II - Frost Heave

~~~(II)~~~

So, apparently, asking "The hell is a huntsman?" is the kind of question someone with a sub-dirt IQ would ask. Oxon was pretty sure if he had taken up Davin's offers for photography workshops, and if he had a camera, that he could have put the huntsman's face up in a gallery. Because incredulous does not even begin to describe the look that he was receiving from this Qrow fellow. He seemed content to ignore the down boy for a bit and focused on communicating with whoever it was he was talking to.

Oxon took this moment to finally get a good look at the woman who both of them had been intent on helping. She had tan skin and short brown hair done in a simple styling. Amber, If I heard that guy correctly. What happened to her face? What was able to cause that kind of injury? She seemed pretty, but with whatever tar like substance was on her face marred it, making it disfigured and scarred.

If this "huntsman" wasn't responsible, then who was? Was someone's semblance responsible for this? Or was it the effects from a grimm local to the region around vale? Either way, he made sure he was never getting near anything out of the ordinary if this is what could happen to him. Glancing over the area also gave him more clues about what happened here. The scorch marks and craters he'd seen earlier were not the only battle scars over the earth. Puddles of water and leaves were scattered about and even sticking out of the ground as if they were stabbed into the dirt.

The humming in the air was getting steadily louder, attracting his attention away from the carnage. As the volume continued to increase, a metal craft came flying over the tree line.

"By the brothers, What am I looking at?" Oxon was frozen, not an unusual feeling due to Prisms' icy location, but he had never seen a vehicle that flew in the sky before. "That, what is that?" He asked as the craft made a thunderous landing near them, drowning out the question and leaving him without an answer.

The moment it touched down, a swarm of people left the craft and began to secure the area, while more rushed over with what seemed to be medical equipment.

"Please give us room to attend to the patient!" One of the apparent medics shouted as they made their way to the fallen woman. They began to run some preliminary treatments for her wounds as a stretcher was prepped. The assembled men and women spoke fast paced with jargon that went well over his head.

"Yeah yeah, you're welcome by the way." Qrow muttered to himself as he was moved aside by one of the healers. "Not like I saved her life or anything." The scary man then took out a flask filled with what had to be alcohol and took a good swig.

The huntsman finally decided at that point to finally pay attention to the failed 'hero' who was still on his back in the dirt. Qrow offered him a hand in a clear sign to help him up. Oxon didn't have to think twice before he grabbed it.

"Seems to me like you weren't with the folks who did this, judging by your actions and words." Oxon nodded in affirmation while he was lifted up, almost effortlessly by the man, which either spoke to his strength or the lightness of Oxon's starved body. "Seriously, are you ok? I've seen fashion models with a healthier look to 'em."

He's Looking at me with pity, like I'm some weak child. I hate that look…

"I'd like to see you survive out here with hardly any supplies for as long as I have." Oxon Growled at the man. "Foraging berries Isn't exactly how one gets a balanced diet! That's even excluding the bullshit fights with Grimm." Glancing around at the woods and his fallen pack, he was looking around for an escape route.

Great, one of the straps broke. That will make running away harder. Although he does seem to be focused on the lady, so maybe I could make it. Mantle is not exactly on good terms with the Valean government.

The huntsman read his face easily and raised his hands in a calming manner. "Look Kid, I didn't mean anything by that, it just looks like you could use some help in the whole 'not starving' department." He said with a slight grin. "Unless you try anything again, then I'm willing to believe ya when you said you just wanted to help my friend here." Gesturing back at the girl being loaded into the craft. She hasn't moved once the whole time.

Can I trust him? He's the first living person I've met in months, maybe he can help me? Maybe I can finally relax.

~~~(II)~~~

Qrow was used to strange things happening around him. His semblance was responsible for a good deal of it, and what wasn't he blamed on it anyways on principle. But this strange kid in front of him just seemed off. Maybe it was his getup, his outdated armor style that historical reenactors wear for make believe battles. Maybe it was his clear discomfort and confusion from seeing a bullhead. But what really stuck out was the condition he was in.

