A.N. This fan fiction is a serious spoiler for Terrier, so do not read if you haven't read Terrier and do not want it to be spoiled, ( I do not know why you would be searching this up if you didn't, but….. ). Ok, well, now that that's out of the way, let me introduce myself. I am a new writer on fan fiction, ( this is my first fan fiction written) so please review to tell me what you think about this fan fiction ( by the way, this is not a one-shot, it's going to be multiple chapters ), and how I can improve! It would be much appreciated. I am totally ignoring Mastiff and Bloodhound in this fan fiction, this one fan fiction is solely on Terrier by Tamora Pierce. Oh, and I almost forgot, I do not own Beka and the rest of the characters in the story that you recognize, or the setting, or basically anything else you recognize. It all belongs to the magnificent, . Here is a longer summary of this fan fiction, like I promised you.

What if my Lord Provost didn't believe Beka when she told him she knew where the Big Bold Brass Gang was? What if he never adopted her, and her family? What would Beka do? This is an answer of that unanswered question. Beka became a part of the Court of the Rogue, pushing away all her bad feelings towards rushers to join it. Now, Beka has to find a way to get rid of Kayfer, the Rogue, the Shadow Snake, and rescue the diggers, all as a rusher, using her contacts. In the end, she will have to get a few of the rushers to work with the a few of the Dogs, or leave the Shadow Snake and digger case be. Will she get a few rushers and Dogs to push back centuries of bad feeling and distrust toward each other and get them to work together for a good cause? Or will innocent people die and continue dying because of her failure? And does she even want to take down them all? This is the story of Beka Cooper, a rusher.

Beka Cooper

Rusher of Kayfer's Court

Thursday, April 2, 246

My name is Beka Cooper. I decided to write this journal after what happened today. I believe that what happened today will thoroughly through my life in chaos, so I decided to start this thing to help me through these times. Ma always said that 'when times get tough, pick a pencil up'. To make this entry all proper and the like, I will describe my looks. I am about sixteen and am about five feet and eight inches in height. I'm a bit on the slender side, but I have good shoulders. My build is muscled for a mot, it has to be in my line of work, unless I want to end up dead, knifed in a gutter. I seem to be pretty in the face, for many, many coves have tried to get me to be theirs, and Bold Brian makes it his duty to make sure I don't forget it. I always glare at him with my light blue-gray eyes then, which is quite intimidating and scary I am told, yet he is so used to me that he has the brass to grin at my icy glare. His nickname suits him. He really has something coming his way someday soon. Though my face is fine and has miraculously escaped any scars, the rest of me is not so lucky. I have a long scar on my right arm and one also long one on my leg. I am sure I have many, many,more, but those are the most memorable, they have a lot of…..history behind them. My teeth are fine I guess. My hair is dark blonde and long, my one vanity (certainly can't have many others with all my scars). I know it could be dangerous, someone could use it as and advantage in a fight, to pull me down, but I have it in a tight braid and there is a spiked strap I braid into it, for all those who dare to grab my braid.

I am just going to skip over the rest of the day and to the event. I was standing on guard this evening, watching closely to see if anyone was trying to assassinate the current Rogue, Kayfer Deerborne, but secretly hoping that someone would kill him. Why, you might ask, would I be trying to protect him if I wanted him to be killed. It was because if someone tried to assassinate him to be the Rogue, ( There are many other reasons to kill a King of Thieves, especially with Kayfer but mostly it's for the position of the Rogue) that means that he or she would be a poor Rogue and be bad to the Lower City, possibly worse than Kayfer, and I did not want that. Plus, I get paid well to see keep him alive. Nevertheless, I still wished someone would kill him, the right way, by challenging him, but so far no rusher seemed right to be the Rogue. Most of them were scuts or just plainly, wimps, and the good ones were not fit to be the Rogue. As for me, I believe that I am not fit to be the Rogue, I could not keep all the rowdy people of the Court in check with talk like a good Rogue should be able to do. Even though the Lower City had weaned out most of my shyness, I still could not sit up there on the throne with all of those eyes tracked on me. At that thought, I shuddered. That would be my worst nightmare.

While I was searching the room for potential threats to Kayfer's wellbeing, a cove walked in with two mots right behind him, from the front entrance. They walked past me and went to a wall across from me. I got a good view of them and analyzed each and every one of them. I did not know who they were, which means they were new. New people make changes. Changes that were most likely bad ones, but could be good. Either way, I would need to check them out. One mot had blonde hair, was plainly Scanran, looked about two or three years older then me, and was wearing a simple shirt and breeches, like me. On her belt she had a gleaming sword that looked very well sharpened. Judging by that, and her rough, calloused hands that told of a long history with a sword, I guessed that she was a swordsman. As I tweaked the sword on my own belt, I silently decided that I respected her and her very good quality sword. I decided that she was going to try to be a rusher in the Rogue's Court. The other mot was a brunette about my height with mixed blood and was wearing a blue dress. I could not tell what her eye color was in the murky light. She had a bunch of string and weird knots on her person. I examined her carefully and decided that she was a mage, not a very potent one, mayhap not very much more than just a hedge witch, but probably around average for mages in the Lower City. They were all quite interesting, but the cove was what really caught my attention.

