HEEEEEELLOOOOOOOO!

Been a little while, eh? Well don't worry, I know you came here for the next chapter of this story, not to listen to me blather on in the Author's Notes, so I won't keep you here long!

ON WITH THE STORY!

Being shot hurt.

Honestly that didn't come as a surprise to Jaune. He had been shot before in training with Pyrrha, and in combat class against his opponents with ranged weapons, which was just about everyone.

However he'd never been shot with so much firepower at once. It was a all encompassing storm of lead and dust that hammered into his prodigious aura and stripped it away rapidly. He wanted to strike back, and had he not been sheltering the unconscious form of Cinder he would have done so. As it was he couldn't leave her. With her aura down a stray shot would kill her.

So he grit his teeth and weathered the storm, and screamed out for Talon in his mind.

Weiss, Pyrrha, and Ruby had been prowling Vale for Jaune when they heard the crash, and then the gunfire.

They had been following the trail provided by various squeaks about Jaune when they heard the titanic sound of a vehicle collision a few blocks away, and began running to help.

That run turned into an all out sprint when the gunfire started. The three girls rounded the corner with weapons raised and ready.

What they saw made them freeze for just the barest second, but it was long enough for them to take in the sight before them.

Ten faunus in the livery and masks of the White Fang were pouring automatic fire into a curled up figure on the ground. A shimmering white field sparked and danced around the figure as dust and lead deflected off of it, but through the fire and smoke and the shimmering field Weiss could see a familiar face topped by long and messy blonde hair clenched tightly in pain.

Something white hot and violent filled the heiress. It was not anger, for that word could not even come close to describing the unbridled hate that filled her in that moment.

Even as Ruby raised Crescent Rose to take a shot and Pyrrha started moving to put herself between Jaune and the White Fang a scream of raw, unbridled fury roared out of Weiss and she raised Myrtenaster, pale blue eyes seeming to burn with rage.

There was a burst of searing white light.

"Blaaaaake, come on, this game's funner with two people!"

"More fun," Blake corrected without looking up from the book she was reading, "and I'm sure you'll manage until Ruby comes back."

Yang sighed. "Where do you think Jaune got off to anyway?"

Blake shrugged, still not taking her eyes off of the latest copy of Ninjas of Love. "I wouldn't know, though I can't blame him for wanting to stretch his legs."

"He's been in that hospital for weeks," Yang agreed, "if I was him I wouldn't have made it a week before I tried to sneak out. Honestly I think Rubes and the others are worrying over nothing. He's got Talon after all, no one in their right mind would mess with that thing."

Blake grunted noncommittally, the book beginning to retake her full attention.

"Treacherous witch," Aurum growled as he struggled against his bonds to no avail. He was a strong man, but these ropes were magically enchanted, and would not break easily. His long blonde hair, normally done up in a tight braid, was loose and framed his handsome face. His burning eyes glared defiantly at the vixen before him. "Your magics will not pry the secret of Nivea's location from me so easily! I will never betray my princess!"

The golden eyed enchantress chuckled at his defiance. The sound of it was like honey on the tongue, or a lover's caress on his most intimate areas, but Aurum would not be swayed by such magical wiles. "Such defiance," she purred as she sauntered towards him, the form fitting black dress she wore leaving very little to the imagination. "I like a strong man."

"Uh, Blake..."

Aurum sneered as he strained against the binds, muscles bulging and rippling with effort. "My heart belongs to the princess, as does my mind and soul. Your black magic cannot change that, seductress."

"Blake..."

"Oh really?" Caligo smiled, and it was a smile so full of wickedness and lust that Joras could not help the way that it made his blood run faster. "If you are so loyal to the princess..." The onyx haired enchantress slid one strap of her dress off of her pale white shoulder with deliberate slowness, her golden eyes never leaving his.

"Then I will just have to make you forget that loyalty."

"Blake!"

"What?!" the cat faunus snarled as she whirled to look at Yang. "I was just getting to the best... part... what on Remnant?"

The Angel's Rose was glowing.

This by itself wasn't unusual at all. The Angel's Rose always glowed dimly, regardless of the time of day.

