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“Outfoxed” by Hania
Today’s story is “Outfoxed” by Hania , who has been regularly writing for the anthro community since the eve of 2016, He is an occasional participant in the Thursday Prompt exercise for which this work was originally produced. Although his output is currently quite modest, you can find more of his stories on his FurAffinity and SoFurry pages.
Read for you by Rob MacWolf — werewolf hitchhiker.
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https://thevoice.dog/episode/outfoxed-by-hania
Transcript
You’re listening to The Voice of Dog.
Speaker:This is Rob MacWolf,
Speaker:your fellow traveler,
Speaker:and Today’s story is
Speaker:“Outfoxed” by Hania ,
Speaker:who has been regularly writing for the anthro community since the eve of 2016, He is an
Speaker:occasional participant in the Thursday Prompt exercise
Speaker:for which this work was originally produced.
Speaker:Although his output is currently quite modest,
Speaker:you can find more of his stories
Speaker:on his FurAffinity
Speaker:and SoFurry pages.
Speaker:Please enjoy “Outfoxed” by Hania Gough’s heart raced as he ascended the brick walls of Castle Lamneth,
Speaker:high off of the adrenaline shooting through his vulpine form.
Speaker:Daring to look down, he could still see the soft glow of the torches lining the path
Speaker:leading from the nearest gatehouse
Speaker:and an occasional glimpse of a guest or two,
Speaker:no doubt eagerly arriving for the night’s banquet.
Speaker:Though its scale was a marvel for its era,
Speaker:Lamneth was not an unusual sight as far as castles went.
Speaker:She was built on the side of a nearby mountain,
Speaker:overlooking a massive ravine,
Speaker:the entrance was lined with three machicolation
Speaker:-laden walls
Speaker:and three guardhouses to pass through.
Speaker:It was a challenging endeavor for young Gough,
Speaker:yet it seemed like kit’s play compared to the task at hand.
Speaker:He dare not look down again,
Speaker:lest he tempt fate’s hand more than he was already.
Speaker:Nearing the third floor of the tower,
Speaker:the red fox drew in a breath
Speaker:and hoisted himself up,
Speaker:grunting as he caught hold of the window above him.
Speaker:Taking a breath, Gough pulled himself up
Speaker:and into the castle,
Speaker:head over heels, which was immediately followed by a healthy amount of vulgarity
Speaker:which was only silenced by the minstrels playing in the inner bailey below.
Speaker:Hobbling back onto his feet,
Speaker:with a paw clutching his stones briefly;
Speaker:the fox eased the nearby iron door open,
Speaker:careful not to alert the guards –
Speaker:which upon peering through the gap, found the nearest of which were boars.
Speaker:If I can make my way across the ramparts, through
Speaker:the north-eastern tower,
Speaker:I can get into the keep with little trouble and Lamneth’s treasure shall be in my paws.
Speaker:Three guards stood along the ramparts connecting the two towers,
Speaker:looking below; dogs, horses, sheep
Speaker:and other masked lords and ladies were engaging in dance and celebration,
Speaker:none the wiser. Gough’s eyes lit up
Speaker:and he pulled the door shut.
Speaker:Looking about the storage area, his gaze settled on a crate
Speaker:about half his size.
Speaker:As quiet as he could, Gough pushed the lid up,
Speaker:which had quite a heft on its own.
Speaker:What it held was quite unexpected.
Speaker:It was full of strikingly realistic painted masks,
Speaker:crafted from marble.
Speaker:The first to catch his eye
Speaker:held the likeness of a brown bear, Gough’s heart nearly stopped beating at the sight of it and he let out a soft, fearful whimper before
Speaker:realizing they weren’t real in the slightest.
Speaker:A smile crept across the vulpine’s muzzle.
Speaker:Perfect. The fox carefully pushed the crate to the tower’s window and
Speaker:tried his best to silence a grunt as he raised it to the edge just so,
Speaker:with one side of the wooden crate teetering perilously on the stone window pane.
