Someday soon life will calm down and I can post more frequently than once every 10 days or so.

This week will not be that point.

Fair heads up going into this chapter: a LOT is going to be happening and, as such, I did cut this one short and left it on a cliffhanger. Otherwise this was turning into a 30+ page entry which... Is a lot to digest at once.

So here's the lead up instead, with the rest to follow ASAP.

As always, thanks for reading and if you're so inclined, let me know what you think. Enjoy!

"This is it…?"

"Aye, that's all the village has managed to put together," Laurel said.

Weiss counted the paltry sum again. Five hundred and sixty Lien had been pulled together for the ransom. The mercenaries had demanded nearly six times that much and refused to budge even for a few hundred. Between herself and Ruby they could nearly match the village's wealth, yet even those combined wasn't nearly enough.

Her chair creaked as she leaned back into it, folding her arms, brow furrowed. "There's nothing else of value you could trade? No heirlooms, goods, nothing that the mercenaries might be interested in?"

"Bandits don't have much use for cutlery, and less still for fancy knick-knacks," the guard captain answered. "They wanted Lien and we tried to gather it. Just don't have nearly enough."

"And what of the neighboring towns? Surely if you pulled your resources together…?"

Laurel scoffed at the idea and shook his head. "The settlements out here all have their own problems. And even if they did help we'd be in the same situation: forced to pay someone without anything to show for it."

Ruby's silver eyes grew wide and she leaned forward in her chair. "You mean they wouldn't just help you? Someone was kidnapped! That's more important than Lien!"

"Not when you don't have any. You ladies might not realize this, livin' in the city, but most folks only care about their bottom line. It's not just merchants who want Lien." Laurel scowled as he pushed himself back from his desk. His aged face sank, and his posture slumped as he moved across the dim room, stopping at a small cabinet. "The settlements out here aren't exactly well to do. Moved here on promises that haven't been kept and left to manage ourselves. We manage to scavenge and grow enough to survive, but trading? We haven't the goods or the money for it."

Well that explains the ramshackle state of Holbrook at least. "The town doesn't have the money to meet the ransom and we can't hope to fight them without risking your son's safety…" Weiss pursed her lips, then closed her eyes as she rubbed at her temples. "That leaves us with… What?"

Surrounding towns wouldn't help. If they'd only had Scrying Stones given to them they could contact the others, coordinate some effort to rescue the boy. Then again, Pyrrha and the others had their own tasks to contend with as well; asking their friends to drop their business in favor of Weiss and Ruby's plight was unfair. And likely a failure on their part.

"We only have until this afternoon to give them the Lien, otherwise they're planning to… Well." Laurel produced a dark bottle and swirled amber liquid inside of it. Three dirty glasses were set on the table and drinks were poured. Ruby and Weiss both politely declined. "We need to get that Lien somehow…" he finished, grimacing as he chased down his drink with another.

There was no Lien to gather. Weiss bit the inside of her cheek and looked around the room vacantly. There had to be an alternative. Some way they could make the trade and secure Oscar.

Nearby on a rickety set of shelves Weiss scanned over faded volumes of books, random trinkets, and discarded odds and ends. A folded cloth with a faded insignia, a hair clip with missing teeth, and a locket, its chain broken and cover crushed. A small cluster of discarded pins sat in a loose cluster, their surfaces worn, and emblems faded. Curious, she rose from her seat and examined them, gathering them into her palms. "What are these for, captain…?"

"Meaningless awards for service," Laurel explained, waving the question away. "Gah… They're useless now, just remnants of the past."

On one was a coat of arms, twin axes crossed, and an illegible scrawl carved into a twisting banner. The others were less clear, and Weiss shook them in her palms idly, trying to wrack her brain for ideas. The clips jostled about, clanking together faintly, like a pouch of coins.

… Like a pouch of Lien.

She set down the clips and began to search through the selves, pushing aside containers and digging through others. Were there others? Weiss searched and came up empty, huffing in disappointment as she dusted her hands off on her robes. "Blast…"

"What are you lookin' for…?"

"More of these." Weiss held up one of the pins. "Do you have any others?"

Laurel snorted. "Please, those were just for my retirement, plus whatever else they gave recruits when they finished training."

"Oooh, are you a Hunter too?" Ruby asked with a bounce in her seat.

