Here we go

Cover Art: GWBrex

Chapter 11

Leopold handed Jaune's sword back without a word, his sympathies expressed already for Taiyang at the loss of his daughter. It was a sentiment many of the village folk of Moss Creek aimed his way, and few seemed surprised that he and Jaune wanted to put as much distance between themselves and the Chosen as possible. It was surprising to Jaune just how much they acted so, despite that they, and everyone back in Ansel, worshipped the Eternity Queen devoutly. They held respect for the Chosen as well, especially when they were there in person, but the sentiment seemed to be that children sent with them were lost.

Jaune had little to base that on, having only met Cinder and Pyrrha, and now Winter as his second occurrence of Huntresses ever. He'd seen one girl be taken from Ansel and felt the grief of her parents, but it didn't seem as though she was being taken to her death. Surely, she could have written back of visited, and their lives must have been richer within the city than some faraway village whose livelihoods were weighed in grain and wheat.

It wasn't until they were out of Moss Creek and back in the snowy fields that would once more bare crops in the spring that Jaune and Taiyang talked, and only then for Jaune to say, "I think you owe me an explanation."

"Aye. I do." Taiyang kept moving east, away from Moss Creek while Winter and her entourage took Ruby on a north-easterly path, more north than east, toward the city of Vale. "But we'd best put some distance between ourselves and the Chosen before we do. We'll talk as we walk."

"Fine. Start with Patch. I assume it's fine."

"The island stands, aye. Such a lie would have only worked in winter when no one can travel to confirm it. The rest wasn't untrue. The Grimm did some, the Chosen too in response, and they did as they did here, testing the village women and girls for those with the talent. Ruby was among them."

"So, you took her and ran." Jaune waited for the man's nod before asking, "Why? Is it so bad if she becomes a Huntress? It has to be safer than trekking through the wilderness in the middle of winter or upsetting the Huntresses."

"Ruby's mother was a Huntress."

"Really?" He was more surprised than he cared to admit, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the idea of a member of the Chosen, a veritable avatar of the Goddess, to settle down with a simple village man. "I wasn't aware they could settle down and raise families."

"Children of Huntresses have a good chance of having aura themselves. They are… encouraged to find strong men to lay with, at least that's how Summer said it to me. There is support for them if they are with child, and the support is akin to a reward in terms of value. She once told me that it felt as though breeding was important to them, as though they were livestock, and the next generation was ever in the minds of the Huntress Superiors."

"Are they forced?"

"No." Taiyang shook his head. "Not forced, simply rewarded for choosing to – and it's ever their choice. That's not why I'm worried of sending Ruby off there. The truth is, Summer – my wife – begged Ruby not to follow in her footsteps, and I not to let her. On her deathbed, she begged us, with tears in her eyes, never to join the Chosen. I couldn't say no. I wouldn't."

Jaune nodded slowly, curiosity and respect warring in his head. Why had Summer said that? What had she seen to frighten her so much? He told himself he didn't care, because wanting to know would only push him in a reckless direction. "What did Ruby think of it?"

"Shocked, hurt, grief stricken. Her mother was dying before her eyes. She agreed, however. I'm not sure if Summer didn't speak with her before in private, perhaps she told her more than she had the time to tell me, because Ruby is determined not to join them, and in more ways than just to honour her mother's wishes."

"Was Summer's death-?"

"Not by them, no. Illness. The Church, the Chosen, they never had much of a hand in our lives. Summer was loyal, and went often on hunts for them, and they supported her and us with coin. They offered to inter her body in the catacombs, but we wanted to bury her close to home and they allowed it."

There hadn't been any bad blood between their family and the church then, or much of an obvious reason for her final wish. Maybe she'd just seen too much and didn't want her daughter to have to fight the Grimm like she had, or maybe she wanted a simpler, kinder life for Ruby. As exciting and well-respected as Huntresses were, everyone knew they lived dangerous lives. The Chosen were quick to bolster their numbers from surrounding villages for good reason.

"When the Huntresses came to Patch and found Ruby with the talent, they took her away. There was nothing she or I could do. I tried to talk to them and was told she would be in good hands. Ruby tried, and they told her she would have a better life. Our wishes didn't matter, nor did Summer's. They told us that by manifesting aura, she had the Light of the Goddess within her, and that it marked her for service. I thought I'd failed Summer then and there and fell into grief."

"Meaning it was Ruby who escaped them." Jaune reasoned. "You had to flee Patch because Ruby slipped away and came back."

