No Rest for the Wicked, Part 1

Deep in the Pacific Northwest, winter, 1873.

The man lay dead under the sprawling redwood canopies of the high Rockies, half buried in snow. There was a bullet wound in his chest, and the frozen blood which stained his rugged clothes had turned almost black with age. His gun lay a few feet away, and his pale hand reached fruitlessly for it. He had been killed many days ago, yet his eyes still stared wistfully at the crystal blue sky, as if desperately wishing to ascend to some higher plain of existence. But still he was tethered to the mortal, lying undisturbed by the trailside and slowly consigned to burial by the hands of winters chill.

A ravishing scarlet vixen materialized from the shadows beneath the swaying undergrowth. Her coat was full and lustrous; it seemed to glitter with the ice crystals that the vegetation had sprinkled her with. She crept out into the ditch which followed the trail, careful with her footing in the deep snow. Her perfect azure eyes scanned for danger and she held her volumous tail proudly behind her. She cocked her head slightly as she noticed the dead man lying a few feet away, only his hand and head visible at this distance. The wind changed direction suddenly and she turned her slender nose up in disgust as the scent of decay crawled towards her.

Ugh, She thought. How revolting.

She contemplated the two-leggeds as she passed the frozen body; no other race she knew enjoyed senseless violence quite as much as they.

At least I know I'm heading in the right direction…

The vixen had travelled for six days to get here, drawn by nothing more than a sense of fate. She had marched north, uphill most of the way, and had endured more than her fair share of dangers just to make it this far. She was tired and hungry, having been mostly unsuccessful with what few hunts she had taken the time for. This deep in winter there was little in the way of large kills to be made. It was freezing cold, in fact one of the worst chills for decades in the Rockies. She glanced angrily at the sky as she walked.

It couldn't be someone on a tropical island?

Unsurprisingly, there was no reply. She shook her head and carried on trudging, grumbling under her steaming breath. Her thick fur provided some warmth, and she tried to focus on the positives of her situation: The redwood forest was absolutely gorgeous in its winter coat. The high canopies above her seemed to be wrapped in a heavy white blanket, so much so that off the trail it was almost pitch black among them. The undergrowth had been granted its own light dusting by the bitter winter winds; the plants sparkled in the weak noontime sun.

The lusty vixen squinted ahead, down the arrow straight path to her objective. Before her rose a massive crag of mountains; the ridge serrated the sky with its grandeur. It was mostly isolated, surrounded by thick forest in all directions for many miles. Due to its strategic location, the only town in the county had put down roots in its comforting shadow, and it was here that she was headed.

I hate going into town. She lamented.

If it was up to her she would happily spend the rest of her days as far away from human contact as physically possible - humans were stupid and easy to fool, but they could also be very dangerous. Of course, it wasn't up to her, it never had been.

The forest thinned as she neared the foothills of the mountains, the towering redwoods eventually gave way to shorter pacific pine. A cawing crow soared high overhead, following the same road. She felt her eyes drawn to it as it swooped down into the trees and out of sight. She licked her lips hungrily and decided her first port of call should be to gather some sustenance. The trees eventually fell away, cut down or simply unable to encroach upon the man-made clearing up ahead. The vixen made sure not to follow the main road into town, instead slinking away between the fresh stumps of the most recent forestry.

The town itself was the very definition of sleepy. A crooked wooden sign proudly proclaimed upon entrance 'Coldfellows Reach. Population 100'. Like most frontier towns, there were two distinct rows of buildings either side of a wide main street. Perched at the head of the town, nearly touching the sharp incline of the mountain base were two additional structures; one was a sheriff's office and the other was reserved for the mayor. Every building was constructed of heavy redwood logs and seemed to be in a permanent state of snow-in. The vixen didn't doubt that with two or three weeks of heavy precipitation this town would be invisible.

Far to the east, separated from the main settlement by a rocky ridge stood an even less populous collection of buildings. The wind was against her and the vixen sniffed the air carefully. It was immediately obvious that if she was looking for her own kind, her best chance was this decrepit outpost. Wary to expose herself, she stuck to the edge of the forest and circled rather than dashing directly across the pure white clearing. As she neared, she began to hear something peculiar on the air. She swivelled her ears in an attempt to locate the sound. She sighed as she recognised what it was; human music.

Will the manifold beauties of nature never be enough for these two-leggeds?