Gaunt was a good word for it. He was tall, maybe six foot three, but that only made the lack of body mass all the more pronounced. Kid has had it rough, that much is clear. I'll need to ask the pilot if there's any rations on board we could give him. After their little tussle on the road, the kid still seemed out of it. Swaying a bit on his feet, he looked ready to collapse at a moment's notice.

A quick glance at his ruined armor showed that he at least tried to maintain it while out here. Vines were woven in places to replace broken straps, strips of bark stuck to tears and holes in the armor by tree resin, and even what looked like animal pelts used as padding and insulation underneath it all.

He took a sigh at the sight of the ax from earlier. Instinct and skill easily allowed him to disarm the guy, but with the handle cut off by the head, it was only good as a walking stick. He felt a little guilty, but with an unknown assailant rushing you, there's only so much wiggle room to work with.

One of the medics approached him while still in thought. "Sir, the patient is stable but she's in poor condition. We will need to transfer her to a hospital in the city immediately." He said, gesturing with his head to the bullhead. "We need to take off soon in case of any complications or unseen issues." The guy gave valid points about leaving. There really wasn't a reason to stick around and push his, frankly limited, luck.

"Right. Might want to talk to Oz first and see if he can't set anything up. They might try again wherever we place her." After all, if they could find her travel route, then they could easily follow her trail to a hospital. The medic nodded and started to turn around back to the ship.

"Also," He said, getting the medic to pause. "Can you have someone give the boy here a once over? Said he's been wandering for a while now and could probably use a checkup." Not like there's any urgent care centers all the way out here. Not unless you count a surprise open heart surgery via Dr. Beowolf.

Heh.

"Yes sir. Bring him to the craft and we'll check him out en route to Vale." He said before continuing to the craft. That just left the two of them together with an awkward air between them. The boy's emotions were still easy to read. He seemed conflicted. Relief and hope mixed with confusion and apprehension. A strange duo but not one Qrow hasn't seen in others before.

Well no time like the present. "Alright kid, I need you to come with me." The boy's stance shifted and his eyes narrowed. Realizing his poor phrasing had put him on edge, Qrow tried to calm him down. "Look, you're not in trouble, I can see now that you just wanted to help, not hurt. And besides, I can't in good conscience leave you out here in your condition. We have medical personnel that can take a look at you on the ship."

His stance relaxed a bit, but he still seemed a tad bit on edge but at least he was starting to lower his guard. The kid's hungry, I can tell. Hmm, that could work.

"Or not, your loss. I was gonna offer some food too, but more power to ya if you wanna keep roughing it, soak in that nature." He said solemnly before turning around to hide a grin.

Three… Two… One… "Wait!" Heh, Jack, meet pot. "I… I'll go with you. Just let me grab my things!"

Glancing over his shoulder Qrow saw the boy frantically pick up supplies that had spilled when he fell and shoved them into his worn pack. He even grabbed the ax head that had been sliced off by Harbinger. "Just give me a moment. I don't have much to pack anyways."

Qrow watched Oxon gather his paltry gear and noticed a few notable items. "Quite the gun there kid, probably shoulda opened with that instead of a loud charge with your ax." Qrow said as the kid lifted a long barrel lever rifle. Like the kid and his outfit, the fun had seen better times. Rust was up and down the barrel. Probably rusted rifling and joints.

"Ran out of cleaning oil a month in. It's no good in a fight, hardly good enough for hunting. And I'm 16! I'm not a kid anymore!" The kid, sorry, teen stressed lifting it up and glaring at the older man.

"Sure, sure, Whatever bud." Qrow quipped, gesturing for him to follow. "Follow me, we're in a bit of a rush to get to Vale." He said, making his way to the bullhead with Oxon in tow.

