Pariah
Chapter 7
Family
For thirteen hours Wolfe traveled through the uninhabited forests and plains of northern Mistral, crossing the frozen surface of the largest river in the northern region. It was a risk to be sure, but he was confident that the ice would hold like it did many times before, which did not alleviate the doubts. He feared that there might come a time where his luck would run out. But since this was the only way to travel from east to west, it was a risk Wolfe would always have to take. The infrastructure of Mistral's northern territories were poorly developed, much to his annoyance.
In those thirteen hours, Wolfe decided to take a five-long break so that they could rest at the flames of one of his improvised fires before they continue their arduous journey. The girl, covered in wolf fur, slept through their travels. Wolfe misjudged her level of exhaustion, as she buried her face into his left shoulder, shivering every now and then. Sitting under a tree, he decided that he too needed his rest, whilst the fire graciously lent them the comforting feeling of warmth.
They still had to travel ten more hours, before they found themselves in the familiar halls of the place he and his mother simply called… home. Of all of the homes he had in his life, Wolfe liked this one the most. Instead of pain, cruelty, and hate, like in those places he received them from, it gave him acceptance, a sense of purpose, and most importantly… love.
He would see to it that it remains so until the end of days. Oum knew his mom deserved some happiness in her life.
Wolfe looked up into the starry sky, his eye staring at the moon shining brightly in the night. Ever since his newfound freedom, he found a liking to watching it's shattered form.
As he calmly exhaled he watched the fog of his breath escape into the forest. Reaching behind him, Wolfe procured his canteen and a piece of cloth in which he stored dried meat. He always knew the cold, for it was an unseen companion throughout his life, and found a strange comfort in it.
With one hand, he unwrapped it, placing it on his thigh, finding seven strips of meat in it. The girl stirred as he gently tried to wake her from her slumber.
"Mai," he said, "wake up."
Slowly but surely she opened her tired eyes. As she looked at him, her eyes widened and her breath hitched for the briefest of moments. Wolfe held a piece of meat in front of her with his other hand.
"Are you hungry?" Wolfe asked.
She looked at it with uncertainty. It would seem that she still held little trust in him. Wolfe bit off and ate half of it before he presented it to her again. A small hand reached out and accepted the offered food. The same did not have to be repeated with the water, however. While they ate and drank she never took her eyes off of him and did not start any form of conversation. In the end, out of seven stripes, she was offered five and a half.
After they drank the canteen empty, Wolfe filled it with snow and placed it near the fireplace. As he grabbed the piece of fur to cover her fully, Mai flinched from the movement.
"I am only going to cover you, is that okay?", she nodded at his question, cautiously watching his every move.
"Try to get some more sleep." He told her.
After she was covered once more, she buried her face into his shoulder again. Exhaling softly, he looked up towards to moon one final time, as his eyelids grew heavy, his dreamless sleep would take hold of him sooner than he thought. At least he did not have to worry about any nightmares.
When Winter woke, she expected to be alone in her medical room, to enjoy her morning in silence, to only be with her thoughts and the occasional visit of Doctor Grau or one of the many nurses on board the ship. To lay in her bed and occupy herself with a book and a much-needed cup of coffee.
This is what she had hoped to find. Mentally wanting to make her plans for her future investigation regarding her 'deceased' brother, something she now found very hard to believe.
Saying that she was confused as to why he stood in her room was an understatement. Sanding straight in front of her window, hands behind his back, and too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice her awaken. She faced countless Grimm, terrorists, bandits, and murderers before, so why was it that she felt anxious while in his presence?
Every word that he said to demean her suddenly rushed into the forefront of her mind. It certainly did not help her anxiousness. But there was something else. A feeling of loathing started to build up inside of her. A burning sensation on her cheek, she hadn't felt in a very long time.
Winter wanted him gone, out of her room. How he even got in here without her permission, she did not know. She wanted nothing more than to jump out of her bed and to carry this man out by his throat herself. Maybe she might even accidentally damage his vocal cords so there might be a chance she did not have to hear his voice again. A macabre fantasy that would never fulfill itself, however. But a woman can dream, right?
