Kevin woke up before the sun had risen. He had not slept much during the night. His mind kept thinking about the new job. What would Master Thorne want him to do? Would the work be dangerous? Would he be able to do it well enough?
He sat up on his thin sleeping mat and rubbed his tired eyes. The small room was dark and cold. Emma was still asleep on her mat in the corner. She looked very small curled up under the old blanket.
Kevin stood up quietly. He did not want to wake his sister. He found his least dirty shirt hanging on a nail in the wall and put it on. Then he splashed some cold water on his face from the bucket near the door.
His stomach felt tight with worry. But he pushed the feeling down. Being worried would not help him today. He needed to be sharp. Alert. Ready for anything that might happen.
Kevin stepped outside into the early morning air. It was cool and fresh. The sky was just starting to turn from black to gray at the edges. Dawn would be coming soon.
He walked toward the main hotel building. His feet knew the path well after three months of walking it every day. Past the stables where the horses slept. Past the storage shed where tools were kept. Past the well where they drew water.
The hotel was quiet and still. Most of the guests were still asleep in their beds. The night workers had finished their shifts and gone to sleep. The day workers had not yet arrived to start their work.
Kevin reached Master Thorne's office and knocked softly on the door.
"Come in."
Kevin opened the door and stepped inside. Master Thorne was already awake and dressed. He sat at his desk with several papers spread out in front of him.
"Good morning, Kevin. You are early."
"Yes, sir. I wanted to be ready for whatever you needed."
Master Thorne nodded. He looked pleased. "Good. Being on time is very important in this kind of work." He stood up and walked to a locked cabinet in the corner of the room. He took a key from his pocket and opened the cabinet door.
Inside the cabinet, Kevin could see various items. There were small wooden boxes. There were packages wrapped in paper and tied with string. There were a few glass bottles containing strange colored liquids. Master Thorne reached inside and pulled out a small wooden box. It was about the size of a loaf of bread. It was wrapped in a piece of cloth and tied securely with string.
Master Thorne placed the box carefully on the desk. "This needs to be delivered today. I need you to take it to someone."
Kevin looked at the box. It seemed ordinary enough. But he knew it must be important if Master Thorne was trusting him with it.
"Where do I take it, sir?"
"Into the wasteland. About two hours walk from here. There is an old building that has been abandoned. It used to be a trading post long ago. You will find it if you follow the main road going east and then take the third path that goes south."
Kevin nodded. He was trying hard to remember every detail. The wasteland was not a safe place. People said that bandits lived out there. And there were rumors of even worse things.
"When you reach the building, go to the back entrance. Someone will be waiting there for you. Give them this box. They will give you something to bring back to me. Do not open the box. Do not look inside it. Do not tell anyone about this delivery. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
Master Thorne reached into his pocket and pulled out a small leather pouch. He handed it to Kevin. "Take this with you. Inside are ten black stones. If you run into trouble on the road, you can use this money to get out of it. Most people will accept a bribe rather than cause problems."
Kevin took the pouch. His hands shook slightly as he held it. Ten black stones. That was more money than he had ever held at one time. That was worth one thousand gray stones.
"Thank you, sir."
"Be careful, Kevin. The wasteland is not a friendly place. Stay on the main paths. Do not talk to strangers unless you have to. Keep your head down and do not draw attention to yourself. If anyone asks what you are carrying, tell them it is medicine for your sick grandmother. People usually do not bother with that kind of story."
"Yes, sir."
"Go now. The person is expecting you to arrive by midday."
Kevin picked up the box carefully. It was heavier than it looked. He tucked it securely under his arm and put the leather pouch in his pocket.
He left the office and walked toward the edge of the hotel property. The sun was just starting to rise now. The sky was turning beautiful shades of pink and orange.
Kevin took a deep breath to steady himself. Then he started walking east toward the wasteland.
The main road was made of dirt and stones. It was rough and uneven under his feet. Kevin walked at a steady pace. Not too fast. Not too slow. He wanted to look like he belonged there. Like he was just another person going about his normal business.
After about thirty minutes of walking, the hotel had disappeared behind him. Now there was nothing but empty land all around. Dry grass. Dead trees. Rocky hills in the distance.
This was the wasteland. The land that nobody wanted. It was too far from the city to be valuable. The soil was too poor to farm. And it was too dangerous for most people to live in.
But some people still came here. The kind of people who did not want to be found. Criminals. Fugitives. People running from debts or enemies.
