My Circus

Smoothly, Hefler jostled his mark of the moment in the crowded market square of Corethe. Barkers barked their wares to anyone who would pause to listen. Shoppers haggled down to the last penny. And Hefler came up empty again as the mark protected his purse as soon as he saw Hefler. Hefler’s stomach rumbled in protest.
Growing older meant marks grew warier when they saw Hefler coming. If Hefler didn’t nab something good soon, Fanag would put him to work with the cat burglars… I ain’t no cat. No way. No how. He shivered at the thought of scaling the walls or roofs of the Corethean elite.
At the end of the next aisle, Hefler spotted a fortuneteller’s table in the shade of a wagon. That’s a good go if you can get it. But that racket had too many costs upfront for a failing street rat like Hefler. Back to work.
Another aisle away, a fight broke out between two women apparently desperate for the same fish for dinner. Onlookers gathered to watch the yelling and punching, and there’s Hefler’s chance. He pushes forward… another kid anxious to get a better view and uses practiced fingers to cut ties of two to three purses before pushing free of the crowd again. Slipping around a dry goods stall, Hefler checked his luck.
Hefler opened the first purse and poured the few coins into his palm. He admired the glint for a moment… it wasn’t a grand amount but at least he wasn’t coming back empty handed… when a pair of shadows blocked out the sun. Kak. Why two of the city guards were bothering with a street thief when a fight in the market would cause a lot more damage Hefler had no idea. But bother they did.
“Officers, I can explain--.”
“Shut it, you.” The one on the left took the purses and coins from Hefler’s hands, divvied them up between the two officers with a smirk. “It’s off to the pens with you. Caught you red-handed, rat.” All put a couple of the coins disappeared into their tunics. Then, with a cruel grip on his upper arms, the city’s law enforcement marched Hefler through the crowds.
“Officers?” A woman’s shaky voice called. The fortuneteller stepped into the guards’ path.
“Out of the way, mistress.” They tried shoving past, but she stood firmly in the way despite her apparent age.
She began to shake uncontrollably and moaned loudly, drawing attention from those around the small group. “I’m getting a vision. Oh, a terrible future is coming to Corethe.”
One of the guards made the sign to Ksim, god of luck, while the other let go of Hefler and stepped back. The fortuneteller stepped closer. Hefler couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw her wink at him. Now that she was closer, he could definitely tell that she was much younger under her get up than she appeared.
“There is a perilous danger that will target the protectors of Corethe. Fortunes and lives will be lost.” She wailed dramatically. Hefler thought her performance a little over the top, but the guards definitely looked shaky and stepped further away.
The fortuneteller grabbed the hand of one of the guards. “Don’t go. The city will need you. Don’t go. Go…” She stared right at Hefler and jerked her chin behind her.
Hefler shook his head in silent laughter and squeezed through the crowd unnoticed. He made his way to the fortuneteller’s wagon and slipped inside to wait.
A couple of hours later the market quieted down and the wagon dipped under the weight of someone climbing the steps at the back. The woman came in and tore the wig from her head, revealing that she was only a few years older than Hefler himself. Then, she turned and presented the laces down her back.
“Don’t just stand there gaping. Help me out. If you’re going to be my partner, you’ve got to pull your own weight.”
“Partner?”
“I’ve got good instincts… at least most of the time. Something tells me that you need me, and I could use someone to help out.” She turned, spat in her palm, and stuck out her hand. “I’m Daezin. Welcome to my circus.”