Jaune woke up dry. Dryer than he remembered. Lying in something soft, a bed or a cot, with his eyes closed to the world in case he was being watched.
Where am I...
Last he recalled he was on a boat. A sinking boat but a boat nonetheless. He'd remembered a storm, a bad one and a stupid one to try and sail in, but there was a storm. Water. Too much water. He recalled the fishing boat he'd stolen crashing into something and him going overboard, barely having enough time to strap his weapons to his side.
His sword and shield.
A twitch of his hands signaled he wasn't bound, and his weapons weren't near his waist as they should be. He sniffed the air, dry, and risked creaking his eyes open. Hearing voices outside, he snuck a glance at his surroundings. Taking in the tarp above as he searched around the small tent, he seemed to be staying in.
There, off to the side of his bed, he saw his knight sword, Jackal, resting next to his retractable kite shield, Hide. Within reach and unblemished.
If he had been kidnapped, his captors were being very generous.
Or very stupid.
"Where am I..." he murmured as he sat up, hissing as a sharp pain crawled up his side. He looked down and noticed bandages wrapped around his ribs.
"Damn." He murmured as he tapped the wrappings and hissed once more. They felt broken. Or fractured at the very least. Even with his aura, it would take a day or two to recover so that it wasn't an issue anymore, probably a week to fix it entirely.
Jaune didn't have that time if this was a trap.
He had to find out where he ended up after-
"I see our guest is awake." A jolly voice emerged into the tent as Jaune snapped his head towards the tent entrance. His legs tense and ready to jump towards his weapon, he only hesitated once he saw a man, caramel skin and charcoal hair, walking in slowly. There was a spear on the man's back, but he shifted it off his shoulder and placed it against the wall.
"Fear not, no one is here to harm you." The man said amicably, and Jaune had to bite his tongue to believe it. He was ready, still waiting for a moment to jump towards his sword.
"Come in, Inessa." The man turned towards the tent entrance with a laugh. And Jaune's hand twitched at the thought of another stranger watching him.
"Your patient has risen." The man smiled, disarming Jaune as a woman, wrapped in white cloth and dress, desert wear if he'd ever seen it, entered.
"I'm glad you're awake." The woman, Inessa, said. Offering him water and food to satiate his hunger. Jaune watched it wearily, stunned as the woman gave a sad smile and put the bowl to her mouth. Taking a sip of water and a bite of the food to show it was not poisoned. It was simply an offer.
A generous offer.
Jaune wasn't used to such things.
"We would not save your life just to poison you." Inessa smiled and offered the bowl again. "Here. Drink. Eat. Recover your strength. Then we can talk more about where you are and what happened."
Jaune eyed her cautiously, eventually turning away from his weapon and gently taking the food. If the man was trying to keep him hostage, he was doing a terrible job, and the woman who was nursing him back to health wasn't doing any better.
"Thank you," Jaune whispered, ignoring the blooming smile the man and woman shared, spouses maybe, as Jaune dug in. Drinking the bowl of water and devoured the rice and vegetables like it was his last supper. He was starving. It had been...
How long had it been since he ate? He'd one it back on the boat before everything went to hell. His body felt like that had been an eternity ago.
How long had he been asleep?
"When did you find me?" Jaune asked quietly as he finished his meal, offering the woman thanks as the man smiled and shook his head. "Yesterday, my friend. My wife found you washed ashore and half-drowned, amidst bits of wood and rock."
The remains of the boat. So that's where it ended up.
"It was my wife that nursed you back to health." The man said, and Jaune nodded towards the woman in thanks. "Thank you for saving my life. I owe you."
"Make nothing of it, stranger. I didn't do such acts for repayment. Your breathing is enough for me." Inessa smiled, taking his bowls and walking out of the tent. Jaune heard voices outside, maybe he was in a caravan of sorts, but the sounds fell out of focus as the man before him took up a chair and sat.
The man's gaze was quiet and sympathetic as he shared a small smile. "Now dear, traveler. I hope we can share introductions before you come to the wrong conclusions, as many who receive our assistance seem to do at first glance."
