Author's Note: A new chapter, yay! Though I don't know for certain yet, there may be a few events coming up that might interfere with my writing, I'll be sure to include notes on either my profile or the chapters ahead of time, just be sure to check them if I ever miss an upload date.

Other than that, enjoy the chapter!

Anger was not a new feeling for Raven, anyone who knew her knew that for a fact. She had never been called the most agreeable of people, that title having gone to Summer. She felt that her anger was justified this time, however, and as she threw her Scroll back down on her bed, she cursed. It was more the audacity of the action that annoyed her then anything else.

Lionheart had ignored her for the last seven years, why change that now? They hadn't spoken since they had accessed the Vault alongside the Spring Maiden. She had honestly forgotten she had even given him her number, let alone enabled his ability to ping her Scroll's location. It had been stupid, she knew that in hindsight, but she had thought he would eventually abandon Ozpin as she had, and so she had left the invitation to the Tribe open. Whatever she thought of him, Lionheart had been a strong fighter. The Tribe could use more people like that, she had thought.

Past her was an idiot. She had cut off his access, but the damage had been done. He knew where they were and the fact he had been asking about the girls was proof that he hadn't quite cut ties with Ozpin like she had hoped he had. That just went to show how being sentimental was a weakness she supposed.

Stepping out from her tent, she glared at the rain that was pouring down. Monsoon season, and so late in the year, moving the Tribe was far from ideal. Growling, Raven stepped back into her tent, pulling her sword out and opening a portal to Henry. She reached through to grab and drag him through without ever going through herself. He had been alone anyway, so it was unlikely anybody would complain. Anybody aside from him of course.

"I hate it when ya do that." Henry growled. The portal winked out of existence behind him.

"We have to move." Raven informed him, stepping past him towards a small table in the middle of her room. On it were a few maps of Mistral, locations they had been before, along with a few notable targets to raid in their area, all useless now that they would have to pack up camp.

"We only just got here, why so soon?" Henry asked, stepping over to regard the map. In spite of his questioning, he did do as he was told, and that was what had earned him her favor.

"Haven knows our location." Raven said, eyes locked on the map as she tried to plan their course. They would need to travel far in order to get to new grounds, but with winter close, it was bound to be a difficult journey.

"So?" Henry didn't recognize the concern. "Haven hasn't cared about us in years. Hell, Mistral hasn't cared about us since the Great War. Why the sudden panic?"

It was true enough, though not for the reasons Henry assumed. Haven had left them alone the last few years because of her connection with Lionheart. Mistral had been busy with other matters, never quite gaining the strength back that they had before the war, and though she didn't expect that to change anytime soon, something had changed to draw Haven's attention.

"We have the girls now." Raven flipped one of the maps to a more accurate depiction of a region farther south.

"Yang and Ruby?" Henry asked, shaking his head. "How do they-"

"The Headmaster of Haven was friends with their parents." Raven left out the part about Ozpin, and how he had likely given the order to hunt them down.

"And ya think he'll send out the troops for two girls?" Henry seemed amused by the idea, but when Raven didn't respond, his smile fell away and panic started to set in. "Ya don't think they actually would, do ya?"

Raven shrugged. It was difficult to guess how they would respond. It would take time to gather enough forces to take the Tribe by force, competent Huntsmen being spread thin in Mistral due to the sheer size of the Kingdom, but this was also an important matter. Ozpin would want the sisters for what they could be in time, tools for him to turn against Salem, just as he had done with her team. She wouldn't allow that.

"I would rather play it safe." Raven found the location she wanted, more isolated than normal, but far enough away from civilization that they would be almost impossible to find so long as they stayed quiet. Plotting the journey there was the next step, and it was with an internal sigh that she noticed just how far away they were. "We need to move as soon as possible."

"I'll spread the word," Henry nodded, finally giving the situation the attention it deserved. "A couple weeks and we can start packin' up, we'll nee-"

Raven shook her head. "We leave before the week is out."

"A week?" Henry looked skeptical, but when she met his gaze, he quickly looked away. "A week then… it'll be hard, but not impossible. If it's a long journey though… I don't know if we'll have the food supplies."

"We'll make them last." And if anyone complained, they could take it up with her. They would all have to tighten their belts for a while, until they reached their destination.

