The sky was radiant with twilight colors, the clouds starkly grey against its lume. A breeze rustled the trees that sloped up a small mountain behind them, a feature which followed the road ahead of them for a good distance. There were other mountains on the opposite side, with flats and fields of at least a few miles separating it from the road. It was a titchy half-valley compared to the bowl that Bergwand had been, and the end of it could be seen along the road as it arced away, with the mountain to the right diminishing as it went along. The flats were covered in oranging grass and small trees that were skeletons against the light.

They had pulled up in a small gravel layby. Qrow got out and headed towards the trunk. Schwarz and Hoffman had followed him out almost instantly, both stopping to talk.

'Keep an eye on him.' Hoffman said.

Schwarz went to the back of the car and looked on as Qrow opened the trunk and started rooting around in his bag.

'Keep away from Jonas's rifle please Qrow. We can't have any of that.'

'Don't worry buddy.' Qrow pulled out a journal from his bag. 'I just need a moment to myself, that's all.'

Schwarz put his hands in his pockets and grinned. He saw Qrow skimming over a block of text on the page before he pulled a pen from the bag and closed the trunk. Qrow's dream from after he had arrived at Jonas' and the one this evening had been the first time since waking up that he had felt anything coherent.

Leaning on the back of the trunk, he began writing on a fresh page. Hoffman, seeing that Schwarz was attending to watching Qrow, had returned to stand by the driver's seat and lit a cigarette. Jonas stayed in the car but seemed to be listening to. Every moment or so Qrow paused before carrying on writing. He was quickly getting through the page. He seemed to stop for a moment, and Schwarz stepped forward a little.

'Writer's block?' He said.

'No.' Qrow said, gritting his teeth. 'I'm just trying to remember. It's a dream I had just now.'

Schwarz raised his eyebrows.

'Fascinating things aren't they, I can't blame you for wanting to keep them. Especially in your predicament.'

'It's not really that I want to. They don't make much sense, but Mauber said it would help.'

'Mauber?'

'The local Doctor that Jonas took me to who helped.'

'I see. Were you two able to figure out much about your situation?

'Only that there's nothing else like it. He talked to his colleagues, his buddies at universities. All of them said there was nothing like my condition they'd ever seen, and none of them could explain.'

'That must have been troubling. But you've made the right decision coming with us, and I hope we can help.' He glanced out at the sky and the twilight sheen for a moment. 'I appreciate that I may have sounded a little perfidious with all the talk of winning the war earlier. But you'll be briefed when we get to where we're going, that is very much what's happening.'

'I'm still struggling to understand how winning the entire damn war comes into the remit of the interior ministry. Doesn't make a ton of sense.'

Qrow and Schwarz turned around. It was Jonas, who sat on the edge of his seat with the door open.

'Jonas.' Schwarz said. 'We were just talking about dreams.'

'You have another one?' Jonas asked Qrow, who nodded.

'But yes, the Interior Ministry.' Schwarz said to Jonas. 'We come from a joint effort, Jonas. It was best for us not to tell you until we left town.'

'Joint with who?'

'That can wait.'

Jonas scowled. The whole day had been this runaround of information being unclear and forbidden, and it was getting even more frustrating.

'But don't worry, we're about six hours out now. I bet you'll recognize it as we get closer if you've traveled through there before.'

'We were driving east for two hours and north for the past hour, that I know. I don't know this road exactly but I'd we've been skirting the occupation zones at least a little bit. I hope you're not planning on driving through Poland in you're, um, capacity as state officials.'

Jonas managed a half-snide smile.

'We're not leaving Germany and we haven't left Germany. And as state officials, we've avoided every security measure in this area. Any checkpoints or police activity we've been allowed to bypass. That's because our journey is important. Just how important you'll learn when we get there.'

'So let's get going then.' Hoffman chimed in, dropping his cigarette butt. 'I'm done.'

'He's right. I hope you were able to remember your dream Qrow, They're hard things to get a grip of sometimes.'

Schwarz smiled and got back in the car, leaving Qrow and Jonas alone for a moment.

'What was the dream?' Jonas whispered to him.

'Just as weird as the last one. I was in the bar, the one where I ran into that kid, the same night I pissed off your neighbor. A few other people are there talking around me, but then the barman comes up. Offers me a drink and then he like, chides me for refusing. Then everyone in the bar surrounds me and the kid's there, the one who gave me that weird message. It's like he thanks me for leaving Bergwand, then I wake up.'

