In Secret (Sequel to Behind the Scenes)

Jobs and Tasks

"Excuse me... Sir?" The farmer looked up from the fence he was mending, and cast his eye over the boy standing in front of him. Scrawny little whip, ain't he? Black hair hung over the child's face, hiding one eye. He could see the other staring at the ground, the boy looking like he would rather be anywhere other than where he was. "Yeah? What ya want?"

With a deep breath, he raised his eyes to meet the farmer's. They were a startling crimson, and had a sullen anger lurking in them. He held out a piece of paper to the older man. "I was told you were the contact for this job? You need stealth? The listing isn't very specific." Taking his hat off and rubbing his head, Ryos' potential employer studied him. "An' yer th' one they sent, eh? Well, c'mon then. Les see if'n ya got wha' I need." He turned, placing his wide brimmed hat back on his head, and walked towards the large red barn squatting in the field nearby. Ryos stalked after the man, trying to make as little noise as possible.

When they reached the barn, Ryos stopped, nostrils flaring. Blood... What?

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"Well, hey! That looks like it hurt, ya doin' alright?" Sarah jumped, looking up from her book at the young woman in front of her. Hmm. Maybe child is a more accurate title. The carrot topped girl twitched around where she was standing, as if being still was outside her ability. Sarah shifted in her seat, careful not to jostle her broken leg. It was propped up on several pillows, and currently had a stick shoved into the cast so she could scratch.

"It certainly wasn't pleasant. I take it you're Levy's friend?" Sarah tucked her book next to her in the chair and shook her dirty blonde hair out of her face. "Well, if Levy sent you, I'm sure you're capable. I'm sure Levy wouldn't have sent someone otherwise. How do you propose to help me?"

This lady must be crazy! She trusts me completely, an' so quick! An' gives me the answers that she wants to hear? This is too easy! Sam cast an experienced eye around the well appointed room her employer was sitting in. No threats here. Three exits, four of you count that window. She noticed Sarah watching her and realized she was waiting for an answer. "Oh! Uh... Well, Lev said you can't reach somethin'. But, not just on a shelf or some shi-thing." Levy had also drilled into her head that she needed to be respectful to adults. Not just no skulking and hiding, but speaking clear and no swearing. "So, 'm assumin' ya need me to 'port somewhere."

Sarah's eyes widened a little. "Oh! You're a teleporter then? How does your magic work? Do you have to see where you're going? Or do you have to have been there before? What's your range?" The ginger girl took a step back from the onslaught of questions, taking a quick breath. "Uh... Yeah I'm a 'porter. I don't know, an' yeah I gotta see it. Uh, I dunno?"

The older woman laughed, "I'm sorry. I get a little intense sometimes. I was climbing a mountain. Stopped about halfway up for the night, and woke up at the bottom with this broken leg. I need my bag back, but can't get it myself." She gestured at her leg with a bitter grin. "And no one else is crazy enough to try the climb." She stopped talking and pulled the stick out of her cast. Sarah reached for a set of crutches nearby and Sam stepped over to help, offering a hand to pull her from her chair. Sarah smiled and lurched to her feet, grabbing Sam's arm for balance before she shifted her weight to the crutches. "Well, come on then. It's a bit of a hike just to get to the base of the mountain." With that, the blonde hobbled out the door, trailing an amused little girl behind her.

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This is stupid. Just because I haven't chosen to learn magic, I have to do errands for this granny... The young man grumbled to himself as he unloaded groceries for his employer. "Make sure you put the new ones in the back!" The shaky voice came floating in from the sitting room. "Yes ma'am." Fitz answered, rolling his eyes. I could steal half of this extra food and she wouldn't even know. Bought these canned goods just because there was a sale, not because she needed them. But, Levy had gotten him this job, and he wasn't going to blow it. With a sigh, he finished his task and walked to where the granny sat in a large easy chair. As he rounded the corner into her sitting room, Fitz froze, his eyes widening at the tool set on her lap.

"Boy! Git on up der!" With a cuff to his ear, the child was shoved behind the curtain draped over the fireplace. Stripping out of his outer clothes, he snatched his brush and slipped into the chimney. At least this one isn't lit. He had been an apprentice chimney sweep for six years now. He hadn't hit the major growth spurt that took out most boys' ability to fit. That's actually how he'd gotten his name. By fitting into chimneys. How ridiculous was that? Fitz hissed as scabs on his knees opened. He'd gotten those last week, scraping them on a wall when he'd had to slow his fall.

I know I'm lucky to actually get paid for this job. Sam don't have to starve because we got this job. And we ain't caught the sickness, so there's that. But, damn it'd be nice to not be hurtin' ev'ry day. He murmured to himself as he scraped built up soot off the walls. Sam had started working with him just a few weeks, but she was claustrophobic so it was hard. She'd been doing her best, but she was slower and not as efficient. She was working in the parlor chimney, Fitz could hear their master yelling at her.

Oh no. She's havin' 'nother panic attack. Fitz slid out of the chimney he was working in, brushed off as much soot as he could, and raced for the other room to help his sister. He climbed up after her and started to talk her down. "Sam, darlin' I'm here. Is okay, nothin' is gonna get ya." He spoke in a soothing voice, murmuring nonsense to attempt to calm her. Her shaking stopped for a moment, but then it just got worse.

"I jus' want OUT!" When she'd screamed the last, she'd disappeared from above him in the pipe, and only hearing her squeak from below kept him from panicking. He'd pulled his arms and legs in, sliding down quicker than was safe, tumbling out of the chimney in time to see their master slap his baby sister across the face. "Stupid bitch! Now we're set behind! Cuz ya got scared?! There weren't e'en no damn fire!" He swung a hand at her again, but was cut short by Fitz slamming into his side. He stumbled to the side a few steps, and turned to his apprentice, roaring.

"Boy! You won't stop me from punishin' this bitch! I own her! I own you both!" He rushed at the red haired boy, arms outstretched to grab Fitz's throat. The boy ducked away at the last second, falling over. "SAM RUN!" He screamed to his sister as he hit the ground. Fitz felt his master trip over his legs, and heard a sickening, hollow "thunk" as the old man's head smashed into the brick of the fireplace. Fitz scrambled to his feet, clutching Sam's hand as he dragged her from the house. "Wait here!" He left her on the porch and dashed back inside, filching anything useful he found and snatching up their outer clothes.

"F-fitz! How did I do that? What did I do? What's wrong with me?!" Fitz hugged his sister tight to stop her questions, and wiped the tears from her cheek. It only smeared through the soot, though, so he stopped trying. "Shh, little one, shh. We'll figure it out. Soon. For now, we gotta go." He pulled her meager coat over her arms, and started down the street, pulling her along behind him.

They traded their stolen goods for food and shoes and took off for the next city. Their first attempt to steal food had them helped by a boy with black hair, who called up shadows and hid them from the authorities pursuing them. The three of them found the warehouse together and started collecting their family, and their teamwork was how they'd survived for two years now.