So, here's another chapter, and I have some good news for people as well. My P a treon has reached the next level, which comes with some benefits and also some new horror. Basically, the update schedule has changed, and will continue to remain at this new level, so long as the target we've hit is maintained. If it goes back down, we'll go back to what it was before.

This means White Sheep will now be WEEKLY. More than that, it will also be every Wednesday… which means that you'll see the next chapter of this in just three days. More details at the bottom. In a sense, this chapter was split in two, with the second part coming this Wednesday. Then again, as a single chapter it was a bit too long anyway at like 13,000 words.

Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 4 - The Lost Lamb

Pyrrha had no idea what to do. Frustrated tears were whipped from her face by the wind that rushed by her and she bit down on an angry scream as the forest canopy approached. Jaune, the person she'd been determined to make her partner; the boy who had made her laugh like she never had before... he was gone. Just like that. It could have been any of them, and that knowledge hurt, but not as much as what her imagination provided as his fate.

Death was a companion that walked with every hunter, or so she had been told. She'd thought herself prepared for that risk, that eventuality, but never had she thought it might occur so soon.

Her fingers tightened around her shield as the treetops came ever closer, and her emerald eyes narrowed as she locked onto a branch that might slow her fall. She wouldn't leave it like this… she wouldn't abandon him to his fate so callously. She had seen the Nevermore rise once more from the forest, had seen it carry its prey towards the lone, great peak that sprung from the Emerald Forest like the fang of some giant beast.

She would make her way there, she would find her partner, and if anything dared to get in her way…

Well, she wouldn't be held responsible for what happened to them.

"Stay strong Jaune," she whispered, "I'm coming."

And if he had already fallen... she would avenge him. She would kill that murderous and evil monster.

/-/

Jaune sighed as he felt the Nevermore's sharp beak catch the back of his collar and drag him back once more. His back slammed into its chest, which trembled as the great creature crooned in pleasure and brought its chin down to rest against his breastplate. It warbled, and he felt the vibrations through his back.

"Okay," he said, "I love you too – and thank you for the rescue." He brought up one hand to stroke its rough head, and the deadly beak clacked once or twice in pleasure. He shimmied his way out from underneath it. "I need to get down and finish initiation, though. I'm sorry but I can't stay here."

It didn't understand him, of course. This wasn't a particularly old or intelligent Grimm, not at all like the ones back home or the Nevermore that had transported him to Vale. This one felt like it was only twenty or thirty years old; not that age equated to their growth. Either way, it didn't really get the meaning behind his words, and showered him with affection only because its instincts said to do so. That was all well and good when it meant saving him from striking the forest floor and becoming a smear, but not so useful when it plucked him up by the ankle, dangled him in front of it – and quickly squashed him beneath its stomach as it decided incubation was the best way to keep him safe and warm.

Jaune coughed and hacked for breath as he was smothered beneath the razor-sharp feathers. "I'm not an egg," he groaned, reaching out with one hand to grab a sharp piece of wood and drag his body to freedom. "I can't stay here!"

The Grimm raised its head to the sky and let out a loud, happy caw.

Ugh… he wasn't getting through to it.

"You know your mother can't make all Grimm intelligent," Remy said, "It takes time, and so far from the Grimmlands the energy required would be too much."

He knew, but that didn't make the current situation any easier. A talon slammed down before his face, and two more on either side of him as the Grimm pinned him to the nest. The beak came down and missed his face by a few inches, only to move higher and rustle through his hair. It scratched against his scalp a few times, in jerky movements that had him wincing. It warbled once more, and pressed the top of its head into his chest.

His eyes caught something as it did, and with both hands he reached up and under the feathers atop its head. The Nevermore made a soft, clucking sound as he felt a hard, waxy substance poking from the crown of its head. "You want me to preen you?" he asked, and although it couldn't understand his words, the sound of contentment it made when he rubbed the pinfeather was evident. "You sure are demanding..."

The Grimm stepped off him as he pulled some feathers aside to check the growing pin feathers. Some weren't ready, and blood could be seen within them, but others had black, waxy sheathes that must have been itchy and hard to reach. He drew Crocea Mors and held it between two hands as he used the edge to scrape away at them.

