A fresh blanket of snow layered the ground, a sheet of white in all directions. Its surface smooth and undisturbed except for the imprint of hooves leading down the old road. A biting chill whisked through Clementine's heavy winter coat. The horse beneath him plotted along, unmindful to the cold lifeless terrain surrounding them. Leafless trees waved at Clementine as he passed. Their gnarled swaying branches like claws raking the air. He leaned back in the saddle, allowing his hood to fall away from his face. The overcast sky shimmered gray. Leisurely snowflakes descended from above, one landing on Clementine's cherry red nose.

The gaunt woods gave way to empty pastures. Snow covered the far-ranging fields without an animal in sight. A dilapidated stone fence outlined the farmland. Further ahead there was a dim red barn and the farmhouse itself. Both were in an equal state of disrepair. The farmhouse roof looked to have caved in from the weight of the collecting snow and the barn double doors were left ajar, allowing the white wind to blow through.

Clementine reined in outside the farmhouse. Swinging his bum leg over the back of his horse, he dismounted. The snow reached up to his ankles. The farmhouse reminded Clementine of the ramshackle streets closest to the Spine. Only instead of sinking into mud the building was getting buried in snow. Just like those empty streets this farmhouse too appeared abandoned. Clementine brushed his horse's neck, feeling the warmth of its life through his gloves.

"It would appear we traveled all this way for nothing." Whispered Clementine, more to himself than the horse. He learned long ago that the faithful beast was indifferent to anything he had to say. The only sign of recognition was the occasional glance at its rider, never holding for long.

Near the corner of the road next to the stone fence was a knocked over sign protruding from a mound of white. Clementine made his way towards it, boots crunching in the dense snow. He knelt and wiped clear the surface of the sign.

The address carved into the wooden plank was faded, but legible. This was the right place, which had Clementine worried. The only sign of life were the hares and deer that skirted the farmland's edges. None moved past the stone fence. Not because of its high walls. Rather the opposite was true. What kept them at a distance was unknown to Clementine. Most animals he came across in his journey so far did not fear him. To them he might as well have been a ghost.

The crack of wood splintered the still air. Clementine spun around. A man stood on the porch of the farmhouse holding the end of a woodcutter's axe, which was buried into the porch railing.

"Can I help you?" asked the farmer in a gruff but not unkindly voice.

Clementine pushed himself to his feet, "Are you Sap?"

The farmer's eyes blazed and he wrenched his axe free, ready to use it. "Who's asking?"

"My name is Augustus Clementine. I am a friend of Kiera's."

The mention of her name shocked the man. His axe dipped slightly before immediately returning to the ready. "Prove it."

"If you would allow me…" Clementine moved to his uninterested horse and rummaged through his belongings attached to the saddle. He pulled out a bundle of letters and held them in the air. "These are hers. Each and every one of them was addressed to you at this location."

"How did you come by them?"

"I borrowed them from under the floorboards of her home. I thought it likely you might want proof."

"This proves nothing." Said Sap, "Those could've easily been taken from a corpse."

"That they could be, but they weren't. Kiera and I were companions during her time at Refuge. Until severe circumstances drove us apart. We didn't always agree on things, but we shared much together. There is little proof I can offer you other than my knowledge of her appearance and personality. Even to her friends she was closed off. Never one to talk about herself. I didn't even know you existed until I found these letters. But judging by the sheer number of them and the consistency in which they were written I can only assume you two were close. I'd guess you were her father, but it's hard for me to see a resemblance."

Sap lowered the axe to his side, "I am, I think the closest thing she has to a father and in many ways, she is like a daughter to me. Tell me something. What have you two disagreed on?"

"Conflict." Answered Clementine, "And ways of going about it. I was forbearing while she preferred a more direct, hands on approach."

His smile hinted at a deep sense of pride, "That she does. What brings you here, Augustus Clementine?"

"Kiera has been gone from Refuge for some time. I had hoped to find her here."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but I haven't seen or heard from Kiera in many years." There was a forlornness to that statement, which Clementine recognized.

Clementine hefted the bundle of letters in his hand, "She wrote to you still. At least once a week. Sometimes more. However, I'm afraid where we were had poor mailing services. Still, she did not forsake you."

Old man Sap wavered under the unexpected comfort. He moved off in the direction of a stack of logs nearby. "We'll talk more inside. You look to have been on the road a while. I'll get a fire going as to melt the cold off your bones. You can hobble your horse in the barn. Should be plenty of feed and a trough with a water spigot. If the pipes hadn't frozen over then it should flow well enough. Your mount will be shielded from the night's cold, maybe better than we will." He gave a hearty laugh, his breath frosting the air.

"Much appreciated." Clementine led his horse by the reins towards the barn. The large double doors gave way to an empty hold. Sure enough there was plenty of feed. Luckily, the cool water flowed from the spigot, filling the trough. As his horse drank Clementine unsaddled the animal.

