Huntress- Chapter 2: Pride (Book 1 in the Wolfsbane Chronicles)

Chapter 2: Pride

Agrona quickly learned the way of 'the Pride' as the Guild referred to itself. Trust no one but yourself. Pay your dues to the Pride. Steal what you can. Don't get caught by guards. It was as simple as that.

She caught on to the art of stealing quite adeptly, and rose rapidly in their ranks. The wolves eventually lost track of her, and soon she began her life anew, though the bloodlust of prospective vengeance was with her always.

Ari taught her the ways of the Pride. The first day after her arrival, he started as though there was no tomorrow.

"The first lesson," he said, "is often the most difficult one for kits to learn. It is very simple in theory, but in practice many have trouble."

"What is it?" she inquired.

"Trust no one but yourself, rely on no one but yourself."

"Already covered." Her voice was cold as stone. She didn't need that lesson: she'd learned it young in the struggle to survive.

"Really?"

"I am hunted by my own pack, lion," she said, referring to his name's meaning.

"Very well. Time will tell, kit." He paused. "You have fire, child. I'll give you that much."

"Of course. I survived."

"Perhaps."

They taught her Common and the basics of thievery. She didn't have too many mishaps. However, learning meant mistakes- but mistakes meant learning. That's what she told herself, anyways, as she paid the high price for fumbling up in the Pride.

Agrona slipped past the night watchman as she snuck her way back to the Lair. She had to be careful to avoid the law- the punishment for stealing was severe, and in some cases meant losing one's hands. Not to mention that it was after curfew, which could be a punishable offense on it's own.

Unfortunately, rain had come just the day before, a rare occurrence on the plains. As a result, Agrona hadn't had much practice being stealthy when it was wet. Due to that particular lack of skill, she stumbled slightly and hit a rock, which bounced across the road-right in front of the watchman. She froze, slipping the amulet which she'd stolen into a crack in the bricks next to her.

The guard raised his lantern and approached. She was cornered, with nowhere to run. At least she couldn't be punished for stealing. She hoped.

"I know yer 'ere." The man stopped and looked around. "'n animal don't kick rocks like t'at. Come out 'n maybe I'll let y' free."

As if. Guards might have said they'd cut you slack, but it never happened. That much she'd learned without having to make the mistake of believing it.

Unfortunately, Agrona's eyes, like a dog's, glowed in the nighttime light. That ruined her stealth approach.

"Lookie 'ere. What're y' doin' out 'o late, eh?"

"Just takin' a stroll. Nice out 'fter a rain, 'n't it?"

"Sure y' aren't breakin' t' law? Stealin', 'erhaps?"

"Why'd I do t'at, sir?"

"'ow abouts it y' t'll me?"

"I ain't stealin' sir. I make my money through a good, 'onest livin'."

"What's yer trade, 'en?"

"Why, I'm a locksmith, sir."

"Y' know 'etter 'n t' be out 't night, don't ya?"

"Yessir, I'm sorry, I just-" she was cut off by a swift punch to the gut. So much for talking her way out of it.

She got to spend the night in the cells. In some places, the cells maybe weren't so bad. There was shelter, at the very least. There, however, it was much, much worse than sleeping out in the rain. Sickness plagued the place, and there was a body that had been lying in a corner for far too long with a shiv in his back. Luckily, she could handle herself in a fight, but despite that fact she still got beaten up. She'd survive, though. It could be worse- or that's what she told herself.

The guard tossed her roughly in the cell, closing the barred door behind her. She muttered a few choice curses, then started towards the back of the cage.

"Well, look it 'ere." A man sauntered up to her.

"Not interested," she told him, shoving past him.

He grabbed her arm, and she jerked away. "I already told you, I ain't interested."

He brushed a stray lock behind her ear. "Playin' 'ard to get, are ye? I can do t'at."

She punched him in the face. Two of his lackeys were on their feet and in the tumble within seconds. One of them pulled out a shiv, which Tasha disarmed. She grabbed the man who'd originally approached her and put the makeshift knife to his neck.

"Take another step and he gets it."

That was the point when the guard got involved and separated them.

When she got back to the lair, she had the goods but also managed to get a black eye, broken nose, various bruises all over her, and two cracked ribs.

Ari came over to meet her. "'at 'appened t' y'?" he inquired.

"I g't 'aught by t' night 'atchman. I ain't used t' t'is rain. I got t' loot, though." She handed him the amulet.

"'ow'd y' manage t'at?"

"I 'id it. Ot'erwise, I'd be arrest fer stealin'."

