With the hundreds of autumn trees around them, and the afternoon sun casting a glow of light that seeped past the overcrowded collection of branches overhead, the world had taken on an atmosphere that didn't fit the one they had come from. Mistral was mountainous, green, and civilized. The territory PRSM had stepped in was like something out of a child's storybook, a fantasy, something that didn't truly exist. Everything glowed with the warm colors of brown and orange and red, and the dense, nature-rich environment made everything seem as if it stood still around them. Petal stepped quietly through piles of fallen, amber tinted leaves, gazing at the wondrous sights in every direction. She had traveled far in her life, and had been to many locations across Remnant, but never had she been somewhere like this, a place frozen in time, a locale that was forgotten, and gifted with solitude by the abundance of life that hid it.
The others seemed equally as dumbstruck, especially Shimmer and Mila, and Petal could easily see why, knowing that they were from Mantle. Mila's life was mostly made of whites and blacks, and she suspected that Shimmer's had been no different. Flint took the lead as he passed the team, continuing on an impromptu path between trees, brush, and essentially anywhere he could fit through. The trees appeared to Petal to be nearly a hundred feet tall, but she didn't know if she was accurate in the guess, or if it was simply due to her being so small next to the mighty trunks that easily could fit four of her inside, had it been hollowed out. The entire way up the massive trunks were smaller gatherings of leaf-covered branches, some seemingly connecting while others swayed freely on an opposite side of the tree. The bunches of branches and thick coverings of leaves also blocked out most of the sun, and where it didn't, the light leaked in as slivers, golden rays that appeared as gifts to illuminate the fairytale they had seemingly entered.
"This place is incredible." Shimmer murmured, and her face showed it, carrying a gaping mouth and wide eyes as she took in everything there was to observe.
"It's normally a solitary place. We send Huntsmen and Huntresses out here from time to time to check on the safety of the few that live here, but besides that, most of this forest is left in peace." stated Flint. "The villagers like their privacy and the council likes the idea of keeping as much of this forest intact as possible, primarily because of its beauty. As far as I know, this is the only place in Remnant that is like this, never changing, and forever frozen as it is." he added, his normally deep voice turning quiet, as if to avoid disturbing the very air around them.
"What are these people like?" asked Petal. "The ones that we're helping, I mean." she quickly added, as Flint looked at her with an eyebrow raised.
"Like you and I, though they don't interact with outsiders all that often. I'm assuming that would be another reason for them keeping quiet about this incident for so long. It's an extremely rare occasion to receive requests from this forest, almost like they're their own sovereignty. They keep to themselves, we keep to ours, and we both help each other when needed." Flint explained.
"How prepared are they for us?" asked Mila.
"The man that came to the council was on the first airship we could arrange, once the meeting was over. I would say that he had a good number of hours to get the residents notified of our coming. Having said that, we must try to not cause any further trouble for them, understand? We are to be professional while we're here. You four want to be Huntsmen and Huntresses, so consider this your first lesson in truly achieving that. If you act like children, if I deem you unfit to handle this job at any moment, I will have a transport here as fast as possible to take you away."
"Understood, Professor." said Rose, followed by the other three.
As they pressed onward, Petal began smelling the scents of wood burning, and the sounds of people at work filled her ears. She heard the heavy clunks of an axe being brought down to split logs, the sound of carts being pulled through dirt and leaves, and then, she heard a string being pulled to their right. Petal's claws ignited at once and she spun to confront their follower.
"Come out!" Petal demanded.
"Petal, what are you doing?" asked Flint. He opened his mouth to speak again but another voice beat him to it.
"Friend or foe?" asked a young, innocent tone, though the owner was nowhere to be seen.
Flint shook off his confusion in time to stop Petal from replying. He stepped in front of her and held his hand out, signaling for her to lower her weapon. Petal did so reluctantly, deactivating her elemental claws.
"We're Huntsmen from Mistral. You should be expecting us." he called out.
"I was told to expect Huntsmen, yes. I wasn't informed that these 'Huntsmen' would be four children and an old man." the voice snapped, and Petal heard a rustling in the trees behind them.
"We are what was sent. I have my license, if you wish to check it, and we will turn over our weapons if you deem it necessary."
"I will not." Petal hissed.
"You will if they tell us too." Flint barked back, quietly, and fiercely.
"Prove it. The hostile one, I want her weapons removed at once." demanded the voice.
"Petal, just do it." said Rose, noticing the furious expression on Petal's features.
