Training in the woods

The wind whistled, cut by the wooden blade as it came around again. The clack of wood against metal echoing across the school grounds as the autumn leaves fell. A subtle smile slipping onto Sunset's face as she charged. She would not give in, she would not surrender. I've got you this time. she thought to herself as she drove towards the opening she had spotted.

The sun rose and fell time and again, soon enough no leaves remained. Replaced by whipping winds and falling snow, and yet the fight continued. Day after day night after night. Weapons clashing as boots crunched through packed snow or slipped into drifts.  The occasional bit of banter or advice passing between the pair as the matches came ans went. What time was not spent on the field was devoted to learning everything she could about aura.

The old semester now near it's end, the training, study, and classes making months blur together. New classes soon to take the place of the old. And yet, there was always a piece missing. Every secret she found brought her no closer to the key to unlocking how her aura worked, the manuals all assuming the reader already had achieved that feat.

Scowling at the book before her Sunset slammed it shut and tossed it aside. Still no answers. I'm close, I know it. The key is right in front of me, What am I missing? She mentally growled the words at the uncooperative text. Still, she had to admit really all she was doing was being impatient. All of the older students could use theirs, so training must be coming, it was only a matter of time.

Pacing back and forth, she let her gaze drift outside for a moment. Spotting a familiar blonde form. No. that's just a distraction. You don't need her. Besides, it's not like she'd listen, She still thinks you're crazy. She convinced herself, turning away. Yang at least wasn't being openly hostile any more, but the two still weren't speaking. Not ready to start trying to mend that particular headache, Sunset tried to find something else to focus on.

Not ready... Now they've got me thinking it. It was hard for Sunset not to laugh at the irony.  Leaving the dorms she stopped at the gym to pick up a training weapon before heading outside, a new one since her old one had broken the previous week. Deliberately heading out the back way so as to avoid the courtyard... and the person in it.

Outside it was the same grey January morning she had expected it to be. As Sunset tromped through the snowdrifts she absently twirled the polearm she was carrying, letting go of it in just the right way that it would roll across the back of her hand only to be caught again on the other side. Errand thoughts slipping in and out of her mind. This one's better balanced than my old one... Hmmm... must have taken more chunks out of it than I thought.

There were a few other students outside, training or working on projects, including a second year who was fussing over a sword that by the looks of it was supposed to unfold into something. His apparent classmate or friend or whatever trying to console the distraught human. Why is he wasting so much time trying to fix that mess? It's clearly defective, he should just return it for a refund. She thought to herself confused. Her classes had only briefly touched on weapon maintenance, implying it would come up in more detail next semester, but the problem seemed obvious. Either the other student was too suborn to give up on the faulty device or didn't see the flaw. Deciding to intervene she walked over.

"That's not going to work." She stated calmly as she approached. As was often the case, the duo didn't give her more that a scowl and a cursory glance, going back to trying to fix the weapon, only to make the rod running up it's center pop out of place with an ear-scarring scrape. "I don't think you can fix that."

"Oh, and what would you know, freak?"  The one holding the sword answered. Glaring at her again. His friend looked at her a moment, but said nothing.

"It wasn't manufactured correctly. The joints at the base of the blade are moulded backwards; They can't move." She answered, gesturing to the sword's guard, not letting any reaction to the insult show. She had more or less gotten used to such things.

"Bullshit, there's no way I would miss that."

"...No. She's right Card. No wonder it keeps snapping risers."

"What?! Seriously?"

Satisfied, Sunset headed off towards the training area. Chuckling slightly at hearing the more obnoxious of the two's frustrated complaining about being outdone by the 'dumb horse girl' behind her, and panicking about 'replacing them in time for finals', most likely referring to the defective parts. By Celestia I missed being able to do that. She thought to herself. An almost forgotten smirk crossing her face as she headed for the outdoor training areas. Perhaps Lin was around. If not there were always the training dummies. Even if they weren't good for much other than endurance.

