Sienna earned some respect and some guys trained in combat, specifically in hit and run tactics and raids. What oh what could a Faunus Rights group do with such resources in a world where their greatest adversaries rely on mass transportation of goods?
Chapter 14
Her sling itched. Sienna stood in the Mistralian wilderness, watching in frustration as work began on their new base of operations. With her arm on the mend, the Supreme Leader could not help her people with the construction, and was relegated to watching from underneath a humble tent on a hill above the construction. Or rather, reconstruction.
It had been nearly twenty days since her deadly duel with Shao Khan, and Sienna was quickly proving that a dislocated shoulder wouldn't slow her down. She'd made sure to get Hannibal and Adam on a good working relationship to facilitate absorbing the Outlanders into the fold, then gone tramping off into the jungle as fast as she could.
The scouts she had sent out to find a suitable location for a secret base had returned with news of ruins deep in the jungle of Mistral. The Kingdom had either abandoned it long ago, or the stone construction was older than the Kingdom itself. In either case, the flat foundation and smattering of collapsed buildings had been child's play to clean up and prepare for more modern construction. She'd brought a contingent of the former Outlanders to act as guards, but a majority of the White Fang on this team had come from construction and mining jobs, laid off by the Schnee Dust Company after their usefulness had come to an end. Now, they cut and measured and built for the future of all Faunus, a cause they took very seriously. Where the SDC had disposed of them like chaff, the Faunus of the White Fang worked fervently in spite of the mega corporation, taking breaks only when Sienna would force them to. Their demeanor was cheerful and determined, as many were simply glad to be able to put their skills to good use after losing their jobs.
Sienna's tent was spartan by her own decree, demanding that the majority of their supplies go to the laborers and craftsmen that were working far harder than she was. All that it had was a rug to cover the stone floor, a folding table to display schedules and blueprints, and a small cot off to the side for her to fitfully roll around on in lieu of sleep. The entire western side of the tent had been rolled up and tied off, allowing her an unrestricted view of the construction at all times, and she couldn't help but admire the view. The temperate forest was full of wildlife and tall, thick trees. A plateau ran to the north of them, with a large cave recessed into the cliff face. Inside of the cave was an ancient stone temple of some kind, covered in moss and dilapidated from years of neglect. Many of the structures on the temple's foundation had been leveled, and it brought to question what kind of disaster could have destroyed such a shelter place.
The foreman, a short haired bull Faunus with his horns shaved down named Marcus, had been gentle but firm in his insistence that she remain out of the way. The first day on the job she had tried to at least help keep people hydrated, but the presence of the Supreme Leader had put the White Fang workers on edge. Not out of fear, but a respect that made it difficult for them to relax.
"You're hell on wheels in a fight or a rally ma'am, but a work site isn't the place for untrained hands. Especially wounded hands. Just stay out of the way and keep us safe, and we'll take care of the rest." Marcus had explained. It took everything she had not to pout over it. She was the Supreme Leader, damn it! Not some child to be tucked away while the adults worked. Sienna knew that her frustration lay not with Marcus and his men, but rather her injury and accompanying uselessness. Still, leading from the rear was something she had little experience in, and thanks to her dead brother it was now all she could do. And without Tukson, Cain, Adam, or even Hannibal to assist her, she was peerless and alone for most of the day. Marcus and his other supervisors made frequent stops for instructions and updates, adding corrected measurements and reports to give her something to look over in her excessive spare time. It still felt like she was sitting on the edge of the world, though.
Sighing in frustration, Sienna turned away from the work site and made her way to the plastic and metal folding table, pushing aside a few old shipping manifests to reveal the plans for her new base. Right now, everything was having to be carried for nearly three miles, a greatly limited method of transportation. Marcus had a second smaller team working to arrange for a discreet road to lead to the base, but it was slow going. Every step of progress reduced the distance that heavy supplies had to be carried, but it still felt like it was taking too long. On the base itself, it was a mixed hybrid of old stone and new material. The wood from the surrounding forest was durable and strong, but they couldn't move in concrete or metal beams until the road was completed. As such, remains from the temple were used in the foundation, but each large block had to be carefully inspected by Marcus himself. And the final issue was the construction itself. Sienna was used to running missions and getting results within days or weeks, whereas the White Fang headquarters would easily take a year or more. She had foolishly though that it was possible to encourage more progress with her presence, and now she was stuck watching what looking like a bunch of ants climbing around an ant hill. But they were her ants and she would endure the irritation for their sake.
