AWOO, MUTHAFUCKAS! We're on time this week with another doozy of a chapter. Welcome back to Vale, folks!
Vale looked like absolute hell.
Even when scoping the town from a distance, Qrow could tell that things had taken a turn for the worst. The houses showed clear signs of neglect. The smokehouse wasn't in use, even though now was the time to get serious about preparing meats for the winter. People walked through the streets like they were half dead, their shoulders slumped and their feet shuffling across the dusty paths. The Faunus District had been almost entirely destroyed, either by a werewolf raid or a Grimm attack, and no visible effort had been made to repair anything.
The border of the town closest to the werewolves' forest held the ghastliest sight of all. In an uneven line was a series of heads on sticks. Werewolf heads. Some were white skulls, completely eaten away except for a few patches of fur. Others were fresher, rotting jaws wide open as flies clustered in the eye sockets and carrion birds pecked at the tattered ears. The smell alone made Qrow want to retch.
The Council has gone crazy! he thought, covering his nose as he backed into the trees, away from the line of heads. What have Oz and Glynda been doing?! They can't be okay with any of this.
Before he could think too much about it, a shuffling sound caught his attention. Turning, he saw a werewolf through the trees. He kept a hand on his sword, but took several steps back, choosing to observe first.
The werewolf was a smaller one, probably one of those omegas, and was dragging something along the ground. It reached the border of the forest and dropped the item to the ground. Qrow saw it back a few steps away and turn to the side, heaving loudly. It licked the dew-covered grass and made a few wet hacking sounds. Once it recovered from its moment of sickness, it started back into the trees. Just before it hit the deeper parts of the forest, it froze. Then, it turned slowly in Qrow's direction.
Qrow's grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, and he glared coldly at the beast. "Don't even try it," he muttered.
The werewolf's ear flicked, and it took a step back. Then another. Then, it turned and bolted into the deep woods.
Qrow let out a sigh as he let go of his sword. Smart wolf, he thought before sneaking over to where the creature had been. He stopped short as a new rotten smell assaulted his nose, and the sound of buzzing filled his ears. He covered his face and gagged.
On the ground was a deer, but one that had been dead for several days. It was covered with bite marks, signifying it had been killed by a werewolf. The meat was turning brown and black, and was falling from the yellowed bones. The eyes had been eaten away and Qrow could tell that maggots were writhing just beneath the surface of the animal's pelt. No wonder the wolf had looked close to vomiting!
Is that why the smokehouse is dead? Qrow wondered. The wolves are spoiling all the meat? If that's the case, what the hell are they eating? He tried to remember if the wolf from just then had looked skinny at all, but he wasn't sure. He hadn't been looking for that at the time.
He shook himself, circling around the town again. First thing was to find Taiyang. He could scope out the rest of the town later on.
Getting to the house was easy enough. Most of the humans and Faunus seemed to have already gone deep in the forest for a hunt. Qrow glanced around, picking the lock and slipping through the back door.
Almost immediately, he was hit with a shameful flood of nostalgia. The smell of a slowly-cooking stew wafted from the kitchen, combining with the scent of wood walls, burning sticks, and freshly-aired clothes. Qrow slipped off his shoes, letting out a sigh as the familiar, worn rug greeted his tired, travel-hardened feet.
He walked over to the iron stove, which had a small fire inside, warming the house and cooking a very pathetic stew. The broth was watery, and there were mostly potatoes and carrots in the pot, along with a sad mix of bones that looked like they'd already lost all their flavor. The potatoes and carrots were also looking a little small, as if Taiyang had raided some gardener's trash heap for his veggies.
Well, if there's no meat coming in, they must be exhausting all the other food supplies, Qrow reasoned, his heart sinking. Vale won't have shit by the time winter comes. We'll be fucked!
