"This is such Grimm-shit," Phaedra complained, as she marched at the back of Reed's squad. "I spent the last break running around on the orders of that waste of space excuse for a forgemaster, now I have to spend the lunch rest with you all on perimeter duty?"

"You're the one who equipped Reed's weapon with a Maiden-blessed flamethrower," Seraphina reminded her. "It's been damn useful, but it also almost started half a dozen forest fires."

"That's not the only reason you're here, Phaedra," Reed said, turning and giving her a serious look. "I asked the forgemaster to assign you to our squad for the break. I need to discuss something with you and Sera, away from prying ears."

Phaedra continued to scowl, but her eyes shifted from angry to questioning. Reed turned away from her without a further word. They were still too close to the expedition, the risk of them being overheard here was too great. They were assigned to guard the mouth of a ravine, half a mile from the road. That would be as good a place as any to hold a private conversation.

Reed's thoughts had been an incoherent turmoil for the last several hours, following the midmorning rest. The White Fang had infiltrated the Guard. There was no way of knowing whether or not they were on the expedition, but Reed would have bet Halmvoulge that they were. The support tower going down before the Grimm started moving, Tanners catching a White Fang member entering the Town Guard Headquarters on the same night, all the evidence pointed towards the White Fang wanting the Town Guard on this expedition.

Half of the Guard had been left behind to maintain order in Adigiar, but the most capable, high profile members were on this expedition. Maybe the White Fang just wanted the Guard out of Adigiar, but an isolated group far from backup just seemed like too big a target to Reed.

"I take it you aren't going to tell the rest of us what the Grimm you are talking about?" Chase asked, a sour note in his voice as he adjusted his grip on the rifle in his hands.

"I don't know, Chase," Reed said, frustration evident in his voice. "Before any big decisions are made I need to see what Phaedra and Sera think. No offense to you and Abbey, but I trust their judgment."

"No offense taken, Reed," Abbey said, jabbing Chase hard with her elbow. "You've known them longer than us."

Chase muttered something under his breath, but the shrug of his shoulders conveyed that he was willing to wait, at least for the time being.

The forest around them grew thinner as the ground began to slope upwards under their feet. After five more minutes of walking, they reached the mouth of the ravine.

Steep rock faces rose on either side of them, stretching as far as they could see to the west and east. A ravine cut straight through the ridge where they stood, approximately fifty feet wide at the mouth. It sloped upwards, a smattering of trees growing on what was mostly a grassy plain.

Reed admired the tactical foresight of stationing a squad of Guards here, and imagined it was most likely Tanners' doing. According to Huntress Kadir, the majority of the Grimm in the region were congregated on the other side of the ridge. While a few might be able to scale the steep rock wall, any large numbers in the area would have to pass through this ravine.

"Alright," Reed said, studying the landscape. "Chase, I want you up on the ridge to the west. Keep an eye on the mountain entrance of the ravine, as well as along the ridge. If so much as a Creeper gets on this side, I want to know about it."

"Yeah alright, I'm on it," Chase said sullenly, jogging over to the rock face and jumping the thirty feet to its crest.

"Abbey, Delphin," Reed continued, "You stay here at the mouth of the ravine and keep an eye on the forest behind us. Just because the Guard is in that direction doesn't mean the Grimm can't slip around behind us."

"Sir!" Abbey said, throwing a quivering salute. Delphin mimicked the gesture several unhurried seconds later.

"Sera, Phaedra, walk with me a little. I find it easier to think while I'm moving."

"They're here?!"

Phaedra and Seraphina's voices were a chorus of disbelief, mouths agape as they stared at Reed. He paced back and forth between them, nervous energy undiminished by a morning of hard marching.

"At the very least the White Fang have infiltrated the Town Guard," Reed said, brow creased. "I don't know for a fact that they are on this expedition, not even Sergeant Tanners knows that much. But my gut says that there is something off with this whole expedition."

