A/N: I'm not going to lie, I'm not sure how I got this out so quickly with how Chaotic things have been recently, but here it is. Apologies for how wordy it is in places, I just wanted to add some worldbuilding for the story is all.

Enjoy!

RWBY is own by Viz Media and was created by the late Monty Oum

By Blood and Teeth

Chapter 3

It was dark. So, very dark. And, it was silent, save for the slight rattling of chains and the ragged breathing of the solo occupation in the room.

That, was her world. It had been that way for over eleven years now.

But, today it was different.

Her heightened hearing, made more so by the gnawing Hunger that was her constant companion these days, heard the distinct sound of clicking heels in the hallway outside of her room. No one was suppose to be out there, save for her guards during feeding time, and that was far, far away. So very far away.

The idea of how long it was away almost brought a tear to her eyes as the Hunger gnawed at her insides painfully, but she had long ago lost the ability to do so. She honestly wondered why she had even bothered.

Maybe whoever this was could explain that to her?

The door to the room opened then, but no light came in. That's how the Marrow was designed. Complete and total isolation for each and every one of its occupants. Most went mad inside of a year. Weiss wondered how she hadn't...

Blood!

She sniffed the air at that as that heady scent filled the air and felt a growl rise out of her. The heels seemed to pause at that before they started up again. She sniffed at the air again, hoping they weren't leaving, and paused as something about that scent seemed familiar. The owner of the clicking heels came to a stop by one of the walls in the room and began to do something that involved their blood.

Suddenly, the walls of the oval room began to glow as lines of blood red lights activated and flowed with energy as they twisted and wound around and around the room in a dizzying, maddening array until they crescendo at the pinnacle of the room. All at once a light as bright as the Sun beat down on her and she thrashed at it, screaming in fear. "The light! The Light!" She shrieked, afraid that this was her end.

"Sister! Sister!" A voice called out to her as arms grasped at her side, trying to hold her in place as she thrashed about wildly. She didn't hear them, couldn't hear them. Had to get away, had to escape the sunlight before it burned her away. Had to - "Weiss!"

She paused. Stopped. Blinked at that as her vision slowly came back to her and she realized that the light above wasn't burning her, even though it was as bright as the Brother's Light. She looked up to see a large clear-cut crystal there, affixed to the stone ceiling by unknown means and whispered breathlessly, "Dust?" Then, she looked down at who was holding her to find her elder sister there in all her regal finery, ignoring how the white and pale gray material was now being ruined by all the blood and grime on her person, "Winter?" She asked, still dazed and confused.

Her sister clutched at her for a moment more before, with a swift cock of her head at a noise beyond the cell, she stepped back away from her naked form to stand at attention, a look of vague detachment replacing the look of heartfelt fear, just as several Bloodkin entered the room alongside a Kindred of towering stature. The Kindred took in the state of her being as well as that of the room with the same amount of disinterest that Winter was now feigning as he walked about the room, hands behind his back. Then he turned to Winter and said, "Blood Commander Schnee, begin the inspection."

"Sir," her sister responded dutifully with another salute before she turned and mashed a blood smeared thumb across some kind of panel. One covered in unknown, unreadable sigils and symbols.

Abruptly, Weiss fell to the ground as the chains holding her aloft by the wrists were released. Quite surprising to all, she somehow landed on her feet and stayed that way with only a slight wobble to her balance. She stood there, shuddering, as Winter began to stalk around her, assessing her in a clinical fashion, saying, "Malnourishment and loss of muscular tissue as attributed to long term confinement and lack of proper nourishment. Bruising and wounds from habitual lashings with rod and whip..."

"Smaller than average stature, breast size and hips can all be attributed to malnourishment as well." She placed her hands on Weiss's breasts, on her hips as she continued on in a clinically detached voice, the only sign of her actual distress was the slight trembling of her hands as they rested on her form. It gave Weiss the strength she needed to remain standing there, under all those eyes.