The Nevermore cooed as the flaky substance gave way and started to rain down around him. The pinfeather fluffed out a few seconds later, but the creature kept its head pressed to him.

"Alright, alright," he said and pulled himself onto his feet. It settled down in the large nest as he started to check each feather one by one, and to break open the sheathes on those which were ready. "I guess it was getting itchy, eh? No wonder you're so emotional. Don't you have a partner to do this for you?"

"Probably not many others this size so close to Beacon… it's a wonder it's survived this long as it is."

Hm… that was probably true. Maybe it had a partner once upon a time, or a flock of its own, but it had either outgrown or outlived both. The nest itself was only really big enough for one, and there didn't seem to be any evidence of another.

As he worked, and as the base of the nest started to fill with dried skin, the creature's croons began to soften and quieten as its beautiful red eyes closed. He kept going, for what must have been a good fifteen minutes, but stopped with a quick smile when the creature fell asleep.

"Good boy," he patted its head and stepped carefully away. There was no point waking it, not when he finally had a chance to slip out before the over-protective thing snagged him again. With cautious steps, he made his way to the edge of the nest and looked out over it.

His stomach dropped and swam around his feet as he saw the long, perilous drop.

"I'm thinking that's a no…" Remy said uselessly, and it sounded like the parasite was queasy too.

He turned around and crept past the Grimm once more, this time to the other side of the nest, which luckily had some rock for him to stand on. It looked like he was on a tall mountain that overlooked the forest, and it wasn't too far from Beacon either, since he could see the tower poking above the ocean of trees. The nest itself was constructed from dried wood and twig, and balanced on an outcropping of grey rock that jutted from somewhere about three-quarters of the way up the mountain. It was a relatively flat outcrop, and as he stepped out onto it, there weren't any ominous cracks or groans to make him pause.

The prospect of the descent did enough of that.

"That's a long way down," Jaune whispered as he crouched on hands and knees and peered down the mountainside. It wasn't quite as jagged and ominous as the mountains in the Grimmlands, but those often poked at odd angles and were sharp enough to cut through to bone. It was still a mountain, though, and that meant a good portion of sheer drops and dangerous looking overhangs.

"It's my responsibility to mention we don't know how to mountain climb," Remy gulped.

"And how else do you propose I get down?"

"I didn't say I had a solution…"

"Then stop whining and let me focus." Jaune winced as he turned himself around and lowered a foot out and into the abyss. It waved and wobbled in the air as he blindly tried to find purchase. With his hands still on the outcrop and his feet dangling over the edge, he couldn't even see what he was doing and the panic that induced was nauseating. Was he supposed to go down head first so he could see what he was doing? That sounded even more frightening.

In the end, his feet struck rock, and after a quick test to make sure it was okay, he took the plunge and started to lower himself down. The going was slow at first, torturous even, but as the mountain started to even out it got a little easier. "Hey," he said, "This isn't too hard."

He should have known better, really… Uncle Hazel would have slapped a hand into his forehead.

The rock beneath him, which had felt solid and firm when he'd tested it with his foot, cracked and gave way when he settled his weight onto it. The sudden loss of footing tugged him down, and with the weight of his body and armour, his grip on the ledge above gave way. With a startled cry he fell back and down.

"Jaune!"

His hand reached out to catch himself, but it slammed painfully against a nearby rock instead, and his body flipped backwards as his back and head banged against another. He crashed onto a slope, and gravel and stone dug into his body as he skittered and slid down it. Both hands scrabbled for purchase, but the slope was more gravel and silt than anything else and all he achieved was digging furrows into it as he slipped down and off the edge once more.

A weightless sensation took him, and in that moment which must have been a second but felt like an eternity, his eyes looked down at the long and deadly fall below.

Power surged through him as he grit his teeth and bit down hard. He felt the change come on around the exact moment his body started its race towards terminal velocity. Blond hair receded, and his eyes flashed black and red as his heritage took control. His eyes spied the rock face a good four feet away, and with a sharp cry he reached out one hand towards it. It wasn't even close – but then again, it didn't have to be. Black tentacles speared out from his sleeves and pierced into solid rock with a sickening sound. His fall halted suddenly, and with the momentum shifted, he swung forward to smash against solid rock.

