Blake wasn't fond of the cold.
Unfortunately for her, Lyreholm was nestled deep in the grasp of winter.
It didn't help that she didn't have any winter gear when she came to beacon. They weren't a necessity in the Fang, and simply slipped her mind. When her teammates found out she was dragged all around Vale, and into every store that sold anything clothing related. Dark gloves, pants, scarf and hat all came from Yang- her partner claimed the outfit need some color but didn't push too much. A fancy white coat from Weiss and sturdy boots from Ruby meant she was warmer than she had any right to be when in a foot of snow.
"Hey Blake, d'you think we have time to make a snowman?"
The faunas laughed. "Probably not. On the way back?"
"I'm gonna hold you to that."
She would be lying if she said she wasn't worried, but Ruby was keeping her grounded. The girl seemed to find light in any dark, something Blake needed. It had taken a full day to get to Lyreholm, long enough they had to sleep on the plane, but being with her girlfriend made it seem like no time at all. She did worry they were moving too quickly, especially considering how out of the blue their relationship was, but...another part of her felt like they had been together forever. Cliche, yes, but it was how she felt. Ruby seemed happy to go at whatever pace she set, and that was probably what was making her hesitate the most. They were both inexperienced, moving too fast would just be ruining a good thing. Kisses had been exchanged on the first morning, sure, but they hadn't touched lips yet. Blake was under the impression that was more of a third date thing than a third day thing. Though, they did live together...maybe it was equivalent?
Her thoughts were cut away by a young, panicked local. "Y-you're from Beacon! Please, my brother, you have to bring him back!"
"Where did he go?" Asked Ruby, slipping into the firm voice that sent shivers down Blake's spine.
"North, i-into the forest. He went after that...thing."
Ruby nodded. "We'll find him. Go to the hospital, make sure they are ready- he may need immediate attention."
The girl ran off, and Blake made note of the direction she took so they'd actually know where to go. Not hesitating for a second, Ruby had already started moving north, keeping at a pace Blake could match. They'd have to be fast, find the boy before the grimm did. A civilian had about as much chance against a Lauftef as...well, nothing, as there was no chance. Hiding would work, but that would require a person who wasn't actively seeking a fight.
Chances are, they were looking to recover a corpse.
She sprinted for a moment to catch up with her leader, but slowed considerably once she had. They couldn't move too quickly, they needed their energy for the hunt and sweat would freeze, dropping their temperatures. Naturally challenging survival made cold regions some of the most dangerous places for any hunter. Desert missions weren't even offered to students, due to how easy it was to die from the heat and lack of resources.
If the grimm didn't kill them, the cold just might.
It didn't take long to get past the village boundaries, even at a moderate speed they moved quickly. A small group of people had gathered on the outskirts, surrounding a man who looked like he may be some form of sheriff. They didn't stop to ask, their timing had become more urgent than ever.
Tall, thick trees formed a wall that cut off their vision. The forest would be difficult to navigate, but could theoretically play to their advantage- they were both agile, and hopefully the grimm wasn't. As the moved deeper in, the snow thinned. The dense canopy stopped much of the snow fall, and kept the floor from being fully covered.
"Blake, footprints."
About twenty feet to their left was a trail of marks left by boots. The turned to follow, glad that they were at least on the right track. Silver drowned their vision, the light tree bark and frosted underbrush made it seem like they were running through a land painted in grey scale.
"Ruby, look." Blake said, gesturing towards some of the trees they passed. Long, thin claw marks stretched across them, meaning the Lauftef had come closer to the village than they thought.
Another fifteen feet and the screaming started.
The only way to describe it was bloodcurdling. Wherever he was, he was being torn apart. They sped up, the forest blurring around them as they sprinted towards the voice.
Blake stumbled.
Not enough to take her off her feet, but enough to stop her. Ruby turned back, eyes filled with concern. The faunas never stumbled. Blake started moving again, but felt sick to her stomach. Everything suddenly felt wrong, and it was making her skin crawl. The forest was silent, the screaming had been completely cut off. No birds, no wind, just their footsteps. A musky smell was filling the air, like a dog bathed in water from a dumpster. Their noses crinkled, but they didn't slow. Couldn't.
