Oh look, another chapter! And another long one too!
Got a busy week coming up and not entirely sure if I'll have time to put out a chapter, so wanted to get this done just in case!
And before people read this and say anything... Yes, it ends on a cliffhanger. BUT! Big but, it's going to pick up immediately after. Just a perspective shift, so don't worry too much, because I know some people hate cliffhangers.
The sun was playing shy today, peeking occasionally from behind clouds only to disappear in an instant. What Yang wouldn't give for a clear day. Blankets of gray covered the sky and threatened to drench Remnant - at least the part Yang was traipsing through, in a deluge. It would do wonders to soothe her aching muscles. Some rain would also wash away the grime that clung to her skin, and the dried, caked-on blood.
Her mouth was cotton. Licking her dry lips Yang reached back for her canteen. Uncorking it, she shook it and found it dry. "Oh…" Staring at the hole clean through the container she huffed and tossed the ruined item aside.
Alabaster had to be close. She'd been walking since yesterday, pausing only to tear into the last of her food. Her feet certainly felt like she'd been walking a full day. Fresh blisters throbbed on her soles, her knees buckled with each step. Absently, she relieved an itch on her left hand and grumbled as fresh blood dripped out of a scab. Licking it up, she spat red mucus into the dirt and grimaced.
If not for wagon wheel tracks scored into the packed dirt road Yang would have thought she'd gone the wrong way. At least a dozen different trails stretched out before her, ruts and crevices aplenty. Well-traveled, poorly maintained; the kingdom wasn't going to waste Lien maintaining roads so far from the capital. If it wasn't for the fact her feet were falling off Yang wouldn't have minded the uneven surface in the slightest.
Blue spruce trees lined the streets, forming an impenetrable natural wall. Trees wider than her arms could fit around, with dark bark dripping, glistening with sap, stood tightly packed. The air reeked of pine. Blue needles hung heavy on thin branches and dragged the limbs down under gravity. Like spires, the trees rose high above the road, towering over Yang.
At least it was pretty. She'd passed out in worse places. And at least there was no one to try and grope her here! Just… Wild animals that might make a snack out of her, or better yet, Grimm.
Yang drew in a heavy breath, the air in her lungs warmer than what she took in. Her throat ached, and she let out a dry cough that made her chest tighten unpleasantly. Maybe she could find a river nearby, or even a puddle. The water wouldn't be clean, but she could boil it with magic. Blonde tresses waved as she shook her head, dismissing that idea outright. She hadn't the energy to be expending for that.
Getting to town sounded nice. So too did taking a seat. Despite herself Yang came to a halt and sat in the middle of the road, wincing as rock bit into her thigh. Reaching down she hurled the stone into the wood and smiled as it struck a tree with a resounding thunk.
Packed dirt made for an uncomfortable seat and yet Yang contemplated laying down. How easy it would be, to just lay back and forget things. The dull throb behind her eyes and parched throat made her want it all the more. Rather than lament her misfortunes, however, she knew she needed to keep moving along. Alabaster wouldn't be the end-goal, just another step in the road. A road, she noted dully, lilac eyes following the winding path ahead, that was still shrouded in darkness. Blind as she might be it was a road she had to travel.
"Sure would be nice to have a map though…" the Dimuran grumbled. Picking at caked clay, she rubbed the dusty material between two fingertips before wiping it off on her trousers.
There wasn't a map for this kind of thing. Sure, she could seek out people in a similar situation, but those she knew were far and few between; the people she'd actually consider asking for help even less still. She was on her own. Wind kicked up and a cloud of dirt and strands of grass slapped against her back, causing her blonde locks to slide from her shoulders and fall over her chest. With a small huff she pulled them back again, plucking out a twig.
Though her legs protested she rose to her feet again. Though she was beginning to feel hopelessly lost Yang trudged forward, moving down the rut-filled road. Spruce trees swayed with each wind, the gentle creak of wood flexing the only sound besides her footsteps. Occasionally a bird would call out, or an unseen animal's cry would filter through the brush. She wondered how Acery was faring. Her wounds hadn't been that bad, and her house left mostly intact. The Grimm wouldn't be back to bother her either. Hopefully that salve was working for her.
Yang's knuckles itched, and she refrained from scratching again. She'd love to have some of that medicine right about now.
Further along the road a wooden bridge appeared around a bend. Just a touch wider than the road itself, wide planks lay horizontally across thick timbers. Yang stopped at the foot of the bridge, her fingers reaching out and running along the smooth railings to her right. Painted, with nothing chipping off. Freshly done. The planks on which she walked were dark, no doubt cut from the spruce trees around her. The rails were something lighter, maybe birch. It was hard to tell with the paint.
As fascinating as a bridge was - and it really wasn't whatsoever, Yang's attention was elsewhere. A bubbling brook beneath the bridge caught the sunlight whenever it graced Remnant with its presence. It was clear enough that from high above she could make out the smooth stones beneath the surface.
Reminded of her destitute throat Yang circled around. The road dipped slightly along the edges, then banked sharply down to the water's edge. Finding a reasonable foothold Yang grabbed a root protruding from the ground and used it as a rope, sliding down the slope. A frog croaked nearby, and a gentle splash followed. Yang smiled and padded to the water's edge, the sound of pebbles and fallen leaves crunching beneath her foot gentle, welcome.
The water was cold to the touch, though not unpleasantly so. First, Yang took to washing her hands, letting blood and grime be cleaned from her knuckles. The water turned red on contact then diluted, becoming crystal clear as matter dissolved in it. After deciding her hands were clean enough Yang placed her palms on crushed stone and leaned down, flicking her head and greedily lapping up water. It was cool, crisp and refreshing. She closed her eyes as liquid splashed against her cheeks, ignoring as her bangs became wet.
For a moment she considered stripping down and bathing. The water was clean and flowing, so she didn't need to worry about sitting in her own filth. Tempting, but she decided against it. After picking a few strands of grass from her hair she found a rock and sat on it. With her boots removed she dipped her feet, hissing at first as the cold bit into her fresh wounds, then sighing as the chill soothed it.
