AWOO, everybody! It's Werewolf Friday, and hopefully all of my readers are alive and did not get trampled during the Black Friday sales.

Enjoy!

It was early morning when Blake led Qrow, Ruby, and Yang on a wide, winding path that eventually got them to the house of Ozpin. Most of the Huntsmen were either returning from their night's hunt, at home cooking up a meager breakfast, or sleeping while clutching their rumbling stomachs.

Qrow tapped lightly on the door, glancing around nervously. When a sleepy Ozpin answered, he forced a grin. "Hey, Oz. I'm home!"

Ozpin, immediately awake, gaped at Qrow, then at the girls, then shook his head hurriedly as he opened the door wider. "Come in and hurry!" he snapped. As he closed and bolted the door, he picked up his cane, gripping it tightly. He turned around, looking at Qrow with narrowed eyes. When Blake and Ruby removed their hoods, he took a step back, tightening his grip. He took one, two, then three deep breaths.

"Explain," he finally said. "Quickly."

"Uh, well Ruby and Blake are alive, and they're werewolves," Qrow started, finding himself stammering now that he was actually talking to Ozpin. "And there are other werewolves who don't wanna fight, and we're here to try and make peace and open the path to Burgundy again so we don't all die this winter."

There was a long moment of silence, during which Ozpin slowly walked over. He touched Blake's cheek with a shaking hand, then tilted Ruby's chin upward to get a look at her eyes. He nodded slowly, and walked over to the window, peering out of it. His eyes closed, then opened. "Alright, then. What shall we do next?"

Qrow and the girls stared. "Uh, what?" Qrow blinked dumbly.

"I honestly thought that would be harder," Blake muttered.

Ozpin chuckled dryly. "Oh, it will most assuredly be harder to convince the others. Except Glynda, perhaps. However, when certain situations become intolerable, what once seemed insane suddenly may be our only salvation." He turned to Ruby and Blake. "Show me your bites."

Obligingly, the two girls exposed their shoulders, which Ozpin peered at clinically. He nodded, then turned away again.

"I have spent my entire life protecting Vale," he murmured, half to himself. "Now, the people starve to death because of fear. The path to Burgundy is blocked, even though they are our only hope for resources. We fight werewolves every night while dropping dead on our own streets after going days without eating. If you have a way to save us, I'll gladly hear it."

"Well, uh, great!" Qrow rubbed his hands together, the grin returning to his face. "Let's figure out how to talk to the people."

"First though," Yang cut in, putting a large bag on Ozpin's table. "Some dried meat and potatoes from Burgundy. We figured you'd be hungry."

Even someone as polite as Ozpin couldn't mask the raw glimmer of hunger that entered his eyes at that moment. He immediately insisted on putting a pot of stew on the stove before listening to anything else.

They told him a brief version of what had happened since Weiss's transformation and the departure from Vale. (Ruby was honestly beginning to wonder how many more times they'd have to repeat it before this was all over.) Ozpin listened without interrupting, nodding occasionally. His brows went up when they talked about the vampires, but he kept his expression neutral otherwise.

Once they were done, he asked: "When can I meet this Pyrrha?"

"She should be talking with Cinder as we speak," Blake said, her brows creasing with worry. "She insisted on going alone, but I know the betas are patrolling on the outskirts of the forest, just in case."

"They'll need to be careful," Ozpin said. "Hawk has been patrolling the borders night and day. Hardly sleeps. He wants to catch the werewolves when they sneak the rotten prey here, though that really hasn't been happening lately…"

"And Cardin?" Ruby asked, remembering with a grimace how bloodthirsty he had been before the departure. He was probably much worse now.

"Lost his entire team in a reckless hunt," Ozpin sighed. "And his father is making sure he remembers it. That boy is so unhinged, I'd confiscate his weapon if I could. But we have so few healthy fighters as it is."

"What about the Grimm?" Ruby wondered. "I'd think they'd be all over the place by now."

"They're in the forest," Blake said. "I can sense them further in. I think they're picking off the werewolves right now, then will come to Vale once they're done with Cinder's pack."

"Another reason to end this as soon as possible," Qrow concluded. "Now, if you could just start by cancelling that big werewolf hunt, that'd be great."

"Of course," Ozpin said. "Next, we should probably find Glynda and-"

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Ozpin waved his guests over to a nearby closet, closing it securely before unlocking his front door. "Taiyang?"

Qrow, Blake, Ruby, and Yang immediately emerged from the closet. "Tai, what're you doing here?" Qrow asked. "I said we could handle this."

Taiyang's eyes were wide and his face was pale. "Not as well as you think," he insisted. "We have a major problem!"

…

Pyrrha shared a long embrace with Jaune that morning after Qrow's group left, peppering several soft kisses across his neck and cheeks. "I'll be fine," she assured him. "This will work. Adam used the alpha stare for years before he became as insane as he was. Cinder surely has more sense."

"Uh, Adam honestly was crazy for as long as I can remember," Neon called over.

"Hush, Neon!" Pyrrha said, her eyes flashing warningly. "I'm trying to make Jaune feel better!"

