A/N: Well, we had to get here at some point, folks. Get ready for waves and waves of canon. I hope having it in Nora's POV will lighten the overwhelming weight of info dumps- at least a little bit. I thought about splitting it up, but it felt stilted when I separated it into different chapters, so brace yourself for a long one.

Also, I'm hoping for a temperature check. We're only a few chapters away from the end of V5, and we're over halfway through the story. How is it thus far? Is there anything in the story I'm doing well which I should keep doing? Anything I can improve upon? Feedback, positive and constructive, is always appreciated, so let me know! Y'all are fairly quiet readers overall, so I'd love to hear from you.

What We Call Home

The weekend finally arrived where they were to make their infiltration plans with the newly-recruited Huntsmen. The amount of ingredients everyone bought was utterly obscene- "What are we doing, feeding an army?" Nora kept asking as they pulled everything out of the refrigerator- so they had to begin cooking early in the evening in order to have it ready in time.

"Oh, I haven't had hotpot in so long!" Ruby squealed excitedly.

Ren nodded. "When in Mistral, right? Nothing like sharing a meal together in order to forge trust." Nora ignored the boy's pointed look when he added, "If we still have enough ingredients."

"Nora," Jaune called from the dining table where he was laying everything out for their guests, "please don't eat everything."

Nora rolled her eyes, popping another piece of the carrot she was currently slicing into her mouth anyways.

The dark-haired boy sighed and continued stirring his pot of broth. "Alright, the first batch is just about done."

"Awesome!" said Ruby. "Now we just need Qrow and we'll be all set."

Continuing to sneak carrot slices, Nora mumbled, "Do you really think he's gonna bring that many people? This is a lot of food."

The younger girl shrugged. "Uh, I don't know, but it sounds like we could use all the help we can get."

Before they could continue their conversation, the front door creaked open in the living room. "I'm back!" Qrow's voice called.

Ruby immediately perked up, eyes shimmering as she replied, "Be right there!" After a brief scolding from Ren about burning the omelet side dish, Ruby hurriedly grabbed the tea tray Jaune had prepared earlier and sauntered into the living room.

The moment the girl was gone, Nora stepped towards Ren and bumped him with her hip. "Looking good, Mister Chef," she teased with a wink.

Ren immediately frowned, but his face reddened slightly, much to her amusement. "Nora, please-"

"-'do nothing to the cook'. I know, I know. I bought you that apron, remember?" She brought over the carrot slices (whatever was left) to him, ready to add them to the soup when a shattering sound came from the living room. With a start, Nora, Jaune and Ren looked at the doorway in panic, immediately setting down their spatulas, pans, and teacups in favour of kitchen knives as they headed to the doorway.

To their surprise, it wasn't unwelcome intruders who had made Ruby drop the tray. Dripping tea and crumbling sugar cubes and shards of porcelain lay everywhere on the wooden floor, but it didn't matter- in the center of the mess stood Ruby.

And, holding the girl tight in her arms- her arms- was Yang Xiao Long, the blonde looking stronger and more confident than ever with a prosthetic arm shining in the light.

The spectating trio placed their knives on the counter and walked over, careful to not disturb the moment. Nora's heart swelled in a myriad of emotions- joy, relief, shock, confusion, gratitude- as she saw the two sisters embracing one another, tears rolling down their cheeks as they reunited at last. And, behind the two girls stood Qrow, and- even crazier- Weiss Schnee, the girl looking battered and bruised and oddly uncomfortable.

After a moment, the two sisters let go and motioned towards their third teammate. "Weiss," Ruby whispered.

With love radiating from every pore, the pale girl rushed over and joined her friends in a hug, the three young women holding onto one another and giggling and sniffling.

They've… found their way back to one another. They did it. Nora's heart was going to burst. She couldn't be happier for Ruby. The younger girl deserved to have her teammates by her side.

After all, JNRR could never replace Team RWBY. And that was okay.

So as to not disturb the moment, Oscar appeared from the stairwell on his tiptoes, creeping over to Jaune, Ren and Nora. "Are… are they her teammates?" he whispered.

Jaune grinned fondly, his eyes never leaving the three girls. "Yeah. The blonde is Ruby's big sister, Yang, and the other one is Weiss Schnee, their teammate."

