Pawprints (ch13)

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!!

The journey begins!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														Chapter 13. The Journey

When she next awoke, it was dusk, and the fire was almost extinguished. She pushed herself lightly off of Blake, allowing her to continue her sleep as the white-haired girl went to their bag, packing away their clothes; they likely wouldn't need them anymore due to the warmth of their fur anyway, but she figured she could take them along.

She also folded the blanket to take, along with a few of her smaller knives, leaving her rifle behind; she wouldn't need that anymore. She'd much rather learn to hunt from Blake. But she was sure to take the ammo out and bury it so it couldn't be used against fellow Panthers.

Once everything was ready, she kicked dirt and snow over the fire to kill it. She then went over to Blake and shook her shoulder gently.

"Blake? We should get going," she purred, slipping into the space between the girl's arms and nuzzling her neck affectionately.

. . .

Blake woke to the gentle shaking of her shoulder, the sound of Weiss' voice filling her ear. Before she could open her eyes, she felt Weiss nuzzling her neck. The sensation of it combined with her purr was something that Blake found she quite liked. Opening her eyes, she saw it was dusk, the fire had died and Weiss had covered it with dirt.

"Yeah, you're right. You got everything packed?" She asked as she wrapped her arms around Weiss and stood up bringing the other girl with her. Once up, Blake placed a kiss on Weiss' lips, holding it for as long as she could before she had to pull away.

"Never going to get tired of that," she murmured as she pecked Weiss' forehead and put her down. "You ready? Best if I transform and your put the stuff we're taking on my back. You still aren't used to being a Panther and this is going to be a long trip."

. . .

"That sounds good," Weiss said in agreement to the suggestion of their traveling plan. "But I'm not letting you carry me the entire way. Every hour or so we'll switch. When you're tired, I'll carry you instead, okay?" She strained up to kiss Blake's ear. "You're still recovering too, you know," she reminded her.

"And," she added. "There's no rush, you hear me? Even if we walk the entire way and keep pausing to rest or eat, we'll still beat the blizzard. Don't run and strain yourself or I'll tie a knot in your tail," she threatened playfully, curling her tail with Blake's. "Okay?"

. . .

"How could you threaten me like that?" Blake feigned indignation, smiling. Leaning down, she kissed Weiss' cat ears gently. "All right. I promise to take it easy as long as you promise the same," Blake whispered.

They remained for a moment in that cave where they'd spent the first weeks of their lives together, the place that had been their home for so long. They savored the scent of the soil one last time. Blake knew they wouldn't return here.

"Well," Blake cleared her throat. "I think it's time to go." As she was about to transform, she stopped and looked at Weiss. "I recommend you put your hands on the ground before you transform. Less disorientating to move from two legs to four when all of them are on the ground." It was odd, but a little fun to be giving pointers like that.

Blake demonstrated as much and shifted into a panther.

. . .

"Right," Weiss nodded, watching and waiting for Blake to go first. Once she'd completed the transformation, Weiss had Blake lift one of her front paws, slipping the bag's strap around her forearm and hoisting it up to her shoulder, securing it in place and making sure it wouldn't fall off.

Then, Weiss placed her hands on the ground and focused her thoughts on her transformation. She closed her eyes, not entirely sure if she could stomach the sight of her own limbs stretching and twisting into their new places. When she reopened them, she found herself looking into golden eyes and let out a small purr.

It was the first time they'd both been as panthers at the same time, and Weiss instantly found that she could hear Blake's thoughts in this form, and that relieved her.

This should make things easier, she thought.

She followed Blake out of the cave, padding softly in the snow, taking one last look at their old home before turning her head forward, gaze cast out into the woods.

Now then, Yang said it was east…

She set herself in the proper direction and made sure Blake was beside her before they set off into the night.

. . .

Blake watched as Weiss transformed, her small form growing and expanding until she was a much larger panther. Even in her panther form Weiss was still smaller than Blake, her body more lithe and sleek.

The white panther's eyes opened and blue met gold, both of them letting out purrs as Blake heard Weiss' thoughts.

It definitely will, she agreed as she lead the way out of the cave.

They lingered a moment outside the cave, then once they were ready, they took up an easy pace east through the forest. Their paws crunched lightly in the snow, and their whiskers twitched in the breeze.

They made fast progress, Blake able to move faster now that she wasn't carrying Weiss on her back.

How does it feel to run? she asked, turning a quick look to her companion.

. . .

Weiss thought it would feel strange to walk on four feet rather than two, but she quickly found it came naturally in this form, and that she could move with ease. Her muscles worked in sync and without strain, and as she walked, she extended her claws, feeling the snow between her toes with every step. It caught in her fur of matching color, melting into the heat of her body and making for a cooling temperature.

They'd only been moving for a few moments, but Weiss felt like she could continue on endlessly like this with Blake at her side.

It's… It's incredible, she replied.

