Vulpine Summer

As Esme hunted down Fox and her Grimoire, Fox was standing before his oldest friend, Elenore. She was the woman he experienced all his firsts with and had his back through thick and thin ever since they met as childhood neighbours in their sordid District. She'd gone up in the world with the Doe's help, moving from the whore house in East Port to being a well sought after courtesan in South Side. She worked as an excellent set of eyes and ears for the Doe and saved them from detectives and angry richmen several times. Here she was safe to work, unlike the beatings and near rape incidents in the previous whore-house, and was flourishing as a set of Eyes, so well that Fox was well aware the Doe was considering Elenore to take over when she retired. Elenore did well at organising information, separating fact from fiction and keeping people in line. She'd run the Doe's sector of the Fingers easily.

Elenore was beautiful as always, wearing a soft pink dress and shoes with heels so long and pointed she could stab someone with it. Her blond hair was curled primly and her face kissed softly by pastel shades of make-up. Fox was mostly interested in her skin though. He gazed over her long arms, her delicate shoulders, her soft hands and finally her face. There appeared to be no bruises or cuts and the make-up couldn't hide anything.

'Stop starin'.' Elenore scowled, her accent quickly jarring her high-end appearance. 'No one's beaten me since I've been here. They treat me well.'

Fox shrugged nonchalantly. Elenore hated him fussing so he dropped it.

'Work going well?'

'Getting my money for my work, that's all that matters.'

Fox could tell. The clothes she wore were expensive and would've been paid out her own pocket. Courtesans, the healthiest and most protected of sex-workers, were not cheaply paid for their services.

'Now why haven't you been checkin' on me?' Elenore scolded with a slight pout. 'Your other whores been takin' all the attention?'

Fox laughed. She always called herself and his other conquests 'his whores'. He never corrected her. While not always accurate for the women he chased, it was an apt description of herself and the relationship they had. A close bond, both physical and emotional, just without being in-love.

'A little.' He admitted.

She cuffed him round the head lightly and scowled. 'Told you not to go puttin' them first, Fox. I'm the first. None of them have been through hell with you and back and been there since you were learning how to thieve. Not one but me.'

'I know, Ellie.' He said as he rubbed his head, recalling when she moved in next door when they were seven and how they instantly bonded. He'd often hide her from her father when he was going on one of his drunken tirades. 'I know.'

Elenore's scowl softened and she took his hand gently to pull him up to the club's wall, keeping themselves hidden in the darkness and away from prying eyes. 'I heard you're getting your promotion confirmed.'

She didn't need to hear the words leave his mouth. His expression gave it away.

'O-oh!' She squealed softly. 'You're gettin' old man Fox's name! He'd be so proud of you!'

Fox grinned joyously. 'As I've done half of the promotion, I will be.'

Elenore's face fell in a heartbeat. 'Half?'

'Yeah, going to go out of town for a while.'

Her pink mouth drooped sadly. 'Really? How long?'

'Few weeks. Need to go to Hornberg.'

Her expression shifted instantly. One moment she was pouting sadly, the next she was leaning close, eyes shinning mischievously. 'Well then you need to make it up to me.'

Fox smiled apologetically. 'Can't. I need to see Ethel at dawn and then move. I need to sleep for the next couple of hours, not play with you.'

'Oh come on. I haven't seen you in ages. You always go on about how busy you are these days.' Elenore cooed, smiling in her coy manner. 'Come. Stay. We can spend some time together then you can leave in the mornin'. Will be a nice change from all the old men.' She laughed softly.

Fox held up his hands defensively. He was tempted, truly tempted. It had been a while since he spent the night with her. 'No, I can't. I have work.'

'Really? Right now? Even though you're going out of town for so long?'

'Sorry Elenore.' He said as he kissed her hand in apology.

She sighed and tugged at her blond hair, pouting softly. He could tell she was genuinely upset. It made him feel bad for not seeing her these last couple of weeks.

'Well it can't be helped. Come swing by as soon as you're home and don't go visitin' any of your other whores first or I'll blacken your eye. I'm number one, remember?' She warned sternly. 'I miss your face, Fox. You don't visit nearly as often as you should.' She said, pulling at his cheek like she always did.

