What A Great Moring...Not Really

Another day dawns for the village of Ferrevale. The number of beasts on the streets today has noticeably declined after the fall weather sent them a chill this morning. Those who are out and about are mostly bundled up in sweaters or heavy tunics. One beast however does not have neither tunic nor sweater. Dressed only in a loose fitting vest, a sash and breeches Xia shivers as she walks. A long time ago the fox could stand the weather even at its coldest, but that was when she was a great deal...more insulated with good food and ale. Now days the brown furred fox may not be skinny, but she is far from her past plump self as well. She walked in a hastily made bandage on one paw, using her halberd as a support. Grumbling as she walks.

Scioto walks about, he has not been at the tavern like he usually is and a nervous guard is beside him as the cat speaks, tail wagging back and forth, "What do you MEAN you don't know!" The guard gulps, " They..had this hooded cloak s..sir" The chieftain looks, well peeved beyond peeved, and still angry asks "Well did any beast see them close up?"

The vixen perked up her ears at the sound of the chieftain’s voice. She had met the feline once before, even saved his daughter from a kidnapping fox...well, the guards helped, and actually saved the kitten by killing said kidnapping fox, but Xia did all the hard work!

Quieting her grumbling stomach with her paw the wounded fox limped towards the tavern. It was time to cash in her favors...

"Top of the mornin to ya govenor!" Xia said with a bright smile and a wag of her tail, "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. What's the matter? They stop serving your favorite ale at the tavern?"

Scioto spins around and gives Xia a look that right now might make someone wet themselves, he narrows his eyes, "I am NOT in the mood today." He says in a, semi calm tone of voice. The guard beside him still has to answer, "Not a face sir, no just the odd colored cloak was all, he was stabbed from behind and a beasts were crowding around so whoever it was umm.." Backs up from the chief" Got away."

Xia lets out a pitiful whine. Her ears fall flat and her tail curls around her legs, "Ok...so you DID wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning..." It doesn't take long for the vixen though to piece together the situation from the guards statements, "Wait, are you saying someone was murdered?" Her face lights up.

"Well arn't you in luck! I happen to be a bounty hunter! Just say the word and I'll bring the rascally scoundrel who dun it to justice." The fox strikes a heroic pose, stepping heavily onto her wounded paw. The vixen lets out a shrill yelp falling to her tail and rubbing her sore paw, "Ow, ow, owie!" So much for her street cred as a vicious bounty hunter and body guard...

Scioto raises an eyebrow, he then shakes his head, "The head healer was killed in the tavern and no one got a close up look at who did it, just a cloaked beast"

Xia felt her heart drop. Did the cat just say that there were no possible leads? Still, there was money and food, sweet glorious food on the line. The vixen picks herself up with the aid of her halberd. The pole arm weapon wasn't designed to be a walking stick but it was doing well outside of its intended purpose, "I...I can still find them!" The fox blurted out, "Honest! I can help...somehow." Her voice trailed off into a pitiful whimper.

Scioto sighs he looks at the guard "Find clues, ask around..NOW!" The guard hurries off quickly. The chieftain looks at the fox "So..how are you expecting to help me?"

Xia opens her mouth to speak, then promptly shuts it. How exactly IS the vixen going to help? With her paw wounded she can hardly hobble around town let along go tracking people through the woods. She can't even fight them if she came across them. Getting jumped in the alley the other day was proof of that.

Unable to look the chief in the eye the vixen said with a defeated sigh, "I don't know..." Xia looked absolutely miserable. Her one skill revolved around violence and tracking people to administer violence. With her paw wounded the way she was the fox might as well be crippled.

Scioto shakes his head again, "Then, you are not being helpful to me. I no longer have any beast in charge of the infirm, just some healers who work there is all"

The fox gasped as if stricken. Not...helpful? Was Xia really useless unless she could stab things? The bounty hunter turned away slowly and began to stagger down the road way, her halberd and tail dragged across the dirt. Not...helpful...

