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The Ally
The next morning, and the morning after that, and the morning after that were all the same. It started raining and it seemed it would never stop. Qrow's black cloak laid over her shoulders and no matter how many times she offered it back he refused. He always said he wasn't cold even though sometimes she caught him shivering. They were far enough away from the enemy to have been able to make a fire, but the weather wouldn't have let it last for long. She used a little Dust to heat up their meals at nights but she was still trying to save as much as possible.
They came across a small town one day and she was grateful to see an inn. She needed a proper shower so badly she could taste it. She was already halfway across the street before Qrow jerked her back.
"No time for that, sweetheart. We get our supplies and leave."
"Not even one night?"
"A man's life is at stake." he said simply.
She lowered her head in acknowledgement and took the outstretched bag. Walking into the general store she filled up on everything they would need. She made sure to buy herself a cloak with what small amount of money she had left over, resolving Qrow wouldn't go cold any more nights because of her. They had a pretty wide selection to choose from and she selected a dusty blue with a red lining. Probably not too good for stealth but it was muchmore her style. As she left the store she realized he wasn't waiting on the sidewalk anymore and she wondered where he'd gone. Looking up the block she knew the answer in a second. The tavern was small but she knew Qrow had a sixth sense for these kinds of things.
She walked in and saw him at the bar already three glasses deep. She dropped the bag at his feet and took the stool next to him.
"What can I get you, sweetie?" the bartender winked at her.
"A coffee, thank you."
"You can wait outside, you know."
"It's raining." she threw his cloak over his head. "You can take this back now. I got my own."
"About time. You'd figure by now you'd learn to come prepared."
She rolled her eyes as the cup of coffee was set before her. It was horrendous but the warmth felt nice on her face. Just a few sips was enough to almost make her feel human again. "You have your flask all prepared?"
"First thing I do, no matter where I go. Never know when some White Fang nut is going to try and murder you in your sleep and you have to run."
"You're welcome by the way."
"You still let him get away, let's not get too uppity." he drained his glass and motioned for the bartender. "One more before I go, John."
"Anything for the lady?" he gave her a wink.
"I don't drink." she said simply.
He returned a few minutes later with two shots, sliding one in front of each of them. She was about to protest before he pretend to go check on something in the back.
"It'll warm you up." Qrow commented, holding out his own to her.
"I don't need this vile-"
"Just shut up and take it so we can get on the road."
Technically she was of age, but that didn't mean she wanted it any more. She'd seen what alcohol could do to someone. But it didn't sate her innate curiosity. She grumbled as she picked up the tiny glass and tapped it to Qrow's. He downed it no problem and slapped some money on the counter before reaching for his bag. She tried to imitate him and swallow the whole thing at once, but it got stuck halfway down and she started coughing. It burned like she was drinking paint thinner and she slapped her chest to coax it down.
"That was the worst thing I've ever had." she sputtered.
"You get used to it." he smirked.
She was still coughing as they left the bar, pulling cool air into her lungs to try and quell the burning. She pulled up the hood of her new cloak to stave off the rain as they headed out of town again.
She was getting far too used to slogging through the wilderness time and time again. She almost didn't notice as the branches pulled at her hair, or think twice about shoving her chip bags into her backpack after she was done with them. That night the rain had finally stopped long enough for her to build a proper fire and let them dry themselves out. She used some Dust to dry some wood, and used a spark of Aura to set them ablaze. She felt the warmth wash over her and sighed audibly.
True to Qrow's estimate, nine days later they were laying concealed in a rocky crevice spying on a large White Fang encampment. He showed her the pattern of the Faunus down below. How to see what buildings were important by seeing where the bulk of the people avoided. One large building had two guards standing outside of it and Qrow reasoned this must be where the clan head was at the moment.
"I'm probably going to need your help on this mission."
"You need my help?"
"Yes, I need some cannon fodder." She gave him a look to which he chuckled at. "I'm joking, I'm joking. I need a distraction."
"Want me to strut around and flip my hair?"
"I don't want them to see you at all if you can help it. Now, I need you to create a diversion. How are you going to do it?"
She gestured to one of the buildings they had guess either housed weapons or something special. "I make it look like I'm targeting their weapons. It's what someone would do if they were going to take the camp."
"Just make sure you keep a good distance from the prison cages. I don't want a charred corpse for all my troubles."
"Don't be so dramatic." she rolled her eyes. "Light important buildings on fire. Create explosions to increase confusion."
"Remember to keep out of sight. If they capture you I might be too busy to get you out of there."
"So kind of you to be concerned." she muttered.
"I'll give you the signal just after sunrise when they're most fatigued. Rendezvous right over there, past that peak." he pointed to a small mountain.
"I know, you've mentioned it a few times."
"And when you forget, I'll remember you just said that." he smirked.
She waved him off, refocusing on the camp below. He slid out of the hollow they were laying in and disappeared into the trees. The moon was high in the sky and the camp was alive with activity. She had trouble seeing details because they had very few torches lit in their compound. Maybe she should have bought those night vision goggles one of those Vale merchants had tried hawking her during the Festival. But she settled on the hard ground and tried to ignore the pine needles that were pricking her legs. Myrtenaster was standing ready in her hand and she started drawing on her Aura into a reserve. She hadn't worked on her summoning very much because it was a dead giveaway for wherever they were, but she knew she could do this.
As the sun started to rise she saw a quick flash of the new light being reflected off a blade near the encampment. She gave herself a small peptalk as she shimmied out of hiding and headed to the west side of the compound. As she neared she walked slower, gripping her sword tighter in her hand. Finally she ran her fingers across the blade to activate the Dust within and let off the first barrage.
She started as she'd said. A well-placed explosion blew a hole in their border wall right next to their armory. As they were still reeling from the surprise she cast a string of small glyphs inside the compound that exploded in a string of fire. That incited outright panic and Faunus poured out of the compound looking for the source of the disturbance. She drew a deep breathe before lighting a glyph in the middle of the hole in the border wall. The Faunus who would have been pouring out faltered, trying to judge what was going to happen.
She focused on an Alpha Beowolf, tall and terrifying. She imagined the pointed ears and the lethal claws. She remembered the hatred in it's eyes as she'd run it through in the Battle of Beacon.
She remembered a little too well. For a split second she smelled smashed stone and heard Paladins clunking in the background. Her glyph faltered as her concentration slipped. She grunted in frustration as she felt her Aura finally slip and the glyph disappeared. The confusion below cleared and they poured out once more.
She pointed her blade at a cluster of trees and lit them on fire. She launched a few more projectiles into the base before retreating further. That be as much of a distraction as Qrow was going to get. She took a deep breathe and focused her semblance once more, and a glyph lit next to her. A white shadow of herself rose, completely still but decently convincing. She felt a pang of longing for Blake, who had given her the idea, before leaping to the next tree.
She was barely a few meters away when she heard the other fighters shouting. The tree her decoy had been in was reduced to splinters in just a few seconds. She gulped and took more care in moving unseen. She moved nonstop for hours, until at least noon. She hoped their fatigue would drive them to not pursue her as long as she wasn't still attacking, but the voice of Qrow in her mind told her not to hope for anything and assume the worst.