A/N: Sorry this is so late, but stuff. Actually I just forgot to post it. Also I'm not sure anyone is actually reading this, so. I'll try and post an update quicker this time? Enjoy the second chapter.


Foxglove was impressed. The woman was quite a good shot. She'd managed to hit the ugly thug in the rear end from her perch in a tree a few meters off. He was almost certain she'd bested the nasty buggers who'd shot at them, or he was until ugly thug number two appeared. Ugly thug number one was still hopping around and holding his bum, but he managed to gesture at the tree that the woman was sitting in. Ugly thug number two strolled over to said tree and began to shake it rather violently, causing the woman to fall out with a loud crashing sound. During the entire altercation, Foxglove and Philbert had been diligently working on freeing mustache and hair from the shrubbery. Using his newfound freedom, Foxglove lassoed the thug currently standing over the woman and flung him against a tree, then did the same to the thug with the sore bum. Obviously terrified of the apparent hair monster residing in the bushes, the two thugs fled and Foxglove scrambled over to the woman, who was lying horridly still.


Cassie woke up to someone poking her extremely tentatively with their toe, and another someone sitting with their arse in her face. She cracked an eye open. Thankfully, the someone on her face wasn't one of the thugs. Unfortunately, it was a somewhat rabid looking flying squirrel. "Err, um, are you alright...woman?" said the someone poking her with a toe.

"First of all, do I look alright to you? I just fell out a tree. That hurts a whole lot in case you were wondering. Second of all, it's rude to call people woman. The name's Cassidy." Cassie glared at the boy. "But I suppose you can call me Cassie. I like it better anyway. And last but not least, I'm not alright because there's a quite possibly rabid flying squirrel who's just had it's bum in my face."

"Hey! Philbert isn't rabid!" said Foxglove. Philbert nodded from his new position on her stomach. The wo- Cassie rolled her eyes. "And my name's Foxglove by the way." Cassie stared at him for a minute, then started to laugh. Foxglove felt a bit affronted. He rather liked his name, and didn't get why she thought it was funny.

"But, but that's a bloody flower! Who the hell would name a boy that?!"

"Well, for you information, Daddy Poo says that Foxglove is a lovely name. It's loads better than Cassidy at any rate."

"Daddy Poo?!" More laughter on Cassie's part.

"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, no, just finding it a bit hard to swallow. You don't get out much do you?"

"Try not at all. Daddy Poo says it's dangerous out here, especially the women."

"Is that why you thought I had built in roasters?"

"Um, er, maybe?"

"Well I don't have any in case you were still wondering. And my teeth aren't pointy either."

Cassie, who was getting a bit hungry and wanted to get her things down from the tree, attempted to stand up. She promptly fell back on her bum, one hand clutched to her side with a loud ow and a few choice words. Foxglove looked on in concern. "Everything all right?" he finally asked, a bit wary considering the answer he'd got the last time he asked that question.

"No," Cassie bit out, looking downright pissed. "Everything is not alright. I think I may have broken something." Foxglove must have looked as confused as he felt (how does one break something when they're not holding anything to break?) because Cassie rolled her eyes and said, "A bone. I think I've broken a bone you twat. Quite possibly several. Now will you please help me up?"

Foxglove, now wondering how exactly one broke a bone, nodded, bent down and slid an arm around Cassie's waist while she slid her arm around his shoulders. With a grunt, Foxglove stood, pulling Cassie along with him. She swayed into him, then pushed away, standing on her own with one hand on the tree behind her for balance. "Would you be so kind as to get my things, Foxglove darling?" she said, voice laced with sarcasm. Foxglove nodded and scrambled up the tree, grabbing her rucksack and her bow and quiver, then heading back down. Cassie bent over slowly and rummaged in her bag for a minute before pulling out a long strip of cloth and yanking her shirt over her head. Foxglove, curious to see what was there if not built in roasters, was surprised to discover that her chest was wrapped in some sort of bandage. He watched in fascination as Cassie wrapped the piece of cloth taken from her bag around her ribs, wincing as she pulled it tight, and then put her shirt back on. Was that how people fixed broken bones?

"Well," Cassie said, turning to Foxglove. "Best be off then." She swung her rucksack over her shoulder along with her quiver, then grabbed her bow and headed into the woods. A second later, she was tugged back into the clearing by Foxglove's mustache. "What the hell was that for? Did you want something?"

"Yes actually I did," said Foxglove. "I just saved your life from those two thugs. I think you owe me a favor."

"No, I don't think I do. Now if you don't mind, I'm on a bit of a tight schedule."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup!"


Foxglove sighed in exasperation. How was he supposed to get her to help him now? Apparently, she felt no need to return a favor, and that had been his only idea as to how to get her to take him to the city. Casting about for an idea, Foxglove spotted a bit of paper resting on the ground at the base of the tree. He scooped it up. The piece of paper turned out to be a wanted poster with the name Cassidy Penn written on it in big letters and the amount of money being offered as a reward. There was also a picture, although it didn't appear to be extremely accurate. Cassie's ears were a smidge larger and her nose was a bit more, well crooked, in the drawing than in real life.


Cassie cursed. Those dumb thugs had dropped a wanted poster in the midst of all the commotion, and now Foxglove had managed to find it. She was so screwed. She'd do anything to avoid being turned in, which meant she was going to have to give that favor he wanted. Damn, damn, damn.

"Well," Foxglove smirked. "I have a new deal to propose. You do me a favor, or I turn you in for your crimes, and you can rot in jail for the rest of your life."
"Actually, the sentence would be death by hanging."

"Even better. Ready to do that favor about now, yeah?"

"Fine,"

"Fine. You will take me to the city for a day and then return me to my tower, or I'll turn you over to the authorities. Deal?"

"Deal."