Awoo, everyone! It's Werewolf Friday, and this week finds us with a new conflict, because it's not like we've had plenty of that already. Truly, there are few things more annoyingly dangerous than stupid people in groups.

Enjoy!

It was near midnight when Blake howled an alarm from her position on the wall. She could sense several humans and Faunus running through the woods toward the town. Her ears flattened with fear as she hurried down to stand at the entrance with Brawnz.

"You might want to back up," he muttered. "They'll probably have Dust."

Blake took a few steps back, but kept the path leading from the forest in her line of sight. Her heart pounded as she remembered that Sun was out hunting with Sage, Scarlet, and Neptune. Please have your beta powers on, she thought. Please keep away from the town until this is over.

All around her, she sensed her fellow wolves transforming and joining her. Pyrrha hurried from the infirmary, her gait a bit jerky from her not-quite-healed back. Despite her injury, she stepped past Blake, standing at the front of the pack, the only one to remain in her human form. Jaune went to stand by her, his hand on his sword.

I swear to the Maidens, if those idiots try to hurt her… The thought of Pyrrha being hurt even worse after all that had happened was just too much to bear. Being at her side and personally seeing to her recovery had brought Jaune even closer to the werewolf leader while also increasing his protectiveness of her tenfold.

It made no rational sense, of course. Pyrrha was ten times stronger than he could ever be. She had survived injuries that would instantly kill any human. Still, he wanted to keep her safe. He liked that he could, at the very least, be the one to see to her recovery. It made him feel more worthy of her.

Brawnz turned to Pyrrha. "I'd recommend you all back up a bit. They won't want to kill humans, but they won't hesitate to go for you if given a clear shot.

Pyrrha backed up as asked, though she didn't like the idea of using her human friends as a shield. She felt Jaune's hand on her arm, and lightly placed her hand over it. She could see the worry in his eyes, and gave him a comforting smile before turning back toward the entrance to the town.

The approaching humans were visible now. There were at least a dozen of them, all armed, several holding vials of Dust in their hands. The town's Huntsmen were all standing at the ready. Even Roman and Neo had their weapons in hand, though they stood off to the side.

Brawnz, Dew, and Gwen walked down the path, meeting them before they could reach the wall. Yang, Ren and Nora hurried after them, standing a few feet back in case they were needed.

"What's your business here?" Brawnz asked, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at the crowd.

The lead Huntsman glared back at him. "You know exactly why we're here, blasphemer! You're harboring the spawn of the Devil in there. Either kill them now and repent, or we'll kill them and cleanse this whole area!"

"Jeez," Qrow muttered, taking a swig from his flask as he joined Pyrrha and Jaune at the front of the pack. "This guy sounds like he swallowed a holy book, digested it wrong, and is now talking right out of his ass."

Weiss let out an annoyed sigh, rolling her one good eye. Even in a serious situation, he had to be crude! She groaned when she heard Ruby letting out a whuff of laughter.

Brawnz shook his head. "These werewolves are allies to the people of Obsidian. They are not the spawn of the Devil. If anything, they were sent to us as a blessing from the Maidens."

The other Huntsman's eyes blazed. "How dare you even imply that the Maidens would associate with those beasts?!" He looked over his shoulder. "Clearly, this entire town is betwitched!"

"Look," Brawnz said, holding up a hand as he heard Yang taking a step forward. "We have enough archers on the wall to take out at least half of you in one go, several more Huntsmen, and a pack of werewolves who would not be happy if you lifted a finger against any of us. Do you really want to try anything else? I promise it won't end well."

Yang cracked her knuckles, Ren brandished his daggers, and Nora casually patted her mallet. In the town, a few of the wolves barked loudly. Qrow had one hand on his scythe.

The group of Huntsmen hesitated. Their leader spat to the side, realizing the futility of his idea. "We may be few now, but word is spreading of this little hellhole. There will be others. In the meantime, we will be camping in the forest. While those beasts remain, anyone enters the woods at their own risk. We'll see how long you hold out when you got nothing to eat but silver!"

Brawnz drew his sword, his gaze growing steely. "Leave. Now."

The Huntsmen wisely retreated back into the forest, a few pocketing their Dust vials while grumbling audibly. The trees rustled a bit, then were still.

Blake narrowed her eyes as she felt them stop. She changed back into her human form. "They're spreading out just a few feet from the edge of the forest. Setting up camp, probably," she growled. Will Sun and the others be able to avoid them?

