The First Daughter (A RWBY Fanfic)

Intermission 3/3: Life Day Truce

Ash: Hey James.

Ironwood glances over at the entrance and sees Ash entering. Ironwood puts on a brave face and smiles at his friend.

Ironwood: Hey. Happy Life Day.

Ash: Happy Life Day. How are you feeling?

Ironwood: Like an artillery shell hit me.

Ash: Not funny.

Ironwood: Sorry. You know I'm bad at jokes.

Ironwood chuckles painfully. Ash sits next to him and sighs.

Ash: You and that stupid semblance of yours. You could have died, you know!

Ironwood: Someone had to save those guys.

Ash: Half of them didn't even survive the night!

Ash groans and sits down next to his bed.

Ironwood: Why do I feel like that's not the main reason you're mad?

Ash sighs again and rubs her eyes.

Ash: Clay just wrote to us. Azure was killed last month while going to grab some rations.

Ironwood sighs and places his remaining hand over his face.

Ironwood: Dammit.

Ash: Sniper shot to the head, he didn't feel a thing.

Ash clenches her fists as Ironwood notices tears forming in her eyes.

Ash: Such a needless loss of life. Why did it have to be Azure?!

Ironwood: Ash...

Ash: What are we even doing here, James?! All this dying for some Dust mines?! Some twisted sense of regaining lost glory?!

Ironwood sighs and places his hand on her hands.

Ironwood: Your guess is as good as mine, Ashley.

The young Ironwood forces himself to sit up, which caught Ash off guard.

Ash: James??

Ironwood: Come on, help me out.

Ash: Uh-

Ironwood: The Mimarans are celebrating Life Day too, so we shouldn't have to worry about any attacks. So let's go celebrate with the regiment. We'll celebrate the holiday and celebrate Azure's life at the same time.

Ash smiles and relents. She helps Ironwood out of the infirmary before the doctor comes back.

Ash: Doctor Watts is gonna kill us.

Ironwood: I'll think of something to make it up to him.

The two chuckle as they soon approach a meeting area in the trench where Atlesian troops were gathering with food and drink. The commander of the regiment, a bearded man in his thirties, notices Ash and Ironwood entering the area.

Ironwood: Commander Sapphire, sir.

Sapphire: Private, you should be in the infirmary.

Ironwood: Yes, sir. But I wanted to celebrate the holiday, not spend it in bed before going home.

One of the troopers calls over to Ironwood.

Trooper: Oi, who says you're going home?! You got another trench to help us dig!

Ironwood: Pfft. You're just trying to get out of work again, Grayton.

Several of the soldiers laugh as Ash helps Ironwood sit down. One of the soldiers passes over to them some food and water. Ironwood heard the same trooper complaining.