THE CALL OF DARKNESS

JACK POV

"Jack! Pass the ball here!"

One of the other orphans shouts in my direction, over the noise of the market. The rattle and the din. The clomp of horse shoes and the cackle of chickens.

I barely hear him, since the trader with the bulging belly to my left loudly haggles over the price of his bread with a customer.

My eyes fall briefly on the round, soft rolls of bread lining the wooden stall, and I briefly wonder if I can borrow a fat loaf for Aunt back home. The thought distracts me for a second, but that's more than enough time for another kid to attempt to tackle the ragged ball from my foot.

Years of playing kickball in the rowdy kingdom market makes my reflexes sharp, and I easily move away.

"Come on, Jack! Over here!"

I kick the ball, and it barely missed a woman who promptly curses me out. I am grinning when a kid with prominent ribs and dirty skin catches the ball.

However, that grin is immediately wiped off my face when yells erupt from an alley to the right. It can only be trouble.

Knights.

Instinctively, I begin to run towards the noise, narrowly missing food stalls and expertly weaving through people. I burst out of the throng to see my best friend, Adam, in the clutches of three knights.

I hurry over to hide behind an eroded stone wall, reading the situation. His clothes are dusty, and a nervous expression covers his face. Knowing him, he is putting on a show for the knights, hoping they fall for it.

Usually, Adam can lie his way out of anything. Luck is not on his side today, it seems.

"Where is the trinket you stole, peasant!"

The first knight yells threateningly.

Adam's threadbare shirt rips under the force of his grip. The other two knights are in the middle of catching their breaths, while trying to remain dignified and knightly.

They are still winded out from chasing after Adam and yelling at the same time.

"I stole nothing of that sort!" Adam protested.

"I'm just an orphan going about my business. That woman is wrongly accusing me! I didn't steal her trinket!"

That is my cue to intervene. I scale over the wall and approach the Knights in a jog, trying to sound as frantic as possible while I announce,

"The thief just ran by! He's headed towards the castle gates!" The knights glare at me.

"What the hell are you talking about, street bastard? This vermin is the thief!"

"I saw a boy run out of this alley, trying to hide a trinket in his pockets. He was pretty fast, so I didn't get a good look at it. But it looked expensive. Thieves shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the castle."

The knights pale at my last statement, exchanging quick glances. They decide they could not risk a thief getting near royal grounds, so they quickly lose interest in Adam.

He is shoved back into the dust, while they storm past me, yelling at people to move out of the way. Once they were out of the alleyway, I glance back at Adam with a smirk.

The cunning bastard smiles back, holding up a shiny trinket. The gesture makes me chuckle with pride.

Outsmarting some self-righteous knights is a favorite pastime of mine. Especially since knights are the most cruel to orphans in the kingdom who are just victims of circumstances, trying to survive.

"Thanks for saving my ass, Jack." He says. "This looks like it's sure to earn us a couple of copper pieces at the pawn shop."

I cast a quick glance around to be sure any potential snitches are out of sight and earshot. Adam walks closer, his tall, lanky form swaying with triumph. I am several inches taller than he is, but despite the hunger that is a defining feature of all orphans, I still have a fair amount of flesh on my bones.

Aunt says I have my father's build. Adam has close to no flesh, so he appears lankier.

I take the trinket from him to inspect it, curling my lips down. It turns out to be one of the cheap ones made with fake gold.