FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 3: Picking Up The Trail By Evan Drake

©2019, Evan Drake, All Rights Reserved

Chapter 3: Picking Up The Trail

Two weeks of wandering the woods, and not one sign of the group of bandits attacking travelers on the roads could be found. The plan was to use themselves as bait and draw the bandits to them. They would try to take at least one of the crooks alive and learn the location of the base and work from there. A dangerous but simple plan, and without any other leads to follow, the only plan. Far better than wandering aimlessly and hoping to stumble across the bandits' hideout by sheer luck.

But after nothing happened, it became clear they weren't dealing with simple bandits. It was possible the bandits saw their equipment and decided against it. Thern didn't blame them; if he were the bandit leader, he would've taken one look at Firion and Cecili and known something was up. Those two were large and intimidating enough to give anyone pause.

There was talk for a time that the lack of any signs had clearly meant the group had moved on. But it was also worrying if that were the case. It meant they missed their window and had to start the search again from scratch. Gaius in particular had become very irritated with their lack of progress. The fox's ears were always pinned back and he growled at even the slightest offence. Thern followed the other's lead and went about his business, making sure to steer clear of their leader. As Gaius patience wore thin, he cracked down harder on the group to increase their search efforts. They went longer between breaks which had also become shorter. They hardly bothered to set up camp anymore knowing the most they had to look forward to was a quick nap and a small bite of cold food.

Soon their supplies ran low and they were forced to return to Morken to restock. No one said it, but their relief was all over their faces that they finally had a real chance to rest. The feeling didn't last long. A sense of unease clung to the townsfolk, something Thern was surprised he missed the first time. This wasn't the usual wariness of new travelers as some towns often showed. More like the quivering fear of prey knowing its predator was lurking somewhere nearby. Gaius ordered everyone to question the townsfolk while they were gathering supplies. There was no protest or suggestions and everyone just did as they were told. Thern was the only one not sent on reconnaissance. He was told to double down on his training and get back into fighting shape as soon as possible. When asking why, the response was, "You're going to need it." Thern chose to focus on recuperating his strength instead of wearing himself out; it was clear their leader wasn't thinking too clearly. Understandable since the fox had gone at least four days without sleep.

After a bath, a hot meal, and a few hours of much needed sleep in a soft bed, Thern headed to Gaius' room to see if the fox's mood had improved any. Gaius stood over a map on a table underneath the window, still wearing his traveler's cloak and gear. His copper fur was a mess, still full of loose leaves and twigs from his time in the forest. His tail, which now resembled a straw broom, flicked restlessly in irritation. The bed on the opposite side of the room showed no signs of being slept in. The smell permeating the room suggested he hadn't bathed either, and it was doubtful the fox had taken a break for a meal.

Gaius stared at the map, taking no notice of his uninvited guest. "Damn it all! Where are they? Why haven't we found them yet?"

Thern crept closer, his guard raised. The last canid he took orders from had a tendency to throw things when upset; hopefully it wouldn't be the case now. "Have you slept at all?"

Gaius' ears rose, but he didn't turn around. "I'll sleep when this is over."

"You're no good to anyone worn out. They may just be bandits, but--"

With a loud snarl, Gaius swept the map and other parchment off the table. He whirled around, revealing his tired, bloodshot eyes which now burned with an undeniable fury. "Exactly! They are nothing more than mindless brigands, so why haven't we found them yet? This group is far too organized, their movements too calculated for this to be about simple robbery. They are obviously after something, and I would like to figure out what it is before it is too late. I know you're new to this, but if you could keep your ignorant opinions to yourself and focus on making yourself useful, it would be greatly appreciated!"

Thern just stood there, staring wide-eyed, ears erect. Gaius sighed and fell into a nearby chair. Fatigue clung to him like water after a heavy rainfall. He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his temple. "Forgive me. I'm just a bit on edge."

