what's happening here?

Same.

Context tells me the boy tried to stand up for a stranger only to find out the mob was out for gold, not blood.

The Sniv saga; kind of sad really. I'm not sure I found them all. Some seem unrelated.

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44170464/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44617029/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/47673907/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/51427789/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/54151948/

Its a bit out of order as I didn't have an overarching story in mind when I first started, just some random ideas. But MinnieShoof is correct, in what I've had drawn so far Flint randomly ran into Sniv and started to hang around her as he's never even seen another kobold before. During their outing Flint brought up the condition of her dress and not being used to talking to girls either he ended up making Sniv think that he thought she was ugly because of her dress so she got materials to make her own pretty dress rather than 'waste coin' on one. Though due to Sniv's general nature she stole everything she used to make the dress and they got confronted by a mob of angry shop keeps when she tried to show it off.

none of them can seem to determine how much money they are owed. probably just making up a number