Rawr, everyone! Happy Dragon Tuesday! I'm so sorry I didn't post last week. As I said on my profile, there was a huge storm in my area which wiped out my power from Sunday to Wednesday. Electricity and heat are wonderful things, folks. Don't take them for granted!

Hopefully, this Qrow chapter will make it up to you. Enjoy!

Qrow needed to take a detour.

He hated himself, because he knew this meant he'd probably not arrive at Beacon until just before Yule, which meant spending less time with Tai and the girls, but there was no way he could pass this up. A broodery had been raided in the next town over, and the Rider on the gold dragon had been sighted again. It was time for a much-needed chat with another member of his family.

After landing in the town in question, a place called Vermillion, he left a note with the innkeeper that read "The murder must meet." The man's expression clouded, and he was quick to give Qrow a free shot of whiskey after hurriedly pocketing the note.

Qrow wanted to see if he could maybe get a few more freebies, but a tap on the side of the inn prompted him to down his drink and go back outside. "What?"

Salty growled pointedly, nodding to the east, where the ransacked broodery was. They had passed over it when arriving in town, and the water dragon knew that they should go there next.

"I know, I know." Qrow patted his dragon's shoulder. "Couldn't I just get one more drink first?"

Salty shook his head. "No," he growled in human tongue. That was another word he was very good at saying. It's never just one more drink. We both know that.

Qrow sighed. "Okay. Let's head to the broodery." He tapped Salty's neck, urging his dragon to lean down. "Our sisters are coming," he whispered.

Salty's fins twitched, and he growled sharply. Phoenix had better have a good explanation! He thought about the stolen eggs that would never find their way to other brooderies or dragonries. He imagined the kinds of people who probably had them now. If Phoenix had anything to do with this...

Well, he wasn't sure what he'd do. He couldn't hurt her, after all. No dragon worth anything would ever truly harm their sibling.

He had once met an earth dragon who had been retired to a broodery after losing his Rider and his brother. Apparently, the two Riders had gotten into a fight that had killed one. The dragon of the dead Rider, a fire dragon, had gone mad and tried to kill the other Rider. The earth dragon, of course, had fought back to protect his Rider. The two brothers fought until their scales were coated with blood, but neither one delivered the final blow necessary to end the fight, not even the frenzied fire dragon. Neither one used their powers.

Finally, the authorities came. The Rider was arrested and put on death row, and the crazed fire dragon had been shot. The earth dragon had almost been sent to the fighting pits, but Ozpin had intervened on his behalf, arranging for him to be sent to one of the nicest brooderies in Vale.

Salty sometimes thought about that dragon, remembering the complete lack of life or emotion in his eyes and voice when he had recounted his story, and wondered if a death in the pits would have been a kinder fate.

When they arrived at the broodery, Qrow went inside to talk with the owners. They bustled around preparing him coffee, expressing relief that someone was taking this seriously.

"It was awful!" the middle-aged woman who seemed to be in charge said, sitting down and nudging a plate of cookies toward Qrow. "All of a sudden, the sheds were on fire, along with one of the barns! Of course, I have an automatic system that opens everything, allowing my dragons to run, but I still had to go in and coax a few of them out.

Qrow noticed the burns on the woman's arms. "Lucky for them you were there," he said, his tone respectful.

"Would've been nicer if a Rider had been here," the woman snorted before quickly correcting herself. "Oh, don't think I'm ungrateful that you're here now! I know you aren't psychic. It just seems that, with all that's happening, there should be Riders assigned to guard all the brooderies. I mean, dragons are valuable!"

"That they are," Qrow agreed. "Did you see anything noticeable?"

"Well, you probably already heard about that Rider on the gold fire dragon. Imagine! A Rider helping with this! Probably one of those no-good rogues. I hope the Flight Squads are on top of this."

"I wouldn't know. I work solo," Qrow said, taking a sip. "But I'm on my way to Beacon, so I'll make sure Dragonmaster Ozpin hears about you."

