Green Eggs and Bird

A lively conversation about the food chain and the cycle of life.

Early morning sunshine lazily drifted through the windows of the tavern. Unlike most taverns, especially ones catering to vermin, the Ferreval tavern was actually rather decent. It was cleaner with less chance at being knifed in the back than other places.

The tavern was mostly empty at this time of day. A pair of ferrets were practicing for a match in the fighting pits but otherwise the place was deserted when the kitchen doors opened up. A burly rat exited the kitchens followed by a very robust vixen.

A truely well fed beast the sides of Xia's belly grazed either side of the door as she entered through the kitchen. Her once trim and sleek body had seemed to be swallowed up by poor diet and lack of exercise, giving her a very heavy, obese look.

"Pleasure doing business with you mate." The vixen saluted. She had to suck in her gut to step around the counter. "You sure you don't want some breakfast? I can fry you up some eggs. Think of it as on the house."

The fox thought about this, tail twitching back and forth. Finally she shrugged, "Sure, why not?" Her tail wags as she licks her chops in thought of tasty tasty eggs.

Scioto looks over at the vixen enters the taven, he is sipping an ale, yeah early in the morning, and having a bowl of oatmeal today. He watches the vixen and then goes back to his own breakfast.

The fox turns her attention towards the chieftain as the rat goes toward making her breakfast. She gulps and looks rather nervous at first for unknown reasons. Prehaps she is nervous around village leaders? Maybe she is up to nafarious no good things! or maybe she is just embarrassed about how the skin of her stomach is starting to show through around her stomach from all the weight she has packed on so recently.

Reguardless of the reason the vixen quickly catches her self. Throwing her arms into the air with a joyfull smile the fox says loudly, "Chiefy! Long time no see!" She trots over to the cat. Paws on her hips she leans to the side and against the bar, "SO what have you been up too lately Scioto?"

Scioto finishes his ale before he answers, lowing the mug slowly "Not too much, why?" He rises an eyebrow at her and then takes a small bite of his oatmeal.

The smell of fresh eggs fills the tavern. Leaning her back against the bar Xia replies, "Oh just wondering if you had any jobs that needed filled. I've been spending most of my time out in the woods these days. It's easy to loose track of news while out in the brush." She crosses her arms. "How ARE things he in the city? You..." She asks with a bit of concern, "You still have that s-snake around?"

Scioto nods and even chuckles oddly, "Yeah the snake is still around, in my house of all places, then again too cold for a snake to be crawling around the village just yet. The city had some trouble with my offce being messed up but repairs were done and all is well with that issue."

"Someone broke into your office?" The fox asked with a raised eyebrow. She squints as she cracks a smile, "Not a very bright theif then." Her smile grows as she continues, "So, Scioto, I have been wondering, when was the last time you had wood pigeon? I came to sell some birds I caught in town today. Would you like one? Only twenty ferrin for one bird." The rat placed a plate upon the counter. The fox turned and licked her chops at the sight of all the egs stacked high upon the plate.

Scioto says, "Wood pidigon is usually made at the tavern, you could as the tavern bar tender. He is a rat and probably would buy a good deal off you, for a good price anyways. I usually have fish as they did run out of wood pigeon yesterday I believe""

The chair creaks ominously below the vixens weight as she plops her bulky frame into it. It's quite comical, or perhaps sad, that Xia has to leans so far forward to eat her meal due to the length of her gut pushing her away from her food. Before she digs in with enough gluttonous gusto to make Liam blush she passes the cat a smile, "Not any more. I just brought in a whole half dozen of the little varmints." While scarfing down her meal the fox adds in a quieter voice, "You know, for a little extra I 'could' catch something a bit more...exotic...with more meat than simple wood pigeons..."

Scioto finishes his own meal, "And what would that be? The only other thing I can think of is maybe Dove, had one beast bring in Gull once..rather not have that again, wasnt that good and the only one who liked it was this monitor lizard and he left shortly before it got cold. Odd coloring on him too but what ever monitors sometimes give me the creeps"

The fox snickers playfully, "I was thinking of something a bit more...chatty than a gull." She leaves the statement hang for a while before finishing off her plate. With in moments the fox's meal is safely tucked away in her gut and she is licking egg yoke from her muzzle, "But if you prefer Dove, I can get that too...for a modest fee of course. I can give you a discount for being such a great chief and all!"

