Chapter 4: Grim Decisions

Notable Feedback

Mael Radec Fanfic FF (Two Merged Together)

Believe me, your idea is interesting but poorly executed. God, believe me I'm trying, but reading this is so boring. The pace is so slow that I've honestly lost interest. If you want to keep it up, that's fine with me, but this story is really boring to watch and I honestly don't think it will go very far. Hey, their back is even more unimpressed. Go figure. I didn't mean to portray that you had to read on, and by all means, go ahead and don't. I am sorry you didn't enjoy it, but as I said before, I intend to keep on; I remember getting similar comments about DiA, and just like then, I intend to see it through. I will say I'm not ignoring your feedback however, I do intend to work to make this chapter less "boring". Though forgive me for not giving up, I don't care if my work is all that popular, and even if I took your words as an objective fact, that just tells me where to improve. Thanks for trying it out; you can move on; I intend to keep going.

AN

It is interesting how my second launch of a fic came with just as much backlash as my first. I almost forgot just how hard it can be to get a fic off the ground. But if I learned anything from DiA, it is that if I tuck my chin in and do my best, I can make something of a fic, even if it is thus far "boring."

With that in mind, however, I am happy to say this chapter will be eventful! I finally got the pieces in place, and now I can start swinging in earnest. If this story is truly boring thus far, hopefully, this will amend such, lol.

Thanks for reading as always, and enjoy!

Please Read: The chapter is a little odd. It will be broken into two scenes: Scene A, the first one, is the present moment, and Scene B, the second one, is the past moment in which the characters make their decisions in the present. It will switch back and forth. It should be easy enough to understand, but just in case.

Raven, Qrow, and Robin crept through the silent night. The sun had long gone down, and they could only barely see due to the light of the torches Qrow and Robin carried. Winter was clearly over, the snow had mostly melted already, and some of the grass had even regained its color. The trees, however, remained bare and offered little cover for the group. The contrast of new life and old death offered no comfort to Raven. The lack of brush and green life also assured that if even a single target was awake, this mission would be nearly impossible.

They looked ragged and exhausted, covered in mud, blood, and sweat. They were not wearing the fashioned clothes they had crafted during training but their old outfits, which were somehow even more destroyed than before. They were best described as nearing death's door, but they walked as if the opposite were true. They needed to sell a certain image from near looks.

They likely were unprepared for what Raven had planned; but they didn't have the luxury to wait and plan this out further. They needed to do it tonight; soon, their trek through the forest ended, and they arrived at a clearing all too familiar to Qrow and Raven. There was a sizable loose formation of ratty tents; each was spaced out as much as possible from the other, causing the small number of tents to cover a great distance in the clearing of dead grass. Just like before, the ground was littered with discarded tools, trash, and waste; the filth and the now-defrosting bodies of the fallen littered the ground, leaving space empty. Combined with the visual and pungent smell of blood, waste, and death it made for a dark omen. Though for whom Raven could not be sure. Small, pitiful fires soldiered on through the dark night, mainly outside tighter groupings of tents. While the more isolated groups had no such fire. Some of the stronger dregs had united early on to pool aid and resources, and only they dared have fires lit so openly; the others merely hid inside their tents. But not a soul was out tonight, not this late, not when the end was so near.

As they drew close to enacting their daring plan, there was tension among the group. Qrow fiddled with his back-sheathed sword gently; his eyes darted left and right as if to find an ambusher hiding close by. Robin held his composure better, but the usual, relaxed, joking man scowled into the night. He marched forward with speed and intention Raven had not seen from him thus far. His hands clenched the empty air as if crushing something within his grasp. But his eyes were calm and focused intently on the camp; this new mood had been the norm since her plan had been devised. Raven was sure he approved of the plan as he had voiced, but his eyes held an unmistakable cruel glint that made it clear even without such he was in support is this cruel move. Impatient was the best way to describe him.

Raven was like neither of them however; her stride was careful and cautious but purposeful and determined. She did not feel Robin's impatience nor Qrow's nerves. This was her plan, her moment, her chance to show Luuki, the dregs, and Woodsman alike how strong she was. This plan of hers had been brewing even back on the night Luuki had saved them. She was neither nervous nor looked forward to this, but she did look forward to knowing they were safe and strong. Tonight was merely what it took.

