Disclaimer:Based on an idea by Ke'ena Kapu on the Elderburnin server!

A light layer of frost crunched underfoot, stubbornly clinging to the dirt and gravel of the road despite the many travelers coming and going from the royal city nestled at the base of the hill. Beyond the southern gates, houses and buildings stood, made of cold, unforgiving stone with black smoke billowing from chimneys, and an imposing castle in the distance, surrounded by lush forests. It painted quite the picture in the early morning light, the archway above the southern road bearing snow from the previous night's fall.

Atlas in the winter time- she'd never come to the kingdom for a job, but seeing it blanketed in a pristine layer of pure white seemed fitting, considering the reputation the royal family possessed. The imperious, pale, bracing sort of nobles, and they'd requested her specifically from the Hunters' Guild of Vale to handle a… beast of some sort. The letter wasn't overly specific but the further she traveled, the more she learned, though the information she most desired remained curiously beyond her reach. A beast, bigger than any other, perhaps a true monster or a summoned spirit run rampant- it roamed the Royal Forest, fed off the King's deer, and all royal hunts had to be canceled until it was vanquished.

Yang Xiao Long puffed out a breath that turned to mist, shifting the pack on her shoulders. The long journey from the coast meant she'd relish the chance to set her gear down, but first she had to acquaint herself with the area. Surely, those living a stone's throw from the woods where the beast dwelt would know better than any the sort of creature she faced.

Horses whinnied and neighed, an ass brayed, and wagons creaked as people brought goods to the royal market, the low hum of chatter occasionally punctuated by vendors hawking their wares, and Yang weaved in and out without much trouble. She noticed some people staring, their eyes focused on the furs draped across her shoulders, the ax strapped to her back and sword at her hip, cestus on her forearms catching the weak morning light, and a smile curled her lips, hidden by the orange scarf wrapped around her neck. Amid the subdued colors of Atlas and the winter, the yellow of her hair, lilac of her eyes, stood out, with only the brown of her pelts and tunic the only things to tone down her appearance amid the locals. From high rooftops flew Atlas' royal sigil, a white snowflake on a white field, outlined in a bright sort of blue, such a contrast to all the lands she'd traveled already.

"Ho, traveler." A stocky man clad in armor called out to her, the royal emblem upon his breastplate with a crown above it likely signifying a guard of some sort. "Are you the Huntress?"

"Well, I'm a Huntress," she replied, offering a teasing smile. "But, yeah, I'm probably who you're looking for. I was called here about a beast?"

"The King would like to speak with you immediately."

She quirked a brow but nodded, quite certain it wasn't the King who'd sent for her. Regardless, she was wise enough not to turn down a royal invitation, but she wouldn't let it detract her from her own mission. "Have you heard any tales of this beast?"

"Heh, I've heard tales of it, aye." The guard shook his head. "You're a fool to try and hunt the damned thing. It's killed the last six people who've tried; Royal Hunters all, decades of experience, felled by the creature- without so much as wounding it!"

"What about farmers? Shepherds? Woodsmen?"

The man frowned, looking at her then. "No, nor a head of cattle or sheep. Whatever it is, it stays in the royal forest, and no commoner would dare trespass."

Yang didn't believe that in the slightest; a mindless beast would hunt the easiest prey, and cows fattened for slaughter made much easier targets than deer. "How long has it plagued you?"

"A few months. It just… suddenly appeared, out in the forest- Her Highness, Princess Weiss, was nearly killed by the beast." The man shook his head. "We're truly blessed she survived the encounter. After what happened with her sister…"

"Dead?"

"No… though it might be a kinder fate. She displeased the King by failing to protect her sister from the beast and he had her stripped of her birthright." The guard looked a bit sad then. "A shame, really."

Curious, Yang tilted her head; while her skills tended more towards tracking down terrible creatures, she had the sense to know when something was off, even in regards to something as seemingly ridiculous as court drama in a foreign land. "What makes you say that?"

On the walk to the castle, Yang learned more about the royal family of Atlas than she did of the beast they'd hired her to hunt, and something began gnawing at the back of her mind- a suspicion she wouldn't voice. But she certainly noticed how no one seemed relieved by her appearance, most shrugging off her introduction with indifference. Whatever beast plagued the royal forest… the people didn't seem to mind the thing too much.

It seemed they were right to request her specifically and she looked forward to plying her talents.

