Twenty Three

Jaune sat in his by now customary place in the Chieftain's hall, beside the Chieftain himself while the survivors of the town's militia and his own Brothers and Sisters celebrated the day after a hard-fought victory. But he could only sit, could only… Think, about the fallen, and the falling. Most of whom had been burned the evening prior, while he slept, exhausted from the battle and everything that had come before.

"Brother." He looked up as Cardin joined him, dropping onto the seat next to him and nodding at his untouched soup. "You should eat."

"I should…" He nodded, and then grimaced at the thought. Instead, he turned and asked, "How is-"

"Dead." Cardin answered quietly, shaking his head and setting his own barely eaten bowl of food on Tai Yang's long table. Clasping his own hands, he said, "He… Didn't survive the fighting."

"Damn it… Damn it all…" He ran his fingers through his hair as his eyes burned and his head swam. Ansel, then Deer- Ember, then Saphron and Terra, both gone while he slept, and so many of his Brothers and Sisters…

"Hey." Cardin snapped his fingers, which was a neat trick in his armor, and Jaune flinched and turned to him. "Don't do that."

"Do what…?"

"Drown." Cardin answered, quieter than Jaune had ever, ever heard him. Gesturing at his hammer, he said, "We're warriors. Dove died fighting for the innocent, for his Brothers and Sisters, and honored the Gods. And you, your plan."

"But-"

"You saved as many as could be saved, Arc." He cut him off, smiling in spite of the bags under his eyes and the exhausted slope of his shoulders. Smiling thinly, he said, "More than I could have. More than most could have, even."

"I just…" He sighed, "Wish I could have saved more."

"Once upon a time, after I failed to protect my friends, my captain asked me a question." Cardin said, voice low as he stared off, out at the celebrations around them. "He said, 'When does a comet become a meteor?'"

"And what did you say…?"

"I asked what the hell a meteor was." He chuckled, shaking his head and snorting when he turned and Jaune flushed and ducked his head. "I didn't know either, it's no shame. It's a large rock, from beyond the sky, which falls to Remnant's surface. Comets don't. You were alive when the Great Vortex passed over us, weren't you?"

"I was three." He nodded, "I remember it, vaguely…"

"So do I." He chuckled, "I was three, too. We're the same age then, it seems."

"Yet you've fought for longer…"

"Nobility has privileges." He shrugged, "And burdens. Joining the Order a few years early was a bit of both, for myself and my friends."

"Then why were you in our training unit?"

"My company was decimated." Cardin explained quietly, smiling thinly, almost sadly, as he remembered, "I'd only been among them for a year, and… Well, it's easier to shuffle young survivors into retraining. From what I've been told, it makes units more cohesive. So they work better together."

"That makes sense, I suppose…" If they were trained together, then they'd be used to each other. Know how to fight with each other, who has what weapons, what styles, what likes and dislikes. Spending enough time together to break those down, and piece people into units properly, had to be important - like heat treating metal, so it would last longer, or break in the workshop while it didn't matter as much. Shaking his head to break himself out of his thoughts, he asked again, "What did you say after that?"

"I said I didn't know." Cardin chuckled quietly, "And he cuffed me upside the head. And then explained… It's the same time a man becomes a failure. When he comes crashing down, and destroys himself and everything around him."

"Right…"

"Grieve." Winchester sighed, standing and leaving his bowl behind as he turned to leave and, quietly, added, "But don't let it break you."

"Where are you going…?"

"To grieve." He grunted over his armored shoulder, turning and smirking widely. Tiredly. "And to find something to drink, and someone pretty to drink with, and then a bed to fall into. And celebrate our Oath made true."

"That was for Ansel…."

"True, but…" He shrugged and turned, "We didn't get to celebrate."

"Right…" He chuckled, remembering their vow in the ashe of his home, and nodded, "Good night to you, then."

"Maybe in an hour!" He called back, laughing brightly. "Depends on how pretty the girl I find is, eh?"

Jaune could just roll his eyes and, finally, pick up his bowl of food. It was cold, and still tasted like ash, but… He managed to force himself to stomach it, at least. And he considered that enough of a victory.

"Hey, Jaune!" He blinked, looking up from his food as Ruby appeared, her black dress dirty from the long day and her hair matted by sweat, but a bright smile on her face as she plopped onto the seat next to him. "How are you?"

Smiling, he sighed and said, "Fine enough, considering… You?"

"Bored!" She complained, "Nothing left to do. Ya know?"

"I suppose…" He shrugged, "Want to eat with me, then?"

"Sure!" She nodded, bouncing back up and away, calling back. "Lemme grab something- And some drinks!"

He nodded, and smiled as she stole some soup and came bouncing back towards him.

