Eighteen

Jaune had heard a hundred of the Church's stories as he'd grown up, either from Port or the preachers whenever he managed to make it to Temple, or when a holiday came around and port let him slip away to join. All of the stories told of noble blood, fighting gallantly on the lines between Mankind and the Beastly Darkness. Men and women died, stabbed in the back by Faunus knaves or ripped apart by Grimm claws. Romance blossomed amidst the drama of House and course, ending in tragedy as often as happiness but always bitterly won by the end. And noble knights fought, shield and sword and lance defending the innocent as they fled the carnage.

Not a single Gods damned one of them talked about after the great wars and romances, when the heroes returned to the civilized world and faced an altogether different foe…

Gods forsaken governing and all it's asinine paperwork.

"So I'm- We're, I mean, just s'posed ta… Walk 'round the streets and check the ditches?"

"Make sure they're clean, yes." He sighed, sitting in Tai Yang's place on the large couch and speaking down to the eldest of three men that Ruby had brought to him. "If they aren't, then you're to head to the water towers and open the wash-gate to flush them out into the fields."

"An' if they ain't got no water?"

"The storm season just passed." He sighed, "They should be. And if they aren't, we have reserves in the Hall for them. Just come let me know."

"Alright…" The man nodded and bobbed his head, "If'n that's all, Chief?"

"It is." And he wasn't the Village Chief, he left unsaid. Leaning forward, he signed his name on the contract in front of him and cleared his throat. "By my power, vested upon me in interim by Headman Tai Yang Xiao Long, and by the Kingdom of Vale, and by the True Gods, you have been thusly charged to duty. Upon return to proper form, you will be paid a bounty of twenty coins per man, per day of work."

He nodded and Ruby, who was sitting beside him, shot forward in a flurry of petals to snatch up the contract, then delivered it to the man and came back, bouncing in her seat while Jaune brushed the petals off of his armored chest.

"You make such a mess…" He murmured as the men left and they were left alone, if only for a moment before something inevitably came up. She flicked him a look, one eyebrow raised, and he gestured at the lines of petals trailing across the landing and throughout the Hall and said, "Ruby, the landing is covered in petals, and you're leaving trails 'round the Hall."

"Oay, one, it's not covered. There's just… A lot scattered around." She argued, "And two… At least I make it smell nice?"

"Fair." He sighed as the doors opened and one of the Knights left behind came in, flanked by two others. Straightening, he nodded as they reached the front of the platform. "How are you, Brothers and Sister?"

"A noon as fair as the Gods' light ever has been." The lead man said, stepping forward and bowing deeply at the waist. As he straightened he went on, "We are here to report, on the hour as you ordered."

"It is appreciated." He nodded, "You sound tired?"

"We are fine, my Lord." The man sighed, "Only… Completing patrols and coming to you so often leaves little time for rest."

"Have the Knights eaten lunch?" He asked, "The Militia?"

"Taking lunch first, and presently, my Lord." The Knight answered, "As you ordered."

"Good." He nodded. They weren't professional soldiers by any means - if he pressed them too hard, they would shatter, like iron cooled too sharply. "Any news?"

"None, Lord Arc." He answered, "The settlement is peaceful, as are the fields. And the Militia has raised no concerns about the further, forest-edge fields."

"Good, and thank you." As they bowed and turned to leave, he asked, "And Winchester?"

"Leading the Militia, Lord." The man said, "As you ordered. All goes well, I believe, judging from the fact that he hasn't come to you about anything."

"Right…" He nodded, "Be about it, then, Brothers. Sister. And be safe."

No sooner had they left than did the next group come in - several women lead by an older man, all dressed in nice linens and fine, knee-high leather boots. The women were collared, Chastened obviously, with low-cut tops that showed off more than a little skin and slits along their thighs that did the same. One of them lingered behind the man with downcast, red eyes and all of them looked exhausted and sort of frail. Downtrodden, almost, in spite of their nice clothes.

"A merchant." Ruby whispered quickly, leaning in so her head almost lay on his shoulder while the man approached. "Contracted by the Church to sell Chastened to the nobility."

"Why is he here?" Jaune asked, "Tai Yang isn't noble."

