Qrow went into his room with Duskwhisper still fluffed up. He sat on the bed and looked at her. "What's your problem?" he asked. She had never acted like that before: it was entirely out of character for her. He had no idea how to deal with Duskwhisper acting like this. Then again, it was the outside world. Maybe Duskwhisper was just reacting to the outside world in ways he didn't expect. He wasn't sure. Things were relatively predictable in the Order while the outside world was extremely strange and unpredictable.

  "Volkhunds are evil! They fought in the Null Crusade! They are harbingers of those that want to kill us!" Duskwhisper remained fluffed up, her cawing incessant. He had never seen her so upset before. If anything, he was surprised she remembered the Null Crusade. It was said a Nyxwing Raven would only bond to one person in their lifetime, so that meant she had bonded to him over a thousand years ago. He wasn't sure about Shadowmane steeds, though.

  "I don't think Winter would let her dog kill us," he reassured. He didn't want to discount Duskwhisper's feelings if she could remember the Nall Crusade, but she was also alarmed for no reason. He sincerely doubted Winter would let her dog kill them. It was hard when Duskwhisper was so upset, though. Trying to balance the fact he felt like she was overreacting to this incident with her lived experience so long ago was hard. He really didn't know how to handle this. "I don't think her Veilstrider Kirin would've led her to us if we were meant to die here."

  "It'll kill us! I know it will!" He sighed and shook his head.

  "Duskwhisper, is this because of trauma from the Null Crusade?" Trauma could make people and animals act irrationally. It was something that needed to be treated so they could control themselves. Such explosions led to

  instability and such instability led to disconnection from the Void. He had been taught to temper himself so that way

  he wouldn't lose his connection from the Void. Granted, he didn't agree with how the Order did a lot of things. He wasn't sure if he should maintain his connection to the Void or sever it entirely. It was a heavy decision to make, but it was one he'd have to make eventually.

  "You don't understand what it was like! You don't remember!" Dusk whisper continued to caw. He was pretty sure people in other rooms weren't happy with the noise, but she wasn't calming down. Even reminding her that trauma responses weren't good wasn't having any effect. And it did confirm his suspicion that she had bonded with him in a previous life. He wished he could remember the Null Crusade, but remembering previous lives was almost impossible. He would have been beyond the cycle of reincarnation had he fully merged with the Void.

  Qrow sighed. "This freaking out isn't going to help me or you, Duskwhisper." He had never seen her act like this before and knew it would fully detach her from the Void if she kept it up. "Do you want to not be able to return to the Void?" That was enough to quiet and still her. One outburst wouldn't be enough to separate her, but too many would. She would never be able to guide him again after this lifetime, though. so it really didn't matter in the first place to some degree. She would be left alone in the future unless she moved on from him.

  Duskwhisper nodded and raffled her feathers with a sigh. "You're right. This isn't going to help. It was a trauma response from the Null Crusade. Volkhunds are evil creatures that killed many Void Worshipers and people from the Order. I wouldn't be surprised if it's ingrained into their very DNA to go after Void Worshipers." She looked up at him, eyes hard.

  "Like I said, I don't think Winter's going to let her dog kill us." He didn't know anything about Volk hands, but he sincerely doubted that Winter would let her dog come after them. She didn't seem the type that would hurt others unnecessarily. She had stopped Altharion from hurting them. If she wanted to hurt them, she would have let Altharion kill them then and there. She was reticent about his beliefs which was understandable. He was leery of people that only worshiped the Arcanum Lords. He would need to get over it, though; they were who he'd be interacting with on a daily basis now that he had left the Order unless he joined another sect of Void Worshipers.

  That wasn't likely, though.

  He lived with a foot in both worlds, worshiping both the Arcanum Lords and the Void. Almost nobody would want him since he wasn't fully committed either way as far as both belief systems were concerned.

  He had no idea what his future would hold, but he hoped it would all work out.

  Duskwhisper sighed and nodded. "Fine. Just know I don't like it whatsoever. But she may well be the only one willing to help us. For now, though, make sure that Volkhund doesn't hurt us. Vorithar won't be happy about a Volkhund being around either. I can only imagine what will happen when he learns." She raffled her feathers again.

