A/N: Never let it be said that the holidays prevented me from releasing a chapter. And not only that, but the longest chapter I've released of A Red Stained Remnant so far. Hope you guys enjoy it. And Happy Holidays. :)

It was dark when Ruby arrived in Algard village. She'd ridden an intercontinental airship from Vale to the airbase on the Eastern coast of the Western Dragon, then a smaller airship from there to the outskirts of the village itself. She jumped to the ground and sucked in a lungful of fresh, clean air. After being so used to the smell of Vale, the air here smelt… cleaner.

An attendant called out to her from the airship, and she turned back. "The village is just at the bottom of the hill here," the man called out. "The village Elder will be waiting for you at the gate. We'll be back in a couple of days to pick you up. Good luck, Miss Rose."

Ruby nodded, and the man swung the airship's door shut. She watched the ship take off, the downward rush of air making her hair dance frantically, and turned away as it blended into the night sky.

The village was visible from where she stood, though only as a collection of lights in the distant. Still, she was grateful for that; the clouds had covered the moon and stars, and it was pitch black around her. Taking in another breath, Ruby searched the area around her with her aura, searching for any signs of Grimm. She'd always been less adept at that than Ren or Blake, but she could sense danger coming from within a twenty five metre radius, which was better than nothing—especially on a night like this.

She couldn't sense anything. Keeping her aura active nevertheless, she started down the gentle slope. At the nearest edge of the village, there was a smaller light visible, illuminating two figures.

She stopped as a gust of wind blew past. Her hair whipped in her face, and Ruby raised a hand to hold it back. Her jacket waved up and down as the wind blew it back, flitting about like her old cape had. Ruby took the moment to pause and appreciate how awesome she looked—if only anyone had been around to see it.

Catching herself, Ruby quashed the childish voice in her mind. Stop it, she admonished her childish inner voice. I don't have time for that any more. I need to be mature… dependable. The only reason I'm here is to prove I can look after myself. And so, mentally slapping herself, Ruby headed down the hill once more.

At the base of the hill, Ruby found the village gate. Looking left and right, she saw that the village was encircled in a ten-metre-high, solid stone wall. The gate was forged of steel, and was the only break she could see in the wall. Though, in this light, she couldn't see very far.

The gate was open, and an old man and woman were waiting just outside it. The man was holding an oil lantern and peering into the gloom. That's weird, Ruby thought. Who still uses lanterns? The woman was standing at the man's side, leaning on an ornately carved wooden staff.

Taking a breath, Ruby stepped into the ring of light. The eyes of the watchers latched onto her in an instant. They didn't move—didn't react at all—but the intensity of their gazes stopped Ruby in her tracks. They were old but Ruby could tell by their eyes alone that they were warriors. Looking at them with fresh eyes, it was easy to notice their muscular frame. The man stood with a slight hunch, but his broad shoulders and thick arms hinted at a strength and willingness to fight, even at his age. His hand hovered inches from the hilt of a sword at his belt and his eyes turned away to scan the darkness around them.

"Well met, Huntress," the woman said. The voice snapped Ruby out of her hesitation, and she stepped forward. The woman walked forward to meet her, leaving her companion at the gate. He didn't react, just continued to search the surrounding gloom.

"Well met indeed," the woman continued with a smile. She looked as powerful as the man accompanying her. She carried no weapons but her staff, but something about the way she carried herself told Ruby that the staff was enough. "Thank you for coming."

Ruby smiled back and shook her head. "Thank you for having me." It gave me an excuse to get away, after all. "Though I still don't really know what it is I'm meant to do here…"

The woman nodded and turned back to the gate. "Come inside, we can talk in safety."

The man was still staring into the darkness, unmoving. He blinked when the woman laid a hand on is shoulder, but, other than that, showed no reaction.

"Burr?" The woman's voice was full of concern. The man grunted at her use of what Ruby guessed was his name.

"They're coming," he said. "Not close, but closing in."

"Can you see?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. Just signs of approach."

The woman sighed. "We'll post an extra guard tonight."

"And make sure the others keep their blades close at hand." The man finally turned his head away from the night and looked at the woman. She nodded at him and stepped through the gate. His gaze turned to Ruby, and the Huntress froze. There was something almost hawk-like about the man's eyes. It felt like he was staring right through her, seeing every crack—every vulnerability.

