"Hey 'mom', can I ask you something?" *
Weiss narrowed her eyes at Blake and put down her Scroll, displaying the letter she'd been re-reading for the third time. It was nearly perfect. Just the right mix of deniable criticism of her father's handling of the Schnee Dust Company, in order to judge the Board's reaction. But it could wait a few more days.
"Well 'daughter' you know I always have time for you. What's the question?" Her eyes narrowed. "And you look like you haven't been getting enough sleep. Is there something wrong with the bed?"
"No. Well other than the fact that no one keeps the rooms warm enough at night…"
Weiss's eyes crinkled a little at that, "I'll see if I can impress on Klein that not everyone likes to sleep 'comfortably cool'".
"Thanks. But that's not what I wanted to ask." She fumbled in her pouch, pulling out a folded paper. "Do… does this look familiar?"
Weiss frowned as she took in the scribbled sketch. It wasn't very artistic, Blake wasn't known for her drawing abilities. "Are those supposed to be…"
Blake sighed. "Mountain peaks, Weiss. They are supposed to be mountain peaks."
"Oh, well, we can't all be-," Weiss's eyes widened a little and peered at Blake. "Triple Crown. That's Triple Crown. It's a couple hours north of Mantle, by air. About 4 hours by snowmobile." At Blake's questioning look. "My family has a cabin on the Western slope." Weiss's eyes took on a wistful look. "We used to stay there on the odd weekend when Winter and I were kids. Skiing on the slopes, even in the summer. Ice fishing on the lake in the winter." Her eyes returned back to Blake's. "Why are you asking? Did you see a picture of it and just wondered?"
Blake's eyes had been trying to widen, her breathing quicken, but she pushed it down. "Oh… oh. Yeah. I must have seen a picture, and it just stuck with me. That… mountain is impressive."
"Yes. Yes, it is." Weiss's eyes shifted thoughtfully. "If you want, after all the insanity with my father," her grimace spoke volumes, "and the company are done, I can take us up there."
Blake spoke without thinking, "Any chance I could go sooner?"
Weiss's eyes narrowed, focusing directly on Blake again. "Why? I mean there's no reason you couldn't. That area isn't known for Grimm infestations, we wouldn't use it otherwise."
"I just…" Blake thought quickly. "I feel like I could do well with some time to myself. So much has happened in the last year. It seems… like a place where I could take some time to… think about things."
Weiss guessed, wrongly, what kind of things Blake might want to think about. "Ah. Well. In that case." She pulled out her scroll and tapped for a bit. "I've sent you the directions and the access codes. There's a full communications relay at the cabin, and it was always kept fully stocked." She peered at the faunus with an undecipherable look. "You going to ask Yang to go with you?"
"No… no I think I'll go solo this time. I'd… like to take a few days to sort some things out."
Weiss sighed. Those two were going to be the death of her, she was sure. "Well stay away from the areas marked on the map as prone to avalanches. Stay on the foothills or the flats. And for Gods sakes, call in every day, or Jaune will end up on your doorstep demanding answers."
"I will, I will!"
Weiss tapped out a few more commands. "There, I've made a few more notifications that any patrols should be aware of your location too. Just in case. The snowmobiles have emergency shelters packed in, as well as signal flares if you run into any trouble."
Blake hugged her in relief, to Weiss's slight discomfort. "It's just a cabin, Blake."
"I know, but.. I think this will really help."
Saying goodbye to Yang had been more difficult. The blond brawler was strangely awkward about it, and seemed about to say something several times, but kept stopping, before finally putting on a smile and waving her off.
"Go ahead you goof. Get your head straight. It can wait until you get back."
The ride out was relaxing and uneventful, if cold. She had dressed well for the trip, using the guidance Weiss had sent her. She had packed enough food and water for the trip out, in case something went off. Soon she was enjoying the feel of the machine gliding over soft snow, the hum of the powerful motor between her knees, and the feel of the crisp wind past her.
This really is beautiful. It's a shame it's so damned cold, she laughed, recognizing the irony.
She reached the cabin well before noon.
Cabin. Hah. It was a multistory home, big enough for two or three families, with large insulated windows facing west toward the sunset, overlooking a small, frozen-over lake with a surface like glass.
"Wouldn't be surprised if they paid someone to come out and polish it," she muttered.
The code she was given opened the large door to the garage and she idled the machine into it. It was clear that someone periodically cleared drifted snow from that entrance, as well as the walk-up entrances. Dismounting, she closed the door back and was immediately glad for the increased warmth that lack of wind provided. Going through the side entrance, she punched the code again to enter the actual 'cabin'.
It was gorgeous. She felt a pang of… something. Jealousy? Injustice? At how someone could afford this as a "getaway cabin" while people she knew personally had grown up in little more than a shack, or worse. She sighed. "Get over it, Blake. That's how the world works."
Yeah, but Weiss is trying to make it better. And that matters.
She spent some time consulting her scroll and figuring out the climate controls, and confirmed the larder was well-stocked. Soon she had a roaring fire going on in the fireplace, and claimed one of the second floor bedrooms as hers. She took a minute to connect her scroll to the local net, then used the relay.
Jaune's face appeared. "Hey kiddo!"
"Hey dad."
"I see you made it there in one piece. Everything like Weiss said it would be?"
"Yeah. It's pretty amazing."
"Well don't let it get to your head. Got plenty of books to read?"
Blake laughed and picked one up from the bedside table, waving it at the Scroll. "You know it pops."
Jaune's eyes narrowed. "You make me feel older than I am when you call me that. And that's saying something." Blake just quirked a smile. "Fine, fine. Keep us posted."
After she finished the call, she ate like royalty, and then took advantage of the view from the room's second floor balcony.
The air was crisp but with little breeze now. The triple peaks behind her were just beginning to cast their shadow toward the cabin, as the sun moved west through the sky. She could feel the mountains' bulk behind her like a presence as she looked out upon the sweeping vista before her, past the frozen lake. A sea of evergreens, coated in snow, carpeted rolling landscape that gently sloped down and away from the mountains into the west. To the south, she fancied she could make out the faint traces of civilization in the hazy distance. And to the north-
She stiffened.
To the northwest, from her elevated vantage point, she could just make out the icy cliffs of a glacier.
The cold in the air seemed to invade her body suddenly, settling deep in her stomach. Eyes wide and ears peaked, she slowly absorbed what she was seeing before her. Then she slowly turned back to examine the triple peaks looming above her, and back out. Back to the west, eyes straining to find a specific clearing in the forest. She couldn't see it, but…
"It's just like in the dream," she quietly murmured. "It's… there. I can feel it."
Pulling back from the railing, she slowly backed into the bedroom. Casting her gaze around the room, she felt driven. Reckless. "This is stupid," she repeated to herself at least a half dozen times as she grabbed a minimum of emergency gear, stuffed it into a compartment of the snowmobile, and drove off around the lake and to the west.
A/N: *For those confused about Blake (and Yang) calling Weiss 'mom' and Juan 'dad', this a holdover from Coer's excellent fanfiction "Not This Time Fate" and started off as a way to get under Weiss's skin for being so bossy, and ribbing Juane for coming off old and jaded. And then it stuck.