At long last, Jaune and Ruby will finally go out into the field. They finally have training and it's time to see what the world has to offer. As a reminder, this is a slow burn, so you'll see plenty of training during their adventure. There was no way I was going to skip it all and have them return to Beacon super strong. Where is the fun in that? It's time to show how Jaune grows through Qrow's unorthodox training. Poor Ruby though, what Qrow had instore for her was designed to get to the root of the problem.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

"You look awful," Yang said to her sister over the Scroll. The sun had finally started to set, ending the day and Ruby was laying down on her temporary bed in Manny's house. There were a few bruises on her skin and it was obvious she didn't want to move. "Grimm fighting that rough?"

"We haven't even left the city yet!" Ruby whined, her entire body arching.

"Oh?" Yang raised an eyebrow as Weiss looked over from her desk. They were in Team RWBY's dorm, but Yang got first dibs to talk to Ruby. "So Uncle Qrow's training takes its toll?"

"I'm not even getting training right now," Ruby huffed. "We spared a bit, sure, but now Jaune's getting most of Uncle Qrow's attention."

"Jealous?" Yang chuckled then grew serious. "You know he needs more training than you though. It's only natural for him to focus on Vomit Boy." She reverted back to his nickname after Ruby let slip about the Bullhead ride.

"I know…" Ruby sighed, knowing she was being kind of selfish. "I guess I thought training would be… more hands on?"

"What does he have you doing?" Yang couldn't resist her curiosity. "Must be hard if you're this beat."

"He's made me…" Ruby leaned back and moaned loudly. "…chop firewood."

Silence followed her announcement.

"…What?" Ruby's sister wanted to make sure she heard that properly. "Could you repeat that?"

"Uncle Qrow forced me to cut firewood all afternoon!" Ruby wailed. "With a dull axe! Like, big logs and I had to sit there and chop. They didn't want to break and now my arms are dead!"

Yang just stared at her with Weiss face palming in the background.

"D-Did he say why you had to do that?" The words finally left the blonde's mouth, as she struggled to respond to the surprise training.

"Strength training," Ruby growled. "I'm apparently too weak in hand to hand combat, so I need to build up my physical strength. Like I need that!" Ruby stuck out her tongue. "Crescent Rose is a Grimm killing machine and I wield her perfectly!"

"Ugh, I've told you before you need to do at least a little bit of strength training," Yang reprimanded. "You can't rely solely on Crescent Rose. Shoot, even Weiss does strength training and she's as thin as a reed."

"I do… hey!"

The heiress spun towards them, glaring at Yang for her backhanded compliment.

"I don't go for large bulging muscles like Yang does, but more lithe and toned ones," Weiss clarified. "Same as Blake." The raven haired girl on her bed nodded without looking over. "Still, we do build up some. Arc may be a liar and a cheat-…"

"Weiss, remember what we talked about?" Yang interrupted and Ruby opened her mouth to do the exact same thing.

"Er… Arc is behind the rest of us due to his history." Weiss amended, looking like she swallowed a lemon. Ruby knew she was forcing herself, but the young girl deeply appreciated it. "He needs more attention."

"I know that," Ruby admitted, feeling awful about her reaction. "It's just that it's been forever since I got to see my uncle. Maybe I was just hoping he would train me like before."

"He probably will," Yang pointed out encouragingly. "Once Vomit Boy learns the basics, he can turn his attention to you. For now, you're doing the basics in another way."

"Ugh, I probably won't be able to pick up anything tomorrow." Ruby flopped her useless sore arms in front of her Scroll for emphasis. "Other than that, not much to report. Once we leave the city, I probably won't be able to call you guys as often as I like. Pleeeeeeease avoid fighting if you can. We're all a team and I know it's awkward having all these chats over our Scrolls, but we'll get through it. Better than ever."

"Love the optimism, Ruby." Yang laughed. "Nothing new to report here either. It's only been a day."

"Eh hem." Weiss faked coughing.

"Oh, right." Yang rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as she almost forgot. "There was that."

"There was what?" Ruby asked curiously.

"We were wondering something," Yang's tone lost any sort of cheerfulness, instantly putting Ruby on edge. "Why didn't you tell us Pyrrha was the one who told Ozpin about Vomit Boy's transcripts?"

Ruby stiffened up and didn't immediately respond.

"Well?" Came Weiss' harsh follow up.

"How did you find out?" Ruby asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Nora spilled the beans," Yang answered. "It explains all the tension on Team JNPR. Blake noticed things were off, but we all kind of expected that after their leader left."

"It was more than that when we saw Nora and Ren sitting separately from Pyrrha," Blake supplied, finally looking up from her book. "That was an unusual sight. The tension between them was palpable and wasn't adequately explained by only Jaune's transcripts."

"So why didn't you tell us?" Weiss pushed again.

"Because… it wasn't my place to tell anyone," Ruby said at last. There was one thing she learned over the last two days since this mess started. Some stuff was personal and there were reasons people didn't share secrets except with those close to them. "Did it really matter who told Ozpin?" None of her team replied so she took it that they agreed. "It was something personal between them. The fact it happened is one thing. That was another issue. Jaune already got hurt by Pyrrha telling his secret to Ozpin. I wasn't going to talk about that anytime soon."