"What are they doing here, though?" Oscar asked, confused.

Nora skirted around Jaune and lay a hand on Oscar's shoulder. "It doesn't matter," she said quietly. "All that matters is that they're together, right?"

Ren nodded, quiet happiness radiating from his smile. "Indeed. They look like they've been battling. Let's get them rested up. Then we can hear the story."

As the girls continued to quietly embrace and whisper to one another, Qrow approached the rest of them. "Hey, kids," he said softly, his expression gentler than they'd ever seen it before. "Change of plans. No one else is coming tonight, but we have these two here."

"No one?" Nora asked, alarm bells immediately ringing in her brain. How could there be no one- you spent weeks looking!

He held up a hand. "Long story, short answer- Oscar, grab some grub for us to-go, then meet me upstairs. I've gotta chat with Oz. Meanwhile, you three," he added, turning to Nora and her teammates, "Would you mind getting a warm meal in these two? I doubt they've eaten in days." His eyes softened. "And you all deserve a chance to catch up."

Nora bit back her questions, sighed, and then saluted Qrow cheerily. "You've got it!"

With that, Oscar and Qrow set to their own work, while Nora finally approached the trio of girls who were finally releasing one another. "Where's our hugs?" she asked, propping her hands on her hips defiantly.

Weiss and Yang traded rueful looks, giggled, then held out their arms. Nora immediately leapt forward and crushed them both in her embrace. "Oh, I can't believe you all made it here," she said against Yang's shoulder.

The blonde laughed, patting her on the back before releasing her and turning to give Jaune a hug. "I know. It's… been a ride."

Jaune chuckled and gave each girl a hug in turn. To Nora's surprise, Weiss didn't turn away, instead embracing the tall boy like an old, true friend. I guess she's mellowed out a bit, huh? she thought wryly, remembering all the times the pale girl had completely ignored Jaune at Beacon.

Once initial greetings were finished, they set to work. "You two need to come with us," Nora shrieked. "The boys will finish cooking, and we're gonna get you showered and wash your clothes and get you spick and span!"

Yang opened her mouth, clearly inclined to protest, but one look at Weiss' muddied dress shut her up. "Yeah," Yang finally said. "Probably a good idea."

So, the two girls of JNRR dragged Weiss and Yang upstairs, setting them up in a guest bedroom and washing and drying their clothes. After an hour, the two young women were back downstairs with the rest of them, with a whole array of food laid out elegantly upon the table.

"Is anyone else coming?" Ruby asked, her expression falling a bit.

Ren shook his head. "Qrow said he'll give us details later."

"For tonight, he said we should just relax. Catch up," Jaune added.

Nora pushed Weiss and Yang to take a seat. "Yeah- I have so many questions," she groaned. "And I'm so hungry, so let's eat!"

Once everyone was seated upon cushions on the floor around the low dining table, and bowls were filled up with noodles and broth and vegetables, everyone burst into chatter. The two new girls wanted to hear all about the adventures of Team RNJR- "Team JNRR, thank you very much," Nora insisted with a pout- so they began to recount everything that had happened ever since their departure from Patch. They left out their struggles for the most part- no one needed to know the amount of trauma they had lived and relived throughout their journey across southern Anima- but the fun parts were still more than enough to fill the air with joy.

"How do you lose your map at a time like that?" Yang cried, throwing her hand up in the air in exasperation.

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Believe me, I've asked myself the same thing ever since."

Everyone laughed at the blond, who could only giggle sheepishly in response. Nora grinned, pride blooming in her chest. "Hey, but you made up for it, Mister Muscles!" she cried, thinking back to the fight against the Nuckelavee in Kuroyuri. "You shoulda seen this guy take a giant Grimm head on!"

Jaune chuckled. "I couldn't have done it without Ruby wearing it down."

Said girl scoffed, "Uh, me? Did you see Ren during that fight? He was out of control!" She waved around a carrot slice emphatically while she spoke, drawing a pout from Weiss as broth flew over the table.

Ren shrunk in on himself. Solemnly, he murmured, "I'm sorry, I may have lost my temper momentarily."

