Trickster

Times have been tough for Vannon but will they get easier when he reaches Civilization?

The path towards the marketplace has been cleared of most of its snow by the various stall owners. One of those, able to have weaseled out of doing the work, was Kedrin. The otter, and a little mouse dibbun, maybe six seasons old, currently stand by a large cart with all sorts of items on display. Jewelry, a couple of ornate daggers, clothing...a bit of everything really. The mouse is standing on the top of the cart, shouting out. "Kedrin's Cart, Kedrin's Cart! We've got everything you want! Come by and check it out! Kedrin's Cart...you there sir!" he points to a stoat and his wife. "Perhaps your wife would love a beautiful new necklace! We've got one here, fair prices!" while the otter in question deals with various customers on the ground while keeping his eye on everything around him.

The market place is certainly filled with odd beasts today, and no more odder than Kydo Vannon. The young grey fox has an emancipated look about him. His frame is horribly thin with ribs showing through his fur. He has certainly felt the chill of winter this year as the only clothes he has left are the torn and horribly frayed pair of trousers that hang loosly from his hips. The vulpin draggs an empty quiver behind him, the strap having broken off, and a recurve bow is strapped to his shoulder. The fox stands there, wavering back and forth. Hunger, cold, and exhastions have taken their toll on his health. Prehaps here he can trade with someone for a meal...for a new shirt...prehaps even a job.

That stoat's wife couldn't really resist the thought of a new necklace. Tugging her husband's arm, she makes her way to the cart, where Kedrin shows a beautiful, exotic, golden necklace. Giving some story about its origin, the otter makes the sale and pockets some coins. "Sucker..." he grins to himself once they're out of earshot. The mouse hops down off the cart and nudges Kedrin in the side lightly. "Hey boss, look over there." he points towards the fox. "Looks like a sad little fellow, doesn't he?" Kedrin's eyes move towards Vannon and blink a couple of times. That quiver...sure, its broken, but it looks like it could be worth a little bit, with some fixing up. "You sir!" he calls out, motioning Vannon over. "You look like you've had a rough day...maybe I can help..."

The fox twists his head around, nearly falling over from the effort. Vannon stumbles over stoping a few paces away from the otter and his mousy employee. "Help? Heh...that's funny. I'm afraid Im ina need of more than fancy trinkets though. Know any where I can trade for a meal around here?" The fox sniffs the air for food. Someone somewhere is cooking something...or prehaps the hunger is making him hallucinate. If it is, dang, that is one fine smelling hallucination.

Kedrin can't help a little chuckle, the otter moving over slowly. "That's funny indeed! You see, we have more than just...trinkets..." he grins a little. "We've got clothing, and, yes, even food! I thought that we might be able to assist you...in your time of need, you see. We could strike a deal."

Vannon lets his his head lean back, toungle lolling out the side of his mouth, drooling at the thought of food...any food. Veggie, meat, even the otter and his protogie is starting to look tasty. Not that he would consider eating another sentient being...wait, what is he talking about! Of course he would! "Foooooooood..." The fox says allowed. Turning to the otter with eagerness he replies happily, "What did you have in mind?"

Kedrin quickly motions back towards the cart and takes up his spot by there, motioning his assistant get a few things from inside the large cart itself. "Well, we have a large assortment of breads. And a cask of very fine wine. We've also got some small cakes, too if those are to your liking..." he grins a little bit, turning towards Vannon once again. "A small selection of meats, as well. But of course, I can't give things away for free...that quiver...and bow there look quite valuable though..."

The fox takes a step back from the otter. He looks at his bow and quiver respectivly. It would be the third time he has lost it now, his current poached from a fallen Militia squirrel. The thought of hunger is making the deal very tempting, but he isn't a fool either. With out his weapon Vannon is with out a job and he is starving again. "Oh but of course! And you know that I can't just /give/ my bow away either...not with out seeing the merchandise. Prehaps a /sample/ of said bread and wine...or cake, would be in order before I thought to buy one.

Kedrin arches an eyebrow slowly at the thought of 'samples'. That makes him visibly cringe a little bit. "Samples? Well, of course you are welcome to view our merchandise, but I'm afraid I can't let any 'samples' be taken." he responds. During the conversation, the mouse has set out a few baskets of all sorts of different kinds of bread, and a few small cakes set on some cloth. There's also a rack, where meat hangs. There's not a lot of it, but there is more than enough to fill the fox for at least a week.

