“Got any work for a hero?”

“No Kobus. I didn’t need a hero yesterday when you asked me, or the day ‘fore that, or the day ‘fore that. I don’t need a hero today either, unless you wanna get in ‘ere and save them loaves from burning? I’ll let you take one home as your reward!”

“Yeah, okay. Thanks Sam,” Kobus said with a glum look on his face.

Kobus walked around the counter and picked up the bread shovel, wielding it like a battleaxe. He slid it into the great stone oven at the back of the bakery and pulled out a loaf. Sam picked it up and tapped the bottom.

“Looks good to me. Bring ‘em out,” Sam said.

Kobus began taking out the finished loaves and setting them down on the table near the oven.

“Still not finding any hero work then?” Sam asked.

“Nothing! I’m starting to think I was better off with the army.”

“That’s tough. I remember when I were your age I had no idea what I wanted a do. Baking was all I knew, and I guess I always wonder what else I could a done. I don’t know if this is anything, but I had a customer in ‘ere yesterday who said he had an exotic fruit ‘n’ veg shop up in the fancy part a town. Happened a mention that some of his desertfruit is disappearing.”

“Desertfruit?”

“He said it’s the ‘in-thing’ right now. Imports them from The Empire far in the South.”

“And he wants a hero to investigate?” Kobus said almost dropping the loaves on his bread shovel.

“Well he didn’t quite say that exactly.”

“Thanks Sam! I will go investigate!”

Kobus threw the bread onto the table, thrust the bread shovel into Sam’s arms, and ran out of the bakery leaving Sam shaking his head.

“I wish I still had that kind of enthusiasm about anything,” Sam said.

As Kobus reached the fancy part of town he stepped through the arch in the stone wall and into the hustle and bustle beneath the brilliantly coloured flags stretching back and forth above the street. It wasn’t his favourite part of Bramblebury, his home city, even though he grew up around the corner. People here were always rushing somewhere important and would never stop to talk to Kobus.

Picking his way through a sea of unnecessarily tall hats, the latest fashion trend to spread like a plague through the upper echelons, Kobus headed north up Market Hill from Bramblebury Bottom, the main street that followed the base of the hills, and soon came to the merchant selling exotic fruits and vegetables.

The shop was part of a historic terrace of shopfronts that formed much of the western side of Market Hill and were inside simple two storey constructions with dwellings over stores but finished with the fine stonework of the now departed Stoneshapers Guild. This shop in particular had a cloth banner hung from first floor windows with the shop’s name embroidered in green: “Derian’s Exotics And Delicacies”.

As Kobus approached, Derian turned and tried to sell him some stale looking sugar buns.

“I hear you need a hero,” Kobus proffered.

“What?” Derian returned.

“Oh, er, I heard you have had some desertfruit disappear.”

“Yeah, what about it?”

Kobus shifted his weight awkwardly from foot to foot.

“I thought,” he said, “maybe I could investigate for you?”

Derian stared at Kobus through his glasses, over his glasses, sideways, and through his glasses again.

“Sure,” he said eventually, “I guess you could do that.”

Derian concluded that he said the right thing because Kobus suddenly smiled and seemed to levitate with enthusiasm.

“Great!” Kobus said, “And you’ll pay me for it?”

“Oh, I see. Sure, you can have a sugar bun.”

“Or possibly a few silver?”

“Errrrr,” Derian said, “Maybe.”

“Three silver crowns?”

Derian made a noise that he felt sounded like agreement but could be reasonably denied in any of the king’s courts.

“So what information do you have about the desertfruit disappearances?”

Mrs. Derian, hearing the conversation, joined her husband at the sugar buns.

“You know what I think,” she said,” I think a ghost has been taking them!”

“Go back to washing the dirt off the shellfruit!” Mr. Derian said flatly.

“Don’t talk to me like that!”

“Honey, Honey, I’m sorting it.”

“Yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it,” she said walking off.

“Anyway,” Mr. Derian said with a scowl, “A few always disappear towards the end of the afternoon. That’s all I know.”

Kobus nodded slowly and observed the shadows stretching eastward. He looked up, there was a fancy tavern opposite with some tables outside on the street, perfect for watching and waiting.

The Gryphon’s Wing was bright inside, filled by the afternoon sun. The walls were well kept and painted a clear pastel blue with one wall at the back painted brown but overlain with paintings of ponds and wildfowl. Tables were square, and looked like the wood had been cut for furniture, unlike most taverns where tables were mismatching scraps of wood nailed together, and renailed together after being smashed by over-excited patrons. Along the left hand wall was a bar of magnificent cleanliness. Kobus approached.

“I’ll have an ale, please.”

The barman stared at Kobus for a moment.

“What kind of ale?” He paused dramatically before sighing and continuing. “We have Malty Business, Good ‘n’ Easy, Wort and All, Black Hopper, Crystal Jane, Smooth Susan, or just in today, Hop Topper.”

Kobus’ eyes opened wide and scanned the row of wooden kegs behind the bar for a moment before repeating the only name he had managed to catch.

“I’ll have a Smooth Susan, please.”

“Good choice, sir.” the barman harped as he drew a glass from beneath the counter. He filled it to the brim at one of the kegs and placed it down on a long thin towel that rested on the bar top.

“That will be one silver fifty.”

“Oh man, I’ve spent half my reward money already!”

The barman waited patiently. His face remained a blank and disinterested expression that looked worn in by years of genuine unconcern. Kobus retrieved one small silver and one large copper from his coin purse, and placed them in the barman’s waiting hand.