The Obsidian Huntsmen walked back over as the werewolves started to change back into their human forms. "So…" Nora muttered. "They're trying to starve us out, huh?" She folded her arms. "I say we drive them off before any more get here.

"We can't, Nora," Ren explained. "If we attack, even more people will come to kill us, especially if we hurt anyone."

Nora stomped a foot. "That's not fair! They can literally come here and threaten to kill everyone, and we'll be the bad guys if we do anything?!"

Neo sheathed her sword and rushed over to Yang, hugging her tightly.

Yang held the small trader against her. "Shh. Hey, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about. No one else is dying today. Promise."

Roman put his cane down with an exasperated grunt. "Maybe not today, blondie, but what can we do when the whole town's gonna be blockaded?" He threw his hands in the air. "This is just perfect! A trader with no stock and no horse, in a town that's being kept in isolation. I just love my life!"

Brawnz cleared his throat. "Maybe we can negotiate things so that you can at least leave. We could say you were here by circumstance, and-"

"Did I say I'm abandoning you?! No, I'm just appreciating the irony." Roman let out a slightly crazed laugh. "See? This whole thing is hilarious! Isn't it funny, Neo?"

Qrow walked over to Roman, holding out his flask. "Here, pal. Drink up."

Roman eyed the flask for a moment, then let out a sigh. He took a cautious sip, and his face immediately turned green. "What is this?!" he sputtered.

"Uh…" Qrow took the flask and sniffed it. "I know I had whiskey in here. Might have added some wine I got in the last town…" He took another sniff. "Or was it moonshine?"

Roman wiped his mouth, grimacing. "I think I'll pass…"

"We need to think of the essentials first," Pyrrha said. "Is there water on that mountain?"

"Oh, yes," Brawnz said. "There's a spring past where those vampires used to be. Remember, there is snow up that mountain, even during the summer. No one's been to check it yet, though. Hopefully, the beasts didn't taint it or anything."

"We'll have to get creative when it comes to food," Jaune said. "The woods end before Obsidian, and to the east is just a huge, barren field." He looked at Roman. "You still have that map?"

"Sure do." Roman, somewhat recovered from his meltdown, retrieved the map from his cart and opened it. "There won't be another forest for a few miles. There's a lake to the south, but that'd be a day's journey, provided the Huntsmen don't try to follow anyone."

"We could set some traps," Weiss suggested. "There are rabbits in those fields, I'm sure of it."

"And we could send werewolves to the lake," Pyrrha added. "We run faster than any Huntsman in our wolf forms. We could catch some fish, dry them for travel, and bring them back."

"Something like that could take several days!" Jaune protested. "You guys will be sitting ducks by that lake during the day. What if the Huntsmen track you?"

"The town can't just live off rabbits, though."

"You're not going until you're fully recovered!"

Pyrrha sighed. "Jaune, I appreciate your concern, but I can't lie in the infirmary forever."

"Not forever!" Jaune promised. "Just a few more days. You're almost healed, but we can't risk any open wounds."

"I agree with Jaune," Weiss said. "Besides, it would be better if the entire pack didn't go. We should divide into groups and take turns."

"Yeah," Ruby said. "It'll be like when we split up to get Corsac, Ferron, and the others, and when we split up to fight Adam. Obsidian will need a few werewolves here anyway, in case the Huntsmen try attacking."

Pyrrha's shoulders slumped as she realized they were right. "Very well. Ruby, you'll lead the first fishing run tomorrow night. Take Sun, Blake, Deery, and Sandy with you." She decided on the two skittish omegas, knowing that they were probably going to be the most affected by being stuck in a walled village.

There was a pause as Pyrrha looked around. Her heart sank. "Blake, has Sun's hunting party returned yet?"

Blake shook her head. "No, Leader."

Ilia frowned thoughtfully. "If Sun's smart, he'll have his beta powers on. We should keep an eye on the forest further south. They'll probably come from there and run for the entrance."

At that moment, Bartholomew darted over. "That would be a terrible idea. The waiting Huntsmen likely have crossbows. They will be waiting for anyone coming from or into the forest from this entrance."

"What else can they do?" Blake asked as she took her clothes from where she had hidden them near her post. "Just stay separated from us for however long this blockade lasts?" Her heart sank as she thought of how boring things would be without the four, Sun in particular.

"No, no," Barty muttered. "Better tactics. That's what we need, yes." He tapped his chin, glanced at the wall, then snapped his fingers. "Of course! A wide circle! We'll have them take the long way and use the entrance by the mountain. They'll come around the wall, behind the town, and into the doorway. If it works, we may not have to stop hunting deer just yet."

