EDITED 1/6/2020
Word Count: 5,977
ACT II
Chapter 9 — Better (Part I)
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"
Weiss grumbled at the disgustingly cheerful voice, pulled her blanket over her head in an attempt to block out both the sun and its noisy, golden-haired herald, and then promptly regretted moving. Although Weiss was using her Aura every night to ease the worst of her aching muscles, she still woke up stiff and sore every morning since starting this Dust-forsaken journey.
There was a slight pause, and then the voice said, "Don't make me get my water canteen. I just refilled it from the stream, and we both know how much you love how crisp the water feels first thing in the morning."
Weiss bolted upright, desperately fighting sleep's call, and doing her best to ignore the protests of her poor, overworked body. "I'm awake," she mumbled crossly as she managed to find enough energy to glare at the smirking woman looking down at her.
"Shame, that. I was looking forward to making you sing again."
Weiss's glare narrowed as she remembered how the other woman had splashed her with water when she couldn't summon the will to get out of her bedroll the first morning of their new journey. The water had been frigidly cold, and Weiss had screeched so loudly that she had scared the nearby bird flocks into temporary silence, much to Yang's amusement. However, now that they were nearly two weeks into their journey, Weiss was learning that when Yang was involved, to continue to engage was to lose, so she just huffed irritably and turned away. Out of the corner of her eye, she sensed rather than saw Yang shrug and go back to her task of making breakfast.
Weiss gave a long, slow stretch, her breath catching as muscles she didn't even know she had ached fiercely with every shift in movement. Then she climbed out of her bedroll and began the task of shaking out each piece so that she could roll it all up neatly. The sisters had to show her how to do it properly, but it was easy enough once she did it a few times. She couldn't help but be inordinately proud of herself. To her, even something as simple as learning to use a bedroll was a huge victory—yet another chance to prove to her father that she was more capable than he ever thought, albeit in spirit only.
Once the task was done and her things were all squared away and ready for another long day of travel, she glanced around and noticed with some disappointment that Ruby was nowhere to be seen. Usually the smaller girl would be running through her sword training exercises around this time while waiting for Yang to finish making breakfast. In truth, Weiss couldn't help but be quite taken at how dedicated the hooded swordswoman was to her craft. As soon as the trees and vegetation had started to thin, Ruby switched to using her new sword as her main weapon now that there was more room to maneuver. She still used her shorter blade from time to time, but her training sessions were increasingly focused on getting used to her new weapon as quickly as possible.
Personally, Weiss didn't think the girl needed to bother. Regardless of whichever sword she was using, Ruby's swordsmanship was a thing of beauty to watch. Weiss might not have been familiar of the particular style the girl was using, but there was a level of expertise in any craft where observers had no choice but to watch in awe. Ruby was well past that level, Weiss couldn't help but note with more than a little jealousy. Weiss swore to herself that she would start holding her own training sessions with Myrtenaster as soon as her legs weren't threatening to fall off every time they stopped for the night.
However, this morning the girl was nowhere in sight. Weiss surveyed the area and frowned when she noticed that Ruby hadn't even packed away her bedroll yet. It lay there on the ground, tousled and messy, annoying the young noble who couldn't stand disorder in any form. She resisted for perhaps three seconds before sighing and walking over to straighten and roll it up for the absent girl. Honestly, for someone with so many obvious skills, the girl could be such a mess. This wasn't the first time Ruby had wandered off without rolling up her bedroll, and Weiss could only assume it wouldn't be her last.
Yang glanced over at her when she started moving, and after she saw what Weiss was doing, her eyes glowed with a level of approval that made Weiss uncomfortable. "Thanks," Yang said as she gave the pot another stir. Weiss did her best to ignore the slight burning in her cheeks and just huffed in response.
Weiss remained quiet until she was finished, taking care to make sure her work was neat and precise. Then she asked, "Where's Ruby?"
Yang shrugged. "Probably out running. She does that sometimes."
Weiss stared at her. "Your sister went running."
"Yep."
"Even though we've got another full day of travel before us?"
"Crazy, right? Her stamina is something else. If she were on her own, she could probably cover twice or three times the distance we've been walking every day."
