Chapter 6: To Live in the Shadow of a Snowflake

Qrow the Hunter

"Ouch!" Qrow yelped, the sting of way too much healing dust being applied to his cuts firing up his arm. It, along with a million other bruises and lacerations cross his body and face, ached, burned, whined and shuttered in distress at pain and sensational soreness. Two nevermores was perhaps a bad idea. "Please be careful!" He finished unable to contain himself.

"Sorry…" Summer mumbled meekly recoiling from the shout. This sort of thing happened a lot. After a big hunt Qrow would come back a little battered to the client and Summer would do the best to patch him up, though to the Schnees' credit he had never bled all over a fancier bathroom. Marble tub and flooring, fine wood finish on the chairs with emblazoned snowflakes. It was a massive room, the bathtub designed for three made to lock in steam, two hot showers and a whole sitting area. All for a single family member.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell, it just stings like a…" Well Qrow didn't need to finish that, Summer would get the idea. She had gotten good at this despite her tiny hands, or maybe due to them. Sitting there the two of them, Qrow immobile and naked besides a single towel for decency, Summer applied ointments of dust to his wounds and bruises and bandages soaked in herbs to the more brutal ones. Any that might require suturing Qrow had burned shut with fire dust. He did not want his sister to treat anything that bled that much, she was too young for it. All in all through Qrow's wounds were many, but not particularly bad. With the copious amounts of healing and fire dust just around the Schnee home there was little worry of permanent scarring from any of it. Not to mention the hard work of a little red and black haired sweetheart.

"A bitch?" Summer finished for him with surprising boldness as she applied a dust and alcohol soaked bandage across Qrow's right arm.

"Summer!" Qrow replied in a surprised with wide eyed stare and tempered shout. "Where did you hear that?" Living on the road meant a certain level displeasurable language and culture, something that Qrow tried to hide Summer from, but of course it came through like everything else. How could they hold up the respectable name of the Rose family when surrounded by such barbarisms?

"You've said it before!" Summer shouted turning her head away with a pout as well as crossing her arms in indignation of Qrow. Perhaps there were times when Qrow forgot he was watching over an eight year old. He supposed everyone deserves some freedom to express frustration in perhaps somewhat vulgar ways, though the older brother was absolutely sure Summer was just misremembering.

"Don't listen to me; your brother is an idiot." Qrow started eliciting a giggle from his little sister. She was always the smart one after all. That girl was destined for greatness, Qrow was sure of it as he watched her bandage him up. How quickly she learned everything, how she had impressed the Schnees. She was gifted. "So you seem to have become friends with the Schnees while I was gone." Qrow asked interested. When he had first arrived, Friedrich and Summer had seemed to grow inseparable in just a day, Wilhelm and the inventor both seemed impressed by her and daunt on the little girl. Summer didn't seem to notice, or perhaps just didn't seem to care. As soon as Summer decided Friedrich and Wilhelm where going to be her new best friends, they were. No resisting her, sweet little thing.

"Mhm! Wilhelm is teaching me a card trick, he is sneaky though and keeps messing with me. Friedrich says he'll play piano for me when we get back, I'm so excited! I've never seen a piano before!" Summer blurted out all in one big mess seeming to bounce as she said it, excited at the very thought. She seemed even to forget what she was doing here in the bathroom with Qrow, which was fine. He could handle this. "Uncle Wernher is going to help me build an airship when I get back too, he promised; he promised!"

"Uncle?" Qrow asked with a raised brow, but gentle smile, reaching over to muss up the little ones hair. Patting Summer on the head she shook her head back and forth, tossing the short cut mop of crimson and black hair into a frenzy.

"Everyone calls him that." Summer mumbled a little self-conscious of how quickly she had grown attached to them. Little rosy color to her cheeks, as if she was about to get in trouble over something so silly as getting close to someone.

