Splinter (Whisper Walker Series) by London Cole

trail minimal, I found out quickly when I lost the trail a couple of times and had to circle around again until I spotted the occasional broken twig or smashed fern.
    The trail led all the way to No-Man’s Land. I was about to call it quits because I really didn’t like that area, when the tracks suddenly stopped at an old overgrown opening in a wall of brush. A fresh black squirrel was sitting right at the base of the opening. From the fur I’d found in my trap, I was betting this was my animal. Seemed my luck had taken a turn for the better.
    Looking around quickly and seeing no one, I snatched up the squirrel and booked it out of there. I was curious who had stolen it in the first place, but I was also a little giddy thinking about the thief coming back and finding their plunder gone.
    My catch thrown over my shoulder like a prize, I headed back into town. On my way in, the guard at the Gate bought one of the rabbits from me, saying it was his nephew’s birthday. I gave him a good deal since I knew the guards didn’t make much money and started towards the market. I’d sell the remaining rabbit to one of the merchants that would use every part of it for things such as clothing and food. Then Kelsie and I would have a nice meal off the earnings.
    I entered the market area, surrounded by booths. It was nearing the end of the day, and merchants were closing up shop for the night so I didn’t have long. Just the same, I wanted to browse a little.
    The shop I was headed for was on the very end, so I started with the shops and booths nearest me and began looking through stuff.
    The market held a variety of products. Most of it was salvage from the waste cities that Ackspecs brought in when off-contract. Glassware was popular, but rather expensive since it was hard to come by.
    Other merchants carried gadgets and technology, like communicators, which are basically two-way radios that only cover five kilometers.
    I frowned and turned up my nose as I passed a rickety-looking booth that was selling cheap, pathetic imitations of some of Kelsie’s designs.
    At the booth directly next to the shop that was my destination, I saw metal works. Some blowguns and homemade weapons among other things. On a display in the middle I saw a set of knives. Well made from the looks of them. I’d wanted to get Kelsie something for her birthday coming up and wanted it to be practical. I’d feel safer when she ventured outside the Gates with me if I had trained her in the skill of fighting with knives.
    Picking one up, I balanced it in my hand. It was thin, and had a small handle like it was made for a girl’s hand. It was perfect. I was about to see how much it was when I saw the shop owner next door shutting his door and locking it.
    I dropped the knife back into its spot and sprinted out the front.
    “Tom! Tom! Hold up. I’ve got a good rabbit here and figured you might want to take it off my hands,” I called out, closing in on the shop owner.
    He turned around, startled. “Oh, Drake. Had me going there for a moment. Good timing. I was almost on my way home.”
    He looked at the rabbit I was now holding in my hand. “Sure. I can always use more clean meat. The fur is going for a lot now, too. Selling the squirrel too?”
    I shook my head. “No, keeping that for Kelsie and me.”
    He nodded, staring at the rabbit with a calculating look. “Let’s see here. Three and a quarter for it?”
    I turned on my bartering face. “Hoping for more like three and seventy-five.”
    “Getting a bit rich there for me,” he responded.
    We went back and forth, settling on a number. He opened his shop, giving me the money, and we went our separate ways.
    “Drake. Hey, Drake!” I heard behind me after I had left the marketplace. I turned around and saw a messenger boy panting behind me, bent over double and heaving now that he’d caught up to me. I walked back to him and stopped, waiting for him to catch his breath.
    “Yeah? What can I do for