Chapter 400 - No Free Meals

The next hundred is here! Thanks for sticking around for 400 chapters. That's over 1 million words now, which makes Hedge Wizard over twice as long as Lord of the Rings. I'll admit, Tolkien may have the advantage in certain aspects of writing, but I'll take it. Hope you like the chapter!

The instant the group saw Hump, they bolted. The coin didn’t matter. Ever single one of them fled.

“Well, that went well,” Celaine said.

“It could have gone better, but not entirely unexpected. These aren’t exactly trusting types. Chances are they work for a Thieves Guild or something that will punish them if they’re caught talking to people asking around like us.”

Celaine frowned at him. “You went through things like that?”

“I was never in the Thieves Guild,” Hump said. “Honestly, I was one of the lucky ones. Kept to myself, stayed out of trouble, and my hands found the right pocket.” Hump looked at the coin in his hand. “I don’t even care if they don’t know anything. I just want to help a few people out before winter now that I have the coin to spare.”

“Then what are you waiting for,” Celaine said. “Let’s find some more.”

The next group went a little better—a group of boys and girls sheltering in an alleyway, queued up for some work clearing out a woman’s basement. They didn’t know anything, but they introduced themselves to Hump in exchange for a silver coin each. The afternoon went like that. It was only a couple of hours later that Hump spotted a gang of older lads looking around an alleyway, either trying to steal something, or find something.

Hump stepped into the alley and made the same offer he had half a dozen times already—silver in exchange for a chat.

The gang of kids crept closer, their ragged clothes blending with the grime of the alley. They moved like a pack of hungry dogs, silent, deliberate, and suspicious. Their leader—a lad perhaps fourteen—walked with the swagger of someone who owned the street. He was a scrawny, wiry boy, but compared to the rest of the younger boys there was a confidence with how he carried himself. A grin stretched across his face, sharp eyes darting over Hump and Celaine, assessing them both.

“Is this going to plan?” Celaine whispered.

Hump nodded in acknowledgement but kept his eyes forward.

“Evening, mister,” the boy said with what Hump assumed was mock sincerity. “What brings you to our fine part of town?”

“As I said, information. I heard someone’s been offering food and shelter to kids around here. I want to know where.” Hump stood calmly in the centre of the alley, keeping his tone easy as he watched the other boys spread out. they weren’t subtle about it. Nervous glances and jittery steps gave away their intent—they saw him as a mark.

The boy narrowed his eyes. “You don’t look too hungry.”

Hump flipped a silver coin into the air. It glinted in the dim light of the alley before he snatched it back. The gang’s eyes followed its arcs, and Hump knew just how much it would mean to them. Food, shelter, warmth—a silver coin was more than he’d ever had. It would mean their survival.

“This isn’t about me,” Hump said. “Whoever talks gets paid. Even if you don’t know anything, the silver’s yours.”

The boy’s grin faltered for a split second, replaced by something colder. His tone, however, remained light. “A whole silver? Just for talking?”

“I think this guy’s loaded,” another said in hushed whispers.

The boy hushed him, anger flaring in his eyes before he turned back to Hump. He buried his hands in his pockets and stepped closer. “Sounds like you’ve got money to spare.” He leaned to the side, peering at Celaine and giving her a cheeky wave. “You rich or something?”

“I do alright,” Hump replied evenly.

“Not scared someone might decide to relieve you of some of it?” the boy asked, his tone turning sly. One of the other boys shifted closer to Hump’s side.

Hump sighed and opened his coat, revealing the wand within the inner pocket. The effect was immediate. The reaction was immediate—all of them took an instinctive step back, a few muttered curses, the leaders face changed, his grin turning brittle, hesitation in his eyes.

“You one of them Chosen?” the boy asked, his voice tight.

“Do I look like a Chosen to you?” Hump asked, shaking his head. “I’m a wizard. And I wouldn’t recommend trying to rob me.”

