Chapter Text
“Please, you have to help!”
The door burst open, a woman looking to be on the verge of hysterics bursting into the office. Ozpin turned his gaze up from his desk, cocking a brow. Weiss was off to the side, going through and filing away some older paperwork. This new development caught her attention, causing her to raise her gaze up.
As the woman was about to speak she noticed the former princess. Her gaze instantly hardened, glaring at the white haired girl. Despite the disdain being sent her way and the feeling that the woman was annoyed by her presence, Weiss wasn’t fazed. She’d been putting up with this for the two months she’d been living here, so she’d gotten used to it at this point.
The woman returned her attention to Ozpin, her hysterical expression returning. “It’s Thomas! I can’t find him anywhere!”
Ozpin frowned. “While worrying, is it truly cause for such concern? Perhaps he’s just off playing with his friends?”
“I-I heard the howl of a Dire Wolf! And Thomas had said he was playing around the border…”
Ozpin gaze hardened. “I see… I understand your concern. We’ll get a group together to make sure Thomas and his friends are safe. Weiss-“
Weiss didn’t hear anything else, already having bolted out the door when Ozpin uttered her name. Once she was free of the building she burst into a sprint, doing her best to avoid passersby along the way. She noted more than a few strange looks, but Weiss paid them no heed.
There were more important matters to attend to.
Weiss soon reached her cabin, panting slightly as she leaned against the door frame. She allowed herself a whole five seconds to catch her breath before hurrying inside. She was rather proud of it, actually. Just a few months ago she could barely make the trek from here to the village without feeling a bit winded.
She drew Myrtenaster’s sheath from it’s holding place in the closet, attaching it snugly to her right hip. It would likely prove little help, but the feeling of her trusty rapier at her side gave her some semblance of security. Strapping on a pair of boots in place of her usual heels (she had gotten used to the rough terrain of the area enough that they were wearable, but the forest itself was another matter) before venturing back outside.
She quickly made her way back down to the village edge, scanning the tree line. Where was it… where-
There!
She dashed forward to a specific spot. The exact spot she had sighted Thomas and his friends earlier that day.
‘C’mon, you scared or somethin?’
Weiss paused, turning her head. She had been on her way down to Ozpin’s office when a child’s voice drew her attention. Directing her gaze towards the source she saw a boy she recognized as Thomas with a few other boys.
Thomas audibly gulped. “B-But mother said the woods are dangerous-“
The other boy, a burly kid named Mathew if Weiss recalled correctly, laughed. “You mean those stories about Dire Wolves? It’s just a lie the adults came up with to keep up us away from the woods!’
‘B-but there’s proof-‘
Matthew growled, stepping forward in a show of intimidation. ‘So you saying you’re scared? Gonna go home and cry?’
Thomas flinched, and after a couple seconds his gaze reluctantly hardened. ‘I-I’m not scared!’
‘Then hurry on up. Sooner you get back with the flower, the sooner I can give it to Marie.’
Thomas hesitated one last time before turning around and advancing into the woods.
In hindsight Weiss should have done something… but she was running late as it was, so she had left it alone. Brothers… if anything happened to Thomas Weiss didn’t know if she’d be able to forgive herself. Soon enough she arrived, the branches swaying menacingly as a light breeze blew past. Weiss had been partially hoping Matthew would still be here so she could give him a piece of her mind, but that could wait. Without a second’s hesitation she strode into the woods, purpose in her step.
Weiss had a feeling she knew which flower Matthew had coerced Thomas into getting for him, and it grew a ways into the forest. Further in than most were allowed to go. The only ones who were were the ones who went with the caravans for supplies. She had heard about it from Salem once.
That spot also happened to be smack dab in the middle of Dire-Wolf territory.
There shouldn’t be any of them out this time of year, but given how panicked Thomas’s mother was she must have been telling the truth about hearing a howl. She wouldn’t panic so badly otherwise. The thought of the anxious and scared mother caused Weiss to pick up the pace, breaking into a jog. She had to hurry, before anything bad happened.
Navigating her way through the winding trees and avoiding roots peeking out of the ground, Weiss couldn’t help but be amazed at this forest. So completely untouched by civilization, so pure and untainted. It was beautiful, even with all the bad history surrounding it. Narrowly ducking underneath a low hanging branch Weiss shook her head.
