Chapter 18: Adopting an Urchin

I moved out of the shadows and the slim man jerked and stared with wide eyes, “I...”

I shook my head, “you are late and coming from a drug den.”

He swallowed, “I have information.”

I tilted my head, “and what information would that be?”

He looked around, “the new Dark Man is collecting homeless to sell.”

I straightened, “this had better be true.”

He nodded, “I heard it from the dark quarter.”

I pulled a couple of silver coins and tossed it before turning to walk away. He had sent word he had information for me which is the only reason I was out here in the middle of the night. Maria would understand once I told her what it was about. The dark man was the one to run all the illegal business in the dark quarter.

The last had known to keep his business secret but had died in a dark alley like the one before him. I walked deeper into the dark quarter and then into what was known as squatters alley. Several men stood as soon as they saw me and I looked past them at two dozen women and children, “I am the thief taker. Do you know where the others were taken?”

The men remained silent but a boy that looked about eight stood, “I know.”

He was dressed in rags and was filthy but his eyes were bright. I smiled, “will you show me for a couple of silvers?”

He grinned, “and a meal?”

I grinned, “sure and maybe a bath.”

He scowled but the men chuckled and one pushed him towards me, “he is a good lad but an orphan.”

I turned and gestured, “show me.”

The boy almost strutted as he walked beside me. He glanced at me several times before speaking, “why don’t you carry a sword?”

I smiled as I walked and looked around, “using an edged weapon can mean prison. Besides, if I use my night sticks I do not kill and get answers to questions I might need.”

He grinned, “and you get to hit people.”

I glanced at him, “only those that deserve it.”

He kept grinning and I shrugged, “yeah I get to hit people.”

He slowed when we reached the edge of the city filled with warehouses. He slipped into the shadows and moved slowly down a long dark alley. He looked at me and I could see how frightened he was. He peeked around a corner and whispered, “see the second warehouse with the dark lantern beside the small door?”

I looked around the corner with my hand on his shoulder before pulling him back. I slipped two silver coins into his hand, “wait here.”

I moved across the street and down an alley before turning to move towards the back of the other warehouse. I glanced up at a dark drain pipe and quickly climbed up. I moved to the sky lights and looked down to see lots of cages with people inside them. Six men were playing cards by the back office and I moved back to climb down.

The boy yelled and I spun as three men rushed out of the night towards me. I pulled a my night sticks and lashed out as I moved to one side. It caught one man’s wrist and he stumbled into the other two. I hit him in the head with the other stick and jabbed the first past him in the stomach. While he fell I brought one stick down on the reaching arm of the last man.

They were yelling as I struck one in the head and hit the other in the forehead. I looked around before I knelt and began to tie them. I was just finishing when the men that had been inside came around the corner. I moved out as they started towards me and pulled my sticks again.

I jabbed one in the gut and lashed out and to the side to hit the hand of another who held a dagger. It spun away as I brought the other stick down on the man’s head that I had hit in the gut. I stepped and turned and shifted while sliding a lunged dagger away and towards one of the others. I snapped a stick across and into his forehead before moving again and blocking.

I fainted another jab and turned to slash out and into the face of one leaping towards me. I caught him and spun to shove him towards the others as they rushed me. They became entangled and all but one went down. I brushed his stabbing dagger aside and hit him in the side of the head. As he was going down I went after the two struggling to rise.

The first I hit on the top of the head and the other in the back of his head. A few were moaning and moving as I put my sticks away and began tying them. I did not see the man sneaking up out of the shadows until he was almost on me. The boy was suddenly there and leaping on him and I spun and kicked out and into his groin.

I pulled a stick as he threw the boy and tried to move back while shaking the pain of my kick off. He yanked another dagger out and snarled as I continued to stalk after him. Suddenly his foot was kicked out from under him and he staggered and twisted while looking down at the boy. I leaped and brought the stick around just as he turned back towards me.

The stick struck across and into his forehead and he went back and down. I followed and yanked him onto his stomach and tied his hands before going to check the boy. He grinned as he stood and I shook my head and went to finish tying the others. I slapped them awake and pulled them to their feet.

They threatened and then tried to bargain by telling me who they worked for and then began pleading. I pushed and pulled them into the warehouse and crossed to the cages. I searched the men but did not find the keys until the boy ran out of one of the offices. The people were silent as they stood and I unlocked and opened the cages.

I had them follow as I began pushing and shoving my prisoners. When I reached the guard building the boy ran ahead to hold the door open as I shoved the men inside. I nodded to the commander as he stood and looked at everyone, “kidnaping and assault with a weapon.”

He looked at the people that had followed and I glanced back, “they were the victims. I think a week or two in his majesty’s shelter will help them recover.”