Ooooh boy this is so long, it's essentially two chapters. I really wanted to cut it, but there were no satisfying stopping points.

9. Vale

Ruby was in awe.

Never in her life had she seen something as colossal or majestic tall as the walls surrounding the city of Vale. Blocks of stone towered towards the heavens, far taller than anything she had come across, casting shadow over all the surrounding lands. Small crevices were evenly distributed throughout the surface, serving as a safe place from where archers could snipe out any approaching invaders. At the edges, massive watchtowers peered over, gigantic cylinders with wooden roofs to allow spotting threats from afar. A moat had been dug around the fortification, to further difficult belligerent actions, but it had long since dried. It truly was built with sturdiness and defensibility in mind, a marvel of construction unlike any other.

She walked through the bridge towards the only entrance to the city: a large gate surrounded by armed guards. The iron bars restricting access had been lifted, allowing people free access in and out of the metropolis. The huntress hoped getting inside would not be problematic; it was just the first of many obstacles ahead of her mission.

She pressed on, casually strolling by as if nothing but common routine, with nothing strange about it. She almost made it through the door before a soldier called out for her.

"Hey, you! Come here!"

Ruby had no option but to comply, so she moved his direction. The man had full chain link armor and a helmet on, leaving no discernible features to the naked eye.

"First time here? No weapons allowed inside the city."

She defensively placed a hand on top or her bow, as if she was trying to hide it from the man.

"What if I get attacked?"

"That's what the City Guard is for. C'mon, your bow will be safe, and we'll return it to you when you leave."

If I leave in good terms..

She unstrapped the bow and quiver from her back and handed it over despite the sour taste it left in her mouth. She hesitated before taking out the hunting knife, hoping the soldier hadn't noticed, but he stretched his arm out, demanding that weapon too.

The archer was allowed then to cross the gate and enter into the city proper. She had been amazed before by the outside, but the inside shook her to the core.

There were dozens of people walking the paved street alongside her, minding their own business as they went on to their daily lives. She, however, was taking the sights in with wide eyes and her mouth agape from admiration. So many people, countless more than she had ever seen in one place. The houses, Torchwick hadn't lied, they were large and pilling on top of each other, barely any breathing room between them. It was simply breathtaking to find somewhere so full of life and novelty.

The street led to a small square, at least small by city standards, spreading into more diminutive roads to the sides, with a water fountain at the center, decorated by an intricate sculpture of a triumphant soldier raising a banner. That didn't impress her as much, she had seen much more interesting statues before, but the shops did. Around the square were storefronts, large windows on the surrounding building that were open to permit commerce with passersby. There was food, drink, an herbalist and even a blacksmith, such wondrous trades and so easily accessible. One of the houses had its doors shut, and huge letters spelling INN.

Ruby kept going, wondering where the exciting ride would take her next. After passing the conglomerate of buildings, she spotted a set of stairs down. From atop them she was able to see amazing yet terrifying things. The city went on for miles, descending what appeared to be a cliff side and giving her a perfect view, due to her being on higher ground. She had been starstruck by that one street, but there were so many more, riddled with houses. There was a small river crossing over the metropolis, slicing it in half.

And on the other half, there was poverty. The buildings were visibly weaker and dirtier, some even starting to crumble down. The people, despite being little more than ants in the distance, weren't well dressed and washed. They weren't the farce of happiness at the entrance, but the secret shame the metropolis tried to hide away from sight.

The huntress didn't pity them. They were safe within sturdy stone walls, far away from the dangers of monsters and bandits that roamed the countryside. They would never know the fear of the unknown which lurked in the shadows. She didn't pity them, but she felt their pain. Being cast aside as nothing but garbage, despised for no reason other than close-minded intolerance. She knew those things all too well. Mankind was the same wherever one went, too quick to judge and hate, but never to forgive.

Forcing herself to look away, Ruby left the staircase behind and returned to the street which led into the uppermost part of the city. That would be where the elite lived, and where her mission would take place. The further she went the more guards she saw, the added security surely meant to keep the populace away from the wealthy and powerful. She strolled by without causing any trouble, and no one paid her any mind, allowing the girl to undisturbedly climb a new, large staircase into the rich district, separating it from the rest. After all she did somewhat look like a ranger, from the light and practical outfit to the bow and quiver on her back. Yet no amount of camouflage would help her get inside the target area.

