The Secrets of the Castle

Chapter 6

I walked through the marketplace, basket in hand. The stall owners smiled and waved as I passed by and I smiled back. I would've stopped to chat, but I had to get something to eat before opening up my shop once again. After midday was generally the busiest time. Shouting grabbed my attention, the Rose Soldiers pursuing in a chase. I caught a glimpse of a cloaked figure, dashing into an alleyway. Another thief. A few times every White Moon, someone would try to steal something from somewhere. The Rose Soldiers typically catch them and return the stolen items. It was usually food. I turned away and walked toward one of the bakeries. The bell chimed as I stepped inside, Grandpa Joseph and Grandma Holly greeting me.

"Karik, dear, it's good to see you," Holly said, her eyes crinkling as she smiled at me.

"Same to you. How's Jasper?" Jasper is their son, and only child. He was a known troublemaker.

"Oh, you know how he is. He has a job now, you know. Working for Ranger's father."

I raised my brows, tilting my head, "He's in the carpentry business, right. Jasper is good with his hands."

"Yes, yes," Holly nodded along, "Now, what can I get for you, dear?"

"The usual, please."

Joseph appeared from the back, holding a few rolls. He handed me one, as well as placing a muffin in the basket.

"On the house," he smiled.

"Oh, no. You know I couldn't," I said as I pulled a few silvers out of my pocket.

"Think of it as payment for tour help," Holly jumped in.

I frowned, reluctantly accepting the food. After quick goodbyes, cause otherwise I would be there forever, I headed back out to the street. The sun brought little heat as it shone down, cool winds chasing most of it away. Carriages passed, the richer folks coming to watch the lower classes. It was sort of...a hobby for them. The smell of the fresh bread filled my nose as I headed back to the shop. I opened the shop door, freezing in place as I saw someone standing there. The man held a potion in his hands, though he didn't look like he knew what it was. His eyes were wide as he saw me, afraid that he got caught. My hand instinctively reached to my pocket, fingers grasping the blade of the dagger.

"What are you doing?"

~~~~~

I sat at the register, flipping through one of the old spellbooks. The early morning sun shone through the window, that pale blue light filling up the shop. Arwin should be coming by a bit after sun up. He mentioned something like his parents being strict. I think. To be honest, I couldn't care less about the kid. Not only did he break something that I spent months working on, he also had this air of false superiority. Like he thought he was above everyone else. It pissed me off. Shadow jumped up on to the table, the black cat meowing. Yes, I did go along with the 'cat as a familiar' thing. It worked, and was also a great excuse to have a cat. The door swung open, Arwin stepping inside. Unkempt brown hair fell in front of his face. I'd have to ask him to tie it back later.

"You're early," I muttered, more to myself than anything.

He must've heard because he responded, "I could get out early."

"What, your parents got'chu on a curfew or something?" I huffed, frowning as the kid went silent. 

At least I assumed he was a kid. He had the face of one, rounded and young looking, not to mention the awkwardness. Having him work was a bad idea. 

"What do I need to do?" He asked.

"I'll give you the grand tour and basics before we open, just follow me."

I swiftly walked to the backroom, with a slight glance to make sure he was actually following me. At the very back of the store was a small doorway with golden lining and a sign that said 'Keep Out'. I pushed the door open stepping into the dark backroom. Boxes lined the walls and covered the floor, along with shelves of various items. Half of them would never be up front, but needed somewhere to go. I turned back around to see Arwin standing in awe at everything around him.

"This is where I keep everything. Some of it will be used to restock the shelves. Most will stay back here." I explained.

He picked up one of the wands lying on top of a chest, twirling it around in his fingers. I stood back and watched as he examined everything in the room, and I mean everything. This kid was not a witch. At some point, I had to grab his arm and drag him back to the storefront.

"As you can see, I sell lots things such as wands, spellbooks, potions, and so on. Most of it is harmless, well, harmless enough to sell. They can easily kill you."

"So the potion I broke wouldn't have killed us?" Arwin asked.

"Oh, no. Not from you breaking it. If you drank it, that would be a different story."Shadow hissed from where he was sitting on the counter. The kid backed away a bit, eyes narrowing. Here we go.

"Don't be scared. He's just a cat," I rolled my eyes, walking over to Shadow.

The cat's pupils turned into slits, staring down Arwin. Now, he was never one to like strangers. I knew that. But, he didn't normally react like this. 

"It's alright," I whispered, patting his head, "Why don't you rest for a bit?"

He growled , glaring once more at Arwin before jumping off the counter and making his way to the spare room.

"You have a cat?" He asked.

"Yes, I should've mentioned that. Sorry." I apologized.

Glancing outside, I smirked as I saw the sun rising higher in the sky. He looked over to where I was, a confused look crossing his face.

"What is it?"

"You, good sir, are going to start your first day here."