They were finally nearing Snowmire. After nearly a fortnight on the road, Ruby nearly freezing to death and an avalanche that had come close to smothering them. But that was over and their challenges had fallen behind them.

Although surrounded by the smell of the surrounding forest and the creatures that dwelled within it, the pervading smell of a thriving settlement wafted into the forested valley from a southerly breeze.

The mountain Snowmire rested atop, Mira's End, remained hidden behind two jagged outcroppings from nearby the mountains that surrounded it. Compared to the dagger like mountains that surrounded Nördliche Burg, these ones seemed like mere hills. Though they still towered high into the air, their tips just barely touching the lazy white clouds that drifted above.

The storm clouds that had brewed distantly had never caught up to them, disappearing sometime in the night. Blake suspected the wind had changed direction sometime in the night. Jaune didn't particularly care, so long they didn't find them again and bury them in snow.

"They're called the Fangs." Blake said, breaking him from his awed staring at the mountains they were riding through. "Not particularly original, especially considering they don't really look like teeth, but they definitely look beautiful."

"They are." Jaune agreed, turning back to take in the Fangs once more. He didn't know if he'd ever come back this way, so he figured it would be best to commit the landscape to his memory so he'd never forget the natural beauty that lay here.

"Have you seen any teeth-like mountains Blake?" Ruby asked suddenly.

"Hmm." Blake nodded. "They were smaller than these though."

"Where are they? Maybe we'll see them whilst we hunt down the dragon?"

"I doubt we'd end up in Vacuo, especially if the dragon is as wounded as you say."

"Oh. Yeah."

Things may be a little awkward in their newly formed party right now, but at least they weren't arguing anymore.

"We're close." Blake said, as they passed through the Fangs and began steadily ascending an easy incline.

"A mountain." Jaune realised. "The mountain."

"That's right." Blake smiled, and Jaune realised he'd spoken his thoughts. "We're currently ascending Mira's End."

"Why is it called that?" Ruby asked.

"According to legend, a battle was fought here thousands of years ago between Queen Mira the Cruel and her younger brother, Atlas the First. Mira's army outnumbered Atlas' forces but he had the combined might of the Eastern Tribes and the Icewolf Clans at his back. When it became clear Mira was losing the battle, she cast a spell that turned the field they were fighting on into a mountain. That effort killed her and the founders of Snowmire, who were loyalists of Mira's son, named the village they built in her honour." Blake explained, the scent of human waste growing stronger the higher they ascended the mountain.

"That's...nice?" Ruby replied, wincing when Blake laughed at the response.

"It's original at least." She joked, earning a snort from Jaune and a small smile from Ruby.

They continued onwards for another few minutes, before they finally ascended to the peak of Mira's End.

Tall, gray stone walls greeted them. They were roughly twenty feet high, and the stones jutted outwards, so that Jaune could count them all if he wanted. Due to its position, Snowmire controlled supplies that headed northward to Nördliche Burg. After the Aldermen of Snowmire sided against King Jaqcues in the Faunus Rights War, Jacques had taken down the old walls that faced northward, and rebuilt easy to assail walls in their place. This would make it easier for the Schnee to retake the large town if it were to rebel again, whilst keeping it's southern fortifications strong against external attack.

That meant Jaune could climb the walls if he wanted to as well. But he didn't really want to, on account of the fact Snowmire's town guard had dug a trench at the base of the wall and filled it with spikes.

Even in their defeat, they'd managed to spite their defeators, even if it was in a minor way.

"Ho there!" Greeted one of the waiting guardsmen. There were two of them, standing to the side of the open wooden gate. They wore chainmail with a leather breastplate and pauldrons. The leather was dyed the red and white colours the town claimed as their own, with one pauldron red and the other white, whilst the breastplate was split between the two colours. Emblazoned above the colors were a black crown, a reminder of the town's origins as loyalists to Mira the Cruel and her son. "We haven't had any travelers from the north in weeks!"

