AWOO! It is Werewolf Friday yet again, people. I know you've been on the edges of your seats waiting for this one. Enjoy!
Weiss couldn't blink. The moon was drawing her gaze with an irresistible pull. Her ice-colored eyes were almost clear in its light. She took a deep breath, tasting silver beams on her tongue.
Jaune pulled her arm while trying to shield her from view. The Huntsmen were heading toward the northern forest, where Cinder and Adam's packs were. We have to run south to Ruby, Pyrrha, and the others. "Weiss, we need to move. Everyone, form a barrier around her, and-"
A shriek ripped through the darkening town. "Werewolf!" A woman was pointing at Weiss, eyes wide with horror.
Weiss lurched forward, trembling as her nails extended. This can't be- She couldn't even finish the thought as the feeling of shifting bones and rapidly-growing fur overwhelmed her. Her clothes were being shredded.
Yang cursed under her breath. Already, a few of the Huntsmen who hadn't run into the woods were turning around, trying to make a path through the crowd of frenzied people that was running in the opposite direction. "We need to run. Now!"
"Hold on!" Jaune rushed to Weiss's side as he remembered something. "The Dust!" He hurried to detach Weiss's belt of Dust vials. They wouldn't have time to use the ointment while running, after all.
Then, Jacques Schnee's voice boomed from nearby. "Out of my way!" He was pushing through the retreating mob, a saber in hand and a grim expression on his face.
"Run!" Jaune raised his shield and Yang held up her gauntlet-adorned fists. Ren and Nora each grabbed one of Weiss's arms.
The group plunged toward the south side of town. Their one advantage was that most of the Huntsmen were in the northern woods and would take too long to get back. There was resistance, though. People threw various items from their houses, while several explosions and shouts told them that Ironwood was throwing Dust bombs.
Weiss lifted her head as the change completed. Her white fur shimmered in the moonlight, and her terrified eyes reflected the stars. She parted her jaws and howled in agony. There were too many sights! Too many smells! Too many sounds! Too much!
She shook Ren and Nora off and rushed toward the trees. One foolish Faunus tried coming at her from the side, but she easily grabbed his arm in her jaws and flung him away. The cool shadows embraced her, and her legs propelled her forward. She was free!
Then, she became aware of the scent of other wolves. One in particular was sweeter than anything she had ever smelled before. It drew her to the right and toward a distant clearing.
Jaune and the others, now that Weiss was in the clear, turned around to face their pursuers. "Please, stop!" Jaune shouted, though the angry yells and explosions drowned his voice out.
It was then that Ren noticed the bitten Faunus. Blood seeped from his arm, and his canine ears were flattened with horror. "Hey, come over here!"
Before anything else could be said, Ironwood strode over, thrusting his sword through the Faunus's neck without a moment's hesitation.
The group watched, hearts sinking, as the man collapsed. Blood from the cut and Weiss's bite seeped into the earth. Then, they met the eyes of the Huntsmen that had finally caught up, led by Weiss's father. The faces of those gathered were filled with rage and fear.
"Jaune," Nora muttered. "They don't look interested in talking." She raised her hammer nervously.
"We need to give Weiss more time," Jaune replied, desperately searching for a familiar face. His eyes fell on his sister. "Mary, listen! Werewolves aren't evil. Weiss isn't damned!"
"Nonsense!" Jacques strode forward, pointing his saber at Jaune's throat. "They have corrupted this whole hunting party! I should kill all of you right now!"
"Wait!" Taiyang pushed through the crowd, stumbling as he approached. He put a hand on the Elder's shoulder. "Please, sir. I've already lost one daughter. Don't take the other from me."
"My own daughter might be damned because of their actions!" Jacques snapped. "And we're wasting precious time. If they won't step aside, they must die!"
"Hold up, Schnee. Hold up." A slurred voice followed by several people being shoved aside signaled Qrow's approach. "Don't be too harsh on 'em. They just lost two members of their party. Seeing Weiss turn all of a sudden probably was too much for them. They couldn't handle losing someone else. Shock does crazy stuff to you."
"Well, how in the world was she bitten without them knowing?" Schnee growled. "And why didn't she immediately tell someone?"
"But, she wasn't-" Nora started to speak up, but was silenced when Ren jabbed her side with his elbow. She blinked up at him, and he just barely shook his head. She bit her lip and didn't say anything else.
"We fought some Grimm while patrolling a few days ago," Jaune lied, thinking quickly. "There…there were Beowolves and Nevermores. She got a small scratch, but we thought it was a Nevermore." He did his best to look repentant. "Everyone's been so scared and quick to kill people who might or might not be werewolves. We didn't want to lose her." Thankfully, he was already feeling scared and emotional enough to let a few tears fall.
There was some muttering in the crowd at this. Jaune's crush on Weiss a few years prior had never exactly been a secret. Mary was the next to speak.
"I agree with Qrow. We expect Huntsmen to do their jobs no matter what, but losing two people at such a young age probably was too much for them." She moved forward, smiling at Jaune. "They seem okay now. Why don't we give them a chance to redeem themselves?"
Schnee turned on her. "And how do you suggest that, and why are we talking instead of tracking down my daughter?"
"You have duties as an Elder," Mary said smoothly. "And you have been retired from being a Huntsman for years. You won't be able to track her down. So, let's let Jaune's group do it. They will hunt down Weiss, bring her pelt or some other token back as proof, and will be allowed back into Vale."
