Yang sat still, waiting for her friends to speak. She had admitted to letting Yin escape and that he did commit the crime of killing Sage. Yang reluctantly went to their dorm room, explaining to her teammates, Juanes and Suns, the whole story.
They sat in silence, all grim faced and deep in thought. Sun took a deep breath and was the first to speak. "Yang, it's ok." He spoke softly and with understanding.
Everyone, including Yang, looked up at him in shock. "What?" They said in unison.
Sun gave a small smile. "I understand. It would have been hard to betray someone you care for."
Yang sighed in frustration. "It's not like that! We were enemies." She had no idea what else to say.
"Are enemies." Blake corrected.
Yang gave her a look.
Sun made a nod movement, then looked at the others. "Come on guys. Yin did hurt us, but he made an impact on Yang. We can't blame her."
Weiss sighed and looked at Yang. "He's right, sorry for blaming you." She gave Yang a warm smile.
Ruby looked out the window at the night sky, with a serious expression on her face. Yang understood the look, and admired Ruby's skilled huntress abilities.
Ruby turned towards Yang, her eyes deep in thought. "Here is the question: What information was Yin after? And why does Salem need it?"
"Perhaps we should check which spots he's been seen at, and what information has been stolen. If it was a physical item." Ren said, giving off an aura of someone who knew many possibilities.
Pyrrha nodded in agreement. "We should report this to Professor Ozpin."
Sun clapped his hands together. "Okay then. We can do this, you guys. We are fierce hunters and huntresses. Defeating Grimm and criminals is our job!" His voice was thrilled, lifting his hand in encouragement.
"We must prepare for war." Scarlet spoke up, voicing their worst fears.
Yang clutched the necklace that Yin had given her around her neck. She would prepare for the worst.
Team Ruby retold the story of Yin's behavior and secrets that they knew about to Ozpin. But he didn't act surprised.
Ruby whispered to Weiss. "Why isn't he shocked about this?"
Blake looked at Professor Ozpin with raised eyebrows. "You already knew?"
Ozpin gave a polite smile, placing his elbows on the desk and resting his chin on his palms. "Yes. I had already suspected that the young student Yin was a spy."
But why didn't you arrest him then? Yang asked in disbelief.
Ozpin sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I needed intel to know what Salem is trying to discover, and he was the perfect person to use."
Weiss raised a hand, stopping any further conversation. "Wait. What do you mean by 'use'?" They looked at him, waiting.
With a secretive smile, Ozpin rose from his chair and walked around the desk. Looking at them as he spoke. "I gave Yin some fake information to go off on, so that I could set my own plan against Salem."
Ruby stepped forward. "What was she after?"
"How many people in this part of the country have silver eyes. And if we have the Summer maiden." A voice spoke behind them.
They turned around and Ruby gasped. "Uncle crow!" Ruby said excitedly,
Crow smiled lazily. His clothes reeked of alcohol, with some scratch marks. He looked like an abandoned cat from an alley way.
Ozpin looked towards Crow, speaking authoritatively. "Did you see anything?"
Crows gazed at Ozpin. His voice was husky from a lifetime of intoxication. "Yin has stopped closer to the Grimm-infested forest, and he is being cautious in case he is being followed." Crow nodded and took out a flask, muttering to himself. "Smart kid."
Weiss sighed and looked at Ozpin. "Can you explain, please?" She whined.
The professor nodded in understanding. But before he started to speak, Ironwood came through the door. "Crow and I have been tracking this student Yin for awhile. We left Yin with the impression that we didn't have the whereabouts of where the summer maiden was." Ironwood held himself tall, a military soldier ready for orders.
Ozpin looked out the massive window in the room. "We have to protect that younger lady. We have givven her a safe, remote place to live in"
Yang crossed her arms over each other. "So, for how long have you been tracking Yin?" She asked.
"For a year now, roughly the amount of time he had been working for Salem." Ironwood said.
Weiss placed her hands on her hips. "Why is he even working for her?" She asked cautiously.
Crow answered first. Scratching his short-cut stubble. "We aren't entirely sure. But he doesn't have any family. That's all we know for now."
Yang looked to her feet. She felt a pain from hearing that, but shook it away. She wasn't going to feel sorry for him.
Ruby turned to Opzin again. "I have a question: what information did you let Yin take exactly?" She said in a serious tone.
Ozpin looked towards Crow and Ironwood, a silent conversation passed between their eyes. The girls waited.
Ozpin stood in front of them and placed his hands behind his back. "I could not hide the fact that you have silver eyes, Ruby." He looked at her, his eyes telling her the dangers that would come. "You are the only silver eyes person in this entire world as I know of."
Yang looked towards Ruby in alarm, fear crawling across her spine. "So, Salem is after Ruby?" She looked at Ozpin, afraid.
"Yes, but her main goal is to get to me." He said in deep thought.
Why did Blake ask?
Option looked up at them, clearing his thoughts. He smiled sadly. "That's not something you girls should know about."
They wanted to ask more, but thought it best to take what they could get. The professor turned to Ironwood. "Prepare your soldiers and position them in the forest's edge."
Ironwood nodded and left.
Ozpin signaled Crow's attention. "Crow, I need you to prepare the students and assign some to help protect the townsfolk."
Crow sighed when his bottle of whisky ran dry. "Well, here we are. This is it." He gave his two nephews a reassuring, silly smile and winked.
Yang looked at Opzin with a frown. "What are you preparing for?"
Opzins lifted his glasses, getting their full attention. "For war's sake."
The next day, at midnight. It was quiet, as if an abandoned ghost town.
All the students at Beacon Academy had been told about the upcoming danger that's lurking toward them.
Many were not surprised by Yin's betrayal, which made Yang realize the truth.
All of the teams at the school were gathered across the place, some positioned in town. At the docks. And out in the country side. Ironwood soldiers were at the ready in the forest, being the first ones to take out the most dangerous Grimm.
Yang breathed in deeply, her gauntlet at the ready. Her stance was balanced, and her muscles were tense. She knew that when the time came to fight Yin again, she would win.
She had to win.