Robin silently handed off his torch to Qrow, his usually smiling face now twisted with hatred as he handed over several small pouches of powder to Raven. Once he did, he hefted his crossbow and prepared several bolts with red tips, aiming carefully. The man seemed to aim at several spots before nodding to Raven. His aim now assured and it now being her turn. Raven prepared to stalk off before she felt a hand clutch her shoulder, and her eyes snapped to his. The two gazes met, and Qrow's silent concern crept into her. But Raven had no use for it; with a rough shrug, she forced it off and silently raced forward. Pulling free an old hunting knife, she carefully cut into the first of her pouches. Allowing the red powder within to fall lightly into a thin line, she raced among the tents, slowly but surely emptying each pouch with care.

They had practiced their creeping skills for weeks now. Compared to stalking perceptive deer or flighty rabbits, it was easier to move undetected by humans. Though the danger was much worse than a hungry night. Their sleeping made Raven feel like a ghost as she left accursed powder trails. It took Raven only minutes. But it felt like an eternity, the entire time Raven prepared to be discovered, to hear cries of confusion. If she was discovered the group would have to flee for now. They couldn't risk a head on confrontation with so many unknown variables after all.

The Day Before

"Good news, kids!" Luuki had slurred one night, the man had disappeared for supplies as he always did. The group had never found out where he went; even when Robin had attempted to follow him, but they never found his stache nor where he spent his time. But when the man did go, he always returned with man-made supplies and tools, the week before booze, cigarettes, and a pickaxe. Now, more booze and some military rations. Luuki had made it clear he was leaving to gather extra food, but they had expected game or wild crops. The well-canned and bagged sack of food he carried was full of cooked and preserved food. More than enough to feed the man for quite a while. There was wonder between the three seeing such good food but they knew better than to expect Luuki to share.

"The time comes soon! Any day now, our good old buddies in the Woodsman Tribe will come to the dregs for initiation. Meaning, it's time for you little shits to get going. Can't risk them checking this place out and catching on to me." The three of them were seated among the rocks they used as seats. Qrow and her on one and Robin on the other. Luuki clumsily fell onto his rock with a smile as the group processed his words.

"Why don't you just leave?" Qrow asked with a scowl. "Wouldn't it make more sense for the man who can't be seen to leave?"

"Two problems with that, firstly I don't want to, and two, there's no telling if I run into one of their scouting parties attempting to leave. It's because of them I haven't just left for a village. Staying close to the clan keeps me from prying eyes." Luuki explained with a roll of his eyes.

"What will you do once the tribe leaves? From what I saw, they plan to leave soon," Robin asked. "How are we going to collaborate with you if you're gone, and surely you can't keep up with the tribe during travel?"

"I have a plan for both; you'll just have to wait and see~!" Luuki chuckled drunkenly.

"Fine." Qrow spat. "So we need to prepare a camp, somewhere we could've believably spent the winter surviving in. We have ample supplies; it should be easy to set something up in a few hours with the three of us; we wouldn't need to forage for food or water."

"Nah, you lot will leave most of that with me. You'll get their attention if they notice you doing too well without even a group. At which point they'll either rob and then kill the lot of ya or report it to old James. Bastard is so paranoid he'd be suspicious and have ya killed for certain." Luuki explained. "We need to create a rough camp portraying the idea that the three of you barely survived. You'll have to make sure to impress in initiation tho."

"About that." Raven finally spoke; her mind finally made up. "I have a different plan in mind. One that will allow us to make a mark and offer a convincing story of our time as dregs all at once."

"That would be perfect. What do you have in mind?" Robin asked with a raised brow.

"The idea of us being lucky survivors is a good one, but it's not enough. We need to establish who we are while impressing the Woodsman. We need to use someone to set an example for the other dregs and gain the Woodsman's respect. Luuki, do you know exactly which dregs attempted to kill Qrow and me?" Raven asked, speaking more confidently as the details were ironed out.

"Ooh, this is a revenge thing." Luuki chuckled.

"No, but if we need someone to use, they would be perfect. We must show the dregs we aren't to be messed with and make a big enough splash to be noticed. Do you remember exactly which dregs or not?" Raven snarled at Luuki.

"Haha, whatever you say. Yeah, I remember them. I watched them cut your tent open. Two adults and one teenage male. They've been here as dregs since the start of winter. And looked like a rough group, and worse yet, they were part of the larger Dreg alliance. You three have become tough and are scrappier than all hell, but you aren't quite ready for a straight fight to the death, certainly not with a numbers disadvantage." Luuki answered.

