Feral Magic

What about food? Weapons?”
“I suppose they would come in handy too.” She gave him a teasing smile, then scooted away from the wall. Blitz and Anton followed and gathered around her. “You two stay here. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Anton protested. “No way, you can’t do that by yourself.”
“Why, because I’m a girl?” He opened his mouth to respond but seemed to think better of it. “If you tried to come, you might as well make a bullhorn and announce yourself to the world.”
“How will we know if you get in trouble?”
Vixin smirked. “I’m always in trouble. That’s half the fun, but those guys?” She jerked a thumb behind her. “Amateurs, just like the jerks who attacked you. Trust me, there’s nothing to worry about.”
~~~
With the setting sun, Vixin crawled toward the small village, keeping to the shadows. She kept a careful eye on those patrolling the gate and surrounding area. Okay, maybe she’d lied to Anton a little. They weren’t complete amateurs, but they didn’t worry her either. She’d crept into enough places to know what to look for. And those usually had cameras.
Vixin’s stomach growled, telling her Anton’s idea for food might not be such a bad one. She could get it on her own, but that required hunting, and hunting required a weapon. Snares were always an option, but that required her to wait. And she wanted to find out where she was and escape as soon as possible.
Vixin ducked behind a trunk as one of the guards turned. She waited, counting the seconds it usually took for someone to dismiss a perceived threat. She took a breath and peered from the tree. In one swift movement, Vixin bounded from her hiding place, jumped to grab the wall, and hauled herself over without making a sound.
She pressed her back against the first house, angling herself into the deepest part of the shadows. A man passed by, looking far sleepier than she thought a guard should. She crept forward and peered into the first window.
Two people slept in a bed together with another four spread out across the floor. Too risky. She scurried toward the next house, swinging around the back to avoid the guard again. But several people occupied that one as well.
Okay, so they weren’t in chains. Maybe that group of boys hadn’t come from this place. Maybe she could have simply walked through the front gate, dropped off Anton and Blitz, ate a good meal, and been on her way.
But something in her gut warned against it. She didn’t know why, could never fully explain it, but her father had told her to listen. He said instinct would keep her alive longer than any weapon.
Vixin leaned against the third house and crawled toward the edge to survey the center of town. Two guards drew her attention, again armed with spears as they stood outside the doors to another house. Either someone important slept there, or they’d just given away the location of their supplies.
Vixin circled around, sliding along the sides of buildings. She kept one eye on the guards, checking for any shift in body language that would indicate she’d been discovered.
She noted the broken side window. And the shards of glass left in place. They must have left them to prevent any would-be thieves from crawling through. She smiled, checked the guards again, then darted across the short expanse.
Vixin knelt below the window and silently jumped up, locking her fingertips along the edge. She pulled her body up, reached beyond the glass, and anchored her hand on the inside before pulling herself through in one swift motion.
She’d seriously have to thank her father for all those grueling workout routines when she returned home.
Vixin scanned the interior. No walls separated the small space into rooms. A few wooden crates sat against either wall, but even these people didn’t appear to have much. It made her curious, almost enough to leave and come back in the morning. Almost. That nagging feeling in her gut still told her to steer clear.
She headed straight for the weapon’s rack and ran her hands along the dozen or so pieces before settling on a pair of long knives. Vixin examined the edge, running her finger along the surface. Certainly not perfect, but both were far better than the pitiful knife stuffed in her boot.
She opened a crate and rummaged through the leather, finding a set of frogs and a belt that could be slung over her shoulders. She tightened them, creating new holes for the too large buckles, and secured the weapons to her back.
Afterward, it was clothes, most of which proved to be too large on her small frame, but with a few pieces of rope she made them work. Vixin stuffed a few others that she thought might fit Anton and Blitz into a satchel, then reached for the food.
She lifted another lid, but shouts from outside drew her attention. She paused, listening, and then a blaring horn sent her racing for the doorway. Vixin pressed her body against the wall as the door burst open, and she raised her forearms to brace against the swinging impact as a group of men rushed in.
They tipped the crates, grabbing whatever they could get their hands on. Vixin didn’t wait. She slipped through the entrance, but outside had shifted to a very different scene.
Fires lined the area, illuminating all her previous hiding places. Three individuals raced toward the building, each pointing at her, their battle cries echoing through the air.
Cursing her bad luck, Vixin shoved the bag behind her body and drew her new weapons. The first attacker swung, but she dodged to the right, using her blades to block her next attacker. Her foot collided with his shin and she ducked low to sweep his legs from under him.
Something wrapped