It had been a while, she wasn't exactly sure how long. She had been paying more attention to how long she could maintain her speed in one stretch than how long it had been over all. Truth be told Sunset was starting to get tired of seeing how long she could maintain a rapid pace attacking the glorified leather mannequin. Taking a break again after her latest attempt and wandering over to a bench, she sat down and started blowing on her reddened hands, trying to get some feeling back. Need to buy better gloves. Whoever regulates the weather here sucks. Lack of fur doesn't help either. She mentally grumbled, though she had to admit, it could be worse. I could still be wearing a skirt... She was still thankful for the insulated pants Lin had generously given her the previous month, after she had overextended her funds adding an insulated liner and a few pieces of armour to her coat. Finding something for her hands was taking longer. All of the cheap gloves she found either weren't thick enough or messed with her grip on her weapon. Not to mention part of her still felt kind of guilty receiving  a Hearths-... No, a Christmas Gift without being able to give anything in return.

Speaking of whom, a familiar shadow was now being cast over her from behind. "Hello Lin." She commented looking up. Lin looked different than usual, a fair amount of her metal armour had been traded for lighter materials, better insulated against the cold, giving the attire a slightly different shape. Strangely though she still had her headband on when trading it for a hat would probably have been more practical. It was odd, but then everyone had their quirks. Sunset probably wouldn't have paid as much attention to the outfit, but she was feeling kinda jealous; She didn't look cold at all.

There was a bit of a silent moment before Sunset Realized Lin had said something. "Sorry, I didn't catch that?"

"I asked if you wanted to join me out in the woods... today..." Lin repeated, her words slowing down when she noticed Sunset flinch at her question. "Is something wrong?"

"Last time I was out there I got torn up by a beowolf." Sunset admitted after a delay just long enough to be awkward. As much as she disliked admitting any weakness, the woods scared her.

"I... I'm sorry, I didn't know." Lin responded with a sigh, coming around the bench to sit next to Sunset, the silence compelling her to explain fully. "I was planning on practicing Whisper myself, I can't use here properly here."

That got Sunset's attention. Curiosity taking the proverbial drivers seat, though she was still hesitant to agree. "Properly? You can't do that here? It's a sword."

"Not quite." She stated, drawing the sword. Flicking a small switch marked 'release' just behind the guard, she pulled on the sword's tip. Immediately the barbed tip and center third of the blade slid out of place, accompanied by the soft whine of a cable winch extending it's line.

"This looks almost like a harpoon..." Sunset mused. Lin simply nodded as she put the weapon back together and sheathed it once more

"It's not something I can practice with properly against stationary targets, or fellow students..." she explained. "But it's not a good idea to head out there alone either, and I don't exactly get along with my classmates."

Moving targets, in the woods... she wanted to get into a fight with the creatures out there? It was risky. It was probably stupid as hell. Then again, she was a third year student, with an actual weapon and that healing spell. And Sunset would need people willing to follow her into, what for them was the unknown, when she went back... She couldn't exactly convince them to do that if they thought she was a coward.

"I'm probably going to regret this, but... alright. Lets go." She answered slowly, after thinking for a bit. Something that elicited a hug from Lin. "Just promise we'll stay within sprinting distance of the wall."

Letting go, and nodding her agreement with Sunset's condition, the two got up to go. Heading into town. As they weaved their way through the streets and side streets, It didn't take Sunset long to notice that they seemed to be taking a somewhat detoured route to the gate. Lin seeming apparently intent on stopping at a particular store.

"I know you haven't made a proper weapon yet," she began, leading Sunset into the arms merchant's store, before gesturing to a few of the weapons. "but I can't have you watching my back with just a wooden training blade." she explained before turning to the shopkeeper asking him a question that Sunset didn't entirely hear.

Sunset couldn't help but notice her choice of words. 'Made' rather than 'got'... She'd have to ask about that later. "Oh please. I can't even hit you. You won't need me to watch your back against dumb animals." Sunset joked, not really looking at the store's wares. Most of the weapons were either of the cheap mass produced variety, or of the never-meant-to-be-used wall ornament variety. She doubted there was anything here suited to her. It wasn't like she could afford anything here anyway; she was still trying to find the money for new gloves, forget any of these items.

