The gentle evening winds whispered through the conifers surrounding the horse drawn caravan. The sun's rays shone between the branches in streams of orange and yellow. Unseen birds filled the canopy with their songs.

Gayle breathed it in with a pang of sadness. It had been a while since she'd been this deep in the woods. When she closed her eyes and listened, she could almost imagine she was back home. The urge to rush into the brush and get lost for a few hours was almost overwhelming, and it was hard for her to stay focused on her task.

"Excuse me, young lady?"

Gayle's eyes flew open, startled. "Yes?"

Clay smiled at her from his perch at the reins of their horse, and chuckled to himself. "Sorry if I startled you," he said. 'You just seemed lost in thought, and it got me curious."

"Oh! It's okay. I was just…thinking."

"That so? And here I thought you were ready to break for the woods for how intently you've been eyeing them," the man teased. Gayle flushed. "Sorry, couldn't resist," he apologized. "In all seriousness, though, you don't seem to be from around here. The wide eyes give it away. Is the forest new to you?"

Gayle was silent for a moment.

"I guess so?" she said with a shrug. Kinsfell was near the southern coast of Solitas, close to the border where the continent's frigid temperatures encased everything in snow and ice. Winters were always white and cold, but spring and summer offered plenty of opportunities to explore. She used to spend most of her summer days out in the woods with Ceridwen when they were little.

Clay nodded. "I see. To be fair, we don't see your kind too often around either."

Gayle flinched before she could stop herself. She fought to keep her face neutral, but she could tell he'd noticed.

"Not that we have any prejudices against faunus," Clay said quickly. "They're just such a rarity in the village that seeing one is always a special occasion. Especially for the kids." He gestured to the back of the caravan, where Maizey peeked out the back, watching Azure with keen interest as he trailed behind them, yellow eyes surveying the forest.

"Oh! Got it."

"Rest assured, Ms. Gayle," Clay said, "you and your friends are most welcome and appreciated."

As this exchange was going on, another was simultaneously taking place. Rember brooded silently as she kept watch, her fox ears swiveling attentively. The sounds of diurnal animals were dying down as the nocturnal crowd started to wake, but it wasn't difficult to pick out any differences in the ambience. Laurel checked in with Rember every hour on the dot, and it hadn't done anything to warm her to the Huntress. The woman was just so detached, so rude, and treated the team like a bunch of idiot kids. Like KRME was something she'd scraped off her boots.

An unexpected rustle pulled Rember from her thoughts, and one of her ears flicked as she picked up a familiar set of footsteps.

"What's up, Foxy?"

Rember looked over to an inquiring Jad, Gypsy Flirt resting lightly on the boy's shoulder. Putting on a smile, she shook her head.

"Not much." she replied dismissively.

The tall redhead raised an eyebrow.

"You sure? Cause you look like you could use a Yarn."

"A what?"

"A Yarn," Jad repeated. "A good talk. Gayle got one when she needed it, and then Pasty got one when he was being an idiot. So now it's your turn."

Rember snorted, a crooked half-smile on her face. "You calling me an idiot?" she quipped with a hint of mischief. "I'm fine. Maybe a little tired, but fine."

The young man wasn't deterred. "Oh, don't give me that," he insisted, "I know we get on each other's nerves a bit...well, a lot, but you're just as important to me as the rest of our little band of misfits. Why not get to know each other better?" Jad finished with a comical wink, and the fox girl couldn't help but let an awkward laugh escape her. It did its job well enough, Rember was loosening up a bit.

"If you insist." she said, this time with a genuine smile. "And for the record, you don't get on my nerves that much. It's just fun having someone to bicker with."

"Good enough," Jad stated as he adjusted his hat. He took a moment to see if anything around them seemed amiss, prompting a chuckle from Rember.

"Don't worry, if anything sneaks up on us I'll hear it coming." she told him.

Jad nodded, seeing no problems with this, and pondered the best way to initiate the conversation.

"So you're from Mistral, right?" the tall boy started. "Only been in that corner of the world a handful of times with the Pride. Dress is a little fancy for my tastes, but you don't seem to share in such extravagance…"

"Long robes aren't exactly conducive for fighting. Or sneaking around."