He paced around the house as he waited, occasionally adding some twigs to the fire. At one point, he checked the bed area, noticing with a pang that Ruby and Yang's bed hadn't been touched and was starting to gather dust. All of Ruby's old toys were out of its chest and scattered around the room. Looking at the clear signs of grief around the house, Qrow found himself regretting that he hadn't been able to bring Zwei with him. That dog would definitely be the thing to bring a smile back to Taiyang's face.
He was sitting in the large amchair when the door opened, though he stood up abruptly when he saw who was coming in. Taiyang entered the house, followed closely by Winter.
The two stopped short when they saw Qrow. Taiyang's mouth dropped open while Winter simply raised a surprised brow. Qrow groaned. "Well, fuck. What's she doing here?"
His usual manner quickly broke the spell, and Taiyang hurried to close the door. "Qrow, You need to get out of here! The Council has declared you a deserter! You'll be locked up or killed!"
Qrow snorted. "I'd like to see them try. What's Her Holiness doing here?"
Winter scowled. "Well, after you left, Taiyang needed a friend."
"Friend?" Qrow cocked an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Friend," Taiyang affirmed, narrowing his eyes. "Don't start being an ass, Qrow."
"Please, Tai. I never stop!"
Taiyang sighed, rolling his eyes while suppressing a smile. Qrow was infuriating as ever, but it was good to see him. "Have a seat. I'll get you some stew. It's not very good, though."
Qrow moved to the table, bowing in an exaggerated way to Winter before sitting. In the meantime, he was trying to figure out whether or not he'd have to let the priestess in on the secret he was about to tell. He knew that Weiss wanted her to know. If Winter was close enough to Taiyang to be coming to dinner on a regular basis, maybe she could be trusted.
Taiyang hurried to put out the stew and bread, sitting down at the head of the table. Winter led the three of them in prayer. Qrow, for once, didn't make any smart comments. "So," Taiyang started hesitantly. "Since you're back, does that mean you…took care of things?"
Qrow took a spoonful of stew, slurping loudly, ignoring Winter's annoyed glare. The broth had almost no taste. "Things…got a bit complicated, Tai."
"Complicated how?" Taiyang stiffened, eyes darting to his sword, which he had left near the door. "Were you bitten?"
"Nah," Qrow waved a hand dismissively. "More complicated than that." He glanced at Winter. "Nothing I say can leave this house. You understand, Ice Queen?"
Winter frowned. "If this 'complication' threatens Vale-"
"Okay, you know what?" Qrow threw his hands in the air. "I'm just gonna do it this way. Priestess of the Maidens, I've sinned. I wanna confess, and I'd like my brother to be here for the confession. Both of you are bound by the Oath of Silence if this continues."
When Winter's grip on her spoon tightened, Qrow knew he had her. She took her vows seriously, and would never reveal what someone had said in a Confession. "Very well," she said crisply, pushing her food away and placing the spoon in the bowl. "Tell me your sins, my son." Taiyang also nodded, but looked just as nervous.
Qrow pushed his own bowl away. He was aware of Taiyang looking at him intently, but with a great deal of confusion. "My sin is almost killing my own niece, and her best friend. I threw Dust at Weiss Schnee, causing half of her face to be permanently scarred."
"Qrow," Taiyang cut in gently, his eyes dark with pain. "You don't have to worry about that. Winter knows. The fact that you failed doesn't matter. What matters is whether you were able to send them to the Maidens the way you said you would."
Qrow looked at his brother, taking a deep breath. "No, Tai. I didn't." He looked at Winter. "I didn't kill them. I found them, but I didn't kill them."
Winter gritted her teeth, a deep stab of pain and anger going through her. It was all she could do to not reach across the table and strangle Qrow. He had the chance to put Weiss out of her misery at last, and he didn't?! And he has the nerve to come back here?!
"I found them," Qrow continued. "In Obsidian."
At this, both Taiyang and Winter gasped. Rumors had been trickling through the trade routes from the far-off town of Obsidian, rumors concerning vampire attacks and even a Nuckelavee sighting. There were also stranger stories, stories about the town worshipping a new red wolf god instead of the Maidens.