Much to her chagrin, she followed the grating sound to its source. The small gathering of forgotten wooden shacks was most unimpressive, and many of them had been buried or succumbed to the weight of snow upon them, but one in particular stood out from the rest. It was by far the largest building of the huddle, and its sturdy foundations and thick redwood walls had prevented it from sharing the fate of its cousins. It was from within this construction that the music emanated, and the strong scent of animal was unmistakeable. The vixen crunched through the snow, leaving the forest behind her and cautiously entering the tiny community, her ears and eyes alert.

The large building was rather less robust up close than first impressions would belie. Nearly every one of its windows had been smashed or replaced with some wooden stopper. The thick redwood planks which gave the walls their strength looked old and warped; some of them had begun to splinter. The heavy doors hung crookedly and the snow around the structure was littered with all manner of barrels, crates and other useless clutter. A dreary sign had been hastily nailed to the door, it read 'saloon'.

This was where the vixen was meant to be, she could feel it in her bones. Wary of the sharp objects and broken glass beneath the snow, she made her way to the door, but paused, catching her reflection in a frozen puddle. She regarded her appearance, ensuring not a hair fell out of place. Her fluffy red coat was not enough to hide her serpentine body, which began with two glossy black ears and ended in four matching lusciously long legs, not to mention her elegantly tapered tail. The blinding white of her underside perfectly complemented the alpine climate, and granted a deceptively innocent highlight to her electric blue eyes.

Roe, you look better than ever.

She smiled a devilish smile at her own reflection, one which she carried all the way to the door.

Flushed with confidence, Roe boldly nosed her way through the crooked doorway, and it creaked loudly in the confined space. She immediately surveyed the room, taking in every detail she could see. It was a large, empty chamber, with only a few work benches remaining from whoever had abandoned it in the first place. Judging from the hand tools scattered about and hung upon the walls she surmised it may once have been a sawmill. The crackling fireplace, fuelled by freshly cut timber, reinforced her suspicions. Everything before her was embalmed in a thick layer of dust and wood shavings, no human had entered this place in a very long time, but the building was far from deserted.

The music stopped with a resounding scratch as someone pulled the needle from an unseen gramophone. Everybody in the room turned their attention to the door, eyeing the new arrival suspiciously, but Roe smiled all the more; she loved to be the centre of attention. There were many different kinds of animals here seeking refuge from the bitter cold outside; Dogs, cats, wolverines, coyotes, and of particular interest, foxes lay strewn about, with many more obscured in the shadows. They watched her in silence, their cheerful chatter replaced only by the howling wind as it snaked its way through the rickety structure.

The vixen fluffed up her fur and strode elegantly forward. Her poise did not betray her fatigue; her body moved lucidly, and her fiery red coat seemed to glow with warmth in the chilly interior. She glanced up, and noticed that scores of birds sat silently in the rafters, joining their ground-stricken peers in distrust of the stranger in their midst. A dark brown fox lay upon an aged bench and watched her with scrutiny as she passed. His paws were tucked far beneath him and his whiskers had formed tiny icicles with the cold. She noticed him and flashed a wicked smirk. The fox froze immediately, his eyes as round as dinner plates. She chuckled softly to herself; this was going to be far too easy…

At the far end of the room, a dusty cutting board sat low to the ground, its saw blade long forgotten. Behind it, a grizzled looking grey fox cleaned a dirty glass with an equally dirty rag. He watched her approach under heavy set eyebrows.

This must be the bar… She thought.

She sat gracefully before it; her thick tail wrapped tightly around her paws, and cleared her throat.

"I'd like some water, please." She asked, grinning at the grey fox.

He seemed awestruck by her voice, sweet and smooth as it was, but quickly shook himself back to his senses. Nearby, several dishes of melting ice sat over the fire on a rusty metal grate. He trotted over, never once taking his eyes off the vixen, and retrieved one for her. He slid it down the bar, intimidated by her beauty. She stopped it with her paw and gave him a look that would stop a heart beating.

"It's uh… on the house…" he said, mesmerised by her eyes.

"Thank you." She replied, and looked down into the shallow dish.

The room was still deathly silent, but as she lapped up the warm water hushed conversation began to resume again. It soothed her aching bones and took the bite from her nose and ear tips. Before long she wasn't feeling quite so spent. Refreshed, she turned and regarded the plethora of animals which called this ruin home. Her practised eyes immediately singled out every fox in the room, and she considered them one by one. This 'saloon' was a rat's nest indeed, her dark gift told Roe that every fox present was guilty of countless crimes, but the one she searched for eclipsed them all.

Alopex… She thought. That was his name, she was sure of it.

