Chapter 6 The Feisty Feline
"Weidii, I'm home!" Nick yelled as he burst through the door of the Feisty Feline. A youthful looking Margay paused in wiping down a nearby table, several empty mugs in her paws, a smile lighting up her face.
"Well, I'll be..." the feline purred, setting the mugs and washcloth down as she strolled over to where Nick stood, stopping several feet in front of him while placing a yellow furred paw on her hip. "I haven't seen you in ages, what brings you around these parts foxy locksley."
"Well, I so happened to be around, plus, I wanted to have you meet my newest friend." Nick's eyes brightened as he stepped aside, finally allowing Judy to be seen. "Capitan Hopps, I'd like you to meet Weidii. Weidii, I'd like you to meet...NO, don't throw that!"
Judy ducked as one of the mugs from the table went sailing right between her ears, the sound of glass shattering against the adobe walls coming only a second later. She looked behind her, finding the spot the glass hit as a new stain spotted the wall.
"Now, now, Weidii, let's not be hasty..." Nick cautioned as the margay grabbed another glass in her paw and wound back.
"Estás loco Wilde? She's in the army, you know what they do to Zootopians!"
Judy's eyes widened as the second beer glass flew towards her. She jumped to the side, barely missing it as it smashed into the floor where Judy was just a second earlier.
She's got a good arm and good aim...Judy thought as she kicked the legs out from a nearby table and hid behind it, just as another glass shattered against it.
"Now hold on Weidii!" Judy hear Nick say, before the sounds of a scuffle came from the other side of the room, with several yelps coming from the fox and a few loud hisses and growls. Cautiously raising her head above the overturned table, she saw Nick holding onto the struggling feline, whispering into her ears as her arms flailed, a tankard sill in one paw. He also seemed to be slowly rocking her back and forth, chanting something soft and melodic. After only a few seconds, the yellow and brown spotted cat calmed, her limbs going limp as Nick smiled.
"See," Nick stated as he lowered Weidii to the ground. "Feel better?"
"Egh...yeah," Weidii grumbled, casting a glance over at Judy. "But she's paying for the mess."
"Why would I pay for you breaking your own mugs?" Judy stated, before being silenced by a look of panic by Nick.
"What she meant was..." Nick laughed uneasily, while clasping his paws in front of him, "Is that we'll be happy to pay for the damages, right Capitan?"
Judy nodded slowly, if only because of the look of pure fear coming from the fox, and when she noticed the spotted feline glaring eerily at her claws. "Of course, Don Wilde. Besides, if I am to help this town, I might as well begin where I can."
"You, help?" the margay growled, before laughing and returning to where her washcloth sat. "Aye, you soldiers are all alike. You come in here, all bravado and arrogant, and all leave the same way, stunned and humbled at the blade of The Fox." Judy's eyes narrowed and her foot started thumping against the ground. Just as she was readying a retort, the cat added. "But not until after causing us hurt and mucho sorrow."
Her retort died at the tip of her lips and her foot slowed until it stilled. "What do you mean, Miss Weidii?"
"Missus, Weidii," the margay replied, pointing towards a painting on the wall of two margays' smiling down upon the room. Judy studied the artwork, before her gaze turned back to the feline. "My apologies, madam. I'm still new here and don't know who's who."
"You mean you don't care to know," Weidii spat back before turning to Nick. "I don't know why you are even speaking to her kind after what they did to Finnick, Nick. But whatever game you're playing, stop it. You'll only hurt everyone involved."
"I assure you my friend," Nick began. "I play no games. If I meet someone I like, they are my friend. It's as simple as that, no?"
The cat's eyes narrowed. "You're always playing a game, Nicholas." Before he could reply, she began storming off towards the staircase at the back of the room, each step creaking as she ascended them. "Now leave, the bar is closed. Andale!"
Judy watched the fox's shoulders droop, and a heavy sigh escape his lips as he stared at the spot where Weidii disappeared. Both mammals jumped when a door upstairs slammed shut, and the sound of crashing glass and breaking wood reached their ears. Before she knew it, she was darting towards the stairs, only to feel a paw placed upon her shoulder. Looking up, she stared into the green eyes of Don Wilde, who was shaking his head.
"Please forgive me, I thought that maybe she wouldn't be mad at you for the sins of your predecessors. Apparently to Weidii, though, a Capitan is a Capitan, no matter which animal occupies the uniform."
"What happened?" Judy asked, sparing a glance up the stairs as another sound of breaking wood reached her sensitive ears.
