Thank you a WHOLE LOT: Sorcha O' Reilly, Copper Hikari, and Storiewriter! On with chapter two!

Firetail was excited to see Jacova. He came from Mossflower and there were no cities there. The most populated place in the woods had to be Redwall and even then there weren't many beasts. He had been in a city as a little squirrel, but couldn't remember a thing. Now, as an adult, he was glad to be able to experience what he had been hearing his whole life, that cities were great. However, during the walk there, Jerra had told Firetail of his past experiences in cities. He said how everybeast walked around like little insects, minding their own business, and how the buildings were so close together a beast who was afraid of tight spaces would pass out in an instant.

Firetail didn't believe him because it contradicted everything anybeast ever told him about cities. How it could make a poor beast rich, and the rich, poor.

A traveling merchant had told him once of Jacova's great marketplace, of the economic system there. It could make or break a beast. Firetail wasn't exactly interested in selling things, but he knew if that was true, cities must be better than the country life.

So the moment Firetail set his footpaw past the city gates and looked around, he told Jerra, "I knew it! You were wrong."

Beyond him lay the widest road his eyes had ever beheld. It was gloriously paved in limestone brick, like the road, but the brick here was unaffected by the desert and Firetail could tell it was well taken care of. Each building was lined up on both sides of the street. They all were made of brick and connected so it seemed like one really long two story building that spanned the whole street. Out in front of a few buildings, colorful signs were displayed saying things such as "Hot Biscuits and Pastries, 24 Hours a Day!", and "Lox the Fox's General store for all your general needs!". Near some of the entrances to the buildings, palm trees were put in little holes in the road, and in the middle of the area there was an ancient oak tree that was wide enough to fit Jerra whole over and over again until midnight. Firetail wondered how all of the vegetation had managed to survive in the desert.

Near the entrance to Lox the Fox's general store there was a group of beasts huddled near the door, chatting and laughing. Firetail was stunned to see that there was a fox and a mouse talking to one another like old pals. The mouse was smiling at the fox, with the fox returning it.

"Hey Firetail, you hear me?"

Firetail shook his head and looked at his friend. "Oh sorry, what is it?"

Jerra raised his voice. "We've got to find an inn!"

Firetail rolled his eyes. "Already? C'mon mate, live a little! Where is the marketplace here? I bet it's huge!"

Jerra pointed to a brown bag on his waist and stared half-eyed at Firetail. "We have nine copper pieces. That might be enough to keep us here for a day. The last thing we need is you buying a stupid trinket for all of our copper."

Firetail's tail dropped. "Fine..."

A fox approached Jerra, smirking. "You say you look for inn? Small price?"

Jerra eyed the fox suspiciously. He wore torn attire, both his shirt and shorts. Unlike many of the foxes Jerra had met before, this particular one had a friendly smile and not a cunning one. After a few moments of studying, Jerra relaxed. "Yes, um... I guess you know a good one?"

The fox nodded, "Follow me I show you."

Firetail smiled. "See, not all of them are insects!"

"Okay, my bad, insects and eavesdroppers."

"I knew it was too good to be true."

The second Jerra saw the inn, he let his head drop down into his paws. It was located in the slums and from the outside it was made of crude wood. In fact, everything in the slums was wooden, had broken windows, and was so dark and desolate that he constantly got the feeling that somebeast was looking at him through the windows.

The fox opened the door for the squirrels, still smiling. "Here is my father inn."

Firetail raised a brow. "The inn is your father?"

"Eh, no I sorry I not speak you tongue good. My father... has this inn."

"He owns it?"

The fox looked blankly at Firetail for a couple of moments then nodded. "Yes, he own."

Surprisingly, the inside looked decent. It was small, cramped, but it had a sophisticated look to it. The hard wooden floors were clean, the ceiling was devoid of cobwebs, there was a table in the middle of the room with three chairs, and a broken chair in the corner of the room. At the opposite end of the room were some old stairs that led up to the second story.

"You stay here for two copper a night for both. Give copper to me and then I go tell father."

Jerra sneered. "I'd rather see your father first.."

The fox clenched his teeth and backed off.

Firetail raised his fist and spat at the fox. "You trying to rip us off aren't you! Thief!"

The fox squatted down and covering his face with his paws. "Why you yell? You look for inn I show you inn."

"This is no inn, where's the keeper?"

"If you hit him, I'll kill you," A voice hissed from inside the building.

Firetail gasped then looked around frantically for the beast who threatened him.

"Father, I come, take you these beasts to inn. They yell at me!"

Firetail suddenly noticed another fox at the edge of the stairs, staring straight at him. Firetail lowered his fist and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I just assumed he was trying to cheat us is all."