"A dragon attacked Nördliche Burg and the Solitas Road was smothered by an avalanche not forty or so miles back." Blake replied, and the guard's eyes widened comically. "May we enter?"

"O-Of course!" The guardsman replied, his comrade nodding emphatically. "We weren't trying to insinuate otherwise, just wondering as to whether something happened up north. Please enjoy your stay, and if I were you be ready for Alderman Richards to summon you. He'll want to know more about this dragon attack and avalanche."

"Of course." Jaune said, smiling reassuringly. "Thank you for the heads up."

The guard nodded and waved them through, telling them of a nearby inn which had a stable for their horses. Jaune thanked them, Blake nodded and Ruby smiled at them as they passed, with Blake leading the way into the town, having visited Snowmire a number of times before.

The streets weren't packed, not at first. They passed blacksmiths and grocers, butchers and fletchers, hunters and lumberjacks heading out to the forest to fell some trees for firewood. Winter was nearing, only three or so months away, and they would be starting to stockpile firewood.

But as they travelled deeper into town, the waste and excrement produced by human settlement could be seen piled against the side of the road, street sweepers trying their best to scrape frozen manure from the cobbled road. After two weeks on the road, the smell hit Jaune's nostrils like an avalanche. Blake and Ruby were affected too, but Blake was hit worst due to her heightened sense of smell caused by her Faunus heritage. It would seem that some of the Faunus' natural advantages also worked against them. The scent of waste mixed with decaying meat. Outside one butcher's, a stack of intestines and bladders and other unusable meat was stacked against the side of the wall, and was drowning in a swarm of feasting flies and half a dozen fat rats. Jaune shuddered at the sight, wondering why anyone would want to visit Snowmire.

But then they rode straight into the thriving heart of Snowmire. The marketplace.

Street vendors yelled their prices to milling merchants and travellers. What had been forged in the smithies they had passed would be brought here to sell, alongside the crafts of dozens of other blacksmiths and artisans, bakers and cooks, hunters and peddlers. The noise was thunderous, as people haggled and bartered, shouting offers and counter offers, prices and discounts, scams and bargains. The pleasant smell of cooked food and freshly baked goods blanketed the marketplace, drowning out the earlier smell of waste and blood from the butchers. The crowd parted before them instinctually, and flashes of vibrantly coloured clothes, from red to blue and violet to yellow, danced by him. A clanging sound filled the air, and Jaune could see a blacksmith making something before a crowd of intrigued looking customers. Carriages and wagons were parked outside a large stone building at the center of the bustling marketplace, and Jaune saw goods and crates being loaded and unloaded, bored drivers leaning and smoking and chatting.

Blake led the way, and Jaune frowned when he saw some glare pointedly at the two furry ears that poked out the top of her head. She deflected the looks with practised ease, and that thought alone made something angry twist and knot in his gut. She shouldn't be used to it, shouldn't have experienced it in the first place.

He rode a little closer to her, hoping to show he was there for her. They may be pretty much strangers, but she was someone who'd helped Ruby and was now part of their party, someone who would help them hunt down and kill the dragon that had tried to destroy Nördliche Burg. In the corner of his eye, Jaune saw Ruby do the same, and he caught a glimpse of a small smile on Blake's face before something caught his attention.

A worker carrying a crate of something stopped in the midst of the bustling crowd, staring at Blake with the look of someone who was shocked at their luck. Surely Faunus weren't that rare around Snowmire?

But then Blake made a right turn into a fairly narrow road. Jaune followed, shrugging off the man's weird actions and following Blake down the street, Ruby taking up the rear of their little procession. Clothes dangled from drying lines. It was a risky thing this close to winter, as the possibility of your clothes freezing was very real. However with the sun still high in the sky it made sense to try and make the most use out of it.