Yang rolled her neck and it cracked loudly in her ears. Her shoulders followed, and she assumed if she tried the rest of her joints they'd follow suit.
Across the water the bank rose up at a sharp incline, tufts of grass and stubborn weeds jutting out of the uneven surface. The occasional reed and cattail grew along the water's edge, and in some places, where the water spilled into tiny pools, duckweed grew. Further downstream a fallen oak tree hung out over the water, several limbs dragging through the flowing water, disrupting its even flow. Cobwebs woven between thin branches glittered as the water did whenever sunlight caught it just right.
It was scenes like this that helped Yang appreciate nature. Sure, nature was dirty, noisy, and oftentimes cruel. There was rarely a soft place to sleep, warmth was fleeting, and just as many things wanted to eat you as you did them. Loath as she was to call Grimm 'natural', they were part of it too; it went without saying she hated Grimm. Everyone hated Grimm.
Almost everyone.
Nature could suck, but whenever Yang took the time to just sit down and look she was reminded of its beauty. People were nice, preferable even, but now and again it was nice to just get away from it all. Nature didn't judge you. Everything was more or less equal out here.
A soft cry made Yang's ears prick up. Not that they could do anything like that, she wasn't a Meera, or Toro, or anything of the sort. At first, she thought it was a baby, but seeing a baby in the middle of nowhere would be weird, for more reasons than one. Plus, babies didn't walk on all fours. Okay, maybe they did - it was called crawling, but babies weren't covered in brown fur.
From an unseen path a fawn ambled to the water's edge. It was unsteady on legs thin as the cattails brushing against its white-flecked coat, with wide, dark eyes scanning the water for safety. Immediately behind it came a doe, and behind her, a buck. Two miniature trees sprouted from its skull and Yang wondered what it must be like, having something growing out of your head like that. It must be so awkward.
The fawn leaned over and nearly toppled, drawing a silent snicker from Yang. It clumsily drank while its mother joined it, the buck remaining nearby, alert. When it finally realized something else was nearby its eyes met hers, stomping one hoof and snorting. Yang simply smiled and waved, conveying, however unsuccessfully, that she wasn't a threat.
Sure, some lightly seared venison sounded like absolute heaven and the mere thought made her stomach growl and mouth water. But this was clearly a family, and unless she killed them all, which she wasn't about to do, she wasn't going to be eating them today. She wasn't a total monster!
If the deer didn't mind her, they minded whatever else was nearby. Three heads shot up in an instant at six ears stood on end, swiveling. Then, without a sound the trio turned and rushed back into the woods, the fawn helped along by its mother.
"Huh… Wonder what's up with that…?"
Yang stood and retrieved her boots. She shook as much water from her feet as she could before slipping them back on, leaving the purple cloth she bound them with loose. Using the same root from before she clambered up the bank and back to the road, wiping dirt and chips of bark off on her trousers.
From the direction she had come she saw a pair of horses, and between them a man in a long coat. Then she heard the squeak of wagon wheels in desperate need of oiling. It made her grit her teeth and wince as they came closer, stopping short of plugging her ears with her fingers. The wagon came to a halt and a lone man with reins in hand smiled curiously down at her. She smiled back, albeit guarded.
"Well hello there, traveler. Didn't expect to see anyone out these ways."
"Neither did I! Haven't seen anyone for ages!" Technically it had been less than a day, but Yang wasn't counting Avery. She hadn't been on the road.
The man smiled easily and nodded. "I'd reckon not. Aside from the town nearby there isn't much reason for folk to be here. Not much besides woods and the mill."
"Mill?" Yang asked, idly curious.
"Mhm. Alabaster's mill. Sure, she isn't the most pretty of places, or the busiest as of late, but that's about the only reason anyone comes here." Giving Yang an appraising look, a respectful one, he raised an eyebrow and adjusted his cap. "Though judging by your lack of, well, anything, I'm assumin' you're not here to buy no lumber."
Feeling playful Yang flexed her arms, biceps taut and deltoids hard beneath her top. "What, think I can't carry a few trees with me?"
Laughing at that the man held up one hand, letting the reins drop into his lap. "I never said that, now! Just making an observation's all."
"Well, you're right, I'm not here for lumber. Just trying to get to town, find a place to rest a bit." Yang glanced at the wagon before smiling, placing her hands upon her hips. "You mentioned Alabaster… Heading there now?"
"Sure enough. Live there, after all." He glanced back at his vehicle before smiling. "I… Reckon you'd like a ride?"
"Is it that obvious?" Yang asked, feigning bashfulness as she turned away.
"Isn't any trouble. Might have to squeeze in with the goods, but there's room for ya. Hop in!"
Yang carefully considered her fortunes for a moment. A random wagon pulls up while she's resting and offers her a ride to town. Convenient? Definitely. Suspectly so? Perhaps. Call it paranoia but there was a legitimate cause for concern. The man might seem disarming and friendly but looks could be deceiving. Still, he was alone, and if he knew who she was then he wasn't going to try anything. Not until he had help, anyways.
Passing off her deliberating as indecision Yang finally nodded, flashing the man a grin. "Sure, I appreciate it!"
Circling around and peering inside Yang wondered where she might fit. Crates lined the walls of the wagon, and a few smaller containers littered the middle. The ceiling of the wagon was low, and as the vehicle dipped when she climbed inside, hauling herself up on a step, she wondered if it really would support her weight.
"Settled in?" Yang nodded, then vocalized her readiness with a sheepish grin. "Good! We aren't far, just relax and we'll be there in no time." The reins snapped, and the horses snorted, stomping their hooves before moving once more. The wagon lurched a bit and Yang grabbed the side to steady herself. A crate slid across the floor and she eased it back in place with her foot.
Yang was grateful for the ride. Already her feet felt better for being off them, her legs too. Shame she couldn't lean back without potentially ripping through the canvas covering though. In her pack she found a few scraps of dried fruit and tested it before tearing into the food ravenously. It was flavorless and probably even past due, but food was food. She caught the scent of flour in one of the containers and glanced around at the others. Some were labeled "Ingots", and others "Medicine".