Speaker:Before gravity could take effect, Gough dashed beside the door,
Speaker:his steps light. Not a moment later, the crate fell over the pane,
Speaker:quickly followed by the earsplitting crash of shattering marble.
Speaker:“What in blazes was that?!”
Speaker:said one of the boars outside.
Speaker:“Sounds like it came from inside the western tower.”
Speaker:The fox pressed himself against the stone-bricked wall once he had heard the sound of cloven hooves coming closer.
Speaker:Within minutes the door inched open,
Speaker:and a halberd-toting boar
Speaker:stepped inside. Gough had smelled him far before he’d seen him.
Speaker:The boar wore a blue and white surcoat
Speaker:with a Fleur De Lis sewn on the front.
Speaker:From what the fox could see, his features had the hardened look of a veteran,
Speaker:yet the boar’s eyes betrayed a jovial personality.
Speaker:The second boar, armed with a great sword followed the first.
Speaker:This one looked younger,
Speaker:and inexperienced.
Speaker:He wore the same chainmail and surcoat but it seemed done up hastily,
Speaker:in a haphazard fashion.
Speaker:His muzzle lacked any sort of crease or scar;
Speaker:making him appear almost innocent.
Speaker:The boar’s paws trembled,
Speaker:perhaps in nervousness
Speaker:or anticipation. “There’s not a soul ‘ere.
Speaker:‘ere.” It was the younger boar that spoke,
Speaker:just as the third emerged.
Speaker:This one seemed to be older than the second, his body was slumped,
Speaker:more relaxed. A leather quiver hung from his shoulder
Speaker:and an arrow was already notched to his bow.
Speaker:“There must ‘ave been.
Speaker:Unless ye think what we heard was but the wind.”
Speaker:The archer sniffed deeply
Speaker:and it was at this moment when Gough made his move; treading lightly across the threshold,
Speaker:the fox pulled the tower door shut with a slam.
Speaker:One of the guards let out a squeal.
Speaker:Quickly, he pulled the iron draw bar across the entrance,
Speaker:locking it just as the other two boars attempted to push the door off its hinges with a charge.
Speaker:Panting, Gough backed away,
Speaker:turned and crept down as he made his way along the ramparts,
Speaker:luckily no one attending the masquerade had thought to look up for more than a moment.
Speaker:Well…. one little victory so far,
Speaker:may luck allow it not to be the last.
Speaker:Unbeknownst to the young fox, he had not gone completely unnoticed.
Speaker:Below the tower in which the three guards were now trapped, came a figure,
Speaker:vulpine as well,
Speaker:who stopped to observe the crushed crate and the shattered masks
Speaker:within. The figure held a paw to his muzzle,
Speaker:a brow raised. “Clever kit.”
Speaker:His voice was soft,
Speaker:aged. Quietly, the figure began digging through the marble masks. They were heavier
Speaker:than would have been preferable, even in pieces.
Speaker:The figure gasped and gripped a mask at the very bottom,
Speaker:pulling it up. This mask was still intact and, in the eyes of the older fox, looked very similar
Speaker:to an old friend.
Speaker:“I think I’ll put you to the test.”
Speaker:With this, the figure raised the hood of his robe, enough that it obscured his features as he made his way into the walls of
Speaker:Lamneth. Back up on the ramparts, Gough pushed the iron doors to the neighboring tower wide open,
Speaker:its interior was shrouded in complete darkness, but it nary deterred the red from proceeding;
Speaker:guided by nocturnal sight.
Speaker:Cautiously, he descended the stairs to the outer bailey.
Speaker:Once outside, the guards posted at the entrance to the western tower
Speaker:had fallen fast asleep.
Speaker:The vulpine nearly chuckled as he slipped by, imagining King Kyknos chewing them both out when the night was done.