That part of town was much quieter, with noticeably less people around, although they wore quite different clothing from everyone else. Frilly dresses and thick warm capes, there was luxury and vanity in display for all to see.

The buildings were... something else entirely. Roman had spoken the truth when he said they could take up to a whole village, they were colossal mansions that could easily house hundreds of people. The fronts ranged from simple too deeply decorated with pillars and carvings of figures, but were always huge, with more windows than she could count. Despite there being only a handful of them, they were so absurdly large and ostentatious that the archer had to pinch herself to ensure it was all real.

Her wide unbelieving looks were starting to draw attention, clueing in the aristocrats that she didn't belong. A couple of looks of disdain brought her to that realization, so she hurried on to the task at hand.

There was a large metallic gate that stood apart from everything else in the area. It was imbued within a tall stone wall that was not quite like the city fortification walls. The rooftop of a villa could be seen from beyond the barrier, and it would seem to be even bigger than all the others. The biggest clue was, nevertheless, the squad of troops stationed guarding the entrance. The girl knew it had to be the Royal Palace, and if the General was to be found anywhere, that was the place.

She breathed in to soothe the nerves, and reminded herself of the rehearsed strategy, hoping it wouldn't fail. Then she walked up to the soldiers to request entry.

"The Palace is off-limits, girl. Turn away or else." One of the soldiers growled at her, reaching for his sheathed sword in order to emphasize the threat.

Ruby took an item from her pouch, and raised it high so the guards could see.

"I have business with the General." The men looked at the small golden shield in confusion.

"Captain? Who did you steal that from, girl?"

"It's my father's. I want to speak with the General."

The men began laughing loudly at her bogus attempt at infiltration. She felt a hard blow to her pride, being dismissed so easily as nothing but an object of ridicule, but refused to submit to anger. If that plan had failed, she only needed to find a place to hole up until night fell and climb over the wall. The setback wasn't going to impede her progress.

"Guys? What... What if she's the real deal?" A lone soldier spoke, catching all of them off-guard, even the huntress. He had a young voice, much younger than the rest of the guards.

"What do you mean, rookie?"

"I mean, wouldn't the general be mad at us if she was supposed to go in and we didn't let her?"

"So what, you want to let some random girl into the palace? Are you crazy?"

"I..."

"You know what? Fine, let her through. But if something happens, it's your neck on the line." The boy gulped but nodded his head.

Ruby was observing the conversation with an astonished look. Apparently, the problem was conveniently solving itself with the help of a random stranger.

They unlocked the gate, and the boy motioned for her to follow behind as he crossed inside. Before she did, the apparent leader of the squad leaned in and offered a final threat.

"Better behave now, girl. Wouldn't want to screw over the rookie, now would you?" She doubted she would be given a choice.

There was a garden between her and the palace, prim and proper, with bushes and blossoming flowers of many kinds, some of them she couldn't even recognize. The amount of perfection sent shivers down her spine, how carefully designed it was, with idealized symmetry and harmony. She was used to the rough and orderless enchant of nature. This was too inorganic, creating a strange atmosphere that hinted at cold calculation hiding behind a mask of beauty.

Past the garden was the main entrance to the castle, and she didn't want to just walk in through the front door, but the escorting soldier seemed to be intent on doing just that. She was intruding, after all, but he didn't know that, so there was no reason he would seek out a side entrance away from prying eyes. He walked with her until the main door, and then stopped and looked at her. The helmet covered most of his face, but she could see deep blue eyes staring back.

"I should get back to my post. The General is upstairs on the fifth door on the right. Good luck." He turned to leave, but she stopped him.

"Wait! Why did you help me?"

The boy shrugged like it was no big deal.

"I know what it's like to be bullied by those guys. For once it felt good standing up for myself, or for someone else I guess." He shot her an earnest smile and took off.

Ruby slumped her shoulders while he walked away, feeling the tension leave her body. She wasn't sure how, but everything had managed to work out in the end. And now she was free to continue her mission, and certainly not through the main entrance.

The coast appeared to be clear, no one in sight, so she carefully made her way to the left side of the building. And alas, she found a small door leading to the staff's quarters, to facilitate entries and exits.

