wanderer's lullaby

Winter climbed into the back seat of the car, finding herself face to face with a large black bird with red eyes. She heard Qrow get into the front seat. What was it with Branwens and birds…? She really didn't understand. Why was this bird here in the first place? Where was Raven? Wasn’t she supposed to be coming with them? “That isRaven. I told you we had to keep her presence on the downlow.” Winter looked up at Qrow after he spoke. “She what?” She had seen Qrow transform from his bird form, but she could still barely comprehend it. How could anybody do that? I went beyond any natural laws sheknew. It broke basically everything she understood. But it was a secret. So she doubted she’d get any answers about it. This truly was frustrating. “I can’t have Yang or Taiyang see me. Things would be bad enough if Tai walked out here and saw Qrow. It would make a fireworks display look tame.” The bird sighed, looking down. That…was definitely Raven’s vernacular though not her voice. What an utterly bizarre world she now lived in. Advanced aura, bird people, aura falcons… She’d say estranged families but that was normal to her. There was almost no love to go around in the Atlassian upper class. How Yang and Ruby acted around Qrow was strange to her if anything. They stopped a ways away from the house and Raven transformed, stretching out. “I normally don’t mind being a bird but not flying is weird.” Winter gave a small nod. She couldn’t relate. What was it like to be able to soar free like that? She’d always thought it must be exhilarating and freeing especially after seeing Mono soar in Atlas. She wished she could experience the freedom herself, but it was completely out of her grasp. “So how’s having Kiyay back treating you?” The woman grinned at her and she sighed internally.Raven seemed extremely nosy. There was no way of getting around interacting with her. They were in laws now but that didn’t really mean this was easyfor her. But the birds trusted her so… She’d have to get over herself to interact with her. THey’d be living together soon enough. She wouldn’t be able to avoid her then. Much to her chagrin. “It’s nice to have him back.” It really was. She adoredthe bird with every part of her being. She still wasn’t sure why. Fear had bound them together or something of the like. She wouldn’t complain about having somebody to be close with physically, though. “Hey, Rae, back off a bit, will ya?” Qrow twisted in his seat to glare at his sister and she rolled her eyes. “Pssh, I have to get to know her sooner or later. Might as well get started now, right?” She continued to grin while Qrow flicked her forehead. “Let hermake that choice. She ain’t Summer and you aren’t twelve anymore.” What…did that mean? There was untold history that she’d have to get sooner or later if someone wouldn’t mind sharing. Raven huffed but settled down as she looked at her scroll. Qrow returned to his prior sitting position, though he did glance at Winter. “Sorry. My sister’s nosy. She was like one of those little dogs that people let get away with anything back in the day.” How could anybody be like that? She’d seen her fair share of those sorts of dogs in the upper class. People discipline their children severely yet refused to train their dogs. It really made no sense to her. Like the phrase ‘beaten like a dog.’ Most people, from her experience, refused to train their dogs, let alone beatthem. Things really made no sense to her sometimes. “So I see.” She didn’t, but it was kind of whatever. She didn’t understand or see anything about the world like she thought she had. Why couldn’t her life go back to making orderly sense? Though… “By the way, do you think we could go mattress shopping soon? I hate to spend more of your money…” She was already financially dependent on him. She wanted her work visa already. Not having money was driving her crazy. She wanted her full freedom back. He blinked but nodded. “Sure; we can prolly do that tomorrow or Monday. I know that thing is ancient, but I’d like you to get as much practice on the bike as possible. I did learn from my buddy the best way to learn is to be able to reach the ground and hobble around for a while. Some people take the pedals off, but it’s not entirely necessary. Bikes are all about balance and momentum. With as smart and skilled as you are, you should have it down in no time.” Winter nodded but her gaze drifted down. Her upbringing left her with no choice. She’d struggled every step of the way. This would likely be another struggle for her. She’d be shackled to Patch until she learned how to ride the damn thing. But she would do it. She’d never backed down from a challenge. This wouldn’t be the thing that finally did her in. She would learn and she wouldmaster it for the sake of her independence. “By the way, if you don’t mind my asking, who was there? I didn’t recognise the car.” That made Winter blink and she looked up. It was a fair enough question but still a bit out of left field. He usually tried to comfort her when