He looked Scanran as well, had dark eyes, bone pale skin, and long, very fair hair, tied back into a ponytail. The cove had many imprints of daggers and knives on him. He looked lean and muscular, and quite handsome, I have to say. Most mots would probably throw themselves at him. I am not 'most mots'. That was not why he caught my attention. That cove looked like he could take on the court smoothly, judging from his confident swagger and smile, and take down Kayfer the right way, I guessed from his many daggers and deft hands. Now if he was good and would be good to the Lower City, I think he would be the ideal Rogue. Whoa, I scolded myself mentally, don't get ahead of yourself. It was just that after all the years, I was a little more than eager to find the right person for Rogue. I pulled myself back to reality and decided that he might also want to try to be a rusher in Kayfer's Court. Anyhow, the cove seemed to be watching the 'Rogue' carefully. The blonde mot leaned against the wall lazily as the brunette sat down with cat like grace and looked ready to spring.

Just as I had finished inspecting them, Guardsman Tunstall and Guardswoman Goodwin walked in, probably to get the Happy Bag. Goodwin is two inches shorter than me, has short dark brown hair she wears short, is built well, has a beak of a nose, and full lips. She has been a Dog for seventeen years and is all muscle. Tunstall is 6 foot and 3 inches, is long legged, long armed, has a deep set of brown eyes, and a long, curved nose. He looks like an owl to me, but is good with the ladies. Guardsman Tunstall wears his hair cropped, with some grey in it and his beard and mustache. He has been a dog for twenty years. They have been a pair for thirteen years and are the very best in the Jane Street Kennel. They could be in any district, but chose the Lower City, the dirtiest and most crime filled. I guess they just love the Lower City.

Right then, Pounce appeared a few feet away from me and ran over to me, his purple eyes glistening. His black fur was still smooth. Pounce had been my friend for a long time now, since I was little and was very close to me. Also, sometimes, his meows sounded like speech to me.

I asked him under my breath," How is it that you run in here, looking rushed, yet your fur is still perfectly smooth?"

He replied with a cats smile, so that only I could hear, My secret.

I snorted. Tunstall's owl eyes had seen Pounce and found me. He nudged Goodwin, looking meaningfully in my direction.

Goodwin saw me and asked, jolly, "How the hell are you Cooper? Have you decided to ditch the Court and finally join us Dogs?"

The cove and mots looked over at us as I replied with a grin, "I'm doin' just fine, and Goodwin, ye know that the Dogs won't take in someone with a rusher past!"

Goodwin growled, "I don't care, I will make them let you join, you are too good to lose to the dark side!"

The cove and his mots looked interested at that, whereas I just outright laughed and said, "Goodwin, I think I am in too deep in th' 'dark side' to get out, and though ye might frighten them extremely, I'm not sure that ye can go on an' convince the Dogs to let me join."

Tunstall spoke up then and said quietly," Beka, I would not bet more than a copper on that, Goodwin can be quite stubborn when she wants to be."

I knew that alright. Every time Goodwin met me, she managed to squeeze that question into our conversation, despite my constant rejections. Still, I smiled warmly at them. Tunstall and Goodwin had tracked me down after I had helped them to thank me, Goodwin grudgingly, as always, but now we were all good friends. Good enough friends for me not to be shy around them. Despite that, I always avoid doing illegal stuff around Goodwin and Tunstall, I don't want to take advantage of their trust and kindness towards me. That's how we manage to be friends, we don't take advantage of each other. I went back to scanning the Court. After a few scans, I decided it'd be alright to turn my attention to them for a while.

"When will he meet us? " Goodwin asked, practically a second later, tapping her foot against the floor. She is very impatient.

Tunstall chided her, shaking his finger at her playfully, "You know that to prove he is the Rogue he makes us wait."

"Some Rogue he is, sits on his arse like a sarden king, bribing people to stand for him, I'd hope for someone livelier in charge here," a voice drawled, belonging to the cove with bone pale skin.

Goodwin glanced over at Tunstall who was now talking with Ulsa, chief of Prettybone, and then she said in a quiet voice ," Now laddybuck, tell me what type of lively you are looking for. I will direct you right towards it, away from Corus," and added a deadly smile. Giving her the same smile he looked over all of us and I looked away and managed to stop myself from looking down at the floor. Instead, I scanned the room again.

The cat like mot nudged the cove and said, "Rosto, fidget people who fidget you back, I am Kora, that's Aniki and the cove here is Rosto the Piper."

I felt obliged to introduce ourselves and said, "I am Beka Cooper, right here is Guardswoman Goodwin and Guardsman Tunstall is over there, they are the best at what they do. "

"And what do you do, Beka?" Rosto I believe asked, emphasizing my name.

I quipped back curtly, "Why, I believe I am in the same line of business that you and the blonde seek to do."

"What about me?" Kora, the friendly one asked.

I pretended to think hard by scrunching my face and then replied, in a good mood, "You are a mage."

"Correct!" she cried out, grinning. Pounce strode up to Kora I believe and nudged her. Kora picked him up and petted him. Pounce started purring as I gave him a glare. He just gave me a look as if he was to say, you see, at least she pets me!

"This cat is a handsome fellow," She started and then said, seeing his violet eyes, "Goddess, purple eyes!"