The woman gasped. "The Dragonmaster Ozpin? Oh my. That would be very helpful indeed." She thought for a moment. "Oh yes, there was one more thing! There was a symbol on the airship, something painted in red. I'll bet it was those awful White Fang creatures! I heard they've been going after other brooderies. I hope that helps."

"It does." Qrow took a sip of the coffee. It was good, though he wished there was something stronger in it. "Did you see the Rider? Any distinguishing features?"

The woman shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. It was too dark."

Qrow wrote down an email and handed it to her. "Here. This is one of Ozpin's emails. I'll tell him to look for your message. Contact him if you think of anything else."

"Oh, thank you!" The woman smiled brightly. "I will do that. Please finish your coffee, and have a cookie before you go."

When Qrow came outside, obligingly munching on a cookie, he found Salty near the destroyed barn, talking with the brood dragons that were lying in temporary shelters.

"Guhld," a brood dragon was saying to Salty. "Buh-buhl…" She gestured to her face and back.

Salty nodded slowly, trying to figure out what the broody was saying. It was always difficult talking to non-elementals, as they didn't have the same grasp of language that elementals had. "Was the dragon male or female?" he asked, speaking slowly.

The broodies turned to each other, making a series of garbled sounds that almost sounded like speech. Then, the female looked at him again. "Buhl-ak." She pointed to her face again.

Salty breathed a sigh. Well, that was helpful. He turned to Qrow, barking a greeting as he approached.

"Hey, buddy. No new info. Mighta been the White Fang, maybe not." He shrugged as he climbed on. "Let's go."

"I hope your home is rebuilt soon," Salty said politely to the brood dragons, who tilted their heads and made those garbled sounds again. He was a little relieved to take off.

Qrow stayed at the inn for a day, a night, and most of the next day before the innkeeper approached him at the bar.

"There's a guest in your room," he murmured. "She says 'The carrion bird flies toward the sunset.'"

Qrow gulped down his drink, leaving payment and a generous tip on the counter. "Thanks." He went outside for only a second, long enough to tell Salty: "Your sister's in the forest to the west. Go talk to her if you want." He didn't wait to see his dragon's reaction before going inside.

He plodded up the stairs, pausing to take a bracing breath, then opened the door to his room.

Raven Branwen was sitting casually, sprawled out on his bed, her feet propped up on the only chair in the room, a not-so-subtle power play that forced him to either stand or ask for the chair. He chose to stand.

"Raven," he said coldly, closing the door and leaning against a nearby wall, folding his arms.

"Hello, brother," she replied, her voice neutral. "What do you want?"

"Answers," Qrow growled. "You got here pretty quick, so you must've been nearby when you got my message. Was it maybe an innkeeper in a nearby town? A town a short flight away from the Vermillion Broodery?"

Raven smirked. "You're not very subtle in your interrogation, dear brother."

"I don't need subtlety with you," Qrow muttered. "You'd see through it anyway. I don't waste my time on games."

"True, true," Raven agreed. She stretched her arms in a feigned display of casualness. "So, how's Salty?"

"You could ask him yourself, but you're never around long enough when we do see each other."

Raven's eyes flashed. "Qrow, we both know that your family values lectures are a waste of time." As quickly as her anger flared up, it simmered down again. "So, skip the small-talk and talk about the task at hand, then? Fine." She took her feet off the chair and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and knitting her fingers together.

Qrow waited, still not sitting down.

"You need to stop investigating these robberies, Qrow," Raven said, her voice low and serious. "What's happening right now is a setup for something bigger, something necessary."

"So, you are involved." Qrow's expression darkened. "What's stopping me from taking you to Ozpin?"

Raven smirked. "I'd like to see you try. Do you think I came alone? My rogues could make you disappear in a moment. We both know that. I wonder what Salty would do if you suddenly went missing. Dragons can be so unpredictable."