She was sat upon a short, wide container. A label between her legs read "Tools". There was other information on it that was meaningless to her: a string of numbers and a signature. All of the containers were marked in the same manner.
The rear of the wagon provided a small window into the outside world. The bridge creaked as they passed over it, a sign Yang hadn't noticed before with bold lettering stated, "Now Leaving Alabaster". She really had been close, hadn't she?
Trees thinned, and Yang began to see stumps more often. The road, while still worn, was somewhat better maintained. Instead of piles of leaves and brush, short grass blanketed the sides of the roads, a dark blue much like the needles of the spruce trees. For a brief moment the world darkened and Yang almost panicked until she foolishly realized they had passed through a small tunnel. The wagon stopped momentarily, the driver exchanged a few words with a guard, and she heard chains rattle as a gate was drawn open.
With the gatehouse behind them the wagon moved further into town, but not much. Seeing a railing alongside the vehicle Yang was told to get out, and so she did. Any trepidation she felt washed away at the easy smile of the driver, his face covered by a trimmed chestnut beard that matched the short hair poking out from beneath his cap.
"Sorry, but this is as far as the wagon goes. They'll do the unloading from here," he explained, lifting his cap and itching at his brow. "I just drive the goods back is all."
With a stone foundation and wooden walls, a storehouse loomed over the wagon. Four large pillars supported a walkway that wrapped around the first floor, and a second, with windows aplenty, looked out over the road below. The main building was small, but as Yang peered around the corner she saw two warehouses further along, with a bustle of men and women busy at work. A handful of workers came forward and exchanged brief words with the driver. Some looked her way, giving polite smiles and nods to the stranger in their midst.
"Welcome to Alabaster, by the way." The driver smiled and adjusted his roughspun green tunic. "Should have mentioned it earlier, but if I'm being honest…" He chuckled and rubbed at the nape of his neck. "Sorta… Forgot you were in the wagon."
"What can I say, I'm pretty forgettable!" Far from it. People in town were already staring. Most folks had brown or black hair, making her brilliant blonde all the more outstanding. They were all Muran too as far as the eye could see. At least the folks here weren't assholes. Yet.
"Are you going to need help finding a place to stay?"
Yang pursed her lips. She'd kind of expected to just find a barn or something to hole up in. "Uh… Sure. What's around?"
"Well, there's Mica's tavern down by the mill. Cheaper, if Lien's tight, but he's a good man and will do right by you." Scratching his chin in thought the driver frowned. "Then there's Joseph's. More expensive, on account that the lad usually houses any important folk that pass through, rare as that is. Good beds and food, if you've got the money for it."
"Right… And just, like… Hypothetically speaking." Yang chuckled and itched the scales on her cheek, eyes drifting towards a birch tree nearby. "What would you recommend if I had no Lien?"
"Er… Absolutely none?" Yang turned her pockets inside out to illustrate her point. "Well… I suppose you could come stay with my family and I. We've got a spare room…"
Eyes wide Yang held up her hands and shook her head. "Woah, woah. I can't do that! I mean, not that I don't appreciate the offer, cuz I do, but you don't even know me."
"I know you're a good person, and that's all I need to know."
Blinking owlishly the Dimuran tilted her head. "Say what now…?"
"I saw those deer come up from the river, then you came up too. But it wasn't you that spooked 'em," the driver explained, grinning easily. "Animals got a way of knowing if folks are decent or not. And considerin' they had a baby with them and didn't consider you dangerous, well, that's all I need to know."
Were deer really a good judge of character? Yang wouldn't agree, but then she wasn't about to tell the man offering her a bed that he was an idiot for believing it. This all seemed awfully convenient to her. First, he showed up to bring her to town, then he's offering her a place to rest? It was practically deception 101: get the person to trust you, then stab them in the back when you've gotten it.
Other people were watching them, but Yang couldn't pick out any hostility. There were some curious looks, some stares that made her want to shout at the men giving them to sod off. A few women looked on as well, more jealous than anything. She couldn't help the smile that came to her face and waved at a pair of women nearby, snickering as they turned up their noses and sauntered off.
"If it's not too much trouble, I can't really say no," Yang answered after a moment. "Besides, not like I got much other choice!"
"Won't be no trouble if I wasn't offering. It's the least I can do." For what? Before Yang could ask she glanced down at the outstretched hand, taking it and returning the man's smile. "Devin, by the way. Don't believe I introduced myself."
"Yin," Yang lied, feeling a twinge of guilt as she shook hands. "Thanks for the help, Devin. I'll figure out a way to pay you and your family back, I promise!"
Devin dismissed her offer and started down the road. Yang followed suit, folding her hands behind her head and interlocking her fingers as they walked. "Like I said, it's no trouble, Yin. I just like to do right by others is all. World's got enough problems as is without folks treatin' each other like strangers."
"But we are strangers…?"
"We exchanged names, so I don't think so. And like I said, you seem a nice enough type of folk," Devin explained. "So even if we was, ain't no harm in acting friendly, now is there?"
Yang supposed not. She smiled and nodded once, confirmation enough for Devin to be content. Her feet ached as soon as they began to walk again but she withheld her complaints, not wanted to come across as spoiled. The wagon ride had been too short, too brief for her liking. Would Devin carry her if she asked? He seemed awfully helpful. One look at his spindly frame and Yang scoffed to herself. Nevermind if he would, could he? Probably not.
For as small as Alabaster might be the town was plenty busy. Nowhere near the bustle of a city, but busier than Yang might have thought. After the warehouse was a general store, something she only knew thanks to the oversized sign over the door. A rocking chair creaked while an old woman swayed in it lazily out front, her hands busy knitting what seemed to be either a scarf or a really, really long sock.
A sow whined, and Yang watched a young farmhand chase the animal around, grabbing hold of it only for it to slip free. She snorted as the poor boy fell into the mud, already covered in it. His father called for him to quit playing around and he protested before redoubling his efforts. Down he went again.