The castle was… cold. Fires burned in every fireplace, torches on every wall, but it all felt… impartial, if she had to put a word to it. The royal guards acknowledged her with tilts of their heads and a word or two to her guide, knights passed them with hardly a word, and a few nobles stumbled about, hungover from a feast the night before- to celebrate the announcement of another offensive for the war front. Yang caught snatches of conversation that filled in the details and tried to hide the frown tugging at her lips; for a kingdom under siege by a terrible beast, no one seemed too… actually disturbed by it. No whispers of the creature stalking the night before and no outpouring of gratitude for her arrival.

All in all, she couldn't be convinced the beast actually posed a problem rather than a slight annoyance, if even that.

Finally, they came to two towering doors, thrown open as people quietly milled around in a line leading towards an ornate throne, upon which sat a woman who couldn't be much older than herself.

Snow white hair, pale skin, flashing blue eyes, with a thin circlet settled on her temples and a flowing white dress with light blue accents. Obviously not the Queen- from the stories Yang had heard thus far, likely Princess Weiss, with the healing scar across her left eye becoming more prominent the closer the hunter drew to the raised dais upon which the throne sat. Behind her left shoulder, hanging in the shadows behind the royal, she spied a glowing set of amber eyes catching the fire light, scanning the room for any possible threats.

The Princess held up a hand, halting the next person to speak with her- a blacksmith, given the heavy leather apron over his burly frame- and directed her gaze to the guard as he led Yang past the line of people awaiting her attention.

"Sir, what is the meaning of this?" Then she seemed to notice who, exactly, accompanied him. "Is this the Huntress?"

"Yes, Your Highness." The guard stepped aside, bowing so that Yang could step forward.

Her Highness made a motion with her left hand, her shadow stepping forward to reveal a Faunus with flowing midnight hair and feline ears atop her head. A few quick words were exchanged before she nodded, stepping down from the dais and bowing her head towards Yang.

"Please, follow me," she said, turning to lead the way through a small doorway off to the side, down the hall and into another room. "Her Highness will meet with you after the petitions are through."

"I thought I was meeting the King?" She raised a brow, noting the shadow that passed over the Faunus' expression, quicker than a flickering flame.

"If you're lucky, you'll meet with her first." Again, the attendant bowed. "Please, wait here. Her Highness won't keep you waiting long."

And with that, she slipped back out, leaving Yang alone in the room. It was nice, if a bit bare, with plain white stone and white and blue trappings on the walls. Large, plush armchairs sat in front of a fire place, and she felt a bit tempted to sit down, but opted instead to review what little information she'd gathered.

However, that plan was shot when the door opened, and her gaze was drawn to the woman striding in, cape billowing in her wake. Dressed as a noble with military decorations pinned to her chest, white hair pulled up in a severe bun with those same flashing eyes- the elder sibling, no doubt, considering the strong resemblance, like she was now looking at the same woman but from a future time. She couldn't be much older- a few years, at most- but something flashed in her eyes, a spark of wisdom older than herself, a sort of maturity born from hardship. Yet, there didn't seem to be bitterness to accompany the pristine white of her fine silk, no edge to the coldness she exuded, like staring out at the fresh fallen snow through a window, able to see beauty without fighting the chill.

"So you're the Huntress they've sent for," she said, a note of dismissive derision in her tone as her gaze flicked over Yang's form. "Your reputation precedes you. They say you're quite formidable when tracking down your prey."

"I'm good at my job." Blue eyes lingered on her shoulders, lips curling in disdain, and she couldn't be sure how she'd managed to displease the woman so swiftly but offered a friendly smile. "You must be Princess Winter-"

"I'm no Princess. Not any longer." The woman squared her shoulders, a pinch to her brows as she just barely refrained from outright glaring at Yang. Anger- understandable- and something else, something just a bit… more, almost like a grudge, despite the fact they'd never met before. "I'm merely a soldier, and I've been ordered to provide you what tools you require to track down this beast."

"I appreciate the offer, Miss Winter," she said, noting how the honorific did nothing to improve the woman's sour mood and pressing on regardless. "But, actually, I'd like a little more detail on what it is I'll be hunting. The request… wasn't very specific and no one's really been able to say."

The former Princess- which, honestly, Yang wasn't even sure if that was a thing or not, but beside the point- stared at her for a moment before sighing. "We're doing our best not to cause a panic; that information cannot leave the castle walls."

