The Queens of Remnant - Chapter 23 (Patreon)

“Blake.”

Tempering a sigh, Blake tore her attention away from the map on the desk and motioned the messenger over.

“Updates?”

“A small one,” he replied before launching into his list.  “The last supplies were distributed to the outer settlements.  The process was...mostly orderly.  A group of raiders tried to grab some stuff, but we pushed them back.  Otherwise, everything went according to plan.”

“Good.  Thank you.”

He nodded once and rushed out of the small building.  He had more messages to deliver, after all, in order to keep the settlements and Resistance connected with a constant flow of communication.

Returning her attention to the desk, Blake calmly crossed the last item off the list of supplies to be delivered.  The map reminded her of just how drastically her strategy had changed.  She used to track losses, destruction, and troop positions.  Now, she oversaw the long, slow process of recovery.

The initial package of aid, which seemed like so much in Vale, had disappeared in the blink of an eye.  The settlements’ eager acceptance had taken her by surprise, but she should have known better than to underestimate their resilience. With the fighting paused, the Badlands focused on healing their sick and wounded while rebuilding whatever they could.  Blake had directed Vale’s help where it was needed most, and the Resistance ensured the supplies were distributed to the people who deserved them.

Skirmishes with raiders still happened, and there was still a long road ahead, but initial progress seemed promising.  If they kept this up...and if the truce didn’t fall apart...their future looked brighter than it had in a long time - mostly thanks to a certain queen who seemed determined not to let Blake forget her.

As if Blake could forget Yang if she tried...

Every spare moment not spent coordinating the recovery, her thoughts drifted to the palace and the queen living there.  She hadn’t been there long, but she...missed it.  She didn’t necessarily miss the comforts or extravagance of such a beautiful, opulent place.  She missed the company.

She promised that she would return, and she intended to keep that promise.  She’d worked tirelessly the past few days to make it possible, knowing time was of the essence.  If she could wrap up a few more items on her list, she would feel comfortable making a quick return…

Leaving now was an option, but she couldn’t convince herself to take it.  As much as she wanted to, and as much as she considered it, she didn’t know how that would be interpreted.  It would probably be interpreted correctly, but that unspoken admission of her feelings scared her.

“Hey Blake.”

Sun provided the interruption this time, but he gestured Blake outside as soon as she looked up.

“Check this out.”

“What is it?” she asked, but he waved her over again.

“Just come here and see.”

Sighing at his unwillingness to explain, she followed him outside and immediately froze. Sitting in front of the small building being used as temporary Resistance headquarters were two carriages she’d never seen before.  She also didn’t recognize the casually dressed men and women accompanying the vehicles, but she quickly realized that she wouldn’t recognize them without their gold-and-red armor.

“Are you Blake Belladonna?” one of them asked as soon as they saw her.

“I am.”

“Then this is for you,” he said, stepping forward and extending a sealed envelope.  “The Queen sends her regards and these supplies to use as you see fit.”

Numbly accepting the envelope, Blake barely nodded before he rejoined his companions.  They swiftly grouped up and headed back to Vale, eager to leave hostile territory behind.

“She knows how to get your attention, doesn’t she?”  After glancing at Blake, Sun shook his head and laughed.  “Yeah, she really does.”

“Shut up and get this stuff somewhere safe,” Blake mumbled.  He laughed again before waving several Resistance members over to help unload the carriages and store the supplies in their safehouse.  Once they cataloged the unexpected supplies, a second set of distributions could be made to the settlements.  In the meantime, Blake broke the envelope’s seal and pulled a sheet of paper from inside.  As soon as she unfolded the page, she recognized the handwriting, and her heart sped up in anticipation of Yang’s words.

Dear Blake,

I hope this letter finds you well.  I hope you made it to the Badlands safely, are still safe, and that your efforts are going according to plan.

I scrounged up more medicine and other supplies that are hopefully helpful.  Without your guidance I’m grasping in the dark here, but I know you’ll find the best way to put these to use.

