes glowing as she stopped at my feet. The triumphant look on her face mocked me as I lied there waiting to die. It was smug, and this was her way of telling me she was going to kill me and I had no power to stop her.
She readied one last arrow and took aim. The tip of it did not even shake as she locked her arm and aimed for my heart.
A splash came from my side followed by a loud whoosh. Glass showered the ground and I looked up to see Mom in front of me. I did not get a clear look at her face, but I did not want to. She was livid. She made quick work of the woman's bow after cutting it with her massive blade and had it brought back with both hands.
The woman's eyes went wide and her mouth opened in a silent scream of pain. I even flinched at the sound of the blade piercing the woman's chest. It sounded similar to wood snapping before an old tree fell. Her sword had gone right through the bone and out her back.
Mom's words were cold as ice when she moved close to the woman's face.
"You will not harm my son, you wretched bitch!"
Blood squirted out of the woman's chest and trickled from her mouth when she wrenched her blade out and swung. The woman's headless body fell to its knees before hitting the mud with a sickening splat. The water became a sickly mixture of red and brown and I had to turn away to keep myself from vomiting.
"Qrow!"
Mom was immediately by my side and had me wrapped in a tight hug. I could feel her cold, wet lips pressed against my forehead as she held me close. One hand on my back and the other ran through my matted hair.
In my state of shock my arms wrapped around her as I continued to stare at the dead body in front of me.
"I'm sorry, honey. I'm so sorry." She pulled away and turned my face towards hers.
Tears streamed from her eyes and fell with the rain. She gently stroked my face with her thumbs and caressed away the mud and blood.
"Mom, where did you go?" My voice was almost inaudible.
"I had to know if you were ready, so I stayed back." She shook her head. "That was a mistake. I should have done this with you. I'm so sorry, Qrow."
She hugged me again and I hissed in pain when she nudged the wound in my shoulder. She let go and her eyes fell on the arrow and they narrowed in anger. Her hand gripped my shoulder and the other took a firm hold of the remaining shaft.
Mom apologized again and pulled. I let out another cry and tears prickled the corner of my eye. My raspy breaths was soon replaced with a light laugh as relief coursed through me.
A loud wail met us and we turned back to the woman's body. The baby was now wiggling in its bundle and crying loudly. Possibly knowing that its mother was gone.
"Mom, what are we going to do with that baby?" I asked, almost fearing the answer.
Mom ran her hand through my hair again and offered a sad smile. She stood up and walked over to the baby. She scooped it up in her arms and rocked it to calm it down.
"It's a girl," she told me.
"What are we going to do with her?" I asked again.
She was silent as she continued to rock the baby gently in her arms, much like she did to me and Raven when we were younger.
"We'll take her for now. It's better than leaving her out here to die," she said.
I nodded and let out a sigh. Good. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if we just left her out here.
"We need to go find your sister and your father. They should be finishing up on their end…"
Raven!
With a wave of newfound energy and determination to keep my word to her, I picked up my scythe and took off towards the trees. I heard Mom call out for me, but I did not stay to wait.
I was moving with speed I did not even know I had. Every tree, bush, puddle and rock that got in my way, I hurdled them and cut through them with ease with my scythe, the pain in my shoulder completely forgotten.
Thunder boomed again and lightning flashed across the sky. The flashes created menacing shadows in the dark thicket of trees. Some of them resembled Grimm, but it did not deter me from my frantic run.
The trees ahead of me began to thin out and another clearing came into view. They were just beyond the trees.
Hang on Raven, I'm almost there!
With a cry I cut through a small tree and stumbled across the waterlogged ground. My eyes darted around and took in everything around me.
Just ahead there was a small house that was engulfed in flames. Smoke billowed into the stormy sky and met my nose as it blew in the wind. It burned my nostrils and stung at my eyes and made them water.
I turned my head and not far from the house I could see three figures. One was standing a few feet away from the other two. One was lying on the ground and the other was kneeling beside the other.
After squinting I was able to see that the one kneeling was Raven, and that filled me with relief, but it did not last long. She did not move and her eyes were fixed upon the man lying before her and she made no effort to acknowledge the other man just a few feet away.
Was that Dad on the ground?
No…
I took a step forward, another chill going down my spine at the thought of it. That sinking feeling returned to my stomach and felt like an anchor as it nestled in me.
My legs took long strides as I sprinted to Raven.
No! No! No! No!
