The clear slopes and steep ridges eventually gave way to a thick evergreen forest. Riding by glyph and recoil was fast, but not so great when it came to trees, so RWBY hitched the slightly pink Drei to the front of the sled and let him haul the sled through the snow laden pines and junipers.
Weiss sat at the front, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary while Ruby pored over the map. The little Faunus had snuggled up to Yang, quiet and watching the passing surroundings with wide eyes.
Drei took them under a low branch. It brushed Ruby's head and sifted a sprinkle of snow down the back of her neck. She yelped and Weiss, who had ducked the branch, laughed at her.
"Cold cold cold," Ruby swatted at the snow and was struck suddenly by a familiar feeling. She paused, trying to catch it in the shush of the sled across the snow, the bite of the mountain air. A breeze stirred the pines and moaned low across the peaks. The light shone soft and green through the branches. Something about it all stirred a memory of...
"Hey..." Ruby frowned, "I think Ren was in my dream."
Blake perked from her position pressed against Yang's side, leeching warmth. Brows furrowed, she let her mind wander even as she diligently watched the sled's rear. Something pulled at the edge of her thoughts, calm and insistent. A lone pink mountain flower peeking through the snow snagged Blake's focus, bright pink eyes flashing to life in her memories. "...Now that you mention it, I think he's been in a few of mine too."
"Pffft, that sounds boring," Yang yawned, brushing away a few stray pine needles that had fallen into the little girl's hair, "I keep seeing Nora in mine."
Weiss glanced back at them, almost camouflaged in the snowy surroundings with her white hair and coat and gloves. She hesitated, then tossed her hair, feigning nonchalance as she lied outright, "I don't remember my dreams, so they must not be important."
"That's weird that we'd all dream about Ren and Nora," Ruby included Weiss, since she'd seemed unsure for a second. She looked over at Blake, "What did he do in yours?"
Blake let the scenery slide by without really seeing it, focused more on the lingering crumbled and desolate imagery that remained from her dreams. "I'm... not sure. I think he was talking... about something?"
"See? Snooze fest," Yang cut in, waving a hand, "Nora kept dragging me around, and like, pushing me - we grappled!" In a ruined wasteland that Yang had been terrified to leave for some reason but she neglected to mention that part. "It was awesome."
Ruby tried to remember what had happened in hers.
The flicker of green vanished behind the edge of a building. Had she heard his voice? She had only seen him for a second, but when she thought about it, it felt like he wanted her to follow him. (Hard to do with the whole legs-not-working dream thing, but the feeling was there.)
"I think he was trying to get me to follow him someplace," Ruby crossed her arms, still thinking but unable to come up with anything more substantial.
"Well, that sounds incredibly interesting," Weiss's sarcasm stemmed somewhat from the few snatches of dreams she could recall from the past several weeks- all of which involved black Grimm and broken stone, which she figured were leftover from her fight with the Liliac in the bell tower. No friendly encounters with fellow classmates for her. There was that one where someone- her father?- tried to haul her away. She scowled, pointing to the map on Ruby's lap, "Shouldn't we be making sure we're headed in the right direction? This town we're headed to isn't exactly out of our way, but if we miss it we could lose travel time."
"We'll check at the next ridge," Ruby brushed snow off the worn paper and folded it back into her pocket. It would be hard to get their bearings exactly right in the middle of a patch of woods like this. "By the way, how's...?"
She gestured a little towards the tiny Faunus clinging to Yang.
Yang's eyes brightened, "Oh you know what, I keep forgetting to ask, hey kiddo," she patted the little girl's head, "What's your name, huh?"
The girl's ears went back as the others looked at her and she hid her face in Yang's jacket.
"Yeah so I'm just gonna call you Cutie because oh my gosh."
"She seems fine," Blake supplied an actual answer to Ruby's original question while her partner gushed over the tiny Faunus in her lap.
Ruby couldn't keep the stupid grin off her face. She straightened out her cloak, "Just let us know if she needs to stop for food or a bathroom break or anything."
They didn't find the town on the map that day or the next.
"We passed it," Weiss insisted, dumping her armload of wood onto the packed snow near the campfire. They'd taken shelter among the boulders lining the edges of a shallow valley. "I knew this would happen."
Ruby frowned over the map. Looking up at the fading daylight and the peaks silhouetted against the deepening blue in the east. She'd been so sure—the map said the town would be around here, but they hadn't seen smoke from fires or buildings or anything. "Maybe it was one of those nomadic sorts of towns? And they... uh… moved?"
"Moved the whole town," Weiss deadpanned, as she added a few branches to the fire, "That explains why it's marked so clearly on the map as being right there, wherever that is."
