Pawprints (ch8)

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!

Fluff and angst, anyone?

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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													Chapter 8. The Truth

Weiss and Blake dozed together for a while in the woods as Weiss let her long hair dry off. Only when she felt Blake's fur really heating up under the sunlight and prickling her skin did she finally pull away.

"We should get going. Wouldn't want to have wasted another of your kills. Just let me change and sharpen my knives. I've got an idea of what to do for transporting water, but I'll have to do it later once I've collected more supplies."

Once she'd changed, Weiss folded their blanket and other clothes into the bag before she pulled out her knives, bringing them over to a large, smooth bolder beside the river. She ran the blades along the hard surface to sharpen them, testing the points with her fingertips until she was satisfied.

. . .

A discontented yowling sound passed her jaws as she felt Weiss get up, disrupting the tranquil moment, even though Blake knew they needed to move. Lazily, she got up again and stretched out as she waited for Weiss to grab her clothes and sharpen her knives.

The sun was high in the sky at this point and was radiating heat. Blake could feel her black fur absorbing it .

After a while, Weiss returned dressed and with knives in their respective sheathes, checking to see if Blake was ready to go. Blake just walked over to her and bumped her head gently against the other girl, the purr finally starting to quiet down as she gave Weiss' hand another gentle lick.

She bent over to let Weiss climb on top of her, hoping the girl wouldn't mind how warm Blake's fur was now that she had been basking in the sun. Once Weiss was secure, Blake picked up the deer in her jaws and started walking through the forest back to the cave.

. . .

They moved slowly through the forest, Weiss patting the panther beneath her with encouragement. She felt bad that Blake needed to carry their meal, Weiss herself, and all of their equipment in this heat.

Weiss knew sharing her aura with Blake would only make her upset, so she decided against that. Instead, she drizzled a bit of their water onto her hand and rubbed it over Blake's head and the back of her neck and shoulders, murmuring to her that there was no need to rush or strain herself.

Once they had come about halfway back, Weiss requested that Blake pause. Dismounting, the Huntress went to where several large rocks sat in the shade, coated in green moss. She peeled off chunks and rolled them up into the blanket before stuffing it back into her bag and going back to Blake.

"All right," she grunted, mounting again. "That should be enough for now. Let's get back."

. . .

When Weiss started rubbing her head, neck and shoulders with a small amount of water to keep her cool, Blake purred a little harder. The water felt refreshing and cool, and Blake greatly appreciated the thought.

Blake stopped when Weiss requested a pause, which Blake was more than happy to agree to. Leaning down, she let Weiss off of her back to go collect some of the thick green moss that grew on the rocks. Returning with the blanket rolled up with moss, Weiss remounted Blake, telling her it was okay to continue.

Luckily, they were close to the cave at that point and the journey was short. Soon, Blake's claws were clacking against hard stone. Dropping the deer, she let Weiss off before transforming.

"That was quite the workout," she joked as she put her clothes back on.

. . .

"I'm sure it was," Weiss sympathized. "But don't worry, because tonight we're going to sleep like queens! Well… queens who live alone in a cave together," she chuckled.

She deposited her bag and began skinning the deer, putting the cuts of meat into piles.

"I'll just be right outside," she announced quickly before jogging out.

Weiss wandered not far into the forest to collect sticks for more skewers, but there was something else she was looking for. She found them in a nearby grove - large, elephant-ear plants growing in thick bushels. She tugged out a few before returning to the cave.

"It won't mask the scent of the meat, but at least it'll keep flies away from our leftovers," she explained, covering the section of untouched hide.

She left Blake to skewer the cubes of meat, and in the meantime, Weiss took the leftover leaves and crossed her legs. With great care and concentration, she began weaving the stems together, tightening them into a certain shape to keep them secure.

It was a while before she'd finished, but when she had, the result was a makeshift bucket, no holes or breaks visible to allow any leaks.

"There! This should make things a bit easier from now on."

. . .

Blake watched curiously as Weiss returned with sticks and large leaves, explaining what she was using them for.

"That's a smart idea," Blake praised as she started skewering the deer meat. Weiss started working on something else, and once Blake was finished with her job, she sat next to her companion to watch her progress. "That will make things easier. We never used anything like that back in my pack. I'm so lucky to have you to help," she purred as she draped an arm over Weiss' shoulder and kissed her cheek.

. . .