Nora dragged a hand down her face as she realized what Ren had misunderstood. Thankfully, Ruby understood it too, adding hurriedly, "No, no! Out of control as in 'awesome'!"

"Oh." He took a moment to process her words again, then smiled gleefully. "Thank you."

Laughter burst out across the table, and the stories continued flowing while they ate their food. Soon, they landed upon the tales of Weiss during her time cooped up in Atlas over the past months. She had been practically kidnapped and jailed by her father, stripped of her title as heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, and then had found herself illegally escaping the Atlesian embargo on a cargo ship which suffered a terrible crash- and to make it even wilder, she had then been found and taken as hostage by Yang's mom in the Branwen Tribe. This cannot be real. It sounds so fake! Nora gawped at her as Weiss explained how, using her Semblance of summoning fallen foes using glyphs, she had accidentally summoned a Boarbatusk of all things in the middle of a fancy SDC charity event in order to take down a woman mocking the Fall of Beacon.

Ruby gasped, eyes bugging out of her head. "You did not!"

Weiss buried her face in her hands, clearly mortified at the memory. "Yeah, right in the middle of the party," she groaned.

Yang cackled, "Please tell me you let that lady have it."

"Of course not! Even if I did really want to," Weiss protested after a moment.

Nora crossed her arms, shaking her head. I refuse to believe that Weiss Schnee of all people acted out at a fancy event! She lives for those, doesn't she? And since when can she summon things?! "No way, I don't believe it," she insisted.

Suddenly, a growl and a lick of breath touched her ear. Turning to the right, Nora's heart leapt out of her chest as the ghostly, boar-like figure of a giant Boarbatusk materialized beside her. "Wha-!" she yelled, losing her balance and falling onto Ren's lap. The boy shook with laughter underneath her, righting her in her seat before piling more noodles into her bowl. Nora pouted, but ate her noodles anyway amidst the teasing laughter of her friends.

By the time dinner was properly winding down, their gazes finally fell upon Yang. Nora could feel herself shrinking away from the questions at hand, alongside Jaune and Ren. How are you? What happened after we left? Are you okay? The blonde had been nothing more than a shell of her former self after the Fall of Beacon, refusing to talk to them and falling apart more each day. It had been soul-crushing, watching her deteriorate over the short period of time she and her teammates had stayed at the Xiao Long-Rose household in Patch.

Thankfully, the girl seemed as vibrant and proud as ever. Once she realized the elephant in the room, Yang stood up, rolled up her sleeve, and proudly showed off her new arm- a yellow and silver prosthetic matching her weapon. They all applauded in awe as they watched her move it as naturally as a real limb, the light reflecting off of it mirroring the shine of her hair. Apparently, General Ironwood of Atlas had sent it to her as a gift after the Fall, and she had spent many weeks training with it against Taiyang to ensure she was stronger than ever.

"It's not a replacement for the real thing, but I'll make sure to make good use of it," she concluded.

Nora could faintly hear everyone's amazed comments, but she had tuned it out long ago. The moment Yang had said that it was just as strong as the original, she knew what she had to do. Bouncing in her seat, she waited for her chance to strike.

"-just as strong?" Nora heard Ruby say.

Yang hummed in agreement. Got it.

Nora sat up and slammed her elbow on the table, holding her arm out waiting. "Wanna bet?" she growled, a wicked smile crossing her face.

"Nora, please," she heard Weiss mutter, "now's not the time…"

But it didn't matter. Yang's eyes flashed red, then back to lilac, and the girl practically sprinted to a sliding halt before plopping herself down across the table from Nora. Yang grabbed Nora's hand, a cocky grin on her face, and squeezed. Old habits died hard- and when Nora and Yang were together, it only meant one thing.

Arm wrestling.

Damn, it is strong! Her brows furrowed together, competitiveness flaring up inside her. That means I'm taking you down!

So, their bout began. Their friends cheered and hooted and hollered, supporting their respective teammates. Nora tuned it out, focusing on staring deadlocked with Yang. "It definitely feels like the original, I'll give you that!" she huffed after nearly a minute of struggling against the cybernetic arm.

"Yep," Yang smirked, "but, it does have some new features!"

She snorted. "Oh yeah?"