"I also found Yang, Ren, Nora, Jaune, and Velvet's group," Qrow continued. "I found Blake, who wasn't killed in that werewolf attack after all. I met the trader Roman." He folded his hands. "I met Pyrrha, the leader of a pack of werewolves, a pack Ruby and Weiss help lead."
At this, Taiyang stood up, slamming his hands on the table. "What?!" he shouted. "My daughter has fully become one of those beasts, and you left her?!" He glanced at Winter. "I swear, if the priestess wasn't here-"
"Sit down, Taiyang," Winter said stiffly, though her fists were clenched enough for her knuckles to turn white. "Let him finish."
Qrow waited for Taiyang to sink slowly back into his chair. "She isn't a beast, Tai," he said gently. "That's what I came back to tell you. She's still Ruby. She just becomes a little furrier when the moon comes out. Same with Weiss. Pyrrha used to be part of the pack in the woods here, but she never hurt a human. Her pack wants to come back here and make peace with the people of Vale, so Ruby, Weiss, and all the others can finally come home."
He looked at both of them, making sure their eyes were meeting. "Yang and the others are there too, and they know. Don't you get it? Everything we thought we knew is wrong. Werewolves aren't any different from people. They can be good, evil, or just total assholes! Hell, Jaune's in love with Pyrrha! It's a little gross how fucking adorable those two are!"
He cracked a smile. "Weiss and Ruby are engaged, by the way. They're hoping you'll officiate the ceremony when they get back," he said, nodding at Winter.
Winter's face had gone pale. Her hands were shaking and her brows were furrowed as she tried to figure out whether Qrow was bewitched, or simply insane. Either way, she had to figure out how to help him. Would a prayer to God help? Did she need to perform an exorcism? She'd never done that before!
Qrow, realizing he wouldn't get anything from Winter, looked at Taiyang, his eyes imploring. "I'm not crazy, Tai," he insisted, hating the way his brother in law was backing away from him. "If you want, I can take you to Burgundy, where a rogue werewolf is hanging out. He's a great guy, you know. A little coffee-obsessed, but still." He shrugged. "We also got you a dog in Roan, but I didn't think it was a good idea to bring him just now."
Taiyang took a deep breath, then reached out with a shaking hand to touch Qrow's shoulder. All of his anger was gone. "Qrow, I think we need to go to the church," he said, keeping his voice soft and neutral. "I'm sure we can help you if you just-"
Immediately, Qrow stood up. "Oh, hell no!" he snapped. "You aren't strapping me to a table and praying over me. That's not happening." He moved toward the door, reaching for his sword when Taiyang moved to stop him. "I'm leaving now, Tai. Look, just think about what I said. Just remember: Both of your daughters are alive, and they're coming home. They're gonna want their dad to be on their side." He glanced at Winter. "And they're not the only ones counting on family."
He quickly opened the back door. "Remember, this was a Confession. You can't say anything. I'll be in the area for a few days, scoping things out. I'll drop in before I go back to Obsidian. I'm trusting you to not tie me up or anything when I do that." He fixed Taiyang with a glare. "Family first, Tai. Remember that. If you do, we may actually be able to save this shitty town from itself." With that, he slipped through the door, closing it behind him.
Qrow bolted for the forest leading to the other towns at a dead run, stopping only when he was deep within the trees. He leaned against a thick trunk, breathing rapidly, his heart pounding. It didn't sound like he was being followed. He allowed himself to relax.
Now what? he wondered. Either he'll think things over and give this a chance, or try to have me committed to the church basements. Do they have a basement? Maybe they'll build one just for me, he thought a little hysterically.
He ended up going even deeper into the forest before curling under his cloak and falling asleep. He didn't want to risk lighting a fire, so he woke up shivering and coated with dew the following morning.