Scioto growls low, he is not having the best morning, he should of been told of this last night but no they waited to tell him when he woke up and went outside, he watches the vixen head off and decides to head to the tavern grumbling as he does so.

With the murder of the head healer business has been, slow to say the least. Guards investigating the scene hastily double their efforts to appear like they are at least trying...even if they are getting nowhere fast. But it's best not to appear like they are slacking off in front of the chief.

One of the few patrons here however does have a familiar look to him. Like the vixen Bandit has a light brown coat of fur with a yellow underbelly. Unlike the other fox however Bandit has some meat to his bones, most notably around his middle. The fox also has some muscle to his arms. He wears an open cloth vest with a sword harness across his chest. Attached to the harness is a sheathed rapier. The fox appears to be enjoying a cool glass of water at the bar.

Scioto storms in, he lets the door slam back shut and probably half a dozen beasts close to the door jump slightly. He walks over to where he sits and the bar tender already has his dark ale as he sits and takes it, drinking half of it before he notices the familiar fox" Well..Bandit, I see you have returned.."

The fox twitches an ear as the cat approaches. He pauses in mid sip to let the beast sit down. "Scioto." The fox says simply before taking a long gulp of his water. Memories of almost being executed as a slaver by the cat have mostly faded by now, mostly. "Heard about your healer." The fox continued, wiping water off of his muzzle with his paw, "A real pity. Seemed like a nice enough fella."

Scioto looks at the fox, seriousness in his voice " Did you see anything? Do you know anything? I mean SOMEONE had to see least something!" He calms himself and drinks the rest of his ale and slams the glass down, yeah he is still angry.

The fox can hear the desperation in the cat's voice. Unfortunately for Scioto Bandit only shakes his head, "Sorry, I only arrived at the tavern after the healer had been murdered yesterday. I didn't see anything." Turning in his seat to face Scioto and leaning against the bar the fox continued, "By the way, how much would a chieftain like you offer as a reward for information leading to the capture of the murderer? You know, if I do happen to find anything out...just out of curiosity?"

Scioto folds his arms over his chest, "Seeing as he was Head Healer, I am unsure. More than the usual pay would be and would depend on how much info you get me."

Nodding his head the fox turns back to the bar, rubbing his chin as he does. "I'll keep my ear to the ground," the fox says with a smile. "I wasn't planning on staying long in Ferrevale, just enough to get some supplies for a journey south." He takes another drink of his water, finishing it off without explaining why he is going south.

Scioto raises an eyebrow and shrugs "South?..Well guess that’s good for future cold weather." He gets 2nd ale "Least the crops are in, one less thing to worry on right now."

The door to the tavern bursts open and Blisa comes dashing in, waving a rather long piece of paper and holding one of her charcoal pencils, a grin lighting up her face. "Daddy! Daddy, one of the merchants has offered to provide decorations for free!" She has a smudge on her cheek and her paws are all covered in charcoal dust. Ferdinand comes loping in behind, glancing at everyone in an apologetic manner. A piercing scream echoes from outside, and a big snake sticks his head in the door. Basilisk inspires fear in most people's hearts...until they see his still-chubby sides. His has been rebelling against his diet and exercise regime. Silly snake.

"Yeah well at least you won't have a shortage of food this winter, right? I mean can you imagine how much that would..." The fox pauses in mid-sentence as he sees the rather plump snake poke its head through the door. His eye twitches at the serene scene before him. The small child rushing into a tavern to show her papa a picture she apparently drew...followed by the apex of predators right behind her. "S-s-snake..."

Outside Xia is having a similar reaction. The now 'less than portly' vixen is feeling rather blue after her talk with Scioto. She can't quite figure out what to do with herself now that her paw is bandaged up, probably for a few weeks...even months! Taking her by surprise she nearly screams when she sees the snake wondering through town. "Wait...that's the kitten's snake." The vixen smiles again, there is hope yet! If only she could figure out a way to reach Blisa without through the snake.