Now however it was not emitting a dim glow. The gleam had clearly grown brighter, and as the two girls stared at it the glow grew increasingly brighter. "Should we go get someone?" Yang asked uncertainly.

Before either of them could make to move the glow exploded outward in a blinding flash.

"This is it," Nathaniel said as he stared at the mountain before them. "This is where Jaune's vision led us."

The forest suddenly ended and before them was a massive wide open valley that seemed to run on forever. In the middle of the valley a lone mountain stood before him, just as how Jaune had described it. Under that mountain would be a network of tunnels that would lead to a door. What was behind that door however remained a mystery to them. Jaune had chosen not to tell them, saying only that it was a surprise.

Russel pointed at the base of the mountain, "looks like we aren't the first people to get here." Cardin's eyes narrowed as he focused where Russel was pointing and he saw thin lines of smoke, as though from chimneys. Closer examination revealed a small settlement nestled up against the side of the mountain like a infant bird pressing itself up against its mother for safety and warmth. He could just make out farmland outside the walls, and he thought he could see people moving about, tending to the fields.

"People are naturally drawn to the ruins of ancient civilizations," Nathaniel explained. "Whether it is because people have a desire to be close to the remnants of the past or because some part of them can feel the power of the Lady that hangs onto these places, they feel a natural pull to them."

The five began to make their way towards the settlement. The grass swayed gently and hypnotically in the breeze, making a soft rustling sound. It was... entrancing, Cardin thought. He'd never seen such an open field before. Much of Vale outside of the cities was forest with scattered settlements, leaving little in the way of unsettled open land. Of course, this land was technically settled, but there had to be miles of open and unoccupied land stretching off into the horizon on all sides. "Why haven't they expanded any further?" He wondered aloud. "There's plenty of open land. They could at least use more of it for farming."

"Maybe it's still pretty new?" Russel suggested. "It doesn't look like its very big."

"And Jaune didn't say anything about it," Dove added.

"He may not have seen it in the Lady's vision though," Sky pointed out.

"Regardless of the how or why they may be able to help us," Nathaniel said as they walked. "They doubtlessly know the land and mountain better than-"

Figures burst out of the grass around them.

The knight and the four squires formed up wordlessly, a near month of constant fighting having trained them to work together like a well oiled machine. Cardin, Dove, Sky, and Russel formed a square with Nathaniel in the center, where his greater height and the reach of his halberd could be put to best use.

The people around them were no less trained however. Their formation was three ranks deep, the front rank armed with hand weapons and shields with the back two ranks armed with guns, bows, and crossbows. Their features were hidden behind hoods and cloth masks, but Cardin could tell that each and every one of them were women.

"State ye business," one of the women called out in a heavily accented voice, "or yew'll be fired upon!"

Directed by Weiss's fury, the Knight charged towards the White Fang assassins.

The Faunus terrorists scattered as soon as they saw it. A few fired quick bursts of gunfire at it, but broke with their compatriots when it became clear that they weren't harming it in the slightest. One of them, possibly the leader, made for Jaune with a sword in his hands. Something dripped off of the blade and Weiss knew it must have been poisoned. She pointed her rapier at the Faunus and mentally commanded her summon to go after him, but before it could move Jaune sprang up, a dagger in one hand, and caught the terrorist's sword arm in his other hand. His face was twisted in a furious snarl, and the glow in his eyes burned even brighter than usual.

With a crunch Jaune crushed the man's arm with his bare hand and slammed his dagger into the meat of the assassin's other arm. The Faunus screamed, but the Champion yanked him forward and drove his forehead into the unfortunate terrorist's masked face. The mask cracked and Jaune pulled back and slammed his head forward again, shattering the mask and almost certainly the face beneath. The terrorist slumped with a groan, either dazed or unconscious. Jaune pulled his dagger free and released the shattered arm, allowing the man to fall to the ground.

The remaining would be assassins were running as fast as they could, the White Knight storming after them with its weapon raised high to strike.