"Heh, I know a cat or two who'd love to prove you wrong…"

Rember cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? And just who are these 'cats'? And what do you mean by 'Pride'?" the girl asked.

"That, my foxy friend, is a looong story."

"I'd say we have an adequate amount of time for long stories."

"Trust me, I'd need more time than you think. So let's just say that my 'family tree' is more like a 'family briar patch'."

Rember's curiosity was piqued but she dropped it, letting Jad continue.

"Anyways," he said, "Mistral is nice. It reminds me of a simpler time."

"I see...Come to think of it, just where are you from? Where's home?" Rember asked.

Now that she thought about it, Jad had never said anything about where he came from. Or about his childhood, apart from the fact that he'd known Azure. Her inquiry had Jad stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Home? Ummm, nowhere?" he answered, bemused, "I guess I'd have to say I don't have one."

"Okayyy... What does that mean for you?"

"It means that there's no cozy house sitting out there on a hill with parents that worry about me while I'm away. I grew up on the road. Always moving, never settling for too long."

"Oh," Rember in surprise. "Okay then. If that's the case, what inspired you to be a Huntsman?"

Jad's signature impish grin appeared. "Look at you, asking me all kinds of deep junk," he teased, tossing a playful punch her way.

Rember swatted the punch away with a smile and retaliated with one of her own. "Come on, spill!"

Jad scanned the area again and pushed out a thoughtful breath. "Same reasons I do anything I suppose." Jad held up a hand to count his reasons on his fingers. "Life sucks, and people are stupid."

Rember stared at him for a moment. "Seriously? That's it?"

"Well, yeah. Think about it: generally people aren't born into a life that's comfortably layed out for them. Life is cold and unforgiving. The only kindness afforded to us is raw materials. Stuff that takes a lot of time and effort to craft into other things. So, your options are to sit and complain about how cold and unforgiving life is, or you can take those raw materials and build something better."

"That makes sense. But what was that bit about stupid people?" Rember asked

"Haha. Everybody gets hung up on that one. Well," Jad looked skyward, "you see that flock of birds?"

Rember looked up to see that there was indeed a large flock moving in intricate patterns.

Jad continued. "Even though there are a lot of them, they don't run into each other and fall out of the sky. That's because they know their role, their purpose. And that's to benefit the group so that the group can take care of them in return," Jad looked at the ground. "Now look at that line of ants. Same thing: they all have a purpose that helps the group, and in turn the group keeps them safe and fed." Jad was setting a theme with these observations. "Most creatures, a pack of wolves, a swarm of bees, a school of fish, they all contribute to their group because they know that if they do their part, the group will take care of them. Hell, even the Grimm fight side by side."

"I'm not sure I see how this relates to 'people are stupid'," Rember commented.

"My point is that people don't. You take an individual and you observe their actions when they're isolated, and their actions will make perfect sense. Example: put a person naked in the middle of nowhere lying unconscious beside a bear that's eating a fish…"

"That's oddly specific."

"Excuse me, I'm telling a story," Jad rebuked with a grin. "When that person wakes up, their first thoughts will be 'Holy crap! Holy crap! I gotta get away from this bear!' Luckily the bear was distracted eating a fish, so they manage to run away. Now their next thoughts will be …?"

"Either where the hell are my clothes, or how the hell did I get here," Rember chuckled as she said it.

"Spot on. I was gonna go with clothes first," Jad affirmed. "And then food. Then shelter, and so on. All these actions make sense. But the moment this person is plopped into a group, all bets are off. Suddenly this rational person starts trying to fight and claw their way to the top of the group to be the leader. And not so they can benefit the group. No, they want to use the group to help themself and at the group's expense."

Rember spoke up. "That...isn't always the case, KRME itself being a good example, but I see what you're saying. What I don't see is how this relates to you becoming a Huntsman."

"Well that's just it: in our group, in KRME, I'm replaceable. We all are. Granted we work well together, and we'd each be missed if we left, but had I never come to Beacon someone else would have taken my spot. I wouldn't be missed. But I am here. So it's my responsibility not to be a dead weight. It's my responsibility to contribute so that, for our little group, life won't suck. It's my responsibility to make a difference."