Each of these criminals was equally deserving of retribution, but Alopex was the orchestrator of everything in the northern Rockies. Under his guidance, the roving bands of raiders, bandits and killers had been reined in and organised into an efficient system of power; one which slowly drained all the good from the forest and forged it into this mockery of two-legged society. It was downright unnatural, and it made Roe's whiskers twitch.

This was his saloon, and though he was not here now, he would return eventually. It was only a matter of time, and the vixen was prepared to wait as long as it took. The air in the room had relaxed since her arrival and creatures were beginning to move again. Careful not to draw attention, she wandered nonchalantly over to the fireplace, where several of her kind had gathered. They lay before it, warming their fur in anticipation of a hunt later that day. Roe hid quietly in the shadows, straining her ears to hear their conversation.

"Why no, I hadn't heard, why?" said one.

"They say some two-legged outlaws got shot down there last week by a sheriff or some such. Word is they was carryin' a good deal o' gold with 'em." They spoke with crude, sour accents.

"Gold? Hell, that's a damn lie and you know it. It's just those dadgum birds instigatin' again. I tell you here an' now, you go out there lookin' for trouble, you're either gonna end up hangin' on the sheriff's wall or get your throat torn out by 'Pex or one o' his wolves."

A noticeably different voice interrupted their chatter. It was deep and husky. "Now that ain't fair."

All four foxes looked up, their sensitive ears immediately locking on to the sound. It was a bald eagle who spoke so abruptly. He was perched above the fireplace, watching the foxes below with his keen eyes.

"I don't think it's nice, you speakin' so poorly of my kind." He said darkly.

"Well then maybe you should get gone featherbrain," one fox warned. "afore I sink my teeth right through your tiny skull."

"Fine then, I guess I won't tell y'all where that gold is…" he motioned as if to take off, but one of the foxes objected.

"Wait." He said, and glanced at his companions. They too looked curious, but cautious. "What was that you said?"

The eagle smiled. Roe sensed a trick, but the others seemed oblivious. "I mighta seen somethin' out there a couple days ago. Mighta seen a couple o' two-leggeds buryin' a box. Mighta seen one of 'em get shot by the sheriff. Might even have seen where he died…"

Roe cast her mind back. Could it have been the body in the ditch?

"Yeah, you mighta. What's that got to do with us?" One fox asked.

The eagle held his beak high. "Well, for a small pittance I might even be willin' to divulge my precious knowledge."

A silver vixen snorted at the request. "You really expect us to pay you for the location of a dead man? If we wanted to know we could sniff him out, no trouble. Unfortunately for you I ain't quite as stupid as my two companions here, so I think its best you get on your way and for your sake we pretend this conversation never happened. Alopex would have your wings if he knew you were sellin' information like that."

"Suit yourselves," said the eagle, affronted. "I'm sure someone out there's lookin' for a fortune."

Roe rolled her eyes. Money. She thought. What a concept…

It was through money, this human system of barter and exchange, that Alopex and hundreds like him had corrupted the frontier. No longer did animals rely on their instincts to survive, instead they turned to senseless killing and deception, all for paper and yellow metal.

Her stomach rumbled, and suddenly Roe was reminded of the fact that she had not eaten in two days. The foxes before the fire stood up and she sensed an opportunity.

"Come on fellas, we'd better get out there 'n see what we can catch."

The silver vixen and her amber accomplice got up and made for the door. The third fox stayed awhile though, scratching and yawning. It was obvious he was reluctant to leave the warmth and safety of the saloon.

Roe whispered to him, her tones almost ethereal from the shadows. "Come here."

Confused, his ears and eyes locked on to her, and immediately he was dumbfounded. "W-who, me?" he stuttered, paw on heart.

"Yes you, come over here, I want to speak to you."

The rugged fox glanced back at his companions; a coyote had engaged them in conversation just before the door. He had time. Drawn like an insect to fire, he stumbled over his paws to meet her in the gloom.

"Hello, Miss. Uh, what can I do for you?"

Roe hung her head in mock exhaustion. "I am ever so hungry; it was a very long trip here, sir."

That was all it took. "Oh, well uh- you know- we're goin' huntin' right now! I-I'll fetch you somethin' while I'm out there Miss."

"Would you?" Roe raised her head and met his wild eyes with her dangerous glare. "Why, I simply can't thank you enough, kind sir." He passed him and brushed his muzzle with her tail. "But perhaps I'll think of something while you're gone…" she whispered. She could almost sense his heart flutter at the suggestion.

