Qrow looked around, his eyes wide. "Wow, I've never seen buildings this big before..." Some of the converted outsiders had told him there would be things he had never experienced before the Branwens had a small village they lived in and they generally didn't intermix with outsiders. Sometimes they found outsiders that had been cast out and left everything behind because they had nothing left to lose. They were usually Unwoven or the Bound, people who had no magic and/or had never been granted the chance to learn. It was a sad fate but the Order provided a place for them to go to.

  Winter looked at him. "Honestly, as far as cities go, Sylwen is pretty small. I live in the capitol, Florwynne, and usually spend my time there. But I'm currently suffering from Arcane Burn and have to use my talents and skills elsewhere."

  "What are you doing out here? You said you work in the Somnium Veil since you said you had a working relationship with one of the courts." Qrow couldn't quite figure out what this woman would do that she would be out in the reaches of Nytheris. He was out more toward the edges of the country but still far enough within that he wasn't in any danger of accidentally going over the border. The whisper thorn forest had been bad enough and he didn't want to leave Nythens when he was barely familiar with the culture. He just didn't understand why somebody who normally worked in the Soma 'am Veil was doing out here.

  "I map the Somnium Veil. The whisperthorn forest puts most people off of it due to its nature, so it's never been extensively mapped. It kind of has its own moods and personality and most people don't respect it enough to try to learn them. Most just want to learn secrets from the whispering leaves rather than try to learn about and from the forest on its own terms. That, and I'm sure you noticed how uneven the ground was, even for a forest."

  Qrow nodded. "That does make sense, I guess. You already know how to map, so why not do it in the real world?

  "But yeah, I did notice that the ground was treacherous even for a forest. The Order mostly lives in Virelweth which is a forest of Umbraeon Blooms. We call the forest Virelweth. It's in The northwest of Nytheris."

  Winter frowned. "That sounds like the Veil of Shadowbloom. We're almost to the inn; I can show you on a map." She paused. "Do you know how to read maps?"

  He shook his head. "Not especially, no, but if you can help point out where major landmarks are…" He krew the area around Virelweth pretty well. He wasn’t really used to maps as they were seen as unnecessary by the Order. The only people who used them were high-ranking Duskwardens that ventured far beyond Virelweth. He ranged outside of the forest but usually never too far. He was seen as too important to the Order to allow him to go too far. If something happened to Raven or Dove, he would've been the one to take over. Now that he'd left, though, he had no place among the Order nor any claim to leadership. It wasn't like he cared, though…

  "Oh yeah, the maps I have are some of the best in Nyfheris. I'm not sure how well you'll know our names for things, though; it sounds like your people have different names for landmarks."

  Qrow nodded. "I think we do. People converted to the Order that join from the outside take a while to learn what we call things. I think they call our forest what you did. What was it again?"

  "The Veil of Shadowbloom."

  "That does sound like what they've called it. I haven't spent a ton of time among converts, though... My work was more on combat training and the day-to-day operations at the Order rather than dealing with people." He knew the Rite of the First Veil which was the initiation rite for converts, but that was as far as it went for him. Other Night Weavers dealt with showing converts the ropes and helping them learn the ways of the Order. He had been a Duskwarden, a scout and combatant for the Order. He had learned what a lot of what Dusk weavers did, but only what his mother did as leader and nothing else.

  “I see. Well, hopefully we’ll be able to figure things out for you.” Winter smiled at him and they arrived a four-story building. She led him around the side of it to a stable. She handed her horse off to somebody else and he felt Vorithar move. He snorted and craned his neck around, giving Qrow a very pointed look. Qrow understood that look entirely. Vorithar did not want to be handed off to some non-Branwen that didn’t know the truth of the Void from which Vorithar originated.

  “Can you wait for me while I get him settled in?” Qrow asked.

  Winter blinked. “Why not hand him off to the stablehand? They’re trained to handle horses.”

  “Shadowmane Steeds aren’t normal horses like I explained earlier. He doesn’t want to be handled by someone from outside of the Order.”

  “Well… It’s not really how the outside world works. He’ll have to live with it. For right now, you won’t have anything to do, but once we get back to Florwynne, the capitol, you won’t have much choice. You’ll need to have a job. My mother is a gracious person but she wouldn’t let you freeload. It’ll be one thing when we arrive and you’re getting settled, but it’ll be another if you’ve been there for months and haven’t found something to do. Point is, you won’t have all day to care for your horse. We have stablehands for a reason.”

  Qrow sighed and looked down at Vorithar. “Hear that?”

  Vorithar snorted and shook his mane, pawing at the ground. “I don’t want these outsider touching me. They know nothing of the truth of the Void. The worship of the false formers of the Void, the Arcanum Lords, without any acknowledgement of the harm it caused to the void. They’re heretics, all of them.”

