AWOO, everybody. Happy Werewolf Friday. Sorry this one is later in the day, but I've hit the end of my backlog and am now scrambling to get one built up again for all of my stories. Updates will continue as scheduled, of course. It'll just be a slightly more frazzled, stressed out Solora typing them, along with the last chapter of "Three Days at the Ryokan." Enjoy!

The morning began with a Huntsmen patrol. Jaune and Velvet led the way, keeping their eyes and ears trained for any sign of Grimm or rogue werewolves. Though they'd try not to fight the latter, there was still danger involved if one was nearby. Fox was at the rear, his hand tightly gripping the hilt of his sword.

"I don't like this," he muttered. "There's something wrong."

"What do you hear, Fox?" Coco asked, touching her husband's shoulder.

"Nothing. That's the problem." Fox tilted his head as he listened to the sounds of the forest. "We haven't encountered any Grimm for miles."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Jaune asked.

"It's suspicious," Fox said. "We should have at least hit some Boarbatusks or Beowolves. We're near a village. They always come close to villages at some point, even in small numbers, but we haven't fought any."

"The werewolves could be scaring them off," Yang pointed out. "I mean, they do smell like Grimm, so maybe the Grimm think this is someone else's turf."

"Perhaps," Fox sighed, but he didn't sound convinced. "I can't help but feel that some greater danger is coming."

"You don't regret coming, do you?" Coco asked, brows furrowing with concern.

"I don't regret it," Fox said. "I still have my misgivings, but the werewolves, at least the ones with us, are not evil. As a Huntsman, I can't knowingly turn my back on good people who need help." He shook his head slowly. "But, I can't help but wonder if this quest of ours is hopeless. How exactly do we plan to convince the humans of these villages that werewolves are good? These settlements are all like Vale: They'd kill us before listening to anything we have to say."

"We don't need to convince whole villages, at least not yet," Jaune said. "We just need more humans, Faunus, and werewolves on our side. The way things are now, we have ten humans and nearly a dozen werewolves. That's not bad, but we need more of each, enough so that the people of Vale and the werewolves of Cinder's pack won't want to attack immediately." He paused to slash at some undergrowth. "I'd say that we need at least twenty of both groups. Maybe more."

"We do have a bit of an advantage on the human side," Yang pointed out. "I know Dad and Uncle Qrow will be willing to listen. So will the Arc family."

"Jacques is hopeless," Ren muttered. "But, Winter might be swayed."

"Not with Weiss as a werewolf," Fox said. "Winter will think she's bewitched by the moon, or something similar." He stopped to listen and growled softly. "Still nothing…"

"If it makes you feel better, we can bring some of the betas on our evening patrol," Jaune suggested. "If anything weird's going on, they'll be able to sense it."

Fox nodded. "That would help, yes."

When they got back, they saw Roman talking with a customer. Pyrrha stood nearby, listening curiously to the transaction. Once the customer left with her items, she looked at Roman.

"So, it's possible to change the value of something?"

Roman tapped his nose and winked, his anger from the previous night completely absent. "That's called haggling, my dear. There's a certain margin around the price of something, where you can either decrease and still make a profit, or increase without cheating the customer. The key is figuring out when to haggle and when to be firm."

Jaune smiled as he watched the two, glad that Roman wasn't mad at Pyrrha anymore. Then, the smell of stew drew him away and toward the fire. "Smells like rabbit."

Ruby nodded, slurping loudly from her bowl. "Pyrrha caught some last night."

"Don't be so loud, Ruby," Weiss said primly. "Just because we can turn into beasts doesn't mean we have to eat like animals."

Ruby rolled her eyes as she took another, quieter bite.

Jaune laughed as he served himself some stew. "You two are acting like a married couple already." His smile only widened when this comment caused both women to blush.