"Can she still be used for procreation?" The Kindred officer asked from behind them then, for the first time show some kind of interest, his eyes leering hungrily at her naked form. Winter turned to stare at him for a second before looking back at Weiss. She watched as her sister stared at her, taking in the raw, open wounds from lashes, the multitude of deep bruises from beating and her cracked, bloodied lips and crusted over eyes from lack of food and blood, and saw the sudden look of resolve that came over her before she turned around to face the Kindred once more and said, "Unlikely. The long term confinement for use as punishment for Armiger Schnee's murder of her Master, Kindred Rosalie has served as a two edged sword, Sir. Most likely, she can no longer bare young for the Kine."

"Hm, pity," the kindred said in a detached manner, hand to chin in thought. "I suppose we will just have to find another use for the prisoner. In the meantime, you shall serve that function once again, Officer Schnee."

Weiss stared at her sister in horror as the much taller woman merely clicked her heel and bowed, hand to heart as she said, "It would be an honor, Master."

"Hm, yes, quite," The Kindred said absently as he turned and left, taking the other Bloodkin with him. "Take care of the prisoner, Officer Schnee. We'll have something for her soon."

"Yes, sir," Winter answered still in that bow. But as soon as her master left she zoomed over to Weiss in a blur of speed just as her legs gave out, catching her in her arms. As Weiss started to lose consciousness she heard Winter say, "Easy. Easy, Weiss. Just rest now. I have you. Oh, my poor, pitiable little sister... Just what are we going to do with you.

/ /

One year later...

Weiss gazed over the murals on the wall as she absently stroked her finders down the wall as she softly walked by, idly thinking over everything that had happened to her until now, the day of her Trial.

It had taken well over six months of constant care and attention from her mother, Willow, and Winter before she was recovered enough to speak with her father, the Kindred Gelé. Her mother had then tried her best to hold off his fury for another six weeks while she continued to recover mentally, often only the memory of a strange scent keeping her going as her mental state fluxed and waned constantly. Weiss still couldn't stand to be in the dark without going into a panic attack. Meanwhile, while Weiss recovered her mother underwent what Weiss could only say was a constant series of verbal and physical abuses from her Father that bordered on crossing the First Blood Law of the Kine, the abuse of a vital resource.

For that was what they were, her family and all other Bloodkin. A resource. The most important resource. For it was only through the Bloodkin that a Kindred could reproduce. The last Kindred female with that innate capability having died during the Great Blood Revolt, ending their centuries long Conquests of the Lower Realms and bringing about the decline of the Kine as a whole.

She felt her lips twitch at that. Not the death that Kindred, no. Nor the subsequent slaughter of most of the Slave species under their care as retribution. But that fact that, in all aspects of their lives, the Blood was their life. The life of the Kine.

She stopped to gaze out over an opening in the mountainous tunnel she found herself in, really a carved oval channel, taking in the fresh air as she tried to calm herself back down as anxiety and claustrophobicness began to take hold of her yet again. She shivered even though she wasn't cold, feeling the bite of the metal against her skin once more and seeing nothing but darkness. She shuddered at that, clutching her arms to her chest tightly, doing what she could to breath through the subsequent panic attack.

Then she sighed, strangely at peace as she scented the strange scent on the wind again. If she didn't know better, she'd say it was her Soul Mate's scent. But that was a farce, as she well knew. Just look at her parents, if that was love, was what these fabled Souls Mate were like... Then she didn't want any part in it.

She recalled her last conversation with her father then.

/ /

"Worthless!" That was the first thing he had said to her on greeting, staring down at her coldly, his inhuman face ghastly to behold. "Almost as worthless as that Whelp there!" She had flinched at that, glancing over from where she knelt to see her brother, Whitley, standing there taking their father's abuse as stoically as always as the tall, stately Kindred rubbed at his eyes tiredly. He subtly winked at her knowingly, and she felt a bloom of warmth for him in her chest at that.

"I married your dame as a means of furthering my own Power within the Creche. The whore was supposed to bear me a child of my own Blood! Instead, all she's ever given me were more leeches, eating away at my livelihood." Jacque had roared then, slamming his fist down on the arm of his throne, Willow flinching where she stood behind him, her head bowed with her hands clasped before her. He huffed for a moment in his outrage before sighed and slumping back in his chair as he said, "I suppose it isn't all bad. Your sister, at least, has proven to be useful in that regard, bearing three Kindred for General Boil."