It’s been several days since you left Vale - not that I’ve been counting, but...well, I have.  You certainly know how to make someone want to forfeit a war so we can all move on.

Things are moving in the right direction though.  At least, it feels like they are.  It’s hard to tell here in the palace sometimes.  The lack of updates makes me feel like nothing’s going on, but I know you’re out there somewhere, working hard and making things better.  That’s the thought I keep returning to, and it makes this separation a little easier to bear.

Please tell me if you need anything.  Even if you don’t think it’s possible, I’ll do my best to make it happen.  Until then, I’m here waiting.

Sincerely,

Yang

Immediately after reaching the end of the letter, Blake’s eyes returned to the top and read it again.  This time, she ran her fingers across the elegantly scrolled letters, drinking in every word while reading between the lines.

Imagining Yang sitting alone in the office, brow furrowed while sweeping a pen across the page, made Blake’s heart ache.  How was Yang feeling when she wrote this?  Her lines looked steady, unshaken, but Blake knew how well Yang could mask the disease. Was she alright?  Had the Phage worsened?  Was she sleeping enough?  Eating enough?  Taking care of herself like she promised?

Blake wished for those details yet understood why Yang hadn’t provided even a glimpse of them.  Written down, that information could fall into the wrong hands and be used for the wrong purposes.  Being left in the dark, however, made Blake fear the worst.

Now, she wanted to return to Vale even more than she already had.  There was still more she could do in the Badlands - there was always more she could do - but Yang had just moved to the top of her list of priorities.

Yang didn’t say what she was waiting for, but she didn’t have to - she was waiting for Blake.

Leaving Vale should have been easy, yet Blake couldn’t keep her thoughts from drifting back to the palace.  To Yang.  Talking in Yang’s room...working together in the office...sharing meals in the dining room...then that moment at the palace gates, when Blake realized how much Yang wanted her to stay.

Looking back on it, she wished that she’d kissed Yang fully, but she’d lost her courage at the last second.  Plus, she didn’t have the resolve to kiss Yang and leave.  She would have stayed, then nothing would have gotten done.

…that wasn’t entirely true.  They could work with messengers well enough.  But if Blake didn’t return to the Badlands, to her home, then...what had she spent the past few years fighting for? She would have regretted staying, but she also regretted leaving.  Now, her only option was to finish as much as possible before rushing back to Yang.

“Wow, did she just profess her love or something?”

Blake blinked away from those thoughts while Sun skipped over to her.

“Look at you!  You’re fawning all over this letter.  It has to say something good.  What is it?  She misses you?”

“None of your business,” Blake said before turning around, but Sun zipped in front of her.

“That’s it, isn’t it?  She misses your...rockin’ bod.”

While Sun chuckled at his joke, Blake rolled her eyes.

“She says she’ll send more supplies when she can.”  When Sun’s jaw immediately dropped, her brow furrowed.  “What?”

“You just lied to me!”

“I did not.”

“You just did it again!”

Before Blake argued, Sun snatched the letter from her hand and flew several feet away.  He then yelped when solid, heavy rock encased his arm and dragged him to the ground with the letter still stuck in his grasp.  Blake calmly walked over and snatched it from him.

“That’s mine, thank you very much,” she quipped, folding it up and stowing it in her pocket before returning to Vale’s carriages.

“It’s a love letter, isn’t it?” he asked while scrambling to his feet and chasing after her.  “How’d you make her fall in love so fast?”

“It’s not a love letter.”

“Hey Blake!” someone called out then.  Rushing over was yet another messenger carrying yet another envelope, which he waved in the air to grab Blake’s attention.

“She couldn’t fit enough love in one envelope?” Sun guessed, earning an elbow in the side before Blake accepted the second envelope.

“Don’t you have supplies to put away?”

While Sun playfully grumbled and jogged away to do just that, Blake nodded to the messenger before opening the envelope. Foolishly, she briefly thought that it was a second letter from Yang - this one more personal than the first.  Seeing different handwriting, however, she shook off the minor disappointment and dropped her gaze to the name at the bottom.

