Good news – the guy who slashed my tyre yesterday was arrested later that day. Turns out it wasn't just mine; he went on a window-smashing and tyre-slashing spree through the village. The police came down, hovered around and recognised him later. Someone on the forum my parents use (sort of a fb group for people in the village to share news) saw it happen and the police confirmed it for us later. Well, no details ofc. Just that a suspect has been apprehended.

Cover Art: GWBrex

Chapter 16

It was hard to enjoy the splendour and majesty of the city of Vale when Jaune was only able to see it through the narrow eye slits of his metal helm. The ring of steel that reached down from the brow of his helm and curled under his eyes provided just enough vision to look ahead and to the side, but there was a vertical bar in the middle of both, right in the way of his vision. Roland had laughed when he complained about it and said you'd complain more about an arrow or knife to the eye without it. His breath came out in laboured pants, breathing through the chainmail that linked to hooks on the underside of those same guards beneath his eyes, forming a mask over his nose and mouth and carrying down to rest against the chainmail he wore over his body like a heavy dress.

It was both not as heavy as he imagined and yet far more constricting than he imagined. Every motion sent a rain of metallic rustling over his body, and there was only so much twisting you could do before it bunched and locked up. It was hot, too. The first rays of spring's sunshine were beaming down on them, and while that might not have been too bad normally, he had to wear the chainmail over a thick gambeson and linen beneath. To make matters worse, they walked into the city, trekking as they had for kilometres over ground that hadn't yet fully hardened after winter, and carrying packs full of food. If he thought the trek from Ansel to the Branwen tribe was hard, doing it in armour and with a large round shield looped over his back was punishingly so.

"You didn't have to wear it all, you know." Ruby whispered from beside him. While he came decked for war, she wore a loose cloth dress with a leather corset, a dark red hood and a travelling cloak. Also, she bounced along with no problem, enjoying the warmer weather. "No one is going to recognise you, and even if they did, what would they think? You haven't done anything wrong."

Yet. Jaune shook his head, the helmet rustling about his sweaty hair and the chainmail tinkling where the neck curtain touched the mail over his chest. The clinking rustle of the interconnected links tinkling off one another was loud in his ears, but then his ears were trapped under a leather under-helm. "I don't want to take the risk."

"Looks like you're not the only one."

Not the only one hiding or suffering under armour? The answer was both. Huge arrays of tents had been erected outside the mighty walls of Vale, with a small camp of brightly-coloured pavilions having been set up. Despite that this festival was to be held at Vale, it looked like the majority of it would be outside. That made sense given how many people were coming, not to mention their stinky horses, mules and everything else they brought with them.

There were hundreds of people here – perhaps more. Large areas had been set aside, fenced off and clearly prepared for some sport or another, but the spot designated for the participants to camp in was much less orderly. Campfires burned, pots and pans clinked, and people laughed, argued and even fought in some cases. He hoped they were just spars but bring so many people together and they might not be.

The Branwen tribe certainly weren't the most armed and armoured either. The way Raven told it, he'd expected a competition in their favour, but then she wouldn't have felt the need to try and recruit him to it if that was the case. Jaune watched as a young boy carried a large sword and shield to a man decked from head to toe in plate, with a flat metal helmet ordained with a gold – or more likely polished bronze – ox standing atop it, rearing. Another marched up to him, clapping a heavily gauntleted fist to his chest and saying something that the first responded to.

Further along, he saw men in thick leathers and padded cloth carrying tower shields as tall as they were, and that would have to be set in the ground to be used. They looked like they could be interlocked to form a wall, and they also had large spears tipped with heavy billhooks. Trained soldiers, he thought. Likely not the best or anything, but certainly better than a village boy borrowing a suit of chainmail from a wounded bandit. They weren't even the only ones. For every under-equipped and reckless young man with a hunting spear, there were five grizzled veterans that were either serving as men-at-arms or working as mercenaries. Much rarer were the Knight Errant, landless and wandering men suited in full armour. Taiyang referred to them as Hedge Knights, the more derogatory term as Jaune understood it, but he'd been warned not to say that to their faces. If he spoke to one for whatever reason, they were a Knight Errant. Or simply `sir` to him.

