A/N: Hello, and welcome to the surprise second chapter for By Blood and Teeth. Believe it or not, I somehow got most of this down by 5PM. Don't ask me how. I guess the brain juices were working overtime today.
Anyway, enjoy!
RWBY is own by Viz Media and was created by the late Monty Oum
By Blood and Teeth
Chapter 2
Dodging backwards and slamming her back up against the building behind her, Summer hissed under her breath as she felt the heat at her back, silently cursing whichever fool set the wooden structures of the Human village ablaze.
Probably one of those Blood Talons She thought absently as she parried a sword thrust with the back of her hand, ignoring the slightly burning sensation as the silver blade came in contact with her flesh. That, or one of those fools from the Carrion Eaters. The cowards!
She hissed and roared as another questing sword thrust piercing the meat of her pectorals. She countered by stepping forwards to swipe with her claws. The trio of undead shifted backwards away from that before quickstepping back in to stab at her as she overextended. Only to freeze as the one on their right was pounded flat into the cobblestoned road by her actual attack.
She allowed a feral grin to appear on her wolfish face at the sound of breaking bones. She stood up to her full eight foot height then to glare down at her remaining opponents, shaking loose the smoke from her burning fist. For all their speed and skill, not even a vampyr could survive having their spine crushed and their organs crushed under the full weight of one of the Tribes.
The hot-tempered one of the left then chose that moment to attack her on his own, angered at the loss of his ally or friend. He darted towards and quickly thrust a quick triple strike combo at her towering frame before she could try to react. She felt it as the silvered rapier in his hand cut a line through her thick black and red furred hide with every hit. She recoiled at that, smelling as well as seeing her bright blood fly, snarling at the undead. Embolden the male moved closer over the protests of his companion and jabbed at her twice more. The wounds, mere goading pinpricks, were like being stung by angry bees armed with reed hot stingers.
It was enough to make her wince in pain, screwing her eyes shut, almost. She saw as the vampyr stepped in close, too close.
She thrust forwards with one hand faster than the human eye could see and stabbed him with her claws as they thrust up under the overlapping plating of his armor. He gasped at that, looking down before staring back up at her in shock. She grinned back at him before grasping him by the head in her other hand and began to pull. The vampyr made to thrust his bloodied rapier into her, too late, as she quickly, easily and violently tore him in two from the waist up, the parting meat and flesh make a sickening sucking sound it did so.
The last vampyr looked at the bloody remains of his two comrades and their blood-splattered, bleeding murderer and snapped. With high-pitched shriek and a flash of bared fangs ad white, pupil-less eyes, he flew at her, stabbing and slashing wildly. Summer did her best to cover up and block his furious assault, taking numerous wounds to her forearms and thighs as she backed away, biding her time.
As soon as she noticed the vampyr start to slow down she snapped forwards and grasped at him with one hand. He howled with continual rage as he then proceeded to slash ad stab at whatever par of her body was nearest him, including her face. She felt it as with a sickening snrrrk! his blade tore away her left eye. she shuddered at that before, with a howl of her own, she turned and thrust his flailing form into a nearby wooden stake, impaling him upon it.
The vampyr jerked and squirmed on the stake, really the shattered remains of the nearby wall, before finally stilling, minus the occasional twitching of a hand or foot, blood spilling down his armored frame.
Summer staggered away from the fight, gathering up the supplies she had collected before holding at hand to her wounded eye. If she was lucky, it would grow back, the vaulted healing factor of the Wolven at work, but more likely, the silver induced wound would never fully heal. She'd lose the eye.
But, still, she found herself smiling. She had gotten what she came for. Medical supplies, breads and grains, things the Wolven could not often recreate on their own due to their dwelling n the deep forests, caves and mountains, with these supplies her tribe's elders might survive the coming Winter, her daughter, Ruby, born sickly, might survive the Winter, too.