"That's not how that works Summer. He's their uncle, not ours." Truth is something was more bothersome to Qrow about her getting close to the old inventor. Shortly after returning home, battered beaten, but with his grimm face bones, the famed Wernher took him inside and offered an incredible if disconcerting offer. To make Summer his apprentice in his engineering work. Said that she was brilliant, but lacked proper training and education. Offered to do it all, if he would let her stay with the Schnees. The most masterful engineer in the world wanted to train his little sister. Problem was this old man had that name. Schnee.

"Doesn't matter, the other Faunus kids call him Uncle." Summer protested and not without some merit. The old man seemed to discourage such formalities and was well loved by the local Faunus families here. The other Schnee might be met with some suspicion and were often vilified, but everyone seemed to love the strange old man. Still trusting anything to nobility was something Qrow was not comfortable with, even if the nobility was not the worst. Not even to mention Castle White lands were on the border with the contested Fort Castle.

"Just don't get too comfortable, we have to leave for Vale soon." Beyond that was giving up Summer. He had no work on a warzone. The Lord of Castle White made that clear. To trust his little sister to them while he worked in the capitol. No he had to be there, had to watch her.

"We should stay! Why can't we stay!?" Summer asked angry, stomping her feet on the fine flooring of the bathroom with a force that seemed almost strong enough to crack the thin marble facade above the wooden foundation. Truly unlocking her aura this young was perhaps not one of Qrow's smartest ideas.

"We have a lot more adventures ahead. Big adventures you will just love." Qrow started after giving a small sigh. If there was one thing Qrow could count on, it was Summer's desire to be a story book adventurer. "You can see them again when we come back alright?" Thing was they were never coming back. Soon as they hit Vale, Qrow was going to put Summer in school somehow and if he was lucky get himself in one of the famed Hunters academies.

"Okay." Summer had little to say back. Instead she frowned looking down defeated, but unwilling to give up promise of adventures. Qrow almost got up to stand, but behind the fine carved wooden door of the Schnee's bathroom came a mild mannered knock.

"I'm coming in Master Rose." Called out the sweet voice of Nimh, the sweet Fox-Faunus whom seemed a servant of the family. It was originally she who offered to patch Qrow up, but Summer insisted it be her instead, protective as she got. Qrow didn't mind, he much preferred being so unsightly in front of his sister who could not care less than a woman only five or so years older than him. It was on this note Qrow turned a little red, looking around for loose towels, anything to cover him more than the small bit of white cloth he laid on his lap already.

"One minute." He called out trying to buy some time, but it didn't matter much to the young woman apparently. Uncaringly she barged in not even taking note of Qrow's nudity or embarrassment. Instead she simply carried in an extra towel and all of the young hunter's now patched up clothes. Red touched on Qrow's cheeks, and seeing that embarrassment Nimh laughed.

"Oh sorry Master Rose, do not mind me. My mother helped raise Wilhelm, and I did the same for the littlest one." She kept that laughing attitude, putting down the assorted goods, sauntering back the fluff of her tail swinging back and forth like a metronome. She paused at the door, looking back for a moment with a light smile. "I am not interested or bothered by the sight of young boys just so you know. I just wanted to bring you your things. The escort will be leaving shortly." With that she walked out shutting the door behind her. Qrow breathed easy now, not exactly looking forward to the long drive on a beaten body.

"Time to go Summer." Qrow mumbled standing up on his own two feet for the first time in a few hours. The mix of alcohol soaked bandages and the burn of healing dust made his limbs wobble as he stood, the burning sensation unfathomable yet somewhat refreshing over the dull ache of everything else. Slowly he put on his leather armor pieces and red fabrics embroidered with the symbol of a rose, a gift from mother. It was tough and old, but Nimh had fixed it up it seemed, the finish on the hard layered leather a finer black and the red made brighter somehow, a richer shade. "Get your things Summer, it's time to go."