Her eyes widened when she realized that while it might not have been written by Yang, its author was equally royal.  Ruby wrote this letter, and had addressed specifically to Blake.

Dear Blake,

I wanted to personally let you know that the treaty with Atlas is moving along.  Progress is slower than I’d like, but rest assured that Weiss and I will get it done.

I hope you’re doing well in Vale, and that you and Yang are making progress planning for the Badlands.  I know Yang can be difficult sometimes, and stubborn, and hard-headed, but I hope she’s treating you well.  Between the two of you, I’m confident the Badlands are in excellent hands.

On a more personal note, I wanted to ask how Yang’s doing.  She tells me she’s fine, but she can’t be fine all the time.  I’m hoping you can give me a more accurate update.  Is she doing well?  Is she in good spirits?  Is all this work exhausting her or is she taking it in stride?

Between you and me, I worry about how much the stress wears on her.  Maybe I’m being overly protective, but she’s always had this issue where, quite simply, she puts everyone else before herself - even at the expense of her health.

Please let me know how she’s doing.  I’d appreciate your evaluation over her customary ‘I’m fine, don’t worry about me.’

All the best from very cold Atlas,

Ruby

Blake stared at Ruby’s signature, frowning at the dilemma.  Ruby requested honest feedback, but Blake had promised to keep Yang’s secret...even if that meant keeping a secret from one of the Queens of Vale.

Yang didn’t want Ruby to worry, but Ruby was already worried - this letter revealed as much.  She might not know the extent of Yang’s illness, but she sensed the war taking its toll on Yang’s health.  Making matters worse, Ruby was right - Yang put everyone else’s well-being before her own.

Didn’t Ruby deserve to know that her sister was dying?  Didn’t she deserve the opportunity to come to terms with the inevitable future or at least try to prepare herself for it before having to say goodbye?  Shouldn’t she know that while she worked on the treaty in Atlas, time slipped away from them all?

If Blake had siblings, she would want to know regardless of how much it hurt.  But, ultimately, this wasn’t her decision.  She could question whether or not it was right, but she wouldn’t divulge Yang’s secret.  Yang had trusted her with that information, and she respected Yang too much to break that trust.

“All stowed away!”  Sun was still dusting off his hands when he flashed back to Blake’s side, but his grin fell when he saw her expression.  “What’s wrong?”

If Blake couldn’t tell Ruby, she couldn’t tell Sun either.  So, after one last glance at the letter in her hands, she sighed and stuck it into her pocket along with Yang’s letter.  She would figure out how to respond later.  Hopefully, she could come up with something that assured Ruby that Yang was still able to work without giving away the disease destroying her from within.

“It’s nothing.”  Before he called her out for another lie, she nodded at the empty carriages and asked, “What’d we get?”

Sun looked like he wanted to press the issue but, after glancing over his shoulder, decided not to. “A bunch of good stuff,” he answered instead.  “Medicine, new tools, some farm equipment - you name it.”

“Is someone making an inventory?”

“As we speak.”

“Good.”  Nodding once, Blake ran a hand through her hair and thought through the next steps.  “Once we have a list, match it up as best you can with what we already know people need.  Try to spread it out a little further than the settlements that already got help though.”

“So, like, don’t give any one place too much?”

“Unless they really need it,” Blake suggested before shaking her head.  “Just...use your best judgment, I guess.”

“Why are you talking like you won’t be here telling me what to do?”

“Just in case,” she quickly explained.  “You should know the plan if anyone asks and I’m not around.  You know how demanding some people get if they hear there’s free help going around.”

“But we’ll figure it out.”  Confident in that response, Sun patted her shoulder and grinned.  “What’s most important right now is giving people hope.  Not having battles blowing through front doors every day helps a lot already.”

The answer reassured Blake that they didn’t have to do this perfectly, which was good because organizing a scattered group of settlements proved more unwieldy than anticipated.  The Resistance would learn how to distribute supplies more effectively, but their most important aid right now was the ceasefire.  By giving people their safety and security back, they could finally come out of hiding and rebuild.

