Simple Things, Honest Souls

by HopeOfMorning910

Though cruelty stole Ruby's voice, it couldn't crush the light in her soul. When she finds the Schnee heiress in need of rescue, what else could she do but help? Little does she know that her actions would spark a chain of events that would take her and her sister on the adventure of a lifetime. It won't be easy, but together they can overcome anything. (Medieval AU, Faunus Ruby)

16. Chapter 16 - Into the Mines

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has shown their support to this story and everyone who's keeping up with it. Thanks to you all, I finally broke 100 followers (103 to be exact) since the last chapter release, and have 138 followers and over 12.6k views. I didn't really think it'd happen, so thank you all again. (Old A/N kept as a reminder of my writing journey.)

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By the way, this story has now been uploaded to AO3 under the same title and same username: hopeofmorning910.

Also, if you want to see (very) periodic updates for my fics, you can now follow me at hopeofmorning910writes on tumblr. (I also have a personal blog at hopeofmorning910 where I blog about writing & other stuff that interests me.)

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EDITED 1/22/2020

Word Count: 14,278

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Chapter 16 — Into the Mines

Ruby and Weiss had just started another writing lesson when Ruby suddenly froze mid-letter.

Gong! Gong! Gong!

Her wolf ears swiveled towards the sound. It was a bell—most likely a Grimm warning bell. Was it just a Grimm sighting or were the Grimm actually attacking?

Apparently, Ruby wasn't the only one who heard the sound, for Weiss lifted her head at the same moment. "Is that...a bell?" Weiss asked.

Ruby nodded as she put a finger to her lips, asking the noble to stay quiet for a little while longer, and kept her ears trained in the distance. If someone would just stop ringing that bell...there! As the final gong of the bell faded off, Ruby could hear the faint sounds of Grimm snarls and people yelling and screaming.

Yang. She had probably already reached the town by now. That meant she was down there alone without someone to watch her back—without Ruby to watch her back. That wasn't right. They were always stronger and safer as a team. Ruby had to get down there and help.

Yet even as the thought crossed her mind, Ruby couldn't deny that a small part of her trembled at the thought of heading towards civilization—at the thought of possibly having to encounter strangers for the first time in a while—but she shoved that part down hard. It didn't matter that the very thought of other people made her feel all quivery inside and made her hands grow cold and clammy. She didn't matter, not when there were lives in the balance. Not when Yang was out there possibly fighting alone.

Ruby stood abruptly, causing Weiss to jump in surprise. With a single swipe of her sleeve, Ruby cleaned off her slate and slipped it back into her pack along with her little sack of chalk. Then she started packing away what little they had unpacked earlier. There was no point in bringing any of their knapsacks along; they would only get in the way. The best thing to do would be to grab what she thought she might need and leave the rest of their things here.

Thieves and bandits shouldn't be a problem in such a rural place, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. She'd do what they always did when they had to leave their things behind for an extended period of time: lash them up in a sturdy tree. Hardly anyone ever looked up unless they had a reason to after all, so their things would stay safe. Plus, it would help protect their food stores as long as she used her special Nightcrawler silk rope.

Grimm might not actively attack or hunt animals if there were humans around, but animals usually learned to avoid Grimm nonetheless. Grimm didn't care if they blundered through an animal's den or knocked down a tree full of nesting birds after all. The smell of the Nightcrawler silk would be enough to deter all but the most desperate of animals from going after their food supplies.

"Ruby, what…?"

Ruby signed a little hurriedly, Grimm are attacking the town. I'm going to help Yang.

Ruby wasn't sure how much of the message Weiss understood, but apparently it was enough for the noble to catch that other little detail that Ruby was purposely ignoring.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Yang told us—told you—to stay away from town," Weiss said with a note of unease in her voice.

Ruby's lupine ears folded back at the reminder and her tail coiled uncomfortably, but she didn't stop what she was doing.

Yang was definitely going to get mad at her for this even if it was to help people, but at least Ruby knew she wouldn't be mad-mad—just worried. Which wasn't much better, to be honest, because she hated worrying Yang.

Ruby just wanted to use her skills to help people and be useful. She wanted to make the world a better place in any way she could, and since she had the skills, why not use them to slay Grimm and keep people safe?

Most of the time Ruby was sure she was doing the right thing, but whenever she saw how badly affected Yang or Uncle Qrow could get when Ruby put herself in harm's way—whether against Grimm or people who weren't always appreciative that a little Faunus girl had saved them—she couldn't help but second-guess herself sometimes. She would try to promise to herself that she'd be more careful next time—either taking more care to pad her defensive Aura or being more vigilant in keeping her Faunus features hidden—but she knew that if either of those things prevented her from saving a life, she would always choose to save the life instead. That's what her parents would have done, right? And that's what Uncle Qrow did all the time. That's why they became Huntsmen—to help people. Ruby wasn't as strong or skilled as they were yet, but maybe someday she'd be good enough to stop making Yang worry so much.

And this time she had to go down there. It was one of their rules. They needed to take care of each other, and Ruby couldn't take care of Yang if she was hiding in the forest while Yang was heading into danger.

And there was no doubt that if there were Grimm attacking the town, Yang would be heading straight for them. Yang was just as much a hero as Uncle Qrow or their parents, and Ruby knew that if someone was in trouble, there was no way her amazing big sister would just stand by and watch.

Ruby grabbed Yang's battle gloves and put them next to her bow and quiver. Next, she went through her quiver and after a moment's consideration, exchanged half of the twenty-four regular arrows with her special fire Dust-arrows. She used a thin cord of leather across the top of her quiver to keep the two types of arrows separated.

Ruby wasn't entirely sure what kind of Grimm were attacking the town. She thought the Grimm calls sounded like Creeps, but King Taijitu and a few other Grimm types were also known to make a similar hissing snarl-like sound when they attacked. They were just too far away for Ruby to be able to tell for certain. In any case, it would be better to bring her bow anyway, just to be safe.

Ruby eyed her swords and gave a little sigh before she undid her longer blade to leave behind. She liked having both of them, but she still had to carry Yang's heavy cestuses as well as her own bow and arrows. The second sword would only weigh her down even more, and if she had to choose between the two, her shorter blade was more versatile, especially since Ruby didn't know what kind of environment she might have to fight in. Her longer blade could easily become a hindrance if she was forced to fight in cramped quarters, but not so with her shorter blade.

Ruby turned to lash the sword to her knapsack only to stop short. Weiss was standing right behind her, her arms crossed and her eyes darting from the pile of weapons just beyond Ruby to the sword in her hand. Weiss's mouth was pressed into a firm line, and her eyes were as stern as ever. When Weiss finally looked up, the younger girl couldn't help but fidget a little guiltily.

Weiss gave a sharp sigh. "You're going, aren't you." It wasn't a question.

Ruby's wolf ears lowered and her tail twined around her leg nervously in the face of Weiss's apparent disapproval. Still, she nodded even as she dropped her gaze.

"Then I suppose that means I'm coming along as well."

Ruby's eyes shot up, and she stared at the noble in surprise. This time it was Weiss who avoided her eyes as she turned and quickly walked over to her own knapsack to fetch something. Ruby wasn't given much time to analyze this turn of events because Weiss was soon standing beside her again.

"Have you put any thought in how we're getting there?" the noble asked as she tucked something into her belt pouch.

Oh. Well, Ruby had been planning just to run there using her Semblance, but Weiss...Weiss was definitely getting better at using her acceleration Glyphs, but it was one thing to be able to accelerate in an open field and quite another to try to do the same thing in the middle of a heavily wooded forest. Also, Weiss didn't really have the Aura capacity to use her acceleration Glyphs for as long as it would take to get to Black Rock and still have enough Aura to use in battle upon arrival. (Yang had been adamant that they avoid people as much as possible, so she made them set up camp in a spot that was at least forty-five minutes away from the town.)

Ruby thought for a moment. She glanced back at the pile of weapons, mentally calculating how heavy everything was going to be. She could probably pull it off. It was no different than running back and forth all day with a full knapsack when she went scouting after all.

She shrugged. Only one way to find out.

---

Weiss fought back a strangled cry as Ruby narrowly missed another tree as she pelted through the forest with the noble clinging to her back. "Ruby, be careful!"

Ruby gave Weiss's legs a squeeze in acknowledgement but didn't seem inclined to slow her mad, Semblance-powered dash.

How did Ruby do this? It was like she had no fear!—whereas Weiss couldn't help but clench her eyes shut and grip Ruby's shoulders ever tighter every time the girl dodged an obstacle at the very last second or leapt down from some dangerously high ledge or boulder.

Weiss swallowed hard.