He nodded. "Well met, Huntress." Then he stepped through the gate, and Ruby could breathe again. She followed them into the village and, as the gates slammed shut behind her, the man spoke again. "If they haven't attacked by the morning, I'll send Odin to clear them out—or drive them away."

The woman, who Ruby now realised was the Elder of the village, nodded. "Send him with his team," she added. "The Huntress can accompany them." Both of their gazes turned on her, and Ruby smiled nervously.

"W-what?"

The Elder smiled. "Walk with me, Huntress. There is much to discuss. Burr, go now. No doubt your wife worries." He glanced at Ruby once again before bowing and taking his leave. The Elder watched him go and, once he passed out of sight, laid a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Come, Huntress."

"Call me Ruby."

The Elder smiled. "Ruby…" she muttered, as if trying it out. "A good name. Well, Ruby, I am Ymir. None in the village may call me by name, but feel free to yourself."

Ruby frowned. "Is that… okay?"

Ymir laughed. "Of course. It'll be refreshing to be called by name for once. Think nothing of it, child."

Ruby winced slightly at being called child, but smiled at Ymir's good humour. "Well then, Ymir, what exactly is it that I'm doing here?"

The Elder walked Ruby through the village, explaining their history as she went. For generations, the village had stood in the middle of the darkness of Remnant. Beset on all sides by Grimm, the people had fought tooth and nail for everything that stood within the walls. Because they were in nearly constant conflict, and weren't exactly a large community, everyone in the village was expected to fight. The only ones exempted were children too small to fight, and women that were with child.

The men, the women, the young, and the old. Everyone fought. Ruby had noticed on their walk that there were very few elderly people among the population, but Ymir had explained that rather simply: the older a citizen was, the more they were expected to fight. It wasn't the old growing too weak for battle, and being forced to fight anyway, that resulted in their death. The people of the village weren't allowed to grow weak. The older citizens were expected to risk their lives for the younger fighters. Those with more experience, those who'd fought for longer, were often better soldiers—they had lived long enough to get old after all—and they protected the lives of those with life still yet to live.

That was why they fought, Ymir explained. For the right to live. The old gave their lives for the young and, in turn, the young were expected to live that life as best as they could—so as to respect to sacrifices of the elderly—and to give their own lives when they aged. It was a simple exchange of goods: give life for life. The society depended on—thrived upon—paying such sacrifices forward. Those who gave their lives had no guarantee that they sacrifice would be worth it; it fell upon the living to make sure it was—with the knowledge that the next generation would do the same for them.

They all lived for one another, with no thoughts for themselves.

It was one for all, and all or nothing.

And so they needed to be the best. The village was only as strong as its weakest member, so they all had to be as strong as possible. That was Ruby's job. There was a group of teenagers—seventeen and eighteen-year-olds—who were old enough to join the village's main force. Rather than being held in reserve with the other children, in case of an emergency, they would go on raiding parties, protect the village's borders, and train the next generation. She wasn't here to train them, per se, but to judge them.

Even though the village was so far removed from the kingdoms, they still knew that Huntsmen and Huntresses were Remnant's best warriors. So whenever a team from the village was ready to come of age, a Huntsmen was called in to judge them. If they were deemed ready, the team was admitted to the main forces and the members became full adults in the eyes of the village. If they were found wanting, then the Huntsmen would stay and give them specialised training to make them ready. The village didn't have the luxury of stubborn pride; if they needed help, they'd ask it.

And that was why Ruby was there. It sounded easy enough. She was a little disappointed actually; it would be hard to use this to prove her capability to Ren and everyone at home. She sat in the empty hut Ymir had led her to and thought. It was often a bad idea—she went on so many missions to stop herself from thinking—and now that she had time to think about it, a part of Ruby was feeling guilty for leaving.

She knew they'd worry. She'd never done anything like this before; just up and leaving without a word. So she knew they wouldn't take it well. But she also knew that it was necessary. She'd be gone for a few days at the most, maybe a week if the team she was here to judge wasn't up to scratch, and then she'd be home, alive and well. They'd worry, they'd be angry, and they'd blame her for putting them through it. But she'd show them this time. After this, they'd see she could look after herself.

She kept telling herself that, over and over. But Ren's voice echoed in the back of her mind, filling her with doubt. You're hurting us just as much as you're hurting yourself! Ruby closed her eyes and tried to shut the voice out, but it was as insistent as Ren was in person. And we know that, at this rate, there's going to be a day when you don't come back, and that terrifies us!