There was a pregnant pause before he spoke, "Perhaps I should bed her myself? See if I can get a spawn that way." The look of horror on Whitley's face was matched by Weiss as she made to draw the rapier that was usually by her side. She flinched at that, startled that that was her first instinct to such a response, only distantly hearing her mother cry out, "B-but, My Lord, please! You mustn't- Ah!"

"Enough!" Jacque spat as he slapped his wife, drawing Weiss's attention once more. He settled back down in his chair, templing his hands, as the rest of the household shifted back in place and said, "Enough! Sigh, it was a passing thought. Nothing more. I doubt the child would be worth anything to me anyway." He turned and brushed the back of his hand over Willow's cheek, stroking the very skin he had previously slapped. "We'll just have to try again, my Love."

Willow shuddered at that before nodding as she whispered, "Yes, My Lord."

Jacque had smiled cruelly at that before turning his gaze back on his second daughter and said, "Since your brother is yet too young to be wedded off to an appropriate match and you cannot now serve that purpose, I have no use for you, Weiss Schnee. But, perhaps, if you return from your upcoming Trial, you may get back in my good graces. After all, a Banished who returns is often highly sought after" - Here, he smirked as various thoughts of uses for such a being when through his mind. - "for a variety of uses."

He had stood then, tossing the rapier resting next to him at her feet, and pointing at her imperiously, "Go! And either come back with your Honor restored, or not at all." then he had ordered the various lesser Bloodkin servants and guards to escort her from her home without another word.

/ /

Crack!

Weiss flinched at the sound of a whip and looked down below to see a troop of slaves working at the foot of the mountain. She stared as a boarlike humanoid Taskmaster cracked his whip at the backs of various rodentlike slaves while they pile up a bunch of rocks, all while the Bloodkin Overseers oversaw everything. After staring at that scene for a moment she turned her gaze out to the ocean waters beyond, watching as they lapped at the shore

Supposedly, there weresharks out there, fitted with special collars and armor that shifted with them, making them slower than they could be, but so much harder to kill.

Her fingers found and began to trace the etchings and mural made there, so long ago. As with everything else involving the Kine, their complete control over their servants was bond by means of Blood Rituals. Most far too obscure for even the Blood Priests to remember why they were made in the first place. But, even she knew that it was through such a Ritual that their Slave first revolted.

She turned and left the "window" and started down the corridor again, staring at all the murals on the wall. Here, at least, the Kine made certain to Honor those they had once ruled over, and destroyed.

She brushed her fingers over a mural of some unknown humanoid serpent as she thought about that. The werevipers and other such cold-blood slaves had been elevated to the Priesthood for their fanaticism and devoted faith in their masters, but it had all been a farce, a lie. As soon as one of the Beasts had been granted the privilege of working hand in hand with the High Priestess of that time they had stolen away a Ritual invoking the Blood Moon. One where it broke the Kine control over their slaves, but stole their minds as well, sending the whole of the slave populace into a blood-madden rage.

The first of the Moon-called as the Beasts called it.

The subsequent slaughter... was all-encompassing. Dozens of breeds of Beastmen had been extinguished in the ensuing violence as well as dozens of Houses of the Ancients, of the Kindred. Though, she did not remember him, Weiss's maternal grandfather Nicholas Schnee had died in the Great Revolt, her mother had been a child.

That, was why she hated the Beasts personally. Her grandfather had been among the Kindred. If he had lived, her mother most likely would not be in the... arrangement she was in right now.

Weiss sighed at that, her heart going out for Willow.

As she walked down the Halls of Remembrance took her destination, she took in the History there. It had been some time since she could go here, especially when she had been... paired with her Master by her father. It was a lovely walk. Soothing, and informative.

The current mural detailed the events of the Great Cataclysm, a battle or war between the ancient, long dormant Gods of the world, and how it ended. She gazed over the mural as it detailed how Salem, a minor deity, first tricked the other, older Gods into fighting against each other while she eventually rose to greater Power. Power she took, by devouring her counterpart, Ozma, the Lord of Time.

From there, it detailed how she was captured and contained within the Moon while being used to Enlighten the world below. A world she had ravaged.