“Woah there!”

“Hey, slow down!”

Blake and Sun shared concerned looks before spinning toward the commotion on the far end of the street.  As soon as she spotted the band of horses racing toward them, her adrenaline spiked and her spark surged through her veins.  Sun also stiffened beside her, anticipating a fight.

Three men, three horses, outfits suggesting raiders.  Had they seen Vale’s carriages escorted into town and decided to try their luck making away with the supplies?  Either way, their sudden appearance was bad news for everyone.  In a matter of seconds, the atmosphere transformed from a relaxed, hopeful evening to a strained, uneasy standoff.

Fortunately, there were plenty of Resistance members around to help if needed.  Even more fortunately, the riders slowed their horses to a walk some distance away.  They might be sizing everyone up, determining how much of a fight this would be, but at least they didn’t barrel through with reckless abandon.

“Who’s in charge here?” one of the riders called out.

When every Resistance fighter in the vicinity turned her way, Blake stepped out into the middle of the street.

“I am.”

After looking her over for a second, as if judging her character as much as she was judging his, he hopped off his horse and walked over.

“And you are?” he asked while extending his hand.  Having heard too many stories of the tricks raiders used, she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Blake.  Blake Belladonna.”

“Nice to meet you, Blake.”  Unperturbed by her lack of a polite greeting, he dipped the brim of his hat.  “They call me Red,” he said before motioning over his shoulder at his two companions, who’d also jumped down from their steeds.  “That’s Rooster, and that guy’s Whiskey.”

Sun scoffed at the names, but Blake studied each of the riders.  They didn’t appear to mean harm, but she knew better than to trust a group of strangers. “What do you want?” she demanded instead.

After glancing at his friends, Red removed his hat and gently spun it in his hands.

“We, uh, heard there’s a treaty.”

“A ceasefire,” she corrected before glancing at Sun.  From his miffed expression, neither of them had expected the raiders to care about the treaty.  But, if they did, she might as well inform them just like she’d informed everyone else.

“The Queen of Vale is in Atlas working on a treaty.  Until that’s finished, they’ve promised a ceasefire.  Their armies will stay put.”

When Red’s hat stopped spinning, Blake tensed.  Then he smiled.  Not a fearsome smile or a smirk - a real, honest-to-goodness smile.

“Rumor is you convinced the queens to end the war,” he added.  “And they put you in charge of the Badlands.”

“I’m not in charge of anything other than making sure these supplies make it to their intended destinations.”

She nodded to the cart and hoped the man understood her implication.

“Then we came to the right place,” Red replied while his two friends nodded.  Blake immediately stiffened, expecting an attack at any second, but Red just smiled and said, “We want to help.”

Being so preoccupied with planning how to defend herself and everyone else, Blake nearly missed his words.  Once she understood them, however, she paused and shook her head.

“I’m sorry...what?”

“We want to help,” he repeated.  “Hauling debris, building houses, clearing the fields - whatever you need.”

She exchanged another glance with Sun, who looked in equal disbelief at what they were hearing.

“Why?” she finally asked, only for Red to hang his head in what looked an awful lot like shame.

“Before the war, I ran a leathery.  Rooster farmed the fields.  Whiskey manned a tavern.  We may not have families to go home to anymore, and our penance will come for us one day, but we just…want to be useful again and...maybe right a few wrongs.”

Hundreds of horror stories and firsthand experiences told Blake not to trust anything this man said.  For all she knew, this was nothing more than an elaborate ploy preceding bloodshed.  But...he was offering help in his search for redemption.

Blake, of all people, understood what that felt like.  And she understood the gnawing uncertainty that came with it.  The fear that she could never be forgiven.  But if Weiss had given her a second chance...and Yang, and Ruby, and all of the Resistance...shouldn’t she grant the same opportunity to a seemingly sincere stranger?

“If you really want to help, we’ll split the three of you up.  For security, until we’re sure we can trust you.”

Red glanced at his companions, who nodded, before turning back to Blake.

