Chapter 2: The Red Rose

Ruby Rose

The woman was a ghost in her own right, pale skin and paler hair. With the scowl that adorned her face, and biting words, she was cemented as a vengeful spirit in Ruby's mind. Why her own mom couldn't take the time to leave the nether and help in the fight, she didn't know, but a beautiful woman would always be welcomed. Being told to shut up, however, was not.

"Excuse me-"

She choked on her words, or more precisely her cloak, the hood being grabbed in a desperate attempt to throw Ruby onto the antsy baur. One fluid movement seated the snow white knight on the saddle behind her, not even giving the huntress a moment to orient herself. They were off, screams of the other mercenaries behind them, stampeding footsteps telling of a pursuit. Ruby shifted, squished between the neck of the beast and hard chestplate of the woman, grimacing at the warm wetness of the item she held. Grimm birds squawked behind them, their riders shouting obscenities. Why the hunters were so furious, Ruby had no clue. Were they really bitter enough about being outshone by a young girl that they would resort to murder? She had successfully out-hunted them, fair and square, even willing to split the prize money. Snow White flicked the reins, gauntlet catching Ruby on the temple.

"Watch it!" she cried.

The redhead was hit again, much harder, and clearly intended. Deciding to keep her mouth shut in hopes of avoiding an even harder strike, Ruby tilted her head out to view their followers. They were slowly gaining, barely stalled by the blanket of snow. Trees blurred in the darkness around them, the redhead taking a moment to admire the sheer power of the creature she sat upon. With its claws digging into the dunes of snow, it slammed through banks, sending up frosty splashes of white. The thick legs were not conducive to running fast though, bocochos' thin bird-esque appendages more fitting.

In the distance the sky was illuminated by a red, crackling of a million burning trees like the sound of falling pebbles. Stars appeared and disappeared into the darkness above because of the billowing smoke. This woman had started a fire, leaving it behind, but the fire Ruby had started followed them doggedly. Shoving the leather strap into the young girl's hand, Snow White rose from the saddle behind her. Standing on the creature as though it was simply a dirt road, she cut a thick red line across the world, a wound in the dark of night.

"Close your eyes!" she snapped.

Of course Ruby didn't, not that she had the time. In an explosive second the world turned white, fire consuming the trees and splitting them in two. Dots specked Ruby's vision, and the world had become so much darker. The was a crash, falling trees, and cries of wounded men. Blinking away the blindness, the fire silhouetted still pursuing bandits, not giving up on their prize. The snow white knight twisted around, sword returned to its holster, face contorted into a grimace. She leaned hard into Ruby, ripping the reins out of her hand and snapping them roughly. The baur cut to the right, delving deeper into the woods, lower branches whipping against the two women.

A bococho came up on the white knight's right, man's sword mid swing. It never came any closer, her rapier flicking out faster than he could even think, slicing the ligament in the back of his mounts leg. Down he went, and with his demise came two more. A whole crowd followed, a parade of death and vengeance. Crossbow bolts whizzed by, narrowly missing, a few bouncing off the baur's armored skin. Ruby whipped around to return fire with deadly accuracy, but the bocochos soon weaved back and forth to destroy any chances she had of hitting her targets. Firing randomly would only work if she had the ammo to spare and the money to pay for more.

There was a curse. "Why are they being so persistent?" the faux-kidnapper growled lowly, mostly to herself, but from their close proximity right into Ruby's ear. "I understand wanting to kill you, but to go this far? They're acting like you-"

There was a pause, and a hand ripped open the redhead's cloak, revealing a bloody grimm skull.

"Are you kidding me?!" she screamed, less a question that required actual answering and more an expression of absolutely fury.

"Well, I did go through the hassle of killing the beast with you guys, we could at least get to cash in the prize!" Ruby reasoned, confused by the anger.

"You idiot!" came the response, "They intend to run you to the ground, setting foot in the village again would be a death sentence even if you hadn't taken the mask."

"What, why?!" Had Ruby broken some sort of rule when it came to fulfilling the bounty?

"They settled upon a hunt," Snow White's voice cut through the wind whipping around them, wiping away another foe with a snap of her sword, "You left early."

Ruby broke all the rules. How silly she felt then, only a smidgen, but enough to burn her cheeks. The other mercenaries had mocked her for her youth, clearly within reason. Still, she had defeated the alpha grimm, and should have the right to the prize. As did the woman whose body pressed roughly against her back, the same woman who proceeded to pluck the mask out of the girl's hands and toss it onto the forest floor. The snow white knight made a show of her actions, ensuring that their pursuers were aware of the abandonment of the key to riches. One rider, in an effort to be the first to the prize, veered suddenly to the left, the bocoho's legs entangling with the beast behind it. In a furry mass of dominos, the squadron crumbled upon itself.

