A/N: This is Chapter 53 of the Whiterose Free-For-All by TheGreatWeissShark over at Ao3.

Chapter 3

Prompt: Sword

Word Count: 4,768

Ruby hurried down the game trail leading to Weiss's den. The wicker basket she had borrowed from Weiss a few weeks ago swung at her side with every step. She wasn't quite skipping, but she definitely wasn't walking either. She couldn't help it. She couldn't wait to share what she had found with Weiss.

She had nearly reached Weiss's den when a playful growl erupted out of the forest. Ruby immediately set her basket down just as Zwei bounded out of the undergrowth.

The massive wolf launched himself at her, his tail wagging furiously. Ruby grinned widely and met his play-growl with one of her own. They wrestled, sending leaves flying everywhere in their roughhousing. The game lasted until Ruby managed to knock Zwei onto his back, and she launched one final attack: the all-powerful belly rub. Zwei went limp, and his tail wagged so hard that his entire body was practically vibrating with pleasure. He licked her chin happily when she finally let him back up.

"Hey, Zwei," Ruby said as she gave him a hug. "How's everything?"

Zwei wasn't like Yang or Blake. He didn't communicate in words. Instead, Ruby usually got images or impressions.

In today's case, Zwei was bored. Weiss wouldn't pet or cuddle with him because she was busy doing the stick thing.

Ruby cocked her head at him. "The stick thing?"

Zwei sent her an image of Weiss holding a sturdy stick that was about the length of her arm. She was fencing with it. Her feet danced as she pivoted to and fro, facing off against a series of invisible opponents.

It piqued Ruby's interest immediately. "Show me?" She grabbed Weiss's basket and followed Zwei back to the human den.

When they finally got there, Ruby hung back under the trees. Zwei, however, went straight to the porch to relax in the shade.

Ruby quietly observed as Weiss finished her current set, and something inside her stirred at the sight.

It had been a long time since she had watched anyone train with weapons like she did. Half of her wanted to join in, and the other half just wanted to keep watching.

Ruby didn't know humans could be so graceful. True, Weiss wasn't quite up to speed, and her balance was a bit off thanks to her uneven, improvised weapon, but her movements were clean and precise. She was well on her way to becoming a seasoned hunter, or as humans liked to refer to themselves, a seasoned warrior.

Ruby watched for a few moments more before finally revealing her presence.

"Why do you not use a fang of steel like other humans do?" Ruby asked as she stepped out of the forest.

Weiss straightened and turned at the sound of Ruby's voice. She pushed a sweat-soaked lock of hair from her face.

"Ruby," she said a little breathlessly with a dip of her head. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Ruby returned with a nod of her own.

"I'm sorry, what did you say? I didn't quite hear."

Ruby gestured to the stick in Weiss's hand. "Humans use metal tools to make up for their own lack of fangs and claws." Ruby summoned her scythe to show it to Weiss. "I do, too." She dispelled it. "But you're using a stick."

Weiss lowered her makeshift weapon. "Yes, they do. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to take more than a knife with me when I left."

Ruby frowned. "That's not good. You should always keep your metal fangs nearby, even when you sleep. How else can you protect yourself?"

Weiss looked away. "I would have if I could."

"Why couldn't you?"

"Because my father thought it was unladylike for a woman of my social status to wield any sort of weapon. He put a stop to my fencing lessons as soon as he could. I haven't even been allowed to touch anything larger than a knife in years." Weiss's voice was hard in the way it always was when she spoke of her sire.

Ruby didn't like it.

She held out her hand and motioned towards the stick, her palm outstretched. Weiss cocked her head and her brow rose, but she handed it over without question.

Ruby ran her fingers over the stick, learning every knot and sensing every flowing grain. It still had a green heart. Good.

Ruby called upon her magic and poured it into the wood. Slowly, the stick began to wriggle and shift in her hands. Parts of it flattened and narrowed while other areas thickened and grew. Sweat dripped down Ruby's temple as she bent her will to the task, urging the wood into a specific shape and enchanting it so that it would be as hard as steel.