"Speaking of towns," Yang looked up from her task of setting a pile of stones in a tight circle to glance at Blake and the little girl on the other side of the valley, holding hands as they walked along a small stream. It had been long enough now that it felt safe to ask, "Whatever happened to..." her eyes dipped briefly to the ground in sorrow, then returned to Weiss and Ruby, "you know. To James Point?"
Ruby and Weiss both went quiet.
"You mean after you and Blake left?" Weiss asked, her words blunt but without animosity. That had happened what seemed like a long time ago.
The fire crackled and chinked as the burning branches settled.
Day had broken, but slowly. Pale light showed around the edge of the makeshift door near the ceiling, but the rest of the small stone and mortar house remained dark and still. The coals in the fireplace showed traces of dull red.
Ruby woke up with a face full of Drei's warm fur. She stretched on her half of the couch, feeling very much like she'd been hibernating. Her internal clock (otherwise known as her stomach) was growling, telling her to get up.
What time was it? With a dead scroll and no working clocks in sight, she had no way to tell. Weiss slept undisturbed on the other side of the large dog, her white hair just visible over the layers of blankets. It would be a while before she was back at a hundred percent, but for now her breathing was slow and easy.
The air outside of the cocoon Ruby had made of her cloak and an old quilt caught her breath and turned it to a fine mist. Shedding her layers, Ruby soft-stepped her way across the thick rug over to the stack of crates that led up to the hatch over the door. She climbed up and fumbled the latch with cold fingers. When it came open, she had to squint in the blue-white light filtering through the snow.
Outside, the sun was high over the rim of the valley. The top layer of snow had refrozen overnight. Ruby took a couple of steps past the edge of the empty roof, testing it.
Last night, she'd been thinking more and more about ways to defend the people of James Point. Blake was right about trying to travel with them... there was just no way they'd make it to Vale. But maybe they could find someplace for them to wait. Someplace not so stained with fear and despair. She'd already had to put down a couple of beowolves during her watch in the first part of the evening. They must have found a way down the steep valley walls. She'd taken shots at a dark shape that fluttered across the moon, too.
The Grimm were coming. Probably they'd been sniffing James Point out all through the blizzard.
Last night, holed up under the snow, bundled up with blankets and a fire, Ruby couldn't help thinking about the last few days of Mountain Glen, all those people retreating from enemies above only to find more below. Even if they hadn't been tunneling deeper, they'd trapped themselves in their efforts to block off access to the surface.
Maybe by relocating, the James Pointers could avoid that bleak fate.
Ha, Ruby grinned to herself and tried to rub some warmth into her arms. Look at her, learning from history. Professor Ooblek would be so proud. That was, if Beacon wasn't too busy dealing with whatever had kept them from sending help. Unless the haywire robots really were supposed to be help? She was definitely giving them a no-star review when she got back.
The crust over the snow held. She took a deep breath of the clean, morning air. It was so cold, her throat and lungs hurt, but being able to walk over the snow gave her a boost of hope.
She hopped back onto the roof. All the arguing back and forth with Blake and Yang and Weiss... now they could get to the townsfolk more easily. They'd come up with a plan once and for all. Something to save everybody they could.
When she slid down through the door hatch, Weiss was up, clutching her coat close as she worked to build the fire back up.
"Hey, you're awake," Ruby greeted her, dropping down to the floor.
Weiss glared at her, "How could I not be with you clomping around on the roof? Honestly. Where's Yang? She was supposed to build the fire up before the end of her watch."
"I dunno," the realization struck Ruby as odd. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Blake either. She ducked into the kitchen- it looked like there was less food in the stockpiles. Had they gone ahead and eaten breakfast? The basement was frozen and empty, likewise the side closet full of rope and broken snowshoes. Confused, Ruby rubbed her arm, "Maybe she and Blake are out searching for supplies?"
The heiress had gone quiet while Ruby had searched around. "I suppose they didn't leave a note."
"Probably they just forgot," Ruby plunked down on the rug, offering her a can of beans. "Are you feeling alright?"
Weiss huddled close to the fire, focusing on feeding the growing flames, "Well, cold, but definitely better than the past few days."
"If you want to walk, the snow's got a great coat of ice on top. It should be super easy to get around," Ruby worked the can opener on a couple of cans, setting one with dog food in it over for Drei. It made her wonder why there were fewer cans in the stockpile. She crossed her arms over her drawn up knees, "There was a lot more food next door. Probably they went to pick up some more. Or maybe they found a neighbor who was running out, and they're delivering some."
"Maybe," Weiss said without looking up.
A heavy silence fell over the two of them as the fire worked its way through the dry wood, eating away at it like a virus.
They waited all day, but there was no Blake or Yang. In the evening, the stars barely gave enough light to see by.