The older fox could have been his son's twin, if he didn't have one big scar going down his cheek on the right side of his face. He wore a torn green habit with no belt to hold it up. "What is my son trying to cheat you out of?"

Jerra pointed the the ground. "Isn't this an inn?"

The older fox creased his brows. "No, this is my home."

"Oh, well then um, me and my friend apologize. Your son told us that we could stay here for cheap."

"We've had beasts stay here before for a little fee, but this is no inn I assure you. My son doesn't speak our tongue too well and he might mistake any place to stay for an inn."

"Can we stay, mister?" Firetail asked.

"I'm Yolan and that's my son Yolden. And it depends on how much you're willing to pay."

"We need to stay here for a while and all we have is nine copper." said Jerra.

"Deal."

Both Jerra and Firetail looked at one another in bewilderment. "Deal?"

"You can stay as long as you want for the nine copper."

"Oh, that's good then," said Firetail.

Yolan showed the two beasts the room, which was like the rest of the house, tidy, yet cramped. Firetail instantly noticed that the only bed there could fit two beasts.

Jerra spilled out all of their money into Yolan's paws. "There."

"Good, I hope you have a good night."

Both beasts looked at the bed and sighed.

A sweet aroma woke both beasts up in the morning. They both ran downstairs to find it and were surprised to see bread on the table. Both Yolan and his son were sitting at the long table in the room.

Yolan smiled as they entered and motioned his head toward an extra two plates. As hungry as they were, they thanked the fox and sat down in their respective places.

Jerra sniffed the bread then took a bite. "This bread tastes great!"

Yolan winked. "Yolden made it."

Firetail had already finished his bread. "I never thought I'd say it but, I could live off this bread!"

"If you poor you learn to make bad better," said Yolden.

"Yes, that's the philosophy down here in the slums," said Yolan.

"Wait a moment, wasn't there a broken chair in here yesterday?" Firetail pointed out.

Yolan chuckled. "My son fixed that too! He's great at that kind of stuff." Yolan looked at Firetail. "I'm curious. How did you two beasts end up in Jacova with just nine copper? None now, no thanks to me. All you have now are the clothes on your backs! Speaking of which, need to be washed."

Jerra sighed and took a bite of his bread. "We had a lot more. A bag full of silver, with a few gold pieces, and enough clothes to fit an army, but it was all stolen. The beasts that robbed us tied us up while we were asleep. They would have beaten us to death too if we hadn't hid in a nearby stream."

"Yeah, we had to breathe through these little leafy straw things," Firetail added.

"I bet those thieves are living the high life now. Anyway, we've been barely threading along the past half season with these clothes and the occasional job."

"What job do you do?" asked Yolden.

"Well uh," Jerra paused for a moment, "we um.. we search for people who've done bad things for rewards."

"You're bounty hunters aren't you?"

Jerra bit his lip. "Harsh way to put it, but... yeah."

Yolan's face grew tense. "Why are you in Jacova?"

"For Vlad the Sandscourge's head," answered Jerra.

Yolan lifted a finger to his mouth. "Don't talk so loud."

Jerra leaned over the table. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Jacova is no place for a bounty hunter like you. Why do you think no bounty hunter has managed to get him yet?" asked Yolan.

"Too lazy... Too stupid," said Firetail.

Yolan rose from his seat and placed both his paws on the table. "No, it's because he's everywhere, and nowhere at once! He has eyes and ears all around town, and he's the richest beast in Jacova! There's no way you could reach him. The beasts under him will kill you with a nod of his head. You're nothing to him."

Jerra shrugged. "Nothing new to us, eh mate?"

Firetail nodded in agreement. "Today we've got to go around town and find out more about him."

"Listen, you're some of the nicest travelers I've seen in a long time, despite your assumptions of my son yesterday. But take this from me, get out of town now. If you're lucky, you'll be far enough away he won't consider you a threat."

Jerra chuckled. "Didn't you say we were nothing to him?"

Yolan sneered. "How old are you two?"

"Firetail is only seventeen, and I'm twenty four."

"What? Neither of you have kids or anything?"

"And happily not married! Isn't that right mate?" shot Firetail.

"Uh yeah..."

"I give you no support," said Yolan.

"Me too," agreed Yolden.

"We never asked for it. All this is, is where we stay. I guess this means you're not going to tell us where we could start to search for him."

Yolan looked downward while taking a deep breath in, then waited a few moments. "Ruzenbar. It's a pub near here, just down the street actually. You know, where your kinds like to hang around, and other ruffians. Except, don't expect others there. The bartender there might help get you started on your search. He's a bank vole and is screwed in the head, but a nice guy all-around."

