The Huntsman of Red V2

Chapter 58 Cursed Arm: Part 5

What Ghira was hearing was a lot to take in, less because it was hard to fathom, and more because it was hard to believe. He was the acting leader of Vermillion, and no decision could be taken lightly.

Sighing while seated in front of his desk, Ghira put aside the welcoming gifts he'd prepared and pressed a hand over his eyes. Taking in a breath, he slid his hand down over his face, and gave a long and hard stare at the people before him.

They were delegates from both Vale and Atlas led by Adam who grunted before crossing his arms and leaning his back on the wall, a hand ready to grab the hilt of his sword at a moment's notice.

"You want me to put the entire kingdom on high alert for a single man?" Ghira reiterated in the silence. "How can you expect me to do that when even people of your own party appear unconvinced?"

"Damn it, Winter!" Qrow grumbled, Winter snorting.

"It's just one man...?" Winter's expression remained firm. She was a specialist, and as Vermillion was relatively new, perhaps they didn't know the weight the title held, let alone Branwens who were bandits? "I fail to see why we need this level of permission when we can ask to waive restriction rights to operate freely in Vermillion. Our team is good enough."

"Why are we working with her?" Qrow quipped, lip twitching as he resisted the urge to growl at her. "You don't understand who were facing."

Winter did not deny the words, but it wasn't as if she hadn't been briefed. "I understand enough to know that the target is nothing if I remain in ranged combat."

"You think you'd be able to do that?" Qrow argued. Cursed Arm's speed and agility were no joke, let alone from Winter who was relying on reports rather than experience. "Unlike us, you have nothing to rely on."

"I know I can. Atlas Specialists are always built different regardless of whatever trinket you got from Ozpin." Winter raised her chin and stood proud of her station and accomplishment. Her words were not empty. Only her ignorance.

The little trinket was another magic artifact from Summer.

Qrow ground his teeth, but Raven shook her head at him. "If the Schnee dies, that's one less problem."

Winter glared, slightly offended, more so at Adam's snide agreement from behind her. Shoulder's drooping, Winter lamented that this was a team missions.

Ghira pinched the bridge of his nose, the dynamic between Qrow and Winter reminding him of his own interaction with Sienna Kahn in the White Fang.

Regardless, arguing got things nowhere.

"Is this problem not solved by just issuing an arrest warrant and an elite team?" Ghira murmured, a hand ruffling his beard. "I have my own trusted personnel who could deal with such things."

Qrow fell into silence before scrutinizing Ghira. A light bulb lit over his head. "Do you have a daughter?"

Ghira frowned, his eyes narrowing from a fleeting mixture of anger and frustration, but he still couldn't wrap his mind around why Qrow would be asking that.

"I do."

In the end, Ghira had no reason to hide it.

Qrow nodded to himself, realizing there was merit in his train of thought.

"Her name Blake?" He continued asking.

Ghira and Adam perked up at the same time, but Ghira looked more restless as a father as he understood that there was a connection between his run-away daughter and Vale.

"Yes," Ghira leaned forward, a tad uneasy. "For her own reasons, she chose to run away and hasn't told me where she's gone."

The letter Blake had left for Ghira and her mother, Kali, was that she'd give them a surprise at the Vytal Festival, and not to worry. She regularly communicated with them, which helped ease their doubts, but she never told them where she was.