God, my medical records are proving elusive now. It apparently is complicated because of my university time since I had so many addresses. One hall in first year, rented a house with friends for second, third year was in London working for a big company then the year after was in that same house as previous, and the year after that in a different dorm hall.

That's five different addresses. Of course, I've been to my local doctors so many times since then and they should have noticed this problem at any time, but no. Of course not. I'm still looking. Bought a credit report but it only has last 6 years of addresses. Now emailing university hoping they have the records, and also tried calling bank to find where my old addresses were, but apparently need to go in person for that as chance of identity fraud too high.

Cover Art: Z ComiX

Chapter 92

Weiss struggled to keep her breathing under control as she hauled herself up over a rock. It was as tall as her and the muscles in her arms were burning almost as hotly as the ones in her legs. She hadn't considered herself unfit by any means – she watched her intake, ate well and walked everywhere – but apparently none of that translated here.

"C-Can we take a moment to catch our breath?" she pleaded of the stoic and scruffy noble powering on ahead as if the climb had been a step up. It probably was to him, the overly tall scoundrel.

"What do you mean?" he asked without looking back. "My breath is fine."

Insufferable rogue. "My breath! I am fatigued, Lord-"

"Qrow."

"I'm exhausted!"

He stopped at that, turning toward her in a way that made her hope for the best. She needn't have. "Already?" His dismissive response had her wilting. "Is this what Goodwitch considers the best and brightest of her lot? Give me a member of the town watch and they'd be fresh as a daisy."

"The town watch and Arcanists are two different things…" Weiss' argument might have held more weight if she hadn't slumped onto her bottom on the rock. She fished out her water flask and took a greedy drink. "They are – They are more used to this pace."

Branwen rolled his eyes and muttered, "Ruby could handle it."

Yes, well, Ruby and her were two different things as well. It didn't surprise her at all to know Ruby could keep up with this gruelling march. She regularly ran with the Newbloods and had trekked all the way from Menagerie to Vale.

"Work on your stamina," he said. "It may not be blue blood to rough it like the commoners but when a Grimm is chasing you down, you'll appreciate being able to run fast."

"I was under the impression outrunning the Grimm was impossible. Due to their endless stamina."

"Hmm. You don't need to outrun the Grimm, though. Just anyone else running away from it as well as you."

Weiss took a moment to evaluate that statement before grimacing and looking away. It was a jest of course; as an Arcanist of the White, he could and would stop the Grimm threatening an innocent person. Such was their duty. Still, she could accept his point. Grimm aside, not every Rogue Arcanist they came across would be alone or unprotected. Being able to last longer could well save her life.

"In my defence," she said, "I thought much of this training would come after I joined the White."

"Ha. Most of your lot do. Spoiled brats expecting everything to be handed to you as it has been since birth."

Weiss bristled. "I'm not like the other noble ladies."

"No? Could have fooled me. Perfectly trimmed nails, thin body, long hair, smooth skin." He dismissed each and every thing about her with a critical eye. "Little endurance. Given everything she ever wanted."

"I have not been! My father…" Weiss grimaced. "Father expects us to earn what we want. Yes, I am more fortunate than others and he provides jobs that pay well and are unavailable to the average person, but I earned these riding boots mucking out the stables. I earned these hose by assisting him with the accounts. I had to work for these. I was expected to know the value of money and the effort involved in earning it. And I'm hardly as spoiled as the other nobles. The Schnee family has fallen too far."

"Hmmm?"

He sounded intrigued and Weiss had little better to do than answer. "Since mother lowered herself to marry my father, a merchant. The other families did not take it well."

"Did she now? Well, well, well, that's news to me."

"How is that news? It happened over twenty years ago. We've been pariahs ever since!" His dishevelled clothing; his behaviour; the bitterness and the fact he kept asking her to call him by his first name. "Are you a disowned noble?" she asked. "Did your family remove you from succession?"

"Trying to make sense of me, huh? No, I'm not disowned. Just never cared much for the politicking and scheming. Gets on my nerves." He sighed and pushed off the tree he'd been leaning on. "I'm the last remaining member of the Branwen family line anyway. No one to disown me."

"I'm sorry-"

"It's nothing." He sighed and craned his neck to stare off into the forest. "I'm going to range ahead. Don't worry, I won't be fair. Just picking out the path for when you find your strength. Shout if you're in danger. Do you know any spells to defend yourself with?"

"I… I can cast a flame net… sometimes…"

"Fuck me." His crass response made her flush with shame. "Goodwitch really is scraping the barrel here. Right. Try not to get into any danger then. I'll be back soon."

