Qrow was rudely shook awake as turbulence shook his bullhead. It had only been a few months of him hanging around the Beacon academy, and it seemed that Ozpin had deployed him on another mission already, and it was to one of his least favorite places: Atlas. After receiving the intel, Ozpin had spent a few months gathering intel on his former servant. With that in hand, he had ordered Qrow to find out more about his plans and why he was there.

"Qrow, do NOT engage." Qrow recalled him saying. "He may not be as powerful as a Maiden, but he has far more experience, and the very ability to use magic, however scant, would have you at a severe disadvantage."

With a sigh, he yawned and stepped off of his bed, pulling out a scroll and taking a look at the dossier on the strange knight which he had gotten before heading out to Atlas.

POTENTIAL SALEM ASSET - ROLAND SCHNEE

SEX - MALE

AGE - ?

THREAT LEVEL - ROOK

SIGHTINGS - ATLAS MAIN CITY - ATLAS OUTSKIRTS - ?

POWERS - A HEAVILY ENHANCED VERSION OF THE SUMMONING SEMBLANCE, ABLE TO MAINTAIN A LARGE SQUADRON OF SUMMONED GRIMM - OZPIN HAS CONFIRMED THIS TO BE MAGIC, SEMBLANCE IS UNKNOWN

Taking all of this in, Qrow got up and stretched inside of the small room, before taking a look at the snow-covered skies outside of the window. During their whole investigation, Roland had been an exceptionally hard target to track. He covered his trail very well, and wherever he moved, it was basically impossible to find him through conventional means. The one lead they had on the man was essentially a lack of technological expertise. He had a scroll, but evidently did not put much effort towards online security. With that in mind, anyone could easily point out a clear trail of searing up "Salem" on the public 'net, and place a tracker on his address.

As he stepped off the bullhead onto the station, Qrow registered his official hunter name and got a snowmobile assigned to him. As he put his scroll towards the vehicle's authentication system, he saw that he had a new signal from James Ironwood:
Hope you like the ride. I've attached a unique IFF signal which is usually reserved for the Ace ops. It should have any of your activities and normal checkpoints within and without Atlas hidden from normal records, and be monitored by me only.

With that, Qrow stowed his weapon on the vehicle, and headed out towards the city limits.

As he approached the approximate location the scroll was last seen at, he decided to leave the bike around. The area was outside of one of the Atlas CCT coverage, and undoubtedly Roland would have his own spectral scouts looking for people approaching. The only thing beyond the snowy field was a hilly area with a thick treeline, which blocked any good vision inside and out. Taking care to stow his bike inside of an abandoned shed beside the main road he arrived by, Qrow shifted into his bird form and flew out.

Approximately 10-20 miles into the forest, Qrow knew he was in the right place. The forest is dark, dense, and covered in a layer of snow. The trees are tall and piney, with branches that reach out like arms towards the sky. Among the trees, Qrow can see large, snow-tinged Grimm walking around openly. They have sharp claws and teeth, and their eyes are filled with a glowing red light. Some of them are felling trees with their massive claws, effortlessly snapping them in two before carrying them off into the distance. Smaller Nevermores, with their sleek black feathers and razor-sharp beaks, glide gracefully around the area, searching for prey. Qrow watches as one swoops down and attacks an unsuspecting deer, digging its claws into the poor animal's eyes and skull before carrying it off into the unknown.

Deep inside of the snowy forest, the icy winds suddenly came to a halt, giving a clear view of what lay ahead. On top of a large hill, there lay a large circle of cleared trees, inside of which was a single tent. At the base of the hill was a large palisade of timber, and leading up to the top of the hill, a large foundation of cobbled stone had been laid. As of now, there was little shack off to the side, but a cursory glance would be able to see that a castle, of an ancient design seen in Mantle's historical illustrations, was being built by the raw supplies being shipped in by Grimm. As Qrow approached the building site, he could see the white knight standing in the middle of the snow, commanding the Grimm to drop off supplies in clearly designated areas. It being the late afternoon, Qrow decided to swoop down further, still disguised by his bird form, in order to observe Roland better. Before he could find a good position, however, he heard Roland call out in a clear voice.