Aniki and Rosto gaped at his his eyes, and Pounce grumbled as the petting stopped.

"It's alright, he is just a cat" Goodwin said, smirking at their reaction.

I teased, "Now Goodwin, if I remember right, when you saw ol' Pounces eyes, you swore, took a step back and fell right into a gutter. Tis was the day after it rained as well."

As Kora , Aniki, and Rosto laughed, recovered, Goodwin grumbled, "You probably were shocked, too, when you saw his eyes Cooper."

"But, I did not fall into a gutter!" I teased her lightly, remembering the day I had found Pounce.

Pounce's eye color really was quite...different, especially for a cat. I had almost thrown him out the window when I had seen him, curled up on my bed and fallen of the bed myself, but I had managed to regain my balance, just in time, and I had gotten over my reaction to his eye color to manage to not throw him out the window immediately, though some days, when he is annoying, I am tempted to do what I had not done that day.

I spoke up again, seeing my replacement, "I'll see you soon Guardsman Goodwin and Guardsman Tunstall, I believe that I am off duty now." I went to the privy, Pounce stayed, purring under Kora's touch. Sarden cat.

When I came back Crookshank had a dagger at Kayfer's throat, and it was about to slit his throat, when Rosto disarmed him. Goddess, he is fast and handsome. Wait no, not handsome, bad Beka! Though, he was quite sly as well, because if one was not at the specific angle that Goodwin and I were at, you would not see him slip something of Crookshank's in his boot.

Aniki said cheerfully, "Quick little spintry, ain't he, you should see him scale a wall."

Goodwin replied dryly, "I will pass, I would hate to arrest such a pretty cove,"

As Rosto strolled back, Goodwin whispered in my ear, "Get the bag and I will give you a silver noble and tell you what is in it, don't make me call up my debt."

My curiosity burned. Goodwin was right about the whole debt thing, I did owe her. I did as she said, not wanting to make her call on her debt. If she had to that, she would be in a bad mood. No one wanted to be the cause of Goodwin's mood if it is bad. Let's just say, the last one, a hardened, seasoned Dog with scars, spent an hour crying after, not a scratch on him. No one to this day knows how she did it. Not wanting to end up as that fellow, I pretended to fall over myself and tangled Rosto and I up. I twisted and turned and managed to get the bag and slip it into my boot. Suddenly, I blushed, seeing Rosto's face so close to mine. We finally straightened ourselves up, well I did, Rosto's mots fixed him up. Meanwhile, Kayfer walked up to us with a suspicious, but lazy glance at me. He knew I was sharper than that, but was too lazy to investigate.

"You know, if you had asked dear, I would have considered, you're quite pretty when you look a cove in the eyes." Rosto muttered, dusting himself off, before Kayfer reached us.

I tried to suppress my blush as Kayfer spoke to Rosto, "You are quick, are you and your mots looking for employment? The gate crew that let Crookshank in with the knife are going for a swim in the Olorun unless they can make it back into my graces as wounded mumpers, so I shall plenty of open spaces for new rushers."

I winced. Thank the Goddess that I was off duty when this happened. The choice between being a wounded mumper or dead was tougher than you'd think.

Tunstall, smooth as always, asked, with false surprise, "Why Kayfer, you can't mean to break the law right here in front of two Dogs during our watch? I just can't allow that."

"Not at all, that is why we have the Happy Bag, I will just talk with young Rosto here later." he replied, grinning, and then led them away to discuss the Happy Bag.

Rosto walked up to me and started, "So a pretty mot like yerself-"

I cut him off sharply, used to such things, "Just get to yer point."

"Okay I want t' know what is in the bag," he said, shrugging.

I thought and decide to reply truthfully. "I don't know yet, ask me later."

Kora stepped up then and said, "Excuse Rosto, he was raised by wolves. I heard that your Ma was a herb specialist, do you know where I can get some, we are new here."

I told her and then Kora, Rosto, and I started a conversation about herbs. Surprisingly, Rosto knew a lot more than I thought a cove would know about herbs! Towards the end of our conversation, Rosto asked if Kayfer was going to do something with Crookshank. I answered darkly that he would find his own 'unique' way to deal with that.

Goodwin and Tunstall left and seeing Kayfer walk over to Rosto and Aniki, Kora said, "Oh no, here comes the illegal news, I will be at the lodgings." Then she ran off.

"I like your quickness Rosto and I bet your mot there is good with the sword, would you like to be in my employment?" Kayfer asked, getting straight to the point.

Rosto grinned, using his charisma, "It would be an honor your Majesty."

Kayfer grinned and said, "Hmm...oh Beka here can teach you our ways." Kayfer strolled off, back to his throne.

"All right," I said once he was long gone, fixing them with my infamous ice glare to show I meant business, "Just follow me for a while until we officially get on the street, then I will explain everything."

I walked out the door with Aniki and Rosto on my heels, (Pounce was on my shoulder, lazy cat he is, or as he says, smart cat) and I kept walking until we were a good 15 yards away from the Court of the Rogue.