Vannon looks like he is practically in heaven. He gets up on his tippy toe claws and sniffs the bread, the cakes, and the meat. Still...if he gives away his bow what will he do? Then again, he doesn't have any arrows so what good is a bow? Arrows can be replaced easier than bows nitwit! The fox considers this for a while, "The food is pretty tempting...but a full belly won't do me much good if I freeze todeath...what do you have in the way of coats or vests?"

"We have very fine clothing, good sir! Very heavy, and warm as well." Kedrin motions to a bunch of warm clothing draped over the side of the cart. "And just for you, I'll make you an offer..." he grins. "A great offer. Trade me the bow, and the quiver...and I will not only give you some bread, but a little cake, some of the meat, and this lovely coat." he pulls a very heavy coat from the railing, showing it off. Its made of fur, but its quite unclear as to who said fur might have belonged to at one point. It looks nice, at least on the outside.

Vannon rubs his chin, tail waving back and forth like a cat behind him, "Hmm, forget the bread. I'll take the meat but prehaps something a little more flexable, like a vest or lighter coat. My work requires me to be nimble...even more so with out a bow." he says with a toothy smile.

Kedrin seems to frown a moment when the coat was turned down. But then he smiles and nods. "Of course!" he says, placing the large coat back on display. "Boy, get the shirt we got yesterday. The big one...yes, thats it!" he says, taking a thick, green tunic, coated with pockets. Offering it out, he smiles. "We just got these in yesterday. I've been told that these are the older uniforms of the Long Patrol." he explains. "My supplier assured me that there wont be many of these left after a few days."

The fox seems to consider this, tilting his head left then right, idly waving his paws in the air. Finely hunger wins over honor and he says, "Fine. Throw in a couple of cakes and you got yourself a deal." He holds out his quiver and bow, reluctant to let it go he closes his eyes as he gives Kedrin his only possesions. He has to remind himself that he is about to get enough meat to stuff himself for a week and a new shirt. He can figure out what to do for a living later.

Kedrin grins wide and nods his head. "Yes! Its a deal." he says, offering out the tunic. Taking the bow, and quiver, he stashes them away, before the two go about wrapping things up. The otter wraps up the cakes gently, while the mouse wraps up about half of the meat. Taking the bundles, Kedrin ties them all together and offers out a neat little stack. "Here you are, good sir! I do hope you enjoy."

The fox replies by licking his chops. "No kidding mate. You lot just probibly saved my life." Such kind beasts, and to think he actually entertained the thought of coming back to steal his things back later that night. Prehaps this is a turning point in Vannon's life. A chance to toss away his old theiving ways and become an honest beast. Tossing the shirt on first the fox feels good to have warmth about him again. Taking his bundle of supplies the fox goes to find a nice comfy spot to make a camp fire and cook himself up a feast.

The mouse and the otter grin at each other once the fox is gone. "Its true what they say...there's one born every minute." he laughs quietly before the mouse hops up onto the cart once again, starting to shout out some more to attract business.

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That night a lone camp fire can be seen in the thicket of the woods of Mossflower, just off the side of the road. Ever eager to fill his belly with something more than mere thoughts of food or any berries he can scavange Vannon had himself a feast. All of the meat and cakes lay safely tucked away in his bloated stomach. Unfortunetly for him the meat was...not exactly good quality. The fox doesn't know what the otter put in it but he knows that once he stops rolling back and forth in terrible, horrible pain, he is going to find that otter again. To heck with peace love and the honest beasts life, he's going to feed that otter his own hide!

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Vannon (me)

Meet Kydo Vannon. This particular rascal of a fox looks at you with a playfull and mischevious look. As a grey fox Vannon stands a little shorter than most other wood land vulpines. A combination of grey and specks of black run down his back. A strip of brown fur runs across his sides and his underbelly is coated in tan fur. A patch of white fur decorates his chin and throat.

Even under his winter coat however the fox's ribs show. His limbs are thin, his waist is narrow and his clothes hang loosly off of his skinny frame.

The vulpine has fallen upon hard times as of late. Having lost most of his belongings to the wear and tear of his often less than honest profession the fox wears only a pair of beaten up trousers with a large hole torn into the side of the red cloth running down the side of his leg. His chest fur and shoulders are left bare to the ellements.

Among the few possesions the fox has is a small double edged daggar which he keeps in a leather sheath tied about his waist.

His other chosen weapon is a simple recurve bow which is usually slung across his shoulder along with the brown bark leather quiver. At any given time he usually carries around 24 arrows with it.

Kedrin

An otter. You'll get a better description later.