The other, unspoken reason for her presence was a delaying tactic. After he had reset her shoulder, Tukson had stepped away to take a scroll call. When he returned, the look on his face had been one of immense guilt. Arthur Morgan was aware of her duel to the death, and was on his way to find her. Presumably, he was going to lecture her about risking her life or some other such thing. Frankly, Sienna hadn't been thrilled about facing her brother, but the choice had been out of her hands ever since he first made his move. Shao Khan had announced his bid for White Fang leadership, and backed her into a corner in doing so. She couldn't refuse him outright without inviting violence on Menagerie, and Ghira's agreement on separating the White Fang from Kuo Kuana would have been left in tatters. If she asked Ghira himself to drive out her brother, the rest of the White Fang would have seen it as weakness. And as for what she had gained?
The problem with the White Fang taking a more aggressive approach was that there were so few trained fighters in the organization. Get them all together in one room and she would be satisfied, but the White Fang was spread out all over Remnant. Even in Menagerie, the current seat of their power, only twenty or thirty people had a level of combat experience, and a quarter of that number had fought actually people before. With the Outlanders bolstering their ranks, Sienna not only had seasoned fighters in the short term, but she had a basis to train more fighters in the coming months. Sure, many of the former bandits still had some behavioral problems to iron out, but dissent was curtailed both by Hannibal's unwavering discipline and Shao Khan's previous paranoia. As strong as her deceased brother had been, he had remained leader for more than just his strength. Any potential contenders for his position had been removed early on, and likely outside of a duel. The only reason he had challenged her was to legitimize his claim to the White Fang. If Sienna had been an opponent within the Outlanders, she would have died to a knife in her sleep or poison in her food. And thanks to his selective purging, Sienna had a malleable and mostly loyal soldier base to work with.
So she had been forced to fight her brother or lose everything she had fought for, and in doing so had thrown the White Fang forward by months. If the self-righteous cowboy wanted to lecture her, then she had plenty of reason for what she had done. Sienna was in no way shape or form hiding from her friend's totally-in-the-wrong ire by supervising the construction of a base she had no reason to believe would be completed before the end of the year. Or at least, that's what she told herself.
I have to focus on the betterment of the Faunus. She reasoned. Even he must understand fighting for a greater cause sometimes gets you hurt. And that I am not some child to be coddled and protected. The last part was her pride talking, but even that had its place. How could she lead the White Fang if she was not willing to sacrifice for them? If Sienna chose not to risk herself but asked her people to do so, what kind of coward would that make her?
The sound of footsteps jolted her from her musings, and Sienna turned toward the opening in the tent. Sure enough, Marcus emerged from the forest to the right, his do rag and coveralls stained with sweat from the day's exertion. Hell, even standing was enough to drench one in sweat on some of the warmer days.
"Lady Khan, there's a visitor for you." Marcus reported dutifully, though she could tell the interruption irritated the bull Faunus. His face crinkled with thinly veiled frustration, and his fists clenched unconsciously. He clearly did not like whomever was coming to see her. Struggling not to roll her eyes, Sienna couldn't even imagine what he had to be so frustrated with. Arthur had been expected, and she'd even advised the perimeter guards of his description. Why were they going through this like he was an intruder?
"Bring him in, please. And make sure to take some water back if you need it." She ordered gently, walking around the table to greet her no doubt irate friend after he had come tromping through the Mistralian jungle just to see her. Marcus nodded hesitantly and beckoned toward the side of the tent, but otherwise made no move to leave. Sienna was about to ask him what was wrong when her guest stepped into the tent, boots sinking into the soft earth. A guest that was not Arthur Morgan.
The man was lanky and thin, though what she could see of his forearms were muscled. He wore a white sleeveless shirt and white pants that were tucked into tall brown boots that buckled just beneath his knee. The man's shirt was covered by a heavy brown overcoat, and Sienna found herself wondering how he could stand it in the day's heat. Strange gauntlets covered his wrists, and she knew that they were weapons of some sort. The man's dark brown hair was tied back in a knotted ponytail, and a few stray hairs hung over his forehead. The most unsettling thing about him, however, where the way his yellow eyes focused on her, predatory in nature and sending a chill down her spine. His far too happy grin added to the unsettling feeling he gave off, like he was party to a joke that no one else had heard. Even though they outnumbered the stranger, Sienna found herself reaching for her battle chain subconsciously.