"Ha! Monster!" She turned at the sound of a Human shouting, eye widening in shock. Too slow, she howled as one, two, three arrows struck her upper shoulder and back as she twisted to face her new foe. She stumbled back under the force of the arrows impact, feeling blood beginning to pool in her snout as one of the barbed tips punctured her lung.
She dropped the bundle of supplies as she turned to face the human, no, humans, as they rushed at her. She briefly allowed the feelings of shock and surprise to roll through her at seeing the men and their grubby, soot-blackened armor and dull, steel blades coming towards her, even as their village continued to burn around them. The sheer courage or tenacity of the men sought her respect, and she gave it freely, not that it would matter all that much in the end.
As the pair of archers shot at her again she swiped her claws at the two men that bravely closed with her, their blades held aloft in the air. She barely felt the impact as the arrows struck her upper shoulders and chest, one right by the previous stab wound in her pectoral muscle, as she killed the pair of melee fighters, their steel and leather banded armor doing nothing to halt her supernatural strength. One man's head, helmet and all, disappeared amidst a shower gore and viscera, only a single blue eye and a trio of teeth being recognizable under the fountain of wet material. The other found his left arm and half his chest torn away on her return swing. He had enough life left in him to stare at that in shock as his legs propelled him forwards another five feet before he fell over dead, face down in in the rain- and blood-soaked stone.
Summer then made to rush forwards towards the archers as they and the three other men guarding them moved to the roof of a collapsed building, the long, rectangle-styled structure making for a great vantage point, only to stumble and fall to her knees as a sudden, intense weakness came over her. She shook her head at that and made to rise just as another pair of arrows struck her, on in the stomach and the other her right thigh. And she felt it as her strength was suddenly sapped away.
She frowned mentally at that before sniffing the arrow on her chest. Then she sniffed violently. Wolfsbane! Her eyes widened at that before glaring at the human before her. These humans had come prepared, it seemed.
She lifted herself back on her feet before lunging forwards at a dead run, dodging under the next two arrows as she did so. The men were not prepared for the sudden speed burst as her form shifted into that of a great wolf mid step. The great dire wolf, standing more than four feet at the shoulders, shot towards the nearest guard, a man brandishing a large mirrored round shield, a Targe, and a short sword. As he swung down at her gaping maw right as she got to him, the wolf leaped over him, her blood-matted fur smearing a fresh set of pain across the face of his shield, his helmet, and then it was right there, in close with the archers.
One tried to shot at the wolf even as she buried her fangs deep in the throat of the other. The arrow went wide as, with a meaty crunch, the head fell away from the body and the wolf turned to glare at the other archer, fangs bared as blood and gristle hung loosely from them. The archer paled at that, too frozen with fear to finish notching his next arrow.
Then the wolf was darting forwards, towards him even as the other two guards tried to interpose themselves between the two. The man screamed in terror as the wolf dodged under the heavy axe swing of one guard while dodging the flung spear of the lone woman of the group before it leaped and, with a quick snap of its jaws, tore his throat out in a shower of arterial flow.
Then, the wolf turned and shifted back into that of its man-wolf, hybrid form, it's lone silver eye glaring red with hate. The trio of guards stared at that and swallowed before, with a glance towards each other, they shifted into a tight formation and held their ground, waiting.
Summer huffed a sigh at that, exhaling a waft of steam in the chilling nighttime air, the only source of light the still burning rubble around them. Distantly, she could just make out the sounds of a child screaming for its mother, and she shuddered at the sound, wishing for another way. Then, with a snarl, she launched herself forth in a low, loping run, arms hanging loose and low by her sides.
The guards readied themselves for the coming assault, the shieldbearer stepping out front with the axe-wielder behind and to his right while the woman took up the fallen archer's bow and made to notch another of those poison-swabbed arrows. With a single upwards swing of her claw, Summer knocked the shield out of alignment before taking it in her mouth to swing the man out of her way to her real target, the woman, knocking the axe-wielder aim off and causing him to imbedded his heavy, two-handed axe into the wooden structure once more.