"Ow," Jaune grumbled, as the stone imprinted into his face and scratched his already battered skin. Above him he heard the rock crack, but three more tentacles quickly flowed from beneath his trouser legs and his other sleeve to dig into the cliff and suspend him against it.

"O-Okay," Remy stammered, "T-That was close… good save."

Even with the rock pushed against his face he couldn't stop the relieved giggle that escaped him. Close was one way to put it… any longer and he'd have been a stain on the forest floor. With a silent thanks to his mom for her gifts, he pulled out the tentacles above him and jammed them back into the rock a little further down.

Bit by bit, and with casual vandalism to the mountain's face, he slowly began his descent down towards the forest floor.

/-/

For Ruby, the plan had been simple. Land safely, using her beloved baby to slow her fall, then find her sister or Jaune to partner with before she ended up with someone she didn't know and had to be – gasp – social. Her dad had always said no plan survived contact with the enemy (or Qrow), but she hadn't always understood what that meant… the enemy part that was, Uncle Qrow made perfect sense.

Now she did…

Her feet propelled her across the grass as she ignored small pockets of Grimm that she would normally have stopped to fight. In the distance, her eyes remained locked onto the only thing that mattered – the mountain where her first and best friend at Beacon had been taken. Her hands shook, and her fingers tightened around the haft of Crescent Rose as she remembered the thick, cloying feeling of gut-wrenching fear that had overtaken her when she'd watched him be taken.

Summer had been taken away too, but she'd been too young to stop it back then… this time she was older, stronger and faster.

And the thought of that still not being enough was too much to bear.

She was the hero, she was a huntress now, and she'd sworn she wouldn't let anyone else be taken away like that again – that she would protect and save people. It couldn't end like this. Not with her being powerless yet again. She resisted the urge to cry. She had the power of speed – that was her Semblance – and what was the point of it if not to get to people on time? She weaved beneath a low branch, leapt across a small crevasse – and even heard a loud, familiar, voice cry out in anger as she swept by. She didn't stop for it, nor did she make eye contact. There was no time for that – not when her friend was in trouble!

The Grimm too went ignored, even if a few of them strangely did the same in regard to her. They seemed to all face towards the mountain she was headed to, as though they'd seen what had happened and were intrigued by it.

Mind on the game, Ruby rebuked herself. Grimm are mindless beasts. They're not interested in anything other than killing people.

Unbidden, her mind brought back the image of the red-eyed, white-haired man who had stood before her, the way he'd stared down on them from the Bullhead. He'd talked of mercy when he sent Beowolves towards them, and although she'd been more than able to fight them off – especially with Miss Goodwitch there – the thought of his mercy still had her eyes narrowing.

The mountain grew before her as she covered the distance in a span of time few others could have matched. Her chest burned and her body heaved, but she'd made it. She came to a stop with a few harsh pants somewhere near the base of it and fought to regain her breathing. She had a speed semblance and runner's legs, but that didn't mean crossing a forest like that was an easy task. With a short sigh, she wiped some sweat away from her face and looked up towards the peak.

"Now what…?" she asked as she considered the treacherous climb. It wasn't like she could just angle her legs a little differently and run up a huge mountain like that.

Something struck the ground behind her, and Crescent Rose whirred and clicked into place as she spun on the spot and slammed it into the dirt.

"Friend," the girl with red hair quickly said, arms outstretched. "Friendly…"

Ruby retracted the weapon with a quick mutter of apology and a flush of colour to her cheeks. "Sorry," she said, "I'm… a little jumpy."

"Not a problem and it's understandable." The other girl had her weapons drawn too, and while normally Ruby would have been more interested in those, at the moment she only cared to note they were a sword and shield. "Have you seen a young man around here?" the taller girl asked. "Blond hair, blue eyes an-"

"Jaune!" Ruby gasped – and the girl froze.

"You know him? Have you seen him? Is he okay!?"

"N-No. I'm here to try and find him – to try and save him. The Nevermore brought him here. I'm sure of it."