A window burst open, and a woman carrying a bucket poked out. She took a moment to wait for them to pass before she emptied the contents of the bucket out onto the street, which made a sploshing, squelching sound as it hit the cobbled road. Jaune pointedly kept his eyes forward, not wanting to see what the contents of the bucket were, but from the little "urk" that came from behind him he assumed Ruby had.

"It's on my cloak!" She whined and Jaune winced sympathetically, giving his own cloak a quick once over.

"Susan!" Screeched an outraged voice. "You bloody well know it's not six yet you dozy tart!"

"Keep your warty nose out of my business Margaret! John's got the shit's and if you're that desperate to abide by Richards' bloody rules he can bloody well stay at yours!"

"Oh I'm sure you'd like that wouldn't you? Wanting Ol' Tom's boy to sneak in again when your husband's away?"

"Watch it you shrivelled twit or I'll shove your walking stick where the sun don't shine!"

Leaving the arguing neighbours behind them, Jaune, Blake and a saddened Ruby stopped outside an inn. A white bird with thin, long legs danced on the swaying sign outside the inn, with the words The Polite Crane emblazoned underneath in bold white letters. The paint, on both the crane and the name, was faded and one of the windows was cracked, but not broken.

"Jaune come with me." Blake said, swinging off her horse gracefully. "Ruby stay with the horses. We'll try to be quick so you can get your cloak washed."

"Please do!" The girl begged pitifully, staring despairingly at the small splotch of brown liquid staining the hem of her cloak, that she'd taken off and held a few feet away from her.

"Take something you can haggle with." Blake told him. "Preferably something you don't particularly care for."

Jaune nodded and untied one of his bags from his horse. It was pretty much a small pouch, but it was filled with rings and necklaces and other jewelry that he'd taken to barter, whether it be for food, gold or equipment. That reminded him, he needed to go get some armour and a sword from a blacksmith. He was woefully under equipped for their supposed dragon hunting quest.

"Keep it close to yourself. There's plenty of pickpockets and thieves here." Blake warned, and Jaune tucked the sack onto the front of his belt, so that it swayed in front of him. Blake rolled her eyes and he followed her inside The Polite Crane, his imagination conjuring all sorts of images about who and what may lay inside the dilapidated inn.

Then he entered, and felt suitably underwhelmed.

The inn was practically empty. A cloaked figure drank in the corner, and even with his face hidden Jaune could tell from his slumped shoulders he wasn't interested in them in any way, shape or form. In fact, the rhythmic rise and fall of the man's chest indicated he was fast asleep in a drunken stupor. The floors were dusty from lack of cleaning and use, and stained a dirty brown in some places. Other stains seemed darker and duller, and mud and straw dotted the ground. Two other patrons sat, drinking and laughing at one another drunkenly. It was nowhere near the end of the day, so Jaune wondered how they were able to get off from work yet.

But then he noticed he'd lagged behind Blake as he'd taken in the sight of the bar, so he hastened to follow her.

"Well. well, well!" Boomed a boisterous voice. "If it isn't little Miss ,owes me one hundred copper Lien, Belladonna."

"Tukson." Blake winced, as a large man strode out from behind the bar.

When Jaune meant large, he didn't mean it as in a man who overindulged in food. He towered over him and Blake, and his barrel-like arms could probably give Jaune's father a run for his money.

"You better have that gold Belladonna. I don't care about who your parents were and you owe me!" Blake winced as the man jabbed an angry finger at her, crossing his arms across his chest.

"We have money." Jaune blurted, trying to not feel terrified when the man's dark hazel eyes glared into his soul.

"And who might you be?" The man, Tukson, asked lowly and Jaune swallowed nervously.

"I-I'm er Jaune." He replied awkwardly. "It's n-nice to meet you. Uhm. Sir."

The man snorted, his deathly glare turning into one of unimpressed gaze.

"Right. Sure. You can afford to pay off Belladonna's debt?" Tukson asked.