"Aye." Taiyang clutched his backpack tighter and stared ahead. "She wouldn't tell me much of it, but she was unhurt and I doubt she could overpower a Huntress. I reckon they didn't believe it could happen, didn't take her reluctance seriously, and figured she was just a child balking at having to leave home. They must have left her on her own while they went to sleep, and she took the chance to run. When she came back, I knew immediately we had to leave, called in a favour to borrow a boat and set sail for the mainland."

"Your injuries were close to Ansel, then." Jaune made an understanding sound. "I wondered how Ruby could have dragged you all the way from Patch. It just didn't make sense. You were attacked by the same Grimm that struck Ansel."

"Not the same." Taiyang replied. "The one that got me, Ruby killed."

"She killed it-!?" Jaune spluttered out, his shock misting in the cold air. He'd killed two himself, but only under direct control from the Dark Lord. Ruby was younger, smaller and didn't have that kind of backup. "How?"

"I wasn't always a fisherman." Taiyang said. "And Summer was a Huntress. We trained her a little – it was only meant so she could defend herself if she ever needed to but add a little aura and the fear of losing me and it was enough to give her the edge. I'm not complaining."

He was lucky. They both were. If the Huntresses had come and tested Ruby in any other season then she'd have been pursued, and it was possible there would be descriptions of her sent out to some nearby villages. At the least, the Huntresses that visited Ansel would have asked about her. Since it was winter, the news from Patch likely hadn't spread far enough, and wouldn't until the spring melted the roads and paths.

I guess I can see why they were willing to trust me even considering what I am, he thought. They're criminals who would be hunted by the church in much the same way. He wasn't sure if that should be a comfort or not. The Chosen didn't actually know he was the Dark Lord yet and having them find him by hunting Ruby and Taiyang wouldn't help. On the other hand it suggested that they had somewhere to go that would be outside the Church's reach, and that might be just the kind of place he needed.

"This distant family of yours. Are you sure the Church wouldn't look for you there?"

"They won't. It's not so much a village as… well… a roving band of likeminded people. I'm not sure I'll be welcome by any means, but I doubt they'll turn us away. I didn't leave on the best of terms, but I wasn't exiled or forced out either." He looked over. "They won't take issue with you."

"Not even with what I am?"

"The Church of the Goddess isn't welcome there."

/-/

They travelled for another four hours before making camp as the sun began to dim. It was earlier than they normally would have but Taiyang wanted to give Ruby the best chance of finding them. He lit a fire, stoked it with wet wood to make sure it was smoky, and shielded it in the cover of a nearby tree, its branches bare and spindly like spider's legs. They erected their animal skin tents near it, blocking off the sharp wind rolling in from the west.

It didn't seem possible that anyone could find so small a camp, even in the dark of winter where the glow would spread through the trees. Ruby was being taken directly to the city of Vale, and on horseback no less. The distance she would have to travel would be immense, and she'd also have to perfectly figure out how far she'd gone, how far they had, and plot a direct line between the two. That was close to impossible given her party would cover that much more ground. Plus, she'd have to break away from a Huntress and several church guards.

"Have faith," Taiyang said when he asked. "Ruby's a smart girl."

Smart? She would have to be a genius to find her way to them, and a genius possessing the Goddess' own luck. Jaune considered asking the Dark Lord for help but wasn't sure what the cost would be or if the demon would even respond. He'd been quiet since the last nightmare – vision – and hadn't been heard speaking since he left Ansel. It was a relief.

Sitting in the entranceways to their tents with their fronts toward the fire, the two men shared food bought from Moss Creek and little conversation. Taiyang seemed absolutely certain of his daughter's return and Jaune didn't want to express his doubt and frighten the man. He'd lost almost everything thus far. The dark crept in and the blustery wind intensified, whipping around their tents and causing the fire to flicker and spark.

It was two hours later that Jaune heard the crunch of snow. More than that, he heard a loud, inhuman snort. Panic set in as he realised Ruby might not be the only ones hunting them this night. Taiyang was the same, grasping the spear laid out by the entrance to his tent and hurrying out after him. The man threw his cloak off, took it in two hands and angled it toward the sound of panting.

The rhythmic crunching came closer and closer, and the loud breathing was broken by a whickering neigh. Taiyang lowered the spear, looked to Jaune and then called out, "Traveller?"

"It's me, dad." Ruby called back.

Jaune couldn't believe it. Taiyang, evidently, could and dropped his spear, whooping happily and moving forward to welcome the pure white steed trudging through the snow toward them. It was a huge, powerful looking thing with black hair and large brown eyes covered partially by its bridle. Saddlebags hung on its side, and upon it sat Ruby, awkwardly bouncing up and down as it stepped toward the camp and let out a long snort.

