(Serious) Author's Note: Thanks to Coral Tawnies and koryandrs for reviewing the last chapter! :)

Also, I apologise for the recent lack of chapters, as I've been busy with other fanfiction projects. I'm hoping to return to regular updates for this series soon.

Chapter Two

Violet was tired.

It has been early in the morning when Arlo had dragged her out of bed, saying that Lemony had planned another hard day's travelling for the four volunteers. Begrudgingly, Violet had risen early along with her brother at dawn, and they were on their way north not long after.

Lemony seemed slightly less self-concerned that morning, and was making open conversation as the land started to slope upwards, the Hinterlands disappearing behind the car as it made its way higher towards the Mortmain Mountains, where the V.F.D. Headquarters were located. By the end of October, the slopes of even the lowest peaks in the mountain range were capped in snow that glistened brightly in the morning sun as the car began its journey through the mountains. At times the narrow road that they were travelling on wound its way close to the Stricken Stream which ran along the base of a steep valley within the mountains.

This reminded Violet of the first time she had made the journey to the Mortmain Mountains, which was a perilous journey completed on foot with Klaus and Arlo during the summer. Looking down at the icy valley beneath the car, she was glad that she had made the journey in August, and not during the winter. She reasoned that with the roads being so dangerous in the middle of autumn, this road would be almost unpassable during winter. With little to do on a long car journey, Violet tied up her long black hair with a ribbon out of her coat pocket, as she often did when thinking of inventions. At this time, she was trying to think of a way of keeping the road safe for travel during the winter months.

Arlo, like Violet, had never seen the mountains under snow before, but he saw it as a blessing not a curse, a phrase which can be used to describe how he only saw the enjoyment that the snow-covered peaks would bring. Arlo was a fan of extreme sports, and no adrenaline junkie would turn down a chance to go snowboarding in the Mortmains.

However Klaus saw the new snow as neither a blessing nor a curse, merely a source of interest. He made a note to himself that he would find out more about the climate of the Mortmain Mountians once he arrived at the Headquarters, which has an extensive library that he liked to use to conduct his research. Now that the Headquarters was sort of an adoptive home of his, Klaus thought that the yearly climate might become one of the most important things to him, as it would be something that he would need to adapt to. Even in the middle of winter, the city where Klaus had lived before his parent's home had burned down had never seen a snowfall as bad as the Mortmain Mountains in October.

But Lemony did not seem concerned by the snow. It was as though he'd seen it a hundred times before (and honestly, he had), and he knew how to control his small car expertly in the difficult conditions.

The journey passed slowly, and the morning turned into afternoon, and the afternoon turned to evening, and the evening turned into twilight as the small car finally arrived in the Valley of Four Draughts.

I'm sure that at some point in your life, you have found yourself looking at a view that always takes your breath away, no matter what the situation, whether this be something hideous such as your friend's obscure sense of fashion, or something beautiful such as the Grand Canyon. The Valley of Four Draughts is one of those few rare sights that always causes those who are lucky enough to witness it to draw breath and admire the view. The Baudelaires were quick to learn this on that day in late October. When they had first arrived in the Valley of Four Draughts that summer the view had been spectacular, but beneath the snow, the Baudelaires thought that the remote valley looked more stunning than ever.

The Valley of Four Draughts was large, wide and predominantly flat, with the once dusty ground now covered in a few inches of untouched snow. The pristine flat landscape extended out in front of the four volunteers for roughly half a mile, interrupted only by a lake at the base of Mount Fraught, the highest peak in the Mortmain Mountains, at the other end of the valley. Extending upwards from the frozen lake was a shining, icy structure that Klaus knew to be a waterfall leading down the steep slopes of Mount Fraught from the source of the Stricken Stream, which was frozen solid in the Mortmain Mountains' cold climate at this time of the year. For Klaus, this slippery slope was arguably the most beautiful part of this idyllic landscape. Violet was also staring towards the waterfall, but was more interested in what lay at its base than the waterway itself. Violet knew that on the far shore of the frozen lake was the V.F.D. Headquarters, a magnificent building hidden from view by a low, thick mist. In the summer months, the spray from the falling water kept the Headquarters' location elusive, and Violet had heard of the device created by the volunteers to turn the frozen lake water into spray to conceal the V.F.D. Headquarters. However, until that day, Violet was yet to see the fabulous machine in action. Violet hoped that during her second stay in the Mortmain Mountains she would be able to examine the device herself.

