Author's Notes: Here is the second instalment and the first actual chapter. I hope that you enjoy. Please read and review, it really does mean a lot to me.

And very special thanks to Snowygrin for her help and opinions on this chapter, as well as those yet to come.

It had been a few months since Bandit had last seen Ash and Pipkin. Since then he had resorted to playing alone in the wood. Not wanting to face anger from any more adults, he found ways to amuse himself that didn't include any other creatures. Not even other ferrets. Not that there were many around this part of the wood. The ones that did live nearby, he couldn't stand. Rotten nasty bunch, the lot of Them, and none were worse than his own siblings.

The eldest was called Fleck. He was a big bullying brute of a ferret, just as likely to hit you on sight as to shake hands. He had even bitten Bandit when they were younger. All his father did was laugh and ruffle Fleck's dark brown spotted cream coat and say "What a little devil you are."

His sister, the second eldest was a pale furred menace of the first degree. Innocent in appearance with her big blue eyes and pink nose, she could get away with anything. All she had to do was look teary eyed and start whimpering and she would be forgiven any sins. It was no wonder that she was named Angel. Bandit thought that Nightshade would have been more appropriate.

Then, of course, there was Bandit himself. Small and weak in comparison to their other offspring, the most attention his parents gave him was to name him. Even this was a fleeting consideration for them. His facial marking, that of a black mask around his eyes, was the furthest they looked into the matter. "Bandit." His mother had said. "That's what we'll call him."

Due to his lack of importance in his family unit, he received less food and care from those who you would have assumed should care the most. When he was sick, he had to nurse himself back to health. When he was hungry he had to find his own food to supplement his table scraps. When he was in trouble he had to fight his own way out. As a result of this, by his sixth year of life he was a scrawny, undersized specimen. Diminutive in comparison to all of the other ferret youngsters, and some other creatures as well, save mouselings, he was wirey and tough. A real scrapper.

An independent spirit by nature, if not necessity, he thrived on adventure and investigation. The only trait that he could not view as being useful in his solitary existence, was the need to help others. He craved companionship, even if he didn't try to seek it out any longer.

This morning he was outside in the fresh air of an Idyllic June day. He sat, almost crouching underneath the windowsill of the kitchen, located at the rear of their little cottage. hiding from Fleck, who was inside at this very moment, pilfering some blueberry muffins from the larder.

He knew that if Fleck found out that he was around, he would manage to twist it so that Bandit got the blame for the missing food. Granted he did steal small items from traveller's picnic baskets, or occasionally dig up some vegetables from other creature's farming plots. But he knew well enough not to steal from the family store. The first, and only time, he had tried it, his mother had laid into him with a wooden spoon. He had been picking out the splinters for days afterwards.

Peeking over the sill, he saw that Fleck's back was turned, and so took the opportunity to run as fast as he could around the side of the building, heading for the front. Perhaps he could make a break for the treeline and go fishing-.

His pounding paws screeched to a halt, almost catapulting him forwards and into plain sight of the creatures he found at the entrance to his home.

Tarclaw, his father, was busy talking to a stoat at the end of the path that led from their front door to the woodland proper. The stoat was a sly looking animal, with pinched features and slitted eyes that seemed to be forever darting around him. "I swear that the job will be done tonight. Come on, Flink, you know I always complete the jobs your boss sends my way."

Flink drew back his lips in a smile that better resembled a snarl, his yellowed teeth none-too pleasant to behold. "That's as may be, but the boss wants this one done quick like. No witnesses, no fuss."

Bandit scowled to himself. He hated the fact that his father worked for the stoats. He had never seen 'the boss' in person, but he'd heard all sorts of stories about him. "The biggest stoat you've ever seen." A travelling rat had whispered to his companion. " Nearly as tall as a badger."

"Yeah." The other rat had enthused, eager to tell his part of the rumour. "I heard he's got claws like knives, he has! An' teeth that could bite through stone!"

Bandit didn't believe the exaggerations for a second, but he had enough sense to realise that whatever 'the boss' was really like, he was formidable, evil and had a lot of other creatures in his employ. Most of them doing the same work as his father, or at least that's what the young ferret supposed. He had heard his father arguing with Flink before, about other creatures getting the contracts that were rightfully his. What this exactly meant, Bandit couldn't figure out. He didn't even know what his father actually did, but whatever it was, it was bad. It had to be if 'the boss' was involved.