Suddenly, there was a robotic clink, and Nora felt herself fly backwards and crash into the wall. But… but I'm still holding on…? She groaned, straightening up while the others watched worriedly. When she finally opened her eyes, her Aura flickering away as the bruises she would've gotten otherwise finished healing up, she saw, still in her hand, Yang's arm.

What-?! She screamed, tossing it back at the blonde who only laughed heartily in response. "You didn't say it was a rocket arm!" she shrieked after a moment.

Yang winked. "Can't tell all my secrets before the match."

The conversation died down into a happy lull, now that their stories were shared and their bellies were full. Jaune tottered to his feet, picking up pots and bowls and stumbling to the kitchen. "Ugh... We ate it all… Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick..."

Yang teased, "Easy there, Vomit Boy, I believe in you."

Jaune rolled his eyes, walking towards the sink. "Oh, we're doing nickname throwbacks now. Wonderful," he grumbled sarcastically.

To her surprise, Weiss giggled openly. Nora bit back her surprise, instead offering, "I mean, the Ice Queen seems to like it."

Immediately, Weiss' expression soured, but when Ruby and Yang giggled along, Weiss' smile returned. "I so did not miss you people."

Nora gasped, cupping her face in her hands adoringly. "Oh my gosh, she really does like it! What went and warmed your heart while you were gone?"

The girls continued to exchange banter playfully, teasing one another until Ren finally spoke up. "It's been a long time. We've all grown in our own ways."

"You really think so?" Ruby asked.

Nora sobered up, leaning forward to pay attention to the boy as he continued, "Well, think back to when we were all at Beacon; would you say you ever did anything foolish or embarrassing? Or do you think you were perfect?" As everyone began to reflect- and subsequently flush and groan in embarrassment- he explained, "Well that embarrassment- that desire to go back and tell yourself not to be so stupid -that just proves you're not the same person you used to be. You're smarter, you're kinder, you're stronger, and you're not done growing yet. None of us are."

It was true. All of them had been on incredibly painful journeys. Although Yang and Weiss had told them only fun or exciting portions, Nora could sense that they were hiding bits of their tales, just as she and the rest of her teammates were. There was no point in sharing everything- but despite it all, seeing that there was still so much to have loved about their journeys made her proud.

But you're on your way, Ren, Nora thought fondly, her heart aching as she looked at him. He had grown so much over the past few months. It made her so, so proud. I love you.

Everyone took a moment to ponder what he said, shocked at the little speech. Then, Ruby chirped, "Yeah, turns out Ren gets real deep when he feels like talking."

Everyone giggled, an ease settling over the room.

Nora stood, raising a brow. "Well, hold on, I thought I was pretty great in school!"

Yang said, "Even at the dance? When you spilled punch all over yourself in front of-"

Instantly, she regretted saying anything. Leaping over the table, Nora cried, "Yes, especially the dance! Thank you, Yang!" Just shut up now, please! She frantically began blasting a song from her Scroll to block out Yang's next words so as to not conjure up the image in anyone's mind. If she could go back in time and stop herself from spilling dark punch all over herself and, subsequently, Professor Peach and Professor Pearson while they were dancing (far too suggestively, she would add- apparently the two old professors did that every tournament to make the kids cringe, and it worked) while she was trying to lead Ren to the dance floor… ugh. It was terrible.

Okay, Nora redacted silently as everyone laughed, not terrible. Pyrrha and Jaune were so cute that night. The very thought of it still warmed her heart like nothing else.

Suddenly, Qrow's voice boomed from the stairs. "How can six kids possibly make so much noise eating dinner?!"

The whole group turned to look at Qrow and Oscar who had finally emerged from their conversation upstairs. Nora turned off her music with a sheepish smile to let them speak.

Jaune, who had returned from the kitchen a few seconds before, murmured, "Is… is it time to talk?"

Oscar nodded once. "Ozpin wants to share next steps. And," he added, nodding towards Yang and Weiss, "we have to make sure everyone is filled in."

Everyone's face fell, becoming serious and stony in a heartbeat. Without a word, they all headed to the living room on the second floor of the manor, since it had more seats for the larger group. Nora took a seat beside Jaune quietly.