‘Focus Weiss! You can admire the scenery later’
Weiss came to a halt, panting ever so slightly as she steadied herself against a tree. She needed a moment to catch her breath, and she may as well use the opportunity to get her bearings. She was almost there. Just a bit further ahead and-
Weiss froze, a wave of cold going down her spine. She raised her head, scanning the surrounding area.
She was being watched.
With a grunt she pushed off the tree, breaking back into a jog. She had to move faster. As she ran she strained her ears, trying to hear the slightest bit of movement following her. Alas, she heard nothing. Normally that would be reassuring, but in this situation it was the exact opposite. She could feel eyes trained on her, watching her every move, her every step.
Soon enough she broke into a clearing. In the centre stood a large tree, long branches stabbing out in multiple directions, almost forming a roof. The dying light bled through the gaps like water and Weiss frowned. It was already getting to be that late? Resolute, Weiss jogged forward towards the tree.
Sure enough she found the flower in question. A soft blue decorated the petals, almost like ice. Normally Weiss would have taken time to marvel at them and admire them. Unfortunately, time was a luxury she didn’t have. She cast her gaze around the clearing, trying to find even the smallest sign of Thomas, yet she was met with nothing.
Weiss was about to continue her search when she paused. A noise… but what was it? Focusing her hearing she could make out… crying? Her mind went into high alert as she strained her ears, trying to figure out the source. It was… there!
Walking around to the other side of the tree she found a circular segment that looked to be a distinctly different colour to the rest of the wood. Kneeling down Weiss carefully reached her fingers into the gaps along the edges and gave it a gentle tug. As expected the circle of wood came out with ease and Weiss set it off to the side.
Inside was what appeared to be a hollowed out portion of the tree. Not large enough to adversely affect the tree, but enough so that you could fit a couple people inside. And sitting in there right now, curled up into a ball as light sobs wracked his body, was Thomas. Weiss let out a sigh of relief. He was okay.
“Thomas?”
With a sniffle the boy looked up. He looked positively miserable, and Weiss’s heart ached at the sight. She extended her hand. “Come with me. I can take you home.”
Thomas gulped, fear and uncertainty mixed in his eyes. “B-But mother s-said you’re… a bad person…”
Weiss groaned. Of course she did. Calming herself she tried to give Thomas the best smile she could. “Right now that doesn’t matter, okay? Just… bear with me until we get you back home, okay?”
Weiss could almost see the boy contemplating and arguing with himself. She was about to let out an exasperated sigh when Thomas slowly nodded his head. He tentatively started crawling forward, and Weiss stepped back to let the kid out. As she stood up he wiped the tears away from his eyes. “O-Okay…”
Weiss smiled. “Thank you. Truly.”
As Weiss reached for his hand however the boy pulled away from her. She was about to ask why when she noticed what he was doing: picking one of those damn flowers.
“What are you doing? We need to leave.”
“B-But Matthew will be mad if I don’t bring one back…”
Weiss knelt down, resting a hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “You let me handle him, alright? Your safety is much more important than something he was too much of a coward to do himself.”
The boy looked conflicted. He opened his mouth to speak when his eyes went wide, gasping in audible fear. Weiss gulped, slowly turning around to follow Thomas’s gaze. There it was, watching them from the tree line.
A Dire Wolf.
She had read about them, of course. In the cage her father had gone to such lengths to keep her in books were one of her few companions. Dire Wolves were rare, and fiercely territorial. Their hide was as hard as steel, and for that reason it usually fetched a high price among blacksmiths. They were also incredibly strong, often requiring a full platoon of knights to handle but a single one.
But no amount of reading had prepared her for just how big the beast was.
It was easily the size of a horse. And not a simple mare that noble ladies so often rode on for their own leisure. No, it was more akin to a warhorse, bred and raised for battle. Lean muscles made themselves known even from under their fur covering. Piercing gold eyes stared at them, yet it made no move to approach.
Weiss wasted no time. She grabbed Thomas’s hand, looking down at the boy. “We need to go, now!”
Thomas shakily nodded his head as the pair took off. Weiss wasn’t confident that they could outrun a Dire Wolf, but this would at least buy her some time to figure out a plan. Maybe they could lose it? No… this was it’s home, and that wasn’t mentioning it’s keen sense of smell. She had Myrtenaster, but Weiss wasn’t foolish enough to believe she could best a Dire Wolf in single combat. Honestly, the rapier would sooner break before it could do even a modicum of damage to the beast. No, escape was their only option.