"Hardly. If I was then we wouldn't be in this mess, would we?" Ruby's mouth formed a small 'o' and Weiss smacked her face in her hand. "It doesn't matter. No, I don't have more of those. Why?"

"Is there somewhere we can get metal in town? Does Holbrook have a smith?"

Weiss hadn't seen one on their way into town and their trips were solely between Riole and Lauren's residence and the barracks. "We do, though much like the rest of our little town, she ain't much to look at."

That was fine. Assuming they had what she was after then it didn't matter what state the smith was in. Weiss excused herself as she gathered the Lien from Laurel's desk, mixing in the pins with it. The captain grabbed her wrist before she could take it away, however, staring at her intently. "What do you think you're doing? We don't have the Lien for them."

"No, we don't…" Weiss smirked. "But they don't know that. Just trust me, sir. We'll get your son back, and if everything works out, the mercenaries will be far and away before they ever realize what's happened."

Piling the collection into her pouch Weiss motioned for Ruby to stand, already halfway to the door. "Where can we find the smith?"

"Marcus' house. It's a small stone place by the gates. Just head straight out of here and go left past the well, can't miss it. Probably a big cloud of smoke comin' from his forge this time of day."

"Thanks, Laurel!" Ruby called back, waving before shutting the door behind them. The barracks were empty, devoid of even the loafers, their card table empty. In anticipation for their mission today Laurel had put all guards on alert. Probably a good thing, though Weiss did question their usefulness, especially the drunken doorman's.

"Hey, uh, Weiss…?" Weiss glanced back at Ruby and raised an eyebrow in question. "Do you think you're going to tell me what you're planning?" The brunette smiled and skipped along, hair bobbing. "Not that I don't think you don't have the awesomest plan ever, I just don't want to be left in the dark!"

"And you won't be. Just bear with me for a moment, will you? I should think it will be obvious what I'm planning before long."

Ruby nodded, puffing up her cheeks and crossing her arms in silent protest. "Weiss...!" she whined, not so silently.

"Just be patient!"

Patience was a virtue and one Ruby lacked, sorely. Luckily for her the blacksmith wasn't too far from the barracks and Marcus was easy to find. To call Marcus' residence a 'home' would be generous: it was more akin to a blast furnace with a small shed built onto it, almost as an afterthought. Considering the man's heavy leather apron was caked in soot and dust Weiss didn't think he ever left the forge. His outfit, apparent scraps of cloth thrown together haphazardly, showed he didn't exactly dress for appearances either.

With a thick red beard with streaks of gray and limbs like trunks he was an imposing man. Weiss tried not to shrink under his steely gaze, the dark brown pools under his brow burning just as hot as his forge.

"If you're wantin' work done I got a backlog," Marcus grumbled. His hammer struck a red-hot slab of metal, shaping it into a flat blade. "Put in an order an' I'll get to ya when I got time." Weiss shook her head and Marcus paused, briefly, before shrugging. "Then off with ya, I got no time for entertainin' children."

Weiss swallowed her pride and smiled at the grimy smith. "We don't have a commission for you, good sir. I was hoping…"

"Good sir?" Marcus chuckled, then spat black mucus on the ground and snorted. "I ain't no noble, lass. Marcus'll do."

"Er… Right." Disgusting. Why did the man insist on being so… Gross? Roderick managed his profession and hygiene just fine! Suppressing the overwhelming desire to gag Weiss coughed into her fist instead. "I was hoping we could take whatever scraps of metal you might have. Shavings, broken pieces, whatever you can spare."

The smith paused in his work and furrowed his bushy brow at Weiss. After staring for a moment he set his hammer down and wiped sweat from his face on his sleeve, leaving streaks of grime across the material. "Lookin' to make an alloy? You won't get much out of junk."

"Not an alloy, no. I just would like to take your scraps, that's all. I'm even willing to pay if you'd rather not give them away."

Marcus studied Weiss before shrugging, easing himself up off his stool. "If you want whatever junk I got layin' around, fine by me." Ruby squeaked and moved out of his way as a large wooden bin was dragged out from beneath a table.

Tips of broken swords and shattered bits of plate armor lay on top. Links of chainmail, ruined utensils, a rusted lock or two, and various bits and bobbles filled the container to the brim. Some of it still sported a sheen, others were rusted to the point their color was indecipherable. The container came up to Weiss' knees, and watching Marcus lift it onto a table and seeing his muscles strain told her there was perhaps just a bit too much to take.