XxX----XxX----XxX

We only stayed a few days after the battle, in the end. Even decimated as we were, cut down to a quarter of our number, the Kingdom couldn't simply leave a detachment of any of their Orders idle. And not just for the obvious reasons, either. If other Orders of the Church found out the Preying Eagle was so badly hurt, or that they were being withheld from duty, then their rivals would see a chance to seize standing, reputation and even, for the more ruthless commanders, land grants from the Preying Eagle. Rarely did this ever come to more than one side moving in on another who backed down, but there had been skirmishes - even battles - in the past.

And that risk was enough to motivate them - and, if they didn't, draw the Crown's hand into the matter to prevent worse.

So, with our dead burned and given to the soil and the gods, and our wounded loaded into, carts gifted to us by Tai Yang Xiao Long, we made our return trip to the Old Warden's Keep. Or, as many of us had come to know it by then, home. Rain accompanied us for a bit longer, but only a bit. The worst was the wind and the chill, sweeping in and leaving them shivering in their armor more often than not, though their gambeson did its work well enough.

But I only made it halfway, before…

XxX----XxX----XxX

Jaune groaned as the cohort in front of his came to a stop and Cardin bellowed a booming, "Halt, march!"

Jaune turned from his spot at the front left of the marching cohort, watching his ranks stop and nodding in satisfaction when they did. The sound of hooves caught his attention, though, and he turned to look up at Lord Rouge as he and his guards rode down the line to meet him. His arm was still in a sling, and his head had been wrapped up after the battle, so he rode without a helmet. Which let Jaune meet his gaze, and the man raised a rolled scroll as soon as he did.

"Captain…?" He murmured, stepping out of the line with Cardin just behind him.

"A letter from your House, Lord Arc." The man grunted, bobbing the letter up and down a bit to get him to take it. When he did, he turned it over in his hand to find a bright blue bit of wax sealing it, the Arc symbol pressed into it, and frowned.

"What could they-"

"Open it," Winchester sighed, chuckling in spite of how tired his eyes looked, "and find out, Arc. That's how letters work, you know."

The Knights closest to them chuckled and he turned, shaking his head and grunting loud enough for them all to hear, "Go court a spud, Winchester."

"Why should I?" The man laughed, smiling ever so slightly, and wider than he had since the battle at Patch. Waving a hand at him, he said, "If I did, who would you court, hm?"

He waved the man off and frowned, flicking Cardin a more serious look and asking, "I just…. Break the seal?"

"A-Ah." The man snorted until Jaune cocked his head. Then he straightened and cleared his throat nervously as he, apparently, realized Jaune was being serious and felt a bit put out for laughing. Nodding, he said, "Yes. You can use the edge of your hammer-head for it. Then you just read it, normal as anything. Seal's just so you know no one else did."

"How do I know that…?"

"Brother, your tutoring has a ways to go…"

"Unfortunately, my tutor was condemned and then stolen." He grunted, shooting the man a look and chuckling when he shrugged and held up a hand in surrender. Thinking, he asked, "The seal- It's special, isn't it?"

"You're as sharp as ever." Rouge chuckled, "It's a ring. One-of-a-kind. No one else has one, unless they make one, which is-"

"Going to be pretty hard without the original." Jaune nodded, turning and using the head of his hammer to carve through the twin crescents of the Arc symbol as he hummed. "Which, if you have the original, why would you need a copy?"

"Not for anything good…"

"Fair." He chuckled, unrolling the thick, soft paper and frowning.

'To the Inheritor D'Arc,

Whichever of you are left breathing after your contest, return at once to grant me attendance to the ends of officiation of your inheritance. A matter of great import, you are to make your way with all due haste to Vale, where Juniper of House Arc awaits for officiation, at the Manor Arc. As well, officiation will grant final access to House resources. With all vested authority,

Lady Lesser Juniper Arc, of House Arc, Matron in Standing.'

"Well?" Lord Rouge asked from his horse, "What was so urgent as to send a messenger riding out to meet us instead of sending it to the Keep, then?"

"A summons, from my… From the Lady of the House. Of, um, my House, I mean." He answered, rolling it up and turning to let Kat take it from him, tucking it safely into Hare's pack without a word. Turning back to him he said, "It's about my Inheritance, and the House, and… All of it. Says I should head to Vale immediately."

"I see." Lord Rouge hummed, nodding and turning his Horse. Quietly, he said, "There's a split in the road ahead - we've a different route to take, back to the Keep. But you and your cohort can turn off there and head for Vale."

"My cohort…?" He snorted a bitter laugh and waved a hand, "You mean Winchester? That's most of what I have left."

"You have three left." Lord Rouge amended gently, "Counting Winchester. And as a Lord, and the Lieutenant in command, it falls to you to at least try and rebuild your number. It shouldn't be so hard in Vale."

