The bullhead flew low over the treetops, skimming the foliage. It touched down in a small clearing, unloaded the huntresses and a few crates, and took off in just under two minutes. Blake and Nora watched the treeline for movement while Reese fiddled with a series of metal panels. Coco unfolded a map on top of a crate, orienting the group. She squinted in the dawn light.

"If we go southwest from here, we'll hit the closest slaughtered village. Due west might put us in touch with actual people at this village; Crescent Hollow. Reception's spotty under normal circumstances out here, so we don't know what their condition is."

"Check in with civilians, help if needed, and get some information?" Blake asked.

"That's what I'm thinking," Coco said. "It's a long way from here, but it's worth it if there's someone around to tell us about any new developments."

"Alright, let's roll out!" Nora said.

"Not yet, we have to conceal our cache first. I don't want to find our supplies missing when we come back."

"But it's so far! I don't wanna come all the way back here."

"It sucks, but we didn't want to risk getting spotted by flying any closer."

"Actually," Reese said, walking over to the map, "We may not have to make such a long trip back to the cache." She pored over the map for a minute, then tapped a spot with her finger.

"What's this? Looks like there's some sort of old logging road leading to it."

Coco peered at the marker. "Looks like a sawmill," she said. "This river here runs close to it, and the map indicates some of the densest forest in the region upstream of the site."

"We could hide the cache there. If we get to the road down here we could follow it to the sawmill. It'd put us close enough to Crescent Hollow that we could get to it easily, but not so close that we'd get spotted if there's someone unfriendly hiding near the town. Blake could scout ahead to make sure no one's watching for people on the road. It'd add a little extra travel time now, but trips to resupply would be shorter."

"Good plan, except that if we do that we won't make it to Crescent Hollow until dusk tomorrow. Nora and I are strong, but we can't just carry that stuff like backpacks."

"Who said you'd be carrying them?"

Coco raised an eyebrow and Reese grinned. She hopped on her hover board and stomped it towards the front. Panels unfolded from the middle section, increasing the board's length and width enough for two people in the middle, tapering to its normal width at the ends. Reese tapped something on her scroll and the larger panels she had worked with rose off the ground with only a slight hum, assembled into a hovering sledge. She rode up to it, hitched it to her board, and towed it back to Coco.

"Take two with us, leave the other two here?"

"I'm trying very hard not to look impressed."

…

After camouflaging the crates they left behind, Team CNBR set off through the forest. The thickness of the trees forced them to carry a deconstructed sledge and its cargo to the logging road, but it had only been about eighty yards, and Nora had moved most of it, eager to demonstrate her strength.

The road was more of a game trail, overgrown for miles at a stretch with grass that ended a couple inches above the knee. Sun peeked through the narrow gap in the canopy above the trail and filtered down through the leaves, but the trees were so tall they cast plentiful shadows even when midday came. Looking to either side, visibility faded into a mosaic of greens and browns after twenty or so feet.

Coco walked briskly at the head of the main group, while Nora alternated between skipping behind Reese's payload and riding on top of it. Blake would periodically appear from the underbrush along the sides of the trail and indicate they stop while she investigated disturbances around a bend or on the other side of a small rise. Once or twice Blake found a lone beowolf that she eliminated before it could draw the rest of the pack; the rest of the time it was false alarms.

Sometime in the early afternoon, the trees thinned and the trail adopted a gradual decline. Soon after they heard running water and saw the light of a clearing ahead. In it, an old mill with a partially collapsed roof sat alongside a clear narrow river. A few other buildings lay in the clearing, looking just as decrepit. The open space that remained was almost entirely filled with an even thicker growth of the tall grass, ending just above waist-height.

They stopped a little short of the treeline while Blake scouted the area. Occasionally, they'd see a flicker of movement, but they couldn't tell if it was Blake or the wind. Almost an hour later, she emerged from the grass in a crouch, her cat ears exposed.

"That was a pain to scout, even for me," she muttered.

"All clear?" Coco asked.

"I think so. But let's move fast, someone could come by and I might not notice. There's a big storage room in the mill filled with a bunch of old tools and supplies. We could hide our cache in plain sight there."

They moved to the mill and tucked the crates behind a stack of lumber in a way that made them look unimportant instead of actively hidden. Reese deconstructed the sledge into its panels and hid them among the tools and machinery and scrap pieces of metal. She transformed her board back into its normal shape.

