Who Is The Stranger?

Snowy Little Hellhole

Glynda and team RWBY walk the snowy trail towards a town. "Stay vigilant. A lot of people get jumped around here and stay on the path, or you will sink over your head," Glynda says, looking at team RWBY. The group follows the trail until they see a small glow coming from the woods.

"Hello strangers," a voice calls from near the glow, "I wouldn't go into town if I were you. They're cursed."

"Cursed?" Glynda asks.

"Yep, a horrible curse has fallen on the town. Last week everyone got pneumonia. Before pneumonia, it was frostbite. This week there are nearly hourly Grimm attacks."

"What's the cause?" Ruby asks.

"Well, they say they see a man wearing a suit off in the distance before, during, and shortly after the Grimm attack. Supposedly the town is cursed because of past grievances. I don't know if it's true or not. I do know that I'm going to stay far away."

"We are huntresses sir, we can handle any challenge," Weiss says.

"Good luck," the man says before the group starts walking towards the town again.

"A man in a suit, do you think it could be the same guy?" Ruby asks

"I read something like this in one of my books, something about a cursed Huntsman. I was going to reread it, but it is holding up Yang's bed now." Yang snickers, and Glynda stares at them.

"You're bed is held up by books?" Glynda asks.

"Ruby's is held up by rope. Mine is the only one held up with books," Yang says, and Glynda sighs.

"Why wouldn't you just request  bunk beds?"

"The school has bunk beds?" Ruby asks

"Of course, it prevents lawsuits," Glynda says.

The group reaches the entrance to the town, and Ruby reads a sign trampled on the ground. "Woe to all who leave. They were the bravest of all."

"Weird. What's it mean?" Yang asks, looking at the Beowolf print in the middle of the sign.

"It's about the dead. The dead are the bravest of us all. They tried to fight, and they didn't make it," a man says, carting mutilated corpses past the group. "We ran out of space in the graveyard. Now we burn the dead," the man says, and Ms. Goodwitch steers the group towards a suspiciously untouched store. The other stores were scorched and scratched, but this general store didn't even have a speck of dust on it. Glynda pushes the group inside and walks up to the man behind the register.

"Good evening, I need to get a room for my students and me."

"Yeah, you and everyone else. No vacancy, you'll have to sleep in the forest." Glynda looks at the man in shock before a picture of a familiar man catches her eye.

"Where did you get that photo?"

"Someone brought it in one day. I liked it and put it on the wall. Why do you ask?"

"I've seen him before and was curious. Can we buy some snowshoes and about 20 feet of rope?" Glynda asks, and she turns to team RWBY. "Let's go. We need to set up camp before nightfall."

"Isn't it going to be dangerous if Grimm come here every hour?" Ruby asks.

"I suppose it's time for you girls to learn how to build a shelter. I know that Port doesn't teach anything, and we really should have a survival and bushcraft teacher," Glynda thinks out loud as the group puts on their snowshoes. When the group finishes, they walk the opposite way they entered the town and into the forest on the edge of cleared land. "Alright, the snow here should be deep enough for a tree pit. Clear an area around this pine tree with about a four-foot radius." The group works for an hour or less to clear a six-foot deep hole with the diameter Ms. Goodwitch told them to reach. "Ms. Rose cut down a few tree limbs and bring them back, make sure they are mostly intact. Ms. Schnee and Ms. Xiao Long pack down and harden the snow that makes up the hole walls. Ms. Belladonna, gather firewood. I'll watch out for any Grimm," Ms. Goodwitch directs, and RWBY nods before they all begin their tasks. Five minutes later, Ruby brings back seven large pine branches.

"Ms. Goodwitch, I have your branches!" Ms. Goodwitch and Ruby tie the branches around the tree, so the ends meet where Ruby cut them off, and the branches end up making a peak.

"We finished!" Yang hollers from inside the shelter.

"You get in the shelter, Ms. Rose. I am going to help Ms. Belladonna." Ms. Goodwitch says, following Blake's trail into the woods. "Ms. Belladonna?" Glynda calls into the forest as an orange glow begins to bathe the forest. Glynda walks deeper into the woods, as it is getting harder and harder to see. Eventually, she can only make out small details but sees a small glow poking through the surprisingly dense area. After pushing her way through the seemingly endlessly overlapping branches, Glynda finds herself in a small camp set around a blazing fire that was untouched by the harsh winter. And sleeping right next to the fire, her missing student.

"You know Glynda, I admire you," the strange man says, stocking the fire. "You've hurt so many people, yet you keep your morals intact other than that. It's impressive, to say the least."

"Who are you? What's your name?"

"You know, the strange thing is, I don't remember anything other than that I used to be a huntsman."

"Ms. Goodwitch, get back!" Yang shouts, jumping through the bush and punching the man.