Pushing it open silently, she snuck inside and tiptoed through the kitchens, which didn't appear to be in use at that hour. There was so much food stored inside, assaulting her with a multitude of delicious smells that made her mouth water, and painfully reminded her just how long ago her last meal had been. The mission was her utmost priority, but the stinging sensation in her stomach wouldn't leave as long as the memory of the kitchens remained, so she was forced to make a stop. She ensured no one was around, before approaching the tentative delights on display. Careful enough to take just tiny amounts that wouldn't be noticed missing; she sampled a bit of everything available. Exquisite smoked sausage and other spiced meats, petite sweet breads, fruits of exotic kinds she hadn't seen before, she had just a small bite of each but her head was spinning with novelty and overwhelming delight.

It was only when the sound of voices grew closer than she broke apart from her trance, and remembered where she was. Hugging the wall by the inner door, she took refuge just in time, as two men walked in carrying a large pan of some kind that filled the room with an enticing but unknown scent. There was no time to wonder about it though, she had already wasted too long, so she slid by the open door and went on her way with a satisfied smile.

She crossed the halls, trying to avoid any passing people, although the staff didn't appear to pay her any mind at all. There were no guards around that area, since it was where the workers lived, which also worked quite in her favor. Yet she wouldn't find the General there, hence she took a flight of stairs up to search a new zone.

The upper part of the palace was quiet but elegant, carpeted floors and decorations on the walls, implying it was the nobility's realm. No soul seemed to haunt that floor, allowing her to casually walk up to the fifth door and eavesdrop inside. There was absolutely no sound coming from inside the room, so the huntress took the lock picks and worked the skills that Velvet had taught her.

Entrance unlocked, she snuck in and shut it behind her. The office was austere, for nobility standards of course, it was far more opulent than Ruby's house. There was only a large oak desk, its top packed to the brim with papers and maps with battle strategies scribbled on them, and a comfortable chair behind it.

It became immediately clear that there weren't many places where a sword could be hidden in, so she busied herself with misplacing the clutter in vain hope of finding it underneath. When that proved fruitless, she tried searching the drawers on the desk, who, of course, were locked.

She kneeled down and inserted the lockpick inside the keyhole, rotating it slightly to seek out the sweetspot. There was a click, but the drawer didn't open. Instead, the door did. From it came in a tall woman with braided blonde hair.

"And what are you doing here?"

Ruby just stood there helplessly. There was no way out this time, she had been caught.

The woman guided her through countless flights of stairs, descending further and further down and away from sunlight, into the belly of the castle. The dungeon was located deep within the earth, distanced from the royalty's living quarters for reasons that soon became evident to the huntress.

The stench was unbearable, even quite before arriving at the prison area, and becoming increasingly so as they veered closer to the destination. The condensed smell of sweat, urine and other fetid substances, constantly aging due to the lack of ventilation. Ruby could swear there was a dead body rotting somewhere among the prisoners, such was the intensity that not even a barn full of cattle could dream to create such pestilent atmosphere. That was how the kingdom treated its criminals, as worse than animals.

She fought the urge to vomit, feelings entrails rage and sicken at the putrid smell. Her captor didn't stop walking or pulling the chain, and did not, in fact, appear to be disconcerted in the slightest. The archer was forced to swallow the bile and push on to keep up.

The dungeon was quiet but dark, barely any sources of light inside and neither of them natural. She blinked, trying to adjust to the darkness, but was barely able to see regardless. However, it did not stop the blonde woman from guiding her step to a barred door, unlocking it and gesturing her to step inside. As she did, the door slammed shut behind her, and clicked to indicate there was no escaping possible.

The cell wasn't as bad as she expected, a rather spacious compartment made of stone in its entirety, and moderately clean considering the conditions. It was twice, maybe three times as large as her own room back home, which made sense as she was sharing it with another prisoner. There were two cots on the floor, although calling them that would be generous, since they were nothing more than worn blankets, and a bucket that the girl tried to avoid thinking about. From the farthest wall came the glimmer of a single candle, the only light inside, shinning over the blonde locks and weary violet irises of her cellmate.

"Yang?"

The once proud woman sat on the floor with a defeated look. She was dirty and unkempt, her skin pale as milk, her golden hair a greasy mass of filth that fell irregularly over her face. When called, she merely raised her head, revealing bags under her eyes and a grimace on her lips, no spark of energy left inside.