“Oh, we’d never dream of it, mister,” the boy said, his smile creeping back. He held out a grubby hand. “But if you’re offering…”

Hump tossed him the silver coin. The boy caught it deftly, his expression shifting from smugness to surprise as he inspected it.

“It’s real?” he muttered, holding it up for the gang to see. He turned back to Hump. “Fair’s fair. You paid, so I’ll talk. I’ve heard if you head to the old tannery down on Blacksmith’s Row, they hand out free food and have places to stay.”

“It’s true,” another said. “They don’t ask for nothing. Just give out food.”

Hump flipped the other kid a silver coin, and he caught in in awe.

“I didn’t say anything useful?” the kid asked, confused.

“As I said, you don’t need to know anything. Just talk to me and there’s a silver in it for you.”

All at once, the seven other kids were yelling out all sorts of things, talking over each other to the point that Hump couldn’t follow anything. He held up his hands, gesturing for them to slow down.

“Relax lads,” Hump said. “You’ll all get a coin. Don’t worry.

“This tannery, do you know anything about the people working there?” Hump asked. “Are there any rumours?”

“What kind of rumours?” the leader asked.

“Warlocks? Soul eaters? Disappearances?”

The boy’s eyes went wide. “Yeah. I know a few guys that seem to have vanished.” He shrugged. “Nothing unusual though. It’s not safe on the streets. People die.”

The others nodded. The matter-of-factness made Hump’s stomach sink. He saw himself in their eyes—even the hunger and the willingness to steal. Desperation drove them to a point children shouldn’t have to be in, not when there were nobles out there wrapping themselves in gold and lavishness.

Hump handed out the coin to each of the lads and asked them to continue. Between the nine boys, they told him of some strange folks in the area. Other kids would tell them of the free food and places to sleep—some would listen, and then the rest of them wouldn’t hear from them again. A few would show up again and try to get them to join, but they never did.

“Why didn’t you join?” Hump asked.

“There’s no such thing as a free meal,” the leader said with a shrug. “Don’t trust them.”

Hump nodded. “No, I wouldn’t either.” Hump took out nine more silver coins, handing them out. “I appreciate you talking to me.”

They all seemed stunned as they took the money. Hump almost wanted to give them more, but there was danger in young lads having too much coin. They would likely owe it to older boys that ran the gangs in the area or have to hide it to avoid having it stolen back. Even this much could get them killed.

“These people you’re looking for, are they really soul eaters?” the older kid asked.

“Ain’t that just a story?” another asked.

“It’s not just a story,” Hump said, his voice steady as his eyes swept over the gang. They wouldn’t care for his opinion—why should there. But if his advice even increased the odds of their survival a little he would give it. “The ones I’m looking for are warlocks—or soul eaters as you call them. They prey on people like you, offering food and shelter, but their kindness comes at a price. I don’t know if the ones you mentioned at the tannery are the same, but the Chosen are also looking into bakers giving out bread. If someone offers you a meal, I’d never suggest you turn it down—you have to do what you have to do to survive. But be cautious. As you said, there’s no such thing as a free meal.”

“You don’t know us,” the leader said. “You don’t know shit about our situation.”

“I’ve been where you are,” Hump said. “On these very streets. I know how tempting an offer like theirs must be when you’re starving, or the temperature drops below freezing at night. Take the food, but if they offer you more, remember that the people you are dealing with are not trying to do you any favours.”

“And you are?”

“Maybe,” Hump said. “I’ve said my piece. Do what you will with it. And if you do hear anything new, you can contact me through the guards at the Rike Estate on Marle Road. Tell them it’s for Wizard Humphrey, and it will reach me. There will be more coin in it for you.”

The boy’s sharp eyes narrowed. “You a noble or something?”

Hump shook his head. “Not quite, but I have noble friends.”

“You really going to look for them? These soul eaters?”

“Yep.”

