//------------------------------// // Howls of the Wolves // Story: Thorned Rose // by Salty Alty //------------------------------// Rose awoke to a strange shifting against her belly, and what felt like fur brushing against her. Cracking her eyes open, she noticed a, quite frankly, adorable sight. A Verlassen wolf and her cubs had decided to take shelter in her camp, and had decided to huddle into a small dog pile near her belly. Verlassen wolves, contrary to their namesake, were incredibly docile in the face of larger predators. Standing at the height of an Equestrian pony, they were by no means small, simply smaller than your typical Gryphic citizen. Their color changed and shifted depending on their environment, from a dark mottled green with various shades of brown in the warmer seasons, to an increasingly uniform white in the later months of the year. As it was summer, the wolf and her pups sported the typical coat one would expect of their species. As Rose woke up, so too did the wolf and her pups. The mother, clearly wary despite her choice of temporary den, positioned herself between Rose and her offspring. Rose simply giggled to herself, before poking her head out and levitating a piece of jerky over, splitting it up between the 3 small puppies. As her comrades awoke from their slumber, Rose set about gathering up her various effects, along with her armor and weapons. As she finished fastening the various straps for her brigandine, she noticed her companions preparing to take flight. Waving to her friends as they took off, she strapped her large saddlebags nice and tight, before marching off in the direction of the Verlassen Woods. Three hours later As Rose continued trotting with a steady pace towards her destination, the sun lazily moved across the horizon. The temperature wasn't too terribly hot, and there was a light breeze going through the area, following the sun to to the west. One could see the Verlassen woods from miles away, the large pines forming a truly massive canopy for those who called the forest their home. Even in the winter months, it was one of the few forests that were preserved by the Confederacy at large. Dark greens, various shades of brown and auburn, and the occasional white oak of a birch tree made up the spectacle that was the Great Verlassen. A large part of it's reputation came from what made it's home beneath the massive canopy of the great woods, from Bugbears, Tree Basilisk, Bandits, and other forms of flora and fauna. There was no true safe passage through the area, as the roads fell prey to brigand and beast alike. The only moderately safe passage came from having superior numbers and arms, as even the untamed woods and scoundrels knew to respect steel and bow. Rose knew her odds, and while she realized the risk was indeed fairly high, she also did not wish to take until the end of the year to reach Equestria, so she pressed on. As she came within earshot of the forest's boundaries, she could hear the faint clashing of steel. Rose began galloping full speed towards the sound of fighting, the verdant green of the plains quickly transitioned to a darkened green. As she came within visual range of the violence, she spotted five gryphons harassing a caravan, which from the looks of it to Rose, hadn't hired sufficient protection. Rose quickly slung her crossbow from across her back, swiftly balancing on her hind legs and shouldering the weapon in a practiced, efficient motion. As she took aim to the closest griffon to her, who was, by the looks of it, equipped with scale mail. Time slowed to a crawl as she steadied her breathing, trying to line up a shot without hitting any of the victims of the marauders. As the gryphon stopped for a moment, she pulled the trigger and let the bolt soar towards his neck. A shrill whistling rung out as she let loose the bolt, and the armored bird's neck snapped toward his impending demise. As he opened his mouth to let out a warning to his fellows, the bolt sung it's song and sank into his opened beak, sinking into his spine, as the bandit dropped to the ground, paralyzed and dying. His fellows, having heard the whistle of a signalling bolt, turned their attention towards Rose. One of their number, A stout gryphon, made an attempt to break off and shoot towards her, before falling victim to the blade of a battleaxe wielded by a caravan guard. As Rose slung her crossbow over her back, she quickly slung a hoof towards her saber's hilt, drawing it in a smooth motion. Pony swords had to be made different from normal Gryphon or Minotaur swords, and as such where there would normally be a hoof guard and a hilt, a sturdier hoof guard was all that a pony needed, due to their hooves short ranged telekinetic grip. Due to this, Sabers and Rapiers were quickly adopted by the more Equine members of the Confederacy, as Longswords and other such blades were not able to be forged in such a way. As Rose sprinted towards the rest of the brigands, now in a bipedal fighting stance, she quickly let loose a kinetic blast towards a much more heavily armored gryphon, this one wearing poorly fitted mail and an overly tight gambeson. His opponent, a pegasus wearing studded faux leather armor, quickly capitalized on the stunned state of the brute, smashing the side of his head with a black jack, the gryphon quickly dropping to the ground unconscious. A younger gryphon was her second, and last victim of that fight. As she quickly came upon him, he turned too late to stop the thrust to his rib cage, the blade of the saber sliding through the ribs effortlessly. As Rose pulled her blade out, she looked around, noting that the 3 caravan guards had finished off the rest of the brigands. She panted, the mixture of adrenaline and exhaustion from traveling making it's effects clear on her body. Sweat dripped from her face, the entire battle having lasted a mere minute. Who Rose presumed to be the leader of the caravan trotted up to her, a... "Affluent" looking unicorn, wearing a velvet vest with numerous little pockets, and the stereotypical monocle that one would expect from snobbish nobility perched on his snout. his coat was a soft, creamy beige color, and his mane was chocolate brown. He spoke, in a surprisingly friendly tone despite the airs he put on. "I certainly didn't expect a Ranger to be out here this late! Not that I'm complaining of course. You have my utmost appreciation young madame!" He said, holding out a hoof for her to shake. Rose regarded it wearily for a moment, before shaking his hoof and replying. "Apologies, But I'm not a Ranger any longer Sir." She said, craning her neck upwards so that he could see the tattoo. "You're welcome all the same. Why aren't there any more guards?" She asked, gesturing towards the three, a minotaur, a gryphon, and a pegasus. "Money doesn't look to be a problem for you." She commented, pointedly eyeing the pony's attire. The Pony was still for a moment, before breaking out into loud guffaws. "Oh no no no no! They were just the only ones who wanted to come along! All the other guards I attempted to hire were... discouraged, if you will, when I mentioned these woods here. I suppose I can see why now." He said, smiling warmly before a moment of shock and realization crossed his face. "Oh Pardon me Madame! I haven't even introduced myself! I am Duke Chessur, might I inquire your name Miss?" Rose replied as she walked towards the corpse of the gryphon she shot, retrieving the bolt that she shot. "Rose, mind if I tag along? I'm heading towards Hafenstadt." She said, before gesturing for the minotaur to toss her the axe. "You boys have a sack? I reckon these five could fetch you all a pretty bounty." The Minotaur frowned, before speaking in a low, rumbling voice. "We checked the bounty board before we left. These five haven't been marked by the authorities.". Rose shrugged, before sifting through the dead bodies for anything useful. She found a few Aviars, but not much else of use. The Pegasus raised her eyebrow, before saying with a scratchy, irritated voice. Her blue coat was dirtied with blood, and her black and blue mane had clearly been ravaged in the fight. "I thought you had respect for your dead. I didn't realize this was a nation of grave robbers." Rose glared at the pegasus, before growling out in a threatening tone. "We have respect for the honored dead. Bandits and criminals don't receive that same respect." The pegasus lingered for a moment longer, before walking back to the cart, resting against it before the group moved on again. Chessur coughed into a hoof, before speaking sheepishly. "Well, I can't promise you'll be payed but you are most welcome to come along, provided you pull your weight." And as the sun hung high in the sky, the group set off.