As the pair barrelled through the forest a howl echoed through the woods. Low pitched and loud, it somewhat reminded Weiss of the horns her father would use during those hunting exhibitions he so loved to host.
The irony wasn’t lost on her.
Gritting her teeth Weiss picked up the pace, dragging Thomas along with her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of brown dart in between trees and golden eyes following them. Why hadn’t it attacked yet?
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind did a mass of fur jump in front of them. Weiss swore and Thomas let out a strangled cry as they ground to a halt, but before they could do anything else the Wolf disappeared back into the woods. Weiss took but a second to catch her breath, allowing Thomas to do the same, before taking off again.
Unfortunately, the discrepancy in their leg length meant Thomas was starting to trip up from the speed Weiss was going. Letting out a silent sigh Weiss came to an abrupt halt. Thomas came to a stop with her and looked up with a quizzical look. Not wasting any time Weiss hauled the boy up and onto her back.
“Hold on tight, okay?”
Thomas hesitated only for a second before nodding, wrapping his small arms around Weiss’s neck. Weiss took a breath, adjusting to the weight of the boy on her back. After a couple seconds she darted forward once more.
The rustling of leaves followed after her and Weiss tried her best to keep track of where it was coming from. To her right, her left, then behind… she couldn’t help but frown. What the hell was it doing? It could pounce on them easily if it wanted to, so why was it waiting?
A brown mass flashed by her again, and Weiss flinched. That fear sparked a realization in her mind. It was keeping her on edge, not sure where it would be coming from…
It was toying with them.
Weiss grit her teeth and pumped her legs even harder. Faster… she had to go faster!
Unfortunately her speed worked against her. Her foot caught the tail end of a branch and with a cry Weiss and Thomas were sent falling to the ground. Luckily (or unluckily depending on who you asked) Weiss herself was able to break Thomas’s fall, though she had to bite back a cry of pain.
Weiss slowly picked herself up, looking back at the boy on her back. “Are you okay?”
Thomas nodded. “Y-yeah… I-I’m sorry…”
Weiss forced a chuckle. “Don’t worry about it.”
Weiss slowly climbed to her knees, looking around. She couldn’t see the Wolf, but she could still feel it’s piercing gaze locked on them.
‘ Think Weiss, think! How can you lose it? No… losing it is unlikely… but killing it is even more unlikely. If only-‘
Weiss flinched, fully taking in her surroundings for the first time since she crashed. The trees were sparser here, a shallow river running from east to west. There was a distinctive tree on the other side, skinny and short and grey. Weiss was surprised it was as still alive, in all honesty.
But she knew where this was. And, finally, she could make out a glimmer of hope.
Weiss gently set Thomas down, turning to meet his confused expression. “I need you to do what I say. You’re going to run through that river so it’ll lose your scent. After that just keep running straight. You’ll get back to the village before you know it, okay?”
Thomas gulped. “B-But what about you?”
Weiss flinched, a soft smile forming across her face. “Don’t worry. I have a plan to deal with this thing, okay? I have a friend nearby who can help.”
Thomas still seemed hesitant, so Weiss gripped his shoulders. “Your Mother is worried about you. You need to go back to her, okay?”
That seemed to be the motivation he needed, as Thomas slowly nodded his head. “O-okay…”
Weiss smiled and patted the boy’s head. “Good. And tell Ozpin that I’m taking the wolf to meet a friend. He’ll know what I mean.”
Thomas nodded again. Weiss stood up, helping Thomas to his feet as well. With one last look at the girl Thomas took off. He waded through the river, which even to a boy his size only went to about his waist, and practically bolted off towards the village.
Weiss let out a breath, turning to where she could feel the wolf watching her from. She wasn’t sure if it would go after her like she planned, so it was time to use that intelligence against it.
She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Hey you overgrown mutt! Are you such a coward you’ll go after a child instead of me!? Are you just a little baby wolf, so you can't handle something that might actually give you a challenge!?”
Silence met her, but she could feel the gaze watching her sharpen. Good, it looked like her plan would work.
“Though I guess I shouldn’t be surprised! After all, a weakling like you wouldn’t be able to handle anything more than a child anyway!”
She could practically feel the wolf’s rage in it’s stare. Okay, now it was time to execute the second part of her master plan.
Run like hell.