“Well, good luck,” the boy said with a shrug. He pocketed the coin and gestured to the others. “Come on, lads. See you around, mister.”

Hump watched as the boys melted into the shadows, their footsteps fading into the distance. “You think they were telling the truth?” he asked Celaine.

“No,” Celaine said without hesitation. Her eyes stayed fixed on the alley where the boys had disappeared. “They told you what they thought you wanted to hear. A tannery doesn’t match what we’ve learned so far.”

Hump let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I had the same feeling. Still, with any luck, one of them will decide it’s worth the extra coin for one of them to approach us on their own.”

“You think they knew hiding the warlocks?” Celaine asked.

Hump shrugged. “Impossible to say, but I’m not about to interrogate a bunch of kids on the off chance they are.”

“There’s still one more to talk to anyway.” Celaine activated her Spring Step, launching herself gracefully onto the nearby rooftop. A startled scream echoed above, and Hump glanced up just in time to see Celaine descending with a scrawny boy squirming in her grip. She set him down gently, but he immediately collapsed to his knees, his hands pressed against the ground as if it were the only thing keeping him alive.

“Please don’t kill me!” he squeaked, trembling.

“Relax, little one,” Celaine said, her tone calm and reassuring despite her dramatic entrance. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

“Hi,” Hump said, offering the boy a hand. The kid slapped it away, scrambling to his feet on his own. He looked no older than ten, all bones and nerves, with a streak of blood dripping from his nose, and not from whatever Celaine had done. The kid looked like he’d been through a hell of a lot.

“Those other lads looking for you by any chance?” Hump asked.

“None of your business,” the kid snapped, though his voice wavered. He glanced at the pouch on Hump’s belt. “That offer you made—does it apply to me too?”

Hump gave his best reassuring smile. “Sure does.”

“They were lying to you,” the boy said quickly. “You won’t find anything at that tannery. It was an old shelter, but they left weeks ago.”

The boy held out his hand, and Hump dropped a silver coin into his palm. He inspected it closely before stuffing it into a tattered pocket.

“How do you know that?” Hump asked.

“I was there for a while. Didn’t like it, so I left.”

“They let you walk out?” Hump asked.

There was a mischievous glint to the boy’s eyes. “Not exactly.”

Hump chuckled. “I see.”

“Was it true what you said?” the kid blurted out. “Were you really like us?”

“Yep. Grew up on these streets.”

“And you became a wizard?”

Hump nodded. “My master took me on as his disciple after I tried to rob him.”

“Lucky you. All it’s got me is some beatings.”

Hump’s face fell. “Well, if it makes a difference, these people I’m looking for are bad people. I’m looking to stop them. If you know where their new location is, it would be a big help.”

The boy considered it for a few seconds. “Two more silver.”

Hump handed them over without question.

“It’s close by,” the boy said, rattling off an address in a gruff whisper—a fishery. It was a good fit.

Hump held up two fingers. “There’ll be two more of these in it for you if you can show us the way.”

The boy looked at him doubtfully. “Thought you lived here.”

“Over ten years ago now,” Hump said. “Been a while since I was back here. What’s your name?”

The boy’s eyes widened at the prospect. He glanced at Hump’s pouch again, clearly weighing his options. “Name’s Mav,” he said finally. “I’ll take you there, but don’t expect me to stick around.”

“Good to meet you Mav. I’m Hump. This is my friend, Celaine.”

“Hi Mav,” Celaine said.

“Hump’s a weird name,” Mav said. “Really weird. You get made fun of for that?”

Hump’s cheek twitched. “It’s come up once or twice.”

“Good.” Mav gave a firm nod. “As long as you know it. Well, Hump, I hope you’re good at magic. Because if you’re not, they’ll kill you.”

Hump straightened with a small smile. “Hope is for Chosen. Wizards don’t hope. We make our own odds. Hope too much, and the opposite always happens. The Wizard’s Law is certain: whatever you hope will happen, won’t happen.”