Henry nodded, before bringing up a few other concerns that she addressed. Water could be scavenged and gathered during rainstorms, the one benefit that the weather would give them. Food was a tricky matter, but with a bit of scavenging they would make it last. Other minor things came up, but nothing that would prevent them from leaving. As they slowly made their plan, Raven took some solace in the fact that it would be done. She just had to hope that by the time Ozpin's forces arrived, they would be long gone.

It wasn't anything specifically that woke Yang up. There wasn't electricity in their tent, so there wasn't any alarm clock, but her body knew it was time to get up. She had overslept her chores once, but only the once. Henry hadn't really done anything, but he'd made it clear that if it happened again that he would have to tell Raven. She had made sure it hadn't happened again and so far, it hadn't. Ruby wasn't quite so good at waking up yet, so that was just one more reason to motivate Yang.

"Ruby, it's time to wake up." Yang gently shook her sister's shoulder, causing her to grumble and try to snuggle deeper into her blankets. Yang giggled, but even if she wanted to let her sister sleep, she knew she couldn't. There was too much that they had to do. Yang shook her shoulder again.

"Five more minutes, mom."

Yang froze, her smile falling away for a moment before she swallowed and shook her sister's shoulder again. When Ruby didn't get up, she pulled the thin blanket away, exposing her to the air. It wasn't cold enough for thick blankets, but it felt strange to not have something while trying to sleep. Henry had given them a few when he brought them to their tent. Removing the blanket was enough to wake Ruby up.

Ruby sat up with a yawn, slowly trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

"We have chores to do." Yang reminded her sister, though she doubted the girl had forgotten. They always had chores to do, at least when Yang wasn't fighting.

"Is it still raining?" Ruby asked.

Yang stood from her bedroll, moving over a few feet to the entrance to their small tent. Pulling the flap back, she saw that the rain was still falling. Ruby saw it too.

"Do you think they might let us go early?" Ruby's voice was so cheery that Yang couldn't help but smile, even as she lied.

"Maybe." She didn't believe it; Henry and her m-Raven had made it clear that their chores weren't negotiable. "But you gotta get up for now."

Ruby nodded, finally standing, and moving about their tent as she stumbled and limply went about getting ready for the day. It was enough to bring a smile to Yang's face and helped her to stifle the yawn she felt working its way up. Before long, the two girls were dressed and ready. Henry had given them some old coats the night before when the rain had started, and although they were a few sizes too big, they at least kept them dry.

The kitchen tents were busy when they arrived, as they always were. No matter the time of day there was someone in there cooking or preparing something. The big meals were three times a day, but the guards that worked at night needed food as well, and so the Kitchen was one of the few things that seemed to always be going. Despite how important it was, it was still a tent, just a larger one than normal. Instead of small poles like the ones that held up their tent, these were thick logs much like the walls that surrounded the camp. They were sturdier and helped support the poles that ran overhead to hold up the material that protected them from the elements.

It was also where most of their chores took place, so Yang hated it.

Ruby followed closely behind, holding Yang's hand as they entered. The lady that ran the kitchens turned to them briefly before pointing over to some pots on the far side next to some dirty dishes. Sighing, Yang moved over, taking off her coat and helping Ruby with hers. The younger girl moved over to check the three pots, before moving to grab the first dirty dish.

"I've got it." Yang grabbed it from her sister's hand, before moving over to stand next to the first pot. Each was filled with water, but the first two had some kind of soap in them that helped clean them. "You can dry this time, okay?"

Ruby nodded, before moving over to grab a towel that had been sitting next to the pots.

Most of what needed to be cleaned was just what had been used to cook that morning, someone having already cleaned the dishes from dinner the night before. That still left about two dozen pots, pans, and other things. Yang ran them through the three pots, stopping to give a decent scrub only in the first one, before passing them on to Ruby. By the time they were almost done, the first set of plates and bowls had been brought over for them to clean, making them start over. They stopped to eat their own breakfast before continuing. Yang had to force Ruby to eat more than just pancakes, she was a growing girl after all, and she needed to drink her milk! Even if it was goat milk.

They weren't done with dishes until lunch time, and even then, that was only because two other kids a few years older than them came to replace them. That wasn't the end of their day however, and it was with a tired sigh that Yang helped Ruby back into her coat and they were off to their next chore.