"I can't hunt a ghost; that's not my specialty," she replied, spreading her hands. "At least give me something to start with."

"It's a wolf of some sort, but much larger than any breed native to Atlas."

"Like a direwolf?" Aggressive and fearless, direwolves were nearly hunted to extinction to make way for more human villages across Mantle and Mistral, but some packs survived in the far reaches where people dared to tread. If it was a direwolf, the fact Princess Weiss had escaped with only a scratch could only count as a blessing, when the vast majority of unprepared souls who encountered them were lucky to die a quick death.

"Perhaps." The woman shook her head. "It's large and dangerous. That's all there really is to say about the beast." Those blue eyes fell on her. "And you've been hired to kill it. I suppose that's all there really is to say about you." She drew herself up to her fullest height, clasping her hands behind her back. "And that's the extent of the situation. Is there anything you require?"

Yang felt her suspicions whisper even louder. Winter looked like a taut bow string, pulled to snapping but just barely maintaining her composure, as if furious words sat on the tip of her tongue locked behind tightly clenched teeth. Considering the lack of information given, it almost felt like not even she had much interest in seeing this beast problem brought to an end.

"I'll let you know if anything comes to mind."

With a slight nod, the woman turned, as if to leave, but the door opened again and in strode a man just an inch or two shorter, with a heavy crown wrought in gold on his head, the snowflake prominent in the center of his forehead and mustache quivering as his gaze landed on his daughter. They didn't share as striking a resemblance- white hair, blue eyes of a different shade- but they carried themselves similarly.

"This is not the war room, Commander," the King said, his tone dripping with condescension. "Have you forgotten already your place of duty?"

"No, Your Majesty," Winter replied, her tone and expression absolutely placid though the flashing in her eyes turned cold and furious. "But we've a special guest. It would be poor manners to not receive her properly."

He hummed, brushing past her with a dismissive grunt. "Ah, yes. The Huntress, come to slay this disgusting beast. I'll make the arrangements; you should find something useful to do with yourself."

For a brief moment, her mask broke, fury and disdain splayed across her expression, but everything disappeared so quickly, Yang almost thought she'd imagined it. "Of course, Sire."

As she left, the hunter's heart went out to the woman; she quite well understood the pain of being so thoroughly dismissed by a parent without good reason.

"So you're the Huntress of Vale, hmmm?" The King's gaze flickered over her, a snarl curling his lips. "Or did the illustrious Guild of Hunters send us their barmaid?"

Charming man, she thought, though she gave him a small smile. "I assure you, Your Majesty, I'm the one you seek. Creatures of this nature are my specialty."

"Then I can expect the damned thing dead by the morning?" He straightened out the silk of his shirt. "My more useless noblemen are complaining about the lack of hunting grounds and I'm running low on reasons to care for their entertainment."

There were jobs she didn't like, and there were clients she didn't like, and this hunt firmly fell into the latter category. "Your Majesty, I'm afraid I've received little information. All I know is that it's a wolf of some-"

"It's no wolf," he said, a furrow to his brows, mouth turning down at the corners. "It's a monster born of the darkest bowels and should be snuffed out as soon as possible."

"Your Majesty, it'll take some time to track this beast, find out what it is and how to kill it." She crossed her arms over her chest, not the least bit intimidated by the displeasure in his expression. "I'll also need to research what potential beasts I could be encountering, ones native to the area-"

"Then lock yourself in a library for all the help it'll do you." The King spat, turning towards the door, where several attendants stood, having slipped in silently when Winter left and bowing their heads reverently as the sovereign passed. "But you'll not be paid until I have that creature's head mounted on my wall."

Without another word, he swept out of the room with his attendants scurrying after him and a small retinue of royal guards trailing behind.

"Charming royal family," she said, releasing a soft sigh, only for yet another to enter the small room- and, this time, the person she was actually expecting.

"Greetings, Huntress." The Princess offered her a tight smile, worry shining in the amber eyes of her attendant. "I… believe you've already met my father, the King."

"If you could call it that," she replied. "If I'm honest, I must admit this is one of the odder jobs I've received. I'm really not sure who called me here, if I'm actually needed, or even what sort of creature might possibly be in your forest, other than some sort of wolf."

A frown touched the Princess' lips. "Does that mean you'll leave?"

"Not if I can get a few answers."