"You stole a horse!?" Jaune gasped. A horse, at least a good one – and this certainly looked to be that – cost as much as a house. It was said that a petty thief might receive the lash in a town or city, but a horse thief could be put to death. They were that valuable. This one was familiar, too. "You stole the Huntress' horse!"

"It looked like the strongest," she said, shrugging as Taiyang dragged her off the back of the thing and crushed her in a warm hug.

Jaune balked and stared, before shaking himself out of his shock. He couldn't exactly be upset at theft when he was the Dark Lord, could he? It was a little late to start with that. "She's going to be livid."

"She's not going to be able to follow us though," Ruby said. "I scared the others away when I ran. They're on foot now unless they can gather them all, and that'll take time."

Judging by the saddlebags, she'd also helped herself to some supplies, much of which would help them on their journey. How did she manage to steal supplies, tack a horse, scare the others away and ride out without being seen or stopped? Had the Huntress and her men been that naïve? Maybe they had. It wasn't like people running away from them was a common occurrence. They probably just hadn't thought Ruby would, and she hadn't acted reluctant when they took her. They'd let their guard down and paid dearly for it.

"A shame you couldn't have stolen three – that would have made our journey easier." Taiyang ruffled her hair and took the reins of the animal, leading it over toward the fire. It looked happy to be tethered up, a perfectly obedient and well-trained steed. "If we have it carry our packs for us that'll lighten the load. Did they suspect anything?"

"Nope. I asked loads of questions and acted super excited." Ruby giggled. "I think she was tired of them at the end. When she went to bed, I played cards with the guards and got them drinking."

"They didn't place a sentry?" Jaune asked.

"They did. I set the horses off when he went to take a leak."

That simple? It seemed suspicious given this was a Huntress, but maybe he was overthinking it. They were still people and had no reason to suspect Ruby. "Can we afford to stay here tonight if they're this angry?" he asked Taiyang. "Would it be better for us to push on a little?"

"They'll find us even easier in the light of day if they're looking. Best we camp in the night where we might be missed." He finished tying the horse up, then pulled out a bag of grain from Ruby's stolen supplies and set it in a bag he hooked to the horse's bridle. "You didn't head straight here, did you?"

"I headed back to Moss Creek, then looped around when I was well out of sight. They'll assume I went back there and search the village."

Which would buy them time but might lead them back to Ansel. Jaune bit his lip at that, worried for the sake of his own family. Mayor Leopold knew he came from Ansel, and if Winter cared enough to follow the lead then she might figure out what he was. Hopefully, Leopold remembers that Taiyang and Ruby came from Patch more than he does I came from Ansel. It's Ruby she's looking for after all.

"We'll move on with sunup." Taiyang said. "Come on, girl. You look drenched through. Let's get you warmed up."

They headed back into their shared tent, leaving Jaune outside with the resting horse, the fire and the wind. After a moment of worry, another nervous glance to the horizon and no sign of pursuit, he crawled back into his own tent and under the thick fur covers. With any luck, Winter and her lot would be too busy gathering their horses to mount a proper pursuit, and maybe they'd think one girl with potential not worth the effort.

/-/

Travelling with a horse felt ten times easier and all but reinforced their value in Jaune's mind. None of them rode it but it – or she, it turned out – was strong enough to carry all their packs on her back without problem, leaving Taiyang to walk along with a lead rope while he and Ruby walked on either side of her. The white mare trudged through the snow without complaint, likely used to carrying her master into battle against Grimm and in all manner of places.

He hadn't realised how heavy all their packs were until he was without them, finally able to swing his arms and shoulders and able to walk straight, without hunching forward. The air was still, the wind having died down, and though it was still the middle of winter the sun was beaming down on them enough that it almost felt a little warmer.

Ruby and Taiyang were in fine spirits and not at all upset about having robbed a Huntress. They chatted and occasionally sang – it turned out Taiyang had an incredible voice.

Jaune struggled to come to terms with it himself. Dark Lord or no, he'd been raised in a Goddess-fearing family in a village that was by all accounts devout and loyal. Theft in Ansel more often than not came down to accidentally taking too much of something, the result of which was almost always profuse apologising on both sides, laughter and a drink at the tavern. The community was just too small for it to happen, aside from with children who would naturally steal from one another and just as naturally be punished by their parents for it.

