"'Member our old jobs, Veach matey?" Maut said as he nocked an arrow to his bow.
The stoat sitting at his side simply tilted his head upon hearing his name.
The silver fox loosed the arrow at a target hung high up on a tree. It came very close to the center. "You 'member, don'tcha mate? Like that time we had t' traverse through Flitchaye territory." Maut aimed another arrow. Miss. "Damn." He continued reminiscing as he continued his practice. For every bull's-eye or near-hit, there were plenty that just barely made the target or went wide.
The two worked many jobs in order to get by. This one had unfortunately required they escort some travelers through the cannibals' territory - it would've taken at least half the day to go around. Wearing wet kerchiefs over their snouts, Maut had Veach head into the Flitchaye tunnels and use the weasels' vapors against them, tossing it into their sleeping chambers and quickly running away, with Maut shooting any that dared try to make an escape.
"Li'l flea-bitten cannibals never knew what hit 'em, ey mate?"
Veach simply stared.
After a while, Maut put away his bow and started practicing with his sword.
"'Member when we had t' fend off that ambush?"
They'd been hired out as bodyguards, escorting a rich couple home. They'd been ambushed by twoscore weasels and rats. Maut rushed in without hesitation, making short work of the would-be marauders. A few put up a half-decent fight however, the fox artfully dodging and parrying blows before heads rolled. Veach, for his part, had tackled his victims to the ground and ripped out the hapless vermins' throats.
The silver fox chuckled. "Kinda miss those jobs, don't you?"
Veach trilled a little.
With the sun starting to set, Maut's silver fur made him easily start to blend into their forest surroundings. Not all the fox's jobs required charging headfirst into danger. Plenty of times Maut had been hired to slip into enemy territory. Very few ever noticed the silver fox as he sneaked around and listened in on their plans.
"Maybe we'll get a fun job soon. One that'll provide us wit' a real challenge."
At this point the stoat had curled up with a yawn. Suddenly, he was alert and on his paws, ears swiveling to-and-fro. Maut noticed, and was immediately tense, scanning his surroundings for whatever had his friend on edge.
A badger-sized pine marten came towards the duo, broadsword in paw.
"Whattaya want?" Maut said through clenched teeth, Veach growling lowly at his side.
"Yer head."
"Excuse me?!"
"I've heard of ye. Yer a skilled mercenary an' spy, or so's I hear... Yer responsible fer the fall o' my squad," the marten growled lowly.
Maut stiffened. "Ya have no way of knowin' if I had anyting t' do wit' that, and even if I was-"
The marten charged with a roar. Maut quickly brought up his sword and just barely blocked his swing. Veach lunged and bit into the marten's sword arm. He roared in pain and his grip loosened. Maut knocked the sword away as his attacker flung Veach to the side. He swung at him again, but his attack was weaker now, allowing the fox to dodge and strike. The marten's head fell to the ground, followed momentarily by the body.
Maut rushed to his friend. "Veach, you okay?!"
Veach trilled weakly, and nuzzled Maut's paw.
"That was close, ey mate?"