Coal's Tavern, Mistral

"Hey, barkeep, would you be a dear and pour me another glass~" A woman said, slurring over her words a bit.

Coal lets out an irritated grunt before going over to the woman and refilling her cup. Even if she was a newcomer, he already wants to kick her out.

Ever since she got here, all she did was scare off his customers with her disgusting flirting and egregious tales from her "huntress" days.

Coal analyzed the woman, tracing her finger around the rim of the glass. She wore a red jacket with a white fur trim around the collar, exposing some cleavage. She also donned a matching colored skirt with a white fur trim topped with a broad buckled belt. Her hat sat crookedly on her head, and her cascading white hair hung off her shoulders.

There's no way she's a huntress. It can't be.

Then again, she didn't look like an ordinary civilian who would live in Mistral either, especially with that sword on her back.

"Ara, Ara. I see that you've been ogling at me~" She leans at him, her eyes fixated on his crotch.

"I'm not interested in you." Coal said in disgust.

"Yeah right," She said smugly, licking her lips and looking at him with lust. "This is what you want."

The "huntress" then lowers her collar, revealing a generous expanse of her bosom. Coal gulps at the sight and quickly turns away, earning a laugh from her.

"Awww, don't act shy. I wanna get to know ya," She said coquettishly. "Y'know what? I'll start. My name is Nichole. What's your's?"

"What's it to you? It's not like we're gonna meet again." Coal rolled his eyes, cleaning another glass.

Nichole stretched out her arms. "Oh darlin', I'm sure we'll meet again. Heh, who knows, we might even get married~"

Coal clicked his tongue and placed the clean glass in the cupboard. He had his fair share of annoying customers but this one takes the cake.

Nichole made a sideway glance towards the clock on the wall.

It's time.

The red huntress stood up, reached into her cleavage, and pulled out a couple of Lien.

She carelessly threw it on the table. "Here ya go. That should be enough, right?"

Coal gave an eye roll as the drunk customer wobbled out of the bar.

Finally, she's gone.

He reached over and grabbed the Lien from the table but flinched as his fingertips touched the surface.

"Ew, it's covered in sweat!"

Black boots crunched under the snow as Nichole trudged along the path. Her footsteps were heavy and ponderous. Her breathing was labored, and everything was a little glossy in view.

Maybe going to that bar was a bad idea. But she couldn't shake off the craving for beer. After all, it was cold, and what better way to warm up with a cold one?

At the proper distance, Nichole stopped to catch her breath. She looked up at the snowy sky, and a single snowflake fell on the tip of her nose.

The huntress expected the weather to be worse, but this was tolerable compared to what she walked through to get here.

Tolerable? Yeah, I'm tolerably freezing my ass off. I knew I should've bought something warmer before coming to Mistral.

Nichole continued her walk down the snowy road. The air was crisp and damp, but at least it wasn't frigid. It was a refreshing change from what she had experienced earlier that night.

It was still two hours until sunrise, approximately 5 am. Mistral was known for its earlier dawn than the other kingdoms she'd visited. Fortunately, that means she'll reach her destination before daybreak, which poses no issue. Fewer people would be stirring at this early hour, allowing more discreet movement within the town.

The meandering walk soon brought her to the snowy wilderness. Nichole scanned the area for the remaining path before assuming it ended here.

"I guess this is it." she mused, venturing into the cold, bitter wasteland of the woods.

As soon as she stepped into the white woods, she drew out her great sword.

While she may be unfamiliar with these particular areas in Mistral, it's no reason to lower her guard, especially within a serene winter landscape like this. Although the surroundings might appear pleasant, danger could lurk around any corner. Bandits, Grimm, erratic individuals, and wildlife could emerge unexpectedly.

Nichole's eyes scanned the snow covered area as she continued cautiously into the woodland unknown. Her heart beat like a drum. It's been a while since she's been in such an isolated and quiet place. The only sound that radiated from the forest was her footsteps.

With her guard up, she went through the forest paths. The deep snow wasn't a problem for her, sure. It was hard to maneuver through, but that's pretty much it. Afterall, she's dealt with worse.

Suddenly, a high pitched scream echoed throughout the forest, making Nichole clutch onto her sword.

"What was that?!" she asked out loud.

Another distorted scream echoed, causing her eyes to widen in shock. She recognized it instantly.

"Shit! Grimm!"

Nichole darted towards the source of the screeching. She knew something wasn't right. The Grimm must've gotten a hold of someone. But where?

As she picked up the pace, she finally saw it.

Two figures, resembling an older man and a little girl, were desperately attempting to escape from a Grimm that took on the appearance of a reindeer. It was massive and its fur was a mottled blend of white and ash gray, camouflaging it perfectly in the snowy landscape.

Thankfully, the two people didn't look injured but they were still in harm's way.

Clutching her sword's hilt tightly, Nichole lunged toward the Grimm, poised to deliver a punishing blow. Yet, the cunning Grimm, anticipating her assault, charged and collided with her, sending her sprawling.

She tumbled a few feet, her form crashing into a tree. The collision left her body throbbing with pain, and a creeping darkness began to cloud her vision.