"Why didn't you just say you want to make a difference?"

"Well, like I said: people are stupid. Myself included."

"A fair observation indeed, Jad."
Hearing another voice interject, Rember and Jad turned to see an awaiting Laurel balancing her weight on one leg. "Love that…whatever that was, but I need you two up here with me. Rember especially," the Huntress continued.

Rember frowned, brows furrowed angrily, and Laurel gave her a hard stare when the girl didn't immediately follow her orders..

"Rember? I said upfront. You listening?"

Rember stifled a growl and fought to keep her eyes from rolling at the Huntress's tone.

"Yes," she said curtly.

Laurel's eyes narrowed. "Oh? What's the last thing I said?"

"'Rember. I said upfront. You listening?','' the faunus quipped.

Laurel frowned at the attitude and strode towards the faunus, but stopped when Rember took a defensive stance, eyes blazing with hostility.

"Do. Not. Touch. Me," the fox girl hissed.

Laurel matched the girl's glare with one of her own. "Tone it down, firecracker, and answer the question."

"I did answer the question," Rember retorted. "If you wanted to hear the second last thing you said, you should have specified."

Laurel guffawed at such a display of backbone, small moments of tense silence passing before she said "You're playing with fire, kid. Don't let anyone else get burned because of that temper of yours."

Jad, who watched the interaction, noticed the grass at Rember's feet begin to darken as heat emanated from the faunus, but held his tongue. He knew Foxy wouldn't appreciate him stepping in.

Rember straightened, her triangular ears erect. "Run that by me again."

The Huntress scowled at the continued backtalk, but simply said "In case you've forgotten, I'm the leader of this mission. The one with any real field experience. You don't like it, I can call for a transport to send your butt back to Beacon with an immediate failing grade. I don't care if you like me, Rember, but you will respect my authority while under my watch. That means no more back talk, no more smartassery, and no more arguing. Want to be treated with equal footing? Prove to me that I should do so with you and your team."

Rember snorted and held Laurel's gaze. "You might be the only Huntress with credentials out here, but all that means is that there's a document with your name and the word 'Huntress' on it somewhere," she replied, voice hard. "You don't know what experience we do and don't have. You assume you know best because you're older, and therefore assume that you're smarter. Holding a position of authority doesn't mean you know best.

"I respect every single person I come into contact with until they give me a reason not to. Respect is the default with me. You had mine until you treated us like a bunch of idiot kids with clouds for brains. Respect was given, until the disrespect was earned. You'll have it back when you stop acting like you're the only one who knows what she's doing out here."

Jad had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing, and fought to maintain a passive expression. Laurel's face was unreadable, but Jad could see the gears turning behind her clear eyes.

Laurel shifted her weight onto the other leg and folded her arms.

"Is that so?"

Rember lifted her chin defiantly, but didn't offer a verbal response.

"I don't think I've ever met a trainee that had the guts to go at me like that," the Huntress said, studying the student's body language. "You've got an interesting view of the world, there, Rember. That took guts."

Rember's expression didn't change, and the Huntress continued.

"You're correct in assuming that I don't know what experience any of you have, though I don't appreciate the way you put it. That being said, I have been watching you, and a lot can be learned by observing another person," Laurel continued. "Your team is good, and more than that, you all seem to be very aware of your own limitations and have confidence in your abilities. Normally kids get out here, overestimate themselves, and end up dead, or they don't have the self confidence to do what needs to be done, and end up dead."

"So you've turned into a helicopter parent?" Rember asked flatly. "You do know that by focusing too much on what we're doing takes attention away from the actual mission, right? That's how things slip through the cracks."

"Foxy," Jad rebuked, "that's rude."

Rember ignored him. "For example: there's a Nevermore behind you."

Laurel spun around, her mechanical arm transforming into its weaponized form, but Rember's whips were already reaching for the bird. It was only a small one, maybe the size of a large dog, and Rember used the electricity from her whips to incapacitate it. With the creature stunned, the faunus yanked, and the monstrous corvid was pulled in their direction, allowing Jad to step forward and impale it.

Laurel watched the Grimm dissipate for a moment before turning back to her charges.

"When did you notice the small chicken?" she asked flatly.