Yang itched her cheek again and watched as a small crowd of children kicked a ball around, giggling and shouting playful taunts as they raced down the road. A few smiled and waved as they passed, not at all bothered by the unusual visitor to their town. Nearby, a woman set out a pie on a windowsill, the dark green shutters thrown open wide and allowing delicious smells to spill into the road. Yang sniffed at the air and heard her stomach growl, flushing when Devin smiled at her.
"Bit hungry, are we?"
"Just a touch," Yang laughed, patting her stomach. "I don't suppose there's some work around here I could do? Just to earn my meal."
Devin shook his head dismissively. "It's on me. Though if you're so intent on repaying me…" He smiled mischievously, and Yang shifted under his gaze. "You can watch my daughter when she and my wife get home. Deal?"
"Watch a kid? That's all?" Yang grinned and crossed her arms. "Kids love me, it'll be easy!" Devin began to laugh and the Dimuran furrowed her brow, hands out, palms up. "What? What's so funny?"
"You're sayin' that because you haven't met Cassie yet. She's a handful, I'm warning you."
Please. She'd dealt with Hunters - total idiots, but Hunters nonetheless, and Grimm in the past two days. No way was any child going to measure up to that. Yang rolled her eyes and waved a hand. "Trust me, I've got this! Like I said, kids love me!"
"Sure, sure. Don't say I didn't warn you."
How bad could one kid be?
Yang smiled and let her arms fall to her sides, casually glancing around as they cut through town. Most everything was made of wood, which made sense; Alabaster was surrounded by pines and spruce, so not using what was readily available would kind of be dumb. While everything should be dark wood structures were instead painted to break up the monotony. A small home was white as snow with blue shutters and a red door. Another was deep blue, with white shutters and a strange, flat roof made of what appeared to be thin stone. When Yang noticed the kiln attached to the side of the building she realized it must be a potter's shop, not a home. Or maybe both.
There was no rhyme or reason to Alabaster's layout. Shops and homes were slapped together, residential intertwined with commercial. If the planners of Vale ever saw this place they'd probably have a stroke and drop dead. The only sign that something might be a shop were, well, the signs out front. They passed a baker's, with steaming loaves of bread visible through the large front window, and a tailor with several pieces hung out front on display.
Shirts in a variety of colors formed a rainbow, and trousers to match were laid beneath the rack. A quilted vest hung out to dry nearby, and heavy mitts for a blacksmith laid across a low table with an assortment of accessories. A young woman with dirty blonde hair emerged, wearing a green apron over a ruffled beige tunic. She smiled at them as they passed, waving to Devin and nodding politely to Yang.
At one point the main road forked. To their left it led down, descending along a hill. At the bottom Yang could see the beginnings of a river peeking out from behind tall buildings, and a few large carts lined up outside of it. "That's the lumber mill down there," Devin explained. "Most of the town who don't work a trade work down there."
"You guys get a lot of business?"
"Here and there. Whenever a nearby settlement needs some lumber we provide it." They took the right path away from the mill, the ground rising up and twisting between homes and trees. "Occasionally a noble sort might come through, have the carpenters repair his carriage or some such."
"So, Alabaster is known for its woodworking then?" Yang smiled and nodded along with her guide-turned-host. "Isn't the name of this town something fancy? Woodworking seems kinda…"
"Dull by comparison?"
"I wasn't gonna say dull! Just not…" Yang picked her words carefully and offered a sheepish, apologetic smile. "Not… Fancy?"
"Dull." Devin laughed, and Yang could only smile and shrug in defeat. "You're not the first to think that, Yin, and ya won't be the last. Yeah, Alabaster's some fancy stone or some such, seen it in the cities. Obviously we aren't gettin' our name from that." Devin shook his head and chuckled. "Nah, the man who found the town just happened to be named it. And yes, it is confusing to outsiders."
"Still a nice town though! It's quaint, and I mean that in the nicest way possible!"
"I like it. Go into the cities often enough for work. Much too busy for my tastes, too noisy too. Even if I lived next to the mill it wouldn't be as bad."
The road forked again, this time with a smaller offshoot that they took. Houses continued along the side road, smaller than most. A few had fences enclosing their properties, but most were open, with the occasional small garden or well out front. Among the many homes was one with a dog out front. The black and grey furred husky lifted its head and barked, rising to all fours and bounding forward. Devin smiled and met the dog in the yard, kneeling to pet it.
"Hey girl, miss me?" He laughed as the animal licked his face, then bound around circles at his legs. The dog took notice of the stranger and barked again, approaching slower and sniffing at Yang. "Her name's Luna, she's friendly."
Yang knelt and still managed to be almost a head taller than the husky. Grinning, she ran her fingers through its soft fur, giggling as it assaulted her face and showered her with affection. "Woah, easy girl!" she laughed, stroking Luna's back and watching as she bound excitedly back to Devin.
"See? Animals like you, that's how I know you're a good sort." Devin gestured towards the short walk. "We're here, let's get off our feet, eh?"
Yang nodded a bit too eagerly and wiped her face on her sleeve. "Sounds good to me!"
It wasn't much to look at, Devin's home. Stone slates made a patchwork walkway that led to the front door. Stubborn weeds grew around the edges of the stone, and Yang felt it sheft under her foot. The heavy wooden door creaked as it swung open, the iron handle clattering uselessly in place. Devin paused a moment and brushed some stubborn moss off the stone exterior before sighing and muttering about the futility.
A lone window in the front of the home provided light inside even though Yang couldn't see through it. As far as she could tell, the house itself wasn't much more than two, maybe three rooms at most.
In the center of the main room was a cooking pot over a still smoldering fire pit. "Seems like they had lunch before they left," he observed, kicking some ash with his mud-encrusted boot. "With any luck there's something left over for us! If not, we've got some meat in the ice box."
Trying not to let her obvious enthusiasm show Yang smiled, patting her growling stomach with a nod. Short stools surrounded the fire pit and she sank down on one without a prompt, groaning as she stretched her weary legs. Devin disappeared for a brief moment before returning with a cup. Yang sniffed at it, raising an eyebrow at the slightly fruity scent.