Thern shrugged. "It's fine. I get it. You're stressed." It was the truth. Lack of sleep would make anyone miserable. Add on the stress of failure, and Thern considered himself lucky nothing was thrown at him. "I understand you're upset, but you need to get some sleep and eat something. After a break, you'll be able to think more clearly."

Gaius started gathering up the scattered papers and returning them to the table. "You don't understand, Thern. I've tracked bandits before; this should be nothing new to me. So why can't I find them?"

Before Thern could reply, there came a loud knock at the door. At Gaius' reply to enter, the door opened and Cecili entered the room. She didn't look much better. Her brown fur was in desperate need of brushing, and she still wore all of her gear. Unlike Gaius, she didn't look worn out indicating she had at least gotten some rest. Perhaps that was a sign she would be in a slightly better mood.

"Excuse me, sir, but I--" she froze at the sight of Thern in the room, but then the hound quickly straightened and avoided looking in Thern's direction. "I have news. You're not going to like it."

"Is there really any other kind?" Gaius asked, another tired sigh escaping him.

"I guess not. I questioned the townsfolk as you suggested. It turns out at least three other females were taken since we were last here."

Gaius bolted upright in his seat. "What!? Are you sure?"

"You really think I would trouble you with this information if I hadn't verified it myself?" Cecili growled.

Gaius shrank away making Thern's ears fall. He made a mental note to stay off Cecili's bad side, and to avoid her at all costs when she was on a rampage. "Apologies," Gaius said. "I just...This changes everything." He turned back to the pile of discarded papers. "We scoured those woods for days! How did they slip past us?" His tail stuck out from his rear, stiff as a board. He spun around, face pale and ears folded downward. "Cecili, find Bayli and tell her I wish to see her. I want to find out exactly who told her that the bandits were hiding in Whitetail Woods."

Cecili nodded and hurried out of the room. Thern remained where he was, unsure of what was going on. The story of bandits in the woods had clearly been fabricated. It was all an illusion to distract anyone thinking about tracking them down, but to what end? What did they hope to gain by kidnapping females? Even if it was for the reasons Thern thought (and hoped he was wrong about), it didn't explain why they would need so many or why they would risk hitting the same town over and over. They had to know that doing so would attract attention.

Gaius began gathering up the parchments and stuffing them into his pack. "Thern grab your things and meet me outside."

"Okay...but what's our next move?"

"I will explain everything when everyone has reconvened, but right now, I need you to do as I ask."

Thern returned to his room. His mind worked overtime with theories on what could be worrying the fox. Was it the afflicted? But the others said they were no more than mindless beasts driven by instinct. It was hard to speculate when he didn't know much or anything about what was going on.

Re-packing didn't take long as he knew not to get too comfortable. Everyone except Gaius and Bayli were waiting outside by time Thern arrived. They all wore the same concerned expressions and spoke in hushed voices. They immediately stopped and turned to Then when he arrived.

"Where's Gaius?" Firion asked.

"He told me to meet him out here," Thern said. "I'm surprised he isn't here; he seemed to be in a hurry."

"As he should be," Phen said. "It seems we underestimated these bandits, believing them to be little more than mindless brutes as most are."

"Pretty smart move, lying about where they operate to redirect us," Firion added.

"We can admire their tactics later," Phen said, rolling his eyes. "I'll sleep better knowing we've dealt with them."

Cecili started to say something, but shook her head and remained silent. Phen and Firion were too busy discussing new plans and didn't notice her silence. But Thern noticed, just as he noticed her tail flicked in irritation much like Gaius' when he was annoyed. He was distracted from his thoughts of what could be bothering the hound when Gaius joined them outside.

The first thing the fox did when he gazed upon the group was sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. "Where's Bayli?"

"She said something about needing to find her informant," Firion said.

"We don't have time for this. We need to move, now."

"It's likely she blames herself for falling for the bandits' ruse," Phen offered. "She is responsible for information gathering after all."

"She can repair her bruised ego later," Gaius said, nettled. "We have bigger things to worry about."