She spun around and ran down along the edge of the river. She heard rustling leaves following her, which only spurred her to run even faster. She just had to make it a bit further, and then she’d-
Weiss yelped as the wolf emerged to her side, fangs bared and snarling. Brothers… they were the size of daggers. Weiss tucked into a roll, biting back a whine of discomfort as the beast sailed over her. She sprang back to her feet and kept running, not daring to look to see where the wolf landed. Heavy footfalls drew her attention, and out of the corner of her eye she spotted the beast effortlessly keeping pace with her on the other side of the river.
Weiss grit her teeth, trying to push herself to go even harder. She was so close!
The wolf didn’t seem like it wanted to wait though. With a growl it jumped across the river, at such a speed Weiss didn’t even have a chance to dodge. It slammed into Weiss, shoulder first, and the girl was sent flying with a yelp of pain.
Her short flight was stopped by a tree, and Weiss had to grit her teeth to stop the cry of pain that threatened to spill out. Why did trees have to be so damn hard? She raised her head and her eyes went wide. She forced herself back up, rolling forward even as pain flared through her shoulder. The wolf slammed a paw into the spot Weiss used to occupy, it’s sharpened claws leaving deep gashes in the tree.
Her plan of riling the beast up might have worked just a bit too well.
Weiss gulped. Not wasting another second Weiss kept running, but she could feel exhaustion catching up to her. Even now she felt her steps faltering, her legs screaming at her to stop.
She kept going.
As expected the wolf caught up to her mere seconds later. Weiss darted to the side, narrowly avoiding another lunge. This particular one had led with the wolf chomping down, so Weiss got a good look at the beast’s teeth. Weiss shivered. Brothers… if those things latched one to you you’d be lucky to escape, and even then it would be without whatever limb it attached itself to.
Her moment of distraction cost her.
The wolf suddenly lunged forward, far faster than any regular animal would be capable of, swiping at Weiss’s back. Time seemed to slow down, Weiss’s brain running a mile a minute. If that hit her dead on like that it was going to cause some serious damage. She couldn’t let it hit anything vital, but she didn’t have time to dodge it completely. So that only left one option. She twisted at the last second…
The claw tore into her arm.
Weiss let out a screech as pain like nothing she had ever felt flared through the limb. She tumbled to the ground, clutching at her new wound, trying to will the pain to go away. Predictably this proved less than effective.
Her vision swimming Weiss managed to pull herself up long enough to slump against a nearby tree. Breathing heavy she looked down to get a better look at the injury she had been inflicted with.
The claw had effortlessly slashed through the fabric of Weiss’s shirt. The skin below was only in slightly better condition. Blood flowed from the large gash the beast’s claw had left, dripping to the ground below. Shit… she grit her teeth as she kept pressure applied to it. Salem would be able to fix this, but it’d do her no good if Weiss bled out before she even got there.
In her current scenario however that was the least of her concerns.
Turning her gaze back up Weiss locked eyes with the wolf, who was slowly but steadily approaching her. It bared its fangs, growling as it slowly approached her. It must have thought the hunt over. Weiss was incapacitated, only one arm functional. Weiss would likely think the same thing in the wolves position.
But she had a trump card.
She breathed in, toughing out the pain that came with it, and opened her mouth.
“RUBYYYYYYYYYYYY!!”
The wolf actually flinched for a second at her sudden yell. A handful of birds that were settled in the nearby trees flew off, letting out chirps of surprise. Weiss, for her part, was just praying that the dragon in question could hear her. This close to her and Yang’s meadow she should be able to, but… well, this IS Ruby. That dolt’s hearing could be spotty at best.
She realized she just called a dragon a dolt, but she’d return to that thought later.
The wolf had recovered from its momentary surprise and was now once again advancing towards Weiss. It was playing with her again… did it want her to be afraid? Weiss was tempted to close her eyes, to simply wait in fear for the wolf to finish her… but she didn’t.
She stared ahead, bearing the pain as she met the wolf's gaze head on. If this truly was the end, then she wouldn’t avert her eyes. She was going to stare death in the eye as it claimed her. The wolf bared its fangs, ready to pounce…
When the ground itself shook.
Weiss barely had time to blink as a dark shape smashed into the wolf’s flank, sending it flying with a yelp. Weiss’s eyes widened, a small smile making its way onto her face. “Ruby!...”
