Vulpine Summer

When Esme was roaming Lakeside in the hot afternoon, Reynard Todd, a.k.a The Fox, was having an afternoon nap. He lay naked beneath a white sheet on his lumpy bed, sticky and much too warm as he listened vaguely to the sounds of life that was dragged in by the gentle wind through the open window. Cars roared by, horses snorted, children screamed, women gossiped, shoes clicked, dogs barked. The city was very much alive on this hot day. While the city-life was soothing, Fox wasn't appreciating the argument above his basement room though. He could hear his neighbours screeching at each other, swearing and the woman was declaring her mother was right about the good for nothing husband. He didn't know what it was over, last week it had been about his drinking, before that money, so it could be anything but he wished they'd stop already. He wanted to sleep deeply on this hot day before he'd go out drinking when it was cooler.

The neighbours weren't the only ones against him sleeping though. At the open window, hidden below the edge, came a young voice.

'Fo-o-ox! Fox, got a letter!'

Fox instantly recognised the voice and his eyes shot open, revealing a deep green gaze. He shot up, dragging the sheet around his waist and plodded over the cluttered, tiny room. He leaned over the edge to see Ronald there, an urichin boy of eight. He grinned his gapped-tooth smile.

'What does she want now?'

'I dunno. Jus' told me to bring you this.' He held up the letter. 'Elenore also told me to tell you you're a moron. She wants to see you today.'

Fox raised his eyebrows. 'Yeah?'

'Yeah. Wants to know why you haven't visited her this week.'

'Been busy.' He responded vaguely.

Fox took the letter offered to him, ripped it open and read the contents. It wasn't much, just the haggard Doe demanding his presence. He sighed and scrunched up the letter before handing Ronald a few copper pieces.

'Thanks. I'll be over soon.'

Ronald bobbed his head before he tore away, clambering up the old cracked steps and vanishing down the road. Fox slammed the windows shut, turning the key to keep them locked, then began to find clothes amongst the mess in his room. It wasn't going to be easy. The sink was full of washing-up, the books piled up on the small table instead of tidied away on the shelves, his cupboard was wide open with clothes spilling out and the dirty pile he kept telling himself to clean was beside a now cobwebbed ironing board and his un-cleaned bathtub.

He managed to find a clean pair of underwear on his bed, a shirt on his old battered armchair surrounded by bottles of empty beers and some faded green trousers with braces beneath some of the books. He managed to get himself dressed and shove his bare feet into massive black boots before he made his way over to the stove. Stuffing the letter inside, he dumped a few pages of the local newspaper inside with it and lit a match, setting it alight. All letters had to be burned. No evidence of contact left. That was the rule.

Ignoring the brown patched jacket the dangled sadly from its hook, knowing full well it was too hot for it to be worn, Fox grabbed the flat cap and pulled it over his vibrant red hair. He hadn't bothered to brush it or the bushy side-burns. It was just the Doe.

Happy his cramped room was secure, Fox exited the room, slamming the door behind him and locking it firmly. He glanced down the corridor, wondering if the young blond he'd had his eye on was about but she wasn't. Her room was closed firmly. Elenore was going to laugh then sock him when she found out wooing the neighbour was the reason he hadn't visited her in South Side. She detested being second in line. If she found out that was. He wasn't going to blab about it anyway. Shrugging, Fox left the apartment block, hopping up the steps and strode down the street.

The Commons was one of the poorer districts, slightly above Wayside but worse than Oldtown, but he loved living here despite the poverty. The streets were old and cobbled, the roads barely kept, the windows of the tall cluttered buildings open with clothes fluttering about in the breeze. Children played about the streets with hoops, balls and chased one another, screeching with joy when they saw a car coming to hurry out of danger's way. Age old shops stood open, selling over priced food, books, clothes and other junk and familiar faces smiled and welcomed him as he made his way to the Doe's. This was the District he had been raised in by his father and alongside Elenore, a shadow who never let his side, and he'd never left it, even after his father died. He loved the friendliness, the closeness, the honesty and there were good memories here. The richer areas just didn't have the charm and air he grew up in. Yes it was safer to live in with less murders, robberies and gang fights, but it was too snobby and rich for his taste. Not that he could afford to live anywhere else anyway.

