From the journal of Rebakah Cooper, Provost's Guardswoman, Corus, the Realm of Tortall

Monday, May 17, 251

It is time to return to examining my ancestor's journals. Very few know that I've been granted this task. After Rosto's reaction when I mentioned it, I became very curious. This past week I have spent my free time looking for records of any "Valeska" in public records. There wasn't much. It's unsurprising, as public records weren't well kept back then. They still aren't as well kept as they could have been.

There was only one mention of a Valeska in the records but it wasn't useful. It was a death notice, but there was no last name and no cause of death. It was merely an entry in a Book of Death. I can't be sure it was even the right person, though I suspect it might. Valeska isn't a very common name. It sounds foreign.

Pounce was with me as I examined records, though he was very unhelpful. He mentioned that he had known of the girl but he's being very evasive as to what he knows.

If only I had some help but Pounce isn't helping and Rosto refuses to answer any of my questions.

I have half a mind to take Rosto in for questioning, even though I know he wouldn't like it…

Kaleb Cooper's seventh journal, senior sergeant in the capital city of the country Tortall

February 03, 155

A longer night than expected. A troubling night as well.

Nothing as ever happened like this before and it makes me concerned. Did someone break in? Or was it an insider? Why had it happened now?

Of course, there are those that are convinced they already know why such a thing has happened now. They blame Valeska, or in their minds, "The Girl".

I should apologize. My thoughts are all over the place and they are confusing, even to me. I should document the events of tonight. Thoughts and opinions can come later. They shouldn't cloud my judgment or my retelling of events.

I had been asleep, as it was my night off. Naturally such a thing would occur tonight, when I wasn't on duty. If I had been, I wonder if I could have stopped things.

Fists hammering on my door brought me out of my sleep. The sergeant in charge of tonight's shift stood on the other side, looking nervous.

"What happened?" I asked, pulling on breeches. I was only disturbed on my night off if there was an absolute emergency.

"Someone broke in," the sergeant stated quickly. My eyes widened. Breaking into the guard headquarters was unheard of. Sneaking out and sneaking in was common, especially among the trainees, but an actual break in…

"How?" I asked.

"We're still unsure," the sergeant replied. "But the intruder headed for the room where Cook and her family sleeps."

I began to move faster. It was one thing to go after guards or trainees. That was understandable, especially if the intruder was a family member of someone we had arrested. But to go after Cook…

"What happened?" I demanded. "Is everyone okay?"

The sergeant shook his head. A knot formed in my gut.

"Who?" I asked, praying it wasn't whom my mind automatically thought of.

"Calanthe," the sergeant responded. My eyes narrowed. I hadn't known Cook's eldest daughter was around. I followed the sergeant to the kitchens. Two pairs of guards were already there, along with Cook and Calanthe. There was no sign of Valeska.

I took a closer look at Cook's eldest daughter. She looked uncomfortable with all the male presence in the room and tried to fold her body into the smallest form possible. There were bruises on her face and on her arms, like she had been pinned down. Tear marks streaked down her cheeks and she took quick gasping breaths. From my initial assessment, I knew that she wouldn't be able to speak. I had seen situations like this too often.

I turned to Cook instead. The formidable woman looked furious, though I wasn't sure if her anger was directed at her daughter's attacker or at us for not being able to protect her daughter.

"Get them away from my daughter," Cook growled as I approached her. "She doesn't need this right now."

I nodded and silently gestured for the others to leave. Soon, it was just Cook, Calanthe, and I in the room.

"Rape?" I asked quietly. Calanthe broke into a fresh set of tears while her mother nodded.

"She came back for the night because her landlord kicked her out," Cook said. "The scum gave no reason, just kicked her out. She figured that she would be safest here."

I flinched under Cook's glare. Normally, Calanthe would have been.

"She took her old room back. The trainee said she would bunk in the kitchen, since she was helping in the morning anyway. I heard nothing until it was over."

"He gagged me," Calanthe whispered. "And punched the wind out of me when he was done so he could remove the gag. He didn't want to leave anything behind except…"

She broke off and resumed crying. I was amazed that she had been able to steadily say that much.

"When I heard her, I came out. I caught a glimpse of a person turning a corner. Just a foot," Cook said. "Naturally my daughter was my first concern."

So there would be no hope to find the one who had done this. I always hated cases like this and now one had taken place under my own roof.

Rarely would guards be able to get the information needed to track rapists. Women were uncomfortable talking to men so soon after the incident and often rapes went unreported. This reason is part of why I had agreed so easily to let Valeska train this year. I had a theory that women would be able to get information men couldn't get, especially in cases like Calanthe's.

Unfortunately, Valeska wasn't around to test that theory. It made me wonder where the girl had gotten to.

I left Cook and Calanthe to go to my desk. For a long time I sat there, trying to collect myself. I might have seemed calm but that was only because I had experience. Victims aren't willing to talk to a guard that isn't confident and calm. Guards rarely advance in rank if they can't calm down a scene.

February 04, 155

Valeska returned last night. The sergeant on duty had been unaware that she had even left. With such holes, I'm finding it easier to believe that someone was able to sneak in and rape an innocent girl. Hopefully word about what happened won't get on to the streets, though it is highly unlikely. Word travels, despite precautions taken to prevent gossip from starting in the first place.

As soon as I spotted the girl, I summoned her to my office. Valeska didn't seem surprised by my summons.

I didn't bother with any preamble.

"Where were you last night?" I asked.

"After the rape?" Valeska asked bluntly. I nodded.

"Tracking the man," she said. "He practically tripped over me on his way out."

My eyes widened. Did she have a lead? I had vowed last night to do my best to catch Calanthe's attacker. I wouldn't let an attack under my own roof go unsolved, despite the lack of information.

"And?" I asked. "Did you catch him?"

Valeska's eyes dimmed and she shook her head slowly.

"We got to the river. He tried crossing it," she stated. "He didn't know how to swim."

"He drowned," I clarified. Valeska nodded. I sat back in my chair and regarded the girl. She looked disturbed but I doubted it was because a man had died in front of her.

"You may go," I said, knowing that I would need to think more on everything that had happened the previous night and today. Valeska didn't move.

"It would have been me," she whispered. "If Calanthe hadn't come here. I would have been in there and it would have been me."

I wasn't sure how to respond. The only thing that came to mind was, "Most likely."

"It should have been me," Valeska whispered. "He was probably after me."

I sighed.

"Don't think about the should's and probably's," I told her. "If you do, you won't last long. You'll go mad."

I knew it wouldn't be enough to soothe her mind but it was the only thing I could bring myself to say. There was no way to assure the girl that she wasn't at fault. I couldn't say that Calanthe was in the wrong place at the wrong time but I knew that it was no one's fault.

There were so many things I wanted to tell her but it was impossible. Especially since the man was dead.