"Father." She said tersely, the word leaving a foul aftertaste in her mouth, one would come to expect from rotten food.
Turning his head he regarded her, his piercing gaze was met with her own.
"Winter." The way he spoke her name felt wrong, loveless. As if she was not a person, his daughter. "You are finally awake."
She had to bite her tongue at the utterance of that sentence.
"What are you doing here?"
"What do you mean 'what am I doing here'?" Jaques scoffed, "It is one of my facilities you and that barbarian have set ablaze! Do you know how much money your little operation cost me? Millions lost with your little stunt."
Winter's eyebrow twitched, of course, he was not here for her. She could not care for his losses, even if she searched her heart for it.
"That is not what I meant." She said. "Why are you here? Why are you in my room?"
"I am your father," he calmly replied, his voice shifting to a more calculated tone. "It is only natural that I care for my injured daughter."
"I think we both know that hell would freeze over before that happened." She stated incredulously.
She could see the silent rage building in his eyes. The emotions she has come accustomed to throughout her young life. She did not understand why her father was still trying to hide his disdain for her.
"The insolence." Jaques barked. "Out of all of my three children, you-"
"Four." Winter interrupted him. "You meant to say four children, or have you already forgotten about Wolfe?"
The tension in the room grew exponentially, and Jaques's eyes hardened as he glared daggers at Winter, who greeted him with his expression in kind. A vain made itself visible on his forehead, the man struggling to contain his frustrations.
With slow deliberate steps, the Schnee patriarch made his way to her side but found himself unable to move as one of Winters Glyphs rooted him where he stood.
"I believe that is far enough, father." The venom in her voice made her wish it could have poisoned the man.
Readjusting his tie, Jaques regarded her in silence, while he was trying to maintain a calm and collected demeanor.
"Your mother and I were devastated the day you left for the Atlas military." He began coldly. "My daughter who was supposed to be the heiress of the SDC and inherit the Schnee legacy left for some honied words and delusions of grandeur. I truly thought you had what it took to be entrusted with that responsibility."
It was then that she noticed the grin, hidden underneath his mustache. An air of superiority and arrogance, cloaking his every word.
"But after yesterday's events, I must confess that I was wrong about my decision to make you the rightful heir. Foolishly so. With your embarrassing display of incompetence to apprehend one man, one man. Brought low by some backwater barbarian. I have to thank you for your decision to leave, for now, I see that you would have only brought our name to shame and ruin."
Winter wished she could have said that the words of this bastard did not affect her. She truly wished she could but they somehow found their mark within her. She refused to show him that his words meant anything to her.
As he made his way towards the door, he turned and spoke one final time, gesturing towards her stump.
"I heard the General has offered you a prosthetic arm. State-of-the-art Atlas technology or so they say. It does not matter how advanced our achievements are, that thing will always be a reminder of your failures. Just as you remind me, every time I lay my eyes on you."
When he stepped beyond the threshold he snapped at someone she could not see.
"You have one hour."
"Yes, father." The person answered.
Winter knew that voice. How long has it been since she stood by her side? She did not realize until now how much she missed the presence of her baby sister.
When she entered through the door, Weiss stopped, their eyes meeting for the first time in three years. She was ashamed to admit that her duties as a Specialist came as a priority over her sister.
"Winter!" Weiss exclaimed, a mix out of worry and excitement, and broke out into a jog. And as soon as she did she stopped, embarrassed by her outburst of affection and worry. It broke Winters's heart to see Weiss struggle to keep her emotions in check, while in the presence of their father.
"I'm sorry." She said clutching at the hem of her combat skirt, a nervous tick her sister developed over the years while living in the Schnee mansion.
Winter took her sister's hand into her remaining one, tentatively motioning her to take a seat beside her.
"You have nothing to apologies for, Weiss." A small smile forming on her sister's lips, mirroring her own.
When her sister's eyes wandered to her stump, Winter noticed the sudden change in Weiss's emotional state.
"When I heard, that you were injured," she saw her sister desperately trying to hold back her tears. Something she attributed to Jaques, because 'a Schnee does not cry'. Those were his self-serving words. "I was so worried. I had to beg father to take me with him."
Of course, she had to beg him to come. The thought made her blood boil.