"Ruby? Am I dreaming?" There was no thunder in her voice, only a feeble cry from someone who probably hadn't spoken for days.

The huntress rushed to her side and extended a hand to her face, cupping her cheek tenderly.

"I'm really here, Yang. What happened to you? Why are you in prison?" At that question, the older sister turned away to avoid her gaze.

"I- I found out the truth about dad."

"You did? That's amazing! How?"

"...I attacked the General and asked him to tell me while putting a sword to his throat."

The youngster recoiled at the confession. She didn't know her sibling would do such a thing, even if she had seen the signs and knew why it had happened it was still quite extreme. But considering the physical and emotional state the other girl appeared to be in, it wasn't the most opportune moment to be indulging in her own ideas of morality.

"Well, I was caught stealing from him, so I guess we really are family." She forced a mischievous smirk on her expression, hiding the fear and uncertainty plaguing her.

"You did WHAT?" That injected some life back into Yang, the motherly instinct was too strong in her, bred by years of being the oldest person in the household.

"I needed it to get the cure for Penny. That was the deal the Schnee gave me."

"Oh, you found her? Well, at least something good came of all this, I guess."

Silence fell between them, as they both understood the loss implied within those words. Blake was gone, and no matter the prize they reaped, it would never be enough to replace her. All they could do was hope that in the end they could do justice to the girl they had cared for.

"Yang? Before... it happened, Blake asked me to tell you that she was sorry things hadn't gone differently for you two, but she forgave you."

The blonde turned to face Ruby, and tears were pooling under eyes. There was sorrow in those tears, but also gratitude. Ruby embraced her and together they quietly wept, for their friend whom they'd never see again, for the pain and misery they had endured on both their journeys, for the sisterly bond that they had lost for so long but was now found at long last. They found comfort in each other, much like they used to do in thunderstorms, which was undoubtedly fitting since they had just lived through the harshest couple of months in their lives thus far.

Time flew by as the grief washed away, but they didn't move apart from each other, from the shared warmth that resembled home. At least not until Ruby decided to speak again.

"So..." She cleared her throat so that words could come out more smoothly. "What did you find about dad?"

Yang ended the hug, as they sat side by side, and began explaining, already looking better than before.

"Captain Xiao Long, member of the Stark Task Force, killed in action." She was reciting a list with a monotonic voice. "He was part of a squad that fought against monsters and magical things. Pretty badass, huh?"

"Doesn't sound like him at all." They shared a half-hearted laugh at the long gone memory of Taiyang, a kind caring man, but also playful and even downright silly.

"Yeah. His team was a secret because of the work they did. Until one day, they went missing on a mission. When a squad was sent to look for them, all they found were the bodies, or what was left of them. They had been all burnt to kingdom come; whatever they fought completely overpowered them. They were just supposed to find a witch gone rogue, a woman who hunted other magic users to drain their power for herself, I think her name was Cinder or something."

"Wait, Cinder? Oh no..."

"Does that mean anything to you?"

"The people that captured us, the ones who... killed Blake, they mentioned working for someone named Cinder."

The blonde made a concerned expression, and asked her sister for a retelling of what had happened on her journey. Ruby complied, despite the difficulty talking about some parts of the way. They traded stories and ideas, and the banter carried them off until they fell asleep.

The huntress slept leaning her head on her sibling's shoulder, who had an arm around her to keep them both warm. The cots remained unused, as the joy of being reunited, and the uncertainty of how long it would last, prompted the two to spend the night the least apart they could. After all, they didn't know what the next day would bring for them.

Ruby woke up with the sound of metal clanking, and with the other girl shifting position as she too was torn from her slumber. When her eyes resigned to start working again, she saw a figure by the open door of their cell. She immediately recognized the blonde captor from the previous day.

"Get up, ladies. Your trial will be today."

Confused and aloof, the girls obeyed, but before they could fire off the countless questions they had, the woman simply walked outside. She didn't close the door, making it obvious she expected them to go as well, so that's what they did. The woman kept walking ahead of them and they followed suit, wondering where it would lead them. Ruby unconsciously gripped her sister's hand, and they braved into the unknown together.