Weiss urged it on mentally, a red fog clouding her mind. They had tried to kill him, and she was going to make them pay in blood for that. She could dimly hear voices calling out her name, but she ignored them. Right now nothing mattered more than taking revenge on those that had tried to take Jaune from her.

"He is yours," a voice whispered in her mind, breaking through the fury, "he is yours by right of ownership of his love. Protect him, for he protects you. He is your guardian, he is your herald."

"He is your Champion."

"-eiss? Weiss!" A hand clamped down on her shoulder, and the heiress gasped as something flowed through her body. It was like cool water washing away the anger clouding her mind and sight, and she looked and saw Jaune, his hand holding onto her arm. "Call it off Weiss," he urged her, "before you do something you might regret."

Her eyes widened in horror as she realized what she'd been about to do, and instinctively she reached out to the White Knight. It skidded to a halt, it's weapon still raised to strike, and was motionless.

The White Fang grunts continued running, but didn't make it more than a block before something snatched one of them off of the ground and into the air. The Faunus screamed in agony as Talon's beak clamped down on his arm and the Gryphon began shaking its head savagely. Weiss could hear the sounds of bones snapping like twigs as the man's screams grew louder and more desperate before Talon threw him away and the man hit the ground with a crunch, either dead or unconscious.

Weiss looked and Jaune and saw that he was watching the whole thing with a stoic expression on his face. The light in his eyes flared. "Corral the rest," Jaune ordered, and for a moment Weiss thought he was talking to her before Talon swooped down and slammed to the earth in front of the still fleeing White Fang. They skidded to a halt and tried to flee in the opposite direction, only for Talon to dart around and cut them off. The massive Gryphon hissed menacingly, it's wings expanded making it look larger than it already was.

Realizing they had nowhere to escape to, the terrorists dropped their weapons and put their hands on their heads, surrendering. At that moment armored vehicles marked with the spear and gear of Atlas rounded the curb at top speed and skidded to a halt. Atlas soldiers leapt out of their APCs with rifles at the ready, but lowered them when they saw the remaining terrorists unarmed and on their knees.

"Weiss?" The heiress turned and saw Ruby staring at her in awe. "What is that thing?"

Weiss turned and saw that the Knight had returned to her side. It stood there silently, its weapon held in both hands. It's massive form was exactly how she remembered it the day she'd fought it, except for one significant difference. It wasn't wielding the sword it had used in her fight against it.

Clutched in both hands was a halberd.

With an incline of its head the Knight dissipated into a thousand motes of lights, and weariness overtook Weiss. She slumped and felt arms catch her before she fell. Ruby and Pyrrha carried her over to the sidewalk and sat her down. "Are you alright?" Pyrrha asked worriedly.

"Yes," Weiss gasped, "just.. really really tired. Where's Jaune, is he-"

"He's alright," Ruby assured him. Despite her assurances there was worry on the crimsonette's face, "but Cinder..."

Weiss blinked and frowned in confusion. "Cinder?" She sat up and looked around, and saw Jaune kneeling next to a prone form on the ground. She had hair like onyx, and amber eyes fluttered weakly as he murmured softly to her. A pair of Atlas soldiers carrying a stretcher rushed over and placed it down. Jaune helped them get her on it, though she could see him wince with pain. "Take her to Azure memorial," he told them, "make sure she's put in the room next to mine and receives immediate treatment."

He looked at Talon, and a strange look came across his face. Weiss had long since learned that Jaune and Talon often communicated silently to one another, even when most people thought they weren't talking. Whatever Jaune was saying clearly didn't please the war beast, because his feathers bristled up and he shook his head furiously, setting his mane bouncing about. With a growl Jaune stomped his foot and pointed in the direction that the APC carrying Cinder was heading. He gasped and clutched his side, and Pyrrha rushed over to him as Talon took off after Cinder with a disgruntled growl.

"Are you alright?" His partner asked as she reached him. She slipped one arm around his waist and wrapped his around her shoulder, taking his weight on herself with ease as she supported him.

"I'm alright," he grunted, but didn't try to stop her from helping him. "It's Cinder I'm worried about. She didn't have her aura up when the truck hit us."