"Maybe we wouldn't win a straight-up fight," Raven admitted, biting back her anger toward Luuki for pointing out their weakness. "But this will be anything but a fair one. I have a way to ensure the other dregs stay out of it and leave those bastards in shock and wide open for us."

"So we used Ray's plan to ambush these bastards, take their supplies, and camp. What's to stop them from exposing us from doing so?" Qrow asked with a raised brow. Before his brow dropped, he realized what Raven meant. Luuki chuckled in silence as the siblings thought about the method.

"We couldn't let them live." Robin broke the silence; unlike Raven and Qrow, he seemed ecstatic at the news. "Even if we wanted to spare the bastards, they would just try to get revenge and certainly keep an eye on us. This is bad news for a group planning a coop like ours. We'll have to kill them or risk them undoing our plans."

"We could just scare 'em, " Qrow argued back, and Luuki simply seemed overjoyed, as if watching the two argue made him thirsty.

"They're not Woodsman like the rest; they're regular people like us forced into being dregs. Would feel wrong to mercilessly kill them."

"Are you stupid, Qrow?" Robin snapped back at her brother. "They tried to kill you, hell they joined a group that hoards supplies and bullies other dregs. Even if they are not full-fledged members, they intend to be. As far as I'm concerned, any Woodsman or all of the dregs are fair game. Hell, I'll enjoy killing them…"

"I knew I liked this guy!" Luuki cheered.

"We don't need to kill people to make a point; if we need to win, that's one thing, but-"

"Qrow!" Raven snapped. The room broke into silence as Raven stood, allowing her to tower over Qrow. "We'll never be strong with those bastards around, knowing they got one over on us. They'll spread the news, and we'll be found as weak to the others. You agreed we needed to be strong… that means we need to be strong enough to do what needs to be done…"

Qrow glared at her but did not rise. He didn't seem impressed, even with her towering over him. "We spare them if we can. More than likely, at least one will have to go anyway, but if we don't have to kill them, we don't. If we crush them badly enough, they'll be too scared to try anything." He attempted to reason. Raven growled in fury.

"Fine! If that's what it takes! Now, will you hear about my plan or not?!"

"Fine." Qrow agreed with annoyance.

"Finally… it goes like this…"

It took thirty seconds for Robin to carefully shoot off his crossbow at his designated targets. The crossbow was nowhere near as loud as a gun, but in the dead of night, it echoed as if it was. With each shot, Raven and Qrow flinch, expecting someone to race out and investigate the noise. But none ever did, allowing Robin to shoot off his valley uninterrupted.

"Get ready; our hosts will be waking up soon…" Robin joked cruelly.

The trio turned to the only tent spared from their powder trails. It was fortunate for them that the tent happened to be at the edge of the others; it made isolating it much simpler. Originally, Raven simply had planned on the group relying on speed. She figured a fierce attack on the tent would render the occupants defenseless if done properly and quickly enough.

But Luuki had disrupted their plan with a simple question. "What will you do about the rest?" A question Raven realized mattered to a great degree. The desperate and opportunistic dregs around them would hear a commotion and seek to finish off the victors. They would gain all of their supplies after, of course. Luckily for once, Luuki proved downright helpful; he had just the tool to handle the rest while they worked.

Qrow drew his tipless longsword, which had been filed down to have a crude but once again sharp point. Weapon in hand, he positioned himself to the left of the tent flap, far enough to thrust or slash with force but close enough to strike at any who attempted to leave. He breathed in and out deeply, gathering his nerves. "Ready, Ray."

Robin practically bounced in place as he positioned himself directly in front of the tent though further back. He reloaded his crossbow with practiced ease, his dreads bouncing as the tensed man prepared himself. Crossbow aimed and viscous smile on his ordinarily lighthearted face, he nodded to Raven impatiently.

Raven drew her shortsword and reared it back for a wild but powerful slash. She felt calm and prepared; Raven knew how she would swing and where it would hit. It felt strange to prepare to hurt someone she had never indeed met. To know that after today these men would never be the same. While it had been clear to her what she intended to do, she cared little for backing out now. Standing there lurking, mere seconds from becoming a true predator for once in her life… the full weight had settled on her shoulders. Yet all the while a light bubbly pride filled her. She wondered if her father felt this weight when he prepared to beat them. Or if the strong felt no pity for those beneath them… perhaps she would find out now.