Sun, meanwhile, was approaching Blake, his tail flicking nervously. "Um, hey Blake. I was wondering if maybe you'd like to, I don't know, go for a run with me tonight?" When Blake looked hesitant, he quickly added: "It doesn't have to mean anything. Just two packmates going for a run. Maybe we can pick up a rabbit or two to bring back. What do you think?"

Blake felt a slight flutter of nervousness in her stomach. She knew that Sun was interested in her, and it would be a lie to say that she wasn't starting to feel the same way. However, she couldn't help but remember the frenzy that had been in Adam's eyes during the mating season. If she let herself get close to Sun, would he fall prey to that same urge when the following spring arrived?

Still, despite her misgivings, when she looked at his hopeful gray eyes, she found herself nodding. "Okay." His bright smile caused her worries to subside a little. He said himself that it was just a run. No need to think too deeply into things just yet. Spring's a long time away, and he is a friend and packmate. There's nothing wrong with getting just a little closer to him.

Perry was sitting near the wagon, chewing loudly on a piece of candy Roman had given him. It was called "caramel." He liked the taste, but didn't enjoy how it stuck to his teeth. He smacked his lips loudly as he tried to lick a bit of it off of his back tooth. He noticed Pyrrha walking by. "Good morning, Leader," he greeted.

Pyrrha turned to smile at him. "I told you, Perry. You can just call me Pyrrha."

"I know, but I like calling you Leader," Perry said, his rabbit ears twitching bashfully. "You're nicer than Adam ever was, and it feels good having a kind leader."

Pyrrha's heart warmed, though a stir of unease rose in her mind. "This is only temporary. Once we get back and convince everyone to live in peace, Cinder will be our leader."

Perry frowned. "Couldn't we just keep you as our leader and live in a different territory near Vale?" He scratched at the back of his neck. "I mean, I don't think I can trust her as much as I trust you. Why would you want to follow her, anyway?"

Pyrrha hesitated, then beckoned for Perry to follow her. "Walk with me." As the two entered the woods, she explained. "Cinder suffers the same prejudices that most do. That isn't her fault. She has led the pack through many hard times. I'm still young, and have already shown questionable judgment in various situations." She thought about the incident in town the previous day and grimaced.

Perry looked carefully at her, letting his omega powers activate. "I can feel how nervous you are. You don't want to fail us. But I also see a lot of determination to do the right thing. I think that's more important."

"Wanting to do the right thing is different than doing it successfully," Pyrrha sighed. She went down another path toward the clearing Ruby had found a few days ago.

"Where are we going?" Perry wondered.

"I'm working on something for Roman," Pyrrha explained. "To make up for the trouble I caused him."

Eventually, they reached the field. Pyrrha took a moment to admire the babbling stream before walking toward an area where the sun was hitting a large, flat stone. Stretched out on the stone were three rabbit pelts. Two were gray and brown, while one was pure white.

Perry looked at them, nodding slowly. "These are good skins. Where did you find the white one?"

"It was with the others. Some animals are born with white pelts throughout the year, not just in winter," Pyrrha explained. "I've heard that white ones are highly valued." She ran a stone over the insides of the skins before setting them on the rock again. "I washed them as well as I could and have tried keeping them dry. I never prepared pelts for the pack back home, so I'm not sure how it's done."

Perry sniffed the skins and frowned. "They are just starting to rot," he said. "We should take them to the wagon and get some salt."

Pyrrha tilted her head. "You know how to do this?"

Perry grinned. "I've done it a thousand times. Leave leading to the alphas, and menial work like this to us omegas." He picked up the skins. "We need to salt these, then soak them in cool water before letting them dry. Roman will probably have human supplies that will make it even easier."

"I didn't even realize I needed salt." Pyrrha smiled sheepishly. "I'm definitely glad I brought you. Let's get back to the wagon."

"Don't feel too bad," Perry said as he fell into step next to her. "You did a good job of scraping away the meat."

"Well, I like to think I know enough about pelts to not want any flesh on them," Pyrrha chuckled.

