Rustrian brings Callidus to an elegant looking bakery in a large townhouse on the west side of town.  It has a large sign, a wooden carving of three running foxes, leaping over a table set with loaves of bread.  In addition to selling baked goods it is a small café.

”Very good food here,” Rustrian says.  “Werefoxes.  They know our tastes.  Let’s get some duck pies.  The Vulpinter family has a long history.  Sadly, some years back, Pavel and Midia were lost, but.. no, you can’t be from them, that wasn’t so far back. You’d remember them.  Well, process of elimination, I suppose, here’s one line of Werefoxes you’re not a part of.”

Callidus takes a seat at a table across from Rustrian and glances around at the decorations. It feels.. homely. Familiar but not at the same time. The smell of fresh baked bread in the air makes his stomach grumble, reminding him why he came here.

"Duck pies sound especially delicious. Meat pies were one of my favorites back in Burgundy. I used to eat them with my friend Hiras. He could put down far more than I could however, and always ended up getting stomachaches. I haven't seen him in a while, I wonder how he's doing, or if he's found his way to the Faire."

"There are quite a few people in Lucimburic, It's probably filled to capacity and beyond by the throng of merchants, patrons and matrons, nobility, commoners, dwarves, elves, humans, and all of the people who are coming for the festival as well. You said that some were even staying outside of the city in tents? The city watch must have a lot on their hands with all of these people in arms reach. I imagine a brawl must happen at least a few times a night."

He signals over a waitress then, orders some duck pies for himself, his friend Rustrian, and his progeny, and proceeds to pay for and give a generous tip in the process, slipping a sly wink the waitresses way while Rustrian isn't paying attention.

"Tell me more about Vulpinter history. I must say I'm inclined to know more about Werefox society, since I'm not from around here. I must say so far I am quite impressed by what you've shown me so far. As far as I'm concerned learning about my heritage is a long time coming."

Swift walks in and looks around. It is other werefoxes. She has not seen any others for such a long time. She walks over to the table. "Hello, I hope you don't mind me bargining in but it has been a while since I have been in town. I am Swift by the way" She grins.

Callidus turns around in his chair to address the newcomer.

"Hello... Swift. Welcome to The Vulpinter Bakery. I admit I wasn't expecting any company. I'm Callidus, and am eating here with my friend Rustian. Seeing how this cafe is one that does business with the public.. I doubt that you have need to proffer your apologies, unless you intend to cause trouble. If that is the case I believe I should refer you to the owner, for they would likely not appreciate any trouble in their establishment."

"Unless you are only here for a meal, in which case, I would refer you to the waitress who would likely be able to provide you with a menu or some kind." Callidus says, turning back to Rustian.

"Oh no. I was just stopping in for a bite. Its been a while since I got a good meal. I am just glad to see another werefox"

Callidus pauses for a moment, pondering something.

After a few moments he adds to the conversation,
"Is it uncommon to see a Werefox in an establishment frequented by Werefoxes, in a Werefox district of the city?"

He takes a moment and then turns back to Rustian.
"There is a werefox district of the city, where werefoxes typically live, correct? And that district is where we are currently, no?"

He takes a moment and turns back to Swift.
"Do you really not see werefoxes that often in the werefox district, during the Winter Merchant's Faire?"

Rustrian is suppressing a smirk.
He obviously finds something here very funny.

"I believe Swift said another Werefox, and not simply a Werefox.  There are about two hundred and something Werefoxes, but you, Callidus, you are another Werefox.  Not common at all, even here, in the Vulpinter Bakery."

By now, Callidus notices something else:  When the staff at the Bakery talks to the trio, they seem familiar with Rustrian, but very familiar with Swift.

Who hasn't yet mentioned her family.

Rustrian continues:  "Callidus, we are a group known for our sense of adventure...and our sense of style.. it's hard to say which one comes first, I guess it depends on the individual."

From somewhere behind the bakery counter a young voice says; "Oh with Swift, it's definitely adventure.  All adventure."

Rustrian continues unfazed.  "And we all know one another, here, except you.  Our new wildling Werefox.  You are Another Werefox, as it were."

"So it's not a werefox that you're looking for, but "another" Werefox. As in, the fact that I am not a Wereswan or a Wereplatapus is a good thing. And that the thing that you are happy to see is not necessarily me, but that I am a werefox instead of the aforementioned were-races." Callidus says, spinning words into a circle.