After a sigh and a shake of her head, Petal removed her rings and handed them to Flint. She waved her bare fingers in the direction of the voice, and heard a string slack as an arrow was returned to its quiver. A girl dropped from the trees shortly after, a tall girl, but she appeared young. Petal assumed she couldn't be much older than themselves, but bit her tongue from making any remarks. The girl wore black pants, a furry waist piece that appeared to be made of hide or pelts that reached close to her knees, a short sleeved shirt that was similar in color and material to a deer's hide, and a pair of brown boots on her feet. Covering her back and her left was a brown cloak with fur lining at the hood and collar. Her right side was exposed as she had flipped it back to reveal her arm and hand, which was carrying within it a wooden longbow.
Her hair was mostly hidden by the hood she wore, but what Petal could see was dark, and amber colored, almost resembling the countless leaves that surrounded them. Her eyes were a beautiful, sparkling shade of red, making them similar to a priceless ruby. Petal heard the other rustling noises fade as they moved away from them, most likely returning to their home. The girl smirked at the sight of Petal's frustration and approached them confidently, almost in a way that Petal took as smugness, which only infuriated her more.
"I feel like we're being played with." Petal thought. "Or I am, to be more specific."
"Give me those." the girl demanded, approaching Flint, her left hand now outstretched as her right was still at her side, gripping tightly to her weapon.
"You touch them, the Grimm will no longer be your primary concern." snarled Petal.
The young girl smirked, her hand still raised up to Flint, palm open. "Consider it a price for trust. I take those, you can enter the village. Keep them, and I will give you two choices. You either leave, or I order you all shot for trespassing."
Flint looked back to Petal with an apologetic gleam in his dark eyes.
"I was being cautious, I didn't mean to antagonize anyone." Petal stated.
"Petal, just let her hold onto them, you'll get them back." said Rose.
Petal gave a snort of fury before turning her gaze towards the ground. "Fine, whatever."
Flint dropped the rings into the girl's hand, and she smiled widely. "Alright, now for that license, Mr. Huntsman. I want proof that you are all who you say you are."
Flint then produced his scroll and showed it to her, and whatever she saw must have satisfied her, as she nodded and handed it back.
"Wonderful. After you." she said, gesturing for Flint and the others to begin walking on. Mila, Shimmer, and Rose started behind their teacher, but Petal was stopped by the girl holding a hand out to her. It was the hand that carried her rings, her most prized possessions. "I'll have you know, I actually think what you did was smart. I would've done the same." said the girl, and she turned her hand over.
"You're giving them back, after a show like that?" Petal questioned.
"I wanted to see how far I could take it. Your reactions are cute."
Petals face blushed as she held up her hands. The girl dropped them in, one by one, but held onto a single black ring. She let it roll across her fingers before catching in between her index and thumb.
"Nifty little things you got here, cat. I would keep a better hold of them." the girl whispered, dropping the last ring into Petal's hands, causing it to clink against the others.
Petal scowled as she was hot in the face, and the girl giggled as she stepped away, following the others that were going south. Very soon, they came across a large collection of wooden cabins, all made of logs and planks, and all bearing chimneys that had plumes of grayish smoke billowing from them. People were walking through the dirt paths that they had made, going from houses to other structures within the settlement, such as a mill and a farm that she could see off in the distance, just past two similar looking homes. Flint and the strange, hooded girl were talking, but Petal's focus was on her frustrated thoughts, and the increasing anger as she recalled the way the girl toyed with her. Petal wasn't typically the type of person to be riled up by others, despite the way she acted from time to time. She could be rather level-headed if need be, but the way this girl treated her, it was as if she was a little child that didn't belong with the adults around her. It made her feel helpless, and that was a feeling that she didn't like at all. Besides just that, there was also the playfulness in the girl's voice, signaling that it was a game to her.
"And calling me cute like that. I swear, I'm tired of being treated like a kid. Cole, Flint, this stranger, most of the people I meet think I'm some stupid helpless child." she groaned, fitting her rings onto her fingers.
"She gave them back, then?" asked Rose, sneaking up beside Petal, who was too focused with her ranting to notice her approach.
"Yeah, she did. She was playing a game with me, one that I lost."
"That must have sucked." Rose said.
Petal scowled as she put the last ring in place. "Calling us children when she can't be that much older than ourselves. I swear, I can't stand that smug attitude of hers."
"I've never seen somebody get so under your skin, Petal. You okay?" Rose inquired.
"Fine. She just frustrates me." Petal took a short, but much needed breath of the surrounding fresh air. "I shouldn't let it get to me, should I? We're here for a mission, this is no time for me to be acting like that."