“That’s fair.  Just let us know where to go and what to do.”

Considering the ever-darkening sky, there wasn’t much to be done right now.  The other members of the Resistance would be winding down for the day, but maybe that presented an opportunity to keep a close eye on their new companions.

“Trevor?” she called out, motioning the young man over.  “Can you set these three up with a place to sleep?  We’ll figure out where to send them in the morning.”

“Got it.”

Before Trevor hurried away, Blake grabbed his elbow.

“Keep a close eye on them,” she told him under her breath.  “Don’t assume they’re friendly.”

“Understood.”

Once he nodded, she returned her focus to the three raiders.

“Trevor will introduce you to our other members and find you a place to sleep.  We’ll talk in the morning about where you can be most useful.”

If the men harbored any deceit, their hopeful, excited expressions made it impossible to tell.  Rooster, in particular, bounced on his toes and grinned.

“Maybe we’ll get a harvest in, after all,” he remarked while slapping Whiskey’s back.

“And pour some drinks,” Whiskey added before tipping his hat to Blake.  “Thank you, ma’am.  We won’t let you down.”

Blake nodded before watching the group tie up their horses and follow Trevor to the buildings the Resistance was using for temporary housing.  Their gratitude seemed genuine, and their intentions pure, but only time would tell.  Hopefully, she wouldn’t regret this decision like so many others. Rooster’s comment, however, spun her thoughts in another direction.

“He’s right...” she murmured while considering the weather and time of year.  “If we clear the fields fast enough, we can start planting just in time.  We could have a harvest this year.  And with stable food, we can depend on Vale less...”

“Speaking of food,” Sun interrupted.  “When’s the last time you ate?”

“Uh - this morning, I think.  Why?”

“It’s probably time to do that.”

“I’m not hungry though.”

“Alright, then how about a break?”

Before Blake responded, Sun looped his arm through hers and tugged her down the street.

“I don’t have time for a break -”

“Sure you do!  You’ve been working nonstop for like three days - you need a break.  Let’s go for a walk!”

“I need to get a few more things done so I can go back to Vale,” she said while letting him pull her toward the edge of the settlement.  “Yang and I can make a new plan to get farming supplies out here so we can start planting.”

“Can’t you just send a message?”

“I guess…” she admitted, though her heart protested the suggestion.  “But I don’t know how familiar she is with farming.  And this seems like something that should be done in person, doesn’t it?”

When Sun laughed, Blake frowned at him.

“What’s so funny?”

“Are you actually fooling yourself with that?”

After thinking long and hard about her true motivation to return to Vale, she sighed and shook her head.

“No.  I’m not.”

“Good.  Don’t.”

They fell into silence after Sun’s response, walking along the forest’s edge while the light faded away.  Nighttime had always been quiet out here, and tonight was no different.  Away from what little noise the Resistance made, only rustling leaves and chirping insects interrupted the peace.

Though Sun hadn’t come right out and told her to return to Vale, his support convinced her that it was the right thing to do.  As much as she wanted to watch the renewal begin, her heart drove her back to Yang.  Her goals could still be accomplished from Vale…she just wouldn’t be the one getting her hands dirty like she’d always imagined.

“So while you’re in Vale, I’ll do all the things.”

Suddenly realizing the position she was putting him in, she backtracked from the idea.

“I can stay -”

“Please.”  He laughed and waved off her concern.  “You already bullet-pointed everything for me; pretty sure I’d have to be an idiot to mess it up.  Besides...I made a few bets that you’d get with the queen before the end of the month.  How can I win if you’re toiling around here with us?”

After a brief moment of shock at that admission, she shoved her shoulder while he laughed.

“It’s not like that.”

“Uh huh...she’s just really attractive, and she misses you, and whenever you think about her you get this goofy smile on your face - that one!  Exactly like that one!”

Blake tried to grab his finger when he pointed at her, but he just dashed out of the way and laughed some more.  She shook her head at his teasing but didn’t try to argue.  He would use anything she said against her, and he would only be right.

