It wasn’t a city she was very familiar with, but then again out of the entire scope of the world she hadn’t exactly gone to that many places. Keeping truly to the north until she felt it was prudent to come to other countries. Being a hunter of very little renown meant she had to put her ear to the ground a little harder than others. Being an unknown also meant general mistrust even in the best places she could step into.

The scrutiny the woman got from the bounty board attendants wasn’t unlike the first time she ran after a group of lycans with the hunters she had practiced with. In fact it wasn’t even something she really cared much about; just paying notice to the fact.

So she did her research; she poked around the town. Asking questions in the most unlikely of places and even the sorts that you’d expect to lead nowhere. People whispered; people told her of things. A few jewels here, an apple there. The urchins talked when the tight lipped merchants wouldn’t. Why would they talk to her? She could have been one of them.

Finding out the various sightings of the lycans was the first step, a map of the city was the next. Being able to see where they all had popped up gave her a good grasp of the size of their territory. It was a smaller pack from what she gathered, two to three younger Lycans likely under the protection of an older one.

All of them seemed to be central around a farmland not even a few miles out of the city. Their appearances were far and inbetween when in the city so it must have only been when things were bad that they even stepped foot into the guarded walls.

The next step was trying to see if she could spot one herself; which the first couple nights never really yielded much. The appearance of a new hunter would always put the fear into the beasts. Not sure if she was good or just here to ‘pretend’. But she didn’t bother with it herself; her presence would be an upset.

No it was the urchins, the undesirables that she turned to. A meal or two would make them compliant; wanting to do work. A few jewels would go a long way for them. They’d do a lot. With her not even stepping outside of the city she was able to get a good grasp of things.

Three young. One old. Hints of them having a fifth with the size of the hunts they were bringing back. One of the urchins even saw them go into a wrecked barn outside of the city. A good mile or two from what Lucretia figured was their stomping ground. A few more meals, a jewel or two later? She had good directions; a good figure of the land.

Lots of overturned trees, broken fence posting. Even the location of a few traps that older hunters had put out. While those would likely be rusted or useless… To lucretia it just meant more tools she could use if the chase took her outside of the barn.

What she wanted was to see them face to face, to break their spirit. To break their desire to hunt; if she could do that maybe she could figure out a larger scope of things. If she couldn’t do that maybe she’d instead have to kill them. It really depended on the breakdown.

When she arrived at the edge of the ‘farm’ that held the barn in question she could already tell something was amiss. The birds were quiet, there wasn’t even ta sound of insects. She’d step forward into the wheat only to see a few bodies here or there. A group of hunters? No. A group of peasants with pitchforks and snuffed out torches. It wasn’t a recent attempt; there were flies and the stench of decay. Something that would keep animals away and others away. A warning. This was their field, this was their home.

Lucretia gritted her teeth and adjusted her cloak. It was an extra layer sure but it wouldn’t do much to stop the claws of a werewolf. No her magic would do that and so would her fists. Many laughed when she said she’d be the end of them. But they didn’t know where she came from.

A snap of a twig brought her attention to the left and a pair of eyes stared with hatred out to her. Slowly standing was a wolfen head, easing itself about the wheat and slowly coming to stand just a little above Lucretia’s head. It was a younger wolf she could tell that much. No real scar other than a missing eye. Something that looked recent; maybe the work of one of the peasants?

That answer would be for later; it showed her teeth. It growled. Werewolves could speak if they wanted to; at least the ones that controlled the beast and didn’t run rampant. But this one didn’t want to talk. No instead it leapt forward; it’s speed ws something that lucretia had figured would outstrip her. Closing the gap between the two of them in nay but an instant.

Her training kicked in and she’d throw herself back, the wolf soaring over her and she herself would growl in disdain. Crashing behind her and upsetting one of the bodies. The stench of it making the both of them take a moment. The wolf recoiled and she would grimace.

It’d whirl after a few seconds; baring its teeth wider. Her reaction speed wasn’t impressive but that wasn’t what was going to win her the day today. It’d run forward bringing a claw up to try to slam it into her side. The woman stepped forward, anticipating it’s swipe and putting a boot into it’s chest. The kick itself might not have amounted to much but it certainly did what she intended. Winding it and making the blow that connected to her side far less than what the wolf wanted.

With it wheezing from that lucretia brought her fist in a fierce uppercut, knocking it back a few steps. Lucretia’s eyes flicked down to where the peasant had been. The pitchfork was right inbetween the werewolf’s legs. A good point of reference…

For when she slammed her foot downwards, bringing the rusted points up wards and slicing into the thighs of the werewolf. Causing it to howl in pain. It’d take a swing or two at her and all Lucretia had to do was watch as it stumbled, those points digging deeper into it’s thighs. The haft of the pitchfork broke by the werewolves own claws but that gave lucretia an idea. Kicking into the end of the pitchfork, right on the left side of the ‘fork’ so to speak. It’d dig in deep, the werewolf howling again as she her fist up again. Knocking it over.