Thern followed the group in silence. While Gaius' annoyance was understandable, Thern also understood Bayli's feelings. Three more females were taken because they were wandering the woods on a false lead. If it were him, the knowledge would haunt him.

They didn't get far before running into Bayli. She looked just as tired and disheveled as Gaius did, but she had a slight smile on her face. Gaius was the first to speak up and he was furious. "Where have you been? Do you have any idea what's going on?"

Bayli didn't seem at all bothered by the scolding. Her eyes were puffy and slightly bloodshot. Had she been crying? Thern thought.

"I do," Bayli said, her voice unnervingly even. "I figured our best chance of finding out the truth is to go straight to the source. I tracked down the canid who lied to me, and I have him in custody. I say we go and ask him why."

Gaius thought on it for a moment then he nodded and said. "Very well. Cecili, stay with the horses. The rest of us will go with Bayli and get to the bottom of this."

The vixen led the way to a large warehouse near the edge of town. Just one look at the building said it was the kind of place where shady things took place. Windows boarded and cracks in the walls, Thern had seen shacks in better shape than this place. The lack of canids around to witness any comings and goings confirmed the assumption it was a great place to do things away from prying eyes.

Bayli led them inside without a word. The inside reeked of piss and shit and whatever else had been left inside to rot. The warehouse must had been a storeroom of some kind as there were rotted crates and empty sacks thrown in every corner of the room. There was also the occasional rusted weapon left behind. Thanks to the windows being boarded, very little light entered the room which was likely a good thing since it made it harder to see the cause of the foul odor. A Coyote hung by his bound hands from the ceiling. His clothes were slightly torn and his left was swollen indicating his invitation to come there hadn't been a polite one. He glared at the newest visitors with his good eye, though his tail quivered behind him.

"What do you want from me?" the Coyote cried. "You can't do this! When the town watch finds out about this--"

"First you have to get out of here to tell them anything," Bayli said. She crossed the room, undid the belt on the Coyote's trousers, and pulled his pants off in one fell swoop. "Firion, take the pup outside."

"Bayli, I'm not--" Phen began, but Firion grabbed the pup by the shoulders and steered him toward the exit.

"Trust me on this one, little guy, you don'twanna see what happens next," Firion said. "And honestly, neither do I."

The Coyote snorted and made no attempt to hide his modesty. Not that he could if he wanted to. "So what? You gonna suck me off until I tell you what you want to know?"

Bayli smiled and raised a paw, sparks of magical energy cackling between her fingers. "Actually, I had something much better in mind. Last chance before we do this the hard way. Who told you to lie?"

The Coyote's eyes widened, but then he bared his fangs and growled, "Do your worst. I told you I don't--"

Bayli growled and grabbed the Coyote's testicles. Thern had never heard such a shriek of unrivaled pain as what came from the Coyote, not that he could blame him. It was hard to watch the Coyote thrash against his bindings, his body convulsing violently. Thern crossed his legs and covered his crotch, ears flattening against his head, unable to view the horrific spectacle taking place. Gaius watched the torture, his ears erect and tail calm. Thern was impressed and horrified by the fox's resolve.

"I suggest revealing your secrets if you want a chance at having pups," Bayli shouted over the Coyote's screams. When there was no response, her fur bristled. "TALK!"

The Coyote's screams intensified, reaching a pitch that Thern didn't think was possible. He covered his ears. Nausea consumed him when he caught a whiff of something burning. He tried not to think about what that could be.

"Bayli!" Gaius shouted, his voice barely carrying over the Coyote's screams.

The vixen stopped and turned to Gaius, her eyes showing she didn't like being interrupted. The Coyote hung his head, whimpering and panting heavily. The poor canid looked two shades paler than before. Thern kept his eyes upward, not daring to see what mess she made of the poor Coyote's groin.

"If he screams any more, it'll be impossible for him to speak," Gaius said calmly. "Why don't you wait outside and let us handle this."

