Raven Branwen hated a number of things. She hated the cold weather on freezing nights when she had nothing warm to wrap herself in, and the cold crept up into her skin like a knife. She hated the way the Tribe shunned her and Qrow, despite everything they had done for them, despite the fact that they were by far and away the best fighters the Tribe had seen in decades, they were STILL shunned, for no other reason than a semblance her brother couldn't control.
She hated him for that too, sometimes. It made her feel guilty, and she would shove it deep down inside of her whenever it arose, but she couldn't help but wonder where they would be without his semblance. They would be the pride of the Tribe, Twin Chieftains in the making, if only Qrow had been born lucky.
It didn't matter. He was her Brother. They had both learned how to live and fight around his semblance, and how to make the most of it.
And if someone in the Tribe tried to do anything more than glare at Qrow?
She would kill them. For good or bad they were twins, family, and they would live or die together.
Though, if Qrow didn't get here sooner, she had a feeling she'd end up killing him herself.
The entire point of him spending the last three days in this Brothers-forsaken town was to ingratiate himself and find a place for them to move around town without arousing suspicion.
Yet here she was, having spent the last four hours lounging around a bar waiting for her brother as the patrons occasionally threw a glance her way, likely wondering if she was even old enough to be there.
She fixed a glare on her face and did her best to appear unapproachable.
Piercing red eyes, a thick mane of long black hair, and a sword nearly as long as she was tall made it a relatively simple process.
As she waited for Qrow, She found herself regretting even bothering with this place anyway. It was everything she resented in so-called civilized society: A community filled with nothing but lazy fools who had no right to live. They placed themselves right in the heart of the Mistrali woods, surrounded by Grimm, yet they lived in peace and even thrived.
They never had to kill to earn their place, they didn't have to fight to earn every scrap of clothing and food, they didn't even have to defend themselves from the Grimm!
They leave that to the Huntsmen, Raven thought bitterly.
But they were gone now. The town had a resident team of huntsmen that had, until recently, defended the citizens from all manner of threats, Grimm or otherwise.
Then, three weeks ago, they left without any fanfare, apparently returning to one of their academies, Haven. To ensure that the town wasn't left defenseless, some important Huntsman was coming from Vale. Qrow called him a headmaster, some kind of chieftain.
She wasn't exactly sure that it was something remarkable, but Qrow promised her it was.
She trusted her brother, even if she disliked having to rely on him for information about the outside world. It couldn't be helped, after all, he spent much more time in the town, picking up whatever scraps of information he could use to help the tribe.
It was something to help the tribe tolerate his presence: He kept himself and his semblance away from them, at least for a time, and brought them information whenever he came back. Perhaps a caravan would go missing, or a certain patrol would end up searching the wrong part of the woods.
Still, Raven worried.
It seemed to her that Qrow spent too much time among them. Most of the tribe only came into town for news every few months. Raven herself never even bothered to learn its name. Food, weapons, clothing, nearly all of it was traditionally claimed in pay for something you can take for yourself?
Now, Qrow knew some of the villagers by name, and he even spent a few nights there.
Her thoughts are interrupted as the object of her frustration casually slides up next to her.
"You're late" She said.
"I'm aware". Qrow answered, all too calm.
"Very. Late." She quietly hisses.
Qrow straightens out of his slouch just a bit, having apparently realized the depth of her annoyance. Good.
"To be fair, it was Important."
"It Better have been".
Qrow grinned. "He's coming through sometime tonight. He probably won't bother doing anything until tomorrow, he's supposed to have been traveling nearly a month".
Raven was surprised at him. It seemed her brother had actually been doing something of use. That made it hard to be irritated at him, which somehow succeeded in making her even more annoyed than she already was
Her Brother was annoyingly good at that.
"I even managed to snag us a room for the night," Qrow added.
"Not here I hope," Raven said, a look of horror plain on her face.
Qrow rolled his eyes. "Quit being dramatic. There's an actual serviceable inn closer to the center of town. It's got a welcome mat and everything". He nodded his head toward the exit and began to leave. They stepped outside as dusk began to fall "And tomorrow?" Raven asked.
"What about it?" Qrow asked, puzzled.
"What's the plan?" Raven hissed.
He shrugged. "I'll talk to him, get a feel for things, wait for you to get me an opening. And when I think I got a chance, I'll take it".