Weiss was tempted to ask if Yang was joking, but the unabashed pride in the other woman's voice told her that Yang was telling the truth. Yang might dote endlessly on her little sister, but as far as Weiss could tell, she never boasted about anything that wasn't true—which was something that had been starting to wear on Weiss's nerves though she would be hard pressed to explain why.
Thankfully, she didn't need to think on it further for Yang started dividing whatever she had been cooking into their customary three bowls. Knowing what to expect by now, Weiss promptly covered her ears with a grimace just as Yang yelled out, "Ruby! Breakfast!"
Weiss uncovered her ears, and a few seconds later, both of them heard the piping of that little whistle Ruby always wore around her neck, letting them know she heard. She must have already been on her way back because the whistling sounded closer than Weiss expected. Sure enough, a few moments later, Ruby bounded out of the trees and plopped herself down next to Yang, who handed her a bowl and spoon before starting to partake of her own meal.
Still, Weiss didn't miss how Yang was surreptitiously glancing over at Ruby now and again as they all began to eat. For some reason, Yang was constantly concerned about whether Ruby was eating enough or not. Much of their mealtimes consisted of Yang trying to cajole her younger sister into eating a few bites more. Weiss didn't understand it. Yes, there were times where Ruby seemed to be skipping meals, most often in the morning, but a few skipped meals weren't that big of a deal. Even if the girl didn't feel like eating first thing in the morning, they all carried a sack of jerky, nuts, and dried fruit to snack on if they got hungry on the trail. In the end, Weiss decided the older sister was simply being fussy and overbearingly protective like usual and filed the observation away in the box she had created in the back of her mind that she had labeled "the sisters' idiosyncrasies" and left it at that.
It was several days later when Weiss saw her first Grimm.
It had been a day like all the others until the tweeting of Ruby's whistle suddenly pierced the silence. By now, Weiss had learned that the silent girl used the whistle in place of her voice. Greetings were the most common. Whenever Yang or Weiss wandered away from wherever they were camping for the night—usually to collect firewood or fetch water from the stream—the girl was sure to use that silver whistle of hers to trill the series of notes that Weiss learned meant "welcome back" upon their return. It had been odd at first, but now Weiss was more or less used to it. However, this was the first time Weiss had ever heard Ruby use her whistle on the trail, which sent a flutter of unease through Weiss's chest—a feeling that only grew when Yang suddenly stopped short.
"What's wrong?" Weiss asked, her brow furrowing.
Yang glanced back, clearly trying to decide whether to tell her or not. Weiss crossed her arms and waited with an expression that used to make the servants sweat. Not that any of her usual tactics ever seemed to work on Yang, but it didn't hurt to try.
Yang sighed. "If I tell you, will you try to stay calm and not panic?"
Of course, being told to stay calm and not panic had the opposite effect, and Weiss's heart skipped a beat before she managed to get it back under control. "Of course," she replied, trying to sound more confident than she truly felt.
She must have done well enough to fool Yang for the taller woman eventually answered, "That whistle just now was Ruby letting us know that there are some Grimm headed this way."
Weiss's heart stuttered again. Grimm. Soulless beings of darkness that were bent on the destruction of both human and Faunus alike. She knew she would encounter some eventually, but she didn't expect that day to come so soon. It was one thing to read about them in household reports and research books, and quite another to know that she'd be seeing one firsthand. Unbidden, memories of her father's men who managed to survive Grimm attacks rushed to the surface, and she vividly remembered the men's painful looking scars and missing limbs.
She drew a shaky breath, shoved the memories back down to where they wouldn't distract her, and squared her shoulders. She gripped Myrtenaster and let its familiar weight calm her. She wasn't helpless. She had spent a good portion of her teenage years mastering her rapier. She could do this.
"Can you maintain a defensive Aura?" Yang asked, breaking into her thoughts.
"Of course I can!" Her nerves caused her response to be a bit more stringent than she intended. Thankfully, Yang was too distracted to take offense.