The members of the Branwen tribe who had come, some twenty in all, picked their own spot on the outskirts of the camp and settled down. Six for the men's tournament, six for the women's and then eight who had been brought along by Raven to set camp, tend to the warriors and just help around. Ruby was among them, assigned to Taiyang and Jaune, but also promising to help Yang towel down as well. It was the work of an hour to get everything sorted and set, and soon they had a grouping of tents around a stone pit that Qrow was trying to turn into a fire by way of striking two rocks together. It lasted until Raven scoffed, grabbed a log and wandered over to a nearby camp. The soldiers there laughed at something she said, likely mocking Qrow, and she came back with the brand burning merrily from their fire, then set it to their own. Pots were set up along with a spit. A boar Jaune had hunted was brought out, set to roast, and to his surprise Raven went so far as to invite strangers to sit and eat at their fire, to share in the meat.

"Forming alliances." Taiyang explained. He had carried his mail and armour on his back and looked far less sweaty than Jaune did for it. "It's a wild, chaotic mess in the free-for-all, and you can't always trust your back will be protected. When a bastard has to pick between you and someone else to knock down, they'll likely spare the one they drink and eat with later."

Raven was winning friends now to increase their odds. It wouldn't stop them competing later, but at the start when it was everyone for themselves, this might grant them an edge. It might even convince some of these people to join shields with them and fight their way to the later rounds. Clever.

"You look surprised," Taiyang said quietly. "Don't be. Just because they're bandits doesn't mean they're not smart. It takes a lot of brains to run a bandit troupe, find loot and evade the church and militias at the same time. All while keeping your band loyal, happy and fed. Raven is cunning. Qrow, too."

"Is that something I should be worried about?"

"No. She doesn't always keep her word, but she tries – and to be frank, you're not important enough to lie to. Now, if you were a fat noble carrying your weight in gold she might be tempted, but betraying you, she'd lose face and reputation, and for what? To get one over on a farm boy…? Not worth it. You should take all that off." He nodded to the helmet, mail and gambeson. "We're not even going into the city proper, and you can see how there's no one from the Church out here."

He was right and, after a moment's thought, Jaune unhooked the chainmail mask from the helmet and then removed it. His head was wrapped in a padded hood, a full head-mask with a hole cut for the face, to serve as cushioning for the helmet both for comfort and so that if something hit him over the head the metal helm didn't just crush his skull. He slid that back, closing his eyes blissfully as the cool air finally touched his sweaty, itchy scalp. Taiyang laughed and helped him out the chainmail vest as well.

"Lay it out," he suggested. "Last thing you want is to fold chainmail. It'll get caught in itself and you'll have a right mess. That ever happens, hold it out from the top. Gravity does good work."

Jaune ditched it inside his tent, then removed his gambeson as well, stripping down to his tunic. It was damp with sweat and clinging to him. "I can't believe how hot that all is."

"Hmm. Now imagine it's the middle of summer and you've been fighting for an hour straight. I can never understand those that join the armies. Desperate folk, I say. The pay isn't awful or so I hear but imagine marching and fighting in all that."

"It looks like there are army people here." Ruby chirped in.

"Mercenaries for the most part." Taiyang said. "No war on, so no armies."

"None?" Jaune asked. "Doesn't the Eternity Queen have an army?"

"She has the Chosen – what would she need an army for? There's a small standing force to act as guards and militia for cities, towns and villages, but most of the army disbands after use and rises when needs be. Except those that get a taste of the fighting and want to keep going – those become mercenaries."

"A taste for blood?" Ruby asked.

"Not always." Taiyang corrected. "I'm sure some do, but most just came to enjoy the greater pay, active lifestyle and camaraderie and don't want to give that up to shovel shit in a field for the rest of their lives. Even without a war, there's always mercenary work."

"Hunting bandits." Jaune offered. "Isn't it a little weird interacting with them? What if they find out?"

"I'd wager they know."

Jaune blanched. "What?" If the people knew, or even suspected, that they were bandits then why the hell was he so relaxed. "They know we're…?"

"A group like ours, armed and armoured as we are, but not a mercenary company they recognise and not sporting any heraldry. It's pretty obvious. It won't matter. Everyone is here for the tournament. There won't be any trouble so you can calm down. It's a gentleman's agreement out here."

"Does that mean it's safe to walk around?" Ruby asked.

"Should be. I'd prefer you go with a man if possible. Not that I doubt you, my little Rose, but this is a camp of military men. They might mistake you for a woman of the night looking to turn a few coin." Taiyang nodded as a voluptuous woman walked by in a revealing dress, drawing the gaze of many a soldier of fortune. "Plenty of those around. A grouping of people like this, all looking to win and spend coin, is sure to be a big money-maker. They tend to be a rowdy bunch, and when as many as this gather it only gets worse. I promise you now, this camp will be a drunken, wild mess after every fight."

Taiyang exaggerated. The camp was drunk within the hour.