"It's mead, made from the grove near town," Devin explained, raising his cup and taking a glass. Yang hesitated, looking down at her beverage and swirling it in the cup. "It's not poisoned, if you're wondering."
"Eh? Oh, heh, n-no, I wasn't worried about that!" Yang shook her head, and the cup, forgetting for a moment she was holding it. Liquid splashed out and soaked the cracked stone floor. "Ah… My bad!" She watched as Luna came over and lapped up the spilled liquid, whimpering and slinking away when shooed. Okay, maybe she was slightly worried about that.
It wasn't much of a looker, and certainly a far cry from a noble's home. A fireplace was sealed off by an iron gate to her right, a poker and long pair of tongs leaning against the ashen brick. Above it on the mantle was a single painting of Devin, a woman and a young girl. It was faded, and she could hardly make out their faces from where she sat.
Besides the fireplace and cooking pit there wasn't much in the main room. A wooden bench sprawled out beneath the two windows on the side of the home, a small table beside it. From the beams above hung cloves of garlic, clumps of sage, and an assortment of other herbs and spices.
Off in the corner, resting on a small chest, was a worn doll in a dirty white dress, blonde pigtails frazzled and worn.
How old was Devin's daughter? He didn't seem to be that old - mid thirties at most. Was she going to endanger them by being here? Her fingers drummed against the pewter cup nervously. The last thing she wanted was to take advantage of someone's kindness and have it cost them. She'd say lie, but she'd already done that much.
"Yin?"
Maybe she should consider leaving Alabaster. Sleeping in a bed was nice but she could manage without one. She just needed a decent sized hole in a trunk for a shelter. Or since there were so many spruce trees maybe she could fashion a sort of lean-to out of branches. Needles were good at keeping out the rain.
"Um… Yin?"
Yang blinked owlishly and gave Devin a small smile. "Yeah?"
"You okay? You looked troubled."
Troubled? She'd shown it, huh? Rather than lie, again, Yang chuckled and set her cup on the floor. Rubbing her hands together she stared down for a moment, chewing on her lower lip. When she finally looked back her gracious host was watching her, expectant, but not forceful. She didn't have to answer if she didn't want to.
"I uh… Ran into some Grimm recently, might have… Gotten someone in trouble because of it." Yang smiled nervously and shifted around causing the stool to creak.
"How so? Did you bring the Grimm to them?"
"Er… Kind of?"
Devin nodded thoughtfully, or maybe he was just pretending to understand. Did he? Yang doubted it. "You must have been in a pretty bad mood for Grimm to follow just you." Nope, clueless.
"Yeah, something like that." Yang grinned and rubbed her arm, palm brushing over black scales.
"And what became of this person…?"
"Huh? Oh, she's fine!" Mostly fine. Avery had been injured but it wasn't anything some salve and bandages wouldn't take care of.
"So, what's weighing on your conscience then? If you don't mind my asking, of course," Devin raised his hands and smiled. "If it's none of my business then I'll let sleepin' beasts lie. Just wanting to help out, if I can."
"You know, you're awfully altruistic," Yang observed. She lost her put upon smile even as Devin wore one.
The trader… Or was he a merchant? Yang still wasn't entirely sure what it was Devin did besides transport things. He removed his cap and ran a hand through his hair before laying said cap across his lap. "Not exactly. I… Had an inkling when I saw you, and hearin' you're fighting Grimm all but confirms it. Pardon the deception, but uh…" Devin leaned in and lowered his voice to barely a whisper. "You're a Hunter, aren't you?"
Don't lie. Mom would be furious if she caught you lying. Dad too. "Yep, sure am!" Yang flashed a grin and leaned back in her stool, only to wobble and firmly plant her feet back down. "What of it? You guys need some help here?"
"Ah… We do, but we don't have the time to go through official channels for it." Devin hung his head and scuffed his boot against the floor. "We don't have the Lien neither. What little the town brings in goes towards supplies, and to pay folk to maintain the mill. Even if we could send a letter…"
"You don't have the coin to commission a Hunter?"
"The Church doesn't much care for little folk like us, you see. Sure, we supply some lumber, but so do a dozen other places like us, and many more besides. I'd imagine there's plenty that are better than us to. So, it's rare we get a Hunter in these parts."
"Which was why you were so happy to help when you saw me," Yang surmised, earning a nod.
"The woods are dangerous. If the wolves and bears living nearby don't get you, the Grimm will. I figured if you were able to travel alone then you had to be a Hunter. No other folks strong enough - or dumb enough to try it."
"Hey!"
"Sorry, I'm not saying you're dumb, I'm saying folks who ain't Hunters and try are."
Yang nodded, lifting her cup and rolling it between her palms. She stared down into the amber liquid before clicking her tongue. "So…" she mused, glancing up under thick lashes, lips curling into a playful smirk. "Got Grimm you need me to take out?" Devin shook his head and Yang tilted her own. "No…? Then what?"
"Well, you see…" Before Devin could get another word out a knock at the door cut him off. Then it swung open and his face lit up like the smoldering fire between them. Yang turned and saw a woman with a basket draped over one arm, a child clinging to the other. "Trina, you're home!"
"And not a moment too soon," Trina mused, smiling as she stepped aside to make space for Luna. She set the basket down first, reaching into it and handing the young girl an apple from within. "I didn't know we were having guests."
The polite thing to do might have been to introduce herself. Maybe Devin did it for her. Yang was fixated on the young girl at Trina's side, staring, unblinking. She was a tiny thing, no older than four, with a soft, rounded face, pale and unblemished. Black hair framed her delicate features and gray eyes turned to look up at Yang, curiosity turning to delight. The child flashed her a toothy smile and she waved with a pudgy hand, giggling.
"And that's Cassie, our daughter." Yang turned and nodded to Devin, then returned her gaze to the girl. Cassie toddled over, her pink, flowery dress just a bit too long and dragging behind her. Yang smiled, waving to the little girl. Then she yelped, leaning forward as her hair was grabbed.
"Ouch! H-Hey, what are you doing?!"