She tossed the man away as she spat out the shield and rushed towards the woman. The woman had the wherewithal to notch and draw the bow back only to stare as the arrow flew off at an angle to imbedded its poisonous tip in the rooftop, the blood-coated string too wet and sticky for a proper draw she realized. Then she thought no more as Summer first ripped out her throat with one hand and gut her with the other, spilling her intestines all over the place. The female guard let out a gurgle as she collapsed in a writhing heap.
Summer drew back at that, readying her claws as she heard the heavy, determined footsteps coming up behind her, before whirling around just as the axe-wielder came at her again, shaving off a hunk of fur from her haunches, to bring down her claws in a massive, downwards blow. The big man grunted stiffly as his blood fountained under the injury as her claws tore a deep gash from his right shoulder to just above his pelvic girdle. He then fell to his knees, somehow having the fortitude to remain conscious. Where, with a hoarse warcry, he drew forth the dirk on his thigh and thrust it deeply into Summer's side.
She howled shrilly, almost like a human woman would shriek with pain, before she grasped the big man in both hands and threw him off the rooftop, his form vanishing below as flames swept by to block her view. "Winchester, no!" Called out her last opponent in horror. He stood there for a moment, looking down, then he turned his gaze to her and snarled, "Beast! You won't get away with that." Before with atap, tap of sword on shield he charged towards her.
Summer drew the long dagger from her side with a huff of painfilled breath, staggering backwards wearily. She could feel the bloodloss taking affect alongside the wolfsbane, her ability to heal stunted for the time being. Her gaze went to where she had dropped her supplies and stayed there for a moment. She couldn't fail here, her tribe, her pack needed her.
So, as the man charged towards her, she brought her arms forwards again, shoulders hunched, ready to fight once more. She swiped at the man a few times, keeping him away while moving in a circle, maneuvering him into position. He slashed back twice with a snarl, never noticing. Then, as she staggered backwards, dropping her guard in exhaustion, allowing herself to be exposed and vulnerable, the man charged at her again. Only to stop as, with a single heavy stomp of her foot, she lifted a piece of the roof and the man impaled himself upon it, the long splinter of wood going straight through his unarmored throat. He coughed and gurgled as he struggled against the beam in his death throes before finally falling limp, dropping his blade.
Summer sighed at that before silently saying a prayer to the Broken Moon, hoping She of the Blessed Light would take in these brave souls as her own for the Endless War in the Stars above. Then, she slowly limped back to her bundle of supplies and made her way out of the village, letting the more bloodthirsty members of her race battle it out with all the vampyrs and humans who remained.
/ /
Weiss stood on a low rise, a small ridge that overlooked the village, panting, as she stared down at the burning ruins before her, blood tears streaming down her face at the all the loss, the horror, she and the other Kine had unleashed on the Humans below. She wept for them, for the violence that they had brought down on the unsuspecting humans.
Then she stiffened as she overheard the messy, slurping, gorging going on behind her. It was followed by a slight agonized groan as the sound of a body was dropped. Gilda was busy eating a snack she had found. Some poor guardsman whose taste, whose smell she had found delightful.
Weiss shivered at that and what it meant for her, at what she was about to do..
She turned as Gilda walked up to stand beside her, a trail of blood spilling down her chin, her neck, down the leather undertunic she wore. The Kindred brushed a hand through her silver-white hair softly as she stared down at what remained of the town, before leaning in to whisper against her ear, "Magnificent, isn't it, Love. Soon, the whole world will be this way. I can show you such sights as you could not imagine, if you would but be mine, body and soul."
After their fight with the werewolf, Gilda had reprimanded her for her sloppy strike, saying that if she had been quicker on the rebound she could've caught the little boy and taken him as a reward. Weiss had shivered at the unnatural lust her master had shown then, imagining his screams as she fed. Then they had descended on the town as part of the Plan by Lord Chillwater, slaughtering and killing all who got in their way as they sought to end the Beasts' leadership.
