Remember this story? I mean, it's only been, what six years since I touched it? RWBY's story has changed things around from what I already had established with the story here and I don't intend to change it too much just to shoehorn it in and make it work, but do things to make it blend in in a plausible way.

Anyway, let's get to it.

Legend:

Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/

Winter swirled her glass as she patiently waited for me to tell my next story. My fingertips gently tapped the side of my glass as I pondered from the plethora I could tell the young specialist. There had been a balance so far between the good and bad memories and my last one had been good about how I met my former partner Summer Rose. Well, the next one would be on the opposite spectrum this time with my last real family one.

"So, another story about your family?" Winter turned to look back at me.

"Yeah. Is that okay or do you want a different bad story?" I returned her gaze.

"No, no, that's fine. In fact, I have found your family stories very intriguing. I'd like to know more about them."

"Never would have pictured the word intriguing to go hand in hand with me from you."

Winter let out a laugh. Not a haughty or dry one, but a legitimate and genuine laugh. The alcohol definitely loosened her up enough and it was a nice change of pace from her stern demeanor. I could see the small wrinkles around the corners of her eyes as she leaned forward on the bar.

"Well, I suppose that is understandable. We would have parted ways by now if this was just another night," she said.

"True," I said with a small smile of my own.

"Either way, the more I learn about you the more I can use it to my advantage."

"Oh, so that's what this is all about?"

She laughed again and I grinned into my glass as I took a sip from my whiskey. A quick look around the bar and I could see more people had trickled in during my storytelling. It was a little louder, but still not to the point where I would have to raise my voice or enough to drown out the music emitting from the speakers. The tune had shifted from its upbeat tempo to a more somber rock ballad.

"At least your family is proving to be better than mine despite the environment you grew up in," Winter said with a sigh and brush of her bangs.

"Well, we'll see if your stance changes with this story I'm about to tell you," I answered back.

"Perhaps, but let's get to it."

I gave her a comical half-lidded look and pointed at her drink. Granted I told her to slow down after she pounded those mixed drinks earlier, she still had to hold her end of the bargain. I wasn't submitting to her that easily. She rolled her eyes and took a long sip.

"Right, so just a little more background on my family. It is a little important towards the story, but ultimately won't play much of a role through the rest I will tell you tonight save for some key values," I said.

"How so?" Winter rose a brow.

"My sister and I came from a tribe of less than honorable people to put it simply. We grew up as bandits with a survival of the fittest mindset."

Winter perked up and tilted her head, narrowing her eyes just a little bit.

"Really?" Her now sharp eyes bore into me.

"Yeah, really, Ice Queen. I figured that was a given with my personality and attitude," was my dry retort.

"I'm not saying that it didn't cross my mind. I am just trying to understand how that worked out. Beacon is known for having standards as strict as Atlas for incoming Huntsmen In Training, and that usually means no criminal record."

I laughed again.

"Oh, Oz knew my family and background pretty well. Nothing got by that guy. It was the reason he let me and Raven attend, but that's a story I'll tell you later if you don't pass out first."

"That won't happen. You're going to do a lot of talking tonight, Qrow," Winter replied with a cocky smirk.

"You seem pretty sure of yourself."

"It comes with the title. I have my means of getting what I want."

"Sounds kinky. I like it."

The specialist's face flushed a hot pink and twisted into one of disgust and embarrassment.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" She growled out.

"Yeah, I did." I laughed out.

"Quit being a pervert and get back to the story."

I rolled by eyes and swirled my whiskey. After the small stir I took a long sip and savored the taste once more. It was starting to taste better as my buzzed state started to climb to the drunker tier. Anyway, to oblige the short-tempered woman beside me I continued on with the deal.

My family like I briefly mentioned to her consisted of me, Mom, Dad and Raven. However, our family expanded beyond flesh and blood. In this sense, our tribe. Our tribe was one that had been around for as long as my family could remember. There was never a true established culture or continent we truly called home. We wandered Remnant and lingered in areas where we could sustain a living for a fair amount of time, which is why we namely stayed near the kingdoms of Vale and Mistral. Anima and Sanus is where we thrived and were able to do what we needed with little issue. If we tried Solitas, Atlas forces would have made things more difficult which is why we never dared the attempt in the first place.

