Silver Eyes on the Mountains
We do not own anything except for OC's and some concepts: All content goes to its proper owners.
Writing Credits: Monsterhuntergod and Uzumaki Ricky
Silver Eyes for Trouble
To many, the great peak was a comforting sight, one that filled them with security. To know that the village of Patch had firm foundations for the end of time. For others, it presented a wonderful opportunity, whether to exploit or to save. But for one, it was both home and prison. A place they loved but were not safe in and could not flee.
The dozens of houses that made up the village allowed for only narrow, winding streets. Most made of stone in some fashion, carved and painted in surprisingly vibrant colors. A minority were built into the cliffsides, carved over generations by the ancient clans that still clung to their peak the same as the lichens did. Those unfortunate few, however, had to live on the bluffs, craggy and covered in short tough grass, unsheltered to the harshest winds and storms that plagued the peaks. They were universally short, squat, and densely built with dark gray stone.
Through the narrow streets of the market, an average, if slender figure wearing a dark cloak topped with a tattered red hood moved through with surprising speed and grace. Around her were the disparate strata of the town bartering and selling their wares. The humble tenant farmer in simple, thick linens using their earnings to buy cheap corn tortillas. The mountain hunters and trappers in their thick fur coats and sheepskins tugged tight on their hunting hounds' leashes as they bartered with the short yet thickly built butcher. The few merchants that made it up this high haggled and sold rare and exotic goods from the lowlands.
Yet, one group, the figure did everything to avoid. Every so often, they would see one of the town guards. They stood out among the simple and rustic townsfolk. Clad in gleaming plates of forged steel, wielding great halberds, swords, and bows, and wore vibrant wool and cotton uniforms underneath. They loomed over the townsfolk, looking down on them as if to judge them as they passed. Their cold, indifferent and unnerving stares turned even the sternest gazes.
As the figure passed one, they thought they were in the clear as they were looking across the way to a nearby stall. Rounding a corner into an alleyway to head in the direction of the bluffs, they were stopped by another guard and soon pressed against the wall. Another two nearby guards then closed in on the figure who tried to struggle, if fruitlessly, against the man's grip.
"Aren't you a long way from home, girl?" The man asked with a sneer.
"When was it illegal to walk down the street!?" The hooded girl snapped, trying to break free.
"You might wanna watch your tongue, woman. Lest you lose it." One of the other guards warned her with a smirk.
"Come on, Ruby. You don't want to keep the sheriff waiting. Don't you?" The third guard said with a devilish smirk.
"I've done nothing wrong, and you all know it!" Ruby protested, only to be further pressed into the wall.
"We'll see what the sheriff has to say about that. Now get moving!" The first guard, the one who had a grip on Ruby, told her.
"And what exactly would he say?" A stern voice asked from behind them, further up the alleyway.
The small group turned to look to see an impressively built man with tanned skin, striking blonde hair, and light blue eyes. He was clad in simple, work worn cotton and linen clothes of mostly brown and tan. Right behind him was an impressively tall and well-built girl approaching her second decade. A long wave of golden blonde hair cascaded down her back as a pair of lavender eyes stared sternly at the three guards. She wore a blouse of similar color and materials to the man, with an added headband around her forehead.
"Well, Yang. Look what we have here. We have a party about to begin." The man dryly joked.
The blonde girl, now identified as Yang, smirked viciously with a flame of fury burning in her now crimson red eyes. "We sure do, Dad. Looks like some knuckleheads are causing Ruby some trouble." She replied, punching her fists together.
"Back out of this, you halfblooded brute! Your daughter's been nothing but trouble to the lord, and you're not stopping that!" The guard who had Ruby said as he tightened his grip, causing Ruby to wince in pain.
"And just what trouble could Ruby have caused by minding her own business and doing some shopping and wandering around town?" Taiyang asked, his voice now cold, as if daring them to say another word about his younger daughter.
The guards stood there, staring back, trying to contemplate their next move. Both sides knew what they wanted to do, but the question was if they had the guts to do it. This uncertainty hung in the air until the guard who held Ruby in his meat fisted hand flung her into the arms of her father.
"This is your last warning, Taiyang. Keep your little hellion out of the village limits or else." The guard growled. "Back to patrol, men."
"Yes, sir." The other two said as they left the alley.
Ruby glared at the men's retreating backs before sticking her tongue out at them. However, a pair of sighs drew her attention away from the corrupt ruffians that had attempted to abscond with her. Flinching, she turned to look and saw the disappointed looks on the faces of her father and older sister.
"I know it looks bad…" Ruby said nervously.
"Ruby, bad doesn't even begin to cover it. You could've gotten seriously hurt if we hadn't shown up when we did." Taiyang told his younger daughter.
"Rubes, we've told you a thousand times. Don't go into town without us. Have at least one of us with you so we can protect you." Yang told her baby sister in a lecturing tone.
"But Uncle Qrow said that, if I went in on a busy market day, they wouldn't see me through the crowds…" Ruby pleaded.
Taiyang sighed at that. "Damn it, Qrow…" He muttered.
"I'm not doing anything wrong! I don't get why I have to always cover up and avoid everything when I'm doing nothing wrong! I'm not breaking any laws, and the guards are still after me!" Ruby complained, throwing off her hood to reveal her face, her silver eyes practically glowing in animated energy.
"You'll understand when you're older, Rubes." Yang told her sister, trying to calm her down.
"Why can't I understand now!? You two never explain anything!" Ruby snapped at the two.
Taiyang sighed. "Ruby… we'll talk about this at home. We need to leave before more guards show up." He told his youngest.
"Promise?" Ruby asked, looking up into her father's sky-blue eyes.
Taiyang smiled a bit. "We promise. Right, Yang?" He asked his eldest, looking to his side at her.
Yang sighed but smiled and nodded. "Yeah, we do. Now what did you even want in town, Ruby?" She replied before turning her attention to her baby sister.
Ruby sheepishly held out a small travel pouch and gave it to Yang. Opening it up, she saw the distinctive kernels of dragon flame pepper, a notoriously spicy pepper grown in the lower altitudes. Yang slowly looked up from the pouch as Ruby, a look of exasperation and frustration written large on her face.
"All this for some dragon flame peppers, Ruby? Why didn't you just ask us to go with you?" Yang asked her little sister, clearly exasperated with the situation.
"I… wanted it to be a surprise…" Ruby sheepishly said, looking down at her feet.
Sighing, Taiyang pinched the bridge of his nose. "Get your hood back up and let's go, Ruby. Before someone else catches you in town." He told his youngest.
With a small nod, Ruby complied with the order and flipped her hood up, instantly covering her face in darkness. The small group then made the trek through alleyways and little used streets to a small, well-worn path up into the bluffs. As they climbed, they felt the wind hit them, funneled through the small dip they had to climb through. The short, bristle-like grass rustled and swayed in the harsh stinging wind. They soon arrived at their abode. It was a longhouse style cabin made of the same gray stone as the others, only somewhat bigger. At the porch lay a short, fat black and white puppy, who immediately perked up at seeing them.
"Zwei!" Ruby yelled joyfully, opening her arms, only to be bowled over by the tiny pup.
"Get inside, you two. This kind of wind usually precedes a storm." Taiyang sternly said. "Yang, close the shutters!"
"On it, dad!" Yang replied, beginning to close the shutters as her younger sister and their dog headed inside.
"So, I believe you had something to explain to me?" Ruby asked impatiently as she headed over to tend to a large stewpot on the fire.
Taiyang sighed. "Get comfortable, Ruby. This is going to take a while…" He told his youngest.
"Are you sure about this, dad?" Yang asked, coming in from outside and closing the wood door behind her.
"I'm sure, Yang. Ruby is going to keep doing this until she learns why it has to be this way." Taiyang told his eldest.