"It did," the girl nodded, "and it seems we have the same objective. My name is Pyrrha Nikos. I'm here to try and help him too."

Relief poured into her body at those words. She slumped against her weapon and gasped for more breath, still winded. "Ruby Rose. I thought… it's silly, but I don't want to give up."

"Me neither," Pyrrha smiled. "Have you been able to find anything?"

"No… I…I only just arrived. I was trying to think of a way up the mountain when you appeared. I uh… I don't suppose you have some kind of mountain-climbing semblance, do you?"

"Life would be too easy if I did," Pyrrha sighed. "We'll have to do this on foot, assuming you're still up for it?" Ruby nodded frantically, and the girl smiled. "Good. We'll circle around a little… try to find a sloped side or something a little easier. I'm sure with the two of us we'll be able to find him in no time." Ruby nodded and pushed herself back onto her feet. At this point she'd have agreed to anything, so long as it meant trying to rescue him.

The two of them jogged quickly along the mountain's edge, their eyes peaked upwards as they tried to find some surface they might be able to scale. It looked like there'd been some kind of landslide recently, however, and much of it was in broken and cracked debris along the bottom.

As the minutes ticked on, Ruby's hope waned, and for a moment she feared they'd have to give up… something she wasn't sure she could honestly do. Eventually, however, they came to a large, dark opening with strange pictures and scrawling on the rock's surface.

"It's a cave…" Pyrrha whispered.

"Definitely is," Ruby said, and then immediately flushed as she realised how useless that sounded. "Um… what do you think those pictures on the side mean?" She ran her fingers over them and the carvings felt old and worn beneath her fingertips. The images seemed to depict a group of stick figures fighting a scorpion the same size as they… maybe a Deathstalker.

"It certainly looks like something made a long time ago. I can only imagine how terrifying the Grimm must have been to people without our level of technology."

That was a scary thought… though those people had obviously survived, since Vale was still around. Maybe they'd been stronger back then, or knew ancient martial-arts special techniques. That sounded cool. "Why make these markings near a cave, though?"

"It could be a warning," Pyrrha shrugged. "If there was a Deathstalker nearby, this could be to let passers-by know."

"Maybe this cave was the people's home?"

The taller girl hummed and held her hand before her mouth in thought. "It's possible," she said after a few moments. "If these paintings are hundreds of years old, then this entrance would have been a lot smaller back then. Erosion would have widened it and this could have been a sanctuary of sorts. Maybe the message is less warning and more invitation – there's Grimm out there, if you're in danger you can hide in here." Pyrrha stepped back a few paces and looked up towards the mountain. "And of course, in a forest infested with Grimm, it would make sense to settle in the safest place you could."

Excitement pooled in Ruby's stomach and she hopped in place. "On the mountain?" she asked, and received a nod from her new companion. "Then this might be a tunnel that leads up it!"

"Perhaps this was a riverbed once," Pyrrha nodded, "And a river could have carved this tunnel. If the people repurposed it into an entranceway, then it would explain why they painted on the walls and how they survived for so long. Only the smallest Grimm could have entered." She stepped closer to the cave and held a hand out. "There's warm air coming from inside too."

"Meaning?"

"It means there must be something to create that air," Pyrrha said, "Like an exit or another cave further up the mountain."

And if it was further up the mountain, then that meant they'd just found their route to saving Jaune. "We going in?" Ruby asked, her body trembling with nervous anticipation.

Beside her, the redhead gripped her sword and smiled grimly. "Let's go, Ruby," she said. "We've got a friend to save."

/-/

On the other side of the mountain Jaune let out a sigh of relief as he hopped down the final distance and onto solid ground once more. One of his tentacles coiled before his face, and he rubbed the end with a wince. His aura protected him, but driving them into solid rock over and over again was not a pleasant experience. It was pretty much the same as slamming your hand into it, except that he'd also had to suspend his weight by them.

Well… it was the closest metaphor he could think of, since they weren't actually extra limbs since he could retract them back into his body, and he'd grown up with them all his life anyway.