Which was fine. Weiss leaned over the table and mindfully moved aside sharpened scrap, digging for anything that might remotely resemble coins. Rusted buttons, broken candlestick bases, and random bits of metal passed muster. Carefully compiling a small stack of scrap she dusted her hands off on her trousers, grimacing at the stains. Hardly any of the pieces she'd collected would pass as coins, but then they didn't have to.

"Fantastic, this should be plenty," Weiss said. Smiling at Marcus and Ruby's confused looks she carefully gathered her collection together and paused just short of depositing it all into her bag. "Er… I don't suppose you might have a small sack we could… Borrow? Burlap, preferably, something durable."

Marcus scratched his beard noisily, pulling a chunk of charcoal from the ends. "I might… Though how's about you tell me what this is about? It's just junk I'm givin' ya, aye, but I'd like to know you're not planning no trouble."

"Yeah, Weiss! Tell us!" Ruby demanded.

Weiss held out a hand and smiled, then tilted her head. "Bag please, then I'll explain. I'd like to make certain I can make it work before I bother explaining."

After finding no help from Ruby, Marcus shrugged and vanished into his shack. When he came back with a tiny cloth bag Weiss snatched it eagerly and slid every bit of scrap she'd collected. Then she put the proverbial icing on her cake: the Lien they had gotten from Laurel went on top, covering the scrap entirely. After twisting the bag and tying it shut she held it up and gave it a shake. Lien and metal clinked against each other, the dull odds and ends appearing as little more than coins through the materials.

"Oh, I get it now!" Ruby's eyes sparkled as she leaned in and took the bag weighing, it in her hands and nodding.

"Uh… I'm still missin' it," Marcus grumbled. "What's that for? You're not trying to fool one of our merchants, are ya?"

"Hardly," Weiss scoffed, taking back the bag and fastening it to her belt. "We're going to pay a visit to the criminals your town so brilliantly hired and pay them off." She smiled and pat her 'fortune'. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have bandits to find."

/+/+/+/+/

Laurel had been vague in giving a location of the mercenaries. Chances were he didn't know exactly where they were, something Weiss couldn't fault the captain for. Given Mount Glenn's absurd side and its numerous passes and ravines made navigating its faces a veritable nightmare.

"We can assume two things: the mercs are somewhere they can watch the town, and they have my son." Using the captain's… Helpful suggestion did at least limit them to a general area. From the base of the mountain the pass was wide open, enough for two carts to move side by side. Quickly however Ruby and Weiss found themselves with far less space, and eventually they were forced to walk single-file.

Glancing down at the crude map in her hand Weiss paused in the shadow of a rock wall, tracing their trail carefully. 'Djent's Crossing' was the name of their route, a narrow, scarcely used pathway to one of the mountain's many mines. As tedious as it was to slip through there was little to no threat of Grimm. When humans could scarcely fit through even a Creep would struggle, nevermind any larger variants.

In fact, hardly anything could be found along the path. An occasional stubborn tree sprouted from sheer rock, roots tearing into stone and planting itself, defiant in the face of Glenn's inhospitable nature. Occasionally a small trickling of water poured down one of the pass' walls, and more than once Weiss needed to remind Ruby to drink from their waterskins, not the 'mystery water'.

With the summer sun hanging overhead Weiss was grateful for the shade. She could have done without the whistling winds, turning into bellowing gales as they tore through the pass. Any time one came through both girls planted their feet, put their heads down and waited for the gust to pass. Hot wind from above scorched their skin, drying out their lips and throats.

At a break in the pass where the ground opened up they took a moment to catch their breath. Using the thick roots of an aspen as a bench they sated their thirst with chilled water and staved off hunger with dried strips of beef. Weiss groaned as she stretched her legs, reaching down and nursing her calf through her trousers. "Taking the main road would have been so much easier…"

"Maybe, but then we'd risk being spotted. It's better we go this way," Ruby said.

"I'm well aware, I'm just venting." Weiss rolled her ankle and leaned back, sighing as she stared at the blue sky above. "And we're not even entirely certain where these miscreants might be! What if we're going in entirely the wrong direction?"

"Well… We could always try and find a vantage point? Somewhere we can look around, try and spot someone!"