The dragon growled, anger permeating the entire area. As Ruby looked down to Weiss though the anger abated somewhat, worry and anxiety taking its place. Weiss grit her teeth as she pulled herself up a bit into a more comfortable sitting position. She tried her best to grin. “It looks worse than it feels…” Weiss winced as a flash of pain shot through her. “...Probably…”
Ruby growled, turning back towards the wolf. The beast had pulled itself back up, fangs bared as it snarled at the dragon. Weiss was admittedly rather surprised. The smart move here would be to flee. It was strong, but against a dragon it was obviously outmatched. So why? It must know that if it stayed it would die. If it fled it might at least have a chance of getting away with it’s life.
Thinking about it though the answer wasn’t that hard for Weiss to discern. This was the territory the wolf had marked for itself. It’s pride simply wouldn’t allow it to run, even if that meant charging into the jaws of death. Such a waste… though Weiss had to admit some amount of respect for the mindset.
The wolf seemed to grow tired of the stare off, growling as it ran at Ruby. It jumped at the dragon, aiming for the neck-
Only to be promptly swatted aside.
The wolf was sent flying right back where it came from with a yelp. Weiss had to admit, she was impressed. She knew dragon’s were strong, but she just threw the Dire Wolf around like it was nothing. Not giving the wolf a chance to recover Ruby bounded over to it, each stride causing the ground to shake. Before the wolf even had time to climb back to its feet the dragon was already upon it. Ruby growled as she leaned down, and for a moment Weiss thought the dragon was going to incinerate it with a gout of flame.
Though that probably would have been a preferable fate to what Ruby instead did.
With disturbing precision Ruby bit down on the wolf’s neck. It’s yelp of pain died in its throat as its neck was compressed between the powerful jaws, fangs tearing into flesh as blood slowly spilled from the wound. In an impressive display of strength Ruby reared her head back up, bringing the Dire Wolf up into the air. The wolf struggled desperately, pawing and clawing desperately at Ruby’s neck in an attempt to free itself. But Ruby’s scales were just too hard and tough for it to do any good.
Then, with ease, Ruby slammed the wolf back into the ground.
Weiss winced as she heard the sickening sound of bones breaking, though she really shouldn’t be surprised. With the force Ruby used it would have been a miracle for the wolf to get away without any injuries. It let out a pained croak, the most it could manage with Ruby’s jaws still tight around its neck, as it’s hind legs went limp. It still tried desperately to escape, but it had even less of a chance now then it did before. As much as it struggled it was even weaker than it had been during its earlier attempts.
Weiss had expected Ruby to grant the wolf a swift death now that it was incapacitated, so she was surprised when she lifted the wolf back into the air… only to twist around and slam it into the ground again.
Cracking bone once again filled the forest, blood now leaking from a tear in the beast’s back. But even so Ruby lifted it once more, slamming it into the ground again. And again, and again and again. Each slam was complemented by the breaking of bone and blood flying out from the beast’s more and more mutilated body.
Anger flowed off Ruby in waves, almost drowning Weiss in the torrent. She had never seen Ruby this… angry before. This was even worse than when she had gotten the scar along her eye. That had felt like waves, trying to drown her in their collective hate and anger. This? She was being pulled under, dragged down to the very bottom of the darkest ocean as a wave rose and rose to eclipse the very sun itself.
The wolf was completely limp in Ruby’s mouth now, life long having left it. With one final slam Ruby turned and released, sending the beast’s body flying into a tree. The limp creature impacted with a wet plop, more blood oozing from its ruined corpse as it slid down to the ground. The liquid dripped down the tree, and Weiss would be surprised if the wolf had anything (internal or otherwise) that had remained intact.
Ruby huffed, letting out a victorious roar at the beast’s corpse. As the dragon turned back to Weiss she blinked. She looked wide eyed at the blood stained surroundings (though miraculously none of it had landed on Weiss, so any blood that was on her was only her own), almost as if she hadn’t realized how brutally she had killed the wolf.
Immediately the anger and fury Weiss felt from Ruby vanished. Instead, anxiousness and embarrassment took its place, and Weiss thought she could detect a hint of… fear? Yes, given the expression on Ruby’s face as she looked at Weiss it was definitely fear. Was she worried about how Weiss would react to her little… outburst?
The thought couldn’t help but make Weiss giggle. While yes, it was rather brutal and brothers was the stench of blood starting to make her a little queasy (she was getting used to it though, not that she knew whether that was a good or bad thing), but a part of her couldn’t help but feel happy. A dragon got that mad and rage filled because Weiss had been hurt.
Weiss locked gaze with Ruby for emphasis, a smile gracing her grace. “Thank you. That was very… impressive…”
While the tension on the dragon’s face abated slightly, it didn’t disappear completely. Weiss could tell as much from the way Ruby strode over. Slow, careful steps, as if she were afraid to break something.