Yang had always wanted a pony growing up, she'd asked her dad for one on more than one occasion, but she hadn't ever gotten one. Her mom had taken her to ride one a few times, but they had never needed one. Yang had often fantasized what it would be like, now, she regretted ever asking for it. The amount of shoveling she was forced to do had killed whatever wonder she had felt at seeing them.

They kept their horses outside the walls most of the time, the animals not being in danger from the Grimm, and nobody wanting them staying inside the walls due to the smell. She had seen one or two lead through the entrance, but it was never very far in. Being outside the walls of the camp had scared Yang the first few times, and if she was being honest with herself, it still worried her, but she put on a brave face for Ruby. The younger girl, if she realized the danger, didn't seem afraid, so Yang thought her false bravery was at least working.

It was either that or the fact that Ruby was completely enamored with the horse standing before her. She held out some grass and giggled when it ate from her hand. It was cute, and Yang couldn't help the smile that adorned her face, even as she hefted a shovel to remove the inevitable aftereffects away from the area that they were tied up. Ruby loved the horses even more than she had, and Yang didn't want to ruin that. If that meant that she had to shovel it by herself, so be it. Besides, Ruby was better at brushing the horses than she was, so it was a good trade. They always seemed to calm whenever Ruby approached, while they would shift and try to move away when Yang did if she didn't hold them.

That had hurt at first, until she realized that was normal, and that Ruby was just an exception. That hadn't been surprising, she always knew that Ruby was special, even the horses seemed to know it.

"That's enough for now." One of the guards who watched after them said. They had always been escorted when outside the walls, even if they were only a few feet away from the entrance itself. "The rain will fill up their water buckets, so you can go back and see what else they need you for." She recognized the man, but she didn't know his name. Ruby smiled brightly and thanked him for watching after them, causing him to cough and look away, before she started moving back towards the camp.

Yang followed, but they both paused after they stepped through the entrance. This was the hard part, for the first half of the day they had the same chores, but after that, things changed. She had to go back to the kitchens in order to help cook dinner, while Ruby had to run around delivering messages. Nothing bad had happened, and the few people that had intimidated Ruby had quickly found themselves dealing with her instead.
She wouldn't have been able to do much about the older people, but they seemed to not care so much about Ruby and Yang, it was the kids closer to their own age that had been the problem. That had stopped after she broke her arm hitting someone. The fact people had backed off wasn't enough to calm her down, the idea of Ruby being alone churned her stomach, but Ruby didn't seem to notice. She smiled brightly as she hugged Yang, then ran off in the direction of whoever she was supposed to meet with.

Yang took a heavy breath, before turning and making her way back towards the kitchens. It was a different woman there when she arrived, this time ushering around a number of people to do various tasks. As always, she took one look at Yang and gestured for her to go back towards the storage area that contained the various supplies they had.

"Half of the Tribe is out today scouting or too busy packing to stop for a real meal, so it'll be slow." The woman gestured towards a stack of boxes that contained some seal packages. "If they come by and can't wait, they get ration packs. Otherwise, I'll send people back to you when I need something."

It was the same instructions as yesterday, aside from the packaged food. Yang nodded her head, waiting for the woman to disappear before she slipped back into the tent. The shelves were stocked full of cans, some that Yang recognized easily like corn or green beans, but others she hadn't ever seen before. She ignored them for now, making her way back to the less used items. There were boxes of things that seemed to go unused, how they got out there in the first place, Yang didn't know, but no one ever asked about them and they seemed to be forgotten. She had only found the box in the first place because she had been bored.

Moving a few boxes around, she found the one she was looking for. Opening it, she smiled at the fact nothing had changed. She'd been afraid that it would have been taken by now, but it seemed she had been lucky. Pulling out the small box, she read the back. It wasn't anything too difficult to find from what she could see, in fact she knew where most of it was just off the top of her head, having spent the last few days finding it all.

Setting the box down someplace safe, she started gathering things. Nobody would notice a few eggs going missing, and while she thought they might notice missing vegetable oil, she was willing to take the risk. She had managed to hide away some clean drinking water from that morning as well.