"Greetings, traveler. I am Sienna Khan." She cleared her throat and offered her good hand. "For what reason did you seek me out?" The stranger examined her hand for a moment, tilting his head this way and that before he reached forward and took her hand in his grasp. Sienna winced as he did his best to crush it.
"Oh, it is so good to finally meet you, Lady Khan! I am but a humble servant to my beautiful mistress. You may call me Tyrian." His hands were cold, even with the savage heat of Mistral's jungle. Sienna felt repulsed by the man on the spot, but the White Fang could not be seen to refuse help. Even if it came from a man that genuinely looked like he tortured orphans for giggles. Even with diplomatic relations in mind, Sienna released his hand as soon as was socially acceptable. If Tyrian noticed, his saccharine smile never wavered.
"Pleasure to meet you, Tyrian. I don't want to sound rude, but for what purpose did you seek me out in the wilderness? I didn't exactly make my location known." She gestured with her good hand toward the plateau and ruined temple, and Tyrian examined it all with a creepy chuckle.
"Oh, yes! I'm sure we would have met before had you remained in Menagerie, but I can find anything on Remnant. Call it a... talent, of sorts." The man wrung his hands and chuckled again, causing Marcus' hands to clench. Good, she wasn't the only one disturbed by this strange individual. "Surely Ghira mentioned me. After all, I helped the White Fang get neutral ground in Atlas and Vale without bloodshed." The man's calm facade twitched as he uttered the word 'bloodshed', and Sienna wasn't so sure that he was happy about the outcome or not. Still, this was the strange benefactor Ghira had mentioned? He'd been right on the money when he'd said that his 'friend' was odd. But how Ghira could work with someone as disturbed as this Tyrian fellow was something of a mystery.
"I recall that he'd mentioned an ally, but we never discussed it further than that. Nevertheless, I thank you for your support." Her eyes narrowed. "However, you would not have sought me out here in the wilderness just to introduce yourself. What is it you need, Tyrian?" The man paused in his hand wringing, perking up like a cat that had just caught wind of a mouse. And Sienna had no illusions about the identity of the mouse.
"Oh ho ho, how clever you are, Lady Khan! My mistress was right about you. But fret not, there is no heavy price to pay here. In exchange for our assistance in Vale and Atlas, my mistress asks only for... information." Tyrian reached into his overcoat, causing both Sienna and Marcus to tense. Their caution was unwarranted, however, when he simply retrieved a scroll from his pocket. He set it on the table and backed up a respectable distance away, taking some hidden pleasure in how guarded she was around him. The way his mouth curled into a self-satisfied smirk made her want to kick down the embankment. Instead, however, Sienna looked down at the scroll.
It was a series of images, but all of them were the same woman. One with dark hair and a shining smile, her silver eyes glinting. She wore a black and red corset, with red ribbons here and there as it came down to her skirt. In one frame, she was gently cradling a small child that looked very similar to her, while a blonde man and a young blonde girl stood at either side. The children were no older than eight by Sienna's approximation, and everyone in the picture had bright smiles. In the next photograph, the woman's smile had been traded for a battle worn frown, her features streaked with dirt and grime as she faced off with some unknown opponent off screen. It was raining in the picture, and she held out a sword that was covered in blood. Her clothes were hidden by a dirty, tattered white cloak, which sported a large hole in her ride side that was also stained with blood.
More than anything else, however, was the name above the pictures. Summer Rose. The woman that had brought Arthur to Remnant.
Sienna had a lot of practice in hiding her true thoughts. Living on the streets, hiding her outrage and shame from the cruel gazes of racists and bigots, it had all conditioned her to hide her true thoughts. Still, the sheer magnitude of what she was facing almost broke her calm facade. Her wounded arm clenched for a moment, but only for a moment as she realized just who Tyrian represented.
Arthur had told her about Summer's warning, that there was someone wanting to throw Remnant into all out war and were chasing after her. The whole reason a doting mother had faked her death, lying to the very family she had sworn to protect in order to guarantee their safety. And the predator seeking her was staring at Sienna now with narrowed yellow eyes. He was watching for any sign of recognition. She wouldn't give him one.
"Who is she?" She asked, maintaining a disinterested expression as she pretended to study the pictures. Tyrian stepped around her, making a show of coming around to collect the scroll. From her peripheral vision, however, Sienna could tell that his eyes never left her face.