"Well that's fucking obvious," Phaedra said, snorting. "Kiwi said the Grimm were congregated near Adigiar on the night we lost contact with the Support Tower. The CCT system is heavily guarded and fortified, it would take more than a small pack of Grimm to take down the tower."

"It seems pretty obvious that the White Fang were responsible for the tower," Reed mused. "But how did they do it? Did they send a squad to kill the operators? And why did the Grimm head in the direction of the tower after it fell? To attract an entire horde there must have been incredibly strong negative emotions coming from the tower."

"Something else is bothering me about all of this," Seraphina said, arms crossed as she stared at the ground in thought. "The Faunus that Tanners chased that night must have known they were being followed. If they weren't a Guard, they would have attracted suspicion after entering HQ. So why did they go to the headquarters, knowing Tanners was hot on their heels and would deduce that the White Fang had infiltrated the Guard?"

Reed stared at Seraphina in surprise, while Phaedra gaped openly at her.

"What?" Seraphina said, looking between the two.

"That's… a brilliant question," Phaedra said, shocked. "Since when are you capable of deductive reasoning?"

Seraphina bristled at the question. "Listen here, Pixie, I-"

"Okay," said Reed, stepping in before the conversation derailed. "Ignore Phaedra, Sera. You know she's just pressing your buttons."

Seraphina glared at Phaedra, who shrugged, as if to say, Yeah, but I'm not wrong.

"The fact is, you're right. There was no reason for them to go to HQ unless they wanted Tanners to know the White Fang had infiltrated the Guard. So the next question is why? Why tip their hand?"

"To sow discord, obviously," Phaedra said. "The Guard is already a bunch of fucking toddlers one step away from a temper tantrum. Tanners and Kiwi have been doing what they can to keep everyone in line, but this means that they now have to suspect their own allies of foul play."

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," Seraphina whispered. "All of the Guard's best fighters are on this expedition. I would bet my knives that something really bad is going to go down in Adigiar…"

"You don't think the expedition is the target?" Reed asked. "Think about it, so many prominent fighters, isolated, without backup? Doesn't that sound like the perfect opportunity?"

"To do what?" Phaedra said in agitation. "I hate to agree with Miss Muscles, but she's right. Most of the Guard may be trash, but between Kiwi, Tanners, Tamus, and Gerstein's pack of gym jockeys, the expedition is not exactly an easy target."

"Don't you think your view is a little biased, Reed?" Seraphina said, a sympathetic note in her voice. "I know the White Fang killed your father, but that doesn't mean they are dogging your steps, intent on destroying your life. Larger forces are at work here, who knows what they wa-"

"I know what they want!" Phaedra yelled, staring at them in triumph. "Reed, why did the White Fang kill your old man? Because he worked for the Schnee Dust Company!"

Reed and Seraphina stared at Phaedra in confusion, to which she rolled her eyes.

"Think about it, the White Fang are a terrorist organization, right? Practically every day there is something on the news about them burning down some store or another. They gotta be after the Dust!"

Reed was already shaking his head. "Nothing was missing from the warehouse on the night my dad was killed, they used the store of Dust to cause the explosion."

"There have been a string of Dust robberies around the kingdom lately," Seraphina added, "But they were all done by a human. They've got pictures, it was some guy with orange hair and a bowler hat. What are the odds the White Fang would work with a human on anything?"

"Adigiar is a hub for all Dust transport in southern Vale!" Phaedra yelled, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Why else would they want the Guard out of Adigiar?"

Reed sighed. "I don't know. But your theory doesn't explain why the Faunus Tanners chased let themselves be seen entering HQ."

"Maybe it was to convince Tanners that the expedition needed the best Guards?" Seraphina said, her voice unconvinced.

"Or maybe it was to try and get him to stay behind," Reed said. "There's just too much we don't know."

"Fucking wrinkly Hermit balls," Phaedra swore. "It doesn't make a Grimm's worth of sense! What are we supposed to do with this information? Interrogate every Faunus on the expedition?"