"Especially since you're our leader. You're the example we're supposed to follow, right?" Rose said, smiling kindly.
"I suppose so." Petal answered, and she quickly hurried to join Flint and the girl at the head of the party.
As she passed Mila and Shimmer, she saw him laughing, and she responded by sticking out her tongue. Once she caught up with the girl and professor, she gave a wicked smirk in the woman's direction. The girl gave her one in kind and the three of them led the way into the largest of the cabins, the one where the presumed head of the village resided. The room itself was dry, somewhat chilly, though there was a warmth from the hearth along the wall opposite of the door, stationed between two paned windows. Sitting at a table was an old man, one who had simple clothing made of fur and hide. He had graying hair and a beard that matched it. His aged, sunken eyes were dull spheres of faded green, and his smile caused the wrinkles around his mouth to stretch slightly.
"Ah, the hired help has arrived. I welcome you all into my home for your duration here. I do hope you will find it suitable enough, and I ask that you forgive any shortcomings it may have. We aren't accustomed to having visitors this far away from the city." said the man, his voice scratchy and naturally full of rasp.
"It's more than adequate." said Flint, taking a seat across from him.
The hooded girl swept down the cloth hiding her head, and Petal was surprised at what she saw. There, barely protruding from her auburn hair, was a pair of short, triangular ears that matched in color, except for the insides, which were a soft shade of pink. She began politely directing PRSM into some seats in the living area, starting with a small sofa that fit Shimmer and Mila, and another which Rose and Petal then occupied.
"Taiga, can you get our guests some beverages… some tea, perhaps?" said the old man.
"Of course, Everage, I'd be delighted to." the faunus girl replied, before leaving for another room of the house.
"So, I was told that our saviors would be students, but I expected some that were older than this. Are they able to handle this task?" asked the old man named Everage.
"They have my vote of confidence, sir, and I hope you excuse my hubris when I say this, but my opinion means a lot. If I think they're capable, I would hope that says enough about their abilities."
"Perhaps it does in Mistral, but we are in the wilds, Huntsman, a place where your opinion is being shared among strangers. I do not know you, therefore I do not know the weight of your word. However, I do know that you are what I was sent, and I know better than to turn my nose up at the help I requested. As it stands, I will have to take your word as it is. If you like, I will fill you in on the situation, or what we know, which is dreadfully little."
"I would." said Flint. "I was told you have been losing people for the last few weeks now. Have you seen any signs of Grimm activity or something that might hint at a cause?"
"No, which is the most frightening aspect. The people taken have been our hunters and gatherers, the ones who go some distance from the settlement to find resources like food and water. We've searched but even some of the people we sent out have yet to return, and it's been days since they've been last seen. Our hunters are starting to grow afraid of what's out there, primarily because we can't find any signs of struggles or Grimm."
"When was the last time you saw any Creature of Grimm?" asked Flint.
"Months at this point, maybe half a year, at least. " replied the elder. "I don't expect to see those people again, Huntsman, but I do want these attacks on my people to stop. You have access to anything we can provide while you perform your duties. Question who you like, go where you will, but promise me you will stop this."
The clinking of glasses filled the room as Taiga returned, passing out well-worn cups of steaming tea. When she got to Petal, she handed the cup over and winked, before giving Rose hers.
"A promise like that is hard to keep, sir, but I assure that we will do our best in the matter," said Flint.
"What was that about?" asked Rose, leaning over to Petal.
"I don't know." Petal replied, smelling her tea cautiously, wary of any tampering the girl might have committed.
Flint and the elder conversed for almost an hour before Taiga was directed to show them all to their rooms. Rose, Shimmer, and Petal were allowed a room to themselves, and both Mila and Flint remained in another. As Taiga left the room, she gave Petal an odd smirk, and then closed the door behind her. Rose was sitting on the bed, playing with her hair as she watched Petal's confused expression pass. Petal shook her head and then moved to a chair in the corner of the room. There were two beds in there, so enough for two people if they didn't bundle up. Petal, hardly sleeping as is, and being the smallest in the group, suggested that she take the chair for her bed. Though the two others argued against it, Petal put a stop to it quick enough. Before the night arrived, Mila and Flint entered the room, and all of them took seats where they could find them.
"Alright, I will be straight with you four." started Flint. "I am here as a guide, a chaperone to some extent. The headmaster wants to see how you four handle an assignment on your own, and so, this will be your task to handle. I will always be around to assist you if needed, but your objective is to rely on me as little as possible during our time here, is that understood?" he asked them.