They had failed, not realizing that this was merely a large raiding force, and not the main force of the beasts were heading off to strike at the nearest Kindred hold, Blackwater Pile. The redoubt of Lord Chillwater himself. On realizing that, the Ancient general had instructed the bloodkin to stay behind and slaughter all who might reveal their presence there before taking the remaining Kindred with him in a vain attempt to save him Household.
Gilda, and a few others, had opted to stay behind and fight with their Bloodkin servants and allies. Weiss had originally thought it was out of compassion for their lesser kin, only to bare bloody witness to the ensuring slaughter as the Kindred raped and pillaged alongside the Moon-called Beasts they fought against. It was as she watched Gilda and an unknown male Kindred molest and feed of a prepubescent girl as they fornicated that Weiss came to a decision of her own.
A decision that her father, a rising star among their faction in the North and a Kindred himself, would despites her for. Not that he didn't already despites her for her apparent weakness. A decision that went against the Blood Code of the Kine, of the Families.
But, so did the feeding of a child. The rape of the innocent.
Not even the Beasts are so savage she thought. Are we really so better?
"So, what do you say my Love, my Sweet?" Gilda cooed as she rubbed at her face with her nose before delivering a salacious lick to the vein at the crook of her neck as Weiss turned to face her. She didn't bother stifling the groan that welled up in her at that, at the pulse of pleasure her Master instilled in her at her mere touch. Then, as Gilda leaned in to feed, she struck.
With a grunt of surprise her master looked at her as she stepped back away from her, drawing her rapier back out from her chest. Gilda looked down at the perfectly-shaped, inch wide hole in between her perfectly-shaped breasts, where her heart should've been before vomiting forth a mouthful of black blood. More blood began to spill forth out of her wound as she staggered towards Weiss, who moved defensively to block an attack. Only for the Kindred to stroke her hand down her cheek as she gasped out her name before, with a smile, she toppled over the rise to vanish far below.
Weiss stared after her for a moment before turning around to several more Bloodkin and two more Kindred there, staring at her in shock before, wave a wave of their hands and a command from the Female Kindred, they started towards her. Weiss didn't put up a fight, laying down her sword, as they took her into custody.
All she did was stare out at the flames, wishing for a better future.
/ /
Ten years later...
Outside the village of New Sauvignon
"Are you sure about this, Jaune?" Saphron asked as she bounced the giggling form of Adrian Cotta-Arc on her hip while she stared fearfully at her brother as he finished checking over his horse, Juniper, for any flaws. "Mom would kill you if she ever found out about you doing something like this."
"Yeah, well, she's dead, Saph. She can't get mad at me anymore," Jaune returned bitterly over his shoulder right before he knelt down to tighten the belly straps of his saddle.
Saphron flinched at that, and the anger underneath before she shook her head to say, "And, da, would pop you one for the disrespect. I ought to, too." She made to say something more only to stop and flinch as Jaune rose to his feet then as he turned and glared at her.
He started towards her, glaring all the way in silence, before stopping to stand in front of her as she looked down sheepishly. He was only twenty, but he already towered over his oldest, and only remaining, family member. Finally, after a moment more of silence, as his eyes softened and he took her chin in his hand as he said softly, "Look. I can't just sit here and do nothing anymore. Not when there's a chance to actually change things." He look up passed the tears in her blue eyes to stared at the small form of Tera Cotta standing off behind the pair of Arcs and said as he smiled, "Besides, I can't keep being a parasite and holding up a room at your place that would be better off for a guest like xylem Blackwood. The man's been good to ya. True to his word after he put that baby in ya, giving you a pension and everything while you got your feet back under you here."
He shrugged then before asking, "'Sides, what can I do here? The town already has a Smithy and the Guard won't take me in no matter how many times I ask. This is the only way I can be of help. The only way I can make it up to you and Terra both." He frowned before gritting his teeth as he said, "The only way I can pay those monsters back after what they did."
"but, but, you could get a Trade in the next town over, or in the Capitol?" Saphron then said as she clung to the front of his tunic, beseeching him. "Why? Why do you have to do this?!"
there was a pause before he said hoarsely, tears in his eyes, "Because, this is the only way I can make up for that night."