Bitch! Qrow gritted his teeth, wondering for a crazy moment if one of his sister's fellow rogues was hiding under the bed. Was one in the bar downstairs? Were there any in the forest with Salty and Phoenix? Only his unquestioning knowledge that Phoenix would never let any harm come to her brother kept him from truly panicking. I trust my sister's dragon more than my own sister! he thought bitterly, choosing to say nothing. Even if she was bluffing, he couldn't risk any complications. Ozpin wouldn't be happy if his best agent suddenly vanished at this point in the game.

"That's a good boy," Raven cooed, smirking when this caused Qrow to clench his fists. "As I was saying, you need to step back from all of this. Believe it or not, I don't want to see my only brother dead. However, I may not be able to stop the people who would be far less hesitant about killing you if you got in their way. Do you understand?"

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a warning, Qrow," Raven said, fixing him with a firm glare. "A warning I hope you'll take."

"What's happening, sis?" Qrow asked, hating the word, and the emotion that managed to find its way through his throat as he said it. He couldn't show weakness around her, but this implied betrayal hurt far worse than he cared to admit. "Can't you throw me a bone, for old time's sake?"

"Begging, are we?" Raven asked, though her tone had softened ever so slightly. "I'm afraid I can't tell you, brother. Trust me, though: Everyone will know what's happening when the time is right. When that happens, you're going to need to decide whose side you're on, and what kind of world you want to be living in when everything ends."

Qrow opened his mouth to ask another question, but Raven was already standing up. He realized that he wouldn't get any more answers from her. Instead, he just said: "See yah around."

"Goodbye, brother," Raven said calmly, walking briskly toward the door. She glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, your next drink when you go back downstairs is on me. I know you'll be needing it." She flashed a smirk before closing the door.

Qrow waited, counting his breaths until he was certain that she was gone. Then, he walked downstairs, past the bar, and out the door to find Salty.

…

As soon as Qrow closed the door to the inn, Salty spread his wings and flew toward the forest. He flew low, calling out to his sister. "Phoenix? Phoenix?"

Then, he saw a small plume of smoke rising, and sought out a spot to land in a way-too-tiny clearing. He crashed a little through the trees and stumbled as he landed, ending up on his side.

A soft chuff sounded nearby. "I thought water dragons are supposed to be graceful."

Phoenix peeked her head through the trees. Her pure, golden scales took on a leafy pattern as dapples of orangish-pink sunlight touched them. Her red eyes glittered with a combination of amusement and apprehension. "Hello, my brother."

Salty sat up, noting the lack of dirt smudges on his sister. Of course she managed to land in the trees without falling… Showoff. "How are you, Phoenix?" he asked.

"I've been well," she replied. Her smile quickly faded at her brother's expectant look. "I know what you're going to ask," she murmured, pressing her ears against her head.

"Are you going to answer?" Salty asked, narrowing his eyes and hissing a little at the end of his sentence.

Phoenix let out a mirthless huff. "Oh, don't try to intimidate me. It won't work."

"I'm worried, Phoenix," Salty urged. "And so is Qrow. If you and Raven are in any kind of trouble…"

"We're not!" Phoenix insisted, her tail lashing. "We're doing great! Really great!"

"Yeah, robbing brooderies sounds 'really great,'" Salty snarled.

Phoenix winced. "I didn't do that, Salty."

"They saw a golden fire dragon!"

"What, you think I'm the only fire dragon with gold scales? Please." She rolled her eyes, a smirk coming to her muzzle.

Salty's fins flicked. So, there's another fire Rider involved, and he or she is riding a gold dragon.

Phoenix stiffened, realizing her slip of tongue too late. "Argh! I hate when you do that!"

"It would be easier if you just told me," Salty said, his fins drooping a little. "We used to be able to talk about anything."

Phoenix bowed her head. "I wish we could, Salty. I really do. Things just need to be kept quiet now. You have no idea how much is at stake, especially for us."

"What do you mean by us?" Salty asked, taking a step forward.

