It was still dark when Ruby woke from her impromptu sleep, blinking her eyes wearily and gradually sitting up. She wasn't quite sure what was going on until Blake stood at the opposite end of the table to her and explained the situation. "You fell asleep while studying. I noticed you were absent from your bed, and that the majority of your notes were missing." Blake spoke matter-of-factly, as though she was used to things like this happening. The younger girl was still mostly asleep, tiredness written across her face.
"How did you know I'd be here?" Ruby asked, slowly waking up. She looked over the papers scattered across the table in puzzlement.
"Where else would you go? Nobody would be here at this time, and it gave you ample resources to further your research." Blake gestured with one arm to the huge amount of books lined on shelves all around them. She gave a small smile to her leader. "It's what I would've done."
"Oh...I wanted to give us the best chance we had at-" She was gently stopped by her teammate, reminding her that this wasn't going to be a life changing mission.
"Ruby, we're only going to investigate. There won't be any fighting unless we absolutely have to. Ozpin will give us the details, and we'll plan accordingly." She glanced down at the large book Ruby had in front of her, and continued. "I'd start tidying this up, we've got thirty minutes before we're due to meet Ozpin outside his office." Ruby began to open her mouth to speak, but Blake answered her question before she could ask it. "Yang and Weiss are already getting ready, we're just preparing for the worst."
Ruby gave Blake a determined nod and swept her papers into one pile, placing the books she'd taken back onto the shelves. She carried the largest under her arm, scooped up her scroll and made for the door. It was still dark outside, and the rain was still falling. Blake followed just behind her. "Looks like Weiss was right, this will be a long downpour. Have you considered terrain in your calculations?" She asked with her usual emotionless tone.
"Not as much as I wanted to, but we should be fine. We're all light, so the mud won't be too much of a problem. Yang has her own strength to balance her heavier build, Weiss and I can practically skip over, and you can do much the same." Ruby replied, picking up her pace. Blake was impressed with how many variables her leader had taken into account, even before she had seen what they'd be up against. As predicted, the entire academy was completely empty, and they were careful not to wake any of the sleeping students. Ruby opened the door first, with Blake a second or so behind her.
Yang was shrugging on her jacket and pulling on her fingerless gloves, while Weiss stood on the opposite side of the room, refilling her dust chambers with thorough precision. Blake admired her carefulness, something that her other two teammates were lacking. To iterate this point, Yang loaded her Ember Celica with a laugh under her breath. Blake could almost imagine the grin of anticipation on her face. She sat with her back to the room, skimming the few pages Ruby had left behind in her haste a few hours prior. She familiarized herself with coherent handwriting, sketchy but informative drawings and the various notes that Ruby had added after a moment of inspiration.
They were all ready. Yang took out her scroll, glanced at the time and put it in her back pocket. "Ten minutes to go." Weiss nodded slightly as Ruby opened the door. She glanced over her shoulder at her three teammates lining up behind her and hardened her expression.
"Let's go." She led them back through the maze of walls and corridors, across the amphitheatre and into the right side of the building. Nobody said a word, each of them concentrating on the coming minutes, and more importantly, the coming hours. As the team rounded a ninety-degree right corner, they were greeted by a tall, wizened man standing straight outside a door, a cane in one hand, and a steaming coffee mug in the other. His hair was grey, and he had simple round spectacles halfway down his nose. He wore green, respectable looking clothes with a lighter coloured scarf wrapped around his neck. He watched the four approach with narrow brown eyes, giving them a simple greeting as they stopped in front of him.
"Hello. I'll be brief. You are examining the eastern area of the forest for any signs of unnatural activity. You are not charging in with an intent to kill. Exercise extreme caution, you all know how dangerous Grimm can be. Take note of the weather, and do not hesitate to retreat if you are discovered. I have made arrangements with your professors for the day, you will receive details on your lectures when you return. Report anything you discover to me, and no-one else. Are we clear?" He spoke with immense authority, each word infused with years of experience. Yang nodded once, her expression serious. Weiss too lowered her head, acknowledging the headmasters words. Blake repeated the action, memorizing the objectives and prioritizing them to suit. Ruby gave a simple "Yes sir." and turned, her teammates following her.
They quickly made it out into the early morning, the rain soaking them within minutes. They descended down the cliffside path with cautious haste, taking care not to dislodge any loose rocks that may threaten their balance. The majority of the ground in the clearing was flooded, the entire area one large body of water. They moved through it without difficulty, each step sending droplets flying in every direction. Yang already had her gauntlets extended, Weiss held her rapier with an iron grip as Blake grasped Gambol Shroud in one hand, still in its sheath. Ruby had her scythe folded across her back, the wind sending her cape in every direction. They walked in a methodical fashion, with Ruby and Weiss at the front, Blake slightly behind and Yang bringing up the rear.
Something else rose above the constant ambiance of the rain hitting leaves and stone. It boomed overhead, reverberating across the treetops. This was a storm. The cacophony of sound added a thick sense of foreboding to the already uneasy air that carpeted the forest floor like fog. As they made their way East, they encountered nothing at all. Blake would've suspected the Beowolves to be out hunting, this was the perfect weather for them to ambush their prey, and yet. It was strange, and it gave her a feeling of misplacement that she couldn't quite shift.
The only difference in terrain was the density of the undergrowth increasing as they pressed on, with ferns replacing grass more and more. The trees were taller and thicker with more vegetation. There was a visible mist in the air, tinting the ground with a white haze. They had a long way to go before they entered the far Eastern side of the forest. They all knew something wasn't natural about this.
Not anymore.