The whole of the mansion seemed even messier, the crowed machines and devices that littered the summer home were packed up in boxes too small, people coming and going to pack away the fortune of valuables within this place. Summer ran off then, seeing Friedrich messing with a little container of dust. The idea of small children playing with the stuff unnerved Qrow despite their experience with it, but before he could stop them Wilhelm appeared on the scene, kneeling down to join them. The older boy humoring them, but watching them all the same. It was enough to ease Qrow's mind. That ease caused him to drop his guard, lose his heightened senses. In that opening an old man took the moment to sneak up on him.

"So Mr. Rose, have you thought on my inquiry? I don't want to ask her without your leave to do so. An apprenticeship should be blessed by everyone." Qrow didn't need to turn to see that old man to know exactly what he was doing, standing there running his fingers through his beard and his other hand in his pocket.

"I have to think on it. I have no future here." Qrow offered up honest, though turning to give a soft thankful smile. The offer was something to be thankful for, a boon in any other case. He would be remiss not to appreciate it, but cruel to accept it. Summer would need family after all that happened.

"I think we can find you some work, though not in my shop, brutes like yourself and my brother have no business fiddling with machines. Takes a certain aura." The old engineer said back with a nod, lips impossible to read under the thick silver beard he so comfortably wore, but he gave an affable impression with an understanding nod.

"One I don't have?" Qrow asked, not really needing an answer. He wasn't opposed to learning about the tools of his trade, but where Summer had a mind for the object, his was for the technique, the skill. He needed a scythe, but really any scythe could be used to great effect. He could trust Summer to deal with the actual mechanics of making the tools.

"The little one made your scythe correct? That's some good metal work. Boy if you can make that I'll take you under my wing." The older Schnee offered with a laugh making a bit of a joke out of Qrow's own ineptitude. It really didn't bother him however; in fact it was a little pleasant to speak more casually to one of the Schnees. "If not, talk to my trickster of a nephew. He always needs more pawns in his child's games, just like his father that one." Of all the Schnees to be difficult it was Wilhelm wasn't it. He was as mild-mannered as one could ask, but there was simply something unnerving about someone too pleasant to be around that oddly made him anything but pleasant to Qrow. Perhaps paranoia.

"I don't like the idea of being a pawn." Qrow muttered comfortable enough with Wernher to speak openly. Chess was a nobleman's game with the players and pieces strung about the world for them to gobble up. He simply had no business with it

"So long as we need food in our bellies, everyone is a pawn to something. In a way I'm my brother's pawn, but I do good work and am happier for it." Servitude was easy to grow accustomed to, apparently. Though it did little to comfort Qrow to hear how little Wernher valued his autonomy. "Just think on it son." He whispered as the children left Wilhelm, Friedrich leading the charge for once. Perhaps the little Summer was starting to affect him.

"Uncle, can you show us how to build a robot when we go home?" Friedrich pleaded as he came to his uncle's feet. The younger boy seeming taller when he spoke with a more demanding voice. Something told Qrow he was going to grow up to be a very intimidating man if he kept coming out of his withdrawn shell.

"I'll build it if you show me!" Summer offered tackling her little Schnee friend onto the floor. Friedrich shoved her off, trying to save face. Summer giggled at this pushing Friedrich back and sticking out her tongue a little, the child she was. Friedrich went red with anger, but did nothing as Wernher started laughing at the whole scene.

"Leave him be you two." Wilhelm asked coming from behind to scoop them both up. He was surprisingly strong, Qrow noticed, to lift both of the children up like they were still four or five. Perhaps not the frail politician the older brother thought he was. Friedrich struggled, but Summer seemed to enjoy it, giggling as she was lifted up by the ever tall Wilhelm. "Uncle you are not packed? I hate to sound alarmist, but if we want to beat sundown than we've ran out of time to enjoy ourselves." Wilhelm asked looking perturbed at the state of almost finished everything was yet nothing was ready to go. "Oh and good to see you up and well Mr. Rose." The young businessman finished turning to Qrow with a proper nod, the weight of two rather large children in his arms starting to show as his arms began to droop with his shoulders.