Rember shrugged. "Since right before you asked me if I was paying attention."

"And you kept quiet about it?"

"Would you have accepted any response other than the answer to the question you asked, or would you have shut me down assuming I was wasting time?"

Laurel rubbed her eyes wearily. "Alright, you've made your point."

Rember didn't look convinced, but elected not to push it any further. "In that case, you might be interested to know that the caravan is only a couple of minutes away, and there are more Grimm ahead. By your leave, I'd like to clear them out of the way."

"Fine, fine," the blonde Huntress acquiesced, waving in dismissal. "Jad, go with her."

"You got it," the tall boy confirmed, and the two teammates vanished into the trees.

The convoy carried on this way until the oranges and yellows of early evening lit up the sky. After deeming an appropriate place to set up for the night, Laurel quickly put the team to work in setting up camp as she went to check out the area for any lurking threats. By the time everything was finished, the evening had turned to night, the four teens sitting by the campfire they had made for warmth.

"Wheeeew boy, that was a hearty walk today. Wake me when you need me," Jad stated, stretching out his joints as he made himself comfortable on a log he had found earlier for a headrest. Gayle nodded as she poked at the makeshift hearth. The family they were escorting had already turned in for the night, leaving them alone until such time their Huntress overseer returned.

Azure kept his eyes towards the surrounding shadows, alert and ready for a sign of either Laurel, or any trouble that slipped in close. Not that trouble would get in that close with no warning. Rember's hearing would pick up on anything weird in a heartbeat. He didn't miss the weird air his partner had hanging around her either. He wanted to talk about just what went on during that time apart with Laurel, but decided to leave her be for now.

How long it had been until the blonde Huntress returned, the four teens didn't know. Rember's fox ears flick towards where she appeared into view; her faunus eyes narrowed.

"This should be a good spot for now. Sparse of Grimm. Going to need one of you to help with the first watch just in case," the woman said, basking in the comforting heat of the fire. Rember kept to herself whilst Gayle and Azure looked to each other to see who felt like spending who knows how long with this lady. The cat faunus took the initiative however, grabbing his weapon and getting to his feet.

"Excellent. Follow me then," Laurel turned back towards the awaiting night, throwing out "be back in a few hours. Get as much rest as you can. I see Jad has the right idea," behind her before disappearing from sight.

Azure followed after the Huntress, the warmth and light of the campfire fading. They moved silently into the forest around them, the crunching of dead leaves under their own footsteps being the only thing they could hear aside from the surrounding ambiance. When they stopped, the gruff blonde pulled out a cigar and came to a halt to light it. The end smouldered weakly, smoke slowly being exhaled out of Laurel's mouth.

"So," the woman began, glancing around to make sure there wasn't any danger, "I haven't spent as much time with you yet, but there's something different about you compared to your teammates."

Azure raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"Yeah, that was a little too vague," she muttered under her breath, pausing for a moment. "How to put it...You lead your team, yeah? Yet you watch over the other three in what I can only call a detached way."

Azure maintained his silence.

"I can tell you care about them though, and they you. That's what matters right?" The blonde took another drag, smoke escaping along with a contentful exhale. Azure shifted his weight around, unsure of what else to do or how to respond. He looked around for how to contribute, but the only thing that stuck out to him was…

"How did that happen?"

Laurel's eyebrow rose as she followed the inquiring gaze till it landed on her robotic arm. "This?" she asked, and the young man nodded. She watched the metallic fingers flick around as the interior mechanics whirred and clicked. "Payment for a mistake, from another life. Came along with this-" a muted metallic clink caught Azure's attention when the Huntress patted the leg opposite her shiny appendage.
"Oh. I-uh…sorry," he reflexively apologized, but Laurel chortled at him. Hell, it almost seemed like an amused scoff.
"Why? Last I checked, you weren't the one responsible for it," she joked dryly, a small burst of chuckles escaping her lips between the most recent hit of smoke. "Thanks, I haven't had a laugh for a while," the woman said, and after a moment to see if any danger was close, looked for a change of topic. "Say, you open for a little game of deduction? See just how much my self discovered intel on you rings true," Laurel asked. The young man nodded hesitantly.