Not a terrible idea in theory. Weiss craned her neck and scanned the rock face behind them for handholds, or another path, anything they might be able to use. Besides the narrow pass they'd come up and the slightly wider path continuing on just ahead there were no other ways up or down. A good idea but a moot one. Unless Ruby had experience with mountain climbing; Weiss certainly didn't.

"We'll continue on as we have been," Weiss muttered. Tearing another parcel from her beef she let her saliva soften it before chewing, wrinkling her nose at the taste. Overly sweet and salt, too much flavor for her liking. Offering the remainder to Ruby she dusted her hands on her trousers, took another sip of water and stretched.

"There are only so many resting spots along these paths. Sooner or later we'll find them, and for our sake I certainly hope it's sooner," Weiss finished.

Ruby smiled and hopped back to her feet, rising onto the balls of them and swaying excitedly. "Aw, this is kind of fun though, don't you think?" When given a dubious look she giggled and held up her hands. "I mean… It's kind of pretty up here, don't you think? And… If you ignore what we're here for, or the fact Grimm could, you know… Pounce on us any moment…"

"So pretend our lives aren't in peril and imagine we're on vacation," Weiss remarked.

"Exactly!"

"Dolt."

The brunette huffed and stomped after Weiss as they continued on their way. The path widened and no longer did stone scrape against them as they walked. Gone too, however, was the cover from the sun. Weiss drew up her hood and Ruby followed suit, affording them a little more protection. Rays of heat rose up from the rock and dried, brittle plants crumbled with the gentlest of breezes. For a moment Weiss considered using magic to help cool them off. A small gust of icy wind, or a brief deluge of cool water. Not only would that make the pathway wet and even more dangerous, but it would also give away their position. Instead she grinned and beared with the heat, wiping sweat from her face on her sleeves.

Like a King Taijitu coiled around its prey, Djent's Crossing twisted and turned as it carved its way through the mountain. The size and reliability of pathways were inconsistent at best; Weiss and Ruby shuffled along a narrow ledge at one point and Weiss had been forced to use magic to extend it when rock crumbled beneath their feet. At another point a near encounter with a young Burrower nearly sent Weiss tumbling back down the path had Ruby not caught her.

Eventually they found their way to yet another rest stop. A crag jutted out from Mount Glenn's face and hung out into the open air, several stories above Holbrook itself. Weiss hadn't the gall to venture near the edge. Ruby wandered out and sat herself right on the ledge, dangling her legs and shielding her eyes as she looked out at the countryside below.

"Weiss, you should come see this!" she called excitedly. "I can see so much from here! Oh, there's River Hal! And there's uh… Vindor… Vindal…"

"Vindemia," Weiss corrected.

"That! You should come see it!"

"Absolutely not! What if the stone breaks? Or you fall? In fact don't even entertain that notion, get back here right now!"

Ruby pouted but did as she was told, jumping to her feet and brushing herself off. "Spoilsport…"

"Yes, I am a monster for making sure my partner doesn't plummet to her death!"

"Aw, but I wouldn't! You'd catch me way before then!" Ruby grinned and leaned over, prodding Weiss' nose and laughing as she skipped away.

"H-Hardly the point, you boob! I'd rather not have to save you at all!" They had enough rescuing to do without Ruby putting herself in danger. After rubbing her nose Weiss inched just a bit closer to the crag, getting on her toes for a little extra height. "So… Can we see Holbrook from here?"

Ruby nodded and pointed over the right side of the cliff. "Right down there! Pretty clear too, it would be a piece of cake for someone to sit around here and watch the town!"

"And our path…?" Much to her chagrin Ruby nodded after a moment, confirming her concerns. More likely than not then someone had been watching until recently and knew they were coming. Weiss sorely wished she was wrong about that.

Rocks crumbled down from above and both girls turned at the noise. Then larger rock shattered, breaking away from the cliff face above. Boulders larger than either of them smashed against the mountain and reduced anything in its path to dust. Weiss' heart leapt into her throat and she pointed up to the path, then ran back the way they had come.

The first boulder smashed into the crag and the ground trembled from the impact. The second threw up chunks of stone and clouds of dust, and the third broke the crag away completely. A waterfall of earth screeched down the mountain, shearing its surface as it destroyed trees at the base, burying any unfortunate animals with it. The sound was deafening, and Weiss covered her sensitive ears, cringing as they still rang painfully. When the ground finally stopped shaking and only then did she drop her hands, holding still just in case.