Ruby sat down snuggly on a basket-woven wooden chair, topped with woolen mats. Zwei eagerly hopped into her lap and snuggled in. Giggling, Ruby patted the pup's head as Taiyang began.
"Ruby, something terrible happened to your mother because she kept doing the same things you are now. We've already lost her. We don't want to lose you too." Taiyang explained.
"What happened to her?" Ruby asked simply.
"Something that I don't want to have to explain to you. Out of fear of giving you nightmares for the rest of your days." Taiyang told her.
"It was because of Mom's eyes." Yang blurted out.
Ruby was surprised. "Mom's eyes? Were hers… like mine…?" She asked, still confused.
"Yang, what the hell are you doing!?" Taiyang whispered aggressively at his eldest daughter.
"Telling her what she needs to know without telling her too much!" Yang hissed back.
"She doesn't need to know about the Silver Eyes!" Tai growled at her, only to peak Ruby's interest.
"The Silver Eyes? What do you mean, dad?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Gods and ancestors above, help me…" Tai muttered, putting a hand into his face in frustration.
"Yeah, dad. What does it mean?" Yang teasingly said.
"Your Mother came from a long line of people called the Silver-Eyed Warriors, Ruby. They were figures of rebellion, beacons that stirred up discontent and fought our masters. However, each attempt failed… and they returned with reprisals against them." Taiyang grimly explained, keeping his eyes rigidly fixed on his youngest daughter.
Ruby looked nervously at her father. "Reprisals? Like what…?" She asked, seemingly afraid to know.
"Over the course of hundreds of years, they were found and captured. They would be dragged through the streets and publicly tortured. And the Golden Lords and their forces have no end to their creativity in the ways they can break a person…" Taiyang grimly yet stoically continued.
Ruby gulped. "B… but mom and I haven't done anything. Why punish us for what our ancestors did…?" She asked fearfully.
"Ruby, at this point, that doesn't matter. The Golden Lords have it out for people with Silver Eyes. We both saw what happened to your mother… we don't want to see anything like that happen to you." Taiyang said, his face gripped in an attempt to stop tears.
Ruby sighed. "Okay, dad. I won't go into town alone anymore." She assured him.
With a practical leap, Taiyang rushed over and pulled Ruby out of the chair into a hug. Zwei fell to the floor with a yip but quickly got up and hopped on over to Yang. Ruby stood there stunned as she felt her dad's arms tremble as she held her. Looking up, she saw tears beginning to form on his face.
"Thank you… Ruby… thank you so much…" Tai began to sob.
Tearing up but refusing to cry, Ruby hugged her father back. Soon, Yang joined the hug as well, hugging her father and younger sister. Soon, they all broke the hug as Taiyang looked at his girls.
"We can take turns washing up. Ruby, you should first, considering the… adventure you had today. Make sure the stew keeps simmering, Yang. And remember to take the hare bones out this time." Taiyang said as he grabbed his splitting ax to cut firewood.
Yang rolled her eyes. "Oh, one time, dad!" She replied before heading to the fire.
"And don't burn the cornbread bottoms, please." Taiyang added as he put on his poncho.
"Again! One time!" Yang shot back again.
Taiyang soon left, closing the door behind him. Ruby began heading towards where they kept their bath. Along the way, however, she stopped. Turning to her right was a small shrine, filled with little idols of the various gods they all worshiped. However, her eyes were drawn to one in particular. One clad in simple but majestic robes, surrounded by storm clouds and thunderbolts. In his hand, the god depicted in the idol held a thunderbolt-shaped sword.
Ruby knelt down at the shrine, lighting the few bee's wax candles they had and soon brought her hands up in prayer. She then looked squarely at the idol that caught her eye.
"Oh, Venerable Thunder Blade God. If you can hear me… please. Send someone… anyone who can free us from the grip of the Golden Lords. Send us a champion who can save us so that we can live on our own terms." Ruby prayed, hoping beyond hope that her words reached the god up in the heavens.