"Missions?" Jaune asked. When Winter proposed to him the idea of missions, he was understandably curious. He didn't think he was already ready to take one though.
"Every student in Beacon gets to experience doing missions while a professional will be there, both to grade them and to watch over them should things become too dangerous," she explained. "You and I have had sparring matches almost exclusively as a means of your training. As huntsmen, we are supposed to be fighting the Grimm which aren't necessarily going to give us the time for a one-on-one."
Jaune nodded along with her instructions. Winter must have chosen some mission where he would then also be tested in other aspects of being a huntsman. "What's the mission about?"
"Grimm excursion," she said. "There are settlements just outside the major cities and kingdoms that aren't as well protected. They may have huntsmen stationed there but they are requesting some sort of aid for the Grimm that lie just outside the borders. They could not chase them down lest they leave the town vulnerable to other Grimm. Should be simple enough."
The blonde knight was then instructed to prepare. By now, much of the CCTS relay tower was protected with their automated defenses being better equipped to deal with any wandering Grimm. His preparations consisted of things that are similar to camping. Fire starters, a flask for water, sleeping bags and so forth. There were a few snacks that he could bring for Winter had said that this was going to be another lesson in foraging for food. Depending on where he would be, Jaune will need to tell which of the berries and nuts that he would find are edible. Maybe even pick up a different weapon for the sole purpose of hunting game while out there in the wilds. They weren't going to go via Bullhead. They were going on foot.
Jaune had saved up enough lien to have some armor pieces made. At the moment, the priority was the helmet. If there was any protection that needed to be had on person, it was the head. It felt out of place with how it does not match the rest of the armor pieces he currently wore. One thing he needed to get used to was the limitations on his vision as opposed to if he didn't have it on. Still, if it meant more protection without that much hindrance then it should be alright. He only needed to wear it during fights, outside of battles, like trekking for example, then he could opt to remove the helm.
The two then made their way to outside Argus. With Winter's license as a huntress, they were given the go-ahead to then travel outside. Compared to his, Winter's supplies were far lighter. Much of it was just her weapon of choice and a few sleeping garments here and there. Unlike his gear which made him look more like mountain trekker with how large his bag was.
Both of them stuck to the dirt road for the most part. There was little Grimm since there was little people to have any sort of negativity to draw them in. Those that do appear were handled by Jaune exclusively. Winter stayed to the sides and made commentary whenever he would deal with them. The most common criticism he received was how he had gotten too used to the one-on-one matches and that he wasn't as aware of one Grimm that was also present while he was fighting another one.
One thing he did improve on was on that he could better handle the Grimm. Beowolves and the occasional Ursa were much simpler to handle for him now as opposed to before where he had either prolonged fights or rely more on his team.
It took one full day of straight walking before they were able to see sight of the town. By the looks of it, they appear to be a relatively new town. Many settlements tend to pop up wherever as the major cities become more crowded and people are willing to brave the wilds. The town itself was rather small but was situated to a nearby river for their water source. Their walls were made of wood with wooden watchtowers to watch for any coming Grimm.
They then made their preparations to camp for that night, just off the road. Winter then taught Jaune a few basics on the living in the wilds. Namely, which nuts and berries that he could eat.
"If you are uncertain," she said. "It is best to observe other nearby animals if they too would eat it. Keep in mind that fruits that grow in the wild aren't like the ones we purchase in groceries. They are primarily to spread seeds and thus wouldn't have much in them for you to eat. They will only have enough to draw in some animal to have a nibble and have the seed be planted somewhere."
Jaune listened intently. Alongside those, Winter aided him in refining the sword forms that his father had sent him. While his teacher does not fight in a similar fashion, she is at least familiar with swordsmanship in general to be able to guess how it could be executed. Winter does emphasis his being more fluid. While maintaining proper posture is ideal for both balance and execution, in the heat of conflict, that is more akin to a luxury as most of the time, he would be fighting out here in the wilds where the grounds aren't as flat as a sparring ring. He would also need some kind of aid in dealing with more airborne Grimm given his lack of a ranged option.
"Now then," Winter said after he performed the last set. "Another aspect of being a huntsman is being able to keep watch through the night. You shall take first watch."
Before Jaune could comment, Winter Schnee had already laid down and went to sleep. Her sleeping bag was much thinner than his own. It was as though it was more to keep the dirt out than make it the coziest rest. He wondered if he would ever get used to roughing it in the wilds in a similar way.