Ruby's boots hit the shingles with a heavy thump. She crouched there for a second, counting off breaths as she gripped Crescent Rose, waiting for an alarm to go up. When no one inside of the infirmary started sending bullets through the roof, she stalked to the edge, to a small packed snow ramp that sloped down to the upper story window. A heavy curtain blocked most of the dim light from inside.
Licking her chapped lips and keeping a firm grip on her scythe, she slid down and knocked on the window frame—or tried to. A flicker of bluish energy prevented her from actually touching the wood. Her knuckles tingled and she looked down at her hand, but she seemed unscathed.
The energy felt familiar somehow. Ruby knocked on the energy field a second time, gently.
After a few moments, the curtain drew back and she stood face to face with Cyan. Several other townsfolk hovered in the background, some more bandaged and bloody that others.
Cyan slid the window open. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her face was drawn. Probably she hadn't had time to get any decent sleep in a while, "Ruby. Is your team…?"
"We're… not great," Ruby felt herself on the verge of tears. Blake and Yang hadn't come back. She took a deep breath and soldiered on, "Not hurt—not too badly hurt anyway, that I know of," she faltered—Weiss was still recovering, "Are you-?"
"Come in," the other woman stepped away from the window to make room, "Gregor's… he won't hurt you."
"He's here?" Ruby kept her voice steady. She folded Crescent Rose and slid inside feet first, rubbing her arms to warm up while Cyan got the window shut again. The cramped quarters looked almost cozy in the low light, but the smell of sweat and unwashed bodies was thick in the air. The townsfolk watched Ruby with wary expressions.
When Cyan finished straightening the curtain, she turned to Ruby, searching her face before leading the way down to the kitchen where they both lingered in the doorway.
Ruby's gaze was drawn immediately to the huge man stretched out on the table. His barrel chest rose and fell, hitching with pain as the steely glow of what must have been his aura waxed and waned. The thick wooden table creaked under him.
Cyan answered her questioning gaze, "He's taking up Gale's mantle as guardian of James Point. His men found some of your supplies."
She gestured to the wall, where Weiss's two white cases of Dust stood. Ruby paled, "What did he do?"
"Dust modification," Cyan breathed, "It's an old practice. He'll be like Gale, but he chose gravity Dust," she paused, wringing the edge of her apron, "I think he's planning to bring the mountain down, or at least seal the tunnels."
Gregor, the man who hurt Weiss, infused with some kind of gravity power? Ruby's mouth had a bad taste in it. She swallowed to clear it, "Blake and Yang left. I think they went to get help."
Cyan shut the door to the kitchen softly, leaving them in the dim light of the hall. "I know. They stopped here to drop off supplies."
For a moment, Ruby looked as if she'd been struck. Yang and Blake had told the townsfolk they were leaving? She tried to listen as Cyan continued.
"You should go too. Gregor won't forgive you, even when we need the help."
"Will you?" Ruby's voice came out small. When Cyan hesitated, she went on, "I'm—I didn't mean… it's way too much to, just—"
She broke off as Cyan took her hand. She held it hard with both of hers, anguish behind her eyes, "Ruby."
Everyone was hurt. People were dead. Her sister was gone. The weight of it all threatened to crush the young team leader. Her words kept tumbling out, "It was an accident. We didn't—"
"It couldn't have been anything else," Cyan brushed Ruby's hair out of her eyes, "Don't try to take the blame for all of this."
She waited for Ruby to get a better hold on herself, and then released her hand and stepped back to the door, "I'll get your partner's things. If you make it back to your school, try to send us someone? At least to get our communications up again."
Ruby scrubbed her eyes on her sleeve, "Okay. I mean, we will. I promise we will."
A minute later upstairs by the window, Ruby was bracing while one of the townsfolk upstairs strapped one of Weiss's cases of Dust to her back. A few of them gazed at her with bleak expressions, as if they expected to never see her again. Cyan went to the window and there was a flicker of blue—her aura? Ruby watched, curious.
The man strapping the case to her gave a rasping chuckle. "Guess you thought the bats skipped digging into this house for no reason?"
Back in the cabin, Weiss lay awake, watching the small remains of the fire. Ruby had banked it, but a few loose coals still glowed in the darkness.
She was alone, not counting Drei. The enormous dog curled up on the couch next to her. He snored a bit, but he was warm. The heiress listened and waited, Myrtenaster close at hand in case of Grimm. Ruby had woken her up to let her know she'd be making the trip to the infirmary, and she was due back any minute.
Something clumped on the roof.
Probably Ruby, Weiss thought as she closed her hand over Myrtenaster's hilt. The material of her gloves creaked as she gripped hard. She didn't have a lot of energy, but she had enough to get up and pick her way to the crates that served as the step up to the door hatch. She crouched, catching her breath.