He shook his head. "T'is is why y' make 'uch a good thief."

"Tis why I'm 'ere."

"Indeed." Ari handed her the amulet, then wandered into the crowd of scoundrels and thieves.

As it was, Agrona was also good at losing her temper. She always tried to control it, but it got the best of her sometimes.

One such instance happened when she was returning from fencing a stolen dagger she'd taken off a guard. She was going back outside to scout out a merchant's house when she was intercepted by an assassin called Marah. She was fourteen, the same age as Agrona, and doing decently in her trade. Marah hadn't liked Agrona since she'd first set foot in the Lair. Why Agrona would never know. But with Agrona's recent success, Marah was all the more aggressive.

"I 'ear y' got yerself grabbed by t'e guards, wolf-child."

"I 'ear y' missed a mark," she retorted, shoving past Marah.

Marah grabbed her and pulled her back. "Where do y' think yer goin'?"

Agrona felt an instinct to attack. She pushed it away. "To do my job."

"I ain't done talkin' t' y' yet."

"What's it I missed?"
"I think y' need t' 'emember yer place, wolf-child."

"Thanks for t'e advice. Bye now." Agrona tried to leave once again. The other girl grabbed her. "Let go of me, Marah."

"Or what?"

Her fist hit square on Marah's nose. The situation rapidly deteriorated from that point onwards.

In other instances, her instinct had been so strong to fight that she'd nearly killed her opponent before someone intervened. And afterwards, Agrona didn't understand how it happened. One minute she was trying to disengage, the next she was being pulled off her adversary. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't control it. Finally, people just left her alone- her name was far too accurate.

The Wildcat often gave missions to those who had the skill. The goal was simple: retrieve the objective without getting caught and bring it back to the Lair. In practice, however, it often involved a good deal of sneaking, lying, deceiving, persuading, disguising, or seducing. That was how Agrona managed to get herself stuck wearing a dress three days after her fifteenth birthday.

She'd never worn one, nor had she ever wanted to. Her experience with the thing only reinforced her opinion of the garb.

"I can 'ardly move!" she protested. "'ow am I supposed t' fight in t'is? Or walk? What if I get 'aught?"

"If you get caught you can say goodbye to your hands," Faline informed her calmly. That was the punishment for major stealing- getting your hands cut off. Faline was the go-to for disguises in the Guild. She was an excellent actor, dancer, bard, thief, assassin, peasant, noble, acrobat, or whatever else she needed to be. "Now, why don't you tell me your character? And drop that street lilt like I taught you."

Agrona sighed. "My name is Branwen. I'm Lynx's, er, Lord Myrel's close friend. I'm a noble from the far north in a town called White Raven near the border. I am unmarried and would like to stay that way. Due to the recent passing of my father, Lord Brenshire, I am now the head of the house. My mother passed away seven years ago from the pox, and my father got killed by a bear when he was hunting. I have no siblings."

"And who is Ari?"

"Ari is Lord Myrel's friend, Lord Arin."

"Very good. Now, what is the plan?"

"Go in, get to the target's room, steal the loot, and get out and back to the Lair."

"Alright, you're all set. You have your daggers?"

Agrona flipped them out of her sleeves. "Got two more in my boot and a couple wires I can use as lockpicks sewed into the hem of my skirt."

"Good luck, then. I suggest you hurry- the Wildcat doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"Thank you, Faline."

"No problem. Fare well."

"And to you." Agrona hurried off to meet Ari and Lynx.

Ari whistled when she got there. Lyn simply looked her over and said, "I suppose that will do. Are you all clear on the plan?"

"Yes sir," Ari and Agrona said simultaneously.

"Great. Agrona, tell it to me."

"We go in. I find the Lord Kenniwick, persuade him to bring me to his room, knock him out, get the loot, hide the loot in my bag, return to you two, and leave when it won't be suspicious."

"And none of us will fall into our street slang or we'll all be getting our hands lopped off. Agrona, about the bird…"

"Please tell me you don't want me to steal that gods-damn falcon."

"It'll sell for a lot on the black market. I have a buyer. You're gonna need to get it outside without being noticed, though."

"How?"

"Unhood it and fly it into a tree or something. Take off the bells, too, but keep them. They're expensive. Once you get outside, retrieve it and put it in our carriage. And don't mess up. We have a lot invested in this."

"We have a carriage?" Ari interjected.

"Yes. I obtained one from the black market along with some horses I borrowed."

"Who's driving?"

"Faline."

"Of course."

"Will that be all?"

"Yessir," Agrona and Ari chorused.

"Good. Faline should be here momentarily."