"I..." Jaune hesitated before releasing a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. "That would be nice. I'm pretty confused if you hadn't guessed. It would be nice to know where I ended up."
"Of course! Fear not, my friend. My name is Asol." The man placed his hand to his chest and bowed. "I am the leader of the Del'Ashari. We are a tribe of the great desert and have done so for centuries. You are in one of our camps at the moment."
"So I'm near Vacuo." Jaune guessed, since that was the only place he recalled having a desert. He'd studied maps back in Mistral. Back when he...
'Ugh, you're gonna fail at this rate.'
He studied maps of Remnant a long time ago.
'The things I do for you. You owe me, you know.'
Not that it mattered anymore.
"Do you know how far it would be to get to the nearest city?" Jaune asked without emotion. His eyes low and his face closed. He didn't particularly care if he ended up in a city or a ditch, but the least he wanted to do was get out of his savior's hair. These people saved his life, the least he could do was avoid wasting their supplies.
"I have something," nothing was the real word Jaune wanted to use. "I have something to do elsewhere."
"That's good." Asol scratched his cheek, either avoiding or ignoring Jaune's expression.
"Sadly," Asol continued. "We were just leaving our latest trading city," Asol snapped his fingers. "But if you know how to use a map, we could give you enough supplies to make the trip yourself. You'd be there in a week or so, should you not perish. Do you wish to test your luck crossing the desert alone? I will help you prepare if that's your endeavor."
"If you could, I'd greatly appreciate that. Thank you. I owe you." Jaune nodded, not present until he realized that he was being rude. He bowed his head and apologized. "Sorry." He scratched his neck. "I forgot to tell you who I am. I'm Jaune. Jaune-"
The 'A' of his last name nearly fell off his tongue, but he caught it. He didn't need his surname anymore. Not that he'd used it in a long time.
"I'm... Jaune... Just Jaune."
There was nothing attached to it anyways.
"Well then, just Jaune." The man jibed, standing and dusting himself off. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. We will eat tonight, and maybe after we toast to your survival, we can help you get where you're supposed to be. Tell me, do you have any plans in Vacuo? Anything in particular you need?"
"I..." Jaune glanced at his sword and shield before shaking his head. "No, I suppose not. Just my weapons and directions would suffice."
"Oh, please, Jaune. You are my friend. I will give you more than that. You'll have supplies by the morning light. You have my word." Asol smiled and shook his head, leaving with a gentle wave as Jaune sat alone in the tent. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, collecting himself now that he had a moment's reprieve. The ship was a stupid idea, it was, but he'd been desperate. He'd been looking for it since his life went to shit, an answer. A reason. An explanation.
"Dammit..."
And he found it.
"What am I gonna do now?"
He almost wished he hadn't.
By the time the feast rolled around, Jaune came to learn that he had been cared for by a tribe in the great desert of Vacuo. They called themselves the Del'Ashari, and had a culture surrounding pure kindness. Where good deeds were given without expectations of rewards or recognition.
Something Jaune learned to despise almost immediately.
"Sorry, Jaune. I can't take any payment. I hope you understand." Asol laughed off Jaune's attempt to pay him again, for saving his life and feeding and housing him. The medicine he might've used and the time spent nursing him back to health were considered water under the bridge.
Not to mention the supplies Asol was offering for his journey. He was only asking for his old armor, which had been tattered and rusted from the trip at sea anyways. Asol was helping Jaune more than he could expect and asking the bare minimum in return.
This man was the kindest, most selfless man Jaune had ever met.
And it was irritating beyond belief.
"I will sneak this into your supplies before I leave." Jaune grumbled as he pocketed his bag of coins and returns to his food. Eye twitching as Asol laughed and patted him on the back. "Then I will simply give it to the next traveler than requires our assistance. You will be providing much welfare, my friend."
"You will be eating my boot if you don't take the money."
"Is that a threat? My, I thought we were friends, Jaune." Asol shook his head, a ghost of a smile on his lips, "You wound me. Whatever will I do?"
"Take the damn money."