Ansel wasn't strict by any means, but it was too small for crime. If something were to happen, everyone would know who did it, and they'd be dealt with immediately. He had heard that someone had been banished in the past for something or other, but that was before he was born, and no one talked about it. He'd always assumed it was a case of a single bad person, as would naturally happen, and that it had been dealt with. Nicholas and Juniper always instilled honesty and good values into him and his sisters.

Now, I'm associating with horse thieves and on the run from the Huntresses, who have every right to be hunting us down after what Ruby did. Even more right if they figured out who he was, but they hadn't yet and so he shouldn't have been on their list of problems. I would be come spring when news of what I did in Ansel spreads, though. Does it make a difference if I'm known before or after that? It'll all be the same in the end.

It shouldn't, and yet it did, and that felt stupid because he had the Dark Lord inside him. Right or wrong, morality, didn't matter anymore. No matter how hard he tried, he would be an evil person to be hunted down. People would want to lock him up or kill him before he went insane and unleashed the Dark Lord upon the world.

"This is all your fault…" Jaune whispered toward the monster inside him. As always, there was no reaction. "I wish I had nothing to do with you."

"Hm?" Ruby looked over. "Did you say something?"

"Just muttering to myself. Are we headed straight to where Taiyang's people are now, or will we stop at another village along the way?"

Taiyang answered, having overheard. "I wouldn't dare have us stop at another village given what happened. I don't imagine the Church will have the time or inclination to send Huntresses out looking for us over one runaway, but I'd rather not leave a trail for them to follow come spring. We shouldn't be too far off."

"Shouldn't be…?"

"It's not a strict location. They travel. We're headed to a spot I know they prefer during the winter months. They should still be there."

Should. Jaune wondered what they'd do if these people weren't, then cast such thoughts aside. Things were hard enough without adding doubt and misery on top. With any luck, not only would these people be around but they'd welcome Taiyang and Ruby back, then allow him to plead his case. One thing did worry him.

"Are you going to tell them what I am?" he asked. They were, in Taiyang's words, family, and as much as they may have owed him a favour he wasn't sure they'd keep quiet about what he held.

"That's up to you." Taiyang said sagely. "I'm willing to stay quiet."

"You saved dad's life." Ruby said. "That's enough for me."

That was a relief – assuming he could trust them. Nothing about Taiyang or Ruby before had made him think otherwise, but now that they were thieves-? No, he couldn't afford to think like that. The old values he went by just didn't matter anymore. "Thank you. I think I'll try and live normally. I don't want to do any of the things the previous Dark Lords did."

"Wage war against the Goddess, you mean?"

"That." Jaune answered. He didn't even understand why anyone would want to. "I have nothing against Salem-" Pain struck immediately, deep in his head, and Jaune clutched at his face. "B-But he does. Goddess, that hurts. It's like an iron spike being driven through my eye."

"That's a disturbing choice of words…" Taiyang said.

"Yes, I…" He licked his lips and felt his stomach dip. "I think they… I think they were his. I think that happened to him. Once. An arrow, maybe? Or a lance?" It didn't feel right. In his mind, it was slower, more purposeful, and he felt helpless. "It's all a mess. I have… feelings not my own. Memories. Some of them I can pick out and say they're not mine, but some mingle and mix and they're where it gets confusing."

"Does he talk to you?"

"No. Well, once." Jaune bit his lip. "I could swear he said my name when we left Ansel. It was quiet, though. Most of the time… it's nothing. I don't hear him or feel him, he just… hits me with visions. Usually in my dreams." He shook his head violently. "Honestly, aside from if he can keep doing that until I lose my mind, I don't actually see how he can make me start a war with Sa-" He dodged the word, "-the church. Sure, I get headaches when I say her name or hear it, but those aren't enough to make me want to kill people."

"I'm sure the former Dark Lords thought the same." Taiyang pointed out. "I wouldn't know, though. I'd actually heard a rumour there was another Dark Lord out there. He must be a fake."

Jaune couldn't believe it. "What? Why would anyone want to fake that?"

"Power, money, influence." He shrugged. "It happens. Usually, it's bandit leaders or exiles already hated by everyone who wouldn't see any of the downsides. If it buys them fame or makes people back down, it can be useful. The Huntresses still go after them though, so it's not much of a good idea, but then no one who willingly takes that title can be called intelligent, can they?"

"There was a commander in Mistral who did, I think." Ruby said. "General Lagune."

