a/n: hi there! this is my first try at the Beka Cooper series. i do have other stories concerning Daine/Numair, but i hope everyone likes this one. be nice. please. and review!
disclaimer: i don't own it. it owns me.
A fierce young woman gathered in the common room among her friends, laughing whole heartedly from a long trip home from Port Caynn. The dark corner on the far side of the room hid a man, lean with wiry muscles, and a head full of the whitest blonde hair. Rosto the Piper watched carefully the guest of honour, whilst keeping an eye out – as always – for unknown dangers.
She's changed, Rosto thought, observing the woman. From the way she held herself, to the way she regarded her friends, the young woman had indeed changed. No longer did he see the ever so shy demeanour, but instead stood a fully confident Dog. His lovely Beka was not there; in her place stood Corporal Guardswoman Rebakah Cooper.
Perhaps it was her relations with that Dale Rowan that caused the change. But the Piper still saw traces of his old friend. She still laughed easily with Aniki. She still teased Ersken and Kora, and smiled with Phelan. So why it is that she is so distant from me?
Rosto understood the woman very much, much more than he had ever let on. But one thing he could never understand if his life depended on it, was her love affair with that idiot Banker, Rowan. How could she? He himself was far better than Dale. He was the Rogue, for Kyprioth's sake! And she chose a banker over him? It was infuriating, he had to admit.
It also bruised his ego. And everyone knew how much of that he owned.
For around a year, he had made his feelings clear to her. Leaving gillyflowers, flirting, suggestive grins – he did it all. And all along, her excuse was that they had been too different. How could a Dog possibly love a criminal of the law?
"Where's Rosto?"
Startled out of his own mucky thoughts, Rosto crawled from behind the shadows of the corner and out into the light.
"I'm gone for a few minutes and already you all miss me?" Rosto asked with cheek. "Surely you doves can live a while longer without my presence, though I am very flattered."
Aniki stood up from her place by the floor and came over to him, taking his hand in her own. She pecked his cheek lightly and led him over to the group. He quickly glanced up at Beka, aware that she had seen the exchange. Was Aniki also another reason she denied him?
"You've hardly exposed yourself since Beka came home," Kora said, handing him a cup of ale. He took the cup and drained it. "Shouldn't you show her some respect?"
He looked at Beka and smiled wickedly. "Sorry I've been avoiding you, love. But you know how jealous I can be. Particularly in your case with Rowan, I'm sure you've heard of my previous thoughts concerning that cove."
"Indeed I have," Beka replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him. "Mad as a bear, was it?"
He should've been embarrassed about his tantrum. It was instinctual to suddenly break out into a fit when he found out she had chosen another over him. It was insulting to his image, as both a good looking man as well as the King of Thieves!
"Mad as an elephant on a rampage more like it," Kora muttered, snuggling closer to Ersken. As he looked around the room, he caught the eyes of all his friends, smirking at him. It made him uneasy.
Normally, Rosto the Piper was a cool person. He was calm, even during murder. So how was it that one single gixie – a Dog no less – could make him anxious within seconds? He didn't like that feeling. It's unsettling more like it. I can't act like this every time I see her.
"So how goes it with you and that Rowan fellow?" Phelan asked Beka. Sitting beside her, he leaned his back to the wall, while Achoo spread her body between them. "Having difficulties with communication?"
She raised an eyebrow at him, smiling slightly. "What happens in Port Caynn, stays within Port Caynn." Not only did Rosto's eyes fly to her, as did everyone else's. She smirked. "What?" she asked innocently.
"A few days ago you were completely heart-sick, you looby!" Ersken accused, scratching his head. "You're done with it already?"
"We were done before I left there, Ersken. You know that!"
"But you're over it rather quickly," Ersken continued, "after all, you were so smitten."
Beka sighed. "Things like that come and go. Not all of us are as lucky as you and Kora are."
That indeed, Rosto thought. If Ersken managed to love Kora despite his being a dog and her working with me, why can't Beka?
He watched as the two lovers smiled at one another. Observing their behaviour for the past year, Rosto came to many realizations about his own life. Despite his position as the Rogue, despite the women who had shared his bed, despite it all – he had never had what Ersken and Kora have now. He never considered the feelings of love connected to a woman, but only the physical pleasures of bedding one. He never saw a partner to lean on through hardships, and a friend to comfort and be comforted by. All his crooked heart had was the immediate good things of life. None ever lasted.
