So in the last chapter, a reviewer pointed out that I made a mistake and said Weiss had a scar over her right eye, but in canon her scar covers her left. Oops. Sorry. I'll probably go back and edit the chapter. Also, I'm sorry I didn't get this chapter up yesterday. I've had a hectic past few days, and I just didn't have the time to finish a chapter, especially not one this big. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the newest chapter of Silver Spectre:
The rocking and swaying of the boat, combined with the salty sea breeze, was not good for Weiss's constitution. She dry heaved when a particularly big wave caused the boat to shift on its side, and she was nearly thrown to the hard floor of the deck. The past two weeks had been miserable. She wasn't seasick, but she certainly wasn't having a very fun time.
She'd been on boats before, but they had been Father's personal frigates. There was plenty to do, and the swaying didn't seem as harsh when the waves pushed against the sides of the boat. This small merchant vessel was pushed to and fro by waves that reached higher than its deck. How anyone survived in this wooden deathtrap eluded her.
Her frustration was furthered by the distinct lack of anything to do. She'd read her grandfather's translations again and again, until she could probably recite it word for word. She studied her notes on necromancy, but there wasn't anything to practice on unless she killed one of the sailors. She tried to read the ancient tome, but seeing as it was written in a forgotten tongue she wasn't having much luck.
There wasn't much to do on a small craft. She would offer to help the sailors, but they either outright ignored her or tried to flirt with her. It almost made her wish she was back in Atlas, listening to Henry Marigold's poor attempts to get her to sleep with him. Almost.
Ruby didn't seem to be all that bored, happily swimming beneath the boat and exploring the ocean below. Not needing to breathe and being a constant source of bright light was beneficial for observing the flora and fauna of the seafloor. Each day she'd disappear below the waves and float along under the boat, effortlessly moving through the water as though it were water.
Weiss couldn't even talk to Ruby, as she'd surely be seen on such a small boat. Two weeks of only being able to give subtle, one-word answers to Ruby's questions. Two weeks of having to put up with sailors over twice her age trying to peek on her whenever she changed. Two weeks of swaying side to side in this gods damned dinghy.
She made her way above deck, brushing past several sailors as they hoisted the sails and swept the ship. She made her way up to the helm, seeing the merchant who owned this vessel talking to his first mate, a bald man with many tattoos covering his bare arms. Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, the merchant hurried to finish his conversation before turning to face her.
"What can I do for you lassie?" He asked with a crooked smile.
"What's got the crew so worked up?" She asked, gesturing behind her where everyone seemed to be moving frantically about the deck doing all sorts of tasks.
"Well, I reckon it'd be due to that," He told her, pointing his finger to a shape on the horizon. A long black line could be faintly made out in the distance. She squinted to try and get a better view, but saw nothing she could recognize it as.
"What is that?" She questioned, but the man just laughed heartily.
"Why, lass, that'd be the island of Patch. Your destination," He said in a mocking voice.
"When do you think we will arrive?"
This made the man pause and think to himself. "In about an hour or two, depending on whether the wind picks up," He answered after pondering her question. She nodded, finding his answer satisfactory. She made her way below deck, where she found Ruby waiting on the bedroll the sailors had lent Weiss.
"We'll be arriving soon," She muttered under her breath. Ruby perked up, having strained her ears to hear any message that Weiss might give her while under the watchful eye of the sailors.
"Really? That's so exciting!" Ruby chirped. "We can finally get off this boat and you can stop being so crabby," Weiss gave her an annoyed eye roll, but the soft smirk on her face told Ruby that she hadn't taken the teasing too seriously.
Gathering up her few belongings, Weiss made her way to the wall and leaned against it. Soon enough, they would arrive in Patch. She could put her memories of this infernal boat ride behind her and bury them deep in the confines of her mind. If she had her way, she would never in any way be reminded of that time she had to ride on a repurposed fishing boat on a cross-continental voyage.
She couldn't wait to reach Patch. Just a few more hours. A few more excruciatingly slow, incredibly painful, seemingly endless hours that stretched far longer than the mortal mind should be able to comprehend. They would arrive in Patch before they knew it. She just wished 'before she knew it' was a bit quicker.
When her feet finally reached the dock, she nearly fell to the ground in relief. She was finally free of that accursed prison of rotting wood! She was no longer bound by the endless expanse of empty water. The foul depths of the ocean would no longer contain her.