"A woman that went missing some years ago. She has...something of value in her possession. Until recently we thought her dead, but rumor has it that she still lives." So caught up was he in searching Sienna's reactions for deceit, Tyrian couldn't keep the bitter resentment from his voice as he explained. Something told Sienna that he would have preferred Summer dead. "All my mistress asks is this; the White Fang keep an ear out for any relevant information on Summer Rose. If one of your agents discovers something of value, my mistress asks that you send a little birdie our way." Tyrian scooped up the scroll and pocketed it with a flourish, grinning widely as he did so. Sienna crossed her good arm over her bad one, feigning a thinking pose.
"You went through all this trouble to repair our relations with two different Kingdoms all so that we would keep an eye out for a dead woman? I'm sorry if that seems a little lopsided." She cocked her hip and placed her good hand on the table. "What did she take that is worth the resources you spent assisting us?" Tyrian's smile wavered, but he turned away before she could see him break. He strode out of the tent to stand parallel with Marcus, who made his disgust obvious by stepping away from him.
"Nothing that concerns you, Supreme Leader. Like I said, all my mistress desires is information. Provide it, and we will enjoy a fruitful relationship with the White Fang. Withhold it..." His voice took on a sinister glee, and Sienna couldn't ignore the shiver that ran up her spine, "and we will make certain that you never leave Menagerie." Marcus growled at the implied threat, his arms held at his side just in case Tyrian tried anything. Somehow, Sienna wasn't certain that the burly Faunus would be effective against the strange man.
"I'll pass out the photographs and inform the men, you have my word. And as thanks for your assistance in the Kingdoms, I shall ignore the fact that you threatened me in pursuit of your own goals." That, and she wasn't exactly confident that the two of them could take him in her current state. Marcus was a veteran of the Faunus Rights Revolution, but he was no Huntsman. And Tyrian felt...wrong. It would be better to err on the side of peace.
"A wise choice my dear. I've made sure to send my details to your scroll. It is my fervent hope that I hear from you soon." Tyrian turned and bowed deeply, crossing his legs in theatrical fashion. When he stood back up, that same predatory glint was in his eyes once more. "Until then, ta ta!" With that, the strange man back flipped into the air, falling down the embankment with a cackle of glee as the trees below hid him from sight. Marcus and Sienna both walked to the edge, their eyes searching the foliage for any sign of the disturbing man. Unfortunately, he was either long gone or so proficient at hiding that they would never spot him.
"Are you alright ma'am?" Marcus asked, his coarse voice tinged with concern. Sienna didn't reply right away, but rather released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. When she finally realized that he had spoken, Sienna patted the large Faunus' shoulder absently.
"I'll be fine. Put word out to the Outlanders that any sightings of this Tyrian fellow are to be reported to me immediately. Tell them not to engage unless attacked first. I doubt they would stand a chance." Sienna had dealt with bandits and ruffians like her brother before, and she knew the difference between a threat and a braggart. The strange man had been so casual because he knew that he could have beaten them. The only reason he hadn't was mostly likely due to this mistress of his.
"And what about his request? Are we really going to report to them about this woman?" Marcus sounded as if answering yes would further frustrate him. To him, someone who had run afoul of a questionable person like Tyrian was most likely innocent, or at the very least no threat to the White Fang. Sienna valued that outlook, as many of the younger White Fang recruits despised humans simply because of their foul treatment. And he didn't know as much about Summer Rose as she did.
"We can't snub them outright, but it would be foolish to deny them when they know so much about us. Put her picture out, but have all reports directed to me. I'll determine what to send to our new...friend." Sienna grounded out the last word. "Make no mistake; we just met an enemy of the Faunus. I just need to find out how much influence they actually have." Marcus nodded, his mood soured by the interaction with Tyrian. At the very least, he seemed pleased with her answers though.
"I'll make sure everyone knows. If I get my hands on that creepy fucker, we'll see how much smiling he does then." Marcus threatened as he walked off to rejoin the work crews. Sienna smirked at his defensiveness, but inside she knew full well the outcome of such a meeting. Looking down at her shoulder, Sienna couldn't help but feel a little helpless. The White Fang had a colossal shadow hanging over them, and she had just caught of glimpse of the monster itself.
"What do you mean, she's not here?" Arthur's temper had already been frayed by the trip back from Vale, just now getting used to something called 'jet lag'. He didn't know if he wanted to throw up or pass out. "You think you could have told me that when I called you the past six times?!" Adam took his ire like a champion, the only sign of his discomfort being his ever present frown.