Instead, she snuck a glance at the barely visible lights of Vale while they meandered along the edge of the forest.  Her heart fluttered when she saw the magnificent kingdom, which had gone from enemy to ally in a remarkably short time.  Somewhere amongst those sparkling lights lived the queen who’d fully captured her imagination.  As darkness fell, had Yang already retreated to her room?  Was she still tirelessly working in the office when she should be resting?  Or was she in the dining room eating another late dinner because she’d skipped several meals?

“How’s everyone doing?” Blake asked, hoping to tear her thoughts away from Yang.  “How do they feel about...everything.  The war ending, and Vale sending help?”

“Relieved, mostly.”  Sun swung his arms while he walked and didn’t miss the opportunity to kick a pebble in front of him.  “But still hesitant, you know?  Especially with the armies still sitting right outside.”

“As soon as the treaty’s done, they’ll go home.  Hopefully, that doesn’t take much longer.”

While Blake recalled Ruby’s letter, which admitted the treaty was taking longer than planned, Sun blew a breath through his lips.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past them to drag this out forever.  They’ve hated each other for so long, how does that just suddenly go away?”

“Because the King of Atlas died,” Blake reminded him, but he shrugged.  “At least Vale’s coming through.”

“Wonder why that is,” he teased while nudging her side.

“Because that’s what they promised to do.”

“And it has nothing to do with you storming in there, demanding they stop fighting.”

“Are you the one spreading that rumor?”

“That you’re a hero?” Sun asked before enthusiastically nodding.  “Hell yeah I am!”

“That’s not even what happened.”

“So?  Makes a great story.  Besides, you are a hero.  You brought everyone together, and now you’re leading us out of this mess.  That’s a miracle in my book, and heroes work miracles.”

Blake didn’t agree with his assessment, but she shook her head and didn’t argue.  Weiss not ordering her guards to kill Blake - that was a miracle.  Ruby and Yang not throwing her in prison when they learned who she was - that was a miracle.  Being put in charge of the restoration rather than vilified for her past - that was a miracle.

For some unknown reason, they had faith in her.  In return, she didn’t want to let them down.  She would do her best to be the person they thought she was, and she would strive to return their kindness however she could.

When she thought about repaying Yang - and, by extension, Ruby - only one thought came to mind.

“Have you heard anything new about a cure?  For the Phage?”

She knew better than to get her hopes up, but they still fell when Sun shook his head.

“Haven’t heard anything about a cure in a long time.  Everyone’s just kind of accepted it by now.”

He wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know, yet her heart still clenched at the succinct and brutal truth.  The Phage was a death sentence - always.

“No one’s even trying to find a cure anymore?”

“Don’t think so.  I know Vale’s dumped tons of effort into it.  And people around here try all kinds of quack solutions.  The only thing I’ve heard is the same you’ve heard by now.”

Feet coming to a stop, Blake looked up at the moon and sighed.

“Atlas has the cure.”

That was all anyone said, but no reason or proof backed up the claim.  Most likely because it was only a rumor...just wild hopes clinging to life.

“Yeah, dunno if I believe it,” Sun replied, kicking another pebble into the forest while they stood there.  “I bet people only think that since Atlas walled itself off so fast when the outbreak started.  Why’re you asking?”

When he turned toward her, she shrugged.

“It’s a bigger issue in Vale than they let on.”

“Ah.”

As the two of them returned to silence, Blake struggled to accept what she’d already known yet somehow hoped not to be true.

There was nothing she could do.  There was no solution.  Accepting the inevitable had become easier for her over time, but right now...thinking about the pain Yang was dealing with...her heart hurt in an inconsolable way. She didn’t want Yang to die, but it would happen whether or not she wanted it to.

Tears pricked at her eyes at the thought, forcing her gaze into the dark forest while she blinked them away. In the midst of that blink, a flash of movement caught her eye.

“Wait,” she whispered, quickly ducking down and staring into the trees.  “Did you see that?”