"Good. Put it up the moment the Grimm come into sight." Yang turned her eyes away and seemed to be waiting for something. After a few moments of silence, a series of eerie howls sounded out in the distance, causing a shiver to run up Weiss's spine and the hair at the back of her neck to stand on end. "Beowolves," Yang muttered softly to herself. She glanced back at Weiss, "Those howls belong to Beowolves."
Weiss recalled what one of the books at the castle said. "Beowolves, wolf-like Grimm that travel in packs and can stand on two feet or four."
"Right," Yang said, her surprise clear. Somehow, it irked Weiss to know the other woman thought her to be so ignorant, but she pushed that feeling aside. Now was not the time.
"Like you said, they move in packs," Yang continued, heedless of Weiss's internal pique. "Their greatest danger is that they always attack in numbers. Younger Beowolves are no smarter than rabid animals, attacking anyone that crosses their path, heedless of their own safety, but older ones—Alphas in particular—are intelligent enough to fight smart. Sometimes they'll go for the most vulnerable of the party; other times they'll target the leader to break morale—I've seen them do both. In general, all beowolves are fast and mobile when on all fours, but their most powerful attacks come when they rise up on their hind legs and use their forelegs to bash, claw, and slash."
"How can you beat them?" Yang gave Weiss an undecipherable look. "What?" Weiss asked.
Yang shook her head—causing Weiss to frown—and continued speaking as though there hadn't been a pause. "Beowolves' shoulders and forelimbs are heavily muscled, but all that muscle comes with a price. They're extremely top heavy so it's hard for them to move around quickly on only two legs. Disable or cut off one of their forelimbs and it throws them off balance, creating openings that'll allow you to dive in close to finish them off. The thing to remember is that most Grimm are like any other living creature, meaning they'll die the same way, too. They're just more durable and have that annoying bony armor to deal with. Beheading works, as does doing enough damage to their body. Stabbing them through their ears, eyes, or throat usually works as well, but whatever you do, don't just stand there expecting them to die quietly. Most Grimm will retaliate even as they're dying, so get out of the way unless you want to get clobbered."
Yang's final words were punctuated by a whirlwind of leaves and rose petals, and suddenly, Ruby was right beside them, her hooded cloak fluttering from the speed of her arrival. Weiss reached out and caught one of the brilliant crimson petals from the air, feeling its velvety softness between her fingers.
"Rose petals?" She'd seen these before—that day when Ruby had rescued her from the men who were trying to drag her back home. There had been some in the carriage. Those had come from Ruby? "I thought Ruby's Semblance was speed." It had come up once in conversation one evening.
"It is," Yang answered.
"Then what are these?"
The other woman shrugged. "Dunno, and neither does Uncle Qrow. It's just how Ruby's Semblance expresses itself. Whenever she activates her Semblance, she starts shedding rose petals."
"But they feel real." Yes, Semblances were physical manifestations of one's Aura, but they didn't stay in this world. They dissipated as soon as the Aura powering them expended itself.
"Yeah, that's the funny thing," Yang said as she reached down to pick up a petal for herself, rubbing it gently between two fingers. "They do fade eventually. It's really pretty when they do. They sort of glow and break up into little fragments of light, but we have no clue how or why." She released the petal and let it flutter back to the forest floor.
Weiss turned her questioning gaze on the hooded girl in question, but Ruby was busy shedding her pack, reminding Weiss of more immediate concerns: the approaching Grimm.
"Now then," Yang said as she also slipped off her heavy pack and dropped it at the base of a nearby tree next to Ruby's, "how many Beowolves are headed this way, Ruby?" Yang rolled out each of her shoulders and flexed her elbows and wrists, trying to limber up before pulling on her cestuses.
Hurriedly, Weiss also dropped her pack and made sure Myrtenaster was secure at her side and easily drawn. As she did so, she watched as Ruby held up ten fingers and then two. She paled. Twelve Beowolves against the three of them?
But for some reason, neither of the sisters seemed particularly worried.
"Uh-huh," Yang said as she crossed her arms, looking stern. "And how many were there to start with?"
Weiss watched in shock as Ruby sort of wilted and then sheepishly held up ten fingers, then six. Sixteen.
Yang sighed gustily. Sounding both proud and exasperated, she said, "Ruby, you're supposed to wait for your backup before you go slaying monsters, remember?"