"No, but he's wealthy." She said, "They'll sell to wealth as much as blood, if they can convince them to buy whatever they're trying to pass off. And if you listen to some of the rumors…"

Before he could ask what the rumors actually said, the man reached them and smiled widely, pleasantly, in spite of the collared women behind him. "Ah! My young Lord Arc! The newly found young scion of the most ancient and venerable Arc line! It is, truly, a pleasure and an honor!"

"I would like to say the same." Jaune answered, pursing his lips and paying the man a curt nod. "And a good day, besides."

"And the same to you, my Lord! Heartily, the same to you!" The old man crowed, running his hand through the sparse hair on his balding head and then tugging his braided beard straighter. Turning, he gestured for the woman to move and they stepped to his side, lining up with their heads bowed. Turning to Jaune, he explained, "When I heard of your discovery and inheritance, I simply knew- Knew that I must come before you with my very best!"

"To what end?"

"Did…. Your father not tell you of me?" He asked, smiling unsurely and pressing his hands to his chest. "I am Alexander, Lord Arc."

"No…" But if Nicholas had known him, then he had to be important, somehow. So he forced a thin smile and asked, "And you brought… What, exactly?"

The man blinked, confused, and then gestured to the women with a hand, "Why, my finest Chastened, brought to me, and thus you, straight from the Church itself. In the city of Vale. Freshly Cleansed and properly reformed, by the Church's word."

That he believed wholly - they looked tired and like they'd been through the kind of hell Ember had described to him. But there was little he could do about it, unfortunately. Instead, he said, "No, my father didn't tell me about you. And as much as I… Appreciate you coming so far, I'm afraid I'm not looking for new servants."

"Ah, but did you not just lose yours?" Jaune cocked his head and the merchant smiled roguishly, "Word around the village, my Lord."

"Ah, well…" He frowned, "Word should have told you that Lord Rouge… Replaced my loss already. As I said, I'm not in need."

"But these could be more than mere servants! You could-"

"I have no need of more servants, Merchant." He cut the man off sharply, morte sharply than he'd intended - but his headache was returning. And he was sure there was another solicitor just waiting outside, too. "And no coin for them regardless. You have my gratitude for coming, especially as you say you knew my father, but no more than that."

"I see…" He grimaced, "I'm… Disappointed, I must say."

"I'm sorry." He lied - though, it was a white lie. Harmless. Even so, it rankled him, and he added, quietly, "I am simply uninterested."

"I see… A shame."

"I suppose." He was more than happy not to have another collar to his name. He didn't hold any hate for those around him who did, but he wasn't of a mind to do it himself. He waved a hand at the door and sighed, "Now, please, have a good-"

The door flew open suddenly, and the trio of Knights from earlier came running in, heaving for breath. The leader raised his voice and shouted, "Grimm in the fields! They're attacking the militia and Winchester!"

"What?!" He shot to his feet and shot around the table, dropping off the edge of the dais and turning to point at Ruby. "Run and gather whoever you can find around the forest's edge! Try and bring them in on the Grimm's flank when we engage!"

"Gotcha, Jaune!"

"You three, lead me!" He snapped, yanking his hammer free and stooping to pluck a shield from the wall beside the door. It wasn't his, or even of his Order. Instead it was tall, with a flat rim at eye level and a pointed tip that rested on the ground. "We must go to our Brothers and Sisters!"

"Yes, Lord!" The lead soldier said, exhausted from the run and the patrols both, but more than ready to fight regardless.

They slipped past him back out the door, where a crowd of confused people who had been waiting to see him. They parted easily as the shields came forward to push through more quickly, murmuring confusedly and frightenedly. But even if they did know what Jaune was being called out for, they should feel safe inside the walls.

And hopefully would…

He didn't fancy trying to manage a panic.

Then a flurry of furious red rocketed overhead and startled them all, and even Jaune himself. He hit his knees as Ruby soared overhead, trailing petals in her wake, and vanished over a building. And then along the roofs, towards the wall that ringed the base of the great hill Patch rested on. For a moment, he paused, transfixed on the Gods' power which flowed through and around the young woman, and let her very nearly fly over the wood and thatch roofs of the houses and halls below her.

It only lasted a moment, though, before he shook it off.