"Fine, to watch your own back then. I doubt I can cover both of us." Lin said with a soft laugh, tossing Sunset a pole arm from the rack. Before starting to lead her out of the store.

"W-wait, I haven't paid for-!"

"It's already taken care of." Lin stated, guiding her out. Back on the street, Lin pulled her along quickly before she could offer further protest. Before they could reach the gate though, she wrenched her arm free of Lin's grip, and backpedalled towards a survival supply store about a block from the gate.

"Hang on, there's something I need." she explained before popping inside the store. A moment later she was on her way back out, in the process of popping a spherical fiery orange crystal into a small red, and rather disproportionate, pistol. Her only explanation being, "In case we need to call for help." as she tucked the weapon into a pocket.

The flare gun had chewed up the last of Sunset's funds, but there was no way in tartarus she was going out there without some way to signal that they needed help. Even then she was having a hard time staying calm. Relax Sunset, this won't be like last time. You have a weapon, you've got a flare gun, you've added a bit of armour to your gear since then. Her gaze drifted to the pieces of black painted metal on her jacket, blending in with the rest of the material. And you're heading out there with someone who's most of the way through her training this time. Everything's going to be fine.

Everything is NOT fine. Holy crap these things are fast! Sunset mentally yelled at herself, as she batted another claw away, only for the beowolf in question to back off and another one charge forward in it's place. There were twelve of the blasted things, and while Lin had managed to deal with about three so far, Sunset had been on the defensive the entire time, and it was pretty obvious that the wolves were smarter than she had given them credit for last time. They were using their numbers to their advantage, rotating out the attacking group every time one of them was pushed back or injured, while the rest kept circling. We're going to wear out way faster than they are if I can't take out a few of these.

Batting another claw away, and smacking it's owner in the head with the shaft of her glaive, Sunset didn't have much time to duck before another claw was swinging her way. Jamming her blade into the ground with the shaft pointed skyward, she leaned into it and brrought her feet up, then kicking out. Planting both boots in the face of her assailant, the heel from one crushing an eye socket, while her own momentum pulled her weapon free of the ground. She had to act quick, twisting in mid air to get her feet back under her before she landed. She managed it, barely, Swinging her weapon over her back on the way down, the hooked tip of her blade digging into the neck of one that had been trying to come up behind her. A shocked glance back at the unexpected source of resistance as her first kill of the fight was dropped to the accidental blow.

"Having fun yet?" Lin called from a few feet away, a quick glance showing, her fifth momentarily caught on the harpoon of her weapon and being yanked forward by the projectile ripping free from it's chest, toppling onto and pinning one of it's former packmates.

Sunset wanted to snap something about her friend being crazy in between dodges and parries, but couldn't. As stupid as it was, being roped into fighting these things, creatures that should scare her half to death after her last encounter, she was. There was something satisfying about holding her own against things that should have killed her already, even if it was only temporary. Her doubt about how the fight was going forgotten, Sunset decided against all reason to push her luck and go on the attack. The wolves hadn't expected that, and one was down missing a chunk of it's throat before they even realized they were on the defensive. Her push didn't last long though, her next foe digging it's claws into her right arm and receiving a deep slash through it's abdomen in return.

Biting back a scream as the pain hit her, and now fighting one handed, she was forced to back off and return to defending. Getting knocked around by the strikes she was blocking, as what was usually her good arm was held close against her chest staining her outfit a fair bit more red than usual. Fortunately, she only had two opponents left and Lin had run out of targets. They didn't last long.

More than ever she was thankful for Lin's so-called "useless" semblance as her friend patched her up. She'd need to repair her jacket, again, and those scars were annoying, but having full use of her arm back in minutes instead of weeks was nothing to complain about.

"Thanks. But we should probably get away from the bodies, before the smell attracts something else." She commented, looking around at the mess, as well as giving a disapproving glare at the stains on her own attire. Those were going to take a while to get out and she only had a few warm outfits...