"Brilliant. Let's see…" the woman's eyes scrutinized Azure, taking in every detail she could given the dimness of the forest. After a minute, she shifted her weight onto the other leg and shared her observations.

"Weapon doesn't look finished. Probably a prototype of whatever it was supposed to be, so you probably didn't make it yourself. Your gear keeps you well covered, but I noticed a few scars peeking out from your left sleeve. Your pupils are oddly shaped compared to a normal human's, which suggests you've got faunus blood. The way you fight lacks technique, but is still effective. You're probably self taught. You've kept contact with anyone here who isn't on your team to a minimum, which could mean anything, but I suspect strangers make you uncomfortable." Taking another drag, she met the archer's gaze expectantly. "So, how'd I do?"

Azure wasn't able to mask his astonishment at Laurel's surprisingly accurate deductions, and the Huntress smirked.

"Right on the money," Azure admitted, earning a grin from the woman.

"To your credit, it took a while. So...what's someone like you doing in training to become a Huntsman?" she asked, folding her arms.

Azure had seen this coming, but he still wasn't prepared to answer. He racked his brain for the right words, and eventually offered "I'm...I'm here because I feel like it's the right thing to do. I have to be a Huntsman."

Laurel guffawed loudly, the sound echoing eerily around the trees.

"If I had a lien for every time I've heard that..." she replied with some amusement.

Azure's surprise must have shown on his face, since she went on to explain. "You don't have to be a don't have to do anything. Hell, if anything you could already be out there without the extra hurdles as a mercenary, if you so chose. But to say you have to be a huntsman, well...that's not true."

"I'm sorry?"

"Why are you here?"

Azure's brain scrambled, unable to string together his thoughts under Laurel's steely eyes. What was that supposed to mean? Did he say something wrong?

"I, umm…I don't understand."

A disappointed sigh escaped the blonde's lips. "Alright then, let's try this," she said, "why do you fight, Azure? Is it for money? Fame? A drive of divine purpose?"

The pale boy shook his head slowly after a moment of contemplation.

"Then what? What gets you up and out the door every day?" Laurel asked, the smoke of her cigarette wafting slowly skyward. Azure looked up at the moonlit sky, watching half consciously. A memory popped into his head, one where he'd had a similar, albeit easier to follow, conversation with Rember not so long ago.

"Redemption," he muttered to the evening breeze. Turning his attention back to Laurel to repeat more firmly "Redemption. That's my reason."

Laurel picked up on the change in his tone. "Redemption, huh?" she echoed, as though tasting the answer.

Azure nodded stiffly.

"Relax, kid. I really don't care. And neither do those that you're trying to redeem yourself to."

At that statement, Azure's eyebrows pulled together. "What do you mean?"

"It's a long road you plan to walk, this path of redemption. When will you know you can stop? Why punish yourself when you could just move on with your life? Be happy? Cause no matter how we feel about it," the Huntress soberly looked Azure dead in the eyes, "the dead are dead. They can't tell you when you're forgiven, or when you've done enough."

Azure was speechless. He wanted to retort, to shoot back with something that would put Laurel in her place for prying, but...nothing came, and she continued.

"Answer me this: if, by some chance, you were to find the reward you seek for undoing your wrongs, would you accept it? Or would you continue fighting, until the world and its darkness claims you, and those who follow you?" Laurel worked at a crick in her neck, dropping her cigarette and crushing it under her boot.

"You're the leader of your team, Azure. Your choices affect them just as much as they do you. Take it from someone who knows the position your in," the huntress put a hand to her side, and Azure heard the familiar muffled metallic clink when she patted her thigh, "as well as the consequences of bad calls."

"Hey. Jad?"
Jad peeked out from the covering of his hat at hearing Rember's voice, the campfire illuminating his blue eyes.

"Huh? My turn already?" he asked, but the fox shook her head.

"No. I've just... I've been thinking about that talk we had earlier."

"Oh? What about it?"

Shifting a little uncomfortably, Rember noticed Gayle looking over at them curiously.

"There was one comment you made, about everyone being replaceable, I...I can't agree with you on that."

Jad shrugged. "Never said you had to," he stated.

"No, wait, I don't think you understand what I mean," Rember protested.