I slid to a stop behind Raven and clenched my fists when I saw Dad lying in front of her unmoving. It looked as though he had been run through with a blade. The blood that soaked his shirt crimson was still oozing out.
"Raven." I put my hand on her shoulder.
She jumped and shook her head.
"Qrow, I…" she stuttered through her tears. "Dad just…"
I squeezed her shoulder.
"You help Dad, I'll handle this," I said.
She only nodded and her hands shook as she put them over his chest to try and suppress the bleeding.
When I was sure Raven was under control, I turned my red eyes at the man who cut Dad down. He did not look much better than Dad did.
His clothes were torn and bloodied all over. His brown eyes were glaring at me and his messy brown hair was matted down from blood and rain.
"Who the hell are you?" He sneered.
Neither of us had Aura, so I needed to be careful for myself, but this guy was good as dead if I got the opening I needed. With that thought in mind, I returned his glare with one of my own and tried to see if I could rile him up.
"You can ask your wife when I'm done with you."
The man's body froze and his head perked up. His sneer was replaced with a look of disbelief and he shook his head.
"You're lying," he said.
I did not say anything and held my scythe up as I got ready to fight.
He let out a scream laced with rage and anguish. He dashed at me and had his blade ready to slash. I was ready for it, but what I did not expect was for him to break clean through my weapon.
Shock coursed through me when half of my scythe landed on the ground, leaving me with just half a staff. I sidestepped a stab and wrapped his arm up and gave a tight jerk, forcing him to drop his blade. My elbow throbbed when it smashed into his face, spewing blood down his front.
He spun out of my grip and formed a tight fist. Tiny lights burst in front of my eyes when his knuckles smashed into my cheek. He hit me again, and again, and again. I could feel the entire left side of my face swell up as bruises formed one hit at a time.
I blocked his punch and dug my heels into the ground and locked us in place. Our arms pushed and pulled each other away as we tried to get the other to crumble. He won that battle.
He pulled me towards him and drove his knee into my stomach, then my ribs, and then under my chin. He let go after spinning me to the side and kicked me down.
I never felt so helpless in my life. My sister was trying to help our dying father and it was now my job to protect them. I rolled to my back when I heard him draw close and gave a hard kick.
The man let out a surprised grunt when my heel found its way into his stomach and made him hunch over. He quickly recovered and knocked my leg aside and then dove on me. His hands shot for my neck and closed around it like iron.
My eyes shot open and I could feel the blood rush to my head and the burning sensation that came with it. My hands tried to force his wrists up, but he had too much leverage. I could feel my legs scrambling wildly as they tried to wiggle me free to give me that precious air I craved.
"You may have killed my wife and my daughter, but I want you to know something," said the man. "When I finish with you and your father, I will make your sister's life miserable beyond belief."
My brow furrowed at the implication and I wanted nothing more than to escape his grasp and tear him apart. I tried once again to pry his hands off me and was met with the same result.
Darkness crept into my vision and everything around me began to fade. My hands lost their strength and just laid helplessly on his. I could still see that look of twisted mirth on his face as he continued strangling me. So imagine my surprise when his look of amusement scrunched into one of mute agony as my father's scythe pierced him through his back and out the side of his stomach.
Air shot into my lungs and sent me into a coughing fit. My fingers gently rubbed my neck to sooth the pain and I returned my focus to the lifesaving attack.
Raven had impaled the man when he almost finished me off and saved me. The man soon turned on her and backhanded her hard across the face, sending her to the ground. She stirred in pain and her eyes widened in fear when the man pulled Dad's scythe free and tossed it aside.
The man then picked up his weapon and skulked towards Raven, ready to stab her. She tried to put distance between the two of them, but he caught her by the leg and dragged her back.
"Where do you think you're going?" He sneered.
Get your hands off her!
My eyes landed on Dad's scythe. I'd seen him use it dozens of times while training and knew how it worked like the back of my hand. Its main form was that of a sword that had a built in gun and when the lever was pulled, it shifted into the scythe.
The man had Raven pinned and his arms were barely being held in place by her as he tried to inch it closer to her neck.
I jumped over to Dad's scythe and pursed my lips. A sharp whistle flew out and got the man's attention. When he saw me grab a hold of the weapon, his eye's widened and he clambered off Raven and made a beeline for me.
The grip of the scythe was in my hand and I held it tight. It was a little weird to be honest. The second I grabbed it, it felt right. Like the weapon was perfectly built for me to use.