Scioto shakes his head and then smiles a little at Blisa " Well isn't that nice of. Whoever it is, and I am still unsure when we can have the party"

Blisa shrugs. "I'm planning on being all ready for it when it happens. Look!" she holds out her paper, which is actually a supplies/shopping list, to her father. "I have almost all of the supplies! I only need to decide on the food, and all will be ready!" She scratches an itch on her forehead and leaves a definite streak of black across it. Ferdinand comes up and leans against the counter as the young cat waves to the male fox who had been talking to her father. Basil slides farther into the tavern, pleased that he's not getting stuck in the doorway anymore, and scares the piddle out of some of the beasts in there. "Good afternoon....friendsssss." he hisses with false politeness as he wonders how best to cook some of the more chubby creatures.

Bandit being among the chubbiest feels his instincts begin to rise after the snake passes him a rather, odd look. He fights the urge to run and hide behind the counter, as that might activate some evil chase response in the snake. Then again, maybe it would just eat him here and now anyway...

Ever the glutton though the fox raises his ears to the mention of food, "You are throwing a party Scioto?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.

Another fox enters the tavern. Stepping over the snakes tail Xia hobbles closer towards the bar, "Hey Scioto!" She says again, "Blisa! Bandit!" She pauses to do a double take, "Bandit?" The other brown furred fox turns his head quizzically towards the vixen, "Xia? IS that you?" He looks her up and down, "Wow, you really lost some weight there, last time I saw you, you were..." He pauses at the terrifying growl he receives, "Skinny as a rail..."

Scioto shakes his head" Not anytime soon, not now and it’s something Blisa was wanting to do...I will still but not sure when, right now I want to find that assassin before he hurts anyone else"

Bandit raises an eyebrow, eager to turn his attention away from the snarling vixen and deadly snake, "Really? A party? What seems to be...be the..." He gulps, knowing Xia's angry gaze is still boring a whole through the back of his head. Why was she angry? It's not his fault Xia was a rolly polly vixen! "What's the reason for the party?" He finally says.

Ferdinand snaps his attention to his boss, his strange golden-eyed gaze suddenly hard. "What'th that? Who died?" Blisa blinks, having been so busy with her party preparations that she hadn't heard this tidbit of information. She distractedly tells the males fox, "It's to celebrate the harvest. You can come if you want," then turns to her father. "Daddy, what are you talking about?" She starts chewing on her thumb claw, a strange nervous tick that has just developed in the past week or so. Basilisk slithers closer to the fighting pit, observing but not really seeing the bits of broken something all over the pit's floor as he catches the new tone in the young cat's voice.

Scioto decides to answer, she isn't so young anymore, "The head healer, here in ferravale was stabbed in the back in the tavern and is dead. A cloaked beast is the one who did it and right now no one seems to know where they are or got a close look at them. I guess a small argument and then..." He shakes his head, “Not the best news I know"

"No, not the best news indeed." Said the heavy set adventurer. He rubs his chin at the thought of a feast though. It's getting close to wintertime, maybe he should find a place to hole up for the winter...

"Yes, a real pity." Said the not so heavy set vixen, she too rubs her chin, thinking of a way to work this to her advantage. The kitten finding out about the dead beast she means. Unable to take a job to stave off starvation the vixen has no qualms about calling in favors, even from the most pint sized of sources.

Blisa deflates, looking very sad, indeed. "Oh. I was going to invite him." She looks at her sheet, unable to put her feelings into words. Ferdinand growls slightly. "Tho we have no idea if thith wath a freak accident or if thith wath targeted? Right?" Basilisk comes over and says, "Can I eat the assssassssssin?" The young cat glares at him halfheartedly.

Scioto stands as a guard comes in and nods for him to wait, "I will be in my office..." He looks at Ferdinand and oddly the snake too, "You two will keep an eye on Blisa and protect her if need be with your very lives and we WILL find out who did this and they will pay" He starts to walk off and looks at the snake again, "Yes..when he is caught I am sure he will be delicious for you..or her.." He then heads off.