Ryn rose quickly from the table and darted across the street. By the time she got there though, whatever it was she'd seen was gone. With a frown, she turned to head home. She had a lot to think about, and she wasn't feeling particularly social anyway.
She'd made it about halfway to her destination when she started feeling as though she was being watched. It bore a hole through the back of her head and made her antsy. Quickly she ducked into a side street and pressed her back against a wall. She'd notice if someone followed her, and sure enough Robbie's lanky frame came into view. Ryn breathed a sigh of relief and pushed herself off the wall.
Smacking his shoulder she said, "What the heck. Why are you following me? It was you in the shadows earlier too, huh?"
Robbie grinned from ear to ear. "Yeah it was. I don't know what was happening, and right now I don't really care. I have some good news for you."
Ryn raised an eyebrow and waited.
"Kelvin's asked for me to get you. He has a job for you."
Ryn's face lit up. "You're kidding me! When? Right now?"
"Right now."
"Well, come on then." Ryn was off, running through the streets like she'd just been given the key to the treasury. Robbie wasn't far behind her. The two of them darted between people milling about, and around carts and trays. They ran through the market, managing to barely avoid colliding with the people that crowded the area. Ryn ran until she couldn't run anymore, and begrudgingly she slowed to a walk, allowing Robbie to catch up with her.
"So, what was up with you and that guy? Wasn't that the mark you chose?" Robbie asked after a few moments and between gulps of air.
Ryn shrugged and nodded, not sure what to say about the whole situation.
"So, I'm guessing you weren't there to tell him you were planning on robbing him…"
"No, he caught me going through his stuff again. He'd left a trap for me, really. But he didn't turn me in, so there's that." Ryn's voice was breathy as she struggled to keep from panting like a dog.
"And he bought you pie?"
"It wasn't a pie, it was a tart, and I don't know what that was all about either. It was strange." She thought about mentioning his offer to help her but decided to keep that knowledge to herself for some unknown reason. "If he catches me again he's not going to be so nice though."
"Hmm." Robbie gave her a strange look, one eyebrow cocked up and his mouth twisted up like he was thinking really hard about something. Ryn just shrugged and grabbed onto his arm.
"Do you know what the job is?"
"Nope, but it must be something good because I was told to retrieve you quickly. Like the time mattered. I probably took too long."
As they walked the city streets became narrower and darker. Shadows jumped up from every corner and the buildings no longer looked inviting and warm, rather they looked abandoned, and neglected. A mouldy smell began to permeate the air. It was the smell of rot. Everything here was rotting. From the buildings to everything inside them, including the people. A thick layer of grime covered just about everything. It was soot, mostly. These people were the ones that worked the mines. Everything they touched was dirty because of it.
Ryn had only been to South Ward once or twice before, and it always gave her the heebie jeebies. This time was no different. Sad eyes peered out from boarded up windows, and Ryn tried her best to ignore them. The further they went into the Ward the less Ryn said and it wasn't long before the only sounds around them were the sounds of old buildings settling and rats skittering across the cobblestones.
Soon enough they came to Kelvin's territory. It was much the same as the rest of the Ward, except the buildings here were in the process of being rebuilt. Kelvin was doing his best to make the Ward a better place to live for those that couldn't escape it. It was noble work, even if the money used to do it was dirty. Ryn wanted to be part of this. That was why she'd chosen Kelvin's group to cling to despite their protests.
At the end of the block there stood a completely rebuilt, white building with a baby blue awning and cute brown shutters on each of the windows. The door, which stood solidly in the middle of the building, was carved oak. The design was simple enough--inlaid rectangles with graduated borders. Ryn stood transfixed by the door for several moments. Taking in the details of the carving, and giving herself a reason to wait before knocking on the door.
Several moments passed before Robbie cleared his throat and pushed her forward. Ryn stumbled a bit but caught her footing, squared her shoulders, raised her chin and knocked on the door. The sound was muffled by the solidness of the door, but after several agonizing seconds the door creaked open and they were allowed entrance.
The inside of the building was just as impressive as the outside. Archways decorated every passageway, with decorative windows on either side of them. A staircase snaked around the outside of the room wrapping itself along each wall before disappearing overhead. There were doors off the side of the staircase. Dark stained wood rails lined the outside of the stairs, making them safe to travel and that same stained wood stretched out beneath her feet. Kelvin had gone all out on his house, and seeing his style made Ryn anxious for the rest of his territory to finish getting its makeover.
"I'll wait for you down here," Robbie smiled.
Ryn nodded and made her way to the stairs taking two at a time all the way up to the top. Kelvin's door was open, but Ryn still knocked before entering.
"I left it open for you, now get in here!" Kelvin was a big man, with ruddy cheeks, and a bulbous nose. His white blonde hair was kept cropped close to his head and made him look like he had a halo. His suspenders stretched over a large belly. Kelvin hadn't had to get his actual hands dirty in a long time, and he had let himself go a little bit over the years. From what Ryn knew he used to be really athletic, long and lean, like Robbie, but looking at him now… well, it was difficult to see.