"But I can't. Such is life." Asol shrugged as Jaune grumbled into his food. The two passing trading jabs at each other for a bit before the night kicked into gear and some of the other tribesmen began nightly festivities. Whether it be sharing stories by the fire, training for the next day's ventures, or simply relaxing in the company of others, the Del'Ashari seemed to be a very community-oriented group.
They were a... warm people. It was welcoming.
But as the night grew longer and alcohol grew more scarce and people began turning in for the long night, resting in tarps beneath the black sky and atop the dunes of the cool desert sands. Once the camp dwindled to just Jaune and Asol sitting by the fire, with a few men keeping watch at the outskirts of the encampment and out of earshot.
When the only ones awake ended up being Jaune and Asol, the chief of the Del'Ashari decided to tell stories of his life.
"You know, when I was a child, I killed my first man. The man who killed my father. I chased him through the desert and crushed his skull beneath my feet."
And far more personal than Jaune had asked for.
"I always regretted it. Believed it would satiate my bloodlust, but only ended up attaching an anchor to my chest." Asol was drunk, and Jaune hesitated, unsure of how to respond. The story seemed personal, too personal for a stranger, but he took a sip of his bottle and hoped the conversation would drift elsewhere. Would find a different topic.
Something less raw and human.
It never did.
"And then when I was young and foolish, I met this beautiful girl." Asol drank and smiled to the sky like an idiot, remembering his greatest embarrassment. "An outsider, who danced like the stars and sang like the birds. She was staying in the tribe for a month or two. I was enamored. I pursued illusions of romance ... and succeeded despite my mother's attempts to dissuade me. It was my greatest mistake disguised as a pretty treasure. A mirage."
"That's... unfortunate." Jaune ended up scratching his neck, drinking more as he tried to make sense of this stranger's very personal life. "I mean," Jaune attempted to speak past the awkwardness he felt. Scratching the scruffy beard he'd grown during his venture. "Everyone makes mistakes when they're young. I turn 24 this year and I've made plenty."
"Ah, yes. Apologies, I had no idea you were young. You look older than your years, my friend." Asol laughed, shaking his head as he poured himself another bottle. "But I am certain you have not made such a grievous mistake as I did that night. Falling for something exotic and dangerous. It was a failure on my part and one I wish I could take back. I hope you will avoid such mistakes in your future. Trust me, it was the worst mistake I ever made."
"The worst..." Jaune asked, chuckling in disbelief as he took a sip of his drink. "Surely, there have been other mistakes that way more heavily. Even if this person ended up being wrong for you, or you had a falling out, being young and falling in love isn't-"
"I was betrothed to Inessa at the time," Asol said, and Jaune choked on his drink. Spitting liquor into the sand as he hit his chest. All the while, Asol nodded. "Yes, that is usually how people respond. Funny how a little perspective changes things, no?"
"I-ugh. I guess so..." Jaune coughed into his fist as he turned back to the fire. Messaging his throat as Asol slapped him on the back and chuckled. "Yes, I am lucky, my friend. It is only the graciousness of my Inessa and the stars above that I did not lose the most beautiful woman I could ever ask for. I am lucky, very lucky. To be wed to such a woman."
"That you are."
"Tell me, do you have someone like that?" Asol asked. "Do you have an Inessa of your own?"
"I..." Jaune frowned, softly and soberly, into his cup. "No."
He finished it in one gulp. "No, I don't."
"Then you simply haven't found them yet." Asol chuckled, sliding next to him and throwing an arm over his shoulder. "Do not wait long, my friend. Life is long, but time is short. One day, you'll find someone to complete you, if you have not done so already. You'll grow old and raise kids and..."
Jaune flinched as he felt tears on his shoulder, glancing over to see Asol crying on his shoulder. Private. This was a private display of grief.
"I hope you never lose a child, Jaune." Asol sobbed, and Jaune blinked. Slowly, he raised his hand to pat the man's shoulder, it was all he could think to do, and watched silently as the man bared his heart out.
"I lost my son years ago. Disease. I miss him."
With nothing but the stars and desert sands as witnesses, Jaune became educated in the deepest, most private thoughts of the man known as Asol Del'Ashari. Jaune listened to regrets, mistakes, and sorrows. He was told secrets he shouldn't have been allowed to know, and by the time the man had collected himself, he couldn't listen anymore.