"What in the blue blazes are you doin' back here Bryte? I already told you to get your tail movin'-" The fox's amber friend came back to collect him, but stopped in his tracks as he noticed the lustrous vixen standing next to him.

"Why, hello Miss." He began, hardly believing his eyes. "I don't believe we've been acquainted."

"I don't think we have." Roe smiled. "Your generous friend here was just telling me how he's going to get me something to eat. I'm famished you see."

The amber fox glared at his friend, who was still frozen to the spot. "Well maybe I should get you somethin' instead; you just can't trust old Bryte here. He ain't never caught nothin' worth his own weight."

The insult snapped Bryte back to perception. He whipped around and faced down his friend. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Oh I was just tellin' the nice young vixen how I'm gonna get her a meal since you're too incompetent."

Bryte growled angrily and bared his teeth. "Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged!"

"What in the hell is goin' on here?!" The silver vixen had returned. She scowled at her male counterparts. "I'm tryin' to secure our future, and you're over here shootin' the breeze with this here trollop?!" She bit the ear of the amber fox, and he yelped in pain. "Get your tail outside afore I kick it there!" Both males obediently rushed out of the saloon, embarrassed.

The vixen glared at Roe, her lip curled in distaste. "Listen here missy; strangers ain't welcome round these parts. I suggest you pack up your pretty little hide and get outta town afore somethin' regrettable happens to ya."

With a flick of her tail the vixen turned her back and marched outside. The commotion had caused quite a disturbance and once again Roe felt all eyes upon her. She didn't mind, in fact it suited her just fine. She strolled nonchalantly to the bar and caused the grizzled grey fox pause once again.

"I don't suppose I could stay here tonight?" she asked, dismissing her warning entirely.

It took the fox a few moments to answer, so enraptured was he. "Uh, sure, no problem Miss. You stay as long as you want." He averted his eyes and went back to cleaning his glassware. "Goddamn…" he muttered.

Satisfied, Roe tucked herself into a peaceful corner, its previous occupants quickly dispersing at her approach. There were piles of stolen rugs and blankets here, plus the open fire which crackled nearby. She yawned and stretched her legs under the watchful eye of the entire occupancy before curling up and tucking her nose into her warm tail. She would have to regain some energy from the long climb here and now seemed as good a time as any. She closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

****

"Excuse me Miss." A voice gently stirred her from her slumber.

Roe awakened and blinked the sleep from her eyes. She was immediately met with the scent of fresh meat, only recently killed. Her mouth watered and she raised her head to discern the source of the aroma. Before her stood the two foxes from earlier, Bryte and his amber friend; at their feet were two massive jackrabbits.

The foxes smiled. "We thought we'd get you a little somethin'.

Roe returned their smile and scanned the saloon for hide or hair of their female companion. She lay at the other end of the room, brooding atop a workbench.

"Why thank you boys!" Roe addressed the pair. "I can't possibly eat all this by myself though; perhaps you would like to join me?"

"Much obliged, Miss."

The two male foxes tore their kill in half, and each growled hungrily. The vixen however was altogether more refined, she stretched and yawned before settling down to eat. It was relieving after so many days of hunger, and she finished the whole rabbit in short order.

"Thank you once again gentlefoxes, I hope it wasn't too much trouble for you…"

"Oh no Miss," Bryte said between mouthfuls. "No problem at all."

Roe set about cleaning the blood from her muzzle. "Now that we've eaten, what's say we have a little chat. Get to know each other better, hmm?"

The two males glanced warily at one another. Bryte fumbled for an explanation. "Uhh, we gotta get back to Quicksilver, she's kinda our boss you see. She ain't to keen on you, and she ain't too keen on stayin' here neither."

"Oh come now," Roe met his eyes. "You couldn't stay for me? Just a little while."

He seemed transfixed. "Maybe we could stay a little longer. Ain't no harm, right?"

"Right." His amber friend eagerly agreed.

"What's the rush to get back out into the cold anyhow?"

"Indeed." Said Roe. "Now I hope you fellows won't mind answering a few questions for me."

Their ears perked up attentively. "To the best of our ability ma'am."

She chuckled softly; they were eating out of her paw. "I have heard a great deal of talk hereabouts concerning a powerful fox in the region known as Alopex. I don't suppose you could tell me a little more about him?"

The two friends seemed anxious; they peered over their shoulders and made sure they weren't being watched. "He's a real dangerous person to go talkin' about Miss," Bryte began. "He got lots of friends, especially wolves."