While Sun knelt beside her, she strained to see into the darkness.  For a second, she thought her eyes must have deceived her.  Then she saw it again.

“There.”

She pointed at something between the trees.  A wild animal, she hoped, but her instincts said otherwise.  The steps were too loud and noisy to belong to the wildlife around here.

Her suspicions were confirmed seconds later as the figure of a person appeared, hurrying through thick foliage and underbrush for some unknown reason.

“Time to go.”

Sun tried to pull Blake away, but she slipped her arm out of his grasp when the figure suddenly disappeared.  She stared at the spot, waiting for them to reappear, but nothing.  One second, they were there.  The next second, gone.

“I’m checking it out.”

“Wait - Blake!”

Ignoring his protests, Blake snuck beneath the canopy of trees.  He grumbled something under his breath but followed, and the two of them tread as quietly as possible to the figure’s last location.

“You know this is a bad idea, right?” he whispered while they crept around several thorny bushes.

“Shh…”

The further they moved into the forest, the louder their footsteps seemed to be.  After making it past several more trees, however, she quickly ducked down, dragging Sun with her before they were spotted.

Hidden behind a tree trunk now, she peeked around the corner and confirmed that they had seen a person, and that person ‘disappeared’ because they’d fallen.  From the way they clutched a freely bleeding wound on their ankle, getting up would be difficult.

“They’re hurt,” she whispered.  Knowing where she was going with that, Sun adamantly shook his head.

“We don’t know who it is,” he half-whispered, half-mouthed while jerking a finger in their direction.  When the stranger-in-need resituated, causing their hood to fall from over their head, they both froze.

“Shit - Blake, we gotta leave.”

Again, Sun pulled at Blake’s arm, but she stared at the young woman with hair as white as snow.

“Atlesian?”

“She could be a scout.”  He tugged harder at her arm but sighed when her spark refused to budge.  “We’ve gotta warn the others.”

“Does she look like a scout?” she whispered, pointing at the woman’s fancy clothing, though it had seen far better, cleaner days.  Sun knew she had a good argument, but he still sighed when Blake tugged her arm free and stepped out from behind their hiding place.

Her presence instantly drew the young woman’s attention, yet shock filled her mind when she recognized the familiarity of the person in front of her.  The blue eyes, the white hair, the fair facial features...all incredibly similar to someone else she recently met.

“Who are you?” she asked, staying a safe distance away and readying her spark.

“That’s of no importance.”  Despite the circumstances, the young woman sounded calm and assured.  “There’s a group of Atlesian Knights following me.  You should get to safety.”

More sounds accompanied the warning - somethings or someones crashing through the trees.  Learning what that new threat might be, Sun was more than ready to beat it out of there, but Blake again shrugged off his attempt to pull her away.

“Who are you?” she repeated, taking a step closer.  “What’s your name?”

“You need to leave,” the woman repeated.  “They won’t show you mercy.”

Frustrated by the lack of answer, especially considering the urgency, Blake walked over and knelt to look in the woman’s eyes.  She would remember that shade of icy blue anywhere.

“If you’re related to Weiss, you need to tell me right now.”

Surprise, then disbelief, filled those eyes.

“...how do you know Weiss?”

That was enough of an answer.

“Sun, help me get her up,” Blake said while taking one of the woman’s arms.  “We need to get her out of here.”

Thankfully, the young woman didn’t resist their help as they pulled to her feet.  The crashes were closer now, and voices accompanied them.  Having dealt with Atlesian Knights too many times in the past, Blake knew that this would end badly if they didn’t hurry.

“This is bad, Blake,” Sun said while they hurried the stranger out of the woods.  “This is real bad.”

“We need to get out of the Badlands,” Blake responded, trying to come up with a plan while they rushed back into the settlement.

Any second now, the Atlesians would sweep through the streets searching for their target.  Depending on their mood, they would either do that quickly and quietly or loudly and aggressively.  Whoever this was, and however she was related to Weiss, she needed to be far from here when that happened.

Spotting the horses ridden in by the bandits just moments earlier, Blake thought of a possible solution.