"Damn it." Ruby clenched her hands into fists. She could feel her nails cutting into the skin of her palms but, as ever, the pain drove away the voices. They're trying to hold me back, she told herself. I wouldn't be able to get anywhere if I do what they want. I'm a Huntress; I can't spend my days resting and doing nothing. Ren's voice crept back in-between her thoughts, and she dug her nails in deeper to drive it further away.

Ruby, just come out and talk to me… please?

Ruby gasped and gritted her teeth as Yang's voice echoed in her ears.

Come on, Sis… Let me help—

A Beowolf howled in the distance. The voices vanished and Ruby was on her feet, already reaching for Crescent Rose. The howl faded away, echoing off the hills around the village, and silence reigned once more. Ruby relaxed. It was well outside the walls, she realised. It probably wasn't even within sight of the village; sound seemed to travel further out in the wilderness.

She laid down on the small cot that was all the furniture the hut had and closed her eyes. Someone walked past near her hut, but she ignored the sound. Probably someone going to check on the walls. Just because the Beowolf was far away now, didn't mean it wasn't getting closer. Ruby had only been in the village for an hour or two, and she already respected them for how hard they fought to live. There was a reason no kingdoms had been built on the Western Dragon, but these people were living as best as they could despite the constant danger.

The thought made Ruby smile. If they could live long, fulfilling lives here, then maybe there was hope for her as well. When death and destruction were constant threats, heartbreak and resentment seemed paltry things indeed.

Ruby sighed as she sank into the cot. It was surprisingly comfortable, and she could feel sleep washing over her. Yang and Ren stayed out of her head, thankfully. The only voice that rang through Ruby's head as she at last drifted off was her own.

Maybe I should call Weiss…

At dawn, there was a knock at the door. Ruby jerked awake and peered towards the offending noise. The shadows of a pair of feet was visible through the crack under the door. They knocked again.

"Madam Huntress?" a young voice called.

"Yeah, yeah," Ruby called back. "Give me a minute."

"Of course, Ma'am."

Ruby sighed. 'Madam'? She swung out of the cot and reached for her combat outfit, folded neatly on top of her pack. After hurriedly getting dressed, she opened the door to the hut and saw a small girl waiting attentively outside.

"The Elder would like to see you, Ma'am," the girl said, her voice bright. She gazed up at Ruby with a mix of awe and disbelief.

Ruby smiled. "Sure. Lead the way…?"

"Hel, Ma'am," the girl answered brightly.

"Lead the way, Hel."

The girl led the way through the village, almost skipping as she walked, and glancing back excitedly at Ruby every few seconds. Ruby watched her with an amused smile. She had been like that when she was younger. She could still remember her reaction upon first meeting Goodwitch. How things change…?

A few villagers called out to Hel or bowed respectfully to Ruby as they passed. Hel responded with enthusiasm to every greeting, while the bowing made Ruby feel a little uncomfortable. Eventually though, they reached a larger hut—more house-like than most of the homes in the village—that bore an ornately decorated exterior. Ymir's house, Ruby reasoned. No other building looked as extravagant as this one, and she doubted another villager would be privileged over the Elder.

Sure enough, when they entered, Ymir was sitting across the room from them. There was a door behind the elderly woman, but other than that, there appeared to be no other rooms in the building. The room they walked into was long, taking up most of the building, with a large fire pit in the centre, and cushioned mats encircling it. Across the pit there was another line of mats, placed in front of Ymir's large chair.

"Ah, Ruby, come in." Ymir waved her in. As Ruby stepped around the fire pit, she noticed the four teenagers kneeling in front of Ymir. They all turned to look at her as she approached.

The one nearest was a lanky boy with black hair hanging to his jaw. He had green eyes, almost obscured by a hanging fringe, and very pale skin. A thin sword hung at his waist, along with a dagger. He watched Ruby with an expression of discontent—like her presence was an intrusion. His eyebrows drew together as she walked closer, and his lips pursed as he examined her.

The next in line was another boy, only a little bulkier looking than the first, with light brown hair and shockingly golden eyes. They seemed to glisten as the firelight reflected off them, giving him an almost lupine appearance. The boy inclined his head to Ruby, causing the light to dance through his eyes once more. He seemed more impressed by the presence of a Huntress—some vain part of Ruby decided she liked him more than the other boy. His back was rigid and straight as he sat, no doubt held that way by the spear on his back. He also carried a short sword—barely more than a dagger—at his waist.