"The others are too wounded for the trip." He argued, dread seeping into his very core at the mere concept of trying to get them to Vale safely. Without a cart, they'd be in trouble - and with one, knowing his luck, they'd snap a wheel. "I'm not even marching them - I'm marching the fourth cohort, and what's left of the fifth."

"You've a point, I suppose…" The man sighed, thinking for a moment before finally nodding and suggesting. "Winchester goes with you, and I will authorize the outfitting of any men you recruit. From my House's funds, until you have your own to spend. I'll take your wounded and fold them into one of the other cohorts."

"You agree to this?"

"I am your Second, Lord Arc." Winchester huffed, "Of course I agree."

"Alright." He sighed, "Come on, then. We've a long walk."

"Actually…" Lord Rouge cut in, smiling amusedly and waving towards the rear, behind his ranks and past the Order's own carts and wagons of supplies to where Chastenedwere leading the horse's of his sister's guard by the reins. "Take a couple of those. They were to be returned to your family's stables in any event. This will just save us some effort."

"Horses?" Jaune hummed, "I'm… I don't know how to ride."

"I'll teach you, then." Cardin grunted, waving for him to follow and brushing by as he made his way to them.

"Very well, then…" He sighed, shaking his head and adding, "We'll need four, though."

"For your Chastened?" The man scoffed, shaking his head.

"Making them walk will slow us down, and the letter said to get there as soon as possible." He argued, already hearing the argument to come and cutting it off at the head. Turning to Lord Rouge, he added, "And they are mine. My horses and Chastened both."

"Aye, they are. Or, well, will be, soon enough." Rouge chuckled, turning his own horse and shrugging with his good shoulder. "Do as you like, Lord Arc. As unconventional as ever, but ultimately, your choice is yours alone."

"Thank you, Lord Rouge." He nodded and turned, walking away as his marching cohort reformed, an older woman taking his place as Cardin tugged aside a pair of horses and, when Jaune held up a couple fingers, sighed and grabbed another pair. As the regiment's remnants marched way, Jaune stepped to the side of the path and asked, "You know how to ride, right, Winchester?"

"Well enough." He shrugged, strapping his mace and shield to either side of the horse's rear and stepping up into its foot-rest, pulling himself up smoothly. The horse huffed and tossed its head, more used to a lightly armored cavalier than a heavily armored foot knight, but didn't do much more than that. "You saw how I did it?"

"Yeah…"

"Just try and copy, best as you can." He grunted, gesturing at another horse. This one was a bit longer, with broad shoulders and dark, black hair. Its mane and tail, though, had grayed out and hung almost wildly. In spite of that, it was calm, chewing on some leaves and watching them all with an eye. "That one's the calmest I found. Should do you well. You two, help him up, yeah?"

His Chastened did as they were told and, after a few fumbled tries, Jaune was mounted at last. While Kat strapped Crocea Mors to its flank, and his hammer above it, Hare threw a leather loop around his waist and cinched it to the saddle. Confused, he turned to Winchester as he pulled his own horse up alongside his.

"A catch-belt." He explained, "When you try an' fall, because you will, it'll keep you up. Eventually, you'll get your own balance. But for now, it'll work."

"Alright…" It felt rather like he was being treated like a child, but then, he preferred that to falling off and breaking something. So he squashed down his pride, picked up the reins, and sighed, "How do I… Make it go?"

"Tap your heel, gently, into its flank and lean forward." Winchester explained, leaning forward a bit as he demonstrated it. Once the horse was past Jaune's, he leaned a bit to the side, too, and gently tugged the leather reins. "Same for turning, except tap one side only. And tug the strap, so it turns its head. Horses naturally want to move the way they're facing, so let it find its own way."

"Alright…" He leaned forward and tapped his horse and it snorted and shot forward a few feet, until he leaned back and tugged the reins up, swearing, "Son of a-"

"Gentler." Winchester laughed, cantering up to his side. "Tap it gentler- You made it think you wanted a charge or something. They're trained to be war-mounts, you know, so they're sensitive."

"Right…"

"You did well on the stopping, though." Winchester complimented, "Figured it out faster than most would have."

"I figured the reins and leaning would go every direction." He shrugged, thinking and asking, "When I want it to back up, I do that, too, right?"

"Yes." The man nodded, "When you're stopped, that'll tell it you want to go back. Some will try and turn instead, though."

"Because they want to face which way they're going?"

"Damn, you're a sharp one…" Cardin chuckled, "Come on, then, bring him to a walk. We'll get some practice down and head on."

It took a while yet, for him to get a grasp on controlling the horse the way he needed to. But, less than an hour later, they were on their way. It'd be a couple days of riding to get to Vale but, with only four of them and all mounted, Cardin told him to expect an easier trip. And, after just a couple long marches, he was already hopeful to get a horse every time instead of having to blister his feet.