A werewolf, his back against a tree, growled one last time in defiance of his fate.

Lily sliced through him with a single swing of her sword.

Along with the tree he had his back against.

"That appears to be the last of them, Lord Gwyn," Lily said, turning away from the tree as it fell onto the forest floor. The sound of it hitting the dirt startled various birds from their nest, sending them into the sky around the former werewolf camp.

That was now caked in the blood and guts of werewolves.

Lily trudged through the crimson ichor, her every step followed by a splash of blood or the crunching of bone beneath her armored boots. The only place without a speck of blood on it was the ovular space occupied by Gwyn and the naked scouts. The only hint of a conflict was the rapidly cooling body of the werewolf's leader. Gwyn swiftly picked up the body and, making sure not to get any blood on the women, tossed it into the forest.

"Are you unharmed, my Lord?" Lily asked as she put her weapons into the Bottomless Box. She'd put her armor in there when she had a moment. It should come out clean when she next equipped it. She still wasn't sure how that worked, but it was useful.

"I am fine," Gwyn said, wiping the blood on his hands off on a nearby tree, "But what of you? You stood directly in the middle of those monsters did you not?"

"Yes. Thankfully, none of their attacks could pierce my armor. Andre does good work when he has a supply of Titanite to use," Lily said while admiring the, while bloody, undamaged surface of her armor.

Gwyn nodded, "Indeed. How was the Old Blacksmith when you last saw him?"

"Still as old and proud of his work as ever. I don't think I ever once saw him away from that anvil of his."

"Yes, that sounds like him," Gwyn began to chuckle. Then he turned his gaze to the area around them. He brought a hand to his mouth and called out, "Imyne! You can come out now! The threats have been dealt with."

A patch of shrubbery shook for a moment. Then the auburn haired scout poked her head out from the green leaves. The woman was wearing a long white robe that Lily had given her before they set out for the werewolf camp. The robe was thick and long enough to hide her nude form while protecting her from the environment. She gasped when she first saw the amount of bodies and blood that littered the ground. She held her breath as she attempted to carefully step over the pool of death, her bare feet only just avoiding the rapidly darkening ichor.

As she reached the part of the clearing where Lily and Gwyn stood, her body shook and her face had gone pale. She looked around and asked with a shaky voice, "Ho...how did you...how strong are-"

"I must request you save your questions for after we help your companions," Lily waved a hand towards the women huddled against the tree, "It is likely best for you to be the first face they see."

Imyne's eyes went wide and she immediately sped towards her huddling companions. She first checked to be sure they had no serious wounds. Some of the tension left her when she found little more than bruises and scratches. However, she noticed that they were all unconscious. They were still breathing but the fact that they had passed out at some point worried her.

"How are they?" Gwyn asked, walking to stand just behind Imyne and to the right.

"Bruised, scratched, passed out, and likely filled with wolf seed. But their breathing which means they're alive. Thank the Goddess for that," Imyne let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She looked around at the area, her nose wrinkling at the increasingly pronounced smell of death. She leaned forward and started placing Aldyia and Eliza's arms over her shoulders, "We should get moving. When they wake up I don't want the first thing they see to be a field of wolf corpses."

"Understandable. Do have any more cloaks within your Box, my Silver Knight?" Gwyn turned to Lily. The former Ashen One nodded and prepared to reach into her Bottomless Box for them. She stopped when she remembered the gore covering her frame. Her hand moved away from the box at her side. Instead she held it up to Gwyn who thanked her before reaching inside. He seemed to dig around within the container for a bit, before pulling out a cloak similar to Imyne's with a short exclamation of triumph.

Imyne watched with awe and confusion as the man pulled four more cloaks out of the box. The container was small enough to hang on Lily's hip without slowing her down. How could it hold so much within it? Was it enchanted or blessed somehow?

Once he had four cloaks, Gwyn laid them across his forearm and walked over to Imyne. He handed two to her and took two to place around the halfling and beastwoman. Only when he was certain the white robes were secure around their bodies did he grab them around their waist then hoist them up over his shoulders. He looked down at Imyne, "Do you know of a place we can take them and recuperate? Perhaps get them new clothing?"

Imyne blinked twice at how easily he lifted both women. One was a halfling, yes, but they were still fully grown women. And he managed to lift them with no obvious difficulty. She stared at him in stunned silence before she shook her head to regain her composure. She grunted as she pulled Alydia and Eliza up, the two now cloaked women hanging off her shoulders. She turned around, her eyes roaming the werewolf camp until they stopped in the western direction.

She nodded towards that side of the forest, "I think there's an alcove we can use somewhere this way. Follow me."

She started walking deeper into the forest, Gwyn following behind her for a few steps. He stopped and turned to Lily. She pointed towards her armor, "I will catch up with you later, my Lord. I must first clean my armor. I do not wish those maidens' first image of me is one covered in viscera."

"I understand. Do not take too long, Lily," Gwyn nodded then started following the scout towards her alcove. He easily caught up with Imyne, staying by her side while taking care to not let any of the hanging branches hit his charges.