"At least we made it to the bottom," he said, as his red and black eyes looked back up the mountain. It was a damn sight bigger looking up it than it had looking down. "Wow…"

"I don't want to ever do that again," Remy groaned. Jaune patted his left shoulder sympathetically, where he could feel the parasite dwelling. Since he lived inside his body, the little guy could technically feel most of what he did – which included his aching muscles.

My clothes are pretty much ruined too, he thought as he looked down on himself. His armour was dented in places, but that was nothing compared to the rips and tears in his jeans and hoodie – all thanks to sharp rock digging into the fabric when he'd fallen down the mountainside. Beneath that, his skin was red and sore – made all the more obvious for how his tone had gone ashen white with the transformation.

A nearby bush rustled, and his eyes widened in panic as he hid his face and prayed the person somehow wouldn't notice the white hair, white skin, angry veins and red eyes.

A gruff snort came from the Ursa that nosed its way into the clearing. A number of others followed, their red eyes to the floor as they sniffed the grass – only for each to perk and raise their heads towards him.

"Just some Grimm," Jaune sighed and lowered his arms. "Thank Salem…"

The Grimm in question seemed relieved as well, though maybe excited would have been the better term. Mindless as they were, a part of them knew or at least understood what he was. They covered the ground in great bounds and their snouts buffeted against his arms and shoulders. They took great breaths in, no doubt trying to place his scent and not fully understanding why they found it so important.

"Calm down, calm down," he laughed and patted the head of one, while pushing another's snout away from his crotch. "I swear you guys are worse than Mannie." A quick glance told him they'd surrounded him entirely, though that wasn't a real problem.

Some were taller than he and others smaller, but each and every one seemed determined to have a good sniff of him, and being exhausted anyway he was happy to allow it. I've got to get to this ruin the headmaster spoke of. He didn't say there was a time limit or anything, but what if there are no relics when I arrive because they've all been taken?

He coughed to clear his throat. "I'm looking for a ruined temple… have you seen it?"

The Ursa paused at his voice, and their heads all swung to face his. There was no response, however.

"A temple," Jaune repeated – then realized what the problem might be. "Uh… a structure made by men… probably stone. You… ugh… you probably don't know what stone is either, do you?"

One tilted its large head.

"A thing," he said and winced, "made of things… which is bigger than you… very grey… maybe… I mean it could be white, or brick-coloured or even covered in moss and green."

"Jaune…" Remy sighed.

"Give me a break. This is hard!" How did you explain to animals what a temple ruin was, especially when he didn't even know what it looked like, either?

He sighed, shook his head and regarded them once more. "Where are the nearest humans?" he asked, in what he hoped was a firm voice. "I command you to direct me to the nearest humans."

This, the creatures seemed to understand, and they pawed the ground and let out a long growl. As one they turned, still surrounding him, to point at the trees only a short distance away. Was that the direction to the temple?

/-/

Yang's decision to check out the mountain wasn't one born of a desire to save the guy she'd met before, even if that sounded horrible and she totally would have helped him if she thought she could. It had already been a good fifteen or twenty minutes since he'd been snatched, which meant he had survived and gotten away, or – much more likely – been killed. She hated the thought of that, but knew there was nothing she could have done.

Ruby, however, wasn't quite the same.

She'd known her little sister for every moment of her life, and it didn't take a genius to know what spurred the brave, little girl on. Jaune had been her first friend at Beacon and he'd been taken, just like that. No doubt Ruby would have hightailed it straight here to try and pry his body from the Nevermore herself.

Which meant she had to be here as well… either to stop Ruby, or help her.

That had been the plan anyway, and she'd even ignored a pair of Ursa en route, just to make sure she got there faster. Ruby would be so much quicker after all, but she had a feeling she'd landed closer. Either way, she'd gotten there as best she could and set about looking – and listening – for her little sister.

Investigating the sounds of conversation was an easy enough choice. Grimm didn't talk, people did – easy decision.

Bad decision, apparently.

Yang cursed silently as she pushed herself down into the bush and did her best to neither move, nor make a sound. An entire pack of Ursa congregated in the clearing, and from the sounds of it they'd surrounded someone. Her hands clenched into fists as she prepared to move, only to pause – and then freeze in horror – when she saw just what they'd cornered.