"I guess that makes sense," Yang agreed, looking over her shoulder and Blake and Weiss. "You got a point. It doesn't really concern us who told."

"Can you tell how things are progressing with Jaune's team?" Ruby asked tentatively, not liking what she was hearing. Jaune didn't get a chance to call Nora and Ren yet. By the sounds of things, it was probably better that he doesn't.

"Tense." Blunt and to the point was Blake's style.

"Pyrrha did the right thing," Weiss sniffed in disdain. "Nora is just acting childish and Ren is following her lead because they are childhood friends."

"Would you like it if someone told your personal secrets to your father?" Blake asked, her eyes squirting slightly at the heiress.

"I didn't do anything illegal though," Weiss protested. "My father would overreact to some things, but only because they go against what he wants, not what the law says."

"They've been arguing about this on and off most of the day," Yang whispered to Ruby. "Nothing really big has come from it. They stop before things get too heated."

"Please step in if things get bad," Ruby begged. "Words hurt and they might say things they don't mean. If any of you need to talk, I'll be happy to do it privately when I can."

"We know, Rubes." Yang smiled. "Be safe out there. Follow Uncle Qrow's instructions and don't do anything stupid."

"Coming from you?" Ruby couldn't help giggling.

"Yeah, coming from me." Yang repeated with a grin. "That's why you know it's important."

Weiss and Blake shared a few parting words and then Ruby hung up. It took most of her strength to put the Scroll back on its charger on the bedside table. The girl had been completely serious about what Qrow had made her do. When he first told her that while he was teaching Jaune a few sword drills she would be taking one of the axes from Manny's shed and chop wood, Ruby thought he was joking.

Turns out he wasn't.

The grin that man wore when he handed the axe to her was the picture of a villain.

"Why does Manny need so much wood?!" Ruby fumed. "His house is powered by electricity!"

Chopping wood had been so much harder than TV made it look.

You don't just swing the axe down and the wood breaks. No, you have to position your hands at the right place and as you swing, slide one hand down to let the circular motion guide the axe head. It took a lot of tries to get the timing down and even then, most of the wood wouldn't break. That only frustrated her as she kept swinging trying to cut the seemingly endless pile of logs. Again, why did he need so much wood?!

Ruby wasn't even allowed to use her Semblance to pile up the pieces she did break. Qrow told her to walk them over to the cut pile outside the back of the house. Carrying the heavy wood around made her legs hurt along with her arms. If she carried them only one or two pieces at a time, it was taking too long and her uncle reprimanded her.

"I want to do combat training like Jaune." The girl huffed into her pillow.

The second those words left her mouth, she felt horrible.

Jaune wasn't here because he wanted to be. He was on this journey because life used him as a punching bag. His parents didn't even try to train him, his partner gave him up to Ozpin, and now to achieve his dream, he's participating in a risky apprenticeship. Ruby had a choice and she chose to come. Any discomfort or pain was directly due to her conscious decision. Besides, it wasn't like Jaune had it easy. Qrow was a pretty strict teacher when he got into things. As proof in the way he beat them both up while sparing.

The boy took it all and continued, no matter how many times he fell.

"He's been working hard," Ruby muttered. "I can't be a child. I'm an adult! I drink milk!"

Forcing her weary legs off the side of the bed, Ruby wobbled to the window and looked out. The sun may have set, but there was still an orange glow on the horizon. Stars were appearing in the sky along with the broken moon. The porch light of the house flickered on, which lit up the backyard, revealing a single person standing out in the open.

Jaune stepped forward, swung his blade, pulled it back, and then stepped forward with a jab, keeping his shield raised.

"He's still at it…"

While she had been chopping and carrying firewood, Qrow had been side by side with Jaune, showing him the basics with a sword. It was essential he got started on it. Any bad habits were quickly drilled out of him, usually with a rap of a blade against skin. A little pain helped enforce the importance. It was not pleasant training at all, but it had been more interesting than her own. Right now, he was just repeating the same basic 1-2-3 combos Qrow wanted him to memorize. The sooner those became second nature, the better.

"Jaune really has a lot of stamina," Ruby was impressed at her friend's endurance. "He's been doing these all afternoon and not even tired. It's so cool how determined it is." She slapped her cheeks. "I need to work hard too. Regardless of what I have to do tomorrow. I'm going all out."

The girl didn't know she made a small assumption that turned out to be untrue.

Jaune's stamina had reached its limit long ago.

He was being fueled by pure determination.

'Everything hurts!'

The blonde's muscles were on fire. His arms wanted to collapse, his fingers threatened to release his blade, and his legs were shaking. Yet the boy continued to practice, going over each sword exercise in order, exactly as Qrow taught him. Never drop your weapon, keep your shield up, stance firmly planted, and attack as if your life depended on it. When fighting Grimm, it did. Each time he swung his sword, his muscles protested, but that didn't stop him. Pain couldn't be allowed to stop him at this point. Each of these rotations was designed to work on his muscles, basic technique, and stance. All of which were lacking.

There was no time to slack off.