They were going to die. She just knew it. Ruby would misstep or trip, the two of them would slam headfirst into a tree or rock, and they would die instantly, especially at the speed Ruby's Semblance was taking them. Yes, they were wrapped in Ruby's Aura, but it couldn't possibly be enough to protect them if they really did crash into something!

"Oh no, Ruby, don't you dare!" Weiss shrieked as they rushed straight towards another rocky ledge. Weiss made the mistake of leaving her eyes open as they reached the edge and blanched. They had to be at least seventeen feet off the ground!

Ruby just tightened her grip on Weiss and leapt down with reckless abandon. As she did so, she activated her Semblance. Weiss felt the energy around them shift and instead of falling straight down, they spiraled, shedding rose petals all the way, and their tight spiral created a whirlwind powerful enough to slow their fall. They hit the ground with a slight jolt, and then Ruby was off running again.

It really struck home to Weiss just how much more training she was going to need to be able to dodge obstacles as effortlessly as Ruby was doing right now.

When Ruby first suggested that she simply carry Weiss to Black Rock, Weiss didn't think the smaller girl could do it. Not only would Ruby have to manage Weiss's weight, but she'd also be carrying the combined weight of all their weapons. However, Weiss was soon proven wrong. Apparently, Ruby was much stronger than she looked. The biggest problem was actually figuring out the logistics of how to carry so many things.

In the end, Ruby tied Yang's cestuses together so that she could hang them from the back of her neck while Weiss carried the rest of their things. The noble had Myrtenaster in its usual spot on her right hip, Ruby's quiver of arrows on her left, and Ruby's sword and bow were strapped across Weiss's back. Once everything was securely in place, Ruby had crouched down in front of Weiss, gestured for the noble to climb on, and that was that. Despite all of Weiss's doubts, Ruby lifted the young noble easily even without Aura. They had to reposition a bit to keep Ruby's cloak from bunching uncomfortably between them and to prevent Ruby's tail from getting too squished, but they managed.

It was embarrassing to have to be carried, but even Weiss could see that they didn't have any other options if they wanted to reach Black Rock in time to provide assistance. And for better or for worse, her embarrassment didn't last long. Once Ruby started moving, all other thoughts flew from her mind as sheer terror took their place, and Weiss found herself clinging to the girl for dear life.

Apparently, the sensation of time slowing only lasted for the first few seconds when Ruby activated her Semblance. After that, time went back to normal which meant heart-stopping, muscle-seizing fear for anyone unaccustomed to moving at such high speeds in such close quarters.

Weiss's whole body stiffened as Ruby leapt off yet another ledge, and she felt nauseous as her stomach rose and plummeted with the controlled drop. She may or may not have let out a small squeak as well as she buried her face in the back of Ruby's crimson hood.

That was when Weiss noticed the air suddenly grow noticeably warmer. As soon as Ruby landed back on solid ground, Weiss took a peek around her and realized that it wasn't the air that had grown warmer; it had been Ruby's Aura. Indeed, that protective energy surrounding them had warmed and even brightened.

What…?

Out of curiosity (and perhaps out of a desperate desire to distract herself with just about anything else other than Ruby's mad dash through the forest), Weiss called upon her own Aura and just like the time Ruby had whisked her out of the path of that raging Boarbatusk, the instant their Auras touched, Ruby's surface thoughts washed over her.

Reassurance. Calm. Protectiveness. Warmth.

Weiss only had a split-second to blink in shock before the sight of narrowly avoiding yet another tree caused her to flinch.

The moment Weiss flinched, Ruby's Aura pulsed again, brightening and cradling Weiss in warmth. Ruby's emotions brushed up against Weiss repeatedly, washing away her fear and nervousness and keeping them away with an insulating layer of pure comfort. It was like Ruby was giving Weiss one of those cozy hugs of hers and saying, Don't worry. I've got you. I'll keep you safe.

Weiss was utterly flummoxed. Was Ruby...it sounded absolutely ridiculous, but the noble didn't know how else to describe it, but was Ruby giving her...an Aura-hug? How was that even possible? How could a person use their Aura to give someone a hug?

Yet that seemed to be exactly the case. Every time Weiss's breath hitched or her muscles tightened, Ruby's Aura would pulse and flare again and again, pushing away the noble's fright and replacing it with warmth and a calming sense of reassurance.

The Aura pulses worked so well that by the time the two of them finally cleared the trees and came to a stop atop the basin that led to the Grimm-strewn battlefield below, Weiss felt calmer and more assured than she'd ever been in her life. It was like she had been submerged in a rare, cleansing moment of peace. Even the sight of the horde of Creeps surrounding Yang and the old man below failed to sway her composure.

"Ruby," Weiss murmured into the girl's ear. "Put me down the moment we get down there."

Ruby gave Weiss's legs a squeeze to let her know she heard. Ruby paused just a moment longer, shifting Weiss's weight forward so she could free an arm long enough to slip that little whistle of hers between her lips. She piped out a signal to let Yang know they were coming and activated her Semblance once more.

Weiss took advantage of their lull in movement to slip a hand into her belt pouch and pull out a vial of ice Dust. She loosened its stopper but didn't open it quite yet. She just wanted it on hand so she could commence her attack as soon as they reached Yang.

Having finished piping out her signal, Ruby slipped the whistle back under her shirt for safekeeping. She returned her arm to fully supporting Weiss, gave a little bounce to rebalance the noble's weight, and then they were off again, barreling down the lengthy and somewhat steep incline to the edge of the battlefield. This time Weiss kept her eyes open the entire way.

The Creeps seemed like they were practically standing still in comparison to Ruby's Semblance. By the time they realized Ruby and Weiss were there, Ruby had already darted past their half-bared fangs or leapt over any heavy tails swinging their way. Ruby was truly in her element as she fearlessly weaved through the horde of black and white bodies, most of which stood at least as tall as her if not slightly taller. At the very least, every single one of the Grimm were undoubtedly more massive than both Ruby and Weiss combined.

Weiss felt an involuntary, visceral tremor deep inside as they passed through the throng of Grimm—images of getting crushed, trampled, or torn apart by these monstrous, bloodthirsty creatures vivid in her mind's eye. It would be so easy too. If Weiss was ever knocked off her feet in the midst of so many oversized Grimm and they attacked her directly, she knew her defensive Aura would peter out after a few solid hits. She'd last longer if she managed to put up a few shield Glyphs between her and her attackers, but that would still only delay the inevitable. She wasn't like Yang who could take just as many hits as she dealt or Ruby who could always find a way to weave her way out of a tough situation.

It had taken hours of training and experimentation—as well as many evening campfire discussions with Yang (who had a surprisingly good eye for tactics)—but they'd finally found a way to offset Weiss's decidedly linear fighting style. Weiss's new style depended on controlling the battlefield. It depended on knowing exactly where every enemy was at any given time, knowing how they moved and attacked, and always planning at least two or three steps ahead. By the time her opponent realized she was in their blindspot, she had already drawn blood with her rapier and used her Glyphs to retreat to a safe distance, not unlike how Ruby fought. However, unlike Ruby, Weiss could also switch seamlessly between long and short range attacks while simultaneously providing non-offensive support whenever necessary. One moment she could be cutting down a Beowolf, and the next, she was throwing up a defensive Glyph to keep Yang from getting attacked from behind or summoning a handful of platform Glyphs to help Ruby climb out of a tight spot.

However, a big part of controlling the battlefield was controlling distance. In other words, it meant only being within her opponent's attack range for as long as she needed to do damage and retreating immediately before they could counterattack. Here in the middle of so many Grimm, retreating would only bring Weiss face to face with another enemy.

Weiss must have tightened her grip around Ruby's shoulders or stiffened at the thought for Ruby's Aura pulsed yet again, pushing away the noble's unease just like every time before and reminding her that she wasn't alone. Ruby was with her, and Yang was nearby as well. The sisters would never leave her to face down a horde of enemies alone. The thought made Weiss feel warmer and more at ease than she ever thought possible.

Half a minute later they reached Yang. Ruby dropped to a crouch, lowering Weiss to the ground.

Weiss released Ruby and straightened instantly. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. I can do this.

She took a brief moment to survey the battlefield. The Grimm were loosely organized in small pockets that formed several visible waves, most likely grouped by when they crawled out of the mines. The Grimm closest to her and the others were too scattered to target as a whole, but the wave just beyond them was conveniently arrayed in a wide arc. She could work with this.

Weiss opened her vial of Dust, dragged a portion of it into her Aura, and called upon her Semblance. Weiss immediately began to feel that heady sense of invincibility as her Glyphs gave her the power to bend reality in conjunction with her Aura slowly starting to drain.

Weiss channeled her Semblance down through her right arm and hand, using her index and middle fingers as a focus to direct her Aura. She directed her outstretched fingers forward and targeted that first visible arc of Grimm. She summoned a chain of glowing Glyphs beneath their ranks and a split second later, giant ice crystals exploded from the ground, forming a solid barrier of ice that prevented the rest of the Grimm from coming any closer to the town.