At last, she was done.

What was once an ordinary stick was now a proper wooden blade. The guard wasn't as wide as some of the blades she had seen before, but it would do. She breathed a sigh and called back her magic. She checked over her handiwork once more, even swinging the blade through the air a couple times to make sure it was properly balanced, before finally handing it back to Weiss.

"There. That should be better."

Weiss accepted it, her eyes wide with surprise and something else that Ruby didn't recognize. Weiss turned, entered a battle stance, and then launched herself into a combination of strikes and thrusts.

Ruby smiled to herself, pleased to see Weiss's speed and balance had already improved.

When Weiss finished her set, there was a glowing smile on her face. "Thank you," she said.

Ruby's own smile widened. "You're welcome." Then she tilted her head. "A stick works for training, but it's not as good for protection."

Weiss made her way back to the porch where there was a cloth and a bucket of water waiting for her. She put her new training weapon down and picked up the cloth. She dipped it into the bucket, wrung it out, and used it to wipe the sweat from her face and neck. "Yes, but it's what I have," she said.

Ruby tapped her fingers against the basket she was carrying, thinking aloud. "It's safe enough here within the wards, but going beyond them can be dangerous. If you know how to use a fang of steel, then you should have one of your own." She nodded to herself. "We will get you one."

Weiss's eyes seemed to brighten in a way that made Ruby feel oddly excited, giddy even. "You have a spare sword I could borrow?"

Sword, Ruby silently repeated to herself. The long fang of steel is called a "sword".

Sometimes she forgot all the names humans had for things. They had so many after all. But she was slowly learning them now that she was spending more time with Weiss.

Ruby nodded. "I have many. You can have one to keep." She bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, suddenly eager to show them to Weiss. "Are you busy today? If we leave now, we can reach the place where I keep the human things and still be able to return by sundown."

"Well, I already watered the garden. I just need to clean up and have breakfast first." Weiss's cheeks turned pink as she ran her fingers through her slightly disheveled locks. "I didn't know you would be coming today. You don't usually arrive this early."

Oh, right! Ruby had almost forgotten.

Ruby grinned and slid her basket into the crook of her elbow so she could rummage through it. "I found some strawberries this morning. Ripe ones! And I wanted to share them with you. They're my favorite." She picked the ripest looking strawberry and held it up to Weiss's mouth. "Here!"

Weiss started in surprise, and her cheeks darkened, turning almost as red as the strawberry in front of her lips. Then again, Weiss blushed fairly often, and she had already told Ruby not to be concerned about it when Ruby asked a little while back.

Weiss glanced between Ruby's eyes and the strawberry several times. Finally, she gave a small huff, leaned forward, and bit into the proffered fruit. Her tongue traced her lips to lick away the few drops of juice that managed to escape. Her eyes widened. She lifted a hand to cover her mouth as she chewed and swallowed.

Unable to contain her anticipation, Ruby blurted out, "So, did you like it?"

"Yes, it was really good." Weiss's cheeks were still flushed, but she was smiling.

Ruby's insides fluttered. "I brought a whole bunch! I thought maybe we could eat them together."

Weiss's smile warmed. "I'd like that."

She rinsed the cloth she used in the bucket and hung it on the porch railing to dry. Then she picked up the water bucket and walked it over to the rose bush that had now taken up permanent residence in Weiss's front yard.

Ruby had offered to move it the morning after she made it grow, but Weiss wanted to keep it where it was. Under Weiss's meticulous care, it had already sprouted eight white roses since then with many more buds on the way.

Weiss poured the leftover water around the base of the plant. When she was done, she turned back to Ruby.

"I'll meet you inside in a little bit," she said. "I want to wash up before we eat."

Ruby nodded. "And I'll start dishing whatever you've got cooking?" she said, half asking for permission.

She could smell it from here, and her mouth was watering already. Somehow Weiss was able to take the same foods that Ruby ate all the time and make them taste amazing. It was like magic.