When they returned to the wagon, Perry stiffened. "I sense bad emotions." There was a group of men standing in front of Roman. All of the Huntsmen were standing as well, hands on their weapons.

As Pyrrha and Perry approached, the leader of the men turned and pointed at Pyrrha. "That's the one! That witch put a spell on my brother, so she did! Bewitched him into giving away his weapon!"

Roman's arms were folded and his expression was one of bored indifference. "Next, you're gonna say she turned him into a newt."

"Are you making fun of me?!" The man took a step closer to Roman. "My brother told me himself, he did!"

"Where's your brother now?" Roman drawled. "Is he with you, or is he too scared of my apprentice?"

"My friend was with him!" another man said. "He says they was both bewitched!"

"I heard a story too," Roman said, twirling his cane in a mock-casual gesture. "Something about some big, strong men shaking down a poor old baker. My apprentice told them to piss off, and they listened." He smirked a little. "Smart lads, too. She may not be a witch, but she's a pain when she's angry. Isn't that right, sweetheart?" he called over.

Pyrrha smiled shakily at Roman, trying very hard not to look directly at the men, just in case she started using her alpha stare again.

"My brother would never back down from a woman!"

Roman let out a laugh. "Then, he's an idiot. My guess is that he took one look at Pyrrha's angry face and realized he was in for a world of pain if he didn't listen. You're obviously not married, or you'd know the power of a female's glare." He tipped his hat. "Now, unless you'd like to purchase something, I'll have to ask you to leave."

When the men didn't move, Roman's eyes flashed. "Or, I could ask my lovely Huntsmen to ask for me."

"Listen here, I'm not backing down from some poncey trader!" The lead man moved closer to Roman.

The Huntsmen all started forward. Roman didn't move. He simply folded his arms and called in a bored voice: "Neo."

In an instant, his tiny assistant was at his side. Smartly, she swung her folded parasol at the man's ankle, causing him to fall to the ground. Another sharp blow to the back caused him to yelp in pain. She pointed the parasol at the others, showing off the sharp point at the end.

By this point, all of the Huntsmen were there, swords drawn and pointed at the mob. Pyrrha clenched her fists, trying desperately to not let her fangs or claws start to show.

"See what my tiny assistant can do?" Roman drawled. "Now, imagine how scary my much taller apprentice must be." He folded his arms. "I think we're done here. Please leave."

The mob helped their leader up and all walked off, grumbling to each other and giving Pyrrha dark looks.

Once the betas affirmed that they were gone, Pyrrha rushed over to Roman. "Roman, I'm so sorry!"

Roman snorted dismissively. "You apologize too much." He noticed the pelts in Perry's arms. "Oh-ho. What have we here?" He took the skins, eyes shining as he calculated what they would be worth. "Neo, get the tanning salt!"

Pyrrha smiled. "I wanted to make up for the trouble I've caused. I caught them last night."

Roman grinned as he continued to examine the pelts. "Well, consider yourself completely forgiven." He handed the pelts to Neo when she returned. "Prepare these, Neo. Be especially careful with the white one."

"Yes, sir!"

"If you want to make us some more gold, see about finding us some fox pelts," Roman said, his eyes still shimmering excitedly. "Those go for a lot!"

Pyrrha laughed at his enthusiasm. "I'll keep that in mind." She returned to the fire pit, feeling a little better.

Jaune was waiting for her there. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Pyrrha nodded. "Yes. Thank you." She glanced toward where the mob had left and sighed. "I suppose going into town is out of the question."

"You can still go. Just don't go alone," Jaune advised. "I can always go with you."

"Thank you," Pyrrha repeated. "I really do appreciate all you've done."

"Hey, don't forget how much you put yourself on the line to help us rescue Blake. I think this is a fair trade, don't you?"

"It's not a trade, though," Pyrrha said, looking at him with a smile. "Caring for each other like this is what's expected of friends and packmates."

Jaune returned her smile, realizing as he did so that he rather liked being referred to as a packmate.