"Jaune," she pleaded. "You did nothing wrong!"
He shook his head before saying, "You say that"- He swallowed -"You say that all the time, Saph. But, it - No matter how much I try, I can't help but think, that if I had just bee a bit faster - I could've saved everyone." He shook his head, his eyes far into the past, as he said, "Mom would still be here. Da. The twins and, and who knows how many others."
He looked down at her as he took i his arms and said before he hugged her tightly, "I have to do this, if only so I can believe otherwise."
After a moment, his sister returned the hug, whispering through he own tears, "Just make certain you come back." Jaune nodded silently before he let her go. He gave the same kind of hug to Terra as she walked over to them which she returned. Then he climbed up on Juniper and took off with a final wave goodbye. They watched him go in silence, tears in their eyes.
/ /
The war that started with the destruction Old Sauvignon supposedly ended in a human victory. Under the united banners of the Kingdoms of Arcadia, Vale, Vacuo and dozens of lesser fiefdoms, and led by the National Hero Stout Ironbark the Resolute from Arcadia, the Human coalition crushed the warring packs of Beasts and Blood in a conflict that lasted more than three years, incurring numerous losses as they did so.
The truth was far different.
Using the lesser nations and fiefdoms' forces as sacrificial pawns, the Authority in Arcadia and their allies in Vacuo and Vale slowly goaded the Werewolves into a straight fight at the Field of Dawn's Eternal Glory, or so the bards called, after a series of petty skirmishes that ended in the slaughter of almost all their allied forces. In reality the field was little more that a wider than normal expanse within the depths of the Emerald Forest. One where, after days and weeks of petty skirmishes, the wolfs were too enraged to do more than charge their mounted enemies as they came across them. Or, so the campaign's strategists hoped.
The Human forces charged en mass into the midst of the werewolf formation scattering them before them. After a bit of fighting the wolves did quite the field, turning and fleeing into the woods beyond. Thinking their enemy routed, a vast swathe of the human army chased after them, only to then bee surprised by a countercharge made by the wolves.
If that wasn't bad enough, the Pale Ones attacked just as the evening was turning into night. Hundreds of Kindred and Bloodkin swept down from the North to strike at the Right Flank of the Human army. If not for their mutual hatred of each other the Beasts and the Blood would've slaughtered the army in one fell swoop.
Instead, under a sudden masterful bit of maneuvering, Ironbark turned the ties. Using the to sides animosity towards each other he baited them into fighting while also rallying his own forces. Then, as the battle began in earnest between the two titans he unleashed the Human's newest deadly weapon gunpowder. Reserves armed with rifles and grenades began to unleash volley after volley into the ranks of the Vampires and Werewolves, killing dozens before the two could close the gap.
After that, Ironbark sent in the vast majority of his army to stall the creatures before he implemented his ultimate plan: burning the forest down.
With the loss of over ninety percent of his forces and the remnants of his enemies scattering before the light of the new dawn, Ironbark proclaimed his victory. The first true, major victory for Humanity against the forces that stood against them in recorded history. It would lead dozens more, minor though they might've been.
It also gave rise to a new group of mercenaries called the Ironbark Redoubts. Men and women who would bravely go out and hunt down the monsters that lurked in the shadows while also scouting out for incursions from either the Beasts or the Blood.
Much like with their namesake, the mercenaries instead sought out easy prey like lone wolves and slumbering vampires. And, using underhanded methods like baiting traps with the dregs of society, and overwhelming numbers they tortured and killed the young, the old and the few, when they weren't forcing their way into the food stores of distant towns and villages, where they also often incited witch hunts and pogroms in their paranoia.
/ /
A few weeks later...
Jaune frowned as he was once again jostled by a drunken, dancing lout as he made is way through the crowd behind the man before him. As a hole briefly opened up around him he looked back behind him at the giant bonfire burning there, and the body hoisted upon it. His frown deepened as he looked at it before turning back to move through the mob once more.