When he finished his last set, Jaune turned and stumbled over to a water bottle Qrow left for him. The man had vanished to go run some errands once he was sure Jaune knew what to do. When he returned, he verified that Jaune was still doing it correctly. Getting there had been tough and just seeing Qrow raise his sword caused some PTSD within the boy. The bruises on his arms and legs weren't just from the sparring that morning.

"Time flies," Jaune muttered to himself, guzzling down the sweet water. It was incredibly refreshing, even being warm from being out in the sun. "Didn't even realize it was dark. Hope Qrow isn't upset with me." The man had told him something important before leaving.

'Keep practicing these sets. That's your only assignment today. When you stop is up to you. I'm not a babysitter. If you don't practice enough, you won't improve. Practice too much, you'll burn out. Identify your own limits and work around those.'

"Another lesson of his," Jaune realized. "He really does teach while at the same time acting all nonchalant. No wonder Ruby speaks so highly of him. I might have pushed myself a little hard, but shouldn't I try to break my limits? The main character always does that in comics when things get tough."

As much as he tried to joke, he knew that was something he shouldn't try to do. Comics were not real life and over the last couple of days, he had more than enough life lessons for the year. Still, his body was telling him enough was enough. Any longer and he wouldn't be able to feel his hands. Sighing to himself, he dragged his broken and weary body back inside, looking forward to that warm bed. Ruby was probably asleep, as that poor girl had to cut firewood.

"Heh."

Jaune couldn't resist chuckling when he recalled her expression after Qrow told her to do it.

The sheer horror and disbelief was just downright hilarious.

"Wonder if she's still up." Thinking about it, it was probably better she wasn't. "Shower and sleep. Thank god we have beds tonight." He pushed open the back door and trudged slowly in, ignoring his complaining body.

"Kid's been working hard."

The words left Qrow's mouth the moment the backdoor shut. Unknown to Jaune, the man had been laying on the roof watching the boy practice.

"He knows his limits too. That's rare for someone in his position."

When Jaune didn't come in with Ruby, Qrow figured he was going to have to step in. Children didn't always know when to stop. Sometimes out in the field, you didn't have the luxury to stop. Safe inside a city? You needed to be able to know when enough was enough. Being anxious, angry, depressed, and whatever other emotions a teenager would have in this situation, they normally don't think straight. They run on pure adrenaline. The desire to improve would make them overextend themselves. If Jaune got an injury on the first day, their entire schedule would be screwed.

Qrow had been keeping an eye on Jaune's training and Aura.

"Why are his Aura reserves so damn high?" Qrow muttered to himself. "A normal brat would have given up hours ago. He only stopped when the fatigue finally reached the breaking point. His instincts seem to be spot on. Damn, Ozpin. Is this why you let him into Beacon? You saw his potential?"

These questions led to another one.

'Why the fuck did his parents refuse to train him?'

It didn't make sense.

"Family sucks."

That was something he knew all too well. There was no point in dwelling on negative thoughts like that though. Both of his wards actually surpassed his expectations. Jaune knew his limits and was able to focus on his swordplay. Even when exhausted, he kept his form. That was the main point of that exercise. No matter how tired one was, you couldn't just let your guard down. New fighters had that problem.

With Ruby, Qrow kind of expected her to just give up after an hour of cutting wood.

The girl also exceeded expectations. She not only continued all afternoon, but she was trying to improve while doing so. Her form had been awful, but Manny showed her a couple tricks. The rest was trial and error. While Qrow was working with Jaune, he caught Ruby glancing over at them. Seeing her look longingly at them made him feel like shit. Of course he wanted to help her improve, but he had to prioritize training right now. Physical build up could be done solo but technique really needed a teacher.

The good thing was that after he left, Ruby had seen how hard Jaune was working and refused to quit herself.

"Proud of your squirt." Qrow grinned and reached into his pocket to pull out a folder flyer. Unfolding it, his eyes skimmed the notice. "Both of your brats actually. I guess it's time for the next step. Nothing beats real field experience."

The next morning, neither Jaune nor Ruby were budging from their beds, even as the sunlight poured in through the window. The pain from last night only intensified and both of them just wanted to lay there all day. Sleep was the best way to heal an exhausted body after all. They were going to maximize every second of the warm soft bed while they could. Qrow's warning about roughing it in the wilds still hung over them.

Neither of them noticed the door quietly creek open and Manny stepping into the room.

Wearing a grin no one wanted to see that early and holding two metal objects, his intentions were not innocent. There was a pan in one hand and an iron rod in the other. Tip toeing silently between the sleeping children, he raised both items.

"WAKE UP!"

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!

"AHHHHHH!" Ruby screamed, falling out of bed.

"I'm up!" Jaune cried, jumping out of bed and tripping over the rug, causing himself to crash into the wall.

"Breakfast is ready and you guys have work to do today!" Manny roared with Laughter. "Hurry up. A Huntsman has to be able to wake up early."

"You're sooooo mean!" Ruby cried out, pulling her bruised body up from the floor.

"Live with it, lass." Manny turned and headed back downstairs. "The wilds aren't like this. Prepare to be up most of the night watching for Grimm attacks. You got the best night of sleep you'll have in a while."

Jaune gulped at the ominous pronouncement.