/-/

Jaune clapped his hands along with the crowd as the archer lowered her bow and raised her hand proudly. The tight grouping of five arrows set in the target a good distance away were checked by attendants garbed in bright blue heraldry. The total was called out, a good ninety points, and the woman looked pleased to be put in the top four so far. That would likely see her through to tomorrow's draw, though there were still some left.

It surprised him that the archery tournament didn't have that many people watching it. There were plenty of smallfolk and tournament attendees, but he'd thought there would be nobles and wealthy patrons and families. This was Vale after all. There weren't any stands for them to sit in either, the archery field being little more than a stretch of land fenced off, with spectators allowed to crowd as they wished. A couple of armed city guards sat by the judges, likely to ward off any competitors who thought they could get aggressive or make demands. No one had yet. To be fair, a lot of the competitors were village folk. Only one in ten looked to be military, mercenary or something else. The woman who had just shot clearly was in the last category, wearing well-cut and bright clothing. Maybe a merchant's daughter. Most were hunters – Jaune could tell because they used hunting bows. At least one mercenary had come up with a powerful longbow that must have taken a lot of strength to draw back. He'd scored very well and was ranked first currently.

"You're a hunter, right?" Ruby asked as they finished clapping and waited for the arrows to be pulled out the target and the next person to step up. "Do you think you could win this?"

"No way. I can hit a deer at medium distance and that's considered good for me. I could probably hit the target four out of five, but I wouldn't be able to promise where they'd land. It'd be pure luck."

These people could. They were good, and the skill difference between village folk giving it a shot and professional archers was showing very quickly. When you just had to wound an animal and let it bleed out, it didn't always matter where you hit. What was more, the best here – or the ones who would be going through – were landing all five in the targets and at a tight grouping. Apparently, the targets would be drawn further back each day making the qualifications harder and harder.

"I'm more surprised how quiet this is." Jaune said. "I thought it would be a big city-wide spectacle."

"That comes later." The man to their left answered for him, leaning on the fence and watching the archery. Judging by his outfit, he, like them, was from out of town and was here to compete. He wore black with white accents, and his red hair was cut short. "The nobles and the real fancy hats won't come watch anything but the finest, though. Once the chaff is all weeded out and they know it's the best of the best, then they'll come down. That takes place inside the city."

"Then this isn't good enough for them?"

"It's amateur. Look." He pointed to the next competitor, who looked like a local hunter yet again. He aimed the bow and the first arrow sailed into the straw, missing the target at all by an inch. He looked upset, and with good reason. That first arrow pretty much meant he wouldn't make it through. "The problem with having these open to anyone and everyone is that not everyone is good enough to belong here. It'll be the last hundred who make it to the melee finals, last twenty for archery, last twenty for jousting. Then they'll make a real showing of it, and this will look like a country fair. Streamers, bands, pennants, fine food and enough wine to drown in. Deep in the city, in a specially made amphitheatre."

"You sound like you've seen it before." Ruby said.

"I have."

"You've made the finals?"

He snorted. "I have not. Semi's is the furthest I've ever been. This year will be different." The way he said that sounded a lot more like he was confident and a lot less the excuse everyone told themselves when they kept failing. "Last, I was cornered by six knights working together under service to a baron."

"That doesn't seem fair." Ruby said.

"These things never are, especially not with the Relic of Knowledge on the line. This will be the least fair you've ever seen it." He thumbed at his chin and turned to look at them, revealing a grisly scar across one eye. "Don't take anything for granted," he said. "The nobles cheat whenever and wherever they can. It's how they stay in power. If you want to win, you have to be prepared to cheat as well."

"Adam!" a girl's voice called. The man turned, Ruby and Jaune turning with him, to see a young woman with long, flowing black hair approaching. She was clad in tight-fitting cloth with a long dagger on her left hip. Atop her head, two feline ears twitched in the light breeze. "What are you doing? Sienna wants to talk with you."

"Just enjoying the archery. I'm surprised you didn't join."

"I don't have the time – and neither do you."

"Relax, Blake." Adam chuckled and reached out a hand that the woman took after a moment's hesitation. He drew her in and pressed her to the fence, holding her in place with a hand on either side of her. "Sienna is paranoid. The men's first melee isn't until tomorrow. Women's too."

"She wants to plan."

"Pointless when I can't even compete with you." Adam looked away from the woman and to them. "What about the two of you? Competing?"

"He is." Ruby pointed. "I'm not."

"In what?"

"Grand melee." Jaune answered.

"Hmm. Then I suppose we'll see one another in there." Adam didn't sound worried, though the girl, Blake, eyed them shrewdly. "How about a little agreement of our own to not take one another out if it can be helped? I'd rather not be cornered by knights again."