Third in the cue was a girl, with flowing red hair that hung to the middle of her back and yellow eyes. Ruby could tell just by looking at her that she was a Faunus, and probably a wolf as well. Every wolf Faunus she'd ever encountered had the same yellow eyes, though they seemed bland in comparison to the previous boy's shining, golden irises. The tips of the girl's canines could be seen pushing at her lips, despite her mouth being closed, and Ruby knew that, if she were to look at the girl's hands, there would be a set of retracted claws at the ends of her fingers. She carried a pair of wickedly curved daggers—the blades each a foot long—on her belt. The sheaths hung at the small of her back, crossing over so that, upon drawing the blades, she would be wielding them in a reverse grip.

The final watcher in the line was another boy, the largest of the bunch. He had short cut hair and unnervingly dark eyes. His irises were so dark that they blended into his pupil, giving his eyes a disturbing black and white dichotomy. His eyes seemed to stare through her, similar to Burr's the night before, and Ruby almost shuddered at the sudden feeling of vulnerability. The boy was well-muscled—the shape of them stood out through his clothes—and had a longbow strapped to his back, as well as a quiver of arrows at his belt. He also carried, just next to the quiver, a small, one-handed battle-axe.

"These will be your students for the day," Ymir said with a smile. "Children, meet your assessor."

Three of them nodded politely, but the first boy snorted under his breath and turned away from Ruby with a look of disdain. The girl shot him a glare, which he pointedly ignored.

"Your task today will be a simple one," Ymir continued. "Odin." The boy with the near-black eyes turned back to Ymir. "Your father noticed a pack of Grimm near the village last night. He requested that, should they leave us be during the night, you be sent out—with your team—to exterminate them." The boy nodded. "And seeing as your assessor arrived at the same time, I have decided to make that your test. Should the Huntress deem the test to be an unfit trial however, another shall be found. I'll leave it your discretion, Ruby." Ruby nodded, then turned her gaze back onto her 'students'. "Very well. All is ready. Make your introductions outside the walls, should you feel the need. Now make haste: the longer those monsters roam near our walls, the great the risk to the village."

The five of them left, walking past Hel, who was watching from the door with a look of excitement. Ruby gave the girl a smile as she passed, and stopped outside to wait for the others. The disdainful-looking boy left the building last and stopped at the door, kneeling next to Hel. He placed a hand on her shoulder and said a few quiet words to her. Ruby couldn't hear them, but she could see Hel pout in response. The boy smiled—the first expression other than discontent or irritation she'd seen on his face—and patted her affectionately on the head. He whispered a few more words into her ear, and the girl squealed with delight and wrapped her arms around his neck. The boy laughed and picked her up for a moment, swinging her in a circle before placing her back on the ground. The girl giggled excitedly and, after sending a bow Ruby's way, shot off down the street like a bullet.

The boy watched her go for a few seconds before standing up. He shared a quick smile with the girl in the group, and then returned to his former look of irritation. The other two were standing a few metres away with their backs to the proceedings. They glanced back and, once they were sure that all goodbyes had been made, started towards the gate.

Ruby followed a few metres behind the group, eyeing them over. They all carried themselves well. All four of them seemed ready for combat at any moment, even though they were still inside the village. She nodded approvingly. If they were looking to prove themselves, then they were already off to a good start.

The boy with the black eyes—the leader, Ruby had realised—turned to face her as the gates shut behind them. He bowed slightly, keeping his eyes on hers.

"Huntress," he said. "Thank you for coming to test us."

Ruby was taken aback. She forced her gaping mouth shut and racked her brains for a response. She bowed back, buying a few seconds.

"Uh… D-don't mention it…" There was a snort to her right. Ruby refused to look; she knew where it had come from. "Best of luck to you all today."

The leader smiled and nodded. "My name is Odin," he said, patting a hand to his chest. "This—" He put a hand on the shoulder of his golden-eyed friend. "—is Silas. And this is Fenrir." The girl nodded. "And Lopt." The boy scoffed again and looked away. "Forgive Lopt his… temperament. He means nothing by it."

Ruby glanced at Lopt momentarily before smiling at Odin. "Sure thing."

Odin smiled. "Well met, Huntress. We shall be in your care."

"Call me Ruby."