Leaning on her sword for support, she brushed a trickle of blood from her lips. She has to use a little force on this one.

Quickly returning to her starting position, she prepared herself again, her gaze fixated on the elderly man and the young girl. The palpable waves of fear and despair radiating from them were unmistakable to her sensitive senses.

Nichole took a defensive stance and swung her sword. The blade collided with the Grimm's antlers. The sound of the sword striking echoed throughout the area.

The Grimm pulled back its antlers but Nichole followed up with another attack, and it swung around, hitting her in the abdomen.

The impact knocked her back and made her cough up blood.

"Ma'am!" The girl cried, trying to approach Nichole.

"No! Stay back!" Nichole shouted, making the girl flinch. The huntress turns her attention to the old man who was also worried about her. "Hey, I'm going to clear a path for you two to escape."

"What about…" The man started to say before Nichole cut him off.

"I'll be fine. Dealing with Grimm is my specialty anyway."

"But…"

"Just take her and go!" The huntress ordered as she slashed at the Grimm. The old man swept the girl into his arms and rushed deep into the woods.

The reindeer Grimm deftly leaped aside at the final moment, only to encounter a mighty blow to its side. The impact sent it tumbling off its feet and hurtling into the nearby trees.

Still on the defensive, the Grimm scrambled to recover. However, as it went around, Nichole was ready. Her body was covered in sweat from fighting this beast. She regained her balance, lowered her sword, and closed her eyes.

Red, green, and yellow specks radiated from her body. The creature was momentarily distracted by the strange energy but regained focus and charged at her.

Just as it was about to hit her, she fazed out of existence. Confused, the reindeer Grimm looked around and saw she was several feet away.

Quickly, it charged at her again but she fazed out again. It couldn't land a single hit on her, as if she was in multiple directions simultaneously.

"Hey, freak of nature, over here!" Nichole called.

The Grimm reared itself and gave one final charge, its hooves pounding the snow, causing it to billow into the air like a blizzard. Nichole braced herself and met the charge head on.

Her sword swung with precision and strength as she aimed for the Grimm's massive neck. The Grimm's antlers moved swiftly to deflect and intercept the blade.

Nichole clicked her tongue. Those antlers provided it with a significant advantage at close range.

Examining the Grimm's form for any vulnerabilities, her gaze shifted downward to its lower body.

Looks like I have to do the "low-road" approach.

With a mighty shove, the huntress broke away from the deadlock. She stepped back and swung her sword in a wide arc, slicing the Grimm's leg, causing it to stumble.

This gave Nichole the perfect chance to get a good enough distance from it. She watched tentatively as the monstrous reindeer regained its strength.

It's now or never!

With a resounding battle cry bursting from her lips, Nichole charged headlong at the Grimm. As she closed the distance, she skillfully slid on the snow and viciously slashed open its abdomen with her blade.

The Grimm howled in pain as dark, smokey energy oozed from the wound, earning a hearty laugh from Nichole.

"You didn't like that, did you?" she taunted. "Well, you're definitely not gonna like this!"

The red huntress sprinted and jumped on the Grimm's head. She cuts off the antlers to get to the "sweet spot."

A mischievous grin appeared on her face as she slashed down with maximum force.

The Grimm screamed and with a few forceful stomps, flipped over onto its feet.

Nichole hopped off, panting heavily.

That should do it.

"Are they gone?" An elderly voice asked in a frightened tone.

"Yeah, they're gone," Nichole confirmed, watching the Grimm turn into dust. "You can come out now."

The two figures emerged from the bushes nearby. They approached the huntress with caution to make sure that the Grimm wouldn't come back to life.

Nichole knew they were still a little tense and reassured them that it was good as dead.

"Oh, thank goodness," The old man sighed in relief. "For a second there I thought we were—"

"Good as dead? Me too." The red huntress finished his sentence. "Glad I got to you two before anything fatal could've happened. Speaking of which, what were you doing out here anyway? If you don't mind me asking."

"No, it's quite alright. My granddaughter, Saphy, and I were going to the City of Argus when we heard a strange noise." The man explained. "We tried to see where it came from but were ambushed by that…thing."

"I see." Nichole placed a finger on her chin. Then something clicked in her mind. "Wait, did you say that you were going to Argus?"

"Yep. Just made a big haul of dust crystals this week. My contractor is already waiting for me there."

Nichole let out a small chuckle. "Well, isn't that a coincidence? I'm heading down there as well!"

"Oh really? For what? Work?"

"Eh, something like that." The huntress lied.

If she told them her true intentions for going to Argus then he would look at her funny. Anyone who knows of her intentions will always look at her weird.

As a hunter or huntress of Remnant, people would expect you to at least have a valid and good intention. Some hunters may say they want to protect the peace, while others want to exterminate the Grimm. Then there are the selfish ones who are only in it for publicity and money, leading them to get shunned by actual hunters. All in all, every hunter or huntress has a unique reason or intention to become just that. Nichole is one of those people.

While fighting off Grimm can be pretty noble, Nichole likes to put more time and effort into pleasing the people. Taking care of them and their problems and concerns. It's tough, but it's necessary to stay in the good graces of the people she's trying to save.