"They make the life of a Huntsman sound so pleasant." The boy grumbled, trying to lighten the mood. Ruby's giggle proved that he succeeded at least a little. "You feeling okay, Ruby?"

"Everything hurts. You?"

"Same. I don't think we have enough ice packs this time."

"Is all of our training going to be this bad?" Ruby wondered out loud, as she trudged toward the bathroom.

"Is it really that bad?" Jaune began to stretch while waiting his turn. If he loosened up his aching muscles, maybe the day wouldn't be too bad. "We wanted to learn from a Huntsman and improve. I have to learn the basics while you're already into the advanced lessons."

"If advanced lessons are chopping firewood, what's the expert level? Refilling Uncle Qrow's flask."

"No, no, no." Jaune shook his head. "We have to make the alcohol for him. Grind the grain or whatever they do to make that stuff during our free time."

Ruby snorted, blushed at the noise, and rushed into the bathroom to shower, slamming the door behind her.

After the two kids got washed up, they slowly made their way down the stairs. Their muscles were still hurting even after a hot shower. So anyone watching them would have a laugh as they flinched with every step and how they walked like they had a limp. By the time they got downstairs, Manny was already sitting on the table, eating some toast.

"Took your sweet time," He commented. "Going to be this slow on actual missions?"

"Body… hurts… stairs… evil." Ruby moaned, slumping down into her chair.

"Stairs… worse… Grimm…" Jaune agreed and then looked around. "Where's Qrow?"

"Sleeping on the couch." Manny jabbed a finger in the direction of the passed out man. He was indeed on the couch, snoring lightly, an empty flask on the floor next to him. One arm was over his eyes, the other dangling over the edge. "Must have been at the bar. Can't blame him too much. Not a lot to do out here."

"Why does he get to sleep in!?" Ruby demanded wanting to stomp over and throw a glass of water on him like Yang does. Her body said nope to that idea though.

"Because I'm on vacation when not out in the field." Came the muffled reply from the couch. Turns out Qrow had been awake. "Not my fault you two need to learn to wake up earlier. Manny volunteered to help with that."

"He helped with that all right." Jaune grumbled, reaching across the table and grabbing some bacon. "A little too well."

The man in question roared with laughter, as the two tired aching kids glared at him.

"Better get used to waking up the moment the sun rises, because you can't waste a second of daylight out in the wilds. Traveling at night is dangerous and slow. You only do that when you absolutely have to."

"I have a feeling you two are using these lessons to have fun messing with us." Jaune muttered under his breath and Ruby began to nod in agreement. The attitude was more because of the soreness, but he didn't honestly believe it. Qrow and Manny were professionals, right?

"Maybe a little bit." Qrow yawned, finally getting up and staggering over to the table to sit down. "Brightens up my morning at least."

Ruby's cries of indignation were ignored as he grabbed some food.

"Er… So what are the plans today?" Jaune asked nervously. "More training drills?"

"Nah," Qrow leaned back in his chair, waving his hand dismissively. "Doing the same things gets repetitive and dull. The basics, sure, but I saw you last night. You drilled those sets into your body hard. Now's the time to see if they are sticking."

"Sticking?" Jaune repeated, confused.

"It's one thing to do those sets by yourself," Manny explained. "It's another to remember those lessons in the middle of a fight."

Jaune's face paled.

"Are… we going to spare again?"

Qrow's eyes twinkled in amusement at the fear in the boy's expression.

"Why? You want to?"

"Well…. that is…"

Jaune definitely did not want to spar, but at the same time he wanted to improve. Pain from the previous day was still warning him about what would happen. If Qrow decided they needed to spar, he was going to do it regardless. His resolve was revealed thanks to Qrow's taunting and there was no way he was going to stop now. Even if he was told to jump off a cliff, he would do it.

"You're planning something, Uncle Qrow." Ruby realized. "I know that look. It's the same one you have when dad says no to you and you do it anyway."

"You caught me, Squirt." Qrow reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "This is today's agenda." He smoothed out the flyer and slid it across the table for the two students.

Wanted: Grimm Exterminator

"Turns out a Beowolf was spotted northeast of town," Qrow told them as Jaune and Ruby read the information. "I decided this would be a good first mission for you two. There's also a small reward. That will help with travel and lodging fees."

"One Beowolf?" Ruby questioned, looking crestfallen. "Is that it?"

"Just one was spotted," Qrow repeated. "Might be more hidden and arriving. Part of the job is to figure out if that's the case."

"Yes!" Ruby fist pumped.

"It's fine that you're enthusiastic lass, but this isn't a picnic," Manny warned. "A Grimm this far in without a warning from the smaller towns on the border is a problem. Beowolves are pack Grimm. Finding a single one is rare. There are usually only two reasons why that is."

"What are they?" Jaune asked nervously.

"The first is that the rest of the pack was wiped out by someone," Manny held up a finger as he talked. "As there wasn't any news on that, I doubt this applies here. The second is a scout. Beowolves are known to send one of their packmates to investigate new areas. If left alone, the entire pack might move in and take it over. The last thing this city wants is a group of Grimm terrorizing workers outside the city. You three may be used to killing Grimm, but lumberjacks, traders, craftsmen? None of them are. They are the ones whose lives are at risk."