"Wait. Are you saying she already killed four of them? Alone?"
"Why all the surprise? This is what you hired us for, right?"
The approaching sound of snarls and scrabbling claws distracted Weiss from responding. They sounded much closer now. She drew Myrtenaster just as the hooded girl in front of her drew both her blades.
Both blades? she wondered. True, Weiss had seen the swordswoman practice wielding her swords in both her dominant and non-dominant hands, but never together. Was the girl holding even more training sessions than Weiss was aware of? The thought caused an uncomfortable ripple deep within her.
Weiss didn't have time to consider why for suddenly, a wave of black and white seething bodies burst into view, weaving in and out of the trees that separated the two parties. She swallowed hard, feeling her pulse starting to hammer in her chest. They were a lot bigger than she expected. Standing, any one of the Beowolves would dwarf a full grown man by at least two heads, if not more, and though they seemed lanky for their size, their shoulders were quite broad. If she got hit by one of those heavily muscled forelimbs, Weiss had no doubt that she'd be sent flying. The thought made her tighten her grip on Myrtenaster nervously.
Yang moved up next to her, the taller woman's body radiating heat as it always seemed to do. "Don't worry. We won't let them hurt you. Just make sure you keep your defensive Aura up at all times."
Weiss glanced up in shock, blue eyes meeting lilac. Yang sounded serious. She rarely ever sounded serious unless Ruby was involved. Yang smiled comfortingly at her and gently patted Weiss on the shoulder, for once holding back that monstrous strength of hers. Something brushed up against her elbow, and Weiss turned to see the other sister standing there.
"See, even Ruby's telling you it'll be alright. We've been hunting Grimm for years. We've got this."
Against her better judgement, a small part deep inside of Weiss loosened up at the sisters' assurances. She gave a tight nod in response as they all turned to face the approaching onslaught of Grimm.
Seeing that Weiss was calmer now and knowing Yang would hang back to protect her, Ruby gripped both of her blades, activated her Semblance, and slammed into the oncoming Beowolves like a crimson arrow. Using two blades was something she was still getting used to, but it felt right somehow. She ducked beneath one snarling Beowolf, slashing it across its leg with one Aura infused blade while using the other to deflect the claws of another. She spun and danced to avoid two other Beowolves, catching one across the shoulder and shearing two claws off another before breaking through the wall of black and white bodies and ending up behind them.
Taking advantage of the Beowolves' confusion at suddenly having an enemy blast through their ranks, she slipped her whistle between her lips and blew hard, causing at least half of the pack to slow and turn towards the sound. She continued tweeting as she darted in close to the nearest Beowolf, slashed it across the muzzle, and darted back all in an instant—this time only using a touch of her Semblance. Uncle Qrow's lessons echoed vividly in the back of her mind.
"There's nothing wrong with using your Semblance, but don't become reliant on it. Too many Huntsmen and Huntresses treat their Semblances as a last resort to get them out of any jam, and the moment they come across a foe it doesn't work on, they fall apart. Or they do the opposite—use their Semblance over and over again, wasting their Aura, and end up being unable to throw up a basic defensive Aura when they need it most. Use your Semblance, but don't get used to it. Complacency will only get you killed."
The handful of Beowolves that she managed to distract came after her in response to their packmate howling in pain. Good. That was her job as the vanguard. Scatter, confuse, distract, and harry the enemy so that they were too frazzled to regroup and take advantage of their numbers, keeping the rest of her team safer.
It was a tried and true tactic that Ruby, Yang, and Uncle Qrow had come up with during one of their many hunts. The Aura-less Riders on their team might not be able to kill a Grimm easily, but working together in groups of three or four, they were more than capable of surrounding and distracting a lone Grimm—keeping it from attacking any nearby civilians—long enough for one of the Aura warriors on the team to come and finish it off. Better yet, the tactic gave all the Riders (regardless of their Aura-strength or lack thereof) valuable experience against the Grimm while also keeping them as safe as possible, raising the survivability of the group for those occasions when they were forced to face a Grimm without an Aura warrior around to rely on.