"Well, I'm glad that you're here." She replied. "You don't need to worry, I'm in good hands here. But thank you nonetheless."
Her demeanor changed once more as Winter's words seemed to have the intended effect to help ease her sisters troubled mind.
"But enough about me, how is your training fairing?."
Weiss instantly perked up at the question, eager to share the progress she made.
"I have made very good progress with my Glyphs." She said, beaming with pride. "I still have minor problems with my Time Dilation, but I am confident that I will grasp the concept by next week."
"I'm glad to hear it," Winter said. "What about your summoning?"
At the mention of the ability, Weiss deflated. Winter knew her sister had the biggest difficulties with that particular Glyph.
"You know I can't do it." She said sullenly. "Try as hard as I might, it would seem I'm not as competent as you."
"Don't talk like that," Winter said, rubbing her sister's arm. "I know that you would never sell yourself short. And I have a pretty good idea who's words those truly are. I believe you can do it, Weiss. Hold your head high and show him that you can manage on your own."
Her sister's smile grew wider, more genuine. She was glad that Weiss found comfort in her words.
"Have you told him that you plan on applying for Beacon Academy in three years?" Winter asked, whispering conspiratorially
"No, I haven't," she answered in the same hushed tone. "I'm afraid of what he will say or do. Father has been even angrier since the SDC mines outside of the Kingdoms are attacked with impunity. While the deaths of the employees do stress him, his concern lies mostly with the profits he lost. It is making life at home… difficult."
"Well, when the time comes I'm confident that you will overcome whatever he throws your way."
He knew these woods like it were the back of his hand. Hours spent exploring and hunting in the crisp air after obtaining his long yearned freedom. Wolfe made sure to enjoy every second of it and sometimes spent nights sleeping outside in the wild, much to his mother's annoyance.
He could not help but smile being surrounded by the familiar environment he has come to cherish. Every time he spent in these woods, it felt like he gained a sense of a childhood he never got to experience.
After hours of wandering in the wilderness, he stepped out, into the clearing where a single two-story house, made out of wood, stood. A sigh of relief escaped him. It felt good to be back.
As he felt the girl, who was still sleeping in his arm, shiver, Wolfe adopted to take a faster pace to shield her from the cold.
Upon entering the house, he placed his glaive behind the door and removed the armor from his shins and knees so that he could remove his boots as to not cover the floors with the dirt that they accumulated. He would clean them later after he took care of Mai.
"Wolfe, is that you?" the voice of his mother called out.
He heard her footsteps come closer to the door and when she stood before him, excitement radiating from her, he signaled for her to stay quiet, motioning towards the girl in his arm. Her golden eyes widening slightly. Moving toward her, Wolfe embraced her with his free arm and kissed her cheek. An action she reciprocated.
"Who's this?" she whispered.
"Her name is Mai." Wolfe answered, "She is from one of the SDC mines."
Her face fell at the mention of the SDC, for she knew the horrifying truth about those places. Gold-eyes observing her sleeping form.
"She's dirty." His mother stated. "I'll go prepare a bath for her."
Wolfe placed Mai into his mother's arms and followed them upstairs. While she went into the bathroom, he went into his room, changing into the same, undamaged pants and removed his tattered clothes, listening to the sound of water running along the pipes of their house. His mother entered his room looking into his closet and retrieving one of his sweatshirts.
"Since we have no clothes for a child, I'm going to use one of your sweaters for her to wear." she clarified. "I refuse to let her be in those filthy garbs."
Wolfe nodded to her words.
"I will go to the village and buy some clothes for her," Wolfe told his mother. "After that, I will stop by Old Flensburg's forge. I need a new chainmail."
"Not until you let me take a look at those new wounds you failed to mention." Wolfe immediately knew that any form of protest would fall on deaf ears. "Do not argue with me on this, mister."
He knew when to pick his battles and simply nodded in acceptance.
"Good."
And with that she left his room, leaving him to continue to change, trading his tattered pants for a newer one of the same design.
After forty minutes he heard his mother turn off the water to the bathroom, returning to his room with medical supplies in tow. She motioned for him to sit on his chair using its top as support and purposefully, making him sit in the wrong direction.