They entered a clearing. Light fell gently upon pristine, undisturbed snow. It looked almost idyllic, except for one disturbance. A corpse. Or, part of one. A torso laid flat in the snow, limbs and head nowhere to be seen. The blood was already long dry, and there were no footprints but their own. No sign of a struggle, or that anything had even been there. The smell grew thick, and Blake's body tensed.
"It's here."
No sooner than the words left her mouth, teeth clamped onto her shoulder. She was wrenched backwards, thrown into the nearest tree. Ruby shouted something, but Blake's ears were ringing too loudly to understand it. Pushing up to her feet, she pulled Gambol Shroud from her waist. The barrel of Crescent Rose was already staring down a massive grimm, easily over ten feet tall. Thick chest on gangly limbs, head like a goat and a mouth filled with sharp teeth. It had little bone plating, only on its head and spine, but weak blades would struggle with its thick fur all the same.
The Lauftef stood tall, then began to shake and twitch. Its body started to contort in bizarre ways, bones cracking unsettlingly. Leaning backwards, it let out a scream- the same one that had drawn them there.
The great scythe roared, and a shot to the sternum forced the monster back a few steps. The grimm looked like it was dry heaving, but an awful laughter fell from its mouth. Somewhere between a man and a goat, the awful mockery made Blake's teeth clench. A second shot rang out from Crescent Rose, but the grimm bent back in time to dodge it. Before rising, it ran a hand through the snow.
"Duck!"
Blake wouldn't have noticed it in time if not for her faunas senses. The Lauftef had grabbed a rock, and threw it hard enough to embed itself in a tree trunk. Ruby was quick on her feet, with Blake's warning she had more than enough time to re-position. With a snarl it turned to the faunas with red, unblinking eyes. She starting firing at its face, forcing the grimm to bring up a guarding hand. Ruby's acted fast, slashing into its knee with the blade of her scythe. It howled, then quickly turned to return the strike. Ruby was sent rolling through the snow, her aura taking the brunt of the strike.
"Ruby!" Blake felt the yell escape her throat before she could stop it. She knew her girlfriend was fine, but panic still ran through her.
The Lauftef began to shake once again, lifting its head into the air. "RuUuuBy!" It parroted, in a voice so far from human it her hair stand on end. "RuUuuUuubY!"
Fists clenched so hard her knuckles went white, Blake began firing. She paced herself, aiming for the grimms eyes and ears. It once again raised a hand, then dropped low. With a growl, it charged. Blake leaped back to the tree behind her, using it to push off to the one by its side. The Lauftef's hand blinded it to her movement, and it collided the tree she was once in front of. Ruby was already back on her feet, and Blake quickly ran to her.
"Blake, catapult!"
The faunas nodded, and Ruby held her scythe behind her. The blade flat, Blake crouched upon it. In a feat of strength only attainable through swinging many pounds of giant weapon like a toy for years, Ruby tossed the faunas into the air.
The Lauftef had already charged, snarling loudly. Ruby spun her rifle around, placing two quick shots into the grimms knee. It faltered, halfway collapsing as the limb gave out from under it. Blake came down on top of it, driving the blade of Gambol Shroud straight into its left eye. Howling, it swung its arm and threw her off. It began scratching it its own face, dragging sharp claws across the eye socket as it tried to remove the weapon.
With a scream, it dug its nails in deep and pulled the blade free. Black ooze was seeping from the wound, and the snow under it had been stained. The grimm looked back at them once, a single eye burning with hatred. It bared its teeth, then turned and fled. Heavy foot falls echoed through the wood as it crashed through the brush, birds scattering in the distance.
Blake's legs were shaking lightly, and her heart racing. Even with aura, hits strained the body- and that grimm hit hard. She heard Ruby walk towards her, and felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine, just need a second. You?"
"Same."
They fell into silence, finding comfort in each others presence. The Lauftef was long gone, but it left behind plenty of prints. Being able to face it on their terms would make a world of difference, especially after giving it such a serious injury.
The faunas looked over her girlfriend, noticing that the cold and exertion had flushed the girls cheeks. Amber eyes traced down Ruby's lips, chin, her neck...and Blake couldn't help the thought stuck in her head.
"I can't believe I let you name it catapult."