Mayhap I am more pathetic than I thought I was, he thought wryly, smiling to himself. Mayhap I'm becoming soft and old. Mayhap it really is time to find me a good gixie, settle down, as start living the law-abiding life.
Please.
"The Dancing Dove looks lovely, now that it's finished," Beka commented. "You did well, Building this Inn, Rosto. Only a Rogue ike you could manage such a big change within your court."
"Mithros, was that a compliment?" He feigned his shock, clutching at his chest. "I believe that is a first, Guardswoman!"
"Have you ever considered a career as a Player?" She asked, holding back laughter. "Mayhap it is fitting, with your overreactions and all."
Aniki giggled at her suggestion. "As if Rosto would ever consider being a Player! He's far too crippled in the heart for that! In fact, we all are – aside from you Corporal Dogs, of course."
"A Player's work is not for me, gixie. I'd much rather use my time picking pockets and plotting disasters than pretend to be somebody else."
"Isn't this Inn named after your mother?" Phelan asked. "I thought she was a Player?"
"The Dancing Dove. She chose her work. I choose mine as a thief." He never spoke often of his late mother. He didn't know why he held back, but perhaps, he just did not want to reveal too much of his past life. As Beka said, what goes on in one place should stay there.
"Well, a Player's career still seems fitting for you," Beka mumbled, getting up from her spot beside Phelan. "Excuse me all you wonderful people, but I'm getting fair tired. I believe I shall head bed."
"But you just got here!"
"Already? It's hardly the time to even start sleeping!"
"Here, just one more cup of ale. Or would you prefer barley water?"
Rosto the Piper took this opportunity where his friends were busy to sneak out of the room. He quietly reached for a latch in the hallway, pulled, and exposed a hole on the ceiling. Looking around just in case, he leaped into the hole, catching his arms on both sides of the upper level and pulled himself up into the attic. The attic had been his own private place ever since he moved into the Dancing Dove, something he did not wish to share with the rest of his fellow rogues.
The King of Thieves raced to the window, opened it, and jumped out, clear onto the back alley out of sight. He would climb back into the Inn the same way he came out.
He waited for the sounds of patting feet upon the dirt road. He didn't have to wait too long, as he heard the familiar sound of her Dog feet padding the ground almost silently. He could be even quieter than her.
"I know you're there, Master the Piper, so come out of your hidey-hole and reveal yourself to me."
He smiled to himself. He should've known that she would catch his absence upstairs. She was a Dog, after all.
"I keep underestimating you, Cooper." He stepped onto the main roads beside her, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"What are you doing here Rosto?"
"Walking you home,' he replied with ease, as they continued on their way to his old building. "I thought you'd like some company."
"You mean you thought I'd like some protection," she bit back, eyeing him carefully. "I can fully take care of myself, Rogue."
"After that incident with the Pells, I'm taking precautions, love." That incident had scared him more than he let on.
He remembered Aniki banging her body into his door as she cried for help. The sight of his Beka on the floor unconscious with what seemed like a cracked skull and broken bones was as terrifying as anything else he had witnessed. And what bothered him most was that he could do nothing to help her that time.
"It was that one time!" she complained, folding her arms together. The muscles toned her upper arms, he saw. It was something else that was new about her. "It only happened once."
Once is far too many times in my book. He didn't answer, but shrugged instead, and continued walking. It wasn't a far distance. In fact, he wished it was a longer distance, so as to spend more time with her. But alas, the world was a cruel place, and he could not take too many wrong turns to reach her rooms.
"I have a feeling you aren't too happy with me." He heard her voice quietly in the night air. He glanced sideways at her, fully aware that she stared openly at him. "You aren't, are you?"
"What makes you say that, Beka?"
"The way you act around me."
He wrinkled his brows. "But you've only been back a couple of days. And I haven't seen you much of that."
"Mayhap you're avoiding me."
Of course he was. He just couldn't bring himself to admit it. It showed weakness. A Rogue was not weak! Especially not over some gixie who didn't even choose him to begin with!
He turned to and her grinned widely. "No Beka, I'm not avoiding you. I have just been busy with my own affairs."
"Liar." She looked away from him and walked. A horse cart pulled slowly in front of us as we stopped and waited for its passing. "I know you better than that, Rosto. Be honest with me. I'm not in your favour right now, am I?"
"You're my friend, Beka," he said with a sigh, running his fingers through his white hair. "As long as you are, I'll always favour you."