The baur Ruby rode didn't slow its pace in the slightest, even the creature aware that it wouldn't be long before the legion returned. With the sheer power of the beast, thick ursa legs unweary, the duo broke the forest line in record time. The young huntress gave one final look back at the woods, orange illuminating the land in an abnormally comforting glow, wavering with the power of the flames. Behind came shouts and the crackling of fire. Gone was her miniscule promised bounty, but any price was more than enough for Ruby. At the moment, a 100% increase of her current amount of lien was still 0.

Finally a road came up, mangled from the many melts and then freezes of the mud. With hoofprints and carriage wheels' marks frozen into Remnant's flesh, at times it was easier to walk through the snow than on any mildly traversed path. The baur's stride didn't waver, traveling down the road fast enough to blur the dark trees around the two. Snow White leaned forward in the saddle, urging the beast onward whilst also squishing Ruby. Any other time Ruby would have appreciated the feeling, but the woman's metal chest plate was pressing too hard against her back, too hard against her vials, too little room to shimmy out of the way. She slipped a hand into her back pouch, one of many dappled inside the red cloak and her armor, gripping the offender of a supposed crack. In the moonlight it was hard to tell, but the smell was unmistakable.

"Ma'am, could you move your hand for a second, please!?"

The knight moved only a smidgen, but enough for Ruby to toss the vial off into the woods, the moment it hit the ground letting loose a loud pop and a flash of light. A dangerous mix of materials, exposed to air causes combustion. A close encounter, Ruby having saved the two from possible injury. Having one of those go off nearby was never fun, the redhead having first hand experience from dropping one by her foot. There was a cry from behind them, and Ruby groaned. The explosion had alerted those who were still intent on death, having given up the fight for the alpha's mask.

"Can these guys please find some better way to spend their time?"

Snow White didn't even grace her with a response, done with the baurcrap that were the pursuers. She yanked the mount's reins, it spinning to face the impending attackers with a halt. Weiss dismounted, casually, but her face told another story. Ruby dismounted as well, an unspoken communication, or perhaps just a jump to conclusions, that she should take out the bocochos. The pride of Vale, while they were not susceptible to the cold, were surprisingly susceptible to crossbow bolts. As the pack grew closer, Ruby used her deadly aim and fast fingers to take out the majority, only giggling a little at the expressions of the riders.

Taking advantage of the felled mercenaries, Snow White's sword glowed blue, growing glaciers around them and freezing a few to the ground. The huntress had never seen a sword with such power, near magic in the way it bent the world around them. It was a weapon of fairy tales, the sword of some powerful wizard in the hands of a ferocious warrior. Perhaps this was the beginning of Ruby's story, swept off her feet by a knight in shining armor, destined to save the world. She laughed, disregarding the thought. It was time to fight now, not fantasize like the child many assumed she was. It was time to put Qrow's teachings to use.

Flipping her crossbow in a casual flick, it shifted into scythe form, Ruby the lord of death in her own right. Taking a few nimble steps, the girl twirled the blade, taking out the weapons of attacking mercenaries. Or, she attempted to. With a sharp clang, metal hitting metal, Snow White and the reaper collided. The plate was caved, depression deep enough to elicit an icy glare from the knight, but shallow enough for her to be undeterred. A mace bashed down hard, straight toward Ruby's skull, reflected by a rapier. In Snow White dove, poking the barbarian's chest armor and flicking him into a snowbank, head buried deep in the snow. With him the commotion had ceased, the pale knight feeling comfortable enough to slide her weapon into its resting place. A final bandit, feeling lucky, but not as lucky as he'd hoped, rose for a second chance. Before words of warning flew from Ruby's mouth, an iron hand had gripped the collar of the hunter's tunic.

"Tell your compatriots that if they decide to continue follow us, it will not be just a beating next time," Snow White said, "It will be a massacre."

Her point was emphasized by a satisfying punch and crunch against the petrified face. Without missing a beat, Ruby was dragged towards the baur, thrown atop it, and hauled off down the road. The ride was uncomfortable, and silent, but mostly uncomfortable. Whether it was five minutes or twenty, eventually the baur slowed to a halt, a burnt out cottage with a warm glow emanating from inside in sight. Ruby followed Snow White like a lost puppy, not told to follow but doing so anyways. This woman was definitely the real deal, elite enough to be a royal guard. Tying the reins to a post, the baur left with a short and stubby creature, Snow White pushed open the door into the foyer.