"I cleaned her as best I could." She began. "I've put her to bed in one of our guestrooms. She's quite the heavy sleeper and your sweatshirt is a bit large for her but I think she has already found comfort in it. I also had to bandage her head because she had a small wound on her temple. Do you know what happened to her?"
"From what I could gather the overseers of the SDC mine did not do it," Wolfe answered her. "The Faunus slaves left her behind for dead."
His mother snapped her head in his direction upon hearing what Wolfe had said. Turning around Wolfe looked into her eyes, they were a mix of confusion and anger.
"They said that she was a 'halfling'." he continued solemnly. "Seeing as how much she was hated by the group, I did not want to leave her or bring her to an orphanage. I doubt that the treatment she was going to receive would have been anything but kind. From the sounds of it, not even her family loved her."
"Poor thing." His mother said as she began to work on the wound on his back. While he could not feel anything he watched her through the mirror in his room. "I can't imagine how she must have felt. A good thing you found her then."
A tired sigh escaped her.
"Those born sharing the roots of both races are the ones who are hated the most, unfortunately. It's sad to see human-, and Faunuskind act in this manner."
Wolfe hummed in agreement.
"She does not trust easily and is wary of people," Wolfe explained. "If food or water is offered to her, she will only accept once you eat or drink from it first."
"She's a smart girl then." His mother replied with a smirk, cutting the thread with which she closed the reopened wound. "At least she shares your same distrust towards strangers, so I don't have to worry on that front."
"Turn around," she ordered.
As he did so, she began treating his small wound on his shoulder.
"She was there." He said.
His mother stopped her task, regarding him in silent curiosity.
"Winter," he clarified.
Her eyes widened once more and she mouthed a soundless 'oh'.
"You didn't kill her, did you?"
"No," he answered her question, his mind focused on past events. "No, I did not. But I believe a great deal of damage was done."
"What happened?"
"I severed her arm," Wolfe replied bluntly. "It was only after, that I learned of her identity."
His mother let out a tired sigh, seeing his inner turmoil.
"I don't know what to do now." He continued. "I feel like I have messed up. I don't even know, if letting her live was the right choice after stopping the bleeding."
"Well, I for one am proud of you." She said. "Only in time will you know if the decision you made will prove fruitful. The two of you will most likely meet again. I hope for both of you that it will be… less violent? I think that would be a great start. Just remember she is her own person, so keep your anger in check."
"She said I looked like her grandfather."
"Nicholas Schnee?" Wolfe looked at his mother and shrugged at the question, he never met or saw the man.
"I wouldn't know," he answered. "It sounds like you knew him."
"Knew him?" She said. "Every Faunus in my generation or those older knew your grandfather. He was the founder of the SDC and promised all who worked for him to be treated equally. It didn't matter if the person was human or Faunus. Under his leadership, the Faunus even obtained high ranking positions. His goal was to unite both races against the Grimm, seeing that a greater divide would only tear the four Kingdoms apart. "
Wolfe listened intently to his mother's tale, recounting a time where all prospered and the injustices seen today were not jet present within the SDC. But that vision most likely did not include those born with the pariah gene, he thought sourly. What would his grandfather think of him, he wondered.
"But then Nicholas's health declined and gave away all of the rights to the SDC to Jaques, the man who married his daughter, Willow." Her expression changed into one of sadness. "And with time, the positions Faunus held were reduced and the pay was cut. Many who worked in mines, outside of the Kingdoms found themselves in chains rather quickly, as no one else really decided to check on the working conditions, the SDC got away with the enslavement of its own workers. That's how I ended up a slave, but you already knew that part. Nicholas's dream was brought to ruin in a matter of a year."
It was a strange feeling to know that he was related to them by blood. He questioned what views his sister held, regarding the Schnee name.
"The younger Faunus generations didn't experience the time when Nicholas was alive. And with more reports of slavery and mistreatment coming to light thanks to the White Fang, the good image the SDC once held, is overshadowed by these discoveries. With every new protest inside of the Kingdoms, more acts of violence are being committed. Of course, the councils, Jaques, and all of the rest of the companies are trying to cover everything up."