"Don't tell me that you planned to walk down there on foot?" The old man cocked his head to the side.

"Heh, yeah, I was." Nichole rubbed the back of her head, feeling embarrassed.

What can she say? Walking from point A to point B was her only way of transportation. She knows how to use essential vehicles like a car, for example, but paying for constant gas refueling and blowing it on alcohol will take up all the Lien she earned. Besides, some places the huntress goes to are inaccessible, so it'd be better to walk.

"Now I can't let you out in the cold after you saved us. I'll give you a ride there." he smiled.

"Uh, I don't know. I don't wanna be a bother to any of you." Nichole chuckled nervously.

"Bother? Ha, please! Only a crazy person would think that."

"Eh? Are you sure?"

"Positive!" The old man grinned. "Now come on, this truck isn't gonna move itself."

Nichole watched as he ventured deep into the forest, wondering if she should follow him.

She felt something tug on her skirt. Glancing down, she saw Saphy looking at her curiously.

"Are you coming ma'am?" Saphy tugged at her skirt again, trying to grab her attention.

"Um…" Nichole trailed off. What choices did she have? She didn't want to risk their safety by leaving them alone to become prey for the Grimm. Not to mention that the fight tired her out a bit. If she walked to Vale in her condition now, she'd have to nap between hours to regain her strength, thus slowing down her travel and she can't afford to waste anymore time.

The huntress looked at the girl one more time and sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I'm coming."

"Yatta! Let's go!" Saphy cheered, pulling her savior by the arm.

They walked after the old man, following him down the snowy path. Not long after, they reached a small clearing where the truck was parked.

"Here she is!" The man exclaimed, presenting the vehicle. It looked a little banged up, but there was still life in it. "Ain't she a beauty?"

"Yeah, I guess," Nichole replied, circling the vehicle.

The old man opened the door from the inside and smiled, "Don't be scared, get in!"

Nichole let Saphy get in first before hopping in herself.

The dust collector pulled out a key in his pocket and turned the ignition. "Alright, City of Argus, here we come!"

He turned the engine on, and the truck roared to life. The tires spun a little on the hard ice but started gaining momentum, shooting down the road.

"WOOHOO!" Saphy shouted as the truck zoomed down the snowy road.

Nichole looked at her in confusion. Where did that come from?

"Isn't this fun, ma'am?"

The red huntress couldn't give the girl a proper answer as the many shots of booze began to bubble up in her throat.

All she can do is hope that they get to their destination before she pukes on herself.

"...iss."

"Hrm."

"M…iss."

"Hrmm."

"Miss!"

Nichole jolted up in her seat, instinctively grabbing for her sword. She looked around her surroundings to see she was still in the truck. All of that "fast driving" must've put her to sleep.

The dust collector on her left gave her a cheeky smile. "Good morning, sunshine. How was your beauty nap?"

"Perfect," Nichole rolled her eyes. "Are we there yet?"

"Yep! Look outside."

Nichole looked out the car window. She could barely make out the City of Argus from a distance. Its tallest buildings, covered in windows and lights, were visible from the horizon. The large city was on a cliff, its edge descending into the snowy wasteland below. As she marveled at the sight, she realized how much colder it was than before.

Yep, this is the place alright.

They drove down a short distance, and the city's tallest buildings appeared in front of them. The huntress leaned her head against the headrest as she watched the scenery pass. It wasn't much longer until the truck pulled up at a bus station.

"Here we are," The old man turned the truck off and smiled. "And just in time too, the bus is arriving. My contractor should be getting off any minute now."

The red huntress stepped out of the vehicle to stretch her legs. A satisfying pop was heard, which made her moan in pleasure. "That hits the spot." She felt her body loosen up.

Saphy walks by Nichole and looks at the sky. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah." Nichole responded.

"This is the first time I've ever seen this much snow! We never get this much back at home." Saphy chuckled. "What about you, ma'am? Does it snow where you come from?"

"Always. I can never escape the snow." Nichole forced a smile. Saphy was confused at her change in tone.

"Hm? What do you—"

"It's nothing."

Nichole brushed past the girl and walked over to the old man. "Thanks for the ride." She offered her hand.

"Eh, it was the least I could do. I mean, you did save us after all," he shook her hand. A loud honking noise could be heard. "And that's my cue to leave. Come on, Saphy."

"Right, bye!" Saphy waved, giving the huntress one last look before running to join her grandfather.

"Well…bye," Nichole returned the girl's salute, feeling embarrassed. She grimaced at the way she acted earlier but…

It's true. I can never escape the snow. Not to mention that it reminds me of…him.

Nichole quickly shook off the bitter feelings that were creeping in her mind. She can't think about the past now, she has more important things to do.

She looked up at the tallest building and smirked. "Okay Argus, let's see what you're made of."

A/N: Hello, everyone! Happy Holidays! Ha ha, just messing with ya(or am I). But in all seriousness, this is my first RWBY fanfic I made so don't be too harsh on me if I mess anything up okay? I hope you enjoy the read and see you in the next chapter!