"Weiss, you're freaking people out," Ruby told her with a deadpan expression. She clearly was less than impressed with how much her friend was overreacting. It hadn't been that bad of a voyage. Weiss just shot her a venomous glare.
"Unlike someone, I had to stay in the boat," She hissed at her. Ruby put her hands up defensively, conceding the point to Weiss. As the pair walked through the small port, she began telling Weiss about all of the shops that littered the pier.
"That one has the best pastries. Ooh, and that one was where I purchased all of my metal for blacksmithing. That one was the one Yang got kicked out of for breaking a chair over a man's head," She recounted, seemingly having a tale for each of the establishments within eyesight. She babbled endlessly about mundane-looking houses, and to Weiss, it was the most interesting thing in the world.
"What about your home? Where do you live?" She asked the younger girl, but she just laughed awkwardly.
"Weiss, I'm dead. I don't live anywhere," She dodged the question awkwardly, rubbing a hand on the back of her head.
"You know what I meant, dunce," She whispered, but Ruby just tried her hardest to seem oblivious. Tried being the keyword. Ruby was about as subtle as a Grimm in the middle of Vale, which was to say she wasn't subtle at all.
"What's wrong? Why don't you want to see your home?" She asked with a raised brow, but Ruby just looked away.
"I just don't want you to see it and think it's messy," The ghost lied, which seemed to be causing her genuine pain. Her left eyebrow rose higher, above the scar that she had received from the ancient fortress back in Atlas.
"Ruby, you can talk to me. As your friend, I want to know what's bothering you," She told her, knowing that Ruby wouldn't be able to deny her answers without being extremely hypocritical. The girl let out a forlorn sigh.
"I just... I don't want to see my family yet," She admitted, making Weiss blink in surprise.
"But I thought you loved your family?" Weiss blurted out quietly, then immediately regretted it when Ruby's face fell even more.
"Yeah, I do. But it would just be hard, being able to see them but not having them see me," The spirit reasoned.
"You don't want me to tell them about you?" Weiss asked incredulously, but Ruby shook her head vigorously.
"Weiss, that is a terrible idea! If you tell them, they'll either think you're playing some sick joke on them, or trying to scam them. And even if they did believe you, it wouldn't be good for us."
"Why not?"
"My family is made up of knights, Weiss. They know how necromancy works. They wouldn't listen to the excuse that this case is different. They would lock you up or kill you without hesitation rather than let some necromancer resurrect me as a zombie." The silver-eyed girl explained.
Weiss sighed, looking to her friend. "Well, I suppose that makes sense," The ex-heiress surrendered. Ruby just gave her a grateful smile and guided her to her destination, a ferry house situated near the edge of the port town. The boat they had come in on could be seen heading out towards the west, heading to Vacuo to sell their wares.
Weiss opened the door to the ferry house and saw a bored-looking young man sitting behind a birchwood desk. He looked up at her, then did a double-take when he noticed her gleaming silver armor and distinctly Atlesian complexion.
"W-what can I do for you today?" The boy stuttered out, forcing Weiss to struggle not to roll her eyes. She was in a ferry house, not a godsdamned general store. There wasn't a lot she could be here for, and it was clear that she wasn't here for the unassuming boy working the desk.
"I'm here to get a ride on the ferry," She deadpanned, causing his eyes to go wide in shock and a brief look of disappointment flashed across his face. Did he really think she had been here for him? She'd come in wearing full armor and armed with a sword, which were very clearly not things you needed when talking to a boy you liked. Or maybe you did; They'd be less likely to turn you down when held at swordpoint. But that's beside the point.
The boy just blushed and called out to the back, causing a loud grumble to come from a man she could see pulling on some ropes behind him. The tall, black-haired man tied the rope to a peg and headed towards the two of them.
"Kid, I told you. Just tell me when a customer comes and I'll deal with it," He chastised the young man who simply shrunk in his chair.
"I just wanted to help you out," He mumbled, but the black-haired man just laughed.
"More like you wanted to impress her," He teased, causing the boy to blush and quickly run to the back of the building, to the large pool of water where a large ferry could be seen.
"I hope he didn't offend you Ms...?"
"Weiss. Just call me Weiss," Was her cold reply. The Schnee name was easily recognizable worldwide, but her own was only really known in the Republic of Atlas.
"Well, Weiss, the name's Rufus, and I'm the owner of this little ferry business. I take it you want to get to Vale?" The clean-shaven black-haired man questioned, and Weiss couldn't hold back the sarcasm.