she was feeling down on herself. He wasn’t being callous but not like what she was used to. “Uh, Sienna Khan and Kali Belladonna. Yang invited them over because they had ideas about helping expand Ruby’s diet. I might also be able to help.” Qrow’s expression disquieted and he sighed. She tilted her head. Had she done something wrong or to upset him? “No, you didn’t do anything wrong, Winter. Kali’s the one that sealed my Semblance. I used the name Kari with you ‘cuz I didn’t wanna freak you out and it wasn’t important for you to know in that moment. I was thinkin’ about introducin’ ya to her because I think she could really help facilitate your growth.” Winter fell silent at that, not sure whatto think. He’d basically lied by omission to hear though he did have a point. Then again, she could sort through it later. In the end…he was still trying to help her. Yang had said she was Grade Twelve but she didn’t truly understand what that meant. “Why do you think that?” Her tone was soft; curious and nonaccusatory. How could somebody she didn’t know help her? She hadn’t shown any suspicion of the woman earlier. But she’d been so blindsided by her presence that she hadn’t had any time tobe suspicious. She was honestly still wrapping her mind around the fact she’d walked away from an encounter with Sienna Khan and Kali Belladonna without a single scratch on her. How many people could say that? Especially when in a position as high as hers…once had been… Holy Father, why couldn’t she go back to before the general left? “Well, she’s a Grade Twelve advanced aura user. The highest you’ve met up till now is Grade Ten. It’s impressive in its own right, but nothing tops a Grade Twelve user. I hate to put it in a way that freaks you out, but the soul is their bitch . They’re basically like doctors for the soul. They can manipulate and heal it. And Kali is one of the best I’ve seen frankly. She can prolly offer you some help with your PTSD if you can come to trust her. She can really help you if you let her.” Winter looked away at that. She couldn’t let anybody into her mind, let alone her soul. How could he suggest that? She really couldn’t let anybody get thatclose without serious repercussions. “I see.” No, she couldn’t let that woman anywhere near her mind or soul. It’d really hurt her immensely if she did. She felt like a broken record with her fears but they kept her safe. It was better than being set upon and being manipulated. How could anybody notbe afraid of that sort of hurt and manipulation? She slumped in her seat a bit, mindlessly watching the city move past. She still didn’t trust Taiyang. She was probably being stupid to extend her hand like this. He would assault her at the first chance he got. She knew it. Too any creeps had felt her up during dances the first time they met her. She ought to know better, but she needed to learn to drive. And keeping it on Patch would be the best way to ensure that… Eventually, they pulled into a small strip mall with a bike shop. A woman waited outside for them, waving at and greeting Qrow once they get out of the car. They spent a solid hour and a half in the store. For Winter, it was a whirlwind of things far over her head. Bikes were more complicated than she knew. Finding the right fit took a while as did finding the right accessories. Helmet, visible vest, lights for night riding, and way more than that. And the bill racked up to about four thousand lien when they were done. She wanted to cry for how much it cost and how much she’d have to pay Qrow back. But she wouldn’t back down from her promise. She was responsible and would dutifully pay him back. It’d take forever with the paltry amount she currently made… Qrow’s friend did take the bike and put it in a rack on the car. “We can hit up the aura breed rescue and she’ll take and she’ll take the bike to Persia’s house. Sound good?” Winter nodded at that before slipping back into the car. Would she actually drop it off at the house? It felt like a prime time to commit theft… That bike was expensive and it’d be easy to take it unattended. Once they were back in the car, Qrow turned to glance at her. “By the way, Winter, when we were in Atlas…you mentioned your birthday was coming up. Has it already passed or yet to happen?” Wait, what? He actually remembered?It had been an off-handed remark when they’d first been discussing what ‘open season’ meant. “It’ll be in five days. Why do you ask?” Was he planning something? It sure sounded like it. Birthdays meant nothing but big, fancy shows. They were meaningless drivel like the rest of everything to do with the upper class. “Well, how about we call it even and I give you the bike as a birthday gift? I know that breaks our previous agreement, but I want to do something for you.” Her eyes narrowed at that, and he sighed. “No, no ulterior motives here, snowy. I just want to do something kind for you.” Nobody was altruistic. It didn’t exist. She knew better by now. There was something in this for him. There hadto be. But… Benefit of the