  "Thank you," he said. She bent her head forward and he petted it. He knew that being away from the Order was hard on her and it was hard on him too. But he didn't agree with Void Worshipers in general. The Weave was a flawed system but it didn't need to be fully rewritten in his opinion. There was no winning for him regardless of where he went. All he wanted was to find a place where he could live a fulfilling life. What that would look like, he had no idea.

  A knock came on his door and he blinked. Probably Winter. No surprise when he opened it and she stood there. Altharion looked up at Qrow, expression wary. "Hey, we could head out if you wanted to," she said.

  "To where?" she hadn't given him any hint she wanted to leave anytime soon, so this was unexpected. He hadn't even had the chance to unpack yet. That would be a plus in his book, of course, but he wanted to know where they'd be going. "I'm not really up to long travel."I didn't even really get a chance to rest here… What has you so eager to leave?" He wasn't trying to be obstinate; he just wasn't on the same page as she was.

  "Florwynne, the capitol. I'm not meant to stay in Sylwen permanently. My home is Florwynne. Orynthiel said she'd manipulate the Weave to let us get there in short order. There'll be far greater opportunities for you in

  Florwynne than here in Sylwen. Sound good?" Winter smiled at him. Well, that was true, he supposed... A larger city with a permanent settlement would offer him more opportunities. And he probably wouldn't be able to find anything on a temporary basis here.

  He nodded. "All right then." He went and grabbed his saddlebags along with his tack. It was a lot to handle

  especially with Duskwhisper on his shoulder. But they headed through the inn to the first floor again. Winter spoke to the innkeeper and he patted Winter's shoulder before she handed the keys back over. After that, they headed down to the barn,saddled up, then left town on Winter's suggestion.

  There, Orynthiel awaited them in all of her shining glory. "Okay, girl; work your magic." The kirin nodded and started walking. Winter nudged her horse into a walk and Qrow did the same with Vorithar. Within a few moments, the world seemed to speed by them until they arrived at a walled city unlike any thing Qrow had seen before.

  Huge lines of people filed through the gates and weren't stopped by the guards. The Order's settlement was highly guarded and few would be let in unless accompanied by an Order member or they were a confirmed member themselves. Movements were closely monitored because they didn't want to be discovered by the Nytheri authorities. Anybody leaking information could result in the destruction of the community. He disagreed with the Order but they were still his family. He wished them well, though he would miss his mother and sister for the rest of his life.

  "Let's go." Winter waved Qrow out of his stupor and he nodded. They checked their horses into a walk. Qrow couldn't help but marvel at the city with its impressive stone structures. The Order largely used wood because it was what was most available to them, living in the heart of of a forest and all. He had never seen stone structures before, so to see ones like this, let alone so tall… It took his breath away. They made their way down the cobblestone streets until Winter had them turn right onto one. If he thought the buildings had been opulent before, they had nothing on this. The buildings were spread apart widely with carefully manicured gardens and lots of beautiful plants.

  They were also beautifully painted in bright colors, something he'd never seen before. The pigments alone had to be worth a lot. He knew merchants existed as did money, but he didn't really understand its worth. This place's colors almost hurt his eyes if he were honest. He had never seen so many bright colors in one place before.

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  Eventually, Winter turned into one of the houses where the gates seemed to touch the sky and hid the house from view. He heard some barking, but Winter raised her hand. Qrow glanced at her. "The Dreadmaw Hounds. If Duskwhisper thought the Volkhunds were bad, these are far worse." Duskwhisper fluffed up, eyes

  narrowed. "They won't hurt you guys; promise. They are incredibly fierce protectors, but as long as you're with me, they won't attack. Let's go."

  The gates opened and they passed through. The biggest dogs Qrow had ever seen sat at attention. They were incredibly intimidating, no doubt close to four feet at the shoulder. They were all obsidian black with faint runes running along their backs and sides. "They are pretty agitated if the runes are showing," Winter said. "Still, you're with me and they're, bonded to me. They won't hurt you."