Gayle cut in before the fox could continue.

"Wait, hold on, what did I miss?" she asked, and Rember filled her in on the gist of the conversation she and Jad had. Once finished, Gayle readily tipped into the conversation.

"Oh, yeah. I'm with Ber on this one," the lizard stated. "Impressive animal metaphors aside, there is no way I could ever call you, or anyone, replaceable! Like, I can't even fathom the possibility of another one of you walking around in Remnant."

A grin was sneaking across Jad's lips, and Rember continued her younger friend's comments.

"I'm not saying you can't have that outlook, especially since there's literally nothing I can do about that, but I...um..." Rember trailed off, her expression unreadable "That…"
Both Jad and Gayle looked at their teammate quizzically, and Rember took a shaky breath.
"I had...I had a little sister. Her name was Sylva," she began. "After- after my mom died, dad checked out. I was only five, but he didn't care. A few years later, he married my stepmom, and then Sylva was born a year later. She was...the most important person in my life. She could make me smile or laugh even when I was miserable. And I did the same for her. Dad never really checked back in, and it only got worse after Sylva died. After her funeral, I got shipped off to Sanctum.

"I haven't heard from either of my parents since the end of my first year there," Rember recalled. "I was alone. Completely alone. I didn't have anyone left to call a friend. I thought I did, for a while, but...well, I'm not really ready to talk about that. But the word 'family' lost its meaning." Taking a moment to gaze into the flames, Rember's shoulders slumped as the old, familiar resignation reared up again. "Somehow I made it through mom's death, and then Sylva's, and then another death, and another betrayal... But the grief has never gone away. And it never will. It's part of me. But despite all that, all the pain, I'm still here. I don't know if it's gods, fate, destiny, or some sort of divine intervention, but I found you guys. You and Azure. And every moment I get with you is a blessing." She looked up, green eyes bright and lined with silver. "I'm sorry, Jad, but you are wrong. No one is replaceable. Maybe someone else could fill in your role, but there is not a single living soul that can be replaced. There is only one Gayle. Only one Azure. Only one Rember." Rember's voice shook, but she tried for a little humour. "And for all that's holy, I sincerely hope there's only one Jad, because that's definitely enough."

Jad scoffed in amusement, and after a moment of quiet chuckles, Rember looked at them soberly again. "There was only one Sylva, Jad. Only one of my mom. Neither of them are replaceable, and neither are either of you. I care about you guys too much, I -I can't lose another family. I spent too long waiting for this one."
Jad held her gaze, but before he could say anything Gayle spoke up.
"You know...I never really knew what having a sibling would be like growing up," the lizard admitted, "well, not blood related anyways. Ceri and I did grow up together, as you know, and I guess at the time I thought of him that way, along with his sister. But when they weren't around, I kept to myself. In my studies, my training, whatever. Then they moved away one day, and when I learned about why...I threw myself into the thick of it even more.I missed that feeling every day they were gone. And now with you guys...it feels like you're...well...you know..." the girl took a moment to draw in the dirt aimlessly with a stick, "You've all become my new family in the limited time we've spent together."

She finished her bit awkwardly, and glanced up from behind her bangs until the top of her head was subjected to a noogie courtesy of her partner.

"Heh, thanks ladies. For the warm n' fuzzies." he expressed, scoring a shared giggle from his teammates, and resettled into his sleeping area.

"Listen, you guys," the boy continued, "I've been on my own for a long, long time. And old habits really do die hard. But for what I've found here with you two, and with Pasty: I will do everything I can to protect and keep safe, just as I know you all would for me." The blue in Jad's eyes melded together with the orange glow of the fire, smiling sincerely as he spilled a bit more of his guts out for his team.

"This vagabond has gotten quite attached to our merry band. So don't feel left out, Gayle, Rember," Jad said, "You're not the only ones that feels this is a family."

Both girls smiled warmly at their friend's small confession. Jad said one final goodnight before covering his face back up with his hat, and the girls soon followed suit in getting ready for their brief shifts of sleep. They knew it would only be a few hours at best before Azure and Laurel would be back, and two of them would have to replace them for the watch. So any and all rest they could get is needed. The mission was far from over.