Sitting in front of the hearth, fire licking warmth around the room, was a boy who appeared a few chin hairs older than Ruby, blond hair peeking out from underneath his cowl. He jumped to his feet at their entrance, a relieved sigh escaping his lips, but it seemed to be because he wasn't alone anymore rather than his companion returning alive. Blue eyes flicked to Ruby, only for a second, scrutinizing her and hopefully deeming her a friend.

"Weiss! I was afraid you'd never return!" the boy cried, opening his arms in what appeared to be an attempt at a hug.

An gloved hand smacked him away. "The moon has barely budged since I left you, calm down."

Weiss. Finally, Ruby had a name for the knight in snow white armor. It suited her, but perhaps any name would, her aura radiated of a woman who would mold the name to her, rather than vice versa. Pulling off damp gloves, snow having melted from body heat, the knight began shedding armor. She paused at one particular pauldron, turning it over in the dim amber light.

Eyes skirting to Ruby a handful more times, the blond boy opened his mouth. "Wait, who is-"

"Your incompetency has dented my armor." The huntress froze at the succinct words, but shrugged them off immediately.

"If anything, you had gotten in my way. I was about to handle those guys, I'm fairly capable," Ruby retorted, hands on her hips and sass at a maximum. She stuck a hand out to the boy. "I'm Ruby Rose, by the way."

"Jaune," he replied, shaking her hand and then snapping back to stirring some sort of stew bubbling by the hearth once he realized he had shaken hands with the enemy.

"This is pure Mantle steel alloy, which is one of the strongest metals ever created. A single plate is worth more than anything you could ever fathom, and repairing it isn't any less cheap. Fortunately, you'll be paying for the repair," Weiss explained, gritting her teeth and nestling in by the fire. The chill in the air affected even the fiercest knights it seemed, the white haired woman rubbing her hands together to bring home some life.

"There's no way I will be paying for that," Ruby responded, face flushed from the intimidation, but squeaky voice not afraid to speak up, "If you hadn't tossed the grimm mask away, maybe, but not now."

"Not only did I save your life," the knight began, "but I also helped slay that beast. If anything, I tossed my own reward into the snow. Attempting to turn it in for recompense would have been another death sentence; once one person breaks the rules of a hunt, it's fair game for everyone else. You're young, new to the hunting game, there's a lot you have yet to learn, so let this be a lesson. Follow the rules, or you will wind up dead. Be aware of your allies in a fight, or you will wind up dead. Pay for the repairs for a more experienced and more powerful knight, or you will wind up dead."

"I'm sixteen, I'm not young," the redhead denied.

"Two years until you're seen by the kingdoms as an adult, definitely seems quite young to me."

Ruby glanced out the window. It was dark, the night was cold, and she had a heavily armed woman intent on having her remain in this shabby cottage. Legs sore from the hunt, Ruby was okay with settling onto the floor and continuing her argument from there. "Well, miss, how old are you?"

"Eighteen."

The huntress laughed. "That's only two years older than me!"

"Yes, you're right," Weiss replied, "Yet I am still infinitely more experienced. Two years is enough time to make mistakes and learn from them."

"Clearly." Ruby pulled her red cape tightly around her body, the warmth of the fire not completely dispelling the chill in her bones. She let out an involuntary shiver, eyeing the warm liquid that gurgled by the flames. Whatever was in the concoction smelled scrumptious, wafting through the air and tempting the girl.

Weiss let the conversation fall into the silence around them, quiet seemingly her preferred topic. Unrolling a blanket from one of the two packs resting against the wall, the knight began to prepare a bedroll, seating herself upon it and gently polishing her rapier. When that task had become boring, or perhaps she had cleared every speck of grime, Weiss sheathed the weapon and retrieved a cloth bundle. Inside was a deeply tanned loaf of bread, one she roughly ripped into two, paused, and then created a third piece. When her eyes flicked up towards Ruby, a penetrating gaze, the redhead realized she had been staring. A piece of the bread was tossed to her, fumbled like a pro.

"Here ya go," Jaune hummed, "My finest creation: shit stew. Minus the, you know, actual shit."

Ruby hadn't even noticed him scooping the goulash into compact wood bowls, and was genuinely surprised she was even allowed food. "You're feeding me?"

