Mornings have never been friendly to Fenrir, waking up so early it feels like he barely had any sleep at all. It even begs the leader of Team CJVR to wonder why he had to wake up at 5 in the morning for a field trip. As Fenrir is riding on the seat of a bullhead, his eye is slowly closing into sleepiness...until the sudden shake of a landing jolts Fenrir back up. He notices the doors open up and decide it's time to get off, grabbing the supplies the teacher required him and other students to bring. As Fenrir steps off the bullhead with the other passengers, he looks around to see the others were lacking the energy like him.
"Alright students, may I have your attention please?!" Port calls to attention the students look at the Professor, ready to listen." Now, before we begin this field trip exercise, I would like to bring the issue to your attention. I know waking up early in the morning is not something you are accustomed to, but it's important for every leader to be ready at the break of dawn, especially if their team travels on foot. I am sure you are all curious as to why we have not only summoned the leaders of each team, but called in the second year students as well. It is because this field trip is a test of your survival skills, to understand how the wild forces of Remnant's nature actually works, it is not only a requirement as Huntsmen, but as leaders, to aid their teammates when not even they know how to survive in the wild. Why, it even takes me back to my younger days when I was stranded on an island for three months, and I only had the supply of worms and mud water to keep me going!"
All the students then looked at each other in disgust from Port's tale, even Fenrir grew a little disgusted. After all, worms are supposed to be poisonous to your digestive system, as Fenrir learned that the hard way. Clearing his throat, Port continues addressing the importance of the exercise
"Ahem, moving on. Your assignment in this exercise is very simple! There are packs of Grimm in the forest and grow ever closer to Vale. It will be your job to hunt them down and exterminate every Grimm you find. Each Grimm you kill adds a point to your grades. This hunt will take longer than originally thought which is why you are allowed to bring the necessary supplies such as a tent and blankets to sleep in, but you will need to find your own firewood; to gather food you must hunt for them, too! Once you've exterminated enough Grimm to keep Vale safe, we will all return here, if you wish to back out, simply send us a signal and we will escort you back to Beacon, fair warning though, if you abort this exercise and go back to Beacon, you will receive a very poor grade, this is meant to be a test of skill, endurance and survival. If you do not have such talents then you will not succeed as Huntsmen. I will remain here to watch in case any of you students will get into an impossible fight, the second years will also be aiding you if there is any trouble, to clarify...they will help you, but they won't do anything for you. I hope I have made that clear. Now then, you may pair up with any other student or set out on your own, best of luck to all of you!"
Fenrir looks at the students who had muttering complaints and groans because most of them never actually had a life in the wild. But Fenrir feels more at home, he doesn't need to learn how to survive because it's second nature. As Fenrir sets off on his own, he hears the worried moans of another student. He looks around for the sound of moaning, noticing Ruby who appears distressed. Of course, Fenrir has survival skills...but Ruby does not.
"Hey, little red!" Fenrir waves, approaching Ruby who nearly jumps at his greeting.
"Oh, hey Fenrir." Ruby sighs, slightly embarrassed.
"Wanna pair up? I figured it would be dangerous if you were to hunt in the wild by yourself."
"Uh...y-yeah! Sure!"
"Great, let's get going. We'll start with the larger packs, should be easier to find."
"Alright...lead on!"
The two chuckle at their little awkwardness and start walking on an open path up the hill.
*
After an hour of hiking, Fenrir and Ruby split up from the group, slaying packs of Grimm they come across their path. They've slain Beowolves, Ursai and Beringel; they encounter small mixture groups of Boarbatusk and Beowolves. Fenrir raises his scythe in defense, blocking a claw attack from a Beowulf.
"And just when I thought this exercise would get dull!" Fenrir laughs, punching the Beowulf back with his scythe. "Hey red, how you doing?!"
"Just great! This is starting to feel like fun!" Ruby replies, beheading another Beowulf. With a sigh, she looks at Fenrir. "Need a hand?"
"Ha! With this easy-level Grimm?! Don't worry, I got–," Fenrir looks behind his shoulder and gasps to notice a Boarbatusk spin dashing towards Ruby while she wasn't looking. "Ruby, look out!!"
Fenrir Howls the Beowulf he's fighting, throwing the Grimm away and crashing onto a tree; then shortens his scythe into a kama, allowing him to throw it at the Boarbatusk, knocking it out of the air. Ruby looks behind her to notice the Boarbatusk knocked out of the air and lying on its back as Fenrir recalls his weapon.