According to the Priests, this was also when the Blacksmith, the Avatar of the World Tree, fastened the Elder God of Light into the Holy Sun while the Younger God of Darkness was made into the sky. There was mention of what happened to the other Gods like the Jabberwalker, the Hungry Death, or the Curious Cat, a trickster god, but Weiss always wondered their essence had been fastened into the likes of the Kine, the Beasts, and the Humans.

But, of course, much like with saying that they all had descended from the original worshippers of the Gods, the mysterious First People, that was blasphemous at best.

Ah, well she thought as she finally came to her destination. What does it matter now anyway.

She knocked on the heavy brass door before her, inhaled deeply before letting it out in a sigh, then she opened the door.

/ /

"Weiss Schnee," spat Lord Gaul in the thick accent of one of the lower Kindred as she entered the room and knelt down before him and the other Lords in the room alongside a trio of other bloodkin from her own Clan. "Finally, We've can begin." And with that he rapped the gavel in his knotted hands on the podium before him and the other five Lords, representatives from each of the major Blood Clans.

Those few clans that still had an Ancient at that head of it.

If the humans and Beast of the past had fallen so far as to no longer remember their shared history, or at least how the Kine told it anyway, then the Ancients were the example of how far the Kine themselves had fallen. There were things an Ancient could do that no Kindred or Bloodkin could ever dream of doing. From mind control to bursting into a flight of bats to the literal leeching of blood from a victim from afar they were the pinnacle of the Kine in innate talent and raw power, but they were also the last of a lost breed.

No Ancient was left who could breed like their younger kin. their only method of furthering their kind was by offering up their Blood as a reward. If the Kindred survived, that is. A single drop of blood from an Ancient was filled with such unbelievable power that it often killed those who partook of it.

That was perhaps the one saving grace for the Ancients themselves, Weiss mused to herself as the Lord began to recite their crime. The Kine were all predators, after all. Politic, power-hungry predators, but predators to be sure. If not for how dangerous it would be, the Kindred would've slaughtered the last of the Ancients centuries ago, drinking each and every one of the old bastards dry.

"For your crimes against the Blood, you are all hereby Banished from these Halls, this Land." Lord Olaf continued, glaring down at the lot of them, his ancient voice wavering. "Should you return from this Trial successful, and the Kindred with you testify to your achievements, you will be reinstated among the Kine, a Hero, Bless by the Darkness, for who anyone who request the Favor of, no matter what."

He allowed that to hang in the air for a moment before he struck his gavel upon the podium once more alongside the other Lords in unanimous agreement, "Now go! And do not return until your Honor as a Kine is restored!"

/ /

Elsewhere...

Ruby smiled lightly as she walked by the new pups of the Rosewood Pack as they tumbled and played in their wolf forms, already instinctually learning the skills they would need later in life. She ignored how some of the more aggressive ones nipped at her heels as she walked on by, making her way to where her mother was at.

It had been a year since her capture by the human Hunters, and she had come to know and hate them as much as the rest of her kind, though for much more personal reasons. She shuddered at the memory of that hulking brute and what he had promised to do to her, and she felt it as she instinctively snarled at that. That, was immediately followed by the image of a pair of hard blue eyes and blond hair, of a youth, just like her, who had his worldview shattered, and yet had saved her, saved her mother with one bit of advice.

She inhaled deeply at that before releasing the breath as a sigh. She would try to do like that youth and keep in mind that not every one of their enemies were merciless brutes. At least, she would try.

Rose! Rose! Rose, this way!

She chose to ignore the yapping voice in her mind as she walked through the camp. Though, her pack, the Rosewood Pack, chose to rely primarily on their wolf form, even going so far as to stay in it for the majority of the time, Ruby chose otherwise, seeing the value in her Human half, the deftness with which she could weave threads into clothing or create traps. The ability to climb trees. The way the wind blew through her skin.

Yes, she loved to run as a wolf. It was like flying, she'd say, even if her Uncle and Aunt mocked her for it. At least with them, she knew in was in good fun.

Rose! Stop ignoring me and come! Here!