"Ruby?" she called out, coughing as dust swam in her face, fanning it away with her hand.

"I'm okay!" Ruby shouted back. Weiss heard her coughing followed by a squeaky scream, something about 'stupid rocks'. "You okay too?"

"Unharmed, if shaken." Not to mention dirty. Again. Weiss dusted herself off and sputtered, spitting out filth and grimacing. Taking stock of the damage before her she was glad to find the path still open, if cluttered. Carefully approaching the first fallen rock she tested it, pushing with her foot before clambering up. One by one, tedious as she could be, Weiss made her way over the path. Ruby's expectant and ecstatic face greeted her, and her friend held out her arms when Weiss climbed over. Weiss ignored them.

"That was weird," Ruby muttered, crossing her arms as she looked up the mountain. "Wonder what caused that…"

"It wasn't natural…"

"How are you so sure?"

Weiss pointed, and Ruby's eyes followed. High above them a lone figure sat on a rocky outcropping, little more than a silhouette with the sun to their back. Their features might be obscured by the harsh rays, but Weiss could easily make out the spear that hung from one of their hands, swaying idly. "Call it a hunch."

The figure stood on their perch and slung their spear over their shoulders. "Not bad! I expected that to bury you two!" a woman's voice shouted from above. "You must be the Hunters that Holbrook sent for!"

"And if we are?" Weiss called back. Her hand preemptively settled on Myrtenaster, for what little good a rapier might do against a spear. Or another landslide.

The woman laughed. "If you are then they're really scraping the bottom of the barrel for help!"

"Hey, we're Hunters!" Ruby stomped her foot childishly, grabbing her scythe from her back and gesturing with it angrily. "We might be young, but you'd better believe we're Hunters!"

Technically they weren't. Weiss sighed to herself before pulling back her cloak and gesturing to the pouch on her hip. "We have the Lien you'd asked for. I'd like to propose an exchange: your prisoner for the Lien."

"Oh? You want the boy…? I didn't think they'd actually care enough!" The woman stepped off her perch and for the briefest of moments Weiss expected to be attacked. Instead the stranger cast a spell and rock erupted from the cliff face to catch her, small stones raining down on Ruby and Weiss' heads. "Throw the money up and I'll bring you to him!"

"I think not. Show us where he is first, then you'll have your money!" Narrowing her eyes she tried to make out distinguishing features of the woman, anything to give away her identity. Not that Weiss expected to know her from a glance. Aside from some thrown together leather armor she was frustratingly obscured, a leather coif and facemask making certain of that.

Rather than become indignant or angry the woman laughed again. "Smart, I like it. Fine, have it your way." Swinging her spear, she pointed up the path and tilted her head. "Continue up this pass, then take a right at the fork. Me and my men are set up in a clearing just past the sealed cave. You've got fifteen minutes, otherwise I'll come back for the money and kill you two."

What a pleasant human being. Watching as the woman created steps for herself and scurried ahead Weiss covered her pouch again. "Well… At least we can assume Oscar is still alive. Now we just need to reach them in time…" One look at the narrow cliffside path made her stomach drop, yet now was hardly the time for skittishness.

I might not be able to create pathways like she did, Weiss mused, pressing her back against stone as she shuffled over a narrow strip. But I can keep us from plummeting… Hopefully.

To her surprise the pathway was much as the woman had claimed: a hundred meters along and the path forked, a tree marking the place, split down the middle by a lightning strike. Bearing right as they were told the path began to widen, and to Weiss' delight, makeshift rails covered the outer edge. At least now there was slightly less chance of falling over a cliff to their demise.

The pathway widened, and freshly trampled brush marked recent passage. Weiss saw the smoke long before they ever reached the camp, a stark, reddish-brown cloud that, when compared to the pale, bleached stone of Mount Glenn was as vibrant as a sunset. She heard them next, raucous laughter and the clanking of steel on steel. As they had been told they crossed a sizable cave with thick iron bars set up at its mouth, a sign reading "Keep Out: Grimm" scrawled in red paint. Would the bars actually serve their purpose and hold the beasts back? Weiss glanced at the haphazard railing, the only thing between them and a sheer hundred-foot drop. She'd rather not find out.