Jaune hugged her tightly. "I wish I could go with you. Or that you'd let someone go with you."

"I told you. She needs to feel unthreatened. If she decides to attack, one or two extra werewolves wouldn't make much difference," Pyrrha sighed, knowing she wasn't exactly being comforting in that moment.

"Just take care, and run if you think things are going to get dangerous," Jaune urged. "Don't get into a fight you can't win."

"I won't," Pyrrha promised. "I love you."

"I love you too." Jaune kissed her forehead. "Be safe."

All of the betas followed her in the wide circle toward the forest. "You need someone to keep you safe until you get there," Sun insisted. "And we can scope out things on the edge, so you'll have a safe path back."

Pyrrha relented relatively easily. It was honestly a relief knowing they'd be on watch. She walked the last stretch alone, pausing only briefly at the edge of the trees by the wastelands. For a moment, she was overwhelmed with nostalgia as she thought back to the secret meetings between her, Ruby, and the others as they planned out Blake's rescue. She also remembered her last encounter with Cinder, and found herself rubbing the scar on her chest in a nervous gesture.

Don't hesitate, she told herself. Just go. Steeling herself, she stepped into the trees.

As she walked, she couldn't help but feel a pang of combined happiness and grief. She was home, in the forest she had grown up in. It was here where she had been a pup, here where she had met Jaune in that trap, here where she had hunted her first deer and killed her first Grimm. Knowing how different it was, how changed, how wrong it had become, she shivered. Even without beta powers, it was easy to notice the lack of prey. There were no distant hoofsteps, no scuttling of rabbits. The only sounds she could hear were those of the smallest creatures, those not even worth killing.

She was heading toward the denning area, when she felt someone coming at her from the right, and tensed up. "I'm here in peace," she called.

It was Mercury who stepped out of the trees. "You're crazy," he said flatly and without preamble. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll leave now."

Pyrrha shook her head. "You know I can't do that, Mercury. Take me to Cinder, please."

Mercury sighed. "Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you, though." He waved for her to follow and walked toward the new denning area.

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow when she realized where they were going. "Cinder moved? Isn't the old denning area safer?"

"She wanted to be closer to the town," Mercury explained. "Easier to do raids."

Pyrrha frowned. "That-"

"Look, I know!" Mercury snapped, unable to keep the raw despair from his voice. "I know we're messed up, but… I can't… I just…" He shook his head. "Don't make her mad," he finally muttered.

"Trust me, that's the last thing I want," Pyrrha promised. She felt a shiver go through her as they drew closer to the denning area. She could smell the pervading fear, even in her human form. In fact, the first thing she saw as they entered the clearing was a Boarbatusk being dispatched by a group of betas wielding pointed sticks. How many of those have come here since I left?

Pyrrha nearly growled aloud at the state of the pack before her. The people were starved, had dark circles under their eyes, and looked terrified that anything could jump at them at any second. The denning area was messy, and a huge pile of stinking, rotted bones sat in the center.

"Leader Cinder," Mercury called, approaching the biggest cave, the one that used to belong to Adam. "Someone wishes to see you."

"Who is it?" called a thick, tired, very angry voice.

This was it. Pyrrha drew herself up and took a deep breath. "Leader Pyrrha," she replied. "I have come to negotiate a deal between your pack and mine."

A low growl answered her. "You have the nerve to return here?" Cinder emerged slowly from her den. She bared her teeth at the sight of her old rival, at the cool, calm look in her green eyes, at her obvious health, at the new clothes she wore that were clearly fresh from a human's sewing hands. "Where are the Huntsmen that bought you? Did they give you that pretty shirt?"

"I didn't come to argue with you," Pyrrha replied in a loud, ringing voice that immediately caught the attention of every werewolf in the area. "I came to offer you a chance to survive the winter." She took the bag from her shoulder and emptied its contents on the ground in front of her. It was filled with dried meat. Behind her, several wolves whimpered longingly.

Cinder looked at the offering with a sniff, though she had to swallow her saliva before speaking. "You insult me with this measly offering?"

"There's more," Pyrrha said. "And other food that we can access. Your pack is starving, Cinder. Let me help, and both your pack and mine can live peacefully."

"Peacefully, how?" Cinder growled. "I haven't forgotten the day you left, the day you robbed me of a promising alpha, the day you went off with your pet human! Or are you his pet, I wonder?"

"Neither," Pyrrha replied, a slight snarl entering her voice. "He is to be my mate."

At this, there was some muttering, which was quickly overshadowed by a roar of rage from Cinder. "Mates? Mates?! Is that what you call it?! You've made yourself a human's whore! You've become their dog in exchange for pretty clothes and easy food, have you? Well, I won't have any of those poisonous thoughts here! Only true werewolves are allowed here, not Huntsman pets!"

"I'm no one's pet," Pyrrha growled. "And the humans don't have to be our enemies. They can live alongside us as equals, and we can all help each other survive. These are my terms: Make peace with the humans of Vale. Work together to get through the winter. My pack will help. Then, we'll seek our own territory away from this forest. We'll remain in the forest on the other side of the town, and there will be two allied wolf packs and several human settlements united against the Grimm!"