Fox tried to keep to the shadier side of the road, following his usual route and aware he was getting closer as the number of people outside grew in number. The sun was bright and it sapped what little energy he had, making him fail to pay attention to the car honking its horn for him to move or the man wheeling a wooden barrow of shopping. Both shouted at him irritably. Why couldn't Doe have asked after him later in the day? He didn't mind roaming about when it was dark and cool. Its usually when she asked after him anyway.

Before long Fox found the wide main street of the Commons. It was the biggest road and most cared for and dedicated only to shops and their owners. It was the busiest as well. A few trucks drove by, carrying crates of produce to their destination, and a few cart horses whinnied amongst the sound of chatter and dogs. Like everywhere else in the city, it was busy and bustling with life that came crawling out for some sun.

The Doe's shop was snuggling settled between a vegetable shop that was being restocked by a burly man and his burly horse and a sweet shop mobbed by children. The second hand book shop was practically his second home. His father often left him there when he was out on jobs and Fox wasn't at the local school with Elenore when her father was in a particular mood of violence. Fox watched the shop for the Doe and read and slept on her sofa upstairs whenever his father didn't return in time. Elenore would help him out often and sometimes taken by the Doe for some hushed up lessons he was never allowed to involved with. There were good memories here of his childhood. He was glad the shop was still going.

He opened the narrow windowed door, barely noticing the familiar tinkle of the bell. He was instantly met by a narrow corridor of books, both ancient and newly unwanted. He edged it way up the dark shop, glancing between the shelves to see if there were any customers hidden down the other four isles. There weren't.

The counter was empty too. A brass till stood unwatched beside a well loved orchid plant. Behind that were the two familiar doors; one leading up to Ethel 'the Doe's' apartment and the other leading below into the basement.

'Ethel?' Fox called out as he stood by the counter.

'Here.' The Doe said as she opened the apartment door with a few books.

Fox didn't dare take the pile from the elderly woman. She may be small, wrinkled like a prune and old but she wasn't frail. Her white hair was pulled back into an old fashioned bun, making her hawk like face more severe, and her sharp eyes stared at him behind the circular glasses. She was a stern woman and brooked no nonsense which was why she had been the Fence for so long in this part of Lakeside.

'Close up the shop. Ronald has buggered off some place. Brat's gonna need a hiding.'

Fox curiously turned back and locked the front door, turning the sign onto 'closed', before he came back to the Doe. She had already unlocked the basement door and was disappearing down the steps.

'Come Reynard!' Her voice boomed.

Fox followed wordlessly. The basement bellow was thankfully cold. The brick here wasn't heated by the sun outside and the fireplace was dead. Stored here were boxes of books and stock for the shop, all wrapped up in plastic to keep them from moulding. But this tiny storage room wasn't the main purpose of the basement.

Fox languidly made his way into the neighbouring room after the Doe and entered her office of her main job as a Fence of the Fingers, a Guild of 'Obtainers'. Fox, like his father before him, was one of these Obtainers. It was his job to stealthily get into any building to 'obtain' information, items, secrets, documents, anything. It didn't matter what so long as the Client was safe, could pay the fee, nothing to do with murder and was doable. It was the Doe's job to send out couriers, usually kids like Roland, to check the caches dotted about her territory for letters left by potential clients. She'd then do the research into both client and task then assign it to the correct Obtainer. It was also her job to keep 'eyes and ears' dotted about to be aware for any signs of trouble. Elenore was on those pairs of eyes and a damned good one. The whole operation was frowned on by most openly, especially the rich, but the Fingers and their competitive Guilds found jobs easily forthcoming, ironically especially from the rich.

The walls were lined in old wooden boxes, files, cabinets and several different maps and room held only two desks. One was typical, holding several pots of pens, paper, files, a candle-stick phone and books. The other ones was a little odd. It was smaller and only had one sheet of paper on it as well as an old morse code machine. Fox remembered how he'd sit down here, listening to the strange beeps and translating the messages from other Fences for the Doe, often asking Elenore for help who understood it all far quicker than he did. The machine was the best way to move information about quickly without suspicion when letters sent by urchins would be too risky or slow.

The Doe settled in her chair and flipped open the file on her desk and pushed her glasses up her nose. 'Got a job for you, little kit.'