"The Supreme Leader wanted you to come here first so that Chieftain Belladonna and I could explain what she had done. She didn't want you to hunt her down without knowing all the details." Adam replied dutifully. He held up a hand as Arthur took in a deep breath, his face coloring as he built up for another blown gasket. "And no, I don't think she could sufficiently explain over the scroll." Arthur stared at Adam, his eyes gaining hints of gold as his emotions played hell with his Aura. Salvation for the young man came from behind the outlaw, a gentle chime of bells as Kali came in from the dining room. She carried a tray with ceremonial cups and an ornate tea pot, and two small bells dangled from the tray. Adam and Arthur both turned to face the Chieftain's wife, and the ire drained from them somewhat. Kali was a gentle woman and always tried her best to ease the burdens of others. In fact, besides an incident with a rude guest, neither Arthur nor Adam had ever heard the woman raise her voice. Blake's adolescent adventures aside, that is.
"Ghira is ready for you both." Kali said with a kind smile. "Arthur, would you be a dear and remove your boots? I know things have been stressful with Sienna lately, but I just cleaned this floor." The gunslinger and swordsman looked at each other, then down at their feet. Arthur's white alligator fowlers were caked with dust from his travels, and Adam's own footwear weren't exactly clean either. Sharing a grumble, the two reluctantly followed her orders and began removing their footwear. Arthur placed his just outside the door, and Adam set his outside next to them. When the two stood up, they stared at each other for a few moments more before snorting and waving off their argument.
Now properly attired, Kali offered them some tea and made way for them to enter Ghira's study. Adam graciously accepted, but Arthur declined with a gruff thanks. He wasn't really an eastern tea drinker. The stuff needed to be cold and sweet, not hot and full of leaves. But it would take a braver man than he to snub Kali in her own house so rudely. Together, although still struggling to keep distance between themselves, Arthur and Adam moved into the study to find Ghira seated on a large beige couch, a clipboard in his hand and reading glasses on as he examined something. There were two wooden chairs with padded cushions across from him, and a low wooden table between them and the couch. Arthur and Adam took the seats silently, waiting as Ghira's eyes danced across the pages.
The silence was heavier than Arthur expected, though it was probably caused more by their previous argument than anything on Ghira's part. He'd thrown up in the man's toilet; there's only so formal you could be with a guy after that. Adam, however, was still as a statue, though he still had that stupid mask and frown on his face. Kali came in behind them and set down a larger cup of tea and a tea pot for her husband, and he stopped reading to look up at her and smile his thanks. After she set the tray to the side, Kali took her place on the couch next to her husband as he finished reading the report. A few more moments passed, Arthur and Adam refusing to look at each other lest their previous discussion crop back up in Ghira's presence, and eventually the gargantuan Chieftain set the clipboard down with a heavy sigh. Ghira set his reading glasses down on top of the clipboard and began rubbing his temples, before he raised his amber eyes to survey the two men before him.
"So...I'm sure that you have plenty of questions, Mr. Morgan." The large Faunus said as he looked toward Arthur. "But who started the argument outside my office?" The question caught Arthur off guard, but Adam was ready for it. Like a mature and well adjusted adult, the red headed Faunus pointed Arthur out like the little rat that he was. Like a disappointed father, Ghira sighed again as Arthur gave Adam a look of total betrayal. They had been exchanging words while he'd been a little hot, but that didn't mean he had to sell Arthur out!
"I called to make sure that the White Fang was goin' smooth, and the next thing I hear is that the Supreme Leader is fighting some bandit to the death!" Arthur defended, crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair. "Pardon me if I find that a little irritating. Now, not only did she leave without calling me, but she's also run off into God knows where with a busted up shoulder and a bunch of the bandits that just tried to kill her!" The ire from before began to color his words and his neck once more, but it was smothered by Ghira's neutral expression. The large man hadn't done anything to Arthur, and had in fact invited the outlaw into his home to explain the situation. If his momma could see him now, Arthur knew he'd be swatted on the hind end.
"The challenge from Shao Khan was an unexpected one, but once it was made Sienna lost all choice in the matter." Ghira cleared his throat and leaned forward, patting Kali's knee affectionately as he readjusted. "Before I explain the politics behind the Outlanders and their ways of life, I must first explain how Sienna and Shao were related." Adam sat back as well, pulling Wilt from its sheath and producing a whetstone. As Ghira began the tale, the bull Faunus began to strop.