She frowned as the yapping voice snapped at her before letting out an annoyed huff and turned to walk over to the nearby bushes outside of the camp. Once there, she paused to wait and sure enough a young wolf came loping up to her with a rabbit in his mouth. He dumped the poor animal at her feet before giving her a wolf grin, tongue lolling out of his mouth. Ruby stared at him disdain fully for a moment before she kicked at the carcass and asked with a curled lip, "And, just what is this?"

It's an offering. The wolf mindspoke to her. A way to bury the hatchet. A way to show you that I can provide for you. That I want you for my Mate.

Ruby blinked at that before sighing and rubbing at her brow wearily. Not this again she thought internally. Then, without saying a word she turned to walk away after shaking her head.

Wait! Where are you going?! Do, do you not like it? I can get something else, something bigger! The wolf spoke up, clear panic in his voice.

"I'm not interested." Ruby stopped to say over her shoulder before starting off again, ignoring the look of shock that came over the wolf's face.

Wha-Not interested! What do you mean! What are you saying! How can a freak like you survive if you're not mated to someone like me! The wolf howled at her, following after her with lowered ears.

Ruby stopped, stiffened at that as she stepped back in the camp. The wolves around them seemed to stop what they were doing as they sensed the sudden tension between the two and turned to look as the naked young woman as she turned and stared down at the wolf behind her, growling. The sudden show of Dominance from one usually so subdued shocked the all, but especially the wolf. Before things could get any worse, she stopped as a low, deep bass woof resounded throughout the clearing and a massive, scarred wolf with grey, patchworked fur stalked into the clearing, his pale blue eyes staring.

He looked between the two of them before glaring at all the wolves around them. They quickly got up and fled, taking their pups with them as they did so at his silent command. Then, the Rosewood Pack Alpha snarled at her mentally Change! Now!

Ruby stiffened at that before nodding and shifted quickly to her wolf form, a luxurious black with red tipped furred wolf, and promptly laid down, offering up both her neck and belly to Hector as he stared her down. He huffed in approval at that before turning to the other wolf and said Byron. Enough. She is not for you. The strange one wants no mate from this pack. Now, come. Then he stalked off without looking back after saying his piece to his son, who followed after him, head down, as he said as an afterthought. I cannot blame her for hating us.

Ruby stiffened at that, but said nothing against it. After all, he was right.

She waited a moment more before rising back up to her feet and shook the dirt and leaf litter from her back before shifting back into a human and walking away.

/ /

"Ruby. Good. You are here. Now we can begin," Her mother said as she stooped to enter the hut to the Advisor to the Alpha, seeing another four wolves in there, also in human form. the hut was too big for them all as wolves. She nodded to her mother before sitting down, waiting to hear what this new Hunt would be. Was it another band of Human hunters, a scouting party of Vampyr? There had been quite a stir of activity in the nearby forest for weeks now.

Her mother shifted in position, stiffening slightly from the lingering pains of her healing body, before leaning forwards in the dark confines of the hut to reveal the near stark white hair on her head as she entered a pool of light and began to speak, "There is word from the Carrion Eaters of a strange wolf in the vicinity. They say it bares a striking similarity to of the Blood-Starved. You will recognize this wolf first by its scent, that of disease, of rotting flesh and old blood. And then, by it's appearance, that of mangey grey fur, coated in splashes of old blood with broken teeth and claws, with mad eyes." Summer nodded at that before motioning to the handmade books behind her as she then said, "That is what it says in the the Histories, at least."

"Go, now, and bring this pitiable beast to ruin. For the good of the Pack," She directed them. The other wolves each nodded at that before they shifted into wolves and rushed out of the hut under a chorus of yips and howls. Before Ruby could do the same her mother gave her a look, causing her to stay.

"Mom," she breathed as she rushed forwards and hugged the still fragile woman tightly after enough time had past that she was sure that they were alone. "Missed you." Her mother huffed happily at that as she returned the embrace with surprising strength. That made Ruby glad. More and more her original strength was returning to her. Once more, she was reminded of those blue eyes.

"Now," Her mother said as she pulled her back at arms length so she could get a better look at her. "I can clearly see something has happened. So, tell me what it is, hm?"

Ruby sighed at that, not wanting to stress her mom out. It had taken months for her to recover from the Wolfsbane after she was told the remedy for it and she was still weak, her wounds slower to heal than usual, including the ones from that day. If it wasn't for her Da', and her Aunt... She didn't know what she would've done. Speaking of which, she did her best to not stare at the hole where her mother's eye would be. She had hoped to see it growing back by now, but still, nothing.