A laugh echoed in Weiss’s mind. “ You truly are an interesting one.”
Craning her head up Weiss was more than but surprised to see Yang slowly snaking her way downwards towards them. Ruby looked up as well, letting out a few roars and grunts in dragon-tongue. Weiss could feel the worry and anxiety flowing from her, so it wasn’t hard to guess at what she was saying to her sister.
Yang answered back with a few short and curt growls. While Ruby staggered she immediately calmed down a bit, which Weiss was thankful for. It pained her to see Ruby so distressed like that.
Weiss frowned. Wait…. why was that? She was aware that they were probably friends by this point, but was it really supposed to hurt this much? Her lack of a childhood (at least a normal one) unfortunately left her without anything previous to reference. She’d have to ask Salem about it later. That woman seemed to have a gift for reading people.
Yang turned back to Weiss. ‘ My sister shall return you to the village, and to Salem. In her hands your arm should be fine.’
Weiss nodded numbly. “What… about you?”
Yang huffed, puffs of smoke billowing from her nose. ‘ I am going to go have a little… chat with the closest pack. There are questions that need answers.’
Not wasting any more time Yang let out a roar, beginning to spiral her way back into the sky. As the golden dragon left sight Weiss turned her attention back to Ruby. The ebony dragon carefully stepped forward, and Weiss couldn’t help but wonder how she planned on moving her with her current injuries.
To Weiss’s surprise Ruby leaned back, raising her forelegs and cupping Weiss in her paws. Words of protest died on her throat before they could find voice. Ruby was being… exceptionally gentle. As long as she kept pressure on her wound, she could scarcely believe she was being moved at all. That, and Ruby’s paws were surprisingly soft…
Weiss shook her head. Now’s not the time for that!..... Not that she knew what that even was in the first place, but that could wait till later. She steadied herself as Ruby beat her wings and took off, though she found even that unnecessary. Ruby’s grip was tight yet gentle, and Weiss wasn’t even so much as sliding in her paws.
She would have tried to enjoy the feeling of flying through the sky if she wasn’t already preoccupied with fighting against unconsciousness and trying to keep her blood in her body. Before she knew it Ruby had gently landed in the center of the village, and she could hear voices murmuring around her. One of them cut through the rest.
“Get her into the treatment room! Oscar go fetch some towels, Ozpin I need you to help bring Weiss in while I get things prepared.”
Weiss admittedly didn’t remember much of what happened next. She could remember leaning on a strong shoulder as she was led into a building and laid down, but everything after that was fuzzy at best. The only constant was a stream of worry coming from… somewhere. Weiss’s mind was in no state to discern exactly where.
She didn’t know quite how long she was out of it like that, but her eyes slowly opened to a wooden roof. Weiss couldn’t help but groan as soreness flared through her body.
“I see you’re awake.”
Turning her head around (she was laying in a bed, she thought) to the source she saw Ozpin, sitting in a chair next to the bed.
Weiss couldn’t help but grin a little. “I’m getting the strangest sense we’ve been here before…”
Ozpin chuckled. “It would appear we have, since you seem to have a habit of getting injured. How are you feeling?”
Weiss groaned. “Sore… and my arm feels like iron…”
“Not surprising, considering it was an attack from a Dire Wolf. She wasn’t able to fully close the wound, not with how severe it was. You’re quite lucky you didn’t lose the use of the arm entirely.”
Weiss slowly pulled herself up, gritting her teeth as she tried to will her body to work with her. Slowly she pulled the blanket down her body, looking down to survey Salem’s work. It… wasn’t pretty.
It had stopped bleeding, but the cut was large. Actually, larger than Weiss had realized through all the blood and panic. The flesh was stitched together, ugly marks and hints of dried blood dotted around the wound. Weiss was actually rather impressed. She wasn’t the most knowledgeable about medicine or the like, but this work looked quite high quality. Far more than she had expected from a village doctor. Weiss wouldn’t be surprised if it were on par with work from some of the best surgeons the realm over.
She frowned, sniffing at the air. She could smell something sweet besides the tang of blood. It almost smelled like…
“It’s honey.”
Weiss blinked, turning her head back around. Salem was standing in the door, a dark apron around her waist that was dotted crimson. That must be her blood, Weiss realized.