"Oh I won't be going just yet. That new design idea Summer came up with, the automatic pin. It's a good idea, but needs more tinkering. I will head for Castle White as soon as I can keep our newest weapon from exploding every third time we fire it." The old inventor replied without a hint of reservation. Though it did illicit a sort of groan from Wilhelm, whom seem to have predicted this sort of stunt.

"And you need to be here to do that? Uncle you never finish anything." The older Schnee brother voiced, letting out some of the perhaps false manners he normally spoke with so constantly. Letting both of the children down Wilhelm adjusted himself fixing his white coat and stepping forward toward the old man.

"If I didn't finish anything you would freeze in that Castle every winter boy." Wernher laughed not taking the boy seriously. Qrow felt a tinge of remorse for Wilhelm; it was hard to ever exert authority on people who changed you as a baby. Never quite take you seriously. "Let an old man tinker, my brother will understand." Wernher finished, sitting himself down before the same wooden desk as before, this time his tools and work in half-finished parts tossed everywhere around him. It seemed his natural place, hunched over some contraption. There was a special look to people doing what they were meant to. Qrow would never call it joy. It was a look of true focus, as if the entirety of the world lies in what was right in front of you. Most people never find a moment of that, Qrow was lucky to feel it in the grimm hunt at such a young age.

"It's not safe. Rumor has it Fort Castle is about to fall." Wilhelm announced as if to nothing, taking a deep breath of icy air as he stepped outside to the trucks on the road all packed with the most recent inventions from the good inventor. Friedrich bowed to his Uncle in proper respect and followed the older brother out into the mountain snow, always a pair it seemed those two.

"Faunus here won't hurt me. Don't worry about me." Their Uncle called out to a nearly empty room, save for the two Rose's. He seemed almost completely unaware of that fact, focused so completely on the work ahead of him, his big bald head pointed towards Qrow, the young hunter couldn't help, but feel awkward in the moment.

"But what if we leave before you get back?" Summer asked, the little thing looking all around as she nervously approached the inventor, a behemoth from her perspective.

"I'll just have to teach you everything when I see you next. I don't think you'll be leaving as soon as your brother thinks." Wernher replied without turning away from his work, irritating Qrow further. He didn't appreciate people predicting what he would and wouldn't do like he had no part in the decision to begin with. It was arrogant.

"Bye bye…uncle." Summer said sadly grasping at the big man's shirt, tugging at the white fabric. It was enough to stir the big bald busy Schnee, his workmen's hands turning around to pat Summer's head, ruffling the crimson and black mix of her short hair. This made Summer smile, though she pretended to hate it, trying her best to make a pout.

"Get on out, and I'll see you after I do my work. Oh and tell my brother I've had it with all the marriage proposals. He can go f…" Wernher cut himself off looking back at the rest of them, remembering the present child. "do something obscene to himself before I ever marry some old spinster." He finished more for Qrow than anyone else. Though the older Rose doubted he would have much to say to Lord Schnee that had anything to do with the obscene.

"Come on Summer it's time" Qrow whispered not wanting to watch this much longer. Summer had this problem, getting attached to people too quickly. Looking for new surrogates for mother and father. He couldn't blame her. Everyone wanted parents. That in mind Qrow walked out, back into the sunlight, the cold air was unpleasant after the previous mountain expedition and the sun far too harsh after sleeping for near a day. Out here, the villagers look on as the trucks were loaded, the largest of them was the same illustrious carriage with no horse that they had ridden in on.

Qrow could make out Summer saying goodbye. Swiftly the little girl ran up to Qrow, sullen and reserved she slipped her tiny hand into Qrow's. He wanted to tell her sorry, sorry to take away her new teacher, but he couldn't. He wasn't really sorry.