Then, I turned around. "Ok, I am about to teach you the ways of the common rusher, are you ready and are you sure that you want to be a rusher of the Lower City? Think carefully about what you are going to do. And no, this ain't just some simple precaution that we all do. This is dead serious, if ye back out now, the Rogue will ferget 'bout ye after a while, and ye won't ever 'ave to go back." I was not lying, I want the people joining the Rogue fully knowing the mess they were getting themselves in and have a chance to think about it. I could tell this pair was not likely to do leave, they were fighters, and probably rushers before. They probably knew only the ways of the rusher and were fine with them. Aniki thought for a while and nodded. Rosto looked like he was deep in thought, but soon nodded as well.

" A rusher in the Court of the Rogue must always be ready for anything. You must develop your instincts well and never hesitate, a second of hesitation in a murder attempt can mean the difference between life and death" I continued while walking, then, in alarm, hissed, seeing a watcher, " Quickly, duck into that alley!"

They both ducked into the alley, and I looked around carefully to see if there were any watchers around us now.

Seeing that there were none, I carefully pulled out my knife and asked the question I had been yearning to ask."Are you two some of Kayfer's Birdies?"

Rosto said, his black eyes serious and focused on the knife I was holding, " No, we are not one of his as you say 'Birdies'."

I fingered the charm I was wearing and seeing that it did not let out a sound, let out a breath I did not realize I was holding until then, latched my dagger back into its original place, and said," Good, you two seem a good sort, I would hate to have to knock you out,"

Aniki looked at me with a confused look and I explained my complicated situation.

"I hate Kayfer and am looking for a potential new Rogue, you two are currently the top candidates." Rosto was about to say something, but I cut him off, "I know that you are probably not looking to become the Rogue, but that will probably change quite quickly once you realize how the Court of the Rogue is like because of the big Rogue at the top, or maybe you are planning to be the Rogue, but do not trust me enough to tell me just yet. I get it."

As Rosto gave me a looked that clearly said that he doubted that, Aniki spoke up and asked, " Why did you believe us so easily?"

I grinned, liking that she was being straightforward, when people coat their words in fancy talk, it gives me a headache to find out what is proper to say and what they are saying, and replied, "Well, I have a charm that tells me how hard you are thinking for like for a second, and since you were not thinking harder, which is what everyone unknowingly does when they lie, that meant you were telling the truth, but know, unfortunately, the charm will not work for a year now, I was saving it for a day like this, and it still is not altogether reliable, just seventy percent, but I am trusting my gut on this one that you are not birdies."

Rosto asked, his intimidating black eyes now curious, "Why go through all that trouble for us?"

"If one of Kayfer's birdies knew that I was looking for a new Rogue, he would kill me immediately, actually he would send someone to kill me, so usually I just don't tell that to anyone, but you two look like you could change the Court of the Rogue for the good, so I needed to use my charm to make sure you were not one of his puppets."

Rosto shifted position and looking intently at me, asked," Why do you hate Kayfer so much, what type of Rogue is he?"

I replied bluntly, "Kayfer is a terrible Rogue, he does not take care of the people of the Lower City or even cares bit about them, he just cares about how much money he has, he does not do what a Rogue is supposed to do. I care about the Lower City and do not like how he treats them."

Surprisingly, Aniki asked me a question that I had not been expecting, "Why don't you just take over the Rogue, you are quite good, according to Guardswoman Goodwin, right?"

I replied with the same logic I told myself each night, when I asked myself the same question. "I am not good enough to be the Rogue, I...lack some qualities needed to be the Rogue, such as being able to stop an argument with words and not feeling comfortable as the center of attention, I prefer to use my daggers, and it's worse to have an inadequate Rogue like me, than stay in Kayfer's control, at least then the Lower City does not have to adjust so often. Plus, Kayfer's chiefs already suspect me. Now are you done questioning me?" I ended half teasingly, partly serious. I rubbed my head and groaned, long speeches always did get me a little nauseous, curst shyness. Pounce nudged me softly to comfort me. They grinned at what I said and nodded. Smiling, I lead on, looking for a brawl to use as a distraction to rob people. I stopped once to deal with some kids who thought it would be fun to mess around with a then, Pounce jumped down to try to catch…. something.

After a while, Aniki asked impatiently, "Can we do something now?"

I smiled at her impatience and was about to respond when I heard screams from a cove and children. I heard a person yell, "Dogs are on the way Jack, hang on!" and something else that was not audible, but sounded panicked. That wiped the smile right off my face.

I told Aniki and Rosto, "Please stay here, alright? I will be right back, but if I don't come back soon, you two can go back to your lodgings."

Before they could respond, I dashed off, leaving Pounce behind as well. I burst into the lodgings and ran up to the room causing the chaos.

The sight that met my eyes was that Goodwin was knocked out, probably from a hit in the jaw because there was a bruise there. Tunstall said quietly to a mot with a crazed look in her eyes, "Orva, you have just struck a dog with a blade." In the corner, some kids were cowering and what appeared to be the mot's cove. The kids were probably her and the cove's children, I realized. The cove and all the kids had wounds. There was a smell of hot blood wine in the air, probably from the mot.