"You flatterer," Weiss smiled, nuzzling into the girl's cheek. "It's the least I can do after you've gotten us food these past few days. Not to mention saving my life," she added with an extra kiss.

They munched on some of the meat, using more of the parsley and berries they'd collected previously.

The lazy days thus far had been fairly peaceful after the wolf attack, but it was even more so now that they had clearly confessed and understood their feelings for one another. Weiss wasn't afraid to lean sideways onto Blake's shoulder, slipping an arm around her back as they ate, running her fingers over the fabrics of her shirt and through her hair.

An idea struck the heiress. Perhaps there was one other thing Weiss could do for Blake in return.

Once they'd finished their food, Weiss went over to the satchel to locate what she was looking for. In one of the smaller side pockets was a folding hair brush, and she went back to Blake and settled behind her, petting through her hair with one hand as she ran the brush gently with the other.

"I'll bet this is a small luxury you've never had before, hm?" she guessed, being mindful of the girl's ears.

. . .

Blake enjoyed the fresh meat, tail swishing in delight at the enhanced flavors of the spices they'd collected.

Her ears perked up as she watched Weiss rummage through her bag. Coming back, the white-haired girl had a brush in hand. She settled behind Blake and started to brush her hair carefully. Blake's tail swished again.

"You're right... I haven't had my hair brushed since I was a kid." Blake sighed happily as she felt the knots worked out of her hair. She relaxed as Weiss worked, humming softly at the attention. She'd forgotten what it felt like long ago to have someone else care for her so tenderly.

. . .

Weiss kept noticing the little ways Blake's ears flicked, her tail curling up in delight with every stroke of the brush. She started at the ends of Blake's hair and slowly worked her way up, doing her best not to tug a single strand out, using her other hand to press against the rest of her hair to minimize the slight pricking sensation.

Weiss began to sing again softly as she lost herself in her task, following the natural waves of Blake's hair. She was careful when she reached the girl's scalp, taking care to be gentle around her ears. Blake was purring again, and Weiss giggled.

The huntress continued brushing until there wasn't a single knot in Blake's onyx hair, but even then, she combed through it a few more times just to allow Blake that soothing feeling of the bristles lightly massaging her shoulders and back.

When she'd finished, Weiss leaned into Blake's back, slipping her arms around her stomach and resting her chin atop her shoulder, kissing her cheek briefly. "Now if you'd be so kind as to transform, I can make it worth your while."

. . .

Blake felt warm and fuzzy more on the inside than she normally did on the outside as Weiss continued brushing her hair for her. A purr rumbled up in her chest again and she closed her eyes in leisure.

After a while, Blake could feel that all the knots had been worked out, but still Weiss continued with the relaxing brush strokes. Eventually, she stopped and leaned forward against Blake, wrapping arms around her as she kissed Blake's cheek.

"Oh, okay. Sure." Blake mumbled, a little embarrassed by so much attention. Standing, up she slowly removed her clothes, throwing them to the side before putting her hands to the ground and transforming. As a panther she stood up uncertainly, not sure what her partner wanted from her.

. . .

"All right." Weiss raised herself up onto her knees. "Just stay like this for now," she encouraged. Reaching out, she pet her free hand through Blake's fur at her head, using the brush in the other. "Close your eyes a moment."

She began at Blake's face, between her eyes, then the sides of her face, making sure to keep the strokes light. Then, as she moved down a bit, she added a bit more pressure to let the bristles dig through the thick fur entirely. She went over Blake's shoulders, smoothing out her coat until it shone.

Weiss had always known Blake's pelt was the finest of any Panther she'd ever seen, and now she got to make it so.

She worked in short strokes first, occasionally pausing to remove the excess fur from the brush before continuing. She pulled the brush between Blake's shoulder blades, then all down her back, over her sides and hind legs. The process took a while, but Weiss didn't mind; Blake kept purring, tail flicking and whiskers twitching with delight.

Once Weiss was satisfied that there wasn't a bur or a clump in that fine, course fur, she sat back to clean the brush again.

"There. Now lie on your side, okay?"

. . .

Blake complied with Weiss' request and closed her eyes, knowing what would come next. She couldn't suppress the purr that rumbled through her chest; her whiskers twitched and her tail flicked to and fro.

She was in heaven. She was certain of it.