"Why..." Jaune asked, eyes locked in the dwindling fire as he asked. "Why are you telling me all this stuff about yourself. It seems... personal. Too personal."
"There is nothing too personal for a brother." Asol giggled, and Jaune scowled. He hated that word.
"I'm not your brother."
"But you most certainly are." Asol shook his head and wagged his finger lightly. "I have told you about my life, Jaune. Secrets I only share with my beloved and the graves of my mother and father. Who could I tell those to if not a brother?"
"That isn't-"
"But it is enough. I say it is enough and therefore it is." Asol laughed, putting up his empty cup with a smile. "Besides, I've already completed the ritual. It's tradition in the Del'Ashari to share a drink with those you're accepting into the tribe. We shared a drink, so from now on, if anyone asks, you are a Del'Ashari. As chief, I declare it so."
"That's..." Jaune glanced at his empty cup and shook his head. Dropping it into the sand as he held his head. He was tired. And his head hurt.
"I never asked for..."
This had been a far different experience than he had expected.
"Why?" He croaked, defeated. He couldn't yell at the man, he was being too nice. Jaune wasn't sure if he wanted to cry or throw up all the alcohol he had drunk.
"Why, what?" Asol asked.
"Why are you doing this?" Jaune asked, fighting off a headache as he looked to the eccentric man beside him and asked. "I refuse you do this to every person you happen to come across."
"Ah, you underestimate our generosity, my friend."
"So why are you doing this?" Jaune ignored the deflection, narrowing his eyes. "Why are you sharing all this... all these things... with me?"
"Because I feel, more than anyone I've ever met, you need to hear such things. I feel I need to share these things with you." Asol added, ignoring none sense of it all as he rattled on in what Jaune could only assume was a drunken-fueled haze.
"I have come across many huntsmen."
"I'm not a huntsman."
"Yet you walk like one." Asol continued, "You check your surroundings like one. You hold yourself like one. You distrust and fidget like one. You might not be a huntsman, but mark my words, Jaune, you are a huntsman." Asol chuckled at Jaune's glare. Jaune clenched his fist as he tried to fight back the fuzzy warmth in his skin and the haze of his eyes.
"I'm not a huntsman."
He drank too much. Too much for this.
"I disagree," Asol smirked. "Just by talking to you. You are a huntsman, and considering you lack the arrogance and pride most huntsmen are shackled by, I have to believe you're one of the best I may ever get the chance to come across. So for that I am grateful."
"You're exaggerating." Jaune scoffed.
"That is for me to decide and for you to dissuade." Asol shrugged, his smile falling slightly as he looked at the distant dunes with a sort of melancholy.
"And yet you are also the most tragic person I've ever laid eyes upon." Asol ascertained. "You walk like a detached shell. I look at you and see a corpse, Jaune. One that died and has yet to find a reason to live."
"You're delusional-"
"Do you know what I ask huntsman I meet?" Asol interrupted again. Ignoring Jaune's glare as Asol pointed towards his weapon and snorted. "I ask them what they're hunting for. What do they do? And nine out of ten times, they'll say, 'I hunt Grimm.' Funny answer, isn't it? They hunt Grimm."
"That's what huntsmen do," Jaune grumbled, flinching slightly as he added. "Or so I've heard."
"Yes, but that's the funny thing," Asol added. "They answer that mundane answer. So I'll point towards the desert, and tell them, 'there they are. Go and hunt them. Grimm as far as the eye can see.' I think I'm being helpful. That they must be lost. But they'll get all quiet and bashful. Embarrassed to use such a simple term to define themselves and their lives."
Jaune watched, suspicious, as the man smiled and spoke with an almost bitter tone.
"I didn't ask you that question, Jaune."
"Because I'm not a huntsman."
"Because I believed if I had, you might have actually walked into those great sands and never returned," Asol said instead, stabbing Jaune's heart as he spoke with a somber smile. Sober. As if all of the drinks he'd had prior evaporated in his belly.