"Whatever made you think that?" She asked with her eye twitching slightly. Rufus just laughed good-naturedly.
"Feisty. I like it," He chuckled. "Unfortunately for you, this ferry is going nowhere till tomorrow at the earliest," He told her, making her eyes go wide.
"What? Why?" She asked frantically. Her gaze flicked to Ruby, who was looking down at her worriedly. She needed to get to Vale as soon as possible.
"Sorry, lass, but the ferry got pretty damaged by a Grimm last time it crossed the strait. I only just managed to get it back to Patch, and I don't want to risk taking it out until it's been completely repaired," Rufus calmly explained, but Weiss was fuming.
"How much will it cost to reserve a ride for tomorrow?" She asked, and the black-haired man gave her a sympathetic smile.
"I'll go ahead and give you a discount 'cause of the delay, so let's say about sixteen lien? That'd be about half of what I normally charge to reserve a spot," He explained to her. Weiss let out a choking noise. She only had twenty-one lien after spending most of hers to gain passage on that sorry excuse for a boat she had spent two weeks on.
"I-I don't know if I can afford that," She mumbled, and the man just shot her an odd look.
"Couldn't you just sell some of that fancy armor you got there?" He asked, pointing towards her ornate breastplate. She straightened her back and slightly lifted her chin, despite being almost a foot shorter than the man.
"This armor isn't something I could just sell. It has sentimental value, and I doubt all of the money in Vale could convince me to just pawn it off," She exclaimed. The idea of selling her grandfather's last gift to her left her feeling disgusted. To repay the man for all he had done for her, between the armor and the journal, by selling something he specifically had made for her? Preposterous.
"Alright, alright, I get it," Rufus said, holding his hands up in surrender. "But do you have money for a place to stay? There's an inn not too far from here, it's called the Ursa's Paw. It's a cozy place, and a room costs ten lien a night," He explained to her, letting out a sigh when he saw her face fall. "And you don't have the money for that, do you?" He asked. She just shook her head.
"Is there any way you could lessen the cost of the ferry?" She tried meekly, but he just shook his head. Ruby gave him a sympathetic look, turning to face Weiss.
"Weiss, he has a family to look after. Sixteen lien is a ridiculously low price for crossing the strait, but if he goes any lower he'll never make enough of a profit," She explained.
"I see. I'll just try and earn some lien, or maybe try camping out in the wilderness," She reassured the man who was looking at her worriedly, before a voice cut into their conversation.
"Maybe I can help," Came the cheerful voice of a tall blonde man wearing a tan shirt and a brown leather vest. A dull red piece of cloth was tied around his arm, and long, slightly threadbare pants covered his lower half.
She turned to face the newcomer. "What do you mean?" Her voice was filled with suspicion as she regarded this man, who just let out a hearty laugh at her look.
"I own a large farm further inland. You can spend the night in one of the guest rooms," He offered, extending his hand out. She hesitantly looked at it, not willing to agree to such a deal from a stranger. The man noticed her hesitation and ran his hand awkwardly through his hair, laughing in embarrassment.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," She explained softly, causing Rufus to wave it off.
"You don't need to worry about this guy, lass. Tai's a good man. He's offering' outta the kindness of his heart, not for any ulterior motives," He reassured her, somewhat lifting her doubt about the situation.
"I'd still rather just camp out in the forest," She tried to without offending the man, but Tai just shot her a confused look.
"You sure? Because there can be some pretty nasty Grimm here in Patch, and you won't be getting much sleep with them around," He told her, making her pause. Sleep out in the wild without a tent, surrounded by a forest containing deadly Grimm that would like nothing more to eat her alive, or sleep in this farmer's house? The decision was easy when she thought about it that way. Besides, Ruby would tell her if the man was dangerous.
"I would be honored if you were to accommodate me," She told the man Rufus had called Tai. Rufus blinked in confusion and began to try and mouth the words to himself to understand them, but the blonde just laughed at her words.
"Those are big words for a small girl," He teased her, making her huff. "Well, Weiss, my name is Taiyang Xiao-Long. I hope you don't mind if I ask for some stories while we walk to the farm?"
"I'd be happy to share some with you," She answered diplomatically, walking out of the building with Taiyang holding the door open for her. As they left, neither of them noticed Rufus let out a deep sigh pull out a piece of paper, beginning to write out a barely legible letter.