Ruby suddenly looked embarrassed. Beowolves were not very strong Grimm and she's been able to kill groups of them for years. Shoot, she could trip and fall and still kill one. This is something she trained for all her life. Because of that, it was so easy to just forget that most people couldn't do what she and her team at Beacon could do.

Jaune on the other hand looked serious. He knew exactly what it was like to face a Grimm without the training people like Ruby and Qrow had. The fear Grimm inspired wasn't something civilians should experience. Not everyone had a powerful team who could always protect them if they needed it. Yes, he knew he was weak and it was thanks to his team he got as far as he did at Beacon.

'Not any longer. I can't rely on everyone else to bail me out of a problem. It's just a Beowolf, not a Death Stalker. You can do this!'

"When are we leaving?" Jaune asked, steeling himself for what lay ahead.

"Soon as we're done eating," Qrow answered, looking pleased. "Though, I recommend stretching to loosen your muscles. The first couple days are going to be tough for you two. All the hard work I'm putting you through is exercising some of your lesser used muscles. They are going to hurt and stiffen. Stretching will help avoid any damage and let you move better."

"Yeah, I did a little bit of that before making the journey downstairs." Jaune admitted.

"I should have done that," Ruby groaned. "Never thought stairs could be so evil."

"Hey, lad." Manny leaned over and whispered to Jaune. "Document when that girl utters her first curse word on the field. Qrow said she doesn't cuss at all."

"She doesn't," Jaune whispered back in a low voice. "I don't think she ever will."

"Just watch for when it happens. You'll be surprised."

Jaune seriously doubted that. Yang and Qrow swore a lot, but Ruby hated bad words. She even told him of a swear jar back home Yang had to donate a Lien every swear wood she uttered. It's how Ruby financed Crescent Rose. He still remembers her explanation why swearing was wrong.

'Bad words make people feel bad.'

That girl was just so innocent sometimes. Still, she was his best friend and he wouldn't trade that for anything.

Once they finished breakfast, Qrow ran them through some stretches, which were difficult, but nothing too tiring. They had a mission to complete and had to be combat ready. After they finished, Jaune had to admit his body felt better. Still hurt of course, but he could move without feeling stabs of pain with each step. Walking through the city also helped ease his body back into the routine a bit. Looking over at Ruby, he could tell the girl was feeling better too.

"I got to stop inside and let them know we're taking care of this," Qrow told them after stopping outside a large government building. "Wait here. This shouldn't take long." Ruby and Jaune were fine with this, as neither of them had experience with government officials, choosing to relax on a bench outside.

"Are you excited?" Ruby asked, unable to contain her own eagerness out of her voice. "Our first real mission! And after only one day!"

"Yeah…" Jaune's throat was dry. "I hope I'm ready."

"It's going to be cake, Jaune." Ruby assured him, patting him on the back. "Beowolves are easy. You fought a Death Stalker. I bet you won't even be afraid when you see it."

The boy was pretty sure she would lose that bet, but remained silent. Instead, wanting to focus on something else, he decided to change the subject.

"Did you call your team last night?" The blonde remembered Ruby mentioning during one of their breaks she was going to. "They haven't killed each other yet, right?"

"Nah, Weiss hasn't tried to rule with an iron fist yet," Ruby giggled. "When that happens, Blake will call to let me know that Yang has started a rebellion."

"Who do you think will win?"

"Blake. I'm sure she'll play both sides."

They shared a laugh at the thought and then Ruby sobered up as she had a question she wanted to ask.

"Did you get a chance to call your team last night?"

There was a pause.

"No." Jaune shook his head. "I was too tired and collapsed right when I got to bed. Nora might be a little upset with me because of that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "If we kill the Beowolf, I'm sure that will make it up to her. I might have to embellish the story for her to be satisfied though."

"Nora has an active imagination." Ruby admitted.

"Yeah, but she's a really good friend," Jaune pointed out fondly. "Even after everything that happened, she still wanted me to be her team leader. That kind of trust and honestly on her part… you don't see it much. Most people would have wanted me gone."

"You deserve to be a Huntsman," Ruby told him sternly, crossing her arms and trying to look stern. "We talked about this Jaune. Don't put yourself down."

"I wasn't…" Jaune protested. "I was just saying Nora was standing by me like you did during that time."

"Good!" Ruby seemed satisfied. "Now, when we get out there. You're going to kill the Beowolf."

"Me?" Jaune pointed to himself in disbelief.

"Yep!" Ruby poked his arm. "If there's more, I'll help thin the numbers, but you're going to kill one. Build up the confidence."

"Okay?" Jaune really hoped he could. "I'll try."

"No, you will!" Again, the girl poked him, but this time in the chest. "Say you'll do it."

"I'll kill a Beowolf?"

"Louder! And more confident!"

"I'll kill a Beowolf!"

"That's the spirit!"

The two kids spun around to see Qrow leaning over the bench, grinning at them.

"Love the confidence, but try to keep your voice down," the man warned. "You don't want to cause a panic. Some people might freak out if they hear about Grimm nearby."