"Several?"

"The towns of Obsidian and Burgundy have declared themselves friends to werewolves," Pyrrha explained. "And several others allowed us passage back to Vale, even though they knew what we were. Don't you see? We don't have to fight anymore. We can focus on destroying the Grimm, on improving the quality of life for werewolves, humans, and Faunus. There's so much to learn from-"

"Silence!" Cinder snapped, taking a step forward, her eyes blazing. "It was bad enough when you humiliated me in front of my pack and fled with several of my wolves, as well as those Huntsmen. It was worse still when you sent one of your scouts back to steal more werewolves while I was still trying to get these ingrates from Adam's pack in line." There was some shifting from the omegas, which was quickly quelled with a glare. "But now, you have the nerve to march into my territory, declare yourself a leader of the wolves you stole from me, and then suggest that we make ourselves subservient to the humans who have been killing us for generations!"

"I'm not suggesting-"

"Enough!" Cinder cut in. "I should kill you on the spot, but I will offer you one chance: My pack will attack the human town tonight, before they have the chance to wipe us out. Help us. Wipe this town off the face of the earth, and I will forgive you. We can be allies, just as you wish, and we may even be able to overtake other towns. We'll never want for anything again!"

Tonight?! Pyrrha took a step back from the manic gleam that entered Cinder's eyes at that moment, even as her mind reeled with this new information.

She's lost, she realized. There's nothing else for it. She glanced around, noticing a gap in the gathered wolves. "I can't," she replied aloud, trying to discreetly edge away. "I'm sorry."

Cinder's grin widened. Of course Pyrrha wouldn't take that deal, but the pack had seen her make the offer, had seen that she's not wholly unreasonable. Now, she could kill without hesitation. "I'm not," she whispered. "Everyone, kill this traitor! Whoever brings me her head gets an extra share of meat tonight."

Pyrrha was already running. The pack stood still for a moment, stunned. Then, as one, they surged toward her in a desperate, hungry mob. It didn't matter then if any of them had been listening to Pyrrha's words, or if they were even considering them. They were starving, and had just been offered a chance to fill their bellies just a little more. In that moment, they were truly a pack of ravenous beasts.

Except for two. Mercury faked a stumble, falling in front of several wolves, who had just enough sense to avoid running him over. Emerald, who had been in the crowd near Cinder, ran as quickly as she could, overtaking the starved omegas around her, silently thanking Taiyang for the gift of meat he had brought the previous night. She cut around the stampeding wolves and roared at them, causing several of the more timid betas and omegas to cringe away, which slowed the pack as a whole.

She tore into the trees after Pyrrha, who recognized her and slowed just enough for her to catch up. "You're crazy!" Emerald panted. "Please just leave and take Taiyang with you!"

"I can't," Pyrrha replied. "I won't give up until there's peace." They were nearing the edge of the forest. "Come with me," she urged. "Cinder will kill you for letting me go!"

Emerald shook her head, her red eyes welling with tears. "I can't leave her."

Of course not, Pyrrha thought sadly. You always loved her… "You deserve better," she said gently, eying the scratches and bite marks that decorated Emerald's skin, and had definitely not come from any Grimm.

Emerald let out a sob, clenching her fists. "Just go!" She turned, running back into the trees.

Pyrrha was just starting to walk toward the wastelands when a shout rang through the trees. "Leader Pyrrha! Run! Huntsman!" Sun's voice shouted.

Immediately, Pyrrha broke into a run. Seconds later, she heard large feet crashing through the bracken after her. She zigzagged through the trees, hoping to throw the human off.

"Come back here, you monster!" an angry male voice called.

There was a break in the trees. Pyrrha tried to sprint through it when a whistling sound pierced her eardrums. A second later, something drove into her leg, causing her to fall headfirst into the bushes. Sharp, blinding pain pulsed through her body, and she saw an arrow deeply imbedded in her skin. The tip scraped bone when she moved, causing her to cry out.

"Pyrrha!" Sun was standing over her, baring his teeth.

"Sun, go!" she begged. "Please!"

The Huntsman's footsteps drew closer, then were joined by more. "Hawk!" a new voice said. "There's Grimm attacking the border near the Arc house. They need you!"

"In a minute. Got me some werewolves in there."

"I can finish them," the other voice replied. "They need your strength. I'm old, but I can finish off some untransformed werewolves. Please hurry!"

Hawk let out a sigh. "Maidens, I gotta do everything in this town." There was the sound of retreating footsteps.

The new steps came closer, and Sun growled, preparing to attack.

"Be calm," the voice called. "I won't harm you." A moment later, a tall human with gray hair and green clothes stepped through the trees. He eyed the two werewolves with a curious look. "Well, then," he said, his tone slightly bemused as he gazed at them, as if he was still figuring out several things in his head, even as he spoke. "Let's see about getting you patched up before deciding our next course of action. From what I understand, time is not on our side."

I figured that Ozpin would be relatively easy to persuade, given the circumstances. And, of course, Cinder was not.

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

Peace out!