"So, if you don't mind me asking, what's an Atlesian noble like you doing in Patch?" The blonde man asked, causing her to whip around and gape at him. "It wasn't that hard to figure out, Weiss," He told her with a laugh.
"H-how do you know my name?" She stuttered, only making him laugh more. He raised his hands disarmingly, having noticed her hand creeping towards the hilt of her sword.
"Well, I can see the Schnee crest on your armor," He pointed at the snowflake emblem on her breastplate. "And from there it was just common sense. That's a fancy set of armor, so you have to either be a Schnee or really close to them. But the distinctive white hair gave it away. Only Schnees have white hair like that. You don't look that old, so you must be the youngest Schnee daughter, Weiss. Am I right?" He finished, turning to glance at her.
Weiss's jaw dropped. How perceptive was this man? Her eyes darted to Ruby, but she was just looking at the ground sadly. She must have been upset about having to wait a day to reach Vale.
"You figured all of that out just from looking at my armor?" The noble asked incredulously.
"No. I just overheard you give your name to Rufus," Tai told her. She nearly fell over in shock. She had thought he was some kind of tactical genius to be able to figure out everything about her so quickly, but instead, he was just a rude, eavesdropping farmer.
Tai's hearty laugh snapped her out of her shock, and she seethed. "Was that really necessary?"
"Absolutely. Seeing you get so worked up over nothing was the highlight of my week," Tai's annoying laugh sounded once again, and Weiss was filled with the urge to put a hole in his throat. How was this man so irritating?
"Come on, my farm is a bit further inland. I'll clean up a guest room for you," He called back to her, having put a good ten feet between them while she had been contemplating murder. Something was off about this man. She was pretty sure he hadn't just overheard her speaking to Rufus, as they hadn't been all that loud, and Tai hadn't even entered the ferry house to hear them.
She followed along, not noticing the sad looks Ruby kept shooting the man guiding them. What she did notice, however, was that Taiyang was far more skilled than he seemed to be on first impression. He carried himself with confidence, but not arrogance. She wished she had shaken his hand earlier so she could have had a better gauge on how strong this man's aura was.
"So, Lady Schnee," He teased. "What brings you to Patch?"
"I need to speak to a scholar in Vale," She answered. "And seeing as how I'm here against my father's wishes, I doubt I am considered a Lady of the Schnee house."
"Huh. Would that scholar happen to be Doctor Oobleck?" Taiyang inquired, and Weiss's mind was boggled.
"Y-yes. How did you know?"
"He's a good friend. And if you're coming to Vale to talk to a scholar, why not talk to the best?" He explained as though it were simple. Perhaps it was simple, at least for this man. She began to circulate her aura throughout her body, ready to explode into motion at the slightest sign of ill intent from this enigmatic man.
"I suppose that makes sense," She lied. Him guessing exactly who she was and where she was going put her on edge, and she wasn't eager to fight someone she knew so little about.
"Are you okay? You look a little high-strung," He asked her with concern. She narrowed her eyes.
"Yes. I merely had a long voyage," She only partly lied. The miserable two weeks she spent on the ship was affecting her mood, but the blonde farmer's actions were only making her more tense.
"I see. Anything interesting happen on it?"
"A few small Grimm swam by the boat. Other than that, nothing eventful happened."
"That sounds interesting," He said awkwardly, sensing the mood and figuring out that she really didn't trust him. "So, how do you plan on reaching Doctor Oobleck if you don't have any money?" He asked, making Weiss flinch. She... hadn't thought that far ahead.
"I don't know," She just mumbled, causing Taiyang to let out another loud laugh that scarred the birds off of a few nearby trees.
"Well, I have to say that you are the least prepared traveler to ever come through Patch," He said through his chuckles. Weiss scowled at him "How dare he!" She thought indignantly. Who did this rapscallion think he was, mocking her? She turned to gauge Ruby's reaction to this, but instead saw her friend only staring at the man in some kind of trance.
"I mean, I could understand not having a plan, or not having lien, but this? You have no money, a vague idea of a plan, and everything to lose if your father catches you and brings you back? That's pretty ballsy," Taiyang declared.
"Excuse you! I will not stand here and be mocked by some farmer from Patch. Who the hell builds a farm on a rocky island when Vale is only a few miles away?" She ranted. Tai's face broke into a wide smile.