There was a moment of hesitation before Phoenix breathed a resigned sigh, deciding to give just a little information. "Us dragons."

Salty's thick tail thumped on the ground. "What does that mean? Are these people fighting for dragons? Why are they stealing eggs, then?!"

"Because that's the only way they'll have dragons!" Phoenix snapped, lifting her head and fixing her brother with a blazing stare. "Because the Council humans are the ones who decide who gets eggs and who doesn't! That's how they stay in power, and the dragons and Riders in Raven's tribe are branded as lawless rogues!"

"The Council?" Salty felt a growl rising in his throat as he thought of the shady, dragon-hating humans who were somehow in charge of people like Ozpin and Qrow. "What do they have to do with this?" So, the whole tribe is involved with this as well. I should've figured.

"They won't have anything to do with anything if things go our way," Phoenix said, baring her fangs eagerly. "You see? This is a good thing!"

She paused, realizing that she was close to letting something slip, and reined herself in with a few deep breaths. "Look, I've already said too much. Just stop investigating this, and keep your head low. There's a place for both you and Qrow if you make the right decision and join us when the time comes."

"What kind of place?"

"A good one!" Phoenix insisted. "A really good one! Please, brother. Don't follow the wrong path."

"I follow whatever path my Rider puts me on," Salty growled.

Phoenix wings drooped and she smiled sadly. "Don't we all?"

There was movement in the trees as Raven approached. She barely glanced at Salty as she approached her dragon and mounted. "Let's go, Phoenix," she urged, clicking her tongue.

Phoenix gave Salty one last, anguished look. "Goodbye, my brother. Give my love to Tempest and Quake the next time you see them."

"I will," Salty promised. He watched, his heart thudding painfully as he watched Phoenix climb up a pair of sturdy trees, then jump from the tops, taking flight immediately. It was one of the most advanced take-off techniques. Our old teachers would be proud...

He watched until his sister was only a gold speck in the sky, until tears blurred his vision and he had to bow his head, fat droplets trickling down his snout. He dug his claws into the dirt, his shoulders hunched.

He didn't look up until he heard Qrow approaching. His Rider walked over, placing a hand on his foreleg. Neither one spoke. After a moment, Salty realized that his Rider's shoulders were starting to shake.

Rumbling quietly, he lifted Qrow into his arms, sat back on his haunches, and cradled the human against his chest. He felt moisture on his scales and shut his eyes.

He knew that this was a rarity, that Qrow hated shedding tears. That was why he drank so much. When he was drunk, he didn't cry. When he didn't cry, he could act as if nothing was wrong.

But everything was wrong. Even if Salty didn't know what, he knew that everything was horribly wrong. Qrow knew it too, even if it was to a lesser extent. All of these meetings with Raven had been slowly but surely whittling away at those walls the jaded human had worked so hard to build up since his sister's departure and Summer's death. The knowledge that some unknown thing was coming, that Raven was somehow involved, caused more pain than he cared to admit.

What would happen to them in the coming months? What would happen to Raven and Phoenix? Who else would get pulled into whatever was happening?

Salty didn't know the answers. All he could do was hold and comfort his Rider until the bitter comfort of alcohol finally became too strong of a call, and pulled Qrow away from him yet again.

So, something I'm absolutely going to address in this fic is Qrow's alcoholism. So far, his drunkenness has been played off as comedic in canon, which I think is a problem. While being a drunk can certainly be used for comedy, it should also be balanced out with the fact that alcoholism is a serious problem. In canon, he's been alone most of the time, and hasn't had to face too many consequences. (I hope he's forced to sober up, now that he's acting as a guardian for five kids.) In this AU, he has his dragon with him at all times, and Salty is absolutely being drained by this, as we'll see in greater detail as the story unfolds.

I'm also looking forward to having Raven as a major player in this story, since she didn't find her way into "Once in a Shattered Moon." I think I'm keeping her pretty in character based on what we've seen of her so far.

If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.

Peace out!