"That won't do any good," Reed said, shaking his head. "We'd be no better than the Heroes of Humanity if we persecuted every Faunus without any concrete evidence."

"Plus that would reveal what we know, and what we don't," Seraphina added. "It would make it obvious that we suspect something, but have no real idea who is behind it."

"I still think that the city is in more danger than we are," Phaedra grumbled. Reed opened his mouth to retort, but she barreled on, "Look, focus on what we know, alright? The Grimm were not the ones to take out the tower, but they flocked to the tower after it fell. Tanners followed an encrypted radio signal, one not reliant on the CCT, on the night we lost contact with the tower. That signal led him to a member of the White Fang.

"Regardless of whether the Faunus allowed themselves to be followed or not, those things all point to the White Fang taking out the tower. For an isolated town like Adigiar, that tower is the difference between life and death. Its only natural the Guard would send its best forces to reclaim it, and you even said that Gerstein wanted to send the entire damn guard to get the job done. It was Tanners who insisted a protective force be left behind, and Kiwi who made sure it happened.

"We now know that Kiwi and Tanners have been working together for months. Even if she didn't know about the White Fang member Tanners ran into, she would have trusted he had good reason for leaving half the Guard behind. Tanners knows the White Fang will have one of two targets: the expedition or the town. There's been no sign he plans on turning the expedition around, so at the end of the day there is only one real question that affects what we do next."

"And that is?" Seraphina said in exasperation.

Phaedra turned and met Reed's gaze, her expression serious.

"Do you trust Tanners?"

Seraphina turned sharply to stare at Reed. He thought about it for a moment, but there was almost no doubt in his mind when he answered.

"I do," Reed said with a shrug. "He's never given me any reason not to. Tanners may be stern and unyielding, but he wears his heart on his sleeve. He's never made any secret of his disdain for how the Guard runs, and you can see in his own subordinates that he values skill and critical thinking over sycophants that will agree with whatever he says. He may keep some secrets, but its obvious to me that he puts the safety of the town and people above all."

Phaedra raised her hands, palms up. "Well, that's that."

Reed nodded in agreement. "I guess we should tell Chase and Abbey what's going on. I wouldn't want to build resentment in my squad by picking favorites. I will call them over and-"

He was cut off by a cry from the western ridge.

"Grimm incoming!" Chase yelled. "Watch out!"

Reed, Phaedra, and Seraphina all stopped talking immediately, falling into ready stances and turning to face the ravine.

Reed looked in frustration at the small horde of Grimm quickly emerging from the sparse cover. More than a dozen Creepers charged at the front of the group, faster than their companions despite only having two legs. A handful of Beowolves were hot on their heels, one a gargantuan beast more than ten feet tall that could only be an Alpha. Behind them, lumbering in the wake of their companions, were a pair of massive Ursai, slightly shorter than the Alpha but more than twice its mass a piece.

He wanted to focus on the White Fang problem, but for now he would have to put it aside. If he devoted anything less than his full attention to that number of Grimm, someone would pay for it.

"We have to call for backup!" Abbey yelled, as she and Delphin ran up to join Reed.

Phaedra snorted. "They'd never make it in time. There's less than twenty of them anyway, we got this."

Reed threw his semblance into full burn, giving him precious seconds to think. Chase was already opening fire on the Creepers, and for every three shots he fired one crashed to the ground. At that rate he could take out three or four before he had to reload, and half of them before he ran out of ammo. Phaedra and Seraphina could handle the smaller Beowolves easily enough, but that Alpha and the Ursai would present a much bigger problem.

"Phaedra!" Reed shouted. "On my mark, make a wall to funnel them to the west. Sera, I need you to throw me right over the Alpha. I'm talking inches, just barely enough to clear it. Then you and Phaedra hold the space between the ravine and wall. Abbey and Delphin can handle any Creepers that slip through, but don't let a single Beowolf get past you!"

"Sir!" His squad shouted.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Phaedra grumbled.