He was no Grimm, but he could feel the negativity radiating from her. Looking into her teary eyes he saw pain, guilt, and sadness, while her ears were flattened. Putting on a simple shirt he turned around Wolfe embraced her, knowing what she had to endure in those mines, leaving scars on her too. Some could be seen, while others could not.
"With the ending of the war, many hoped that things would change for the better. It's painful to see that racism is still alive and well in Remnant. With neither side being innocent."
Breaking away, she wiped away her tears and smiled at him.
"I'll go prepare dinner, but I have some ingredients missing." She said. "When you go out, could you bring some carrots and chicken? And do buy a bit more, we have an extra mouth to feed."
"Of course." He replied. "You intend for her to stay?"
"Yes," she answered. "It's like you said, an orphanage is the last place she should be."
Wolfe nodded at her words, relieved to know she shared his concerns.
Gathering all of her supplies she made her way downstairs, leaving him to go take a much-needed shower, he so desperately sought. After drying himself he changed into his pants and another sweater before collected the necessary Lien. One of the goods things of raiding SDC facilities was that refined Dust sold itself very well on the black market. Wolfe made sure that they did not have to worry about a budget.
Grabbing his weapons and putting his armor back on, Wolfe left for the village.
"Do you know how much your little operation cost me, James?"
He did not need to have this conversation. He did not even know why Jaques Schnee was currently standing aboard his ship, nor did he know who let him enter military-controlled space in the first place. Today, certainly was not his day.
"I have a rough estimate," Ironwood replied lazily, staring out of command deck, gazing at the snow-covered forests of Mistral. "But I find myself having a hard time caring for your plight."
Through the reflection, he could see the man in white, scowling at his words.
"Then let me clarify it to you. Billions worth of unrefined dust were lost due to your incompetence." His tone was masked with arrogance and a sense of superiority. "I wonder what the council will think of your recent failings? Not only have you proven that the Atlas military and your Specialist pet project cannot even apprehend one murdering psychopath, but you have also managed to damage Atlas' economy."
"You mean you don't get to have the profits from the mining operations." Ironwood countered. "I know what happens down there in those mines, Jaques."
"I beg your pardon?" The Schnee patriarch asked through clenched teeth. "I have proven time and time again that these allegations against my name are nothing but conspiracies!"
"Really now?" Ironwood said, turning to level his gaze onto Jaques. "Those so-called 'Inspectors' you have sent to investigate these claims were all on your payroll."
The General could see a blood vessel appearing on Jaques's forehead, making his frustrations obvious.
"You are playing a very dangerous game, James." He said with a smirk. "I`m sure the council would love to hear about what has transpired. Maybe they will indulge you with your fantasies."
"Are you threatening me, Jaques?" Ironwood said, taking slow and deliberate steps towards the other man.
"No." The head of the SDC said. "I am merely reminding you that, should the council decide that you are unfit of leading the mightiest army on Remnant, then I am afraid your position might be easily replaceable."
"A generous reminder," Ironwood said, making Jaques nod and smirk. "But let me also remind you, that the Kingdom of Atlas is a democracy, Jaques."
"I am… well aware of that fact," Jaques said, confused as to what the Generals point was.
"When I stepped foot onto your SDC property, do you know what I found?" he asked calmly, making the businessman nervous.
Just as he was about to answer, Ironwood continued.
"I found dead Faunus, Jaques. Beaten, tortured, mutilated, malnourished to the point of starvation. The brandings of the SDC logo on the skin of your workers. Things you claimed never happened in your mines. And what I have seen today paints a different picture. Worst of all was the dead pregnant woman who was beaten to death in the square. Thanks to Doctor Grau, we have determined that one of your overseers fathered that child. Not that dispensing justice matters anymore since the gutted remains of the man were strewn across company grounds. And evidence suggests that the unborn child was not conceived willingly. Given that we know the Wandering Wolf's gruesome MO, Doctor Grau has ruled him out as her killer."
Sweat was forming on the Schnee patriarchs forehead. Ironwood knew, that Jaques could not allow the horrible details within the SDC mine reach the public. While it would make for a rather big scandal, nothing could be done against it, as the laws do not cover illegal activities outside of the Kingdoms, which was a 'gray area' that frustrated the General to no end. They sadly did not have the resources to police the Grimmlands.