Oscar hung back, waiting until Yang and Weiss were seated before approaching them. "You're… Yang and Weiss, right? I'm Oscar," he said clumsily, a light blush tinting his cheeks.

Jaune had explained over dinner who Oscar was, so the two girls simply nodded and smiled. "Nice to meet you too, Oscar," Weiss offered.

Yang, on the other hand, was unusually cold. "Nice to meet you."

Oscar flinched at the deadness of her tone, retreating to the armchair Ozpin always gravitated towards during their discussions. His eyes flashed, and Ozpin's voice murmured, "Miss Schnee, Miss Xiao Long. It's wonderful to see you again."

Weiss' eyes widened, her hand flying up to her mouth. "It's… true," she murmured in shock. "You really are Ozpin."

"Yes." He nodded gravely. "And I must tell you something important."

"My mother already told us," Yang muttered.

Nora frowned, trying to sort out all the ties in her head. So- Yang's mom is Raven Branwen, who's Qrow's sister, who is the leader of the Branwen Tribe of all people, and Yang and Ruby don't know her well, and Raven and Qrow worked for Ozpin till Raven left, and she kidnapped Weiss and Yang and then they teleported to Qrow using a portal she made with her sword to get to us 'cause Yang was trying to find Ruby.

She sighed. Maybe it was due to the amount of carbs she had just consumed, but she was getting a headache.

Ozpin and Qrow traded worried glances. "Then let us compare information." Without further delay, Ozpin began to recount the tale of the Maidens, and the gods, and the Relics, and everything else Qrow had told them that cold night around the campfire in the wilderness. It stung hearing it a second time- but the fact that it was coming from Professor Ozpin's mouth, and not from Qrow Branwen, almost made it worse for Nora. It made it all so much more… real.

As he spoke, Weiss' expression grew more troubled, while Yang closed off completely, crossing her arms and glaring at the floor.

Finally, Weiss asked, "So, the Maidens. Magic. Salem. It's all true?"

Qrow hummed in affirmation.

Ozpin leaned forward to look past Weiss at Yang. "Miss Xiao Long, is this more or less what your mother told you?"

When Yang didn't respond, Weiss said, "For the most part."

Suddenly, Yang jumped in accusingly. "You forgot something. You forgot to tell everyone what you did to Qrow and my mother."

Ruby gasped, clearly caught off guard. Jaune picked up on that confusion, asking, "What is she talking about?"

Qrow groaned, pushing his hair back wearily. "Oh, great."

Ozpin seemed a bit perplexed. "Hm, that's not a secret I thought she would give up so easily. Your mother must trust you a great deal." Yang only responded with a dark scowl, so he explained to the group, "My ability to reincarnate, though a curse, isn't without a few key benefits. Much like the Maidens, I too possess a certain... 'magical' power." Standing up, the former headmaster wandered over to Qrow, his cane clacking against the wooden floors with each step. "Using this power, I was able to gift the Branwen twins the ability to "see" more, to move freely and be unburdened by their natural bodies. I... well... gave them the ability to turn into birds." He chuckled ruefully. "Rather ridiculous sounding out loud, isn't it?"

Nora frowned. Birds? Um… Qrow's just a guy.

Ruby prodded, "Uncle?"

"You turned them... into birds," Ren repeated slowly.

Nora frowned. "Alright, now you're just messing with us." A bird doesn't look like a person. What the heck are they talking about?

It was a little stab to the heart, however, when Jaune muttered angrily, "What else is new?" at her side. His frustration over the whole situation hadn't waned a bit.

Weiss cut in, "He's telling the truth. We saw it. Yang's mom... changed, right in front of us."

Changed into what? Nora thought, baffled.

At the mention of her mother again, Yang glared pointedly at Ozpin. "Why would you do something like that? I mean, what is wrong with you?"

"Yang, that's enough!" Qrow cried. "We made a choice. We wanted this."

Yang's expression shifted into hurt disbelief, but she backed off anyway at his harsh tone.

Ozpin turned to Qrow. "May I?" When the taller man nodded, Ozpin said gently, "Granting this power to them was no trivial task, and I can assure you it was not done frivolously. I required assistance in gathering information on Salem's plans, as well as searching for Maidens when their hosts became unclear."