doubt. She frowned and slumped against the seat again. “…All right.” She had to give him thatmuch, at least. This was a pretty grand gesture, considering the expense. Four thousand lien wasn’t cheap. It’d be a hefty blow to her own savings should she have bought it. “How about you pay me back for the mattress and we call it good?” That still didn’t feel right but… She nodded reluctantly. This really wasn’t going the way she’d thought it would. Depending on the expense, though, the mattress might end up being more than the bike… They could run quite a bit depending on make and features. But still… What was his game here? It made no sense he’d want to give her something… “By the way, if you can get up and running on the bike soon, think you’d like to spend a bit of time together on your birthday? If that doesn’t work out, then I can get one of my buddies to drive us. I just wanna show you some of the city. Plus, it’d get you out of the house.” That…did sound enticing. A day out and about instead of sitting in that house. She’d have to reallymake sure she got the bike down by then. It wasn’t like she had much else to do with her time quite yet. “I think I can agree to that.” She wished she could be out and about away from the house more… Though. Oh, right. “Did you still want to talk about the girls or—” “Rae told me everything I needed to know. She keeps an eye on the house. Between her Semblance and bird form, she had a pretty good grasp on the situation.” Winter gave a small nod at that. Made sense. She could portaly to the house and watch unobtrusively without being seeing. Those bird forms were quite useful for observation as long as one didn’t know the local bird species. Corvids were relatively unobtrusive and easily ignored. Plus, she didn’t have to potentially out Summer now. She wasn’t sure how Qrow would take to learning the woman he loved was still around in one form or another. “I see. What are you going to do about it?” That was a good question. She wasn’t sure what reporting neglect would mean in Vale. It might very well mean something that could impact herlife too… This sort of thing wasn’t taken too seriously in Atlas in her experience. Hopefully it wouldn’t upset what little she’d gotten used to being upended. “For now, nothing. I’m gonna get my life together. Get a stable job. Get the house. Join a recovering alcoholic support group. Basically I’m gonna spend the next few months proving to the government I have my shit to get together. If I’m not the best place for the girls to go to, the government will put them in a foster home. They might end up separated which wouldn’t be good for them.” Winter’s blood chilled at the revelation. Even for what little she’d seen, she could agree Yang obviously loved her sister dearly. She did somuch for her to the point of limiting their tied to what Ruby liked. She couldn’t possibly imagine the amount of trauma that wold come from those two being separated. Weiss had lost control of her Semblance when she’d left for the military. She barely knew her baby sister when it came down to it. Yet leaving had triggered Weiss into frying her with an uncontrolled Glyph. If it had been so traumatic for Weiss, how much would would it be for siblings that spend basically all their waking moments together…? “That makes sense. Are you going to tell them or let it happen when it does?” What would be right? She hadn’t had much choice when it came to Weiss. Either she told her or she would simply disappear into the night without explanation. The latter would probably have been so much worse for her little sister. Either way, there had been no easy answer. Weiss had been so clingy and she could only imagine how much her leaving had made the issue. “That’s…something I’ll have to decide on but I got time.” That was fair. It wasn’t like they’d find a house tomorrow then move in next week. She was looking forward to getting off Patch, though. Hopefully dropping her name would help open up some new avenues. It might take time to find the house, but it’d still hopefully be sooner rather than later.. Though she would have been further from the city once they did find somewhere. With that out of the way, they all fell silent. It felt strange to share companionable silence with anyone that wasn’t Coco or Weiss. Not bad, just…strange. Was this how families functioned outside of horrible people…? Then again, there was no telling. She would never know ‘normal.’ She was too far removed from any sense of normalcy due to her previous status. At least she did understand the struggles of most people when it came to money… She’d lived on her own wages for the better part of two years. Most people wouldn’t believe her when she said that. But she truly did understand budget limitations and how difficult it made life. They pulled into a small strip mall where they saw a redhead working a bird with something on a string. The bird dove, twisted, and strained to capture the thing. Eventually, it hit it with speed and force, dragging it out of the woman’s hands. After that, she walked over and picked up the bird with a gloved hand. How incredible… She hoped she could do that with Kiyay someday… They got out of the car and the woman froze upon seeing her. Yeah, that was about what she expected. “That was some great lure work you did.” Qrow moved out from behind the car. The woman looked about ready to faint at this point. “Uh, thanks. Are you the one that called earlier…?” Her gaze fell to Winter who nodded. “I am. I…do apologise for not fully informing you of my identity, but your reaction was about what I expected.” It would be hard to function in Vale unfortunately. Most people would recognise her by sight or name and possibly her reputation. Was it any wonder she didn’t fill the woman in…? She might have even been ready to turn her away if she knew! “It’s all right. So…who’s your sister-in-law?” “That would be me.” Raven raised her hand. “Raven Branwen at your service.” She grinned and the redhead paled. “So…half of Team STRQ is here with the leader of the Branwen tribe…” “Formerleader of the Branwen tribe. I’m now here in Vale again. My mom’s taking care of the tribe till either my adopted daughter or cousins take over.” She offered a showboaty bow and grin while the poor woman looked ready to keel over. Were the Branwen twins really so infamous? Then again, all the stuff Coco looked up about Qrow seemed to support it. Even in Atlas, Winter had heard tales of the Branwen trive’s ferocity. They were a band of barbarians as far as she’d known until meeting Dove and seeing a different side. “Right… Well, I’m Jodi Garner and I’m head of shelter operations. I know we don’t look like much, but we’re hoping to get our own building eventually.” She looked at the single entryway into the more or less cubicle. “This is Stalli, one of our permanent residents.” She held up the bird on her glove. It was petite but absolutely gorgeous . The banded wings and bright orange face, neck, and chest were beyondstriking. What kind of bird was he? “I’m Winter Schnee, but I suppose I don’t need an introduction at this point. It’s nice to meet you, Miss Garner.” She offered a polite curtsy to the woman. She didn’t seem offput by her nature. Or, if she was, she didn’t showit. Jodi offered a hesitant smile in return. “Well, Winter, Raven, if you’d like to follow me inside, I can introduce you to our long-term residents here and the volunteers if that sounds good.” Winter offered a nod. The trio walked inside and they were immediately greeted with a loud chirping sound. It came from the massive bird she’d seen pictured on the website. Beautiful bird, but it absolutely dwarfedthe gyrfalcons. How could anything be that large and still fly? “This is Duri, our golden eagle. He’s basically our mascot. He’s been here for about seven years now. He was one of our first raptor surrenders. He looks intimidating, but he’s gentle as a kitten.” She wanted to be surprised, but she’d already seen how gentle large raptors could be. He let out another chirp, looking at Winter and Raven. His head twisted almost full upside down. “Yep, they’re inquiring.” It was so strange to be locked out of the conversation… “It’s very nice to meet you, Duri.” Even if he was an animal, there was no reason to be rude to him. He still had feelings and they could be hurt. She wasn’t about to be rude to something that could cause her seriousdamage or injury if it wanted. The eagle bent his ead forward, making Jodi chuckle. “Well, that tells me about all I need to know about you. He’s asking for scritches.” Scritches…? What in the world did thatmean? It sounded like scratches but it wasn’t a regular variant she was aware of… The Ah and Ih sounds weren’t close as far as she knew. “Go ahead and pet him if you want.” …Apparently it was some alternate form of scratches… Hesitantly, she stepped over and gently stroked the eagle’s feathers. Like Kiyay’s, they were soft and well cared for. But why was he here in the first place…? He was absolutely stunning. Being so close to such a majestic animal… It felt like once in a lifetime. Though if she did start to volunteer here, it’d become relatively normal for her. Raven was probably used to this sort of thing by now… “You have a delicate hand, Winter. I think you’ll be a good fit for us. I was a bit skeptical first, but with Duri’s response to you, I think it’ll be fine.” She glanced at Jodi who smiled. Was it really so easy? Did she trust an eagle’s judgment thatmuch? “I will admit I know nothing about falconry but I’m willing to learn.” If she could expand her skills, she would. She was always willing to learn more. She was a handler now, so she needed to learn how to do that. They were hunting birds too. Not knowing how to hunt would do a disservice to Kiyay and break Dove’s trust. She had entrusted him to her and she would do everythingin her power to make sure he flourished. “I was raised around birds so I have plenty of knowledge. I’ve only flown gyrfalcons my whole life, but I’m not afraid to step out of my comfort zone.” She turned to face