Pyrrha helped him limp over to Weiss and Ruby. "What happened?" asked the Reaper. "Why were the White Fang here, and why were you with Cinder?"

Jaune answered each question in order. "The Fang ambushed us as we were on the way back to the hospital, I assume they were here for me, and as for the last one... that's a long story."

"What matters is that you're safe now," Pyrrha said, the relief evident on her face.

Not everyone agreed with that statement, however.

"Oh no, what matters is that you left the hospital in the first place," Weiss growled as she pushed herself to her feet. "What were you thinking you complete dunce?! You still have two weeks at the very least before you're even close to being free and clear to just start walking around!"

"It wasn't my idea," he protested weakly, trying to back away from the heiress's wrath. Pyrrha's grip on his waist tightened, and he found he couldn't budge. Ruby virtually materialized on the other side of him, looking as close to intimidating as the pint sized Reaper ever could. With Pyrrha on one side with her arm locked like an iron band around his waist, Ruby on the other side, and Weiss standing right in front of him, Jaune was trapped. He knew it too, if the desperate look in his eyes was any indicator.

"Whose was it then?" Weiss asked, her calm voice projecting her icy wrath better than even Myrtenaster could. "Was it Ren? No, this kind of thing isn't his style. Neptune perhaps, or one of the other boys of team Sun? Was it Sun himself? This kind of scheme certainly sounds like something he'd come up with. Maybe I should tell Blake, I'm sure she'd love to set him straight."

Jaune gulped, but before he could say anything his scroll rang. The heiress held out her hand. She didn't say anything, she knew she didn't have to. Jaune sheepishly pulled the scroll out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. He winced, and she heard him mutter, "sorry guys," as he handed it over.

Weiss checked the screen and saw that it was Neptune calling him. How convenient. She accepted the call, and set it to speaker.

"Yo dude, we're at the hospital. Where are you? Don't tell me you and Cinder decided to take a little 'detour'?"

"Get that booty!" another voice, likely Sun's, called out. She heard a third laugh while another two sighed.

"Hello Neptune," Weiss said, her voice as cold as ice.

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Uh... T-the number you're trying to call cannot be reached right now-"

"You and I will be having a talk later," she growled, and hung up before he could respond.

Jaune winced as she handed the scroll back to him. "Go easy on him Weiss, I was losing my mind in that hospital room. They were just trying to help me get some fresh air and stretch my legs."

"Oh, and I guess Cinder just tagged along for the ride?!" She snarled.

Jaune recoiled, eyes wide. Even Ruby and Pyrrha backed away, startled. "What?"

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. That hadn't been fair to him, or to Cinder, who even now was being taken to a hospital. Besides, what did Weiss care if he was or was not off doing something with Cinder? It wasn't like they were together. "I'm sorry, its just... this is the second time we've almost lost you in less than a month Jaune. I'm just- I'm still on edge."

"We all are," Pyrrha said. "You can't go off alone, Jaune, not while you're hurt. I know you didn't expect something like this to happen, but..."

"The White Fang are after you," Ruby said, her bright silver eyes wide with worry. "They want to kill you Jaune. You have to promise us that you won't leave Azure Memorial until you're at one hundred percent."

"I..." Jaune sighed and leaned against Pyrrha. "Alright. For you three, and for the others, I promise I won't leave Azure Memorial until I'm fully back on my feet."

"That's all we ask," Weiss said, her anger beginning to fade, if only a little. "Let's get you back to your room before someone else tries something."

They brought the five of them into the city under guard.

They allowed Nathaniel and the boys of CRDL to keep their weapons. Not because they trusted them, Nathaniel was sure, but because they were confident that they could take them down. Usually that would smack of arrogance to the Gryphon Knight, but in this case he felt that this confidence might very well be earned. He hadn't seen or heard anything to suggest that they had been about to walk into an ambush. It was as though the women had simply appeared out of the ground. They were certainly not the kind of people who should be taken lightly.