"I did not know the SDC used slaves in their mines," Ironwood said, in a calm yet distasteful manner. "I mean you said as much, have you not?"
Ironwood once again did not let Jaques answer his question.
"I wonder what would happen if that information reached the public?" James mused. "Do you think that the council members would be voted into office again, once all of this comes to light? Do you think that the ones who will replace them will accept your 'generous donations'?"
Standing straight, while fixing his tie, Jaques met Ironwood's gaze.
"You will be disappointed to learn at how easily the hearts and minds of men and women can be swayed, James." He said after regaining his composure.
"I will make sure that new inspectors are hired to investigate the mines outside of the Kingdoms to prove to you that this particular facility operated outside of company bounds."
"I feel like I have heard those words from you before," Ironwood said. "To hear them again feels hollow."
Jaques sent a glare in the General's direction, who was unfazed by his display.
"One more thing, Jaques," Ironwood called out. "The Wandering Wolf has an SDC branding over his left eye. It would seem that these attacks are quite personal. You should be very careful, moving forward. Just some... friendly advice."
As the head of the SDC left the bridge, General Ironwood couldn't stop the smirk forming on his face.
Two things greeted Wolfe as he stepped foot into the village. The first was a sight he has always come to enjoy, during this time of year. As he looked up into the cloudy sky, he watched the snowfall onto Remnant. Exhaling softly, his eyes followed the mist of his own breath and let the snowflakes land on his face.
The second thing he noticed was a convoy of multiple trucks. The second thing he noticed was a convoy of multiple trucks. Blue flags with an encircled head of a white lion, attached to the vehicles, and men and women wearing white clothing with blue accents and Grimm masks were helping the locals with everyday tasks. The White Fang arrived in the village.
Wanting to focus on his own business, Wolfe made his way towards the only clothing store inside of the village. Upon entering the building the man behind the counter immediately noticed his presence. He wore a black turtleneck sweatshirt, glasses and had antlers sticking out of his brown hair. Wolfe ignored his plight when he noticed that the man was being affected by his aura. It was a common reaction to the pariah gene, which he has gotten used to.
Moving towards the children's area he made sure to gather clothes that lasted for more than a week before they had to be washed. T-shirts, sweatshirts, socks, underwear, a pair of gloves, a jacket and a woolly hat. Looking everything over once more he made his way to the men's section, to browse for himself.
A dark olive coat immediately caught his eye. Its design mirrored the winter coats worn by the Valean military during the Great War. He always had an interest in history, especially that particular period in time. The shade on this coat, however, was darker.
Taking it from the hanger Wolfe made his way towards the changing rooms. After removing the armor from his right arm, he put the coat on. He was happy that it fit like glove and decided to buy it. They had more than enough Lien with him. He once more strapped his armor on once again. A tedious process if he was to be honest, but he considered it to be worth the effort.
Walking up and placing the clothes on the counter, Wolfe was aware that the clerk was squirming standing in his presence, doing his best to avoid eye-contact.
"The coat too." He said, gesturing to himself.
"Y-yes, sir." The man said nervously.
Looking over the mans shoulder, Wolfe looked at the row of stuffed animals on the shelves behind him.
"Are those for sale?" he asked pointing behind the man.
"Yes." The man said. "Would you like to buy one?"
Wolfe looked them over and gestured to one of them.
"I will buy the bunny."
The man nodded and retrieved the item and placed it inside the bag with the rest of the clothes.
"That will be three-hundred and forty-five Lien, sir."
Wolfe handed him the said amount of money and wished the man a good day before leaving the store. Crossing the street he made his way towards Old Flensburg's Forge, where he ordered a new shoulder-pouldron with a knife attachment and a chest plate. According to the old man's boasting, he should have finished his order two days ago. Now he would see if his boasts held true.
The two-story building was made out of sturdy wood, coming from the local trees surrounding the village, and it's roof consisting of black slates. The forge was the second tallest building aside from the major's residence. While the outside of the building always caught his eye, it was what was inside that was truly noteworthy. Rows of weapons and armor could be found on display. Wolfe always lingered longer than he should, looking the items over.