"Hey, Kelvin," Ryn grinned, her face lighting up as she looked around the office. It was lined with built-in bookshelves, and each shelf was packed full. She'd known Kelvin collected old books, but to see the collection in person was something else entirely. It was breathtaking, and it left the room smelling like old paper.
"Get that grin off your face, girl, we're here to talk business. Close the door and sit down."
Ryn did as she was told and folded her hands in her lap, her eyes trained on the big man.
"I got a job that needs someone of your particular stature. This is your one shot, girl, and you better not screw it up."
"You couldn't have asked anyone better," Ryn beamed. "I'll have whatever it is quicker than you can say "Bob's your uncle". What is it that I'm getting?"
"A ring." Kelvin said, his round face showing that he was not amused or entertained in the least by Ryn's antics. "The only reason I'm giving you this shot is because none of my boys are small enough to fit into the ventilation shafts at the Hotel Prosper. And that's going to be the only access to the ring." Kelvin moved across the room and stood in front of Ryn, his watery blue eyes focused on her face. "Do not put the ring on. It is important that you remember that."
Ryn nodded but didn't say anything. She was waiting for Kelvin to continue. The silence built between them for a minute before he spoke again. "I'm going against my better judgement sending you, but I don't have a choice. This ring will pay for half of the renovations in the Ward, it's a big payday. Play your cards right, girl, and you'll be sitting pretty as well. Just don't put the ring on."
"I got that part. I won't put the ring on, sheesh. What's it look like? Is it guarded? Is there anything else I need to know?" Ryn's excitement had reached an apex and the questions just flew from her mouth. "What floor of the hotel is it on? Who wants it? Why can't I put it on? I won't, but I'm curious. How hard do you think it's going to be? I'm not worried or anything, but on a scale of one to ten…"
"Enough!"
Ryn squeaked and shut her mouth, her brown eyes shining bright.
"It will be guarded, that's why you gotta go through the vents. I'll give you the instructions and if you follow 'em to a T you'll be fine. Just don't dawdle. Get in, get the ring, and get out."
The next hour was spent with Kelvin explaining exactly how he expected Ryn to act, exactly what he expected her to do, and exactly how he expected her to do it. Ryn took it all in, absorbing the information like a sponge. It was a good plan. Even she couldn't mess it up. And after all was said and done, Ryn was excused and she left feeling giddy with excitement.
Robbie was still waiting for her when she descended the stairs. "I got a job!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. This was her first real job. It was what was going to get her into Kelvin's good graces, and she couldn't have been happier.
Ryn all but skipped home, so lost in thought that she didn't realize that she was being watched. The eyes trained on her followed until she disappeared behind the door to her home, and then they watched for a while longer before disappearing into the night.
The next day, Ryn staked out the Hotel Prosper, making sure it was all exactly as Kelvin had said, and sure enough it was. A few times she got the impression that she was being watched, but she brushed it off. Surely, Kelvin would have sent someone to make sure she was doing what she was supposed to be doing. After scoping out the Hotel, Ryn made a detour on her way home. She veered off course just enough so that her feet landed in front of the boarding house that the man she'd tried to rob was staying at. She wasn't sure what prompted her to go there, but she watched for a while until he returned from wherever it was that he had gone. She thought about going to say hello, and actually introducing herself, thought better of it. She was on a path that didn't involve him, maybe she would eventually need his help, but right now she was doing fine on her own. Tonight was the night, anyway. Once the moon was high enough in the sky she'd set out to complete her first job. As excited as she was to get it done, she doubted the man would share in her excitement. He had made his stance on her life choices clear. Ryn sighed and turned away from the boarding house. Slipping back into the shadows, she made her way back to the hotel.
Shimmying up a drainpipe, she made it to the vent, and began unscrewing the cover. It didn't take her long to open up the pathway, and she swung herself into the cramped space. She'd been shown the blueprints of the hotel in Kelvin's office, so she had a general idea of where she was going. It was hard to slither through the ducts, but she managed it well enough. If she'd been just a touch bigger this wouldn't have been possible. At the first intersection she took a right, then a left at the next fork. She counted silently in her head as she moved past the next turn and the next, until finally she believed she was in position. She pressed her face to the vent she hovered over and listened carefully, squinting through the slits to make sure the room was empty before pulling out a magnetic screwdriver to work on removing the cover. Again, she made short work of it, remembering to tie a piece of string to the cover to lower it to the ground without so much as a sound.
She shimmied past the hole, and then lowered herself through it feet first, swinging from the edge before letting go and landing on the ground with a soft thump.
"Did you hear that?" Came a voice from the other side of the door. Ryn froze, afraid to move lest she be discovered.
"I didn't hear anything," was the reply.
"You sure?"
"Yeah. If you're so worried about it why don't you check. I didn't hear nothing though."