  “They sure look like they want to…" He couldn't help but be a bit skeptical unfortunately. He had thought Altharion was bad, but this was worse. He could see the barely restrained desire to hurt him in their eyes. They sat like statues and their eyes spoke of protection and a desire to even kill. “And what if I come back while you're not with me?" That would be the reality if he worked in the city… Winter had her own life to live so he would need to be able to pass through without getting killed by the dogs.

  "We'll get you registered into their collars of approved people. It won't take long to do and won't take much to do." She smiled at him and he nodded a bit.

  They went around the back of the house and a woman came out to greet them. "Good morning, Lady Schnee. We all thought you wouldn't be home for a few more months when you recovered from your Arcane Burn." She gave Qrow a hard side eye. "And who is this? He doesn't seem like the type you should be associating with. He looks like a…ruffian to put it mildly."

  Winter gave a nervous chuckle." Hello, Marwena. There was a change of plans. But you are to treat Qrow with the same level of respect you do me, my siblings, and my mother. Is that understood? He is my personal guest and not a ruffian as you put it." Her tone was matter of fact and commanding,leaving no room for argument. He wasn't sure why she was treating this woman as if she were lesser. Weren't all people equal in the eyes of the Arcanum Lords? It didn't make any sense to him.

  Marwena bowed her head. "Yes, Lady Schnee." The woman gave Qrow a stiff side eye despite Winter's words. "I'll take the horses." He and Winter dismounted and handed their horses over to Marwena. Vorithar sent Qrow a withering look, but he ignored his steed's attitude. He would have to get used to other people handling him sooner rather than later. No point in not adhering to at least some of the outside world's norms.

  He looked at Winter. "What was with her attitude? And what was with the title?" He had a lot of questions about that interaction and hoped that Winter wouldn't mind answering them.

  "Oh, that's just Marwena. She's a matron that has been in service since my grandfather's day. She thinks she's higher than she actually is. Don't pay her any mind. She has strong opinions that she likes to make known and won't stop from voicing. As for the title." Do you really not know about how the Magisterium operates?" Winter blinked at him.

  "Only in vague terms. I know there are Great Houses of mages but I don't really understand what it all means. Aren't all people, human and Faunus alike, equal in the eyes of the Arcanum Lords? That's what the Order teaches." He knew he was woefully naive to the outside world, but he was apparently much more naive than he thought. He was aware of prejudice against non-magic users as those were largely who joined the Order, tired of how the Magisterium treated them. Granted, he had taught more than one outsider-turned-member to become an Umbral Architect, so it wasn't like magic was out of reach for people.

  Winter sighed as she started walking, arms folded across her chest. "I wish it were that simple. Even if all are equal in the eyes of the Arcanum Lords, it doesn't mean[society] sees it that way. Magic is what determines your

  place in society. There's a military order known as the Obsidian Oath where Unwoven are sent to either break or die."

  He frowned. "Unwoven?" That didn't sound good a fall.

  "Children born of high-ranking magic lineages, usually Great Houses, that lack the natural spark for magic. And before you say anything, yes, magic can be taught. However, image is important in the high ranks of the Magisterium. It's seen as an embarrassment to have children not born with magic. So they're sent to places like the Obsidian Oath to be 'useful' while not having to take care of their own children."

  "That's horrible! I can't believe people do that. "It was so hard to wrap his mind around such terrible

  behavior. "It does take extra time and effort to teach those without the spark, but it's possible. I've done it before." The Order largely used Nyxara magic like most Void Worshipers, but they did have non-Nyxthara users among them. Definitely useful to help stay concealed in case the Nytheri government wanted to root them out and destroy them. There were so many people that wanted to see the Void Worshipers destroyed when there were plenty of sects like the Order that just wanted to exist peacefully and not destroy the Weave.