Raven narrowed her eyes. "Are you certain? He's bound to be dangerous".
Qrow let out an annoyed sigh. "Isn't that kinda the whole point? Look between the two of us, I actually know how to speak to someone without looking like I want to kill a puppy, which means I have the best chance of surprising him."
Raven scowled at his description. "I don't look like that".
"See? You're doing it now!" Qrow said.
The conversation died out between them as they reached the inn. As Qrow had promised, there was indeed a stained welcome mat at the entrance. It seemed her brother had a very interesting definition of the word "Serviceable". The entrance was situated in an alley, one she almost certainly would have missed if Qrow hadn't pulled her aside. The building seemed to hide between the taller, more imposing villages here near the center of town, and she was surprised by how downright shoddy it looked. It would have stood out if the itself didn't appear as if it was constructed specifically to hide between the much nicer buildings surrounding it. Perhaps it had been.
Qrow led her inside and to her shock, her brother appeared to have told the truth. It was much nicer than the bar they had met in, though you wouldn't be able to tell as much from the outside. While it wasn't some five-star hotel, it certainly managed to give off a cozy feel to it, largely thanks to the sizable fireplace in the corner of the building. The only seating in sight seemed to be a single bench, big enough to seat three or four, situated to provide a view of the fireplace.
The welcome room itself was small, with a single desk managed by what appeared to be some kind of reptilian faunus, judging by the scales.
Qrow ignored the desk worker and brought Raven directly to their room. It was sparse, but all they really needed were two beds and some privacy. As they settled in their room, their last conversation began to echo in Raven's mind
"I just don't want you handling him alone," Raven said uncharacteristically quiet.
"Oh what, you don't want me hogging all the spotlight? Relax, you'll have your hands full dealing with everything else" Qrow said with a smile.
"No, I don't want you screwing it up, asshole". Raven shot back, Immediately defensive.
Qrow's smile fell. He had meant the barb as a joke, but he could see his sister was annoyed at the implication she only cared about the glory "Hey, we're both pretty sure this is the best way to do it. You're handling the more complicated bit, which means there would be more ways for my semblance to act up. Comparatively speaking, what I'm doing is pretty simple. Even a pretty good chance my semblance could help me out too"
Raven huffed. "I know that. Doesn't mean I don't still worry".
Qrow clutched his heart with both hands. "Aw, do you really mean It?"
Raven glared and turned out the light. "Go to sleep, asshole".
Qrow shrugged, and laid his hands behind his head as he shut his eyes. "Love you too Sis".
She felt her shoulders relax just a bit, and resisted the urge to smile as she drifted off into sleep.
Oslo strolled along the paved stone road, humming a tune that no one had heard in nearly a thousand years.
He had arrived at the town of Sabo the night before, and had decided he would save his exploration of the town for the following morning. He'd spent the better part of three weeks on this journey, and he didn't want his first impression of the town to be from the perspective of a tired old man in the dead of night.
After spending the last hour having a walk around town, he certainly wasn't regretting his decision. Sabo was a beautiful place, the trademark curved eaves of Mistralian architecture a feast for the eyes.
The town was in the middle of a local festival celebrating the coming of winter, and the streets were bound with performers of all sorts, from musicians, to dancers, to people simply enjoying the revelry.
Unfortunately, none of it was what he came for.
He hadn't expected to find her the moment he arrived of course, but the purpose for traveling on foot was to try and pick up a trail of some sort, or really ANY hint of her presence on the road from beacon, and yet he had come up with nothing.
He was concerned, and more than a little frustrated, at his failure to find anything substantial, at the long journey, and even at the poor girl, whose only mistake was being scared of something she didn't fully understand.
Oslo let out a deep breath as he came to a stop. He had arrived at the inn he would be staying at for the next few weeks. It was a nice enough place, if somewhat out of the way. Honestly, who decides to place an inn's entrance hidden away in an alley?
Oslo gave a nod to the faunus working the desk and took his seat on a bench, angled to give a view of the fireplace in the corner.
He set his cane on his lap and thought back to the meeting that began this whole search in the first place.
"It's a complete disaster, Oz! There's a maiden loose in my kingdom, and unlike you I'm short on subordinates I can spare to search for her. What if She catches word of it? What if She decides to act? The girl is supposedly near Sabo, and the only huntsmen there are a team fresh out of their fourth year, and I can't even warn them because-"
"Leo", Oslo cut in gently. "Take a breath. Calm yourself. You are overreacting".