She got there within five minutes to pick them all up. Agrona was worrying about how in the world one handled a falcon and kept it quiet, and how she was going to do, and what would happen if she failed. Even if the law didn't catch her, the Wildcat certainly would. And he had a reputation of playing with his prey before killing it.

Agrona's breath caught when the reached the mansion. It was huge, made entirely out of stone. Braziers blazed on either side of the huge double-door, and the vast courtyard was filled with lush vegetation and flowers. How did anyone have the money to make that? And how could they sit there and live in comfort while people died from poverty when they could prevent it with a wave of their hand? Any guilt she might have felt at stealing from the Lord was gone in that moment. A man who watched people die with no effort to stop it didn't deserve what riches he had.

Agrona stepped out of the carriage after Lyn. Ari came behind her. Faline winked at her and clucked to the horses. She would be waiting for them at the stables.

Once inside, Lyn, Agrona, and Ari stopped to survey their surroundings. Various nobles danced across the floor while musicians played in the back of the hall. Tables filled with food and drink lined the walls, while men and women gossiped and ate.

"I hope you remember how to dance," Ari whispered to her, then drew her onto the floor.

Surprisingly enough, Agrona didn't trip over her partner's feet every third step. She didn't talk, either. She watched for the target.

Ari saw him first. He whispered to her. "Branwen, behind you. In the scarlet."

He turned them so she could see. He was dancing with a lady in a pink dress. His hair was dark brown, his eyes a contrasting blue. He wore a scarlet doublet and hose, with soft leather boots and a frilled collar and cuffs. Scarlet. The color of blood. Suddenly, she had a very bad feeling about the man.

Once the song ended, Agrona and Ari went with Lyn to the noble. Lynx sidled up to Kenniwick. "Excuse me, sir."

Kenniwick turned and nodded respectfully to Lyn. "Lord Myrel," he said. "It is wonderful to see you again. How have you been?"

"Very well. How about yourself?"

"Wonderful. Who is this you've brought with you?"

"My colleague, Lord Arin, and Lady Branwen, my close friend. She is the Lady of White Raven, up north."

"I see. It is a pleasure to meet you both." Kenniwick turned to Agrona. "Where is your husband, Lady?"

"I don't have one, nor will I. I don't want to give up my estate to a man just because I adore his company."

He laughed. "You're lucky I'm not of the sort that is under the impression it is a man's world where women simply take care of children."

"Indeed I probably am."

"If you'll excuse me, I have some business to take care of with a friend. Come, Arin." Lyn turned and sauntered off, Ari behind him.

From that point forward, she danced with Kenniwick and made small talk for about an hour before making a move.

"I don't suppose you would show me around, sir?" Agrona asked. She knew Kenniwick to be easy to draw away from tradition, particularly if the tradition was being chaperoned when with a woman.

"If you wish." He wove his way out of the crowd, Agrona on his arm. He showed her to the garden, to the courtyard, to the stables, to the drawing room, the reading room, and, finally his room at the mention of her hopes to see a white falcon.

It consisted of a large canopied bed, a dresser, a nightstand, and a large window. A white gyrfalcon perched at the head of his bed, hooded and asleep.

Though it was tradition for the falconer to keep the falcons, Kenniwick had trained that bird himself, and absolutely adored it. So at the mention of it, he of course hadn't hesitated to show it off, even if it was in his room- not to mention the pretty Scanran he'd brought with him.

He turned his back to her and approached the bird. That was her chance. Agrona flipped the dagger out of her sleeve, swept up next to him, clasped her palm over his mouth, and knocked out with a swift blow to the head using the hilt of her blade.

She opened her satchel and dug through his possessions, grabbing the most valuable and slipping them into her bag. Finally, she found his glove. She slipped it onto her left hand and approached the gyr.

She'd seen austringers and falconers handle their birds before-mostly peasants using hawks to get food-but she'd never done it herself. She cut the bells off the raptor, then struck the hood after some experimentation with the braces. She drew it off the bird's head. It looked at her and bobbed it's head in interest. She raised the gloved hand, and it obediently jumped to her fist. She untied the falcon and then went to the window and opened it.

Below her was a low stone wall covered with vines. Trees stood on the other side of it, with shrubs on the side closest to her. A low whistle caused the falcon to bate of her fist. She let go of it in surprise.

Looking down, she spied Faline below her with her fist raised. Agrona dropped the hood and glove down to her, then closed the window.