I'm sure the kingdom of Vacuo is where the tribe formed, though. A very cutthroat lifestyle due to the lack of resources available and harsh climate that kept living conditions miserable, it was the breeding ground of trouble. We may not have the best morals, but they were ours and it kept us alive for a long time. We didn't care if you were human or Faunus, man or woman. So long as you could fight or prove to be useful with the skills of a trade, you could stay with us. At least that's what I remember Dad telling me and Raven growing up.

Now, despite the fact we had a group of skilled people in our tribe, there was always infighting. Part of the problem on the mindset of being the strongest is that whoever is the strongest in the tribe has to watch themselves, unless they want to meet their end at the tip of a blade or barrel of a gun by someone who perceived themselves as stronger. Needless to say, being the tribe leader had its perks, but it had a high turnover rate. My parents got smart about it. They shared the position when they married and never tried to overrule each other, but beside each other.

When Dad died, it got a little harder. Him and Mom running the show meant double the power and double the leverage they had over the others that they ruled over. Mom could still hold her own and made an example of those that dared to take her out, and she went the extra mile to pulverize anyone who tried to get to her by threatening me or Raven. I can vividly remember one instance when one guy tried to attacked Raven and the next thing I remember was that he had been cut clean in half and left to bleed out by Mom. It forced me and Raven to be even more glued to each other, if only to take that stress off of Mom. Our teamwork was similar to our parents, so that definitely helped, but it was becoming apparent that Mom was getting burnt out, especially after surviving some lucky hits.

It wasn't until me and Raven were close to leaving for Beacon that she pulled us aside for one last parent to child talk. The look on her face was riddled with confliction. Like she wanted to get something off her chest, but still be encouraging what was coming.

"You wanted to talk to us, Mom?" I asked.

She cast a look at me and gave a small nod.

"Yes. I know you two will be leaving for Beacon soon, but I wanted to speak with you before you left," said Mom.

She reached into her pocket and fished out something that I hadn't seen in years. It was Dad's cross. The one he always wore around his neck. I thought we buried it with him and my surprise was mirrored by Raven as well. The color had drained from her face as she looked at it dangling in Mom's hand. Before I could say anything, she pulled out a similar set of beads that resembled the ones around her neck.

"Your father and I agreed to give these to you on the day you set out from the tribe," said Mom.

My hand reached out and barely registered the weight of the cross as it landed in my palm. I almost dropped it in surprise as my mind came to terms with it. My hand clenched tight as I held it and for the briefest moment I wished Dad was there to give it to me himself. Like I said earlier, our relationship was complicated and although I disliked him for a chunk of my life, I still missed him. Maybe he would have some rare words of encouragement? Hell if I know. Probably would've said not to lose it or he'd kill me himself.

"These were trinkets handed down through our family, but they are also a symbol of status within our tribe," said Mom.

That got our attention.

"Wait, then that means…" Raven finally broke from her shock.

Mom only nodded back as she strapped her blade to her hip.

"That's right. As of now, you and Qrow are in line to be leaders of this tribe," she answered.

"But we can't run the tribe if we aren't here," Raven said while putting the beads on her neck.

"You can't, but neither can anyone else. They will be lost without leadership, but they have no one who can truly lead long enough. They'll kill each other off sooner than later."

I was barely listening to the words leaving Mom, but in my defense, it was a little hard being gifted with Dad's cross and hit with the gravity of the responsibility me and Raven were given.

"Then why go to Beacon if that's the case?" Raven challenged with a cross of her arms.

Mom's eyes drifted to Raven and adapted their sharp look whenever she was not to be tried with. Raven's posture and defiance quickly relaxed.

"Mind your tone with me. I know you two didn't grow up in the ideal environment like most of your peers would have, but it will benefit you in the long run in this life. You are still going to Beacon, but that is where you will truly find your path to walk. Do you understand me?" Mom said in return.

To spare Raven from repeating her question, I took the lead instead.

"The way the tribe works is that the leader is killed in combat by another to gain the title. Raven and I will not kill you," I said.

Mom nodded again.