At her mother's continued urging, she finally relented and huffed in irritation before saying, "I had another one try and woo me, before they insulted me for refusing it." If she was a wolf her ears would be down as she frowned and said, "This time it was Byron, the Alpha's son."

Summer smiled sadly at that. Especially as her daughter muttered, "Why don't they just stop? I don't, I'm not interested in that kind of thing right now, okay?" She sighed and hugged her again while patting her back. She knew why Ruby refused to accept any advances from the Rosewood pack males, nor those of the surrounding packs. Her daughter held a grudge against them all for their treatment of her, and for all their "traditional" ways.

Why would she want to mate with any male that felt that way?

"Give it some time," Summer found herself saying. "And, maybe you'll find a male you'll like. After all, doesn't have to a Wolven. You could do like me and find a charming, handsome Bearan to mate with, like your Dad."

"Ew! That gross, Mom!" Ruby said as she pulled away from her. Summer laughed at that before turning around and picking up the bundle of cloth behind, saying, "Here. This is for you. I just finished it."

"Oh," Was all Ruby could say as she looked at the vibrant red cloak her mom had made for her. Her old one had been left ragged and torn after her capture. "Thank you, Mom."

Summer smiled at that before hugging her daughter once more as she said, with sudden seriousness, "Now, take care of yourself out there and play nice with the others. Unless they refuse to back down. Then you have my permission to show them who the Alpha is. got it?"

"Yes, Mom," Ruby replied with a giggle, a twinkle in her silver eyes.

/ /

Valean Highlands...

"Keep your eyes open! That Black Fang could be around anywhere!" Cried the Kindred leading them as Weiss clambered up the steep steppe behind him before pausing to look down around them all. She didn't know why, but something had told her to accept the Trial here, in Vale, where this had all began, all those years ago. "Schnee! Focus up! Or, we'll leave you here!"

She stiffened at that, especially as she heard laughter around her, before turning to glare at the males as Berend the Kindred struggled to clear the next set of naturally made, rocky slab like stairs ahead of him. The males quickly qieted down at that before silently following Berend up the Steppe. Weiss sniffed at that. She was already way past frustrated with these... these rejects around her.

It had been days already and yet they were no closer to tracking down this Fang at all, even though they had a clear-cut trail! Instead, out of an original group of ten, they were down to her and four other Bloodkin, and the Kindred, the others having either fled in the night once they were far enough away from their clans, killed each other in some kind of dispute, or walked into the Sun...

Weiss didn't what was wrong with these Bloodkin, but she could sympathize, having spent time in the Marrow herself. Many of her fellows on this Trial had apparently been sent straight from that evil place. She, on the other hand, had had her family's name and lineage to fallback on.

Maybe that was why she was so much faster and stronger than the others. She had had to... explain to a few of the more aggressive party members, that she was not available. The sorry bastards.

Still, though, it is a lovely land She thought to herself as she clutched at her hair while the wind whipped by, catching strands of it, while she looked back out over the forests below. Far more lovely than home ever was.

The ancestral home for all the Kine was known simply as the Badlands. It was a continent away in a land of near perpetual darkness with the only light coming off of large, purple glowing crystals. Supposedly, that was where the final battle of the Cataclysm happened, and those crystals were actually the crystalized blood of the Gods. From which, of course, the Ancients first arose.

Weiss found that she much preferred the lands of Humans and Beasts to that even as she made to climb up the steppe once more.

They had already come across a dead Black Fang. Two, actually. That was concerning. The Fangs typically acted as loners, hunting down their chosen prey, the Kine, alone. They rarely created packs more than five or so individuals due to the constant infighting that occurred, so to have to dead Fangs so close to each other, was concerning, from Weiss's point of view. The other Bloodkin didn't seemed to care.

Or, maybe they did, and just didn't want to show it. This was their Trial after all. It wasn't meant to be easy.

Though, I think suicidal is a bit much She thought sassily to herself as she launched herself upwards after the others, quickly bypassing them as they climbed by leaping from point to point until she as at the top of the rise, standing there to look out over the expanse again. The sun would be coming up soon. They needed to hurry.

