The changing of the four Seasons, it's something that can not be ignored, let alone denied. It's as essential as the beating of one's heart. Often the turning of the seasons is something slow, gradual and steady; but there are times when the change is quick and erratic.
How were the seasons changing this year?
Truth be told they were quite calm.
Gradually shifting from spring to to summer, and from fall to winter.
And as it stands the last signs of fall have vanished, those leaves who once rested upon the trees had fallen, and were smothered in a growing layer of white snow.
Creatures of every size; be they as small as a mousse or as grand as a home, have already finished their winter preparations. Many have vanished into their dens - sleeping till the Spring Returns. Others have migrated to warmer lands.
Truth be told, she would be doing the latter soon.
Carried on the back of her equus steed and accompanied by her two Canyne companions, a woman, a Huntress couldn't help but take a breath as she stares at the quiet and cloudy skies.
She can see her breath; something that seemed to be growing thicker with every passing day.
It's going to be a cold winter.
"Here's hoping we can get home before it gets too cold." Muttering to herself, the huntress adjusts her mantle as her steed carried her forward.
It's warm, she'd expect no less from something made from a Lagombi's hide.
Her three companions were not left out in the cold either; after all her steed was bred for surviving the cold seasons, as for her Canyne, they had already grown out their winter coats.
They'd be fine in this weather.
Ah~ but if the weather got worse- if they were caught in the coming snowfall, even they'd have trouble surviving.
Whole reason they needed to get home as soon as possible.
"It's still a ways off…" She admitted to herself before her attention drifts to her canyne as she rubs her steeds neck in a gesture of affection. "But don't worry, there should be a village nearby where we can get some much needed rest."
She wasn't wrong.
It would take a while - maybe half an hour at most - but they would reach shelter before the clouds spilled snow and the roads became too dangerous for travel.
Reaching the village, the Huntress found it to be a simple one, it was fine regardless.
It's spread out somewhat, with wooden buildings resting here and there. At the same time there is a great wooden wall that surrounds the village, one meant as a simple defense against whatever rested beyond in the untamed wilds. At the far end of the village's wall she saw men gathering, farming equipment in their hands as she heard something bang and claw at the gate from the otherside.
"Fuck…" The huntress muttered to herself. "Just what we need." She climbed off the equus carrying her as she unfastened her glaive. "Stay her, everyone." She told the trio and stepped away, letting her two beasts stay in the background as she presented herself. "And here I was hoping to just get some rest." The villagers took notice of her, recognizing the weapon she carried as they gave her some space. With her free hand the Huntress pulled her hood down, revealing her mess of pulled back and wild red locks. "Well, I guess it can't be helped." She adjusted her glaive, bringing it back as she got ready for whatever was on the other side of the fence to appear.
She didn't have to wait long.
Climbing over the barricade, she caught sight of white, ape-like creatures making their appearance.
'Blango huh…' The Huntress rushed forward and the pack chose to meet her charge upon realizing that she was the most aggressive threat at the moment. 'Least they aren't Lunagaron.'
One Blango jumped raising its hands over its head and intended to slam them down on the huntress only find it's throat impaled on thew Insect Glaive 's blade as the woman continued her charge. She turned, swinging her weapon around as she dislodged the dead from her blade and threw them aside. As she turned her blade she dragged it along the ground, piling up snow that was brought back up as a wave of white that momentarily blinded another Blango's vision. She followed by thrusting forward, her glaive cutting through the haze and struck the Fanged Beast, once then twice and again and again, only stopping when the beast dropped to the floor and fell silent. She glanced around, her eyes looking at the rest of the pack as they charged her. She responded by jumping, planting her glaive into the snow and launched herself into the air and vaulted over the pack.
As the Pelagus were busy bumping heads, the Huntress landed, rolling across the snow before getting to her feet and lunged forward. One Pelagus managed to dodge her thrust, getting out the way of the glaive's path as its blade pierced one of its packmates and drove them back. They watched as their counterpart was taken down, blade cutting into their flesh repeated before the hunter turned their attention towards them. That Blango started throwing clumps of ice and snow at the woman, screeching as it did only for the insect glaive to be thrown with enough force that the weapon impaled its chest. For a moment it seemed to go into shock, suffering as it realized the weapon was digging a hole into its body.
It didn't suffer long, the hunter pulling their weapon of choice out of the beast as it fell and stained the snow red.
The next batch to pull themselves over the wall made themselves known and one immediately found a snowball slamming into their face as they fell to the floor.