Taking another breath, Weiss drew more Dust into her Aura and summoned a second chain of Glyphs, this time in the air. They blinked into existence above the Grimm, reminiscent of stars scattering across the night sky. Her Glyphs in place, Weiss clenched her outstretched hand into a tight fist, summoning a heavy barrage of ice.

The Grimm that were lucky only had to deal with a limb or tail getting trapped in ice. The unluckier Grimm were battered to the ground as sharpened ice crystals slammed into them from above and punched through their hide wherever they lacked armor. Many fell never to rise again, sending ash wafting into the air across the battlefield like smoke.

The strain of summoning so many Glyphs over such a wide area was intense and left Weiss both gasping for breath and trembling from exertion in the end. Still, she did it, and she couldn't quite hold back the resulting tired grin of triumph.

A handful of Grimm managed to escape Weiss's ice storm mostly unscathed, but they didn't stay that way for long. The creatures charged Weiss's group, their sibilating snarls rippling through the air. Before Weiss could even think to stop her, Ruby tossed Yang her cestuses, drew her six-inch boot knife, and dashed headlong towards the horde of approaching Creeps. As Weiss fought to catch her breath after casting all those Glyphs, she had no choice but to watch as Ruby dove under the nearest Creep's lunge. The girl was practically on her knees as she slashed her Aura-imbued knife straight through the narrowest part of the creature's ankle, cutting whatever tendons might be there. The creature gave a shrieking hiss as its injured limb collapsed, no longer able to bear its weight. It thrashed violently as it fell, but Ruby had already disappeared in a swirl of rose petals and was moving towards her next target.

Weiss's jaw tightened as she battled the urge to call Ruby back. She didn't want to risk distracting Ruby when she was already in the thick of battle, but why on Remnant had she gone into the fight without getting her sword back from Weiss first?!

Weiss narrowed her eyes as Ruby weaved in and out between the Grimm, leaping over tails, slipping past lunges, and countering any attacks with a well-placed stab or slash. Ruby wasn't able to deal any decisive blows—her knife was too short for that—but her efforts distracted the Creeps and kept them from approaching Weiss and the others. Yet Weiss didn't care if Ruby seemed to be managing just fine. That tiny knife was not a proper weapon to use against Grimm that had to be at least three times the girl's body mass. Ruby was definitely going to get a tongue-lashing after all this was over and a long lecture about not running into battle without first being properly equipped.

Still, Ruby's efforts gave Yang enough time to slip her cestuses on before joining the fray. As soon as Yang raced forward to engage the enemy, Ruby finally dropped back to Weiss's side to collect her sword. Not wanting to waste time, Weiss unsheathed Ruby's blade for her, (leaving the girl's scabbard on her back), and handed the weapon over as soon as Ruby finished slipping her knife back into her boot. Ruby quickly signed her thanks and dove right back into battle.

Between the two sisters, all of the Grimm closest to the town were soon exterminated. Weiss had wanted to join in as soon as she caught her breath, but the older man standing several feet away stayed her hand. If she were to enter the fight as well, he would be left here unprotected. He had an Aura (which explained why he was here on the battlefield in the first place), and he seemed to have some martial training (considering the fact that he looked extremely at ease with the cudgel in his hand), but until she knew for certain that he could protect himself, it would be irresponsible of her to leave him alone. Weiss suspected he was the cause of all the unnatural tree branches that had grown straight through a good number of slowly dissipating Grimm corpses littering the battlefield, but without proof and no inclination to speak with him to verify her hypothesis if she didn't absolutely have to, she placated herself by keeping her eyes on the fight, ready to assist with a Glyph or two if necessary. Not that the sisters even needed her.

As per usual, Ruby flitted all across the battlefield, keeping the Creeps scattered and unable to assist each other while also dealing the occasional finishing swordstrike. Yang made good use of her little sister's interference, taking out every isolated Grimm with several bone-shattering, Aura-infused blows that made Weiss wince from afar.

The remaining Grimm—that is, those that were closest to Weiss's ice wall—seemed to be drawn to their brethren trapped in the Dust-generated ice and ignored Weiss and the others in favor of trying to free their companions. It was an unexpected development, but a favorable one. It would give the four of them a little extra time to figure out what to do next.

Weiss watched as Yang first hugged Ruby and then whispered something into the small girl's ear after the final Creep had been exterminated. Weiss looked on in satisfaction when she saw Ruby's shoulders droop, a sure sign that she'd just been scolded. Good. Maybe if both Weiss and Yang teamed up they might be able to eventually curb the girl's tendency to leap before she looked. Or at least make sure she didn't dive into battle with nothing but a puny knife again. Preferably both.

As Yang and Ruby started back, Yang had a wide grin on her face that instantly set Weiss on guard.

"That was absolutely awesome, Icy! You totally iced them!" Yang said, her voice exuberant and loud as usual.

Weiss barely had the chance to scowl at the new nickname and Yang's corresponding word choice before the taller woman threw a heavy arm over her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. A sweaty squeeze. A shiver of disgust shot up her spine.

"Stop that!" Weiss said as she struggled to free herself from the woman's sweaty, overly warm grasp.

Yang just chuckled in the face of Weiss's pique and gave her a second squeeze, just to be contrary, before finally letting go. "Seriously, Icy, that was pretty impressive. Thanks for the help."

Still uncomfortable with Yang's tendency to offer unabashed praise or unexpected appreciation, Weiss crossed her arms with an embarrassed huff. "You're welcome," she mumbled.

From the corner of her eye, Weiss surveyed Yang, silently taking note of how her hair was still shimmering and even sending off a stray spark now and again. That alone told Weiss how hard Yang must have been fighting before their arrival. They'd made it just in time, it seemed.

While Weiss was being manhandled by Yang, Ruby had made her way to Weiss's other side and was quietly waiting to collect the rest of her weapons. Ruby's bow went across her back, her quiver went to her left side, and her sheathed sword went to her right. After Ruby finished equipping herself, she and Weiss finally turned their full attention to the man next to Yang.

"Friends of yours?" he was asking Yang in a gruff voice.

Yang answered, "Yep. The smaller one's my little sister."

The man turned his dark eyes on Ruby, who seemed to shrink under his gaze and sidled closer to Weiss. Weiss frowned, not liking how Ruby was reverting to the nervous, hesitant girl she had been when Weiss had first met her. Weiss purposely took half a step forward, making sure to audibly scuff the earth beneath her boots as she did so, drawing the man's attention away from Ruby to herself. Weiss gave an internal nod of satisfaction when she saw Ruby relax slightly as soon as the man's attention strayed.

A sharp crack rang out suddenly, and all four of them turned to see one of the Creeps had managed to partially free itself from the ice.

Yang turned to the older man and asked, "So now what?"

The man drummed his fingers on the top of his cudgel, clearly thinking. He glanced at Weiss with a frown. "You there, Icy—"

Weiss stiffened just as she heard a familiar snort from Yang. She crossed her arms and gave Yang the frostiest glare she could muster—the effect of which was non-existent considering her expression was hidden by the annoying hood she was wearing. Still, she hoped her body language would give Yang enough of a hint.

It didn't, of course, and the woman just grinned teasingly in response. "Hey Icy, someone's talking to you."

"Oh hush, you." Weiss turned to the man in question. "What do you want?" she asked sharply, irritated that she couldn't correct him lest she reveal her true identity.

The man stopped short, his eyes narrowing at her tone of voice.

Her humor seemingly forgotten, Yang stepped forward hurriedly to diffuse the growing tension. "Kuromatsu, meet Icy and my little sister, Ruby. Icy? Sis? Meet Kuromatsu, the owner of the Black Pines Apothecary. He saved my butt before you two showed up. Almost got swamped by those Creeps."

Ruby gave the man, Kuromatsu, a hesitant wave, and Weiss gave him a reluctant nod of greeting.

Yang glanced at Kuromatsu. "Don't mind Icy. She's prickly on a good day." Weiss huffed irritably at that. "What were you going to say?"

Kuromatsu gave Weiss one last look before turning to the friendlier member of their party. "I wanted to know if that" —he gestured to the ice wall— "was her Semblance or if she could do that with any sort of Dust."

"How about it, Icy?"

Weiss rolled her eyes at Yang's obvious attempts to bring her into the conversation when Yang already knew the answer to the man's query and could very well have answered for her. And Yang's having far too much fun with this new nickname, Weiss thought with annoyance as she said shortly, "It's both. My Semblance allows me to manipulate all types of Dust."

"And that includes earth Dust?"

"Yes, of course."

The man paused for a moment in thought. Finally, he said, "I think I need to track down one of the miners and figure out just what happened down in the mines and where the Grimm are coming from. Are the three of you Huntresses?"