I pushed myself up, spun on my heel and aimed the tip of the blade at him and flipped the switch. The blade lowered to reveal the gun and my finger coiled around the trigger. A flash of orange emitted from the tip of the gun and the loud bang that followed was swallowed by a clap of thunder.
That shot I fired was filled with nothing but anger and vengeance, and the thunder only added to that feeling.
The man went stiff as a board and his cry of anger was stopped short. The bullet struck him dead center in the chest and left a sizeable hole in it. He swayed in place and a guttural gag left his mouth with a glob of blood. He fell back and landed spread eagle on the grass, eyes open staring up at the dark sky.
In the end, I did kill one of the targets, but I sure as hell didn't feel proud of it. I only did it because he would have killed me and Raven. And it may have been that kill or be killed mentality that made me quick to push it aside.
My finger flicked the switch and the sword rose back into place and locked.
"Qrow," a weak voice met me.
It was Dad.
I snapped from my stupor and slid to his side, Raven on the other looking down at him with her tear streaked face.
"Did you get him?" Dad's eyes met mine.
"Yeah… yeah, I got him, Dad." I nodded.
I gently sat him up and put pressure on his wound. His heart beat weakly beneath his chest and I could feel every pulse of it through the palm of my hand. It was growing weaker by the second.
"Good. Then that means you and your mother got the woman too, right?" He coughed.
I nodded again.
"Stop, you're gonna' fuck it up even more." I pushed on his chest to make my point.
His chest shook as a strained laugh escaped him. His hand reached up and lightly slapped my face.
"Qrow, I know that we haven't had the strongest relationship, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you." His eyes drooped just a bit, his strength was leaving him.
"We can work on it when we get you patched up. You're not dying here, Dad," I tried to play it off, but my voice betrayed me.
I could feel it crack as the sorrow crept into it.
His hand rustled my hair and another chuckle left him.
"Whatever you say, boy," he replied. "You take care of your mother and your sister, you hear?"
My eyes stung with tears as they prickled at the corners again. This time I could not hold them back as they trickled down my cheeks. I only nodded back, knowing my voice would break again if I tried to speak.
"I'm proud of both of you." He moved his other hand and cupped the side of Raven's face.
His heart was barely beating at this point and I bit down on my lip. Mom was still not here and I was thankful she wasn't. It was bad enough that Raven and I were here for Dad's last moment, but if Mom were here? She'd be devastated.
My hand grabbed a handful of his bloody shirt and gripped it tight when I could no longer feel his heart beating. His hand had fallen from Raven's cheek, but she held onto it firmly, as if memorizing his warm touch.
My shoulders shook as silent sobs wracked my body, but Raven was openly crying, her whimpers of grief felt like a knife piercing my heart.
"Dad, please…" She begged. "Please don't go."
"Raven," I spoke up, trying to get her attention.
"This was my fault. If I didn't…"
Thunder rumbled and the rain fell harder, soaking the two of us as we sat there with Dad's body.
My hand reached out for Raven and grabbed her shoulder. I pulled her over to me and she complied as if her mind was on autopilot. Once she was beside me I wrapped my arm tightly around her waist and held her close, still holding Dad with my other.
I could feel her sobs through my arm, but I didn't say anything. I mean, what else could I say?
Raven lowered her head and rested her forehead against Dad's and continued to cry. Her scream echoed around the field through the pouring rain.
"Dad!"
I slowly swirled the glass in my hands and just stared at the whiskey as it swished up and down inside. The glass came to my lips, but I stopped. A sigh escaped my nose and I set the glass back on the countertop.
That story was one of the worst memories I had. I killed someone and I failed to save my old man. I rubbed my eyes and grabbed my glass again to take another long sip.
"What happened after that?" Winter asked.
I shook my head again and looked back at her. Her lips were turned down in a small frown.
"Mom was a mess when she found us and withdrew from being a Huntsman altogether. Raven started to isolate herself and took solace in her training," I said.
"And what about you?" She took a sip from her drink.
"I was still in shock and denial. Dad said I had to watch out for Raven and Mom, so I tried to be strong and acted like everything was fine. When either of them brought it up, I got angry and would walk off or change the subject," I replied.
It had been two weeks after Dad's death. Mom, Raven and I barely left the house, only leaving to get food or to run a quick errand. With Dad gone it left a large gap between us. The house was quieter and we would not mention anything about the empty space at the kitchen table when it was time for dinner.