"Well, we can't afford to wait around much longer," Lemony said eventually, watching the three young volunteers as they admired the spectacular view that lay across the landscape in front of them. "I know it's beautiful, but we're not leaving it behind, you know."

It took another ten minutes of careful driving for Lemony to navigate his small car across the snow-covered valley before the four volunteers finally arrived at the V.F.D. Headquarters after over two days of travelling. After their long journey, Violet had expected more of a welcome home, but then she remembered that Lemony had not yet informed the volunteers of V.F.D. that their fateful mission had been unsuccessful, and so no-one was awaiting their return. It felt strange to walk down the quiet corridors that evening until the four volunteers stumbled across a tall, gangly man with skinny arms, who Klaus recognised as Dewey Denouement, an important V.F.D. member of around Lemony's age who always seemed to be involved with "important business". He seemed surprised to see the four of them back in the Mortmain Mountains, but he also smiled, suggesting to the returning volunteers that he was pleased that they had returned, which reassured them.

"Ah, Lemony!" he exclaimed upon seeing the four volunteers. "We weren't expecting you back so soon! Has business been concluded at Bladeridge Castle already?"

"Yes, our job is done there," Lemony replied gravely, and Dewey's smile slipped slightly. "Olaf escaped with Beatrice and Sunny."

"Oh," Dewey said, his face full of pity for the downtrodden Lemony, although of course he didn't know the true cause of Lemony's despair. "Where is Jacques? Did you meet him at the castle?"

"Yes, we met him," Lemony replied, and even Violet could see that it was hurting him to continue the conversation. "We met him, but he is no longer with us. I'll explain more once I've had chance to get a drink and put my feet up for a moment. We've been travelling all day."

"Ah, of course!" Dewey said, smiling once more at the four volunteers. "You'd better all follow me this way."

"Dewey, if you don't mind, I'd rather the children left us alone for a few minutes," Lenony said, protesting. "There's a few things I need to talk through with you concerning the mission." Dewey nodded assent, and Lemony turned to the children. "You'd better run back to the dorms," Lemony advised them. "You may as well take the chance to settle back in."

Violet and Klaus saw little of Lemony and the other volunteers that evening, except for the other trainees with whom they shared dormitories as they spent the evening reacquainting themselves with their surroundings. It was there in the Headquarters where Violet and Klaus were completing their first stage of V.F.D. Training, and learning the vital skills needed to become a useful volunteer. Along with their vital skills, both Baudelaire siblings were taught in one area of interest by an elder volunteers, and so both were able to hone their respective skills in inventing and researching during their time in the Mortmain Mountains.

There would be no learning that evening as the Baudelaire children settled back in, and so both Violet and Klaus paid a visit to their father, who was still recovering from the harpoon injury sustained that summer at the hands of one of Count Olaf's vile associates. They were pleased to see that his condition was improving, and that he was no longer bed-ridden, although Bertrand Baudelaire still had difficulties when travelling around the Headquarters, and so he was often confined to a wheelchair. When Violet and Klaus visited him he asked of the success of their mission, to which Violet gave the same cautious replies that Lemony had given to Dewey Denouement earlier in the evening. She told her father that they hadn't managed to rescue her mother and Sunny, and that Jacques Snicket was "no longer with her", making sure to give a vague answer in case the news of Jacques' death was still not common knowledge for the volunteers.

Satisfied with the return of his children and their answers to his questions, Bertrand Baudelaire returned to his parental persona and quickly rushed his children off to bed, insisting that they must be tired after their long journey. To tell the truth, Violet and Klaus had little energy left to do anything but agree.

When the Baudelaire siblings rose late the next morning, they found themselves being awoken by Dewey Denouement, who urged the children to get themselves up and ready quickly before ushering the two young volunteers towards the council room, which was a large room located at the centre of the V.F.D. Headquarters. Upon arrival at the council room, Klaus was surprised to the long table that ran along the centre of the room almost completely filled, although almost nobody was speaking a word.

"Take a seat, Baudelaires," Dewey told them quietly, before leaving them to take a seat at the head of the table. Looking along the table, Violet saw volunteers of all ages, many of whom she recognised, although there were many that she didn't. She had expected this, as there were almost constant arrivals and departures of volunteers at the Headquarters. Eventually her eyes set on her father, and she pulled Klaus along with her as she took a free seat next to the only other family member that she had left. Across the table she could see Lemony sitting with his sister Kit in complete silence, his hands in hers, a troubled look upon both their faces. Arlo Thursday was on Lemony's other side, and he gave Violet a reassuring smile as she took her seat at the long table.

