AWOO, MUTHAFUCKAS! Are you ready for some more werewolves? I know you are! Enjoy!

For a moment, all was silent as everyone took in each other's presence. Weiss was the first to speak. "Roman, Neo, what exactly are you doing here?" She looked toward Sun, Blake, and the others. "Um, do you know that…?"

"Well, of course I know they're werewolves," Roman cut in. "I'm a trader, remember, and a few days ago, I would've run for my life or thrown some Dust vials. However, a funny thing happened."

He clicked his tongue and folded his arms thoughtfully. "A group of bandits attacked me and Neo a few nights ago. I thought we were done for. Then, out of nowhere came two angry werewolves. They chased the bandits into the night and left us alone." He shook his head. "I thought it was luck, but then one of them came back and actually returned the money that had been stolen. Not exactly the behavior of savage beasts, now is it?"

Flynt cleared his throat and waved hesitantly. "Uh, nice to see you again."

Roman stared at him for a moment, then grinned. "It was you, wasn't it?" he laughed. "Small world, huh? Anyway, I came into Vale on the night of the full moon. Figured I was safer in town than in the woods. Neo and I were near the center when the princess transformed. Heard everything."

Neo nodded. "We had to wait for the panic to die down. In the late morning, we went into the woods to try finding you. That was when we ran into Blake."

"We don't usually see our favorite customers come back from the dead," Roman commented, winking at Blake.

Sun rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'd been using my beta powers all morning, ever since we snuck away from Cinder's territory. They were off when these two came by. Good thing they were friendly."

"Roman told us what happened in town, and we rode along the trail to find you. Sun sensed you nearby, and we decided to stop and wait. We figured that someone would sense us," Blake finished.

Nora jumped up and down. "I can't believe this! This is so perfect! Everyone's okay, and we're all together!"

Ren placed a hand on her shoulder. "Not quite. Remember, Vale is still our home. Most of the others have family there."

"And there's that Faunus I bit." Weiss bowed her head, tears welling in her eyes. "I wasn't thinking. He was killed because of me."

Pyrrha walked over, touching Weiss's arm. "You did nothing wrong. You were just trying to get away. It was your first transformation, besides. It's honestly a miracle that you didn't go for the throat in the first place."

"I suppose. Still…"

"I know. Just don't think about it. If my plan works, and we can reach a point where werewolves aren't feared, no one else will have to die needlessly."

Roman tilted his head. "What kind of plan are you talking about, young lady?"

Pyrrha repeated her idea concerning going back to Vale and speaking to the townsfolk and Cinder's pack once they had enough people on their side.

"It makes sense," Neo murmured. "And now, you have two more humans!" She looked at Roman. "They could follow us on our trade route. That'll get them to a bunch of different places, and we can see what happens in each town."

"And, we can still look for that large pack on the map!" Perry added, ears twitching eagerly. "It'll be good to have more werewolves on our side, after all."

Roman was nodding. "Hm. I can't imagine there will be much danger for us, not with a bunch of Huntsmen and a pack of werewolves as our protectors."

A large, devilish grin spread across his face. "This is going to be fun!"

…..

That night, they made camp a quarter mile away from the road. A few of the Huntsmen stayed with the wagon along with Roman and Neo. The werewolves congregated in the woods.

Sun was looking at Blake. "So, what do you think? Wanna try a howl, now that we're all together?"

Blake stared at the ground. On the night of the full moon, she had been forced into her wolf form. She hadn't left her den, due to Cinder being on high alert throughout the night, and flashbacks of Adam's paws pressing her into the ground had threatened to overwhelm her. Sun had remained close to her, along with Neptune, who kept her emotions stable. With their help, being in her wolf form hadn't been horrible. Still, she wasn't sure about transforming willingly.

Weiss glanced at Ruby, then turned to Blake. "I've decided to change tonight. We'll have to get used to this, since this is what we are now. Will it help if we transform together?"

Blake's ears perked up, and she smiled hesitantly. If Weiss could muster the courage to accept her bestial nature only one night after her first full moon, Blake felt that perhaps she could do the same. "Okay."

Ruby kissed Weiss's cheek and smiled at Blake. "I'm so proud of both of you! I know this is hard. And partially my fault," she added, glancing at Weiss.

Weiss placed a finger over her lips. "Ruby, we've been over this. There was no way to know that kissing would cause this." She glanced to the side. "If it weren't for that Faunus boy, this would honestly be a dream come true. I never would have thought we could…" She shook her head, guilt from what she had done warring with her current happiness.

"Hey." Ruby touched Weiss's arm. "That wasn't your fault. It was self-defense, and you weren't even the one who killed him. He's with the Maidens now. We just gotta focus on our plan, so it doesn't happen to anyone else."

"I know," Weiss sighed, drawing Ruby close. "I'm so glad you're with me."

Ruby hugged her back readily. "Me too! Now, let's transform. I really want to run with you."

Weiss started to remove her clothes, but paused, glancing toward Sun and his friends.