I was in the shed and doing maintenance on my new scythe. I had taken Dad's weapon and made it my own. It was all I had left of him and I wanted to keep it in pristine condition.
I ran the stone on the blade again to sharpen it. The stone grinding against the metal was harsh and loud, but it did not block out the sound of footsteps entering the shed. I took a glance and saw Raven leaning in the door, her eyes downcast.
"Hey," I greeted her, getting off the stool with the scythe in hand.
"You're out here again?" She asked.
"Yeah. Just doing some work."
I moved by her and went outside to test the scythe and see if it was sharpened to the point Dad always had it.
"You can't keep it bottled up, you know," Raven said.
I stopped in my tracks and my brow furrowed at the comment. My hand tightened around the grip of the scythe.
"Mom and I are upset too, but we're trying to overcome it. What you're doing isn't healthy," she continued.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I quickly retorted.
"Don't try to act tough, Qrow. It's okay to let it out."
"Easy for you to say! Dad told me I have to look after you and Mom, so I need to be tough! It's the least I can do after failing him!"
Raven's head snapped up and her glare towards me was filled with anger. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she kept them at bay.
"You didn't fail him that day, you idiot! I did! If I didn't get scared and freeze up, Dad wouldn't have taken that hit for me!" She yelled.
My eyes widened a bit. She had been very hush-hush about the whole encounter with that man and I never understood how Dad was cut down by him, but now it made sense. The revelation hit me hard in the stomach and filled me with guilt.
"I should've died that day, not Dad!" She clenched her fists. "The difference between you and me is that I accepted he's gone and that no matter what I do, he won't come back. I miss him and I feel guilty as hell."
She wiped her eyes and sniffed before meeting my gaze again.
"So don't lie to me, because you're not alright. That much I know." Her eyes softened a bit.
I said nothing as I looked back at Raven. She did not have the will to carry on the conversation any more. She turned around and looked over her shoulder.
"I'll let you get back to work."
I watched her form retreat back into the house and must've stared after her for a good five minutes replaying the conversation in my head. Every emotion that I had bottled up when Dad died was bubbling inside and ready to be unleashed on the closest target I could find.
My hand gripped the scythe tighter and I turned my eyes to one of the many training dummies that were off to the side.
The dummy gave a loud shudder as I slashed it with the scythe. It rocked back and forth as if mocking me at the weak display of power. I grit my teeth and swung again making the dummy bounce violently back and forth.
It was different from the training sessions that Dad gave me and Raven when using our weapons and that only made me swing harder and harder. Each dummy was eventually cut down until the last dummy, which happened to be the near indestructible one remained.
I slashed at it and felt my hands sting and throb from the constant hits. My hands were raw and started to bleed from the stress. With each swing a grunt of anger and sadness escaped me. Each swing from the weapon rang out violently and echoed around the yard, disturbing whatever peace our neighbors may have been enjoying.
One swing. Clang! Another swing. Clang! Then another and another. Clang! Clang!
My blood began to stain the grip of the scythe. I gave one last hack for good measure before tossing the scythe to the side. The blade embedded into the ground and I fell to my rear. My breaths left in heavy pants of anger and exhaustion as I tried to calm down.
Raven was right.
I downed the rest of my whiskey and shook my head as the kick brought me out of the memory completely.
"Surely all of your memories aren't terrible?" Winter remarked.
"Of course not. I do have some good memories." I waved it aside.
"Some? Can you be more specific?"
"I can count at least eight, but almost half of those can be classified as bad, too."
Winter rolled her eyes and took a long drink from her glass. She set it down and turned back to me.
"Then let's balance this. Tell me one of your better stories before we go into another bad one," she reasoned.
I rubbed my eyes again and thanked the bartender who replaced my glass with another one. I had a good buzz going, so this would definitely help pick up the mood, if only just a bit.
Like I said, only a handful of good memories would be told tonight, but the Ice Queen had a point. You had to balance out the bad stuff with something good.
"Good idea." I nodded.
"What story are you going to tell me next?" Winter cocked her head.
I think I got just the one. I turned to her with a small smile. "How about when I met my partner?"
There we go. I hope you enjoyed the long chapter and that the violence did not seem to wild for you, but I have this rated M for a reason since it will touch down on some sensitive points that I want to drive home with Qrow's character. There were little bits and pieces in there I will not blatantly state, but if you look closely, you'll see what I did. I also hope you enjoyed the little bit that his current weapon was his father's. Let me know what you thought, and I will see you guys next time. -CaptainPrice