There was no need for a signal, their victims would offer that. A loud sizzle cut through the silent, chilly night air. Raven offered a glance as the powder line was ignited; a growling line of flames raced upon each. The cold, dry ground and dead grass provided the perfect kindling to carry the flames further. Smoke trailed off as the fire met dried wood and the clothes of the tents. The sizzle grew louder as all the lines were alight, spreading the flames further. Soon, the sizzle was drowned out by a dull roar and the alarmed yells of tent inhabitants. Screaming sounded out as dregs raced from their tents. However, they needed to be more present to do anything of note. The flames had already grown past their fuel into the tents and dying trees around them. Soon, an inferno spread out, barely contained by batches of snow. Soon, the firestorm surrounded them, cutting them off from the group and leaving them and the tent isolated. Air within the contained inferno became smoke filled and hot enough to make them sweat. The dregs panicked as they tried to save their supplies and tents, some even being caught in the flames or trampled. Their dying pain filled cries pierced the night.

Raven's plan of attacking and taking the home of the dregs that had tried to kill them had been good. With Luuki's help, it had become deviously genius. His pickax suddenly made sense, for shortly after Raven told her plan, he had gone deep within the cave. Removing a moss-covered plane of wood all the way at the back, he exposed a shining crystal in the back of the cave. Luuki had chosen this cave due to his discovery of fire dust within. Originally the man had intended to sell it if ever needed, but now they could use it for a much better purpose.

With the fire dust acquired, they had a potential bomb at their disposal. In fact Luuki had intended to use it for that very purpose. But Raven had thought of something else. The Woodsman had used flames the night they attacked their old home village. Lighting the largest of buildings on fire as they launched an assault on their home. The flames and panic had left them all running and helpless even as they attacked, leaving them defenseless. Now, Raven used them herself. They would drive away the dregs, wreak havoc upon them, and, indeed, get the attention of the main camp. All while trapping them and their attempted killers in a battle…

The screams faded as the crowd managed to hoard most tents away from the flames, and as they settled, they realized the flames were contained. They discovered that, in the center of the pyro, there was a single unharmed tent surrounded by them. They learned how calm and prepared they were and that they were the attackers. With their temporary safety, the dregs surrounded the rough circle of flames as if they could sense they'd want to witness what happened next. But Raven shrugged off their gaze as shifting was heard from within the tent. The three held their breath as Raven kicked over one of the torches into the back of the tent. The flames caught the fabric quickly, and smoke and screams drifted out from within. They all waited for the inevitable next moments.

Suddenly, a young man with a scared scalp burst from the tent. His eyes held such shock and terror Raven doubted, as he attempted to flee, that he even saw them. But Robin saw and reacted much quicker; with a dull thwip, his crossbow shot, his aim was true as the bolt pierced his neck, disappearing in the flood of blood it brought. The man stumbled forward, momentum carrying him before he collapsed. Robin spared no second thought as he cruelly raced forward and began to beat the dying man with his crossbow.

The second man was equally unaware, stumbling out of the tent, clearly drunk. His stupor saved him, the man stumbling low, barely sparing his head from Qrow's mighty swing. Qrow stumbled with the missed swing, rechambering the blade for another swing. However, the drunken man seemed to gain some alertness, for he attempted a double leg on Qrow, but her brother managed to get the blade between them. A sickening squelch sounded as the man impaled himself; Qrow stumbled back, barely managing to stand as the drunken man worked himself more profoundly on the blade, crying out in pain. However, the man seemed ignorant of the wound, for he tripped Qrow and straddled him, attempting to strangle him. However, the blade kept him back, and his effort only worsened the wound.

Raven attempted to rush to his aide, but a whistling made her throw herself to the ground. She tried to climb to her feet, but a boot slammed into her face as she lifted it. Raven flew back stunned, her instincts drilled into her by Luuki kicking in as she rolled to her feet. The last man walked out of the tent calmer than the other two. It seemed he had thrown a spear at her but seemed nonplussed to be weaponless now. He cracked his neck as he watched Robin finish off his opponent and help wrestle the dying man off of Qrow. The man laughed cruelly at the chaos he saw around him.

"I see, this is some sort of ambush. This little pyro was used to separate us from the others and leave us unexpecting of an attack." The man said with a nod to her. "Got distracted by the violence aye? No worries, I was a rookie, too, back in the day. Nearly killed you before you even saw me. Glad I didn't though, I like bloody fights. You come to enjoy it like I'm going to enjoy you after I kill your little friends; I prefer an audience anyway!" The man cackled as he rushed forward with wide eyes.