"Get some rest." Said Clementine. The horse flicked its momentary gaze on him before almost immediately bringing its attention back to the water. Clementine left most of his supplies in the barn, taking with him a bit of food, his bedroll, and Kiera's letters.

Sap's voice beckoned him inside the farmhouse. The man squatted near the hearth, fanning the flames at its core. The axe leaned against the fireplace. Beside it were the chopped away bits of the logs that were too wet to burn. After a few moment's a hungry fire warmed the living room. Sap held his gloved hands out almost touching the flames.

"Ah, that's better." He gestured to one of the two seats he had pulled close to the fireplace. "Please, sit."

Clementine lowered himself into the fur cushioned seat, grateful to have something more comfortable than bare ground or saddle to rest on. Sap went about removing the top-heavy layers of his winter clothing and setting them to hang on a pole off to the side. In the light of the fire Clementine got his first real look of the man. He had unruly salt-and-pepper hair and a brawny build. There were few wrinkles to give credit to his age but those he did bore were deep almost like scars. The bits of bark from the stripped logs were pristinely cut, hinting at a deft hand behind his raw strength.

Sap went about fixing a pot of tea above the fire. As he did so Clementine studied what he could of the farmhouse. There wasn't much to see from his place beside the hearth. Except for one thing. Above the cobbled fireplace, mounted on a wooden plaque was a sword. The shine of the single edged blade was uncommonly white. Not even the gloom of the farmhouse could quench its glow. The hilt was plain and the grip modest in length enough to be held with two hands if need be. The sword's pommel was a roundish stone the color of syrup. Clementine realized it was indeed hardened tree sap. Encased inside was what looked like a cracked egg seconds away from hatching and yet frozen in time.

Finished setting up the teapot, Sap fell back into his own chair. "It will be ready soon. I hope you like it for its all I have to offer I'm afraid."

"I'm sure it will be delicious."

"Don't get your hopes up." Sap snickered, "I was never very good with this type of stuff. Unusual for a farmer, don't you think? I harvest great stocks of ingredients and meat, yet when it comes to preparing any of it for consumption I am at a loss."

Clementine leaned across handing him the neatly bundled letters, "These belong to you."

Sap took them into his hands as if he were holding fragile pottery. The letters rested in his lap. He stared at the sheer number of them, not once moving to open any.

"Thank you for delivering these. I am in your debt."

"It was no problem."

"Might I ask, why is it you came all this way looking for Kiera? Why did you think she'd be here?"

"The circumstances of her departure from Refuge left me fraught with worry. There was a conflict there in which she took part in with another by her side. I don't doubt he will be mentioned in the letters you hold. He was named Buckets by all who knew him. Kiera loved him a great deal and he loved her."

Sap's eyes went wide, "Kiera? In love? I never thought the day would come. He must be quite a man, this Buckets."

"That he was." His tone betrayed all the information Sap needed to hear.

"But no longer?"

Clementine couldn't meet the old man's eyes. "No longer."

They shared a moment of silence where the only noise in the house was the crackling of the fire and the chill breeze seeping in through the caved roof on the floor above.

"Many mourned his death," continued Clementine, "none more so than Kiera. Buckets' death wounded her more than any blade could. From that wound, she bleeds vengeance. Not just for the man who murdered her partner, for he was dealt with by another. Her pain is set loose on the entire world. When she left I had hoped she would return here to nurse an aching heart, but I knew just as likely that she set out in a search to bloody her knuckles."

Clementine watched as his words dulled the edge of Sap's gaze. The man scratched at his beard as if finding it irritating against his skin. "This…troubles me. Not long ago before the winter snows fell I saw a number of travelers. More than usual in the fall. They came alone or in groups as large as twenty. Despite whatever differences they had I could not help but notice the similarities between them. Their guarded gazes towards strangers. Their ragged clothing. Even the way they walked. As if carrying some great burden on their backs.

"I got the same feeling when my daughter first brought Kiera through the front door. Hand in hand they were, yet I saw how uncomfortable that made the little faunus girl." Sap shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "Those I spoke with said little, but it was enough for me to piece some form of story together. Tell me, did this conflict in Refuge have anything to do with slavery?"

"Yes." Answered Clementine, "Thousands labored in a slave Quarry outside Refuge. Our conflict saw them freed. Those travelers who passed by were most likely freed slaves making their way back out into the world."

"I guessed as much. I see now the severe circumstances which drove Kiera to the extreme. Kiera has always been strong. The defiance in her is one that could only be forged in the chains of oppression. I share your worry for her. Kiera will seek out trouble."

Clementine was curious what Sap meant by the chains of oppression, but he let it be. "And find it, I wager."

The teapot above the fire screeched its finish. Sap groaned and stood from his chair. He filled two cups of the steaming liquid, passing one to Clementine. The cup warmed his hands a great deal. After a minute of waiting and blowing on the tea, Clementine gave it a sip. It tasted of ground up herbs. Plain in its flavor, but it warmed his stomach nonetheless.

