Anniar: The Red Fox

I faced those green-gray eyes as our wooden swords crossed close to our faces. She smiled, provoking me, like a proud feline. With a quick movement, she dodged and made an arc from left to right. Fortunately, I knew Bliss too well to fall for that old trick.

I reversed the position of my legs and held my sword parallel to my torso, blocking her strike. Itried my luck with a punch, but it was easily avoided. She was too fast. With her knee, she disarmed me, and I could hear the sound of my sword hitting the ground. I spun around and managed to disarm her by hitting the inside of my opponent’s arm with my elbow.

We exchanged blows unarmed. I was cautious. It was impossible to underestimate Bliss; if I did, I’d end up with a few missing teeth. I couldn’t tell how long the exchange of unarmed blows lasted. However, in a tiny gap of mine, she landed a hook on my chin, knocking me down.

I only remember Trup laughing and tapping his crude wooden mug, spilling cheap beer on the table.

– Point for Bliss! – he laughed, extending his hand towards me.

– I think that makes it twenty-three to ten for me, right, Jack? – she pointed out, without taking her eyes off me.

Still dazed, I gathered my strength for a joke.

– Nice hook, coming from you – I said.

Bliss rolled her eyes and withdrew her hand.

– Better than any of yours – she said.

I stared at Trup, waiting for him to defend me. It didn’t happen. Instead, he raised his hands in surrender.

– She’s right, captain.

We had been forced to fight since forever, learning some tricks, moves, and skills with simple weapons. This kind of thing was useful to get rid of an angry adult and even take on someone armed.

The night was cold and rainy, but our hideout in front of the sea was quite comfortable. I admit there were some leaks, but nothing serious. We were seven in total, two girls and five boys - the Red Foxes.

Bliss, Trup, and I were the current leaders. Although we shared the command, only I was called captain. I had inherited the title from the previous leader, shortly before he set sail with some companions in a small boat, seeking adventure and money.

We were all around fifteen years old. Trup was the only one who was sixteen. He was dark-skinned and burly with some scars, his shaved head and worn clothes were his trademark. He resembled an apprentice blacksmith, something he wanted to be very much. Trup had been in the gang since he was little and was of great importance to our last leader, Derek.

I still remember the old captain. He inspired confidence and was very intelligent. But one thing always caught my attention about his face - burns, the result of a fire he survived as a child. ]

Bliss was a day older than me and a little (very little) taller. Her hair was blonde and short. Her face stood out for her freckles and rosy cheeks. She looked like an enchanted being from a story. Besides being our best duelist, she was also our best archer.

I was slim and short, exactly the type that got beat up on the street. My short and unkempt hair gave me a rough appearance. I wore the same clothes all the time. It had been a lot of work to steal them two years ago.

Until now, I didn’t know why I had been named the leader.

Everyone had their tragic past. They lost their parents or were sold as children. Mine was a mystery; I simply grew on the gang. When I asked Derek, the captain, about my past, he told me that a fox had handed me over to him when I was still a baby, long before he became a captain.

This story was seen as a divine sign, and everyone had high expectations of me because of it, which I thought was a waste of time. Ithink only Derek believed in it.

Gangs were quite common, ranging from three to eight members. It was where kids sought refuge and food by offering simple services in exchange. They would keep watch, scout out better places to rob, and gather useful information.

We were always there. For several years, we stayed together until we were about seventeen, when we usually looked for something more noble and were succeeded by younger kids.

There was a gang that had been our rivals for countless years - the Grey Wolves. We would always fight anywhere we met. Several people had been beaten up or seriously injured on both sides.

The wolves were the most famous gang in the city, known for their violence and rebellion. We, on the other hand, chose ingenuity. This annoyed them, which was enough for the Wolves to decide that we should be beaten up, and equally enough for us to retaliate.

Parnavel, our port city, was huge, the main human city on the continent. Its area was vast, covering the nearby beaches and islands. The city itself began at the port and extended to the neighborhoods behind the castle at the bottom of the bay. It had a strong alliance with the Dulc kingdom, the kingdom that dominated the plains and meadows above the sea. They also accepted Mauron as their king. They had an island in front oftheir territory.

It was clearly socially divided. The rich occupied the area around the castle to the east, while the poor were located closer to the docks and the central market to the west.

Parnavel was too big, taking a considerable amount oftime to get to certain places. For this, there were various wagoner, shortening the distances. They earned a reasonable amount depending on the distance and some benefits from the crown.

We stayed near the docks. Up the hillside, about twenty minutes. The hideout off the streets helped us protect ourselves. Just climb the hill from anywhere on the west side of the city, enter the main trail, and we quickly located ourselves.