"Not exactly," Yang admitted for all three of them, "but it's not like we can just walk away when all of you are in trouble. Right, you two?"

Ruby nodded in agreement when Yang glanced over.

When Yang's gaze shifted over to Weiss, the noble gave a sigh. "Indeed," Weiss said at last, "it would be unnecessarily cruel to walk away when you and your people are in need. I suppose you have a plan, considering you questioned my ability to use Dust?"

Kuromatsu gave her a curt nod. "The way things look now, looks like there was a breach somewhere underground. If you can use earth Dust, then maybe we can seal it up without having to close down the entire mine."

"And you have the necessary Dust?"

"I don't, but the town does. Any mining town worth its salt that has at least one or two people who can use their Aura will have some earth Dust for emergencies. You never know when you'll need it to help dig out trapped miners or to stabilize a wall on the brink of collapse. Normally, I'd be the one using it but" —Kuromatsu glanced back over at all the Creeps frozen in ice— "your ability to use Dust far outstrips mine."

The compliment was so frank and unexpected that Weiss felt her cheeks warm slightly. For once, she was glad of the hood that kept her features hidden. "I'll do what I can," she responded, glancing away in discomfort.

Yang spoke up, "Sounds like a plan. And don't worry; we'll keep an eye on the Grimm for ya. They won't get a head or tail near the town as long as we're on the job." Her grin, coupled with her still shimmering hair, painted quite the picture of confidence. Weiss couldn't help but roll her eyes at the woman's cocky attitude.

Kuromatsu apparently felt the same way. He gave an amused snort as he shook his head. "I don't doubt it, Firecracker. Be back as soon as I can." With that, he turned and started limping towards the town gates.

---

"Alright, everyone got the plan?" Yang asked as she glanced around their little circle. "Ruby?"

Ruby nodded and gave her older sister a thumbs up.

The plan was simple enough. Ruby would use Weiss's platform Glyphs to get over the wall of ice, and once she was on the other side, she'd use her Semblance at full power to clear a path for the others. (She'd discovered long ago that moving at her top speeds could create wind gusts strong enough to knock all but the largest Grimm aside.) The others would use Weiss's acceleration Glyphs to catch up to her, and they'd all enter the mine together before the Creeps outside could regroup. Creeps were highly territorial, so they were counting on the Grimm to chase them back into the mines rather than attack the town. (Kuromatsu also reassured them that if push came to shove, there were a few Aura users in town who could defend it if need be so their team should focus on sealing the breach.)

From there, Ruby would continue to take point because she had the best eyesight in dimly lit areas and therefore would be able to see any Grimm attempting to attack them from the front. Kuromatsu and Weiss would come next—Kuromatsu because he needed to be near the front in order to help them navigate the unfamiliar tunnels, and Weiss because she was under orders to conserve her Aura for when they reached the breach. Yang would then bring up the rear and guard their backs.

Weiss came over to Ruby and bent down slightly so that she could peer into Ruby's hood. She caught and held Ruby's gaze. "Make sure to be careful," she said.

Weiss looked so serious that Ruby could only nod solemnly in return.

Yang dropped a hand on Weiss's shoulder. "Don't worry, Icy. Ruby's got this. And even if something unexpected does happen, we'll be right behind her to back her up."

Weiss crossed her arms. "I know that!" She gave Ruby another glance and frowned. "Here," she said as she tugged on the bow resting across Ruby's back. "Give me that. It'll only get in your way if you're going to be on the front lines and with the way you fight, you'll need as much mobility as possible."

Oh. Alright.

Ruby slipped her bow off and for the second time that day, left it in Weiss's care.

"Do you want me to take your quiver as well?"

Ruby thought for a moment and then nodded. She removed it and watched Weiss attach it to her belt again. Ruby didn't really think it'd get in the way—she fought with it on all the time—but Weiss hadn't seemed happy since they'd decided Ruby would be heading in first alone. If holding onto Ruby's things made her feel better about it all, then Ruby didn't mind handing them over.

Kuromatsu approached. "Icy, here's the earth Dust," he said as he held out a small vial. "Try not to use more than you have to. The council's already yammering at me enough as it is for needing to use any of it at all." He gave a snort of disgust. "Tell them that you need to use the earth Dust they have precisely for emergencies like these, and it's like you told them to give away their first-born child."

As Weiss took the proffered vial of Dust, Yang asked, "Seriously? You did explain to them that it's either abandon the mines entirely or close up the breach, right? Because even assuming we'd be able to exterminate all the Creeps, there's no telling where the hole in the mine leads and something even nastier could wander in if we leave it as is."

"Unfortunately, the loudest members of our council also happen to be the stingiest, and Dust doesn't come cheap."

Yang just shook her head and turned to Ruby. "Good luck, Sis. I'll see you again in a few minutes."

Ruby couldn't help but smile when Yang reached under her hood to ruffle her hair. See you soon, she signed back.

Yang walked over to Kuromatsu, her voice teasing. "Ready to take a ride, old man?" His peg-leg didn't allow for easy movement so Yang was going to carry him on her back while they were using Weiss's acceleration Glyphs.

The older man grumbled back, "My daughter isn't to hear of this. I'd never live it down."

"My lips are sealed," Yang replied with an audible grin.

Ruby turned away from them and glanced over at Weiss who had moved away from the rest of them after offering to hold onto Ruby's bow and quiver. The noble stood several feet away with her arms crossed tightly in front of her, staring at the Creeps milling around and clawing at her ice wall.

Ruby frowned. Weiss looked so tense. That was no good. No one should enter a fight when they weren't at their best, especially when Grimm were involved.

Ruby glanced over her shoulder to make sure Kuromatsu wasn't looking before slipping up to Weiss and tugging her sleeve.

"What?" Weiss snapped.

Ruby forced herself not to flinch at the noble's sharp tone, though she couldn't stop her wolf ears from folding back. She had to consciously remind herself that Weiss was a little like a hedgehog when she was stressed or uneasy—prickly and quick to show her quills whenever she was caught off-guard or interrupted—and sometimes it took her a moment to uncurl again after being startled.

Ruby faltered a bit after that. She hadn't really put much thought into what she was going to do after she got Weiss's attention. All she knew was that Weiss wasn't happy, and she didn't want that to continue. Should she give Weiss a hug right now? That's what Ruby would do for Yang if she thought Yang was feeling out of sorts. Then again, Weiss wasn't Yang, and what Ruby did for Yang might not help Weiss.

Not knowing what best to do, Ruby eventually fell back on what was gradually becoming a regular thing between her and Weiss. She slipped her hand into Weiss's and squeezed it gently—sort of like a super mini-hug. Weiss wasn't always in the mood for real hugs and rarely offered them up herself, but ever since Weiss let Ruby hold her hand the morning she had her first fever attack and they traded those hand squeezes to keep Ruby awake, Weiss seemed not to mind holding hands with Ruby. She even let Ruby hold her hand a couple of times when Ruby's fever was making her feel particularly miserable and Yang had to step away to get a new batch of medicine ready. That had been really nice. And even if Weiss wasn't comfortable giving hugs, Ruby noticed that she was getting less and less reserved about giving those hand squeezes.

Weiss stiffened at her touch for half a second before her shoulders sagged ever so slightly. "I'm fine," she muttered.

Was she really? Ruby wondered, but she didn't really have the luxury of time to find out.

In truth, Ruby wanted to stay like this until she was sure Weiss was feeling better, and she most likely would have if not for the stranger in their midst. She didn't know if he was one of the types of people who would say mean things to her or Weiss for being so close, but she didn't want to risk it so she moved away sooner than she liked. However, before she could pull away entirely, Weiss caught her hand once more and gave it a firm squeeze back, making Ruby's tail wag slightly.

"I know you can do this," she said, her voice soft, "but I still don't like it. Be careful. Don't take risks. If you need help, use your whistle to let us know immediately. Understand?"

Ruby nodded and gave Weiss's hand a second squeeze.

Another sharp crack echoed across the open ground. More Creeps were starting to break free as the ice weakened little by little in the bright midday sun. It might have been a relatively cool day, but the sun was still quite a force to be reckoned with.

Weiss gave a huff. "We're running out of time." She let go of Ruby's hand and raised her own in preparation for summoning her Glyphs. "Are you ready?"

Ruby bounced forward with an energetic nod. Of course she was ready!

"See you on the other side then." Weiss only paused long enough to signal to Yang and Kuromatsu that they were starting before calling upon her Semblance.

Ruby gave Weiss a thumbs up and dashed forward. She grinned as a series of platform Glyphs appeared right in front of the wall of ice, forming a glowing staircase, and several bounds later, she was already up and over the crystalline blockade.