The Headmaster of Haven had arrived in Beacon only an hour ago, with no word of warning, and had immediately made his way to Oslo's office. He had spent every minute since his entrance in a complete panic, as Oslo let him pace around his office to vent his worries. Lionheart abruptly turned to face him.
"Overreacting? I'm the only one acting with any sense! How are you acting so calm?". Oslo set his mug down and sat up straight.
"I am calm because there is nothing to worry about. The girl is scared, Leo that's all. Before her… Departure she made it quite clear she was terrified of her capabilities. The only way she will attract attention from certain parties is if she makes use of her power, something I don't believe will be an issue".
"But it is!" Lionheart insisted. "How do you think I learned of this to begin with? A young girl vaporizing a horde of Grimm with a barrage of lightning is not something that just flies under the radar Oz! Rumors are abound all throughout Mistral"
Oslo shrugged. "A decision made in a Life-or-Death situation is hardly proof of a habit". "Whether or not she does it again is not the issue Oslo! She's already revealed herself, it's only a matter of time until she attracts unwanted attention!"
"Which is why I have decided to look for her myself". Oslo replied. He had made up his mind as soon as Lionheart had made the situation clear.
"You are?"
"I am". Oslo confirmed. "It is my responsibility for driving her away in the first place. I should have helped her gain more confidence in her abilities before using her, I should not have placed so much responsibility on her so quickly. I will go to Sabo and ensure that she is found before any harm comes to her, or anyone else for that matter".
"And what then?" Lionheart cried. "Are you going to drag the girl back to Beacon kicking and screaming? In case you forgot she RAN away Oslo. It was her choice".
Oslo frowned. "Of course not. I will offer to take her back, and try to convince her, but I will not force her there against her will. But if I can find her, I can look after her, and warn her if there is a threat."
Oslo stood up with a sigh. "I'll leave for Sabo by the end of the week. Now that we know where she ended up, I can look for a trail on foot, and try to clear up anything she left to throw off any potential pursuers. Oh, and do remember to dismiss those huntsmen stationed at Sabo. If you don't trust them enough to bring them in, then they'll only complicate the search. I imagine I will be more than sufficient to protect the town."
Lionheart breathed a sigh of relief and visibly sagged. It was clear this entire ordeal had been weighing heavily on his friend's mind. He was only recently made Headmaster of Haven academy, and it seemed he was still adjusting to the stress that came with the position.
"Thank you Oslo. You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that. It's just that I haven't had the time to search for anyone among the staff who may be able to be brought in, and with Haven hosting this year's Vytal Festival, and my taking over of Headmaster's duties I-" Oslo interrupted the man by placing an arm on his shoulder and smiling. "Leo. Don't worry. You are doing fine. I will take care of this business with the Spring Maiden, there's no need for you to concern yourself anymore. Focus on the Vytal Festival, that's much more important anyhow. The Kingdoms need something to keep them happy right now."
Lionheart took a breath. "Of course. You are right. I'll return to Haven in the morning. Thank you again, Oz." Oslo smiled once more, as his young friend made his way to the elevator. "There is no need to thank me, Leo. This is what I'm here for after all."
Oslo glanced at the clock mounted on the wall and frowned. It seemed he had been resting by the fire for longer than he had thought, and dusk was fast approaching.
He stood and made to leave the building: He was resolved to watch a bit more of the festival before he began properly searching for the Spring Maiden.
Dusk had fallen, and the last of the light was beginning to fade as he reached a quaint little outdoor bar near the center of town. He didn't feel very much like drinking, however the stools at the bar provided a fantastic view of the festivities, and this body was getting a little old to stand up all night.
The journey had taken its toll on Oslo, and he was starting to regret insisting on traveling by foot. He had initially wanted to look for any trail the spring maiden may have left behind, to obscure it from any pursuers, and yet he had found nothing to justify the decision. Even after a full night's rest, Oslo was still weary from the ordeal.
Oslo noticed a movement out the corner of his eye and turned to his right. A thin young man had taken the seat next to him. He was unusually pale, with cropped, spiky black hair and, strangely, red eyes. He frowned as he noticed just how young he seemed to be. "Don't you think you're a little too young to be drinking?"
The boy tilted his head with a confused look. "Who said I'm here for a drink?"