'You don't remember anything else?'

'Nope.'

Jonas curled his lip and leaned on the side of the car, then he whispered.

'I don't know what it means. Probably makes sense why you saw that since that was weird what happened with the kid, but I wouldn't dwell on it too much. There's not too much we can do about what comes out of our heads, I guess. Just keep doing what Mauber said if it helps.'

'Hurry up fellas.' Hoffman said as he started the engine.

'Don't let it get to you.' Jonas said, slapping Qrow lightly on the side of the arm.

Both of them got back in the car, and they were off again. The further they went the more the night came in, and before long it was completely dark. The only light coming from any buildings and towns in the distance and from the headlights. For the next while, the road was still on high ground and still skirted the edge of a mountain. Until they turned off onto a single-lane road shrouded by trees on either side which canopied the road. Qrow craned his head around to see the larger road disappear behind them.

'Seems a little treacherous.' Jonas said. 'I'd usually avoid these roads.'

'It's out of the way, and I wanted us to be cautious. Don't worry, we'll be out before long, then it's a straight shot and we're there.'

Gazing out into the trees, Qrow couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Yet at the same time, he was drawn to the outside. It was a similar feeling to what he had felt after he had woken up, to being drawn down the mountain and to find answers. But this time it was only cursory. For most of the rest of the ride, all of them were silent. Jonas must have been hesitant to ask anything else with all the trouble both men had gone to avoid giving anything away. He must have been beginning to fall into the same kind of acceptance that Qrow was. To the surprise of both of them appearing in the apartment and taking his weapon, they hadn't done anything threatening. Even in the time he had been with them before Jonas returned. Qrow remembered how they had knocked at the door and said they were from the government before asking who he was.

After hearing that Qrow had been hesitant to try anything on account of their interactions with Voigt. They had been cordial, and there had been nothing to suggest they were about to mess things up. They had all just sat down in the living room and Qrow and barely five minutes later Jonas had burst in. On playing it all back in his head, Qrow turned to look at Jonas, then to Hoffman and Schwarz. Hoffman was focused on driving and Schwarz was glancing at them in the mirror every now and then.

'Hey, uh.'

'What's up?' Jonas asked.

'Sorry, I let them in like that.' Qrow said, his voice hushed. 'I should have waited for you. But when they said they were from the government I just didn't want to stir the pot. Being on their records and all that. If I knew what you'd think I would've kept them at the door.'

'Thanks, Qrow. If anything it's their fault for thinking they could let themselves in, or maybe even mine for not letting you know my full feelings on the government. But it's done now, and we've agreed on what we're doing here.'

'That's right. And besides, it all kind of happened pretty quickly when they arrived. They said were from the government, and I guess I wanted to err on the side. It's not like I could lie to them about who I was. All they asked before you showed up was if this was where you lived, and I told them that.'

Jonas smiled.

'Indeed. I'd say we've made a good team thus far, everything considered.'

'I mean, yeah. We've survived a bear attack and the police together.'

Qrow chuckled, not trying to lower his voice anymore. Hoffman glanced at him in the car mirror as he did.

'Don't count Mauber out of those. But what I mean is you'll come to value being in a team when it comes to stuff like this, trust me. It's just good we can agree on things. And for some reason, I feel like we've still got a way to figure out who you are, so it's important to be working together.'

'Yeah, we'll see how it goes. Here's to the team.'

Qrow extended his hand for a shake, and Jonas took it.

'Naturally.'

Qrow took a look outside the car again.

'I'm gonna get some more shut-eye. Wake me up when you think we're getting close.'

'Sure thing.' Jonas said.

Nestling his head back into the corner of the door, Qrow let his eyes shut again.

...

'Qrow.'

Jonas was shaking his shoulder trying to wake him.

'We're here, I think.'

'Where?' He asked, still waking.

'Danzig, which from the looks of things is where we're ending up.'

'Danzig?'

'It's a city in Prussia, right next to the occupation zones. There was a sign back down the road. I've never been but I wasn't expecting they'd bring us here. I thought it'd be in Dresden or deeper into Poland or something.'

'Maybe that's a good thing. At the same time, occupation zones don't sound too friendly. What's up with that?'

'I know, but there shouldn't be too much to worry about. They're parts of Poland and Czechoslovakia controlled by our government, jointly garrisoned by Free German and Soviet troops—hangovers from Nazi territory and concessions as part of the negotiations at the start of the war. The Russians wanted certain assurances after all the Nazis did to them in the last war. Krushchev is no Stalin but he still wanted his security. If anything it makes up for how little land we have in Germany itself; the border and our side of the front stops far out from Berlin in the North. We have a little in the south, but as I told you, only up to Munich.'