Listening to Weiss again, Blake slowly laid down on her side, resting against the cool stone floor. The brush reached her soft belly fur and Weiss continued with soothing strokes.

Blake's purr only grew louder; this was pure bliss. Better than heaven.

Blake leaned up and nuzzled against Weiss' hand - she was so happy that she had met the white-haired huntress. Giving her hand a quick lick, Blake laid back down on the ground so Weiss could finish brushing her.

. . .

Weiss couldn't help but giggle when Blake's leg started kicking, the clearest display of her euphoria. The tail kept smacking against the ground, ears trembling, and Blake opened up her forepaws to give Weiss better access. The Huntress brushed down her throat, over her chest, then down her belly again, making sure not to miss a single spot.

She knew Blake's black fur took in more heat in this summer weather, so Weiss was sure to help her shed what she didn't need to lighten the load. She used her nails as well, tracing circles wherever she could get at.

All in all, Weiss went on for probably half an hour, just making sure Blake was enjoying herself, purrs filling the air of the cave and echoing.

Only when her arms started to hurt did Weiss finally stop, cleaning the brush before combing through her own hair. Blake continued to lie there, purring contentedly. Weiss crawled over her companion and pressed a kiss to her warm chest.

"I'm glad I could take care of you like this."

. . .

Blake couldn't help the purr that vibrated in her body and just echoed throughout the cave. Weiss' nails worked with the brush to remove any excess fur that clung to Blake's coat.

She lost track of how long it lasted - the entire process was just too relaxing for her to care about time.

Eventually though, Weiss stopped, and Blake opened one eye to see her brush her own hair before crawling over to rest on Blake's flank. Sitting up, Blake curled around Weiss, draping her tail over the girl again.

Blake gently bumped her head against Weiss', still purring the entire time. She started licking the girl's face, her tongue lightly rasping over Weiss' cheeks.

. . .

Weiss welcomed the soft, sturdy support as Blake pulled her close. The hearty purrs were like a massage to her sore back and aching shoulder, and Weiss leaned her head back to rest on the panther's spine. She felt a sandpaper tongue lapping over her cheeks and neck, laughing aloud at the evident display of affection.

This was like heaven. Weiss prayed the rest of their days could be this simple and easy and warm.

But winter was coming, and she knew only hardships awaited.

If only she knew at the time to what extent.

Presently, she stretched her arms above her head until she heard a satisfying pop. Then, she patted Blake's side, a silent request to let her up.

"All right, come back and talk to me," Weiss said. "I want to tell you some things. It's… about time."

Weiss went to the bag and pulled out their blanket, gathering the moss into her arms and spreading it on the ground a few feet away from the fire to make their beds.

. . .

Blake felt Weiss pet her side, asking to be let up. Blake watched her stand and go to her bag and start setting up the moss and blanket.

Transforming back into a human, Blake stood up and grabbed her clothes from the spot she had thrown them. Once she had her shirt and pants on and comfortably adjusted, she walked over to the fire and waited for Weiss to finish what she was doing.

"So... what did you want to tell me?" she asked as she sat down on the blanket, the moss making their bed more comfortable. She patted the spot next to her in an invitation for Weiss to sit down.

. . .

Weiss was hesitant as Blake encouraged her over; with the thoughts that were on her mind, she wasn't sure how she should go about this.

She was cautious as she went to the fireside and crossed her legs, staring into the flames, maintaining a foot or so of distance between herself and Blake. She wanted to be close to her, but wasn't sure if Blake would want the same with what Weiss was about to tell her. She took a deep, deep breath.

"I just… want to come clean about some things… about my job as a Huntress...

My first hunt was more of a raid. Our group went into a cave where there were several mothers keeping their young. Among the chaos, I was shoved inside the cave and told to kill some of the cubs, because they were easy targets for a beginner like me...

But they were so helpless, and I just couldn't… It got to the point where some of the men were shouting they'd shoot me if I didn't do it, and I… I killed two of those babies…"

She refused to look at Blake, scared to see her reaction as Weiss went on.

She told about the other four full-grown Panthers she had killed after that, one having been the enraged, grieving mother of the cubs. She'd shot her in the chest right as the Panther had leapt on top of her, giving Weiss her scar, a constant reminder of the terrible murders she'd committed that night.

She told of how she had begged to quit hunting, but her father and troop leader refused, as she was under contract - a prisoner. She told Blake of how her other three kills had been in self-defense, but all of them just as gut-wrenching as the ones before.