Xia waves the cat away, "Fine, fine. But you know where to find me if you need something fine and feathery to eat." The fox turns back to the rat behind the bar. "Hey mate, can I get some water to wash down those eggs?"

Oakenpaw walks in puttong on an Apron "Dangerous talk Lass, um...do you sell HARE as well?

Xia waves the cat away, "Fine, fine. But you know where to find me if you need something fine and feathery to eat." The fox turns back to the rat behind the bar. "Hey mate, can I get some water to wash down those eggs?"

Oakenpaw Frowns and pours a mug and offers itto her "Ye didn't answer me question....

The heavy set vixen blinks once or twice, not realizing she was being addressed. Leaning back in her chair she passes the hare a smirk, "Depends. How much you paying me to catch one?"

Oakenpaw chuckles "Lass if you CAN catch one, and keep yer pelt onyer body, that be reward enough

Xia get's a good chuckle out of this. She leans forward again, her stomach pushing into the side of the counter as she does. Taking a long swig from the mug she wipes her face clean with the back of her paw, "I think my hare catching days are just about spent. But if you ever need a carrot chased down, let me know."

Oakenpaw says, "well Lass, I am just sayin, Slaver beasts tend to get a VERRA bad reaction around ere, even from Vermin....intelligent beasts be not property ya know?"

Xia pauses in mid sip. First comes the grin, then comes the laughter, enough to make the ferrets practicing in the fighting pit stop in mid fight to turn their attention to her. "Oh wow...me a slaver beast. THAT is a good one. Let me put your mind at ease, I am no slaver." She wipes a tear away from her eye then moves in to finish her water, "I'm a bird catcher."

Oakenpaw says, "I have friends who be birds....if your keeping a bid against it's will is that not a slave?"

The vixen raises an eyebrow at this, woodlanders. Sometimes they needed to be explained the basic fundamentals of vermin hood, but then again, they spent their days eating veggies and other 'wholesome' things. "Tell me mr. Hare, what is it that you think I exactly DO with the birds I catch?" She leans forward, one elbow on the table. She tries to convey the sense that she is a predator, with sharp pointed teeth...

Oakenpaw says, "well" he leans on the bar, his staff near "ifyou CATCH them...they must not be appy Wot? and you putthem in cages? Sell them?"

The fox grins again, "Oh bless your innocent fuzzy little heart. I don't keep them in cages, well, perhaps a few. But never for long. Most of them I DO sell. The rest end up in...well," She giggled as she leaned back and gave her thick sides a health pat, "Sorry to dissapoint you but we foxes EAT birds honey."

Oakenpaw says, "That's called murder Lass....beasts get putto death fer that in Mossflower"

The fox rests her elbows upon the table and rests her head in her paws. Her tail swooshes slowly across the floor. "Oh? Killing birds to eat them is murder then?" She fails to tell the hare exactly which birds she hunts but she doubts it would make much of a difference. "Then what are we poor starvin vermin SUPPOSED to eat?"

Oakenpaw says, "well We have some very nice fish that we coov VERRA well..and you might actually TRY cake...."

Xia's tail continues to move about behind her. She replies rather quickly, "I'm sure the fish would appreciate being eaten just as much as the birds." She sits up strait and drums both paws against the counter, "But if you want me to eat cake instead of birdies I will gladly take you up on that offer!"

Oakenpaw says, "Fish don't talk to ya..and a pike might even eat YOU"

"Neither do wood pigeon." The fox countered. She does frown at the idea of a pike devouring her fleshy self however. Looking down to examine the damage done by her own gluttony and lack of exercise Xia replies again, "Nothing...actually eats fox...right?" The imagine of something with horrible teeth floating quickly through the murky water causes her to shiver.

Oakenpaw asks, "Wood pidgeon don'ttalk?" he cocks his head, having never MET a wood pidgeon, oh Aye I have seen pike eat a fox....."

The fox swallows a little. She quickly laughs off the disturbing thought that something out in the world could eat HER. Especially after she has made her self into what fox eating beasts would consider a fine meal. "Nah, a pike would have to be about as big as a...as big as...something really big to eat a fox! Right?"

