The Elemental Jewels (Book 1) Read Free Page B

did well for so little time,” he praised Grange.  “Here, this is your bonus for success,” he flipped one small bag back to Grange.  “And this one’s for you,” he dropped another into Garrel’s hands.  “Now, let’s split the rest.”
    He squatted over the filthy alley paving stones and emptied the purses’ contents into a small heap of silver, gold, and brass coins, then began sorting them into three piles.  His own pile was traditionally larger than the other two equal piles, and he split the proceeds in the same fashion, then looked down at the small collection of riches when the job was complete.
    “That should be enough to last us for what, three or four days each?” he looked at each of his apprentices, who nodded their heads.
    “Let’s plan the next performance at noon, in front of the Chapel of the Living Flower,” he proposed.
    “That road’s kind of narrow for making a quick getaway if we need to,” Garrel spoke up dubiously.
    “Nothing to worry about.  I saw the way you boys got free today.  We’ll make it a short job – there are lots of careless lovers at the Chapel, and I’ll pull the flower trick and the jewel trick to appeal to them, and get them really engrossed while our agile-fingered friend does his work,” Hockis dismissed the concern immediately.  He picked up his pile of coins and stuffed them in his own pouch.  “It’s always a pleasure to work with you two,” he said as he stood.  He reached down and tousled the hair on each of their heads, with a momentarily wistful expression, then turned and left the alley, as the two boys scooped up their own winnings.
    “See you in a couple of days,” Garrel told Grange.  “Don’t do anything stupid.  Don’t chase the wrong girls,” he grinned as he picked up his last coin, then made his exit.  It was his standard parting line, spoken with a pretend worldliness that Grange doubted the older boy really had.
    It was also obviously facetious.  Grange’s foreign appearance – not to mention his standing as a penniless orphan – brought few girls within his range to chase.  And his current happy-go-lucky life did not suffer from the state of affairs.
    He grinned at his companion, then stood up as well, and walked across the street and back to his home in the orphanage.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 2
     
    Grange stopped when he reached the gateway to the orphanage.  He needed a moment to re-adjust himself to the domestic atmosphere, and resume his identity as one of the harmless residents of the institutional home.  He plucked at his clothes for a moment as he made the necessary mental reorientation, then moved forward.
    His first stop was the office of the head mother, the woman who ran the orphanage.  Lady Serap was a worldly figure, a woman who seldom actually visited the orphanage to sit in her office; the ordinary staff ran the place, while the Lady mere gathered the accolades for her selflessness in accepting the appointment by the Tyrant of Verdant as the orphanage leader.  She did no good, nor did she do any harm – she was simply a name.
    But the stressed and stretched staff of dedicated women and men who did run the orphanage were in the building every day, and Grange appreciated most of them.  Many were genuinely concerned about raising the children as safely as possible, and giving them at least one good meal every day, as the limited resources allowed. 
    Grange had vague memories of being held at times as a toddler, given moments of comfort and affection, moments that were hard to capture in a home where scores of other children were similarly in dire need and felt desire for such affection from a staff that was far too small to provide all the love that was desired.  He wished he could have known the feeling of being held and loved by parents, but knew it hadn’t been his fate, and he went on after that moment of wistfulness.
    He walked through the bare garden space in the front of the