Instead they stepped into the carriage, the familiar wooden prison that brought them here. Well enough he suppose, much more pleasant than walking. He picked Summer up first, letting her get into the seat near Friedrich just like before. Kicking his snow stained boots, Qrow climbed in across from Wilhelm. Perhaps he tried to speak to Qrow, perhaps he even got a response, but either way it was like nothing mattered. Injuries aching and exhaustion filling him. Qrow felt Summer's hand in his and drifted into sleep at the start of the engine.


"Qrow! Qrow, get up brother!" A small voice rippled through the darkness of Qrow's sleep sending him closer and closer to the realm of the living. He fought desperately against it, but as that voice called and small hands rocked him the fighting grew harder. Soon enough it was too late and the aching body began to feel again. That is what truly woke him up.

"Summer, I'm awake!" Qrow shouted back, waving his arms against the light. He only opened his eyes once summer let him be and waking was inevitable. It wasn't as bright as he feared, the sun had drooped down, dusk overtaking the forecast. The hunter couldn't make out much to start with. The whole of the world seemed a blur as Qrow's eyes desperately tried to refocus on anything. When it did it was on the smiling face of Wilhelm staring right at him.

"Welcome to the world of the living Mr. Rose." He spoke with his usual sweetness, opening the carriage door to the open air outside of Castle White. The Schnee's leaped down to the earth below and Qrow knew he would have to follow.

Outside the look of Castle White at dusk was incredible. The mixing of red along the sky changed the moonstone somehow, the glow was faint, but consistent, a weak, but glowing beacon at the hilltop now with red light peering over the walls, just a little treat to the eyes. Something was beautiful, almost enough for Qrow to forget about all the aching and just be lost in the seemingly endless buttresses of moonstone and towers of marble. Almost.

What met them at the foyer was however less than pleasant, the large hall was not as packed as before, but waiting like beggars where the many merchants and businessmen and women that crowed Wilhelm during court. The blue faction, the money lenders and noble thieves. Wilhelm's faction.

"Sir Wilhelm, you must stop your sister! Fort Castle trade has reopened and she sends troops to harass the border. She is a war monger!" The loudest of the mess shouted, some woman dressed in overly fine furs and dress. Qrow stood back behind Wilhelm, blocking the children from being trampled by this mess of hungry wolves.

"Hold on, Fort Castle is reopened? Any word on my fiancée? Has the Black Cat been hung?" Wilhelm asked, of whom and what Qrow did not fully understand, though the Black Cat, well that was a name he knew. A Faunus rebel said to turn into a Cat and sneak into the homes of the rich, slit their necks and steal their dust. Fairy tales.

"No Sir. We do not know why or how the tradesmen are coming back; they purchase dust and supplies in high volume and at great price however. Your sister sees your future wife's merchants sent away coldly." Wilhelm did not interrupt, instead just nodded steadily at this, thinking for a moment on it, but always steady with a small frown of shared discontent with the rest.

"Yes we have no idea, and I have sent our forces to insure none of that dust ends up flying back at us. We have heard nothing from your lady, so I thought you might be more concerned about her than a quick lien, little brother." A voice as solid as a roar came from the back of the wall of panicking merchants. It was a familiar voice, one that seemed to always frighten Wilhelm's faction at court. To be fair she was enough to frighten Qrow himself. The silver haired knight born with what Qrow thought was the bluest eyes and the fairest skin aside from a scar along her cheek he had ever seen.

"Weiss!" Friedrich shouted, the youngest Schnee more excited than Qrow had ever seen him. He even seemed to smile. Well for a moment at least until the silver knight crushed it, her glare sharp at her brother, enough to freeze him there in place and remind him of the sullen person he had to be.

"Speak of the devil and she will come to meet you." Wilhelm began walking up to Weiss, almost matching her in height, yet still the little brother came up short. Even so he did so with certain finesse seeming to give his own air of authority. Qrow realized this was the core of the rivalry. Older sister head of the army and younger brother leader of the company. Each fighting for true authority. "All of you leave us, I will handle her."