Finally, she went to grab a pan and bowl. She started mixing ingredients, staying deep in the tent so that she could hear anyone walk up. At least, that had been the idea.

"What are you doing?" Vernal glared her way, just as she had since the two had met.

"N-nothing." Yang answered quickly.

"What's that?" Vernal noticed the bowl that Yang tried to hide. Stepping over and reaching for it, Yang didn't try to stop her for fear of spilling it. "What the hell is this?"

"I-it's a cake." Yang replied.

Vernal looked down at it as if she had never heard the word before.

"Why the hell would we need cake?"

"Mom always said you shouldn't swear." Yang tried to chastise, but the confidence wasn't there. Vernal and her… didn't get along at the best of times. Now, the girl had her exactly where she wanted. That terrified Yang.

Vernal looked down at the bowl, then back up at her, before her eyes widened slightly. "You stole this." Yang winced as the girl's surprise turned into a vicious smile. "I'm tell-"

"It's for Ruby!" Yang rushed out, grabbing the girl's arm to get her attention, but not too tightly to make it clear it wasn't an attack. The girl could be mean at the best of times, but when she thought that Yang was trying to start something, it was only made worse. Vernal hated her, and Yang felt the same. Honestly, she thought that Vernal hated most people, but there was one notable outlier, much to Yang's relief.

Vernal didn't hate Ruby. She wasn't exactly nice to the girl, but she wasn't as openly hostile as she was with Yang, nor was she as aggressive when talking to her. It was possibly Vernal's one redeeming quality, and as far as Yang was concerned it was a good one to have.

"Ruby's birthday is around this time." Yang explained as best she could. She didn't know the exact date, there wasn't a calendar or access to the CCT so she couldn't say for certain, but she knew it was late October or early November. "Mom and dad… they used to always throw a party and make it special." Something burned at her eyes, and she felt her lip quiver, but with a deep breath, she managed to keep control. "I just wanted to do something special for Ruby. She doesn't show it, but I know she misses them."

It was difficult to tell sometimes, Ruby was young, as was she, but there had always been the chance that she didn't understand what was happening. That's what Uncle Qrow and Auntie Glynda had said, but it was clear she did. Ruby was smarter than that, and Yang could tell. She was just trying to hide it behind a smile, and that hurt. Yang wanted to do something special for her, to help her accept that things were going to be okay. She hated the Tribe, she missed Patch and their home. She missed her mom and dad.

She couldn't bring all of those things back, but she could at least do this.

Vernal looked down at where Yang was holding her arm, and she let go. "It's for Ruby?" Yang nodded quickly. Vernal was silent for a moment, looking down at the bowl before looking back up at her. "How are you even going to cook it?" She handed the batter back to her gently.

Yang gestured towards the pan she had set on a nearby shelf. "There are instructions on the back of the box too."

"And you know how to make it?" Vernal seemed skeptical.

"I used to help my mom bake all the time." Yang glared at Vernal for a moment before smiling again, the last thing she wanted to do was make Vernal change her mind. "Besides, the hard part is over. Now we just have to put it in the oven."

"And where are you going to get one of those?" Vernal smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Yang paused; her mouth hung open as the obvious answer died in her throat. The kitchen didn't have ovens, not any that she knew how to use anyways. They had some metal boxes they put over fires that looked similar but they didn't work the same way; more often than not they stuck to pots to make stew. What the Tribe had was notably more hands on than Yang was used to, and something she hadn't thought about.

"I-I'll figure it out." Yang bit her lip, trying to think of just how she planned to go about that.

"Are you done?" Vernal asked.

"No!" Yang answered quickly. She wasn't going to give up just because it was going to get hard. "I'm not quitting."

Vernal rolled her eyes. "Is it ready to cook?"

Yang hesitated, looking down at the bowl. It was mixed about as well as she could by hand, and it was about how she remembered it from when her mom made it. All that was left was to put it into the pan she planned to cook it in.

"Well hurry up, I don't have all day." Vernal gestured towards the pan, one foot tapping impatiently as she waited for Yang to do as she was told. "Come on." She moved over towards the kitchen tent proper, Yang following closely behind as she looked around to see if anyone was watching them. "And don't look so damned suspicious! You'll get us caught."