Schnee looked outraged, but Ironwood was nodding his head. Glynda and Ozpin were also standing nearby. "I think that is a perfect plan," Ozpin said. "And, to ensure it is done, we'll send one other Huntsmen group with them. Will that satisfy everyone?"
There was a mixture of grumbling and muttering, but Schnee lowered his saber with a sigh. "Very well."
A small voice called out: "I volunteer my hunting party." Velvet moved to the front of the crowd, followed closely by Fox, Coco, and Yatsuhashi. Many people nodded at this. Velvet's group was half the size of a normal hunting party, and was often sent when speed was needed for a particular kill.
Schnee glared at all of them. "I will give you a month. If you haven't brought proof of my daughter's death back before the next full moon, consider yourselves banished from Vale forever."
Jaune's mouth went dry, and he was barely able to nod. Glancing at the others, he led the way into the forest, trying desperately to figure out what to do next. This is bad! If it was just us, I guess we'd just leave, but we can't allow Velvet and her group to be exiled too!
Velvet moved ahead, looking at the ground. "With the trail this fresh, we shouldn't have a problem," she muttered.
Coco walked up to Yang, shaking her head. "You've landed us in a nice mess, huh?" She clapped her shoulder. "Don't worry. It's understandable."
Yang bit her lip, glancing at Jaune, who shook his head and mouthed "Later." She nodded once and said nothing.
We can't keep this a secret from them, Jaune decided. So, we'll tell them once we're a few hours away from Vale. If they believe us, they can help us. If they don't, they'll have to either fight us or run back to Vale. We can probably take them in a fight. If they run back to Vale, we'll have a good head start before anyone starts chasing us. He sighed. I hope Blake finds our trail and follows us.
….
For Pyrrha's small pack, the night of the full moon began as one would expect. They transformed, keeping their howls quiet, and started hunting for their next meal. Flynt was the one using his beta powers at that moment, and was the first to realize something was wrong.
His nose twitched and his ears flicked. Another wolf was entering his radius. He growled, signaling to the others, who went still, looking around nervously. It was only one wolf, and it didn't feel like Cinder, Adam, or any other wolf they knew. Yet, this one felt familiar in a way.
Neon allowed her beta powers to activate, also trying to figure out who the wolf was. Whoever it was, it was barreling haphazardly in their direction. It's definitely a whelp. She communicated this with the others.
They all tensed as the wolf drew closer, the sound of pawfalls now apparent to everyone. Perry whimpered while Pyrrha stepped to the front of the pack, baring her fangs. Ruby moved next to her, head tilted in confusion. She could smell the newcomer, and the smell was oddly comforting. Then, the footsteps slowed down and the sound of cautious sniffing signaled the approach of the newcomer.
Pyrrha took a step forward, yipping once, firmly telling the werewolf to come out.
There was a pause before a large, sleek creature with pure white fur stepped into the moonlight. Her eyes were the color of mist, and filled with confusion and fear. She immediately turned in Ruby's direction. Her ears flattened, and she let out a whine.
Ruby's back stiffened and her jaw dropped. Weiss! Immediately, she bounded forward, burying her face in her best friend's fur. The scent of fresh water, expensive perfume, and clean cloth mingled with a new, purely wild smell that was inherent in all werewolves. Her tail wagged as she felt Weiss nuzzling her snout against the side of her neck.
The others watched the reunion, dumbfounded. Had Ruby bitten Weiss at some point? That didn't make sense. Weiss would have stayed with them in that case. Pyrrha could only imagine the reaction that would follow someone changing in the middle of a human town.
Her blood froze. Jaune! What had happened to Jaune and the others when Weiss had turned?
Flynt guessed Pyrrha's thoughts and volunteered to scout closer to Vale. He crept carefully through the trees, stopping when he was close enough for his enhanced hearing to catch what was going on. His happiness at hearing that Jaune's group would be allowed to follow them was quickly dampened when he heard that another group of Huntsmen would also be coming. He huffed angrily, returning to the pack with his news.
Pyrrha thought for a moment before coming to a decision: The pack had to move. Jaune and the others would figure something out, but they had to keep away for the time being. Pyrrha would stay behind with Flynt and Perry and keep an eye on the group. If something changed in their favor, they'd fetch Ruby, Weiss, and Neon, who were to run ahead as fast as they could while disguising their trail. Pyrrha, Flynt, and Perry would try to leave a trail for Blake, Sun, and that group to follow.
It was by no means a perfect plan, but it gave them the best chance of reuniting with everyone eventually, and maybe even getting to a new home safely. Despite everything, Pyrrha felt a certain lightness in her chest. Ruby and Weiss wouldn't have to be separated after all, and if Jaune wasn't allowed back in Vale, that meant she would still be able to see him more.
She immediately berated herself for the selfish thought, but she wasn't entirely able to keep her tail from wagging at the thought of eventually seeing her human again.
And here, the journey arc of our story begins. This will be the big one, and probably the second to last one. Stay tuned, friends, because things are only going to get more exciting (and more Arkos-filled) from here.
My P/atreon is Solora Goldsun. If you want earlier updates and other rewards, or just want to help a starving artist out, please consider pledging!
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Peace out!