"Run away rats! Find some other corpse to eat." Weiss shouted back at the mob as they all departed mumbling curses and finding new reason to vilify their enemy. There was something to be said for how quickly they scattered, perhaps rats was not, while sure cruel, unapt a description.

"Weiss." Wilhelm started.

"Wilhelm." Weiss continued.

"What of these two?" Weiss asked looking sharply with raised eye at Qrow, making full note of the Roses presence here as soon as the rest of the company went out of earshot. The great moonstone hall was left completely empty aside from this little group of five, though Qrow couldn't help but wonder if he should make a timely depart as well.

"Mr. Rose can be trusted." Well Qrow supposed that should be taken as a compliment.

"Well then…." Weiss started, taking a deep breath and composing herself, the red of dusk coming in from the open ceiling, her expression finally turning soft. "Friedrich come here sweetheart." She said softly, making Friedrich feel a resurgence in confidence, this time walking up to Weiss and giving her a gentle hug. An odd sight for sure. Weiss was beautiful, but Qrow doubted anyone would ever dare hug her. "I've missed you. Sorry for shouting." She whispered to him reaching down and returning the favor.

"Don't you two hate each other." Qrow asked admitting to his own ignorance. This family seemed to operate with some strange dynamics, here the brothers and sisters meant to kill each other for power seemed to get along rather well.

"All an act. The pawns need someone to blame, so why not each other. Little do they know both are being used by their enemies." Weiss answered with a smile, standing herself up straight and padding out the long leggings of her white and red uniform, removing from them every scattered wrinkle.

"Why trust me with this?" Qrow shouldn't have said it, but he did not thinking of his own neck for a moment.

"You're not important enough to be believed." Wilhelm announced with a mixture of an awkward shrug and a comical laugh. "Sorry." He added once it was clear Qrow didn't find it particularly funny. It wasn't worth the fight, so Qrow just shook his head and sighed. 'Let him have it.'

"What really is going on?" Wilhelm asked as well, this time changing the subject to the core of the issue, or at least the one the Schnee merchants seemed so inclined to push on. Weiss sighed again, this time collecting herself into the persona she normally was. Standing straight eyes locked and expression tight.

"New merchants are showing up all along the border buying dust and food in bulk then without a moment's notice going back again. Nothing to sell besides Fort Castle gold and useless goods. I sent a detachment of my personal knights to find out why and to hold the merchants at the border." She gave her report with steady voice, like a good soldier would. Qrow wondered if she had fought many wars, maybe knew mother.

"And?" Wilhelm asked softly. Voice firm, but inoffensive.

"Nothing yet. I don't like this brother." Weiss replied with a sense of authority, almost a warning. She was still the oldest sibling and next in line.

"I'll send my agents to find out what no one dare say to a woman in uniform tomorrow. For now let us rest. Qrow could you follow me for a moment?" Wilhelm had enough of it, politely as he could wave off her concerns and pulling the elder Rose over to an off hall.

"Alright little brother. Good day Mr. Rose." Qrow tried to say goodbye back, but behind him was only dim light, he could still hear them from the main hall. Weiss was speaking kindly with actual affection, Qrow had noticed she seemed gentle with children, at least Summer was safe with her. "Friedrich, who is your new friend?"

"I'm Summer….Hi." The sounds drifted from there and along the halls of moonstone Wilhelm brought them to a large office, likely the accounting room. It was lined with all sorts of accounts, each set looking older and more decrepit. The records seemed to never end, the endless life of a moonstone fortress. There was no gold or wealth to be seen, outside of a small vault, clearly not meant to hold all the wealth of Fort Castle. In front of it along the desk was a massive book labeled for this year. The current record.

"She isn't as terrifying as I remember." Qrow started looking around, his hand reaching out to the stone finery. Moonstone was cold to the touch, though perhaps it was the night air that was truly cold.