Taking his ale, Kobus got comfortable at one of the outside tables with a good view across the street towards Derian’s Exotics And Delicacies. The ale was clear and crisp with a good head. Kobus sipped it and noted the sweet taste and floral aroma, quite different to the flat, sour brew of his regular tavern.

As the shadows grew in length and Kobus sipped at his ale the afternoon progressed steadily. People came and went from the tavern and outside the crowd continued busily doing its own thing. Kobus had finished his ale and was wondering if he would have to purchase another if he wanted to continue sitting here without cold stares from the barman when he noticed a young woman about his age in the crowd.

She wasn’t hurrying like the rest of the people in the crowd, and like his own clothes hers were much less colourful than what the majority of people here were wearing, not to mention her lack of hat. As she approached Derian’s Exotics And Delicacies she slowed a little, twisting her head slightly to look into the shop.

As Kobus blinked she swept an armful of the hairy, husked desertfruit into a brown jute bag that he had not noticed at first, and carried on walking.

With a start, Kobus scrambled to his feet, kicking his chair back and drawing eyes from the barman who thanked him for his custom before returning to his conversation with another patron.

Kobus hurried down the street, heading south down Market Hill and weaving in and out of displeased crowd members.

Without looking back, the woman quickened her pace before diving suddenly into an alleyway between the colourful rug merchant’s and a shop selling magical flowers.

But Kobus wasn’t far behind, and turned into the alleyway to see her disappearing at a jog. 10km runs every morning with the army gave Kobus the edge, and he was steadily gaining on the brown cloak flying in the breeze in front of him.

Through the twists and turns of southern Market Hill alleys Kobus chased her until she stepped aside into a wide open doorway and faded into the gloom. Kobus paused, and entered.

As his eyes adjusted he could see that he was in a very tall and wide building, full of crates.

“What do you want?” Came a voice from above.

Kobus looked up. A cloaked figure gazed down in wonder at him from a beam above his head. Through the darkness he could just about resolve her face. It was pretty, yet stern, and clearly waiting for an answer.

“I saw you take the desertfruit,” Kobus shouted craning his neck upwards.

“Oh yeah?” she replied, her voice smooth, rich and confident. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Oh, er,” Kobus floundered. “I hadn’t really thought this far ahead.”

With adjusted eyes he could now see the dagger she held in her right hand.

“I was hoping,” he said, “That you might return the fruit you stole and stop taking things from Derian.”

Kobus couldn’t tell whether the young woman was confused or amused but she sheathed her dagger.

“And who are you?” She asked.

“I am Kobus, hero for hire!”

“A hero, eh?” she said slowly with a look that would have made an elephant-tortoise uncomfortable. “Then where is your sword?”

“I haven’t got one yet. They’re very expensive!”

“Ah,” she mused. “Business not too bountiful at the moment?”

“This is my first proper job, actually.” Kobus said.

A look of compassion became her face, and dropping down from the beam she picked up the bag of desertfruit from behind a crate and handed it to Kobus.

“Wouldn’t want your first job to be a complete failure,” she said smiling.

She turned to leave.

“Wait,” Kobus said. “You’re just going to give them to me?”

“Yeah, well there’s something about you that just makes me want to help.”

“My charisma? Or my hero ethics?” he said.

“No, no. It’s more like a wounded puppy kind of thing.”

She disappeared into the warehouse before Kobus could close his mouth.

When Kobus returned to Derian’s Exotics And Delicacies he found Derian trying to force his sugar buns on a young lady browsing his jollyberries. She soon got fed up and left.

“I got your desertfruit back!” Kobus said, handing the bag of fruit to Derian.

Derian opened the bag and pulled out a desertfruit as though it was the last thing he had expected to find in there.

“So you have,” he said slowly. “Well I’ll be a hairy pigtoad’s cards partner.”

“And you shouldn’t have a problem with them going missing anymore,” Kobus said beaming with pride. “That will be three silver crowns, please.”

Derian closed the bag and straightened.

“Oh, three silver? All you did was get some fruit! How about I give you a sugar bun, yeah?”

As he said this he tried to push a bun into Kobus’ hands.

“I caught the thief! I think that is worth more than a sugar bun.” Kobus protested.

“You’re right, you’re right,” Derian said picking up another bun. “Here’s two for your trouble.”

Kobus was aware of a person standing just over his left shoulder.

“Just give the guy his silver. It sounds like he really helped you out,” she said.

Kobus turned to see the face from the warehouse, this time with her hood lowered and dark brown hair rippling in waves down behind her ears.

“I don’t know why you think you can order me around but I am not giving him three silver,” Derian said.

“Well then,” she replied, “We will just have to take some things to the value of three silver.”

Derian’s face turned a mixture of red and purple, much like some of his less than fresh fruit, as he stared too angered and surprised to speak. The woman reached right over the counter, took the bag from his hands, and looked inside.

“Five desertfruit,” she said, “Probably worth a silver; hard to get hold of, I hear. What else do you have?”

“Hey!” Derian protested. “You can’t take my goods!”

She continued perusing with intent as Derian followed her along the tables trying to block her.

“Alright, alright,” he said at last, “I’ll give you three silver!”

Derian produced three small silver coins from his belt purse and handed them begrudgingly to Kobus before trudging back over to the woman and snatching the bag of desertfruit.

“Now leave me alone,” he said in a grump.

The woman gave him a smile that was anything but polite and walked off back down the hill. Kobus went after her.

“Hey, wait up! I didn’t catch your name.”

“I didn’t give it to you,” she said.

This was true but Kobus wasn’t deterred.

“Can I at least buy you a drink?” he asked.

“Sure, I wouldn’t say no to a free drink. And my name is Pen.”