He hesitated for a second before nodding. "R-Ruby…" Then he smiled. "Well, now that that's out of the way, shall we be off?"

Odin's teammates nodded with a murmur of agreement, and Ruby gestured for him to take the lead. He nodded and spun away from the village. Swinging his bow off his back and into his left hand, Odin led the way up the gentle incline Ruby had approached the village from the night before. Silas swung his spear off his back and gripped it in his left hand, holding the point near the ground. Lopt and Fenrir pulled their blades out a few inches before letting them slide back—making sure they were free in their sheaths.

As they reached the top of the hill, Odin stopped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose; the other three stood closer to him and glanced around. Ruby reached out with her aura, searching for any Grimm, but felt none nearby. Odin placed his right hand over his right eye and blinked his left eye a few times before opening it wide. His iris and pupil contracted, leaving his eye mostly white, and he let out a slow breath.

"One mile…" he breathed. "Straight ahead. They've found a boar, and are occupied with it. If we move quickly, we'll be able to sneak up on them. I see… eight Beowolves." He closed his left eye again and let his hand drop to his side. After a few deeps breaths, he opened both his eyes and marched on again.

Ruby watched him as they walked with a mix of confusion and curiosity. Had he really just been able to sense Grimm from a mile away? Forget sensing them; he said he'd seen them. What kind of person could see that far? Even Faunus could only see better in the dark; distance wasn't really a factor that improved unless they were the right type of Faunus, and even then… a mile?

"His semblance," Silas said, snapping Ruby out of her thoughts. He was glancing back at her and smiling slightly at the confused expression on her face.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "A semblance…? You're aura-users?"

Lopt scoffed once again and this time Fenrir punched him on the shoulder. As he flinched away, Silas continued. "Of course. Huntsmen and Huntresses came here a couple of generations ago and taught our warriors at the time about auras and semblances. It's been an integral part of our training ever since."

"Right…" It made sense. Living in an isolated community like this, they'd need every advantage they could get. Well that ought to make things more interesting.

They covered the mile at a run, passing groves of trees and rocky outcrops. After almost ten minutes, Odin brought them up short. They were all breathing heavily, but Lopt seemed somewhat more out of breath than the rest. Ruby took note of it and glanced back at Odin. The boy was peering down a hill, into a nearby grove. It wasn't large enough to be a forest, but it was large enough that Ruby would hate to be surrounded by a pack of Grimm in it; there would be lots of room for them to hide.

"In there," he said. "I can see them moving in between the trees."

Ruby peered into the darkness of the grove and saw nothing. His eyesight really was impressive, she had to admit. Provided they actually were there, and he wasn't just making it up. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and set it on the string. No one moved for a few seconds; their eyes were trained on Odin, who's eyes were trained on the trees. After half a minute, he drew the arrow back to his ear and raised the bow. He let out a breath and let the arrow fly.

It zipped into the grove, narrowly missing a tree, and hit something. There was a roar of pain and a whimper. Definitely a Beowolf. Ruby glanced at Odin with a little admiration. He was an excellent shot too.

Silas stood next to Ruby and planted his spear point first in the ground. He formed a complicated sign with his hands and closed his eyes. Fenrir and Lopt drew their blades, while Odin readied another arrow. He let it fly, followed quickly by another one, before taking a step down the hill.

Ruby glanced towards the grove as the Beowolves roared. It was a cry of anger now—a war cry. The trees rustled and, seconds later, seven Beowolves burst into view. One of them had two arrows jutting of its shoulder, inches from its neck, while the others seemed in perfect condition. Their muzzles were all stained red with blood; no doubt the boar Odin had mentioned was lying in the brush somewhere, half-devoured.

Odin clicked his tongue and let a fourth arrow fly. It took the injured Beowolf in the throat and it toppled to the ground, clawing at the wooden shaft. Fenrir and Lopt charged ahead of Odin, blades flashing in the sunlight. Fenrir let out a vicious roar as she ran, almost as terrifying as that of the Grimm. Odin watched them with his fingers on the fletching of another arrow, but he didn't draw it.

"Si," Odin said, with a glance at Silas. "Get Lopt."

Silas nodded, his eyes still closed. He took another breath and tensed his body. Nothing happened as far as Ruby could see, but Odin seemed satisfied. He drew the arrow and set it on the string, still just watching. This arrow seemed different from the others; the head was glowing with faint lines of red. Dust, she realised. Somehow forged into the arrowhead.