"Even when you asked for directions to Vacuo," Asol pointed out. "It wasn't a desire, more of a habit. To find the nearest civilian and search for it. Even if no one's waiting. Just to go somewhere else." Asol glanced over, "Am I correct, just Jaune?"
You," Jaune's words caught in his throat as he glared at Asol. The two stared at each other, challenging each other. Until one had to back down.
"You..." Jaune looked away first. "You don't know that."
"I don't." Asol shrugged. "But I still worry. I look at you, Jaune, and I worry. I worry that you've been alone and will be alone for a long time. And nothing I say will change that."
"Then why are you doing this?" Jaune snapped, "Why'd you do this. Why'd you go spilling your life's secrets to me? I didn't ask for it."
"And that's why I told you. Because what you need is something you'd never allow yourself to ask for. It is something I can only give if I'm willing to diverge with the secrets I keep close to my chest." Asol tapped his ear, "I wish to offer you my ear, Jaune. That is why I told you so much about myself. If I didn't, then it would hardly be a fair trade."
"You... that's..." Jaune frowned, shaking his head. "You want to give me your ear?"
"Yes, my ear." The man said, looking towards the fire with a deep breath. "I have told you about my life Jaune. Everything I could think of. So tell me about yours. Tell me how you arrived here. Tell me what you've loved and lost, and I swear on my wife and children, I will never tell a soul. I will only listen."
"You..." Jaune scowled, biting his lips and scratching his neck to the point it hurt. He felt hot. His blood was bubbling. The alcohol was dulling his sense of humor. He was getting angry. He couldn't think straight. Couldn't figure out Asol Del'Ashari.
"What's in it for you..."
He couldn't fathom a reason for a stranger to do these things out of the kindness of their heart.
"Why are you doing this?" Jaune accused, narrowing his eyes as he buried the slushiness in his stomach and ignored the headache brewing. He watched Asol and waited. Waited for him to mess up and do something suspicious. Something secretive. Some other motive.
"There's nothing in it for me."
Asol never showed it. All he spoke with was kindness and a sense of humility. Like she had taught him a lesson he was willing to pass down this particular night.
"And the reason I'm doing this is simple and selfish." Asol shook his head. "I would hate it for the man my wife saved to run off into the desert and die."
"Maybe it's none of your business."
"And maybe you're right," Asol admitted, looking towards the dark sky above. "But I would be remiss not to try. And though I know you will not stay here, regardless of whether or not you have a place to go. I at least want to make the journey a little lighter."
Asol sighed, and Jaune froze, watching as the man bent down and picked up the cup Jaune had dropped on the sand. Wiping it down and switching it with his own, he poured a final drink and offered it, not a hint of deceit or malicious intentions in his eyes.
"Tell me about your life, Jaune."
Jaune stared at the cup and gritted his teeth. Eyes stinging as he hung his head and gulped.
"I promise not a soul will know but me," Asol said, and Jaune reached over and grabbed his cup. Not the cup Asol offered, but the one he'd dropped in the sand earlier. He took it and downed it, cradling a pounding headache as he laughed weakly.
"No one will learn of this?" Jaune asked. "Swear it on your wife and children. Swear it on your tribe."
"I swear it. No one will know." Asol smiled, clinking their cups as he downed his drink and waited. The two sitting in silence as Jaune groaned and hung his head to the sky. His shaggy, shoulder length hair falling down as he closed his eyes and sighed.
"Fine." Jaune scoffed. "Fuck it. Whatever. If you want to know, I'll tell you."
Jaune didn't really care anymore. He'd leave this place tomorrow morning and wouldn't look back. And Asol would continue wandering with his tribe through the great desert. Whatever Jaune said here would be as safe as if he spoke to a tree. And for that, he decided to go for it. Since he was pretty sure Asol wouldn't believe half the shit he said anyways.
"My name is Jaune..."
In the desert sands, alone under the night sky, Jaune shared secrets about his life. Secrets he was certain Asol would dismiss as a madman's ravings.
"Jaune Arc."
Because when Jaune died he wanted someone to know he tried. He tried to do something with his life.
"I grew up in a place called Sun Village."
Even if it never amounted to anything special.