I see you, Ozma's hound. The men of this age may not see as I do, but rest assured, I can see the presence of ancient magic in the air as clearly as you can see me. Given the last disappointment with his two vassals, you have clearly not come to fight. Dispel your form, so that we may talk as equals.

With a surge of arcane power, Qrow appeared as his human form, though he still glared at the strange knight with a not a small amount of animosity. "You've got some nerve to assume that. The woman you blinded was a part of my team. What makes you think I'm not here to take vengeance?"

Roland looked closely into his eyes, and at length he spoke.
"You do not seem like the type to rashly rush into a fight you are not sure of winning, and besides, I took my mark after a fair fight. But enough of this. Ozma would not have sent you here for a simple chat. What message does he have for me?"

"As much as it would've delighted me to lead a team of huntsmen to storm this little compound of yours, Ozpin ordered me to simply learn about you and why you have sworn allegiance to Salem." Qrow answered reluctantly. It pained him to reveal so much to a self-described servant of Salem, but it seemed a wiser choice than to attempt an escape, and leave Ozpin without any intel.

Roland sighed, and gestured inside the small hut built beside the foundations of the keep. "Do you have some time? It seems both our hands are tied on such issues, and I'd rather discuss this with a guest, rather than a captive."

Seeing no other choice, Qrow followed him inside. Before he could enter, however, Roland reached inside the house and pulled out a small bottle of liquor labeled IRONWOOD 13 - ATLAS' FINEST and offered it to him.

"Guest's rights. I am unsure if they are still observed in Mantle-Atlas, but I will hold to the old rites regardless. A drink of warming-water, to refresh oneself from the Atlas snow."

Qrow scoffed, but he took the bottle regardless, and drank a bit from it. "I would never turn down a ritual involving alcohol."

As they went inside, Qrow took a look around the place. The room was small, but everything was clean and well made. There was a bed, doubtless a scavenged mattress, and a small fire in the middle, with the smoke escaping through a makeshift chimney in a thatched roof. Besides the small fire stood a few chairs, the cheap foldable kind one could find in any major city for a few lien. Roland gestured towards two chairs facing each other, and they both sat down, the red-golden hue of the fire casting a dim light around both of them.

As Roland described the events of his awakening, the assault on Schnee manor, and the contact from Salem's assets afterward, Qrow took it all in with a slight sneer on his face.

But even as Roland spoke, Qrow felt a surge of anger welling up within him. He couldn't help but deride the knight for choosing his family's safety over the fate of the world. His words were laced with bitterness and frustration.

"You think you're doing something noble, don't you? Sacrificing the lives of countless others for your own selfish desire to protect your family," Qrow scoffed, taking another swig from the bottle.

"Do you not have a household to look after? Descendants to take care of? What would you do if they were threatened?" Roland replied. "I have found that your master cannot adequately protect those under his wings. I once thought as you did, of course, that Ozma's protection was firm and his word was good. Until one day, it was not. You may realize this until it happens to you and your family, whoever they may be."

At these words, Qrow's voice turned as frosty as the air outside, and he stood up from his chair. "Thank you, Sir. I believe we've discussed as much as we needed to. Now, I trust that I'll be able to leave here safely?"

Roland nodded. "You will have safe passage throughout my territory. Do not show up again. The Queen does not take kindly to open war against her vassals.

With that, Qrow walked outside of the door. As the knight said, none of the spectral Grimm harassed him, and he was able to return out of the forest safely to his snowmobile, still safely hidden behind the shed.

The ride back was somewhat uneventful, leaving Qrow to ponder about the results of the meeting. Roland had touched a nerve about Qrow's relationship with his family, both in blood and in spirit, and Qrow briefly considered asking Ozpin to lead a strike force against this knight. Such a powerful piece on the enemy's board would be problematic in the future, especially one who had such a close relationship to both the head of their little conspiracy and familial ties to the largest Dust dealers in Remnant.