It’s flailing limbs caught her a few times, giving her deep gashes in her arms and a good knock onto her chest. She’d growl with that injury and stomp down onto the fork again. Watching the wolves thrashing grow weaker and weaker. She must have hit an artery or something with how the blood was pooling underneath it.

”Tch… definitely not the alpha. Probably a whelp.”

She found herself mumbling and it wasn’t until she looked around that she found that her disturbance had brought attention once again. This time from two sets of eyes. One was fairly larger than the other and… Well the other was tiny compared to Lucretia. Even in it’s transformed state it barely came up to her shoulder. That must have been an actual child. But the look in it’s eyes made Lucretia’s blood run cold. It wasn’t that of innocence but that of a murderous beast; it had lost itself to them. The older one spoke; a testament to its intelligence. One that she wasn’t sure if she was impressed by or…

”My beta slain. The weakest of the pack remains. It’s rare to see a hunter without silver kill one of my ilk but here we are. I’m going to make you pay for that.”

Lucretia realized that the count had been off; only three Lycans because the ‘beta’ likely had been masquerading as different ones. Either that or the Urchins were lying to her. Gritting her teeth the woman spread her stance wide; she felt the ache of the various wounds from the other a little deeper now that she moved.

”Why even fight me? Why even bother? I could kill you just as easily as turn you. So why not give up and become my beta instead?”

Lucretia spat on the ground and followed suit? She’d stomp on the ground, a magical seal traveling up her body. Her arms became coated in a frost like armor that seemed to cause the wolf to take a step back. The younger one flinched at the sight of magic. Something that lucretia would take note of. Grimacing the ‘alpha’ strode forward. He stood a good head and shoulders taller than her. Maybe they didn’t realize she could use magic or maybe they simply were afraid of the stuff.

The alpha was a lot faster than his beta, a lot faster than what Lucretia was expecting. It was all that she could do to bring up her arms to stop the alpha’s claws from taking her head clean off. Instead she was launched backwards off her feet and through the wheat. Tumbling down and through it while the alpha cackled. She’d come to a halt near another one of the bodies of the poor sods that probably owned the place. Wide eyed and looking far more worse than Lucretia.

But their eyes weren’t on Lucretia. No.

It was slightly offcenter and lucretia followed their gaze… To the trap that lay right within reach. Who had the bright idea to put bear traps in a wheat field she’d never know but… Hearing the alpha’s footsteps the woman pushed herself up. Grinning a bit as she noted that the fist she blocked the lycan’s swipe with wasn’t closing all the way. The armor was actually damn well near broken but… It’d suffice for what she needed to do. Hopping backwards over the trap she’d take a wide stance…

Before drawing herself back; her left fist closing and her ‘off hand’ was bleeding quite profusely. It wouldn’t be too long before she’d need to tend to it. The alpha seemed to be grinning as he approached. But this spell wasn’t for him no… She’d punch forward with gusto, her ‘forward’ foot not even a hair in front of the trap. The shard shot forward, missing the alpha completely. His eyes widened and his head whipped around just as the younger wolf took the shard between the eyes.

It wasn’t something she wanted to do; but the beast had already taken them. Watching the body tumble backwards the alpha let out a roar of anger. Rushing forward while lucretia hopped backwards, feinting to block as the alpha closed…

SNAP

A roar of incredible pain and the alpha fell flat on his face not even a finger nail away from slicing through the woman’s raised limbs. The slow cricking of his claw against one of the armor pieces brought a grimace to lucretia’s lips. He was flailing around; practically screaming in her ears with the bear trap firmly closed around one of his limbs.

Lucretia would take her time, he’d try to pry it apart but the treat with these kind of traps is that those larger digits couldn’t really work the same way. Even if the metal was somewhat ‘rusty’ it still was steel. With the focus off of her and on the trap is when Lucretia really started to lay into the Lycan alpha.

With her magic draining she had to focus on what was in front of her; pinning the werewolves arms to either side. Practically pinning him underneath her. He’d snap and bite at her, getting her good sure but… Her arms weaved around its neck and she’d hold it tight. Growling a bit as she felt it’s teeth scratch at her while she slowly brought it to a stand still. She could feel it flexing under her, she could feel its attempt to get away.

Grimacing as she brought what little strength she had to bear at this point… The woman clenched and she felt the werewolves body give way. A snap sounding again but not from the trap. From the beasts neck. She’d stand up spitting on the ground again as she watched the body for a moment.

”Never did like this part.”

They needed proof didn’t they? The woman snorted and worked at the bear trap… she’d have to figure out how to drag the damn thing back to town… but man would they likely sing a different tune once she did!