"I'll provide those I can." Her gaze briefly darted around. "But you must understand; I am but the heiress to the throne. The castle isn't mine, nor all the eyes and ears in it. If the King has forbidden me to speak… I must abide."

Beneath the words and the polite expression, she could clearly see the ambition and hear the unspoken 'for now' at the end.

Just what had she gotten dragged into?

The night air, cold and crisp, cut through her furs, making her shiver. Yang had faced winters all over Remnant but had yet to experience the terrible severity of the Atlesian cold. However, according to the Princess, the beast could only be found roaming the forest at night, no hint of its den during the day and no trails either. Skeptical, she'd gone to the castle's impressive library and perused some of the books there, seeking any hint of local mythos to support the sort of beast described. Direwolves were nocturnal, yes, but they clearly marked their territory, and the more she dug through the books, the less the theory held water.

Birds took flight in the distance, disturbed by something, and she could hear the sound of movement carrying through the snow filled air as it lightly fell down. Lilac eyes scanned between the trees, her head moving as little as possible to keep herself hidden among the branches and shrubs.

Only one particular book proved promising, one detailing the ancient legends about the founding of Atlas' royal line. If the old tales were to be believed, it might explain why the royal family remained reluctant to explicitly called the beast by name… but it also didn't make much sense either, at least from her perspective.

In the darkness beyond the treeline in front of her, hidden from the bright moon overhead, something moved. Massive, with light colored fur and eyes that gleamed in the low light- shining gold.

That's not good. Yang waited, watching as it moved, massive head low to the ground. Don't do it, don't do it.

Then, the creature hit on the scent of deer that had passed through the area earlier in the day. It seemed to resist the impulse for all of two seconds before tilting its head back, rearing up on two legs, and loosing a long howl that echoed through the night.

Werewolf.

Part of her felt relieved- she knew how to deal with werewolves- and the rest of her felt a great sense of foreboding settle over her shoulders- werewolves occupied a very specific place in Atlesian mythology and legends. All the Atlesian bloodlines had died out ages ago and not a one had been seen within the kingdom's borders since; she felt confident that this wasn't a displaced local aware of their trespass and simply unburdened by concern.

And part of her realized that was not good news.

With the scent of its prey caught, the beast took off in a run, rushing through the trees and brush. Once the sounds faded, Yang left her hiding spot and went to where the creature had stood. There, she found claw and paw marks- huge ones. Long white fur, shedding easily- not uncommon for one recently turned. Looking around, she saw evidence of where its burly frame had broken branches- not the largest she'd seen, but very close.

"Well… this is either going to be really good… or really bad."

She stood, listening to the sounds of the forest. The deer had probably traveled miles by now, but if she moved quickly, she might be able to catch a better look of the beast she sought. Confronting it tonight would be ill advised at best; hopefully, she could get at least get a sense of how to approach it.

Hopefully.

Three nights had passed since her arrival, all spent out in the forest tracking the werewolf, and she shouldered her way into the dining hall with a slight grimace.

The morning after her first hunt, her attempt to inform the royal family of her progress in identifying the beast was shouted down by the King, a cold fire in his eyes as he demanded she simply destroy the creature that night or not trouble them with inane details at all, and she quite nearly walked out on principle alone. But Princess Weiss entreated her to stay and continue her work, promising to double the reward if needed- which it wasn't, truly. The more time she spent in the royal castle, the more she got the sense that something wasn't right, something hiding just around the corner and she couldn't catch a glimpse of it. What time she didn't spend tracking or sleeping, she used in other ways, scouring the books of the royal library or listening to tales from servants and guards- regarding the beast, the royal family, the royal forest, whatever they could tell her. She learned many things… but not all of them terribly useful to her hunt.

"Good morning, Huntress." Princess Weiss greeted with a small frown. "Is… everything alright?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Gingerly sitting down at the long table- near the head, where the woman sat with her attendant just a step behind, though the table directly to the Princess' right seemed recently vacated- Yang puffed out a breath, massaging her right side. "I crossed paths with the beast last night."

Pale eyebrows rose as she leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Did you harm the beast?"

"No," she replied with a grin. "I'm afraid we surprised each other. It managed to take a swipe or two at me, but I stabbed it and drove it off."