"Yes, Professor," said Rose.
"So, we're to do this investigation and hunt down whatever is doing this?" asked Petal. "And all without your help?" she added, crossing her arms.
"I told you, my help is always here if need be. You should know, Petal, everything out here is unpredictable, and the odd things that have been happening recently only accentuate that. If this proves to be more than some roaming Grimm, I'll step in and assist you. Besides, I didn't take you as the type that needed my help."
"I was simply curious." Petal replied.
"Good. Then, carry on. What's your plan to start with?" he asked her.
Petal looked around at her team and then thought for a moment. "Hmm, I think we'll head out first thing in the morning to do a full search. For now, we'll do a check of the perimeter, but keep it close for the time being. It's getting late and we should save that for when we're getting desperate. I don't want any of us to be alone either. For now, we'll be in teams of two to search around the village, and then we meet back up here. Tomorrow morning, we'll go together, and branch out a little further. Sound good to everyone?" she asked.
"All good here, Petal." said Mila.
"Sounds well enough," said Shimmer, quietly.
Rose gave her an endearing smile and nodded her head. "I'm with you."
"Good. Rose, you're with me, Shimmer and Mila, you two can go together. Don't stray far, don't lose sight of one another. Try to find any clues, though I don't really expect to find anything closeby."
"Then why are we doing it?" asked Mila.
"So much for being good, huh? You always have to ask questions, don't you?" she replied. "Well, I figured that it would be good to get a lay of the land anyway. The more we understand about the place, the better our position. Plus, Everage mentioned that some of the disappearances are happening closer to the village as of late. If it is Grimm, we need to make sure that they haven't snuck up to the gates in the last couple of days." explained Petal.
"Makes sense. Alright." Mila said.
"Glad we have that sorted out. Oh, and about questioning me… Keep doing it." said Petal. Mila gave her a curious expression. "Well, I may not always be right, and maybe one of you will have a better idea. I am a leader in name alone, remember? I'm not a genius, and I don't have the ability to see the future. There are times where I might be wrong, so having you guys question me might actually be for the best. If my logic seems messed up, or there is a better option, speak your mind. With that being said, let's head out."
Flint gave her an approving nod as he rose to his feet. "I'll be heading out as well. I might as well have a small look around too. It's not in my nature to watch everybody else do all of the work. Plus, if you all do need my help in the end, I want to be on the same page as soon as possible." he stated, as he left the room before them.
Petal gave her team a quick nod before heading out with Rose by her side. As they left the cabin and walked the streets, many eyes were on them, watching them cautiously. Petal ignored it for the most part, but Rose seemed frustrated, or that was at least what Petal thought. Rose seemed more stiff than normal, as she walked straighter, and had a more serious expression than Petal expected.
"Something up?" Petal inquired, nudging Rose lightly with an elbow.
"N-no, not really. It's just an odd place, you know? I don't feel particularly welcome here." Rose answered.
Petal didn't think that was all there was to it, but decided to roll with it. If she could assist Rose in one issue, whatever else was on her mind might show itself. Petal took Rose's hand in her own and they left the border of the village, growing surrounded by amber colored trees once more.
"I don't think we're not welcome here, Rose, I think they see us as strange. I mean, they were probably expecting professional, licensed Huntsmen, and instead, they get a bunch of kids. To be honest, I would be underwhelmed and confused too. You can't really blame them, right?"
Rose smiled softly and nodded her head in agreement. "I suppose not." Rose paused for a moment and picked a scarlet, five-pointed leaf from the ground, and held it up, twirling it between her thumb and index finger. "Did I ever tell you why I wanted to become a Huntress?" she questioned.
Petal stopped as well and leaned up against a tree, crossing her arms over her chest. "Once or twice, but you never went into detail. It was pretty much along the lines of you wanting to help people, just like most of the students at Haven, right?"
"Kind of. I do want to help others, of course, but… that's not all." Rose then nervously laughed as she pressed the leaf to her forehead and closed her eyes. "This is so stupid."
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not that." Petal stated, grinning at the flustered Rose in front of her.
"It's stupid and it's embarassing, and once you know it, you're going to think the same thing. I shouldn't even say it." Rose said, leaning her back against another massive trunk and continuing her fidgeting with the leaf.
"What is it?"
"Love." Rose replied, blushing brightly and looking away from Petal.
"Love? What's love have to do with being a Huntress?" asked Petal.