"If you could, that would be great. Thank you."

Ruby's chest swelled, and she grinned. She bounded up the porch steps and headed inside with Zwei tagging along at her heels.

Weiss taking some time to wash up actually worked out in Ruby's favor. If she hurried, she could surprise Weiss with the flowers she had hidden in the bottom of her basket. She just needed to find something to put them in like Weiss always did.

As Weiss spent more and more time in the Warden's company, she soon discovered that Ruby was nothing like what Weiss envisioned the all-powerful, fear-inspiring Warden would be. Oh, she had her moments, especially when it came to her promise to keep Weiss safe. Her silver eyes would harden to darkened steel, and the air would grow thick with magic like the calm before a storm. But the rest of the time, Ruby was just so incredibly sweet.

How else could Weiss describe how Ruby had brought a whole rosebush to life just to give Weiss a flower in hopes it would cheer her up? Or even how she chose to spend the night simply because Weiss was anxious about being alone after hearing her father was still after her. And how after Weiss mentioned that she could use some company, Ruby unfailingly showed up at least twice every five or six days.

Sometimes Ruby could only stay for an hour or two, but other times, she would spend the entire day with Weiss.

If Weiss was weeding or clearing her garden of fallen twigs and leaves, Ruby would roll up her sleeves and join her. If Weiss was busy with some other chore that didn't require assistance, such as sewing or weaving, Ruby would find some other way to keep herself busy. Once that meant building Weiss a new clothesline for her laundry; another time it meant helping Weiss crack and grind dried acorns in preparation of making acorn flour.

Some days they would hold conversations with one another, but just as often they would simply enjoy each other's company. And when Weiss didn't feel like staying at the cottage, they would take walks into the forest or even head down to the river.

"Weiss?"

Weiss blinked and looked up to see Ruby's concerned gaze. "Yes?"

"Are you tired? Should we rest a while?"

Zwei, who was in his wolf form, nosed Weiss's elbow gently and whined worriedly.

Weiss fought the urge to smile. The two of them were so much alike sometimes.

Weiss scratched Zwei's head reassuringly. "I'm fine. I was just thinking."

Ruby cocked her head. "Were they good thoughts?"

Considering the fact that Weiss had been thinking of Ruby and how Ruby's presence had made her life so much more fulfilling in the past few weeks...

Weiss smiled. "Yes, they were."

A corner of Ruby's mouth curled up. "That's good."

Weiss's own smile broadened. "Yes, indeed."

Ruby ran her fingers through her hair as she continued walking, the movement catching Weiss's attention.

Ruby's hair was considerably neater now that Weiss had finally intervened about a week ago. Granted, there wasn't a whole lot Weiss could do since Ruby's hair had already been so short from her own attempts to cut it, but Weiss was still able to trim and neaten what was left. Ruby's spiky-looking hair had been surprisingly soft between her fingers, and Weiss may or may not have taken her time trimming it.

Unexpectedly enough, Weiss hadn't been the only one quietly enjoying the moment. Apparently, Ruby liked the experience so much that she offered to cut Weiss's hair for her as well. Weiss was quick to decline the offer but settled on letting Ruby help her brush her waist-long tresses instead. Thankfully, Ruby enjoyed that, too. Weiss suspected Ruby's increased evening visits were precisely because she hoped for more chances to brush Weiss's hair for her. Prior to that, Ruby's visits had usually been during the day, either late morning or an hour or two after midday.

Weiss shook her head inwardly. Who would have ever thought that the legendary Warden would enjoy playing with someone's hair so much?

Even so, Weiss's cheeks warmed as she remembered the soothing sensation of Ruby's strong, careful fingers running through her hair between gentle brush strokes. Weiss never knew such simple intimacy could feel so good.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked again. She turned to face Weiss, walking backwards and yet somehow enviously able to avoid every obstacle.

"Hmm?"

"I'm sure Zwei would be happy to give you a ride if you want. We'd get there a lot faster."