Around a bend and beneath a stone archway they stumbled upon the bandit camp. A handful of trees with browning foliage created a natural roof, and a stone wall at their backs created a closed off space. Common sense screamed for them to back out, to not be pulled into an area with only one entrance and exit.

Then Weiss saw Oscar. The boy couldn't be any older than them, probably younger even. With a torn cotton shirt and trousers and a handful of fresh scabs on his face and arms she could only imagine how poorly he'd been treated. The bandit's laughter died out upon their arrival though each face continued to bear an unseemly smile. Between the group a spit roast cooked a freshly slain boar, filling the air with the scent of burned flesh and hairs.

"Well, looks like you came along after all!"

The woman from before dropped down behind them from the archway and smiled brightly, brown eyes immediately darting to Weiss' belt. "You have the Lien…?"

Weiss nodded and revealed the cloth bag though kept it on her person. "Oscar first," she demanded, her other hand settling on Myrtenaster. "I'd like to speak with him."

"What? You wanted to see him, and so you see him." The woman gestured with her spear, waving the tip dangerously close to Weiss. "That was the deal. Hand over our money, kid."

"Oscar first. Unless you honestly expect that we're going to attempt to fight, or flee with an injured prisoner with us?"

"Hm…" The woman rolled her tongue between her lips before shrugging. "Fine. Brawnz, get the boy!"

Brawnz nodded and rose from his place at the pit. A pair of steel claws swayed from his belt as he walked, and Weiss caught the slight glint of chain links beneath his leather outfit. All the bandits were armed and at least relatively well protected. Fighting them without worrying about Oscar would be risky. With Oscar? It wasn't even an option.

"Get up, you runt," Brawnz growled as he pushed Oscar with his foot. The boy fell over and groaned, stirred from slumber. "I said get up!" The bandit raised his foot to kick Oscar, insteading finding himself flat on his back, a rock pinning him to the ground.

"I didn't say beat him, you oaf. I said bring him here!"

Brawnz groaned and nodded breathlessly, wind knocked from his lungs. Coughing as he rose he staggered, nursing his chest. "R-Right… Sorry, Amber. My mistake."

"Honestly…" Amber pinched the bridge of her nose then ran a hand through her short chestnut hair. "Out of curiosity are either of you two interested in joining me? I'd like to have someone with brains among my men." She narrowed her eyes at the remaining group among the fire. "Because between the lot of you I doubt there's a single brain between you!"

"As… Flattering a proposition as that is I'm afraid we'll have to decline," Weiss said as she strained not to sound overly sarcastic.

"Shame then. Having some more Magi in our midst would make things run a lot smoother. Can't blame a woman for trying though."

Oscar groaned as he was planted on his feet before the girls, and if not for Ruby rushing to his side he'd have fallen where he stood. Weiss grit her teeth at the cuts along his cheek and shoulder, the abrasions and bruises aplenty.

She had half a mind to hurl the pouch over the cliff and let the bandits scrounge it up. Knowing full well how poorly that would go over she instead calmly removed it from her belt and held it out for Amber. "And here is your money, as promised. We've even added a little extra in hopes you and yours will leave Holbrook alone."

Amber grinned and snatched the pouch from Weiss' outstretched hand. "Don't worry about that, we're just after what we're due. Once we count the Lien we'll be leaving this dump, on that you have my word."

Weiss snorted and allowed her eyes to roll. "Forgive me if I don't take a bandit's word as gospel."

"Scatching, little Ydran. I should teach you to mind your tongue… But a deal's a deal, and even us lowly bandits aren't without honor." Amber gestured to one of the men and hurled the pouch his way. "Roy, count it, make sure it's all there." Weiss felt a bead of sweat trickle down her back as the older woman smiled at her. "For your sake I certainly hope it is."

Roy undid the tie and peered into the sack. His eyes shone in delight and he might have drooled if Amber hadn't snapped at him to count. Slowly he began to rifle through the contents, counting Lien aloud as he went. "Five hundred… Six hundred…"

Weiss' eyes drifted towards the archway, the lone exit for the camp. Amber still stood by it, resting on her spear and watching her man count with rapt attention.

"Seven hundred… Eight hundred…"

One rune. Just a flash freeze would do it. Weiss stretched her fingers preemptively and froze. Roy cursed aloud and tore his hand from the bag, shaking his hand. Then he held up his hand, confusion plain as his finger bled. "What in the hell…? What sort of Lien you got in here?!"

