Yang was a little……..surprised was probably the closest word she knew to describe how she felt about Clarke’s little abode.
Being a Red jewelled Blood Male, she’d expected a rather lavish set up, which was the current fad with those in power. Golden finishes on every little detail, immaculate furniture, and the sort of things that just told you that you couldn’t afford to live this way, unless you swam the same social currents.
But Clarke’s house was rather….humble. A very basic table, a few chairs, with other pieces of furniture stacked up and placed underneath sheets. The bare necessities in the kitchen, but it did look like he’d made one luxury: an icebox.
Since most of Hayll’s Courts typically considered such basic craft ‘beneath them’, the few Blood who did bother to learn the necessary skills to make one charged exorbitant amounts for their services, and Yang didn’t blame them. If she had bothered to learn the Craft necessary, she’d be swindling the pompous twits as well.
But Yang’s blood had called her towards the Eyrien Camps, and the fact she was one of the few female Eyrien to have made it into the Camps, and to have successfully left the camps with her Eyrien pride intact.
She’d made herself quite a fair few enemies over those years, but she knew that they’d never leave the slowly rotting beauty of Askavi, as Hayll continued to rape its resources. Yang had almost not left Askavi either, if her Uncle hadn’t revealed what the Dark Queen’s influence, and the plan he’d thought up to get Ruby to safety.
She and Weiss had taken to sitting at the table in the room just off to the right of the doorway, opposing ends, while Ruby explored the kitchen.
“Ooohhh, it seems Clarke has all the stuff we need for some tea. Who wants some?” Ruby inquired, as she stopped rummaging around Clarke’s rather bare cupboards, pulling out a teapot, as she called in some of witchfire to bring the water, which she’d also called forth, to a boil.
“Yes please.” “I’d like a cup.” Weiss and Yang chimed in unison, before returning to giving each other a glare.
Yang didn’t trust this newcomer. Ignoring the logical ‘We don’t know her, and why should we trust her’ behaviour she’d normally have for anyone who helped them, she despised her for the fact that Ruby had defended her.
Innocent and sweet Ruby, had trusted this stranger within a heartbeat of meeting her, just because of a gut instinct, and the single word ‘Mine’. She’d trusted this Sapphire jewelled, ice-blue eyed Queen, before her loving sister, who’d been doing everything within her power to protect her for the past few years.
Obviously not liking the combination of silence and glares from Yang, Weiss finally spoke up.
“I’d like to offer you a job.”
Yang was momentarily stunned, the glare giving way to confusion. Before Yang could recover, Weiss continued,
“I need an escort I can trust, to atleast get me back to my family’s estate near Dena Nehele, and I trust Ruby, and I’ve seen your fighting skills.”
Getting no response, she added “I can pay you as well. I don’t expect you to do this for free.”
Yang sighed. The Territories nearest Dena Nehele were the last resort, not because it was where the Dark Queen currently had her attention set, but because the smallest Territories there had Dark Altars, with Priestesses who owed both Yang and her Uncle favors.
She hadn’t gone to them first, because she didn’t believe the rumors of the ‘Realm of Remnant’, where the Grimm weren’t as numerous, where the Blood still respected the Ancient ways.
It wasn’t until much later, when it became too much of a risk for Yang to take Ruby there, that she’d started hoping that they were.
If the rumors were true, then besides brutalising the blood lines and weakening the Blood and their ethics, she’d also tried crushing their hope.
Now, this Sapphire jewelled, white haired Queen wanted them to go with her, to both their last hope, and their possible death.
Yang sighed, “How do you propose we get there? Neither Ruby or I can take the Ways, since there aren’t any Opal threads in safe locations for us to work with, and we can’t afford a Coach. And since you’re asking us for help, I’m gonna assume you don’t have access to a Coach, and that you don’t trust the Sapphire threads or the Landing zones near your estates.”
The Winds were a psychic multi-layered web that crossed the entire Realm, with the White Winds being broad and having barely any exits, and the Black Winds were the opposite, covering vast areas with just as many exits. The gaps in the Winds were true darkness, and only the darkest of Jewels ever dared to venture from the Webs’ path. Few returned.
So while it was safer to travel the psychic Webs, they’d still need a Carriage to hold them and let them rest, since it was still a long way to travel.
The downside was you could only use the Winds that resonated with your darkest Jewel, or any of the Lighter ones. Before Weiss had shown up, they’d been limited to Opal and lighter, which could get to them to most of the places they needed, but none of the Dark Altars.
The Upside was, if you travelled in a Coach or a well travelled Blood, they could shield the Lighter Jewels on the Darker Winds. Which meant that, with Weiss offering to help, they now had access to the Sapphire and Green, which covered most of the major cities and Territories, as well as a decent chunk of the smaller ones, including areas near Dena Nehele, but Yang didn’t know which of those areas to land in, since it had been quite a while since she’d been in contact with her Uncle, or the Dark Altars.
Weiss was silent, dropping Yang’s gaze, knowing she didn’t have an answer.
After a long paused, Yang finally gave in.
“I accept. However, two conditions. One: as far as I’m concerned, Ruby’s safety comes first. Two: This is me, handing the olive branch to you, so don’t mess this up. Ruby thinks you’re important, so I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, especially if it will get us closer to Dena Nehele. But mess up once, and you will never lay a finger on her again. We clear?” Yang finished, her usual joking nature gone, replaced with a cold and professional demeanour.
Weiss narrowed her eyes. “Crystal.”
Ruby walked out of the kitchen, cups floating behind her, the witchfire she’d used to heat the tea now floating towards the ceiling, to act as a light source. Placing the cups within reach of Weiss and Yang, she sat down, and poured them each a cup.
Knowing her sister, Yang just downed the cup, not wanting the unique Ruby blend of tea to be on her taste buds for long.
Weiss, not having the experience Yang did, sipped her tea, much to Yang’s amusement.
3….2….1…. And right on cue, Weiss made the same face everyone else did when they tried the heated sugar water Ruby called tea. If they’d managed to find coffee, it wouldn’t have been as bad, since Ruby seemed to have some skill with coffee, but she wasn’t to be trusted otherwise.
Because Ruby in the kitchen, unless it was her making something incredibly sweet, was a nightmare.
“Cookie, please?” Yang inquired innocently, knowing her lovable little sister had a big stash in her private cupboard.
Rather sulkily, Ruby gestured towards Yang, and a warm, chocolate chip cookie appeared, which Yang snatched out of the air with a “Thanks, Sis!”
While she wasn’t a fan of cookies, the fact Ruby had been willing to give her one gave Yang the small amount of comfort she’d needed.
“What were you two talking about?” Ruby inquired, sipping her tea blissfully.
Before Weiss could respond, Yang beat her to the punch.
“If the Ice Queen here keeps her word, we should be able to meet up with Uncle, or pull off part of his plan to keep you safe.”