"Wolves?" Roe raised an eyebrow curiously, how had a fox come to control wolves?

"Yep." The amber fox continued. "Any high up transaction takes place in these parts; you can bet your fur he's involved in it." He lowered his voice into a whisper and leaned a little closer. "He's made a lot o' folks real poor. Forced 'em out of the forest and into this here pile o' wood. Partly 'cos of the promise of warmth and shelter, partly 'cos him and his wolves monopolise huntin' out there in the wastes. Predators come here 'cos we got nothin' to hunt, prey comes here 'cos they're a'scared of gettin' eaten by them wolves. It's one o' them vicious cycles the preacher's always talkin' 'bout."

"Hmm."

Whoever this Alopex is, he certainly deserves his fate. Thought Roe.

Bryte concluded. "An' o' course with us all in here, he can go ahead and do whatever the hell he likes to us, or leave us alone and have the whole mountain for himself. Nowadays we gotta rely on idiot foreigners like them two 'rabbits to provide us vittles."

Roe lay back down on her warm cushions, presenting her alluring form to the two foxes. "And I suppose he'll be around in a little while, hmm? To check on his holdings I mean."

The amber fox chuckled. "Alopex ain't been seen in nigh on twenty years, ma'am."

Damn. Roe cursed. This won't be as easy as I anticipated.

"So nobody knows where he lives? How can he police the populace so effectively then?"

"Well like we said, he sends his damn wolves to do his dirty work. I wouldn't recommend takin' the matter up with one o' them though…"

The vixen sighed heavily. "Can you at least tell me what he looks like?"

"Well my pa always said he was pure white. I ain't never seen him with my own eyes though Miss, sorry."

This is going to be a challenge.

She smiled despite her frustration. "Well thank you very much gentlefoxes, you may return to your mistress now."

Bryte scratched the floorboards beneath him with reluctance. Eventually his amber accomplice tore his gaze away from the scarlet vixen and pushed him around too. Both foxes glanced back over their shoulders as they walked away. Roe chuckled to herself, at the very least she was back to doing what she did best.

It was late evening now, and the sun outside was barely visible through the high window, little more than a deep orange disk peeking over the redwood crowns. She was still tired from her long journey, and she saw no harm in sleeping the night in this comfortable position. The rugs beneath her were warm and soft; as un-natural as humans may have been, they certainly knew how to please themselves. She rested her heavy head on her slick black paws and graciously went back to sleep.

****

Roe was jolted awake by a tremendous bang. She immediately sprung to her feet and swivelled her ears to locate the origin of the sound. It came again; it was undoubtedly a gunshot. The vixen ducked low, her caution obvious in her dipped ears and tail. She shook the grogginess from her head and stealthily stalked to the door, skirting the wall the whole way. It became apparent that there was no-one in the saloon, she was completely alone. The fire had burnt out long ago, leaving nothing but glowing embers behind.

Another gunshot reverberated through the building. They definitely came from outside, but from whom and for what purpose? Perhaps the humans had discovered the animal colony here…

With as much caution as she could possibly muster, the vixen nosed her way through the crooked door and took in the scene beyond. It was late morning; her fatigue had caused her to sleep much longer than usual. The entire animal population of Coldfellows Reach had gathered outside for some kind of demonstration. There was excited chatter among them and much jostling for a better view. Those birds capable of hovering rode the freezing wind above their heads, watching events intently.

Curious, and forsaking her stealth, Roe sauntered out into their midst. The biting wind struck her like a hundred icy daggers and she missed the warm saloon already, but still she persisted, driven by her inquisitiveness. She slipped through wings and under legs, her lithe body making easy work of the obstacles that the crowd presented. Many stepped aside, remembering her from the night before, and eventually she stood in the front line. The scene which greeted her was almost incomprehensible: A coyote lay flat on his belly, awkwardly holding a shotgun half buried in the snow beneath him, and aiming down the sights to a tree stump which served as a target. She blinked, just to ensure she wasn't dreaming, and sure enough the coyote was still there. Clumsily yanking the trigger with his claw, he fired, entirely missing the tree stump and narrowly avoiding the crowd. The deafening bang set everyone on edge, several creatures moved to run, but fought hard against their instincts. He stood up, shaking from the recoil but with a massive grin on his face.

"Good show, sir, good show!" A voice, crisp and smooth stood out from the babbling crowd.