"Cassie, don't pull her hair!" Trina scolded her daughter and pulled her hand free, pressing a finger into her button nose. "I am so sorry, she's still learning how to be a proper little lady, aren't you?"
If the toddler had any remorse she didn't show it and carried on smiling instead. "You're super pretty!" She toddled forward again, and Yang preemptively sat up taller, brushing her hair behind her back for good measure. Cassie was fixated on her hands now, tiny sausage fingers prodding at the scales on the backs. "What are those…?"
"Scales," Yang answered with a smile.
"But people don't have scales! Lizards and fish do!"
"She's a Dimuran, darling. Dimurans have scales," Devin explained.
"Half-Dimuran, actually." Yang laughed and rolled back her sleeves to show Cassie more. Gray eyes widened and the child let out a gasp, reaching out unabashedly as she poked and prodded. "I have less than a regular Dimuran, but they're the same thing."
Trina scooped her daughter up, much to Cassie's chagrin, and held the wriggling girl at her hip. "I am so, so sorry. She's usually not this curious, she's just never seen a Dimuran before."
Yang almost corrected the woman before letting it go. They got the point. Moving over to make space for Trina to join them she smiled past her cup, taking measured sips of the sickly sweet, tart brew. "I noticed that on our way in. Everyone here seems to be a Muran."
"We've had a few other races in the past, but most don't stay." Trina smiled as she brushed through Cassie's hair with her fingers. "Not everyone in town is quite as… Open-minded as we are."
"Trina and I are from Vale, originally. We decided it was too busy, too noisy. And not the kind of place we wanted to raise Cassie in." Devin offered his wife a cup and shrugged when it was turned down. Yang took it instead, handing back her now empty one. "So, we're used to other races. No different from her and I, far as we're concerned."
"But folks here are set. Founded by a Muran family, inhabited by Muran families. Why, the graveyard up the road is full of them and little else," Trina said. Her features fell a bit and she shook her head. "Had a lot of decent people here at one point, but the townsfolk just chased them out. Some real good workers too."
That sounded about right. Yang smiled slightly and shrugged off the apologetic looks she was getting. It wasn't their fault, and if anything, she'd gotten real lucky being picked up by some of the more tolerable residents. It'd explain why Devin was so willing to help. That, and whatever business he'd been about to bring up.
Yang gave her host a silent glance and raised an eyebrow, asking silently if he wanted to continue. When he shook his head, she let it be for now. Whatever it was could wait, hopefully.
Trina sighed and smiled apologetically. "Anyways, sorry the discussion took such a turn there. And forgive Cassie if she gets a little grabby, she's just curious, that's all."
"Hey, no worries, I'm great with kids! I can handle her no problem!" Yang smiled at the little girl and held out a hand, chuckling as Cassie took it and immediately jumped into her lap from her mother's. "Looks like someone's not afraid of strangers!"
"We have to keep her from hugging everyone we see," Devin grumbled, rolling his eyes. "If she's like this when she gets older…"
"Then her poor father is going to be quite the busy man," Trina finished, laughing at her husband's forlorn look. "How about I cook you two some food? I'm guessing you just got back dear, and I'd hate for…"
"Yin," Yang answered.
"Yin to not be shown some proper hospitality. Why don't you two go freshen up and I'll get a stew going?"
Food sounded wonderful, as did freshening up, but Yang couldn't quite go take a bath. Not with Cassie clinging to her midsection, chin pressed into her abdomens. Meeting those little pools of gray made Yang's chest tighten and eyes prick with tears. "I can wait to wash up, how's about Cassie and I go play for a bit?"
"Yeah! Play with pretty lady!" Cassie squealed.
"You're sure? We have a bathhouse out back, with warm water and everything."
Yang would like nothing more than to go and submerge herself, but she shook her head. "Nah, I mean it'll be there later, right? Besides…" She hopped to her feet and lifted a giggling Cassie in her hands. "I think someone wants to play, and who am I to say no?"
If her parents were willing to let them play then Yang wasn't going to turn it down. Though she carried Cassie in her arms it was the toddler who took the lead, directing Yang back outside and into the yard. After demanding to be put down Cassie pushed her leg, declaring Yang 'it' and taking off across the small yard. It would take one step, maybe two to catch up to the girl. It wasn't even a contest.
"Come on, Yang! Catch me!"
"Catch me, miss Yin! Catch me!"
Yang's eyes stung, and she forced a smile, squatting and wiggling her fingers threateningly. "I'm going to tickle you when I catch you!" Cassie squealed and raced away as fast as he stubby legs could carry her. Which wasn't very fast. In fact, Yang was pretty sure the fawn from earlier could move quicker.
Her legs ached, and her feet burned with each step. Yang didn't care. Her heart throbbed painfully when she scooped up the small girl, reveling in her laughter before setting her back down once more. Gray eyes caught the dimming sunlight and, for a brief moment, flashed silver. Maybe it was a trick of the fading rays, but Yang swore she saw stripes of red in Cassie's black hair, too.
Nostalgia wasn't something Yang tasted often. It was bittersweet.
In her mind she pictured Patch. A small wooden cabin on an acre of land, surrounded by quiet, serene woods. Chasing Cassie made her feel smaller, and she could almost visualize the pigtails tied into her hair, bouncing against her shoulders as she ran. In front of her a girl with a red cloak raced ahead, given the head start Yang always afforded her. She looked back, smiling and giggling. "Catch me, Yang!"
She did. Yang scooped Ruby up and beamed. Her sister was just as she remembered. Tiny, precious, innocent. She wanted to hold her forever, protect her and keep her safe. Her heart swelled hearing laughter and Yang ran her hand over Ruby's messy hair.
"Noooo, put me down, Yin! I wanna play!"
Yang blinked and stared down at Cassie, acutely aware of Luna at her legs, barking. Paws scraped against her thigh and she glanced down, smiling seeing the dog wagging its tail happily. Treating her like a priceless vase she set Cassie back down and ruffled her hair, laughing when the girl stubbornly tried to smooth it back out.
"Let's play more!" the girl squealed, already taking off mid-sentence.