Ruby looked around and saw a couple people looking at them. Her face flushed and she hid in her cloak, which Jaune knew was like her security blanket. When she got embarrassed or worried, she would hide under the hood. It was adorable, but at the same time, he knew the feeling all too well. It was like after his transcripts got out and everyone was whispering about him. Of course he wanted to hide, but he had to act like it didn't bother him.

"Are we ready to leave?" Jaune asked, turning their focus onto the more important topic.

"All set, brats." Qrow told him. "When you're in a town doing jobs, you should always register. It helps them know who all is out in the field. If something happens to us and we don't return, at least the city knows something big is happening. Our primary job is to protect people, and we can do that even if we can't make it back." He must have noticed the looks on their faces. "Not that it will happen this time. It's just in case the worst situation does happen. I've told you before. This is training to learn what it means to be Huntsman and Huntresses."

Both kids nodded quietly.

"Well then, stop being so somber and let's go." Qrow sighed. "You kids need to stop fretting over small stuff."

'Try to keep your spirits up.'

Manny's words made a lot more sense now. If they continued to fret about the possibility of dying, they wouldn't be able to enjoy the present. The dose of reality being dumped on Ruby might be a little much for her. They were heavy for Jaune and he had just had a major fight with his partner over the same topic.

"How long do you think we'll be out there?" Jaune asked, disrupting the silence between them. "Do you know how to track the Grimm?"

"I was thinking of dangling you from a tree," Qrow replied with a grin. "Thrash around a lot and you'll make good bait."

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby punched his arm and laughed. "Don't be mean."

"Hey, at least I'll be useful." Jaune replied, deciding he might as well try to keep his spirits up.

"Good, you can take a joke." Qrow smacked him on the back. "I was worried I'll deal with a bunch of cranky kids the entire apprenticeship. If I wanted that, I would have brought Yang."

"She would not be happy camping." Ruby agreed.

"No showers, shampoo, hair conditioner, humid weather," Jaune listed off. "Yeah, she would definitely not." They all knew how much Yang cared about her hair. Touching it was a crime worthy of being punched through a wall. A punishment she was more than happy to administer.

"I'm not sure if I should be worried you know all those details." Qrow muttered.

"I have seven sisters," Jaune answered. "It would be weird for me not to know at least that."

"Seven?" Qrow gaped at him. "Fucking hell." Ruby flinched. "How did you survive? I have one and that was bad enough."

"It wasn't too bad except for the bathroom situation." Jaune shivered at the memory and then laughed. "You get used to it though. From the horror stories Ruby told me of Yang, I was pretty lucky."

As Qrow and Jaune were talking, Ruby felt a huge smile form on her face. Jaune was cheering up and getting along with her uncle. Not only that, they were going on their first mission to help people. Sure it was a simple quest, but as Qrow and Manny said, it was an important one. Every Grimm they killed was one less that civilians had to worry about. It was time to begin her career as a Huntress!

It was easy enough to leave the city and Qrow led them to the edge of the forest about a fifteen minute walk away from the wall. The man stopped and checked his Scroll for a moment.

"This is the place," Qrow informed them. "Okay, so now that we're away from anyone overhearing us, I'll tell you what I learned."

"It's still just a Beowolf right?" Jaune asked.

"There have been multiple sightings," Qrow ignored his question. "Three different people saw the Beowolf over the last couple days. The guy at the town hall was happy to hear we are taking this up. When a Grimm sighting takes too long to deal with, people get anxious. Negative emotions intensify as people get nervous about what's happening outside the city and wild rumors spread. You know what that means?"

"Negative emotions attract Grimm!" Ruby answered proudly. "People get scared and that just draws in more Grimm."

"Exactly." Qrow beamed at her. "Cities do their best to keep the main populace happy to some degree. Keeping the true nature of Grimm movements and populations secret is a common thing. Imagine what would happen if people knew how many Grimm truly lived beyond the walls of a city? Entire forests are uninhabitable due to the sheer number of them. As Huntsman, we push them back when they get close and try to clear out new areas when possible."

"Then let's get started!" Ruby began to rush toward the forest but Qrow grabbed her cloak.

"Woah there!" Ruby's legs comically ran in midair as her uncle held her up. "Do you even know where to begin?"

"I was thinking I could just… run ahead and scout with my speed?" Ruby answered, her cheeks red.

"You could I suppose, but what are the problems with that?" Qrow continued.

"I… don't have scouting experience?" Ruby guessed.

"Good, you're learning." Qrow turned his head toward Jaune. "What about you? What problems are there with her running ahead?"

"If she gets into trouble, we won't be able to help her?" Jaune tried to reason. "Her speed means she'll be way ahead of us. If something happens to her, she won't be able to tell us."

"Good, you two get it." Qrow let go of Ruby and she fell on her butt. "It's good to be eager Squirt and there may be times when I'll have you scout ahead, but you need to learn the proper procedures. Such as, how do you let us know where you are and what you found out? Not every area is accessible by Scrolls. Here, that shouldn't be an issue, but if it was, what then? Think first. Out here, we can't just call for backup."

"Sorry."