"Adam-" Blake began.

"It's fine, Blake. Twenty people go through each round. Sienna should know it's best we have as many friendly faces out there as possible." Adam removed a small wooden coin with an emblem stamped onto it. A snarling anima's face. "This will be on our breasts. Avoid us and we shall avoid you."

"A black raven on a white fields for ours." Jaune replied. It was a fair offer, and he was sure Qrow and Taiyang would be happy with it. Honestly, the less people they had to fight the better, and they were only six. If twenty went through, there was no need to compete with everyone.

We don't need to be the best, only among the twenty who make it through.

"I'll tell our shield wall to give you room." Jaune said. "How many of you are there?"

Adam smiled. "Forty."

"Fort-?" Jaune choked. "Then what's the point of an agreement!?"

"Our men are entering different stages." Blake answered with a put-upon sigh. It was obvious she didn't approve of all this, but she explained it anyway. "Covering our odds, as it were. There will only be eight men in any given round at the start. Assuming all get through, there will be forty in the finals."

"They won't." Adam said. "Too many sell swords and knights. That's why making friends isn't a bad idea. Who knows, if we come across some noble's entourage then we might need to team up against them."

Like those fully armoured knights from before. Jaune nodded, still not sure what they were even going to do against them. Ignore them in the early rounds. Like this archery competition, the first rounds would likely be a case of the weaker and ill-equipped being victimised out the fights while those entering in armoured groups avoided one another. Later, though, it would come to a head. Crocea Mors was a beautiful blade, but she wasn't going to cut through plate armour. He'd dull the blade trying.

"Any advice before you go?" Jaune asked. "For a newcomer?"

Adam thought for a moment. "Play it safe. Those that take risks get knocked out. No need to go after the big groups when there will be plenty of stragglers early on. An injury can ruin you even if you make it through, so don't take any risks."

"Adam…" Blake hissed.

"Alright. Alright." The man winked at them and pushed off the fence, letting the woman grab his collar and lead him away. "Good luck to you, friend. I'll keep an eye out for you and yours in the melee."

Jaune sent his own luck back as the man was drawn away.

"He seemed nice." Ruby said.

"Yeah. I guess everyone is trying to make friends early on." Taiyang's words on the value of those came to mind. "Do you think they're a mercenary group?"

"I don't recognise the emblem." Ruby said. "But then I've lived on Patch all my life. Dad will know."

"Do you want to go check?"

Ruby shook her head. "Let's watch the archery some more – and then I want to see people joust. That looks crazy!"

Despite his worries, Jaune couldn't help but agree. He'd grown up on stories of knights and maidens and jousting, and while he doubted it'd be anything like the fairy tales this was still a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Better still, he hadn't seen a single Chosen or member of the Church. Maybe Raven had been right, and he was worrying overmuch about this. They would be there in the finals in the city, but until then he could relax, and when that time came, assuming they made it, he could hide under his helmet. Almost everyone else would be wearing armour too.

/-/

"What was that all about?" Blake demanded. "You're not normally so friendly, let alone to complete strangers. Humans least of all."

"I saw them come in." Adam replied. He folded the tent flap back and held it open for Blake, who stepped in and shucked off her jacket. He watched the play of her muscles across her smooth back and couldn't help but reach out to run a finger down her spine.

Blake stilled. "Later," she said, voice firm.

Adam was a little firm too, but he coughed and took his hand away. "Ahah. I couldn't help myself."

"I'm sure." Curse her smug tone, even if it drove him wild. Blake picked up a lighter top and drew it on. "What about seeing them earlier made you think they were worth getting to know?"

"The company they kept. I saw the Raven with them."

Blake turned suddenly. "The Raven-? You're sure?"

"This eye still sees well enough." Adam touched his scar. "Raven herself, along with her lot. They're not hiding. I'm not so much worried about the men she's brought but if she's here to fight the women's side…"

Blake sighed. "You shouldn't worry about me."

"I can't help it. Accidents happen out there, and you insist on wearing next to no armour."

"It limits my movements."

"A sword to the gut will do that far worse. I don't mind allying with them if it means the Raven leaves you alone. Sienna will agree once I tell her."

There was no doubt there. The Raven was well-known and feared, perhaps more than her entire tribe here, and Sienna Khan wanted them to get as far as they could in this. She might show anger at him having done this behind her back, but it would be empty. They were struggling to find many willing to work with them, and the nobles had likely planned their own allegiances for months or years. Of course, they'd have planned the usual backstabbing for just as long, but it wouldn't much matter if he ran into a bunch of knights again. Adam rubbed his scarred face at the memory.