Sure, why not? Yang let out a playful roar that made Luna bark louder and Cassie squeal in mock-terror. "I'm a Grimm, I'm gonna eat your toes!" the Dimuran growled. A couple passed by and watched the odd display with fleeting interest, then disgust, before continuing into town.
Yang didn't give them so much as a glance. Her laughter coupled with Cassie's drown out any thoughts or reservations she might have about any of this. For right now, for just a moment, she was having fun. She was laughing, smiling, and in this window, she was able to remind herself that Remnant wasn't so bad after all.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/
The cities always had lights burning. Whether from the lampposts that lined the streets or the braziers that lined the city walls there was always a light on. Maybe Yang just never paid attention, but gods were towns dark. If not for the fact the clouds had finally parted and allowed the moon to shine she'd have been bumbling about blind. Not knowing the town nearly well enough even by day she relied heavily on Devin's instructions to lead her along the shrouded streets.
Vale had walls that towered over most buildings. Alabaster had walls that Yang thought would fall over if she sneezed on them. Little more than shaved logs stuck into the ground and reinforced by metal braces, the barricades hardly instilled much confidence.
"More to keep wildlife out than anything." Devin had explained on their way down. Seeing them now Yang believed it. With narrow catwalk allowing people to walk along the tops and rickety ladders being the only means of reaching them it seemed more like a temporary reinforcement than something permanent.
Under their weight the ladder whined and buckled. They took it one at a time with Yang going up first and Devin following shortly thereafter. Barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side, the narrow walk forced them to move single file. After circling around half the village, they reached the gatehouse, the one part of the entire wall Yang felt might actually hold something back. She'd not looked at on their way in - the wagon prevented that, but seeing it now made her feel a little better. A heavy iron gate blocked entry pulled up by thick chains bound around a pair of heavy spoked wheels. The gatehouse itself was brick and mortar, and at a glance, a meter or two thick on both sides.
Devin took a seat atop the gatehouse, pulling a small chair from the wall. Yang did the same and reclined, laying her back into the wall and folding one leg over the other. She bounced her foot as they sat in silence. Crickets filled the air, their rhythmic, steady chirping an eerie melody. Devin rose and moved across the room briefly to ignite a wall lantern, turning the dark spruce walls orange.
"So…" Yang rubbed at her nose. "Any reason for the whole sneaking around thing?"
"Rather Trina not know about this, that's all."
What now? Yang leaned forward on her stool, ignoring the unpleasant feeling of her bandages rubbing against the rough soles of her feet. "Devin… The way you talked about it earlier made it sound like this is a town problem. What're you hiding it from her for then?"
Devin reeled back and held his hands up. "It's not what you think! You're right, it's a problem for the whole town. This isn't me trying to settle some debt or anything, but…"
"But?"
For someone who was gung-ho about enlisting her help before someone was suddenly shy. "Devin… If there's something you're not telling me I'd suggest putting it out there. Now," Yang warned, keeping her voice low. Her eyes might not be red, but they didn't need to be; the way she glared at Devin was enough to make him squirm.
"Alright, alright! I brought you here because… Well, because Trina wouldn't approve of what we're doing. We've tried bringing this up with the others in town but most of them don't want to hear it."
Yang tapped her foot impatiently and rolled her neck, groaning as joints popped. That bed she'd been in was really nice. Then Devin woke her up. What exactly was keeping her from going back right now? "Can you please get to the point…?"
"My point… R-Right. You see, those supplies I brought back, they're for the town… In a manner of speaking." He stopped fidgeting long enough to remove his cap and Yang caught the brief glint of flame on his scalp. "They're not for us. They're payments of sort."
"And who are they for?" Yang pressed.
"The White Fang."
Yang reached up and rubbed at her ear, then checked it. Nothing in there. For good measure she knocked the side of her head with the heel of her hand. The wall lantern continued to burn away gentle, the faint flames flickering. Down below in the gatehouse a pair of guards chatted. One yawned, then cursed when his partner punched him in the arm. Nope, she wasn't mishearing things, her hearing was just fine. All the same Yang tilted her head and smiled. "Er… Run that one by me again. You're paying the White Fang…?"
Devin nodded, and Yang felt air rush from her lungs in a long sigh. "You're sure it's not just… A horde of Grimm you're all dealing with? A wild, rabid bunch of wolves? Literally anything else?" No, of course not. She finally finds a place to sit back and relax a little and this happens. Yang folded her hands together and bounced her knee, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "Explain. All of it."
"A few years back our mill broke down. Needed a lot of repairs, a lot of metals that we can't get around here. Back then too the Grimm in the area were a lot worse. We'd fallen on some hard times, on account of the mill being busted, and so leaving the town was pretty much impossible." Devin sighed and rubbed at his face. For a man of thirty or so he suddenly looked a lot older. The shadows really weren't flattering. "We were trying to get in touch with the Church, sent a couple of messengers out, but nothing ever came of it. Hell, none of them ever even came back."
"Grimm?" Yang voiced aloud, then frowned. "Or… White Fang?"
"Either way, we never got help from the Church. When things were seeming bleak though they started to show up. It was pretty obvious from the start they weren't exactly helping us out of the goodness of their hearts. Sure, they offered to repair the mill for us, but we had to hand over all kinds of supplies in exchange."
"Let me guess…" Yang folded her arms and arched an eyebrow. "People here took that suuuper well, being ordered around by Faunus."
Devin rubbed the back of one of his hands, face draining of color. He swallowed a lump in his throat, licked his lips and closed his eyes. "Yeah, not well. After the first few deaths though we gave in. Not like we had much choice. Alabaster's got no Magi, after all."
"Anyway, short of it is they fixed the mill, but ever since they've been taking more and more supplies from us. If we don't pay up, they take something else, or… Someone else. It's getting to the point where most of the town's funds are going to paying them off, and it's just getting worse."
A pretty scummy thing to do, but then that's the White Fang for you. Bastards. Yang stared out over the wall into the open land beyond the walls. Spruce trees swayed lazily, a cool evening wind rustling pines and sweeping fallen needles off the forest floor. A bat flew precariously close to the gatehouse, landing briefly before taking off again.
