“So, what’s your name anyway?” Anna asked.

“Charlie,” the boy replied.

“So, how old are you, Charlie?” she asked.

“I’m eight. How old are you?” he replied.

“Eighteen,” Anna said.

“You’re younger than my big brother!” Charlie replied.

“Really? How old is he?” Anna asked.

“He’s twenty!” Charlie replied.

“Okay, so, what else can you tell me about him? I mean, I kind of need to know what he looks like if I’m going to find him,” Anna asked.

“Well, he’s taller than you,” Charlie replied.

“Most people are taller than me,” Anna said.

“Oh, uh, well, he’s really nice, and he’s strong, and he’s handsome! At least, that’s what the girls in the village used to say,” he replied.

She sighed.

Yeah, that’s helpful.

“What’s his name?” she asked.

“Oh, it’s Kevin,” Charlie replied.

“Are his eyes and hair the same color as yours?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he replied.

“Alright, that should be enough to start, so let’s get over to the place he was supposed to be working at,” she said.

He nodded, and she took his hand, leading him off down the street.

Thokri told me to always keep hold of wee ones, or they’ll run in front of a wagon the second you look away.

The smell of roasting meat filled the air, causing her mouth to water. She sniffed a few times and pulled Charlie off the main road and down into one of the alleys.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“To get some food!” Anna replied.

“What about my brother?” he asked.

“It won’t take long,” Anna replied.

She pulled the boy through the alleyway and onto an adjacent street where she found a food vendor set up. The merchant was selling flatbread along with various toppings, including the roast meat she’d smelled.

“I’ll take two,” she said.

She handed a couple of copper coins to the merchant. He tossed them into a large jar and started to load two pieces of flat bread up with meat and vegetables.

“You don’t have to get me one!” Charlie added.

“Don’t you want it?” Anna asked.

“Well, yes, but I hired you, so you shouldn’t be paying for my food,” he replied.

“You didn’t hire me. I’m helping you because I want to, and there’s no way I’m letting a kid pay for my food,” Anna said.

“I’m not a kid!” he replied.

“Can you grow a beard?” she asked.

“No!” he replied.

“Then you’re a kid,” she said.

“What does a beard have to do with being grown?” he asked.

“It’s how the dwarves tell,” Anna replied.

“Really?” Charlie asked.

“Yep, a dwarf lad isn’t considered a man until his beard reaches the middle of his chest,” Anna replied.

“But I don’t think I’ll ever be able to grow a beard that long!” he said.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re a human and not a dwarf. All you have to do is wait until you’re eighteen to grow up,” Anna replied.

“Yeah, I guess,” he said.

The food merchant finished piling toppings onto the flatbread and handed them to her.

“Thanks,” she said.

She handed one to Charlie who started to devour it. She frowned as she watched him wolf it down.

I’m going to have to find someone to take care of him if I can’t find his brother. I don’t think he’s been eating, and he’s kind of smelly, so he hasn’t been washing.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

She started to eat her own food, gobbling down the flatbread quickly. Once they both had finished eating, she took his hand again, and they set off.

The place that Charie’s older brother had gone to work at was on the other side of the city, of course. When they arrived, it was just past noon. The building was a massive warehouse filled with men loading and unloading wagons. She gave Charie’s hand a squeeze.

“Stay close,” she said.

“Yes’m,” he replied.

She walked inside through the open barn-style doors and looked around, finding an older man holding a document in his hand and directing the other men. She walked over to him with Charlie in tow.

“Excuse me,” she said.

“Yes, miss?” he replied.

“Does a man named Kevin work here? He should have started about a week ago,” she asked.

“Who wants to know?” the man asked.

Anna pulled Charlie forward.

“This is his little brother, and he hasn’t been home to see him for a week,” Anna replied.

The man looked down at the boy and frowned.

“A young man by that name started here last week, but he isn’t working today,” he said.

“Do you know where we can find him?” Anna asked.

“No, but some of the boys might,” he replied.

He turned to a group of men working.

“YO, EARL!” he shouted.

A big man looked over, and the man they had been talking to waved him over. The big man strode over to where they were standing. Towering over her, he looked down at her and Charlie for a moment before turning to the man.

“What do you need, boss?” he asked.

“You know where the new guy might be?” the boss asked.

The big man rubbed the back of his neck.

“I think I heard him say something about staying with some woman at a place called The Dew Drop,” he replied.

“Can you tell me how to get there?” Anna asked.

“Never been there myself, but I think it’s over by the old distillery,” the big man replied.

“And where is that?” Anna asked.

“Oh, right, guess you’re not from around here. Well, just take a right when you leave here, head down five streets, and then turn right again. Then head down three streets, then turn left and go down another street, and you’ll find the old distillery on your left. Now, I’m not sure where the Dew Drop is, but it should be around there somewhere,” he replied.