Overall, a bad idea, Qrow. You're letting your emotions get the best of you. He thought. Roland was alone, and with enough force, they could certainly overwhelm him in a fight. However, there were way too many things which could go wrong. He could escape and deal damage in a civilian area, possibly launching another mass Grimm attack in a major settlement. He could leak the existence of Salem, ruining several generations of Ozma's plans. Besides, his "territory" which he had claimed was far out from the heart of Atlas, and as such, logistics and supplies would be extraordinarily hard to sneak over without alerting all of Salem's forces. Better to keep a close eye on the area, and take care to observe any activities from that particular forest. It was not an optimal plan, but it was better to have a foe who is relatively predictable and willing to parley than a more unknown foe.

As Qrow boarded the bullhead back to Beacon, he took a look at the bottle which Roland had offered to him. It was a specialty liquor, one a boozehound like Qrow recognized easily. Such a drink was only sold in artisanal shops deep inside the major cities' shopping districts. More specifically, a quick scan of the label showed that it had been packaged and sold only very recently. This was somewhat disconcerting news, as it suggested that Roland, or his mistress, had assets inside of the major cities, who are able to walk around with enough impunity to do shopping on a regular basis.

As the bullhead landed in Beacon, Qrow sent Ozpin a message to schedule a meeting. As he entered the doors of the headmaster's office, Qrow and Glynda were waiting for him already. James was in Atlas, but his holographic icon showed that he was still present in this meeting.

"Well, Qrow? What news do you bring?" James asked.

Qrow took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he recounted the events of the meeting with Roland. His voice held a mix of frustration and concern as he spoke. "Roland is a formidable adversary, there's no denying that," Qrow began, leaning against the desk in Ozpin's office. "He made it clear that we cannot underestimate him, nor his ties to both Salem and the Dust dealers in Remnant." Glynda nodded, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. "We must approach this situation with caution," she stated firmly. "A direct strike force may not be the wisest course of action. We need to gather more information, find their weaknesses, and strike when the odds are in our favor." Ozpin sighed deeply, his gaze fixed on the window overlooking the Beacon courtyard. "I once believed that we could protect those under our wings without fail," he murmured. "But as Qrow said earlier, sometimes even those we trust can falter." His voice held a tinge of disappointment, his weary eyes reflecting the weight of his responsibilities. "Roland's connections are troubling, and the fact that he has managed to establish a stronghold so close to Atlas is a cause for concern. But rushing into a full-blown attack without a comprehensive plan would only lead to unnecessary casualties and potential chaos." Glynda, her expression as stoic as ever, stepped forward, her voice laced with practicality. "Perhaps it would be wise to establish occasional liaisons with Roland," she suggested. "We could send small teams to gather intelligence discreetly, assess his activities, and identify any vulnerabilities we can exploit." Qrow raised an eyebrow, his skepticism evident.

Ozpin's eyes flickered with contemplation as he listened to Qrow, Glynda, and even James' holographic projection. The concerns were valid, yet the threat posed by Roland and his connections could not be ignored. He knew that a delicate balance had to be struck, one that would allow them to gather information without triggering a full-scale conflict.

"I agree with Glynda," Ozpin finally said, his voice steady and measured. "We cannot simply rush into an attack without knowing our enemy's true capabilities. Roland has proven himself to be cunning and resourceful, and we must tread carefully. I think the best course of action will have to be keeping a few tabs on him. Reaching out will show our hand to Salem, and so will leading a strike force. Unless he makes a direct move against us, we will wait for his. James, send a few drones and guards in the area, but do not engage. Qrow, keep searching for the Maidens. If Roland had genuinely turned against us, we'll need something we know can take him down."

James and Qrow chafed a bit at the decision, but Ozpin had the final say. With that, the small council dispersed, each with a plan on what they ought to do.