Faerie Faerie

8-something lost, nothing stolen

Twenty minutes earlier...

He groaned, and gagged a bit. The slouch he had been in, spiced ale spilled on his tunic and pants, and on the floor. The dogs were passed out in the corner, snoring loudly. He licked his lips and Wolfe groaned. The knots in his back were gone and his shoulders felt very relaxed. He sniffed the spilled contents, then rolled his eyes.

"Valerian," he chuckled. "And..." Wolfe sniffed again, "Lavender?" He stood up and stretched, his back popping softly. His brow perked at the realization that he had been drugged, and that that was a marvelous nap. Wolfe glanced out the window, where the Moon beckoned him lovingly. He staggered to the door, shedding articles of ale soaked clothing. Night air felt like cold fingers on his skin. His temperature spiked, and he felt the fire of the beast inside. He huffed, the transformation taking hold.

Bone shattered, muscles stretched, and reshaped. Fur spewed from every pore. The entire ordeal was excruciating yet... Liberating. Wolfe flexed his hands, the claws bleeding from where they split from is finger tips. He sighed, then drew in a breath to taste the night. He snorted and immediately tasted her scent. Fire, magic, blood-- All hers.

He snorted, slouching, then crouching on four legs instead of two. Running towards her scent, of flowers, fire, and magic. How dare that flat face try to run away! How dare she!

As he continued into the forest, he caught other tastes on his tongue. There was the scent of animal blood. Equine, a horse. Her horse, and she was off in the other wolf's territory. Human blood, burning flesh, then-- Her blood. And it was a lot of her blood.

Wolfe snorted, coming to a halt before the ruined remains of a horse. Wolves were around, tearing it apart and devouring the beast. They acknowledged him. He growled, but got responses from the pack that they had left the two walking flatface alone. That other Flatfaces had done this and they were merely enjoying the bounty.

He snorted, then turned down a path. There was screaming and the stink of burnt meat. Screams and crying of humans begging to live or die.

The werewolf found a scrap of red and white fabric, dosed in a vermillion that wasn't of a dye. His claw hooked under it and pulled the scrap free. He couldn't find her scent beyond that scrap. He turned to see a group of villagers, furious and terrified.

"It's the Witch's beast!"

"Kill it before it resurrects it's master!"

"Monster!"

Someone with a sword tried to take off his hand. Wolfe snapped his jaws down on his arms, and bit clear through his bones. Human blood was disgusting, and he spat him out. He reached out and snapped his neck with a flick of his wrists. He broke another man's neck with a simple punch. Someone had landed a pitch fork in his side, sending him into a frenzy. It was a woman, whom he recognized as a woman who sold candles in the market. A lovely elder who was very religious, and believer of her God. Now she had gone to meet the God she had so cherished.

Wolfe smashed another person into a tree, roaring in pain as an ax landed in his muscular shoulder blade. The Weapons could not pierce fully through his tough hide and rope like muscles, they simply stuck through the first layer of skin. It gave the humans a false sense of security, it made them haughty, it made them arrogant.

It made them petty objects that he could easily overcome! Using fang and claw, he made them flee or dispatched of them accordingly. With all the blood in the the air, it took him a bit of time to find her trail again. This time he found another individual scent with Phoenix's.

She smelled of lavender and roses. And the unbearable stink of silver. Wolfe used his forearm to clear his snout of blood, then ran.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Snow had carried the wounded woman to a willow tree. "So what happened back there?" she murmured to her friend.

"I was... a good girl..." she mumbled, leaning onto the tree. "...I want to go home..."

Snow rolled her eyes. She opened her bags and found some jerky. she tore off little bits and made Phoenix eat. "We'll need to clean and sew half these wounds shut."

"Leave me be."

"You'll get ganggreen." she sniggered. Phoenix chewed slowly, gritting her teeth as she spoke.

"Then suture the cuts." she said. Snow looked at her and smacked her upside the head. "ow!"

"My horse and partner are just over the next hill. I'll treat you now, then get you back home." Snow tore off another piece of meat. Phoenix chewed with much difficulty.

"....Beef?" she gagged a bit.

"Elk." Snow went through her supplies again and pulled out a pouch of water. She mixed a paste in a small jar, the pungent smell of herbs filling the air. "This will burn."

Phoenix, endured the burning of the medical attention. She blinked a few times and off into the night her mind melted. Snow sighed, then hissed softly at the wide cuts, and stabs she received from the thrushes.

"Stupid girl." she mumbled. Snow checked the surrounding area, and smiled. The villagers had stopped following them and they had gained some ground from them. The willow tree had been very useful as cover too. The wideness of the trunk and duvets the roots in the ground gave were perfect for hiding.

Snow reached forward and gently opened Phoenix's mouth. She tilted the woman's head back and pour a bit of liquor down her throat. She choked a bit, but went back to sleeping soundly.

"That should appease the Gods for a while..." Snow sighed. She twitched then reached for her bow, she sent three wild arrows in a direction to the right of them. She heard the sharp tang of her arrows hitting flesh. Snow would have smiled, had the thing not barrelled down the path straight at her.

It was huge, and covered in a coarse dark coat. It rammed into her and they both went tumbling over the roots and into a marsh. The water sent her sputtering and kicking.

The thing backed off, snarling and growling. She coughed up murky water and cleared her face of mud to get a better look at her assailant. It clawed at the arrows lodged in its shoulder.

Snow grinned, then dove for her bow and quiver. Beings of Faye, hated silver and iron. Iron for it's binding of magic, silver for it's purifying of blood. Snow had her arrows equipped with silver tips and small barbs made of iron. She watched him for a moment, before knocking the bow again.

Hesitation could lead to death. And with Phinny as badly damaged as she was, she couldn't let some monster end her just yet.

He snarled and threw large branches and marsh plants at her. She was hit, splashing back into the marsh itself. "Son of a bitch!" she shouted, pulling a dagger. She held it close to herself, expecting a close range attack. When nothing happened, Snow brought herself up.

The beast was crouched over Phinny, whining and growling softly.

"Get away from her!" Snow snarled, trying to run for her comrade. She slipped in the mud and got stuck by a root. "Phoenix! Run!"

Phoenix groaned and opened her eyes. "....Damn... it's you...." she slurred, a smile playing on her lips. Phoenix frowned and gasped softly. "Doggy's hurt...!" she touched the arrows, then the gashes in his side and shoulder. "Nonononono....!" Phoenix struggled to pull the arrows out. "Larue namna trie'oh.... Deleshtra neivatra...?" She laughed softly.

Snow lay on her stomach, watching in awe as Phinny removed the arrows and rubbed salve onto his wounds. She hugged the beast around the neck. "All better Doggy... all better." she giggled, then her eyes rolled back into her head and she was out again. The werewolf gently poked and prodded her, noticing her wounds. He turned his attention to Snow and snarled viciously at her.

Snow growled back. "I didn't do it, those damn villagers did and-- I'm talking to a Faye Beast...." she frowned and slowly loosened her grip. The string became loose, and she tucked the arrow back in her dirty quiver. ".....like today couldn't get any worse."

He snorted, as if to say the same.