Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of the thief and the girl who walked on fire. Enjoy the 1200-word chapter. I don't own RWBY, Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth do.

Cye peeked around the corner as he tilted his head. Cinder warmed her hands around a fire. It helped knock the sting out of her cold fingers.

"You ok?" Cye questioned as he looked down the street. "Least we aren't freezing to death…" Cye muttered as he slid down the wall.

Cye looked at Cinder who was busy trying to stay warm and not freeze to death. Cye could see the cold in her breath as he hummed.

"I'm o-ok…" Cinder said while trying to wring the cold from her hands.

Cye hummed and looked at the girl who was busy trying not the freeze to death. This girl wasn't a huntress, he could tell just by the uniform she wore… But that just left more questions.

Cinder finally stopped trying to warm her fingers, curious about he looks Cye gave her. He couldn't question her about her past, not yet, anyway.

"We can't stay in Mantle." Cye said and looked at Cinder as she was busy catching her breath.

Cinder said nothing. Cye watched her slide down the wall as he hummed.

"That was decent fighting." Cye said while crossing his arms and looking to the side. "Who trained you? they'd have to be good for you to be like that." Cye said while cracking his knuckles.

"A huntsman…." Cinder said as she shifted to the side. Her auburn hair framed her piercing yellow eyes.

"Hmm…" Cye said and sighed while rapping his fingers on his pants. "Did you have a plan when you got away from that hotel?" Cye questioned as Cinder blinked, a raised eyebrow showing how caught off guard she was at this assumption.

Cye felt the words spill from his lips before Cinder could reply. Cinder felt her own argument fall flat.

"I saw that scar on your neck. You know very well Faunus have similar ones." Cye said as he rested his face in his hands. "I'm not stupid. Your hurt, you feel alone… Like I do." Cye said as Cinder growled.

She was upon him in a moment, her swords on either side of his head like demented scissors.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ME!" Cinder hissed as Cye raised an eyebrow. "SHE ABUSED ME! THEY MADE ME A SLAVE! HE SAID HE'D BE THERE, BUT HE NEVER CAME!" Cinder shouted as she glared at Cye.

"And you just proving I'm close to the lien." Cye said and gently pushed the blades away. "I'm a Faunus, you think I haven't dealt with that crap before? Do you think I made a fire, saved you from a Grimm, helped you across the tundra…? All to what? Hit you with some 'I was never on your side' con?" Cye questioned and looked Cinder in the eye.

The glare she gave him was designed to break him, but Cye saw the cracks. Cinder was scared. The slight tremble of her hands, the widening of her pupils.

She was scared, unsure if Cye was really her friend. Cye knew they had met only an hour ago… But he knew people far more then Cinder would assume he did.

Cinder backed off after a moment. Cye crossed his arms and hummed. He dusted off his coat and looked at the girl a moment later.

"You don't want to talk about it right now… I get it." Cye said and hummed. "But unless you have some grand plan after you kill me, I'm assuming? Then we're going to have to work together… And assuming you have some bad memories of this place similar to me?" Cye questioned and left the meaning of his words to Cinder.

She nodded, knowing what he meant. They should depart Solitas, there was nothing here left for her… She didn't want to stay here. Cinder didn't want to be weak again.

'Without you, I am nothing.' The words of her 'mother' swam through her brain like a Sea Feilong.

She wouldn't be weak again…. She wouldn't, nor would she grovel or look down upon the weak like her mother.

She looked at Cye who watched a Bullhead fly overhead. His ears wiggled slightly as the Faunus pondered what his next move would end up being.

"We need a ship." Cinder stated which caused Cye to blink. "One that can get us clear from Solitas." Cinder said as Cye hummed.

Cye pondered how to accomplish that. It wasn't a hard thing to do when it came down to it… But he did know that such a vessel would have to be plentiful in combustion dust… At least to carry them over the waves of Solitas without crashing to the ground.

"Then we need to find a way to SDC." Cye said as he hummed and looked to the side. "One of their freight ships, we can take one of those." Cye said as he brushed off his jacket.

Cye saw no argument from Cinder. He didn't want to do it, but there weren't many places that could provide them with a ship that would allow them to escape Solitas.

Plus, SDC wasn't under the command of someone noble anymore… And they had plenty of vessels and resources, a single one wouldn't really effect anything. Plus? If that didn't pan out? He could always simply acquire one with lien… Though that would probably diminish his 'survival lien' that he had set up when he ran off.

Cinder saw they'd have to fight through SDC's entire army to get there…. Cye clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"We should find somewhere to lay low for now, then…" Cinder said as she shivered.

Cye hummed and looked at Cinder who was still busy shaking off the cold from her body. She didn't have her aura… And if they ran into any guards? Then Cye and Cinder would be outgunned as he hummed.

Cye nodded and then grabbed Cinder's arm for a moment. He turned to Cinder for a moment.

"We should explore Mantle in the meantime." Cye stated as Cinder nodded. She spun her swords as Cye hummed.

He knew for a fact that this would be a harder mission then he could be used to…. Still? He was going to get into danger sooner or later.

"We have a lot to talk about later on." Cye stated which caused Cinder to nod as she hummed.

Cye knew for a fact that this would be interesting and weird. Cye could only ponder what secrets the both would keep before revealing them.

Cye hummed once more and then started the walk with Cinder as he prepared for another adventure.

Cye tapped his fingers on the side.

Author notes

Phew. Another chapter done! I want to point out that Cinder and Cye's journey will be long, crazy, and unique. Next chapter will be 2-12 weeks and will show more bonding and more talking between to the duo. Next chapter will be 1500 words or such. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!

P.S: Cinder 1500 words Sunday. Raven 1200 Tuesday. Yang 1500 Thursday. Penny 900-1200 words Monday. Ruby 1200 words.