"There we go! Now you're standing up for yourself. Don't ever take shit from anyone!" He told her. Weiss gaped at the blonde farmer as he walked deeper into the woods, whistling as he did so. He was making fun of her one moment, then cheering her on for her snapping at him and insulting him. This man was insane, and she was following him into the forest.
But since Weiss knew Ruby would tell her if the man she was following was trying to trick her, she followed Tai deeper and deeper into the woods. They continued in silence, surrounded by the quiet clamor of the forest on either side of the road. Eventually, the trees parted to reveal a large open field.
A modestly-sized farm occupied the clearing, with fields of wheat stretching all across it. Well-worn dirt paths ran through them, segmenting the fields of wheat into smaller sections. In the middle, a large log cabin sat with an apple tree out in the front. It was a nice-looking place, if a bit old. Tai waved into the fields and called out.
"Hey, Oscar! Get out here!" The large man's shout carried across the meadow, and a small head of black hair could faintly be seen moving towards them. The wheat parted to reveal a tan young man with a messy head of black hair. His eyes were a multicolored blob, and Weiss briefly wondered if this young boy was a faunus. But faunus got their traits from animals, and Weiss could think of no animal with eyes like that.
"Hey, boss, what's with the girl?" The boy named Oscar asked Tai, who just let out a sigh.
"Not even a hello? I swear, one of these days I'm going to teach you to respect your elders," He said to Oscar, who quickly waved his hands in the air and stuttered.
"N-no, I didn't mean to offend you. I-I was just curious. I swear," He fumbled out, and Weiss couldn't help but giggle. Tai was far less reserved, his laugh could likely be heard from the port they had just come from. He put a hand on Oscar's shoulder and just gave him a friendly smile.
"Oscar, I'm not actually mad. I was just teasing you," His words quickly relieved the boy, who had looked as though Tai had told him he wasn't going to be executed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," He told the boy.
"N-no problem boss. I just... don't really have anything else. I need to work here," Oscar said, almost begging Taiyang not to throw him out.
"Well, as long as you don't do anything illegal, you'll always have a place to stay at the Xiao-Long farm," Tai reassured the boy. "Now, this girl is someone who needed a place to stay the night, so I was going to give her one of the guest rooms. I expect you to be polite to her, okay?"
"Y-yes, sir! It's nice to meet you Ms...?"
"Schnee. Weiss Schnee," She simply told him, knowing some farm boy wasn't going to be able to tell Father that she had passed through here.
"Nice to meet you, Weiss!" He offered a hand, to which Weiss took. She pushed a little bit of her aura into his, stimulating it. Oscar's aura was certainly impressive, she'd personally say it was about two-thirds the size of her own, and he likely had very little training with it. He had great potential.
"Likewise."
Tai just shook his head with an amused smirk on his face. "Hey, kid. Why don't you take the rest of the day off? I'll give you some lien and you can go into town," Tai told the black-haired boy, who turned to face him with a happy smile on his face.
"Really?" He asked, as if being given the rest of the day off was the greatest thing he'd ever received.
"Yeah. You look tired, and you've been a great help on the farm," Taiyang told the boy, pulling a small coin pouch from his belt and removing several lien. "Here, that should be enough to keep you entertained."
"Thanks, boss!" Tai just ruffled the young boy's hair and gently pushed him towards the way they'd come. The blonde man starred wistfully after the young farmer as he ran towards the port town Weiss had arrived in only an hour earlier.
"He's a good kid," Tai stated once Oscar had gotten out of sight, disappearing behind a gentle hill. Weiss regarded the man in front of her, taking in his wistful smile that didn't reach his sad eyes.
"Where is he from?"
"Mistral. Not near the fighting, but close enough that his aunt wanted to send him away to keep him safe. I found him wandering around Vale one day and offered him a job working here," Tai explained to Weiss, who simply nodded. The ongoing civil war in Mistral had likely displaced countless people like Oscar, and yet she had only learned about how lucrative it was for her father.
With a sigh, Tai headed back to the farm, prompting Weiss to follow him. Once they reached the humble wooden structure, Tai opened the door into a comfortable-looking living room. A stone fireplace and chimney were on her left, and at her right was a wooden table with four chairs around it. Three of the chairs were pulled out and were organized in a haphazard mess, but one chair was pushed in and covered by a small layer of dust, as though no one had touched it in months.
"So," Tai began, taking a seat in one of the well-used chairs. "Got any interesting stories?"