"Great! So I'm the talk of the town. Another werefox. One that no one has seen before. A mystery. An.. Enigma. No one knows where the fox ends and the human begins, because no one knows anything about me. Surely books will be written and biographies will be penned about Callidus, another Werefox." He says jovially.

"Let it be known that Callidus has pushed the werefox numbers to a new, astounding level, of one more than previous, and that he requires duck pie to fill his rumbling stomach."

Callidus pauses and stops talking for a moment.

"I think saying the word Werefox so many times in a small period has given me a case of cottonmouth, and I don't mean the Snake.. Or the weresnake. I mean that my mouth is dry, and that I could likely use a drink of some kind."

"Allll I was saying is its nice to see another fox after running around with elves and killing orcs and such. It just feels so good to be home. So, would you like to have some food and drink with me and let me know what has been going on in town since I have left. I mean, especially since you like to speak freely, I would love to hear any news." she says with a grin.

Rustrian smirks.  “It seems the both of you are in need of news; Swift who has lived here but has been gone a long time, and Callidus who has never lived among us as anyone recalls.  Well, for the most part, as I understand it, you are the news.  Were it not for this.. this everything, going on, this would be a very sleepy time of the year.  Winter Festival, stuffing ourselves and sleeping late.  But... I can let you in on some things.  The Argentoses, who are staying with me, are the leaders of a large traveling show.  You know, performers who go from place to place... actors, singers... but they are also here as emissaries from Basilea.  They've been speaking to the Duke.

“Now, you may also be aware that the Duke has just given special recognition to a heroic Wereweasel.  Yes, weasel.  Now, Callidus... you're the stranger here so I'll tell you- Wereweasels are the most slippery, sneaky, untrustworthy, conniving, scheming rascals of all the Lycanthropes.  You know what it means to Weasel out of something?  Or to use Weasel Words?  Yes, they are the reason.  They have long been spies, and assassins, and.... lawyers.  So what does it mean if our Duke honors one?”

He eyes the young werefoxes for a  moment before proceeding with his theory.

“It means he has a sneaky plan afoot.  He's scheming himself, and that Wereweasel is in on it.  I'm sure it involves Huns, and that King Theoderic.  They've just fought a big battle, but big battles with lots of troops are expensive.  They can't keep that up forever.  Cheaper to use a small group; special individuals.  Sneaky individuals.  Up to something... yes... if I was a much younger Werefox I might want in on it, myself.”

"When you say he is giving a commendation to a wereweasel, are you referring to Tawna, the companion of Haakon?"

"I traveled with them during a part of my journey. She's told me about her kind, and I have no reason to distrust her based on how much I've seen of her if she is the one you're talking about. But she has told me of her kin. Apparently she kept it from Haakon until just recently, but her cousin is a Lawyer."

"While disclosed a little late, Haakon is not a stupid man. If Tawna were as sneaky as the rest of her ilk and was hatching plots and such I would doubt that he would freely associate with her. Haakon would be very likely to find out about any such plots, or he might have a hand in them, as he's quite in love."

"If they were hatching a plot, Haakon would probably be the one to ask. I saw them doing a lot of whispering after the battle at Beda.. That might've been when they made the plan."

Rustrian seems amazed that Callidus knows Tawna.

"And here I thought you were a stranger!" he says.  "“So you know Tawna the Wereweasel!"

Then he lowers his voice, as if to say... you never know when a Wereweasel might be listening.

"She's the sneakiest of the bunch, you know.  This Haakon, I've not heard of... maybe he's the sneaky type too, or maybe... well, sneaky on its own is not a bad thing.  The gods know Werefoxes have snuck now and then, when we've had to.  We can certainly be sneaky when we want to.  A more stylish kind of sneaky, but... where was I?  Wereweasels, yes.  Wereweasels never lead, but they serve, and mind you, they have never had any scruples about whom they serve, or what they are asked to do.  To a Wereweasel, consideration of things like... well, like ethics... they just get in the way.  Weasels... foxes... we're both adventurous by nature.

"Now, there's a plot afoot, I'm sure of it.  But I'm pretty sure that it's coming straight from the Duke.  That's why he would give an award to her, y'see.  I wonder what's up?"

By now, seeing the others coming and going, and hearing them chat with Swift, something else is obvious:  Swift is family here.