Seraphina roared as she transformed into the giant bear. She stood on her hind legs, reaching one translucent red paw behind her. Reed climbed onto it, bracing one hand on her shoulder while the other held Halmvoulge out for balance.

"Make that wall as soon as I pass over the Creepers, I want them to run smack into it. Alright Sera… Now!"

The aura-composed muscles of Seraphina's bear flexed, and suddenly Reed was hurtling through the air. He saw the ground before the Creepers bulge, and slabs of rock burst from it so close to Reed that he felt the edge of one clip the toes of his boots.

The Alpha loomed before Reed, roaring a challenge as he closed in on it. The pair of smaller Beowolves on either side of it turned to track his path, but they were too slow to intercept him. Reed flipped the switch on Halmvoulge's shaft, and the halberd head extended into the ready position.

Seraphina's aim was almost perfect, Reed was on track to fly about a foot over the Alpha's head and slightly to its left. He gripped Halmvoulge just under the blade, with his other hand braced in the middle. Reed lined up Halmvoulge's ax head with the dull white mask of the massive Grimm, aiming to slice its head in half as he passed by.

The Alpha roared again, raising it's arm and slashing at him faster than any Beowolf Reed had encountered before. He was forced to twist to avoid the blow, his aim dropping as the giant claws passed inches from his side. Halmvoulge passed though the monster's shoulder instead of its intended target, the force of the blow spinning Reed towards the ground.

Landing in a roll, he quickly pushed himself back to his feet and spun to face the Alpha. One of its massive arms was already dissolving into black mist on the ground, but the rest of the monster was undeterred, charging the small opening left between Phaedra's wall and the side of the ravine. The glowing red form of Seraphina's semblance blocked most of the opening, and the Creepers being blasted to black mist under her paws seemed to have attracted the Alpha's attention over the blur that had taken its arm.

Hoping that he had weakened the Alpha enough for his squad to manage, Reed turned his attention to the massive pair of Ursai lumbering towards him. One of them smashed clear through a tree thicker than Reed's waist, emerging from the shower of splinters undeterred.

The Ursai were still a dozen paces away, so Reed started pelting them with fireballs from Halmvoulge's tip. They soared through the air, exploding on contact. The Grimm flinched and roared with each hit, but the projectiles barely singed their midnight black flesh. They were much sturdier than the Beowolves and Creepers Reed had killed with the same attack.

As they closed on him Reed slid into a dueling stance, checking that his semblance was on. He had discovered during the fight with the Heroes of Humanity that while the spinning disk of Halmvoulge's full wind activation was excellent for crowd control, it lacked the fine maneuverability necessary to deal with a skilled foe. It would undoubtedly do significant damage to the Ursai, but the risk of taking a powerful hit was too high for Reed to risk it.

The Ursai split as they approached him, each swiping one massive forepaw at him from opposite sides. Reed ducked in under the Ursa on his right, the claws of the other barely missing his shoulder. He spun as he came out behind the creature, Halmvoulge lashing out and drawing a line of red along its arm.

The Grimm roared, spinning and slashing at him again. Reed caught the blow on the shaft of his weapon, directing it past him and smacking Halmvoulge's blunt end into the creature's elbow. Ice burst from the point of impact, encasing the entire arm and dragging the creature off balance.

Reed raised his weapon to deliver a finishing blow, but was forced to jump back as the second Ursa leapt at him, bone-white fangs closing inches from Reed's face. He stabbed Halmvoulge's spear point into the creature's shoulder, pushing himself out of danger. He twisted the weapon as he pulled out, leaving the Ursa's arm limp and useless.

The creatures circled him warily now, one with a heavy limp and the other with a club-footed gait. Reed waited patiently for the Grimm to make their move, and when they struck he was ready.

The creatures lunged at the same moment, the Ice-burdened Ursa slashing with its unencumbered arm, while the crippled one made another attempt at biting him. Reed jumped, feet stepping off the swinging arm as he launched himself high into the air. He took Halmvoulge in a two-handed grip, aimed, and slammed the ax-head home onto the skull of the crippled Grimm.