  “I have no idea what he just said, but it didn’t sound happy,” Winter said.

  “It wasn’t. He’s deeply set against being handled by anybody outside of the Order.” THere was more to it than that, but QRow didn’t want to give the full extent of what Vorithar had said. It sounded like Void Worshipers weren’t really accepted outside of their sects, at least going off what Winter’s reaction had been. There was truth in th eVoid but also truth in the Arcanum Lords. The Arcanum Lords shaped the Weave from the Void and caused so much damage to the Void. But without the Arcanum Lords, the world wouldn’t exist at all either. The Weave was just flawed and needed to be reworked in ways. He did agree with that but…

  “Not much he can do about how the world works outside the Order.” Winter shrugged.

  Qrow sighed. SHe was an outsider that saw anything to do with the Void as inherently evil. It was frustrating, but she simply didn’t have the same frame of reference he did. He hadn’t been magically bonded to Sable like he’d been to Vorithar and Duskwhisper. Nobody would understand like he did. There would have to be compromise because this wasn’t the Order, but…

  “Sorry, Vorithar, but you’ll have to deal with it.” Qrow wasn’t happy about it, but Winter was right. They needed was to adapt and get used to how things operated. He was so used to being the one that tended Vorithar for everything. From grain to groom, he usually had all the time in the world to attend Vorithar. But now… He wouldn’t. They would have to tough it out and deal with it, loathe as he was to admit it. But there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

  Vorithar let out a loud whinny and Qrow could feel he wanted to back, but he controlled himself and remained fully on the ground. He said nothing, but he did give Qrow a very intense side eye. Qrow dismounted and motioned for Vorithar to go with the stable hand. He really did feel bad for not attending to his horse, but Winter really was right. He reeded to get used to how the outside world worked. Duskwhisper and Vorithar would also have to deal with it. The Order was the minority of the world. not the majority. He just needed to adapt to how the outside world worked.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Vorithar pinned his ears back and shook his head, but he went with the stable hand. Qrow sighed. "I feel awful."

  "Animals have to deal with it just like we do. I have a Volkuand and he hates being away from me. I have to leave him behind when I go to work, though, because the Somnium Veil isn't a place for dogs, no matter how intelligent. They don't have the training to stay safe like humans do."

  "What's a Volkhund?" It was obviously some sort of dog, but he had never heard of the breed before. There was going to be a lot about the outside world he didn't really know. He wasn't trying to look like an idiot and hoped Winter would be willing to help humor him and his questions. It sounded like she was from pretty high in the Magisterium which would be hard for him. He was an Umbral Architect but he had no real idea what he would do with his magic outside of the order… Maybe she could help him with finding a place once they got back to the capitol.

  "An expensive and big breed of dog used by the Magisterium and Arcane Order as personal protection. Some use them for property protection but that's usually left to Dreadmaw Hounds. I brought my Volkhund with me." Winter rubbed the back of her neck. "I didn't bring him with me because everything happened so suddenly. He's not going to be happy with me when I get back to my room... I definitely can't share a room with you because he'll probably be able to smell the Void on you and won't want you near me." She shook her head. "I've been ignoring it, button feel him panicking at this point."

  "So you're magically bonded to them?"

  Winter nodded. "Altharion was bonded to me when I was twelve. For the Great Houses and many of the Arcane Order, it's a rite of passage to get their Volkhund. I'll warn you, he's huge. Dreadmaw Hounds are even bigger than Volkhunds, but those really aren't companion animals in the same way Volhunds are. Incredibly loyal and intelligent, but beyond dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Similar to Volkhunds, but they are able to be companion animals." She sighed. "Might as well get it over with... I'll get you a room, too."

  "Thanks. Sorry I don't have any money and you have to pay for me... I barely know what things cost because we don't really use money in the Order." The only reason he knew about money was because potential Night Weavers were trained how to use it. But because he was a Duskwarden, he didn't have money of his own. His mother had given him nothing, not out of malice, but because their funds were so limited. He knew he couldn't function in larger society without coins, but he had no idea how to get it... At least Winter seemed to have an understanding of how money worked…

  "Money's no real object for me, at least. I brought enough to last…a while. Even with an extra person. It's really not an issue." she smiled and motioned for him to follow which he did. They went into the inn and she had a conversation with who he assumed was the innkeeper. She accepted a few bronze coins from Winter in return for a key. Winter handed him the key, then they headed upstairs to the third floor. “Your room is right next to mine, so don't worry too much. If you need anything during the night. come and let me know. Okay?"

  Qrow nodded. "All right." He could hear a faint whining from one of the rooms and could only assume that was her dog. He didn't have ado got his own, but he knew how Duskwhisper and Vorithar got when away from him for too long. He still felt awful about leaving Vorithar behind and not tending the Shadowmane Steed himself, but there wasn't much he could do about it. That was how the outside world worked and they all needed to adapt.