The stairs that descended into the dungeon led them to a brightly lit room, filled with sunrays beaming in but little else. There was a redheaded girl in Royal Guard armor standing by with two large buckets, and a chair with some towels. The commanding woman had them stand apart and towards the wall, and soon thereafter one of the buckets made its way over the archer's head, dumping a stream of cold water onto her.

"Sorry." The soldier offered an apologetic quip when the girl shivered from the temperature shock.

Yang was offered the same treatment, and afterwards the soldier excused herself and left. The older blonde woman waited while they dried themselves from what certainly had been the closest thing to a bath they would get before the trial. Criminals didn't need to look clean, as long as the smell didn't reach the crowds.

The youngster didn't look too bad, only a night in jail had dirtied her apparel but it was still nearly decent, the cape certainly helped. Her sibling was much worse. She had torn clothes riddled with filth, nothing like the bright outfits she used to prefer.

When they were ready, or as ready as they would ever be, the captor placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder and looked her in the eyes.

"Keep calm; don't say anything rash and you should be fine. You didn't do anything too bad." Her words weren't cold or imposing, but rather comforting in a way.

When she moved to Yang, however, her mask faltered and concern burst through.

"You... Good luck."

After their wrists were bound behind their backs, they were led outside and into the blinding light.

As overwhelmed irises adjusted to the environment, the huntress saw that they were in a large square with a booming audience in waiting. Soldiers flanked a wooden stage at the center, where there was a tall man dressed in soft grey military clothing, expensive but practical. He had short dark hair beginning to gray, and stood with perfect posture. At his hip was a scabbard with a sword. He gestured at them, and the girls walked towards him. They were each guided to opposite sides of the stage, and he remained at the center while he addressed the masses with a thunderous well-projected voice.

"Good people of Vale! We are here today to witness the judgement of these two girls. Private Yang Xiao Long..." He pointed to his right, and then to his left. "...and her bastard sister, Ruby Rose!"

The silver-eyed girl cringed at those words, knowing what would follow. The good people erupted into loud protesting and booing, as so many others did to the sound of the word bastard. They had no favor toward them now, not when there was a vile creature such as her on the stand. Memories of her childhood came flooding in, of the hatred and discrimination, and she tried her best to remain composed. She wouldn't give those idiots the satisfaction of knowing they had gotten to her.

"SILENCE!"

The General shouted at the top of his lungs, startling the crowd into ceasing all that unbearable ruckus.

"If you do not behave, my soldiers will have to escort you out!" The stationed soldiers all reached for their swords in unison, to illustrate the point. Not another sound was heard.

"Ruby Rose, you are accused of trespassing and theft. The punishment, if found guilty, is flogging and exile. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty." She needed that sword to save Penny; there was no way she could be banished, not when she was so close.

"Very well. Yang Xiao Long, you are accused of desertion."

Ruby thought it was strange that there was no mention of assaulting or threatening the army's commander. Maybe they were softening the charges out of pity, or maybe he just didn't want the reputation stain of being attacked by a measly recruit.

"The punishment, if found guilty, is death by hanging."

The square went absolutely quiet, as the weight of those words crushed their spirits. The huntress was having trouble breathing, unable to process the possibility of losing her sister so soon after finding her again. She sought Yang's gaze, but the brawler didn't look back.

"How do you plead?" Everyone present knew there was only one reasonable answer to that.

"Not guilty."

"Very well, we will now review your cases. Is there anyone who wishes to speak for these girls?"

A single voice was heard from within the audience, confident despite the mass of people muffling it.

"I do."

The crowd emitted a slight murmur of surprise, and parted to allow whoever had spoken to emerge. From within stepped forth a ginger girl wearing a summer dress over a cream shirt and gloves on her hands, a satchel strapped over her shoulder. She limped, but moved with determination, and her eyes were locked on the judge.

"Penny?" Ruby choked on her voice, barely making an audible sound.

"I will speak for them. And I demand a trial by sword."

Now now, before you say anything: trail by combat was common practice in Medieval Europe (especially around Germany). It's not just a Game of Thrones thing, it's actually part of the historical setting (haha historical, as if my story didn't have witches and shapeshifters).

Next chapter we'll get some insight on why Penny came to Vale, and see the trial to its end.