"Aye, him." Taiyang chuckled. "Turns out he said it to improve the morale of his men. Make them believe he had command of the Dark Lord and would use his power to grant them victory. It was all a ruse of course, as the Chosen found out after, but soldiers are ever superstitious folk. If it helped them win the day, I dare say he felt the lie worth it. Not sure if he still felt that way after being exposed."

Power and influence, huh? Jaune wasn't sure who would willingly follow the Dark Lord. Even if they had reason to hate the church, history had shown how futile the Dark Lord's efforts were. He'd been defeated at every opportunity, though in the distant past it was said the battles were closer. A coin's toss. That was before the Dark Lord kept coming back closer and closer to insanity, however. Back in the time of people like Baldric.

It must have been the constant losses that drove him insane. Since then, a Dark Lord was lucky to raise a small force and be hunted down. They were lucky if they were still of sound mind enough to realise their defeat come the end. Most were driven to babbling, helpless wrecks, or so the stories told.

That might well be his fate. It wasn't fair.

"-never wanted this…"

Jaune stopped. Taiyang and Ruby kept going, and Jaune sucked in frosted air. Had that-? No. No, he'd imagined it. Or it was his own thoughts. He'd never wanted this kind of responsibility. Even if that voice sounded different, even if he knew it wasn't his, it had been nothing more than his imagination.

/-/

Huntress Superior Winter Schnee stood with her hands linked behind her back, sharp eyes staring down at the empty bedroll with an unreadable expression. She took in the missing artefacts, little more than tools and food, but, and most painful of all, her own steed. The hot streak of anger that ripped through her body fought off the cold morning but didn't much aid her in dealing with her men.

"I am sorry." The sentry fell to his knees and then his hands, bowing before her on all fours. "I let my guard down and failed you, Lady Schnee, and in doing so failed the Goddess herself. Please, I-I will do anything to earn Her forgiveness."

His fellows stood nearby, watching nervously. It would be easy to blame him, too easy, and that was the problem. "Get up," she snapped, watching the man hasten to his feet. "The Goddess punishes the unfaithful, the treacherous and the cruel. Huntresses are arbiters of her will, not our own. We were all of us taken in and fooled. Your sin was in trusting another to be as faithful as we. The girl showed no signs of being anything but." Heavily, Winter sighed, her breath exploding out in a cloud of frost. "The shame belongs to each and every one of us."

"M-My lady…"

"Thank not me, sergeant. Thank the Goddess."

"Yes!" he said, slamming his fist to his breastplate. "I swear here before you all that I shall do better. In the Goddess' name. By Salem's grace."

Winter nodded and took witness to his oath. He was a good man – they all were – and it would not feel right to punish him for having followed his duty to the letter. His had been to watch for enemies from without, not from within, and the girl had clearly planned her escape from the first. It had taken them the better part of two hours to find their mounts, and only then by virtue of their training. One had returned of its own volition and the others had not spread so far. She knew her own would have come back to her, so its absence could only mean she had been taken.

"What shall we do about the girl, Huntress Superior?" one of the soldiers asked. "Should we make ready to return to Moss Creek? They may know her location. Or her father's."

"No. Were the season better I would say so, but the winter snows will only mask her tracks and slow us. It is one girl, one with talent, but not one worth pursuing. We shall return to the capital, report her flight and carry about our duty."

"Then it was not taken with your mount?"

"I would not dare to let something entrusted to me by the Goddess herself away from my person."

Winter watched as the men heaved great sighs of relief. She could not blame them, for letting a thief steal this would have meant them chasing her across all of Remnant. Winter drew out the small, ebony case that she'd kept in her tent, that she had slept curled up around for its protection. The box was black, inlaid with gold and sealed with a strip of parchment and a stamp baring Salem's sigil in red ink. Winter brushed her hand over the surface of the box and felt the magics stir within.

"Our main duty remains; the Relic of Knowledge has been collected. It shall be brought back to Vale and presented to the Goddess once more. The girl is nothing compared to that. In time, she shall be found and brought to answer for her crimes, but our duty is to the Goddess first, our own wishes second."

"Huntress Superior!" the sentry saluted. "I beg you take my horse as your own and ride her back to Vale. I will march."

"I shall accept your offer but demand you share the burden of such with your fellows. I, too, shall walk a stretch. It shall be our punishment for the complacency we have all shown today. In Salem's name!"

"Yes my lady!" they chorused. "In Salem's name!"

Is it a good or bad thing Ruby didn't accidentally steal the Relic of Knowledge? On the one hand Jaune would have had a chance to ask questions and find out more about Ozma. On the other, they'd have been hunted down with the full force of the church.

Next Chapter: 10th April

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