Kevin kept his eyes open as he walked. He watched the road ahead carefully. He listened for any sounds coming from behind him.
After another hour of walking, he began to see other people on the road. A man pulling a small cart. Two women walking together and talking. A group of rough-looking men sitting by the side of the road.
The men watched Kevin closely as he walked past them. One of them said something that Kevin could not hear and the others laughed. Kevin did not look at them. He just kept walking straight ahead.
His heart was beating fast inside his chest. But he kept his face calm and expressionless. He had learned this trick back when he lived in the city. If you looked scared, people would target you. If you looked confident and like you knew where you were going, they usually left you alone.
After he had passed the group of men, Kevin let out a breath he did not know he had been holding. That had been close. But nothing bad had happened.
He kept walking. The sun was getting higher in the sky now. The air was getting hotter.
Finally, Kevin saw the third path that went south. It was barely a path at all. Just a narrow trail through the dry grass.
Kevin turned onto the path. Now he was really in the wasteland. There were no other people here. Just empty land stretching out in every direction.
He walked for another thirty minutes. His legs were tired. His mouth was dry. He wished he had thought to bring some water with him.
Then he saw it. The old building. It was made of stone and wood. Most of the roof had collapsed. The windows were broken. It looked like it had been abandoned for many years.
Kevin approached the building carefully. He walked around to the back of the building like Master Thorne had instructed him to do.
There was a door there. It was old and warped from weather. But it was still attached to the frame.
Kevin stopped in front of the door. He waited. He did not know if he should knock or just wait for someone to come out.
Then the door opened.
A figure stood there. They were wearing a long dark cloak with a hood pulled up over their head. Kevin could not see their face at all.
"You are from the Red Moon Hotel?" The voice was rough. Kevin could not tell if it was a man or a woman speaking.
"Yes. I have a delivery from Master Thorne."
"Show it to me."
Kevin held out the box. The hooded figure took it carefully. They turned it over in their hands. Then they unwrapped the cloth and examined the box closely.
Kevin stood there waiting. He tried not to look nervous. But his hands were sweating.
Finally, the figure nodded. They reached into their cloak and pulled out a sealed envelope. It was made of thick paper and had a red wax seal on it.
"Take this back to Master Thorne. Do not open it. Do not let anyone else see it."
"Yes, sir. I mean, yes."
The figure stared at Kevin for a long moment. Even though Kevin could not see their face, he could feel their eyes on him. Studying him. Evaluating him.
"You are very young," the figure said.
Kevin did not know what to say to that. So he said nothing.
"Master Thorne must trust you. That is rare. Do not disappoint him."
"I won't."
The figure handed Kevin the envelope. Then they stepped back into the building and closed the door.
Kevin stood there for a moment. His heart was racing inside his chest. That had been strange. The whole thing had been very strange.
But he had the envelope. Now he just needed to get back to the hotel safely.
Kevin turned and started walking back the way he had come. He tucked the envelope carefully inside his shirt so it would not be visible to anyone.
He reached the main road and started walking west back toward the hotel. The sun was directly overhead now. It was very hot. Kevin was sweating.
He walked for about twenty minutes. Then he noticed something.
There was someone behind him. Not too close. But there. Walking the same direction he was walking and at the same pace.
Kevin kept walking normally. But his mind was racing. Was someone following him? Or was it just another traveler going the same way?
He walked a little bit faster. The person behind him walked faster too.
Kevin's mouth went dry. Someone was definitely following him.
He thought about what to do. He could not outrun them. He did not know how to fight. He had the money Master Thorne had given him, but would that be enough to make them leave him alone?
Then Kevin remembered something. When he was living in the city, he had learned tricks to lose people who were following him. Sometimes when he stole food from market stalls, guards would chase him. He had learned how to disappear into crowds and alleyways.
Up ahead, Kevin saw a cluster of large rocks off to the side of the road. If he could get behind those rocks quickly, he might be able to hide.
Kevin walked normally until he reached the rocks. Then suddenly he darted behind them and crouched down low.
He waited. His breathing sounded loud in his own ears. He pressed himself against the rough surface of the rock and stayed very still.
He heard footsteps approaching. They were getting closer. Then they stopped.
"Where did that kid go?" A man's voice. It sounded rough and annoyed.
"He was just here a moment ago." Another voice. This one sounded younger.
"Check behind those rocks."
