Foxheart

Chapter Fourteen

Fox wrinkled his nose. The hat was clearly not worth that much, it was frayed, badly put together and the material was cheap, but he didn't exactly have much of a choice. He slapped the money down with a glare and accepted his new purchase and pulled it over his head. The hat did the job at least, covering his vibrant hair and making him a little less obvious to the Hunters.

'Oi, Ellie.' Fox hissed as he grabbed her shoulder.

She ignored him, shaking his grip as she heatedly argued how the block of goats cheese was certainly not worth 2 silvers. Fox scowled behind and his eyes slipped to the black and white Hunter. He was coming closer, making his way through the sea of people with his seeking gaze not fixed on anyone particular. Yet. Fox topped his foot impatiently as his heart began to pump faster.

'Bah! Keep your cheese!' Elenore said sharply and turned her nose in the air.

The cheese-monger shrugged his shoulders, clearly not that unhappy at the loss of a sale, and turned to his next customer. Elenore wheeled about, her pretty features annoyed.

'He inflated it because I appear to have money.' Elenore hissed with certainty. 'Thief.'

Fox wanted to point out she did have money and she was a thief but, seeing the Wizard growing dangerously close, decided now wasn't the time to banter.

'With me.' He growled and snatched up her hand.

Elenore didn't have much time to argue as he dragged her away, pulling her through the crowd and down a narrow display of meat stalls filled with lazy buzzing flies that kept bumping into Fox's face.

'What's the hurry?' Elenore asked as she waved her hand unhappily at the stench now surrounding them.

Fox ignored as a butcher drained a hooked pig and yanked out its innards into a slurry bucket of blood and gore. 'Hunters. They're lookin' for me.'

Elenore's eyes widened briefly before she looked over her shoulder. The Wizard was currently at the cheese stall and had tapped a burly red-head on the shoulder. Clearly the Wizard had upset him as he was now stamping his foot and declaring 'You have no right to nose about in my 'ead!' with with moustahce bristling.

Elenore bobbed her head in understanding as the huge red-head was now raising his fists, as if to fight the Hunter. The Hunter looked very un-impressed as he raised his Grimoire and flashed a spell, freezing the man in place with a bewildered and gormless expression. With no more interruption, the Hunter set to work in fishing about in the memories.

Fox didn't want to see anymore, the sight of such power put his heart in his throat, and grabbed Elenore. They fled down the corridor of stink, freshly cut meat, gore and flies until they reached the end of the bloody corridor and veered towards the grey stoned and grubby fountain. They paused there for a moment, breathing heavily from the heat and sudden physical strain, as they gazed about for danger as inconspicuously as possible.

The fountain was filled with children who played about in its mildew waters, cooling themselves off. Elderly sat about on the benches while many unattractive grubby faces moved by, all looking sullen and sweaty. Not a Wizard was in sight.

'We need to get out.' Elenore whispered. 'If you get back home, I'll gather up the rest of what you need. Yeah?'

Fox nodded. It was better he slunk off alone and Elenore stuck out like a sore-thumb with her frilly expensive get up.

'Meet you later.' Fox murmured and readjusted his hat, making sure his head was covered.

'Meet you where?' A voice piqued up behind them.