The moon was starting it's morning decent, when a knock came at the door. The family was already up and waiting for that knock to come. The man quickly signed something and put a large amount of money on the countertop. He turn his head as a fifteen year old girl, no young woman, came out of her room and went out to collect the horses.
'Only fifteen, and she is already got a rhythm to these missions. Sorry Diana, but...'
The pain of his beloved demise slithered into his heart, forcing him to shut down the memories. He needed to focus Lord Ozpin, lips formed a smile when Ozpin told him not to call him Lord Ozpin so he always called him that, had entrusted him with this and he would not disappoint. He stood up and collected his double bladed axe. Those silly hunters and huntress made their weapons to flashy and loud, he was proud of the fact that his weapon was just an axe. Even Summer's weapons were simple, combine them together and they become a double bladed spear, but still simple.
He went to the door and opened it to his charge standing there alone. His smile fell from his face as he was reminded of the brutal life he and his daughter walked. Having silver eyes doesn't mean much to Death. When your time was up, it was up. That was another thing that have technology blinded folks to if Death had really come to collect you then there is nothing anyone can do.
"How long have you been walking alone my lady?"
"Two days, and my name Elizabeth Angerona . If we are going to be traveling together than we should know each other's name would you agree?"
"Of course, My name is Paul B. Rose and my daughter is Summer."
Elizabeth smiled at the drop of formality that Paul agreed to. Ever since she became the winter maiden, six months ago, everyone treated her like an object and less like a person. She didn't train to become a huntress for nothing. She only hoped that the informality would last longer with these two than her last body guards.
"Hey what is with that frown little lady, chin up Beacon is a long way and something tells me you have some stories to tell maybe the three of us can swap some."
He walked out of the house he had been renting and led her to where Summer was already on her horse and was leading the second one out of the stables by his reigns. Elizabeth was taken back by Summer's youthful face and piercing gaze. She felt a shiver run up her spine as she looked up at Summer's eyes.
"We only have the two horses, so you will be riding with Summer. I hope that is okay."
She shook the fear out of her body, in the attempt to lose this silly fear. She was a seasonal maiden and a fully realized huntress, Summer was most likely only in primary combat school.
Summer's house troted forward and she extended her arm to Elizabeth.
"I was asked to protect you my lady, not harm you. If I was you would already be dead."
Elizabeth felt all the color drain from her face as she just stood there frozen in fear at Summer's declaration. That is when she heard it, stifled laughter and her mind caught on to what was happening. The embarrassment must have shown on her face because Summer could no longer hold back her thunderus laughter to which her father joined in. As they continued to enjoy themselves at her expense, she got on Summer's horse without her help.
"Hey dad, I think the maiden is mad at me. What ever should I do?"
"Scratch her behind the ears, that always works."
"Can we just get going please."
"Sorry my lady, but from what I heard you were made the winter maiden just recently. So I wanted to give you the greenhorn welcome."
The horses started their path away from the house. Elizabeth was both shocked and glad that they treated like a fellow huntress. If these two were her bodyguards from Mistral to Vale then things were looking up.
"Wait a minute, why am I the greenhorn? Shouldn't you be the greenhorn Summer, I mean aren't you younger than me."
"Yep I am fifteen years old, but I am most certainly not green."
She flipped her hair to the right side of her chest and then pulled on her shirt collar. This revealed the first inch of an adult ursa claw marks. It was already barely noticeable on her pale moonlit skin. Then Elizabeth saw the small scar on the side of her neck half an inch below her ear. Summer sensed what Elizabeth was looking at and felt shame as she moved her hair to cover that scar up.
"Got those claw marks two years ago when I was clearing out of cave in Vacuo."
"Wait that means you were…"
"Thirteen years old and I was already fighting class two Grimm by myself. Now I can hold my own against class three. How many other people can claim the same."
'Truthfully none'
Elizabeth has gone up against class four Grimm, but she had seven other people helping her. She felt a great deal of respect for Summer Rose, but her mind returned to that other scar. She mentally tried to compare it to every mark left by known Grimm.
Two weeks later
"Elizabeth it is time to wake up. We have to move the ship leaves at noon."
"Ugh five more minutes..."
"Well I tried, Summer!"
The next thing Elizabeth knew she found herself drenched in ice cold water by Summer. She shot up and threw a punch at Summer, who used the empty bucket to capture Elizabeth's fist. The was an amused look on Summer's face and a look of rage on Elizabeth's for being woke up when the sun isn't even showing on the horizon.
Seeing as both Summer and Paul were already dressed and ready to go. Elizabeth felt that she should hurry to get ready, but if Summer and Paul didn't appear to be in any hurry. Still Elizabeth got dressed as fast as she could. How the other two could operate on three to four hour sleep for this long was hard to grasp for her.
"Ready to go sleepy head."
"No thanks to you Summer."
"Dad warned…"
Both Summer and Paul stood up with their weapons drawn and began to look around and that is when they froze. Elizabeth turned to look at what had captured their attention. She saw a human like creature with black skin and something that looked like Grimm bone armor emerge from the treeline. That is when it started to run towards them with each step covering ten yards.
"ELIZABETH GET TO THE HORSES!"
Without being told twice she ran to the horses and got up on one of them when she saw Paul and this new Grimm clash, no collide. She had learned that his semblance is that he anything hits or hits him breaks, but the downside is that he feels the pain that he inflicts. But something becomes very wrong when its eyes flash for a second and then beings to throw a punch. Paul must had known what it was attempting to do because he turned his axe to try and defend the punch, but it might as well have been glass as the punch shattered the axe and sent Paul a good hundred feet. That is when it turn and focused it intention on it's next target, Summer Rose. Elizabeth turned to tell Summer to run and saw the proud warrior frozen in fear. Whatever this thing was she knew about it and that knowledge made her very afraid.
"Summer, get your shit together!"
But Summer refused to answer as the Grimm slowly walked over to her and stood menacingly over her. That is when it put its hands on both sides of her face and black lines began to snake across her skin.
"GET AWAY FROM HER MONSTER!"
With that she got the horse to charge towards them in the hope that she could separate them. Just as she got within arms length the Grimm took one of its hands away from Summer's face and backhanded the horse snapping it's neck. Elizabeth was thrown from the horse and rolled to land on her feet. She then drew her bow and pulled the string back as an arrow of ice appeared. With steady breath she took aim and fired the arrow into the creature's neck.
It cried out and let go of Summer causing her to fall to the ground with unfocused eyes. Elizabeth didn't stop letting the arrows fly from her bow, but other than the sheer surprise of the first arrow they didn't seem to affect it. That is when Paul showed up behind the creature and buried the remaining mostly intact side of his axe into it's back.
Again it howled, and swung backwards knocking Paul to the ground hard. Elizabeth took the chance given to her and line up her shot. She let the string go and the arrow found it's target at the underside of the skull and into where the brain should have been. It stumbled for a few seconds but reached behind his neck and pulled the arrow out.
"That's not possible."
The Grimm turned to look at Elizabeth as if it had finally noticed that she was also here. It was then she understood why Summer Rose had frozen, it was the eyes. Those eyes hit her hard and the intelligence behind them was terrifying. She felt herself frozen in fear as it began to walk to her. The feeling of powerlessness took over as it raised it's hand and brought it's had down like a sword.