She dropped to the ground and surveyed the area. The Creeps had picked up on her arrival almost immediately and were starting to move her way. Good. More Grimm surrounding her meant more of them would get blown to the wayside, buying her team more time to reach the mine.

Ruby slipped her whistle between her lips, drew her sword, and waited as long as she dared. Finally, she blew her whistle hard to signal to the others that she was beginning her sprint, called upon her Semblance, and blasted forward, using her blade to cleave straight through the few Grimm that had been standing in her way.

Ruby was wreathed in her protective Aura so she couldn't feel the force of the wind gusts she was creating, but she could see out of the corner of her eye how the Creeps were being lifted bodily from the ground and blown off their feet.

She reached the entrance to the mine and skidded to a stop, rather pleased with herself. Now all Ruby had to do was wait for the others to catch up.

---

"How much farther?" Ruby heard Weiss ask Kuromatsu from somewhere behind her as she faced off against another pair of Creeps.

"We're almost there. We just entered section three. The breach is at the start of section four," the man answered just as Ruby dodged a set of slashing claws.

Ruby's blade flashed out instantly as she sidestepped, cutting into the unarmored part of the Creep's leg before the creature could pull it back. She didn't have time to follow up though because the second Grimm chose that moment to lunge at her. She danced back hurriedly, but she must have been getting tired for as soon as she moved back, one of her feet slipped out from beneath her. Her knee hit the ground jarringly, causing her to suck in a sharp breath at the pain, but she didn't have time to fully process it. The Creep's gaping maw and bared fangs were so close that its caustic breath was burning her nostrils, sending her pulse racing. Knowing she'd never be able to dodge in time, Ruby bolstered her defensive Aura and braced herself for the attack...yet it never came.

A cool rush of energy shot past her, and Weiss's clear voice rang out. "Ruby!"

The Grimm smashed into the glowing white Glyph that had appeared only inches away from Ruby's face. The creature gnashed its four-inch fangs against the semi-transparent barrier, trying futilely to rip through it in order to get to her.

Ruby scrambled to her feet to press her advantage. She used a touch of her Semblance to give her enough momentum to run straight up the tunnel wall, nearly reaching the ceiling. Once she'd reached the apex of her run, she turned, kicked herself off the wall at an angle, and brought her Aura-imbued blade down on the unarmored part of the Creep's neck with both hands. Her sword cleaved through the creature, beheading it, and it exploded into a shower of rose petals.

Now that one of the Creeps had been taken care of, the other was easy enough to dispatch. She whittled it down, annoying it with enough cuts and slashes to the unprotected parts of its flesh that any normal creature would have bled out. Enraged, the Grimm roared at her, giving her the opening she needed. Ruby darted forward and lunged upward, stabbing her blade through the roof of the creature's open mouth. As soon as her blade pierced the Creep's head cavity, the Grimm burst into a cloud of petals just like its companion.

A few heartbeats later, a shout from behind told Ruby that Yang had defeated whatever Creeps had come at them from the rear as well. The small girl's shoulders loosened with relief.

Ruby took a moment to wipe the sweat from her brow and then turned her attention to trying to regulate her breathing before the next wave of Grimm showed up. When she had finally caught her breath, she flicked her blade to dislodge the worst of the ash staining it and sheathed it in one smooth motion. She turned and waved to get Weiss's attention.

Thank you, she signed and not for the first time either.

The footing in these tunnels was treacherous. Not only did Ruby have to be careful about not tripping over the minecart rails that had been built into the center of the tunnel, but the floor was covered in a mixture of sandy dirt, coal dust, and coal and rock fragments that had been left behind. This was probably the fourth time Weiss or Kuromatsu had to step in and help her due to her stumbling over a stray rock or slipping in a patch of sand.

Weiss moved closer and dropped to a crouch in front of her. The noble's hand ghosted over the knee that had hit the ground, clearly checking for injuries.

Ruby waved her hand again to get Weiss to look up and signed, I'm fine. And she was. Her Aura had absorbed any possible damage, and the residual pain was already fading with every passing second.

Weiss rose to her feet at that and finally responded, "You're welcome." She didn't sound particularly happy though. Then again, none of them were "happy".

The long trek through the dark, stifling tunnels was starting to wear on all of them. They'd already been down here for over an hour, and the constant waves of Creeps were getting tedious.

However, despite the less than ideal footing and shadowy conditions, the tunnels weren't all bad. They were narrow enough to make it difficult for the Creeps to use their powerful tails without bashing each other or scraping the tunnel walls. Also, while the tunnels might be wide enough to fit two Creeps abreast, the ceiling was low enough to prevent them from leaping over their brethren, making it so Ruby only ever had to deal with two Creeps at a time. (Creeps could leap high, but they were less capable at leaping far.)

Unfortunately, those same narrow tunnels prevented Ruby from being able to take full advantage of her Semblance. Speed was only useful if she had enough room to maneuver and attack her opponents from where they least expected it after all.

Weiss motioned for them to return to the main group, but before they could take more than a few steps, Yang was already there to meet them and Kuromatsu was not far behind.

"Everything alright?" Yang asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

Ruby's wolf ears drooped beneath her hood. Yang must have heard Weiss shout her name and gotten worried.

Ruby nodded determinedly. I'm fine, she signed again. I just slipped a little. Weiss saved me.

Ruby breathed a small sigh of relief when the furrow between Yang's eyes eased.

"Of course, she did," Yang murmured softly as if to herself.

Weiss didn't seem to have heard for she was busy rummaging around in the bag hanging from her shoulder. When Kuromatsu disappeared into town, he didn't only bring back the vial of earth Dust. He also brought back several water canteens tucked into two messenger bags and a pair of lanterns.

"Ruby, Yang, take a break," Weiss ordered as she continued rummaging.

Yang grinned at the noble's imperious tone but seemed tired enough to not poke fun at Weiss for once.

Apparently having the same idea as Weiss, Kuromatsu stepped forward with a canteen of water already in his hand. Yang accepted it with a word of thanks and immediately started gulping its contents down. It wasn't until she saw Yang drinking so thirstily that Ruby realized how parched her own mouth and throat were. When Weiss handed Ruby a canteen of her own, she drank from it greedily. The cool liquid tasted wonderful, and she could already feel a trickle of energy return to her almost immediately. She must have been more thirsty than she thought.

"How are you two doing?" Weiss asked when Yang finally stopped drinking to take a breath.

Yang shrugged lightly. There was a sheen of sweat covering what little of her skin Ruby could see beneath all the dirt and grime. Ruby suspected she didn't look much better. Both of them were covered with a mixture of ash, coal dust, plain dirt, and of course, sweat.

"We've been through worse," Yang said, "but I'll admit I'm starting to feel a little stretched thin." She corked her canteen and started going through some stretches, focusing especially on her arms and torso.

Ruby jumped a little when Kuromatsu's gruff voice suddenly cut in. "If there are this many Creeps in the tunnels, there are probably even more at our destination. They're like ants. Some will break off from the main group to explore, but the majority of them will mill around a central area unless given reason to move. It's why Creeps are rarely seen aboveground. They won't wander too far from their group unless something enters their territory."

The thought made Ruby's wolf ears droop. They had already come across the ravaged bodies of several miners who hadn't managed to escape the Grimm. The current body count was eleven, and Ruby had no doubt that they'd find more before they reached the breach. She turned away from her companions and pointed her ears into the darkness, listening for any sign that they might soon be attacked again.

Not that it would help much.

Sure, she could hear plenty of things, but she didn't have enough experience to make sense of it all. Aboveground she knew how sounds could get distorted or muffled by obstacles like trees, vegetation, and boulders. She'd even traveled around lakes often enough to know that sounds carried differently over open water. The tunnels, however, were a whole different story. She'd never been underground for this long before, and Ruby found herself unused to how sounds kept bouncing off the earthen walls and wooden support beams and echoing around corners. It made the Grimm sound both closer and farther than they really were, and Ruby wasn't always sure which direction the sounds were coming from.

What made things worse was that the tunnels weren't nice and straight. They curved and split off into smaller side tunnels fairly regularly because the mountain was so rich in coal that the miners kept finding new coal beds to work as they tunneled deeper and deeper through the earth. The miners didn't even have to dig mine shafts; all the coal they needed could be found digging horizontally. Ruby's inability to accurately judge which direction a sound was coming from meant they were occasionally ambushed by Creeps that had hidden away in those side tunnels. It forced all of them to stay on their guard.

Ruby's nose wasn't faring much better either. She could barely breathe in these dark, stagnant tunnels. The stink of Grimm, dirt, and coal clogged her nostrils, making her nose practically useless in detecting whether or not a new wave of Grimm were coming. Technically, Grimm ash (in other words, dead Grimm) smelled slightly more acrid than living Grimm, but without a nice, stiff breeze to occasionally clear the air (and her nose), Ruby had no way of knowing if what she was smelling was a new Grimm or just the ash dusting her clothes and boots from previous encounters. It was frustrating to say the least.

