Atop a cliff, overlooking the werewolf pack's den, was a man and a werewolf. Achak and Cameron stood together staring out at the group of werewolves that gathered obliviously down below. Light footsteps approached, Achak's ears twitched, and the two men turned to see a young girl approaching them. She was small, only standing 5'4", and was clad in her medium armor set with her bow attached to her back and ready to go. Her long dark hair was bound in a bun, tucked under her huntsman cap. She was ready; at least, that's what she told herself before coming here.

She paused as she saw her friends up ahead. The werewolf beckoned her toward him, and she took a deep breath to ready herself before walking toward's Achak. As Rinni Faithe approached the battle-worn wolf, he turned and pointed toward a large black werewolf with deep blue eyes. That was the leader. That was her target. That was Amarok.

"That's Amarok? He's so big... he's uh..."

"Bigger than you expected?" Achak looked down at the girl who nodded nervously. "You cannot show any fear, Rinni Faithe. Wolves can sense fear. Even now, I can feel yours."

"I'm... I'm not..."

"Don't lie."

Rinni gulped, her body trembling as she watched the black werewolf march and pace about, commanding the others who seemed to obey without question. Was she really going to challenge him? She was beginning to second guess her discission. But before she could retreat, she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Cameron. He smiled reassuringly. "You can do this. You took down that rogue by yourself, yeah? This should be no different."

"But... he's bigger than the rogue was..." Rinni argued, her small frame quivering in fear and anticipation.

"You'll be fine. Just be brave, and be clever. If you find you don't have the strength or speed to match him, use strategy. My brother is strong and fast, yes. But that does not mean he is smart. Now, when you approach, show only pride and strength. Not fear."

Rinni nodded, and slowly headed down toward the den of the wolves (so to speak). As they saw the human girl approach, they greeted her with low growls and bared fangs. None attacked, however, as they were curious as to why she dared step into their territory on her own.

"My name is Rinni Faithe." She announced confidently, head held high. "I am the one who killed the rogue wolf. I seek an audience with your alpha, Amarok."

[WC 451/1500]

The werewolves shared looks of disbelief but as pro protocol, they escorted the petite human female to meet with their alpha. The large black werewolf turned his attractive blue eyes toward the child and growled. He inquired as to why they had brought her to him. When they informed their alpha that this girl had eliminated the rogue werewolf on her own... Amarok released a deep throaty laugh. Rinni could not tell if he was impressed or laughing in disbelief. Either way, he hadn't tried to kill her. Yet. Instead, he thanked her for doing away with that rogue flee, and then ever so calmly inquired as to why she had come to see him. Rinni felt nervousness rising within her as the large beast eyed her, his tongue sliding across his muzzle as though looking at a freshly prepared steak dinner. However, she pushed it down willing away the growing panic. She cleared her throat and remained strong as she slowly approached Amarok. The other wolves growled, but he waved a clawed hand to silence them, his curiosity piqued.

"Amarok, I have come to challenge you for the title of Alpha." She proclaimed boldly. The reaction she received was not what she had expected.

Amarok's ears perked up, his blue eyes widening in surprised amusement. He, along with the rest of the pack, broke into roars of laughter. Rinni's eyes glanced toward the rest of the pack, before returning to meet Amarok's gaze. As they made eye contact, and he saw she was not laughing, nor retreating, his own laughter subsided. He raised his claw to silence the others, before approaching the young human. She stood her ground, peering up at the larger male. He smirked as he looked down at the girl.

"Oh, you are serious, aren't you?" He said huskily. He leaned down to her height and his expression changed. "Alright, little girl. I accept your challenge."

Amarok proceeded to step 10 feet away in preparation for the match. Rinni removed her bow from its resting place and readied it. The other wolves circled around, preventing either combatant from leaving the arena. This was it, it was starting. Rinni took a deep breath of preparation, while Amarok readied his claws. It was further announced that, since she was a small defenseless human, her use of a weapon was allowed to keep things fair.

So, Rinni made a mental note to avoid his fangs and claws. All she had to do was keep out of his reach. But there was nowhere to hide. She was exposed in the open surrounded by a werewolf barrier. No way out. It was a big area, at least, but there was no possible way to avoid him entirely. At best, she'd have to play keep away and fire fast. No time to aim. No time to think. Just shoot and hope for the best. She silently prayed that she can survive this encounter. When it was announced that it was time to begin, Rinni readied her bow. Amarok smirked through a snarling muzzle. He wasn't even trying to attack. He was taunting her. Giving her the first move. He was confident. Too confident. Rinni didn't like where this was going.