Raven felt the anger fueling this plan return to his her as she swung for the man's neck once he got in range. The man stepped back, dodging the swing, ducking beneath her next, and kicking her back to knock her to the ground. He cackled as Raven felt angry tears start to gather. With a shrill roar, she forced them back and stood to face the man with an undying fury.

"Ray!" Qrow called out. Raven could hear him running to her and Robin cursing as he attempted to load another shot. But Raven ignored both, throwing up a hand in anger to stop them.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Raven cried. Both stopped, and the man in front of her chuckled again.

Raven met the cold blue eyes of the bald man as he sneered at her.

"You ambushed my group because you're weak." He said coldly. "Why pretend you have the strength to face me head-on."

"Raven, he's manipulating you!" Robin barked, nearly as furious at her. "He realizes he's gonna die against the three of us while unarmed. We should just stick to the plan, jump, and kill this bastard!"

"We don't need to kill." Qrow stopped with a pant. "Either way, we should just… take him out. No need to risk one on one."

"They're right. I am manipulating you. Fighting you all at once is a sure loss for myself. Besides, you're too weak to fight me…" the man trailed off purposely. "The weak have no choice but to live pitifully. To live at the mercy of the strong, and to be taken advantage of relentlessly. But worry not, even if you kill me or I you, the crowd will simply wait for the flames to die and kill whoever survives. Take all of our supplies of course, all because you're weak…"

"I'M NOT WEAK!" Raven screamed, seeing red. "STAY OUT OF THIS!" She cried to the others as she charged forward, intent on cleaving the man in two. He smiled as he dodged her first two wild swings, attempting to trip her when the second one threw her off balance. But Raven had practiced fighting a similarly sized and much more dangerous man. She worried not about attempting another swing and instead dived for the man's eyes with her nails. She felt her finger stab into something wet before the man smacked her away to the ground. Raven glanced at her fingers, seeing blood on them as the man stumbled back, clutching his eyes and crying out in pain.

Raven screamed in victorious fury as she raced to her feet and clutched her shortsword with both hands. She imagined her blade splitting his head in two and aimed as she imagined with intention. But to her shock, the man caught her wrists with one hand. A crushing blow hit Raven in the ribs and nearly made her throw up; a second made her eyes water; the third made her vision blurry and her legs weak. She needed to land something back… she needed air. Luuki had shown them to never stop fighting back. Raven clutched her blade as she fell, her legs giving. The man chuckled with bloodied eyes, but it soon became a scream as Raven struck true.

As she had fallen, she had done the same as Qrow; using her sword as a crutch, she stabbed into the man's left leg as she fell. The man stumbled back, falling to his good knee as he tested the blade lodged in his shin. But Raven felt no pain, and she scrambled to her feet. She sprinted at the stunned injured man before he even recovered. Placing her foot on the man's face and her hands on her blade's handle, she lurched the blade free with a scream, scraping steel and bone and her triumphant voice filling the air. The man fell to the ground with a pitiful cry of pain; he attempted to roll over but ended up shrieking as his leg twitched independently from his body, Raven's stab had nearly severed it, the limb only attached by bone.

But Raven barely noticed or cared. Instead it was the spectator's gaze that got her attention. The eyes of the crowd reminded her of the day Qrow and her had nearly died, the day their village had been attacked, the day Luuki had found them, every time her father had beat her. Her entire life, people had looked down on and trampled her. But now she could stop that; the people in the crowd were guilty; they watched with interest. Judging to see if they were a threat. It was clear to her she needed to show them her strength. The rage and adrenaline-fueled her as she marched over to the man. To show them all just how strong she was, so that she and Qrow could find peace.

Closing the gap between her and the injured pitiful man with quick, purposeful steps, Raven stooped over as she drew close, dropping her blade and picking up a hand-sized rock. She straddled the sobbing man who threw up his hands, attempting to guard his face; she glared at him as he choked on pain and managed to fight through it to speak. She waited for the first syllable to leave his mouth before she slammed her hand and smashed the stone into the mouth. She sees chips of tooth and blood fly from the blow, the man choking on one or both. She backhanded the man before slamming the stone into his cheek; the man's skin seemed to bruise with such ease. On the third strike, the man regained some agency, and his hands attempted to hold hers, but she easily powered through his grip. She slammed the stone into his forehead, now causing a deep gash from the forceful blow. She reared and hit the same spot again, causing a sickening crack. She smiled as she felt the man's desperate grip soften, now shockingly weak. His head was now slightly caved, and his arms twitched as he even now attempted to save himself.