Ruby gave herself a small shake in an attempt to dislodge those heavier thoughts before handing the empty canteen back to Weiss. Thank you, she signed.

"You're welcome," Weiss replied as she tucked the canteen away again.

Ruby took a moment to mimic her older sister in an attempt to keep her muscles from getting too stiff. She stretched her arms; rotated her wrists, elbows, and shoulders in turn; and flexed her hands several times. Ruby was so focused on her task that she didn't immediately realize that both Yang and Weiss seemed to be scrutinizing her.

Yang was the first one to speak up. "Do you want to switch?" she asked. "I can take the front for a while if you need a break. You've been fighting two Grimm for every one that decides to ambush us from behind."

"She's right," Weiss added. "And you've been getting slower. I can actually track your movements now. And this wasn't the first time that you've lost your footing down here. If you're getting tired, then you should take a break before you get hurt."

Well that was because Ruby was trying to save her Aura by not using her Semblance as much. There was no telling what else was at the end of these tunnels, and she might need every bit of it later if they got into a pinch.

Still, she knew that Yang and Weiss were right and that she needed to take them seriously. She took a moment to assess her body. Finally, she shook her head.

She was tiring a little, but she wasn't actually tired yet. She could keep going a while longer. Sure, she had slipped a few times, but they still needed her in the front. Yes, her ears and nose weren't being very helpful right now, but her night vision was still better than that of her human companions. Every little bit of forewarning helped and could mean the difference between keeping everyone safe and someone getting hurt.

"You sure?" Yang's voice carried a hint of worry so Ruby made sure to nod as confidently as she could. The corner of Yang's mouth turned down slightly, but eventually she sighed. "Alright then," she said at last, "but if you do get tired, let us know right away."

Ruby nodded again.

Weiss, on the other hand, was not so easily pacified. In fact, Ruby's response only led to the noble crossing her arms, and Weiss crossing her arms was usually a bad sign. Ruby would know. Most of the scoldings Weiss gave her started with crossed arms and a stern glare, after all.

"You know," Weiss began, her voice holding a slight edge of displeasure, "I am perfectly capable of taking a turn guarding our party. My Aura capacity might not be quite as large as yours" —she glanced at each of the sisters to include both of them in that statement— "but it isn't so small that I can't take over for a while to give you two some time to rest."

Yang started to run a hand through her hair but immediately seemed to think better of it after catching sight of the amount of ash staining her hands. "Weiss, we talked about this. It's not that we don't think you can do it; if anything, you'd be doing just as well as Ruby. Better than me at least."

"Then I should—"

"But—" Yang interrupted, "me and Ruby—"

"Ruby and I—" came the muttered correction.

"—will be pretty useless later since neither of us know how to use Dust—'least not the way you can. But we are really good at taking out Grimm. So it's all just a matter of putting the right people in the right places to do their jobs at the right time. I know it sucks to be stuck in the back waiting, but hang in there a little while longer, alright Icy?"

Weiss's arms stayed crossed for a few moments longer before she sagged a little and made a noise of frustration. "I just hate standing by. It feels like I'm making you two do all the work," she grumbled softly.

Ruby's wolf ears folded down. She didn't like it when Weiss was upset.

"You're not," Yang told her for the both of them. "We're just doing what we can now, just like you'll be doing what you can later."

Ruby nodded enthusiastically at that, the movement drawing Weiss's attention away from Yang.

Ruby shot a glance over Weiss's shoulder towards Kuromatsu and noted with some surprise that he had taken several steps away from them and was currently facing the tunnel behind them, presumably watching for enemies. Maybe he had also moved away to give them some privacy? In any case, he wasn't looking this way so Ruby didn't have to worry about any negative repercussions.

Ruby closed the distance between her and Weiss and gave her what Ruby hoped was a reassuring cheek-nuzzle to the shoulder. She would have given Weiss a hand squeeze too if her gloves weren't covered in so much ash. Weiss really didn't like getting dirty as both Ruby and Yang had learned through experience.

(The Great Mud incident should never ever be repeated if at all possible. Weiss was absolutely terrifying when she was that mad. Even Yang had been cowed in the face of Weiss's anger—so cowed that she didn't risk making even one joke about the incident until several weeks later. Who knew a slope, a tree root, a ground snake, and a patch of deep mud hidden at the riverbank could unleash so much fury upon the world?)

Thankfully, the cheek-nuzzle seemed to work. Weiss let out one of her super tiny sighs, and some of the noble's tension seemed to leak away.

"See, Ruby agrees with me!" Yang said brightly.

Her eyes started to sparkle playfully. "Sooo...now that Icy's fussing has been dealt with" —Yang ignored Weiss's squawk of protest— "where's my affection? Doesn't seem fair that Icy gets a nuzzle, and I don't."

Ruby could practically hear Weiss's eyeroll as Yang held her arms out expectantly.

Ruby just grinned beneath her hood and gave a huge leap into Yang's arms, hugging Yang tightly and ignoring the fact that they were both rather filthy and covered with sweat. Hugs were hugs, period.

"Hah! Take that! I got a full-fledged Ruby-hug," Yang gloated gleefully with Ruby still in her arms.

Weiss gave a huff. "And you can have it. Honestly, if either of you feel the urge to show any further physical affection today, please restrain yourselves until you've had a bath."

"Aww…that's just cold, Icy. Maybe you're the one who needs a hug. Luckily, I've got one just for you." Yang lowered Ruby to the floor and let her go after one last squeeze that sent Ruby's tail wagging. Then Yang raised her arms suggestively and took a step towards Weiss.

"Don't you dare, Xiao Long," Weiss started as she backed away.

"We're back to a last name basis after everything we've been through? I'm hurt. Shocked. Utterly wounded," Yang said in a melodramatic voice that could have rivaled that of one of those players who traveled around performing shows and skits. Her big sister took another resolute step towards the noble who promptly took another two steps away.

Ruby's tail wagged again and a smile stretched from ear to ear as she watched the two of them. Yang hadn't played like this in a while, not since Ruby's fevers came back. It was good to see her having fun again. Really good.

Unfortunately, they were interrupted by a gruff cough, reminding all of them that unlike the last few weeks, they weren't actually alone. "Sorry to interrupt, but we do have a job to get done," Kuromatsu said almost apologetically.

"Right," Yang said as she scratched a cheek, looking somewhat embarrassed at having apparently forgotten. "Guess we'd better get going. Looks like you'll have to wait for later, Icy."

The long, relieved sigh Weiss let out spoke volumes.

---

The first sign that they were nearing their destination was a faint light up ahead. In their rush to escape the Grimm, the miners had left behind most of their lanterns.

It was eerie. Yang felt like she had just stepped into a pocket of frozen time as though the miners were just on a midday break and would return to their tasks soon. Instead, she and the others were little more than witnesses to the fallen miners' final hours.

The first lantern they saw turned out to be hanging from a mining cart filled to the brim with coal and ready to be transported back to the mine entrance. They found the body of one of the men most likely in charge of pushing or pulling it to the entrance several feet away against the wall. His death, like so many others, had not been a peaceful or painless one.

The four of them were passing yet another side tunnel and according to Kuromatsu, were very close to their destination, when Ruby suddenly froze at the intersection.

"Ruby? What's wrong?" Weiss started to ask, but Yang shushed her before she could finish.

Yang knew that look. Ruby had caught wind of something, and now she was trying to pinpoint whatever it was she sensed. Yang motioned for Weiss and Kuromatsu to continue to stay silent so that they wouldn't distract their youngest member.

Stepping as quietly as she could, Yang moved up beside Ruby, trying to hear or see whatever it was that caught Ruby's attention. She frowned. She heard something, but she couldn't quite make it out. Was that...clicking? Then the sound was joined by a strange oscillating hum. What…?

Yang didn't have any more time to consider because Ruby's defensive Aura suddenly flared, and she started shoving all of them out of the intersection.

Immediately, Yang called up her own defensive Aura. As she did so, she caught sight of something faintly white whipping through the air in their direction. Yang spun, yanked Ruby out of the way, and took the hit with a painful grunt. Whatever it was stabbed her in the gut with the force of a javelin, knocking the wind out of her. Thankfully her Aura held, but she had been struck with enough force to go flying into the opposite wall. Growling through the pain radiating across both her back and abdomen, Yang grabbed whatever it was that hit her and took a good look at it. She paled at what she saw.

It was a sharp, barbed stinger attached to a thick, dark cord that led back into the tunnel. A Lancer stinger. Yang had never seen one of the giant Grimm hornets in person, but there'd been a drawing of one in one of the books Uncle Qrow used to teach them about the different kinds of Grimm and how to fight them.