"Relax, we can take them. You were doing pretty well for most of that."

"Pretty well? I was-..." Sunset's retort died in her throat as the two were interrupted by a quartet of roars. Rather large and decidedly non-canine sounding roars, that were immediately followed by bear-things crashing through snow covered branches as they came into sight.

"Why did I agree to come back out here..." Sunset whimpered. These things are huge...

Lin's first response was to try and spear one of them with Whisper's harpoon. Unfortunately, all it did was get stuck in one of the bear's paws, and promptly have it's cable snapped as the creature reared back, the force of the pull warping the winch housing and damaging the blade of the weapon's sword half.

"That's... not supposed to happen, is it?"

"No. No it's not." There was no hiding the fear in Lin's voice as she glanced back and forth between the approaching creatures and her damaged weapon. Even damaged, it would still work as a short sword but the idea of getting that close to one of those things, while her aura was drained from healing Sunset, was hardly appealing.

"Might want to make that bit detachable... maybe cary spares..." Sunset's weapon on the other hand at least still had some reach, for what little good it did in the hands of the weaker of the two girls.

"Liiiin... My blade's not doing anything. how do you kill these things?!" Sunset demanded, as the two girls backed into each other, the four ursa slowly advancing. The one in front of Sunset seemingly shrugging off the new red slash across it's abdomen, and swinging at her again. Snapping the blade off of her glaive's wooden shaft when she tried to parry. That's not good. Also, probably why everyone in the higher years have all-metal weapons...

"I don't know! I've never fought an ursa before." She snapped back hopping forward to take a swing at the nearest one with her broken sword, before retreating back to the centre again.

Crap. Okay, need to come up with a plan B. Not strong enough to hurt these things, Lin probably is but that ursa wrecked her sword, Too many trees to fire off the flare, no-... Wait. why do I have to fire the flare *up*?

"Lin, try not to make a sound, and when I say go, run for it."

"Run where?! We're surrounded!" The Ursa were close enough now that they were almost within arms reach of each other. There wasn't enough room to pass between them without getting charged.

"Trust me." She just said, pulling the flare gun out and squeezing the trigger. A little ball of dust fuelled fire shot out exploding not in the sky, but against the face of the ursa between them and the wall. Immediately the creature began howling in pain and flailing randomly, it's burning face and ruined vision driving it into a rage as it charged the nearest source of sound; one of the other ursa.

"Go!" Sunset shouted, Not willing to risk wasting this opening as she bolted as fast as she could. A heavier set of footsteps paired with the rhythmic clank of metal on metal keeping pace just behind her.

The two girls dashed through the gate skidding to a halt on the other side, the ursa far behind them too busy roaring at and fighting each other to follow. Hunched over, hands on her knees for balance, Sunset desperately tried to get her breathing and heart rate under control for a good few minutes, while her apparently less winded companion broke out laughing for seemingly no reason.

"Still having fun?" Sunset asked. Lin only response was a smile and punching her in the shoulder. Pulling back and cradling her hand when reality decided to remind her of the studded iron plates Sunset had recently added to the garment.

It had been two weeks since the woods. The final tests in her classes had been grueling. She had passed, but in some areas she wasn't certain exactly how she had made it through some of the classes, with how far being injured early in the year had set her back. As much as she didn't like to admit it, making it through basic armed combat and basic unarmed combat were probably more due to Lin than herself. She still had a lot to learn. Not even in the top 20 students... Pathetic. I need to do better.

All one hundred-some-odd students in here year were gathering in the gym as she read over her scores and scowled at the sheet of paper they were written on, as if her gaze alone could make the numbers change. Tossing the sheet out, she followed the others inside and took a spot near the back.

"Well, Now that you've got the basics down," Professor Qrow, the school's head combat instrucor began, introducing the new semester's first course. "before we move onto the intermediate techniques, there's something you all need to learn to use if you're going to get through fighting with real weaponry in one piece: Aura."

Maybe this wasn't such a bad day after all.