"I know you won't and I won't force you to do that either. They know you two are to be the new leaders which is why they tried killing you before. It was their attempt to usurp your father and I, and you know how that turned out."

Me and Raven nodded back silently. The picture was slowly coming into place. Mom relinquished command of the tribe to us to keep us safe. If we were at Beacon, the bandits would be foolish to attack a school filled with potential huntsmen. It also gave us the chance to come back and assume control with the appropriate skill we could learn and use to our advantage.

"Then what happens to you?" I asked.

Mom offered a small and gentle smile to both of us. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around mine and Raven's necks giving a long, loving squeeze.

"I've given you all that I can, my little birds. Use that to choose your paths. Whether you go on to become great huntsmen or decide to come back and lead the tribe, I will forever love and support your choice. This is your time to find out who you are and to be free."

Raven and I stood there holding on to Mom. It was uncanny that our ascension into adulthood came with a burden of responsibility to a tribe, our family, at the cost of our mother's well-being. She would now be the main target of the tribe the second she stepped out of the tent.

"As long as I draw breath, they cannot harm you. My last gift to both of you is time," said Mom giving one last squeeze.

Time was a finite resource for everyone as it eventually came to an end. Mom sacrificed hers by letting us leave a tribe that we could return to once we were ready. Now I think I understand why being a parent is a thankless job and an ultimate test of love. Mom could have just as easily let us die while we were growing up. She could have killed us to relinquish her burden of being selfless, but she didn't. She embraced the challenge like everything else she did in her life and gave us her love by teaching us to survive by all means necessary. Even now, she was willing to sacrifice herself by drawing the tribe's full attention to her while we would be gone.

If they pursued us, she would cut them down. She also didn't have Dad to help her anymore, nor me or Raven as a distraction. She set us free and was prepared for what came next and for all we knew, that could be the very last time we saw her.

"Mom…" I tried to say.

"Hush, Qrow. Look after Raven and anyone else you hold dear to you from here on out. You both have a long road ahead, so don't even think about quitting or worrying about me," said Mom.

I swallowed whatever saliva was in my mouth, no longer trusting my voice for fear of it cracking and tears that would be close behind. A long breath entered my nose as Mom's arms pulled away from me and Raven and I could see her face once again. The smile still remained, yet her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. The first time I had seen them since Dad died.

"Go," said Mom.

Me and Raven nodded at her and turned around, leaving her in the tent and not taking the chance to look back. We were now setting out on our own for whatever awaited us and it was our job to carry the name Branwen in honor of the man and woman that raised us to be ready.

As we made our way down the path between the tents, we could feel the eyes of our fellow tribesman following us to the open gate. They dared not move, but we could definitely tell they were delighted to see us walk. They made the deduction quick like we did back in the tent. Mom was alone and she no longer had anything to lose. For any normal person that would have been more than enough to keep them from trying something, but this tribe thrived on chance and risk.

Raven was the first one to step out of the gate and I stayed rooted to the spot. For one agonizing minute I wanted to look over my shoulder and see Mom one last time, just to be sure she was still there, but I also knew that if I did I would not leave. This was my last test before becoming a man and I did two things before making that first step out of the gate. The first was remember that last hug Mom shared with me and Raven, and the second was words Dad said to me in one of our many lessons.

"No man is perfected without trials, Boy. Remember that, if anything else."

My other foot followed and was soon carrying me forward as I led Raven down the road with the encampment growing distant behind us until it was swallowed from view by crest of the hill.

I swirled the glass of whiskey in my hand and I could just make out my reflection in it. The ice had melted and served as a partial refill and I sipped it after recanting my story. The bar itself was now filled with local villagers, huntsmen passing through and workers from nearby farms. Space was now more cramped, but not to the point of having no privacy. Ice Queen and I could still have simple conversation if we stayed to talk.

Speaking of the specialist, I cast a look over to her. She had been quiet through the story and it hadn't crossed my mind to check on her to see if she was still conscious. A quick glance disproved it as she remained silent, eyes downcast at the bar. Her brow was furrowed in thought as she mulled over what I had said.

"Is your mother…" She broke her silence.

"Dead?" I finished her question for her.

She flinched but nodded at my response.