The city had a large trade due to the large port (which was also socially divided, with the docks in its poorest part), where products from the islands and other parts of the continent arrived. With piracy and the existence of rebel islands, prices for goods had risen.

The king was Mauron, it had been thirty years already. His great-grandfather fought in the most important war, two centuries ago. There are very few accounts of that war, but since their victory, the kingdom has remained at peace.

Mauron is seen as a good king. The improvement in the city over the years is visible. However, there are more structural problems that require a drastic solution, but to avoid irritating the aristocracy, the king chose to maintain the status quo.

At night, the sea was illuminated by the candles on the ships and the continent by the night markets. The sea breeze blew, refreshing the hot day that had passed. Thousands of stars shone in the sky. Bliss and I would spend nights admiring them, even getting to know a handful of constellations.

Although it was a huge city, it was uncommon to find other races wandering around. The elves were tall, with light eyes, elongated ears, a constant serious expression, and very intelligent. They occupied the forests of the North, in kingdoms beyond the central mountains, and were very closed off and rarely left their domains. However, they were extremely polite.

I had the chance to meet an elven merchant on a simple boat, selling some leaves known only to his people.

Dwarves were less rare, and it was possible to find some in taverns when they came to offer their services or trade their riches. They were no more than one meter and forty, sporting long beards and mustaches.

Unlike elves, they did not live for more than two centuries, but they approached this age. Great storytellers and wild warriors, hardly anyone could beat a dwarfin a bar fight.

There were some peoples who were more like legends than reality. Traveling gnomes, giants, dragons, griffins, druids, seen only in stories. However, many adventurers claimed to have seen one of these creatures. Such stories made me wonder if they had just moved away from us.

Our hideout resembled an old, tall cottage. Three floors, on the ground floor, there was an old table made by Trup and an area we used for training.

On the second floor were our stolen items and on the third, there were seven pieces of cloth tied by rope to the main beams of the construction facing the sea. One for each member. There were several things on the ground, knives, pieces of wood, blankets, fruits, practically everything was stolen because we had no money for anything.

Our hideout was hidden by trees, but it was possible to see the docks and the city due to its height. It was made of ship wood, forming a completely patched and tilted cottage.

We were all gathered on the top floor. There was a large triangular window facing the sea. All seven of us were together. Trup prepared to tell us a story, while we watched the lightning cutting through the sky towards the agitated sea.

Basil, a fourteen-year-old boy with curly hair, threw an apple to each of us. As Trup prepared to start his routine story.

“We were in the middle of the market facing the Wolves. Derek had lost his dagger and was using a piece of glass. We were between the reinforcements and the Wolves, of course, to help, I had a wound on my thigh - Trup pointed to the outside of his thigh - I wrapped it in a cloth that was already soaked in blood. It was clearly the end for us.

The Wolves would’ve torn us apart. And then - Trup looked up, closed his eyes, and sighed - Derek was a genius - he put two fingers in his mouth and whistled as loud as he could - It was the guards’ call. The wretched one had learned! The Wolves were afraid to be the soldiers and retreated.

The reinforcements took us away from there and carried us here. Toti, a good lad, may his name be eternal - we all raised our apples in a toast to our former companion - managed to stop the bleeding and patch him up.”

Derek was the best leader the Foxes ever had. The stories confirmed that. And they were our greatest source of knowledge. I went to bed thinking about what it takes to be a good leader. A few seasons had passed since the beginning of my leadership, and our performance had declined. I needed a good plan.

I woke up falling on the wooden floor, and then I heard Bliss laughing. A sweet and joyful laugh. I was almost not nervous around her.

Almost.

– Foxes who sleep too much don’t eat, boss.

– Stop calling me that – I replied, yawning.

It was morning, but the sun was already scorching. I put on my torn shirt and old fabric pants. Itied my dagger, the only thing I had. Derek gave it to me and said it came as a gift with me.

There was just one problem: it wouldn’t come out of the sheath. Completely stuck. Everyone had tried to remove it without any success, so it was a useless weight someone left for me before abandoning me.

But I always carried it with me, hoping to one day be able to unsheathe it.

We had food stocked, meaning we didn’t need to work that day. I ate a rock-hard bread and a pair of fruits with a taste of sadness before going out with Bliss.

We took our direction through the trail. The trail emerged behind the chalet and went down to the beach before reappearing behind the rocks at the end of the shore, winding along the terrain to the next beach. It was pleasant. With trees to block the sun and the refreshing sea breeze, it was a nice walk.

The trail amounted to nothing more than a two-palm-wide patch without grass. I felt my feet on the ground. Bliss was barefoot too.