/ /

The pack of five wolves thundered through the underbrush with Ruby leading the way, the red cloak and a bundle of other supplies in a specially made pack on her back. They had quickly picked up the trail of... whatever-this-was, Blood-Starved or the like after following the advice given to her by her Uncle. Now, they just needed to track it down, and kill it.

Easier said that done, that. The Blood-Starved were mad for a reason.

The blood of the Vampyr was toxic to Wolven and the like, warping their minds as well as their bodies in horrific ways. A Blood-Starved was what occurred should a Wolven somehow survive feeding off one and was called such because they could only survive by eating Vampyr afterwards. Or, at least, that was the rumor, anyway. Ruby and the other wolves with her had never seen one before.

She paused, slowing down to scent the trail once more, looking for that diseased odor of old blood and sweat. Instead, she briefly smelled something else, familiar. Blue eyes flashed through her mind's eye before she swiftly shook her head to clear it away. now wasn't the time for this. They had to killed the Blood-Starved before it brought something worse, like those Hunters.

What is it? One of her packmates asked then as she continued to search for the missing scent. Where is the trail?

Missing Was all she said in return as she searched around a bit. Finally, she sighed before shifting to that of a human and began to track that way, thankful for her Uncle's training over the last few years, after waiting for her eyes to adjust. The pre-dawn light was just dark enough to make it hard for Human eyes to see.

Why did you shift? One of the other wolves asked, tail twitching nervously.

Ruby donned her clothes before strapping on the small quiver to her back as she said, "Because, somehow the scent has vanished, but I still see other tracks. Tracks only this body can find. Now, hush, and follow me."

Lies! A wolf growled behind her. She paused at that as another asked What could this form track that we cannot?

She turned and growled at them all, making them fall back and grovel, as she whispered harshly, "If one of you wants to lead this Hunt, then Challenge me! Otherwise, quiet down!"

The wolves did nothing as she continued to glare at them all. Instead, one by one they offered up their throats to her as a sign of submission. The wolves knew who was the true Dominant here. She nodded at that before turning back to the trail and taking of again with the others loping behind her. She didn't let it show as she ran on, but a small smile graced her face for the first time in days.

At the sound of a distant, unearthly howl, though, Ruby glanced back at the others before turning to sprint as fast as she could up the steep trail before her. Naturally, the others left her behind, but she was okay with that as she drew and strung the bow she had on hand. She wished that there was some kind of metal one she could use, perhaps collapsible even. The wooden one she had, made of three yew saplings strapped together, was strong, sturdy and durable, but she couldn't use her full strength with it, not even that in her Human form without fear of breaking.

Then she took off after the others.

/ /

As they stumbled upon the third corpse of one of the Fangs, Weiss jerked her Silver-bladed Rapier out of the tied-down sheath at her side and darted her eyes around as she knelt there next to the other, some instinct telling her to do so. She ignored Berend as the Kindred started barking at her to sheath her blade while the other three Bloodkin nervously looked about from where they knelt beside the rotting carcass, sensing that she knew something they didn't.

But, no one was prepared for what happened next. Not even Weiss.

With a sudden piercing shriek of pain the last Bloodkin, Tomas, was torn away from the precipice where he was struggling to climb and flung off into the night sky under a shower of blood before a massive, mangey-furred body lifted itself up over the rise to snarl wordlessly at them. Weiss and the other flinched away from the Beast and the mad-filled, red pinpricks that the Fang had for eyes. It opened it's massive, unhinged jaw, spilling forth a stream of stinking saliva on the ground, before it unleashing a bloodcurdling, madness-inducing howl at them.

Before any of them could do something about the situation a second Black Fang appeared from seemingly out of nowhere from behind them and crushed Perle and Burke under it's gnarled and bony fists as the two Bloodkin were scrambling backward from the first one. At that Weiss suddenly recovered and hollered out, "Scatter!" Before charging the first of the Fangs, sliding on her knee under the impossibly long reach of its claws as it swiped at her.