"Let's go," Coco said. "If we keep up the pace, we can make it to Crescent Hollow by dark."

…

"I spy something green."

"Nora, if you say my hair again—"

"How are you so good at this?"

Reese groaned. "Keeping a low profile sucks. It'd be so much easier if we could've flown to this village."

"Easier until whoever is attacking these villages sees us fly by and plans an ambush for us," Coco said.

"What's stopping them from doing that now?"

"Nothing, but our way somewhat mitigates the risk." She gave Reese an appraising look. "Granted, you don't look like someone who gauges risk well."

Reese glared and rode ahead of Coco, reversing her footing on the hoverboard so she faced Coco while she rode backwards down the trail. She hooked a thumb towards her chest.

"I'm an awesome judge of risk, I just don't let it scare me. I'm a frigging urban daredevil, who never hesitates, never fears, and rises to meet any and all—"

Reese yelped as she rode directly into a tree fallen across the trail, the bough taking her out at her calves. She landed on her back, swallowed by the grass. Coco stopped next to her, holding her hoverboard in one hand.

"I rest my case," she said. She offered Reese her other hand. Reese grimaced and took it, and Coco pulled her to her feet. Nora caught up to them and grinned.

"Is your balance is still off from that RKO after all these months?"

"Nora, for the love of god, shut up!" Reese said.

Nora crossed her arms, flexing her biceps. "Make me."

Reese sputtered, struggling to respond, eventually saying; "I bet you can't stay quieter longer than me."

"Pfft. If I can beat Coco Puff at pushups, I can definitely beat you at anything."

"Did you forget we're supposed to be keeping a low profile?" Coco asked. Before Nora could reply, she smiled and said; "Besides, I bet you can't stay quieter longer than Blake."

Nora narrowed her eyes. "Challenge accepted…" She mimed zipping her lips and continued down the trail. Coco winked at Reese and they followed Nora.

…

They arrived at Crescent Hollow before the sun set but after it sank below the trees. The clearing it sat in was massive, filled with farmland and the occasional outbuilding. About a mile from the treeline, a twelve-foot wall enclosed most of the buildings like an eggshell-colored island in a green lake. The gate was still open and people occasionally walked through, joining the few scattered in the fields or returning to the village proper. Coco looked over her shoulder at the group without stopping and addressed them as casually as she could appear.

"If anyone asks, you can say you're from Vale or Beacon, but don't share why we're really out here with anyone but the folks in charge. We don't know if the people causing trouble have spies. If you're talking to random villagers, tell them we're just your average huntress team out doing average huntress things."

Reese snorted at the alibi, but nodded in agreement. As they drew close to the gate, a few people dashed in and it swung shut. A group of villagers emerged from behind the top of the wall to look down at the four huntresses. The one in the center was young, on the skinny side of average, and sported blue hair that hung past his ears—and bright orange skin. He gave them a shrewd look.

"What brings you to Crescent Hollow?" he asked.

Coco removed her beret and gave a little half-bow. "We're huntresses from Vale doing some routine search and destroy. We came to Crescent Hollow to check up on the village. We'd also like to set up camp here if you're willing to accommodate us. Are you in charge?"

"I might be," he said eyes sparkling, before they turned hard. "Just like you might be Vale huntresses oryou might be scouting for a larger group of bandits. The kingdom's been in disarray and people are desperate for huntsmen to protect their towns and villages again. Who's to say that you're not taking advantage of the situation?"

The villagers atop the wall casually raised an assortment of rifles and bows, pointing them at the four huntresses. Reese saw Blake tense out of the corner of her eye. Coco raised her hands in a placating gesture, never breaking eye-contact with the young man.

"That's a valid concern. We have identification—"

"—that could have been taken from a huntress team by force and altered. We have no practical way of verifying your identity, so unless you can dodge a bullet, you should turn back."

Coco took a step forward. "I—"

There was a loud 'crack!' sound. Dust flew up from the road an inch from Coco's foot and she went rigid. Reese flinched at the shot, holding her hoverboard up like a shield, and Blake crouched, ready to jump back. Nora didn't move, but she held one hand ready to draw her weapon.

"Leave!" the boy shouted.

