68AW,
The Parchments, Island of Patch, Kingdom of Vale.
Yang Xiao Long was, quite honestly, terrified.
Terrified, and regretting ever finding that old picture of her parents.
It was supposed to be easy. Go into the woods around Patch, find the building every kid knew was haunted out in the Parchments, something cool happens, find her Mother, bring her home. Everyone's happy. So she'd waited for Dad to leave for work, stuffed a bag full of snacks and an old blanket, put them and Ruby into the wagon, and then headed out on her mission.
The journey had taken what felt like forever. The path she was taking, cobbled long ago when the Parchments were home to the winter chateaus of the Valean upper class, felt hard and uncomfortable beneath her shoes. The wind rushed through the dead trees that lined their way, filling her ears with chilling howls that drowned out the squeaky wheels of her little red wagon in which her sister still snoozed.
But eventually, she arrived at her destination. The building was falling apart, but even a girl like Yang could tell it had once been a grand, ostentatious estate. After she took a few moments to drink in the sight, and the thought of being so close to her goal..before striding up the front steps and easing open the rotting front door.
And promptly let out a horrified gasp as half a dozen blazing red eyes stared back at her. Yang stumbled backward down the stairs and landed on her butt next to the wagon. She scrambled to her feet and put herself in front of the wagon.
The first of the three Beowolves bounded out of the house, and leapt at them..only for a thin red blade sailed through the Beowolf's neck. Its head landed behind her, whilst its body skidded to a halt in front of her. The two other beowolves turned their attention away from her and Ruby and towards their saviour who promptly cut them down with a contemptuous ease.
Yang watched the woman with an unashamed expression of awe as a wave of certainty washed over her. Tall, with red eyes and black hair cascading down her back. Red gauntlets with fingerless gloves, many necklaces. Boots tailored to long periods of travel or combat and clothes clearly made of Huntsfolk Grade material. And a thin, red blade she'd seen in a single photo that her uncle had hidden from her.
"..Are you..Raven?"
"I sure am kiddo, long time no see." Her mother greeted her with a curious tilt of her head. "Now, I gotta ask, what the hell are the two of you doing all the way out here?"
Qrow Branwen was not having a good day.
First his alarm didn't go off so he had overslept. Second, he had run out of alcohol. Thirdly, upon arriving at Tai's place after acquiring more alcohol so he could actually function, he had found both of his niece's gone.
But before he could head out to go and find two of the three reasons he lived for, the voice of Yang started to approach, and he let out a sigh of relief. Someone had clearly already found them and brought them home. Patch was a pretty tight knit community, so it wasn't uncommon for parents to trust each other to bring their kids home.
But as he caught sight of who it was that was bringing them back his relief turned to horror, as it was clear that someone had already beaten him to it. And it was perhaps the absolute worst person to have done so. She was carrying Ruby with one arm and all but dragging Yang along with the other. Ruby was merely staring at the person carrying her in silence, but her sister was excitedly chatting with the woman that had abandoned them all. And to top this nightmare scenario off, said woman that had abandoned them all to go play bandit Queen with the scum he had once called his kin was cheerfully chatting right back.
So he did the only sensible thing he could do in this situation.
"Get away from them, Raven." He demanded as he stalked towards them. "They don't need you interfering in their lives."
"If I hadn't 'interfered in their lives', they'd both be dead." Raven retorted. "So keep biting your tongue, brother mine. I am talking with my daughter."
For less than half a heartbeat, the thought that he'd almost prefer that they both be dead rather than in his sister's debt crossed his mind, but he squashed it down instantly. He might legitimately want his sister dead, but he didn't want it enough to wish his nieces dead for it to happen.
"Then finish talking with them." He snapped. "Because I have a few words for you that cannot wait."
There were a few moments of silence, before Raven let out a sigh, and inclined her head. She gently lowered Ruby down to the ground, knelt down and cupped Yang's cheek with a warm hand and equally warm smile. "...If you want the whole picture, why I left and what I've been doing and preparing for, you'll need to be strong enough to both handle and understand it. I'll be out there Yang. Out in that big wide world. So go get strong and come find me kiddo, I'll be waiting."
"I will!" Yang proclaimed. "I promise!"
"That's what I like to hear, kiddo. Now run along, go take your sister and grab a cookie or three. I think after today you've earned them. I just need a word with your Uncle." "Don't worry, I'll come see you before I go."
Yang smiled brightly, and took her sister by the hand and headed into their home. Both of the Branwen siblings watched them go, and waited until the door audibly closed before beginning their conversation.
"Now then Qrow….I only have one question for you..." The almost motherly smile that had adorned her face mere moments ago was gone. In its place was a look to pure unadulterated contempt. Before he could both ask what the question was and then promptly tell his sister to piss off and get the fuck out of their lives since she was evidently all she was good at, Qrow Branwen found himself at the business end of Omen.
"Why the fuck didn't you tell me about Summer?"