"So, these guys are extorting your town, and you guys are sick of it, that about right?"
"More or less," Devin said. "Most of the townsfolk are content to just keep paying, but they've got to realize by now we can't keep it up. Eventually they'll ask for more than we can pay, and when that happens…" The shudder said it all. It wouldn't just be a few items, or a person or two. They'd probably raze the whole town if it was decided there wasn't anything left.
Yang scoffed. The White Fang wasn't interested in their tithe or whatever this crap was. They were just trying to bleed the town dry. They would succeed too unless something changed. "Alright, and where do I come in for all of this, exactly?" Yang asked. "What did you want me to do about it?"
"Well… You're a Hunter, and… I'm no expert, but you seem like you can handle yourself." Yeah, the squirming and hand wringing spoke volumes of his confidence. Yang hoped he never had any aspirations for being a motivational speaker. Or a speaker in general. "Can you… I don't know, scare them off?"
She'd expected that much but hearing it still made her laugh. It was short and unpleasant, and honestly a bit more biting than she'd intended. Devin hung his head and Yang smiled slightly. "Look, it's not that I don't wanna help you guys, I do. But do you know what you're asking here? The White Fang ain't just some tiny group. There's hundreds of these guys and loads of 'em are Magi. There's a lot of members that only veteran Hunters would even bother trying to fight."
"And even if I do beat whoever shows up," Yang interrupted, raising a hand to silence Devin. "What then? They'll send someone else. Even if I stick around, which I'll be honest, I won't be, I can't protect the town sooner or later. Fighting them is just gonna make it worse on yourselves."
"Then what do we do?! We can't keep paying their demands! Sooner or later we'll be short, or they won't like what we provide. When that happens…" A wind rattled the walls of the building, causing the chains outside to rattle and shake. "I can't let anything happen to my family, or the people here," Devin mumbled. "I know the folk here can be… Narrow-minded, but they aren't bad. Just… Stuck in their ways."
"Do you think it's because of how they are that they're being targeted? The White Fang's all about 'equality'." Yang spat out the word and snorted. Yeah, equality alright, if that meant killing everyone else so only your kind remained.
"I… I d-don't know, probably? Please, Yin, you have ta' at least try! I'll give you anything you want. I have Lien, or… I'm sure the town can scrounge something up. Name your price, anything, we'll pay it. We can't keep doing this."
Yang drew back when Devin knelt before her, frowning as he lowered his head to the floor. "We can't…" he repeated, pounding a fist on the floor.
It's not that she didn't want to help. The White Fang could go suck a big one as far as she was concerned. It wasn't just a matter of beating a single party though. More would come, and if it was a big enough issue, a Commander might be sent. The town would be totally forfeit at that point.
Yang stood and moved towards the door. Her hand hovered over the handle and she glanced back at Devin, who still hadn't moved. Guilt demanded she at least try to help. Common sense told her to steer clear.
"Look… I can… I don't know, try and get in touch with someone at the Church, have them send someone out." That was a bigger stretch than her singlehanded defending Alabaster, but at least then the place could have a regular detachment of Hunters. "It's not that I don't wanna help, and I really want to, especially after how nice you were. But I can't."
Slow to rise and slower still to face her, Devin nodded and wrung his hat in his hands. "I understand… I'm sorry for asking so much of you. I'd hoped… Maybe introducing you to my family, maybe if you heard us out…"
"I want to help, Devin, seriously. But you've gotta know things will only get worse if we fight. Like I said, I can get you guys some help. Maybe the Church can be enough of a deterrent to stop the payments, I don't know. We can think of something else."
As if she didn't feel bad enough about turning the guy down now her mind was ridiculing her. The town wouldn't last whether they fought or not. People would die, maybe everyone. Trina and Cassie would die. Yang pictured the little girl's smiling face, the eerie similarity that it shared with her own sibling. Despite having only just met the family she already cared for their well-being. Not enough to condemn the town by drawing the White Fang's ire. Though she was doing the same thing by letting the extortion continue, wasn't she?
Down below one of the guards shouted for someone to halt. Boots and chain shifted loudly as two more joined, forming a human wall before the heavy metal gate. More shouting from the guards, replies to words Yang couldn't hear from where she stood. They were hostile almost immediately, and for good reason: who showed up at a town like Alabaster in the dead of night?
When 'animal' was thrown out she heard a blade drawn, the sound of metal scraping against leather. A woman's voice commanded calm, and the weapon was put back. Exchanging a worried look with Devin, Yang hurried outside and peered over the side of the wall.
Four figures stood down in the road just outside of the gatehouse. Three were dressed in white and black, their features concealed by hoods. One wielded dual swords, another a battle axe. The one flanking them had a bow on their back. Yang's eyes were drawn to the one in front, a literal shadow among the night. With black attire and a mask resembling a Grimm, the lone piece of white in their whole outfit, they seemed to be the one in charge.
Slowly, the lead turned, and amber met lilac. Yang's eyes widened as she stared down, her hands gripping the edge of the wall, fingers digging into wood. The woman below stared back unblinking before looking away, dismissing her. One hand brushed her poncho back and she revealed a nasty curved blade and chain at her waist. Try me. She was daring Yang to do something.
"They're here already…?" Devin hoarsely whispered, backing away from the wall, face blanched. "We're not ready. We… We don't have everything together. We were supposed to have another week!"
Yang grit her teeth, glaring down at the woman at the head of the group. The week was up, the White Fang was here to collect. And, judging from the weapons they carried, they were more than ready to dole out punishment too.
It was no longer a matter of if Yang wanted to do anything or not. They were here, and according to Devin, the town was short. There would be blood spilled tonight if the White Fang had their way then, no question about that.
The only question that remained was what would Yang do about it?
Thanks for reading and giving my story a chance! If you really liked something, or if you even hated something, leave a review and let me know! And at the risk of sounding even MORE like a cutout YouTube end card spiel, I'll see you guys in the next chapter!
P.S. It's really, really cold outside. Time to go back to being a blanket burrito!