"Fine. You make him talk," Bayli growled. She stomped past Gaius and left, slamming the door shut behind her hard enough to make the walls rattle.

Gaius approached the Coyote. "You did say, 'Do your worst.' I would recommend choosing your words more carefully." When there was no response, he gently tapped the Coyote's face. The Coyote whimpered and twitched which the fox ignored. "Now, tell us everything you know, or I'll have to ask my associate to return."

The Coyote turned even paler. His voice was barely above a whisper, but his panic was loud and clear. "N-No! Please! Not her again! I'll tell you whatever you want to know!"

"Let's start with something simple: You lied to us, yes?"

The Coyote nodded weakly.

"Why?"

"I was told to."

"By whom?"

The Coyote's tail quivered. "I-I don't know. I was approached by a canid. He wore a hood and I couldn't see his face. He smelled like a coyote, but that's all I know. He told me if anyone came to me asking questions about strange happenings, I was to say there were bandits in Whitetail Woods."

"That's all?" Gaius asked, his voice still calm. "A mysterious, hooded canid approached you, and you decided to do whatever he said?"

The Coyote stared at the ground. Tears and snot dripped from the end of his nose. "I laughed at him when he approached me. He...He said I needed a more 'practical demonstration'." As he spoke, his voice quivered with every word. "He used some kind of weird magic on me. Used me...like a puppet. I...I couldn't help myself. He made me do things to myself. To others. For three days, I did as his voice commanded. He said if I didn't do as he demanded, he would return and make me do worse things."

The silent tears turned into loud sobs. A pitiful sound that echoed through the abandoned warehouse. "You don't know what it was like! I was completely at his mercy! A prisoner in my own body! I couldn't stop myself, but I was aware. I begged for their forgiveness, pleaded with him to stop, but he wouldn't listen."

Thern clenched his fists at his side. He had seen plenty of situations like this. Some poor bastard taken and forced into obedience or suffer the same fate. Part of him wanted to feel pity for the Coyote, but another part screamed louder to hate the canid with everything he had.

Thern had been on the other side of the fence. The prey thrown away or sacrificed so others could be spared the fangs of the predator. It made him sick to his stomach. That Coyote had a better idea than anyone what was being done to those females. He could've gotten help, could've warned them, but he chose to do nothing, content to lock himself away and close his eyes so long as he got what he wanted.

Gaius' ears rose and he stepped closer. The Coyote whimpered and tried to back away, but it was impossible as his footpaws dangled inches above the floor. "This mage you mentioned. What color was his fur?" Gaius asked.

"It was a light grey, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Gaius didn't respond and instead turned to Thern. "Call the others back here, please." He drew a dagger from his belt, but instead of cutting the Coyote down, he stabbed the canid in the heart. The Coyote's eyes went wide as he uttered a strangled gasp before dropping his head and falling still.

Thern froze in place, unable to comprehend what he just saw. Even though he blamed the Coyote for failing to act, murder was a bit extreme. Gaius pulled the dagger from the Coyote's chest then cut him down. The body dropped like a sack of grain to the floor with a heavy thud.

Gaius wiped the dagger on the Coyote's shirt and returned the blade to its sheath on his belt. When he turned around, he seemed shocked to find Thern still there. "Why are you standing there? We need to move as soon as possible."

"But...you killed him."

Gaius tilted his head and blinked as if the reason for his actions were obvious. "Thern, if I hadn't, he could've told the others we're investigating them. That they're still operating despite our presence suggests they are not aware of us. Once they learn the truth, they could disappear and start their operations again in another town. We can't afford to give up this advantage."

Thern snapped out of his stupor and glared at the fox. "So, you kill him?"

"Leaving him here would've been cruel and it was clear he knew nothing else. Now, we must finish this debate later. Please go and retrieve the others."