Halmvoulge stuck fast and the Ursa roared in pain. Reed gritted his teeth, pushing his entire weight onto his weapon and activating the Wind dust. A gale of air burst from behind the ax-head and, after another moment of resistance, the weapon passed clean through the monster's head.

Reed quickly deactivated the Wind, landing in a crouch facing the remaining Ursa. The monster lifted its arm high into the air, slamming it into the ground and shattering the Ice that inhibited its movement. Reed tensed, ready to face a basically uninjured Ursa, when it did something he had never seen a Creature of Grimm do.

It fled.

Turning on its hind legs, the Ursa ran flat out back up the ravine. Reed stared at it in shock for a moment before giving chase, sprinting after the Grimm.

Ursa were powerful Grimm, but they weren't particularly fast. Despite its head start Reed closed on it quickly, peppering it with fireballs as he ran. The projectiles exploded uselessly on the Grimm's back, and Reed snarled in irritation. He would have to talk to Phaedra about giving that attack more power.

As Reed pursued the creature, he had to admit it had one distinct advantage in the forested ravine. While Reed had to dodge saplings and stumps, the Ursa burst straight through them, leaving a stinging cloud of splinters in its wake.

Reed was almost in striking distance, when a screeching wail sounded ahead of him. Directly in front of the lumbering Ursa, he could just make out a fox of all things. The small animal stood trembling in the Ursa's path, the entrance to a small den just visible between its stiff legs.

If the Ursa kept its current path, the poor animal would be flattened, and whatever it was protecting would be smashed to a pulp. Reed put on an extra burst of speed, gripping Halmvoulge near the butt of the staff. With a heave he swung at the Ursa, flipping the green switch just before making contact.

Halmvoulge jerked in Reed's hands as the wind activated, and the weapon cleaved clean through the Ursa's leg. The Grimm fell with a cry, skidding across the ground and just barely missing the fox.

Reed spun with his momentum, completing a full circle before jumping into the air. He reversed his grip on Halmvoulge as he reached the apex of his flight, bringing the spear tip to bear and slamming it through the Ursa's mask.

He panted as the monster dissolved, winded from the flat-out sprint. He looked up in time to see the fox's tail disappear into the roots of the tree. Wondering what could have caused the little animal to risk certain death facing a Creature of Grimm, Reed walked quietly over and peered into the den.

The fox looked out at him, hackles raised warily. Curled behind it were several fox cubs, barely more than balls of fluff. They mewed pitifully, and a smile crept across Reed's face as he quickly retreated, glad that he had pursued the Ursa rather than let it escape back to the ridge.

Chase swore explosively on hearing the news, while Abbey held her hands to her mouth under wide eyes.

"I can't believe they would go so far…" Abbey said in horror. "To think they would endanger an entire town."

"They're Grimm-begotten terrorists," Chase spat. "They don't care who suffers, so long as they get whatever they want."

"So what are we going to do now?"

Reed glanced at Seraphina and Phaedra, who both nodded to him.

"We are going to make sure this expedition succeeds," Reed said, turning back to Chase and Abbey. "We don't know enough to interfere, and I trust Tanners' judgment."

"I bet it's that bitch, Spines," Chase growled. "You heard all that crap she was spouting at the morning rest, about 'shitty humans' and how we're all 'rotten to the core.' That's all right out of White Fang recruitment propaganda."

"We don't have any evidence to support that," Seraphina said. "Plenty of Faunus feel that way, and the Maiden's know I can understand why…"

Reed laid an arm on her shoulder and addressed the whole group.

"For now, we'll bide our time. Just keep your eyes open for anything that looks suspicious, and for the Hermit's sake," he glared at Chase as he continued, "Do not, under any circumstances, act on your own."

His squad nodded their understanding. Chase's was sullen, but he met Reed's eyes and he didn't see any rebellious intent in the stare.

"Good. The lunch rest is almost over, let's get back to the expedition."