There were just under a dozen men and women waiting outside the gates, looking tired but confused when Jaune and his Knights came rushing out. Most were local militia, armed with bows and slings. But three were his Knights, and fell in as soon as they saw him come out with his hammer in hand. The militia hesitated, though, and Jaune didn't have time for it. More pressingly, his men didn't have time for it.

"Fall in, or fall out." He snapped at them, "Grimm at the forest's edge."

He was moving before they could more than flinch at his painful shout, his Knights fanning out to either side of him. But, when he flicked a look over his shoulder and remembered to miss the safety of his helmet, he was happy to see them trailing loosely along behind their tighter, steadily straightening line of armored men and women.

"Straight ahead and to the East!" One of the Knights that had come for him called out, as much to Jaune himself as to the rest of their hastily assembled band. "Greater Ursa! Three of them!"

Jaune had no idea what a 'Greater Ursa' was, but felt the eyes of the militia - and several of his Brothers and Sisters, too - on him regardless. After a moment, he raised his voice and ordered, "Brothers, Sisters, form rank and push to join our comrades!! Militia members, circle onto our flank and focus on the closest Grimm!"

It was vague to the point Jaune felt almost embarrassed, but no one said anything - instead, they called out their affirmations and fell silent.

Some direction was better than none, at least, he supposed…

In the week before they'd arrived, and the days the Order's detachment had been present, Patch's farmers and daytalers had been hard at work clearing the fields. Now, the fields lay fallow and open. Mostly dry, cracked expanses, spotted by mud and manure and uneven, patchy holes where some more troublesome crops had been ripped up root and all, to clear the way for the future spring.

And, across it, Jaune could see the fighting.

A half-dozen men and women, mostly only his Knights, in a loose line formation. They were backing away from them, from where Jaune's unit was, being herded along by the Grimm while they did their best to keep out of reach of the massive, lumbering bears. One of them stumbled as the line backed away, and Jaune saw the others try and move in to help them. But they were too slow, and were driven back by one of the armored Ursa while another brought its weight down on the shield of the Knight and crushed it and the Knight beneath it down, into the ground.

"Damn it…" He snarled, turning to look along the path and then back at the uneven, broken ground. Finally, he called out, "Across the fields!"

"But, Lord Arc, the ground is uneven!"

"I gave my orders!" Jaune snapped, ignoring the ache in his throat and watching a particular Knight bring his mace around to crack against the side of an Ursa's head. It staggered back, then shook it off and snarled, and Jaune took off. "With me! With the gods!"

The Knights and Militia alike roared and took off just a step behind him.

The ground was uneven, as he'd been told, and Jaune stumbled more than once. As did his men and women. But even so, they crossed quickly, and Cardin had seen them coming. Or Jaune assumed he had.

His Knights, tired though they doubtless were, suddenly reformed into a tighter line and pivoted, back and to the side. Into the forest, even, as Jaune's group finally reached the edge of the field. One Ursa charged, and the line surged forward, pushing Cardin ahead with men at his back bracing him to catch the monster as it came down. Which they did, staggering back a step as its weight slammed home.

"Missiles on the other two!" Jaune roared as his line stepped out of the mud and onto the more solid, if still uneven, ground just before the forest. "Knights, form and make some noise! Draw them!"

As his contingent formed up, stones and arrows rained down on the back of the closest Grimm. The stones thwacked off of dark, furred flesh with little splats of ichorous blood, and thunked off the armor while the arrows did the same. One archer scored a shot along its rear hip, which bled badly as the monster bellowed and rounded on them. When the two tried to rear up, to frighten his Knights as they advanced, the leg wobbled and gave out, and the beast sagged to the side while the other caught more missiles to its stomach.

And one more lucky shot that buried itself in its eye, which drew a roar from the monster as it turned, pawing at its face and snarling.

"Charge!" He ordered loudly, seeing his chance with the Grimm both staggered and wounded. "Missiles to flanks!"

He didn't wait to hear what they would have said, and wouldn't have heard it if he had, through the blood roaring through his ears. He dropped his hips, braced his shield, and charged, hammer held high. As they closed, the bears turned back to him, and the blinded one came up and then down on a faster Knight who staggered as she tried to stop herself. Jaune heard her scream, before it was cut off by the meaty crush of the Grimm coming down.

Then, Jaune brought his hammer down on the iron-capped end of the arrow, driving it in with the precise skill of a riveting smith.

