The Ember Thief

Chapter Three - Gideon's Antiques and Oddities

The shop was stacked full of interesting artefacts. Furniture of all shapes, sizes and designs balanced precariously on top of each other from floor to ceiling, leaving a maze of narrow paths, that meandered throughout. There was a musty smell hanging in the air of the shop, the kind of smell you only get from aged wood, and it would've been deathly silent, if not for the mismatched ticking of clocks, hidden amongst the debris of antique curiosities. Bawbee led Raide through the maze. The big man had to side-step in places to get himself through. He took extra special care through a section of ceramic plates, decoratively painted, and glass vases fashioned in fragile poses. They arrived at a set of stairs, lined with old weaponry, that snaked its way up towards an inviting amber light, emanating from the landing.

'Just follow the stairs up, he's waiting for you,' Bawbee said, pointing to the light. 'I need to go and tend to the horses after our trip. Good luck.' He gave Raide a wink before disappearing back behind a row of grandfather clocks and barometers.

Raide's legs were aching from the cramped journey, but he made his way up the stairs. Towards the top, he started to slow down as each step gave a prolonged groaning creak, announcing his arrival. The feeling of awkwardness crept along with him as he skulked through a stranger's shop in the dark.

'Please do come up, my boy,' the eloquent voice drifted down from the top of the stairs. 'No need to be shy.'

Raide rounded the top of the landing and entered a large room that sat above the shop. Short bookcases took up the majority of the lower wall space while paintings of various sizes filled the rest. Around the fireplace, sat a well dressed older man with white thinning hair and a curious smile. He lifted his head back and peered through his thick glasses, taking a good look at his visitor.

'Ah! Good evening to you, my name is Gideon. Welcome to my shop, please sit with me, you must be tired after your escape,' he said, without getting up while gesturing at a green, leather-bound chair opposite. In front of the hearth, a tea service had been laid out on a stout wooden table. Raide sat down in the chair, while Gideon poured out steaming hot tea into two ceramic cups.

'You have an interesting shop,' Raide said, looking at the rows of tatty old books surrounding them.

'Thank you, I'm a collector of sorts,' the old man said, holding the lid of the teapot carefully with his frail hands. 'Old and unusual things interest me.'

Raide managed a weak smile. 'Well, I'm somewhat of an oddity myself.'

'Really?' The light of the fire glinted in Gideon's glasses. 'Tell me all about it, my boy,' the old man said, putting down the teapot and settling back into his worn chair in anticipation of his story.

Raide went to answer but just sat with his mouth open thinking how best to tell his story.

'Just be honest,' Wisp chimed in for the first time in a while, making Raide jolt a little at her interruption.

'Oh, well, I'm told that my name is Raide, but I might have another, and I have lost all my memories. I have just escaped from prison with a giant man and a lovely woman who talks to me in my head, but for some unknown reason nobody can see her,' Raide blurted, without pausing or taking a breath.

Gideon gave a reassuring nod. 'Marvellous, would you care for some cake?' the old man offered, utterly unperturbed by anything Raide had just said.

'Cake? Why yes, that would be nice,' he replied, as his stomach gurgled in agreement. Gideon handed over a three-tiered cake stand with a variety of delicious-looking slices.

Raide picked one from the bottom and nibbled the end. He sat back, admiring the tailoring on Gideon's black woollen suit, a white pocket square was a stark contrast poking out of his jacket. The same fox emblem that he had seen on the back door was stitched to the corner of the fabric. Even his black shoes were polished to a mirror finish.