Oakenpaw says, "Well I AVE seem them that big" the hare grins wryly "but sometimes they just bite and shake em till they rip out a few chunks"

Xia subconsciously clutches at her portly stomach. With a gulp she says somewhat nervously, "W-well thank goodness we are far away from water. There arn't too many fox eating beasts in these woods, baring a few exceptions I've met." She idly waves her paw in the air as she talks. After a long moment the fox leans forward and asks, "Right?"

Oakenpaw says, "well... I suppose there are a FEW" he says with a smile "Wot?" But we woch out fer beasts whot don't harm me friends"

The vixen laughs most warrily, again adressing her own fears with humor. "Well then, I might as well make sure any fox eating beasts I run into out in the woods get a fine and propper meal if I should run into them." Her tail wags most happily now. "I'll take some of that cake you mentioned, a hearty portion. I wouldn't want the beast thats eats me to spread rumor about me being wriry and bland, wot?"

Oakenpaw smiles and offers some carrot cake "ere yago

Xia stares at the carrot cake thrust upon her. Her tail stops in mid swing. She shakes her head and laughs before digging into her meal.

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Some time later the fox exits the tavern. With a good meal in her belly she stretches, yawning as she does. After eating so healthy she feels the need to take nap. Having blown her money on food though she didn't have enough for the tavern. Oh well she thought as she moved away from the tavern. She could take a nap under a shady tree before heading home. She could check the traps on the way back out of town.

Killing birds is murder. The fox got a good laugh out of that, about as much as there being fox eating beast in Mossflower. What a laughable concept. Right?"

Content with the feeling that she was on the top of the food chain Xia found herself a quite place out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the traffic to lay down and take a nap.

Fox eating beasts. She laughed again before falling asleep.

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Xia (Me)

Xia is an adult fox who has not lost her youthful appearance. She stands a bit shorter than the average fox but makes up the difference with her long slender ears and a semi spiky head fur.

Her snout is long and pointed, the ends of her fangs always seem to protrude from her mouth. A pair of almond eyes rest behind her nose.

This particular vixen does not sport the usual red fur pattern, rather her fur is a mixture of earthy tones, mostly light brown with several lighter shades of orange here and there. The tips of her ears are covered in black fur. Her tail is dipped in yellow fur with a black tip. Her underbelly, from her chin to the bottom of her gut is draped in light creme yellow fur.

This woodland vixen wears a series of tan cloth wraps around her chest. The wraps are in turn covered by an open green cloth vest. The combination of garments both leave a great deal of her stomach exposed, for better or for worse, and at the moment it leans towards worse.

Due either to inactivity or a poor diet this vixen is starting to round out. A thick layer of flesh has attached itself to Xia's hips and has started to thicken around her waist and hips as well. Despite this Xia seems to wear the weight well, giving her a pleasantly plump appearance.

Xia's final piece of clothing is the combination of a green cloth shorts around her waist combined with a tan sash that wraps around her hips and hangs down around her knees.

And of course no vixen is complete with out her choice of weaponry, this one being a tall Halberd with a curved blade. Holes have been drilled into the back of the blade and out fitted with iron rings to give the weapon a little more power to her swing.

Scioto

Here stands a tall male cat. His fur is a dark black in color with shades of a lighter black on his shoulders and face. He has a dark blue eye patch over his left eye and a scar just above his eye, his other eye is greenish-yellow and almond shaped like most cats. Other scars on the left side of his face are two on his cheek, one on the side of his nose, and one on his forehead above his eyebrow going down to his ear, a small tip of the ear is torn. He wears the uniform of a chieftain. The tunic is a navy blue with silver buttons. The pants are navy blue as well and held up with a black belt with a silver buckles, the belt buckle has the Ferravale symbol on it. Over his shoulders is a long blue cape, with a clasp of the Ferravale symbol to hold it in place. He keeps a fancy looking long sword on his back.

Oakenpaw

Tarnish Oakenpaw is a short stocky hare, soft light brown fur covering him head to toe except for his paws and foot paws that sport a deep red oak color to his wrists and ankles. The hare is dressed in a Soft brown robe with a pure silver acorn pin gleaming over his heart marking him as a Brother Healer of Redwall abbey. His scutt (tail) is a snowy white and he gazes at you with deep soft brown eyes that glint of mischief. Long velvet ears normally lay down his neck and back. The hare keeps walking stick with him, you see several pouches that are attached to a broad black belt secured to the hare by a silver acorn buckle.