Ruby ran towards the pack facing her only to strafe to the left at the last second. A couple Beowolves snapped their giant maws at her, but their fangs caught nothing but a mouthful of rose petals. She slashed at two more of them as she passed—one across one of its forelimb and the other across its flank—before circumventing the group entirely, much to their confusion.
Once she was past them yet again, she activated her Semblance for the third time, closing the distance between her and the group of Beowolves that she had failed to distract earlier instantly. They were still a good thirty feet away from Yang and Weiss, giving Ruby plenty of space to wreak even more havoc. She wreathed both of her swords with Aura and blasted into the pack from behind, cleaving one Beowolf in half entirely and causing it to burst into crimson rose petals.
It was odd, Ruby thought to herself as the petals of the fallen Grimm danced around her. The Grimm Ruby killed always burst into rose petals if she used enough Aura when striking them down. That never happened for any other Aura-warrior Ruby knew, not even Uncle Qrow who was just downright amazing or Yang with whom she shared blood with. And according to Uncle Qrow, neither of her parents had that ability either. Normally, Grimm were supposed to turn into that cloying, inky, mist-like ash upon extermination, but not for Ruby—not if she was going all out and using her Aura at its fullest like she just did.
Even as lost in her thoughts as she was, Ruby's offhand sword flashed, slicing off the forelimb of another Beowolf the instant she caught a black flicker in the corner of her eye. The shorn limb burst into crimson petals just as the Grimm it belonged to lost its balance and tumbled into its nearest packmate after finding the limb that should have been there suddenly gone, yelping all the way. Ruby had to leap backward to avoid getting caught up in the tangle of flailing limbs and heavy bodies.
Ruby exhaled sharply as she whirled to send an Aura blast into a third Beowolf just as it was about to leap at her, sending it flying in the opposite direction—not as far as Yang could have, but Ruby put enough Aura into it so that the Beowolf would be stunned for a few moments when it finally hit the ground or a tree. When facing multiple enemies, every second counted. It would be stunned long enough for Yang to deal with the others before it could rejoin the fight.
As Ruby paused long enough to take a breath, more of Uncle Qrow's teachings filtered through her mind as they often did when she was in the middle of battle. Oddly enough, his gravelly voice echoing in her ears was soothing rather than distracting.
"Anger and hate are common human and Faunus reactions to the Grimm. Lots of Huntsmen and Huntresses loathe them with a furious passion. Me? Not so much. Our emotions are meaningless to the Grimm except—I suppose—as a beacon for them to find us when we're feeling lost and hopeless, sad or angry. The Grimm exist for one reason and one reason only: to destroy. They don't even have to think about it. It's instinctive to them just like eating and breathing are for us. Don't bother with anger and hate. They'll only cloud your judgement and make you waste energy on the battlefield.
"Fear though...fear can be useful. A little bit of fear is healthy. It'll keep you on your toes, keep you wary, and if you're really lucky, keep you from being stupid. Fear is normal against monsters that exist for nothing more than destroying all of humanity and Faunus-kind; just don't let it take over. Let a seed of fear sharpen your senses, but don't let it swamp you and slow your reactions."
The thing was, Ruby had never really feared the Grimm. Sure, she respected the damage they could do, but she didn't fear them—not really. Not when the Grimm couldn't be any other way. It would be like fearing or hating a wolf pack for stealing and killing sheep—utterly pointless because it was just in their natures and there was no other way they could possibly be.
People were the ones truly worthy of fear. People had so much potential to do good yet they could easily do great harm instead. Many times they could do both in equal measure, and there was no telling what kind of person someone was simply by looking at them. That was the scariest thing of all.
Ruby always knew what to expect from the Grimm, but people were unpredictable. People who were perfectly friendly one second could turn cold and distrusting the instant they caught sight of Ruby's wolf ears or tail. What was even worse was when they turned their disgust onto Yang or Uncle Qrow just for being associated with her. Neither of them should have to weather all those harsh gazes just because Ruby was different. Her wolf ears pinned themselves back at the memories just as she sidestepped a Beowolf's lunge and brought her sword up under its throat, decapitating it all in one smooth motion and sending even more petals into the air.