"Isaac! What's happening?" a voice came from out of sight. A boy around Coco's age, tall and lean, came into view gripping a halberd. He shook some of his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes and looked at the four huntresses. He blinked, then leaned toward the orange-skinned boy, his eyes never leaving them.

"Let 'em in," he said. "They shouldn't be a problem."

The villagers atop the wall didn't lower their weapons, but the tension in the group subsided.

"Not that we don't trust you Royce," the orange-skinned boy said to the newcomer, "But why are you so certain?"

Royce turned to say something to him and gave him a smirk. The orange boy nodded in reply.

"Open the gate," he said.

The villagers lowered their weapons and the gate swung open slowly. Coco sighed, relieved, and led the other three into the village. Inside the walls, they found the two younger men waiting for them. The orange-skinned boy stood barefoot, wearing only a pair of worn jeans. He was still tense, standing with his arms folded, but he no longer appeared hostile. The taller one wore dark jeans, a forest green shirt, and a brown vest with multiple pockets. His halberd's head was a dull grey, reflecting no light, and some additional mechanism sat a foot or two down the haft from the head. He flashed a warm smile to the group.

"Sorry about that," he said. "Things have been weird around here, even by rural standards. If I didn't have good reason to trust you guys, I would have acted just like Isaac."

"You seem a little young to be in charge," Coco said.

He laughed. "I'm not. But I do enough of the important stuff around here that people tend to trust me. I'm Royce Verde; Warden of Crescent Hollow, and this is my friend Isaac." He extended a hand and Coco shook it.

"Coco Adel; Leader of Huntress Team CNBR. Not to be rude, but could you introduce us to your leader? We have a lot to discuss."

"I bet you do," Royce said. He winked. "Follow me."

…

Royce led them to a tea room at the back of a house in the center of the village. They sat on cushions arranged around a low table. A moment later a woman entered, taking a seat at the head of the table. Royce took a seat to her left and Isaac leaned against the wall behind them, eyes fixed on the door.

The woman wasn't particularly short, but she appeared miniature compared to Royce and Isaac. She was older, in her late sixties, and had her gray hair pulled behind her into a neat braid. She gave each of the huntresses a slow appraising look.

"About time someone came," she said. "It's never completely safe this far from the cities, but in the decades I've lived in this region, the last few months have been the most dangerous. Can we expect additional teams?"

"It's just us, at least for now," Coco said.

The woman grunted. "Vale has been busy recently. I suppose I should be thankful for what we get. Even when the kingdom is in good shape, we rarely see huntsmen. I suppose that means Vale is worried about some of the stranger things that have been happening around here."

"We heard three villages were lost," Blake said.

The woman let out a humorless laugh. "Try five. Our regular visitors from two other villages failed to arrive for their monthly grain purchase last week."

Coco blinked in surprise. Reese kneaded a fold of her hoodie with her hands, and Blake and Nora exchanged looks of concern.

"Do you have any idea what happened?" Coco asked.

"We don't," Royce said, stretching. "I offered to check it out, but Marta told me I'm not allowed to stray too far from the village after I discovered Timber Falls became a ghost town." He gave the older woman a wry look.

Reese raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who sent the reports?"

Royce nodded. "Wrote them up and transmitted them out of Razor Ridge; the closest town with any sort of broadcasting capability—and home of one of our no-shows."

"Think you could be our guide?"

"Absolutely not," the woman said.

"Marta—"said Royce.

"Don't start with me Royce! You're one of the few people I'd trust at my side if Crescent Hollow was attacked. We may have taught some of the village how to shoot but all they've done is exterminate the occasional stray grimm that comes near the edge of the fields, and point guns at bandits from the safety of the walls. Their aim will go to hell when too much adrenaline hits and you know it. I can't risk losing someone who's dealt with large groups of threats."

"I'll be with a trained huntress team! If the five of us can't handle a situation, we'll come right back to the village."

"What if you get ambushed? You of all people should know how deadly surprise is."

Royce steepled his fingers in front of his face, gathering his thoughts. When he lowered his hands, there was a solemn look on his face.

"Marta, you said it yourself: the wilds are the most dangerous they've ever been. Crescent Hollow won't stay safe for much longer. We have to take care of whatever is causing the disappearances and attacks before it's impossible to stop. These huntresses are our best chance at handling whatever is out there, and if it's out of their league, we'll call for reinforcements or evacuate the village to Westrun."