Odin continued to watch the fray, so Ruby followed his gaze. Two Beowolves had already fallen, and both Fenrir and Lopt had blood on the blades. The four remaining wolves encircled the pair, growling. The two stood back to back, weapons ready. Fenrir said something, and Lopt glanced over his shoulder at her. The pair shared a grin and then both leapt at the enemy.

Lopt ducked one blow and deflected another with his dagger, using the force of the blow to spin himself around and slice across the beast's abdomen with his sword. Fenrir didn't dodge the first blow that came at her; she swung a dagger to meet it and sliced the offending hand off at the wrist. Lopt rolled forwards and came up behind the wolf he'd almost disembowelled and stabbed it through the spine with his dagger. The monster toppled forwards, twitched a few times and lay still.

The Beowolf with one remaining hand cowered away from Fenrir in pain. Fenrir glanced at it for an instant and turned to face her other opponent. She called out Odin's name as she turned her back on the beast and he drew his arrow back and released it faster than Ruby could follow. The arrow tore through the beast's hide and the Dust ignited it from the inside. The monster screamed and clawed at its chest, trying to put out the flames, but only succeeded in tearing open its own torso and finishing itself off.

Lopt flipped backwards to dodge a swing and righted himself just as another claw flashed towards his face. Ruby took a step forward in fear; he had no time to dodge. The claw smashed into the side of his head with enough force to tear flesh, even with an active aura. Lopt fell sideways and Ruby opened to mouth to cry out in alarm, but stopped as he cartwheeled to the side—moving with the force of the blow—and stabbed his sword in between the wolf's ribs and into its heart.

He drew his sword out with a snick and glanced at Fenrir. He looked fine. Ruby couldn't help but be confused again. A blow like that should have sliced his face open, maybe even knocked him out. Had he been unprepared, he should have had aura shock. But he was fine. She glanced at Silas, who was smiling slightly. Beads of sweat ran down Silas' forehead, and he was panting slightly. He opened one eye and glanced at Ruby.

"My semblance." His eye closed and he worked to slow his breathing. Odin glanced at him for a moment before turning his gaze back to the battle.

There was one left, larger than the others. Fenrir dropped to the ground as she charged and slid between its legs. She slashed at its knees as she passed under it and the beast fell to the ground with a cry and a loud snap. The Faunus called Odin's name again, and he fired another arrow just as quickly as before. This one seemed to be an ordinary arrow; nothing exciting happened as it lanced through the monster's eye. The beast toppled forward and Ruby could make out the shape of the arrowhead poking out of the back of its skull. Fenrir got to her feet and flicked her daggers, sending drops of blood scattering onto the grass. Then all was quiet.

The four warriors were all panting—some more than others. Fenrir sheathed her daggers and reached a hand out to Lopt. He knocked her hand away, turned and stormed back up the hill. Ruby watched in concern as hurt flashed across Fenrir's face, and then raised an eyebrow as it vanished just as quickly.

"Well?" Lopt asked as he came to a stop in front of Ruby.

She turned her gaze onto him and pursed her lips in thought. "You handled this extremely well," she said. "I'll give you that. But a pack of Beowolves that size isn't really a good test…"

"I agree," Odin said. He'd already covered his right eye and his left iris and pupil had contracted. "There's a few more Grimm nearby. I think they heard the commotion; they're on their way here."

"Where from?" Fenrir asked as she reached the top of the hill.

Odin pointed behind him. "I think we'll have a few minutes before they get here."

Ruby glanced in the direction he'd pointed and, sure enough, there were black shapes approaching in the distance. She nodded. "Looks like that should be a big enough pack. If you can exterminate these ones as well as you did those—" She pointed at the already vaporising Beowolf corpses. "—then I'll say you've passed."

They all nodded and—except for Lopt—grinned. Fenrir and Lopt headed towards the oncoming enemies, drawing and releasing their weapons again. Lopt laid a hand on her shoulder, saying something quietly into her ear. She smiled at him, kissed the tips of two fingers and pressed the fingers to his cheek.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "What's with those two?" she asked no one in particular.

Silas answered. "They were consorting only six months ago—"

"Consorting?"

He frowned. "What word would you use…? 'Dating'? 'In love'?"

"Oh… what happened?"

"Lopt ended it," Silas said with a shrug, as if it was nothing.

"But…" They still seem so close. "She was okay with that?"