The settlement itself was nothing unusual. The village was relatively small, perhaps a few hundred people at the most, with a wooden palisade wrapping around it. People traveled to and fro through the village, stopping to stare at the newcomers. After near a month in the wilderness fighting for their lives Nathaniel supposed that the five of them certainly did make for an odd sight. Nathaniel's hair and beard had both grown out since he had no way of trimming it down, and he'd taken to tying his hair back to keep it out of the way. The same could be said for the boys of CRDL. Cardin's hair now more resembled Sky's original length, whereas Sky's hair reached a few inches past his shoulder, where before it had been just above them. Russel had shaved off his Mohawk with a skinning knife since he'd had no way of keeping the rest of his head free of hair, and his short dark hair now had a shot of lime green down the middle of it. Dove's hair remained as messy as ever, only now it was longer, and he too had taken to tying it back. Their chins were covered in stubble, not quite thick enough to be considered a proper beard. Even if they hadn't looked exactly lie what you would expect people who'd done a month of hard wilderness living to look like, odds were this place didn't get many newcomers regardless with how out of the way it was.

"Where are you taking us?" Cardin asked as they were escorted along.

"Tew speak with Elder Malach, He'll know what to do with ye."

"But we haven't done anything wrong!" protested Russel.

"Five armed men approach mah city, and yew honestly think that ahm just going tew let them waltz right on in? I wasn't born yesterday. We'll take you to the Elder, and he'll decide whether or not yew can stay."

The woman speaking had a petite frame but an athletic build. Her stunningly vibrant red hair was pulled back in a tight pony tail, and slung over her shoulder was a bolt action rifle that looked old and well used, but also well taken care of and maintained. The fox tail swishing back and forth as she walked also clearly marked her as a faunus. In fact, as far as Nathaniel could tell the majority of the residents of this small village were faunus of some variety or another, which made the four boys of CRDL more than a bit nervous.

Nathaniel had not at first understood the four boy's seeming disgust with the faunus, but Glynda had explained it to him, about that horrible night so many years ago, their father's death at the hands of the White Fang...

He sighed. Hatred was something Nathaniel knew all to well. He, like all Knights of the Lady, felt an unyielding hatred for Salem and the beasts of the dark. For them, to fight and slay the Grimm was the highest form of veneration a Gryphon Knight could offer to Vaya, unleashing her holy might to defend those who could not protect themselves. But that was hatred was targeted at beasts of night and evil, not their fellow man.

But then, Nathaniel had never had cause to hate any group of people. If need be he'd kill the White Fang, but only because he had to, not because of any animosity or hatred for them. In all truthfulness Nathanial supported their core belief, that Faunus deserved the same rights and privileges as humans. However he could not and would not accept their actions done in the name of that goal. To fight a war in the name of freedom and equality was one thing. To intentionally target and terrorize civilians was another thing. The White Fang has shown their true face at the breach. Their actions that day had put all the people of Vale at risk, both human and faunus. They were not freedom fighters anymore, though they once were. Now they were an army of murderers, and Nathaniel would give them the bite of his halberd as quickly he would any servant or beast of Salem.

And yet he still could not hate them. For all their evil, the White Fang were still people, and there were those among their number who were more idealistic and truly did just want equality for their people. Young Blake Belladonna was a prime example of this. She had been a member of the White Fang for years fighting for her people, but when she'd realized just how far they'd fallen she'd left to walk a different path, a purer path. People like her were proof that their was still hope for the White Fang. Nathaniel was sure they could be saved with the right leader.

He just wished everyone else could see that too.

He looked sadly at the four boys of CRDL behind his visor. In them lay the hope and future for the Gryphon Knights. The Order of Light's duty was to protect all the people of Remnant, regardless of country, religion, or species. The four had begun down the right path by apologizing to Velvet for tormenting her, but it was only the first step on a long journey. Whether or not they'd continue that journey was up to them.

But Jaune seemed to have faith in them, and if Jaune had faith, then so would Nathaniel.

They met the town elder in his home.