"And here I thought you'd seen something incredible in the boy," Blake said. "I thought he was some noble's brat in disguise or something."

Adam snorted. "I saw him wearing chainmail. Does that count?"

"Might as well. A good suit of mail is expensive."

It wasn't his. Adam could tell both by the size difference, and because the boy wore it like everyone did the first few times. Awkward and unused to it, rolling your shoulders as you did to try and get used to the feeling of it weighing around your neck. He ought to know, having been in much the same situation once.

Borrowed or not, the boy must have been good to be trusted by the Raven, so he and his would make worthy allies. The more the merrier, honestly. The first rounds were always the most brutal as the strong picked on the weak. Being seen as one could mean you were left alone for the whole thing, while being seen as weak all but guaranteed people would band together against you. It was a mad, brutal affair. It was every year.

The fact that the Relic of Knowledge was up for grabs would make it a hundred times worse.

/-/

The women's grand melee was horrific. In his mind, Jaune had imagined flowing displays, careful movement and artistic combat that would have the audience clapping in delight. He'd liked it in his head to a dance, graceful and flowing. Maybe that was because it was women and he'd unconsciously thought of them that way. Sure, Chosen were the best fighters in the land, but they were also banned from this tournament for the obvious reasons that they'd dominate the whole thing. What was left, he'd thought, would be master sword-dancers.

Watching Yang shield bash someone's spear away and slam a club under their jaw, then watching the woman sail back, teeth and blood spraying from her mouth, disabused him of that notion very quickly. The crowd roared and stamped their feet, spit and beer flying from their mouths as they screamed for more violence that the competitors were only too happy to give.

You could tell the difference in an instant between the trained warriors and the hopeful. Raven and her five female members, Yang among them, were tearing through their foes with ease. On the other side, a group of ten or so marched forward in a careful phalanx, round shields forcing their foes back while spears jabbed and stabbed with pinpoint precision. He saw Blake, too, the girl fighting with a dark-skinned woman with orange ears and tattoos or stripes across her body. They moved with others, a tight formation utilising long blades and polearms without shields. Theirs was a little more graceful he would admit, by virtue of having to dodge attacks rather than bet them aside like Yang could, but even that didn't last long. For all that this was to surrender and was meant to be peaceful, blood flowed, and bones were broken.

"Keep calm." Qrow said from behind him. "As long as you keep your shield up and stay in formation, you'll be fine. Remember, your mail will protect you. You could take a sword to the gut and only feel the impact."

"It-It's so wild." Jaune said. "It's crazy."

"All fights are. Poets and bards are the ones who would have you think otherwise. Just stick with us and listen to what I or Taiyang say, and you'll be fine. Keep an eye out for the friends you made. Raven is staying away from their girls."

Raven hadn't been upset at all when Jaune brought up his meeting with Adam at the archery rounds. She'd agreed all too quickly to leave those with the animal faces on their armour alone. The less she had to deal with, the better. Those were her own words. He'd thought at first it was out of concern, but watching Raven lead her group in a V-formation, and watching them smash aside the competition, his thoughts changed. Raven was in this to win and given that the competition wouldn't be so stiff with the Relic only being available to the men, she and her lot had a decent enough chance. Nobles would enter, but they wouldn't be putting nearly as much money into it.

It ended all too quickly. Jaune clapped along with a stunned Ruby as people moved out to drag or carry the fallen off the field. None looked dead, but quite a few looked like they could die any moment without treatment. There were literal stab wounds in some places. Typically, on those who were foolish enough to join this without proper armour.

"It's our turn now." Qrow said. He sounded excited, which was good for him. Jaune felt sick, and the way Ruby clung to his arm in concern didn't make him feel any better. "Come on." Qrow said. "Let's whet your blade and then you'll feel better. The fear is always worse than the actual battle."

"Tell that to those people out there!"

"I can't." Qrow grinned. "They're knocked the fuck out."

That's kind of the point Jaune was trying to make, Qrow. So, I have worn chainmail before. It's weird. Not as heavy as you'd think, but heavy enough to constantly remind you you're wearing it. It's more all the stuff you have to wear under (because no way you wear it over bare skin or even a shirt) that adds to the feeling of being constrained. All that padding you wear so that when something hits your chainmail, the sharp edge you blunt doesn't knock the air out of you or break bones anyway. You'd have some nice, padded armour underneath to lessen that.

And to make sure you're hot and sweaty and sticky all over.

Next Chapter: 15th May

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