Zwei bounded ahead of them at the sound of his name and laid down in the middle of the game trail. His tail waved as he panted happily.

"You never did tell me how far we're going," Weiss said as she stepped over a fallen log.

"At the pace we're going? We might get there by the time the sun reaches overhead."

Dismay washed over Weiss. That was hours away.

Weiss drew even with Zwei and ruffled his ears. "Are you sure you wouldn't mind?" she asked him.

Zwei let out a happy whine and licked her wrist. His tail picked up speed, beating the air with a steady thwap-thwap-thwap sound.

Weiss smiled as she gave him a few more scratches. "Then perhaps I will. I admit I'm not used to traveling such distances."

She eyed Zwei. She had ridden on his back before, but she had been so utterly exhausted that night that she barely remembered it. Was she just supposed to climb on or…

Before her thoughts could go any further, a pair of strong, warm hands cradled her waist and lifted her easily onto the wolf's back. Weiss thought she would slip off when Zwei rose to a stand, but Ruby wrapped her arm around Weiss's hips to hold her steady.

Ruby glanced up into Weiss's eyes. "All good?"

"I-I think so." Maybe.

"We'll walk first so you can get used to it. Go ahead and hold onto Zwei's fur. Don't worry about pulling or anything. He won't mind."

And so they did. Ruby kept her hand at the small of Weiss's back, ready to catch her in case she did slip off, but it didn't take long for Weiss to get used to Zwei's movements. She had grown up riding horses after all, though she hadn't ridden one in quite a while. Apparently, it was beneath a lady of her standing to ride a horse when there was a carriage available.

The moment Weiss relaxed, Ruby knew. The Warden grinned with approval. "Ready to go faster?"

Weiss could feel her own lips turning up into a excited grin. The sheer power and grace of the creature beneath her made her heart pound in anticipation. She could only imagine how fast he'd be able to move. "Yes."

Ruby's smile widened. "Remember to hold on tight, grip with your knees, and lean forward to help keep yourself balanced. Let's go, Zwei!"

The wolf launched himself forward, and within seconds, they were off at a mile-eating pace.

At first, Ruby stayed with them, her lithe form running directly at Weiss's side. When it was clear that Weiss was doing fine, Ruby shot Weiss a wild grin and blew past them, leaving a trail of rose petals in her wake.

Weiss's eyes narrowed. She leaned across Zwei's back and tightened her grip on his thick fur. "Faster, Zwei, faster! Don't let her win!"

Zwei howled and raced after Ruby. They were probably making a horrible racket and scaring away all the wildlife, but Weiss couldn't remember the last time she felt so invigorated.

At last, Zwei pulled even with Ruby, and she laughed as he snapped playfully at her loose, billowy sleeve. Weiss's chest felt so full that she could hardly breathe. Her own laughter bubbled out of her chest, light and breathless, and she was smiling so widely that her cheeks ached.

Ruby glanced back at the sound, and her eyes lit up upon meeting Weiss's. It was as though Ruby was enjoying this moment just as much as Weiss was, and the thought sent a rush of warmth straight through Weiss's core.

It was so strange.

Who would have thought a shape-changing wolf and his silver-eyed master could have made Weiss feel so at home. It didn't matter that they were an unlikely group composed of a magical beast, a legendary being, and a simple human. Here at this moment, they were one.

Like a pack. Or perhaps...even like a family.

A part of Weiss wished the moment would never end, but end it did.

They eventually came to a breathless halt by a small, waterfall-fed pool at the foot of a mountain. Zwei stopped only long enough to let Weiss dismount before he dove into the pool. He alternated between splashing around and gulping the cool water thirstily.

Even Ruby had worked up a sweat. She rolled up her shirtsleeves and splashed water on her arms and face to cool down. Then she sprawled out in the shade of a tree for a little while before taking Weiss the rest of the way. They left Zwei at the waterside since he had already settled down for a nap after his swim.