"Hope you don't get motion sick." The man said with a sly grin.

~~~(II)~~~

"You seem surprised? Why'd you think I'd be sick?" Oxon asked the huntsman, who had a look of mild surprise.

"Since you were as tense as a coiled Taiju walking on board, I thought you'd be sick as sick as a skunk when we got airbourne." He said, chuckling. "People who are unused to flying or other modes of transportation tend to lose their lunch fairly easily. Besides, you just tore through the onboard rations and it'd be a shame to waste 'em like that."

"You're looking at the log rolling champion, three years running!" And those rations were fantastic. And that wasn't even sarcasm, the bars packed inside were more than edible and he could tell he was regaining energy. Oxon had been so accustomed to eating whatever edible plants and the occasional game. While nourishing enough, they had done nothing for his taste buds. So used to bland herbs and bitter berries that were never truly enough to fill his stomach had been his means of survival for so long. In the back of his mind he knew what he was eating was dull emergency rations and that their only purpose was to provide nutrients, but right now, he put them on par with his mothers' cooking.

That comparison took a portion of the enjoyment away from his first real meal in months. He wasn't able to find his mother when the Grimm struck, she had been in a council meeting on the other side of town and he was unable to find her.

I hope she was able to escape like I was, town hall was one of our most sturdy buildings. It may have held out.

But either way, even if he was sick, there'd be no way in hell that he'd waste the food. He was still in survival mode and was determined on consuming as much as possible.

"Yeah? Well jokes on you gramps, I was Prism's logrolling champion three years running. Flying in the sky in a metal bird won't affect me." Oxon said with a smug smile.

Though I never thought I'd come across something like this. If I heard the crew speak right, it's called a bullhead.

"I've just never seen anything like this." He said after his thought. "The only machines we had were furnaces, a few generators for lights, and a truck."

"That's some pretty limited tech, surprised your settlement lasted for even a few years. Did you not have a local CCT booster? Get out word for rescue?" Qrow asked in minor shock, Oxon was just more confused.

CCT? It's starting to get frustrating that he asks me questions as if they were obvious. Just how far has Remnant progressed?

The answers probably were obvious, he was getting nervous about his clear ignorance on more than a couple of occasions so far. If he kept being surprised about common knowledge, then Qrow might decide he'll need to get answers on why. But while he wanted to not say too much, pride in his home caused him to verbally defend it.

"Prism was a success for how long we lasted! We were a testament of Mantle's resolve! We were not some paltry village that came and went in a single year! Our refuge stood for 103!" Oxon shouted.

How dare he, we survived for so long! We can't all have the luxury of high walls and support of our kingdom.

The man seemed shocked by that. "Well I'll be damned. That's impressive. That means you were founded before the great war, huh?" Oxon's turbulent emotions came to a halt as he heard the last bit.

War? What does he mean by war!? The documents the founders left mentioned the relationship between mantle and Vale were becoming incredibly tense. But to think they escaped the kingdom before war broke out. Shit, that means they really were enemies, maybe even still are.

This news was troubling and vindicating at the same time. It meant the founders were correct to abandon their tyrant leaders. "We… We must have been too isolated. Our home was in the mountains and far away from the kingdoms of Vale and Mantle." He said, half to himself and loud enough for Qrow to hear.

Not quite satisfied with the answer, the man continued to dig for more information. "Either way, I've got a question burning in my mind for a while now." He said slowly as if to ease into a hard topic. It could have been anything really, my health, my home, what plans for the future he had, or something else.

"I don't know if you were just confused or that "isolation" of yours really made you that clueless." He said leaning forward, getting ready to say what was on his mind. "You bein' serious when you asked me "what's a huntsman"? Cause I'd never met a single person who didn't know before and I'd like to know why you don't. So was this Prism place really out in the middle of bumfuck nowhere?"

That was a simple question, and answering it wasn't likely to raise any suspicion. They had been refugees seeking freedom from the iron grip of their lord. "Our home was on the northern edge of the continent, we traveled a long to find a suitable home that would keep us safe. We were very self contained and never had any visitors."

Not like we would have trusted any.

Easy so far, simple story any village could claim. "The founders eventually found a route from the sea that led to an alpine canyon. It allowed us shelter while also providing an ideal setting to build and farm." And while the glacial canyon allowed arable soil, it became quickly apparent that sacrificing that land for homes would be detrimental in the long run. Some had even hollowed out caverns in the stone to use for homes.

"Impressive, looks like you folks had a great setup there. Musta been cold too, not many people choose to live in mountains that far north. Also, I'm still surprised I never heard of it, Vale likes to keep records of these places in case they need help." He was trying to be subtle it seemed, and he must have wanted to know their origins. "Where did you guys settle from? Straight from the kingdom or did you branch off from a different village?"

Well that was a tougher question, a quick and vague answer could be given, but that would probably just raise a few more issues. The man might have seemed amicable, but his people and those of Vale had been tense when the founders settled in the northern corner of Sanus.

I told him I was from Mantle and he didn't attack me or interrogate me. Unless this is the interrogation.

His mind was racing to think of something to throw off any suspicion, but sadly, Oxon's mouth had a tap root connected directly to his brain.

"We of Prism are originally from the Kingdom of Mantle. Our people know how to conquer the cold far better than those of vale could ever hope!" He said, pride in his voice, before he realized what he'd said. Panicking, he realized he had to try and ensure this Warrior of Vale wouldn't become an enemy again. "But we left the Kingdom! All we wanted was to escape our government's crackdown on emotions and the arts. Surely a Valean such as yourself can understand, right?" This was bad, he'd just admitted to being from a hostile nation. And trapped in the vehicle with a man as strong as Qrow was making him begin to feel claustrophobic.