Old Flensburg knew of his precarious condition because he experienced it before, where he was present when another Pariah was born, decades ago. The child was put down, as he was considered to be a dark omen in the Grimmlands. Wolfe has come to learn that the majority of Remnant did not know of the Pariah's existence, as it was a well-kept secret by those in power. Those who knew, however, keep that knowledge to themselves out of fear of persecution.
Pushing the wooden door he entered the building, being embraced by the warmth. Inside stood four people who immediately took note of his presence, thanks to his uncontrollable attribute.
The first two had the same clothing as the White Fang members who were helping the villagers. The Third-person he took note of, was a mountain of a man, with slick backed black hair and beard, a pale complexion, and yellow eyes while the fourth was a smaller woman, with amber eyes, a dark complexion, feline ears, and stripes covering her body.
Heavy silence cloaked the room as the four inhabitants stared at him. Or rather his injured eye. Wolfe did not necessarily have anything against looking at his wounds, but he found the staring to be quite rude. It would seem that he needed to send Doctor Watts the schematics for a new helmet because he did not like the attention his eye drew.
He also noticed how uncomfortable they seemed to be since he entered, observing how their hands hovered over their weapons. Wolfe was often attacked because of the agonizing aura the gene brought with it. While some showed restraint in their hostility others found themselves regretting their decisions rather quickly.
"Wolfe!" An excited feminine voice shouted from behind the counter. "You're back!"
"Hello, Liza." He said in greeting.
The woman behind the counter was old Flensburg's daughter. She had a dark complexion, violet eyes, her long brown dreadlocks were formed into a bun, and black snake scales running across her forearms and spine.
Ignoring the other occupants in the room he moved towards the counter, still feeling their eyes on him.
"Let me guess, you're here for your order."
Wolfe nodded at her question.
"Coming right up." She said enthusiastically moving to the back of the shop.
Wolfe's eyes wandered above the counter, looking at the blue White Fang flag pinned to the wall. He could hear the woman behind him mutter something he did not understand.
His eyes were drawn back towards Liza as she entered the front with his order.
"I present to you, your chest plate and shoulder-pouldron with a knife holster facing downwards." She said, beaming proudly. "Do you want to try them on?"
Wolfe nodded and removed his current pouldron and replaced it with the new one. It fit perfectly. He removed the hunting knife from its sheath and marveled at the small blade. Next, he equipped the chest plate, finding no lack of quality.
"Everything fits perfectly," Wolfe stated. "Is the old man home?"
At the mention of her father, Liza's face fell.
"Um, he… he died two days after you left for your mission." She recounted in grief.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Wolfe said softly. "My condolences."
"It's okay. You couldn't have known." She replied.
"Did you forge my order?"
"Yeah." She said bashfully. "I decided to follow in my pa's footsteps and take over the forge."
"I'm impressed by the quality." Wolfe praised. "Your father would have been proud of you."
"T-thank you, Wolfe," she said with a smile. "It means a lot."
"Is there anything else I can get you?"
"I need a new chainmail," Wolfe answered.
"Of course you do." Liza scoffed, shaking her head, finding some amusement in his request.
Going back she brought him the requested item. With all of his things in order, he gave her the money for her services.
"Wolfe, I can't except this!" she said with widened eyes, looking at the amount he gave her. "This is way more than the price you agreed on with pa."
"I know." He said, making his way towards the exit, choosing to ignore the other occupants. "Consider it a gift."
"Thank you!" She called after him, gratefully. "Say hi to your mom for me, will you?"
Wolfe nodded his head.
With his second task complete he made his way into the market area to buy the ingredients his mother asked for. After that, he could finally get some much-needed sleep.
When the man left, the unnerving feeling they all experienced disappeared with him. Every single one of them breathed a heavy sigh of relief, feeling as if they held their breath for ages.
Her instincts screamed to go on the offensive when the man had entered the forge, indemnifying him as a threat that had to be eliminated. It felt as if small insects were crawling underneath her skin. Were it not for Liza's subsequent intervention, she feared that one of them might have raised their weapons against him, which would have been a foolish idea in hindsight.