"Yeah, she's gone now. It wasn't the tribe that did her in in the end, though," I said. "Of all the things that got her, it was a Grimm."

I shook my head at saying that alone. It still sat sour with me after all of these years. One of the toughest women that walked Remnant met her end facing a lousy Grimm. It was humbling as much as it was insulting. Thinking about Mom's death made my mind wander for a second, but it was enough for two silver eyes to pop in front of me with that wide smile.

I blinked and the face vanished as soon as it had come. It prompted me to take a longer drink from my glass. The cool whiskey graced my tongue and the room spun for a brief moment before the bar came back into focus. Now I was getting drunk.

"I'm sorry," I heard Winter say from my side.

"For what?" I asked looking back at her.

"For losing your mother. From what you've told me so far, you held her in high regard. I couldn't imagine losing my mother."

Her eyes met mine and I could see genuine sympathy in them. Her tongue and cheek comebacks had no place at the moment and part of me appreciated that. I hated being vulnerable with anyone that I didn't deem close. Granted Winter and I knew each other through Jimmy more than anything, I did enjoy my interactions with her regardless if they were bad because she would be one of the few I would want to have my back at the end of the day.

"Thanks," I said with a nod.

Winter sipped on her drink, heeding my word from earlier to take it slower than she had. Her posture had become more open and relaxed compared to its rigid and closed state.

"Hey, I could go for some air. Want to go on the deck?" I jerked a thumb to the side door.

Winter perked up and nodded.

"That would be great," she agreed as she grabbed her drink.

We weaved our way between the crowd and I opened the door to the porch a moment later. The cool night air of Mistral met us and felt welcome to the heat that had built in the bar from its occupants.

"That feels much better," said Winter as she leaned on the railing.

"I'll drink to that," I said with a raise of my glass.

She raised hers and took another small sip and leaned her head back as a breeze came. Her eyes then fell down to my neck and she turned to face me. Her hand reached out and grabbed my cross and her thumb slowly traced it.

"So after all of that, would you say my family is still better than yours?" I asked.

Her fingers let go of my cross and she brushed her bangs aside.

"Not by much, but perhaps I'm being overdramatic and demonizing my parents for our dysfunction," said Winter.

"Have you guys killed each other yet?" I quipped.

"That's barbaric."

"See? Already leagues better than mine."

Winter blinked and shook her head.

"I find it appalling that you'd think of those bandits as your family to begin with," said Winter.

"They were at one point, true," I said. "If you were to ask me that question now, I would say no. I have a family, but they are not affiliated with my old tribe."

I looked down at my cross and twirled it between my fingertips.

"This cross still represents its purpose when it was given to me. I lead a different tribe today and it is my responsibility to lead them down the right road. That's my goal."

Winter stared at me for a long moment and the silence between us was only broken by the chirps of the crickets. After what seemed like an hour, she nodded and took another sip of her drink.

"I can admire that. I thought you were just a man wandering aimlessly, but you do have ambition after all," said Winter.

"Hey, just because I don't preach it doesn't mean I don't have it. I prefer to let my actions speak for me," I retorted with a firm point of my finger.

A teasing smile made its way to Winter's face.

"I don't believe the wise and drunk fool is the best approach," she said.

"That might be the nicest thing you said to me all night," I replied with a roll of my eyes.

"Oh, quit being such a baby."

A laugh left me at her response and she joined a second later.

"I believe you owe me another story," said Winter as she held up her nearly empty glass.

"What part of pace yourself did you not understand?" I made my way to the door.

She laughed again and a hiccup found its way in between. I held the door open for her and she somehow managed to stride inside without tripping in her tipsy state. This time a more upbeat tune was echoing around the bar, one that took me down memory lane and gave me the next good story to tell the specialist.

Winter plopped down in her seat and I took mine beside her, flagging down the bartender again who had a fresh drink for her ready to go. She raised her glass to mine and I met it with a small clink before sipping my whiskey again.

"So, which story will you tell me next?" Winter crossed her legs waiting patiently.

"I got just the one, Ice Queen," I said to her with a grin. "Our first team building exercise."

To anyone still reading this story through their favorites or follows, I appreciate the support and I want to thank those who have taken the time to provide feedback. Have a good night.