  They approached the room and the whining grew louder. Qrow looked at Winter and she sighed. "Altharion will be beside himself att his point. Let me get to him first." Qrow nodded and stood behind Winter. He wasn't sure if he was liking this Volk hand thing or not. Tk whining was only growing far more intense with each step they took. This seemed like a dangerous endeavor for him because of all of this…

  They reached the door a moment later and the loudest, most guttural bark Qrow had ever heard sounded from behind the thin piece of wood. Winter unlocked the door and a streak of glowing blue and grey streaked out. He heard a thump faster than he could see and then noticed Winter on the g. road. She laughed while the biggest dog Qrow had ever seen sat on top of her. licking her face. She allowed it to happen for a good minute or two until she moved to sit up. The dog—Altharion—got off other and sat down, then looked at Qrow with hackles raised. Altharion growled but Winter put her hand out. "It's all right, remember how I left in a rush this morning? This was who Orynthiel led me to." Her voice was soft, obviously trying to reassure Altharion.

  “A don't mean her any harm; I promise." It was then that Duskwhisper let out a hiss, her feathers f;uffed out like a threatened owl's. He had never seen her do this before, nor any other Nyxwing Raven. It was a strange behavior to him and he didn't know what to do about it. "What's wrong?" She could easily communicate with him through telepathy. so she'd hopefully just tell him what was up.

  Evil beast! Do not trust it! Never turn your back on it!

  "What are you talking about?"

  Altharion let out a deep growl and the two animals stared at each other. Winter kept her handout in front of him. "Altharion, what's going on?” A heavy silence fell over them for several seconds. "He says that your bird is an evil beast that should never be trusted."

  "That's what Daskwhisper said to." He looked at her. "Could you elaborate a little bit?"

  Evil monster! Volkhunds and Dreadmaw Hounds killed countless of our kind in the Null Crusade! Never trust that thing! Duskwhisper started to Cronk loudly and Altharion fully fluffed up. Evil beasts! Should never be trusted! Never turn your back on it!

  Qrow looked at Winter. "She remembers the Null Crusade."

  "What…is that?"

  Qrow blinked. "You don't know?" She'd never heard of it before? How could people not know what the Null Crusade was?

  Winter shook her head. "I've never heard of such an event before."

  "Do you know the history of Nytheris?"

  "Of course I do."

  "It sure doesn't seem like it. Are you aware there was a time millennia ago where Void Worshipers were the majority and in charge while Arcanum Lord worshipers were the minority?"

  She shook her head. "I had no idea."

  Qrow nodded. "Void Worshipers once ruled this land and Arcanum Lord worship was suppressed. Either your people have forgotten or the knowledge was purposely suppressed. Have you heard of the technology that gets unearthed and pushes your understanding further? "He wasn't aware of much of the world outside the Order but he knew the history. Apparently Arcanum Lord worshipers had purposely forgotten, suppressed the knowledge, or some combination of the two.

  "I have heard of such technologies... It's how coaches were made. Old ruins have weird technology sometimes. Coaches aren't the same as those old ones, though, they have intensely metal engines and their outsides are made of a strangely hard, colored material they can't identify. "She shook her head. "And the ruins of strangely tall buildings dot the landscape, but they're unsafe to go in."

  Qrow nodded. "Allot that is the remains of when Void Worshipers ruled the Null Crusade was a cataclysmic battle between the two factions that resulted in the near destruction of all of civilisation. Apparently you guys have forgotten while we haven't. We still hold onto knowledge where you have none." There was no accusation in his voice, just explanation. A lot of Void sects remained angry at the Arcanum worshipers for taking everything away despite it having been several thousand years ago. Void Worshipers didn't forget where Arcanum worshipers were beyond willing to…

  "I see..." She frowned. "Do you hold it against us?"

  “Me? Not personally. Nothing can stay static forever, But a lot of sects do want to go back to those days or simply completely rewrite the Weave or even return things to the Void from whence it came. I don't personally agree with any of it aside from the fact the Weave is imperfect and should be reshaped in certain ways." He shrugged. "But those sort of beliefs are heretical in the Order, so I wanted to leave. Unfortunately, though, I don't think Duskwhisper and Altharion are going to get over each other. The two continued to stare at each other. Duskwhisper's feathers remained fluffed out while Althanion continued to growl. Thankfully it didn't seem like Altham on wasn't going to attack unless given the order. It didn't mean he wouldn't try to intimidate, though.

  Winter sighed. "I guess it's a good thing you have your own room, then. I'll see if I can go calm him down."

  "I'll see if I can get Duskwhisper to settle too." He gave Winter a nod and headed to his room. What a mess. What A Mess