They couldn't say much anymore. The bouncer was approaching them, calling to Elenore to return into the gentlemen's club. Elenore scrunched up her face in annoyance but shooed Fox away, wishing him luck as she returned to her work. Fox left her be and continued on his way back to the Commons in the gathered night.

Fox was content as he walked through the cool summer night, inhaling the stink of the city and the freshness of the wind. He had the Eye and a Grimoire, something the Doe would happily sell on or keep herself. The Doe was always very interested in magic. Everything had gone swimmingly and he would've stayed with Elenore as a pat on the back if he didn't need to get going at dawn.

'I'll see her when I get back.' He told himself. Take her out to dinner or something to make up for not checking in regularly recently.

He didn't expect to stumble across the bobby though. The lanky policeman had given Fox a bit of a fright, thinking he'd somehow royally screwed up and left a trail leading straight to him, but that wasn't the case. Apparently the big-wig Wizard had been offed by another Wizard. Fox didn't really care. Politics and magic wasn't his thing but he made of note of the picture the policeman showed, searing the black hair, doe eyes and long face to memory and mouthing the name Esme Dupont over and over. He didn't want to get in the way of a murderous Wizard. He wouldn't stand a chance.

So he carried on his way home, moving from South Side all the way to the Commons. The buildings grew shabbier, taller and leaned on each other for support to prevent themselves from collapsing. The shops became less flamboyant and with cheap items on display behind grubby windows and the roads were narrower and less cared for. He was glad that the streets were getting emptier and emptier along the way. A mix of it being three in the morning now and the lack of nightly activties meant only the odd car roared by, a group of drunken men returning home from the local pub singing some football anthem or some policeman showing him the same flier from earlier. He didn't feel alone though. Even in the darkened summer night with only a cat, drunkard or homeless man for company now and then, he never once felt alone. It was as if he was being followed. He kept turning to look over his shoulder but saw nothing. No one, just a hissing cat or roaming fox. Still, he couldn't shake the sensation of a pair of eyes never leaving his back. Eyes with ill-intent.

Fox grew tense, so tense that when someone called out to him as he stumbled down a shadowed back-alley, he flinched.

'Oi, Fox!'

Fox looked about in alarm and not seeing much in the back-alley he stood in, just the walled off back gardens filled with rubbish from the rows of unkept terrace houses that clearly needed one another to remain standing. He glanced up, noting a shape on the aged, mossy rooftops. It had to be no. twenty-three, Angus.

'What are you shoutin' for?' Fox hissed.

Angus shrugged and made his way precariously down the old building, using the rusty guttering to scuttle down. He moved through the broken toys and black bags to reach the wrought iron gate separating him from Fox.

'Heard you were doin' your trust job?' Angus said brightly, revealing his missing teeth.

Fox glanced up and down the alley. Rules dictated you weren't really allowed to talk about the Fingers out in the open but no one was around. No lights were on, no voices or sounds could be heard save for the random dog barks, distant yelling and roaring cars.

Fox grinned instantly. 'Yeah.'

'Did you do it?'

'I did. No re-con either.' Fox said proudly.

'That's a bit risky ain't it?' Angus said warily.

Fox shrugged, conveniently forgetting the almost fatal mistakes he'd made in his job by going in blind. He pulled out his pouch and dropped the Eye into his palm. It glittered in the full-moon's light, showing off its jewels and richness happily.

'I got it though.'

Angus whistled. 'That looks expensive. How much did the Doe set you up for?'

'Ten crowns at least.'

'Ten? Oh I wish I was a coded thief. So much money.' Angus said enviously as he rubbed his hands swathed in tattered gloves.

'Goin' to be out of town though. I need to go hand it in person. It's worth too much.' Fox grumbled. 'So I need to get goin' in the morning as soon as I show it to the Doe.'

Angus reached through the bar and slapped his shoulder. 'Well done mate. You'll have your code in the bag now.'

Fox grinned. He knew he did. The delivery part was the easiest bit of the job.

'Wish I was a trusted one of the Fingers. You're goin' to get jobs rarely and get paid a ton!'

'But they're goin' to be the worst.' Fox reminded him.

Angus shrugged. 'Don't matter. You're a full trusted member of the Fingers, best you can get without being at the top.' He grinned in appraisal. 'Good for you.'