"Ah. You're here to watch the festivities then?". Oslo looked back to the performers nearest to the bar. He couldn't blame the boy. After all, it was the very same reason he had chosen the bar.
"Nah."
Oslo turned back to the boy, interested. "Then why?"
The red-eyed boy sat up a little straighter. "You're a Huntsman, aren't you?"
Oslo resisted the urge to smile. "Why yes, I am." The boy was a fan then. It was common enough. Huntsmen were idolized all throughout Remnant, and were certainly the subject of much attention whenever they came through town, especially whenever they were new to town. Oslo wasn't so much surprised he was found out so early into his visit, as he was impressed it was this boy who found him.
"And just how did you puzzle that out?" The boy grunted. "Look like the headmaster. Not here, the one at that other school." This time, he did smile. For all the mistakes he made, and all the sins he had committed in his many lives, he had always found it comforting to be an inspiration to the younger generation.
"Correct. My name is Oslo, and I am the Headmaster at Beacon Academy, in the Kingdom of Vale. Now, What's your name?"
The boy narrowed his eyes for a moment before relenting. "Qrow." He answered simply. Oslo chuckled. "You're not exactly one for talking, are you?" The boy, Qrow, looked down and rubbed his neck. "Nah, not really. Usually just tend to listen."
"Well then, why is it that you were the one to approach me?" Qrow paused for a moment, still refusing to make eye contact. "I've heard a lot about huntsmen, about what people who went to those academies can do. I…guess I just wanted to hear how much of it was true." Every word came out sounding forced. Poor boy, Oslo thought. He seems rather embarrassed for some reason. I wonder why.
"I'm not quite sure what you mean. If you're referring to the use of semblances, one does not need to become a huntsman in order to possess one. You merely need to have your aura unlocked."
For some reason, Qrow scowled at that."I wasn't talking about semblances. I mean fighting. Real fighting. I've heard about the kind of stuff people like the Grimm Reaper can do. Slaughter hordes of Grimm like it's nothing. That kind of strength, I doubt anything but the oldest Grimm could off you." Oslo raised an eyebrow. "You certainly have an interesting idea of what we're capable of. While the Grimm Reaper's exploits are extraordinary, no doubt, she is a one in a million. Huntsman academies exist to hone the skills of their students, not turn them into invincible superheroes. I'm afraid there is no such thing. Even the most experienced of Huntsmen can be brought down by a single beowulf."
Qrow rolled his eyes at that, before looking back at Oslo. " I know that, I'm not some kind of idiot. I just meant that huntsmen are a cut above the rest. You guys aren't just hired guards with fancy semblances, or military bootlickers from Atlas. Sure, on paper you're supposed to hunt Grimm, but you do a lot more than that. You're actually decent people for the most part. You…just want to help. You don't spend your lives miserable, preying on people for no other reason than some stupid obsession with strength."
Qrow's eyes drifted away from his own. "You're not just parasites."
For the first time since their conversation began, Oslo sensed Qrow was speaking earnestly. There was none of the previous embarrassment on his face, just admiration. And, he noticed, a touch of envy.
Ah, Oslo thought, I think I understand now. He paid a bit more attention to the boy's appearance. Dirty clothes, a ragged cape, worn shoes and a dagger so clean, so out of place it could only have been stolen. And now that he was looking for it, the boy seemed unusually on edge, almost stiff, nervous for some reason.
"Have you ever thought about training for an academy?" Oslo asked suddenly.
As expected, that sparked a reaction, Qrow's body jumping, though he tried to hide it. "Not really the place for me. Wouldn't work out." Qrow said nervously.
Oslo decided to push further. "Why not?"
"I'm not much of a fighter."
Now that was a blatant lie. Oslo had lived a very long time, and had gotten very good at recognizing certain tells. From his posture, to his speech, and to the theory in the back of Oslo's head about the strange boy, all of it pointed to him being much more capable than he claimed. Still, he played along.
"That's a shame. I know Beacon, at least, would always be happy to welcome a new student." He pretended to think for a moment. "You know, you're only, what, fourteen, fifteen? It would be unorthodox, but nothing would stop you from beginning training now."
Qrow snorted. "Don't those schools start at seventeen? Two years isn't much time to play catch-up. Besides, I have other reasons for not going." Oslo was almost certain he was correct about the boy. He decided to test his theory. "It would be far from the most unorthodox arrangement. Plenty of students have experience from… nontraditional sources. Beacon has had applicants from all walks of life, from families who have been huntsmen for generations, to orphans with nowhere else to go, to, well," Oslo made sure to look Qrow in the eyes. "Criminals". Qrow's body immediately froze up, confirming his theory.