She descended the stairs into the hall to find Ari and Lyn so they could leave-soon. She didn't like dragging the stolen goods right under the nobles' noses. She was dodging through the crowd when a flash of brown caught her eye. She turned to see a large, burly man wearing all brown with matching hair speaking to another noble. She froze.

It was Lupus.

What he was doing there, Agrona had no idea. Why would a wolf want to chatter with his prey?

An old saying found it's way into her mind. A wolf in sheep's clothing. Then came the part the Pack had added on: A wolf in sheep's clothing will take prey every time- a sheep among wolves will die. What it really meant was the strong kill the weak, and the weak die to the strong. It also meant know your prey before the Hunt.

That must have been why he was there. Agrona couldn't think of any other reason. Regardless of why, however, then was her chance to kill him and get her vengeance. She found Ari and handed him the goods.

"Go right now, Ari. Bring Lyn. I don't want to bring you down with me."

"Wait, what-" But she was already gone, searching for Lupus.

He was still chatting with that noble in a blue doublet.

She walked right over and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned.

She would avenge their betrayal.

The second he saw her his eyes widened in surprise. She punched him in the face, then whipped out her daggers. His eyes flared yellow, and that telltale surge of adrenaline pumped through her veins. Both fell to the earth, face lengthening and teeth become razor-sharp. Within minutes, wolf and horse-sized guard dog were on each other, snarling and snapping.

She would avenge their betrayal.

The nobles started yelling and running around. Sheep.

Agrona's teeth found Lupus' shoulder. He yelped as she bit, then returned the favor with sharp claws to her face. They fell back, circling each other.

He lunged. Agrona dodged, then was on him, snapping once more at his throat. She missed as he turned his head, getting the back of his neck instead.

A Hunter's horn sounded nearby. Evidently, someone had told them about the problem.

Agrona and Lupus disengaged.

"This isn't over, wolf," she snarled.

"You will die, dog."He said the word 'dog' like it was an insult.

"If I die, you're coming with me."

"We'll see about that." And he was gone.

Agrona fell back into human form, then ran. By the time the Hunters arrived, the wolf and dog were gone.

Lyn and Ari had apparently hung around while she attacked Lupus. After that, they went to the stables to get out-quickly.

"How did it go?" Faline inquired.

"Go!" Lynx told her, and vaulted into the carriage.

After that, things were going pretty well. Despite her attack on Lupus, she soon became one of Lyn's go-to thieves. He tried to convince her to become an assassin as well-she would be good at it, he thought.

"What's it, Lyn?" Agrona was not in the mood to talk. She'd lost an expensive ring to another thief who she'd had to track down and steal it back from, which put her in a bit of a mood due to the waste of most of her day.

"What rubbed your fur the wrong way this morning?"

"Gods-damn thief 'cided t' go runnin' off w' my loot. 'ad t' go track 'im down n' get that ring back, wastin' half t' daylight."

"How did that happen? Never mind. I don't need to hear it. I brought you here with a proposition."

"Do tell."
"You are a master of the dagger and of deception. I think you would make an excellent assassin. It pays quite a bit better than petty thievery."

"No," she answered without hesitation.

"No? I'm offering you a step up in the world!" His surprise was obvious.

"No. I ain't killin'."

"Why?" He asked incredulously.

"Stealin' makes me a' outlaw. Killin' innocents 'longside t'e guilty makes me a murderer, no better 'n t'e very wolves I seek vengeance on."

"You didn't hesitate to try to kill that man at the nobles' party."

"He deserved justice- I served it as I saw fit."

"So what? You have honor among thieves?"

"I ain't killin' t'e innocent. I'll steal from them who have much. I won't kill anyone 'r anythin'. Death is a thing that should only be dished out to the few, and I ain't comin' it's instrument t' give it to t'e undeserving."

"Very well, then. Do as you wish. The door will still be open for you if you change your mind. Dismissed."

All in all, her life with the Guild was pretty good. She probably would have stayed there for the rest of her days and eventually have become the Wildcat if everything hadn't changed that day two weeks after the infiltration of Lord Kenniwick's manor.

Agrona was coming back to the Lair after placing some lockpicks around the Guard's barracks in case some criminal that needed out didn't have one. She took the back entrance, going through the tunnels under the town that had been made by some long-gone Wildcat.

As she approached the tavern central to the Guild, she noticed the lack of noise. That was odd- usually the Pride was loud enough to be heard down the tunnels.

She slowed down, moving silently as possible, listening intently. She could smell strangers in the tavern, but that was all. Agrona slipped up to the entrance and looked around it. A man in chainmail supervised as his men bound and escorted the Guild members out. The Lair had been found, and now the Pride had fallen.