“Thanks,” Anna said.

“Best of luck,” the big man replied.

She smiled at him and then turned to walk out of the warehouse.

I wonder why Kevin didn’t come and get his brother? I mean, I get if he wanted to move somewhere closer to his work, but that doesn’t explain leaving Charlie behind.

She smelled the old distillery long before they reached it. The pungent smell of boiling mash and raw spirits filled the air. The distillery was a rather striking building made from marble and trimmed with gold.

I wonder if it used to be a temple or something?

They stopped in front of the large bronze doors, and she looked around for a moment before setting off again.

This would be so much faster if I could just use my eyes, but then everyone would freak out, and people would run away screaming, and guards would show up, and, well, it would be bad probably.

She sighed.

“Is something wrong?” Charlie asked.

“No, just thinking,” Anna replied.

“What about?” he asked.

“Nothing important. Hey, look! There it is!” she replied.

She pointed at a sign that hung in front of a building just up the road. The words ‘Dew Drop’ were carved into it and painted white with a stylized drop of water, which was painted light blue, in between them. They quickly walked to the building, and she pushed open the door.

She was greeted by the smell of smoke and sour ale as they stepped inside. She glanced around the dingy barroom, searching for any signs of Kevin, but none of the rough-looking men seated at the tables bore any resemblance to the description Charlie had given her. She led the boy past the gawking men and made her way to the rear of the room to the bar and sat down. Charlie climbed into the seat next to her and looked around with wide eyes.

“I take it you’ve never been to a tavern before?” Anna asked.

“No, Ma’am,” Charlie replied.

“I guess you are kind of young to be hanging around a place like this,” she said.

“What’s Kevin doing here?” he asked.

“There are rooms upstairs. I’m guessing he stays here so he doesn’t have so far to walk to get to work,” Anna replied.

“Yeah, our room is pretty far from here,” Charlie said.

The barkeep walked over. He was a large man who was quite bald and missing his left eye.

“What’ll you have?” he asked.

Anna took a copper from her belt pouch and placed it on the bar.

“An ale for me, and a small ale for him,” she replied.

The barkeep walked away, and Charlie tugged on her sleeve.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Aren’t you going to ask him?” he asked.

“I will. This is just how you do things in a place like this. Trust me,” Anna replied.

The barkeep returned with two mugs filled with frothy ale and placed them on the bar.

“So, what brings you two in here today?” he asked.

“We’re looking for a young man named Kevin. He’s tall and easy on the eyes with black hair and dark eyes,” Anna replied.

“Who’s he to you?” the barkeep asked.

“He’s my big brother! He went to work at a new job last week, and he never came home!” Charlie blurted out.

The barkeeper looked at the boy and frowned before his gaze moved towards the door.

“Yo Vinny! Go and get the lovebirds and make sure they’re decent!” he said.

A mountain of a man stood up from his seat next to the door and started up the stairs. The barkeep turned back to look at her, giving her a once over.

“So, who are you then?” he asked.

“Just someone who wanted to help a lost kid,” Anna replied.

He nodded and smiled at her before patting her on the shoulder with his meaty hand.

Once he finished, she picked up her mug and took a drink. Charlie watched her for a moment before picking his own mug up with both hands and sipping it. He made a face upon tasting the ale and quickly put the mug down. She smirked at him, remembering her own first experience with ale.

There was a commotion upstairs, and a moment later, a man and a woman walked down the stairs followed closely by the massive man.

“KEVIN!” Charlie shouted.

He jumped up from the barstool and rushed over to where his brother stood next to the stairs. He threw himself at his brother and wrapped his arms around the man’s waist, squeezing him tight.

“Where were you?” he asked.

“I, uh, I was going to come and get you,” Kevin replied.

Charlie looked up at him.

“You were?” he asked.

Kevin nodded.

“Yeah, of course,” he replied.

The woman who was with Kevin stepped forward.

“Who is this?” she asked.

“Oh, uh, this is my little brother, Charles,” Kevin replied.

“I thought you said your family died of fever,” she said.

“They did, except for him,” Kevin replied.

Anna looked away from them and back to the barkeep who was frowning at the whole scene.

“Hey,” she said.

“What is it?” the barkeep asked.

“Charlie spent the last week begging for someone to help him find his brother. He even scraped together a few copper coins to pay when everyone turned him down. He didn’t deserve this,” Anna replied.

The barkeep’s frown turned into a scowl.

“No, he didn’t,” he said.

“I’m not going to be in the city for very long, and I might never come back, so it would be nice if someone would look after him,” Anna replied.

The barkeep nodded.

“He will, you have my word,” he said.

“Thanks,” Anna replied.

She downed her ale and then slid off the barstool and walked out of the tavern, leaving the brothers to sort things out for themselves.