He was gone soon after, leaving Weiss behind on a rock in the middle of the forest outside Vale. It was cold, wet and muddy and she let out an unladylike sigh and an even more unladylike grunt as she flopped back onto the rock, arms spread out like a star.

His words had hurt, even if she refused to show them. She'd always considered herself hardworking compared to the average noble. Much more reasonable, less prone to nonsense and arrogance. It showed, she hoped, in how easily she accepted Ruby and how close they were. In a way, Ruby was everything she wished she could be – not her behaviour or anything, but her lack of concern. The fact Ruby wasn't afraid of being judged and would just push on through with sheer self-confidence.

As far as Lord Branwen is concerned I'm far beneath Ruby in terms of skill, stamina and everything else. The thought made her more annoyed than jealous. Who is he to judge me? Winter is a knight, I am an Arcanist and Whitley is going to become a magistrate. We've earned our positions. I didn't get private magical training or the best tutors money could buy. Books and studying. That had been her path to success. Hard work.

Not as hard as Ruby apparently…

"I need to stop comparing myself to her. It's bad for my health. Besides, I'm far more refined and sophisticated than she is. I can eat dinner without spraying it on everyone else. I'm more…"

Marriable. That was about all it amounted to, that she was ladylike enough to be a proper wife and one day the Matriarch of a family. If anyone would lower themselves to marry with the Schnee family, that was. No one wanted to taint their pure blood with that of a common merchant. Ironically enough, Ruby was more likely to get a marriage contract than she was. At least Ruby was technically from a noble family.

"This is pointless." Weiss whispered. "Stop thinking about it." She sat up with a sigh, wiped a hand over her brow and took another small sip of water. She couldn't see Lord Branwen through the trees, but she could see signs of people which felt odd.

Not the Rogue Arcanists they were chasing. Obviously, he would have brought that up earlier. No, what surprised Weiss more, and what they had passed with much more regularity early on, were small hovels, huts and cabins built out in the dangerous forests. Forests that were, as she understood, usually full of wolves, bears and other dangerous animals even before the Grimm appeared.

What would possess a person to make their home here when the city was right behind them? Why didn't they just get jobs there and live inside where it was safe? It didn't make sense to her to try and eke a living out here. Maybe they were hermits who wanted to live alone.

The crack of a branch heralded Lord Branwen's return. He looked impatiently at her, and Weiss pushed herself to her feet. "Good," he said. "I've found a fire pit that looks more recent than it has any right to be. Looks like our rogues are using the abandoned homes here for shelter."

"That makes sense. Saves them erecting their own…"

"Hmm. We're going to lay an ambush and see if this one comes back."

/-/

"Ruby. I'm so sorry!"

Pyrrha engulfed her in a warm hug and all but squeezed the life out of her. Ruby patted her back, unsure what she was supposed to feel. Pyrrha hadn't necessarily done or said anything wrong, and it wasn't her fault the people died.

It wasn't Weiss' either…

Ruby shook her head. This was hard enough as it was without her brain working against her. "Hey Pyrrha. Sorry for running off…"

"No. It's fine. You needed space." Pyrrha pushed her away and looked her up and down. "Are you feeling better now? If you'd like to be left alone then I'll do so."

"I'm better. Sort of. I guess I need to talk to Weiss, don't I?"

"Weiss is sorry as well," Pyrrha said, "She told me to tell you that. The last day and a half has been spent trying to find and apologise to you. She didn't mean what she said, or she didn't mean it to sound so callous."

"I know. I… It was too soon. I'd seen… there were so many bodies…"

"You don't need to explain to me. Anyone would have been effected by seeing that."

Ruby smiled awkwardly. "Thanks. So, where's Weiss?"

"Outside the walls with Lord Branwen. She's covering for you," Pyrrha explained when Ruby's shock shone through. "Lady Goodwitch was demanding your presence and wanted you turfed out and sent with Lord Branwen again. Weiss managed to convince her to send her instead and let you rest."

Weiss did all that? That was kind and generous but… did she have no common sense? There were Grimm and bad people out there, any of which could kill her stone dead! Ruby's eyes flicked to the walls and beyond, almost expecting to hear a dying scream.

"It was several hours ago," Pyrrha misread her expression. "I've been tasked with teaching newer Arcanists and some Initiates how to fight. It's… going well."

"Doesn't sound like it."

Pyrrha squirmed. "W-Well, they're new to this. A few problems here and there are to be expected…" Under Ruby's flat gaze, Pyrrha surrendered. "Their hearts aren't in it. I don't understand. The Grimm are on our doorstep and Vale is in very real danger, and yet they act like it's a chore being dragged out to learn to fight. I've heard them complaining when they think I'm distracted. They'd rather be off doing their research, reading, riding or working on more useful spells. What can be more useful than something which keeps you alive?"