Roe turned to it and saw it belonged to one of her own kind. He sauntered out of the mob, holding himself with sophisticated grace. His coat was a buff silver, it flickered in the late morning light, and his fur was full and luxurious. His legs were a shining velvet black, they matched his ears, tail tip and two distinct muzzle markings that curled towards his golden sunset eyes. He was a very presentable character; in fact the only imperfection of his physical being was the tuft of unruly black fur which sprouted from between his ears. Around his neck hung something which made her doubly curious; a worn red neckerchief of some soft material or other. Strangely, he smoked a gold filtered cigarette in a long, ebony holder. He was a fox in human's clothing by every measure of the phrase.

The coyote greeted him, still exhilarated from his experience. "God damn, that's God's own gun right there. Worth every penny."

"Indeed sir, indeed. I thank you for your patronage." The silver fox turned to address the crowd. "Now who will be next to feel the raw power of humanity? Only $1 a shot!"

There was a surge from the crowd as several creatures stepped forward, eager to try the gun themselves.

The stranger tried to calm them. "Now now, one at a time."

Roe narrowed her eyes, who was this peculiar character? His well spoken, high mannered ways indicated he had travelled a long way to get here; and now he was selling two-legged technology to the residents of this decrepit, backwoods town? She struggled to sense his guilt, he hid it well. She could not tell whether this fox was ran an honest business, but judging by his humanisms, she severely doubted it.

For a half hour after, Roe watched silently as the excited animals took their turn at firing the weapon. The silver fox stepped up only to reload it – in an evidently unpractised manner – or collect his payment. Besides this, he simply sat back and observed with calculating eyes.

Unsurprisingly, their revelry was interrupted. They were drawing far too much attention to themselves.

"Well, well. What in the name of all that is holy is goin' on here?" A gravelly, booming voice rang out across the gathering; it seemed to emanate from all directions at once.

There were some frightened gasps among the crowd. Several of the birds took flight and disappeared into the snow-topped trees. Roe soon saw what held them in such fear; a huge white wolf, easily four times bigger than her or the silver stranger appeared in front of them, climbing atop the pellet-torn tree stump. He looked down and picked at the holes with his claw, then turned his attention to the new arrival.

"Howdy there stranger. Welcome to Coldfellows Reach." Said the wolf, putting on an insincere voice of warmth.

"Good day." The small fox replied.

"Now goodbye, it was a pleasure meetin' you."

A short staring match ensued between the two, until eventually the fox broke off without a word. He swivelled around and took another two shotgun shells from a pile behind him.

The wolf chuckled. "Heh, I don't think I made myself clear, my mistake. What I meant to say was: Get out."

"I understand perfectly well what you were inferring Mr. Wolf." Said the fox, his words muffled as he used only his teeth to reload the gun. It was clumsy work.

The canine's initial sarcasm turned quickly to anger. "Mr. I don't wanna have to repeat myself. This here land is property of Mr. Alopex, and he really dislikes when charlatans come on up here and take his money."

The fox still gave no response, and the crowd began to back away, fearing the worst. Roe stood still, intrigued by the confrontation.

The wolf growled angrily. "I'm startin' to think you're either deaf or stupid, Mr. Perhaps it's both? What do you think?"

"I think…" The silver fox pushed his paw down on the gun, locking the barrels closed. He cocked one hammer threateningly. "You should've picked a better place to stand."

The intruder found himself staring down two loaded gun barrels. His eye twitched with anger and humiliation. The fox simply raised an eyebrow, as if asking for his next move.

"You're dead, stranger." Said the wolf, and slowly turned away.

"Oh if I had a dollar for every time I heard that, I wouldn't be selling shotgun shells to country folk…"

The wolf marched away, visibly fuming, while the fox simply uncocked the weapon and pushed it into the snow. He began to bury it with his nose, ensuring it was invisible to any passerby.

"A shame really," he lamented. "That turned out to be a rather lucrative enterprise." He called to the wolf, now melting back into the trees. "Oh, and tell your master that I thank him for the gift he sent me!"

A connection sparked in Roe's mind; this reckless fool knew Alopex personally. Suddenly he became an integral wheel in her plans. She advanced upon the stranger, but thought better of it and stopped short, paws and tail together. He turned to face the saloon, but was unable to miss the gorgeous vixen sitting elegantly in the snow before him. He raised a surprised eyebrow.

She looked deep into his eyes and smiled, winking as he passed. The fox gave a rather unexpected reaction; rather than freeze or lose coherence as most males did under her electric stare, he simply smiled. A dazzling smile that could light the darkest of nights, he had obviously practiced it many times before, and Roe imagined it would be a useful asset to grease the wheels of business.