Agrona felt that wave of adrenaline, and, without thinking, leapt out of hiding, shifting as she went. The man's eyes widened in surprise as he drew his blade and dodged her lunge. She skidded to a stop and turned on him, teeth bared. She howled and attacked.

The man dodged again and yelled to his men to go. They dragged out the last prisoner and were gone. His eyes flared the colors of fire and his pupil turned into a vertical slit. Within seconds, she was facing a silver lizard with wings and spikes running down his back, arrowhead on his tail. He struck like lightning, nailing her in the leg. She yelped in pain and bit his long, serpentine neck in retort. He released her.

The fight didn't last long. Within five minutes, the dragon had her pinned to the earth.

Both dragon and dog shifted out of their animal forms and into their human ones.

"You are under arrest in the name of the King for major thievery, impersonation of a noble, resisting arrest, & assault. Surrender or face the consequences."

She growled at him and struggled to get free.

"You do realize that even if you do get free you have nowhere to run."

"I ain't gonna run," she snarled, then kicked at him. He dodged with the ease of long practice without even looking.

"You, my friend, are in no position to be fighting me again. Next time, you won't even have the advantage of surprise."

"Watch me."

"All that does is increase your punishment."

"Go burn in 'ell, Hunter."

"Nah, bit too hot for my tastes. Besides, I finally got out of the South, so why go to somewhere even hotter?" He withdrew a rope from his belt and bound her hands behind her back.

"Rope? In a den o' thieves? Yer an idiot, 'unter."

"Idiot I may be, but currently I'm the idiot who is in control of this whole situation, so I suggest you play nice."

"I don' give a gods-damn what t'e 'ell you suggest. I'm already gonna be lynched, so why die wit'out style?"

He pulled her to her feet. "Where are the daggers? Or am I gonna have to search you?"
She spat at him. He followed through on his word and searched her, somehow managing to get every dagger and lockpick she had on her. After that she was dragged in and thrown in a wagon with the rest of the Pride.

To her surprise, Lynx was there. He looked none too happy and appeared to be plotting from what Agrona could tell. He raised an eyebrow when she was dragged in by the leader of the Hunters.

"Why'd the Dragon deal with you instead of sending someone else?" He asked in Scanran.

"I ambushed them like a dog again."

"You need to learn to stop doing that."

"You try, Lynx."

"Hey, at least we'll hang together."

"I just can't wait."

"Just remember the first rule, Agrona."

"Why?"

He didn't answer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Agrona paced the cell like a caged beast the same way she'd been doing the past three days. Being one of the top members of the Pride, she was trapped alone. They couldn't afford her planning an escape with allies. How they knew of her rank, Agrona didn't know.

Footsteps echoed on stone as guards approached her cell. Was it time to be fed already?

A key clicked in the lock and the door swung open, revealing three guards. One came over with a rope and tied her hands in front of her. She thought about fighting, but she knew that even if she did get past those guards there would only be more.

"This way," he grunted, pushing her forward.

She reluctantly obeyed, following one of the guards. The other two fell into step behind her.

The agonized screams of unfortunate prisoners echoed through the halls. Agrona winced, hoping desperately that she wasn't about to follow in their footsteps.

The guard unlocked a door that opened into a small room consisting of a table and two chairs. He roughly pushed her into a chair and tied her hands to the table in front of her. She growled at him, none too happy with being shoved around. That earned her a cuff to the face.

All three guards left after double checking she had no weapons or lockpicks on her. She putzed with the rope, trying to see if she could untie it or if there was anywhere she could cut it when the door creaked open. She stopped immediately and took a whiff of the air. It was the dragon-Hunter.

He passed her, then sat down across from her.

"What's your name, thief?"

She considered whether or not she should answer that. She couldn't see any harm in telling him, and wasn't so stubborn and reckless that she would get herself halfway killed over it, so she told him.

He raised an eyebrow. "The harbinger of death? What did you do to earn that?"

"I won t'e largest Ru'leth in t'e shortest 'mount of time on record, and I ain't used weapons."

"Impressive. So then you what? Decided becoming a thief was a good idea?"

"I bore quickly wi'h t'e small talk, 'unter. Cut to t'e chase."

"Alright. I have a proposition."

"Do tell."

"I will drop the charges against you and give you a clean slate if you join the Hunters."

"What's in it fer y'?"

"That's for me to worry about, now isn't it?"

She considered the offer for maybe half a second before declining. "No."

"I'm giving you a second chance."

"I ain't joinin' those w'o just destroyed my entire guild!"