That troubled her. She'd been careful, hiding among the snow, staying downwind- she'd even crossed the river that ran through the forest despite the dangers. The werewolf shouldn't have picked up on her scent, or known it was being hunted, but the beast's behavior had changed the past few nights, as if it could sense her getting close. The night before, she'd left for the forest before the sun even touched the horizon, first stalking a stag the werewolf would undoubtedly choose as its next meal and lying in wait. For a newly turned werewolf- which all evidence seemed to indicate was true of this one- the call for meat should've been too strong to properly assess risk, to approach with caution, yet this one did. It correctly deduced she would be lying in wait and tried to flush her out of hiding.

Unfortunately, its grand entrance happened to be right on top of her, and she'd taken a blind swing with her prosthetic to drive it back. All that did was earn her a snap from jaws powerful enough to crush bone, closing on thin air, and she'd drawn her silver dagger as a means of warding the beast off, unsure if she could reach past the wolf to the person beneath. With a well aimed swing, she'd managed to stab into the creature's right hindleg, earning her a whine and whimper but nearly wrenching her arm out of socket when it turned, trying to dislodge her.

Yang had hardly managed to pull her dagger free before the werewolf turned and ran, disappearing into the night. She could've given chase, true, but it would do her no good. Better to wait until the following night, when the agony from the wound would make the werewolf easier to track, easier to surprise; if she could restrain it until morning, she could talk to the person, try to help them however she could. Vale had many werewolf packs willing to take in new blood; surely one of them would welcome a new packmate, and she preferred to end hunts like this with as little bloodshed as possible.

"So the beast yet lives." Many things could be said of the Princess, but her having a strong poker face didn't factor into any of those, just enough relief shining in blue eyes to make the hunter curious. "I suppose that means you'll be out there again tonight? Or will you rest?"

"I appreciate your concern, Your Highness, but I'd rather continue my hunt tonight." She offered a tight smile. "It's wounded. I wouldn't want it to suffer."

The Faunus narrowed her eyes, ears twitching, but remained silent as her charge sat back with a sigh.

"I quite understand. Please, keep me posted on any developments; seeing this issue… handled properly is one of my priorities."

That had proven true. Even if the King himself hadn't taken much interest in her hunt, Princess Weiss wanted an update daily, and would sometimes send a messenger to find her if they somehow missed each other at breakfast.

The guards posted outside the hall opened the door, admitting Miss Winter, again bedecked in her military uniform… but something seemed a bit off, a bit more surliness in the twist of her lips, a furrow to her brow.

"Good morning, Sister." Princess Weiss greeted warmly, motioning for another plate to be brought out even as one was set in front of Yang- meats and fruit with some cheese on the side and two bread rolls, a bit light considering how much energy the hunter burned but better than nothing. She would need to sneak another treat sometime later. "Did you sleep well?"

"Just fine," Miss Winter replied, gruffly and with a scowl as she sat beside the Princess, in the seat to the woman's right- another curiosity. Whenever their father was present, the elder stood with the soldiers or guards, never seated with the rest of the royal family. Even when their brother- younger than the Princess, though not by terribly much- was around, she acted as any other member of the castle's staff. But when it was just the two royal sisters, they were equals, sitting beside one another and speaking without regard to titles. "The King postponed the war meeting to personally inspect the weapons shipment that arrived this morning."

"Another one." The corners of the Princess' mouth turned down, almost into a frown. "That's the third one this week."

Yang quietly ate her food, watching as flickers of annoyance and pain flashed across Miss Winter's expression, the woman shifting ever so slightly as the sisters continued their conversation regarding the latest royal order for conscripts from the southern reaches of the kingdom. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something seemed very… off about her posture.

"Winter, are you alright?" The Princess' brows furrowed.

"I'm perfectly fine," she replied, but the words were spat out like acid, and a twitch of her brow proved the woman realized she'd responded too heatedly. Pushing away from the table, she stood, her breakfast only half eaten. "You have petitions to hear today. You haven't the time to waste dithering about, worrying after me. His Majesty will likely seek you out around noon for the war meeting as well; I suggest you hurry with your duties."

"Of course," Princess Weiss replied, hurriedly standing up; her heart remained in the right place and she had the fire in her to make changes, Yang could tell that much, but she still lacked her elder sibling's more rigorous adherence to age old traditions. "I'll see you then."

"Right." Miss Winter turned on heel, heading for the door, and the hunter got up too, finally hitting on what seemed off about the woman.

She was walking with a limp.