With that, the mot jumped through an unshutterred window with me on her heels, there was no way I was going to let her run away, she had hit one of my friends and hurt her own children and her cove! I did not even think that I might end up with broken legs, I just jumped. It turned out that the window led to some stairs, and I landed with jarred ankles. She was running on the streets and I followed her. Hot blood wine kept her going. She led me through Cesspool with the only light from bars and gambling places. I slipped and fell somewhere behind the Court of the Rogue, which caused me to lose her. I listened for her and hearing a rustle of cloth from behind me, dodged. Right where I had been lying, she thrust a knife through that part of the fence. She kept running and seeing her, I ran after her. I managed to get close to her and hit the hilt of my dagger against her legs, a neat trick. She stumbled, and with that little hesitation, I managed to get my knife at her throat. I held her wrists together, took her knife and shoved her forward.

When she stubbornly refused to move, I hissed in her ear," Move, or I will make you!"

That got her moving quick enough. When we passed by a tavern, I took some rope hanging outside the door of a bar and left a couple of coppers in its place. I tied the ropes around her wrist and moved on. A while later, I heard someone creeping up on us and was about to hurtle a knife at them, when I heard a familiar voice.

"Easy love, Aniki and I just ran after you," Rosto said, smirking and added, "We waited until Aniki got bored and ran after you, Pounce helped a great deal as well," gesturing to my smug cat licking his fur.

I tried to hide how my legs were wobbling and the bruises that were right under my sleeves, the bruises on my face were too visible to hide.

I glared at my sarden cat and Rosto and grumbled, "Why did ye not stay where I told you to?"

Aniki drawled, "Well, I get bored easily, and after seeing you run through the streets like a cracknob, running after an actual cracknob, we decided to chase after you."

I cursed under my breath, I had forgotten that they had probably seen me chasing afterward her!

I replied with stern determination, "Well, this mot here is not going anywhere, she led me through the whole of Cesspool!"

Suddenly, Rosto spoke up and said in a teasing tone, " Beka, you are ruining your good looks with those bruises, you should be more careful,"

I rolled my eyes and sarcastically replied," Sure Rosto, I will be more careful the next time I chase a half crazed mot through the whole of the Lower City!", but secretly, I sort of liked that he was worried about me. I must really be cracknobbed to be thinking like that! Anyway, I just pushed the mot wearily along.

Pounce confronted me sternly and said Stop being so careless, do I have to watch you all the time?

I glanced at him and said in my mind, "Mayhap you should stop encouraging people to disobey me!" He let out a mrrwww that sounded like a laugh, as I continued in my mind,"But I guess that gods don't have any restrictions like that!"

He replied indignantly with a toss of his head, I am NOT a god, how many times do I have to say it!

I smirked and continued pushing the piece of scummer along.

"Beka, why are you... hobbling a mot?" Aniki asked, puzzled, just realizing what I was doing.

I replied, smoothly, used to this sort of reaction, starting off voice even, but getting angrier with every word, just thinking about what Orva had done, "Orva here deserves to be in the cages for hurtin' her poor children, they were bleedin' and scarred, a mot should be glad to have three alive children in the Lower City with a decent husband. She also hit Goodwin, hard."

Aniki said, observing my various bruises, "Beka, you'd best check those bruises out."

" Later" I replied, trudging along, trying with renewed effort to hide my exhaustion, healing was a pain, and besides exhaustion and some bruises was nothing big!

We were right at the Kennel, and I was lucky enough to spot Goodwin and Tunstall right outside of it. Goodwin had a nasty knot on her jaw and I winced. That must have hurt a lot.

Tunstall's owl eyes found me and asked cheerfully, "Ye got the cracknobbed mot? Good, Goodwin was about ready to start running off into the streets to find out who had hurt her, the infamous Goodwin."

"You ducknob, I was not going to do that Mattes, I was going to track her down quickly, possibly through the streets. Ye did good though Cooper." Goodwin scorned Tunstall.

Tunstall complained, hands on hips, "That's what I said!"

"Naw, now stop complaining like a child Mattes, we've got company," Goodwin scolded, noticing Aniki and Rosto.

Rosto said lightly, "Now, don't let us disrupt anythin'."

Goodwin snorted and said," Sure Piper, anyway, Cooper, push over the mot, I've got plans for her,"

Seeing Goodwin's vicious smile I asked slyly, grinning, "Why Goodwin, I hope you mean handing her over to the Cage Dogs, right?"

As I handed over the mot, Goodwin smirked and asked, faking innocence," Of course Cooper what else would I mean?"

I smiled and dusted my hands off on my breeches and winced slightly, I had hit one of my bigger bruises. Pounce jumped on my leg forcefully and meowed loudly at Goodwin. I winced slightly again, thanks to Pounce, Goodwin noticed it, my other bruises, and my exhaustion I had tried so hard to hide.

Narrowing her eyes she said," Beka, you go in there, and get the special tea, I'll tell them you are my niece, just don't let anyone see your eyes, through all that dirt your hair color is hidden, don't even resist."

Sighing in defeat, I walked in, looking at the floor per Goodwin's order and also because of my own darn shyness. Rosto and Aniki stayed outside, as Pounce resumed his scolding, ignoring everyone's staring in the Kennel.( I really can't blame them for staring , we were quite a sight, a grinning Guardsman with a fierce looking Guardswoman, who were just in there, with a drunk mot in her hobbles and another quite messy mot following her.)