  Winter shrugged. "Unfortunately, that's just how Great Houses think. Had my mother not been who she is, one of my little sisters may have been tossed out. Weiss is an Astral Weaver rather than a Liminal Mage which is what our lineage usually is. My siblings and I are all Liminal Mages though we deal in different layers of the Weave. Mother didn't care what other Great Houses thought and allowed Weiss to stay with us." She led the way into the house which was absolutely massive. Strange cloth muffled their footsteps while they walked

  Qrow looked down. "What is this stuff?" It was like a rag but covered the whole floor.

  "Huh?" Winter looked down. "The carpet?"

  "Never seen anything like it before. Rugs are a rarity in the Order because they're so labor intensive to make." He could only imagine how intensive this carpet stuff was. Weaving took a lot of time and effort to do. The Order did pretty much everything themselves. From spinning wool to weaving their own cloth to dyeing their clothes to making the dye themselves... It was a rough life but he had largely enjoyed the challenges that came with it.

  "As flawed as the Magisterium is, money can do a lot of good…but also a lot of ill. My family doesn't have to do anything like grow our own food or make our own textiles due to how much wealth we've accumulated over generations. We can simply buy what we need instead of doing it ourselves." Qrow's eyebrows shot up at the revelation. Just…buy…instead of doing themselves? He could barely comprehend such a system existing. It was crazy to think about.

  "That…is weird to think about." He shifted a bit. "What do you expect me to do? You said something about me working, so what all do you expect me to do? Do I have to pay for everything myself or...?" Money was such a foreign concept to him. He was used to working for his keep and having to be useful. This world was completely foreign to him and he had no idea what Winter expected of him.

  "We'll give you room and board free of charge, but you'll have to cover other expenses like clothes and such. Food will also be provided. Sound fair?"

  "How do I find a job?" That sounded fair to him, but he had no idea where to look. He had a lot of skills from woodworking to weaving to farming to combat to horse care and more. He wasn't afraid to get dirty if that was what was the job required. He needed something that would pay him enough to support him beyond basic needs. "I'm really not afraid to do manual labor or deal in other menial jobs if that's what it comes down to."

  Winter shook her head. "You have magic and that will make you valuable in society's eyes. You really have alot of opportunities open to you that a lot of people won't. I hear there is a burgeoning market for shadow goods among the Great Houses. They're largely wealth exhibits since things made by Umbral Architects are ephemeral at best. I'll see if I can't find a workshop for you. Or would you be more interested in something a bit more... showy? There are numerous theater companies in the city that would pay top coin to have an Umbral Architect closets for them."

  Qrow blinked. A market for shadow goods? Why would somebody spend money on something that would disappear in to nothingness after only a few months? A display of wealth? What did that mean? Then again, the carpet was no doubt a display in its own right. "Which do you think would be better?" He had no idea which job would be better. He was willing to do just about anything.

  Winter looked at him. "Well, selling goods like those made from umbral matter would earn you more as you'd get paid directly. But you'd have to understand the market and price accordingly. Or you could work for someone else and get paid less for a while until you understand how much pieces are worth, then strike out on your own. They pay would likely be more but more inconsistent.

  "The theater job would be less overall but the pay would be more consistent. You'd get paid an hourly fee, like maybe a silver per hour, and would have to work with other people. It'd be very fast paced but if you like being creative with your magic, it'd be a great place to work." Winter smiled at him. "All depends on your preferences."

  He sighed. "I have no idea which I'd prefer. Is there any chance I could maybe see a workshop as well as what this'theater' thing is." He had no idea what a theater was. He still couldn't wrap his mind around people wanting things made of umbral matter when it was so ephemeral. But maybe wealth display weren't meant to make sense. Weaving something as intense as carpet then walking allover it didn't make much sense.

  They came to a door and Winter motioned to it. "Here; this is your room. I'll see about getting tickets to a show tonight so you can see what that looks like. Might take a couple days for me to get you into a shadow goods workshop, though. But rest for now, okay?" she smiled at him and he nodded.

  "Thank you." He offered her a polite dip of his head then entered the room. He threw down his saddlebags and Duskwhisper fluttered off his shoulder. He would investigate the room later. He was utterly exhausted, so he kicked off his boots then fell on the bed.