"Well, I was with the kings army at some point till I went with some elves to rescue an elf kidnapped by some Huns, I hate Huns and now pirates also. We did rescue the elf woman." She thinks for a minute "And I thought the wererats where the sneakiest."

"If it's a plan, there's a big chance that it was orchestrated recently, she did not seem like she had ulterior motives when I first met them in The Black Forest. I met them originally when I met the leader of the Black Forest Elves, Ortanth. Shortly after I joined them with my elvish companions in an attack on the Orc-held town of Cambete, which we liberated."

"I heard off-handedly that the reason she was there was because she was told by the Duke that they would no longer hire wereweasels in government positions because of an usurper that they worked for, and happened to do some shady things in the process, so she was trying to repair the reputation of the wereweasels in the process of her.. our journey. The commendation she's receiving now could be just that, a reward for her efforts in assisting the elves."

"I've never lived in Lucimburic, everything up to this point that I know about this place has been taught to me by you, Texxor, and Tawna. I haven't had the benefit of being raised by a community similar to my interests and inklings. She seemed quite homesick during the time I was with her. I'm sure she's just happy to be home."

"She did also mention her grandpa as well, who was apparently insane, and filled his house with traps out of paranoia to prevent people from taking things back from him. Though I would assume that that's hardly the norm."

"Not to mention she's not unpleasant to look at.. she did compliment me once on a bit of subterfuge I happened to concoct at the Moselle river.. We had to ambush a traitorous merchant on the bridge, named Aedelio. So I came up with a plan to wait beneath the bridge above the water using pitons. After the orcs and their slaves came over the bridge we waited a bit longer for his entourage to arrive in their caravan. Me and another scout vaulted from under the bridge using pitons hammered in a staircase formation, and made it inside the caravan without being detected."

"From there we hijacked the caravan and bribed the drivers to our side before they stopped for lunch, well outside the Hun lands. Found out everything there was to know about Tullum from the merchant and had him and his caravan bring us back there. From the inside of Tullum in unison with the combined army of Heolstor and Anakrina we took control of the town."

"You should've seen the look on that Beastmaster's face when we released that dragon onto it. It was a culmination of fear and.. well... mostly fear. That dragon chewed it up and then chased its buddies down the hall, to this day I don't think I've seen anything funnier than Orcs running from a dragon."

"In any case, Tawna seems trustworthy enough compared to her kin. Haakon trusts her and I've fought Orcs tooth and nail with him enough to know that he has sound judgment. Tawna was fighting beside me as well, and aside from looking great she's more resourceful than she is sinister."

Rustrian looks back and forth at the two of them.

”Hardly surprising,” he says.  “Werefoxes, after all, are adventurers.  With style.  Not surprising at all that you’ve had such adventures.  Now, me.. my adventures are on the stage, now, in the presentations at the theaters, but whatever we do, we do well, right?

”It seems to me, I must ask… are you both continuing in these illustrious careers?  Because, as I said, things are afoot.  Things certainly are.  I would inquire of the Argentoses, my lodgers.  They seem to have their thumbs in the right pies.  Or do the two of you already have your plans for your next adventures?”

"I have no reason up to this point to stop in my endeavors. My injuries up to this point have been non-life threatening, and I have many a story to tell about everything that's happened up to this point. It's also been a lot of fun."

"I am from her here but I love going on adventures. But this is my home and its noce to come back too and take a break. Where I can clear head and just relax. I like seeing my family and I know some of them will be here. Though they even sometimes go on a road trip."

"Well, in any case, now is the time I must depart. I promised Anakrina, my elven contact that I would meet her to discuss what I am to do next, and I have a sneaking suspicion that I may reunite with some old friends of mine."

Callidus places some coin on the table to pay for the pies, bids his companions Rustrian and his son adieu, and leaves to reunite with his elven friends.

Callidus stays with Rustrian Ghostail a little while longer, before being recruited by Anakri for the Dwarf mission.  With the aid of the “senior Werefox” he learns more about the Lucimburic society, and how to fit in.  The Lycanthropes have some very unusual ideas about things- they tolerate a lot more “bad behavior” from each other than one might think sensible, just because they think “that's how Wererats are supposed to be”. (Or weasels, or wolves, or whatever.)

Swift stays with her family, talking of her adventures, and maybe helping out with the farm or bakery.  And as the winter passes on, she is recruited too- to head north with King Theoderic, to participate in the planned liberation of Aquae Granni.

Both are in their respective new threads.  For Swift, it is The Northern Front.