The stinger suddenly jerked in Yang's grip, dragging her arm and entire body forward several feet before Ruby came to her aid. Her little sister's blade flashed out, severing the cord, and detaching the stinger from the rest of the unseen Lancer. The stinger remained in Yang's hand while the rest of the connective Grimm tissue whipped back into the darkness. That eerie humming sound intensified, and the ominous clicking sound grew more rapid.

Yang thrust herself to her feet. "Weiss!" she yelled, only belatedly realizing that she'd forgotten to use a nickname in the presence of a stranger. Hopefully, he'd just brush it off. "Weiss" and "Icy" sort of sounded the same, right? "Seal the tunnel! Now!"

"On it!" The noble's hands fumbled at her belt pouch to grab a vial of Dust but not quickly enough.

Yang was still a little unsteady after being knocked off her feet and into a wall, so when Ruby crashed into her with an Aura-powered, Semblance-boosted tackle to force her out of the intersection, the smaller girl actually succeeded in moving her for once. The two of them hit the ground with rose petals dancing all around them just in time for three other stingers to whistle through the space they had just been and lodge themselves into the rocky tunnel wall. Yang winced as she heard the sound of rock cracking and earth crumbling from the sheer impact of those deadly stingers.

A split second later, one of Weiss's Glyphs blinked into existence at the mouth of the side tunnel, and a solid wall of ice erupted from the ground to seal the opening with a sharp, crystalline crack. Weiss had managed it not a moment too soon for they all heard the hum of vibrating wings grow louder as the Grimm flew towards them. No more than a few seconds later, moving shadows darkened the other side of Weiss's ice blockade. The four of them could hear the Grimm clicking to one another as the creatures crawled and hovered over the ice, exploring the obstacle blocking their way.

Yang let out a slow breath as she let her head fall back to rest against the ground. Her pulse was still racing from all the excitement, but it was starting to slow little by little. Ruby was laying on top of her, her head pressed up against Yang's stomach, and her arms gripping Yang in a tight embrace. Yang still had the Lancer stinger in one of her hands, but her other hand was free, so she brought it up to rest against the back of Ruby's head, patting it gently and letting her baby sister know that she was fine. "Thanks, Ruby."

Ruby nodded against her stomach and after extending her tight hug for a few more seconds, climbed off to let Yang sit up.

"Are you alright?" Weiss asked, her brow furrowed as her eyes darted back and forth between the sisters. She offered a hand to Ruby and helped the younger girl to her feet first, before offering Yang a hand as well.

Yang took it and let the noble pull her up. "Yep. Right, Ruby?"

Ruby nodded, leaning briefly against Yang once more as if to reassure herself that Yang really was perfectly fine, before stepping away to fetch and sheath the sword she had dropped earlier in her haste to get her older sister out of danger.

Yang turned to Kuromatsu. "I thought there weren't any Lancers in Atlas. It's too cold for them."

Kuromatsu frowned. "It should be. Then again, it's warmer underground. Maybe they're using the same tunnels the Creeps are to avoid the cold. Still, it's strange to see Lancers this far north." He drummed his fingers against the top of his cudgel for a few moments, thinking, before he shook his head at whatever conclusions he had reached.

He glanced over at Ruby, and Yang could feel her baby sister edge closer to press up against her side. Ruby really hated being at the center of attention after all. Yang draped her arm around Ruby's shoulders to offer her some wordless comfort and support.

Yang noticed Kuromatsu's expression soften slightly, and when he spoke, he actually sounded like he was trying to gentle his tone. "Hey, Pipsqueak," the man started. Yang felt Ruby perk up slightly at the familiar nickname. "Lancer stingers can be pretty useful when fashioned into tools. Think you could use that blade of yours to collect the rest of them for me?"

Yang stayed quiet, wanting her little sister to manage this small moment of human interaction on her own if she could. She rubbed a soothing thumb against Ruby's shoulder as she waited. Finally, Ruby nodded hesitantly in response.

Weiss had managed to get her ice blockade up before the Lancers could retract their harpoon-like stingers, so all of them were still lodged in the opposite wall and unable to be retracted until the ice melted. In one easy motion, Ruby cut all three stingers free from the Lancers they belonged to and used the pommel of her blade to knock them loose from the rock. Once she had collected them, she brought them to Kuromatsu, her trepidation evident in every line of her body. He accepted them and slipped them into his bag with a quiet word of thanks, to which Ruby gave a jerky nod and scurried back to Yang and Weiss.

Yang couldn't help but give Ruby a proud smile as she returned, knowing how hard that must have been for her.

Remembering she still had her own stinger, Yang examined it for a moment before shrugging and handing it over to Kuromatsu as well. She might have found a use for it when they were still back home, but on the road it would only serve as extra baggage. Although she could probably keep it and try to sell it in a different town, she had no clue how to price a Lancer stinger considering she'd never seen one on the market before. Doing the necessary research and asking around to get a good price for the thing felt like entirely too much effort and would eat up more time than she was willing to spend at the moment. No, best just let Kuromatsu keep it and hope that generosity and goodwill would come around again sometime in the future.

Yang's internal musings were eventually interrupted by a loud scraping sound that suddenly joined the insectoid clicking and incessant humming. Were the Lancers trying to gnaw their way through the ice?

Weiss gave an annoyed huff and stalked over to her icy creation. She placed a hand over it, summoned a Glyph, and immediately they heard the telltale crystalline sound of shifting ice. Several sharp cracks rang out, and then the tunnels fell utterly silent. No more buzzing wings, no clicking or scraping sounds, just silence. The abrupt absence of sound made the hairs on the back of Yang's neck stand on end. She rolled her shoulders in an attempt to dislodge the uncomfortable sensation.

The silence stretched until Yang finally asked for all of them, "Icy...what did you do?"

Weiss gave a nonchalant shrug and answered, "I have a natural affinity to ice—and no, that does not mean your ridiculous nicknames are justified." Yang smirked at that. "Anyway, as I was saying, as long as there's ice around, I can manipulate it to some extent even without Dust. Those—Lancers...you called them?—were getting annoying so I silenced them. Ice spears are devastatingly powerful at close range, after all."

Yang blinked. "...Remind me not to get on your bad side, Icy. You're kinda scary sometimes."

"Keep calling me that, and I can assure you that you're edging your way there as we speak," Weiss retorted.

"Aww...but it suits you so well…"

"No, it does not."

Weiss might have said something else but by then, Ruby had bounced her way up to the noble, signing something excitedly and temporarily forgetting her nervousness around Kuromatsu in her enthusiastic gushing. Probably something about how amazing Weiss's Glyphs were. Even Yang had to admit they were pretty impressive.

Yang watched with amusement as Weiss tried to corral Ruby's excited energy to no avail. Finally, Yang took pity on her and walked over to lend a helping hand—in this case, a literal one. She dropped a hand on her little sister's head, taking care not to crush her wolf ears, and the added weight caused Ruby to quit bouncing in place.

"I'll admit Icy here was pretty cool," —Yang grinned at Weiss's audible scoff— "but we've got a few other things to worry about right now, so save it for later, alright, Sis?"

At Ruby's nod, Yang gave her one last affectionate ruffle before bringing everyone's attention to the matter at hand. "So…," she started, "Lancers."

Kuromatsu gave a grunt of acknowledgement. "And if there are Lancers, there's bound to be a queen somewhere nearby."

"Lancers are...what, exactly?" Weiss asked.

"Giant hornet Grimm," Yang answered with a grimace. She turned to Kuromatsu, hoping he'd have more to offer. Luckily, he did.

"Nasty things, they are. They're the scourge of any ships sailing too close to shore in the southern provinces. Those stingers of theirs can pierce straight through the hull of any ship, and if several of them manage to hook a ship, they can easily tear it apart. Their heads and bodies are armored, and they've got strong, jagged pincers that are just as dangerous as their stingers. They're not the best fliers—it takes them time to turn and they can't make sudden stops—but they can hover and fly both vertically and horizontally. Makes them difficult to shoot down." Kuromatsu leaned his cudgel against his hip as he held up his hands to demonstrate. "You'll be aiming here," —he pointed his index finger at his closed fist— "and the blasted thing will drop mid-air" —his fist bobbed down and his index finger 'arrow' flew over it— "and you've just wasted an arrow."

"But they can be shot down," Yang wanted to verify.

"If you're a good shot," Kuromatsu replied, "and only if you boost your arrows or bolts with Aura. Otherwise they just bounce right off that plated armor of theirs. Dust weapons and attacks are usually more effective." He motioned to Weiss. "Icy here might be our best bet against them, provided she's good at aiming those ice darts of hers."

