"...Yes, events of truly necessary. This also should be drilled." She chuckles, slightly, then lets out a sigh. "Anything else to talk about now?"

The fox that Weiss was hugging and petting a moment ago is now another attractive woman, wearing a fair bit of jewelry that looks ceremonial in nature.

"Is anyone badly injured, especially in a way where they might die?"

They try not to look surprised even though it is unexpected transformation. It’d be a bad look, especially right after making a point about how you can’t think a people is an animal just because it looks like one. 

No one is injured right now, that part will probably come after the fight, if there is one. The ransom note promised that even the hostages are uninjured; they almost definitely surrendered when threatened instead of fighting. 

Looks like nothing else to talk about. Captain wants to talk with his fighters briefly, will meet outside when ready for training. 

"This stinks. I'm sorry, guys, I thought everything would be fine and fun and we wouldn't have to hide at all."

    "We still don't have to hide," Megi consoles her. "We just have to deal with some bullies. And I'm glad you're doing the right thing here."

        Tessa groans and rubs her eyes. "I came with because you promised me a city that'd let us keep our ears and tails out. If problems keep appearing, I'll bail. I don't want to die. They probably have a pretty good library around here, though..."

    Megi bows and formally thanks the people whose home they've just borrowed. They can't understand it, but she tries to convey the right feeling anyway before they all leave.

Weiss goes outside after a few minutes.

They family returns some sort of salute. 

Outside the building, things look calm. There’s less activity in the market area, though there’s a few carts where merchants sell food or tools. Children sit under a tree having a hushed discussion. The crate where someone stands giving a speech now has a new orator, a figure in a colorful helmet gesturing wildly and being ignored by everyone. An elder has set up a chair outside and is drawing something in a notebook.

A few moments later, the captain and his archers leave the building. They mark a grassy area between two buildings with red string, which everyone else takes as a warning to give the area a wide berth. 

The captain has the other archers do some basic exercises while he steps aside to figure out everything they need to cover in training today: signals that can be used despite the language barrier, generally fighting alongside each other, and perhaps being carried. 

Weiss is utterly serious about this; They should practice as much as they need to with her in human form, and then she will change, and they practice in fox form. It's costly to change willy-nilly.

The other kitsunes stick close, for a little bit, but quickly seem to grow bored or anxious. Megi puts on a Shadow Play show for whoever wants to watch. Mati wanders the market, underfoot as a little fox. Tessa tries to bug someone to teach her the Eyerarchy's language and writing system.

Megi gets an audience for the shadow play, mostly the young or old, who aren’t out working. A young adult with colorful piercings and jewelry, this one with three eyes, watches diligently and writes in a notebook. Mati is occasionally shooed away, though often an apology follows once someone explains these foxes are guests. Tessa is eventually directed to a room where a creaky and old teacher with four eyes explains language to a variety of small children. (A notable language fact picked up from the lesson: the expression that the amulet translates to ‘understanding’ is actually more like ‘I see’ and is one of the most basic and versatile phrases in Eyerarchy language.)

The captain and his squad of archers get serious as well. There’s some scowls at anyone leaving early, but they get that Weiss is the main fighter anyway. Their main battle tactic is staying out of reach and harassing slower moving enemies with arrows. This actually works really well with an enemy distracted by magic and/or a menacing large fox. Soon enough, they are used to working together and have drilled a few gestures and shouts until everyone understands. Eventually, they finish everything except ‘archer being carried by giant fox’ tactics.

She turns to her other form again when they seem to reach a stopping point in the drills, and with only moderate fussing they can work out an illusion-based saddle real enough to be helpful to hold on to. She's not entirely sure how saddles work, but being able to adjust it at a whim is helpful, and spending the energy on it instead of trying to make a physical object seems fine since it's a special circumstance.

This form is still smaller than a warhorse, per se. It's more like a small pony, the kind of thing you wouldn't expect to ride into a fight. But the thing is, she's very strong, and doesn't seem particularly hindered by however many pounds of rider except by the slightly strange weight distribution. It's more a problem of jostling her rider to pieces. She has to use a different gait and avoid sudden pivots. Also, she is very fast. Especially in a straight line, once gotten up to speed. She could almost keep up with that silver autocar.

...She just knows she's going to have to endure all sorts of bawdy jokes about strangers riding her from her sisters when this is all over, but they know not to do that quite yet, thankfully.

Riders these people are not. Only the captain can consistently stay steady and unjostled, best everyone else can manage is mostly not falling— even with Weiss being careful. Seems like this is a tactic to be used for retreats and repositioning, mostly. A couple refuse to even try, awed by the speed and ease of carrying but also afraid.

The captain, though, can manage holding on with one hand and wielding an emergency-backup-melee weapon with the other hand. This gets cheers from the rest. 

He can't manage mounted archery? She shares an illusion half-remembered from a history book, two worlds away: Long-bearded Mongol archers on horseback, raining arrows on the poor bloody infantry, then wheeling around when pursued and doing it again, and again.

Probably they had special saddles, or special bows... She can't remember how those worked, if so.

Whoa. “Temporary-War-Leader-For-Life conquering in-chariot-of-steel!” The archers all cheer and applaud at the sight. 

Mounted archery does require specialized equipment and also more than an afternoon of training. They are very determined, after seeing the illusion, but they have never ridden before, except that one guy who has a bicycle. Not members of a nomadic people ‘born in the saddle’. 

Oh well. It was just an idea, and she probably isn't going to do this on a regular basis. Events of truly necessary.

They are very disappointed and also would like to buy illusion rocks with that scene of the army of horse archers. 

"Later. When my energy is not so limited. You'll need other Kitsunes to keep them from dying... Or someone else who can charge up other people's magic things?"

The individual most excited about the horse archers: “Understanding. Most magic items require possession of individual of correct magic type to recharge. Entertaining and educational for time.”

The captain wrests back control of the shared translation amulet and control of the discussion. It’s getting late, people are getting distracted, and he needs to run everyone through the gestures and signals one more time to make sure they’re all memorized. 

The kitsunes reconvene in front of one of the apartment buildings and chat about what they've found. Tessa is showing her customary genius in learning the Eyerarchy's language, Megi has spent the afternoon helping with light chores and playing with children, and Mati is...

...Where is Mati? Has anyone seen her?

Oh, there she is. Apparently Mati has helped deal with a mouse problem somewhere. She seems smug about this. It's certainly a fox-ish way to spend a day.

Most everyone has gone inside for dinner, leaving the foxes to talk. But they are interrupted.

The archer who left during the strategy meeting finally returns, looking disheveled but carrying a basket of triangular fruit-filled pastries. Rushing up, the basket is handed over.

"Oooooh you actually did it!" Tessa bounces up with uncharacteristic energy. "Oh that smells delicious! You didn't have to, you know!"

She spreads her arms wide as if for a hug and gives a beaming smile.

“I declared it a quest, of course I did it!”

A smile and a hug in return. 

“Should’ve done it, for tactical reasons but also— wait how are we talking to each other?”

Hug yay! Careful not to spill the pastries!

"I see new knowledge very fast. I think it is magic. Magic that I am, not magic that I do."