Agreeing any further arguments would only waste time, Thern went outside and gathered the others. None of them seemed shocked or even concerned about the Coyote's untimely demise. Thern growled under his breath and fought to keep his composure. Gaius quickly relayed to the others what the Coyote had revealed.

Phen spoke first. "So what is our next step? This coyote was our only lead."

"I say search the yote's home," Firion said. "They went out of their way to make him lie for a reason."

"Wow, what a great idea!" Thern said, his voice thick with sarcasm. He crouched next to the dead Coyote on the floor. "Hey, I know you're busy being dead and all, but would you mind telling us where you live?"

Gaius was not amused with the display. Bayli quickly joined in before the fox could respond. "I know where he lives. I tracked him to his home before I brought him here."

"No one saw you I hope?" Gaius asked.

Now it was Bayli's turn to frown and flick her tail in irritation. "It's me, remember?"

There was no further discussion as they followed the vixen out of the warehouse. Thern could certainly attest to her abilities to blend in, not that he would tell the others. The Coyote's house was much closer than Thern thought. Strangely, there was nothing about it that stood out. It was just a simple house, not very expensive, but also not rundown. It seemed odd the bandits would look at this house and choose it occupants to be a part of their conspiracy.

Remembering his days as a young thief, Thern walked past the house without paying too much attention to it. Staring was the first sign one was up to no good. A large group traveling together was the second sign of trouble, something the others also knew as they broke away from the group once Bayli mentioned in passing which house they were looking for. Thern and Gaius circled around the back of the house. A sweeping glance of their surroundings revealed no one was around to watch them, not even from the windows.

"The door is probably locked," Thern whispered. "If you keep an eye out, I should be able to--" he stopped short when Gaius kicked the door open. "Or that could work."

"I said before we can't afford to waste more time," Gaius replied, annoyed. "I will not let anyone else suffer because of my foolishness."

Thern was silent as he followed Gaius inside. The inside of the house was just expected. Basic, plain, and uninteresting. A little too uninteresting. Judging by appearances the Coyote was nobody. There was no reason at all to choose him for any reason. If anything, his appearance would've gone unnoticed.

"We'll split up and search. Let me know if you find anything," Gaius said.

The two searched the house. Knowing most canids liked to keep their most valuable items hidden under loose floorboards or in secret compartments in the walls, Thern began his search tapping the floors and walls. He did his best to ignore that the occupant of the house was no longer coming back, but the more he searched, the more his temper flared.

What did the Coyote do to deserve this? If he hadn't been chosen, if those bandits hadn't threatened him, then he would still be alive and living his boring life in his boring house. But that wasn't an option anymore, and Thern knew throwing a tantrum wasn't going to bring the Coyote back.

The sky began to turn a violent orange, signaling the end of the day, and they still hadn't found anything. Soon it would be too dark to search without lighting lamps which would let anyone watching the house know they were there. The longer the search went on, the thinner Gaius' patience became. He eventually gave up searching carefully and began throwing things around like a canid possessed. Anyone passing by would likely hear the sounds of things breaking and being tossed about, not to mention it was making it harder to search the areas they hadn't gotten to yet.

Thern was about to think of a way to convince Gaius to give up the search for the day when he noticed scratches on the floor near the bed as if it had been moved back and forth constantly. They hadn't even bothered to search under the bed as it seemed such an obvious place to hide something. But they also weren't dealing with normal bandits. Such a simple hiding spot was the best option knowing it would be passed over. He pushed the bed out of the way and found a trap door in the floor. There was no lock so the bandits were quite confident their secret tunnel would go unnoticed.

"Gaius! I found something!"

The fox appeared by Thern's side almost instantly. "What did you find?"

"Looks like I found out why they chose this house."

For the first time in days, Gaius smiled. "Wait here and guard the entrance. I'll retrieve the others. We're ending this tonight."

---

Thank you so much for reading my story. If you like what you read and want to show your support, you can find me on Patreon. Patrons can get early access to future chapters and exclusive stories: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=23432275