You were trying to hide that right?! You still need to take care yourself! Or have someone to take care of you. Pounce added slyly, now on my shoulder.

I shrugged, wondering what he meant about the ending of his scolding, and whispered sharply, "It's just a few bruises, nothing big!"

Pounce just snorted as Goodwin hauled me to the front desk. There sat Ahuda I think, the Desk Sergeant. She was the only one who didn't look up at our arrival. She glanced up as Goodwin strode over to her, me lagging behind her.

Ahuda raised her eyebrow and asked, "Yes Goodwin?"

"Can my relative here get some healin', she helped in that tussle?" Goodwin stated rather more than asked.

"Okay, your relative can go to the healer and the scummer will be placed into the cages," Ahuda said, and signaled a nearby Cage Dog to take Orva off Goodwin's hands. Seeing Ahudas acceptance of us, the rest of the Dogs relaxed and continued chatting. Then Ahuda continued softly so only Goodwin, Tunstall and I could hear, "I know she is not on our side of the law, much less a relative of yours, but if you two like her, then she can go." Goodwin and Tunstall thanked her, Goodwin gruffly, Tunstall friendly. Ahuda also added, "and that there mot has just saved one of my Guardwoman's sane state along with, once a time ago, my dearl niece." I smiled shyly as Tunstall who at first laughed, and Goodwin who at first growled, now both gaped.

" It was nothing mam, she is a good mot, I could tell even then, and was just in the wrong circumstance, having gotten caught in a nasty brawl," I whispered, shyly.

Ahuda gently raised my head with two of her fingers and said, "No it was everything, it's good to see it's not only Dogs out there that care and do something for the people of the Lower City." Ahuda gave me a smile, which I returned shyly, and then Ahuda got back to her papers. Tunstall came out of his stupor and dragged me a distance away.

Tunstall asked," Where were the Evening Watch Dogs then?"

"It happened during the Day Watch," I explained.

"A'course it did", Goodwin growled, " Sarden Day Watch Dogs."

Pounce, impatient from our small chat, meowed, Come on, you still need to see a healer!

"Mayhap I should get healed now?" I suggested lightly to satisfy Pounce, the stubborn cat.

Goodwin grunted and growled, "Alright come on Cooper." Goodwin pushed me in there with the mot healer. Goodwin left me there and pulled Tunstall out with her. The mot motioned for me to sit on the seat by a window in the back of the room, and when I did I realized just how tired I was. With the adrenaline running through my veins from the race, I had not noticed anything until I sat down, relaxing. My eyes kept on fluttering to a close, my upper eyelashes felt like they had weights on them, making it hard for me to keep my eyes open slightly. It was only through Pounce's nudges that I was able to stay awake as the mot examined me carefully. I hid my eye color throughout the examination. Finally she finished and then handed me some tea.

"Drink that and then you can go, it will refresh you, you are just tired and have some bruises that I won't do anything with, they are minor and I have to take care of Dogs now," she ordered, putting an emphasis on Dogs, and then trounced right out.

"I feel so welcome," I muttered sarcastically, then started to drink the scalding hot tea, and soon felt quite refreshed. Almost done with the tea, I heard something near the window next to me. Quickly, I pulled out my knife, and instinctively aimed it at the person, but stopped once I recognized the blonde, almost white hair. " What are you doing here!" I hissed at Rosto. He pulled himself into the room through the window smoothly and straightened his clothes. Then, he grinned.

"What are we doing here," Rosto corrected me as Aniki jumped in.

I asked again, annoyed, "Fine, what are you two doing here!"

Rosto grinned once more and said, "Well, believe it or not, this time I got bored."

I muttered just loud enough for him to here, "I do."

He grinned even wider before Aniki added, "I would have got bored soon anyway."

"Ok, well I am fine, so after I get out, we can continue," I said, hoping they would not ask the question I thought they would.

"Oh no no, you can't get away that quickly, why are Goodwin and Tunstall so close to you?" Aniki asked, hands on hips. I looked to Rosto, who also looked serious and sighed.

I explained, "I helped them when I was younger, an' they looked for me to say thanks, an' we became good friends once they found me. We just make sure not to get in a situation where we have t' fight." Right then, saving me from further questioning, Goodwin entered with Tunstall. Rosto looked at them with a different light in his eyes. Aniki did as well.

Her sharp brown eyes spotted out Rosto and Aniki and said, "Oh they are here, well, anyway Cooper, you all healed up?"

"Yup!" I replied, cheerfully, jumping up, relieved to be free from having to explain myself. Tunstall, Goodwin and I walked out while Rosto and Aniki went out the window. As Goodwin said, even though the Dogs know rushers can sneak in here, they'd don't like it being publicly shown, and they might show their displeasure, physically to the rushers. I walked after Goodwin and Tunstall, particularly fast in the main Dog room. Once we got out, I sighed in relief, enjoying the privacy and cool wind of the Lower City. Rosto and Aniki popped out from the shadows instantly. I said farewell to Tunstall and Goodwin, and then I walked away Aniki and Rosto with me. Pounce disappeared sometime around then. We walked along the streets and just talked for a while. Aniki and Rosto came from Scanra apparently, wretched cold place, and came here for entertainment, they were getting bored, Aniki explained, grinning. I smiled, and tried to remember that they came from Scanra, so I would not get too annoyed at them for not shivering in the sarden cold. If they survived, I reminded myself. We were walking for a while when Aniki once again spoke up.