Ruby glanced over her shoulder to make sure Yang had everything under control before raising her blades to scatter the rest of the Beowolf pack once more.
Weiss watched in utter shock as the two sisters decimated the Beowolves one by one. It seemed that they were utilizing a divide and conquer style of fighting. Ruby darted around the battlefield, causing general chaos and confusion among the enemy and keeping them scattered, while Yang took down the few that decided that the crimson blur shedding rose petals everywhere wasn't worth pursuing.
Weiss had to consciously close her gaping mouth when she saw Yang send a Beowolf flying through several trees with just a single Aura-infused punch. It didn't get back up. True, those trees were rather small, but still. Another Beowolf leapt at the golden-haired brawler only to be grabbed midair and hurled unceremoniously into one of its companions. A fourth was beaten so brutally with a series of rapid Aura-infused jabs and punches that Weiss almost felt sorry for the creature in spite of herself.
Briefly, Weiss wondered why Ruby left most of the extermination to Yang when she was clearly capable of killing the Beowolves on her own (judging by how easily she dispatched the two in front of them only a few moments before), but now really wasn't the best time to ask.
"Weiss! On your left!" Yang bellowed out suddenly as she slammed her fist into another Beowolf.
Weiss turned her head just in time to see one of the wolven Grimm bounding towards her with a snarl. It rose up on its hind legs at the last second, and one of its claw-tipped forelimbs flashed down towards her. The Beowolf must have broken away from the others at one point and used the trees to hide as it circled back around them. What had Yang said? That Alpha Beowolves were the ones that showed more intelligence? Did that mean this Beowolf was an Alpha?
Almost as quickly as the thoughts and questions hurtled through Weiss's mind, she drew on the power of her Semblance, felt the exhilarating rush of energy pour from her core and stream down her arm, and threw up a defensive Glyph between her and her attacker. She gritted her teeth as the Beowolf's claws skidded across her faintly glowing, semi-transparent shield, feeling the impact of the blow ghost against her Aura and warning her to keep the shield up. Then there was a bestial howl of pain, and the pressure against her Glyph disappeared. Weiss looked up, and for a moment, all she saw was a curtain of crimson rose petals. When the petals finally cleared, she caught sight of a familiar hooded cloak. Ruby stood before her, blades at the ready, and the Beowolf that had attacked Weiss was now missing the same forelimb it had used to attack her.
Weiss could only stare at the back of Ruby's hood incredulously. The girl had been at least twenty-five feet away, if not more; she was sure of it. Weiss hadn't even seen her move yet here she was. Had the girl been holding back all this time?
Weiss's hand tightened around Myrtenaster's hilt. This was no good. Right now, Weiss was little more than a burden. Something to be protected. Something that couldn't even stand on its own.
Weak. Powerless. Pathetic.
She gave her head a shake, trying to dislodge the voice in the back of her mind that always sounded like her father. She raised the tip of her rapier with a scowl.
"Ruby!" she snapped. "I can handle this on my own!"
Ruby seemed to hesitate for the briefest moment before nodding. She deflected the Beowolf's next blow and leapt back behind Weiss.
As soon as Ruby was out of the way, Weiss lunged, piercing through the Beowolf's throat with the Aura-charged tip of her rapier. She grimaced at the unpleasant feeling of stabbing through that thick hide only to encounter whatever lay beneath it. Whatever it was, it made her skin crawl the moment it came in contact with her Aura. She suppressed a shudder, and as soon as she had completed the attack, she pulled back, remembering Yang's warning about the danger of Grimm death throes. The Beowolf made a strangled sound that might've been a growl and took a shaky step forward as though it was still trying to come after her before the light in its red eyes dimmed. The beast fell forward—its body heavy enough that Weiss could feel the earth tremble as it hit the ground
It had only been one strike, but Weiss found herself breathing hard, borderline gasping, as though she had just sprinted from one side of the forest to the other. Her sword arm and hand trembled from exertion, and she still felt a bit nauseated by her Aura coming into contact with the Grimm. It was the first time she had ever used her Aura offensively, and she was surprised by how much it had taken out of her. But she had done it. She stood victorious while her enemy lay vanquished at her feet.