"Of course. You can't pay the repairs of my armor if you die of starvation," Weiss replied matter-of-factly. Ruby wasn't sure if that was a joke or not.

"Well, uh, thank you." She dug in immediately, the stew an orgasm on her tastebuds. Whether she was just extremely hungry, or this soup was genuinely delicious, she didn't know, and frankly did not care. The food was gone before the thought had even hit her.

Energy replenished and others still eating, Ruby grew bored. "So… why did you even help me out?" Her curiosity always won in a battle between silence and speaking.

Weiss finished chewing, three long moments, before opening her mouth. "Mantle knights always protect the young."

"But I'm not young." Thinking before she spoke was a skill the redhead desperately needed to acquire.

"Oh, of course. My mistake. Let me toss you out to those mercenaries then," Weiss replied, voice colder than the air outside.

Ruby shrugged. "I could handle them myself."

"I'm beginning to regret helping you out. The minute you pay for my armor will be the second happiest day of my life."

"What's the first?"

"The day I had received the armor in the first place," Weiss said. Ruby could almost hear a layer of humor in the statement.

"I have a question, Weiss," Ruby began, "If you paid all this money to purchase the armor, wouldn't you have the money to repair it?"

"Ma'am."

"What?"

"You are to call me ma'am, and nothing else."

"Alright, let me rephrase that then, ma'am. If you paid, ma'am, all this money, ma'am, to purchase the armor, ma'am, wouldn't you have the money to repair it?" There was a pause. "Ma'am." There was something about Weiss that made Ruby want to be as sassy and teasing as possible.

A silver brow furrowed, the woman closing her eyes for but a moment. Jaune snickered near silently in the corner, but avoided being conspicuous. "I'd rather not pay for the mistake of another. Mantle's paper currency also doesn't convert well to your people's coinage."

"So you're from Mantle?"

"Yes, we are."

Ruby's eyes flicked from Jaune to Weiss, "Are you two…?"

Jaune snorted and the knight appeared absolutely revolted, ready to expel her stomach's contents. "Gods, no. He's my squire."

"Oh, how fancy," Ruby hummed. Another question popped into her mind then, something that had tickled her earlier but wasn't as pressing to mention. More a passing thought, the words willed themselves to traverse the air of a languid after dinner conversation. "How did my scythe dent you armor?"

The sudden change of topic caused Weiss to lift her back from the wall a little, squaring her shoulders as if she were ready to fight. "What?"

"I mean, don't get me wrong, my scythe is made from some pretty tough material, but it's nowhere near the tier of Mantle steel alloy."

There was a long pause, Weiss staring down at the deformed shoulder protector with an intensity that rivaled the sun. "You must have hit really hard."

"I really didn't, not hard enough to leave that big of a dent, especially not in that kind of metal," Ruby replied.

Jaune piped up then. "Weiss, you did confirm that-"

"Of course I confirmed! No one would try to lie to, to someone as intimidating as me. Except if they…. Oh Gods be damned," she groaned, a hand running through the long bangs gracing her cheeks. Her mouth formed words, yet no sounds came out, perhaps thinking better of uttering them with a welcomed intruder in the room. They weren't for Ruby's ears, no, perhaps not even for Jaune's. Weiss's unrelenting expressions were caught by a dam, face returning to the stoic, steel blue gaze and pursed lips. The scar looked especially sharp in that moment. "Tomorrow we will head out for Hunter's Keep. We'll take turns keeping watch. Jaune, you have first shift, wake me in three hours to switch." Without any more demands, Weiss wrapped herself in the thick tan blanket and with her dissolved any mention of the possible faux armor.

Jaune didn't argue, didn't attempt to delay the knight's sleep, instead only reaching down to stack the empty wooden bowls. "You can head to bed, too, Ruby. You'll want to get your energy up for the journey tomorrow. Riding a baur is much easier awake than asleep. Trust me." He chuckled at his own joke, gathering up the other cookingware and slipping out into the darkness.

Ruby wasn't tired, only sore, and sitting in the cabin with a stifling requirement to be quiet was infinitely less exciting than joining the squire outside. The cold air was like a punch in the face, but pulling her worn red cloak tighter cut off any wind that desired to pass through. Jaune was by the snow, wiping off any grime with the white clumps. He looked up her approach, an awkward grin growing on his face.

"Does she always treat you like that?" Ruby asked, nothing serious in her tone.

"Only on occasion. By that, I mean all the time," he replied, "I'm kidding of course. She may seem rough around the edges at first, but Weiss is a softie at heart."