As the night grew darker, even the slightest noise was enough to get Jaune's attention. When things become quiet, there is little to drown out whatever noise that would be heard. From the tree leaves being blown in the wind to the hoots of owls, he felt as though he had super-hearing with how those things seem much clearer to the ear now.
The fire that they had made was the only other source of light other than the few stars that dotted the night sky and the broken moon that hung over them. Jaune then drew his sword. Underneath the moonlight, the blade seemed to shine as brightly as it did during the day. In fact, with the darkness that surrounds them, it seemed brighter by comparison. Despite having it for many days now, and having used a few times at least, Jaune still feels a sense of newness from the blade. The history behind it, he could feel. He could picture it almost: a knight fighting valorously under a banner against an invading empire from the other side of an ocean. Jaune laughed at the image. It was a rather vivid one but it somehow felt right given what he could feel from the blade.
His watch was mostly silent for there was no Grimm that approached. Any animal that might have come near chose to avoid them instead. The flames burning the wood were the last sounds he had heard when he woke Winter for her shift.
/-/
Winter Schnee was a light sleeper. As someone who had grown accustomed to the life of both a huntress and a soldier, comfortable rest has been more of a luxury. Being easily awakened meant that she could respond to any threats easily and not run the risk of being captured. So when Jaune Arc had awoken her, she already knew what it was that she had to do.
Gentleman, she thought. By her estimations, Jaune had awoken her much later than expected. In so doing, he would have less hours of rest as opposed to her. Either that or he still needs guidance in time management. Her hand traced to her outfit and she felt the letter that Weiss wrote in one of the pockets.
Thus far, Jaune Arc hasn't exactly done anything that warranted Winter's current attention. There were bits and pieces of that she could see from his ethic. A hard-worker with little complaints, Jaune Arc must be really exerting effort ever since his expulsion from Beacon Academy. Under normal circumstances, he shouldn't even be able to apply in any of the four Academies due to his forged documents. Was there pity in her choosing to take him under her wing? Perhaps. He was a swordsman so at least that much would make it easier for her instruction. He wasn't going to go the same path as Weiss so there wasn't going to have any Glyph training.
Speaking of semblances, she thought. He has yet to manifest his semblance. He has a large aura pool so it could mean that his semblance might have something to do with it. While not always the truth, some semblances do have some connection to the huntsman. Be it personality trait or circumstance, a semblance always involved something close to the user. For Jaune, Winter has yet to see any trace of it, assuming it has yet to manifest itself.
The night went on in relative peace. The cool breeze that blew on her made the heat of the fire all the more welcome. There was little left in the way of wood that could be fed to it. It was fine as day would be coming soon. By her estimations, it should be the early hours of the day just before the dawn. It brought her memories of her time as a student and aspiring soldier of Atlas. The early hours where she had to wake up just to train brought fond memories for her. She shook her head. Such training wasn't something she was about to subject the young boy to. The life of a soldier, especially like her, should really only be given if he wanted to.
Winter's eyes then traced to the sword that rested in the sheathe next to him. Good. Should anything ever disturb his sleep, his weapon is nearby and ready to be drawn. He only needed a much lighter sleeping gear so that he could easily get up prepare for battle in a moment's notice. She chose not to reprimand him there. It is best that he understands these things slowly. Jaune was no Schnee and had no public image to uphold to like Weiss does. Still, as her student, what he does as a huntsman will reflect back on her as mentor. It was a careful balance of letting him make a name for himself while also making sure that he does not besmirch her name.
Her vision narrowed on the sword. Jaune had said that the sword once belonged to someone else. Odd for it seemed to her that the weapon—Saint War Order, as it was called—fitted the boy. Then again, given the knightly theme of Jaune's getup, it is possible that the sword itself belonged to some knightly warrior before. Winter wouldn't deny that it was because of that image that the armor she designed had that in mind. The added protection only served to emphasize it.
Maybe I should refer to him as squire instead of student, she thought. It was a funny thought that she dismissed. She could still remember the times that she would read bedtime stories for her little sister. None of them had knights or anything but she was at least familiar with that story concept. Wasn't there one about that legend I used to hear in the military? The Mad Saber, if I recall.
The amount of noise began to increase as the critters had begun to awaken to welcome the coming dawn. Winter then stood and stretched her arms and legs. The fire had been doused and she awoke Jaune Arc. The town was near and wouldn't take them long before they would reach the town. When they would, her student's first mission would then be underway.
AN: Copy pasting from An Ideal Semblance: more of an announcement really, but I'll be going through an internship soon. Still will be posting except probably at a different time than usual. If I still post at the same time anyway, then pay this no mind.