Us? Yang asked herself quietly but made no complaint as Vernal moved over to one of the unoccupied ovens. Nothing was inside at the moment, and Vernal carefully set the pan down before scooting it further in.

"There, now we wait." Vernal said.

"Is it really that easy?" Yang asked, though she didn't feel very confident in the girl's abilities.

"You say that like this is hard." Vernal scoffed, grabbing two towels from a nearby table to set beside the open oven. "So long as you use these, there's no danger."

"You know how to cook?" Yang was surprised, mostly because she hadn't ever seen Vernal around the kitchens when it was time to prepare a meal.

"Please, it can't be that difficult." Vernal said with a roll of her eyes as she watched the batter slowly start to solidify.

Yang reached up to grab the girl's elbow, getting her attention once more. "Thank you."

"W-whatever," Vernal refused to look at her. "Don't thank me until it's done. And I want some too, especially if I am going through the trouble of making it."

Yang nodded, that seemed like a fair trade to her. The thought of Ruby's smile when she saw it was enough to bring a watery one to her own face.

Mistral was a large Kingdom, the largest in the world, in fact. Glynda had known that, but never was it clearer than now. She had gotten a good night's rest before waking up to a message from the Headmaster saying that he had a lead. She had been torn between thanking him for his help and cursing him for not having woken her up the moment he had found something. He had explained that she needed the rest, and she couldn't disagree, but the idea of sleeping while she could have been searching for them had infuriated her. In the end, he had granted her the use of a Bullhead and sent her the coordinates.

It had been nearly sunset by the time they reached the outskirts of the camp, and she had forced the Bullhead to land far enough out that they would not be immediately noticed. With an order to stand by, she set off on foot to close the last distance. For not the first time she was glad she had ditched her usual attire. The heels, skirt and cape may have functioned well in the city or in established settlements with roads, but out here where the ground was uneven and soft? It would have been a nightmare. Not to mention restrictive if she had to fight.

The black trousers she wore now were far from stylish, but they were just baggy enough to offer her free range of movement, while her purple jacket protected her from the rain. It did little for her hair, which was already soaked and sticking to her forehead, but her mood couldn't have been much worse. Or so she'd thought.

That had lasted as long as it took the first sentry to notice her and attempt to stop her advance. She said attempt because he had managed to get out half a warning before being thrown back into a tree. He would live, his groan was proof of that, but he wouldn't be standing in her way and that was what mattered.

The entrance to the Branwen Tribe was entirely underwhelming. The walls of the camp were made from cut down trees, which she supposed was practical enough, but it was clearly a temporary solution. Any settlement that planned to last would have quickly started reinforcing those walls to survive not only the elements of repeated storm seasons, but also the various Grimm attacks that would inevitably occur. The few guards that stood out front saw her, but none moved to stop her. They were dressed in old and clearly rugged clothes, but they at least seemed practical. She would give them that much.

"I'm here to see Raven Branwen." Glynda announced easily. While she was confident in her skills, she wasn't stupid. She wouldn't walk into the camp if she could help it, and the diplomatic approach was at least expected. She didn't have any hope that it would work, but she still felt the need to try.

"You found her." A woman said from behind her, causing Glynda to turn. How she had gotten there, and when exactly, was something Glynda didn't know. She was forced to turn her back on the guards of the camp itself. While she didn't like the idea of opponents going unwatched, it was obvious who the bigger threat was. "I'd ask who you are, but I don't really care."

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch." Glynda ignored the rather antagonistic nature of the woman, introducing herself as she finally actually looked at her potential opponent.

Raven Branwen wasn't someone Glynda had ever met, though she had done her research. She was strong, having won both of her Vytal Tournaments during her years at Beacon, before a short if impressive career as a Huntress. For a time, the team she was on had been borderline celebrities, a group of Hunters taking on any threat, before disappearing into the background. She hadn't been able to find any information on the woman's Semblance, though she knew it had alerted her of the danger Yang was in when she was about to die. She hadn't ever used it in the tournaments, if it had any further combat applications, and so Glynda hadn't been able to plan for it. She could have asked Qrow and Ozpin, but the latter had been vague about details before, and the former was hardly in the mindset to help her fight his sister.

She hated going in blind, as that meant there was so much that could go wrong, but her options were limited, and her patience had already been pushed past its breaking point.