"Thanks that was a close–," Ruby gasps when she notices the Beowulf from earlier lunging behind Fenrir. "Behind you!!"
Ruby petal bursts past Fenrir and rams against the Beowulf upward. Fenrir dashes toward the downed Boarbatusk, shifting his scythe into an axe. Both Ruby and Fenrir swing down their weapons from above, Ruby beheads the Beowulf with her scythe; while Fenrir digs the axe's blade into the Boarbatusk's stomach, dragging it from the ground and lifting it in the air, severing the Grimm as it dissolves. Both remain in stance as they take a moment savoring this small victory until they rest their weapons with a sigh.
"Whoo! That was awesome! We rock as a team!" Ruby cheers, pumping her fist in the air.
"Don't celebrate yet, I forgot to bring confetti!" Fenrir jokes with a laugh, shifting his axe into a scythe and holstering it. He approaches Ruby with a smirk, offering her a fist bump "You definitely kicked some Grimm ass though, great job!"
"Swear!" Ruby calls out with a pouty face, an expression Fenrir returns after being called out. Ruby just laughs and pounds Fenrir's fist, followed by sheathing her scythe. "So, what Grimm should we hunt next? More Beringel? Another pack of Beowolves?! Oh, or what about something bigger, like a Death Stalker?!
"First, we should set up camp and get some rest. If we keep fighting anymore Grimm, we'll use up our Aura and pass out." Fenrir suggests with a chuckle. "We should be able to find open spots outside the path in this forest."
"Aw, come on, I'm not THAT tired." Ruby groans.
"Oh, so you'd rather fight a Death Stalker when you're too slow and tired because you neglected rest?" Fenrir points out, smirking. Ruby looks at Fenrir with a nonchalant expression, he may joke but she can't deny when he's right.
"Ok, fine, you win." Ruby sighs defeatedly, making Fenrir chuckle victoriously. "Don't make fun of me!"
"I wasn't making fun of you." Fenrir laughs
"Yes you are! In your head, I can tell!" Ruby argues.
"How can you tell what I'm thinking? I know you ain't a mind reader, maybe I just think your pouty expression is cute!"
"See?! You're making fun of me right now! I don't wanna look cute! I wanna look cool!"
"Whatever you say, cutie." Fenrir teases Ruby, making her scream in frustration.
*
Hours later, Fenrir and Ruby found open space in the forest, less patches full of grass, trees are separated far enough from each other so it doesn't feel cluttered and the leaves above help keep the sun from shining too brightly, this appears to be a good spot to set camp
"So...what now?" Ruby asks, look around.
"Now, we start setting up our tents, we can't sleep if raindrops start falling on our heads. You know how to set up a tent, right?"
"Sorta...Yang and Dad did it for me when I was younger." Ruby chuckles, scratching behind her head.
"Well it's really easy, all you have to do is set it on the ground, just make sure it's flat." Fenrir unfolds his own tent, carefully setting it down on the spot near the trees. "Then you just thread the poles over it." Fenrir threads one pole into the tent but notices the pole started to bend, which was not something it was supposed to do. "Uh...heh heh, thread the pole..." He tries to repeat the process but the pole bends again, making Fenrir a bit frustrated
"What the hell...?" Fenrir forces the pole through only for it to bend further which was not the result he's going for.
Noticing his struggle, Ruby walks up to Fenrir after setting down her bag, watching as Fenrir continues to struggle setting up his tent.
"Do you need some help?"
"No, no, don't worry, I got this..." But the pole breaks, and a piece of it smacks Fenrir's forehead. "Ow! Damn it!"
"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Ruby asks, a little concerned.
"Nope! I can fix this, hold on!" Fenrir tries to wrap a rope around the broken area, but when he forcefully pushes it down, the rope unties itself from the force, the broken piece bouncing off the ground and smacking Fenrir's nose. "Ah! For the love of–,"
Next Fenrir tries sticking up the two poles with a random stick, only for it to fall off and make the tent fall down with it
"I swear...this is exactly how Granny taught me..." Fenrir sighs. He tries to station the tent up from the inside, making sure it stays standing by pressing his hands up against the ceiling, pushing it up so it can stay standing, but the unnecessary pushing was causing the stakes Fenrir placed to pop out of the ground, closing the tent and wrapping him inside it from the momentum. One stake hits Fenrir's face by the blunt end. Ruby just laughs at his efforts, not in a mocking way, merely in a way that she's enjoying the show
"Well, it looks like you got everything under control!" Ruby laughs. Fenrir tears apart the tent from inside, setting himself free
"Screw this...I'll just sleep under a tree, at least they're more comfortable!" Fenrir complains, noticing Ruby's tent was set up nicely, putting him into shock and amazement. "How the hell did you set it up perfectly?!"