She flipped up into the air, spinning in placing, to then straddle the Beast's upper shoulders and back, locking her legs in before plunging her blade deep into the creature's back. The breast howled with rage or pain she did not know and began to thrash around. She grunted, groaned, as she struggled to hold on to the hilt of her rapier. If she lost that blade it would all be over, and she wasn't dying here!

She roared that over the howls and snarling screams of the beast beneath her as it thrashed about and watched as one by one her "comrades" were struck down. First to fall was Caulk, the ratty-looking thief being split in two by yet another Black Fang as he tried to sneak away. Then came Berend as he drew his own blade and attempted to swipe at the second Fang while guarding Jorge. His pitiable swings still managed a wound on the Fang's forearm as he swatted at it and grinned, only to be swatted away himself with so much force that his leather-clad form was skewered upon the naked branches of a nearby tree. And, finally, poor, pitiable Dorn was ripped in two, pulled apart by two of the Fangs as he stood there, frozen with indecision.

Weiss grunted mightily as she placed both hands on her the hilt of her sword and thrusted it down, deeper into the Beast she rode. It shuddered unnaturally as she struck something vital before sinking to the ground under a geyser of stinking blood and meat.

She then jerked her blade back out as she stood upon the carcass and hissed her defiance at the creatures before her snarled and snapped at each other. Then she took up a stance, one leg straight while the other was bent at a ninety degree angle her blade parallel to her body point facing the creatures as she reared backwards, then she thrushed forwards with a wordless battle cry as the trio of Fangs charged at her.

If she was going to die today, then it would as a true Schnee!

/ /

The wolves charged through the underbrush and stopped as they came upon some kind of towering, black-furred beast with jutting spikes of bone bursting out of its back, elbows and knees. The almost wolf-like creature was fighting off two of the Blood-Starved and was winning handily even as it stood in a pool of brackish, blackening blood and skin. For every scrape and swipe they made against it, it returned twofold, leaving great, rending gashes in their disease-ravaged hides. First, one fell then the other as it caved in the skull of one while ripping out the arm of the other.

It then turned its gaze on them, revealing a ghoulish, exposed skull for a face with deeply glowing pits of red light for eyes. It licked the exposed bone of its upper jaw with a purplish black tongue as it turned fully towards them. The wolves hesitated, glancing at each other, not sure what to do as it began to lumber towards them, a vile black smoke or mist starting to pour out its skin and a wave of unnatural fear rolled off of it.

Then it hissed in pain as an arrow pierced its hide, knocking it backwards. The wolves blinked at that, confused, only to hear Ruby shout, "Don't stop! Attack! Attack!" With that, the wolves shook off their fear and charged as one.

The wolf-thing roared at them and stepped forth to swipe at them only to fall back as another arrow and another arrow struck its hide and hissed with pain. The other Wolven then harried its sides as Ruby put arrow after arrow into it as she stalked towards it, but it did not fall. Instead, at some unknown signal or call, it jerked its head up and used one ruined ear to listen as it sniffed the air, ignoring them all even as one of the wolves had shifted to its hybrid form and was currently gnawing at its shoulder.

With a sudden burst of supernatural speed the thing turned and sprinted away, knocking the Wolven from it's shoulders in the process. They tried to run after it but it was simply too fast, and they were too weary from the battle to have any hope of keeping up. Ruby stared after the thing before strolling over to pick up one of the arrows that had been ripped out of its hide as the battle unfolded.

She studied the thick, tar-like ichor on the tip of the broken stone arrowhead as she knelt there, thinking, before jerking upright as she came to a sudden conclusion. Without preamble she turned and started away without looking back. The others watched her go before glancing at each other then quickly started after her with one of them calling out Where are you going? The Beast-Thing went that away!

She held up the broken arrowhead and said, by way of explanation, "The tip was too weak to properly pierce it's hide. I need stronger arrows."

But, where are we going? The wolf asked, confused.

"To find some help." Ruby replied before muttering to softly to hear, "I just hope he'll listen."

A/N: And, that ends that. As at least one of you might know, this was going to be a longer chapter, but I decided that this was a better spot to end it on. Next chapter will coming soon though. Or, at least I hope so.

Be on the look out for the second half of the Knightshade chapter for Clout and maybe chapters fourteen and fifteen for RWBY the RPG son. Take care!