Ruby hauled Oscar upright and tried to edge towards the archway. Amber leveled her spear at the pair and forced a smile. "Roy… Be a dear and dump that bag out, will you?"

Lien clattered to the ground, bright golden shells glistening in the sunlight. Many more dulled, worn and rusted bits followed suit, obscuring the money. From the very bottom a piece of pottery clattered free, topping the mound and revealing Weiss' ploy to the bandits.

"Cute. Unfortunately for you it seems like you're short…" Amber twirled her spear in one hand, the other reaching for Ruby and Oscar. "Looks like we'll be taking him back."

"You'll do no such thing!" Weiss snapped. She drew her rapier and raised it at Amber. Behind her both Roy and Brawnz freed their weapons as well. Undeterred she met Amber's gaze and smiled. "You'll let us go now. You have Lien and you've gotten yourselves a second chance."

None of the bandits moved or said a word. Then Amber began to laugh, and her men followed suit, steadily gaining volume. Clutching her stomach and blinking back tears the lead bandit shook her head, took a deep breath and struck the ground with the butt of her weapon. "Is that right? And what happens if we don't let you go? Are you going to fight your way out of here?"

"No… We have no intention of fighting you."

"Forget this. Hand the boy over and we'll let you girls go. Bring our Lien, you have until the end of -"

"I said no. This is your final warning, ma'am." Weiss smiled and lowered her weapon.

"You can't do anything! Unless you fight your way out," Amber mused. "You're not leaving with that boy. Not without our money."

Part of her almost felt guilty for this. Almost. Sheathing her weapon, she glanced at Ruby, holding up her hands as her frent bent her knees and lowered herself into a squat. "I already said we have no intention of fighting you," Weiss reiterated. "We don't need to."

The pot shard glowed with a blue light, a jagged water drop shape engraved on its surface. Roy let out a yelp as ice sprouted from the piece, swallowing him, Brawnz and their fourth member up to their necks.

Amber's face went red as she raised her spear to attack. "What are you doing?!" Ruby's body shimmered, and she flashed by the bandit leader, disappearing in a flurry of red. Amber made the mistake of trying to follow and took her eyes off Weiss. When Weiss' palm slapped against her chest she swung her spear, limbs going rigid as ice began to spread across them. A thick shell from head to toe enveloped her, leaving all but her head encased.

Weiss spared the frustrated woman a smile before running around her and back down the path. For good measure she planted another rune at the archway on her way out. A thick wall of ice shot up from the ground, cracking stone as it spread, sealing off the small space. It wouldn't hold long, not if Amber was able to break free.

She turned and raced down the path, finding Ruby waiting down at the fork. Still perilously high they had no choice but to take the pass down, and with Oscar now in tow they couldn't move as swiftly as before.

"Weiss, you're sure that will hold?!" Ruby asked nervously as she looked back up the path.

They have two Magi with them. The leader uses Earth spells, and the one with the claws uses wind. Laurel had told them all he could of the group. Two Magi, neither of whom could use flame to melt ice. Amber could destroy the shell easily enough, true… If she could move.

"I'm positive. By the time that ice melts our help will have arrived." Weiss let Ruby take the lead with Oscar, keeping back with her weapon drawn, just in case. "If that messenger reaches Pyrrha and Jaune soon then the four of us can take them into custody. I don't imagine they'll be free any time soon."

That was the hope at least. If the bandits broke free, then there was a good chance they might attack Holbrook. If that came to pass… They would deal with it when it came.

Making the trip back down the mountain was more painstaking than the journey up. Oscar was dangerously dehydrated despite their providing water. Hardly able to stand on his own they were forced to carry him most of the way, alternating once Weiss felt they were far enough from the bandit's camp. It was an arduous process and took almost half an hour, but soon the ground began to open up and level out. Treetops which had been blurry, distant blobs of green were now eye level, and before long, overhead.

If she didn't have the dignity to refrain from it Weiss might have kissed the ground when they reached the base. She nearly did anyways, stopping only because of Oscar's weight on her shoulder. Able to walk side by side now she and Ruby shared the burden, one of his arms slung over each of their shoulders. Two things were apparent now: Oscar desperately needed to see a healer, and to take a bath.