"Sienna and Shao both were orphaned in Mistral. Shao never explained how his birth parents had died, but Sienna's had been killed in a Grimm attack on her home village. Faunus relations have never been stellar in Mistral, and the idea of an orphanage for a people that the citizens would rather disappear anyway was absolutely preposterous. Still, there were enough Faunus adults interested in foster care for her to be rescued from the streets. Sienna spent time with the Khan family, a man and wife that had lost their own child to a miscarriage." Arthur's ire dried up as his friend's past painted a much darker picture than what she had first allowed. He reached up and rubbed his jaw in consternation, then motioned for Ghira to continue.
"Their foster parents lived just outside of Mistral's capital, a pair named Rudyard and Tikki. Tikki was a Faunus, but Rudyard was a human from Atlas. If Faunus were frowned upon, Human/Faunus couples were especially reviled. Their parents kept them a secret, teaching them to come and go from the small home they shared separately. It was a cruel ruse, but a necessary one. The Khans did their best to provide for Sienna and Shao, and treated them as their own, but eventually the bitter anti-Faunus resentment caught up to them."
Behind Ghira, the door opened to reveal Blake, carrying another tray with some steaming cups. Kali looked back and waved her in, smiling gently as the girl brought the tray around. Blake offered a cup to Arthur, who nodded in appreciation and took one. When Adam did the same, however, a small blush crossed her face as she looked away. Arthur refrained from rolling his eyes in front of his host, but merely sipped the coffee provided. So that was how he had pulled her out of her shell; the damn girl had a crush on tall, dark, and edgy. Once they had taken their cups, Blake set the tray down on the table and took her place by the window, watching outside but also listening to the conversation.
"I know mixed couples don't usually get a lot of good publicity, but you can't tell me them folk in Mistral just went and lynched her parents." Arthur substituted his experience with racial discrimination in the states for the Faunus prejudice on Remnant, certain that it would be at the very least similar.
"No, they did not go that far, thankfully. Mistral is a very insular Kingdom, steeped in traditions both respectable and not. When a community had enough reason to dislike someone, they would shun them utterly. Rudyard and Tikki could not buy food, go to work, or even greet their neighbors. Times became hard, but they did their best for Sienna and Shao. Unfortunately," Ghira heaved a heavy sigh at this, "what was best for the children later became illegal. Rudyard and Tikki had to get their goods and food from others who had been shunned, and many were of disrepute. Tikki used her own heritage to her advantage and began to steal from shops and vendors. She only targeted those that had wronged them, but theft was not an honorable thing." Ghira paused his narrative and took another sip of tea. While he enjoyed the beverage, Kali picked up the slack.
"Sienna's parents did everything they could for them, foster or not, but eventually their crimes caught up to them. Rudyard was excommunicated from Mistral and sent back to Atlas as a prisoner, and Tikki was imprisoned in the capital city. Sienna and her brother were left to fend for themselves. Sienna did well, though she did learn from her foster mother when it came to tricking and stealing, but she did so as rarely as she could. Shao, however, had blamed their father for the abuse. He rationalized that if Tikki had chosen a Faunus husband, they would have only been forced to endure the same hardships as the other Faunus, and not receive hatred from both sides as they had." Kali looked toward the window, in the general direction where Sienna's cottage was... as well as the tiger's deceased brother. "He disappeared not long after an argument with Sienna, leaving her alone in the city. She was thirteen years old at the time." Arthur winced at that. The image of a young Sienna, all alone on the unforgiving streets of a bustling city. The image of her cried, but he knew the tears were only temporary. She was hardened now, experienced and certain of her place in this world. It still made him grip the arms of the chair until his fingers turned white.
"So when he came and challenged her..." Arthur led on, hoping that Ghira or Kali would pick up the question in it. His answer came not from the two in front of him, but from the bull beside him. Adam put his whetstone away and sheathed his blade, adjusting in the seat so he could face Arthur.
"Shao Khan made his living as a bandit, though we didn't find out until just a few years ago." Adam explained neutrally, his earlier ire gone. "While we were demonstrating in Mistral, several of ours were arrested for being 'suspected of banditry'," He held up his fingers for the air quotes, and Arthur nodded gruffly. "The upside to being a Faunus Rights group is that anyone accused of working with you that gets punished is often an easy recruit after they get out of jail. The downside is that any Faunus acting outside of the norm is lumped in with you whether you want them to be or not. The White Fang first learned of the Outlanders just before Sienna was recruited. It took a lot of diplomatic meetings and some concessions from the White Fang to make it clear that we didn't support them." And now, Sienna was the leader of both factions. Talk about irony.