"Her husband defended a peasant that Capitan Koslov drew his sword on for accidentally muddying his boots. So the polar bear drew his sword and killed him for 'preventing justice'." The last two words Nick stated in resignation, lowering his head. "He was a good soul, and it is things like that which are the reasons as to why the Capitan's they send here aren't much liked, no offense to you of course, as you are quite delightful."
Judy noted the compliment, but with how horrified she was at learning what happened to Weidii's husband, she couldn't do anything but just return's Wilde's stare with her own blank one.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought you here," Nick finally stated, putting his paw on Judy's back as he guided her towards the door.
"Wait..."
Nick paused as Judy halted. His eyebrows rose in puzzlement as he watched the rabbit walk towards the counter, disappearing behind it, only to reappear moments later with a small broom and pan. The fox stood in awe as he watched the Capitan begin sweeping up the remains of the beer mugs, catching every last bit of glass she could find. He continued to watch as she righted the table she had used as a shield, then proceeded to find the washcloth Weidii had dropped earlier, and wipe down not only the table, but the wall where the first mug smashed against.
It only took a few minutes, but by the end of it, Nick was smiling as Judy replaced the broom and pan, while dropping several bills and coins onto the bar counter, his smile widening when he noticed the money deposited was more than triple the amount the broken glasses cost at the most expensive market in town.
"Now we can go," Judy stated, smiling up at Don Wilde, walking past him and out the door. Nick chuckled to himself. There was definitely more to this rabbit than he thought at first glance.
"Swords," Wilde laughed as he waved a paw at her. "Such things are not needed by individuals like myself, as I wouldn't trust myself with one in a hundred years. That is why we have brave soldiers such as yourself that we can trust in to protect us, Capitan."
The two mammals had been walking for quite some time after leaving Weidii's bar, conversing like old friends seeing each other for the first time in a long time. The conversation had travelled from one topic to another, and currently, was on the subject of self defense and swordsmammalship.
"Thank you, Don Wilde." Judy bowed her head at Nicholas' latest compliment, allowing a tiny smile to grace her lips. "I'm glad you consider me a brave soldier."
"But of course, Capitan Hopps," Nick chided. "I don't know why you would put yourself down. I bet you could even take on that devious, rapscallion Zorro and throw him through the wringer without him even having time to draw his sword. And it would be about time too that he learned his place was in your jail cell."
The don laughed, slapping the bunny on the back, only to look down and see her with her head lowered, one paw rubbing her other arm silently.
"Capitan Hopps, what is wrong?" the fox asked, moving ahead of his friend and kneeling to see into her eyes. Of course Nick knew what was wrong. The comment he made had been precise and very blunt, as he wanted to see what the new Capitans thoughts about The Fox were, unabridged and uncensored. "Judy, is something the matter?"
"The Fox, is what is the matter," Judy scowled, suddenly staring forward at Nicholas. "I only wish what you said was true, as I could have arrested him last night if it were the case."
"Really?" Nicholas murmured, eyes widening and ears perking up beneath his hat. "What happened? Did that desperado attack you? Hurt you?" The don pressed his paw against Judy's cheek, brushing it gently as if examining for wounds or signs of hurt. Though he suddenly gasped and withdrew his paw when he noticed three scars underneath Judy's fur.
Throughout his years of being Zorro, he had grown to identify claw wounds and which animal had inflicted them at a simple glance. From the length between claw marks, to the depth, length and breadth of the wounds, he could almost instantly identify the culprit. It is why he suddenly felt very shocked when he saw those three long marks across Judy's cheek, the marks of a fox.
"Did he do that?" Nick gulped as Judy turned her head, brushing the fur of her cheek absently.
"No, that is...from much earlier." She paused, collecting herself from her memories while taking a deep breath. "But that is for another day. For now, let us just move onto better topics besides talk of Zorro or of battle scars from long ago."
"It couldn't be from too far back," Nick stated, re-finding his earlier disposition and sliding back into his Don persona. "You are a beautiful young doe, and do not look more than your early twenties at most.
The comment brought a wry smile to Judy's face. "Again, I thank you for your compliment, but shouldn't you know better than to guess at a doe's age?"
"I guess I should," Nick chuckled. "However, that only is for those of old age and have wrinkles, of which you have neither."
"Be glad we aren't around any of them, then," Judy retorted with a smile. Looking around, she realized that she recognized a few of the buildings from her trek into town the day before. "It would appear that we are already back to the fort."
Nick looked up, spying the building far down the road. "It would appear that we have."