Dried, clumped brown hair scraped against Weiss' cheek and she wrinkled her nose at their ward's stench. Oscar groaned as he was shifted, partially opening his green, unfocused eyes and hanging his head. "S-Sorry…"

"What are you sorry about?" Ruby asked.

"All… This…" Oscar tried to gesture to the mountain, or perhaps himself. His hand barely lifted off Ruby's shoulder before it dropped uselessly.

"Don't be absurd, you hardly need to apologize for being kidnapped." Weiss apologized as she shifted Oscar and agitated his wounds. "B-Besides, we were able to get out without combat. Our friends will be here before long and once they arrive those bandits will be apprehended. Everything has worked out in our favor."

A complaint died on Oscar's lips and the boy nodded, and for the first time since they found him, smiled. And smile he should, everything had gone according to plan. Weiss felt her own lips turn upwards and Ruby skipped a bit, then immediately apologized when Oscar winced.

Sure, the mission wasn't technically over but the bandits were hardly going anywhere. Once their friends arrived it wouldn't be too difficult to subdue the group, and turning them in would be a slight hassle, sure, but nothing they couldn't handle. Weiss' smile widened as Holbrook's walls came into view, a handful of guards raising their weapons in greeting. It hadn't been quite as she'd imagined it, yet everything had worked out in the end.

"We'll have to go around to the front, since those are the only gates," said Ruby. "Don't worry, Oscar, you're almost home!"

"Thank the gods…"

"I'd rather wish your town had a rear entrance," griped Weiss. She'd been good thus far, surely a petty complaint wasn't too much? "Make it a point to suggest another gate be installed. Or Dust, even a door for goodness sakes…"

Laughing raspily Oscar nodded his head. "I'll be sure to mention it to dad…"

"Oh, and while you're at it, maybe try to convince your town that Hunters aren't demons? We hardly received a warm welcome when we arrived."

"Sure, sure…"

That was about all Weiss could ask for. Well, that and their pay. And word to their superiors that they successfully completed their job, even if it hadn't been as advertised.

One of the guards up along the walls began to shout and Weiss smiled in their direction. They weren't being called, and in fact the men atop the wall were shouting at something else entirely. Weapons were drawn, and Weiss glanced at Ruby in confusion, inching their way towards the front of the gates.

Wood, men and metal were thrown into the air as an explosion tore a gaping hole through the wall. The blast knocked them over and Weiss winced as Oscar pinned her, though in far better shape than he was. Screams from the town began to mingle with the ringing in Weiss' ears and Ruby, the first to her feet, was already on her way to the front.

Weiss eased Oscar from her and helped him sit, placing him against the wall. "Stay here, don't move." As if he'd be going anywhere. Oscar nodded, slowly, one of his wounds on his brow reopened and trickling blood. Drawing Myrtenaster, she left Oscar with a small knife, more a consolation than anything, and dashed for the gate.

As smoke billowed from the rubble Weiss heard the clash of steel, a frantic shout from Ruby for help, and another smaller explosion. Ruby rushed from the smoke, scrambled, really, coughing and covered in soot. The smoke parted, and a black tendril shot out for her, sliced by Crescent Rose before it could grab hold.

"Ah… And here are our guests of honor." Weiss rushed to Ruby's side, carving an ice rune and aiming it at the smoke. A figure slowly emerged, a red blade first, then black robes. "I was wondering where you two had gone…"

Weiss fired a frigid icicle and watched as it was shattered with ease. A Toro made his way from the smoke, black wisps folding and twisting around him unnaturally. A smile as vicious as his blade greeted the girls and he twirled his weapon in hand. "A Schnee… I've always wanted to kill one of you. The gods smile upon me today."

Ruby looked to Weiss for a plan. Weiss opened her mouth to speak, gasping instead and barely raising Myrtenaster in time to block an attack. She was pushed back by the force of the swing and staggered, watching helplessly as Ruby was kicked away, then yelping as the hilt of the weapon struck her chest, knocking her over. She crawled away and carved a hastily crafted wind rune, watching as the gale parted harmlessly around the redheaded man.

"You're all that stands between Holbrook and ruin." The man chuckled and sheathed his blade, crouching down. Black mists licked at his body and his shadow quivered, fluctuating unnaturally at his feet. "Try not to disappoint me."

And now we can have the real fun begin. Training wheels are coming off from this point and we can finally get into the meat of the story. Apologies if earlier chapters dragged for you but hey, we'll be making up for that in spades now!