"What?"
"Well, you left Atlas, but I'm sure you didn't just come straight to Patch."
"No. I had something to do in Atlas."
"So, would that thing happen to be an interesting story? 'Cause I could use one of those right now."
"I merely went through a ruined fortress. Hardly interesting," She waved it off, but Tai just smirked.
"Then how'd you get the scar? I doubt your dad would've let anyone cut you like that, so you must've gotten it after you left," Tai mused, once again showing his frankly terrifying deduction skills.
"I... guess I have a few stories," Weiss admitted. Tai just leaned forward with an eager smile, happy to hear whatever she had to say. She told the blonde man about her fight against the Geist, her last-ditch effort to try and kill it, and how deceptively fast it had been. They talked for a while about everything, and before she knew it, Tai had completely worn down her defenses.
They traded stories back and forth, with Tai talking about the time an Ursa had gotten too close to the farm and he had to throw a cabbage at it to distract it while Oscar ran for help. She told him about how a noble had once gotten so drunk at one of Father's parties that he vomited all over Whitley, and Tai had burst out laughing. Before they even knew it, the sun had set and the moon had risen.
"Well, it's been fun Weiss, but I have to wake up early to make up for letting Oscar go early today, so I better get to bed," He told her, making her stare out the window in surprise. She had arrived in the middle of the afternoon! How long had they talked?
"I see. In that case, could you show me as to where I will be staying?" She requested, and he slapped a hand to his face.
"How could I have forgotten! Gods, I'm such an idiot," Tai said as he got to his feet and motioned for her to do the same. She followed him down a hallway where she saw two doors on her left and right, both closed.
"Your room is the one on the right. My daughter's in Vale, so she won't mind someone borrowing her room for the night," He told her.
"I didn't know you had a daughter," Weiss mused out loud, and Tai just winced. Ruby, who had been sulking for no discernable reason, just gaped at her. Taiyang let out a heavy sigh and scratched his head.
"It didn't really come up. I guess I don't like thinking about my little girl, all of on her own," He said with a forlorn smile. Weiss cringed as she realized she had brought up a sore subject for the man. "By the way, please don't go in the room across from yours. I'd rather not have you disturb it."
She must have been more tired than she thought, because she just blurted out "What's inside of it?" without even thinking. Tai just gave her a broken smile as he leaned against the wall.
"It was my other daughter's room. She died around a year and a half ago, but I haven't been in that room since that day," He explained, and all Weiss could do was give him an apologetic look. He ignored her and continued on.
"She was just like her mom. Always willing to help people, even if it hurt them. That's the reason I helped you out. I knew their ghosts would've been pissed if I didn't help someone who needed it," Tai said, slumping down onto the ground. Tears were starting to form in the corners of his eyes, and Weiss felt a stab of guilt. She hadn't meant to make him cry.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories," She tried to say, but Tai just waved her off.
"The memories are nice, but it's when they end that hurts the worst. But that's no one's fault. I just miss my little girl," He explained, tears now starting to roll down his face. All Weiss could think to do was put a hand reassuringly on his shoulder.
"I just wish I could've told Ruby that I loved her one last time," He mumbled with his head in his arms, which was very fortunate for Weiss as her eyes were almost comically large as she took in that bit of information.
"Oh. Ruby," Was all she could think. Tai cried gently into his arms for a bit before calming down. He stood up and gave her a tired smile that looked a little less broken than it had before.
"Thank you, Weiss. It hurts, but Ruby would've wanted me to be happy. I don't need to wallow in my pity," Tai declared to Weiss, who was still in a state of shellshock. Tai was Ruby's dad. Huh. That was certainly a thing.
"Y-yes. Goodnight, Mr. Xiao-Long," She stated, opening the door behind her and closing it gently before throwing herself onto the bed and screaming into a pillow. After around a minute of that, she whipped around to face Ruby, who had been upset since... Tai. "Well I guess that makes sense now," Weiss thought to herself.
"Why didn't you tell me he was your father?" Weiss hissed at her friend, who just gaped at her.
"You didn't know?" She screamed incredulously, not needing to worry about being overheard.
"No, I didn't! How was I supposed to? You never told me his name, he looks nothing like you and has a completely different name!" She hissed at her friend.
"I've told you all about him. And I look like my mom, whose last name I took. My sister is literally named after him! How did you not realize this?" Ruby ranted, genuinely curious as to how Weiss could have been so oblivious.