He was old blind man, with a long white beard and snow blind eyes. He was clad in a simple homespun robe of cloth, which was odd as most of the people in town Cardin had seen wore modern looking attire. A wooden staff was resting against his shoulder upon which was carved images of swooping Gryphons and flaming swords. Strange talismans of bone and feather hung off of the staff, and a gleaming white crystal carved to resemble a pair of spread wings topped the staff. Something about the staff unsettled Cardin, and he could tell he wasn't the only one. The other boys of CRDL had furtively glanced at it from time to time, and Nathaniel had barely taken his eyes off of it since they had entered the elder's home.

The Elder was also a faunus like most people in this town, if the feathers that covered his head in place of hair was any indicator. Weirdly enough his facial hair was still made of hair, only the 'hair' on the top of his head was bird feathers instead of real hair. The feathers were long too, like peacock feathers but white, and reached down to the middle of his back.

"You have come," he croaked, "after so long, the Lady's five chosen sons have come."

Cardin and the others shared startled glances. They hadn't said anything yet, and their escort hadn't even had the chance to introduce them. How did he-

"I have my ways," the Elder said with a wry smile, "now sit, rest. You have had a long and perilous journey, and I will not have it said that my people are not accommodating to the needy. Deargis, have food and drink brought for our honored guests."

The woman who had escorted them to the elder huffed and rolled her eyes, but left to presumably do as she was told. The five sat down across from the elder on the woven mats on the ground. Unlike the rest of his people the elder lived in a thatch hut with no furniture, only woven mats on the ground and a fire pit in the center of the hut. Shelves lined the walls, each of which held clay jars presumably containing... something or another.

The old man smiled, his teeth almost unnaturally bright. "Well? You did not come this far through so much danger to merely sit in in silence. Speak. Ask any questions you may have and I will do my best to answer them. I have many answers to many questions, though I suspect that you will have questions I cannot answer."

"Why are we here?" Sky blurted out, excitement visible on his face.

The Elder smiled. "A question that has many answers. However, unless I miss my mark I believe you mean to ask why you have been sent here to our little village. You, the five chosen of the Lady, have come in search of something that is hidden in our great mountain." He smiled. "You do not know what you search for however, and in truth neither do I, not really. However I have my suspicions, and if I'm right what you find may very well change the world."

"What do you think it is?" Russel asked as he leaned forward.

The Elder laughed as he reached his hand into a bowl beside him that Cardin swore hadn't been there before and pulled out a pinch of some kind of herb between his thumb and forefinger. "Well I'm not going to tell you, that would ruin the surprise! Also, I could be wrong and it would not do to give you false hope, only to disappoint you." With a flick of the wrist the Elder tossed the little bundle of herbs into the fire. "It is a relaxing agent," he explained as a sweet but subtle scent began to fill the hut. "The five of you have been traveling for some time now, and near constant Grimm attacks have left the lot of you on edge. In small amounts this relaxant can calm a panicked mind and ease tense muscles without making your thoughts or movements sluggish. In larger quantities it can impair an individual's ability to move or think, and enough of it can make a man's heart stop. Don't worry, this small pinch will only help you relax."

Even as the old man spoke Cardin realized his body was relaxing. Muscles he hadn't even realized were tense and ready for action relaxed and he allowed himself to slump forward with a sigh. He could see the scent was having a similar effect on the others, and even Nathaniel seemed more relaxed, if only just. If the scent had any effect on the Elder he didn't show it. "Now continue with your questions."

"Why are you and your people here?" Cardin asked. "You're clearly not just random people who thought this was as good a place as any to settle if you've been waiting for us."

"Indeed we are not," the Elder said. "My people have been waiting here for you thousands upon thousands of years. This settlement is older than the four current kingdoms. Five kingdoms, if you count Menagerie. Which I do."

"Thousands of years?" Russel asked, his eyes wide. "Why have you been waiting for us for so long?"

The Elder leaned forward, the fire light gleaming in his snow blind eyes. "Because we were tasked to do so by the Lady herself, to safeguard this holy mountain and it's great secret. For all those years my father, his mother, her father, and all my ancestors for countless generations have led the people of this little settlement and awaited your arrival. In truth I do not think even Vaya knew for sure when you would come here."

"But she's a god," Sky protested. "She knows everything."