"You will die for them?"

"I ain't betrayin' t'em."
"They have no loyalty to you."

"How y' figure?"

"The one you call Lynx was willing to give us all sorts of information the minute it benefitted him." Lynx's words ran through her mind: Just remember the first rule, Agrona. Traitor.

"Whet'er or not 'e has loyalty ain't concernin' me. I still 'ave it t' my people."

"We can teach you control over it. How to stop killing."

She didn't have to ask what 'it' was. "I ain't killed no one. And 'ow did y' know t'at?"

"I know a lot of things, and would have if someone hadn't stopped you."
She couldn't deny that. "It won't matter if I'm dead."
"We can offer you vengeance."

Agrona started to respond when she froze, listening. The girl paled, her skin becoming white as a bone.

The Hunter heard it, too. The hunting howls of wolves, echoing just beyond the walls of the prison. They sounded different than other calls he'd heard, varying just slightly in tone.

But Agrona knew what they meant- the Pack had found her and was out for blood.

The Hunter stood. "Excuse me a moment," he said, and promptly left. Soon after, two of the guards followed. The last one grabbed Agrona's arm and led her out of the room.

She waited until they were about halfway back to her cell before she made her move. She kicked out her leg and caught him in the ankle, making him stumble. As he fell forward, she slammed her fists into the back of his neck, knocking him to the ground. With a swift blow to the temple she knocked him unconscious.

Agrona slipped his blade out of it's sheath and cut her bonds with it. She retrieved the sword, then took the man's dagger. Now, she had two options: run, fight, or help evacuate the prisoners. Helping the guards would get her thrown back in the cells, and they probably had it handled. Running was the smart option, but as she turned to go, she felt a rock in her gut. It wasn't right letting people die fighting when they were really only after her. Then their deaths would be on her, not the wolves who'd killed them.

Cursing her conscience, Agrona turned and ran down the corridor after the Hunter. She tore around a corner and collided with someone running the opposite direction. She stumbled back and looked at him.

"Lynx?!"

"Agrona?!"

"What are y' doing?"

"Getting the hell out of here before I get executed. What is all the commotion about?"

"Wolves are attackin'."

"Then shouldn't you be going the other direction away from the wolves?"

"I 'ear y' spouted quite a bit o' info t' t'e Hunters."

"First rule, Agrona. They were quite curious about you."

"Traitor."

"There wasn't any loyalty to begin with, girl."

"Ari had loyalty."

"Ari is a fool, just like you. Preserve your own life, wolf-child."

"They're right 'bout y'. Yer just a selfish bastard who does whatever necessary to 'et what 'e wants."

"That's right, sweetie. Surprised it took you this long."

He had no loyalty, no conscience. He was no better than the rich men she stole from. How had she not seen it?

No matter, now was her time to act. She could let him go, or bring him to justice like he deserved for the murder of innocents for personal gain.

She struck like lightning, jabbing at his side. He didn't expect the blow, and she got him squarely in the ribs. Before the Wildcat had time to retaliate, she was on him, sword at his neck.

"Take that, you evil, double-crossing, son of a gods-damned bitch!"

"What are you doing?"

"Making you pay for your crimes."

"You are no better than I!"

"I didn' take t'e lives o' innocents for money!" Agrona slammed him in the temple with the pommel of her dagger. He crumpled to the floor. She dragged him into the nearest cell and closed the door. Someone else could deal with him later.

She left him there and ran for the exit. Slamming open the door, she froze as she saw the scene that awaited her.

Blood.

She grabbed the other wolf-child and slammed him into the earth, blood gushing from his head as it came in contact with a rock like rose-red fire-falls...

Chaos.

Howls egged the wolf-children on as they scattered, a pandemonium of cubs fighting for their lives. The turmoil of the battlefield awoke something in the girl as discord ran rampant around her...

Carnage.

She howled her victory, the scattered bodies of the dead around her- the price she'd had to pay for her survival. Heart marred forevermore, she raised her hands in triumph. She had survived.

Death.

She snapped her fallen adversary's neck. He fell to the ground, lifeless and unmoving. Had she survived?

The wolves ruled the battlefield, liberally tearing apart their enemies in their search for her. Vultures, ravens, and crows had already begun to gather above the carrion, their harsh rasps joining into the cacophony of cries echoing across the field, calling of death and pain. All of this because of her.

Agrona ran unnoticed around the fighting, putting her dagger in between her teeth and the blade in her belt. She clambered up the wall of the nearest building, getting a higher vantage point.

Roofs lined the road, all within jumping distance of one another. She could do this.