Speaker:Thanks to the masquerade, nearly every beast had taken part in revelry,
Speaker:leaving the rest of the castle grounds largely deserted,
Speaker:save for a small group of intoxicated pine martens
Speaker:participating in a
Speaker:bit of debauchery in one desolate corner.
Speaker:Near them was an elaborately sculpted fountain depicting a handsome swan,
Speaker:whose body resembled a dancer’s.
Speaker:A crown adorned his head,
Speaker:and carved into his right hand was a Castilian sword,
Speaker:its graceful hilt fitting the swans’ hand like a glove.
Speaker:Another statue stood just behind
Speaker:the swan. This one was a fearsome,
Speaker:muscular, lion armed with a bastard sword.
Speaker:His crown was far more ornate and his mane carved in such a way
Speaker:to give the impression of billowing down and framing the lion’s stoic features.
Speaker:There was a brief grunt in the distance,
Speaker:it would have gone unnoticed if not for Gough’s keen sense of sound.
Speaker:The fox crept rapidly,
Speaker:his gaze darting every which way.
Speaker:He dashed among the hedges, still searching for what or whoever
Speaker:it was that caused the noise.
Speaker:This small disturbance was followed
Speaker:by another, louder, impact,
Speaker:which came from the direction of the keep.
Speaker:The vulpine hugged the wall of the inner bailey,
Speaker:the sound of festivities now overwhelming his senses.
Speaker:Particularly a serenade that seemed to be performed by a feline, if the various “meows” incorporated into the song
Speaker:were anything to go by.
Speaker:Soon, Lamneth’s keep came into view and Gough carefully peered around the corner.
Speaker:The two incapacitated forms of the guards – an owl and a cockerel –
Speaker:immediately caught the fox’s eye just before they were obscured by some mustelid servants
Speaker:in the process of carrying paintings,
Speaker:the likes of which brought a sense of peace and a tear to the red’s eye.
Speaker:No! Focus Gough! You mustn’t be distracted.
Speaker:Shaking his head,
Speaker:the vulpine’s eyes returned to the doors of the keep. He saw
Speaker:movement in the bush nearest to them!
Speaker:Only at the last moment did Gough get a sufficient look at the interloper.
Speaker:The figure wore a hooded brown robe,
Speaker:beneath the hem of which swayed a flash of fox tail.
Speaker:Looks like I’m not alone…he
Speaker:must have been here before me.
Speaker:Damn! Gough put paw to chin.
Speaker:Even deflated as he was; the vulpine couldn’t help but shrug.
Speaker:Attempting this would land him in the stocks if he was caught.
Speaker:If the King felt particularly sadistic, he would be sent to the rack.
Speaker:He doubted anyone would come to pull him out should this come to pass.
Speaker:The grounds leading to the keep were separated by a hedge approximately shoulder height.
Speaker:Even in the dark of the night,
Speaker:the vulpine noticed the dried blood
Speaker:marking the lower branches of the plants.
Speaker:The only seemingly safe path was through a narrow gazebo
Speaker:which bridged the two sides of the grounds together. I didn’t
Speaker:go through all this only to be outdone by a foolish friar!
Speaker:Taking a moment to make sure the coast was clear,
Speaker:the fox took his shot
Speaker:and dashed in the direction of the gazebo.
Speaker:Heartbeat and foot falls filled his ears in near perfect synch.
Speaker:His paw brushed the wooden wall of the tiny structure as he bound up the stairs.
Speaker:So far, so good…until a click stopped Gough cold,
Speaker:followed by the sound
Speaker:of a chain being released – a
Speaker:chain attached to something very
Speaker:heavy. In an instant, Gough fell into a roll as he felt the pendulum come within a hair’s width of him and
Speaker:smashed through the wall.
Speaker:Landing on his feet, the fox’s heart was in his throat as he immediately put a paw to his neck.