Kevin's heart was pounding hard. They knew where he was. He was trapped.
Then he heard something else. A new voice. This one was loud and authoritative.
"You two. What are you doing here?"
"Nothing. Just walking."
"You were following that boy. I saw you. This is Red Moon Hotel territory. Master Thorne does not allow harassment of his workers."
There was silence for a moment. Then the first man spoke again. His voice was different now. It sounded nervous.
"We did not know he worked for Master Thorne. We were just curious about what he was doing out here."
"Well, now you know. Leave this area immediately. Before I report this to Master Thorne."
Kevin heard footsteps walking away quickly. Then there was silence.
After a long moment, a face appeared around the side of the rock. It was a woman. She looked to be middle-aged with short gray hair and a scar across her cheek. She wore simple travel clothes.
"You can come out now, boy. They are gone."
Kevin stood up slowly. He was shaking.
The woman looked at him carefully. Her eyes were sharp but not unkind. "You work for Master Thorne?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"I thought so. I recognize the path you took. You came from the direction of the old trading post." She smiled slightly. "Do not worry. I work for Master Thorne too. Different job than yours. I patrol this area and make sure his people do not get bothered."
Kevin nodded. He did not know what else to say.
"Go on now. Get back to the hotel. You are safe on this road as long as you stay on it. Do not wander off the path."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Kevin started walking again. He did not look back. His legs felt weak. His whole body was shaking from the fear.
But he kept walking. One foot in front of the other. The hotel was still about an hour away. He just needed to keep going.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Kevin saw the hotel in the distance. Relief flooded through his body.
He walked faster now. Past the well. Past the storage shed. Past the stables.
He went straight to Master Thorne's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Kevin entered the office. Master Thorne looked up from his desk.
"Back already. Good. Did you complete the delivery?"
"Yes, sir." Kevin pulled the envelope out from inside his shirt and placed it carefully on the desk.
Master Thorne picked up the envelope and examined the seal. He nodded. "Good work." He looked at Kevin more closely. "You look shaken. Did something happen on the road?"
Kevin hesitated for a moment. Then he said, "Someone followed me on the way back. Two men. But a woman helped me. She said she worked for you. She made them leave."
Master Thorne's face did not change expression. But something flickered in his eyes. "That would be Dana. She patrols the wasteland roads. Good. I am glad she was there when you needed help." He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a small cloth bag. He placed it on the desk.
"This is your payment for today's work. Five black stones. You did well, Kevin. This job is not easy. But you handled it properly."
Kevin stared at the bag. Five black stones. That was five hundred gray stones. More than two weeks of his old wages.
"Thank you, sir."
"You can go now. Get some rest. Tomorrow you will have regular work to do. I will call you when I need you for another special task."
Kevin took the bag and left the office. His mind was spinning with everything that had happened.
He walked back to his small house. Emma was there, sweeping the floor with a old broom.
"Kevin! You are back! I was so worried. You were gone all day long."
Kevin smiled at his sister. "I am fine. Just had some special work to do for Master Thorne."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out two black stones. He handed them to Emma. "Look. Extra pay for the special work."
Emma's eyes went wide with surprise. "Two black stones? Kevin, that is so much money!"
"I know. We can buy better food this week. Maybe even some new cloth to patch your dress."
Emma hugged him tightly. "You work so hard for us."
Kevin hugged her back. He did not tell her about the three black stones still hidden in his pocket. He did not tell her about being followed by the two men. He did not tell her about the hooded figure or the mysterious box.
She did not need to know about those things. His job was to protect her. To keep her safe. To make sure they both survived.
That night, Kevin lay on his sleeping mat staring up at the ceiling. His body was exhausted from the long walk and the fear. But his mind would not stop thinking about everything that had happened.
He had seen things today. Strange things. The hotel was involved in something secret. Something that required hidden deliveries and sealed envelopes and people in dark cloaks.
Was it dangerous? Yes. Probably very dangerous.
Should he stop doing this work? Should he tell Master Thorne that he did not want to do this kind of special task anymore?
But then Kevin thought about the five black stones hidden safely under his sleeping mat. He thought about Emma's happy face when he gave her the money. He thought about how they would be able to eat good food this week.
They needed this money. They needed this chance to have a better life.
Kevin closed his eyes. He had made his choice. He would continue doing Master Thorne's special tasks. He would be careful. He would be smart. He would do whatever it took to survive and take care of his sister.
*******