Ruby asked, "Okay, so, have you done this with others- like General Ironwood? Or Professor Goodwitch?"

Walking over to stand beside Yang, Ozpin shook his head. "As helpful as that might be, unfortunately, it is not that simple. My power is finite, and if I'm being honest, dwindling. The amount that I gifted to Qrow and Raven was, all things considered, rather miniscule." He looked away, a hint of shame flitting across his face. "You see, centuries ago, I sacrificed a great deal of magic to four young women, who I hoped would use my gift for good. They were the first Maidens."

…wait. Nora frowned, reeling from the information overload. But- but if he gave the first Maidens their power, then…

Ozpin barrelled onwards after a moment of silence. "Miss Xiao Long, it was never my intention to lie to you. To any of you. There are just some matters that I prefer to... 'play close to the chest'." He glanced ruefully up at Qrow. "I believe that's how you phrased it?"

The other man chuckled, voice hoarse and dry. It was clear that this conversation was draining to have to listen to for him as well. "Yeah."

Looking back at Yang, Ozpin said, "Everyone has a choice. The Branwens chose to accept their powers and the responsibilities that came with them. And later, one of them chose to abandon her duties in favor of her own self-interest." He looked exhausted, a face that broke Nora's heart a little. Although it was Ozpin's voice, it was still little Oscar's face speaking, and she didn't want him to go through this.

Ozpin turned away from them all. "Now, all of you have a choice. If anyone wishes to leave, now is the time. There's no shame or disgrace in abstaining, only in retreat."

No one spoke. When it was clear that no one would step out of the conflict to come, the Huntsman turned back around, gratitude shining in his eyes. "Very well, then-"

Yang cut him off by standing up suddenly, fists clenched tight, eyes boring holes into the wall across from her. Ruby called her name, but she didn't respond, simply taking a moment to collect herself before finally stating, "If Ruby sticks around, then I will too. If there's one thing I know about her, it's that she somehow always knows the right thing to do." She flashed her little sister a small smile. "But, if we're going to help, if we're going to keep risking our lives, no more lies. No more half-truths."

Nora nodded enthusiastically in agreement as the conversation carried on, but realistically, her mind was miles away, still focused on one little detail that everyone seemed to have forgotten far too easily.

And then, it came to her, startling everyone else. "Oh. Raven? Qrow? They're birds!" She leaned back, satisfaction coursing through her. "Cracked it!"

Qrow sighed. "…sure, kid. Anyways, you all will be free tomorrow, but rest up- tomorrow evening we've got a date with Leo. Gotta meet him at Haven."

Nora glanced over at Ruby, who was staring at her uncle with a worried expression. "With or without weapons?" the younger girl said quietly.

Their hearts all simultaneously sank as the man's eyes darkened. "With. Something's wrong, and we're gonna get answers, whether he likes it or not."

They sighed, nodded, then headed back to the dining table one by one. "I think we have some fruit in the fridge," Jaune announced. "Dessert?"

"Heck yeah!" Yang agreed.

Weiss, on the other hand, looked almost green at the thought of more food. "I'll stay to hang out, but I don't think I can eat another bite."

Team RWBY, Jaune, and Oscar filed into the kitchen, slowly rekindling the bright energy that had filled the room before their conversation with Ozpin. However, Nora hung back, reaching out to grab Ren's sleeve before he could join everyone. When he looked down at her quizzically, she insisted, "I've been patient for weeks, Ren."

The boy's eyes softened, magenta smiling lightly at her as they stood together and turned to face Qrow. "Can we ask you something?" Nora asked hesitantly.

The man's eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead, but after a moment, he nodded his head. "Yeah, kids. What's up?" He took a seat on the armchair Ozpin had vacated, crossing an ankle over a knee.

She took a seat on the couch closest to him, while Ren sat down on the armrest right beside her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, allowing her to take the lead. She nodded resolutely, then turned to Qrow, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Why aren't there any Huntsmen here?"

Something flashed in Qrow's eyes- something sad, almost broken. He had managed to evade that question with the rest of the group, but Nora needed to know. He immediately dropped his gaze to the floor, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Clasping his hands together, he fiddled with the numerous rings on his fingers before he finally murmured, "There were… some complications."