Speaker:Glancing through the newly made gap in the wall,
Speaker:Gough now saw what the hedge hid,
Speaker:beneath its reeds was a lengthy pit of barbed,
Speaker:iron spikes. No longer could the red keep the nervous laughter from escaping his muzzle.
Speaker:“Goodness…wouldn’t the pendulum have been enough?”
Speaker:His voice was a whisper in between pants as he recovered his bearings once more.
Speaker:With a swish of his bushy tail, the fox continued on his way to the keep’s entrance and
Speaker:pushed the doors open.
Speaker:He was sure to keep fleet of foot,
Speaker:lest the robed fox still remained.
Speaker:The interior was meticulously kept,
Speaker:the stone walls were lined with paintings every five steps.
Speaker:A long, red rug spread from the entrance to the bedchamber
Speaker:at the very back of the room.
Speaker:This was at the foot of a tempting,
Speaker:bountiful king-sized bed where a chest lay.
Speaker:Its design was polished wood
Speaker:with a gold lining.
Speaker:By the kings, its lovely
Speaker:and the lock is still in place!
Speaker:Gough knelt down in front of the chest, pulling a set of picks from his tunic.
Speaker:Delicately, he slid the first into the lock, feeling around for the tumblers.
Speaker:The fox remembered something his mentor, Sawyer, once said:
Speaker:“Whenever you pick a lock,
Speaker:you must treat the lock as you would a lady –
Speaker:get inside of her and gently take her beyond this world and
Speaker:back.” The thought of those words passing the old weasel’s lips elicited a soft smile among Gough’s features,
Speaker:even as the first pick snapped.
Speaker:Come now, nearly there.
Speaker:The vulpine’s white-tipped tail began to twitch and flick as he pushed his second pick inside.
Speaker:He quickly found the first and second tumblers, but got the pick caught
Speaker:between the latter and it too
Speaker:snapped. Dear…right Gough, remember your practice…
Speaker:Sliding the third pick into the lock, the thief’s eyes narrowed
Speaker:as he focused completely
Speaker:on his task. Carefully, he pushed the first tumbler up and
Speaker:out of the way, then the second.
Speaker:He had to hurry, what if the guards came to?
Speaker:What if the chest was booby trapped as well?
Speaker:What if the doors suddenly swung open, revealing King Kyknos himself? No!
Speaker:He couldn’t afford to let his mind trip him up.
Speaker:His focus remained firm on the lock just as he bypassed the
Speaker:third tumbler and…
Speaker:There was a click.
Speaker:Eagerly, the fox opened the trunk, his eyes wide.
Speaker:Maybe it was more shillings than he could possibly need,
Speaker:perhaps the very sword that was depicted at the fountain.
Speaker:What gives?! The chest was empty,
Speaker:save for a single piece of parchment.
Speaker:A low growl snuck from Gough’s muzzle as he unfolded it. ‘Nice
Speaker:try, young one…but
Speaker:it seems you came up short.
Speaker:Still, you made it this far, perhaps you deserve another chance.
Speaker:I’ve taken the real chest and stashed it
Speaker:behind the stage where the Whitsuntide festivities are being held.
Speaker:If you can get to it before me,
Speaker:then it’s yours for the taking.
Speaker:Careful though, you must not disturb the guards,
Speaker:nor the king. What do you say, little fox?
Speaker:Dare to roll the bones?’
Speaker:At the bottom, the note was signed… ‘R,
Speaker:Lord of Malepartus’
Speaker:Quite the generous bastard...
Speaker:thought the young fox.
Speaker:On one paw, this could all be a set up,
Speaker:but on the other…a little competition wouldn’t be unwelcome.
Speaker:How I would savor a chance to show this arrogant fool up; then making off with the treasure of Lamneth will be all the sweeter.
Speaker:The very thought was irresistible.
Speaker:Gough shut the lid of the chest and stood, his mind already scheming.
Speaker:The inner bailey was bustling with activity as the vibrant sea of masked beasts were enraptured in a dramatic performance upon the stage.
