Catseye by Andre Norton
Troy Horan is an unlikely champion. Orphaned by war, and the aftermath of war, he is a shabby, scrawny teenager with only a cherished belt as evidence that he still treasures memories of the past. Trapped in the Dipple, bare minimum housing erected for refugees, with little hope for the future Troy stubbornly waits in line daily for the chance of temporary employment. At best a temporary job may lead to a permanent menial job and sub-citizen status. A loner, driven by inherited skills and desires for which there is no need and an independent nature that keeps him from either signing up to ship out as contract labor or joining the Thieves Guild, Troy lives from day-to-day.
Hired to work in an exotic pet shop by a mysterious Merchant Troy accompanies employed sub-citizen Zul to pick up a special shipment. Mental contact with the "pets" in the curtained transport cage adds another element.
The external conflict is of the child of war fighting to survive against a un-caring world which would rather forget that he exists. The internal conflict lies in Troy's attempts to live by his own values and honor against the pull to return to or recreate the past and the immediate need of securing the present.
When the carrier returning to the shop is attacked Troy acts in its defense and wins a seven-day contract during which he meets a Ranger who recognizes his belt and treats him with respect. Sent with a hawk the Ranger wishes to test in the wild Troy's independence is offended by other Hunters awareness of his Dipple origins.
The murder of the Merchant and Zul's demand that Troy help capture and kill the imported animals, who are intelligent and had been spying for the Merchant, results in Troy attempting to escape to the wild with the animals. (A threat to a weaker, or apparently weaker, person or being resulting in the protagonist accepting the role of Champion is a common thread in many of Andre Norton's books.)
Troy reverts to living day-to-day while his bond with the animals grow stronger. Pursued by Zul and his backers, patrollers, and Hunters Troy is finally captured but manages to allow the animals to escape. The spy master offers Troy the restoration of his families lands and assistance in rebuilding if Troy will help find and destroy the animals.
Troy leads the group to where he left the animals and the team of animals and Troy disarm the group and escape leaving the hunter in control of the criminals.
Copyright © 1999 Margaret I. Carr.
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