The village of Skitterwood was currently celebrating the successful capture and killing of a local werewolf that had been stalking and killing lone women in the dead of night for the past few weeks. Supposedly. Just recently as yesterday another victim was found. A fresh corpse. A young woman, who reminded him too much of Saph, that had been brutally raped and murdered.
He had asked around and no one knew who she was, who her family was. He didn't like that.
At that, he renewed his efforts to force his way back through the drunken dancers as they surrounded him again. Eventually, he made his way over to the group Redoubts he had joined up with and called out, "Cardin!" as soon as he saw the group's leader. "Hey, Cardin!"
The big redheaded man turned and looked his way in question as he was taking a shot from the stein of beer in his hand. "Eh, eh, EH! Arc! - That was his name. -Arc! What can I do for ya?"
"Cardin," Jaune said as he ran up to him, pointing back the way he had come from. "I just heard back from the Watch Master. The wounds on victims three and four match up with the one from yesterday. The killer's still lose out there. What do you want to do? Should we go on patrol again? Now would be a good time while everyone is celebrating!"
The big man scoffed at that before spitting at Jaune's feet and said, "What do you mean, 'What do I want to do?' The beast has been found and is burning as we speak. We're done here!"
"But, but... it-it wasn't what killed all those women though!" Jaune returned in horrified outrage.
"Lis'en 'ere, Jaune-y boy," Said one drunken Sky Lark as he wrapped an armed around Jaune's neck tightly. "If'n it ain't ah beast or a blud. We ain't doing' nothin' fer it."
"But-"
"But, nothin'! These scrubs ca' go fuck themselves fer all I care. If'n they don' wan' ta do tha' with me, ha!" Sky reiterated before descending into a drunken rant as he turned and left. Jaune blinked after him, irritated before long back at Cardin imploringly.
But the big man only shook his head, saying, "He's right Jaune. That's how we operate. If it's not a Werewolf or a Pale One, we don't touch it. Speaking of which - Move out! I want to see asses in gear and our gear tied down! We're done here! Move out!"
Jaune stood there, frowning at it all, before, with an irritated sigh, he started to help take down one the band of two dozens many tents. Elsewhere, as the celebrations continued, a lone woman could be heard screaming for her life.
/ /
A few days later...
Ruby whined as she looked over her mother's form. From her labored breathing to the glazed over look in her eyes to her feverish form, she knew that her mother was very, very sick. And, damnit all but there was nothing she could do about it either!
If their pack had just taken her with them then, then...
Her whine turned into a harsh snarl as she thought about their packmates. And that's where she got her bright idea.
Years ago her mother had valiantly gone with other, more volatile packs and tribes on a great raid in an attempt to gather supplies from a Human village. During the raid, which turned into an all out fight between the raiders, the humans, and a scouting force of Vampyrs, her mother had been gravely injured by the both foes. Had it only been the silvered blades of their old slave masters she might've recovered. But not both of silver blades and wolfsbane poison.
She saved the pack from the plague that was going through it, saving both their elders and Ruby herself, but she herself had been unable to recover from the ordeal. The loss of an eye was back enough, but the toxin, strengthened by the silver, indelibly crippled her. She was... frail, easily winded, and quick to sicken when a wolf shouldn't. Human weak their packmates called her.
And human weak could not run with the pack.
They wouldn't allow it. And, Ruby wouldn't leave her mother. She knew where her loyalties lay. So, when the pack left that winter, she stayed behind to take care of her mother as she laid there in their cave, getting over a bad fall.
She had since worsened.
With a quick burrowing of her nose and face in her mother's fur as a hug Ruby then turned and transformed into that of her fragile human form. She ignored the cold, mostly thanks to the fact that as a werewolf she was rather resistant to it, as she ran around their small cave nude as she gathered up clothing and the beautiful red hood and cloak her mother had made for her earlier that year. With a final look back at her mom she then left their small cave and began making her way to the distant human village that they had lived next to for the past few years, donning clothes along the way.
