Summary: Young Raydan Lykel gets his first assignment as a spy.
Author’s note: This was written for Round 36 of #ChoicesCreates: Non-MC’s Past
Raydan looked to his sister. “I want to come too.”
“You can’t,” she insisted. “You’ll just be in the way. Stay here, and I’ll be back in a while.”
“But I don’t want to stay here!”
“Then go steal something. You’re not coming with me, though.” She started to walk away, then turned around. “And don’t even think about following me.”
Raydan knew better than to try to go after her. She was all he had in the world, and he didn’t want to make her angry. Perhaps when she returned, she would bring food or coins. People were willing to pay, one way or another, for information. By paying attention and being in the right place at the right time, they could discover things that others wanted to know, or wanted to keep hidden. His sister insisted on being the one to handle the exchanges. She said he was too little. But they both had had to grow up fast after they were thrown out on the streets of Lykos. He knew he could learn if he were given a chance.
He spotted a black cat across the street. There were many cats wandering around Lykos. Not all of them were friendly, but some were used to people. Whenever he was able to pet one of the street cats, he felt more relaxed. The feel of the soft fur and the sound of contented purring brought him comfort. He slowly crossed the street and moved closer to the cat. He crouched down and held out his hand. The cat padded closer and sniffed at him, and he reached out and began rubbing the base of its chin. Soon they were cuddling together.
He jumped back in surprise as he heard a door open. He quickly darted into the shadows as someone emerged. The man was tall and fit, dressed in black, and carrying a dagger. Raydan had seen that man around the city, and knew that he was trouble. Once when Raydan and his sister were hiding in an alleyway, they had seen him rob another man and cut him badly. Raydan held his breath and watched nervously as the man walked down the street. Finally the man turned around the corner and disappeared, and Raydan breathed a sigh of relief.
He stepped out of the shadows and stared at the building. Was this where the man lived? He thought of what his sister had told him: information was valuable. Perhaps he could learn something. He moved closer to one of the lower windows. A window box planter full of pretty purple flowers hung below it. He stood on his tiptoes and tried to look inside, but he was too short to see much. Maybe he could get a better look if he climbed onto that nearby shrub. He carefully balanced on the shrub branches and reached up, grasping the planter. He pressed his face close to the glass and peered in. His eyes widened in horror as an older man stared at him. He rushed to climb down, but in his haste he slipped and fell. As he scrambled to his feet, the door opened.
“Hey, kid, what do you think you’re doing?” the man shouted.
Raydan knew it was too late to escape. Shaking, he faced the man. He’d better think quickly. Telling the truth didn’t seem like a safe option.
“I…I wanted to look at the flowers by the window. What kind are they?”
“Aconite, also called wolf’s bane. Do you like them?”
He nodded. “They’re nice.”
The man laughed. “They’re poisonous.”
“They are?” What had he gotten himself into? “I didn’t know. I was just curious. Please don’t hurt me. Let me make it up to you.”
“What could you possibly do for me?” the man asked.
“Find things out for you? I’m little. I can hide easily. I could see and hear all sorts of things.” Raydan hoped he was making a convincing case. If his sister received rewards for information, there must be a market for this type of service.
“Well, you are a little snoop. Maybe you could help me. Come in, and we’ll talk about it.” The man motioned for Raydan to follow him inside.
Raydan stared at the open door. Would he be safe inside? But if he didn’t go inside, the man could easily grab him. Either way, he could get hurt. He braced himself and walked in.
“Come here,” the man said as he sat down on a bench. Raydan joined him, and the man turned to him. “What’s your name, kid?”
“Raydan.”
“I’m Stavros Marinakis. Do you know where the jewelry shop is?”
“The one near here?” Raydan asked.
“Yes. I’d like to know more about the customers there. Pay attention to their names, and notice which ones come in frequently. If you hear that nobles or royalty will be coming, let me know.”
“How will they know who will be coming?”
“Sometimes people order custom pieces of jewelry, and come back to pick them up later. If you hear someone request one of these, listen to what the jeweler says about when it will be ready. Also notice if the jeweler mentions working on pieces for specific customers. Do you think you can do that?”
“Yes, sir,” Raydan said.
Stavros looked at him approvingly. “Good. Do you know where the Red Fox Tavern is?”
Raydan shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“It’s down the road from the jewelry shop. There’s a sign on the front of the building, with the name in big letters.”
Raydan frowned. “I can’t read.”
“There’s a picture of a fox on the sign too.” Stavros paused for a moment, then continued. “Do you want me to teach you to read? You could come here and tell me what you’ve found out at the jewelry shop, and I’ll help you learn.”
“You’d really do that?”
“Sure. You’ll be more useful to me that way. If you see someone write something down at the shop, I want you to be able to read it. Does that sound good?”
“Yes, thank you.” Raydan smiled. “Why did you ask about the Red Fox Tavern?”
“If you see Lord Georgios Avramidis at the jewelry shop, go to the Red Fox Tavern, and look for my son Thanasis.”
His son? Raydan glanced at Stavros and realized that he resembled the younger man who had left the house earlier. “I saw a man leave here a little while ago. Was that him?”
“Yes. So you know who he is, then.” Stavros looked into Raydan’s eyes. “Is there a problem?”
Oh no. Was it that obvious? Stavros didn’t miss anything, did he? “No, not really. It’s just…he looks scary.”
“Don’t worry,” Stavros reassured him. “As long as you’re working for me, he won’t hurt you.”
“Good,” Raydan said, relieved. “But what do I do if he’s not at the tavern?”
“Just say you’re looking for him, and you need to tell him that the pig is loose. He’ll know what it means, and so will his associates.”
“Got it.”
Stavros stood up. “I’ll be right back. Wait here.” He walked out of the room, and returned shortly, holding an apple. “Here, take this. You look hungry.”
Raydan reached for the apple. “Thank you, sir. Anything else?”
“That’s all for now. Come back when you have something to report.” Stavros opened the door to let him out.
“I will.” As Raydan walked out, he felt a sense of accomplishment. His sister was going to be so surprised. He wasn’t just a little kid who was in the way. He could gain something from information too.