White hair and red eyes… that was all she could make out. The rest of the figure was obscured by the Grimm that surrounded him, but the colouration was enough to realise who it was. What's he doing here? Oh crap, oh crap… if this guy was strong enough to beat Ruby and Miss Goodwitch, then what chance do I have?

There was no way she'd come out of a fight with that monster in one piece, especially not when he had like ten Ursa with him. Her thoughts raced. Why was he here? What was he after? Why was he by the mountain?

Sickening doubt crept up her spine, and as her eyes widened a terrifying thought gripped her. Whatever his reason for being here, he was near the mountain and that was where Ruby was probably headed. What if he saw her and took the opportunity for revenge? Ruby had seen him and been directly responsible for leaking his image to the public… what if he decided to get his own back?

He spoke, and despite what she might have expected, his voice sounded almost normal. It was a little hard to hear, however, mostly because of the constant snuffles and growls from the Ursa. "- the nearest humans?" he asked the Ursa, and to her shock – they all seemed to listen.

He can control and talk to Grimm!?

And oh Gods, he wasn't after Ruby but was after other people… humans, any humans – was he trying to stop the initiation?

"-command you… direct… nearest humans."

Yang's blood turned to ice. He was asking them to find the nearest humans, but that was… she was… Her eyes widened as the Grimm sniffed the air, and then, with a lack of haste that made it all the worse, began to turn in her direction.

She didn't wait for them to finish. If Ruby were to come here she'd be killed, but if she stayed herself then it would be her who would die. If he wanted to chase her, he would, and if she could lead him away from the mountain… away from Ruby?

It was a risk... but between her and Ruby, she figured she would have the better chance of surviving an encounter with the guy.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she forced herself to wait until he looked in her direction - until the Ursa had located her. Only then did she dash away, too afraid to look behind her. The beat of her heart echoed her feet and she didn't think she had ever pushed herself so hard before... not since that time. A forest, Grimm, the threat of death… she was older now and skilled enough to fight, but the comparisons to that night she'd almost lost Ruby robbed her of all sense of self or time. She dashed past trees and through bushes, jumped over logs and swore angrily when she tripped, only to drag herself back up and keep moving on.

She couldn't hear anything behind her, and a quick glance revealed... nothing?

Had she lost them – had she really managed to outpace that monster, and his pack of unrelenting Grimm?

She crashed into something, and her heart leapt into her throat as the monster dragged her to the floor. She screamed in fear and flipped it over. One fist reared back and she slammed it into the monster's face before he could say anything. He cried out and held its face, but the details weren't quite right. Yang panted as the haze of fear slowly drifted away, to leave her kneeling above a groaning figure that clutched his left eye.

"You're not a Grimm," she whispered.

The pink-eyed, black-haired boy groaned in response.

Oh my, events have started to change thanks to our young lord Salem. I hope you enjoyed. For those who might wonder, I'll just head it off here. Yang clearly states it but just in case, no – she hasn't and didn't recognise Jaune. His clothing was obscured by the Grimm surrounding him, and his face is too different when transformed.

Also, while I was writing it, the explanation for the cave paintings started to really make sense to me... like, it started to make me think that if I were in their shoes, I wouldn't have automatically assumed a monster was in there, either.

I mean... if there was one in there... how would they have had the time to patiently carve or paint those things on the wall? "Ug, HELP US!" "Sorry Gruff, I'm painting. Just hold it off for a second; I think this one is going to be my masterpiece."

Anyway, Wednesday's chapter will finish initiation off, and likely contain a lot more than this. I couldn't really write two full-size chapters that were going to be released within three days of one another.

Onto the new schedule… I'll just list it here, and likely on each fic I update (so by now, you may even know this already). Even so, if you're ever in doubt, I do include a "Next Chapter" date at the bottom, which you can always rely on.

Monday: Forged Destiny

Tuesday: The Entertainer

Wednesday: White Sheep

Thursday: Nothing

Friday: Nothing

Saturday: Not this Time, Fate

Sunday: Professor Arc

Next Chapter: 8th February

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur