Beyond The Stables (ch5)

EARLY RELEASE FOR HIGH-PLEDGING PATRONS! THANK YOU!!!

Many of you read closely enough to realize something's up. A lot happens in this chapter, hence why it's so much longer than the others.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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												Chapter 5. Results And Risks

Ruby still couldn't believe it.

Not only were she and Weiss making rather excellent progress with Zuri during their nighttime sessions, but the girls had made some progress of their own together, as well.

Ruby didn't stop squealing and tossing around in her cabin bed all that night until dawn. The rain had stopped by then, but it wasn't a dreary morning – just the opposite. The morning sunlight reflected off the wet grass laden with raindrops, making everything sparkle.

Ruby felt as though she'd slept for an entire day, and she jumped out of bed refreshed and rejuvenated, ready for the day ahead.

She got dressed in a clean set of working clothes, ate a brief breakfast provided by the cabin's small cafeteria, and then she was off to start on her morning chores.

She greeted her fellow workers much more happily than usual, and the others were baffled by how energetic and eager she seemed to muck stalls. She was humming to herself and twirling about whenever she could manage, the very definition of the word ecstatic.

Her cheeks and lips were still warm from where Weiss had kissed them last night, and Ruby kept reliving that moment in her mind.

It was distracting her enough to have her knock over an entire bucket of oats during feeding time, but even as she apologized and started sweeping them up, she was smiling.

She wondered if Weiss was as giddy as she was, though Ruby found it hard to imagine anyone being very happy when they were stuck for hours on end in business lessons that didn't pertain to their interests in the slightest.

By the time noon rolled around, Ruby was on-track with her tasks and took a brief break, hoping to find Weiss once again for lunch. She grabbed a bag of chips and a bottle of strawberry-flavored juice from her cabin, then headed to the corral to watch the lessons and wait for Weiss.

But by the time Ruby had eaten more than half the bag of chips, there was still no sign of her. Puzzled, she looked down the dirt path leading to the mansion to see if she could spot Weiss, but to no avail.

Simple thoughts of /Maybe she's just late/, soon turned to more uneasy ones by the time she'd finished her meal and still seen no sign of Weiss.

/Maybe she just had too much work to do today so she couldn't make it out? Or maybe her dad asked her to do something for him?/ Ruby shuddered to think of the other possibility. /What... What if he found out about what we're doing? He'd probably punish her first and then come after me.../

Ruby snapped around to look over her shoulder, expecting her boss to be standing right there, shouting that she was fired.

But that never happened, nor did Weiss ever show that day.

Ruby finished her chores in the stables, then took a nap on her favorite hay bail.

Then it was suppertime in the cabin, and at last she retreated to the stables. The sun had sunk hours ago, but it wasn't yet the usual time for Weiss to come down.

Ruby lazed about and napped for several more hours, until she woke at 11:15 to the sounds of movement not made by the horses. Ruby opened her eyes and jumped up instantly as she heard a familiar rapping of fingers against the wall.

"Weiss!"

Sure enough, the white-haired girl was standing at the pen's door. She was wearing a large sweatshirt over the initial layer of clothes, which Ruby found odd considering the warm night that was upon them.

But she thought nothing of it as she sped across the pen and threw her arms around the girl.

Weiss stumbled a bit, caught off guard by the force of the hug, but she did her best to return it.

"Sorry I'm late," she murmured. "I had more work to do."

"I'm so glad you came!" Ruby sighed. "I was worried when you didn't show up at lunch, and then I thought your dad had found you out."

"No," Weiss reassured quietly. "Nothing as bad as that. I was simply busy."

"I'm glad that's all it was."

Ruby pulled away, wearing a beaming smile. She leaned forward to kiss Weiss' cheek, and the older girl did the same, her lips pressing to Ruby's skin lightly. The brunette wiggled happily at the contact, then released Weiss and spun herself around joyously.

"Alrighty, then! Let's get to grooming!"

She began marching toward the storage room to grab the supplies, and Weiss followed.

However, Ruby had to keep pausing to wait for her, and she couldn't help but think Weiss was feeling reluctant about all of this somehow. She had smiled earlier at Ruby's kiss, but since then her eyes had become downcast and her lips were pursed.

Even so, Ruby prepared the supplies, handing the brushes and towels to Weiss once she'd caught up. Ruby took the bucket, and together they made their way back to Zuri's stall.

They went about the task as per usual, Ruby petting the horse's head as Weiss combed and bathed him. But her motions were a bit sluggish tonight, and though she smiled and pet the horse as often as she could, it all seemed a bit forced to Ruby.

/Maybe she doesn't wanna do this anymore...? Is she giving up on him?/

Ruby shook her head, refusing to believe such a thing.

Even though Weiss was moving slowly, her blue eyes were still firm, set with determination – focused. She still wanted to do this just as passionately as ever before.

There was something else that was wrong...

It was when Weiss had just finished grooming the stallion and dropped her brush into the bucket when she suddenly sneezed, so hard that it sent her reeling back against the wall. The startled horse neighed into Ruby's ear and she quickly stepped away from him.

"Easy!" she gasped, and she wasn't sure if she was talking to the horse or to Weiss. Ruby rushed to the girl's side, steadying her before Weiss could slump to the ground. "Weiss! Are you okay? What happened?"

The other girl groaned, struggling to find her footing as she felt Ruby supporting most of her weight.

"It was... just the dust..." she mumbled. "Sorry."

"Hey, Weiss, listen-" Ruby was about to voice her concerns as she held Weiss up.

But before she could even finish her sentence, the intended words died away as her fears were confirmed.

Beneath the excess layer of clothes, Weiss was shivering, but when Ruby pressed a palm to her forehead, her skin was torrid, hot enough to almost make her recoil.

"Weiss!" she shrieked. "You're burning up! You shouldn't have come out here if you were so sick! You should've told me!"

But she realized Weiss had been silently telling her all along. She hadn't been feeling well enough to come out at lunch, and it wasn't that she was reluctant to join Ruby in the stables tonight. Rather, Weiss was severely fatigued, but she loved and cared about the stallion enough not to let her sickness prevent her from seeing him.

Ruby whimpered to herself as everything clicked in her mind, and now she was faced with Weiss in this condition.

"Oh gosh, Weiss..."

The girl's eyelids had fluttered shut, her breathing suddenly labored and shallow. Ruby grasped Weiss' wrist and slung the girl's arm across her shoulders, helping her to her feet.

"Come on. You gotta sit down."

Ruby limped with her out of Zuri's pen, kicking the door closed as much as she could once they were out.

Together, they made it to the stall Ruby often slept in. She eased Weiss down onto one of the hay bails, one hand on her back to support her posture.

"Weiss... Weiss? Can you hear me?"

The white-haired girl blinked up at her, then nodded in affirmation. Ruby continued in a soft tone.

"I'm just gonna clean everything up, okay? Just wait here for a minute. I'll be right back."

She picked up her own little red blanket and draped it over Weiss' shoulders.

Then, without wasting another second, she darted back the way she'd come, rushing to put the bucket and other supplies away as quickly as possible. After locking the storage room door as well as the stallion's pen, she rushed back to Weiss and sat beside her, voice anxious.

"Weiss... how did this happen? It's... because of all this, isn't it? It's because of what we're doing-"

"No..." Weiss wheezed. "It's... not because of this. I've just been getting... a lot of extra assignments lately. I stayed up late... couldn't sleep... I didn't... dry my hair..."

Her words didn't connect very well, but Ruby could make sense of them enough to paint a general picture in her mind.

After a long, mentally-laborious day of home-schooling lessons, Weiss would work for hours on her assignments, and then trek all the way out to the stables at night to work with Ruby. Then it was a late-night trek back to the mansion, more homework, a shower where she couldn't even find the energy to dry her hair, and in the end she'd only have a few hours of rest.

Running about in the rain a few nights ago likely hadn't helped, either.

Ruby fidgeted nervously.

"We're gonna have to put everything on hold," she determined. "You can't keep doing this to yourself, Weiss. You're just going to end up sicker and then your dad will get suspicious."

She reached out with gentle fingers to brush them along the underside of Weiss' chin, having the girl look up into her eyes. Ruby wanted to confirm Weiss was listening and could make sense of her words.

"So no more of this, Weiss. Not until you're better, okay?"

Ruby kissed her cheek, a silent apology for letting all of this happen and not realizing it sooner.

Weiss sighed, but nodded.

A soft cough shook her body and forced its way out of her lips, and it was followed by an army of more violent coughs.

Ruby swiftly wrapped her arms around Weiss, pulling her close to keep her from collapsing. She rubbed her back by means of comfort, doing her best to soothe her.

Weiss' coughing fit lasted for several minutes, and every one of them sent a jolt through her weakened body, hard enough for Ruby to feel them all.

In between the coughs, she could feel Weiss trembling, but even more alarming than all of that was how harshly her heart was pounding. Ruby could feel it slamming against her own chest, and it worried her greatly.

She murmured cajoling phrases into Weiss' ear, petting through her hair softly.

Eventually, the girl's coughing died down, her hitched breathing becoming nothing more than rasps.

Ruby held her for a while longer, waiting for Weiss' heart rate to slow down. She let her rest for a few minutes, knowing what was to come.

When the clock struck one in the morning, Ruby brushed her cheek against Weiss' and kissed her ear.

"Weiss... are you awake?"

A small sniffle and a nod gave Ruby her answer.

"Okay. We're gonna have to walk a bit now. I've gotta get you back to the mansion. I'd take you back to my cabin, but I can't take care of you with the supplies I have there. Plus, your dad probably wouldn't like getting that kind of news in the morning. But back in the mansion, the maids can take care of you. So we've gotta go there, okay? I'll help you every step of the way. Promise."

Ruby slipped her hands beneath both of Weiss' arms, then slowly got to her feet, having Weiss follow.

The girl who was usually so confident and held herself with such poise could now barely stand without clinging desperately to Ruby. The red blanket fell from her shoulders and fluttered onto the hay bail.

Ruby took it slowly, adjusting her pace for the sick girl and never moving faster than what Weiss could handle.

They made it out of the stable, but when they were only a few feet up the path to the mansion, Ruby could feel Weiss straining. Her breathing became fast and meek again, and Ruby paused for a moment to let the girl catch her breath.

This happened frequently, but Ruby never got impatient with her. She'd merely wrap Weiss in her arms and kiss her temple or the crown of her head.

"You're doing great, Weiss. Don't push yourself. Just take your time. We'll get there, don't worry."

But they only made it about halfway back to the mansion before Weiss' condition took a turn for the worse. She very nearly collapsed, and it was only thanks to Ruby's speed and strength that she didn't hit her head to the ground.

Weiss was on her knees, and Ruby got down beside her, gently tilting Weiss' head to glimpse her eyes.

"Weiss? Weiss, can you hear me?" she whimpered.

The older girl could barely keep her eyes open anymore.

Ruby kissed her forehead, appalled to find how feverish she was. When she put a palm to Weiss' collar, she could feel every rapid beat of her heart thundering away like a stampede of horses.

Ruby pulled her into another embrace and took a moment to think. It might've been best just to bring her back to the cabin after all.

But at this point, they were already closer to the mansion. So she had to commit.

Carefully, she gathered Weiss into her arms and staggered to her feet.

She was barely conscious at this point, but Weiss managed to wrap her arms around Ruby's shoulders and tuck her head beneath the stablehand's chin.

Ruby was used to lifting shovels full of manure and lofty hay bails on a daily basis, so Weiss' weight wasn't much of a challenge for her.

She did her best to take her time, but when she felt Weiss go limp altogether, Ruby hurried the final dozen feet to the mansion. She struggled to knock softly, but she didn't dare try the doorbell and risk waking Weiss' father.

Luckily, it was a maid who answered the door, her confusion quickly turning to shock at the sight of the girls.

"Miss Weiss!" she cried. "What happened?"

Ruby gently transferred Weiss into the maid's arms as she gave a false recount of what had happened.

"Well, I'd woken up and I noticed she was outside. Probably going for a walk I guess. But then I saw her collapse and when I went to her, I realized she was very sick."

"Oh goodness," the maid fretted. "Yes, she's been going out for walks at night recently. She must've tired herself out too much. Thank you for bringing her here."

"It's no problem." Ruby tried to give a smile, but it didn't last long, her worried eyes instantly going back to Weiss. "I just hope she gets better soon."

With that, the maid bid her a goodnight and hurried off to tend to Weiss.

Ruby turned away and stuffed her hands in her pockets as she made for the stables once more.

She couldn't help but feel that Weiss' falling ill was her fault, or at the very least, Ruby was disappointed in herself for not noticing the signs sooner. She'd been so high up on cloud nine due to the fact that Weiss reciprocated her affections, so Ruby hadn't been thinking about much else other than that.

This ordeal had been a wake-up call if nothing else.

Once she'd made it back to her stall, she flopped down onto her bed of hay, and rested her head on her blanket. It still smelled like Weiss.

She fell asleep, anxious for morning to arrive.

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When the sun cast its first beams of light through the wooden rafters, Ruby was up instantly, intent to finish her work as soon as possible in hopes she might be able to go up to the mansion again to inquire about Weiss' condition.

She had just finished eating breakfast and had been about to head out to start mucking stalls when one of her superiors caught her.

"Rose!" she called.

"Ah, y-yes, ma'am!" Ruby squeaked. "What is it?"

The woman smiled to assure Ruby she wasn't in any trouble.

"You're not going to muck stalls today," she informed the girl. "Word around the ranch this morning is that Mr. Schnee's youngest daughter collapsed last night and you were the one to find her and bring her inside. She was sick all through the night, but now the worst of it seems to be out of her system. She's awake now and has requested to see you."

Ruby very nearly fell over.

"W-What?! Me?!"

The woman nodded.

"I'd imagine she'd like to thank you for helping her last night. So please shower and put on your best clothes before you go to the mansion."

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

Ruby gave a salute and then dashed off back to the cabin.

She'd never been inside the mansion before – in fact, no stablehand probably ever had.

She did as instructed and showered in one of the cabin's bathrooms, making sure to use an extra bit of shampoo to ensure she'd smell nice. She put on her best pair of jeans and a freshly-washed plaid shirt. She didn't have anything fancy to wear, but Ruby hoped this would be good enough.

After drying her hair and stepping into a clean pair of boots, Ruby hurried outside once more.

She'd never gotten the opportunity to enjoy a day like this without responsibilities, so she savored those few minutes of freedom as best she could as she ran up the path to the Schnee mansion.

She paused briefly to pick a few yellow and purple wildflowers, then tucked them into her pants pocket and covered them with her shirt.

Once she reached the mansion's door, she knocked, and then took a step back, waiting stiffly.

A maid greeted her, a different one from last night, but she seemed to know exactly who Ruby was.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "You're the girl who helped Miss Weiss last night aren't you? Come in, then! Mr. Schnee wanted to see you as well, but he needed to go attend business with the race horses."

The knowledge that she wouldn't have to meet Weiss' father like this eased Ruby's mind a bit as she stepped inside. She removed her boots and left them by the door as the maid instructed her to, so she wouldn't track mud inside.

Ruby had to take a minute to marvel at the interior of the mansion. It was even more spacious on the inside than she'd imagined from seeing it on the outside.

There was a living area with a big couch and some chairs as well as a television. There was a dining hall and several office rooms, where she imagined Weiss had some of her lessons. Paintings and statues of horses lined the walls and shelves, and there was even a large glass display case of medals, trophies, certificates, and other awards Weiss' father had won due to his impressive animals.

Ruby followed the maid up a large staircase, then was directed to Weiss' room.

"It's just down this hall and to your right," she said. "Miss Weiss asked to see you privately, but if it seems she may be sick, please call for assistance."

"Right." Ruby nodded, thanked the maid, and then headed off down the hallway.

It was a bit strange.

Outside, there was constant noise; riders shouting commands, the clomping of hooves, whinnies and nickers, or just the sounds of supplies being moved about.

But in here, everything was peaceful, but almost unnaturally quiet. It made her a bit uncomfortable, and Ruby hurried to Weiss' door.

She paused for a minute to gather her bearings, and then knocked softly four times, the same amount of Weiss always knocked on the stable walls to announce her presence to Ruby at night.

Ruby kept her voice low as she called out.

"Weiss...? Are you awake?"

There was a moment of silence, and Ruby was about to turn away, hoping to let Weiss sleep. But then, a small voice reached her ears from beyond the door.

"Ruby...?" A small cough, then a breath. "Come in..."

Ruby swallowed, suddenly more concerned than nervous, concerned for what kind of state she might find Weiss in.

As she opened the door, Ruby noticed the change in color from the pale hallway to the sky-blue carpets of Weiss' room. There was a desk, a dresser, a closet, and a few windows, but Ruby didn't spend long looking at the furniture.

Her eyes went directly to the bed, covered in clean white blankets. Weiss was lying there on her back, her long, alabaster hair loose beneath her shoulders and pooling on her pillow. Her bright blue eyes blinked open, seeking Ruby out, and her pale lips curled upward into a small smile.

"Ruby..." she sighed. "Thank you for coming..."

Ruby nodded, closing the door behind herself and crossing the room. She hesitated beside Weiss' bed, but the white-haired girl nodded, silently inviting her to have a seat.

Ruby sat on the edge of the bed, hovering over Weiss for a moment to look her over. Her skin was much paler than usual, and her eyes were ridden with exhaustion.

Ruby couldn't stop herself from bending down, and kissed the girl's forehead to check her temperature. Weiss was still warm, but not nearly as bad as she had been last night. Ruby lifted a hand to the girl's cheek and rubbed gently, threading fingers through a few loose strands of her hair.

"Hi, Weiss..." she murmured. "How are you feeling?"

Weiss tried to inhale deeply, but it ended up transforming into a weak cough. Ruby rubbed her free hand in circles over Weiss' collar to calm her down a bit.

"Sorry..." Weiss rasped.

"You don't need to apologize, silly." Ruby kissed her nose, then her cheek. Weiss sighed and tried again to answer her question.

"I feel better," she said. "But I... don't think I'll be able to come out tonight."

Ruby stroked her hair once more.

"Of course not! You shouldn't be coming out for at least a few more days. Maybe even a week. You need to catch up on your rest and focus on your other work. We can't let these night sessions affect your health anymore, Weiss."

She'd meant for her words to reassure Weiss, but Ruby felt dismay creep into her veins when she heard Weiss gasp.

"No..." she panted. "Ruby..."

"Weiss? What's the matter?" She could feel the girl's chest suddenly start to heave, her pulse and breathing speeding up significantly. Ruby's tone rose with alarm. "Weiss, what's wrong? Does something hurt? A-Are you gonna be sick?" Ruby was ready to bolt to the door and call for help.

But Weiss shook her head, slipping one of her arms free from the blankets and reaching toward her with shaking fingers. Ruby used her free hand to gingerly hold onto Weiss' quivering one, her other hand continuing to rub soothing circles over the sick girl's collar.

"Weiss, it's okay. If something's wrong, you can tell me. Please..." Ruby leaned down and kissed her again, this time on the lips. "I can't bear to see you like this."

Weiss sighed, and then her voice turned into a whimper. Ruby pulled away a bit and realized she was crying.

"Weiss?! H-Hey, what's-"

"R-Ruby..."

The brunette held her tongue in favor of listening to Weiss' thin voice. She struggled to speak past the sobs, and Ruby moved her hand up from the girl's chest to her cheeks to help dry her tears.

"What is it?" she coaxed.

Weiss shook her head slightly, inhaled sharply.

"This morning... my father came in to see me... I told him your story, that I'd just gone out for a walk and fainted..."

As she fumbled for words, Ruby continued to stroke through her hair and over her cheeks, her other hand squeezing Weiss' gently by means of support and encouragement. After a moment, the white-haired girl went on.

"He told me not to go out for walks at night anymore... then told me he needed to go... to a meeting today. When I asked what kind of meeting it was, he said it was... to discuss trade. He told me which horses he was going to sell, a-and..."

She cut off with another small bout of coughing, and Ruby pressed a kiss to her lips to push air into her lungs. When Weiss could speak again, it was almost inaudible past the sobs.

"He's... going to sell some of the race horses... but he plans to... to euthanize Zuri..."

Ruby felt her heart drop and her stomach twist. Weiss lost herself to her tears, and it was all the brunette could do to bend down in an effort to embrace her.

"What..." she mumbled. "No... h-he can't... Not so soon. I-I mean, not when we've... I mean sh-shouldn't he just sell him? He can just sell him, right? He doesn't have to give him the needle..."

Weiss sobbed again.

"Th-That's... what I tried to tell him... But he told me Zuri has already been to most of the local and in-state ranches. He's been passed around everywhere already. This was the last stop. And since... we couldn't make him better... my father has no other option than to..."

She couldn't finish. Ruby felt a strong shudder go through Weiss' body.

"No..." she whispered. "No, no, no..."

Ruby couldn't believe it. She didn't want to.

A moment passed as she waited for both Weiss and herself to calm down a bit.

"When?" Ruby asked. "How... much longer do we have?"

Weiss choked out the response.

"Two weeks..."

Ruby cursed under her breath and clung closer to Weiss.

Two weeks wasn't nearly enough time to deal with a horse like Zuri. He'd need much more time than that if he was going to be taught to tolerate and work well with humans. Not to mention this sickness would ensure Weiss couldn't get out of bed for at last a few more days.

All in all, they had just about one week to get significant results.

Weiss' voice tapered off as the tears overwhelmed her.

"I-I should've tried sooner..." she gasped. "I should've tried to help him sooner. I waited too long..."

"Hey," Ruby murmured. "This isn't your fault, Weiss. You're the one who bothered to give him a chance in the first place. Before you came asking me for help, I didn't have much interest in him either. Maybe we can change your dad's mind still, though. You can groom Zuri and feed him and he doesn't lash out at you. That's good progress for a horse like him."

But Weiss shook her head again.

"It doesn't matter," she rasped. "Zuri will only be of use to my father if he can be ridden. If not, then it's not worth it to keep him alive..."

Ruby growled a bit, sitting up and releasing Weiss from her desperate embrace.

"I won't let him," she declared. "We've already done a lot to change Zuri's disposition for the better. If we showed your father that, it should be enough. At least he might be convinced to push the date back a few more weeks."

"But then... he'd know what I was doing at night," Weiss reminded her. "And then he'd surely get upset. He'd reprimand me, fire you, and probably kill Zuri sooner. My father has an awful temper when it comes to disobedience, especially if it's in regards to his horses."

Weiss closed her eye and draped her forearm over her eyes. "I don't know if we can save him, Ruby. I just don't know..."

And Ruby wasn't sure if they could either. Trying was all they could do.

"We'll do our best," she promised. "But for now, if you can, just rest and don't think about it, Weiss. It'll only stress you out more and then you won't get better. The sooner you're able to get back to working with Zuri, the sooner we can try to save him.

"But first you've got to get better, okay? And not just for Zuri's sake..." She trailed off, and a pink blush dusted over her cheeks. "Get better for me too, okay? Please?"

Weiss moved her arm away from her face and met Ruby's eyes.

"I will," she vowed. "If it means I can try to save him, I'll be sure to get better." Her determined voice softened, as did her eyes. "And if it means I'll get to be with you sooner, I'll get better as quickly as I can."

Ruby smiled, wiping her tears away, and then doing the same for Weiss.

"Okay." She kissed the girl's lips softly. "Just rest for now, Weiss. I'll be there whenever you're ready to come back out."

She stood at last, intending to let Weiss recover for the remainder of the day and all night tonight.

But before she left, Ruby remembered the wildflowers in her pockets. She extracted them and handed them to Weiss.

"Feel better soon."

Touched, Weiss accepted the flowers and brought them close to her chest. Her bright blue eyes flashed up to find silver, sparked with a refurbished determination.

"Thank you, Ruby. For everything."

The stablehand dipped down to kiss her one last time, and then took her leave.

Two weeks was all they had left to get a nearly-impossible amount of work done.

But nothing would get done at all unless they both took this day to recuperate.

They could only do their best.

After all, the clock was ticking even faster now than it had been before.

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A/N: I know this always seems to be the plot of any girl-and-horse related story but I'll be giving it my own little twist, I assure you. Also, at this point, the canon has revealed Whitely, but I didn't mention him in this fic in the previous chapters, only Winter, so I'm not going to mention him or add him in.