It vanished into the Grimm's skull and the beast warbled in surprise as it stumbled to the side, and off his dead knight. Whatever the arrow had done hadn't killed it, but it stared dumbly as another Knight came up to its side and brought his axe down on the base of its thick neck.

Jaune didn't watch it fall, though. Instead he turned, circling around the other wounded Grimm as his Knights entrapped it. He flicked a look to the side and watched the third Grimm, distracted by Cardin's force, snarl as arrows sprouted along its back and stones rained down. But he turned back when he saw movement.

The claw barely nicked him as he threw himself back and brought his shield up, but it still managed it, carving a thin cut across his brow. It bled, badly, and Jaune hissed as it ran into his eye. But he could still see with his good eye, and turned his head to keep his good side towards the monster as another Knight's maul came down, crushing against its already wounded him. As it roared and fell, its leg unable to take its weight, Jaune lunged, cracking it across the side of its jaw and shattering its mask and jawbone with the angry, adrenaline fueled force of it.

Its head snapped to the side and it snarled wetly as an axe came down on its flank, and then another maul came down on the tail-end of its spine. It turned suddenly, claw snapping out and crunching into a Knight's shield hard enough his arm buckled. As he fell back, arm limp at his side, another brought her hammer down, its spike-side burying in the monsters neck.

It spasmed, hitched, and finally fell when the woman wrenched the spike out, and tore its throat open.

Turning, jaune watched the other Ursa collapse as Cardin staggered to the side, and into the arms of a Brother of the Order. He was exhausted, and hot enough he yanked his helmet off, but he met Jaune's gaze with a smile.

"Brother!" He said, "You seem to have something on your face!"

Adrenaline washing out of him, Jaune sank to a knee and laughed, shaking his head. "Very funny, you bastard!"

"Hey don't worry!" The man called back, "I hear women love scars and- Oh look, here's one now!"

Jaune turned where he knelt as a trio of horses approached, each bearing a woman in light mail. Their biceps and thighs were unarmored, covered only by thin linen, but they wore light bracers and vambraces, with leather gloves and boots underneath. All wore open-faced conical helmets, the two on the flanks topped with dull violet braided hair, while the first wore the same braids in blonde.

All carried spears, too, which were no doubt perfect on their mounts.

"Ho there- Ah!" He hissed as a Knight grabbed his head, dabbing at the blood with a cloth and smearing something sticky that sung the cut on his brow. He grimaced but ignored it, raising his hammer in greeting. "Forgive me for not coming to you!"

"You needn't worry, Sir Knight." The woman said, looking over his mean as the wounded were tended to by the uninjured among the militia and his Knights both. Her eyes lingered on the smoldering Grimm as its ashes flecked away into the sky and she kicked her horse closer, until she, and it, loomed over him from his side. "You've had trouble, obviously, and so I hold nothing against you for your state and ill manners."

"I… Appreciate that." He grunted, finally standing as the Knight tied a bandage around his head. "Forgive me that. I'm a village man at the best of times, and… Well, you've caught me after a bit of a fright."

"And a hell of a fight, Brother." Cardin rumbled as he joined him, clapping him on his shoulder. "Saved my blood, you know. I owe you a drink."

"Perhaps…"

"Regardless of all else, if it pleases, I will accompany you into the village." The woman said, kicking her horse and turning it. Jaune circled with it, staying on her flank with Cardin just behind him. "I've business inside."

"And that may be?"

"My own, and your commander's." She snapped, "None of yours."

"The detachment commander is away, and left me in the interim." He countered, frowning deeply and leaning his borrowed shield against his shoulder. "As the interim power, I'm going to ask politely one more time… What is your business?"

"I didn' realize you were the authority." She murmured, voice flat and unbothered enough he actually believed her. "Apologies."

"Accepted." He nodded, "Now…?"

"I'm here to meet my brother." She answered, "My name is Lady Saphron of House Arc, a lady-at-arms of the Arc household."

"Oh." He blinked, blood suddenly chilling in his veins. He swallowed, anxiously, then offered his hand stiffly and said. "Uh… Lord Jaune of House Arc, a Knight of the Order of the Preying Eagle and the interim protector of Patch. It's a, uh, pleasure, sister."