Ruby looks at her tent, then back to Fenrir
"Uh...beginner's luck?"
"Oh...good for you then." Fenrir sighs
"So what now?"
"Now...we set up a campfire, a few stones to use as a wall and some firewood to get it burning. We'll also need to hunt for food and find water, hopefully there is a river close by." Fenrir says, surveying the forest.
"Should we split up?"
"Yeah, that'd help us cover more ground, and it saves us time. I'll go hunting for food, you find us plenty of firewood, that sound good?"
"Yeah! See you back here in a few!" Ruby salutes with a smile, leaving to find wood.
"And Ruby!" Ruby turns around at the sound of her name, wondering what else Fenrir has to say. "Just be careful out there, ok?"
"You too." Ruby replies with a nod, both her and Fenrir part ways, searching for the supplies they'll need for camping.
*
Hours have passed and the sun is about to set. Ruby is sitting by the fire thanks to the wood she found, keeping herself warm from the nightly air, waiting for Fenrir to come back with food. He hasn't returned to camp in a while and it's starting to worry her until she hears footsteps getting closer. She stands up, readying her scythe until she sees it's just Fenrir approaching the fire with one dead deer over his shoulder and holding a pack of dead rabbits by hand.
"Hey, sorry it took me so long." Fenrir sighs, setting down the game. "Found us enough food to last us another day."
"You really hunted innocent animals?" Ruby asks in a worried tone.
"It's one of many ways of survival...otherwise, you'd only starve to death." Fenrir answers, using the blade of his scythe to skin the deer first. He looks at Ruby to notice the uncomfortable expression she has. "Ruby...there are some things you have to close your heart to. We need food to survive and we can only kill other animals for that. If we don't...we'll starve to death."
Ruby nods at Fenrir's lecture, staring down at the fire. He hates telling her stuff like this, but it's understandable why she'd object to this; she's fifteen after all. But her naivete...it's something Fenrir always...that he wished he...Fenrir sighs.
"Why don't you get some sleep. It'll be awhile before this meat is skinned and cooked; not a good idea to go hunting more Grimm in the dark either." Fenrir suggests, earning another nod from Ruby. "I'll keep watch while the food cooks, then wake you up when it's your turn, ok?"
"Ok." Ruby mutters, standing up and climbing into her tent, leaving Fenrir to his own self regret.
Staying on watch, Fenrir sits under one of the trees and waits while the food cooks. As the minutes slowly pass by, Fenrir's eyes feel heavy, sleep slowly conquering his senses...until he drifts off, sleeping in the camp under the shattered moon.
*
It is so warm and safe, the one thing Fenrir enjoyed in his life was the safety of his home. Fenrir opens his eyes and can feel the safety of his mother's arm wrapped around him, cuddling next to her in front of the campfire as she reads Fenrir another fairy tale. Warm and safe.
"And so, the Wizard asked the Wolf: 'Why are you alone?' the Wolf answers: 'Because I trust no one but myself, old Wizard.' the Wizard was surprised, a selfless animal of the wild who trusts no one but himself, there's no doubt this warrior is indeed lonely. Remembering the lesson he learned long ago, the Wizard shares his wisdom with the Wolf..." Fenrir's mother continues to read the fairy tale while her son listens, now hearing the laughter from his father who's chatting with another friend in the kitchen
"We'll just have to keep those horses in tighter reins, won't we? Ha!" Fenrir's father jokes
Fenrir couldn't help but stare at his father, seeing how happy he is, how happy they all are...it is safe, warm and peaceful...if only things could stay like this forever. Fenrir smiles as his father takes notice, and looks at him with a smile. Fenrir turns his gaze to the fireplace... then there's the smell of smoke, the blood curdling screams. The deadliest roars of something that is inhuman as Fenrir watched his whole village burn to ashes
"Run, Fenrir! RUN!!"
Fenrir watches his mother fall to the ground, helpless to get up, fear overwhelming his mind and he could do nothing but run
"...Something to remember me by..."