'I know, I've seen it in your books. But I didn't know that's what they were. Poland was highlighted in the middle and the USSR extended right up to them.'

'That's right, but I'm guessing you couldn't read what the occupation zones were.'

'I mean, more like vaguely understood than read. I still can't read German.'

Jonas smiled slyly, but his face quickly receded to focus.

'Anyway, focus up, we're getting closer.'

Hoffman and Schwarz were engrossed in their own chatter and hadn't noticed Qrow and Jonas talking. As they drove, some houses with lights on flashed passed the window. And in the distance was the unmistakable silhouette of low-rise buildings clumped together, dark against the clouds. Despite the lateness of the night and the empty roads, Hoffman seemed to be making an effort to keep a fast pace. Before long, the buildings around them became larger, and the country landscape became more obscured.

'There, look.' Jonas said. 'Danzig.'

A grey, metal roadsign showed the city's name clearly in white:

"Freie Stadt Danzig

Das Herz Ostpreußens"

'The Heart of East Prussia.'

'Is it though?' Qrow asked and Jonas laughed.

'Not really. Danzig was independent between the Great War and the last war. When the last war started the Nazis took it and kept it until the revolt and the start of this war. Our government gave the city its rights back and it's been outside the occupation zones since.'

They were among the buildings now. Qrow rolled down his window a little for some coolness as Jonas spoke. The unmistakable scent of sea air lingered in the air. While Qrow couldn't recall ever experiencing it before, it was comforting nonetheless. In the faint light of the street lamps that were on he could make out the facades of the street; deep but almost pastel colors and shades on the medieval buildings, which were also scant of the fine lines of any of the modern buildings he had yet seen. Few people were out that Qrow had seen.

'I've got a feeling that whatever they're doing here they might not be able to get away with anywhere else. I'm guessing they wouldn't have to abide by any restrictions in Germany or the occupation zones, right?.'

Jonas looked at him before turning away slightly, playing it over in his head.

'I didn't think of that. I mean I can see it but when they talk about winning the war like they did I don't see why it wouldn't be in Dresden, or London, or America. One of the old allied capitals, somewhere farther away from the Nazis.'

'Good chance we're about to find out, look.' He pointed towards the windscreen.

They had obscured their conversation from Schwarz and Hoffman, who had been looking out the front and hadn't seemed to notice their hushed conversation. Hoffman had taken them into what seemed like the outskirts of the city, having driven through the medieval streets of the old town already. The streets here were still dark and quiet, but at the end of the road they were currently on, Qrow could make out faint sight of lights clustered together. As they got closer it became clearer; it seemed like a hotel or a cluster of hotels.

A turning at the end of the road they were on allowed a flattering view of what looked like the main building. It was several stories taller than the surrounding buildings. The light, still exuberant against the rest of the otherwise darkened city, came from flashing and alternating bulbs in displays along its double-sided facade. Beneath this were the entryways, glass rotating doors with conventional ones next to them. As Hoffman pulled the car around Qrow got a better look at the people; two or three liveried doormen in red uniforms, and a larger number of men and women in dinner dress smoking and talking, as well as one or two other members of staff pushing trolleys through the adjacent doors. The entire building tapered onto the street corner, where above the road on the facade, its name was illuminated in even more bulbs: Sobieskiego.

The road continued on either side of the corner where the sign was space for drop-offs, and Hoffman pulled the car into the right-hand space. Qrow saw Schwarz eyeing the people standing outside before turning to Hoffman.

'I'll book us in.' He said in German.

Hoffman raised his eyebrows quickly in response, his gaze drifting to one of the red-uniformed doormen. Schwarz left the car, and the three of them were left alone in silence. Jonas bounced his leg. Suddenly Hoffman turned to them.

'I don't know how long he'll be. But when we say, you get out and follow me. Don't stop, don't talk to anyone. Just follow us through. There'll be some checks you need to go through. Understand?'

'Yeah.' Qrow said.

'Of course.' Jonas said.

Hoffman turned back to surveying the outside, and the both of them exchanged another look. For five minutes or so they waited until Schwarz strode back through one of the revolving doors.

'We're good, come on.' He said.

Hoffman glared at Qrow and Jonas as he left the car, reinforcing his warning. Both of them followed him out and shut their doors.