Their short journey was silent. Gwyn focused on either taking care not to drop or harm the women he carried in anyway, while Imyne's mind was whirling as she tried to figure out what to do next. It didn't take the two long to find the "alcove" she had mentioned. It was a small stone outcropping with a fire-pit sitting inside. It had been carved into the side of a relatively large hill with curtains of vines hanging from the rocks overhead. Gwyn, noticing the entrance was too small for him, stopped just as they reached the entrance.

"This is the place," Imyne said as she readjusted her grip on Alydia and Eliza, "I'll head in and lay them all down somewhere."

"You're certain it will hold all of them?" Gwyn's eyes narrowed at the diminutive alcove.

"It's bigger on the inside. Trust me," was Imyne's response. Before she could take a step forward, Gwyn held out a hand to tell her to wait.

Once he had her attention, the Lord of Sunlight took out the Sunlight Talisman at his hip into his hand, "Before you enter, could you place the two women on the ground near me?"

"Why?" Imyne asked, eyes narrowing up at the taller man.

"I wish to heal them. And you, if you would allow me to do so."

"You have healing magic?!" Imyne almost shouted, eyes widening as she reevaluated the man in front of her. While he certainly had a soothing presence about him, she would've never pinned him as a practitioner of healing magic.

Gwyn shrugged as he got down to one knee, "In a sense. However, it will only work of myself and those nearest to me. Thus why I requested for you to place them near my person."

He emphasized this by gently placing the halfling and the beastwoman onto the ground in front of him. Bella moved over onto her side, breathing gently and mouth hanging open. Liza splayed herself out, both hands moving to her waist while her expression changed to a frown.

Imyne, still slightly skeptical, did as Gwyn asked. She placed Aldyia and Eliza next to Bella and Liza, respectively, before standing in middle of her comrades and in front of Gwyn. She looked at him and nodded, "Alright. But, just so you know, we've only got some cuts and bruises. Nothing too serious."

"Even so, I still wish to ensure you're all in good physical health at least," Gwyn replied as he tilted his head down. He focused his Will onto the Talisman in his hands. The words of the Miracle "Soothing Sunlight", a Miracle created by his own daughter meant to heal even the most grievous of wounds, flashed through his mind as the Talisman began to glow a bright gold. He looked up at Imyne and spoke, "Before I forget, could you tell me the names of your companions? I meant to ask during the walk over but was preoccupied with following you."

Imyne's eyes were locked on the glowing Talisman, surprise and shock present on her face. She slowly replied to Gwyn while pointing to each of her comrades as she named them, "Bella, Eliza, Alydia, and Liza."

"I see," Gwyn nodded then tilted his head down once more, "Then may this Miracle heal the bodies of Imyne, Bella, Liza, Elisa, and Aldyia."

The sound of a small bell being rung echoed through the forest as the light of the Talisman exploded outwards. A similarly colored glyph appeared beneath Gwyn's feet. It exploded outwards along with a force of healing light. Imyne felt the Miracle wash over her body. Instantly, all her fatigue and tired vanished. She looked down and opened her cloak, gasping as she beheld her scratches and bruises disappear. Within moments she felt better than she had since the werewolves first captured her. A quick glance at her companions showed that the same was happening to them.

As the light of the Miracle faded, Gwyn got to his feet and placed the Talisman back on his hip. He nodded to Imyne and turned around, "We will likely need to rest here until your companions awaken. I shall gather firewood and hunt a few animals for tonight."

He started walking towards the forest, hand going to his sword's hilt. He was halfway there before Imyne called out to him. He stopped and turned to the auburn haired woman. She was clutching at the opening in the front of her cloak, body trembling as she looked to the side.

"Tha-Thank you. I...I don't...I don't have anything to give you in return. Exc...exce...," Imyne closed her eyes and bit her lip. She didn't want to do this. After everything that had happened, why would she even think about offering her body up as a reward like this?! If she was gonna do this, she should've just let the werewolves have her. Then she wouldn't-

"Imyne," she opened her eyes at the sound of Gwyn's voice. She looked up and saw the man standing there with a smile on his face. He stared her down and spoke with so much sincerity that she couldn't bring herself to not believe him, "My Silver Knight and I, are not and will never expect a reward for this. We simply wished to help you and your companions."

With those words, he turned and walked off into the forest.

Imyne fell to her knees as she watched him go. As she did, she couldn't help but think of the fairy-tales told to her as a child. Stories of noble knights and selfless heroes saving the innocent from the monsters that came from the dark. How they would always appear when people need them, defeat the monster, then leave without asking for anything return. She stopped believing in such things as she grew up. She saw monsters, that was for sure. But very few times did a Heroes or Knights appear to help without expecting something in return for their services.

But as she watched that man walk into the forest beyond, she couldn't help but see him as a fairy-tale come to life.

Alydia was the first of the women to stir. She groaned while pushing herself up off the cold stone floor of the alcove. She looked around, red eyes still empty while her mind felt muddled. She looked around at the alcove, a hint of familiarity ringing through her heart. She was idly aware of the cloak draped around her, and the fact that she no longer felt any aches or pains from moving her body.

