I'd herd them coming before they even got into arrow shot. Bandits wanting my treasure many centuries of tribute from the local farmers for a bountiful harvest every year.

Many claimed I was a “Zenko” or Inari a benevolent, celestial fox others said I was a “Yako” and tend to be mischievous or even malicious it all depends on which side of the coin you looked at.
I could be one or the other depending on who I was dealing with tonight, I was a Yako protecting my shrine from those who wanted my gold but, you ask what does a Kitsune want with gold and silver?
Well over the years when the crops where poor the local farmers found “gifts of money” hidden about their land or homes it wasn't much each time but it would tide them over.

Over the centuries I learned the Bow, Tachi and Katana from the most skilled Samurai and Ninja to protected my temple and sometimes the people who offered up that tribute in my temple.

Tonight humans will learn a painful lesson about trespassing on a shrine of a Kitsune with bad intent on their minds. I took cover near some trees as one broke into the clearing I knocked a arrow, pulled the string, taking aim and let fly the war arrow in one movement and struck him in the thigh and down he went another came out of the brush and again I let fly another arrow that took that one in the shoulder. I moved closer waiting for the other humans to try and save their friends from hidden archer in the woods.

I called out “Give up your quest and you may leave with your life, my arrows are just a warning” I herd the rest of the band brake and run away leaving their two wounded friends to their fate. I broke my cover and walked across the clearing to stand over the two wounded bandits and knocked another arrow holding it in the ready “At this range its a killing shot for which ever of you even tries to advance on me or the temple”

They both looked up at an armed Kitsune that stood over them. I could see and smell the fear in them. The one with the arrow in his leg “If it please you we would like to retire from this fight and leave” he asked His friend nodded in agreement “But your arrow in my leg keeps me from moving”

“It only a flesh wound it will only slow you down. Your friend can help you and if your still here at sunset I will return and finish the job of killing the both of you”
They turned pale at those words for they knew the word of a Kitsune was true spoken. I returned the arrow to its quiver and reach into my purse and took out two coins and tossed them at the feet of the two, each of them picked up the coins and looked at what was written on both sides

“Heads I win, Tails you loose” “Consider it a warning never to return here” I said and turned and walked away into the woods