"Where is the excitement?" she whined, looking around.

I chuckled and replied, "Why, all around you, but for today, I am searching for something specific." Hearing some yells and smashes, I continued, "-and I think I just found it."

I ran to the noise and stopped at the tavern, Barrels Bottom. It had a notorious record of tavern fights. I was seriously surprised that no Dogs had not burned it down, considering how many fights they have to break up there. Of course, the people would just go to a different bar, but some of the Dogs don't have a quite bright enough lightbulb to know that. I peered into the bar. I assessed it, a moderate fight, not to challenging to sneak into to get some money, and the Dogs would take a while to get here, because it looked like it had just started. Perfect, those ducknobs deserved it anyway, getting drunk and getting in a fight? Not very smart. When they came to, the loss of their money would be a even harsher rebuke to them than their numerous bruises, and possible time in the cages. I felt a dash of guilt as I thought about what I was doing. I used to want to break these things up not steal in them, but that was a long time ago. I pursed my lips and pushed back the unwanted memories and broken dreams I had had. This was my life now, I have to get along with it.

Swallowing hard, I beckoned to Aniki and Rosto to follow my lead silently, and they nodded. I took a deep breath to prepare myself and then, I slipped into the bar. I was greeted by a jumble of limbs kicking out everywhere. I dodged the blows and sneaked my ticklers into some of their pockets, or for those who passed out, just snatched their money. I tried to focus and ignore the pounding noise and flashes of color. I found a jackpot, a cove with about ten coppers and a couple of silver ones. Once I got that cove, I was near at the edge of the fight. I was going to slip out, neat and tidy, but I saw a gixie, about ten. I felt a dash of deja vu. Her brown hair was done in two braids and she had fair skin. Her clothes, like most Cesspool gixies, were ragged and torn. She was mumbling for her father. Beside her was a large cove, old enough to be her father. I silently cursed all irresponsible parents and quickly bent down, slung her over my shoulders, and ran out. Outside of the tavern, Aniki and Rosto were there, along with Pounce who had mysteriously appeared again there. Pounce jumped onto my shoulder and purred happily. Seeing the gixie slung over my shoulders, Rosto raised an eyebrow.

"Being in that type of fight is dangerous for a gixie, especially if she is unconscious, it would take a while for the Dogs to come, and by then, she would have many injuries," I explained, gesturing to the Lower City gixie.

Aniki accepted it while Rosto commented, "Yer a strange type of rusher, ye know that?" I shrugged, used to such comments and slung the gixie into a more comfortable position, I was still tired from chasing Orva. Unfortunately, Rosto, noticing that, ordered, "Now hand over the gixie, oh no don't glare at me love, yer asleep on your feet, come on, who will teach us the ways of the Lower City if ye pass out?" I glared at him as he crossed his arms. Feeling the aching in my limbs increase slightly from the gixie, I gave up and handed her to him. Aniki, who was standing by, looked surprised at Rosto's gesture. Rosto grinned, and held the girl.

"But you be careful with her," I ordered him, half heartedly, while I was inwardly sighing in relief of the gixie being taken off my literal hands. Rosto just grinned and mock saluted.

He teased, "Of course mistress," I gave him a mock glare and trudged towards Cesspool.

Pounce spoke to me alone and said, Beka, don't over do yourself, and yes I know what you are going to say, I will make sure the little girl will recover quickly, and he jumped from my shoulder onto the gixie in Rosto's hold. Rosto looked surprised, but just went with it.

After about half a minute, Aniki asked, running up to catch up with me, Rosto behind her, "Where are we goin'?"

"To Cesspool, the poorest, dirtiest, and most dangerous part of the Lower City, the poorest, dirtiest, and most dangerous district in the entire Corus. Great place." I said wryly, without looking at her, trying to avoid her hidden question.

Aniki stopped and said, grabbing my arm to stop me, "Okay, maybe I was not clear enough, but I also was asking WHY we are going there."

I turned around and said defiantly, glaring, "I am NOT going to set down the poor girl randomly in the city, I have to find her ma an' give her her gixie, just think how worried her mother must been!"

"Alright, alright, let's go, but how do you know she was from Cesspool and how will you find her mother?" Aniki asked, curious.

"The next time I meet a super curious and impatient person I am going to call them an Aniki," I muttered and then replied louder, "Easy, just look for the distraught mot who is on the side of the street, looking like she was looking forever for someone, and the little gixies clothing store are poor and ragged, and she looks half starved, so definitely Lower City district and the bar was near the Cesspool, most folks from Cesspool gamble and drink there, and her clothing are made of the same fabric that is the only one Cesspool can afford."

Rosto and Aniki looked shocked and Rosto asked, incredulous, "How did you figure that out?"

I smirked at their reaction, but answered simply in a slight wistful tone, "I know the Lower City like the back of my hand, never known any other place and Cesspool was my home." Right then, I realized that we were in a Cesspool neighborhood. I looked around carefully. I spotted cove in a corner, a beggar who was a familiar around here, a mot sitting down, doing her sewing with a baby by her side, some kids running into their house, and a mot who looked very wistfully at the kids, as if she lost one of her one. Aha I thought triumphantly and strode towards her, pulling Rosto and Aniki with me. I gently tapped the mots shoulder and she looked up, alarmed. Her eyes were red from crying and her hair looked like it had been torn out from stress.

