Golden Thorns: chapter four

Three hours later and it was dark. 'The Barn' was a large hall in which the students had each unrolled sleeping bags and were talking amongst themselves. Coran was sat up against the far wall, watching his peers gossiping in the candlelight. He had located Weiss almost as soon as he entered the room and positioned himself as far away from her as he physically could. He then proceeded to pick up the first book he saw and pretended like she wasn't there. He could hear quite clearly from where he was sitting, she was hardly being subtle, yelling at the child that he had seen on the air bus.

Marie was not far, talking to a girl with red and brown striped hair. A couple of the more burly guys were wrestling each other to the ground. Coran looked around and saw the lizard Faunus, Devlyn, talking to one especially big lad with a stupid ginger quiff. He watched as Devlyn was shoved backward, the guy trod on his tail, started laughing.

"Oh, for god's sake!" Coran muttered and stood up. He placed a hand on the bully's shoulder, "what are you doing?"

"What's it to you?" he sneered and trod on Devlyn's chest

"Stop that." Coran said

"Why""

"Either you will or I will."

"Okay," he said, continuing to sneer as he sauntered off, "fine."

Coran walked over to Devlyn, "you alright?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Sure."

He walked back over to his sleeping bag and blew out the candle.

The next morning Coran was awake long before anyone else. He got up rapidly and went out through the doors. There was a cold breeze which helped him shake off the last of his grogginess. He then went to his locker and began getting his gear together. He strapped on his bracers, picked up his glave and began making his way to the cliff. He was the first one there so he sat on the grass a little way away to wait. Slowly everyone else began to arrive in ones and twos and privacy became scarce.

Suddenly Ozpin was there and he was giving a briefing. Head north, get relic, first person you lay eyes on will be your partner for the next four years, simple. He looked around and saw the girl with the stripy hair a few people down the line, no-one else he recognised. Not that it mattered he will have got through the forest with the relic before the others even hit the ground.

Then he was in the air.