Firetail stood from his chair and motioned for Jerra to follow with his head. His gaze then went right back to Yolan. "Thanks, we'll be back late tonight probably."

With a nod of Yolan's head, they left.

Yolan didn't tell them which way down the street, so they had to go both ways. Once they found the pub, they were unimpressed. The only thing that made it stand out from the outside of the slum's wooden houses were the words was the wooden letters that spelled 'Ruzenbr'. It was missing the 'a' and the 'r' was dangling upside down, as if it were a claw.

Firetail looked at the bar's swinging doors then at Jerra. "Totally original eh?"

Jerra was looking downward at the ground and was slouched a bit, as if in deep thought.

"You okay Jerra?"

Jerra looked up at Firetail with such a strange look, as if he'd never seen him before. "Yeah, sure. Can we uh, get this over with?"

They swung open the swinging doors and took a single step in, surveying the crowd. Everywhere, there were seabeasts, mainly otters, and the fair share of rats, ferrets, corsairs, and so forth. Many empty tables were scattered everywhere, with some of their chairs thrown over. Most of the tables were littered with mugs, half eaten vittles, and the occasional tooth. Truly a tough place all over.

A brawny otter came up to them, sporting a glare which would make your average beast quail. He wore green sea clothes, torn at the arm sleeves to show his arms and a big black tattoo of a ship. He gripped his saber hilt resolutely, with a taunting smile.

"A squirrel... two squirrels in a place they don't belong. What brings you two here?" asked the otter in a gruff voice.

"Information mainly," answered Jerra.

"And what kind of information is it?"

"It doesn't concern you sea otter!" growled Firetail.

A few beasts behind him that were watching began to laugh hysterically and the sea otter unsheathed his saber half-way.

Jerra whispered to Firetail. "Whys it always the bars and pubs where trouble likes to get stirred?"

Firetail curled his lower-lip. "Because nothing in life's never fair, that's what."

The big otter persisted. "Who's ta give you the information?"

"The bank vole."

The otter chuckled. "That un's been dead for nearly a season now."

Both squirrel's faces turned pale. "What?"

"Said too much. Got reported. And all of a sudden one day he went poof!" The otter threw his hands over his head. "Gone. And that's not the first time a beast has just disappeared. It happens to anybeast who knows to much. To live here you can't ask the questions, but just do what yer told."

Firetail closed his left eye halfway. "Hmm, what's a bunch of searats doing in the desert?"

"You don't know? The river that runs through the desert west of here leaks out into the sea."

"There's a river?"

"Well yeah, I run a ship that imports... goods we got from wherever, and sell it here for profit."

Firetail raised his brow. "Goods? Stolen goods?"

With the flick of the otter's wrist, he unsheathed his saber. While pointing it toward Firetail, he turned his head to his fellow seabeasts. "Guess what boys, another one's asked too much!"

Laughing and hollering arose from the seabeasts. A few even fell out of their chair. Firetail knew they were drunk then.

Firetail smirked. "C'mon! Fighting in a bar. Doesn't that sound a little.. you know... unoriginal?"

Jerra tapped Firetail's shoulder. "Why are you picking a fight Firetail? The bank vole's dead. There's nothing else here."

"Think about it. Yolan made it pretty clear to us that Vlad was the only threat in the city. You know, the head honcho. How can these villains work in a city that's pretty much ruled by Vlad?" Jerra formed a blank look on his face. "Or get the funding to do so?"

Jerra's eyes opened a bit more and his breathing increased. "Sometimes I think you're a dunce matey, but this definably is not one of those times.."

Firetail's eyes nearly closed all the way. "Thanks for the compliment. I guess."

The otter spoke up. "Hey what 're you two mumblin over there about?"

Firetail crossed his arms. "Nothing. Where do we fight?"

" Town Square, in front of many beasts." The otter licked his saber.

Firetail gasped at the otter's retort. He'd never met a beast so confident about fighting in public. "It's right in the public eye. If you killed me, then the guards from around town would be all over you."

"I have my ways."

"What ways?"

Again, the otter chuckled.

"So, let's come to terms. If I win, I get information from you. How about if you win?"

"Mate, you'll be too dead for me to do anything with you!"

Sorry, this chapter was sort of rushed for revision. I put about an hour into it and had to update it now, or monday, which I didn't want to do. So, I'll revise it more monday, so try to ignore the small grammar errors. As a matter of fact, I couldn't get to some parts near the end. Like I said before, I don't care how you critique me. Just ignore grammar this time. The next chapter will feature the first fight in all of this story so I'm excited! You? No. Okay. Fine! Thanks again, Sorcha O' Reilly, Copper Hikari, and Storiewriter!