Ten of the clock October 26th 263:

After discovering how Beka Cooper became such a good

dog I have started to record my own journal in the event of becoming

a puppy. I have gone through three long years of training and I am

proud to say that I will become a dog in time. My ma ( corporal Clara

Goodwin) has finally told me how her old partner Beka Cooper became

the dog that she is today. I however am skeptical about if I will be

able to follow in the footsteps of my ma.

My ma told me that the reason that Beka was a good dog was

because she was good with her descriptions so here's my attempt at

describing myself. I have golden brown hair and bright blue eyes. I am

about five foot five and slender. I don't have very much muscle build

which is a concern of mine and I have freckles all the way across my

nose. My Da says I look more like my Ma and my Ma says I look more

like my Da. I would not consider my self a mage although I can speak

to animals and understand them. I have told no one of this skill since

they would probably call me insane.

I have been assigned the lower city just like my ma had been.

I'm not sure if this will be the best thing for me since I have very

little strength, what I do have is wits and speed but faced in a riot

especially like the coal riot a few years back I would surely not

survive. Many of ties in my class quit at the cage dog training which

I'm not surprised by since they taught us on a real person who ended

up drowning because of the drink.

After that most of the trainees went to unicorn district and

tradesmans which are said to have a shortage of dogs. Only me and a

few of the other trainees none of whom I ever came close to went to

the lower city. I think it would be great if I got a pair that was one

of the best in the city but I'm afraid that I would have to live in

their footsteps just like I already have to do in my Ma's. My Ma says

that I have to go to baton practice so I will write my watch after

muster.

After Watch:

why do I always have to live in the shadow of others. I hate

when I'm compared to other people and now I surely will have that

happen to me constantly. I should explain my bad mood at least.

All of the trainees including myself that had been assigned to

the lower city file into the Jane Street kennel sitting on the benches

ready for us. The mood in the room was very melancholy like no one

wanted to be there. I knew that none of the trainees in my year wanted

to be in the lower city but I thought that they would at least be a

little happy about starting their first day of serious dog training.

My stomach churned like there was no tomorrow and I felt like I

was going to be sick. Maybe being a dog was not the best thing for

me. slowly my yearlings got their partners assigned and slowly the

partners that I wanted got paired with other puppies. All I wanted was

a partner that didn't have big shoes to fill.

Erskin and Birch were called and I crossed my fingers hoping that

I wouldn't get paired with them. They were the second best pair in the

city just below Tunstall and Beka. The watch commander opened her book

and took what seemed like eternity to say the name of the puppy that

would be paired with them. I held my breath praying that I wouldn't

get them. Curse my luck the watch commander looked up from her book

and cleared her throat and called my name. My face turned bright red

and walked up to the desk. I waited for my new partners to come out of

the office. I looked down when my partners came out and we walked out

of the kennel.

Urskin grinned as we stopped outside the door. " ok the rules are

speak when you are spoken to , don't get killed and if you have to

do it on your own time, and stay out of the way" I nodded and we were

off. The start of the watch was fairly normal we caught a few rats

which two of which probably didn't need to be caught. I just watched

staying silent and out of the way. I felt unhelpful but the pair

seemed very well prepared for just about anything. As we were walking

to get somat to eat I heard a small voice quietly saying " help me,

I'm lost, help me" I whirled around to see a kitten instead of a young

child like I had expected.

Once I had found a good place to put the kitten we went to

eat. We got ourselves a private table and Erskin and Birch showed

me what to order. Birch looked at me quizzically and asked " what

was that back there?" I was a bit confused so I answered in such a

dumb way it makes me want to cry writing it down. " I don't know?"

this time it was Erskin to talk " I highly doubt that" I nodded " I'm

sorry" said my face completely red. We ate the rest of our meal in

silence and went back to our watch.

I studied a few pickpockets and a few heists. I started to hear

another voice which was loud and it was screaming "hey hey you the

dog over there I have something to tell you." I ignored the voice for

the longest time waiting for my partners to respond. I finally gave up

and whirled around yelling " What is it!" I looked down to see a dog.

I was blushing feverishly since everyone on the street including my

partners had seen what must have looked insane. the dog ( four legged

kind)didn't seem to notice my distress and continued " there's a bar

fight just down the way at the copper lantern" I nod and turn around,

both my partners have there eyebrows raised. "well don't gape like

fish outa water there's a bar fight at the copper lantern." and at

that we were off to the copper lantern.

When we got there we saw two river dodgers running out of the

bar greeting us with an attack. I stayed back while my partners

fought the river dodgers. It was quite the sight to see although I was

scared out of my mind. After my partners had hobbled the river dodgers

Erskin motioned for me to follow them in. When we got inside we saw

overturned tables, splintered wood, and stains all over the walls. I

flattened myself against the wall as to watch my partners work.

For a while I was successful at not being noticed but it seemed

that everyone in there wanted us dogs out. A cove with a wine bottle

came at me swinging it wildly. I took out my baton and smacked the the

bottle. The bottle looked like it had exploded sending shards of glass

into the skin of all people near by including myself. The cove dropped

the bottle and swung at me with his fists. I easily dodged his swings

and managed to trip him he fell to the ground and didn't get up again.

Most of the people that had been fighting were now on the floor,

but a couple of river dodgers and a strong looking mot. Erskin was

taking on both the mot and a river dodger so I decided that I could

take on the mot. I drew my baton and carefully maneuvered my way

around the fallen people until I was behind Erskin. My goal was to

draw her attention away from my partner. I mustered all my strength

and hit her. She yelped and glared at me. She was taller than me by

about two inches taller than me and had bulky muscles. She wielded a

long knife and was swinging it wildly at me.

I blocked her swings with my baton while I drew my boot knife.

I stood up as she swung and she ended up cutting my face. I glare at

her and she returned the glare. I caught her knife with my baton and

tried to disarm her by twisting my baton but it didn't work. I blocked

a few more swings and then hit her wrist with my baton. I hear bone

crack and the knife falls out of her hand. I place a kick right at her

stomach and she recoils. Using my rawhide thongs I tie them around her

wrists and ankles. The cove with the wine bottle was starting to stir

so I hobbled him as well.

Erskin and birch were in the center of the room watching me, so

I quickly hobbled the man with the wine bottle. I looked at my arm

which had quite a lot of glass in it. I would need a healer later to

get all of that out. I straighten and grab both of my rats by their

collars ready to leave. We strung our rats together and walked them to

a collection station. After that we went to the kennel to muster and

get fixed up by the healer.