Disclaimer: Not mine, Tamora Pierce's ideas. But enjoy!

Wednesday, November 3, 247

Noon

Breakfast was horrid. Never again. I swear, Pounce, kill me if I go to another breakfast such as this one. He snorted at that; I don't think he believes me.

Out of all the meals he has missed, he chooses to return this morning. Rosto. I even growl his name in my mind. What a spintry! What a hideous rogue! What a -- UGH!! Oh, and don't worry. He wasn't alone. Oh, no. He brought a play date. A darling Sistine Panabaker. Yesterday I wrote she was only four foot four; I was wrong. Add another twelve inches to that measurement. But if you want to add her ego, add another eight thousand!

We all met at the Dancing Dove early on, Ersken, Kora, Aniki, Phelan, me, and Tansy with the babe. That little bugger is growing up; he looks just like his father. She couldn't be more proud. I was buttering a roll when all hell broke loose. Aniki flew a knife only inches from my face. "Beka, I can not take this anymore! Either you and Rosto need to work this out or go your separate ways. No more of this tango for two. It's the dance of death!"

Kora nearly spit in her hands, she was laughing so hard. "Aniki, please. I think something was settled last night."

"Like what!" she seethed.

"Well," she giggled, "we all know now that Beka isn't the most graceful." A smile curled up Aniki's tight mouth. Phelan and Ersken both chuckled at that.

"What do you mean?" puzzled Tansy.

Before I could even defend myself, Kora jumped to the rescue. "Oh, you should have seen her! Rosto and her decided to dance the Serpent's Jig, and poor Beka couldn't handle the pressure of being so near our rogue that she stumbled into a pastry table! Cakes and strudels everywhere!"

"The Serpent's Jig!" gasped Tansy. "That's a sensual tune, that is."

"That is not what happened," I growled. I wish I could have dug Aniki's dagger out of the wall and thrown it at Kora if only to shut her up. It was useless, though; she would have just brushed away. Stupid, hedgewitch. "I was dancing with Phelan..." I started.

"But, alas, the mot was stolen from me," he lamented. My eyes threw the swords I could not.

"By whom! By whom!" Tansy would be the perfect gossiping audience.

"Who else?" giggled Kora.

Tansy gaped. "No!" Kora shook not only her head, but her whole body. Tears of laughter were streaming down her red cheeks. Ersken didn't even try to silence her. He was chuckling along.

An evil glint appeared in Aniki's eyes. "You are right, Kora. The two lovebirds did some swaying," she stood up and demonstrated, a quick rhythmic shaking of the hips. "Then some swooning," her arms flailed and moans echoed from her throat. Everybody was beside themselves. I don't think Kora could even breath anymore. "Then they..." he eyes fluttered closed as she grasped the air...

"It was not like that..." my own voice became a hiss.

"No, love. I think it was just like that." The room became dead quiet. I could feel the heat reverberating off my face. "Rosto!" laughed Aniki. Kora was white as chalk. "You haven't been here in ages!"

"Now I'm sad. It seems I have missed so much fun," he stuck his bottom lip out in a tiny pout. My lips were pursed; like a statue I watched the pale rogue out of the corners of my eyes. How dare he even show up after what he did to me last night! "Ersken, Phelan, Tansy," he nodded at each in turn. "Kora?" he questioned amused. A shaky smiled slithered awake. She received a shake of the head, too. "And Beka," his whole body turned towards me. His dark eyes appraised my stony body. What was he looking at. "So..." he paused, "nice to see you clean, sweet." My own pupils became slits as my mouth opened for a retort, but the suave spintry stopped me midbreath. "Everybody!" he announced. "I have brought a special gift for you all!"

Tansy clapped her hands in delight. "Ooo, what is it?"

"Cherry pastries?" mused Aniki.

"Cheesy rolls!" jumped Kora. Ersken smiled in delight.

"No, no. It's better than all of that. It is the sweetest, most plump, delicious..." he stuck his hand behind the ajar door and whipped out the waiting surprise "Sistine Panabaker there ever was." He gave a low chuckle and nibbled her ear.

She slapped him playfully giggling quite audibly. "Good morning, everyone! Rosto said this was the place to be at this time of day."

A dead quiet had snuck across the room. Aniki's arms were crossed while Kora's gaze focused on me. Tansy's own eyes shifted from Sistine to me, back to the surprise then me. Phelan, gods bless him, came to the rescue. "Sistine, is it? Nice to finally meet you. I've seen you around the Court a few times but never had the pleasure." He flashed her a friendly smile.

She giggled even harder. "Rosto!" Her voice squealed, "They are absolutely wonderful!" Her stare finally landed on me. "Bloodhound! You didn't tell me she was going to be here!" she rounded on the Piper.

"I promised a surprise," he mused.

She grabbed his hand and placed the two of them in the open space beside me. "What a perfect way to start the day! We must do this every morning!"

"Anything for you, love," Rosto mused as he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

My heart jerked. That was his nickname for me. Not that "love" described our relationship, but...

Kora licked her lips and nonchalantly pushed the crumbs on the floor around, creating little highways of dust in the floor. "Where did you say you were from?""Oh, I didn't," she responded with an apple fritter in her mouth.

"Enlighten us." I had never seen Kora with such a wolfish grin.

"I am from the Copper Isles."

"Really?" asked Aniki. "You don't look Copper to me." Her slitted eyes grazed Sistine's pale figure.

"I didn't like the sun," she joked. Only Rosto gave a loud guffaw. It wasn't that funny, really. Aniki just snorted in response.

"Beka, you must tell me all about your adventures in Port Caynn. How did you catch Pearl? She's a devilish one, I hear. And gossip has it," here she nudged my shoulder halfheartedly, "there was a bit of a romance happening there as well." She raised her eyebrows questioningly.

Did she really just ask me that! Inwardly I fumed. My gaze slid over her. She waited like a dog for my gossiping words; really, she looked like the perfect bitch. "Personally, I don't go for other mots, but I wouldn't blame Pearl for taking a fancy."

It was quiet for a second before Sistine spit her food out laughing so hard. Again she slapped my arm. "You are so funny, Beka Cooper! Who would have guessed you have a bark to go along with your bite!" Rosto fiddled with his fingernails, only glancing in my direction to give a cheery sneer. "But, really. You know what I'm talking about. A certain cove by the name of Dale Rowan." She pronounced every letter in his name.

The atmosphere thickened even more. All eyes turned towards me. How does one even respond to something like that? I turned my full frosty glare upon her. Perhaps I could scare her away. She whimpered a bit and shifted uncomfortably, but I could tell it wasn't over. This wench would never let me be.

"Come, love. Leave the Bloodhound be. It's only the wee hours of morning anyway," he gestured towards the door with Sistine's arm around his own. She gave an audible whine, but nodded in consent.

"We must get together again, Beka. You are so much fun!" She giggled out the door. Before it swung shut, Rosto cast one more glance in my direction and gave an obvious wink and smirk.

a/n: sorry it's taken so long!!