She readied her bow and drew back the string. An 11-inch arrow of mana began to materialize as she drew the string back. As she fired the electrically charged arrow through the air, it headed toward its target. Amarok dashed out of the way at the last second, and the arrow whizzed passed him! The werewolf spectators dodged the oncoming projectile as Amarok lunged for Rinni. Rinni jumped to the side and just barely managed to dodge the attack!

'He's fast. I don't know how long I can keep this up. I need to end this fast!'

Weapons/Spells:

[WC 1105/1500]

The battle quickly became a match of cat and mouse, with Rinni being the unfortunate mouse. She dodged the best she could, firing arrows that missed more often than they hit. Those that did hit barely phased him, as he pulled them out and laughed at her pathetic juvenile efforts. She realized she had to do something soon or she may lose more than the match. She was getting tired, and so was Amarok. But he still had more energy and speed than the small human girl who was stupid enough to challenge him. She was breathing heavily, her heart racing. She could hear him panting as he lunged at her, knocking her to the ground. She rolled and quickly recovered to her feet. She couldn't afford to let him pin her. If he got that sort of edge... it'd be over. He was way too strong for her to resist such an assault.

'Come on. Think, Rinni, think. He must have a weakness or something...' She studied her opponent every time he hit the ground or slid to a stop after missing her. He stood on all fours, snarling as he eyed her from head to toe. She used this moment to devise a plan, and as he ran toward her, she readied her bow, drawing back the string as a more powerful mana infused arrow materialized.

As he pounced, she fired the arrow, hoping it hit the target. It did, embedding itself in the werewolf's chest, a few inches from his heart. She cursed silently, as her aim to kill the creature was slightly miscalculated. He was truly tougher than the last werewolf she fought. This was serious and the longer it went on the more she regretted her decision to come here. She left home to find herself, figure out her place, prove her strength. Not to die a stupid death in a fight that wasn't even her business. How did she end up in this mess anyway?

Still, the arrow staggered Amarok. While he was stunned from the unexpected blow, she took the opportunity to aim for his heart. She drew back her bowstring, another mana infused arrow materializing. Not as strong as the last, but it should be strong enough to finish him off. As she released the string, Amarok growling and dashed out of the way, the arrow barely grazing his shoulder. He was losing, and he refused to lose. Especially not to a small, weak, human girl. Before Rinni could react, Amarok grabbed her from behind. She gasped in terror. This was it. It was over.

She felt his fangs sink into her shoulder, ripping her tender flesh. She let out a scream of pain as she struggled to escape his grasp. The surrounding werewolf's ears perked up, their noses sniffing at the scent of fresh blood. Rinni pushed the werewolf back with her feet, trying to prevent any farther harm to befall her. As she struggled to keep him at bay, she shakily readied her bow and fired a mana infused arrow into his heart. He let out a shrieking howl of pain as he staggered back, his body hitting the ground with a thud.

That was all she needed. It was over. She had won, albeit just barely, fair and square against a ravenous werewolf. As she stood up, clutching her bloody shoulder,  the pack looked to Rinni and bowed. She was their new alpha. It was then Cameron and Achak appeared, and the pack stared at the werewolf in confusion as to why he was there.

Cameron quickly tended to Rinni's wound, wrapping a cloth around her chest and shoulder to stop the bleeding and sinching it tightly. She thanked him and then turned to the pack.

"I am not a leader. I do not deserve the rites to a pack, nor do I wish for such a privilege. Amarok was a coward and a liar. I relinquish my alpha title to your true alpha, Achak." The area burst into howls as Achak thanked her for her help in recovering his pack and saving the village. Cameron and Achak rewarded the girl, and she went on her way, exhausted, worn, and in immense pain from her battle. She didn't make it far, however, before her strength gave out and she collapsed. Cameron scooped her into his arms and carried her back to his village. He allowed her to rest and recover in his room until she was fit to move.

"Thank you, Cameron. I won't forget you nor Achak." She bowed to him, after a few days rest, and moved on to Orchidia City.

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[WC 1898/1500 Complete]