Only when the agonizing feeling of dread slowly but surely dissipated, did she turn towards Flensburg's daughter.
"Don't worry." Liza's voice called out." You'll get used to that feeling. Oum knows how long it took me not to tense up immediately when he came over."
"Who was that?" Sienna Khan inquired, finding her voice lacking her usual confidence, much to her dismay.
"That was Wolfe." The woman answered. "Why do you ask?"
"He is human," Sienna stated, confused. "And you seem to know him quite a bit."
"Yeah, he and his mother settled outside of our village," Liza said nonchalantly. "They usually keep to themselves though. Wolfe did help us out quite often in regards to Grimm and bandits."
"Really?" Ghira inquired. "And he hasn't asked anything in return?"
"Well, some of the older folk did help them build their house after he took care of our bandit problem." She stated. "He also keeps the Grimm away and you know that we have been struggling. Especially since Haven Academy doesn't answer our calls for aid."
"They still haven't sent Huntsmen?" Ghira asked, aghast "Even after you have suffered so many losses?"
"No," she sighed tiredly at the painful reminder that they were left to fend for themselves. "We should've known better than to ask Mistral for help. A village on the outskirts, mostly comprised of Faunus is hardly worth defending it would seem."
"Those bastards, if only we could-" The sentence of the newest recruit was silenced by Sienna's glare, already knowing what was about to be said.
"And this Wolfe and his mother are the only humans here?" Sienna asked regarding Liza inquisitively. "They aren't stirring any trouble are they?"
"Well, see, here's the thing." Liza began. "Wolfe is human, yes, but his mother is a Faunus. And no they aren't, so don't go looking for trouble please."
The room grew silent as the other four occupants stared at her with wide eyes, digesting the information given to them.
"His mother is a Faunus?" Ghira repeated in disbelief, Liza nodding to his question.
"Yeah, confused all of us at first, too." She elaborated going back to sorting various metals. "From what Julia told me, that's his mother's name, by the way, they were both held in one of the SDC mines which explains Wolfe's eye. Julia basically adopted him while they were there and then came to live here."
"Incredible," Ghira said in amazed wonder. "I have never heard of something like this."
"Yes, Ghira but they are still the only ones to do something like this," Sienna said pessimistically. "But he is human. Why was he in the mines in the first place?"
"Didn't ask," Liza answered, regaining the feline's attention. Sienna didn't realize that she spoke the question out loud."And I'm not going to. I'm not even gonna imagine the shit they went through to get here. And ever since they arrived Wolfe took care of our bandit problem and the Grimm never showed up again."
"Seems strangely convenient," Sienna said, showing little trust in the peace that was created.
"It does, sure." Liza shrugged. "But I'm not going to complain and neither is the rest of the village. Since they settled here three years ago, we only got to experience deaths from natural causes."
"So there's been no trouble then?"
"No," Liza scoffed. "Wolfe only comes here to get what he needs and then goes back home. His conversations are usually short, mainly because I think he knows people don't like to be in his presence. He can be a bit blunt at times, too, so there's that."
"Dense too!" She added in an annoyed tone, going on a tangent. "I'm always trying to get his attention but nothing seems to work!"
Ghira and Sienna exchanged an awkward look and regarded Flensburg's daughter once more.
"You have been flirting with him?" Sienna asked cautiously, making the other women shut her mouth with an audible click.
"Well, yeah!" she exclaimed, embarrassed with a blush forming around her cheeks. "He's the only guy in the village that's my age. I have needs too, you know! Besides, he isn't hard on the eyes."
And with that Liza retreated into the back, muttering incoherently when she caught herself going on another tangent.
Ghira and Sienna were taking everything in that Liza had told them. This new development could prove beneficial for the White Fang and their mission towards equality.
Not sure how to feel about this chapter if I'm honest. I feel like somethings missing.
I plan on having the White Fang more involved in this story and taking a different approach, because I fundamentally disagree with how they were utilized in the show.
I also opened a commission for Wolfe to be drawn and the lovely manu-chann has accepted it. If you are interested you can head over to her deviantart profile and check it out.
Anyway, I would appreciate your feedback on the story so far.