"As soft as an alpha beowulf," the redhead grumbled. "Why are you her squire?"

"It's a long story," he laughed, pausing to focus on one particular dish, "We've known each other since we were tots. It was only natural I'd become her squire."

"I see." Ruby looked up, noting the beauty of the stars scattered across the night sky. As a child her mother had told her that each and every star was an ancestor watching, waiting, and ensuring that even when a hunter or huntress felt completely and utterly alone, the sun would set and they would be surrounded by the family of protectors. The one brightest star, the centerpiece to the mastery of the sky, greeted her, Summer ensuring that everything would be okay. It was a childish story, and that star had been there for generations upon generations, leading sailors and travelers home when they were lost in their element. Still, the idea of her mother being up there, watching, gave some sort of comfort to Ruby. Life seemed uncertain at the moment, she was in the company of strangers, a deep part afraid but another intrigued and excited at this new adventure. Weiss was right, mistakes lead to knowledge, and already the young girl was learning.

"I've always struggled with pretty girls," Jaune stated, following Ruby's eyes toward the sky. "I know that was completely random, but I was thinking about you asking if Weiss and I were a couple."

"Dumb question, I know," Ruby laughed.

"It's reasonable," the blond shrugged, "I mean, once you get to know us it's absolutely ridiculous. Weiss is everything I'm not: strong, confident, cunning, intimidating. I'm the opposite of anything she'd ever look for in a partner."

"Emphasis on the intimidating part."

The two shared a laugh.

"Excuse me if this is personal," Jaune began, awkwardness underlining his desire to know showing on his face, "But why did you decide to become a huntress so young? I mean, seeing as you're still alive after that shit show of a hunt I assume you can manage to hold your own in a fight, but I don't believe I've ever seen a hunter younger than 20. Alive, at least. Gravestones I've seen plenty of."

"It's a long story, not one I particularly feel like sharing." Ruby played by the same cards as the squire.

"Oh, of course, of course," he smiled, "Sometimes I feel more a bard than a wannabe knight, collecting stories wherever I go. I didn't intend to be nosy, sorry."

There was silence, the wind rustling the trees around them. "Have you two been many places?" Changing the subject was easy, especially when it was in regard to something of Ruby's interest.

"Not here in Vale, not yet."

"Why not?"

"We're a bit new here. It's an interesting place, Vale that is, such an intermingling of cultures it's beyond fascinating."

Ruby nodded slowly, appeased by this answer. "I've lived here since I was little. Vale never loses its charm."

"Oh, I bet," Jaune hummed, hands returning to the careful scrubs of the cookingware. Ruby watched him for a moment, blinking heavy, sleepy eyelids, a yawn overtaking her entire body.

Tiredness had seeped into her bones, and she felt a pang of pity for the squire with a long night ahead of him. She bid him a goodnight, leaving him to finish cleaning whilst appreciating their relaxed moment of chatter outside. The warmth of the fire was extremely welcome, giving feeling back to the huntress's appendages. She settled in by the flames, surprisingly comfortable sharing a room with two complete strangers. White hair slightly poked out from beneath the cloth, Weiss most likely dead asleep by the time Ruby had returned. Albeit slightly envious of the weight of a blanket, Ruby snuggled into her warm cloak.

Sliding her belt off, filled with bobbles and tonics, the redhead ensured there were no more cracked vessels or ready to explode vials. The explosion earlier had been a close one, Ruby having loaded up her back pockets without really intending to have the hard metallic plates pressed into her back. Had it exploded still in the pocket Ruby most likely would not have a butt to sit on. Her friend, or more mentor, had dropped one of those concoctions on their foot before, that same foot no longer being a part of their body any longer. It wasn't until Ruby had made the same mistake that she had realized exactly how dangerous they were, fortunately she was able to keep her foot.

Keeping them in the wrapped up belt, Ruby scooted the vessels to a dry and somewhat distant location. Being a huntress truly came with risks, and those explosives were the riskiest of all. They certainly unstuck her from the sap of a sticky situation though. Sleep was inching closer, however, which was not an enemy even the strongest of men could fight. No explosive, no enemy, no fight, only the wonderful succumbing to the land of dreams and glory.

A/N:

It's been over a year, but it's out. Freed into the sea of stories lmao. I'm so, so sorry. Thank you to Elfenlied1012 for looking through and for advice. Seeya next year (kidding)

-Really LazyKatze

Elfen her, some changes were made with the lore for Atlas to be witched to Mantle and such. I'll be writing chapter three in about two weeks. LAter all!