Odin burst out laughing. "Fenrir? Okay with it?" he chuckled. "Of course not! She'd been saying only the day before that they were made for one another—meant to be married. She was devastated for days!"

'Days'? Ruby frowned. The way they say it, you'd think she'd been torn up about it for years. "But they seem so… friendly…"

"Well, of course," Odin said with a confused look. "Why wouldn't they be?"

"Because he broke her heart…?" They both looked they were having trouble wrapping their heads around Ruby's question. And she was struggling to wrap her head around why they'd be confused.

"And she got over it," Silas said. "Pain fades. Wounds heal. He may not love her anymore, but they still have the qualities that attracted them to each other in the first place. So they remain friends. They might not be together, but they still enjoy one another's company."

"There's no sense in wasting time being upset about it," Odin added. "There's too much else to life to worry about that. Besides—" He jabbed Silas in the side. "—odds are he's going to fall back in love with her again."

Silas grinned back. "Well if Fen has anything to say about it, he won't have a choice."

They both laughed, but Ruby was too deep in thought at this point to notice. It made sense, in a way. They lived their lives so precariously, and they were always at risk of death, so it made sense for them move on from things quickly. With no guarantee of living to see tomorrow, there was no point in holding grudges. But I'm just the same, Ruby realised. Working as a Huntress, there was no guarantee one would make it back alive from a mission. Anything could go wrong, and at any time.

Weiss…

Ruby couldn't stop the heiress' face from drifting into her mind. If they were right, then Ruby really had no excuse for avoiding contact with her. And they were right, Ruby could see that. But, despite the logic, she was still afraid. Take a page from their book, Yang's voice said to her. Isn't it a little selfish to act the way you have been? These people have far less in life than you do, and yet they're happier. Shouldn't that tell you something?

Ruby pulled out her scroll and eyed it with trepidation. She needed to call Weiss. Soon. Odin was right: there was no sense in wasting time. And who knew, maybe they could fall back in love as well… Ruby shook her head. Maybe she can fall back in love… I never stopped… She shook her head again, harder. Don't get your hopes too high, Ruby.

"Here they come!" Fenrir's voice echoing up the hill snapped Ruby out of her internal monologue. The Grimm were fifty metres away from Lopt and Fenrir, and picking up speed. It was a mixed pack: three Beowolves, two Ursai and a Deathstalker the same size as the Ursai—a young one. None of them hesitated; they attacked as one.

Odin sent arrows into the enemy line. He injured two of the wolves and slowed the rest down, enough so that Fenrir and Lopt could attack in relative safety. They fell on the enemy in a flurry of flashing blades. Blood sprayed.

Ruby put a hand on Crescent Rose, reassuring herself. Silas was holding his strange stance again, concentrating on the pair fighting in front of them. Odin was firing arrows at the Deathstalker, keeping it off Fenrir and Lopt. After it was hit in the stinger with a Freeze Dust arrow, the scorpion rushed up the hill.

"Si, switch to me!" Odin roared as he slung his bow over his shoulder and drew his axe.

"You're covered!" Silas yelled a second later.

Odin grinned and threw himself at the monster. He dove as its claws flashed towards him and slipped in between them. An instant later, he was on his feet and bringing his axe down. It chopped through the thin plating at what Ruby would call the Deathstalker's shoulder—the joint between one of its claws and its body. The claw came off in two quick blows, and the monster shrieked. The other claw slammed into Odin, but a golden aura flared around him and he merely rolled away from the blow and jumped to his feet, unscathed.

Silas grunted as the blow landed; obviously each blow was an effort for him. Ruby thought she had an idea of his semblance now: he could enhance other people's auras. There was probably more to it—no semblance that useful came without a catch—but the end result was that his teammates were impervious to blows that should normally have knocked them out.

Something attracted the Deathstalker; instead of pursuing Odin as he rolled away, it continued its charge up the hill.

"Si! Look out!" Odin cried.

Ruby reached for Crescent Rose, but stopped as Silas' eyes opened and he snatched his spear out of the ground. His eyes blazed like the sun and the light danced in his light brown hair as he stepped forward. The claw was around him and closing by the time he attacked. With an impossibly fast flick of his spear, he butted the claw with the haft end and knocked the claw over his head; it snapped shut inches above him.