"I should best be off, Don Wilde," Judy stated, nodding her head and tipping her hat towards the Don. "It has been a pleasure meeting you, but I have to attend to matters at the fort, and train the soldiers so that they are better equipped to apprehend The Fox. I do not want to have another such experience as last night..." she trailed off, her voice growing soft, before she coughed into her paw, straightening her back and rounding her shoulders. "Within a fortnight, I expect my soldiers to be able enough to where this vigilante will be either in a cell, or in the ground."
Wilde's eyes narrowed, and for a second, Judy thought she saw something familiar about them, before the Don shook his head.
"The Fox..." and in a gesture surprising Judy, the Don spat on the ground next to him. "Excuse for me spitting in front of a woman, Capitan, but Zorro," he spat out the name like it was something to be reviled, "has hurt the image of foxes like myself trying to prove themselves above being better than our stereotypes and of being more than just thieves and brigands. And with whatever happened last night between the two of you, I will not pry, but anyone who dares attack a woman is a coward at heart."
Judy grinned, causing Don Wilde to look at her in confusion. "Then that is two things that we share in agreement between us, Don Wilde. Trying to best our stereotypes, and a mutual disgust of the outlaw, The Fox."
At that, Wilde smiled. "I'm glad we are both in agreement about those issues, Capitan Hopps. May we succeed at fixing both."
"I agree, Don Wilde," laughed Judy. So far the day, even if it had started off on the wrong paw, and with the horrible news she learned about her predecessors at Weidii's, could be called a success as she had met a fellow mammal that simply didn't judge her based on her being a rabbit. Gazing up at the fox, she couldn't help but feel a slight increase in her heartbeat at the emerald eyes gleaming down at her. She felt a bit of heat pulse through her ears, and quickly moved onto other thoughts, blaming the sudden rise in temperature on the mid-afternoon sun beating down on them.
Nick laughed, smiling softly at the rabbit. "Please, Capitan Hopps. Call me Nicholas, or Nick, whichever you prefer. Calling me Don Wilde will give me an even bigger head that I already have."
"Of course, Don...er, Nicholas." Judy couldn't help but laugh as the Don before her chuckled himself at her verbal mistake. A bugle call sounded from the fort, catching Judy's attention, her ears shooting up at the sound.
"Must be something going on, I'm guessing?" Nick queried, raising his paw to look at the adobe construct in the distance.
"I do not know," Judy replied, quickly placing her black bolero hat upon her head. She turned to face Don Wilde, bowing slightly. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Nicholas, but I must be off."
"Please Capitan," Nick said in a friendly, but reproving nature. "The pleasure was all mine." He bowed as well, but also gracefully slid out his paw to grab her own, placing a gentle kiss upon the knuckles of her white glove. His eyes twinkled in the sunlight as he stood to leave, yet paused only a few steps away, turning again to face her.
"Do you think we could meet again, Capitan? Maybe for dinner tomorrow evening? My friend Finnick makes a wonderful blueberry cobbler that I think you would love!"
Judy thought over her schedule quickly as the bugle sounded again.
Better to eat with a Don who enjoys my company, than the soldiers who don't. Judy thought. Plus maybe this is the inroad I need to start befriending people in the town, and maybe have them join my cause in getting rid of The Fox.
Making her decision, she smiled. "That sounds most pleasurable, Nicholas."
"Then it has been agreed," he flamboyantly stated, giving another deep bow to Judy's amusement, his tail wagging behind him. Placing his own brown bolero upon his head, resting it comfortably around his ears, he gave Judy a wink. "Then tomorrow at 5pm, you will dine upon the freshest food this side of the Sierra Nebaadas at the splendid Casa de la Wilde. It is the large estate just to the north of Zootopia, if you haven't seen it before."
"You mean that garish green painted mansion atop the hill and surrounded by blueberry bushes?" Judy quipped, smirking and winking at the fox.
"That would be the one," Nick laughed. "I will see you tomorrow at 5pm sharp!"
With just as flamboyant a turn as his bow, Don Wilde sauntered off, walking down the path and greeting people as he past, taking time to hand coins to several children near him. After rubbing the head of one of the kids, the group giggled, before Nick walked off, turning a corner.
Judy couldn't help but grin as he finally disappeared, his tail whipping around the adobe structure.
Maybe I have a friend here after all...she thought, turning to the fort with at a quickened pace as a third bugle sounded. Though now, she grumbled, placing her mental walls back up as she re-entered the fort. I have to figure out why they are sounding that blasted bugle.
AN: And there you have Weidii, who is the OC of KungFuFreak07 over on DeviantArt, so go check out her page! So, what did you wall think of this chapter? All the moments you're looking for?