Sun, noticing her look, turned away, as did the other males.

"Thank you," Weiss murmured. Even with the male eyes off her, she was quick to begin her transformation once her clothes were in a pile on the ground.

Blake watched, biting her lip nervously. She looked at Sun, who smiled gently and nodded in encouragement. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and allowed the change to take her.

Now that she was in control, she found herself able to appreciate the strange sensation of fur growing from her body, of her bones shifting, of her nails lengthening. It was a feeling that was close to pain, but not quite there.

When it ended, she was standing in the woods, surrounded by her friends. Weiss shook her fur and met her gaze.

She's really pretty as a wolf! Blake found herself thinking, admiring her friend's sleek, white pelt and blue eyes that were both like and unlike her human eyes. She looked at her own pitch-black fur, and a small smile came to her muzzle.

Around her, the others started changing. She sniffed the air, appreciating the different scents that emanated from each person. The smells comforted her. She didn't think of Adam.

This is my real first transformation, Blake decided as she looked at her friends, her packmates. Fur coats of red, black, pale gold, brown, white, and all other colors mingled as the wolves accepted each other's scents and communicated in a manner that didn't require words or human thoughts.

Blake closed her eyes, continuing to absorb the scents of her friends and the warmth that surrounded them. She could feel the earth beneath her paws and the moon-touched air. She even fancied that she could sense her human companions back on the road.

Her eyes flew open as she realized what was happening. I can sense them! That means…I must be a beta. Her tail wagged. She would have to tell the others in the morning.

At the moment, however, there was something more important to attend to. The wolves had moved back, until they were standing in a circle. They looked instinctively to Pyrrha, their leader, who nodded once, then threw back her head, letting out a howl.

For a moment, her voice rang alone. It was a soft, warm sound that made the surrounding wolves feel safe and cared for. Then, Ruby added her small, higher-pitched howl to it. The two sounds melded together, twining like vines. Then came Sun, Flynt, and Neon. Sun's voice had a light, carefree overtone. Flynt's howl was a bit brassy, like wind passing through a powerful instrument. Neon's had little in the way of musical pitch, but was so full of joy that no one cared. The omegas followed. Sage's howl was a deep bass that acted as a perfect undertone for Scarlet's lighter tenor. Neptune's voice was hesitant, as if he was worried that he wouldn't sound good, but it became stronger over time. Perry's was a trembling sound that barely managed to be heard along with the others.

Weiss and Blake looked at each other, then joined in at the same time. Weiss, of course, had a beautiful howl that rang like silver bells and sounded more like a sustained note of song than anything. Blake felt that her howl was a bit plain compared to the others. It was a neutral sound, and held a bit of lingering hesitance. Still, it was hers and she was happy with it.

The voices blended together, until it was impossible to distinguish one howl from another. It was like each note was a thread, and the howl had woven them together into a many-colored tapestry that told a story of wildness, fear, confusion, bravery, and friendship most of all. They sang for as long as their breaths would allow.

Then, as one, they stopped, leaving only an echo of memory in the darkness and trees. No words needed to be spoken as the pack ran into the woods for their first true hunt together.

…

The humans, who had been talking and discussing plans for their journey, became silent when the werewolves started howling. They listened, marveling at the sheer perfection of the sound.

Fox was shaking. His hands were over his ears and his sightless eyes were wide.

Coco put a hand on his shoulder, and remained close.

Jaune closed his eyes, smiling. When the howl began, he was almost certain he could discern the different voices. Then, when they blended together, he realized that it didn't matter. His heart pounded, and he felt a powerful longing to join in that moment that was happening in the woods, to feel the sense of being perfectly connected to those around him. He didn't open his eyes until after the howl ended.

Coco was rubbing Fox's back. "Fox? Are you okay?"

Fox removed his hands and shook his head. "It's just… That sound was so…" He shivered. "It was too strong for me. I don't know how to describe it." He leaned into Coco. "I wasn't scared, just overwhelmed, I guess."

"Well, no one can blame you for that," Roman declared. "That was a song to beat every bard I've ever heard, and that's saying something." He sighed wistfully. "If only I could market a performance like that. Ah well. Maybe someday." He waved the others over. "Come on. I have some cooking supplies and a few spring vegetables. I asked our lupine friends to bring us some meat, so we may have some nice stew when this night is over."

The night passed for the band of humans and the pack of werewolves. Each group went about its own business while also feeling the comforting presence of their companions nearby. Though few words were spoken between the rising of the moon and the return of the sun, everyone knew that this was the first night of whatever was going to happen next.

Only one thing was certain: Everything was going to be different from now on. Everything.

Howling scenes are so fun. Comparing the varying sounds of the different wolves is one of my favorite things when writing about werewolves, along with the bestial side of their personalities and the transformation sequences. Stay tuned for next week, when Pyrrha and the others start putting her plan in motion.

Commissions are still open with two lovely little slots just waiting for you guys.

If you want to show monthly support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.

Peace out!