"Yes. I'd also like to buy a room for three. I mean two rooms for three." Jaune replied, trying not to sweat under Blake's suddenly narrowed eyes. "All single beds. And a bath please. Plus room in the stables-"

"Okay, okay." Tukson interrupted, rubbing one hand on the bridge of his nose and muttering something about not being paid enough for this. "I'd prefer it if what is already owed to me is paid before we get down to business."

Jaune nodded, and rooted around his bag before pulling out a handful of jewels.

"What the fuck!" Tukson exclaimed, eyes wide at the sight of glimmering gold and shining garnets, ruby's and emerald's and other jewels that glinted tantalisingly on several well forged rings.

"Jaune!?" Blake cried, eyes wide in shock and horror both. The two other patrons stopped laughing, one dropping their mugs, spilling the drink across the floor.

"What?" Jaune asked, lowering his outstretched arm, glancing between Blake and Tukson worriedly. "I don't have much actual Lien on me and I thought it'd be a good substitute but nevermind-"

"Nonononononono!" Tukson said hurriedly, shaking his head and his hands. "Those will be more than enough to pay off Belladonna's debt. Hell you can have fifty baths as well! Anything!"

"Oh. Okay then." Jaune said, shoulders slumping as he sighed in relief. "I thought I'd done something wrong there for a second."

Blake just stared at him, whilst Tukson took the jewelry and admired it in his palm.

"Who are you?" Tukson asked, and just before Jaune blurted out a fake name, Blake interrupted him.

"Jam-"

"He's Jaune. Jaune Arc."

A Tukson's eyes widened, his head snapping towards Blake, who nodded in confirmation after a moment.

"M-M-My Lord!" Tukson exclaimed, dropping to one knee. "Forgive me for disrespecting you!"

"T-There's nothing to forgive!" Jaune replied, shaking his head and arms in a similar manner to what Tukson had just done. "Truly."

"It is an honour and a pleasure to be in your presence My Lord." Tukson said politely as he stood. "Here."

In his outstretched palm, were about half of the baubles and trinkets that Jaune had given him.

"Please just call me Jaune." He replied nervously, his throat suddenly dry. "And please keep it. It's payment."

"Your family has already done many things for me and all Faunus." Tukson replied, making Jaune's eyes widen. "Take it."

Turning to Blake for guidance, all he received was a nod, so Jaune took back the jewelry and put them into his sack.

"I will attend to your horses My Lord." Tukson said. "Christine! Get three baths ready! Hot water and everything!"

"Calm your bloody horses Tukson!" Came the woman's reply. "I'm on it."

"Hot water and everything!"

"I heard you tosser!"

Jaune looked back to Blake who shook her head.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Jaune thanked Tukson politely, and the man shook his head at Jaune, somehow making the action seem respectful.

"You and yours deserve no less for what you have done for me and my kind." Tukson replied before leaving the bar. Seconds later a flushed Ruby walked in, bare of her cloak for the first time in public.

"Erm, can you two explain why that guy stole my cloak?" She asked and Jaune just shook his head.

"That's Tukson." Blake answered. "He owns the Crane and will be our host for however long we need to stay here."

"Well that's cool," Ruby replied, yawning and stretching her arms above her head. "Did you order that bath?"

"I said I'm working on it!" Christine yelled. How she heard Jaune didn't know.

"Riiiight then." Ruby sighed, plopping down on a nearby seat. "Wanna go shopping whilst we wait."

"I'll stay here and help unpack." Blake said. "You two go look around and try and figure out where we should go looking for supplies. We'll go shopping tomorrow."

Jaune and Ruby nodded at the same time, and Jaune followed Ruby out of the inn.

"I really wanted that bath." Ruby groaned softly as they walked down the street, keeping a wide berth from brown liquid splashed onto the ground from earlier.

"Same." Jaune sighed. "A bath sounds divine right now."

Neither noticed the cloaked figure following them from the inn.