"I don't want to be in the same room with that thing. You know I heard the boss say it's cursed."
"You lie."
Ryn eyed the display case that housed the ring, and inched closer to it.
"I don't. Boss said it was cursed. Once you put it on you can't take it off. And it's haunted by its past owners."
"Why would the boss want a haunted, cursed ring?"
"It's not the ring, it's what's inside it that he wants. He's trying to figure out how to get the good stuff without having to deal with the whole death curse stuff."
Ryn's hands felt around the glass case, looking for a switch or lever or something to cause it to release its hold on the pedestal it sat on.
"What benefit could it possibly have?"
"Well, the wearer has access to the knowledge of all those who wore it before, I guess. I don't know the whole thing seems out there. I don't know that I believe it, but the boss sure does, and if it is true I want nothing to do with it."
"There's no way it's true."
"I'm just telling you what I heard."
Click. Ryn's finger found purchase on a small round button at the base of the glass and with a click and a pop the glass was off and in her hands. She eyed the ring warily.
"What's inside the ring?"
"I don't know, but it can't be good. It's locked inside a cursed ring for God's sake."
She picked up the ring. It was large and gaudy, not something she'd ever wear for fashion's sake, with a large amber gem in the center. Eyeing it closer, she noticed a crease in the metal, like a locket's crease. And Ryn idly considered opening it, but thought better of it. She needed to get out of there. She was also having second thoughts about taking it. But if it was dangerous shouldn't it be taken out of the hands of those that would use it? Would Kelvin use it? Or his buyer? She didn't even know who the buyer was. Ryn slipped the ring into the pouch on her belt and moved toward the small window on the side of the room. It was to be her exit.
"What good is a bunch of dead guys' knowledge anyway?"
"Depends on what they knew, I guess."
The window was nailed shut. Silently, Ryn cursed and pulled out her hammer. She managed two nails silently, but when she managed to get the third one out it popped out with enough force to clatter to the hardwood floor.
"That I heard." The doorknob started to turn.
Ryn flung the window open and scrambled up the wall. She was halfway out when two confused looking faces appeared from behind the door.
"Thief!"
"Grab her!"
Ryn let go and slid the rest of the way out the window and down the side of the building. Luckily she wasn't too high up. She was off before they managed to make it to the window, but they'd gotten a good look at her face. Shouts sounded behind her. Someone screamed "Grab that girl! Thief! Thief!" but the only thing that did was cause enough confusion that Ryn managed to get herself lost in the crowd.
Her heart was pounding by the time she'd stopped, and she was almost home. She knew she should have headed for Kelvin's but, something told her not to hand the ring over. She wasn't sure why, but holding onto the ring for a couple days wouldn't hurt anyone.
After making it home she hid her pouch in a drawer and climbed into bed. She didn't sleep a wink that night.
The next morning, she dug the ring out of her drawer and tied the pouch to the inside of her pants before leaving her bedroom. She didn't feel comfortable leaving it unguarded. She spent the day doing normal things, trying to go about her business as she normally would. She ran a few errands for her mother, helped her father around the house, and around sundown she found herself once again outside the boarding house, watching for the man. The ring was heavy against her thigh, and she wanted to tell someone about what she'd heard, but she didn't have anyone to tell. He said if she needed help… Ryn shook her head. She didn't even know him. How could she trust him. She turned and made her way back home.
She'd almost made it to her door when a large figure stepped in her path. The night's shadows obscuring his face as she tried to skirt around him. A large hand grasped her shoulder and shoved her back. Her eyes went wide as he moved in on her. Her small frame feinted to the left before rushing to the right, but he saw through her ploy and shoved her to the ground in front of him. As he leaned closer his features became clearer. He had a long hooked nose, and bushy eyebrows. His breath smelled rancid as it escaped overly large lips. Ryn scrambled backward on her butt before trying to get to her feet again.
The man laughed, and shook his head. "You've lost your way, sweetheart. Your mother would be so upset if you didn't make it back."
On her feet now, Ryn turned back the way she came and took off through streets, turning down tiny pathways between buildings, hoping that the large man wouldn't be able to follow. Her heart was pounding in her chest, as she raced around another corner, the moon shining down on her from above. She winced. It was already time, she didn't have time to go home. She stopped and looked back the way she had came, it was clear. Nothing and nobody had followed her. It took her a minute to catch her breath, and calm herself but she managed and took a few moments to get her bearings. She was close to Robbie's house, perhaps he'd walk her home.
The next few days came and went, and Ryn started to feel a little silly about not turning the ring over to Kelvin. Robbie had asked her about the job, and she didn't tell him it was done. She just gave him a shrug and a vague reply about it not being finished. It wasn't a lie; the job wasn't finished until she gave Kelvin the ring, after all. Ryn had also begun to feel safe again. She didn't require Robbie to walk her everywhere anymore, and things started returning to normal, except for the ring that she kept hidden up against her leg.