Speaker:Since Gough’s entrance went
Speaker:relatively unnoticed by the majority of prying eyes,
Speaker:the fox retained a sense of anonymity;
Speaker:able to slip through the great hall without even a glance from the two stallions standing their post.
Speaker:Luckily, the vulpine wasn’t the only one who was without a mask either, thanks to
Speaker:the presence of a grey wolf in a fur cape
Speaker:and a cat who kept plucking the strings of his lute in song. To the
Speaker:left of the stage, a magnificent old swan sat upon his throne,
Speaker:two hens kneeled at Kyknos’ side longingly.
Speaker:He raised a brass goblet into the
Speaker:air and let out a cry. “I say, gripping show!”
Speaker:His voice was light and full of mirth,
Speaker:despite his age. “Sorry!”
Speaker:Cried a comely sow as she nearly walked into the vulpine before her partner, a stag,
Speaker:pulled the pig back into his arms.
Speaker:“It’s quite alright,
Speaker:ma’am.” Gough called back with a flourish before returning to scope the area out.
Speaker:The stage wasn’t far off and the robed fox was nowhere in sight.
Speaker:Gently, the young fox pushed the crowd in front of him towards the tables filled with food.
Speaker:He moved with them along the bailey’s wall
Speaker:lengthwise. Everyone was too involved with the banquet to take notice of him.
Speaker:When he finally broke away, even the king was busy flirting with the hens who couldn’t seem to leave him alone.
Speaker:The actors on the stage were naturally too involved in their play to notice an uninvited presence either.
Speaker:Much too easy… The stairs leading up to the wooden stage caught Gough’s eyes and with a breath,
Speaker:he bolted towards them.
Speaker:He did his best to be light-footed
Speaker:as he ascended and crept down,
Speaker:quickly sliding behind the crimson curtains,
Speaker:leaving both the performers and the crowd
Speaker:none the wiser. Thank you and good night.
Speaker:What lie at the back of the stage made the fox’s heart
Speaker:nearly stop. It was a chest very similar to the one in the keep, only it looked more beautiful.
Speaker:Along with the polished wood
Speaker:and gold lining, a sapphire was embedded in the lid,
Speaker:which was engraved with the roman numerals: MMCXII. Before he could get any closer however,
Speaker:a fearsome lion dressed in royal attire blocked his path
Speaker:and stopped the fox cold.
Speaker:“K-King Noble! T-this is all a misunderstanding!”
Speaker:The lion came closer.
Speaker:Gough stepped back, eyes wide with fear,
Speaker:nearly wetting himself as the cat bore down upon him.
Speaker:He was between a rock and a hard place.
Speaker:Outside he would have to deal with the crowd, the swan king and the wolf.
Speaker:Inside he was trapped with the very king he served.
Speaker:A king who seemed to immediately understand the young fox’s being here
Speaker:was not on charitable terms.
Speaker:“How malicious a mongrel
Speaker:you are! Sneaking into Kyknos’ castle to take what is not yours!” The lion growled in a deep, booming voice and Gough was far too terrified to pick up on the lack of movement in the great cat’s
Speaker:jaw. “Good king! I am among your most loyal servants.
Speaker:I would never do something so contemptuous!”
Speaker:The fox shielded himself.
Speaker:He wanted to run but his body was too stubborn in its terror-induced paralysis to allow for this.
Speaker:“You’re dishonest about your loyalty!”
Speaker:The king roared and
Speaker:reached out to snatch Gough by the neck of his tunic.
Speaker:“Please my lord, be merciful!”
Speaker:It was at this moment, up close,
Speaker:when the fox noticed the marble texture of the lion’s face,
Speaker:his lifeless, unblinking eyes and his maw locked in a permanent snarl.
Speaker:Not to mention; the monarch was a bit shorter than he remembered.
Speaker:Nor was it the paw of a lion that held him,
Speaker:but that of another fox.