Adjusting her glaive, the hunter took a moment to lower it into the snow. When the first Blango reached her, she raised her weapon, throwing up another wall of snow to distract it before turning, slamming the sole of her ironclad boot into its face so hard that it launched the beast backwards. Another turn followed, as did a wide swing that managed to cut into two pack mates but missed the third; one that had managed to grab her weapon before raising a fist only to bring it down on her.
Instead of hitting flesh, it hit air and the beast found a palm smashing into its jaw from below, slamming it closed so hard that a couple of its teeth broke. The Hunter took a quick breath, as she retrieved her weapon and swung low, letting the weapon knock the Pelagus off its feet before turning to the others. She went for one's throat, pulled back and swung at the other. Even though she missed she used the space it had given her to finish off the one who's teeth she had broken. Then with a quick turn and a strong throw she impaled her weapon into the last beast's head.
By the time she was done, the third batch was already climbing the walls, and charged at her. Rather one charged the others started throwing clumps of ice and snow. Instead of retrieving her weapon the hunter chose to focus on dodging the beast that was charging her, moving out of the way and deflecting it elsewhere. It jumped and slammed its fists down, but she latched onto it, rolled and kicked it overhead and towards a building wall. The impact seemed to have left it dazed.
With a sort of low spin she turned to face the others, both having chosen to abandon their snow throwing tactic as they started circling her. She went after the one on her left, charging it, and in turn it started hammering its chest before taking a swing at her. She responded by dodging, moving to the side as she drew her carving knife, and in one swift action cut out part of the beast's throat and left it to stain the snow. The one that had been circling from the right came from behind her, trying to come down and smash her into the ground but missed as she rolled to the side. The Hunter retrieved her Hunting Arm and held it ready going low as she prepared to charge.
Seeing that she was armed again, the Pelagus backed up, seemingly weighing its options, before choosing to scream at her and prepared to charge.
That however, was before the gate came down, crushed under the might of what the Blango saw as their alpha; a Blangonga.
For a moment it screamed, ignoring the Hunter as it slammed its fists into the debris and snow. The Alpha turned their attention to the villager that had been unlucky enough to be in its line of sight at the time and charged them. The scream was drowned out by the massive fist that came crashing down on them, leaving behind nothing but a snow laden crater filled with broken bones and bruised flesh. With blood on its fist the Alpha turned, seeing that most of its pack was dead, saved for one that was engaging the Hunter and another coming out its daze near a building.
Without much warning it screamed at the Hunter, but as it did it scooped up this massive clump of snow and ice, holding the mass over its head before throwing it at the woman. She dodged, ducking under it as it smashed into a village tree and broke it.
Breathing her features retired to normal as she raised a hand to her shoulder and rubbed it. "Yep that hurts…" She noted, turning to look at the villagers, a bit of fright and disbelief on their faces as they stared at her.
"Who…" One began. "Who are you?"
"My name is Ashe." She introduced herself. "I traveled here seeking shelter for the night." She told them. She gestured to the pair of palamutes that was staring the villagers down. "Would you know someone willing to accommodate us?"
Shelter came in the form of a barn; Hay littered everywhere and it stank of both animals and their manure. Truly it wasn't a five star inn, but it would do.
Ashe looked around, guiding her palamutes into the barn and listened to the sounds of livestock calling out.
"I'm sorry it's not much." Her escort told her as she looked back at them. "But I'm afraid this is all we have available for now." Her escort admitted, staring at the woman who patted her steeds mane.
"This is fine, thank you." Ashe told them as she settled down on a plot of hay as her horse started to feed. While her two palamute started to settle in. "This is just fine."
"Shall I… Shall I bring you some food?"
"That would be wonderful." They nodded as they left, closing the barn door for her and the rest of her company. In the meantime, she looked around; staring at the Aptonoth and kelbi and mosswine and even what horses that this villager owned. Ashe however found her attention drifting from the sights as she noticed one of her palamute resting their head on her lap to get her attention.
Of the two creatures that traveled with her she knew this palamute, Aun, the longest. The female palamute had been with her since she was just a little girl in her own little village further up north and had accompanied her throughout her journey as a Hunter.
"Look at you now." Ashe ran a hand across her partner's fur. "You have a man and you're expecting soon." She admitted rubbing her friend's belly. "If only we could say the same about me." She mused. "I'm married to my work." She admitted before relaxing against her partner's fur. "What do you say, should I retire when we get back?" Aun made a noise. "I mean I am getting on in years." She mused, looking to Oum; Aun's mate. "We all are." Oum gave her a look as though he disagreed. "We age well though." She added before closing her eyes to take a short rest. "Two more stops before we go home." She told herself. "Let's hope that it's a quiet trip.