Qrow loosened up and scoffed, trying to play off his surprise. "So what?"
Oslo was getting tired of dancing around the conversation. "So, despite whatever you may have done in the past, young man, you would be more than welcome to attend my school if you truly wished to help." Qrow flinched again. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said, fear beginning to slip into his voice. Oslo could only frown. "I believe you do." He leaned forward. "You're a criminal of some sort. A thief, or a bandit, it doesn't really matter. But you hate that, don't you? You made it quite clear in your little speech a moment ago. You loathe the fact that everything you live for is a burden on people who have done nothing to deserve it." Qrow looked guilty at that, and Oslo knew he struck a chord. "You started admiring huntsmen; perhaps you heard stories about them from whoever raised you, perhaps you even encountered one or two yourself. Whatever the reason, you were envious of their freedom, but more than that, you were jealous of the fact that they weren't scorned by others, but loved." Oslo took a breath, and leaned back.
"And so, you approached me. I'm not entirely sure why. I don't think you are either. But here you are. So why not join? I'm giving you a chance, no strings attached; I just want to help."
Qrow played with the edge of his sleeves, careful not to meet his eyes. "It's…not that simple. We can't all just drop everything and run off on some adventure." He said bitterly. For a moment, though, his eyes seemed to flicker to his side into the crowd, before quickly falling back to his sleeves.
Oslo glanced over and caught sight of a young woman, with long black hair that fell to her waist, pale skin, and…red eyes. Ah. That would be the source of his hesitation, then.
"Your sister would be welcome as well, of course. That is your sister, yes?" Qrow winced at his mistake. "Yeah. She is. She…She'd be a bit more opposed to the idea than me."
Oslo smiled. "We've stopped pretending, then?" Qrow scowled. "The hell do you want from me? You want me to ditch my sister? Not happening. I doubt you want people like us there anyways."
"Haven't you been listening? I just told you, in great length, that I would very much like for you, and yes, your sister, to attend my school. You've already expressed interest, and as for your sister…" He trailed off as he gestured back to where he had seen the girl. He couldn't find her. Had she seen him notice her? He must have spooked her off. "As for your sister, why not try convincing her?" Qrow sighed. "You think I wouldn't try that if there was a chance in hell of her agreeing? It's not that easy." Oslo sighed. "You keep saying that, but you'll never know if you don't try."
Qrow looked like he was about to answer when a scream from the crowd drew Oslo's attention.
Everyone in the street seemed to be running from something, but he couldn't make out what it was. He began to turn back to Qrow. "Listen, we'll finish this later. Find somewhere-" Oslo was interrupted as a dagger found its way into his chest. He closed his eyes, and when they opened again, he found himself lying on the ground, looking up at his assailant.
"Maybe you were right about a few things." Qrow said as he bent to retrieve his knife. "Maybe I do hate the way my tribe does things. Maybe I have thought about running off with Raven, to join one of your stupid academies, never looking back. It doesn't matter. Because for all that I might not like what I do, I do have one thing going for me." He nodded at the crowd as he pulled his knife out of Oslo. Oslo gasped from the pain, and he could finally make out what the townsfolk had been running from.
"My sister," Qrow said. Raven stood above several corpses, with a shocked look on her face. She quickly recovered, and raised her sword with a yell. With that, dozens of people with weapons in hand rushed into the town square, cutting down anyone in sight and bursting into homes. "The only one in that Brothers-forsaken tribe I actually give a damn about. And for some reason, she didn't get it through her thick skull she should stay away from me, even when I told her, screaming till I was blue in the face. So, for better or worse, I think I'll stick it through with her." Qrow shoved his knife back into the old headmaster's chest with a sad look on his face. "Maybe in another life" He muttered.
Oslo's last sight in this body was a tired young man laying a hand on his sister's shoulder, who seemed to only now realize the carnage around them.
For the first time in his life, Qrow was surrounded by praise, and for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to care.
They had returned victorious to the Tribe's temporary base of operations, much to the surprise of the majority of them. There had only been a dozen or so sent with Qrow and Raven to help carry out the raid, but, well, killing unarmed townsfolk didn't exactly take an army.