"They sound entitled."

"Or plain stupid!" Pyrrha ranted. It was uncharacteristic of her for sure, but Ruby got the impression she'd been sitting on it for a while and needed to get it out. "They act like the Grimm won't reach the walls, like they'll never have to see combat and I'm wasting their time. Being stubborn is one thing, but how oblivious are they to not recognise the threat outside?"

Were they oblivious, or was this just another consequence of the Collegium's secrecy? The White was so controlling over what information got out that they had unwittingly made the Grimm not seem a threat. There was wanting to avoid panic and then there was not having enough panic at all. This felt very much like the latter. Ruby said as much, and Pyrrha quickly cut off with an awkward expression.

"I-I'm not saying I disagree with Lady Goodwitch's plans," she said. "Wanting to keep morale high is valuable, as is not letting the city descent into anarchy."

"There has to be a limit," Ruby said.

"I'm sure Lady Goodwitch and everyone else in charge has discussed that. We should have faith in them."

What was it that deserved such blind loyalty? Ruby held back her response to Pyrrha's statement and hummed instead, too angry to form words. The White hadn't done much as far as she could see to win Pyrrha's obedience, yet she immediately turned defensive when it came up.

Was this just how nobles were taught to be? Never accept change; always defend the old ways. Keep the status quo. It was driving her insane. Things needed to change – both outside the Collegium and within. The living standards of those less fortunate, the slums once the water was gone, and how Wildmages were treated.

The Collegium is so busy selling its own narrative that they're failing the city in every way. They're failing the entire kingdom!

And they didn't care. Because it had become a rich noble's club and they wanted to keep it that way. A boarding school for the wealthy elite of the city to mingle, form alliances and bolster their already overwhelming power over the masses with the ability to use magic as well. A magical monopoly reserved for those whose blood would grant them it.

"I hate this…"

"I know." Pyrrha, again, assumed something else. "All this waiting and doing nothing is killing me." Looking up at the sun, she let out a heavy sigh. "It's time for my next lessons. I don't suppose you want to come along? Maybe if they see an Arcanist half their age putting the effort in, they'll feel stupid not doing the same."

"Sorry. I have someone to talk to."

"Shame." Pyrrha let it go with a pleasant smile. "It's good to have you back, Ruby. I am sure Weiss will say much the same when she returns."

/-/

The claustrophobic sensation of the Sanctum's Anti-magic field was something Ruby had almost forgotten about. It left her cold and empty, as if all the blood in her veins had been stolen away. The sensation of something important to her being missing was as unmistakable as it was uncomfortable.

Strange that it wasn't the same with Jaune. That wasn't just because she trusted him either. When he touched her and she lost her power, it felt a lot more sudden. Natural. It was gone and she couldn't feel it, nor could she feel the absence of it. Here, the effect was just weak enough that Ruby could tell what was missing, and that was a subtle form of torture all in itself.

"It's been a while," Cinder said. "I'd almost thought you had forgotten us."

"I've been busy."

Adam Taurus let it go with a silent nod. They listened to her stories about what was going on outside the walls. Neither seemed surprised at the Grimm attack and she wondered if the guards hadn't mentioned it within their hearing. What surprised them more was that Arcanists were involved.

"Truly?" Cinder asked. "How bizarre…"

"Could you think of who it might be?" Ruby asked.

"I haven't a chance. I was brought here as a child. How could I know these people? I cannot even fathom why someone would work with the Grimm in the first place. I hate the Collegium, that much I won't deny, but there are safer ways to exact revenge than this. Adam," she said, "They came from Menagerie first. Is there anything there you can think of?"

"I was never an Arcanist," he replied. "I was a wandering swordsman, a mercenary guarding caravans. I spent time in Menagerie but if the Collegium there was anything like it is here then important information would have never made its way down to me. That said…"

Both Ruby and Cinder perked up. "Yes?"

"There were rumours of a schism."

"And?" Ruby prompted.

"That's all I have." He shrugged at their annoyed expressions. "Like I said, Arcanists are always secretive. There were rumours going around of disagreements up there, that Arcanists were arguing over something big. I don't know what it is and never thought to ask. I just know it was enough to have some Arcanists angry enough to drink and vent where people might overhear."

"Do you think they could be behind this?"

"I don't know."

"Did Kali ever say anything while you were travelling through the Archives? She must have mentioned something."

"Kali talked about her daughter a lot. Other than that, she busied herself in mothering over the other survivors. Probably to distract herself from thinking what may have happened to her own family. Although…"

Ruby's head shot up. "Yeah?"

"Do you remember the White Arcanist who poisoned our supplies? The one I killed. He would argue often with them. Not just about me. They would go quiet when I came near, so I never heard what it was about, but I got the impression the White Arcana wasn't favourable among everyone else there."