There were only a couple more volunteers to arrive after Violet and Klaus before the table was filled completely, and Dewey Denouement rose at the far end of the table to begin a speech.

"Fellow volunteers," Dewey began, in a voice that lacked all of his usual confidence. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Jacques Snicket."

All of a sudden, Violet understood the meaning of the meeting. She reasoned, from the reactions of the volunteers around her, that all the people at the table had known Jacques in some way, and that many had travelled to the mountains that day to pay their respects to a brave, noble man that they had once knew.

"I know that some of you have been lifelong friends with Jacques," Dewey said, giving a nod in the direction of a couple of older volunteers, "and that some of you have only recently become acquainted with him," he added, gesturing towards Violet and Klaus, "but we all knew him in some way, and we all made a difference on his life."

This last part of Dewey's speech unnerved Klaus slightly, as he had made a significant contribution to the plan that proved to be Jacques' last offering to the volunteers, and ultimately caused his death. But before he began to doubt whether he had done the right thing back at Bladeridge Castle, the first of many volunteers stepped up to pay tribute to Jacques Snicket, and Klaus' worries were quickly forgotten.

In turns dozens of people stepped up and talked of how they had known Jacques. Some talked of Jacques the volunteer, and others talked of Jacques the journalist. Some, such as Dewey himself, spoke of Jacques Snicket the friend, and one man in his early twenties spoke of Jacques the chaperone, and appeared deeply moved when he returned to his seat. And so, as the tributes and eulogies continued to pile up, Violet wondered whether she should say something herself. She had known Jacques and despite their working together on such an important mission, Violet was unsure whether she counted Jacques as a friend in the same way as she did the others. She merely saw him as a man who was willing to risk his life for her. For that she respected him immensely, but she was unsure whether she counted him as a friend.

Eventually she made her decision, but before she could speak up, Kit Snicket stood up and talked of the one thing that none of the other volunteers could talk about; Jacques Snicket the brother. Eventually a teary-eyed Kit resigned herself to her seat, her respects paid to her lost brother. The last to take their place to say their respects was Lemony, who was the only person there at the end of it all, just three days before in the torrential rain at Bladeridge Castle.

"Jacques was one of the bravest and most loyal men I ever knew," Lemony began slowly. "He was always loyal to those that he cared about, both in his work for the organisation and outside of it. An honest and selfless man, Jacques always saw the needs of others above his own. He died as he lived, fighting to protect the lives of those he loved. I know that I should consider myself lucky to be one of those few he loved, and that there were times when I took his generous and noble actions for granted. But Jacques was and always will be among the best of us, and I'm sure that even though Jacques may no longer be with us in life, he will be in our minds whenever we carry on his work in our struggle to rid the land of this terrible schism once and for all."

Lemony paused for a few moments with tears in his eyes as applause spread around the council room. As everyone faded to silence once more, he continued.

"I was lucky to be the one there in the end, in those last moments before he passed away. I cannot repeat his final words, as they were meant for me and me alone, but I can tell you all of his dying wishes, so that we can continue his legacy now that he is gone." Lemony paused again for a few moments, trying to compose himself. "Jacques wished for my sister Kit to carry on his work with Dewey, in completing the catalogue of crimes that shall be used to hold the Firestarters to justice. I have already spoken to Kit about this, and she has agreed to play her part for the cause, stepping into the shoes of our late brother."

More applause spread around the room as Lemony composed himself, about to make a larger demand, which was the second of his late brother's wishes.

"The second thing that Jacques asked for right before his death," Lemony began as confidently as he could. "Is that the Baudelaire children should be given the best possible education within V.F.D.. He believes that the Baudelaires have already seen enough misery and misfortune in their short lives, and need to know how to best face whatever troubles lie ahead."

Lemony paused once more before spelling out Jacques' demand.

"Jacques requested that Violet and Klaus Baudelaire should be apprenticed under myself along with Arlo Thursday."

(Serious) Author's Note: If you enjoyed this chapter, please review! Constructive criticism will be welcomed :)

P.S. I promise to try to make updates more regular. I've been slacking a little, I know.