"I was- Wait your sister is named after your father?" Weiss began to whisper angrily but got sidetracked with that little detail. Who does that? That would be like Father naming her Jacqueline.
"I... wow, that is pretty weird," Ruby nodded in agreement, but turned back to her. "Weiss, what's wrong? You're normally more perceptive. You seem... off," She walked close to the bed, making Weiss back away. The spirit was way too close.
"I guess I'm just tired from the voyage," She admitted, and Ruby gave her a skeptical look. "Don't give me that look. You weren't stuck on the ship the entire voyage," Weiss seethed, but Ruby just raised a brow.
"Weiss, this isn't just tired. You seem sick," Ruby told her, but Weiss just waved her off.
"Even if that's true, it's best for me to get as much sleep as I can before tomorrow morning," She told the silver-eyed girl, whose concerned expression didn't leave her young face.
"Weiss... alright. But we are going to talk about this in the morning, okay?" She asked the white-haired girl, who nodded. Weiss slipped under the covers and hugged them tightly to her body. She had a lot on her plate for tomorrow, but at this moment there was nothing she had to be worried about.
The dimly lit warehouse was filled to the brim with large wooden crates, creating a labyrinth of sorts. The walls of boxes twisted and turned throughout every inch of the warehouse, leading from the front entrance all the way to a large open area in the back.
In this open area, a man stood leaning on a table, his dark green eyes scanning the map lying on the table. A single candle illuminated the map, casting long shadows on his face. An expensive hat with an expensive plume adorned his orange hair, and a long white coat covered his body. A grey scarf hid his neck from view, and he wore a long pair of black trousers that reached down to his high-quality leather boots.
The man held a cane in his right hand, and a simple dagger was on the table where he could grab it with his left at a moment's notice. One didn't become as powerful as he had without being a little paranoid when it came to assassins. He pulled out an imported Vacuoan cigar and put it into his mouth, lighting it with a snap of his fingers and a brief flicker of flame. This would help take the edge off of his nerves.
The sound of heavy footsteps caused him to perk up, quickly counting them in his head. It was either one large man or two average men walking at the same pace. He only untensed when he heard a familiar voice call out from the labyrinth of boxes.
"Damnit, Roman. How the hell is anyone supposed to reach you in this damn maze?" Came the call of Roman's favorite information broker.
"I'm sure you can find your way through, Junior," Roman called back sarcastically. He snickered to himself as Junior cursed loudly, trying to find his way through the wall of crates. He eventually made his way to the open area where Roman was sitting and nodded to his superior.
"Why the hell do you even have that thing? Most of those boxes are empty," Junior complained, but Roman just shushed him.
"Why, Junior, I would have thought you understood the importance of leaving an impression," Roman chastised. Junior just rolled his eyes. The maze may provide a tactical advantage by allowing Roman to have more time to notice people sneaking around, but someone could easily just knock the walls over if they didn't care about sneaking up on Roman.
"I'll never understand you," Junior told his eccentric boss, who just laughed.
"I don't pay you to understand me. I pay you to sell me information. Speaking of which?" Roman said, leaning back into the table and taking a puff of his cigar. He gripped the cane tightly and began to twirl the dagger after putting his cigar back. Junior was a trusted ally, but Roman didn't take chances. In an even fight he'd win, but if Junior put a knife in his back while he was distracted that would be the end.
Junior just held out a palm. Roman grumbled and reached into his coat pocket, tossing the burly man a bag of coins. Junior caught it effortlessly and began to count them, never taking his eyes of Roman. Trust was a two-way street, and this wasn't a very good road. They trusted the other would stick to the normal routine, but neither could afford to drop their guard around each other.
"This seems to be in order. Now, you ready to hear the info?" Junior asked gruffly. Roman just scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Yeah. That's why I paid you. Just spit it out already," Roman snarked. Junior sighed, knowing that he was just baiting him. He wouldn't show it, but Roman really got on his nerves.
"One of my boys down in Patch, Rufus, said an interesting customer came by today. She was looking to go to Vale, but he stalled for time to give us a warning," Junior explained, but Roman looked at him with a hard gaze.
"She? This better not be what I think it is, because you know how I feel about that, don't you?" Roman hissed. Junior just held his hands up peacefully.
"Nothing like that. From what he says, he thinks it's the missing Schnee. The second daughter."