"Except we need her to seal the breach first. Until that's done, we can't have her wasting her Aura willy-nilly." Yang glanced at Ruby. "We're just gonna have to rely on Ruby to keep the Lancers off of us until Icy finishes with the breach."

Ruby signed, I can do it.

Yang grinned. "I know you can."

"You said something about a queen?" Weiss asked.

Kuromatsu gave her a grimace. "Lancers always have a Queen Lancer organizing their attacks. Queen Lancers are about three or four times the size of a regular Lancer, but unlike a regular Lancer, they can shoot off multiple bone-like darts at once. Plus, they're Dust-resistant and even more heavily armored."

"Do they have any weaknesses?" Yang asked.

The man shook his head. "The only time I saw one get taken down was when a ship with one of those fancy Dust cannons attached to its deck managed to blast a giant cannonball through it, and that was sheer luck more than anything else. Most of the time people only survive Lancer encounters because the queen doesn't always make an appearance, giving them time to either flee entirely or take out the regular Lancers. Take down enough Lancers in a swarm and the rest will give up the chase in order to survive and attack another day."

"So that's what we do if more Lancers show up," Weiss said, thinking aloud. "We take them out as quickly as possible before a queen shows up so that they retreat." She glanced at their only bow-wielding member. "Ruby, that's your job. The moment you hear any Lancers approaching, let us know and then focus on dealing with them. I'll come and assist as soon as the breach is taken care of."

"And I'll distract the Creeps," Yang put in.

"Will you be alright on your own? I know you're at a disadvantage." Yang could hear the frown in Weiss's voice even though her face was hidden beneath her hood.

Yang rubbed the back of her neck, knowing Weiss was right. They were in a coal mine. That meant flammable things everywhere; heck, even the coal dust beneath their feet and dusting the tunnel walls could prove to be disastrous if Yang didn't keep her Semblance and inner fire in check. She'd managed thus far by not allowing herself to store any kinetic energy. If she got hit hard enough to start charging her Semblance, she immediately released that energy at the next Creep they came across. But if she started taking hits too rapidly for her to counterattack and release all that energy...She didn't even want to think of the consequences of accidentally igniting any stray coal lying about.

"Well," Yang responded at last, "you're just gonna have to hurry up and plug that hole, and then come save my butt as soon as you can."

Weiss crossed her arms. "Perhaps Kuromatsu can…"

The man was already shaking his head. "You'll need me at the breach. I'll be able to keep any Grimm off of you long enough for you to seal the hole, but it'll take most of my remaining Aura."

"That's right," Yang said, suddenly remembering the man's Semblance. A thick wall of aggressive trees would definitely serve as a good blockade to keep the Creeps from trying to swarm Weiss. Suddenly, their mission seemed a bit more doable than before. It wasn't going to be easy by any stretch of the means, but it wasn't impossible even with their small party.

Yang clapped her hands together, half to get everyone's attention and half to get her blood pumping, and grinned at everyone. "We can do this."

Weiss scoffed. "Of course we can."

Ruby offered them all a thumbs up, and Yang saw her cloak billow ever so slightly, letting her know that Ruby's tail was wagging.

Yang shifted slightly to face her younger companions, ignoring Kuromatsu for a moment. Ruby would be fine—Grimm hunting was about the only time Yang saw her little sister completely at ease—but Weiss could sometimes overthink and worry more than she should. If they were going to pull this off, then they all had to be at their best. Second-guessing in the field would only get someone hurt, and it was her duty as the oldest to make sure that didn't happen. Sure, Kuromatsu was fighting with them, and she'd look out for him as well, but at the end of the day, her duty was first and foremost to her baby sister and Weiss. Therefore, she needed to make sure they were in tip-top shape, and what better way to do that than to make Weiss roll her eyes, which would consequently make Ruby smile?

"Alright. So, remember our rules?" Yang asked them brightly.

"Really, Yang?" Exasperation practically dripped from Weiss's voice. "Now?"

Yang's grin widened. Yep, that was the exact tone Yang was hoping to hear from Weiss. If Weiss was feeling exasperated rather than stern or angry and rolling her eyes instead of scowling, then she would be fine.

"Yes, now," she said easily. "You first, Icy."

Weiss gave a long, put upon sigh and just shook her head. Finally, she straightened and said, "Rule number one: Trust each other."

"Good. Ruby?"

Ruby signed, Rule two: Trust your instincts.

"Yep." Yang reached out to ruffle Ruby's head affectionately. She decided to offer up brief explanation for Kuromatsu's sake. "Trust your instincts. Seriously, no heroics. If either of you sense something's wrong, let the rest of us know and get out of there. Icy?"

This time, Weiss answered a bit more seriously. "Rule three: Take care of your body." She glanced at their youngest and most reckless member, to which Yang silently applauded.

Ruby had the greatest tendency of getting hurt, not only because she was always on the front lines, but also because she usually put more Aura towards her Semblance than her defensive Aura. Why waste Aura defensively if you could dodge everything and avoid getting hit entirely after all? But that also meant that when Ruby did get hit, she took more damage than either Yang or Weiss, and she always kept fighting in spite of her injuries. Yang and Uncle Qrow hadn't managed to curb that recklessness of hers yet, but maybe Weiss would be more successful.

"That means you, Ruby," Weiss continued sternly. Then her voice softened ever so slightly. "Please. If you get hurt, let us know right away."

Ruby's shoulders shrank as she nodded timidly. Weiss kept her gaze on Ruby for a few moments longer as though trying to gauge her sincerity before finally looking away.

Yang could only hope that Ruby actually listened to Weiss this time around.

"Ruby?" Yang eventually continued. "How about rule four?"

Rule four: Take care of each other, Ruby signed solemnly.

"That's right. Watch each others' backs, and we'll all be fine. And the last rule is 'talk to each other.' In other words, communicate, even in the midst of battle. A single word of warning when you notice something can go a long way."

Yang glanced between the two young women before her and rocked back on her heels slightly, belatedly realizing that this was technically Weiss's first real Grimm hunt. Not that their other Grimm encounters up until now hadn't been serious, but this was the first one that had an actual mission, and if they failed that mission, people could get hurt or even die. And yet...somehow, Yang didn't feel particularly worried.

I trust her, Yang realized, rather shocked in spite of herself. I'm not worried because I know Weiss'll do her best and that she's got our backs.

It was a revelation that Yang didn't have time to examine at the moment, but she knew she would eventually, so she tucked it away where she could pull it out to mull over again later. Until then, they had a job to finish and a mine of Grimm to exterminate.

Some of her thoughts must have shown on her face for Ruby tugged on her sleeve to get her attention and tilted her head questioningly. What's wrong? she signed.

Yang quickly shot her a smile. "Nothing's wrong."

"Are you sure?" came a second inquiry. This time, from Weiss.

You're really losing your touch if Weiss, of all people, is managing to read you so easily, Yang thought to herself. Or maybe it's more a sign of how much Weiss has changed recently.

"Yep."

Nothing was wrong, and that was the truth. Trusting Weiss was a good thing after all...right? She might still be a little rough around the edges, but she had a good heart. So trusting her wasn't a mistake, and it wasn't something Yang should be worrying about. Probably. Hopefully.

Yang's gaze slid over to the young noble who was currently returning Ruby's bow and quiver to her for the upcoming battle. The bow and quiver she had been carrying this entire time without a single word of complaint; in fact, carrying it had been her suggestion in the first place—all because she had been worried it would get in Ruby's way when she was fighting Grimm. The stuck-up noble they'd met in Patch would have likely never even considered doing such a thing. It would have been beneath her or something silly like that.

However, the Weiss standing before Yang right now cared and had demonstrated that unexpected gentle heart of hers not only today, but over and over again, probably as far back as their visit to Treline. And today, the noble had been flitting her attention back and forth between the sisters every time either of them had been ambushed by Grimm, providing support whenever necessary without fail. Yang was well aware that she'd been spared quite a few ouchies thanks to Weiss's defensive Glyphs, and she knew the noble had been doing the same for Ruby.

No, trusting Weiss wasn't a mistake. There was no "probably" or "hopefully" about it. It was a "definitely."

---

A/N: So yeah...this chapter was supposed to be action-heavy, but it isn't? (o_o) Instead it turned out to be concept-heavy; as in, some of the things introduced in this chapter will become relevant in future chapters—perhaps not right away, but eventually.

How's the flow? Were there any sections or conversations that you felt dragged on or didn't need to be there? That's my biggest worry for this chapter. I'm a little worried that all the "micro-interactions" (that is, mini-character interactions that only serve to add color to a scene and do nothing to drive the plot forward) interrupted the flow of the story between all the small action/plot sequences.

Is there anything else that caught your eye that I might need to work on or could use improvement? Or conversely, was there a particular scene or passage that you liked or felt was notably good?

Thanks again for reading and I'll see you again next chapter! :)