Having made up his mind to try heading straight into the woods at the side of the house, Bandit dashed into the trees, but only got a few steps past the first line of leafy bushes. A small paw wrapped itself around his wrist, as it's twin clapped over his mouth, stopping his cry of surprise from escaping. "Shhh runt!" The voice that hissed at him was high pitched and feminine, and very familiar.

"Awngmml?" He asked through her paw.

"Yes, of course it is, you dimwit. I'm going to let you go now. Make a sound and I'll skin you alive. Got it?"

Bandit nodded his head mutely. She removed her paws from him. Tilting his head, he frowned at her. "What are you doing hiding in the bushes? I thought you would be with Fleck?"

Angel sniffed derisively. "Hmph. I have more important things to do with my time than steal cookies."

Bandit squinted at her suspiciously. "Like what…?"

"Spying on father of course." She rolled her eyes. "Now shut up so we can hear what's going on."

He was about to retort, when she gave him a cutting glare, stopping the words before they could form. Closing his mouth, he listened intently to the conversation still going on at the edge of the treeline, where his father and Flink still stood. "You know where he lives, then?" Flink asked, his voice as thick and greasy as oil. "And what your to obtain first?"

"Yes, the hut by the side of the great oak fifty paces east of the large white rock. Stop worrying. I know what I'm doing. I'll contact you in the usual way afterwards."

"Agreed. Leave the proof of the completed task in the hollow stump near the river."

With that, Flink turned and loped away, and their father returned to the house none the wiser to his offspring's spying. Angel rubbed her paws together. "Finally!"

Bandit nodded. "Yeah, I thought Flink would never leave."

"Not that, you idiot!" Angel snapped, thwacking Bandit across the back of the head with a slender paw. "Finally I'll get to see what father does. I've been waiting all season for a chance like this."

Bandit whined, rubbing his sore head. "But why do you care what father does?"

"Because, imbecilic little brother, knowledge is power. If I knew what father does when he is given a contract, then I will have that power over him. That way I can get whatever I want. He doesn't like sharing information about his work, so it must be something that he can't tell, or won't tell people about. See?"

Bandit, not a simple minded ferret by any means, couldn't quite connect why she would want that kind of information, or how it would help her get whatever it was she wanted. Surely father would give her anything she wanted anyway? She was his little angel, after all. "Umm…"

Angel huffed out a breath. "Oh, never mind. You're too stupid to understand."

"I am not stupid." Bandit grumbled. "Anyway, it's not like you're the only one who knows where he's going…"

Angel's eyes widened. "You're right. You know too…" She thought for a moment, and then narrowed her eyes at him. "You're coming with me."

"I'm what?" Bandit bawked at the very idea. "Why would I come with you? I don't want to find out what father does."

"But you're going to. If I leave you here while I follow him, you'll rat me out to mother, or to Fleck. Then I'll catch hell for it. So I'm keeping you where I can see you."

"I wouldn't tell Fleck anything to save his life, and mother never listens anyway." Bandit protested, not liking the way things were going.

"That's as may be, but I'm still taking you with me." She glared as he opened his mouth to protest. "And don't even think of messing this up by telling father, or trying to worm your way out. I could have you flattened in a matter of seconds if I wanted to. The Barkfang twins owe me a favour, remember?"

Bandit grimaced. Indeed, he did remember. The Barkfang twins were the local bullies, and in a community of creatures ranging from foul mouthed rats to foxes who would skin you as soon as look at you, that was saying something. They were two of the biggest young weasels around, almost the size of a fully grown weasel twice their age. Mean and always ready to pummel anyone into a bloody pulp, they were the last creatures that Bandit wanted after him. Sighing, he hung his head. "Fine. I'll come."

"Good. Be ready to leave after supper. Father always leaves after supper. Be late, and I'll make sure you regret it." With that, Angel slunk back towards the house.

Watching his sister disappear into the place that he so tentatively called home, he had the worst feeling in his stomach that tonight was going to be one that he wouldn't soon forget.