She would save them. She had to.

They would survive. The innocent would survive.

She drew her blades and raised one above her head.

"Hey! You! Yeah, you cubs down there! You want me, do ya? Well then come and get me you cowardly, deer-sired, ground-licking, newborn puppies! You want a piece of me, the harbinger of death? Then come and get it, dogs!" Then she turned and took off, leaping from building to building, heart pumping so fast she thought it might burst.

They would survive. They had to.

The wolves disengaged from their fighting to give chase to their quarry.

"Inialos, please explain what I just saw," a brown-haired Hunter asked the dragon-Hunter as the Pack ran after the girl.

"One of the best thieves of the guild escape getting all the wolves to start chasing her."

"That is not normal thief behavior."

"She isn't a normal thief, Kolvar. She's the one from the Ru'leth three years ago."

"The harbinger of death?"

"That's the one."

"I thought the wolves had killed her."

"No. Apparently she stumbled into the Guild and has been with them for the last few years."

"Well, the wolves are going to kill her now. Want to give the cub a bit of a hand?"

"I won't say no to some more fighting. Get's the blood pumping."

"Typical."

"That's why I'm not the Cougar, Kolvar. Shall we?"

"You first."

"I'm honored." Inialos yelled to his men to follow and galloped off after the wolves.

They would survive.

Agrona could hear the werewolves tearing straight up the walls after her, running far faster than even she could go. She thought she could only hold out for another five minutes or so. She was faster than the average person, but the wolves were faster. Fear took hold over her heart, telling her to do something, to stop running this futile race. To find an escape, and let the innocent die.

No. She wouldn't give in to that instinct.

She would have been able to hold out for another several minutes if her foot hadn't caught on a loose shingle. She fell, dropping her weapons. It was all she could do to grab the edge of the roof before she fell to the wolves circling below her. The lycanthropes pursuing her skidded to a stop, snarling.

"Cowardly, deer-sired, ground-licking, newborn whelps, are we?" A wolf growled in her face.

"If I die, you're coming with me, wolf!" The shingles shifted under her grip. Dire wolves leapt under her, trying desperately to drag her down.

They would survive.

"Am I, now?" He flicked the tile she gripped with her left hand. It fell to the ground and shattered as she struggled to find another hold. Her right hand started to slip.

"Sure as hell," she snarled, reaching for a hold. The werewolf's paw landed right where her hand needed to go.

They had to survive.

"Now, now. That's not being very cooperative there, is it?"

Agrona swallowed. Rock and a hard place, was it?

They would survive!

The wolf above her turned and flinched, then flew over her head and into the turmoil below her. A giant cougar leapt from the roof and into the tumult below, yowling a battle cry. What the hell?

As the cat hit the earth among wolves, yells could be heard from around the buildings. The dragon-Hunter rode from around a corner, leading his men in a charge against the wolves.

With the wolves cornered and surprised, it was like shooting fish in a barrel for the Hunters.

The innocent would survive!

The last shingle Agrona had a grip on fell, sending her down with it. She almost landed on her feet, but miscalculated and ended up on her back. She scrambled to her feet with haste and lunged for one of her fallen blades. A wolf's paw landed squarely on the hilt of the sword. She grabbed the dagger, which was closer, and put it between her teeth, then waited for the wolf to pounce.

She didn't have to wait long. The worg leapt with a howl. Agrona dodged, grabbed the wolf's scruff, and pulled herself on its back.

She'd used the maneuver once before, in training several years prior to the fight. It had worked well that time, and put her on even ground with the wolf. That was, if she could hold on. The dire wolf roared and snarled, running in circles as it tried to bite her. When that failed, it started trying to throw her. She leaned forward, across the beast's neck, and curled her left arm under its throat to get a secure hold with one hand. Pulling her dagger out, Agrona sliced it's jugular on one side, then the other. It fought for a minute longer, then fell.

She disentangled herself from the dire wolf's body as a werewolf came at her. If only she could get a longer blade!

She glanced around for another weapon. Sure enough, a fallen Hunter's silver sword lay several yards away from her, about half the distance of the charging worg.

Agrona ran for it. The worg was on her in less than a second, crouching to pounce. She hit the dirt as it leapt, grabbing the sword. As it flew over her, she took a swing. It yowled as the silver blade came in contact with it's belly, hitting the earth and pivoting to attack her.

There were few differences between dire wolves and worgs: they were both about the same size, approximately that of a horse, and both were, well, wolves. Worgs, however, were stockier, beefier, and stronger, where the dire wolves were agile and dextrous. The primary difference, though, was that worgs' lower canines could grow up to two feet long and were serrated on one side, not to mention that their bite turned most humanoids lycanthropic.