"The schism was between the White and everyone else?"

"Maybe." He shrugged. "Again, I was kept out of it. Their business wasn't something they wanted me to hear. All I know is that Kali had to repeatedly call for everyone to put aside their differences and work together. And that he ultimately did not."

If there was something there, then Ruby wasn't sure what it had to be in order to have someone bring the Grimm down on Menagerie. Everyone had died, including innocent people living there. Not that the nobles would care – it'd be the same as the slums.

Could they have done the same there? Had some disagreement between factions caused the destruction of Menagerie? If so, why were those people still working with the Grimm? That made the fall of Menagerie seem more intentional and not a tragic accident. These people wanted Menagerie destroyed, and now they wanted Vale to face the same fate. Maybe Atlas, Vacuo and Mistral would suffer as well.

"Do you have any idea where I could find more about this?"

"I'm afraid not. Only those from Menagerie would know and unless Blake has something she's keeping to herself, there's no one else here who would. You might be able to find something in Menagerie…"

"How would I get all the way there!?"

"The same way I got here."

"Don't be foolish," Cinder interrupted. "It would take Ruby months to travel through the Archives, to say nothing of the danger both along the way and when she arrived. The Collegium would consider it you running away and send huntsmen after you."

They would. It was an idea for sure, but not one she could embark on. Maybe if they'd thought to send people earlier, then it could have helped. Vale might well be destroyed by the time she made it there and back, assuming she could safely at all.

"The only real option is to capture one of these people and interrogate them," Cinder said. "They know their reasons. Find them and do whatever it takes to get the information out. Then you'll have your answer. The only thing after will be to see whether the Collegium acts on that knowledge or seeks to bury it…"

If the knowledge implicated the Collegium of Menagerie in its own destruction and the deaths of all its inhabitants, then they may very well try and hide it. After all, what happened in Menagerie could happen in Vale as well."

/-/

It was a small and oddly comfortable looking cabin that Lord Branwen brought her to. Some fifteen feet by fifteen feet, it was separated into two rooms by a single, long wooden wall cutting the building in two down the centre. One room covered as both living and kitchen, while the second had a dusty bed, several rough chests and what she could only call a workstation of sorts. Numerous bits of bone and scraps of leather and cloth to suggest work on clothing.

"The charcoals are fresh," he said, pointing to the fire pit set in the kitchen. Above them, an angled sloping to the wooden roof led to a small opening by which fire smoke could escape. "I don't know if it's the one who lived here or one of them but the fact they can survive among the Grimm suggests the latter. The original owner, or owners, are likely dead."

"Who would choose to live out here anyway?"

"Those with no other option. Criminals, exiles or maybe just those who are too poor and don't want to deal with the floods. It's no less dangerous out here, but at least you get to die on your own terms." He moved through the cabin without disturbing anything. "Look here, there's dust on the walls and under the bed, but the wall behind it is clean."

Weiss would not have called the wall clean by any means. It was pocked and marked, with little holes that suggested insects had eaten at the wood. It was, however, comparatively less dusty. "I see it."

"Someone must have been worried about inhaling dust while they slept, so they ran a cloth over the wall directly over the bed before using it." He touched the leather and fur bedsheets, lifting them up to look under. The mattress appeared to be cloth wrapped around straw. Nothing too unusual to her eye. "It's been used."

"How can you tell?"

"No creepy crawlies disturbed by me doing this. Even less dust. Whoever these people are, they're nobles born and raised in Menagerie. You can expect them to be as unused to roughing it as you are. If they have a chance to sleep on a proper bed, they'll take it."

"Then whomever used this will come back tonight. Right?"

"That's the hope. We're going to be here waiting for them when they do."

Weiss' heart skipped a beat. Combat. Her first proper taste of it. A thrill of nervous excitement ran through her, especially at the thought of arresting a Rogue Arcanist and dragging them back to Lady Goodwitch. "I-I understand," she stammered. "What shall I do? Where do you want me?"

"The back room. I'll wait in the main room and confront them. There's a window back there you can escape out of if things go poorly. Stay hidden and make your way back to the Collegium. Otherwise, your job isn't to fight. We've no idea how dangerous this person might be, so leave that to me."

"Alternatively," an elderly voice chimed from the doorway. "I could save us all the trouble and reveal myself now, hmmm?"

Lord Branwen leapt into action.

Short. I know. Typical Sunday. In this case it's because I need to go through loads of old paperwork to try and find my birth certificate and NHS number for these records. Fun, fun, fun. I don't even know if I still have it, but I need to dig through crap all the same. I really hate this.

Next Chapter: 20th June

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur