AWOO, MUTHAFUCKAS! It's Werewolf Friday again. Just got back from another interview, so keep your fingers crossed for me. This chapter begins our lovely buddy road trip, along with that surprise I promised! Honestly, I can't believe no one has done this before. (And if someone has, please direct me to the fic/fanart immediately!)

Enjoy!

It was two more days before Qrow and Bartholomew ended up leaving, largely because Roman had insisted on coming with them. "I need to move around!" the trader had said desperately. "Besides, the silver is starting to come in. Brawnz just paid me enough to get a good horse. I'd like to shop around, if we have the time."

Qrow, of course, grumbled to himself the entire time he was getting ready. "Traipsing through the woods with a big-mouthed scholar and a trader fop… Should just run to Vale and back by myself…"

Still, Roman was a skilled enough fighter and Barty was a werewolf, so it wasn't like they'd be totally worthless. Qrow just hoped that there wouldn't be any giant Grimm hordes. Though, if there are, Barty's magic wolf powers will detect 'em…

Shouldering his bag, Qrow went to the center of town, where everyone was waiting. "Well, kiddo," he said as he approached Ruby. "Try not to sharpen your claws on those greenhorns till I get back, okay?"

Ruby giggled, hugging her uncle tightly around the middle. "Be careful," she murmured.

Qrow ruffled her hair. "Hey, it's me."

"That's why I'm worried," Ruby muttered.

Yang snickered. "She's got you there." She walked over and punched Qrow's shoulder. "Take care of yourself."

"That, I can do." Qrow pulled Yang into a hug, ruffling her hair just a little. "Take care of your werewolfy sister, okay kid?"

Yang nodded. "I will."

Roman, meanwhile, was sitting on his stationary cart with Neo. "Well, Neo. You'll have to look after the stock while I'm gone. Think you can handle that?"

Neo nodded, hugging his arm and nuzzling against his shoulder.

Smiling, Roman ruffled her hair. "That's my girl. Keep an eye on Yang, and don't have too much fun without me. And if one of those buffoons in the woods tries anything, skewer him!"

Neo nodded again, this time flashing an eager grin.

Roman chuckled. "That's what I like to see." He noticed Qrow looking in his direction. "Well, I'm off. I'll bring us back a good horse. Take care, Neo."

Neo squeezed his hand. She opened her mouth, let out a breath, closed her mouth, shook her head, and tried again. "Bye, Roman," she murmured. Her voice came out as a scratchy whisper.

Roman felt his throat tightening as he pulled Neo into a hug. "Love you, kid," he said in the quietest of voices.

Neo rested her head on his chest, smiling at the familiar sound of his heartbeat. For a moment, she was a child again, staring up at the tall, swaggering trader who had somehow singled her out as the orphan who needed him the most. She remembered him lifting her into his arms, casually talking about what an asset a cute kid would be to his business while his heart thumped his true feelings into her ear, lulling her to sleep.

Sniffling, she squeezed him one more time before pulling back. "I love you too." She stepped away as he joined Qrow and Bartholomew near the town entrance leading to the mountains. The three would do the wide-circle strategy and cross the field further away from town. Barty's scarf was back on, hiding his telltale bite.

Neo felt Yang take her hand, and smiled up at the gold-haired Huntress. At least she wouldn't be alone while she waited for Roman to return.

As they exited the town, Barty activated his beta powers. "Hm. Seems like they're clustered in one spot. Not expecting us to make a move right now."

"Yeah, because we'll be totally visible crossing that field," Qrow grumbled. "I still think we should wait till nightfall."

"They'll be more alert at that time," Barty said. "No good, no good, especially since there's more of them. Over twenty now! I wonder how they're passing the time. Perhaps charades? Cards?"

"I do love a good game of poker," Roman sighed. "Haven't played in ages, now."

"I remember a very lively bar in Saffron, if you're a gambling man," Barty commented.

"Ooh, I know the one you mean! Yeah, I can't go there. The innkeeper doesn't like me."

"What did you do?"

"Eh… Well, there was the time I bankrupted a guy who turned out to be his nephew…and the time I slept with this girl who turned out to be his aunt…and the time I got into a fight with his brother…" Roman shook his head. "He really should not let his family go there."

Qrow was staring at Roman with raised brows. "I'm liking you more and more."

Roman smirked. "Oh, don't lie. You already liked me. I remember you buying a good amount of my special stock on several occasions."

Qrow shrugged. "Yeah, so? I'll get those off of any smut merchant."

Roman huffed. "I'll have you know that I'm not just a two-bit bookseller. I only take the highest-quality items."

"High-quality smut," Qrow said dryly. "The literary world shall fall to its knees in the coming revolution."

"Plebian…" Roman muttered, shaking his head.

Barty coughed. "Um, you wouldn't happen to have any of these books on you, would you? For research on human entertainment, you understand."

Roman snickered. "But, of course. I always carry one with me in case I get bored."

"Good man!"

"Back to sneaking into the woods," Qrow cut in. "How are we gonna do this? Barty, are your magic powers enough to show us where they're looking?"

"I'm afraid they're not that finite, my friend," Barty sighed. "No, I'm afraid we'll have to rely on basic camouflage." He rummaged through his own pack, withdrawing a brown, green, and gray mottled cloak. "I've snuck past several more advanced individuals this way. Once I get past the forest line, I'll cause a distraction, and you two can bolt across."

"How will we know when the distraction is happening?" Qrow asked.

"Get a beta from town, of course!" Barty snapped impatiently, putting the cloak on. "Also, would you be so kind as to carry my belongings?"

When Roman didn't volunteer, Qrow shouldered the extra pack with a groan. "A werewolf's pack mule. My sister would love this."

"You have a sister?" Roman tilted his head. "Does she possess your winning personality."

Qrow snorted. "She makes me look like a freaking princess."

While Barty began his slow trek across the field, creeping on his stomach at an incredibly slow pace while the cloak covered him completely, Roman ran back into Obsidian to find a beta. Blake quickly volunteered.

"Are you sure you can't just run for it at night?" she asked, watching Barty crawl another inch.

"Barty says there's too many." Qrow shrugged. "If we tried at night, the only thing we could do would be to use him as bait while we ran. Got a feeling that he wouldn't be up for that."

"Probably not," Blake said. She looked at Roman. "How are you holding up?"

"As well as one can." Roman shrugged. "I'll be so glad to be on the road again. Traders aren't meant to be in one place for so long."

"We do appreciate your help," Blake assured him.

"Good!" Roman said. "The amount of stock I lost is incredible. This will be the last time I play the part of the sappy do-gooder."

"No, it won't," Blake said with a smirk. "You care too much."

"I absolutely do not!" Roman snapped. "You're a bunch of nuisances, and I can't wait to be rid of you!"

"We all love you too, Roman," Blake replied without skipping a beat.

"Hmph," Roman huffed, though he couldn't quite hide the smile that came to his face.

"So, which books are you bringing?"

"My Burning Heartbeat and Angel Wings," Roman replied promptly. "A bit of a balance between the spiritual erotica and the more…outlandish tastes."

"So, one person fucks a dragon while the other screws an angel," Qrow quipped.

Roman rolled his eyes. "And this is why he's the brutish Huntsman and I'm the suave trader."

"Don't you mean foppish trader?"

Roman smirked. "Another badge I wear proudly."

Blake looked between the two, an amused quirk to her mouth. "I sort of want to ask if you guys could just write down every conversation you have on this trip."

"Well, if these two are entertaining enough, I may use them for inspiration," Roman said. "I've been thinking about writing my own book. I actually started here, since I don't have much else to do."

Blake's ears perked up. "Why didn't you tell me? I could help!"

"I promise to let you proofread it," Roman assured her. "You are my best customer, so I know you're well-read."

"My character's gonna be a handsome devil who gets all ten women at the end, right?" Qrow asked.

The conversation continued for another hour, during which Barty finally made his way to the edge of the woods and disappeared into the shadows. Blake immediately activated her beta powers, waiting for the moment when the Huntsmen were obviously distracted by something.

A few minutes later, a deep, bugling roar sounded in the woods. Blake's ears twitched, and she frowned. "That sounded like an Ursa…but I don't sense one." She waited. "Okay, the Huntsmen are running toward the roar. You should probably go now." She quickly hugged Roman and Qrow. "Good luck!"

"Take care of my nieces, kitten," Qrow said before rushing across the field.

"Ask Neo for the current draft if you want to take a look. I'll be waiting for your review," Roman said, grinning at Blake as he followed.

The two reached the edge of the forest, Qrow running a few extra feet in, Roman panting and leaning against a tree as soon as he was in a shadowy area. "This…is why…I need…a horse…" he gasped.

Qrow was looking around. "Where's Barty?"

"Probably…deeper in… Should go…he'll find us…"

Qrow gave Roman a withering look. "You need to exercise more."

Roman glared up at Qrow. "Not…a sprinter…shut up…"

The two walked further in, ears pricked for any sign of approaching footsteps. They eventually stopped to lean against a tree and let Roman catch his breath. Qrow took out his flask and took a deep swig. "Want some?"

Roman grimaced, remembering his last taste of Qrow's special brew. "Pass…"

Qrow listened for a few minutes, growing tense as he heard rapid footsteps running their direction. He placed a hand on his scythe, narrowing his eyes. "Who's there?" he called.

"Me!" Barty zipped to Roman and Qrow's side, causing them both to jump. "Hello! Nice job on that Grimm call, eh?" He held up a small wood wind instrument. "Works every time!"

"You made that Ursa sound?" Roman gasped, staring at the odd whistle. "Where did you get that?"

"I made it," Barty said proudly. "Years of living in the woods and studying the Grimm closely has allowed for some experimentation."

"Would you be interested in marketing these? I can think of several potential buyers."

"Let's walk and talk, okay?" Qrow quickly cut in. "The further we are from those greenhorns, the better. Also, carry your damn bag, glasses-boy!" He shoved Barty's pack at him as he led the way into the woods.

Roman chuckled. "Shining personality."

Barty shrugged. "He's just a little grumpy. He's friendly enough once he's had some more of that whiskey."

The three walked through most of the day, setting up camp in the early evening. "It would be prudent to only hunt small prey," Barty noted. "Since we're trying to be quick."

"If we hurry, we'll be at Burgundy in a little over a week," Qrow said. "I don't want to start traveling through towns until we're a bit further from Obsidian. Umber should be the first one we hit."

Roman nodded. "That's fine by me. Roan Town is two towns away from there, and that's where the really good horse farms are."

"Ah, yes. The forest breaks there, allowing for several pastures to the south." Barty smiled. "Lovely area."

"Exactly." Roman grinned. "They've got some of the best horses I've ever seen!"

"Ya know, Ruby wanted a pony growing up," Qrow remembered.

"Doesn't every young girl?" Roman asked.

"Nah. Yang wanted a mountain lion that she could ride."

"That is very fitting."

"Tai was never creative. He just wanted a dog. There aren't any breeders near Vale, though. You're lucky if you find a stray cat in your shed." Qrow clicked his tongue thoughtfully. "Hm. Maybe I'll see if there are any puppies at the Roan farms. Something to keep him company till the girls can get home."

"Wonderful idea!" Barty exclaimed. "Dogs are marvelous creatures! Keen sense of smell, good hunters, amazing at fighting Grimm! The perfect companions, honestly! If I didn't travel so much, I'd get one myself."

"A wolf with a pet dog, huh?" Qrow laughed. "Bit ironic, huh?"

"Don't make such comments," Roman sniffed. "You'll offend our traveling companion."

Barty shook his head. "Not at all, not at all. I can handle a good-natured joke. Just be mindful of what you say to others."

Qrow snorted. "I've never had a brain to mouth filter. What makes you think I'd start now?"

"Anyway," Roman said. "You two should probably see about hunting. I'll guard the campsite and keep the fire going."

"Good plan," Barty said. "Would you do me one favor?"

"What's that?"

"Please take the coffee from my bag and start brewing some! I've been without it for several hours now, and my hands will likely be twitching by the time this hunt is over!" He then did something odd. After removing his shirt and glasses, he withdrew a small cloth bundle from his bag. Unwrapping it revealed a strange set of spectacles. The two glass pieces were set further apart from each other, and were held together with a cord rather than metal earpieces. Carefully, Barty perched the bridge on his nose and tied the cord at what he knew was the right length.

"Do you really need those?" Qrow asked.

"Terribly short-sighted, I'm afraid. Even as a wolf." Barty grimaced. "Could rely on beta powers, but I enjoy seeing. More to observe, you see."

"A werewolf with glasses," Roman chuckled. "This, I have to see."

Barty hesitated. "Erm, could you two turn away in the meantime? I'm less used to public transformations."

The two obligingly looked away. "You didn't have a problem when helping Sun and the others," Qrow commented.

"Yes, well, the situation was more urgent then." After removing his clothes, Barty quickly transformed.

Roman looked back, unable to keep from making an amused noise at the sight before him. Barty was in his wolf form, standing on his hind legs, looking at them with that inquisitive expression, with those ridiculous spectacles perched on his snout and tied snugly around his head. "This may honestly be the strangest sight I've seen," he chuckled. "And that's saying something."

Qrow grinned. "I dunno. It somehow works for him. Don't let any deer kick you in the face!"

Barty rolled his eyes. Does he think I'm an amateur at this?

The forest was calm, and the hunting was good. It was a peaceful first night for the journey of the Huntsman, the scholar, and the trader as they sat down to enjoy some freshly-killed rabbit. The only noise besides the sizzling of meat and the crackling of the fire was the sound of a wolf's tongue eagerly lapping at a bowl of steaming black coffee.

That's right, folks! I'm not just giving you a Qrow/Bartholomew roadtrip. I'm giving you a Qrow/Bartholomew/Roman roadtrip! Aren't I a genius? Seriously, this may be the best character combination we never got in canon! Look forward to more with these three. I'm going to be having a lot of fun with this…

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

For writing tips, prompts, top 10 lists, and fandom rants from yours truly, check out my blog at soloragoldsun dot wordpress dot com.

Peace out!