Here's the next chapter! R&R please!!

15 years later""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Tempest sighed impatiantly as everyone filed into the ballroom. Future Puppies by the wall, and their future Dogs in the chairs. Someone stepped up to the mic. Tempest reconized her as Ahuda. She started naming off pairs. Tempest didn't pay it much attention, until her best (and only) freind, Hannahlea was called.

Hannahlea was a short and skinny girl. Her hair was sunlight blonde and her eyes were black. But not the souless kind of black you'd imagine. Her eyes were more like night black, rather than coal black. They were full of pure hapiness. That's one thing Tempest admired about her freind. She was always happy. A frown never graced her lips. She laughed at the stupidest things and she even laughed when no one said anything at all. She always claimed that she was just trying to lift the tension of silence, but Tempest knew she was probably understanding a joke she hadn't understood the day before. Hannahlea wasn't very street smart. She knew to stay away from dark allies and all that, but she didn't know who to talk to and who not to talk to. Tempest had lost count of how many times she had to save Hannahlea from getting shot because the poor girl hadn't seen the gun hiding beneath the nice man's cloak.

Lucky for her, she'd got some very patient Dogs who would teach her street smarts.

Tempest was second to last. The room quieted as soon as her name was called out. No one knew her last name, so she'd been deemed Tempest X. She didn't mind. She liked the looks of challenge whenever someone heard her name. It went along well with her raven black hair and crystal clear eyes. She always masked her feelings behind and scowl or a noncaring look. The first thing people saw was her eyes. Honestly, how many people could there be with crystal eyes? She was tall, probably around 5'10" to 6'. She was taller than a lot of boys her age, and not many boys wanted a girl who was taller than them, so she figured she'd always be lonely. Once again, she didn't mind. There was little that she did care about, though, so that wasn't saying much.

Many people wondered how a girl as emotionless and uncaring looking as Tempest, could have befreinded a girl as upbeat as Hannahlea. Tempest was actually a very caring and fun-loving girl. Ever since her mother (or atleast the woman who'd raised her) had died when she was ten, she'd put up an emotionless mask to hide from everyone but Hannahlea.

"Tempest X. Your Dogs will be Annikia Harrow and Bartly Grey."

Tempest raise and eyebrow, but walked up anyway. She'd never heard of Harrow and Grey. Either they were very poor Dogs, or so good that no one had any rumors or stories to tell about them. She hoped it was the latter.

She was met by her Dogs after they left the room to her right. The woman glared down at her. "You must be our Puppy."

Tempest glared back at her. "I must be."

The woman looked lightly taken aback. Obviously she wasn't used to people talking ot her like that (which relieved Tempest slightly because it meant they were important), but she'd have to get used to it if Tempest was her Puppy. She smiled widely. "I like you, kid. What did they say her name was?" The woman asked the man beside her.

"X. Tempest X." He answered looking at the paper.

"X, huh? What kinda stupid last name is that?"

"Now, now Harrow. Be nice."

Tempest just shrugged. "I was found in the streets by a woman named Anatha. She was old and couldn't remember her last name, so she was just Anatha. My real mom was found dead in a cottage and no one knew who she was, so they gave me the name X."

For a second the two just stared at her, blinking. Then the man shrugged. "Whatever. I've heard weirder. Name's Bartly Grey. It's Grey to you, little Puppy."

The woman nodded. "I'm Annikia Harrow. You know me by Harrow."

Tempest just looked at them and tilted her head slightly to show she understood.

"How well do you fight?" Grey asked as the two lead her outside to start their watch. Harrow elbowed him. "What?!" He whined. "I was only asking."

"That's not something you ask. She could say she was the best fighter in the world and we'd send her into a bar alone and she'd turn up dead." Harrow looked back at Tempest with a weary eye. "She'll show us how well she fights. Our route is all the way from South Market Street up to Hirts Road. We'll be seeing plenty of action."

Tempest nodded. "I'm a fair fighter.."

"What are your weapons of choice?"

"Usually daggers, but I have twin swords at home I use on Theif Nights."

"Theif Nights?" Harrow and Grey chorused.

Tempest nodded. "Most Dogs don't know about them, and those that do don't care. It's a night every year when all the people seen walking down the street from 10 at night until 3 in the morning, unless they're Dogs or are heavily armed, are attacked and robbed. I have to go down that way every night to check on Old Nurse Herowitts and on Theif Nights I have to be extra careful."

The Dogs looked at each other. "I haven't heard a thing about that." Harrow said.

Grey nodded. "Me niether. Why hasn't someone done anything about it?"

Tempest looked up. "How many people care?"

That silenced the Dogs. Never had the met a Puppy, espeacially one as young as Tempest, speak like that. If anything, they knew that this would be one, interesting trainee.

I hope you like it. It's a bit dark in some places I guess, but it'll get alot better. I swear! By the way. Thief Nights is something I made up. They'll become more important later in the story.