by Laura R Cole
*
Two cloaked figures stood in the shadows, watching the carriage pull away. “Would you like me to have her disposed of, Master?” asked the smaller of the two.
“No,” answered the other, with an other-worldly quality to his voice. “She is under the false impression that she will be invisible within our ranks. I will find it interesting to see what she will do under that belief.” The speaker watched the carriage for a moment more and then a hand snaked out from within the folds of fabric, extending a parchment towards the other. “Here, take this. You know where. I want you to keep an eye on this one. She's dangerous, but she may still be useful.”
“Yes, Master,” the small one answered, taking the paper and hurrying off into the shadows. The lone figure watched for a moment longer before he murmured something to himself and he disappeared.
Jonathan held tightly to the paper that he had been given and carefully side-stepped a group of people huddled around a small fire in a barrel in the alley. He was nervously glancing about, making sure that no one had witnessed the exchange or was following him, when he ran headlong into someone.
“Oof,” said a deep voice and Jonathan scrambled to retrieve his precious parchment. The man he had run into bent down and picked it out of a puddle, shaking it dry before handing it back to him.
He grabbed for it, briskly thanking the man as he tucked it safely away in the folds of his cloak and continued down the street. Jonathan was pleased that his work had been appreciated by his master, and already he was being given more information and responsibility. He wanted to make sure that he continued to impress Master as he had a request for the man. A request that he didn’t seem to be able to get off his mind.
It wasn't far to the drop-off and Jonathan breathed a sigh of relief at having rid himself of his burden. That task completed, he made his way back home to carry out his newfound responsibilities.