'Fox.' He reminded her. While Fox was often a nickname given to him as a kid by his hair and name Todd, it was also his title. Codenamed Obtainers were in the higher bracket. The best at their jobs. They were trusted not to get caught doing the toughest and dangerous of jobs. Eight months ago he'd gained his own codename and was shed of his number. The Doe, his Fencer and boss, aptly gave him The Fox, the one title Fox always dreamed of obtaining after his father's death.

'Little kit to me until you're reliable. You have your codename now, your status for higher work, but you've gotta keep it. So far you've done some tricky jobs well. No problems. But I've got a big job for you.' Doe sniffed. 'It's a grab and deliver.'

Fox was surprised. It wasn't often the Obtainer had to deliver the contents himself. Usually they just brought it back to the Fencer and then it would be up to them and the couriers to make sure the contents were delivered, money received and the contract completed. Usually the only time an Obtainer does the completion themselves was when the stated delivery was out of town or the contents too valuable to be trusted with a courier.

'Are the contents worth too much or delivery spot too far?'

'Both. The contractor chose us as we are well out away from his place of residence, Hornberg.'

Fox rose his eyebrows. Hornberg was most definitely out of the way of Lakeside. Three weeks worth of out-of-the-way.

'The item he wants obtained is also in Lakeside. Oak River District.'

Fox frowned. Oak River was the top district for the rich and powerful. The houses there were massive, more manors, with large private lands the sat along the Oak River itself and filled with expensive items that would give him several years rent easy. But expensive pickings meant there were going to be guards, the highest tech and dogs. Lots of dogs. Fox didn't like dogs.

'What needs Obtaining?' He said as he tried to keep his expression of disgust from showing.

Doe stared at the paper and read. 'The Eye of Autumn, one of a set of four. It's made of red diamonds, alexandrite, various pearls and gold; no bigger than a golf-ball. It vanished from the contractors family a generation ago and, at a fete early last month, he discovered it amongst the possession of a Sir Hendrick Walliam. Our contractor wants it back to join the other three Eyes but Walliam refused the sale so he's come to us to Obtain it.' Doe stared up at him. 'Distance and price means you have to travel to Hornberg yourself and deliver it. Not having this get lost or taken along the way.'

Fox wasn't keen on the six week journey back and forth. It was a lot of effort and, while he wasn't fussed about the brunette of the bar and emerald eyed women at the bakery, he'd miss out on the blond. He was close now. She talked with him longer in the mornings before she went to work and even purposefully waited for him. When talking to him she'd blush, hands would flutter and she'd stare at him with wide desiring eyes. He was certain he was close to bedding her.

'How much?'

'Ten crowns, thirty half-crowns and eighty bronze quarters.'

Fox whistled. This was the biggest payment yet, worth a year's rent easily. Maybe the blond's heart would grow fonder on his absence? He could bring her back a gift too, something to woo her with.

'Alright, I'll take it.'

'You do this good and you'll earn reliability.'

'So you'll call me Fox?'

'Yes.' She said irritably. 'You would've earned your father's codename.'

Fox glowed instantly. 'Where to?'

'Go this evening. Oak River District, number three of the Meadows. Big white house. Scout it out first and don't screw this up, boy.' The Doe said sharply as she slapped a file onto the table holding blue-prints and notes about the house and its protection. 'The Fingers are getting a large sum for this one.'

'I'll be fine.'

Doe grunted uncertainly. 'Now get it. I want to see you in five dawns with our Eye.'

Fox promised he would, even gloating he would bring it to her this coming dawn, tilted his hat and hurried away, barrelling up the stairs and leaving the shop just as Roland came by with a massive ice cream. Fox ruffled the boy's hair, warning the urchin of the incoming scolding for slacking, before he made his way in the direction of his home. He'd swing by, grab his tools, then head to the pompous side of town to scope out his job. Elenore had to wait a little longer.

Six months worth of rent, his reliability being confirmed and the possibility the blond neighbour finally jumping into his ancient bed all rode on this task. He'd make this work. He had to. Smiling outwardly while inwardly a little nervous of the massive task, The Fox strode through the hot summer day, unaware of the hunt he was going to be soon dragged into whether he liked it or not.