Father was wrong. I can do this.
Weiss took a deep breath, doing her best not to choke on the acrid stench emanating from the disintegrating Grimm, and raised Myrtenaster once more so that she would be prepared if any other beasts came her way.
As she did so, Ruby (who had come up beside her while she had been catching her breath) did the strangest thing. The hooded girl flipped her short sword so that the blade was upside-down in her grip, held her fist out, and stuck her thumb up in the air in Weiss's direction, before flipping her sword back so that it was being held properly again.
"She's telling you that you did a good job," Yang's voice said into her ear, causing the noble to jump in surprise. Yang grinned as Weiss glared at her.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!"
Yang ignored her. "Was that your first Grimm?" she asked. Weiss nodded warily, not sure where the taller woman was going with this. She was utterly shocked when Yang continued, "Well done, Princess. You used a little bit more Aura than you had to, but it got the job done."
The white-haired noble just blinked. What? That was it? No cutting criticisms or harsh words telling her to stay out of the way? Then she caught herself. Well, of course not. Not everyone is as cold as Father. She watched as the two sisters reconvened, the older patting the younger on the shoulder while spouting words of praise as she always did. These two most of all.
Weiss looked away from the two sisters, still rather uncomfortable with their constant open affection for one another. She took the opportunity to survey the battlefield and possibly check for any survivors, but all the Grimm had either been exterminated or had fled in the face of the sisters' onslaught. Weiss's Beowolf had been the last of them, and it, too, had already started dissolving into ash.
That was when a thought suddenly flitted across her mind. "You said you two have been hunting Grimm for years?"
Yang blinked as both sisters turned towards her at her inquiry. "Well, yeah. We're some of the only ones in Patch that have our Auras unlocked, and we both know how to fight so it just kinda happened."
"How old are you?"
"Me? I'm twenty-two, and Ruby's going to be sixteen pretty soon."
It took a few seconds for Weiss to fully process what Yang had told her, but when she did…
"What?! You mean to tell me your sister is only fifteen?!"
Yang cocked an eyebrow at the other woman's strident tone. "Yeah. What of it?"
Weiss's mouth opened, closed, and opened again before she managed to mumble, "Nothing…"
Weiss was so shocked at the revelation that she didn't notice the curious look Yang gave her.
Fifteen. Fifteen. Weiss had assumed the girl was young based on how small she was, but fifteen? A choking wave of inferiority crashed over Weiss, and she struggled to breath normally so as not to show her weakness before the two sisters who were standing only a few feet away.
Weiss had been protected and saved all this time by a mere slip of a girl. A child. A child that for some reason could slay giant monsters of darkness, was a master swordswoman, could run around all day while still having the energy to train every morning and night, and was apparently an amazingly skilled huntress of wild game (judging by how often they ate fresh meat on the road), but she was still just a child. Weiss had been relying on a child at least three or four years her junior. A child who seemed effortlessly more skilled than Weiss herself.
All at once, the phantom of her father that had haunted her all her life rose up in the back of her mind, its voice snide and taunting. Well, what did you expect? That someone like you could be anything but subpar? Foolish girl. Even Winter was far more skilled than you'll ever be. Go back to your books and music. At least if you practice more maidenly pursuits and brush up on your Dust studies, you can help your brother form an alliance when the time comes.
Weiss gritted her teeth and clenched her fists tightly. She ordered the taunting voice, Shut. Up.
Things were fine. And the things that weren't quite "fine" were still salvageable. All Weiss had to do was start training again. It wasn't her fault that her sword lessons had been halted and that she hadn't many chances to practice using either her Aura or Semblance. As long as she started training now, she was sure she could catch up. She was a Schnee after all, and the Schnees were inferior to no one. Especially not to some fifteen-year-old commoner girl.
A/N: So this was our first real action scene. (I don't really count the one in Chapter 5, Yang vs. the Schnee Guards, because that was more for humor and Yang beat-down awesomeness than anything else.) How did I do? Did Qrow's voice mid-battle work for you or did it break up the flow of action too much? If you have a spare moment, let me know? And as always, thanks for reading!