– It’s a nice day, isn’t it? – I asked, carefree.

– What is a good day for you?– she retorted without taking her eyes off the beach, which was slowly getting closer.

– Here you go with your riddles again – I nudged her lightly – I think a good day is a day to enjoy without worries – I ventured.

She smiled.

– Then yes, it’s a good day – she raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and changed the subject – what lies beyond the great mountains to the north, inside the great forest?

– Again? Just a big forest – I laughed.

– Nothing else? – she seemed interested.

– I’m afraid not - I teased.

I admired Bliss’s fabulous mind, but sometimes she sounded too fanciful, like a child trapped in nonexistent stories. Perhaps it was my envy, for wanting to be like that too.

We jumped from the end ofthe trail to the sand. I missed Trup, but he insisted on talking to the old blacksmith. Trup didn’t talk much, but his presence alone made a difference.

In the middle ofthe beach, Bliss looked at me and murmured.

– Jack, do you know what you’re going to do after we leave the Foxes? – her voice seemed to try to comfort me.

It caught me off guard, I didn’t know. I was getting too old to keep stealing food and pockets.

– No, and you? – I tried to sound as confident as possible.

– In the city, they’re recognizing me for having a good aim – she smiled, holding her lower lip – the merchants know when it was me who hunted the animal.

Bliss had an excellent aim, that was obvious. She always hit where she wanted. This not only caught the attention of merchants but also of the royal guards. Because she was young, she had some prominence to work for the kingdom.

This idea of keeping a distance between us bothered me.

– I wanted to learn to fight properly. We only know what is necessary to escape. Have you ever thought about defeating a soldier or someone who knows how to fight? – I admitted, keeping recent thoughts far away.

– I think it would be fun, but in a life or death situation, I would choose to run, maybe - she remained looking at the sea, distracted – and maybe magic? – she declared timidly.

I looked surprised.

– Do you think there are still wizards and witches? Bliss frowned.

– They exist. They just don’t have a reason to show up, in the case of wizards. The witches do exist on their island, that we all know.

– It seems more like a tale of sailors lost in drink – I pointed out.

We walked until we reached the third beach where we rested in the shade of the trees of the forest, where it mixed with the beginning of the beach.

After a few minutes, we saw Trup emerge from the trail.

– I found the lovebirds, how cute – he said as he approached us – The path is much shorter this way.

– Weren’t you going to talk to the blacksmith? – I asked, trying to hide my embarrassment.

– The old man wasn’t there – he replied as he took off his boots – So I decided to spend the day with you guys. I used my savings to buy this – he said, pulling out three bottles of beer from his makeshift bag.

– Trup, you look like a bear – Bliss observed.

– Furry and lazy? – I asked.

– Tall and strong? – Trup boasted.

She opened her mouth to protest but restrained herself to a huff.

– Good with those who like him and scary with those who irritate you.

Trup laughed.

– I need to scare those who get too close to the captain. With his size, he doesn’t intimidate much – he added.

I tried to punch my friend in protest, but Trup simply held my fist and laughed.

– There, it’s more like a lame cat – he said.

– Or a toothless fox – Bliss added.

– It’s hard to tell which side you guys are on – I rolled my eyes and laughed. Of course, it annoyed me a bit. But it was impossible to stay angry with my best friends.

We went into the sea, which was refreshing. We drank Trup’s beers. Both of them knew my weakness with alcohol, and it wasn’t long before my vision blurred and a wave of happiness washed over me. I just knew how to laugh and say how much I loved the two of them.

That night, it was just the three of us, as usual.

Trup yawned.

– I’ll miss you guys, but I don’t plan on staying until the end of the year – he said.

He also brought up this topic. Were they planning something without me?

What will become of the gang without our bear? – I asked with a lump in my throat.

– You’ll manage fine without me – he replied. I looked for Bliss’s eyes next to me. She just turned her head to me and smiled. Our time together was coming to an end, and I hadn’t done anything impressive.

After a long time looking at the stars, I decided to go to bed.

As I entered, I saw Hird and Barret sitting there, gesturing for me to approach.

– Captain! There’s a rumor that the Jeweler will move his shop tomorrow, and we thought about doing a small robbery. Do you authorize us? – Barret whispered.

I hesitated.

This would put many guards behind us. It was risky. We only stole what was necessary to survive, and that created a peace between our gang and the soldiers. On the other hand, my time was running out, and I needed something big.

– You’ll only go with my presence – I concluded seriously.

Both ofthem widened their eyes and giggled. As I walked up to the third floor, I thought about the mess I had gotten myselfinto.