'You take them in, I'll take this around.' Hoffman said to Schwarz over the top of the car.

'Come on.' Schwarz said.

Jonas went first and Qrow behind him, but they had barely made it to the doors before someone came crashing through them, stumbling about and mumbling in Polish.

'Jezus! Je-he-hesus, och, to miłe. To miłe!'

The man was jacketless, and his untied bow tie looked like it was about to fall from his neck. He stumbled to the ground, his arms like mesh as he crawled around on the pavement in front of the door. Noticing them, he looked up and grinned.

'Jest tam strasznie gorąco. Potrzebuję tylko chwili... Herr Schwarz!' He said, his eyes lighting up as he darted to his feet. 'Perfekcyjne wyczucie czasu. I-oh. Apologies, more Americans I see.' He smiled at Qrow and Jonas. 'I don't usually like these things but I could use your help, there's this guy in here-'

'Later.' Schwarz said, smiling and shifting past the man. He gestured to Qrow and Jonas behind his back to follow.

'Wha- okay, later.' The man said, clicking his tongue and flimsily shooting Schwarz a finger gun.

They filtered through the revolving door. Schwarz seemed to be following the seriousness of Hoffman's warning to the two of them only cordially, as he swept around dramatically and spread his arms a little before speaking.

'Welcome to The Sobieski.'

His flourish implored them to give the lobby a look. A few more people dressed up for whatever event was going on were standing around and chatting in Polish around what was a deceptively large space compared to what could be seen from outside. Everywhere there were doors the outside that were open, all the way along both sides of the lobby. The floor and walls were a shiny, light-copper-colored stone edged in matte red that shone like marble but couldn't have been. The same stone made up the reception desk, which was manned by only one person but looked as if it had space for three. The name of the hotel was written on the front in a script that flowed more than the sign outside. And each side of the reception desk were two sets of elevators and spacious hallways between them and the desk leading onto what must've been the rest of the ground floor, from which the faint sound of music was coming.

'You'll have time to look around later, I'm sure. But this way for now.' Schwarz smiled and began walking to the right.

Qrow noticed them attracting some looks from the partygoers. The three of them had rings under their eyes from the long drive, and Qrow especially looked the most underdressed in his plain t-shirt and dark boots. Jonas at least had a button-up. But they were soon away from any prying eyes as they made their way along the hallway farthest to the right, parallel to the wall.

The lobby had a soft atmosphere, but the lights seemed to grow even dimmer as they progressed. Where the doors to the street ended a heavy wood-paneled door marked the end of where the hallway was connected to the lobby. They followed Schwarz through. Here the floor was carpeted in maroon, but the same marble continued to make up the walls. Along those walls were framed paintings, spaced evenly except for where there was a door. All of them were cubist-looking blocky-colored pieces. Qrow admired them as they walked but was quickly dissuaded as Schwarz turned around to them again, having stopped next to another elevator finished in the same marble as everything else and edged in gold.

'Now, here we are. This:' He pointed to the elevator. 'Is the proverbial and literal threshold for both of you. You agreed to come to Qrow, and in return, we agreed to help you get your memories back, or help you find out who you are at least. That promise isn't going to be broken, I assure you. But when we have you keyed into what it is we do here is where things change.'

Qrow winced. The both of them had been itching to find out what was going on for ages now, and being on the cusp of finding out was daunting. That and the allusions Schwarz seemed to be making were vague.

'How?' Qrow asked. 'You've already told us what we're in for, winning the war and all that.'

'We have, but becoming a part of that comes with conditions.' Schwarz leaned on the wall next to the elevator, crossing his feet as he did. 'By becoming part of this effort you're entering into a contract, there'll be papers for you to sign and everything. And once you agree, you'll be becoming privy to information which the Nazis will kill for, and which we'll kill to protect. Understand that if you desert, leak any information, leave before the contract is through, or anything of that sort, we can and will take disciplinary action.'

'So we're in this for the long run if we say yes.' Jonas said.

'Until the war is one. It's just like a service contract in the army.' Schwarz said, smiling. 'But remember Jonas, in our view you're not the essential one. Qrow is. And once you're signed on there's no turning back. If you want go now's the time.'

Jonas was silent for a moment.

'I've made up my mind.'

Schwarz looked pleased and daintily pressed the elevator button, all the while keeping his gaze fixed on the both of them.

'Let's do it then.'

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Qrow felt his stomach knot.