Minutes passed, threatening to turn into hours. The boy’s stomach began its well rehearsed protest against him, howling curses at their misfortune. Pushing himself off the wall and the shadows he leaned against, the boy began to pace back and forth.
Hunger’s desperation and frustration mirrored themselves in his dark eyes. Throwing his gaze back towards the sea of people the boy searched for his mark, praying to the gods to give him this. Not that they had ever done him any favors.

The boy’s eyes found a vendor; this one selling meager fruits and vegetables. But the stall was abandoned. Its merchant had stepped out from behind his stall, going out to help a women who had tripped, with all of her goods strewn across the hard, dirty cobblestone ground. The boy started blankly at the currently unoccupied stall, not believing his luck. Then he mouthed a quick thank you, aimed up towards the sky, before diving into the masses.

The boy floundered around in the crowd for a second; the multitude of bodies pressed up against him seemed to steal his breath. The crowd of people started staring down at the boy, surprised by his panic. Noticing their attention, the boy took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm himself. It would do no good for him to draw notice to himself. Soon the boy was calm, and the crowd quickly forgot him. Taking advantage of this, the boy began to slide through the people, being careful not to ram into anyone in his haste. Soon he stopped in his tracks, heart beginning to race, as he stared towards the stall.