Ruby led Weiss up and around to the other side of the mountain, and their path was barred by a steep cliff. Ruby brought them right up to it, and to Weiss's surprise, Ruby suddenly wrapped her arm around Weiss and drew her close.

Her silver eyes began to glow. She glanced at Weiss. "Things are going to get a little shaky, but don't worry. I'll keep you safe."

Then she pressed her hand flat against the wall, and the air grew heavy with magic and the scent of roses. The entire mountain quivered and shook beneath their feet. Weiss lurched, but Ruby held her steady.

The wall crunched, and the sound of grinding stone filled Weiss's ears. The cliff face split open to reveal a spacious cavern filled with a plethora of goods.

Weiss's mouth fell open. She had seen merchant warehouses that only had a fraction of the number of goods she saw here. There were piles of leather, hides, and fur in one corner and rolls of cloth and wool in another. One section was piled high with rugs, tapestries, and drapes while another had wooden chests, elaborate vases, and other knick-knacks.

"What's all this?" Weiss asked as she looked around with wide eyes.

Ruby let Weiss go and stepped away. She shrugged as she looked away. "The forest keeps what it takes. The dead don't need these things anymore, but sometimes they're useful to the Wardens. So we collect them when we can and store them away."

Oh.

Weiss glanced around the cavern again, this time with a somber mood falling over her. She wondered how many travellers and merchants had tried cutting through the Warden's lands for the Wardens to have collected so many goods.

Should Weiss feel sorry for the loss of life? On some level she did, but if the people were anything like her underhanded, self-serving, unscrupulous father, they likely deserved their fate.

In fact, what bothered Weiss far more was the quiet tone Ruby's voice had taken and the way she had backed away from Weiss just now. Ruby had slipped on her Warden's mask, and suddenly, it was like there was a wide divide between them. They were not simply Ruby and Weiss anymore. Now they were the Warden and a human. The protector of a land untouched by human habitation and a child of the very humans who would have stripped that land of all its resources generations ago if they had been given half the chance.

A sharp pang struck Weiss's heart and left it throbbing as she watched Ruby move away and walk deeper into the chamber. It was a few moments before Weiss could bring herself to follow.

"The steel fangs—swords—and leaf blades are over here," Ruby said, her voice sounding normal again.

Weiss wished she knew what had just gone through Ruby's mind, but she wasn't sure if she was allowed to ask. No matter how much time they had spent together recently and no matter how fond of Ruby she was becoming, Ruby was still the Warden and Weiss was just a human. She did not want to risk overstepping her bounds over something that could have been nothing more than her tendency to overthink things.

So with an internal huff, Weiss turned her thoughts to a different question. Namely, what on Remnant was a leaf blade?

Ruby led Weiss to a veritable armory of weapons. Some had been collected into barrels, but a good number had just been left on the floor. Considering most of them were swords and spears, "leaf blades" must refer to the latter. It fit. A vaguely leaf-shaped blade at the end of a long "branch". Ruby's world-view was just so fascinating sometimes.

Ruby gestured. "Go ahead and take whichever you want."

Weiss nodded and started searching through the collection. Most of the swords were made for soldiers far stronger and larger than herself and thus were too heavy for her. She found one that seemed promising, but the moment she picked it up, she could feel it was unbalanced.

Finally, she found one that felt right. It was a straight-bladed, double-edged sword with a crossguard that curved slightly towards the blade like a bow. The grip was wrapped in leather, and the pommel was a plain silver disk. It was a weapon meant to be used, not at all like the fancy but impractical ones that adorned her father's keep that would bend or break the moment someone tried to use them in a real fight.

Weiss couldn't wait to try it.

She headed out of the cavern and as soon as there was enough room to maneuver, she started going through her forms. The weapon became a silver blur and sang as it cut through the air. A wide smile stretched across her face as she shifted from one sword technique to the next. She had missed this feeling.

When Weiss finally sheathed her new weapon, she looked up only to realize Ruby had been watching her the entire time. Weiss flushed, and somehow she was fairly certain that most of the redness in her cheeks had nothing to do with her impromptu practice session.