Making her way through the main gates after showing the guard on hand her fake ID she made her way to the local market. All she needed was a few supplies while she her mom held up for the winter. Once she was better they make the slow trip down South where the rest of their tribe resided. It was as she was going through the aisles that she noticed the man in the black armor.
As soon as she did she shivered, sensing the malice coming off of him in waves. She jerked her gaze down quickly, hiding her kind's distinctive eyes under her hood, as the man looked her way. She knew what he was, all the tribes in the area did. A hunter. The kind that did unseemly things to her kind when the caught them, if they caught them.
She couldn't let it happen to her.
She made her way quickly, but quietly through the throng as she gathered the things she needed. Just act like a native Ruby she thought. That's all you have to do.
Did it seem like the lines were going by more quickly than usual? She wasn't sure. And what was with all the weird looks people were giving her? She had been here many a time before, so they shouldn't be suspicious. Right? It was just her own nervousness and fear of the hunter making her think these things, right? It wasn't like there were more of gathering or something, right?
She looked around as she waited in line for her final purchase. Just some sage to add to her mother's soup to soother lungs and clear her thoughts. As she went to pay a large shadow loomed over her. She looked up to find the hunter there, smiling down at her. "H-hi," She Eeped in surprise as she saw the full size of him. He seemed to tower as much as a wolf in their hybrid form right then and there.
His smile turned into an almost feral grin as he said, "Hello, little wolf. Bad day to come to market, huh?"
"Huh," she returned, confused, right as he slugged her in the face. She sung around before collapsing onto the ground, unconscious.
/ /
Later that night she came awake to a dull headache and a sense of nausea about her stomach. She whined in discomfort at that and tried to shift over so she could get up to drink some water, only to find that she could. She blinked her eyes and found that she still couldn't see. Her whine turned into a muffled yelp of alarm as she realized that she couldn't mover her arms and legs. They were tied tightly to behind her back in a previously numbed position that only now began to burn as she struggled to move about.
Suddenly, she was blinded by bright white light as someone removed the stinking hood from her head and shone a torch in her face. She withdrew instinctively as she tried to curl away from the intensity of the light. It was then that she noticed that she had been gagged as well. A nasty-tasting rag stuffed in her mouth and an equal foul smelling cloth wrapped around her head preventing her from spitting it out. the burning sensation from the rag told her what it had been doused with, and why she was feeling so weak. Wolfsbane.
Which meant...
"See, Arc. What did I say? You wrap 'em up and tie 'em down, and they go as docile as a lamb." A loud, grating voice boomed loudly then, making her head hurt worse. She winced at that before blinking as she recognized who it belonged to. She looked up as her eye finally adjusted to find the towering black-clad brute looming over her, torch in hand. Another man stood back behind him, a blond with a look of concern on his face.
She scooted back away from them, somehow about to wiggle her way up into a sitting position, painful though it was, as the man squatted before her, that damned smile on his face. He reached out towards her as he crooned at her, "Oh, she's a right pretty one isn't she? Here, Love. It'll be alright. We're just going to get some money from catching you, is s'all. It's up to those townsfolk on what to do with ya.
"Now, we can make this easier or hard on you. What do you say, Love?" He asked as he reached for her. She glared at him before snapped her jaws at him. He jumped back with a startled laugh before saying to his friend as he looked over his shoulder at him, "HA! She still seems to have some fight left in her, huh?" He laughed some more at that before he leaned in closed and whispered to her, "Course, we'll see how long it takes for that spirit to break, eh? Little Wolf." And he gave her a most evil look then. The type of leer that made her want to retch with fear and loathing.
Then the man stood, still laughing, and said, "Come on, Arc. We got better things to do than keep her company. At least, for now." Then the two of them left, but not before the blond gave her a considering look, his thoughts unreadable.
/ /
Jaune was frowning by the time he and Cardin left the tent and, as they began making their way to the rest of the group of mercenaries, he finally said, "So, what's the plan with the girl, Cardin?"