This wasn't her full speed, but she could imagine running as fast as she could through the forest, imagined it felt less like running and more like flying. Whenever they reached their destination and wouldn't have to fear wasting energy, she fully intended to give it a try.

But there was still a ways to go until they reached the edge of this forest, and they weren't sure how much longer it would take to find the next one. She told herself it would only be a few days or nights until she could let loose entirely and unlock her full potential.

. . .

Blake smiled as much as this form could allow at Weiss' answer. She could remember her first time in her panther form as a child, how liberating and exhilarating it had been.

Glad you like it. Once we find a place to live, I'll show you how to hunt.

They kept up their easy pace through the forest, the cold snow barely affecting them at all. The white blended with Weiss' fur but it flecked through Blake's before it melted.

Careful. Watch out for roots hidden under the snow. Wouldn't want to twist our ankles so soon, Blake warned.

After several minutes, she could feel the slight fatigue in her muscles, her breath coming a little more difficult. She should be able to run longer than this, but apparently she hadn't fully recovered her aura.

. . .

Just as Blake warned her, Weiss felt a slight stub on her front paw, and she gave a quick jump to avoid the fall, ears flattening sheepishly, whiskers twitching. She imagined that was the equivalent to blushing in this form. She ducked her head bashfully and continued onward.

The forest at night was at least twice as beautiful as it was during the day, and five times that much when covered in snow. And Weiss had to admit it was nice to travel in this form - as a panther, the top of the food chain rather than a meek little human.

Before long, her ears picked up on Blake's struggle, hearing her breath coming shorter. Weiss paused, realizing she'd pulled ahead of her partner, and backtracked a few steps. She circled around Blake, pressing close to her and whining low in her throat.

Let's rest for a while. I can keep watch.

. . .

I'm fine, Blake answered, not wanting to be the reason they stopped. But the whine in Weiss' throat and insistent look made Blake slow down, and eventually cave. All right we'll stop.

They slowed to a stop next to a large tree that still had a bit of foliage to protect them from any falling snow. Blake transformed into a human; the small tug on her aura from being a panther was relieved the moment her transformation was done.

Her breath was ragged as she sat down with her back against the tree, her face was flushed and she could feel the soreness in her muscles.

"Looks like I'm still not fully recovered," she muttered, annoyed that she was so out of breath already. Opening her arms, she looked at Weiss who was still in panther form. "Come here. We're safe so come and relax with me."

. . .

Weiss was glad Blake gave in and decided to comply to resting. As her partner transformed, Weiss nosed through their bag and pulled out their blanket with her teeth, draping it over Blake's lap and encouraging her to use it.

She wanted to transform as well so she could speak to Blake and hold her, but Weiss needed to ensure Blake was warm first. So she padded around her and curled up, tucking Blake into her side just as she had done for Weiss so many times before. She nuzzled the girl close to her flank, encouraging her to bundle up and absorb some of Weiss' warmth.

She curled around Blake as tightly as she dared, wanting to keep her snug and warm. She fully intended to shift forms later once she was certain the girl was warm enough to not require the heat of her panther's body. Weiss purred against her, nudging Blake's hand to lick the back of it, her black hair tickling Weiss' nose.

She could feel the coolness of Blake's smaller form and willed it away, doing her best to fight it off with her natural body heat.

. . .

Grabbing the blanket, Blake wrapped it around herself, making sure to tuck herself in to appease her companion. Even past her slight chill, Blake was a little upset when Weiss didn't transform and instead curled around her. The white cat used her muzzle to tuck Blake into her side, nuzzling against her as she did so.

Blake pouted as she rested her head on her partner's broad shoulder, looking into her blue eyes.

"You could have transformed. You should rest, too." In response, Weiss nudged one of Blake's hands, licking it and purring as she did so. "But this is nice. No wonder you liked curling up to go to sleep," Blake joked as she ran her hand through Weiss' soft white fur. Kissing between her ears, she smiled as they got comfortable.

. . .

Weiss made a soft sound, a purr rolling through her chest as she snaked her tail around Blake. She closed her eyes, though she still planned to stay awake a while longer, at least until Blake fell asleep. She waited until the girl stopped shivering, until her breath had slowed and deepened.

Slowly, trying to move as little as possible, Weiss shifted forms once more, keeping Blake supported on her side all the while as not to rouse her. She slipped her arms around the girl's waist, pulling Blake snugly against her chest as Weiss herself leaned back against the trunk of the nearby tree.

Weiss indulged herself for a while, humming soothingly, rubbing Blake's stomach as she pulled the blanket over her partner, tucking it around her sides. Weiss nuzzled her face into soft, onyx hair, breathing in her familiar scent.

She listened to the sounds of the forest, casting out her heightened senses and content to find no ill auras from any nearby creatures. Only when a wide yawn parted her jaws did Weiss stop humming and let sleep take her.

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A/N: I'll have to see if I can break this into 2 more chapters or just 1, but we're almost done here! What else awaits these two?