Roman quirked an eyebrow. "Really? What made him think that?"
"She was wearing fancy armor with the Schnee crest on it. Also wouldn't give her last name, but said her first name was Weiss. That sound familiar?"
Roman put a hand to his chin. "I seem to recall hearing that name before, so it may be that Rufus is telling the truth. Anything else?"
Junior just sighed. "She apparently had white hair, looked to be about eighteen, and used 'fancy words' that Rufus didn't understand," He recounted from the message he had received by bird from Patch.
"Hmm. That sounds like it could be her," Roman admitted, twirling his cane in his right hand. "Alright. Make sure to have some of your men tail her when she gets to Vale. If she turns out to be the real deal, I'll need to borrow a few of your men," The flamboyant man ordered him. He nearly groaned. Roman was always... displeased with his men, which often meant he left them to die or get caught by guards when he used them for heists.
"She's just some noble brat. My men could take her easily," Junior said, but Roman just shook his head.
"She's the noble brat of Jacques Schnee, the man half of Remnant wants to kill. She's had a target on her back her entire life, and I guarantee she knows how to fend off a few thugs. This will need a more hands-on approach."
Junior shifted on his feet. "Couldn't you just send Neo?" Roman just chuckled darkly.
"She's been busy as of late. Due to our recent... business transactions, several of the protection rings haven't been getting as much as they used to, especially compared to the smugglers. They've decided they want to become top dog, so I sent Neo to teach them what happens when a bitch steps out of line," Roman told him, making Junior grimace. He'd been the one to sell Roman the list of names of the traitors.
"How's that been going for her?" He asked before the familiar sound of shattering glass echoed through the warehouse.
"See for yourself," Roman gestured behind him. Junior turned around to see a small, petite girl holding a knife in each hand. Mismatched eyes stared up at him, and a feral grin crossed the little demon's face. She was covered in blood, and Junior knew it wasn't her own.
"So? How many are left?" Roman asked, taking a puff of his cigar, seemingly unphased by the multicolored girl being covered in blood. He was probably used to the sight. Neo brought a hand to her chin before holding up three fingers with a bright smile. "Good job, Neo. You can deal with them tomorrow. Let them realize what happened to their friends," He told the small girl, ruffling her hair. She sent him an adoring look, literally being willing to kill just for him to show the slightest sign of physical affection.
Those two were freaks. He supposed they were a match made in hell. A psychopathic murderer who was mute, and an egotistical thief who couldn't get enough of the sound of his own voice. And he was stuck working underneath them. Roman was scratching Neo's scalp, and she leaned into his hand, resembling some kind of murderous puppy dog.
"Make sure your men are ready, Junior. This could be a very lucrative job," Roman ordered.
"Yes, Roman. Who do you plan on selling her to?" Junior asked. Countless parties would offer countless lien to have a Schnee in their grasp.
"I plan on selling to the highest bidder," Roman told him with a laugh. Junior could just sigh. Roman was no longer the man he had once believed in. He had grown callous and cold. Before, Roman would have only ransomed the girl to her father. But now his morals were gone. He only cared about two people, himself and his little pet. Junior let out a disgusted sigh and turned back towards the labyrinth of boxes.
Roman watched him go, puffing his cigar. Neo looked at him worriedly and Roman just shot the younger girl a cocky smirk.
"Well, looks like a pretty big opportunity fell into our laps, Neo. And I'd have to be an idiot not to take it," He chuckled to himself, trying to dismiss that strange feeling he'd just gotten from Junior. Like the man was more dangerous than he let on. He shook his head. Junior was a known quantity. He wasn't anything to be worried about. Besides, he had a little princess to capture. The Schnee brat wouldn't even know what hit her.
Eleven chapters in and a villain just now shows up. I didn't even realize how long this chapter had gotten until I was finished and had 7,000+ words typed. I was even considering adding a pirate fight in the beginning but decided against it because I wanted to move the plot along. Also, I'm sorry some of the dialogue on Patch felt stiff, I'm not really sure how to write Tai. He seems happy, but I have to balance that with the fact that he has lost 3/4 of the girls important to him, and the last one is training to be a knight in Vale. But I didn't want to write him as a super depressed drunk, because we already have Qrow to fill that role. Whatever. The dialogue should improve next chapter when I get to add main characters, not just side characters. That should either be up tomorrow or Friday, but it might take a little while longer because I'm busy.