"How so?" Ren asked, voice even. Nora reached up and grabbed the hand on her shoulder- despite the fact that he sounded calm, he was trembling slightly.

Qrow shook his head. "I, uh… they're all on missions right now."

"That's impossible," Nora replied instantly. "Unless you went to find, like, three people, there's no way that no one-"

"I know," Qrow cut in, looking up at her with resignation in his red eyes. "I know it's not natural. I…"

"Were they all killed?" Nora asked point-blank.

He winced, but didn't respond.

She narrowed her eyes, pressing onwards. I don't like you. "Do you know how they died? Was it Salem? Was it the Grimm?" She paused, taking in a shaky breath. "…Was it the Branwen Tribe?"

At that, Qrow started, nearly jumping out of his seat in shock. "What- what do you kids know about-"

"We know, Qrow Branwen." She leaned her head against Ren's side, chewing on her lip bitterly. "We grew up in the forests of Anima. We know your tribe."

She wouldn't tell him how their guardians had hunted his people for years. That detail wasn't necessary to the story.

"Look," he muttered, casting nervous glances back at the group chattering away in the kitchen, "they're not my tribe. I left, okay? Raven- Yang's mom- may be my sister, but she sure as hell ain't family." Letting out a long sigh, he slumped over in his chair slightly. "I, uh… I doubt it was the Branwens. They're good. Not that good." Leaning back in his chair, he surveyed them both with a curious expression. "I didn't peg you as Mistral kids."

She winced. Not the first time I've been told that. "I know." He doesn't seem like he's lying about this. I still don't like him, though.

Ignoring her comment, he added, "Look, I talked it over with Oz. We're taking precautions to figure out what's going on, but for now, we're on our own." With a bitter smirk, he added, "I'm not telling you to bring your weapons tomorrow for no reason, okay?"

She glanced up at Ren, meeting his equally-concerned gaze. Something's wrong. This is all wrong.

Ren sighed after a moment, turning back to Qrow. "May we see the list of names?" he asked.

That caught Qrow's attention. "Wait, why? Do you know any Huntsmen in Mistral?"

"Sort of," Nora said slowly. "We're… trying to find some people."

Qrow cast a long look between the two of them. Eventually it seemed that he found was he was looking for, as he reached into his pocket, pulled out his Scroll, and handed them a list of contacts. Each name had a strike through it as they crowded around the screen, checking each one.

Caelus… Howl… Kalian…

Their names weren't on there.

"Find what you're looking for?" Qrow muttered.

Ren shook his head. "No. Any idea of where else we might look?"

Qrow sighed, standing up and stretching languidly. "Look, kids," he said exasperatedly, "I've had a rough few weeks. Between refusals and getting lost and wasting money on streetears and… other things," and his voice fell bitterly, "I'm not in the mood. Good luck searching, but you two- don't get into anything dangerous. We need everyone we can for tomorrow night."

She nodded, handing back his Scroll. "We'll figure it out, don't worry."

Qrow was clearly worried, but after a few moments he let out another sigh and staggered up the stairs, calling to the rowdy group of teens in the kitchen, "Don't stay up too late!"

"Okay, Uncle!" Ruby cried back before the sounds of laughter filled the air again.

Before they headed off to join their friends, Ren sighed, murmuring, "Well, that's one option we can try tomorrow."

She frowned. "What's that?"

He shrugged. "Streetears. He mentioned one. I'm sure we can get to one tomorrow, but…"

Nora frowned, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt while she processed what that meant. Streetears were plentiful in Mistral, if you knew where to look. She could remember one location in particular- one which Howl had gone to a few times for reconnaissance on missions.

But it was in the lower tiers of Mistral.

Taking a shaky breath, she flashed him a small smile. "We've got a mission to do, Ren," she murmured.

He grinned, nodding resolutely. "We'll find them." He reached over and grabbed her hand for a moment, squeezing tight before beckoning her over to the kitchen. I'll take care of you down there.

I know you will, she smiled back.

With that unspoken promise of their trip to follow, they walked off, ready to rejoin their friends and celebrate their reunion.