That day was spent watching the townsfolk from a distance, this time with the goal of seeing what was happening for everyone specifically. He saw Cardin Winchester right away, strutting through the streets, gloating about his most recent kill. Even from far away, Qrow could see that the kid was about to fall over from exhaustion. He saw Taiyang only once, walking around as if in a daze. Ironwood was going from house to house, taking deliveries of weapons to the local smithy for repair. A few Huntsmen could be seen taking pelts into Jacques Schnee's house, causing Qrow's lip to curl with distaste.
As evening came around, something interesting happened: The other Elders could be seen entering the Schnee mansion. Qrow, of course, hurried to find a window.
Jacques was entertaining his guests in one of the parlors, and Qrow was able to hear pretty clearly through a knothole that had likely been overlooked by the hired help.
"We have to increase our hunts!" Jacques was saying, his pompous voice hoarse with rage. "Those creatures are slowly killing us! We need to find where they live and kill them all!"
"How do you plan on doing that?" Ozpin asked, his voice strained and impatient. "By burning the entire forest? We'd might as well, at this point."
"Don't try being funny, Ozpin! This is a serious matter! If you weren't so busy waving an olive branch, maybe you'd know that!"
"Ozpin and I have been working to heal all the Huntsmen that have gotten injured on these extra hunts," Glynda said coldly. "Most of their injuries are from falling over or not dodging quickly enough, because they haven't slept in days! How many have gotten killed because they simply couldn't fight, I wonder?"
The voice of Hawk Winchester barked a laugh. "None, if they're true Huntsmen. My son Cardin is going above and beyond the call of duty, and he's fine."
"Clearly, you haven't noticed the bags under your son's eyes," Ozpin growled. "Or the limp in his walk. Then again, what can we expect from a man who only cares about personal image."
"What was that?!"
"Gentlemen!" Ironwood cut in. "I agree that the werewolf threat is only getting worse."
"Thank you!" Jacques exclaimed.
"However," the general continued. "We cannot fight this threat if our Huntsmen are half-dead. I propose we cut back on the amount of hunts sent into the woods, and focus more on building up our supplies for winter, which are basically empty!"
"Here, here!" Ozpin said. "I think we should send people to Burgundy and see about trading some of our extra weapons for food supplies."
"Trade our weapons?!" Hawk snapped. "Are you crazy? We need those to fight!"
"What good are they in the hands of starving Huntsmen?" Glynda asked, her voice dripping with disdain. "I'm with Ozpin and James. Fewer hunts, and a greater focus on winter supplies."
There was silence as Jacques and Hawk realized that they were outvoted. Qrow snuck away, having heard enough.
As he ate a cold meal of dried meat and fruits, Qrow pondered the state of his home. It looked as if Ironwood was starting to see reason, meaning that Vale would become slightly less militant, at least until more food could be found. However, there was a chance that this would lead to the werewolves making a move to overtake Vale completely.
Unless they're just as tired of this as Vale is. Qrow thought back to the werewolf gagging after dropping the rotten deer.
Anything could happen at this point. One side might give in completely, leading to their extinction. Both sides might just become too tired to fight, making them more amicable to a peaceful solution. Or, both sides might lash out like an animal in its death throes, filled with a blind determination to take their enemies with them when they inevitably, pointlessly perished.
And what would happen when the Huntsmen went into Burgundy? What was Burgundy even like now? Had Roman and Barty been successful, or would Qrow go back to find his friends dead or on the run.
Most importantly, what would happen when Qrow went back to Taiyang? Would he be arrested and exorcised until he went crazy? If that happened, what would happen in Obsidian? Would the others try coming back anyway? What would happen to them then, assuming they hadn't already been killed by those moronic Huntsmen?
He groaned, putting his face in his hands. So much depended on the next couple of days, and Qrow knew that he couldn't control any of it.
For the first time in a long while, he found himself praying for a miracle.
Will Vale and Cinder's pack crumble under the strain of their pointless war? Will our heroes get back in time? Will Taiyang and Winter see sense? Stay tuned, dear readers! Stay tuned.
If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.
Peace out!