"Will you return to Refuge?" asked Spool after a few gulps of tea.

Clementine shook his head, "I will look for her still. I am traveling you see. Eager to take in all of Remnant's beauty."

"It will be dangerous. Alone and crippled as you are." Sap must've saw the grimace on Clementine's face for he quickly followed up, "Forgive me. You hide your limp well, but I have a good eye for such things."

"It's alright." Said Clementine, "I can move well enough on my own. No need to concern yourself. Will you not look for her?"

Sap sighed, "I wish I could. Kiera is like a daughter to me. The years she spent on this farm were some of the happiest of my life. But I cannot help her. It's not my place to turn her from the path she's chosen. Both my daughters left this farm in pursuit of what might await them in this life. I begin to think you would understand that. I will be here should they find the need or desire to return. Even in the winters such as this one where farming becomes an impossibility, I will not venture to some village to wait out the snow. I will remain in case either return."

"I envy them, to have such a father in their life."

Sap shared with Clementine a smile warmer than any cozy hearth, "They drive me insane. The two of them. Kiera was ever the wild child, unwilling to be tamed. There were times when I'd find her running on all fours, chasing after animals, herding them into their pens. Her belligerence was that of one on top of the food chain. Even the Grimm who occasionally attacked my fields were no match to her ferocity. I once saw her riding on the back of an Ursa while gnawing off its ears with her teeth. She almost gave me a heart attack."

Clementine chuckled softly, "I can only imagine a young Kiera. She must've been quite the handful."

"You'd think she be the worst, acting out of her own reckless instincts. But my daughter, kind as she is, possesses a selfless sense of responsibility and duty. No doubt inherited from her mother. By the time she was fourteen she was running this farm." His nostalgic words though happy brought tears to the man's eyes.

"Where is she now? Your daughter."

Sap wiped the tears from his eyes before any touched his cheeks. "Out in the world somewhere. Performing feats of heroism, no doubt. Same as Kiera she's yet to return. Though I do hear from her on occasion."

"You worry about her." Observed Clementine.

"It's the company she keeps I distrust." He said, his tone harsh, "They don't care for her, not really. They only care for what she could do for them." Clementine sensed a deep and painful history hiding in those words, something far beyond that of a simple Mistral farmer.

"You are more than you seem."

Sap regarded Clementine. His golden eyes captured the heat of the fire. "As are you, Augustus Clementine. I glimpse all that which you hide behind your veiled eyes and I shudder. There is a shroud over you. One I suspect draped during the conflict in Refuge."

Clementine said nothing in immediate response. He but sipped his tea some more, studying the sword above the fireplace. "And you, Sap, are a warrior. Or at least used to be."

"How can you tell?"

"I've spent time around warriors before. I know one when I see one."

Sap poured himself some more tea, "I was no warrior. Just a soldier."

Clementine cocked his head at that statement, "The difference being?"

"Warriors are true to themselves. They fight for their own morals and ideas. They might share these thoughts with a few, but ultimately a warrior's path is their own. A soldier is different. A disciplined soldier follows orders. No matter how much it goes against the grain of their own beliefs. They do what needs to be done. Without question. Without remorse. Despite their own thoughts on the matter. All war depends on it."

Clementine considered Sap's words, recognizing the distinction he was making. "You speak of war, but the last real war was the Great War and you don't look that old."

Sap's smile was thin, "No, I suppose I don't."

Something about his response bothered Clementine. Sap's solemn turn of mood hinted at more than he could guess. This surrogate father of Kiera's was what he said. A soldier. The simple truth of that was undeniable, yet it still boggled Clementine's mind. Before he could formulate any further questions, Sap stood from his chair.

"It will be dark soon." He said, "With the roof collapsed it's better to sleep down here tonight, near the fire. You can stay if you wish. As long as you like."

"Thank you, but I plan to leave come the morning."

"Will you have breakfast with me then? I would enjoy the company."

"Of course."

"You say you are traveling Remnant to take in its beauty. But I feel as if I should warn you. Just as there is beauty there is also ugliness. In my lifetime, I've been around the world and seen many things. Bloody feuds. Deaths rising like walls all around. Acts of horror so cruel they still keep me up at night." Sap stared into the fire a good long while before whatever sadness gripped him melted away. "But there is always more. I've seen storms bend to a single individual's will. I've seen leaves harden to ice sharper than iron in a few blinks of an eye. Things of wonder. You should take heed and brace yourself to witness both of what I describe."

"I will."

"Good." Sap threw on his heavy layers and picked up his axe, "I'll go get some more wood for the fire. We'll need it if we want the flames to last through the night." Before he left the room, Clementine called out to him.

"Sap."

The brawny man turned to regard his guest, "Yes?"

"I will be traveling for a long time I suspect. During which I will be searching for Kiera. If you'd allow me, I can also keep an eye out for your other daughter. All I need is her name."

He smiled at the gesture, his expression grateful. "Amber. Her name is Amber."