The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 18: Familiar Faces

The grey sky hung over Faralda, the sunlight dull through the dark clouds. It had just finished raining, and looked like it was going to start again. Raven, Yang, and Qrow stood in silence as the knights did their rounds around the house.

These searches had become a weekly occurrence for eight years. On every Friday, two knights would search the house for any signs of a fourth member. They weren't looking for Pip, though. They were looking for Vao. Vao was known to love his mom dearly, and so her house was always inspected once every week. This, of course, was a bad thing.

Where was Pip? He was hidden under the floorboards. Shortly after he was born, Raven tore up the old planks and dug a hole for him to hide in. Pip was left in the dark, Summer and Tai down with him to make certain he didn't make a sound.

Usually, it was only two regular guards. But this time, third knight was with them, sending their nerves through the roof. They didn't know why he was here. Glenroy's white hair stood out in the dim light of the house, staring at the walls in disgust.

"... You let your walls accumulate mold?"

"... Don't have the money to fix it," Raven muttered begrudgingly.

"... Disgusting," Glenroy muttered. His armored boots clunked heavily on the ground, his eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary. His golden and jeweled shield gleamed on his back, his hand resting on the handle of his sword. He pulled open a closet, inspecting the contents curiously. "... There's clothes in here that would only fit a midget or a child," he observed. "Why do you have these? There are no children in the house, are there?"

"No sir," Yang lied. "They used to be Vao's... My mom, she keeps them for memories."

Glenroy raised a brow, picking up a shirt. "... You have no taste for fashion," he muttered. "The sleeves are torn off."

He dropped the shirt, pushing aside Pip's clothes. He sniffed the air, his lips pulling back in disdain. "Ugh... That stench..."

Glenroy was more observant than his underlings, something they found to be dangerous. No one had ever commented on the smell before. It wasn't that Pip smelled particularly bad, but he smelled like a bird. Glenroy moved to stand, but stopped. They watched in dread as he picked something up, holding it out for them to see.

It was a black feather.

"Do you have a pet, perchance?" He interrogated. "I do not recall seeing one."

"Qrow collects feathers," Raven answered bluntly. The drunk looked confused for a moment, but quickly nodded.

"Y... Yeah... Gets me going, you know?"

Glenroy looked absolutely disgusted. Raven and Yang glared at Qrow. "I-I'm sorry," he whispered to them. "You put me on the spot. It was all I could think of."

Glenroy dropped the feather, continuing his search. Down below, hidden underneath the floorboards that the sofa rested on, Summer and Tai held Pip, watching the shadows move above the floorboards. Pip didn't entirely understand what was going on, but he knew it wouldn't be good if he made a sound. His grandfather had explained to him a few times that the humans outside the house weren't friendly, even if he was raised by humans.

Glenroy ascended the stairs, Raven, Yang, and Qrow following from a distance. The Knight Commander kept sniffing the air, his nose wrinkled from the smell. "... Are you certain you do not have a bird? It's getting stronger," he called back to them. Neither of the trio answered. Glenroy pushed the door to Vao's room, sniffing again. The smell was at its strongest in the bedroom. "Ugh... Smells like a nest in here..."