"That may be even more dangerous."

"If we don't act soon, we may not have a choice."

Marta looked at Royce for a moment, never breaking eye contact. Then she sighed, leaning back on her hands.

"Fine. Stubborn, like your father."

"I seem to remember people telling him he was stubborn like his mother."

The corner of Marta's mouth curved up. She turned to the huntresses.

"Royce will show you to your quarters while you stay here. You'll go through him for anything else you need."

Coco bowed. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, just be safe."

…

They followed Royce to a small inn. Inside, they climbed to the second floor, which consisted of a short hallway with a few bedrooms and a common room at the far end. Before Coco could say a word, Blake and Reese exchanged a glance and seized a room, locking the door behind them. Blake leaned back against the door and slid down it to sit on the ground.

"Nora's a great person, but—"

"—she's not a great roommate," Reese finished. She set her pack down and flopped on her bed, her head lolling off the side to look at Blake. "I can't imagine what it was like living with her full time."

Blake opened her mouth, then closed it again and rested her head against the door. Reese narrowed her eyes at the faunus girl.

"What were you going to say?"

Blake looked at Reese. "Nothing."

"Not nothing, you were going to say something. Even in casual conversation you don't waste words, so that was important; spill!"

Blake set her jaw and followed the wood grain in the walls with her eyes. When she looked back and saw Reese still staring at her, she sighed.

"It's just—something's been bothering me since the start of this mission."

"What is it?" Reese asked. "You didn't have to put up with the cryptic bullshit Vale's leadership put us through."

"The team composition doesn't make sense. Nora shouldn't be here."

Reese gave Blake a deadpan stare. "Yeah, a recon mission led by a blitzkrieg fighter and featuring a one-woman demolition team. That makes sense."

Blake shook her head. "Coco's capable of a substantial amount of discretion when needed, and Nora's not as ham-fisted as she looks—even if she did knock me off a bridge." She stood and walked to her bed across from Reese. She sat hunched over, elbows resting on her knees, and chewed at her thumbnail.

"What bothers me is that she left her original team. You didn't know her at Beacon; even under normal circumstances, she's attached to Ren at the hip. Maybe I could see her leaving Jaune for a couple days to grieve with Ren, but for her to outright abandon both of them? That strikes me as profoundly wrong."

Reese blinked. She flipped over and sat up, folding her legs beneath her. "What do you think happened?" she asked.

"I don't know. But Nora doesn't care about much outside of her friends and being a huntress. Back in my White Fang days, we could rarely pay or bribe people like that."

She gave Reese a pointed look. "We'd take a more personal approach."

Reese shivered. When she'd learned that Blake defected from the White Fang, she had dismissed the news without much thought. Plenty of desperate, idealistic, or naïve faunus in Mistral's lower castes had joined for one reason or another; Reese assumed Blake had simply come to her senses after witnessing some of their more extreme activities up close. But the way she spoke implied that her departure from the group hadn't been because of a weak stomach. Reese replayed their tournament match in her head and suddenly felt like she'd gotten off easy.

"Maybe you're reading too much into things," Reese said, hugging herself.

"Possibly, but I doubt it. Either way, I'd watch your back around Coco. She's too smart not to arrive at the same conclusion. She's either in on this, or she's looking the other way because Vale's doing something for her."

Reese thought back to Coco's arguments with their superiors and the 'situation' Ambassador Sylva was apparently resolving for her. She nodded in agreement. Reese sat for a minute, processing their conversation. A thought occurred to her and she leaned towards Blake.

"You were hiding and they got you to come along. How did they pull that off? Your old team members are high-profile or related to strong huntsmen who could protect them, and I don't think you've got any major secrets left after the last few months of news coverage. It's not like they've got a whole lot of leverage on you."

Blake winced, but Reese couldn't tell what part of her statement provoked that reaction. The faunus girl straightened up and gave her a humorless smile.

"Simple. They offered me something I wanted."

There was a moment of silence, then Reese made a rolling 'get-on-with-it' gesture with her hand. "Which is?"

Blake looked like she wanted to tell Reese off, but she relented. "There's someone from the White Fang I need to deal with. Someone strong. The Councilor said that if I help Vale out with this mission they'll give me something that can even the odds the next time I meet my old…colleague."

Blake fell silent and neither of them spoke for a long time.