Raven had run off somewhere, pretending to be proud of herself in front of the tribe, while the rest of the raiders did their best to make it seem like they were the ones most helpful to the Twin's raid.
And that was what ruffled Qrow so much.
That it was their raid. His and Raven's. They were the ones who learned the Huntsman was coming to Sabo, They were the ones who argued that, with the local huntsmen being sent away, Sabo would be defenseless if they could catch the Headmaster by surprise, and They were the ones who carried out the plan, who made sure it went…relatively smooth. Raven caused the distraction, and made enough chaos for the others to easily take charge, while Qrow took care of the only one who could have stopped them.
And not one of them tried to argue otherwise. They weren't trying to argue they did more than the Twins, they were trying to argue who helped the Twins the most.
No one tried to take away from the fact that they killed a Huntsman, a Headmaster, no less. No one tried to diminish Raven's role, either; She caused the distraction, yes, but she was also the one who took care of the townsfolk put on watch during the Festival, allowing the others to slip in with their weapons.
And no one said a damn thing about Luck, good or bad.
Qrow should have been happy. This was everything he and his sister had been fighting for, for as long as they could remember.
And he certainly wasn't unhappy. He did what he knew he had to in order to make sure he and his sister would be safe.
The Tribe had been harder on them lately, as his semblance became more…erratic. And when Qrow heard about that old man coming to town, he saw an opportunity.
If they could kill a Huntsman, especially one as supposedly important as a headmaster, and pull off a successful raid?
The Tribe respected strength. It was just about the only consistent thing about the bastards. If he could prove that they could be strong enough to outweigh the issues that came with his semblance, then maybe they wouldn't have to fight so hard against the people they were supposed to call Family.
Well, they certainly proved that now. They had succeeded. Barely.
He was just supposed to talk with the old man about nonsense until Raven was ready, then kill him before he realized what was happening.
That went out the door almost immediately. Turns out that while Qrow was pretty good at paying attention to what people were saying around him, he wasn't so great at small talk.
Looking back, Qrow almost groaned. The old man had even given him an out; all he had to do was pretend he sat down to watch the Festival.
But no, all Qrow could think to talk about was him being a huntsman. He got a little caught up in the conversation, and the old man had found him out. Sort of.
Apparently he thought Qrow was some kinda fanboy. Which he wasn't! It wasn't his fault there wasn't really a whole lot available in the tribe entertainment-wise; so what if he kept an eye out for any comic with The Grimm Reaper on the cover during raids?
Anyways, the old man got it in his head that he wanted Qrow at his school, so he didn't immediately do anything about the whole "bandit" thing. Probably some crap about "Saving the soul of an innocent youth". So, Qrow decided to play up his anger at the tribe, and try to keep him distracted.
That was the most terrifying part. Trying to keep the huntsman engaged, while making sure the conversation dragged on without arousing his suspicion. Well, more than he already had.
He thought back to the old man's offer. Would he actually have let Qrow into his school? Probably, Qrow mused. He seemed like the bleeding heart type, for all the good it did him.
It didn't matter. Even if…even if it did sound tempting,he'd never be able to convince Raven.
And there was no chance of Qrow abandoning her to this hell of a family, alone.
He'd followed her his whole life. It was the least he could do, after all she had done for him.
An arm was swung over his shoulder, and it took a moment for Qrow to realize he was being led somewhere.
Raven was at his side again(though she wasn't the one who brought him here), and he felt his heart beat faster as he realized what was happening.
The Tribe was beginning to form a rough circle as a small handful made their way to the center.
There was no strict hierarchy in the tribe, and no one leader.
Instead, there were the Elders.
They weren't actually old. You didn't really get old in the tribe; You either die young or get left behind as soon as you're no longer able to carry your own weight.
They were just the most experienced. They made all the decisions in the tribe, and they were the ones to get the lion's share of all the loot gotten from raids.
A hush fell over the Tribe as one of the Elders, a blonde haired woman with a ponytail, began.
"It seems that congratulations are in order. The Tribe returns victorious from the most successful raid in months. Our stocks are replenished for the coming winter. And a Huntsman is dead. A Headmaster no less. One of their elders." Her eyes fell on him and Raven. "All thanks to our Twins. They learned of this oppurtunity. Brought it to us, and executed it perfectly. Make no mistake, none of you would have managed to kill a huntsman. How often must we abandon a mark mid-raid because one of them shows up? How often are we run off deeper into the woods because we have no answer to them?" Qrow was confused. He was expecting a recognition of some sort, but this was different. They were making a show of it, publicly insulting the rest of the tribe by pointing out he and Raven had done what they couldn't; They were planning something.