“Can you ride a horse right now?” she asked while they hobbled the woman over to the creatures.

“Yes.  I think.”

“Good enough.”  Leaving Sun holding the woman upright, Blake ducked out from underneath her arm and quickly untied one of the horses.  “Guess this is their first test...” she muttered under her breath before handing the reins to Sun with a quick, “Help her up.”

Hearing more noises disturbing the night, she glanced at the forest and thought she saw flashes of silver armor.  Moving faster, she freed the second horse and tried to hand the reins to Sun, but he pushed them into her hands and backed toward the forest.

“What’re you doing?” she asked, stepping forward as if she could stop him.

“I’ll talk to them.”

“No - Sun, you know you can’t reason with them.”

“I can still try,” he replied before jogging away.  “Get her out of here.  I’ll message when I can!”

It was a horrible decision, one that could very well cost him his life, but there was no time to argue.  He’d already disappeared in a gust of wind, leaving Blake to grapple with whether or not to go after him. When the horse beside her shuffled its hooves, she looked up at the young woman sitting atop the other horse, leaning to one side from her injuries.

Sun knew how to survive and had a decent shot at getting away from any danger using his spark.  This young woman, if caught, had no chance.  So, even though Blake was torn, she pulled herself onto the horse and turned it in the opposite direction.

“Follow me,” she said before spurring the creature into motion.

She heard the second horse behind her as they galloped through the settlement.  The hoof steps caused a ruckus, but they were gone before most would search for the commotion.  Her heart hammered in her chest while her ears strained for any sounds of battle behind them, but she heard nothing but hooves hitting the ground while they raced away.

Civilization had fallen far behind by the time she felt comfortable slowing down.  And even then, she only did so because they were out in the middle of nowhere, somewhere between the Badlands and Vale.

“Will you tell me your name now?” she asked while they carried on at a quick trot.

“...Winter.  Winter Schnee.”

Of all the people to stumble across in the middle of the Badlands, that one made Blake scoff and shake her head in disbelief.

“Blake Belladonna,” she said, turning to the side when Winter rode up alongside her.  “I met your sister recently.”

“You did?”  Winter’s eyes sprang to life with confusion and worry.  “Where?  How?  Is she alright?”

“She’s fine,” Blake replied, choosing to leave out their unfortunate meeting.  “I met her on her way to Vale to negotiate an end to the war.  She returned to Atlas with Queen Rose to write the treaty.”

“She...traveled to Vale on her own?”

“And convinced them to end the war,” Blake concluded with a nod.

At a loss for words, Winter merely set a hand over her heart and glanced in Atlas’ direction.

“What about you?” Blake asked.  “What’re you doing out here?  Why are Knights after you?”

Dropping her hand back to the reins, Winter sighed.

“I’m wanted for murdering my father, the king.”

Blake froze at the candid, honest admission, but quickly decided it was unimportant to her.

“Well, that’ll do it,” she muttered while pressing on.  The ground grew steeper as they traveled out of the Badlands, leaving the low-lying farmlands behind in favor of a dusty, well-worn path.

“Where are we going?”

“Vale.”

When Winter suddenly pulled her horse to a stop, Blake circled back to her.

“I can’t go to Vale.”

Understanding Winter’s reluctance, Blake shook her head.

“Listen, I know you have no reason to trust me, but...you need to trust me.  I know someone there who can help.”

In different circumstances and with better health, Winter probably wouldn’t have agreed.  But, considering her injuries and lack of better options, she eventually nodded.

Nodding in return, Blake spurred her horse toward Vale.  She couldn’t say why she felt so comfortable speaking for Yang, but she knew that Yang would never turn away someone in need.  As long as Winter didn’t mean harm, Yang would help.  And what safer place for the Atlesian princess than behind Vale’s sturdy walls?  The Knights would never think to search for her there.

This wasn’t how Blake had imagined returning.  She thought that she would show up delivering good news from the Badlands…not delivering a wanted Atlesian princess to Yang’s doorstep.