"Well, when I was little, I was told all kinds of stories about Huntsmen and Huntresses, fighting the evil forces of Grimm and becoming heroes, essentially. I don't know if my parents made them up or if they have some origin in a book somewhere, but I loved every one I heard. In most of them, there was some love plot that was always there. The hero would find the person they were destined to be with, and in the end, after all of the dangers were dealt with, they would get that person. The two fated souls would be together and nothing would ever split them apart. It's childish, but after hearing all of those stories for so many years, I wanted to see if it was true. I thought that if I became one of those heroes, I would be able to find the person I was destined to be with."
Rose then laughed as she dropped her arm to her side, and looked up towards the branches above them. "It's not very noble, I know, but to me, that was everything. I believed that it was romantic, having fate bring these two very different people together, all for the purpose of meeting one another, and making each other happy."
"Did you ever find them?" Petal asked.
Rose dropped her gaze from the hidden sky to look into Petal's face, her golden eyes that shone when the minimal amount of sunlight struck them just right. She smiled then, and Petal could see the girl's pink hued eyes begin to sparkle and glisten. Rose seemed to take a long, deep breath, and then looked to the ground.
"I am not really sure, to tell the truth. I think there is somebody, but I don't really know how I feel yet, or how they feel about me. I thought we were close, but I don't know, maybe they just don't feel the same way as I do about them."
Petal could hear the frustration in Rose's tone, and smiled faintly. "I think that they probably do, whoever they are. Maybe you just have to give them some time. For now, however, let's walk and talk. We do have a mission to be getting on with."
"You're right. I shouldn't be moping. This is our first real chance to prove ourselves too, and I want to make a good impression. Plus, it wouldn't be good to have Professor May recommend us like that, and then we muck it up. I'm sorry, Petal, I should stay focused."
"You should, but I am always here to listen if you need it, even if we need to be focusing on something." said Petal, and as she started walking away, she paused and turned her head to look over her shoulder. "And, I don't think what you want is stupid at all. Don't give up on it."
Rose snickered as she started after Petal, dropping the leaf from her hand and allowing it to slowly drift to the forest floor. "It's when you say things like that where I feel the professor made the right decision in choosing you."
"Please, I'm a troublemaker, I fail most of my tests, and I am hardly on time for our practices. I'm a terrible leader, just admit it." Petal stated, giggling, and stuffing a hand in her pocket as she walked along.
"Not to me." said Rose, though she did so quietly, probably thinking Petal couldn't hear it.
Petal smiled, and mouthed a silent thanks to Rose's confidence before pressing onward, scanning the environment for any signs of activity, be it Grimm or human. After an hour or so, the sun was finally starting to set, and the world was growing much too dark for Rose to see in. Petal was fine, and so, she acted as a guide to help them safely return to the settlement, holding her hand the entire way. Once back inside the elder's cabin, the four members of PRSM convened in the girls' room, all taking seats wherever possible. The only missing one was Flint, though they paid it little attention, as he was a professional Huntsman, and a grown man at that, so all assumed he was able to handle himself.
"Did you find anything?" asked Petal, looking at Mila and Shimmer as they sat on Shimmer's bed.
Shimmer shook her head and Mila gave Petal an 'I told you' sort of look, though he quickly let it fade away.
"No, nothing at all. I even activated my semblance and sniffed around a bit, but still, no signs of Grimm or struggles in the area. I didn't even see or smell anything from the village's hunters. It might be that we're too close to the village to make those scents and sounds out from the ones here, but I can't be sure of that until we head further out. Still, I doubt that's the case." Mila answered.
"I'm with you. I didn't find anything either, and Rose and I were well out of the settlement's own scents, or at least far enough away for me to notice the difference. I picked up on some animal tracks but nothing dangerous, mostly deer and the like." Petal stated, leaning up against the wall, and lightly scratching her chin as she gazed towards the wooden flooring. "All four of us will head out first thing in the morning. Flint said that there were cave systems around here, we'll check some of them out too. Is everyone in agreement?" asked Petal.
They all gave a collective affirmation and they settled down for the night in their respective areas. Petal took her chair, and gazed out of the window that was between the two inhabited beds. She didn't have a visual of the moon, as she forgot to move the chair closer before the others had fallen asleep, and to do so now would certainly wake them up. Instead, she settled for the soft glow that creeped in, and the view of the swaying branches she could spot outside of the settlement. After a while, she grew bored of the sight, and instead, noticed Rose as she slept peacefully, wrapped comfortably in her fur lined sheets, and her pink-red hair draping around her head in long bunches. After a faint exhale, she too curled up in her seat, pulled a similar sheet over herself, and closed her eyes tight.