Angelfire

by sarafine-ecleips

Beka Cooper is not all whom she says to be. A girl of noble house who ran away from a life she did not want, is called back to set wrongs right. Angelblessed as she is, can she handle the complexities of running a fief, assassin network and keeping up with her Dog work? All the while keeping her identity secret?

Angel Fire

Prologue

There are sicknesses that walk in darkness;
and there are exterminating angels, that fly wrapt up in the
curtains of immateriality and an uncommunicating nature;
whom we cannot see, but we feel their force,
and sink under their sword.

– Jeremy Taylor, "A Funeral Sermon"

Pattering footfalls echoed through the empty streets as rain fell heavily from the skies. A young girl at the age of six fled through dirty alleyways and across filthy cobblestones, fleeing from her Father's men. Losing them in the incessant downpour, the girl whirled around, attempting to find her bearings. As her water logged waist length hair flew around her face, her green-purple flecked, blue-silver eyes met a pair of bright violet ones.

A dark slinky form stepped from the darkness.

The girl bent down to pet what was undoubtably a cat. Crooning to the small kitten, the girl scooped him up. Pausing for a moment to check that he was a he, the girl heard the kitten mew indignantly.

"What are you doing out in this rain, kitty? I thought cats don't like getting wet."

'We don't. But I wanted to meet you.'

The girl only blinked before saying, "You talk." She then shrugged, thinking that weirder things had happened. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Beka, Rebakah Angelfire of Queenscove. What's your name?"

'I have many names; you may choose what you wish to call me.'

Beka looked down at him in her small six year old arms, watching the mysterious kitten's paw smack falling droplets of water, crouched as if to pounce. That's it! Pounce.

Smiling softly, Beka tucked the kitten under her hair, the sopping locks acting as a barrier. "I dub thee Pounce."

The newly named kitten purred his approval as Beka set off down the street, making her way down to the Cesspool, where the poorer people lived. Beka passed few people as she walked, cradling the kitten, and most of them drunk and wasted.

Finally spying the doorway she was looking for, Beka marched right up to it and knocked loudly to be heard over the rain. Shifting impatiently, Beka faced the street, watching for any signs of trouble.

When the door opened, Beka turned to look at the middle aged woman. The woman's pale pallor was obvious even in the near darkness to Beka's well attuned night vision. As Beka studied the sickly woman, the woman just stared at Beka. Almost not believing her eyes, the woman stepped aside to let the daughter she thought she would never see again into her shabby home. The woman had dirty blond hair, streaked with grey; her light blue eyes examined the slight girl before her.

Letting Pounce escape to the floor, Beka straightened to look at her mother. Unable to hold it in any longer, Beka burst into sobs and let her mother hug her tightly.

Burying her face into her mother's belly, Beka stuttered out, "I – I ran and th-then they chased me through the streets. Can I please stay? I don't want to go back. I brought some fo-food and things you can sell or keep. I took everything I could hold." Beka looked up at her mother's face, pulling back to take off the large heavy bag slung across her back.

"Of course you can stay," Mama said, squeezing water out of Beka's long strawberry-blond hair. "Now, what are these things you brought, hmm?"

And for the rest of the night and many years to come, Ilony Cooper took care of her daughter.