The Knights of Grimm - Act 1 - An Eye For An Eye

Chapter 12 - Searching for Winter

Jaune

Unaware that the murderer of the woman he adored is here...

He, Nora and Ren walk through the streets of Mistral, searching for Winter. Jaune clutches onto the hilt of Crocea Mors, the gleam of the sun reflects off its metal blade. He is the only one with his weapon drawn since he is at the front. Nora and Ren walk side to side behind Jaune. Nora looks up at Ren and he looks at her with a small smile. They have been concerned about Jaune recently; being here is hurting him deeply, being in the hometown of Pyrrha.

He just walks and walks, not saying a word. "Well...I guess we are team Junior after all!" Nora says, trying to help lighten the mood. But when she says that, Jaune stops walking and he turns to stare straight at her with anger in his eyes.

"We are always Juniper!" He shouts in anger at her, which makes Nora recoil slightly at his sudden outburst. Ren steps in front of her.

"Jaune?" Nora quietly asks.

"You need to calm down, Jaune." Ren states.

Jaune looks right at Ren and he scoffs.

"Me?" He exclaims, pressing his own hand against his chest plate. He then points right at Ren. "What about you?" He questions which makes Ren raise an eyebrow. "When we fought the Nuckelavee, you were acting like a damn idiot!" He shouts. Ren stands there, letting him yell like that, despite what the Nuckelavee took from him.

"That was different, Jaune." Ren says, showing little emotion in his face as he says that.

"The hell it isn't! Just because Pyrrha is gone, it doesn't mean that we cut her out of the team. She will always be a part of us. She'll always be a part of me." Jaune says to her, tears welling up in his eyes. Ren stands there, looking at Jaune.

"That's no reason to shout at her like that." Ren states.

"Then why the jokes?" He barks in annoyance at her.

"Because I can see that you're hurt, Jaune!" Nora retorts over Ren's shoulder. "And someone has to try and make you smile, and I trust me...I know that she will always be a part of us." Nora says to him. Jaune looks at her with confusion in her eyes. "And Qrow asked me to keep the mood all cheery when he was poisoned, you know? Because he was worried about you. The uncle of a Silver Eyed warrior is worried about you." Nora says with a scoff. "And he expects me to help you."

"I appreciate it, Nora, but I'm fine." Jaune declares.

"The hell you are. We've all heard you sobbing, Jaune. Ruby has seen you wandering off on your own every night when we are sleeping to listen to that recording that she sent you." Nora explains. "You think that's gonna help?" She asks him. "I think about her every single day, and I miss her so much. But I will not let her death control me, I want to remember her the way she lived, not the way that she died." Nora says to Jaune. Jaune stares at her, which leads to a shaky sigh.

"I can't let her go..." He says, shutting his tear filled eyes. "You still...don't get it...do you?" He questions as he looks right at them. They both look at the damaged boy. "All my life...I only wanted to help people, to be a Huntsman. But everyone turned me away, because I was weaker than them all, my own parents were opposed to the idea. She was the only person who believed in me. And I couldn't save her from Cinder! I couldn't save Penny! Or even Yang! I couldn't stop Adam from cutting her arm off! What kind of man does that make me?" Jaune questions, swinging his arms around in anger at himself, blaming himself for everything as he always does. "I'm no Huntsman..." He weakly says, looking down at the floor.

"So what?" Nora challenges with a shrug of her shoulders. Jaune looks at her confused.

"Huh?" Jaune mumbles as he looks at the short orange haired girl with a beaming smile on her little face.