"For months myself and the rest of the Elders have tried to find a solution. How do we defend ourselves, when they're so far above our level?" A grin split across her face. "Now we have our answer." She finished, one hand outstretched to the Twins. "As they are now, they could wipe the floor with any of the brats from those schools. But they wouldn't stand a chance with any proper huntsman in a straight fight." Asshole. "But what if they could? What if they went through the very same training that every huntsman who ever caused us problems did?" He was getting a bad feeling about where this was going. "Think about it; They're damn near our best fighters, They're close to the right age, and They're probably the only two we can trust who won't end up killing each other once we let them out of our sight. They are siblings, after all."
Qrow interrupted. "Hold on, right age for what? And how exactly are we supposed to get this "Huntsman" training? In case you didn't notice, we don't exactly have any on-call to give us some pointers."
She put a hand on her hip and shrugged. "Simple. You go to school."
Raven erupted. "Are you insane? You can't be serious. You don't actually expect us to go to some school full of pampered brats. How could that possibly be a good idea?"
The Elder looked unamused. "We do expect you to go. And you will. And it's a good idea because frankly, it's our only idea. Now be quiet and show some respect, or did your success make you forget who your betters were?" Raven paled and shrunk away.
Qrow bristled at that. No one got to talk to his sister like that. But he couldn't do anything, or else make it worse. He grimaced. Was this why the tribe had been so much more demanding of them lately? Were they testing them for this? His thoughts were interrupted as the spokeswoman for the Elders began again.
"You have two years to prepare; You'll be sent to Beacon with proper weapons and fake transcripts. You are to learn everything you can about Huntsmen. How they operate, and most importantly how they fight. Ideally, you'll go through the full four years, before returning to the tribe once you graduate, but if your cover's blown, scrap the mission. Once you return, you'll be able to train some of the new blood, and within a few years, we'll have a tribe full of Huntsman-level fighters; We'll never have anything to fear from a Huntsman again." The crow around them began to cheer, but something bothered Qrow. "Why not Haven? Why go all the way to Vale specifically?"
The Elder looked at him like it was obvious. "You can't go to Haven. The Branwen Tribe is too well known in Mistral. Atlas is too rigid in their background checks, you'll never slip in. And Shade is too out of the way. Beacon's the only option."
She raised her voice to address the crowd. "But all that lies in the future. For today, be pleased with what we've accomplished. Go on! Celebrate!." Cheers rang out once again, and with the Elder's dismissal, Raven immediately came over, grabbed his arm, and dragged him off toward their tent. "There has to be some way we can talk them out of it. Maybe if we try to-" Qrow let his sister vent as he thought about what lay ahead. He'd already accepted that the elder's had made up their mind, and there was no getting out of that.
They'd go to Beacon, like he'd wanted to so many times in his dreams. But not to escape the tribe. To do their work for them.
Could he use this as an opportunity? No, he thought sadly. He would never convince Raven, and even if he did, the Tribe wouldn't just let them go. It was easier to just accept they'd always be what they were now; murderers, bandits, scum. People like them didn't get to change.
A passing thought crossed Qrow's mind and he held back a laugh.
It looks like the old man'll get his wish. We're going to Beacon after all.
Edit: Capitalization errors fixed, and line breaks added now that I know how to use the site better
Right, so this is my first story, and also really the first time I've ever written anything that wasn't a phoned in five paragraph essay for school. So of course, advice is always welcome.
I Know I absolutely suck at descriptions, and I hate the opening sentence, but I figured if I spent however long trying to make it perfect, I'd never post anything. Nobody gets it right on the first try, after all.
So the plan is to do more chapter's after this, but I have no idea when that'll be between work and other obligations.
Although, this took two weeks to write and future chapters probably won't be so long. I Initially wanted to do at least 1k words, and ended up with around 5k, so I'm pretty proud of myself.
Anyway, I have a better idea of how this whole process kinda works now, and if anyone has any advice, hopefully next chapter will be an improvement.
(FYI I DO have a general idea for this fic, although it's an emphasis on general)
Thank you for reading