~~~(II)~~~

Well shit, that was news. Things about the kid were starting to make sense. Not knowing what huntsmen were, referring to Atlas as Mantle, and the fact his settlement was apparently founded right before The Great War kicked off. "You, you are from the kingdom of Mantle? Not Atlas right?" Qrow tried for what hoped was a calming voice, because the kid in front of him looked like he was about to hyperventilate. "Because the place hasn't been called "The Kingdom of Mantle" for at least 75 years."

He was still looking no closer to calming down, great, time for the patented Qrow Method. Taking out his flask, he moved it to the panicked Atlesian. "Hey, you're not in trouble. Nobody is gonna judge ya, even if you're originally from the most bland nation on the planet." He said with a slight chuckle to ease the atmosphere in the bullhead. "Take a sip of this, might help ya calm down a tad."

His eyes stopped darting all over the cabin and focused on the offered flask. Eyes still wary as if it were poisoned.

I guess it makes sense, Mantle and Vale weren't exactly best pals in the leadup to The War. So if his people really left Solitas during that period, then it'd stand to reason why he would be on guard around someone from Vale.

But He needed to realize it was fine and that the nations are great allies now.

Gently placing the flask in his hands, he got ready to perform the role he was accustomed to back at Signal. "It ain't poisoned, the only thing ya gotta fear from it is its burn or my cooties, if you're still afraid of stuff like that." Hoping to trigger another "I'm not a kid" retort turned out to be the right play. His eyes narrowed and unscrewed the flask. He hesitated for a moment, but another glare to Qrow gave him the resolve to take a generous, if not spiteful, swig.

Well there goes a fifth of that, it was high quality too.

"I'm not a-afraid of c-cooties, plus, I've had alcohol before." He said between strong coughs from the strong liquor.

"Of course, of course." Qrow said with a roll of his eyes at the childishness.

It's not often I have to lecture someone about world history, but I'll make an exception for a guy from the Mantle era. Tai won't believe this.

"But seriously, you guys missed a lot of major events while holed up in the mountains. We're getting close to Vale now, so I'll explain as much as I can now and you can ask questions once we land, and trust me, you're in for quite a ride."

~~~(II)~~~

I don't know if there are any other stories that deal with the Color Revolution as a plot point.

And as always, please review so I know what you think!