However, in spite of all that, she was already preparing to retreat into herself again. It was likely the werewolves had simply gotten up and moved them some place new. No doubt one of them would be coming along to have its way with her any moment now. She could already hear footsteps approaching from outside. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, then closed her eyes again.

She tensed as a hand fell onto her shoulder.

"Aldyia?"

She recognized that voice. That was Imyne. But...why was she-

Not wanting to believe her ears, she slowly opened one of her eyes. Her voice quivered as she spoke, "Im-Im-Imyne? Is that...you? Wh-"

Her words caught in her throat as she felt Imyne hug her. Her auburn haired comrade shook as she held her friend tight, "You're finally awake. Thank the Goddess, you're finally awake."

Aldyia slowly moved an arm around to her friend's shoulder. Her eyes slowly opened as she did, "Imyne? What are you doing? Where are the...the...the wolves?"

Aldyia shivered in fear as the memories of their cruelty flashed through her mind. Imyne pushed away from her friend, tears of joy staining her cheeks as she answered, "They're dead. They're all dead."

Aldyia's eyes widened in shock, "What? How? Did...did you-"

Imyne shook her head, smile still on her face, "No, I didn't. We were saved. By two heroes."

"Heroes?" Aldyia tilted her head in confusion.

"Imyne? Is everything alright?"

Imyne and Alydia both turned towards the alcove's entrance. Lily stepped through the door, her Silver Armor illuminated by the burning fire in the center of the room. The afternoon sun bathed her back in orange light, silhouetting her within the arched entrance.

Aldyia felt her breath hitch as she got her first look at the Dame. She separated from Imyne, legs shaking as she tried to stand while her eyes focused entirely on the Silver Knight in front of her. Her heart started to beat faster as her mind began to work overtime to make sense of what was going on. Her legs gave out the moment she took a step forward, feeling like lead as she started to fall. Moving with surprising speed, Lily managed to grab the woman before she hit the ground.

"Are you unharmed?" Lily asked, her voice muffled by her helm.

"Ye-yes," Aldyia managed to get out, hands going to hold onto Lily for support. She stared up into the blank eyes of her helm with hope in her eyes, "Are...are you the one? The one who saved us?"

Lily nodded, "Yes. Though I did not do it alone. I-"

Before she could finish, Aldyia pressed herself against Lily's chestplate. The azure haired woman openly cried into the Dame's armor, arms wrapping around her waist as she babbled out thanks and praises. Lily, caught completely off guard, didn't know how to react to the woman's hysteria. She looked to Imyne for support, but the other scout was busy tending to the three other women. It seemed that the two non-humans were starting to awaken as well. Looking back down at the hysterical woman, did the only thing she could think of.

She placed a hand on the woman's head. Recalling the Firekeeper, she tried to make her voice as soothing as possible as she spoke, "Shh. Shh. It's alright now. You're safe. Let it all out."

If her actions were working, she did not know.

But Aldyia did eventually stop crying. But she didn't let go of Lily's waist.

Unsure of what to do next, the former Ashen One prepared to call for Imyne..when she noticed two bodies dash past her and out the door.

"Bella! Liza! Wait!" Imyne called as she chased after the now awake halfling and beastwoman. Her outburst managed to snap Aldyia out of whatever trance had taken her. She released her hold on Lily's waist, allowing the armored woman to follow Imyne as she rushed out the door. Aldyia quickly moved to stay close by Lily and walked out with her.

As all three women exited the Alcove, they came upon a sight that left them all speechless.

After Lily came back and Gwyn returned with the firewood and a few rabbit carcasses, the three of them had laid out their duties. Gwyn would gather supplies for the night and morning, Lily would guard the Alcove from any possible threats, and Imyne would keep an eye on her companions in case any awoke. The Lord of Sunlight had been busy prepping the rabbit carcasses to be cooked and eaten, his hand stained red with their blood.

However, right now he was currently fighting off both Bella and Liza as the two tried to jump onto him. Both had removed their cloaks, the white clothing laying on the ground near Gwyn's feet. He had one hand on Bella's head while his other was on Liza's. He held Bella up in the air, ignoring her attempts to wrap her legs and arms around his biceps. Liza he kept a literal arm's length away from him.

The beastwoman let out a pitiable whine. Her thighs were a mess of translucent liquid, her tail wagging behind her shapely hips as she kept trying to grab hold of Gwyn's arm and make it go lower. Her hazel eyes stared up at him with a lustful need deep within.

"Ignore her! Use me first!" Bella shouted, trying to show off her crotch to Gwyn. Her face was flushed and a manic grin split her face, "You're a big guy, which means you've got a big one down there, right? If you do me first, I'll feel a thousand times tighter than her! Please!~"

Gwyn ignored both of the women's attempts to force themselves on him. Instead, he turned his attention to the three women standing a few feet away. Lily, Imyne, and Aldyia all beheld him with mouths agape.

"Imyne, Lily," Gwyn spoke calmly while nodding to the two, "Could the two of you, please, assist me in restraining these excitable women?"