“I used it to clean and disinfect the wound. It’ll help with closing it up as well, though it’ll take multiple treatments before that happens.” Salem explained, stepping up to the bedside. “Other than some soreness, how are you feeling?”
“Fine, I think.” Weiss winced as she tried to lift her left arm. “Not sure how I’ll handle without an arm for the foreseeable future, but I’ll manage somehow.”
“Oh Brothers no, you don’t think we’re sending you back to stay all by yourself in this state do you?”
Weiss blinked, confused. “W-What do you mean?”
“We have a spare bedroom. You’ll be staying there until you’re able to function on your own again.”
“B-But-“
“No buts please. This matter isn’t up for debate. On the other hand, this also will make it much easier to treat your wound each day. With the severity of the wound I expect it’ll take at least a month, perhaps a bit more.”
Weiss opened her mouth to try and protest more but a look from Salem cut her off. She sighed instead. “If you think so…”
“Oh dear, I KNOW so. Though now that you’re up, perhaps you can get our guest to move? It’s quite cute how worried she is, but she’s not exactly little.”
Weiss frowned, about to ask who the woman was referring to when she felt a wave of happiness and wash over her. Turning to the source she found herself facing a window.
And a happy looking Dragon.
Weiss giggled as Ruby nudged the window with her snout, her breath causing the glass to fog up. Raising her good arm Weiss rested her hand against the window. Ruby quickly moved to rest her snout against the glass opposite the girl’s hand, though Weiss could tell the dragon was annoyed that there was something in the way.
Salem giggled. “She’s sat there for the past few hours you’ve been unconscious. She’s taking up quite a bit of the road outside, but I couldn’t exactly say no, now could I?”
Weiss giggled at that. “I suppose not… still, I can talk to her about it if you like.”
“Oh it’s quite alright dear. It’s nice to see you making friends with someone though. Speaking of… there’s someone here who wants to talk with you.”
Before Weiss could even ask who it was Salem stepped outside, a small body slowly making its way into the room.
Weiss blinked. “Thomas? What are you doing here?”
The boy fidgeted in place. With a side glance to Salem, who gave him a nod, Thomas looked up to Weiss.
“Um… I… wanna say sorry.”
Weiss cocked her head. “Whatever for?”
“Earlier I… I called you a bad person.”
“Oh, that? It’s fi-“
“It’s not!”
Weiss flinched, not expecting the outburst from the boy. Undaunted Thomas continued talking.
“You saved me! A… a bad person wouldn’t do that! So… so I’m sorry.”
Weiss smiled, a soft and gentle one. “Thank you Thomas. That means a lot.”
Thomas smiles brightly in return. A knock on the door drew their attention, and Weiss stilled. She recognized the woman as Thomas’s mother.
Thomas perked up. “Mother!”
She smiled, leaning down to pat her son’s head. “Why don’t you go play outside for a little bit? I need to talk to… to Weiss for a moment.”
The only thing more surprising than her soft tone was the fact she actually said Weiss’s name. In the few months she had been here Weiss was certain the only people who had called her by name had been Ozpin, Salem, Oscar and Yang.
Thomas pouted. “You aren’t going to be mean to her, are you?”
The woman shook her head. “I just want to talk. Alright?”
A moment passed before he nodded. “Alright! Oh, why don’t you come over and play sometime when you’re all better Weiss!”
Weiss giggles at the boy’s enthusiasm. “Of course.”
With one last wave the boy departed, and only the four of them were left in the room. Weiss had to admit, she was a bit nervous. She hadn’t forgotten the disdain she had looked at her with just this very morning. The only possible explanation Weiss could think of is that she’s going to yell at her for putting Thomas in danger, even though-
Abruptly the woman clasped her hands together, bowing deeply. “Thank you so much for saving my Thomas!”
Weiss blinked, surprised. “Uhhh….”
The woman raised her head. “I heard from Thomas what happened. If you hadn’t done what you did… I’m scared to think of it.”
Weiss shook her head. “I-It’s alright. It was the least I could do.”
The woman went silent for a moment, and Weiss couldn’t help but think she had said something wrong. Instead the age fixed her gaze on the former princess, regret evident in them. “And… I’d also like to apologize. For the way we… I’VE been treating you ever since you got here.”
Weiss blinked. Well, this was the absolute last thing she had expected. She wanted to say something but the woman didn’t seem done.