She frowned as he disappeared into the warmth of the saloon. This new arrival was interesting indeed. He was foolhardy, intelligent and handsome; in many ways he reminded her of herself. Regardless, there was no way she would let him leave without disclosing what he knew.  

As the rest of the crowd trickled off into the woods or back into the safety of the saloon, she again found herself pushing through the heavy wooden doors. The silver fox ambled over to the bar, receiving many kind thanks from the other animals, obviously grateful that he had turned away Alopex's wolf. Roe decided not to make too much of a scene just yet, she would wait until she knew more.

She too wandered absently to the bar, as the grey fox tender hopped back over to his side. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the sly salesfox looking her up and down, evidently impressed with what he saw. She smiled to herself.

"Hey, stranger." The grey fox whispered as quietly as he dared. Roe strained her ears as the new arrival forced his attention away from her and joined the barkeep at the other end of the cutting board. "You that 'special' fella Alopex was supposed to send down?"

Roe watched as carefully as she could without being obvious. The silver fox paused momentarily before replying, and she caught his eyes shift in less than a blink. His demeanour didn't change, but she could tell; he was lying through his teeth.

"As a matter of fact I am, he said you had something for me?"

The grey fox scrutinised him sceptically. "You don't look like one o' his types."

The stranger drew back a little, feigning insult. Roe had to hand it to him; this fellow was quite the actor. "What exactly do you mean by that, sir?" he inquired threateningly.

A few moments of tension passed, and the grey fox sighed. "I didn't mean nothin' by it."

"That's what I thought."

Without taking his eyes off the stranger, the bar tender reached down and reappeared with a slip of paper between his teeth. He placed it carefully upon the cutting board. The silver fox slid it towards him and took a peek with his claw.

"Don't forget," said the barkeep, lowering his voice. Roe was forced to shuffle over. "Quarter for you, a quarter for me, and half for Alopex. He'd have both our hides if anything else went awry, you get me?"

The silver fox smiled and met his warning glare. "I understand." He tucked the paper safely into his neckerchief. The grey fox turned away, but the stranger gave him pause. "Oh sir?" He tapped the wooden surface before him with his claw. "Your finest whiskey, please."

Over the next few hours the fox drank more than his fill. Roe simply watched and waited, intrigued and bewildered in equal measure. He accrued quite a crowd; his charming and witty anecdotes seemed to ring well with the residents of Coldfellows Reach. It was late afternoon when he downed his last drop.

"Ah," he breathed. "I think I've had enough. Thank you good sir."

The grizzled bar tender raised a questioning eyebrow. "You gonna pay for any o' this?"

"Please, sir." The stranger smiled. "You know I'm good for it." He reached under his neckerchief and retrieved the meagre sum he had accrued from his earlier display. He placed it upon the dusty wood.

The grey fox turned away, grumbling. Roe was satisfied; the alcohol would've loosened his tongue no doubt. She decided to make her move.

Once again though, she was thwarted; the great saloon doors swung wide open and a chill swept through the room. The flames of the open fire flickered and faltered, threatening to go out. Several residents gasped as they turned in surprise and beheld who stood in the doorway.

Three gargantuan wolves stalked threateningly into the old sawmill, so obviously at odds with their surroundings. Roe recognised one of them; he was the white wolf from earlier that day. They growled and held themselves low, their hungry eyes fixed on the bar. The crowd which had gathered around the mysterious stranger quickly dissipated and left him exposed. He didn't even acknowledge their presence, just stared straight ahead, mild irritation in his features.

Roe rolled her eyes, sharing his aggravation. It seemed her only lead was about to become someone else's dinner. The wolves advanced upon him, each covering a different angle, with strands of spittle hanging from their jaws.

"Hey there stranger." The white wolf pulled up to the bar and sat beside his quarry, dwarfing him.  His voice carried a dark sarcasm. "I thought I told you to get outta town."

"That you did, sir." said the fox, ignoring his aggressor's presence.

The other wolves laughed heartily at his expense.

Their leader leaned in closer. "Didn't your momma ever tell you it's impolite not to look at someone when they're talkin' to ya?"

"I've already seen you." Said the silver fox. "I'm not that impressed."

The wolf bared his teeth and stepped back a little, lowering into an attack stance but still level with the small fox. "I gave you a chance, Mr. Now you gone and blown it. You and me. Outside. Right now."

The stranger finally turned and accepted the wolf's presence. He looked the hungry predator up and down sceptically.