Pyrrha nodded slowly. "That's a good idea, Barty. Would you be able to voice that plan in a howl?"

"I do believe so," Barty said. "I've studied a great deal in the worlds of both humans and werewolves."

Howls, barks, and other vocal methods of communicating in wolf form could only get certain simple ideas across. Mannerisms, smell, and other subtle signs filled in the rest for more complex thoughts. Giving instructions over a distance was something that took practice.

Barty removed his spectacles and pocketed them before starting with the rest of his clothes. "Hm. Should I get my special glasses…? No, no. I'll only be transformed for a moment."

He shed his clothes and transformed into a medium-sized, green-furred werewolf with dark brown eyes. He squinted a little as he climbed up the wall and stood on his hind legs. Taking a deep breath, he let out a howl.

As Jaune listened, he glanced at Pyrrha. "Did he say special glasses?"

"I think so."

"So, he wears glasses as a wolf." Jaune laughed a little. "That must be interesting."

Barty finished his message, then closed his eyes, trying to sense a reply. Faintly, he heard an answering howl and nodded. He would remain in his wolf form until they got back, just in case.

Blake let out a sigh of relief, trying to sense the boys with her beta powers. After a few minutes, she felt them enter her radius. They were running in a southern part of the woods, as instructed, and slowed down as they reached the edge. She held her breath as they slowly stepped from the treeline and onto the open field. Her heart pounded as they slowly, slowly crept in a wide circle several yards away from the walls of Obsidian.

She sensed the Huntsmen moving around, and gritted her teeth as they neared the edge of the forest. At the same time, Sun and the others crept close to the wall and began to circle around to the entrance by the mountain.

Everyone walked to the opening to greet the four as they finally entered the town. Sage and Neptune were bearing freshly-killed, bite-free deer on their backs, and the humans were quick to take them to the smokehouse.

Blake rushed over to Sun, throwing her arms around his furry shoulders and hugging him tightly. She smiled when his strong wolf arms immediately came up to hug her back, easily lifting her off the ground.

"Good hunting," Pyrrha commended. "Now that everyone's here, we should plan out the next few days."

It was decided that the Huntsmen would be in charge of trapping rabbits in the field to the east of Obsidian. They would keep sending small hunting parties into the forest, using the wide-circle strategy until there got to be too many eyes in the woods. The first fishing party, led by Ruby, would leave the following night and try to be back in two days.

Pyrrha returned with Jaune to the infirmary, more than a little disappointed that she wouldn't be going hunting or to the lake.

Jaune noticed her expression and touched her shoulder. "Hey. You'll be better soon. No one wants you getting hurt again."

Pyrrha sighed. "I'm the leader of this pack. I should be doing more."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Have you forgotten that you got those burns by literally turning yourself into a shield between your pack and a raging Dust inferno? I think you've done plenty."

"I know you're right, but…"

"But nothing," Jaune insisted, kissing her cheek. "Stop thinking about it. You should be fine by the time Ruby comes back, so you can lead the next fishing trip if you want." He certainly didn't like the idea of her leaving, but knew he wouldn't be able to stop her when the time came. She was too devoted to everyone to rest one day more than was necessary. When this is all over, he vowed. I'll make sure she has time to rest.

Despite her worries, Pyrrha smiled when Jaune kissed her. She thought back to when he had kissed her brow while she was in her wolf form, and her heart warmed further. Turning around, she brushed her lips against his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder. "You always know how to make me feel better."

Jaune nuzzled the top of her head, hugging her gently. "I try."

After a moment of comfortable silence, Pyrrha brushed her lips against Jaune's neck. "Jaune?"

"Hm?" Jaune's heart stuttered at the soft touch.

"I love you."

Jaune barely resisted the urge to hug Pyrrha as tightly as possible, remembering her still-healing back. Instead, he leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth. "I know," he murmured, because he did. Every action from her, every warm touch, every smile had already spoken to him more than any three words could. "I love you too."

Pyrrha softly ruffled Jaune's hair, snuggling against him and closing her eyes, yearning for the day when they could finally move beyond these chaste, careful touches. "I know."

I believe in balance. I throw another curve at you which will cause the guys to be stuck in Obsidian for a while longer, but I give you the magic L-word and mental images of a glasses-wearing Oobleck wolf in the same chapter so you don't hate me. Not a bad strategy, huh?

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

For writing tips, prompts, top 10 lists, and fandom rants from yours truly, check out my blog at soloragoldsun dot wordpress dot com.

Peace out!