This particular worg's saber-teeth were about a foot long, and it used them like daggers as it attacked her. Agrona attacked, slamming her blades forward with all the speed she could muster. The worg tilted it's head, using it's sword-fangs to block, then mounted it's own attack. It leapt for her again, and this time, she mistimed her dodge and got slammed into the earth. It moved it's head in a single, swift movement, about to slice her throat. Agrona plunged her silver sword into the worg's belly all the way to the hilt.

The creature yowled in agony as she twisted, trying desperately to kill the monster. It stumbled back, wrenching the sword from Agrona's grasp. The thing fought to stand, then fell despite it's persistence. It struggled to live for several seconds longer. Finally, it fell limp.

The wolves had finally recovered from their initial surprise of the Hunters' attack, and once they realized how badly they were losing, all of them moved to surround their target. The wolves on the outer edge of the ring held back Hunters. The others attacked.

She was never quite sure about exactly what happened later. One minute the wolves were about to kill her, the next there were dogs-everywhere. Big dogs, little dogs, stray dogs, tame dogs, hounds, shepherds, collies, wolf-hybrids, mastiffs and every other possible type of dog came from absolutely nowhere, suddenly attacking the wolves. Agrona herself felt the telltale surge of adrenaline and wash of color from the world as she changed.

The next thing she knew, the wolves were all dead from herself, the dogs, and the Hunters. The canines left into the shadows as quickly as they'd come. Panting, Agrona stood, covered in some hybrid of wolf blood and her own. The dragon-Hunter approached her.

"So you did what? Knock out the guard and steal his weapons?"

She shrugged. "Hey, he ain't goin' to pull t'at stunt. I needed t'em more 'n 'e did."

"Until you dropped them."

"You wanna try what I just did?"

"No, it was idiotic."

"Well it was t'at 'r have all them folks in t'ere get slaughtered like lambs."

"Inialos, what is this?" A blue-eyed, brown haired man came up behind the dragon-Hunter. She could tell immediately by scent that he was the cougar.

"This is the one who impersonated that noble to steal all Lord Kenniwick's goods and ruined the scheme by attacking Lupus."

"I didn' ruin nothin'!" She protested.

"My point exactly. She ruined everything."

The cougar-man chuckled. "That was a first, I've gotta say."

"I know."

A white guard dog with silver highlights trotted over next to Inialos, panting. Red stained his white coat, making him seem like some monster dog from a fairy tale. Behind him, a black, golden-eyed dog, followed and went to the cougar-man.

"So, girl, what do you say about our deal?" Inialos asked her.

"What deal?" The cougar-man interjected.

"The deal I decided to make with her."

"You don't have the authority to do that without talking to us first!"

"Well, I just did, didn't I?"

"Inialos..." His voice was warning.

"Oh, calm down Kolvar. You've gotta admit the pup is pretty damn good at killing wolves."

"You need to stop being so impulsive."

"I'd hardly call it impulsive, and besides, that's my job." He pointed at himself. "Dragon." Then to Kolvar. "Cougar. See? It all works out."

"Did it just never occur to you to clear it with us before clearing a known criminal- who, may I remind you, worked with Lynx?"

Inialos was about to respond when they were interrupted by a skinny lad. "'Scuse me, sirs."

"What is it?" Kolvar asked.

"I was told t' tell y'all t'at the wildcat got away."

"What?! After three years of tracking that gods-damned assassin and he got away?! You have to be kidding me!" Inialos looked about ready to commit bloody murder as he lapsed into muttered cursing.

"Sorry, sir. Also, Ari escaped."

"Typical," Inialos muttered.

"Did t'ey check t'e cells fer t'e 'cat?" Agrona asked.

Both men turned to her as the messenger ran off.

"Probably not. Why?" Kolvar asked.

"I put 'im t'ere. Not sure which 'un, t'ough. I was in a bit o' a 'urry."

"You turned in your own guild leader?" He was incredulous.

"'e betrayed me first. What comes 'round goes 'round."

"Told you so," Inialos told Kolvar.

Kolvar shook his head and wandered back to his men.

"So, about the deal…"
She hesitated. Was her loyalty still to the Guild? Or not, now that the Wildcat and Faline were due for execution, Ari was MIA, and the Pride was disbanded? Was her loyalty ever rightly placed with the Guild? Or not? Wasn't that the first rule? Would she allow herself to die for them?

No. She would survive.

"I accept your offer."