Jodi and Raven again, seeing Jodi smile. “That’s great. It’s hard to find people with experience or so willing to learn. Or they want to learn then have to gore a qual so they quit.” WInter did grimace but nodded. She would need to learn to hunt. Goring and preparing animals was part of it. It wasn’t all cuddles and magnificent displays of flying. “Never handled prey before, huh? Then again, I probably shouldn’t be too surprised.” “Not yet, but I will in time. And if I start here, all the better.” This was a safe environment, so she could get used to it. She would do whatever it took in order to— Stali let out an ear-piercing wailing sound which made Winter clap her hands over her ears. What in the hell?! A return high-pitched noise sounded from deeper in the building. “Oh, calm down; you’ll see Irena in a few minutes,” Jodi snapped. Stali gave her a hard look before letting out another ear-piercing wail. “Fine, fine. How about we go meet another permanent resident?” “Sure.” If she would be working with these birds, getting to know them would be wise. “What kind of bird is he if you don’t mind my asking?” That was probably a good question. She truly was curious about it too. He was absolutely stunning. Maybe he’d be easy to work with? He seemed willing and able…but what did she know about birds yet? “He’s an aplomado falcon. Beautiful, aren’t they?” Jodi smiled at Winter who gave an affirmative nod. He was a real eye catcher. She would be truly blessed if any of these animals warmed up to her. However, as they walked, she had to be careful to not trip over the cats and dogs. Cats darted around, playing with various toys. Dogs lazed around mostly, sleeping in the bits of sunshine they could find or simply in beds and baskets. A massive grey dog started following them, looking at Winter quizzically. The dog was utterly massive, around three feet tall. Jodi smiled at him as he spoke, then she responded. “Yeah, they’re new volunteers inquiring.” Why were the animals so interested in her? She’d never been around them too much before now. Gelé had tried to teach her sidesaddle at one point. But that ended after each attempt resulted in her trying to escape. It’d only taken three times for Gelé to learn better and not to trust her on a horse. She did have a littlebit of experience with dogs but not much… There was a small dog unit in the Special Operatives but she wasn’t involved in their training or handling. This was so very strange. And that was a verylarge dog? “What breed is he? I’ve never seen a dog so massive.” Seriously, that thing wouldn’t fit inside a car, it felt like. He was so utterly massive she didn’t need to reach down much to pet him. “A wolfhound. They’re native to a small range in southern Mistral. Beautiful area but notoriously tough. Even the dogs have to be rugged to survive.” Jodi shook her head and chuckled before she opened a door. Another aplomado stood on a bowed perch. Steli flew over and the other started to preen him, twittering happily as it did so. Two brown birds with reddish shoulders stood in another corner, staying happily to themselves. “The other aplomado is Irena, his mate. The other two are Edith and Amir, our Harris hawks. They’re native to vacuo, but they’re one of the most popular falconry birds in the world. They’re relatively easy going and great to work with.” So many names and there were probably more. Not to mention the people… They ran through more birds and she introduced herself to about half a dozen people. A lot of them were in their twenties and thirties, making her feel like a baby in comparison. There was one other teenager there—Edgar, an awkward, lanky boy that had only just started there. Apparently he spent a fair amount of tim there when he wasn’t in school. “So there you go. If you can get here at about eight thirty, you can help with morning feeding. If not, then evening is five before we close. It’ll be a great way for you to get your feet wet with birds of prey. Otherwise, we mostly keep the animals active and playing. Things are pretty lowkey here without a lot of pressure. Sound good to you?” Jodi smiled at her and Raven. Winter nodded. “I can agree to that. Though I will have…morning with obligations starting in about a week.” She likely wouldn’t be able to make it to morning feeding as long as she worked at the bakery. Five to eight in the morning. She wouldn’t be able to make it across the city on a bike with buses and trains so quickly. The ferry ride was about fifteen minutes on its own. But the evening one? She could manage that most days. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were off the table though. “Yeah, I can manage that for a for a few hours here and there too.” Raven returned Jodi’s smile and the redhead looked relieved. “And if you have any experience with public speaking, we could also use your help. We do demonstrations with a raptor rehab Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays as long as the weather holds. It lets the public get up close and personal with the raptors and aura breeds. Do you think you could help with that?” Jodi looked desperate. This was a nonprofit so they needed help. But Winter did have her worries… “My speech is…stiff if you haven’t picked up on that. I would be like a living textbook if you wanted me to speak.” She wouldn’t be good for keeping an audience engaged and entertained. She knew how to instill courage and bravery into her men. But she did not know how to instill excitement into a crowd in the way Jodi wanted. That would not be a good fit for her personally. “Well, you would still be able to help if you wanted, Winter. Once you learn to use the lure, you can do flying demonstrations. And until then, if you don’t mind being a living perch, you can stand at let the birds fly point A to B. Does that sound okay? I don’t want to reduce you to nothing but…” “It’s all right; I do understand.” She tucked some hair behind her ear. In this case, she couldn’t fault the woman. She was too stiff to engage an audience that wanted entertainment. But she wouldn’t mind helping in whatever way she could. She’d have to add lure practice to list of daily tasks once someone taught her the basics. Jodi nodded and led them back out to the front. “Well, when you get back home, give us a call and we can get you into our system. We’d still prefer to know when you’re coming rather than dropping in. Okay?” Winter and Raven nodded then excused themselves out to the car. “So how’d it go, snowy? Think you can deal with it?” Qrow glanced over his shoulder and Winter nodded. It didn’t seem simple but she could learn tasks over time. “I think I’ll be able to work. Though a glove will be necessary, I would think.” Could the leather actually do anything to protect her? There were aura breeds, capable of much greater feats of strength than normal raptors. What protection did it truly offer? Maybe with the smaller aplomados, it offered some, but not with an aura eagle. Or even the gyrfalcons. Their talons would probably punch through even passive aura. “I’ve been working on one for you when I get some free time or need to take a break, but it’s not done yet unfortunately.” She could hearthe frown in Qrow’s voice. He’d apparently expected more time work on it. Which made sense since it wasn’t like she’d been planning on flying birds anytime soon. But this was happening so… “I believe your mother’s did fit albeit a bit awkwardly. I can wear that for the time being.” The length had left something to be desired, though. Dove was a much shorter woman than Winter was. It was long enough for Dove but not Winter, at least when it came to the larger birds. But as long as she wasn’t handling the eagle or the gyrfalcons, it’d probably suffice. Though it sounded like it’d be a while until she’d be handling the birds. “We can stop and get you a glove real quick. I know a physical falconry store not too far from here. Having a handling glove and a feeding glove is good practice anyway. I can prolly finish it if I stay up tonight. That did sound enticing but… “Don’t overdo it.” He was already doing so much for her… He didn’t need to deprive himself of sleep for something she didn’t need immediately. And coming from herof all people… She tried to take care of herself, but it was hard. She’d always had so much on her plate. Balancing work with life simply didn’t exist for her… She didn’t have a life outside of work anyway. There was no point in doing anything that didn’t advance the possibility of freeing Weiss. Though that had changed entirely… “Eh, I’ll be fine. I’ve spent four, five days without sleep on the mission road before. One night on top of paperwork won’t be too bad.” She still couldn’t stop worrying… Office jobs and paperwork were more tiring than most people knew. “Relax, snowy. It’s onenight. One all nighter won’t kill me.” All she could do was sigh and nod. “Very well.” He clearly wouldn’t budge on the matter. Why bother trying? Stubborn old bird. They hit up the falconry shop with left Winter utterly overwhelmed. There were so many hoods, different types, and so much equipment she couldn’t place. But there was one thing she couldappreciate… Books. “Feel free to get some. My treat along with the glove.” She looked up at him, then back at the section. She would already owe him so much for the mattress… ‘Treat’ or not, she was already financially dependent on him… Her funds were so limited until she got a job. She gave a hesitant nod before picking out four books. Falconry and Hawking, The Psychology of Aura Raptors, High-Flying Gyrfalcons, and Hawking with Golden Eagles.If she’d be working with gyrfalcons and an eagle, she might as well do some in-depth learning about them. Though the eagle book was…small comparative to the others. Was it really worth thirty lien? The gyrfalcon book was sixty… That was absurdly expensive, but with a specialist craft… They checked out once she chose her books and she sank into the seat. The day already felt like it’d gone on forever but it was only afternoon… Hopefully it would go a bit faster from now on…