….

Clouds covered the moon and stars, and the scent of rain was in the air. Still, Sun and Blake ran through the trees, comforted by the knowledge that the storm wouldn't start until later in the night.

Blake stumbled a little, groaning as she tried to get fully used to her large forepaws. She flicked her ears and huffed.

Sun grinned at her, tail wagging cheerily. He didn't mind having to slow down. He was just glad to be spending some time with her. He let her know with a bright yip.

Blake returned his smile, letting her tail wag a little before following him through a thinner patch of trees. As she got more comfortable with running, she felt a certain playful edge entering her mind. Whuffing mischievously, she lunged toward Sun and shoved him before darting away.

Sun shook himself and let out a happy howl before following. His tongue lolled out of his mouth as he chased the gorgeous black wolf.

Blake felt a twinge of fear at the sensation of being chased, but was calmed by Sun's purely playful bark. She was moving faster, and decided to use her beta powers to keep from bumping into anything. She activated them as she nimbly dodged a tree.

It was hard getting used to the ability to sense anything around her. She could feel the gophers and worms beneath her feet, the trees around her, the deer that were running in the opposite direction…

She skidded to a halt, ears standing up straight. Something was just at the edge of her range, something that made her heart pound with pure, unadulterated fear.

Before she could hone in on what it was, Sun bumped into her, causing them both to fall to the ground. She shook her head, then jumped up, trying to sense that presence again.

She didn't feel it, but she did sense something far, far worse. Her heart sank. What she felt in that moment was like a dark tide rushing in the direction of Burgundy.

Grimm.

She turned to Sun and barked desperately. Sun frowned, letting his own beta powers activate. His eyes widened with horror and he jumped to his feet.

Without another thought, the two werewolves bounded as fast as they could toward the wagon. There was no time to change into their Faunus forms. Speed was all that mattered. As they ran, they heard a howl from Neon. She was with the Huntsmen, who were running to engage the Grimm.

When they arrived, Roman was loading his wagon. Neo was gone. Pyrrha quickly explained that she had gone into town to warn the townsfolk.

"Get in the wagon, werewolves," Roman said as he hitched his horse. "It'll all be over soon."

"There are too many of them!" Flynt shouted, his eyes wide as he took in just how many Grimm were approaching. "They need our help! I'm not letting Neon fight those monsters without me!"

"Are you crazy?! You can't turn into werewolves this close to town! If anyone from Burgundy comes to fight, you'll be killed as surely as the Grimm!" He turned to Sun and Blake. "You two, turn back right now!"

Pyrrha looked around, her heart pounding. She could feel the eyes of her pack on her. Sun and Blake made no move to transform back into their Faunus forms. Flynt was already removing his clothes. No matter what Roman said, the werewolves would answer to Pyrrha. She knew that.

What do I do?! she thought. On one hand, she could keep her head low and take the no-risk path that Roman was suggesting. But then…what would happen to the Huntsmen? What would happen to Jaune? She imagined her precious human being torn apart while she was hidden in a wagon. Immediately, she knew her decision.

"I'm going to fight. Anyone who wishes to join me may do so."

As one, all of the werewolves stripped their clothes away and began to transform. Roman, meanwhile, threw his hands into the air before rushing to pick up the clothes. "Your funerals, then. Good luck."

In a few seconds, the pack stood ready. Pyrrha was at the head, Ruby standing at her right side. To her left was Sun. Behind her, the other betas and omegas growled and bared their fangs.

Pyrrha took a deep breath. There was no turning back now. With one short, but mighty howl, she rushed into the trees, leading her pack to their first battle. She hoped it wouldn't be their last.

In a world of werewolves and superstition, it's only ever a matter of time before the shit hits the fan. Will our heroes defeat the Grimm horde? Will a certain stalker-boy finally be put in his place? We'll see the answer to at least one of those questions next week. ^_^

If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.

Peace out!