Ruby looked at the ground with the expression of a puppy being scolded. Jaune had a hard time resisting the urge to hug her. Qrow felt the same way, by the way he scratched his cheek and looked at the sky awkwardly, almost like he was embarrassed.

"Hey, you're learning," The man told his niece. "It's your first mission, so it's natural to make mistakes. That's why I'm here, to correct them." He looked around at the trees. "There's no sign yet of any Grimm, so we're going to have to go further in. Now, here's what we're going to do. Scrolls on, locked to each other's frequency. This way, you'll be able to instantly contact anyone if something happens."

He pointed to Ruby.

"I'm probably going to have you scout soon anyways. You can handle a Beowolf by yourself. Even if there's a dozen, you shouldn't have any issues."

"Yes!" Ruby fist pumped.

Jaune pursed his lips and tried not to look downtrodden. Ruby was just that amazing and he knew it. Qrow must have noticed him though.

"For now, we stick together until we find a clue of some kind." A yawn escaped his mouth. "The forest is huge, but learning to track Grimm is an essential skill. You'll get some hands-on experience. If we can't find anything by this afternoon, Squirt? You're going to scout since you can cover a greater area than we can."

"Understood!" Ruby mocked a salute.

"What do Grimm signs look like?" Jaune asked as the three made their way into the forest. "Similar to normal animals?"

"No one's seen a Grimm shit before," Qrow replied absentmindedly, not noticing the young girl behind him make a face. "So look for gouges in trees, foot prints, those kinds of things. You two will get used to looking for signs real quick. If you know a Grimm is in the area, you won't let your guard down. Not that you should ever let your guard down outside a city… blah, you know what I mean. Just keep your eyes out."

They entered the forest and spread out a bit. Close enough to be able to assist if any ran into trouble, but far enough away that they lost sight of the others often. Their Scrolls were locked to one another, so a quick look could tell any of them were the others were. Jaune kept glancing at his nervously, noting Ruby and Qrow's position. This was his first time out on his own. His eyes kept darting between the trees, expecting something to jump out at him.

"Stop being paranoid!" Growling to himself, the boy slapped his cheeks. "You know what you signed up for. Pay attention to your surroundings and remember your training." The little he had. "It's just a Beowolf. Just a Beowolf."

Repeating that multiple times didn't really help.

"Ugh… I'm so bored!" Ruby's voice came over the speaker. "Please let me scout ahead."

"It hasn't even been ten minutes." Jaune answered.

"Ten minutes is a lifetime for her," Qrow explained. "You're going to have to learn some patience, kid."

"But there's nothing here!" Ruby paused with the sound of rustling bushes. "Just shrubs and a couple birds."

"Keep an eye out," Qrow sighed. "Jaune, anything on your end?"

"A couple tracks from a dear or something in the mud, but nothing that looks like Grimm." Jaune replied. Not that he really had a good idea of what Grimm tracks looked like. Claws and things, sure, but what about other types of Grimm? Types he never saw before. Hopefully, Qrow would be the one to warm them in that situation.

The old man yawned as he waltzed through the woods alone, barely taking in the scenery, letting the kids do most of the work.

Several questions were running through his mind as he walked. Distracted, but not unguarded, so even if he was attacked, any normal opponent would be done in with a single swing of his blade. His thoughts weren't on the Beowolf. That wouldn't be a problem. There was another issue on his mind.

'What should I do to train Ruby?'

Training Jaune wasn't that hard. He needed the foundation and that was something Qrow was used to drilling into students back at Signal. The only difference was how much time they had. Pound the basics into the boy's head and then have him fight Grimm every day. Eventually, the foundation will solidify and he'll be ready to move on. Experience is the best way to train after all. Not sitting in a stuffy old class all day.

But how did you train someone to gain patience quickly?

A conundrum indeed.

"Man, Oz really pulled the rug out from under me, that bastard." Qrow scratched his head. "Whatever, I'll focus on her physical attributes for now. Maybe when she's tired out, she'll use her head more. Seriously, if we just fused those two brats together, they would be the perfect warrior."

His eyes darted to his Scroll.

"Ruby!" He called out to her. "Where are you going?!"

"I think I saw something up ahead!" Came Ruby's response from her Scroll.

"Damn it, Squirt! Don't rush ahead."

"I'll be quick and report back!"

"Don't be stupid!"

Jaune meanwhile, was listening to all of this coming out of his Scroll.

"Ruby!" He called out when the line went silent. "Ruby! Qrow! Anyone! What's happening?!"

There was no response.

That… was not good. Jaune was alone, in a Grimm infested forest, with no idea what happened to Ruby and Qrow. If they ran after a Grimm, that shouldn't have cut the connection. Was something else happening? He couldn't even see them on his Scroll. It was like they just vanished. Instincts told him to turn around and head back to the city.

The moment that thought entered his mind, he shook his head violently and then punched himself and the face. He was pissed that he would even consider it. There was no way he was leaving the two people who believed in him like this. Danger wasn't even evident yet. For all he knew, there was a bug in their Scrolls.

"Ruby!" Jaune called out into the forest. "Qrow? Where are you? What's happening? Someone?! Anyone?!"