Speaker:The sound of muffled, amused laughter
Speaker:echoed from beneath the mask,
Speaker:the wearer gradually loosening his grip on the other vulpine. “W
Speaker:-who are you?!” asked Gough angrily.
Speaker:The other fox gave no response,
Speaker:other than to allow the royal garb to fall at his feet, revealing a brown robe beneath.
Speaker:He took both paws to the lion mask and pushed it off;
Speaker:revealing a fox who, if his greying fur were anything to go by, was past his prime.
Speaker:It only took a glance into those weathered, intense eyes, for understanding to finally dawn upon the young fox.
Speaker:The aging fox let out a simper as he set the mask down.
Speaker:“You should have seen yourself, young one. Why, you looked as if you saw fire and brimstone.”
Speaker:His voice was soft, yet still equally brazen and irreverent.
Speaker:All the younger fox could do
Speaker:was nod. Sighing in relief, he did not once take his eyes off of his fellow vulpine.
Speaker:This other fox discarded the wool robe in favor of a red tunic he’d worn beneath and
Speaker:had just fastened a green cloak about his neck before placing a feathered cap upon his head.
Speaker:“You’re Reynard, aren’t you,” Gough asked,
Speaker:“Trickster of bears and cats; unable to be bested even by wolves.”
Speaker:The words came out as a hushed whisper.
Speaker:The young fox sunk to his knees,
Speaker:stripped of his pride,
Speaker:and suddenly felt very foolish in his exploits.
Speaker:Briefly and wordlessly, the old fox removed his cap, giving his fellow vulpine a bow.
Speaker:“That I am, though those times were long ago.
Speaker:What brings such a perceptive, limber kit such as yourself to be so bold as to make off with a king’s treasure?”
Speaker:Somehow, nobody had heard them,
Speaker:likely still in awe of the tale being spun atop the stage.
Speaker:“It’s a long tale really. I’ve heard stories of your adventures since I was a kit and you became a hero of mine.
Speaker:I suppose I felt if I made Lamneth’s fortune my own, I would
Speaker:be remembered as you are.” Reynard’s eyes lit up in understanding and his gaze lowered.
Speaker:“That, young one, is both a blessing and a curse.
Speaker:It will take you down a path that you may not wish to follow.
Speaker:You’ll be on the way to mastering the craftiness necessary for survival,
Speaker:true, but like I was, you will become prideful and begin to abuse your abilities.”
Speaker:Reynard let out a soft chuckle.
Speaker:“I stole, adulterated, and pulled tricks on the innocent and the gullible, never considering what harm I might cause others.
Speaker:Next thing, every beast wanted me dead at the gallows, even my old friend Isegrim.” Gough’s
Speaker:ears perked then.
Speaker:“Would I have brought harm to the innocent had I taken it?”
Speaker:He motioned to the chest which still remained untouched.
Speaker:Reynard smiled and brushed his bushy tail against the thief.
Speaker:“Likely not, the Swan King is hardly short on chinkers.
Speaker:Wouldn’t something that you can keep closer to the heart be preferable?”
Speaker:The elder fox asked this,
Speaker:having picked up on what the young red had not;
Speaker:Gough no longer cared for the chest or the treasure within. He hadn’t truly earned it;
Speaker:not after old Reynard had played him like a fiddle.
Speaker:“What are you getting at, sir?”
Speaker:Uncertainty laced the youth’s words.
Speaker:Outside, there was the sound of drumming as the show’s grand finale began. Reynard looked the other vulpine in the eyes. “Would you like to come with me, back to Malepartus where we shall dine on honeydew
Speaker:and drink the milk of paradise?”
Speaker:There was no temptation for Gough
Speaker:to say ‘no’. This was “Outfoxed” by Hania,
Speaker:read for you by READER,
Speaker:with CALLSIGN.
Speaker:You can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,
Speaker:or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker:Thank you for listening
Speaker:to The Voice of Dog.