“Ever since you arrived we believed you to be just like your father, that your supposed innocence was just an act to lull us into a false sense of security.” She sighed. “We couldn’t stop Ozpin from taking you in, but our hatred for your father bled over to you. Thomas is all I have left, you see. My husband… he died in the war. It wasn’t until much later I found out Jacques Schnee had played a part in it.”
Weiss hung her head. “I’m sorry…”
The woman shook her head. “You have nothing to apologize for. What happened was your father’s fault. Not yours. But… in my grief and anger I forgot that. I believed your whole family to be no better than him.” She chuckled. “To be honest we didn’t believe Thomas at first when he told us what happened. A Schnee? Saving someone? We pushed the notion aside without a second thought.”
“But when Ruby brought you back as injured as you were… we had to face the truth. You saved Thomas, and if it hadn't been for Ruby you would be dead right now. It made us think… it made us reflect on how we’ve been treating you. Some were harder to convince than others, but I for one… I feel terrible.”
The woman let out a breath. “What I’m trying to say is… I’m sorry. For everything. I’m going to strive to be better in the future.”
When she finished she looked at Weiss expectedly. Weiss, for her part, could only smile. Her answer was an easy one.
“I accept your apology.”
The woman relaxed, but Weiss continued.
“For the record I don’t blame you. I know well how easy it is to hate by association. My Father… he’s done horrible things. He dragged the Schnee name my grandfather worked so hard to build through the mud.”
Ozpin nodded. “I remember Nicholas well. He was a good man.”
Weiss nodded. “He was… although he too was fooled. Fa- Jacques put on a good show. He wore the mask of a good husband well enough my grandfather never once suspected his true colors. Once he passed and Jacques took control… that’s when he stopped pretending.”
Weiss clenched her fists. “I hate him. And I swear on my heart and soul that someway, somehow, I’ll take it all back. I’ll do right by my grandfather and restore the Schnee name to what it once was.”
The woman smiled. “I’m sure you will. At the very least, I believe you can.”
Weiss smiled, bright and wide. “Thank you. That means more than you know.”
Salem clapped her hands. “As touching as this is, I'm afraid I have to interject. The patient needs rest, and I’ll need some hands to bring some things over from Weiss’s house. She’s going to be staying here until she gets well again.”
The woman nodded. “I’ll gather a few people up. I’m sure they’d be happy to help.”
Weiss’s eyes widened. “Really?”
She smiled. “Yes. Word gets around quickly. I’m not the only one feeling bad about how you’ve been treated.”
Weiss couldn’t help but feel a bit happy at that.
The woman turned to depart, but before she did she looked back to Weiss. “Oh, and Weiss? Please, join us for dinner sometime. Both myself and Thomas would be delighted to have you.”
Weiss nodded. “I’d like that.”
With one last smile she left, Ozpin following after her. Things to take care of, he said. She couldn’t help but wonder what it was about… but the soreness in her shoulder stopped that from going any further.
“Just give us a call if you need anything, alright?”
Weiss nodded as she laid her head back down on the pillow. “I will, thank you.”
Salem nodded, leaving the room and Henry closing the door behind her. Weiss was alone now.
Well, except for the dragon still outside her window.
Weiss twisted around her so slightly, just enough so that her arm didn’t ache, and narrowed her eyes. “Ruby…”
The dragon actually fidgeted in place, nervousness hitting Weiss like a battering ram. But instead of berating her Weiss smiled. “Thank you for saving me.”
Ruby perked up, letting out a soft growl that… almost seemed like a pur.
“But!”
Ruby flinched. Weiss couldn’t help but feel good about being able to make a dragon flinch. “You don’t need to stay here all the time. I’ll be fine here, so I’d rather you not cause unnecessary trouble for people, alright?”
Ruby whined.
“Don’t be like that… tell you what, you can come visit every now again. But I don’t want you taking up space here all the time. Deal?”
Ruby hesitated for a few moments before nodding.
Weiss smiled. “Good. I’ll be good for now, so why don’t you go check on your sister? She might need your help.”
Knowing Yang she probably didn’t, but it would give Ruby something to do.
With one last growl which Weiss interpreted as a goodbye the dragon turned around, beating her wings as she ascended into the sky. As Ruby left Weiss let out a content sigh, laying back down and closing her eyes. She couldn’t help but look forward to when Ruby would visit next. Actually, that reminded her… she still needed to ask Salem about what that strange feeling was earlier. Another time, she supposed.
All at once the exhaustion from the day hit her all at once, and she promptly fell asleep.