No response came back and his heart sank. Things just kept getting worse and it was harder to be optimistic. His hand gripped the handle of his sword as his pace quickened toward the direction Ruby and Qrow had gone. Officially, Qrow had never told him to retreat. Abandoning Ruby, while the girl was capable in her own right, left an awful taste in Jaune's mouth.

"Grrrrrr…"

Instantly, the boy froze and spun around.

From behind a tree, a black furred creature was standing up. It looked like the cross between a human and a wolf. Pitch black fur covered its large body. A white mask with red markings covered the wolf like face and top of the snout. Razor sharp teeth were plentiful as the creature licked its lips. White bones jettisoned out of its back and arms. The claws on its hands and feet were made of the same material.

It was the Beowolf.

Jaune and his incredible luck found it.

Along with that, as his luck would have it, he was alone.

"Why me?" Jaune moaned.

At his words, the Grimm turned to face him. Glowing red eyes took in the boy's appearance and it almost looked like it was grinning. Maybe it was just hungry after a nap and the blonde looked delicious. Jaune had no idea.

A mighty claw slashed through the air as the Beowolf attacked without warning.

Clang!

Jaune couldn't even remember drawing his blade or shield, but it was already in his hand. Not only that, the shield was raised, catching the attack before he even realized what happened.

'What the hell?' The boy noticed his sword in his other hand, already raised in the first position. Was Qrow's training really that effective? Without thinking, he brought the blade down against the Grimm.

Dark blood dripped onto the grass.

Buried into the Beowolf's shoulder was Jaune's sword.

The boy's eyes widened.

This was completely different than in practice. The feel of metal hitting bone, the sound of flesh being severed, the way his blade got stuck…

That was a huge problem! Jaune wasn't used to pulling his sword out of a body. The practice sets Qrow drilled into him was still fresh in his mind, so that's how he was able to react. It was just when swinging and then pulling back, there wasn't resistance. With the Beowolf actually being cut, he had to pull the metal out. Maybe that's why Qrow was so adamant about swinging with all his might. If he cut through the Grimm, this wouldn't have been a problem.

The Beowolf roared in pain and clawed at him with its good arm.

"AHHHH!"

Jaune yanked his sword out of the Grimm and stumbled back. With the added force of the claw hitting his shield, he fell backwards, hitting the ground hard. The Beowolf didn't stop and already slashed down, aiming for his chest. On pure instinct, imagining those claws were Qrow's blade that left a lasting impression, Jaune rolled to the side and sprung to his feet. Shield was already raised and sword back into the first position. The claws dug into the group where he had been a moment before.

'Was that it?'

Sure, the Beowolf was strong, stronger than a normal human. Compared to Qrow's sword, the Death Stalker at initiation, even Cardin's mace in combat class? Its speed was nothing compared to most of his former classmates, Ruby especially.

'It's a basic Grimm, but it's really that weak?'

Fear was being replaced by disbelief as the boy circled the Grimm. The creature was on all fours, circling along with him. The two of them locked eyes and Jaune refused to lower his shield for a second. If he attacked now, he would have to over extend, something Qrow was quick to point out in their spars yesterday. The secret was to let it come to him and then counter with everything he had.

The lone Grimm was impatient.

With a savage growl, it leaped, clawed arms extended.

Raising his shield, sparks flew as the sharp bone collided against the metal. The weight of the charge was heavy, but nothing he couldn't handle. Pushing back, it was the Beowolf's turn to stumble. It was off balanced and Jaune knew this was his chance. Raising his blade, he sliced diagonally downwards with all his might.

The weapon's keen edge sunk into the shoulder of the beast and kept going…

Emerging from the thigh on the opposite side.

The red eyes faded into nothing as the two halves fell to the ground with a thud. Jaune just stood there, looking dumbstruck. His gaze kept flickering from his sword to the monster's separated body. With one good blow, that was all it took, he killed a Grimm.

"I… did… it…" The raspy words escaped his voice. "All by myself… I DID IT!" He raised his sword triumphantly. "Ruby! I took out the Beowolf!" The girl was too far away to hear him. "Nora… Ren…? I know you aren't here, but I did it. I killed a Grimm all by myself. When I return, I'll be the best leader I can be!"

Shaking his head as the euphoria wore off, there was something else he needed to do.

"Now to find what happened to Ruby and Qrow."

A branch cracked behind him and he spun around, raising his shield instinctively. His eyes widened as he saw another Beowolf emerging from the trees.

'Beowolves are pack Grimm.'

It seemed like Manny and Qrow were right. There were more than just one. Gritting his teeth, Jaune got into position. If it's one on one with these Grimm, he should be fine. The Beowolf's red eyes fell on him and it howled.

Jaune's heart sank.

Rustling noises from around him began to grow louder. As his gaze slowly took in his surroundings, two more Beowolves emerged. Both of them were eyeing Jaune as the three Grimm entrapped him. This was not boding well. He hadn't learned how to fight multiple enemies at once. The set he learned was for one on one.

"Qrow!" Jaune yelled. "I found the Grimm and there's more than one!"

There was a chance the old man heard him. At the very least, he and Ruby wouldn't be unaware. For now, he had no choice but to fight. Running wasn't an option right now.

Raising his shield and sword, Jaune took his position.

Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.