"So why is it that you are so distant form me?" she sounded genuinely hurt. He didn't know why. He would never cause her to be upset in any way; despite that burn she gave his heart.
"Honestly?" he asked her, as she nodded. He gave yet another sigh. "I'm quite sure you can guess as to why, Corporal Guardswoman Cooper. You're far too intelligent as to remain clueless."
She gave him a hard look. She knew – she knew all along. She just wanted to hear me say it. As much as I do fancy this girl, I won't allow her that satisfaction of voicing my weakness.
"Dale and I are no longer, Rosto. I assumed you would have breathed a sigh of relief." She said this bluntly. Her eyes looked as if they were in pain. She still missed that looby, despite her words upstairs. It will take her much longer before she completely accepts it.
"But how do you know that, Beka?"
"I just do," she said, glaring at me. "I do not wish to explain any further, considering that my relationship with him has naught to do with you!"
He shrugged. Let her believe what she might, but Rosto knew better. The look in her eyes gave her away. She might be strong willed, Beka Cooper, but she still suffered from her loss of Rowan. There was nothing he could do to ease it. And he knew it was next to impossible for her to feel that way about him. He just couldn't win.
"It doesn't matter with Rowan anymore, Beka," he said quietly. They had reached her building by now. He looked up, seeing her window, lade with pigeons even at this late hour. He turned around, just for good measure, to check if anyone had been following. In the shadows, he saw the faithful cat, Pounce, with Achoo trailing behind him. He had hardly heard the animals. He smiled, despite his mood.
"It doesn't matter," Rosto repeated, leaning against the wall. "What happens in Port Caynn, stays in port Caynn. Remember? Besides, if you say you're done with him, all I can do is believe you."
She mumbled something under her breath, folding her arms together. "But you don't."
"Mayhap not now, But I will eventually." He looked her in the eyes, which were so icy blue in comparison to his dark brown pupils. "You know my feelings towards you, Beka. You know how long I have tried to pursue you. But I will do naught else. I know how you feel for me. I know much more of you than you think I do."
"I would expect so," she said, smiling slightly at me. "Look, Rosto. We both know now is not the time to go about flirting with me."
"I'll still keep that up."
She laughed. "I expect that too. But I just want you to know, even with everything else going on, I will return to my normal state. Now is just a rough patch for me. Please believe me."
"You're a strange gixie, Beka."
"And you are a dangerous cove, Rogue," she said, unfolding her arms and opening the main gates of her building. "But whatever the future holds, just let it be. I don't know what will be about for us both."
She's giving me hope, Rosto thought. She's still giving a chance – if barely. But the Rogue knew even a slight chance with this particular woman was better than naught else.
He managed to smile at her, giving her the opportunity to leave him and return to her rooms. The cat and dog raced from their respective spots and into the gate in front of her. She giggled, before turning back to him.
"It's strange, not having you, Aniki and Kora with me every day," she murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "It was nice to have company waking up with me every morning."
"We still have breakfast, you know," Rosto said, turning away from her and heading back t the Dove. "You're the guest of honour."
She hid a smile behind her hand. "Good night, Rosto. Thank you for the walk home."
"See you in the morning, Terrier." He saw that she flinched at her pet name, and grinned to himself. His back was towards her now, as he held up a finger to signal his final goodbye for the night. "Good night, love," he whispered, more to himself. He knew she wouldn't have been able to hear that.
The King of Thieves reached the gates of the Dancing Dove, as he climbed nimbly upon the roof back into the attic. Before stepping into the window, however, he looked across the east end of the sky, into the many stars of the night. A constellation was missing, Kora always mentioned. It was Pounce, the cat.
His eyes lingered on the sky until they fell to Beka's building, where he caught the light from her windows. The window shield opened to expose the night air, as well as it allowed the pigeons to enter. He saw the flicker of candlelight wiping out as her room became dark. She went to sleep.
Knowing that she was safe for the moment, he turned to go back into his new Inn. Despite that Dale Rowan, despite what she felt right now, despite it all... she gave him hope.
As he reached to shut the windows, he reminded himself to leave a pot of gillyflowers for her in the morning before she would come over for their morning meal. Some things he just didn't want to change.
a/n: PLEASE REVIEW! i'd like to try a hand at other stories with Beka/Rosto, but i need feedback to tell me if it was good or not! thanks! i adore you all!