It had been dark for a half hour already when I left the Palazzo Auditore. It had been raining for around the same amount of time, and the streets were already getting muddy. I hadn't planned to turn in early tonight, but I definitely wasn't going to go running around in this...

Sighing, I left the courtyard of the palazzo hurriedly, pulling up my hood to keep my face dry.

When I started down the street, I heard footsteps on the rooftops to my right, probably ten feet behind me. My immediate reaction was to spin around and find whoever was following me, even though it was too dark to see much of anything through the rain, but when the sound of my steps stopped, I heard a familiar voice.

"Buona sera, Arianna!" It called.

I instantly recognized the voice as belonging to Pietro Contadino, one of my longtime childhood friends, who also happened to be a city guard, which helped sometimes... although most of the time it was just a pain.

I realized the footsteps and the voice had both been coming from Pietro, and relaxed.

"You should know better that to sneak up on me Pietro." I answered, peering through the rain, trying see him on the roof.

"You are so paranoid! There's not always someone trying to kill you, you know."

"Well, you never know. Now get down here, I can't even see you!"

I heard a few footsteps and a light thud as Pietro landed on the street.

As he came into view, he asked, "So where are you off too?"

I shrugged. "I just finished talking to Giovanni," I nodded towards the palazzo, "so now I'm free to do whatever."

This made him snort. "Seems more like a report if you ask me."

I sighed. By now, you'd think I'd know better than to talk to Pietro about anything involving the Auditores. "If Giovanni wants me check anything out for him," I paused, then shrugged again, "I don't know, I guess it's the least I can do. After everything he and his family have done for me, refusing any small favors like that would be incredibly disrespectful."

"I'm not sure I trust the Auditores. Something about them seems out of place..." He trailed off questioningly, as if he expected me to let him in on some big secret that would clear him of all suspicion.

I glared at him disbelievingly. "If it wasn't for them, I probably wouldn't even be alive right now. I know them well, and there's nothing wrong with them."

He rolled his eyes. "You would've managed. It's only been three years since your parents died." His tone was painfully merciless.

I flinched. He still didn't know that my mother was alive, but keeping away from me, and that my father hadn't actually died in an earthquake, that he'd been murdered.

"You know, something is a little off about you too, Arianna." Pietro continued throwing his dagger-sharp words at me.

I shot him a resentful look, but he merely glanced down at me, calm as he always was in the wrong situations.

"What are you saying?" I growled through my teeth.

"You're always on your guard, so suspicious, as if you're worried someone is hunting you down..." He scratched his head, pondering.

I crossed my arms, trying to lighten my mood, and utterly failing. "You're one to talk. You're suspicious of everyone." My words came out sharper than I'd wanted.

"Well that I can't help. It's my job." He pointed at that ugly city guard emblem on his armour.

I took in a deep breath and looked down. I really didn't want to talk about this anymore. It seemed like every other time Pietro and I talked, we argued about something. It was getting old...

It wasn't until I uncrossed my arms and let them hang at my sides that Pietro finally broke the silence.

"Arianna, how've you been?" He asked in a gentle voice, almost concerned, which was completely out of character for him.

I looked back up at him. "Huh?" My voice shot up an octave in surprise.

"You seem more... uptight nowadays." The small grin he'd acquired when I'd spoke faded. "You aren't as easygoing as you used to be. Is everything alright?"

I stood there like an idiot, looking at him with my jaw dropped. Pietro never expressed worry for me, never sincerely, anyway.

I shook my head, trying to regain my composure. There was no sound but the rain, so I focused on that, noticing that it was coming down harder, and I was getting soaked.

When I decided it was a good time to speak, I took a deep breath before I began.

"Um, I'm not sure I can completely explain it... and... I'm not exactly sure that you'll care either, but... Giovanni has been acting... weird, lately..." I paused. I was having trouble putting my worries to words, and it was even harder knowing I was telling someone who hated the source them. "I don't know, but he keeps saying I need to prepare for change, and the way he says it..." I shivered. "Well, it's not exactly... encouraging.

There was a long pause, making me think I should've kept my mouth shut. Pietro didn't give a crap...

"I don't think you should worry so much." Pietro said, and I jumped.

Surprised again, I looked down, determine not to show it. "You think so?" I mumbled pathetically.

"Yes. I may not be too fond of the Auditore family, but if something is bothering you, don't keep it from me for such a silly reason as that."

I glanced back up at him guardedly, and he smiled brilliantly.

"I'm a friend, I promise." He continued grinning, as if the idea sounded fun to him.

As the silence lengthened, I heard the rumbling of thunder in the distance, and sighed.

Pietro heard it too. "You should probably go home now. The storm is only going to get worse before it gets better." He looked behind him, as if he had somewhere he needed to be. "I have to go too. Arrivederci." He turned and walked away, waving.

I watched him until I couldn't see through the rain anymore, then glowered up at the sky when I caught the flash of lightning.

All the way home, I kept thinking of how I wasn't going to get much sleep tonight. Not because of the storm, I had a much more to think about.

Oh boy. Watch out for Pietro. He can be a jerk. ;D SOOOO please review, tell me of any typos you catch, or any errors in italian, if you find em. THANK YOUZ!