The Elder chuckled, a dry raspy sound. "Ah my boy, our Holy Mother is indeed far wiser and cleverer than any human or faunus could ever hope to be, but she is not all knowing or all powerful. Vaya, like anything that lives, can make mistakes. It is a fact of life that existence by its very nature implies imperfection, though our goddess is as close to perfect as any could hope to come. Many religions of the modern day would have you believe that their god is omnipotent and omniscient. If this were true, if a god was those things, then I would call that god vile and evil at best, and apathetic and uncaring at worst for all the evil that goes unpunished in the world. Our god is not perfect. She has faults, she ers like any of us, and that alone is enough for her to have my eternal love and loyalty for all my life, for any goddess that has limits but still strives to love and protect us all is far greater than any omnipotent and uncaring being."

Sky bowed his head. "I understand. I apologize."

The Elder laughed. "Do not apologize for your questions. It is better to ask and know than not ask and wonder forever. Our Lady gave us the capacity to wonder and question for a reason, and I'd be more insulted if you didn't use it. Now then, more questions, more questions. Come, ask them of me and I shall answer if it is within my power."

"You say what we seek lies in the mountain," Nathaniel stated, "how do we get inside?"

The old faunus looked in the general direction of the Knight with a grin. "Ah Nathaniel, third most beloved child of the Lady. Only two others hold a dearer place in her heart. The young scion of house Arc, and one other whose name I shall not yet reveal. As for your question, I shall reveal that tomorrow. For today you should all rest and relax. It has been a trying journey for all of you, and you all deserve a real bed to sleep in and hot food to fill your stomachs. I'm sure you've all grown tired of field rations to eat and dirt to lie on."

Nathaniel did not move, but Cardin saw his hand tighten about the haft of his halberd. "How did you know my name?"

The Elder tapped a finger against the side of his head. "I may be blind, but that does not mean I cannot see."

The old knight gasped, his eyes wide with realization. "You... you're a seer, aren't you?"

"Well aren't we clever?" Chortled the Elder. "Yes I am young man. The Lady blessed me with Witch sight and other powers, though I had to sacrifice my true sight for it. Power rarely comes without a price of some kind. It was I who shielded you at night from the Grimm so you could rest peacefully."

"If you can extend your powers so far, then you are truly a mighty sorcerer," Nathaniel said with obvious respect. "You have our thanks."

Cardin looked at the Elder in confusion, then at Nathaniel. "I thought you said that all of the magic wielders outside the Maidens were all dead, their bloodlines killed off."

"I thought they were," Nathaniel replied.

"Most if not all were," confirmed the Elder. "My line survived only because our powers are far less... overt than that of other blood lines. "We cannot summon up mighty storms or bring fire from the sky. Our powers have always been more subtle, focusing on obscuration and confusing the enemy. This entire valley and the mountain itself are covered in obscuration spells, making it impossible for anyone to come across it accidentally. Only those chosen by Vaya can find this valley, though we keep a watchful eye and close guard just in case. Even Salem could not find this hidden place without great effort."

"But we've been fighting her Grimm the whole way here," Russel pointed out. "If we just suddenly dropped off the map Salem will know something's up."

The Elder nodded. "True, but Vaya herself cast the original spells of obscurment that covered this place, and over the millennia they have been bolstered by my forebears. Our warriors also scour the surroundings for any Grimm or bandits, doing their best to keep the land surrounding our valley free of evil, thereby doubling down on our secrecy."

"You mean that woman Deargis and her warriors?" Dove asked.

"Among others," the Elder confirmed. "She is our chief scout. Silent, but deadly."

"Like a fart," sniggered Cardin.

"Don't let her hear you say that," the Elder warned as a smile spread across his face. "Though... you're not necessarily wrong."

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," the Elder called, though it was already opening. Deargis, followed by five others, entered carrying plates of food and cups in their hands. "Ah yes, food. I'd nearly forgotten. Thank you my Dear...gis."

Deargis and the others groaned, evidently familiar with their Elder's particular sense of humor.

"He's almost as bad as Xiao-Long," Russel muttered.

"I don't think even she would stoop so low," Cardin responded.