"You're really good at that. Graceful and sharp like those small, colorful birds at the river." Ruby made a sharp whooshing motion with her hand. "They dive into the water to catch small fish without wasting a single movement."

Weiss searched her memories. "Do you mean 'kingfishers'?"

Ruby shrugged. "I don't know, but they're pretty like you."

Weiss's cheeks felt even warmer than before. "T-thank you."

Ruby smiled and then nodded her head back towards the cavern. "I know we came for your steel fang, but there are a lot of things here that I'm sure you could use. You should take what you need."

Weiss felt a stirring of guilt. Ruby had already provided her with so much; taking more felt wrong. "Are you sure?"

Ruby's straightforward response caught her off guard and made all her reservations vanish in an instant. "I want you to be comfortable here. Happy. So if these things can help with that, then you should have them."

Weiss let out a slow breath and just shook her head. "Alright," she said softly with a warm smile, "but I will pay you back someday. Perhaps when the first harvest comes in, we can share a meal or two."

Ruby perked up instantly. "You'll make more human food? Can I watch?"

She had become unexpectedly fascinated with human cooking of late. Ruby was an extremely skilled woodswoman, but although she knew what forest plants, herbs, and spices were edible and which ones were not, she had never considered mixing and matching them for the sake of adding flavor to food. Apparently before Weiss came along, all of Ruby's meals consisted of a little bit of ground rock salt sprinkled over roasted meat, raw or boiled wild vegetables, fruits and nuts she foraged for during the day, dried fruit and jerky, and simple one-pot soups.

"Of course."

Ruby bounced in place with an excited grin on her face. "I'll hunt and fish for you. Just tell me what to bring, and I'll bring it."

Ruby's excitement made Weiss feel warm inside. Amusement colored her voice. "That's still a long way away though. It'll be at least another moonspan before anything is ready for harvest."

Ruby nodded. "And in the meantime, we can make your den a home. Even my area of the den has all sorts of stuff that I've collected. Things that set it apart from the other spaces and make it mine. You should do that too."

Weiss's brow furrowed lightly. "Wait, your 'area of the den'?"

"Mmhmm. Sometimes Yang and Blake aren't around to snuggle with so I sleep on my own furs. It's less lonely than sleeping in the big space all by myself."

"Yang? Blake?" Weiss asked, barely able to keep the shock out of her voice.

Who were they and why hadn't Ruby ever mentioned them before? And wait, they snuggled together?

"Yeah. They're my family."

Ruby had family?

Unaware of Weiss's inner turmoil, Ruby turned and headed back towards the cavern. "Come on. Let's find you some new things for your den."

Weiss stifled a sound of dismay as the chance to ask further questions slipped out of reach. And even if she asked, would Ruby answer? Weiss didn't know.

So in the end, she bit back her curiosity, ignored the strange pang in her chest, and followed after Ruby once more.

A nagging thought rose to the forefront of her mind.

Weiss was always following Ruby, the Warden. She was always trailing several steps behind her. Always letting Ruby take care of her problems and soothe her worries. Always accepting her protection and comfort without giving anything back in return. Cooking for Ruby was a start, but surely there was something more Weiss could do.

Because more and more Weiss was coming to the conclusion that she was no longer satisfied by merely following or passively sitting by as things happened around her.

It was a ludicrous thought. Weiss was only a human whereas Ruby had access to powers that would make every power-hungry lord in the surrounding lands burn with greed. But the moment it crossed her mind, she couldn't think of anything else she wanted more.

Would there ever come a day when Weiss would be able to walk beside Ruby as an equal?

She hoped so. She truly hoped so.

Author's Note:

Me three chapters ago: This story is going to be short and light with not much plot. I just wanna write Ruby and Weiss being sweet and soft with each other without all the emotional upheavals that my other works have.

Me now: *stares my drafts and does a double-take* Where did all these plot-threads come from?! DX