"She is exactly as terrifying as you remember, she just likes us." Wilhelm joked with a smile, sitting down to the records and placing the hunters own name forever in the annals. Qrow's work and his pay, not so meager for two kills. "Have you given any more thought to our offer." The Schnee asked another in favor of him staying.

"No, thank you and your family for the offer, but I must find work in Vale, there is none here in the north. Summer needs her brother" That was fact, there was no work here. No honest humble work. He wanted never to be responsible for more death in this world of beings with a soul. He was already too involved.

"I have plenty of work for you." As Wilhelm enunciated the words anger began to build in Qrow. The thing he wanted to avoid so desperately from saying was coming soon.

"There is no work here outside the war." Qrow grit his teeth as he spoke, Wilhelm thought him a bigger fool than he was, and perhaps Qrow was a fool to ever think this might be innocent at any level.

"There is plenty I can find for you Mr. Rose. You are sharp, not learned perhaps, but sharp. A quality hunter as well. Plenty of work unrelated to the war." Wilhelm lied, and Qrow knew it. The last kill was about the war too. It all was.

"Like the last job? Those nevermore's have been there for near thirty years and now you pay me to deal with it after so long? The villagers told me plenty, but the fight told me all I needed to know. Those birds were missing feathers...someone was gathering them for arrows. That's why you had me kill them!" Qrow lost it, but to his credit, Wilhelm didn't get angry or interrupt. Instead he let the hunter shout. This was all a game and Qrow couldn't stand it. He had, whether he had known it or not, robbed the Faunus a source of arrow heads, tipped an advantage to the nobles. Not to mention he was made to look like a bodyguard into the country and let his sister finish a war machine for them. Innocence was robbed of them.

"So you gathered? Yes the rebels have been irritating the nevermores and collecting the feathers for arrow tips." Wilhelm started, sitting up and stepping closer to Qrow, he seemed cheery as always, not at all fazed by the shouting. "But the job was only half the reason. I needed someone like you on official pay. So I killed three birds with one scythe." The young Schnee raised his hand in admission, willing to accept his guilt.

"And the other bird?" Qrow asked with raised brow, despite his best efforts, he was born a curious fool it seemed.

"There is something else going alongside all of this. A Faunus arrow missed my father only a month ago. Sure they are a people prone to such tactics, but why us? We are no worse than any other lord, in fact we are better. We are neutral. My uncle is beloved by the Faunus and all sorts of commoners." Wilhelm put his hand to his chin thinking, eyes focused on the low lighting of the room.

"And?" Qrow asked unsure of what any of this had to do with him.

"There is something more going on here. Someone wants just drag us into this. Someone is pushing us to put Schnee boots on the field. Quite a few have a reason to want that. I need to find out who would dare force it. For that I need someone common and clever." Common and clever. Qrow was common, clever maybe, but that was spies work. He was no spy, and spies work was war work. This was not his war.

"I want no part in this fight..."

"Understood, but what about stopping it?"

Breaking the intensity a letter came to the door. A guardsmen held it, looked like a ghost. The hand that held the letter shook violently and so Wilhelm took it sending the guardsmen away with a flick of the wrist. For the first time in Qrow's time her he had seen Wilhelm look shocked. There he turned into the color of the snowflake his family so revered. There he shivered holding the note like it would kill him. There he stood silent something finally rendering Wilhelm of all people speechless.

"What does it say?"

"It's a radio transcript from the villa." Wilhelm rocked as he spoke hand dropping to his desk as if the wood was needed to save him from the weight of letter was pressed against his back. "The old man was murdered."

**** So this chapter was weirdly really hard to write, not sure why. Been a crazy set of weeks since last, my sister came to town and Finals are coming up soon, oh goodie! :D I'm also thinking of starting another RWBY fic (non-Vale series) along these two to start this summer, but we will see. More on that later :O. Hope everyone is doing alright, and thanks to TCR for all the edits he will do and all the steady reviews. I might have a very small readership, but you all are the best! Night everyone! :D