The Sun Rises Ch. 13

Authors Note: Again any advice is welcome, and as always Rwby belongs to Rooster Teeth.

"Attack up!" Haldor yelled in his usual gruff voice, "Defend left! Defend right! Attack down! Attack left! Defend center!"

As usual Haldor would yell off whatever directions came to mind in no realistic order, and Jaune would move to block or attack as ordered. Jaune sword parried and his shield blocked, as Haldor's heavy blows struck him hard, each one threatened to throw him off his feet. Somehow Jaune managed to hold his ground weathering the assault. It was only a week ago that Haldor agreed to help him with his training, even though a huntsman in training Jaune was far from the best fighter in the unit, and he was still a terrible shot with his pistol. So to remedy these problems Haldor and Jaune, and a few others, would train at least an hour every night.

"Attack down! Defend up!" Haldor continued, "Attack up! Defend center!" Haldor halted his attacks, and smiled somberly, "well… good enough, I guess."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic…" Jaune answered deflated.

"Because it was only good enough, not great!" Haldor smiled, "you want a medal for good enough princess!"

Jaune cringed at the word: 'princess' he hated that some had taken to calling him that… "No, just wondering if I improved." Ever since the News broadcast revealed his royal heritage he had become the butt of every joke, and princess his newest nickname. Some of the l guys told him he could use his status to pick up women at the bar, others to get special deals or something. To everyone his heritage as something to joke about… To Jaune it was his shame.

"Right then tomorrow night, the usual," Haldor said as he sauntered off.

"Yeah, see ya…" Jaune said in a defeated tone, as he pulled out his scroll, and opened Pyrrha's video…

Jaune didn't know why he still trained to the video, he would tell himself it's good practice, or to review the basics, but he knew there were a million better ways to practice. Perhaps it was because it reminded him of training on the roof with Pyrrha like they use to every night, or maybe….

Jaune shook his head of the past as he followed the instructions as he did every night, the video served as both warm up and cool down to every training session, so he heard it at least twice a day, he could practically say it from memory…. Even the ending where Pyrrha attempted but called off an chance to confess how she felt. Jaune tried not to think about it….. Her….. His emotions were so muddled, every time he tried relive that night. Jaune felt betrayed that she sent him away, she who told him to depend on her didn't depend on him, he'd never felt like more of a failure.

The recording ended and Jaune packed away his scroll and meandered back to camp, finding it quite yet still somewhat cheerful. Tents of the soldiers surrounding the locals, in one of the empty fields surrounded by woods. Clouds obscured the stars and moon leaving the night near pitch black save the campfires.

The newest mission that Haldor's had come through to escort some eight hundred civilians to a safe area. Two hundred of them armed, with the rest carrying improvised weapons, and their local garrison with them another two hundred, alongside Haldor's own two hundred men. They met the locals with their armed militia at a nearby rendezvous point before the journey to the safe zone. Said safe zone happened to be his grandfather's new headquarters and the base of his grandfather's Army of the Marches, more often called the Frontier. Jaune hadn't seen his grandfather face to face in years, but he remember all his grandfather did to "toughen him up" and his father's anger at his grandfather's actions. 'He was the first to tell you the truth,' Jaune thought to himself, 'to tell you that your weakness was unacceptable, he didn't sugarcoat it like the rest, he wanted to prepare you for the world.' Jaune wondered if the harshness had some noble intent, yet even so a knot of fear and anger boiled with him, leaving Jaune feeling nauseous.

Jaune made his way to his sleeping bag and curled inside, it seemed like he had only blinked when Eddie shook him awake. Eddie was one of Jaune's few friends, a dour brown haired man who seemed pessimistic about everything but in truth was the opposite, it was his sense of humor that seem down. "Up lad, another day to march all day and get shouted at." Eddie told him with a smile, Jaune pulled himself from the bag, feeling as tired as the night before.

Within minutes the whole camp was moving, eating a quick breakfast of leftover from last night, and rolling up sleeping bags. With in an hour they were ready, though the civilians were not, they had only just begun to uncircled their trucks. It took an hour before they were all on the road and moving again.

Haldor took the vanguard with fifty men, alongside fifty armed civilians. Mirroring Eddies detachment at the rear. Then the militia with one hundred in the center, and the remaining armed civilians mixed in the people. The rest of Haldor's men and the militia formed on the flanks to guard against and warn of an attack. Jaune himself was instructed to ride up and down the line passing messages. Making him quite visible to the people, some asked him for news, or how far and Jaune did his part to tell them what he knew and smiled to keep their spirits up, any fear from them would attracted the grim like honey for flies. Others must have heard from the news or the men about him because gave him strange looks, Jaune did his best to ignore them.

Otherwise the trip was somber and quite, the late autumn air was crisp and cold, and dark grey clouds hung heavy in the sky. Gone were the pleasant oranges and reds of mid fall, ;leaving the dead trees and brown grass that gave Jaune a foreboding feeling of dread. Most trudged on quietly, or chatted in hushed tones.

Hours of travel past as the caravan moved on at what felt like a snail's pace. Finally halting at sunset to quickly made camp upon a mostly clear hilltop. Once more Haldor called Jaune to his tent, Jaune had assumed for some poultry errand, or perhaps an early training session, until he arrived and found hard looks on Haldor's and the officer's faces. "What's wrong?" he asked with a sinking feeling something was off. Haldor smirked with pride that Jaune had caught on so quickly.

"Someone's following us," Haldor said in an almost relieved tone, "not sure who, but not many…. We think."

"Who are they," Jaune asked, "and what's our move?

"Bandits," Haldor shrugged, "or Fang…. Doesn't matter really, me and fifty men will ride out and deal with them."

"It would leave the column leaderless and exposed," Jaune argued angry at Haldor's recklessness, "someone else should go."

"I'll be damned to let someone else lead my men," Haldor growled in defiance, "and beside fifty won't be too much gone, and the rest won't be leaderless."

Jaune was about to answer but when his mouth opened no words came out, the truth washed over him like a wave, "No" he said flatly after a moment of silence.

"Why not?" Haldor asked as if it were nothing importance, "you did well in the Oldwood, you have better knowledge of the Grimm than most here, and you were made a leader by Ozpin himself."

"You lead at Oldwood," Jaune told Haldor feverishly, "and last time I… it was Beacon-"

"Shut up," Haldor ordered him dismissively, "Tomorrow at dawn the command is yours, I'll hear no more of it. Now go train to that recording I don't have time tonight." With a last wave of his hand Haldor dismissed him, Jaune left his tent in a daze.

Jaune wandered a ways from the camp, finding a small clearing beset by trees and open his scroll. His partner's face greeting him like an old friend, "Alright Jaune, just like we practiced, follow these instructions…" The weight of what lay ahead loomed over him as he ran through the motions robotically….. For a moment Jaune wished he could hear her say he was ready for this, like she did before every sparring match. Even though he knew she was lying most often, it felt good to hear her say it, "you're ready Jaune" even if it was a lie it was nice to hear. He wanted to hear her to lie again, he needed it now...

Hey sorry about the lack of updates, life is busy but rest assured the story ain't dead.