"I'm here for the girls." Glynda stated.

She couldn't read Raven's expression, her face hidden behind a large mask, but she could just make out the woman's eyes. There was an edge to them that unsettled Glynda, promising that violence was a possibility at any moment.

"I'm afraid we don't offer those kinds of services." Raven's voice was taunting. "If you go back to Mistral though, the lower levels can cater to any-"

"Yang Xiao-Long and Ruby Rose." Glynda snapped. "I know you have them."

"And who are they to you?" Raven's hand had been resting on her weapon from the start, but her knuckles gripped the hilt a little tighter and Glynda felt her own hand shifting to her crop.

"I took care of them after their parents died." Glynda explained.

"You would have let them die." Raven replied. "You weren't there when they were attacked, were it not for me they would be dead."

"Qrow was with them…" It was a weak objection, they both knew that, but she had thought that was enough at the time. She had been wrong, and now everything that went wrong was at least partially her fault.

"He's weak." Raven's voice, which had been filled with anger so far, was cold now. "And so is Ozpin. I won't let him corrupt them like he did with us."

The irony of that statement coming from a bandit of all people seemed lost on the woman.

The amusement of that fact was swallowed up by her rage. "I took care of them when your brother couldn't! When you weren't there!"

"And for that you have my thanks." Raven nodded subtly, her voice losing its mocking tone for just a moment. "But they aren't yours to raise now."

"I won't leave here without them." Glynda slid her crop from her waist, Raven's hand still gripping her hilt.

There wasn't any comment which started the fight, no noticeable step or action taken to initiate combat. One moment they were staring each other down, and the next Raven was in her guard. Glynda had known the woman would be fast, even the footage she had seen from years ago had shown she was a strong combatant, but this was something else. Glynda barely had the time to flick her crop up before she was forced back, unable to respond with her Semblance before her opponent would have struck. A fist sailed past her, missing her head by only inches.

Range had always been her best advantage, giving her the ability to control the battlefield had been the biggest mistake people made when fighting her. Whether Raven knew what her Semblance was or not, she hadn't made that mistake. She had closed the distance instantly, taking the initiative and pressing her back. Despite how powerful her Semblance was, Glynda was not restricted to its use. She had long ago learned the need for options in its place. She fought with an open off hand for a reason. She analyzed her opponent as she brought her forearm up to block a kick. The damage to her Aura was minimal, and it gave her the moment to notice an important fact.

Raven had yet to draw her weapon, whether that was due to overconfidence or simply a desire to keep the fight from crossing that step, Glynda didn't know. Whatever her reason was, Raven seemed to change her mind, and as she leaned back to pull out her blade, Glynda saw an opening. The woman was still too close for Glynda to properly use her Semblance, but she was close enough for Glynda to get a strike or two in.

A flash of red appeared in front of her before Glynda felt her footing get caught up in something and she tumbled forward farther than she would have thought. The red light was gone almost immediately. She turned over to prepare for her opponents follow up, but nothing ever came, and she quickly realized she was staring at a… ceiling?

"G-glynda?" Qrow asked in shock, sitting up in his bed.

"Argh!" Glynda untangled the blanket from her foot, and stood from the floor where she had fallen, looking around for a moment to gain her bearings before glaring back at where the red light had likely been.

So that's her Semblance. That explained how the woman was able to get to Yang so quickly after being alerted. It would also be a frustratingly difficult thing to get past. Looking towards the window, she saw the sunlight pouring through. Raven had sent her across continents in seconds, before she had even managed to land a single blow.

"What the hel-" Qrow stood from his bed, reaching for a shirt he had thrown on his night stand.

"Your sister." Glynda answered the obvious question, before turning to fix him with a glare. "Tell me everything about her, and I mean, everything ."

She wouldn't go in blind again, and she would need to know as much as possible before facing Raven again.

Author's Note: One of my favorite things about this story really is the logical thinking behind how the Tribe functions, as I think I've mentioned before, and in this chapter we get a little bit of a look at the logistics of it and how things move. I just find it a fascinating thing to think on, hopefully you all agree.

The next chapter should be out April 6th. Other than that, I hope you have enjoyed the chapter and eb sure to let me know your thoughts in the reviews/comments.

Sincerely, SE