"Pssh, girl!" Cardin erupted in laughter at that. Jaune stood there, waiting for him to get over it. It took a moment before Cardin stopped, gasping for breath. Finally, he said, "That thing is no girl, Arc. And, by the time I'm through with her, she'll give us everything she knows about her pack."
Jaune frowned at that before asking as Cardin started away again, "You're... going to torture her? That's not right Cardin."
"Right? RIGHT?!" Cardin returned loudly, turning back to stalk over and spat in Jaune's face with, "THOSE THINGS KILLED MY FATHER AT SAUVIGNON TEN YEARS AGO! SAME AS YOURS!" He huffed for breath after that for a bit before snarling, "So, after I'm done having my way with that girl, I'll give her over to the boys until she's well and truly broken. Then, and only then, do you have my permission to kill her, Jaune."
Jaune was already not pleased with what Cardin was saying, but he jolted back at that, doing a double take. "What?" he gasped in confusion.
"That girl of yours is going to be your first kill as part of joining the Redoubts. Congratulations, Arc," Cardin explained with a bitter sneer. Then he clapped his shoulder before turning to walk away as Jaune stood there, frozen with shock and horror.
And, he remained standing there for some time as the men around him got good and drunk over another successful hunt. Then, with a determined look on his face he turned and went to his tent.
/ /
Ruby came awake suddenly as she sensed the presence of someone in the tent with her. Though, she was more surprised that she had fallen back to sleep in the first place. She tried to remain still and silent, hoping to trick them into getting close so that she might escape, but they weren't having it.
Instead, a soft male voice said, "You can stop playin' possum now. I know you're awake, and I'm not here to hurt you. Not yet, anyway."
She frowned at that, confused by that statement, before finally blinking her eyes open to find the blond from earlier crouching next to her, a strange look on his face as he twirled a wicked looking dagger in his hand. She started at that, making a muffled whining sound as she tried to jerk away from him, but he did nothing to stop her. Instead, he said while staring off into the middle distance, "You know, your kind killed my whole family some ten years ago. Well, save for my sister, that is."
She stilled at that, silver eyes widening.
The man then went on to say, still not looking at her, "Course, while I hate your kind, and those of the Bloods, for what they did. What they're doin' here? What Cardin wants to do to you? That ain't right. I know that that ain't right. Da raised me so." He frowned at that and nodded his head before finally saying, "I thought when I first joined up that the Redoubts were a force for good. That I would be doing something good, finding some way to honor my family's loss. But I was wrong. They're just like everyone else, out for themselves. Worse even. They didn't even care that at the last village we were at still had a killer on the loose. Caring only about the wolf they had killed and the gold they got for it."
He frowned at that, saying, "Now, some other girl was probably killed because we wouldn't do anything about it."
Then he was silent for a while, lost in thought. Ruby lay there next to him, thinking. Somehow she knew, knew that he wasn't going to hurt her then. Just as she began to fall back asleep he started with a deep inhale before slamming the blade of his dagger down in front of her. She blinked at the suddenly violent act from the human male, almost missing it as he stood to leave. She watched him go cautiously, not looking at the dagger before her, unsure as to what he was doing. He stopped at the entrance of the tent to say over his shoulder, "I'm tired. Tired of it all. I've given up. There's no point in trying anymore, not if this is the outcome."
He then turned and said over his shoulder, "You might want to take something that'll make you sweat later on, by the by. I've been told that on occasion wolfsbane can stay in a werewolf's system for some time, years even, weakening them. Perhaps enough so that it kills them." Ruby's eyes widened at that. He then nodded at her before leaving, saying nothing more.
/ /
Jaune left the camp soon after, taking only the clothes he wore and the small knapsack he had carried with him everywhere. That, and Juniper. He never looked back, not even when he heard the sounds of screams and yells alongside that of a lone wolf's howl.
A/N: And that's the chapter. Hoped you enjoyed it. Had to add what was basically the actual last bit of chapter first. Hope you enjoyed it! And, Good night!
Essiter out!