"RAY!" Qrow roared as he pulled her off the man.

"Holy shit, she did it," Robin said with childlike wonder.

"He's done. Hell, even if he does live, I doubt it will be for long!" Qrow snapped at Raven, but she barely heard him.

"He won't," Raven promised darkly as she rose.

"Stop, Ray, this isn't right." Qrow contested as he met her eyes. "The other had to go, but he's beaten and destined for death. We don't need to go any further."

"If you all don't I will." Robin promised.

"No, it's not enough; we must show them." Raven turned to the crowd, facing them hatefully. "See this you damn dregs! The three of us caused all of this! You should've had the balls to kill us back then! Now, if any of you ever cross us again!" Raven roared to the crowd and grabbed her blade as she marched over to the downed man and barely conscious man.

"Ray!" Qrow snapped. "This isn't us; we don't need to do this!" Raven glanced over to the crowd, which starred in silence. Despite their victory, the crowd seemed expectant, as if they were waiting for something. She needed to make her point fully if the crowd was to leave them be…

"Yes, yes I do Qrow. We won't be weak anymore…" Raven answered as she marched past her brother. Robin, smiling ear to ear, gave her an encouraging nod. She walked over to the dying man, who mumbled weakly as she did. She coldly put her foot on his chest and looked him in the eye. The cold-hearted apathy was gone, replaced by terror dulled by pain and, indeed, brain damage. "If anyone crosses the Brawen's, this is the price!" As she roared at such, she thrust her blade into the chest of the man. The man was so weak he couldn't even cry out as her blade stabbed through his heart. Raven twisted the blade mercilessly as Luuki had taught them as she removed it from the corpse's chest. There was silence as the three stared at the corpse, watched from afar by the other dregs.

Raven sighed heavily before turning to face Robin. It was easier to face him than Qrow right now. "Can you grab us some seats from their campsite?" Robin nodded cheerfully as he rushed off to do so."

"Ray…" Qrow spoke; his anger always made him silently furious.

"Not now, brother," Raven answered without looking at him. "We can't afford to show weakness right now. We can argue later; for now, we must pretend we're unaffected."

"Like Luuki taught us, huh?" Qrow replied dryly. "Whatever you say, his words carry more weight than mine anyway...

Qrow turned and sat on the ground. Raven waited for Robin's return, who had brought three-fold chairs that had survived their target's tent fire. The three sat and looked unbothered as the inferno slowly burned itself out. Truthfully though Raven suspected the three were anything but…

The Day Before

Later that night, Robin and Qrow passed out, likely exhausted prematurely, knowing what tomorrow held for them. The three of them, lacking trust in Luuki, never slept at once; they always had at least one awake and armed with the crossbow. Insurance if Luuki attempted something, they'd stand a fighting chance.

Luuki sat on the opposite side of the fire, drinking himself into oblivion as the man did every night. The man kept chuckling at her, something Raven attempted to ignore, but the man was not one to settle for such. After several minutes of laughing, Raven gave in.

"What, you creep."

"So cold to me, Raven, is it because of all the beatings?" Luuki asked with his raspy chuckle. "But worry not; this is of some importance."

"So."

"So your plan is almost perfect; you intend to take out the group that targeted you, intimidate and separate the rest, and use that to impress the main camp. Who will surely investigate such a racket. With your vicious actions explaining revenge and the rough state of you all, you plan to both impress and misdirect the Woodsman. But all of that won't work without a clear leader."

"A leader? Isn't that your crippled self?" Raven snarked at the man.

"Of course, but if you're gonna drum up a group and support for our little coop, you'll need to form a faction from within the Woodsman. You'll never manage such without a confident and competent leader." Luuki explained. "And since the Woodsman can't know I'm alive it has to be one of you three."

"And since you waited for my brother and Robin to be asleep, you intend it to be me," Raven concluded.

"Right on the money, the group needs one, and you're the best option. Your brother is tough and quick with his mind like you but lacks that killer edge. Robin has it, but it doesn't seem like he's all there. I imagine he'd throw the plan if it meant enough Woodsmans' blood spilled. You, on the other hand, have both the edge and the mind to do it. That anger and hunger that I see in your eyes will motivate you," Luuki answered. "The determination to survive will guide you."