Cautious footsteps made their way across the length of the roof above. Seconds stretched unbearably. Then a knock came at the improvised door. Three short, followed by two heavier ones.
Weiss rolled her eyes with some relief—it was Ruby's secret knock. The knock came again before she had a chance to climb up.
"Be patient. I'm coming," she grumbled, standing up shakily and wrestling the ill-fitting door bar free.
When the door came open, Ruby slid in feet first, almost toppling the crates as she hugged onto Weiss.
"What—stop it, you dolt, you're going to make us fall," Weiss shoved the other girl away. Her knees just about buckled, but she caught herself on the crate before she could fall to the floor.
Ruby helped steady her, "I'm sorry—are you okay?"
"Yes," Weiss brushed her hands away from her shoulders and straightened up, "Well? What happened?"
Ruby went silent for a minute, "We have to leave."
"Cyan said Gregor would be up by the morning," Ruby explained, poking at the fire. She chanced a glance up at Yang. "So we threw everything in the sled and left. Well, we took gear and stuff from the house we were in, and some of the townsfolk at the clinic gave me a map with all the big Grimm moves charted on it."
Yang had gone silent, her eyes focused on her own snow crusted boots. She stayed that way until Blake and the little girl were finally close enough to call to the group.
"The river is frozen solid here," Blake announced, disappointment showing in her drooping ears as they came to a stop beside Yang. Blake released the little girl's hand and smiled down at her, then leered at the surrounding forest. "I'm going to have to hunt."
Weiss remained quiet, but Ruby hopped up, dusting snow from her cloak, "You need anything from the sled?"
The little girl hung onto the edge of Blake's coat, hugging close to her legs and looking up at the other team members, her ears tall and curious.
For a brief moment, Blake considered asking for Ruby herself to come along. Nothing quite like having a sniper with unparalleled skill on your team when on a hunt. But the longer she thought about it, the less she wanted to suggest anything that would result in Ruby killing anything other than a soulless creature of Grimm.
Blake placed a hand on the little girl's head, rubbing gently between her ears. "I'd like to borrow Drei, actually."
From his position curled up at Ruby's feet, the dog in question lifted his head, ears perking at hearing his name.
"Oh, uh, sure," Ruby moved to unhook Drei's traces. Was Drei a hunting dog? He'd definitely eaten a Grimm earlier. She glanced up at the skyline. Some of the boulders seemed oddly square, and it made her feel a little off. When she got the dog loose, she bundled up the strips of leather and dropped them into the front of the sled, "Shoot up a signal if you run into any trouble."
The little girl, sensing that Blake was going someplace, rested her head on her leg shyly.
Once freed of the reins, Drei shook himself off and trotted over to Yang, licking her face until she cracked a smile and threw her arms around his neck. "You be good for Blakey okay?"
Blake raised a brow at her partner, then knelt down to the little girl's level. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind one of her human ears. "Can you keep these three company while I find us some dinner?"
The tiny Faunus's ears went back and she hugged onto Blake, nuzzling under her chin and whining softly.
Blake nuzzled back, dropping a kiss between the girl's flattened ears. "I'll be back before you know it," she picked her up and set her gently in Yang's lap. "You signal too, if you need me back here."
Yang wrapped her arms loosely around the girl's middle, but raised a brow at her partner. "You're not going alone."
"I'm not," Blake agreed, lightly patting her thigh to summon Drei to her side.
"That's not what I meant and you know it," Yang pouted as the dog happily circled Blake, ready for adventure.
Blake rolled her eyes and smiled, one ear twisting to the side to keep track of Yang and the little girl as she turned to leave, glancing back at Ruby and Weiss on her way to the tree line, "I'll be back before night fall."
"Happy hunting," Ruby lifted her hand in a wave as Blake jogged off into the trees. Then she noticed Weiss frowning and nudged her, "she'll be back."
"What? No," Weiss got up and moved away from Yang and the tiny Faunus, who had settled into her arms. "I was just thinking about the town we were supposed to find here."
She scuffed her boot over a piece of wood embedded in the snow and glanced at Ruby. Quick as anything, Ruby scurried over and helped her pry it up. It was long and straight, with four corners at one end. The other end was splintered and broken.
Ruby looked at it and swallowed. "Maybe we didn't pass it."
A/N: RIP random town.
Long chapter today, so let us know what you think, or just ramble to us in the reviews. As always, stay tuned!
- Fiercesomest
EDIT: jcL107 suggested italicizing the flashbacks to make it easier to tell what's going on. What a great suggestions! Thanks, pal! See you next week!