"She would," Nathaniel confirmed, his face flat. "Trust me, she would."

Each of them received their food and drink with a polite thank you. Cardin was the last to receive his. Deargis placed the plate before him, and held his glass out to him.

As Cardin reached for it she jerked it forward, splashing the contents in his face.

"Like a fart, eh?" She snarled.

They got Jaune back to the hospital with no further incidents. Ruby had messaged Yang and Blake and Pyrrha has contacted Nora and informed them about what had happened. By the time the four of them had gotten to the hospital the three of them were already waiting for them along with Ren and the boys of SSSN. The eight of them swarmed around Jaune frantically.

"We didn't know," Sun said frantically, his eyes wide and his hands clutching at his hair. "If we had known, even thought for a second that-"

Jaune placed a hand on shoulder to silence him, a smile on his lips. "It's alright Sun, you didn't know. How could you have? How could any of us have known?"

"But-" Neptune tried to speak but Jaune cut him off.

"But nothing," he said firmly. "What happened can't be blamed on any of you. This is on the White Fang." Jaune looked past all of them to Blake, who had stayed at the edge of the little crowd. "Only the White Fang. Ex members don't count."

For a moment the cat faunus looked like she wanted to argue, but she bit her lip and nodded. "Right."

Jaune looked around at all of them, and his smile faltered. "Cinder, is she...?"

"She's okay," Yang confirmed. "She had a concussion, but the doctors used a booster to kick start her aura and she healed up quickly. They're going to keep her overnight just to be safe though." She winked. "In a room next to yours. I understand that was your request?"

As Jaune's face flushed and he grumbled Weiss felt something hot, angry, and...jealous well up in her.

'No, absolutely not," Weiss shook her head and proceeded to stomp those feelings down into a deep dark hole, slam a gate down on them, lock it, and throw away the key. She had no right to be jealous of Jaune turning his romantic attentions elsewhere, not after how she'd spurned his advances. Besides, she was with Neptune now.

But something burned in Weiss. It was hot, angry, jealous, and it didn't feel... it didn't feel like her, not entirely. It felt like someone else's emotions had taken root in her heart. She remembered the words she'd heard in her head when she had set the knight upon the White Fang assassins.

"He is yours. He is yours by right of ownership of his love. Protect him, for he protects you. He is your guardian, he is your herald."

"He is your Champion."

Weiss didn't like this one bit.

And that's a wrap! Seems not all is well in the world, eh? What's wrong with Weiss, and what made the Angel's Rose ignite in such a way? Well, not like, on fire, ignite, but you know what I meant.

And finally Nathaniel and the boys of CRDL reach the mountain! What secrets await them within? Who can say? Well I can say, but I'm not gonna!

With the introduction of Deargis I tried to write a Gaelic accent. I wanted you the readers to read her lines and make the mental connection of "oh, she's scottish/irish" but I don't know how well I did. I couldn't just say in the story she has a Gaelic accent since places like Scotland and Ireland don't exist, so there's no basis for Nathaniel or Cardin to go 'oh, she's gaelic' because it's not a thing in the RWBYverse. This is my first time writing in an accent for a character, and I hope it came out well. Any advice any of you have on this matter would be appreciated, of course.

I do want to apologize for how long it took for this to come out (again .). This chapter has actually been pretty much done for awhile, like a month now, barring editing it and writing up the last few lines. Thing is, I wanted it to be longer, but I didn't know how to make it longer and make it work. There's important stuff that's going to be happening next chapter, like Weiss hearing about the Angel Rose's freak out, more on Hazel's appearance in the story, and other things, and it just felt like it would be better if that stuff was held on to for another chapter, and not all crammed into one chapter as a big story development bomb, like what happened last chapter with three separate large lore dumps.

Of course Winter is present too, I haven't forgotten about her. She'll be making an appearance next chapter when it comes out.

If you like this story so far then feel free to follow and favorite it (and meeee)! If you have a friend who likes RWBY, RWBY fanfics, or you simply think they would enjoy it then feel free to recommend it to them! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions then feel free to leave a review or PM me! I love you all. BYYYYEEEEEEEEE!