A tall shadowy man in the woods, his orange glowing eyes piercing the darkness as he summons a large glowing claw and slashes at Fenrir's face.
*
Fenrir gasps awake to see he's still in the camp...sleeping under a tree until now. He sighs...it was nothing but another nightmare...another memory he wishes to forget, caressing his eyepatch...as he tries to stay up, Fenrir notices a blanket draped over him, but with a closer look, he realizes it's not just a blanket, it's a cloak, Ruby's cloak. Fenrir looks around and sees Ruby, sitting by the fire; same spot as before.
"Hey...noticed you fell asleep so I decided to take watch..." Ruby smiles.
"...How'd you wake up so early?" Fenrir asks, he couldn't have been asleep for too long, the meat's still cooking atop the fire.
"I didn't...I couldn't sleep really. It's hard to fall asleep without my Dad or sister...there's always my Uncle but he's not around as much as he wants to." Ruby answers
"Yeah...I guess we all have things that are difficult to adjust to." Fenrir mumbles, staring at the fire.
"I'm sorry if I was being too childish earlier." Ruby speaks up, getting Fenrir's attention. "I know we need to grow up and accept things as they are. Hunting animals for food and making sacrifices that don't involve our own lives. Guess I still have a lot to learn."
"I never asked you to grow up too quickly, Rubes. It's easy to forget you're two years younger than us." Fenrir admits. "It's been awhile since I've traveled with other people...I grew up too quickly. I admire that childishness of yours, it reminds me why I fight at all."
Fenrir slowly get up, folding up Ruby's cloak with his arm and walks towards her to join near the campfire
"I noticed you were mumbling in your sleep...did you have a bad dream?"
"Yep, told you, I get those frequently..."
"Oh yeah, that's right. How do you get used to it?"
"That's the problem...you don't. It'll always be a dark reminder of how I came this far.." Fenrir sighs
"Do you...ever want to talk about it?"
"No, thanks. Everyone deals with trauma in their own ways, I'd rather keep this one to myself."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Ruby, the less you know about everything I've been through, the better. It's not a happy tale and I'd prefer to keep whatever childhood innocence you have left as it is."
"But if there's anything I can do to help–,"
"Ruby." Fenrir snaps in a slightly firm tone, making Ruby back off from anything else she's about to say. "I appreciate it, but sometimes it's best to leave it alone. There's nothing else you can do. I've dealt with it, so don't keep worrying yourself to death for me."
"Ok but, what about your team?"
"What about them?" Fenrir asks, an eyebrow raised in confusion.
"You're supposed to be a leader, aren't you? From what I understand, you don't lead people just because you tell them what to do. They follow your orders because they believe in you, they trust you to the very end but how can they trust you if you start holding important things from them? If they don't tell you everything, they'll start to lose confidence in you and that could get people hurt. If you want your team to trust you, you have to trust them."
Fenrir stares at Ruby for a while, surprised by how true her words are.
"Ha, guess I've still got a lot to learn. You're much smarter than you look, red." Fenrir smirks, confusing Ruby by what he meant.
Fenrir stands up, takes off his coat and drapes it over Ruby's shoulders, who takes it and wraps it closely around her
"Where are you going?"
"To get some sleep, maybe I'll feel better after a good rest. And since you're taking watch, it's better you don't get cold out there."
"W-won't you get cold?"
"I've adjusted to environmental temperatures, I'll be fine, really."
"Ok, goodnight." Ruby smiles at Fenrir
"Sweet dreams, Rubes." Fenrir smiles back, then sits down near the tree for some shut-eye.
*
When morning arrived, Fenrir and Ruby continued their hunt for more Grimm. During their hunt, Fenrir couldn't get what Ruby said out of his head. How can he be trusted when Ruby does what he can't?
"Fenrir, look!" Ruby points past a few trees to show herd of Beowolves and flock of Nevermores flying towards Vale
Fenrir smirks, he may think he's not able to inspire others, but at least he can still focus on the fun parts of teamwork
"You go high, I go low?" Fenrir asks, equipping his scythe.
"Just give me a boost!" Ruby smiles
Both Fenrir and Ruby charge at the Grimm. Fenrir spins his scythe as Ruby jumps and plants her feet on his handles, Fenrir uses all his strength and throws Ruby into the air, allowing both her and Fenrir to attack the Grimm in air and on ground
End of Chapter 11