Silas spun the way his flick was turning him and, when he came around in a full circle, stabbed the spear into the shoulder of the monster's last claw. It squealed and tried to pull its claw back, but the limb hung limply and pathetically, dragging along the ground. Silas danced away, jabbing with the spear in an attempt to keep the creature away. Seconds later, Odin appeared next to him with an arrow drawn and ready to fire.

The arrow took the Deathstalker in one of its eyes, and it retreated, lashing out with its stinger as it went. Odin fired again, at its injured claw, freezing it to the ground with another Freeze Dust arrow. As the beast tugged at the ice, they both attacked. They danced back and forth, perfectly in sync, and after a few seconds, the scorpion shuddered and died.

Ruby took her hand off Crescent Rose and breathed out. She glanced over the corpse of the Deathstalker and was relieved to see Lopt and Fenrir approaching, weapons sheathed.

"Well?" Lopt asked again.

This time, Ruby nodded. "Yeah. You're good."

The four of them cheered and high-fived. Fenrir wrapped her arms around Lopt's neck and planted a kiss on his cheek; the boy grimaced at first but smiled to himself when she turned away. Odin and Silas clasped hands and grinned. Ruby watched it all with a smile. It reminded her of her graduation from Beacon. Excited to be an adult, finally, and sharing it with her closest friends.

She missed them already, she realised. Despite how little time she'd spent with them over the last year, at least they'd been there. Now she was alone, and she missed them. Watching these four was… painful. It showed her a new outlook on life. They all fought and lived and died for one another. For the last year, all Ruby had thought about was herself… Well now it's time to change that.

Another smile crept across her face. A sadder smile. It was a smile that remembered all the mistakes she'd made since Weiss left, but accepted them. There was no sense in getting upset about them. Life was too short. The fear was still there, but Ruby did her best to quash it, rather than coaxing it to life.

One for all, and all or nothing.

After a few minutes of celebration, the four calmed down. Odin scanned the area around them, but said there were no Grimm for miles around them and that they should head back to the village. Ruby was happy to go back. She'd seen what they were capable of, and now she wanted to head back home. It was funny: she'd been so eager to leave, and now she was just as eager to return—not even twenty four hours after having left.

The walk back to the village was uneventful. The team talked excitedly to themselves, while Ruby walked quietly behind. She looked up as they neared the village and was surprised to see a Vale airship flying in. Who could that be? she thought with a frown. She watched it until they crested the rise that then sank down to the village, and then shrugged. It didn't matter. She had more important things to worry about. Like Weiss.

It was time to go. Ymir offered to let her stay for a banquet that night, to celebrate the team's rising to full members of the village, but Ruby politely declined. If there was another airship coming in, she could use it to get back home. The airship coming for her wouldn't be back for a couple of days, and she wanted to get back as soon as possible. She needed to reach the landing zone before the airship left.

She said her goodbyes as quickly as she could. Fenrir, Odin and Silas all shook her hand and thanked her for her efforts, and even Lopt looked at her for long enough to mumble his gratitude. Fenrir promptly slapped him and made him thank Ruby properly—which he did with a pained expression. Ruby laughed and waved off the gratitude; she really hadn't done anything. Then, leaving behind a flurry of rose petals, she dashed to her rented hut, grabbed her pack, and made for the gate.

The airship was sitting at the top of the hill when she made it to the top of the hill, and there was a familiar figure standing next to it, her long, yellow hair dancing in the breeze. Ruby smiled. Of course, why would I expect anything different.

Yang gave her a severe look as she approached. "Ruby Rose, you stupid little—" She cut off suddenly when Ruby threw herself at her big sister and wrapped her arms around her.

Neither of them said anything. Ruby squeezed Yang as tightly as she could, and Yang squeezed her back. It had been so long, Ruby realised. She missed this warmth, this smell. Yang had been her rock through everything up until now… How could I push her away this time? The thought made her squeeze tighter.

"Hey, wha—" Yang began.

"I'm sorry," Ruby interjected, burying her face in the curve of Yang's neck.

"No, it's oka—"

"No, it isn't. I'm sorry, Yang. I love you…"

Yang hesitated. "I love you too, Sis. I'm always here, you know?"

Ruby leant back and nodded, wiping away a tear. "I know. Thanks, Sis."

Yang smiled. It was the first genuine, carefree smile Ruby had seen on her in a year. "Home?"

The newly-healed Huntress nodded to her older sister. "Home…" She took one last glance back at the village and smiled. "I've got a phone call to make."