Fox thanked him just as Elenore's face filtered into his mind. She'd be alone. He wouldn't be able to check on her weekly, to bring her food or grab what she needs or to be there in case she needed help. 'Look after Elenore while I'm gone. Make sure she's okay, yeah?'

'Yeah. I mean the Doe is keeping an eye on her. Elenore's a good pair of eyes and ears for her. Alerts her to all kinds of secrets she does. The Doe don't allow anything bad to happen to her anymore.'

Fox knew that, Fox had begged the Doe to give Elenore a safer job when her nose was broken for the umpteenth time, but he still recalled how beat up she got working in her old whore house despite how much she glowed with health these days.

'She's still a woman. Women need someone to care for them remember?'

'Yeah, yeah, I remember. Have no fear, I'll keep an ear out for anyone botherin' her.'

'Thanks. Now go back to climbing rooftops. I'll be back in a few weeks.'

Angus saluted him before melting back up the house, leaving Fox to secure the Eye on his person. He glanced up the back-alley, still aware he was being watched, and froze when he spotted a figure. A fox sat not far from him, staring at him intently. It wasn't that odd to see foxes but they were usually incredibly shy and never were as clean and well-fed as this one. It looked pampered almost.

'Hey there.' Fox said happily as he crouched down. He liked foxes. They were better than dogs by far and it was a shame they weren't domesticated instead.

The fox didn't move an inch, just continued to stare. The gaze was making him a little uncomfortable. The eyes felt much too intelligent and it looked as if there was almost a glimmer of hate in there too. For the first time, he found a fox he didn't quite like.

He stood and moved away cautiously, returning on his path back home. He glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to see it following him. The eyes still held that angry intensity and, weirdly, an almost plotting look. Like it was planning something. Something to do with him.

He shuddered and continued down the cluttered, narrow alley. He glanced over his shoulder, noting that the fox was following him at a distance. He didn't like it. Something about it seemed so un-foxy. Almost human. He picked up the pace, almost jogging away from the unnerving creature. He swerved through narrows roads and market squares now empty of people, trying his best not to look over his shoulder at the fox he was fully aware was still following him.

Just as he reached the pub on the corner of his cluttered street which was spewing out drunkards and trying to close up, the clouds began to rumble. Up above the clear sky was no longer so clear. The moon was completed sealed up by black clouds and the stars were slowly blinking out. A well needed summer storm was coming, hopefully to smother some of the humidity that still clung to the air, causing Fox's skin to become clammy with sweat.

'Just in time.' He mumbled to himself as he barrelled up the street, ignoring the drunks that were beginning a brawl over something petty.

Just as Fox reached the steps leading to his basement home, he glanced up the road. He could see the barkeep trying to break up the fight and threatening to call in the police and also a pair of glittering eyes gazing at him from beside a dustbin. The fox was still there; still creepily following him. Well it wouldn't be able to get into his home at least.

He unlocked his apartment, yanked open the door, switched on the light that strained to splash light about the messy room and instantly made his way to a loose board near his bed. He pulled it free and rummage about for the small safe inside; the place he always put his loot when he couldn't see the Doe. Before putting the Eye in the safe, he quickly checked it over. All the jewels were in place, nothing had been nicked or damaged in his effort to Obtain it. That was good. He settled it in the little bag before place it securely in the woollen nest inside the safe then he put the safe back into its black hole, placed the weird book next to it and pushed the board back into place.

Fox grinned instantly. The Doe was going to be impressed at how quickly he had done his job. There was no way he was going to fail this test. He'd sleep briefly, pack for his journey, show the Doe and accept her praise then continue onto the next half of the test and deliver it safely into the contractor's eagerly awaiting hands. It was going swimmingly.

Fox quickly stripped off his clothes and dove into his lumpy bed, ignoring the squeaking and bits of spring sticking out. He closed his eyes and tried to drift off and ignore the pride that kept fighting off sleep. He was a very happy man that evening.

Esme however was currently curled up in a ball beneath his window, her honey eyes staring at the bugs littered over a broken flower pot as she plotted hurriedly. She had a plan, a desperate one but she could think of nothing else. And it was a plan that was going to put a damper on the Fox's parade of pride and joy.