When she'd finished at last, Weiss was sobbing into her hands, her heart pounding fearfully in her throat, not even sure if Blake was still there or not.

"I just… I didn't want to hide anything from you anymore. I wanted you to know about… the murderer I truly am… Because I don't want you to be with me without knowing my crimes. I can't let you… keep only the good things… I'm so sorry..."

. . .

Blake listened quietly, solemnly, giving the white-haired Huntress her undivided attention. Her companion's words started slow, telling the tale of the first hunt she took part in.

Blake had known that they would have to talk about this at some point, and so she listened unflinchingly.

Weiss' head dropped as she continued to speak, her words coming faster as she confessed her past. Tears started sliding down Weiss' face as she finished her story, stammering out her final apology to Blake with eyes still downcast.

For a moment, the cave was quiet except for the sounds of sobbing.

Standing quietly, Blake sat down next to Weiss and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, sad when Weiss flinched at her touch. Blake cradled Weiss' head against her chest, gently pressing a kiss to the top of the girl's head.

"That's the past. It's over. We're here now and I forgive you. I forgive you and love you Weiss, so no more tears." Blake kissed her cheek, conveying the sincerity of her words as best she could.

. . .

She couldn't help but flinch when Blake touched her; Weiss had been expecting to be struck or screamed at. But she should've known better.

Blake pulled her in gently, holding Weiss in her arms and stroking through her hair. Her embrace was the clearest manifestation of forgiveness itself, calm and accepting, even after the horrible things Weiss had just confessed to her. She swallowed thickly, breath hitching in her throat as she wailed into Blake's shirt.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… Blake…"

It was a while before the nightmarish images went away, and Weiss had to remind herself to breathe, taking in Blake's comforting, familiar scent. When she'd finally stopped shaking so much, she sat up, lifting Blake's hands up to her face. She inhaled slowly:

"This…" she pressed her lips to each of Blake's wrists, holding the kisses, feeling Blake's pulse. "Is for the two cubs I killed…"

Weiss then cupped her clammy palms to either side of Blake's face, kissing her forehead, then each cheek, apologizing for three more of the lives she had taken. She kissed her nose and between her eyes. For the last one, she went in to Blake's lips, letting out a soft sob as she pulled away.

"I'll never… kill again, Blake. I promise…"

. . .

Blake continued to hold Weiss close to her, lightly stroking the Huntress' hair.

They sat like that for a long time, Weiss cried into Blake's shirt and Blake let her, holding the girl gently in her arms.

Eventually, Weiss quieted and began peppering kisses onto Blake's skin. Blake remained still all the while.

After the final kiss was placed against Blake's lips, Weiss sobbed as she made her promise. Wrapping her arms around Weiss' shoulders again, Blake pulled her close, telling her that everything was all right.

"I hope you never have to," she murmured.

. . .

Weiss whimpered into her shoulder.

"Yeah… me, too. I don't want to kill ever again… Thank you, Blake. Meeting you has changed me."

She didn't need fear and hatred anymore. She had Blake's love, something no one else - not even her own father - had ever given her. She'd confessed her guilt, and it felt indescribably wonderful to have nothing left to hide.

When the tears finally stopped, she and Blake shared a few more kisses, murmuring soft words against even softer lips for a time as the fire crackled melodically behind them.

Then, the Huntress laid them both down on their sides, hiding her face in Blake's chest.

"Let's sleep for now..."

Hopefully all the bad things would finally leave her tonight.

. . .

The fire danced in the background, though they were too focused on each other to pay it any mind.

Blake was happy that Weiss had confessed her past. Blake had always known she would forgive the other girl, but the fact that Weiss had freely told her made it better.

Weiss laid them on their sides, burying her face in Blake's chest. She kept apologizing, the words muffled by Blake's shirt.

"You don't need to apologize anymore, Weiss. I forgive you," Blake quietly reassured, kissing her head to comfort her partner. "Rest. I'm here for you."

Blake stroked Weiss' hair and back. She held her close, feeling the girl's back rise and fall with each breath until they took an even rhythm when Weiss fell asleep.

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A/N: From the beginning of when we started writing this, I'd known that I hadn't wanted Weiss to be a Huntress by choice. At the time we originally wrote this, we weren't sure if her father would be a nice guy or a bad guy, but we went with bad, and boy were we right.