"Why wait for the other two to be asleep to mention it?" Raven asked, confused.

"You need to be an absolute leader who can inspire fear and respect in equal measure. With that in mind, you need to take the lead and not rely on or even hear out the others. That will make you the type of person the Woodsman loves." Luuki said. "Qrow will likely go along with it, he seems already to take your word seriously. Robin will listen as well, he seems to respect you two and is desperate for a shot at James. You two are his best option for such."

"You still wouldn't have brought this up unless there was something specific for me to do," Raven responded with a raised brow.

"Right again," Luuki admitted with a shrug. "The leader of them or the last, whatever it ends up being. Can't just kill him; need to make it rough and show consequences to potential foes. Make it something memorable and graphic. Your brother would be against it, and Robin might mess it up. Make your moment count, Ray. You likely won't get another…"

"Don't call me that. I'll listen, but make no mistake, Luuki." Raven agreed as she glared directly into the amused eyes of her forced mentor. "If you ever cross us, I'll kill you too…"

"Excellent. The tribe should arrive tomorrow. Make me proud, student, hahaha!" Luuki cackled with drunk amusement. The rest of Raven's shift passed in silence…

The flames they had raised had almost entirely died out. The dregs kept their tents to their new spot, however. Qrow, under the watchful eye and support of Robin, aided by his crossbow, marched around, gathering supplies from the ashes and bringing them back to the other two. He had already gathered a large pile behind the relaxing Raven. But the other dregs made no move to do the same or even draw close to the three.

Raven watched it all with feigned boredom. Robin, however, seemed overjoyed; the victory had seemed to energize him. The teen watched over Qrow with twitchy vigilance, prepared to protect her brother and kill with equal vigor. The crowd watched them between their recovery, yet none approached or met her gaze.

Their vicious and sudden ambush worked as intended. The Dregs, having nearly died to them and having watched the brutal slaying of their targets, seemed wary of them. Despite having three-to-one numbers, not a single one bothered them. Seemingly fearful of dying as the others had.

Qrow had stuck to their plan, but his anger was obvious. Since she had suggested saving their argument until later, her brother had scarcely spoken to her and immediately set off to gather supplies, seemingly to avoid her. But Raven did not mind; she had made the choice Qrow never could have. While he would not thank her now, she was certain time would show him.

Robin still seemed to be the happiest Raven had seen him yet. While his mission to kill James Woodsman was clear, it was still shocking to see just how deep his hatred was, and not limited to the man in question. From how his eyes shifted and he constantly aimed at the closest dregs to Qrow, it was clear the man hoped someone would try something and give him reason to strike.

Raven hummed as she waited for them, but her wait wasn't long. The familiar sound of horse hooves hitting the cold ground sounded out, flags with red hatchets present were raised, and an assorted group of armed and healthy warriors rode toward camp.

It was clear they were not dregs. Even the richest of them struggled with daily supplies, let alone clean clothes. The dregs were filthy, and even the most fed were skinny and malnourished. They clutched either impromptu or well-used weapons, but this crowd did not.

The horses alone made them seem like they were in such a class above them that it was ridiculous. Pair that with clean clothes, armor, well-maintained weapons, and some even carried food. They looked like nobility visiting peasants, and the dregs sold this image further.

None even dared cross their path, yet they formed around them the desperate calling for aid and the hopeful waiting for them to act. Others cringed, either not over their status or fearful of the true Woodsman in front of them.

But the Woodsman ignored them all, instead heading straight to Raven and Robin. Qrow rejoined them as the group came close.

"Woodsman…" Robin growled hatefully.

"Don't do anything stupid," Qrow warned the man; Robin nodded and stepped back, content to let them lead. "What's the plan, Ray?"

"Just follow my lead," Raven ordered as the party of Woodsman stopped in front of them.

The crowd of men stopped as a woman hopped off a horse and examined them. "So it was dreg on dreg violence, interesting… say girl, tell me everything. And if you so much as think of lying…"

Raven did not let her finish, standing up tall and marching forward to stare the woman down, eye to eye. "You'll what?" Raven asked boldly.

AN

Sheesh, things got grim and picked up quickly. Now that we have some pieces, we can begin getting into TSTC.

The next update will be 11/15/24 EST, give or take a few days. It will be closer to that date; however, I plan to take some time to workshop the story briefly.

Thanks for reading; feel free to support us by giving feedback, and Peace~!