"What?" the mot asked hostilely, getting ready to run. In response I motioned to Rosto who walked up and set the little gixie in the mots lap. She cried out in joy. "You found her, but wait what's wrong with my little Melissa?" She asked worriedly, stroking the girls face tenderly.

I replied calmly, "Nothing ma'am, she's just got a concussion, she will be alright in an hour or so, we found her in a tavern calling out for her father and by her was a large sandy haired cove."

"Ah, she followed her gods cursed father, I am going to give her a good spanking once she wakes, the worry she put Fredrick, her brother, and I through!" The mot said, spitting out the word father as if it was scummer. Seeing our curious looks she explained, "He is her official father through blood, but in spirit, she is just mine, but she won't listen." The mot looked sadly at her daughter and brushed the a lock of the girl's hair from her face tenderly.

Feeling awkward, as if we should leave her alone with her daughter, I said, "Well ma'am we should get going."

She caught a glimpse of my eyes and gasped and said, putting an emphasis on Beka, " Oh you are Beka, bless you child, keep on keeping the Lower City safe, you can call me Felicia." She then kissed me on my cheek and I blushed at the compliments.

"Um, Felicia, well we should get going," I said hurriedly and practically ran out of there. Aniki and Rosto were right behind me. I slowed to a walk once I could not see the mot waving her hand. I then sighed in relief and panted. Pounce looked up at me with his wide purple eyes and spoke.

You know that was very rude! I know why you did it, but still, he meowed, and at the end sniffed airily.

I laughed and said, grabbing him and placing him on my shoulder, "Well you impertinent cat, I'm no noble learning fancy talk and ways, I am a person of the Lower City, ye want fancy talk, go find yerself a noble."

Rosto and Aniki managed to catch up to me, and Aniki gave me a look. I answered her unasked question, knowing I would not be able to avoid it. "I ran away because it's not good for people to know me and know how I help them, because that causes gossip and gossip always manages to go through Kayfer's ear."

Rosto asked, his hands gesturing, "And that would be bad how?"

I replied plainly, "He would know more about me, more to use against me and threaten me with to make sure I don't kill him myself one of these days," Rosto and Aniki looked slightly shocked at my bluntness, and so, for a while we walked in blessed silence. After a while, I realized what the time was, one, and said, "Alright, our time is done, meet me at the Rogue's court tomorrow at one, the time before that is yours, any MORE questions?"

Aniki reassured me, smacking Rosto lightly on the head," I think we will be done with questioning for quite a while now, and as for ye, seriously, squeezing Beka for all she was worth to get to know who she was on the first day! You better at least be done now!"

Rosto winked at me and said, "Don't worry, I am all done with the interrogating, tomorrow will have probably close to none, if not none, interrogations."

"Thank the Goddess! Now any other questions?!" I exclaimed.

Aniki asked, cocking her head, "So, can we lodge where we chose?"

"Yes, but I recommend to buy a place in a lodgings that is already occupied by one or more friendly rushers/fighting people. If that ain't possible, it's better to lodge by yerself, hostile folks that know how to fight and live in your lodgings is not the best way to survive 'round here." I advised.

Suddenly, Rosto asked, black eyes curious," Where do you live Beka?"

"By myself, all the few friendly attackin' folk around here either one, live with a lot of other attacking people that ARE hostile to me, or, two, have their own family that they live with," I told him, unsuspecting, just plain tired. Rosto's black eyes sparkled with mischief which at first made me slightly suspicious, but I was too tired and battered up from Orva's chase to care then, so I did not say anything.

Rosto cheerfully exclaimed, cutting off Aniki's next question, "Wonderful, see you tomorrow." He then walked off, pulling Aniki with him. He paused a distance away, and then seemed to explain something to Aniki. Apparently, Aniki liked the idea, because she left voluntarily with him. Yawning, I walked away to my lodgings.

Pounce had a cat smile which made me more suspicious than Rosto's grin, so I asked, "What are you grinning about, are you and Rosto plotting something?"

Pounce simply replied with a sniff, Nothing big, I just think I know where Rosto plans to lodge, and I am liking the idea. Now that I think about what he said, it is pretty suspicious, but never mind, it must be nothing. Wherever Aniki and Rosto lodge, their location won't affect me at all. Anyhow, I just kept walking, knowing Pounce would say no more, but I still teased him.

"Are not you supposed to be like my spy, telling me things and such, not keeping things away from me?" I asked mischievously, trudging up the stairs of my place.

Pounce sniffed once more and replied airily, I am no ones 'spy', not even Mithros's! I laughed and pushed my door open. I collapsed onto my bed and wrote this. Oh Goddess, my cramps are going to be so bad tomorrow from chasing Orva! Sarden cracknobbed mot. Well, my hand hurts and I have no more to tell so I am done. Oh, one last thing though, I hope Rosto is the ONE to take over the Rogue, I really don't think I can wait for some more years for some more good change, and he seems to be a good cove altogether.