The Shadow of Grimm (Rewritten)

Chapter 10 Epilogue: Seperation

(Opening Theme: RWBY V4-Let's Just Live Performed By Casey Lee Williams)

-Somewhere in Anima-

    The whole group didn't know how long they were walking along the beaten path. To most, it had felt like an eternity, especially since most of them were injured as they were quick to discover Qrow was indeed poisoned. What's worse, without the proper tools to know exactly the kind she was dealing with, Scout couldn't make an antidote. Their only hope was to find a doctor in the next town.

    Most of them had their weapons armed and ready for any kind of creatures of grimm that came their way. All except for Roman and Melody who were both still injured from the fight earlier. Melody walked beside her father with her arm still in a makeshift cast, while Roman walked in the middle of the circle as he had been using his cane for support; Cristal had been at his side as she was ready to protect her father at the first sign of trouble as well as Senka.

    Frosty hung out on Ruby's shoulders as she and Jaune were carrying Qrow with a makeshift gurney they made with sheets from their tent. They had explained to Roman prior about what Qrow had told them last night, and though he had many questions--He knew they had more important issues to deal with.

    "Papa--" Melody said as she gripped his hand, "--Please hang on, just a little longer."

    "Hold on Uncle Qrow." Ruby said, "We'll get you help soon.

    Qrow let out a couple of coughs as he started to talk in his sleep, "Tai..." He groaned, "... She's not... Coming back... Tai..."

    Scout placed her hand on his forehead as her ears dropped slightly, "It's no good." She said, "He's getting worse."

    "Damn it all!" Rosario said, "We've been walking for at least five hours! We should have found something by now!"

    "Does anyone know if we're any closer?!" Ruby said.

    "We just gotta be!" Nora added.

    "Without the map, there's no way of knowing." Ren told them.

    "Well, we have to walk into something eventually right!?" Cristal said.

    Ren had been the first to stop in his tracks as he noticed a sign had been up ahead. Much to the group's surprise he picked up his pace. "Ren?!" Ruby called out, "Ren, what is it?!"

    He stopped to the middle of a fork in the road as he saw four signs had been along the path. One had pointed back the way they came and had been labeled Higanbana. The other which pointed right read Mistral and Kuchinashi, and on the left read Kuroyuri; however an X had been over the name. Ren's look seemed to have changed a little.

    "Hey! Mistral!" Nora said, running by Ren's side, "Guys, we're on the right path!"

    Her expression soon fell when she noticed the name Ren had been looking towards. Her eyes softened as she looked to him with worry. Rosario, Roman, Scout and Cristal soon caught up with them as they examined it.

    "Does it say how close?!" Ruby said.

    "No!" Rosario replied, "All we got are the names!"

    "Seriously, they couldn't bother to write that down?!" Cristal said as she ruffled her hair.

    Roman looked to the path on the left as he noticed what had been ahead of them, "From the looks of it, this path might cut through the mountains!"

"It just might be the quickest path!" Scout added.

    Ruby and Jaune set the stretcher down as Melody kneeled beside her father. "Guys..." Jaune said as he looked to Melody and Qrow, "... I don't think all of us here can make that climb."