Still, the way he said 'we' and 'our' implied that Adam had been with the White Fang at the time. Just how old had he been when he'd joined? When did Adam the Faunus become Adam of the White Fang? It was something he would have to explore later, but for right now he was focused on Sienna's story.
"So how did you recruit her, anyway? I'm guessing she didn't just walk up and volunteer." Arthur commented, nodding toward Ghira as the larger man set his tea cup down once more. Adam ceded the story to his Chieftain, though his kept his blade sheathed. Apparently he had sharpened all of his irritation out of it. That, or he was trying to be less aggressive around Ghira's daughter.
"Quite the opposite, in fact. One of my old friends from the Revolution contacted me and said that there was a small group of vagrant children in Mistral that needed to be removed from the situation. "Ghira explained. "A dozen or so Faunus orphans and runaways that had sought refuge in the alleys and slums of Mistrals outer districts. Because Blake had been so young, I sent representatives of the White Fang to search for these 'Lost Children', and when they were found, Sienna was the leader. She had gathered them and protected them from criminals and government officials alike, acting as a den mother for the whole lot of them. It took some convincing, but eventually they were able to get her here to Menagerie. Beyond that, it wasn't difficult to convince a twenty two year old woman to help us defend Faunus across Remnant."
So, even before she had joined the White Fang, Sienna had been trying to help other Faunus. It spoke well of her character, but Arthur wondered if it had stopped her from being her own person. Back home, he'd done everything he could to help the gang, but there had been plenty of hunting, fishing, and bar fights in between the heists they had pulled to keep the group alive and safe. The only thing he had seen Sienna do for her own enjoyment was practice martial arts.
Kali snickered into her hand. "Hard to believe that was twelve years ago. She was such a spitfire, even then." THAT got Arthur's attention. She was thirty four?! Arthur had assumed that she was in her mid to late twenties, if that. Suddenly, his mind went to the night she was announced as the new leader of the White Fang. 'Oh, if I were ten years younger.' Arthur couldn't help the crimson wave that crawled up his neck to his face. He'd pretty much told the leader of the White Fang in front of all her cronies how pretty he thought she was.
"Well I'll be." Was all he could say. What more could he say? What had looked like a foolhardy decision made by his friend was slowly contorting into a political move where she had every right to lose and still came out on top. The fiery anger he'd had earlier had burned to ash, and he could only feel ashamed for his behavior. Just like her to turn him into a total fool.
"Alright, so what do you suggest I do?" Arthur conceded, and Kali's shoulders relaxed from some tension he hadn't even seen in her. "Even with Aura, she still needs time to get better, and I won't sleep at night knowing she's off in some jungle surrounded by a bunch of nasty Grimm critters." The elder Belladonnas exchanged a look, then Ghira removed his scroll from his vest. With great care, the large man sent a few commands on the tiny device, and Arthur's own scroll beeped in response once he was finished.
"I've sent the location of the White Fang's new home to your scroll. It is deep in the wilderness, true, but most of the more capable White Fang followed her out there. Sienna is far from helpless, and I would caution you not to accuse her of such. She is a prideful woman, and if she felt that you were coming to save her from her own foolishness, I cannot guarantee that the conversation would be... civil." Ghira's pause was warranted. Arthur thought back to how she had nearly broken his arm before the inauguration – pulling him into bed in the process – and he knew full well she would be formidable even with one arm in a sling.
"I appreciate the help, Chief. I really do." Arthur stood with a groan, still not used to walking around without his boots on. "I'll mind my manners when I see her, but I hope you'll forgive me if I ain't quite settled down yet." Ghira, Kali, and Adam stood up as well, the latter stepping over to the door as quickly as possible. Out of the corner of his eyes, Arthur saw young Blake's gaze follow the young man out the door. From what he could tell, Ghira had seen it as well. Regardless of Arthur's thoughts on the matter, it was a Belladonna issue, not a Morgan issue. Not his business.
The Chieftain of Kuo Kuana allowed Arthur out with a few more goodbyes and some advice, and Arthur found himself back on the dusty trail once more. This time, he was headed back to Mistral. And he would...attempt... to have a conversation with a tiger in the jungle. What could go wrong?