"Ah yes," he began. "The time honoured tradition of single combat." He stepped up his game, quite literally, ascending the dusty cutting board before him in one graceful movement. "A noble way of settling differences, beyond all moral reproach!" The wolf watched confusedly as suddenly the fox was above him, looking down with his wicked smile. "However, as I'm sure the good people of this town will attest, you are a wolf, and I am a fox. Therefore, any contest of physical fettle would surely be an unfair one. I propose a different method of solving this contention, one of wit and skill."

The huge canine snorted. "What, you expect me to just play a game with you and let you leave?"

The fox rolled his eyes. "You wolves are a violent race, it must be said… Very well, on my honour, should I lose this challenge you may kill me where I stand."

Unwilling to decline his counter-challenge on pain of his pride, the wolf agreed. The fox glanced about for a suitable media, his gaze finally resting on several discarded glasses which lay strewn about the wooden surface he stood upon. His eyes glinted and he smiled all the more as he collected three together and hopped back down to the floor.

Placing all three face down, he turned to the wolf with a smug smirk. "With two paws on two glasses, turn all three upright in no more than three moves, and you win the challenge." He stepped aside, bowing and gesturing with his paw.

The massive carnivore snorted, his breath evaporating into mist.  He began confidently, turning over two glasses at a time. To his confusion though, he was always left with one face down.

"It can't be done." He growled.

"Oh contraire, Mr. Wolf," said the fox. "Observe."

With sleight of paw and skilful misdirection, in three flicks of the wrist the challenge was over. Everyone but Roe stood aghast; only she had caught his trick.

"I bid you farewell, Coldfellows Reach," Said the fox, smiling his tricky smile. "It has been an experience."

With that, he left the wolves struggling, refusing to believe that they had been outwitted. Inconspicuously, he crossed the room and nosed his way through the door, melting into the evening shadows beyond. Scowling, Roe followed him; there was no way she would allow him to leave without her.

She stepped out into the chilled air, her fur bristling at the cold. The tired tangerine sun painted the sky a glorious shade of pink as it rested lazily over the forest. Roe searched about, noticing the silver fox beating a confident, but hasty retreat towards the tree line.

"Excuse me." She said. Her voice was quiet but the wind gave it a helping hand to reach the fox's ears.

He stopped in his tracks, halfway between the saloon and the thick pines. His ears rotated first, followed by his head. He frowned at the curious young vixen, sitting neatly in the snow. She made her way over, her featherweight barely denting the snow beneath her feet. She was indeed a sight to behold, especially to his tired eyes.

"Why, hello Miss," he greeted her, the first hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "How may I help you?"

She joined him out in the clearing, her instincts for danger overwritten by a stronger urge. The setting sun cast a sparkling glimmer in her eyes. "Leaving so soon? I had hoped for some rather more stimulating conversation than these yokels can provide…"

He unsheathed his claws and regarded them in the twilight. "Pretty and intelligent? That is a rare mix in these lands, Miss."

"Oh," she tittered. "You flatter me, Mr…"

"Victor." He said, meeting her eyes again. "Avant-garde business pioneer extraordinaire, at your service. And you are?"

"Roe, Mr. Victor. Just Roe."

He took her snow-dusted paw and kissed it tenderly. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Roe."

A bellowing howl of frustration interrupted their twilight rendezvous. Both foxes snapped their attention to the saloon; it seemed Alopex's wolves had abandoned their game.

"Alas, I know when I've outstayed my welcome. It was a pleasure Miss Roe, but I fear we shall have to meet again another time. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a rather more pressing matter to attend to."

He dashed the last twenty feet to the tree line, but the lustrous vixen was unwilling to simply watch him go.  "I don't suppose it concerns a certain chest of gold, does it?" she called.

He screeched to a halt, paw hanging in mid air. He glanced back suspiciously. "Gold, you say?"

She nodded slowly and joined him once again, padding lubriciously around to face him. "Indeed, and there is much I can tell you about what you seem to desire so desperately. For the right price of course."

He frowned distrustfully at her smiling features; features which would've brought a lesser fox to his knees. "And why should I trust you, my dear?"

Roe chuckled softly. She whisked her curvaceous form under the silver fox's chin, caressing his frosted muzzle – painfully slowly - with her warm tail. He took one long, unsteady breath before clearing his throat.

"Shall we?" she said, nodding to the gloom between the trees.

He shook himself from his daze and happily agreed, suddenly eager. "Lead on, my dear."

****