Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Day off: Night

I believe I must live to be contradicted. After all I seem to have been wrong, quite occasionally of late. It seems today held more then just its normal share of drama in the Lower City. I must remind myself that I shall never make assumptions again. That is fairly dramatic, and I know I won't be able to stop myself, but it feels good to at least have it in writing.

First off, Pounce has still not returned. I have almost memorized are past conversations, and I don't believe I said anything too offensive. Well knowing him, I might have said something totally off the point, and him taken it the wrong way. Though I have no idea what I could have told him to make him run off like this. His stomach if nothing else gives him reason enough to want to come home.

I have asked around, well at least part of the day, and no one has seen anything. Fuzzball, and Laddybuck were spotted this morning, but they too have gone missing. I wonder what has all our animals in a fuss. We do feed them, and I suppose our company can't be that bad. I mean after all Rosto's not here.

Part two off my list: Rosto has taken new lodgings. I spent a few extra minutes interviewing Aniki, and I think I pulled out a few key facts. "Rogue business" apparently wasn't the same thing I had thought it was all these years. He had been staying with the Dancing Dove, no surprise there. The strange part was, he had not been at his throne since our fight. Not even made somewhat of an appearance.

"He's just been busy, is all." Aniki tried to tell me. "Plus, he's been called away to the other city's. Seem not everyone's to happy with loosing their old Rogue. The new one seems to actually follow up on his threats." I thought this at least seemed plausible, but you never knew. Phelan had said it was "business" and I wondered how long this had been an issue. Rosto hadn't been the Rogue for just one day.

My lodgings were empty far into the afternoon, I tried to push myself to leave them, but I had nowhere I wanted to go, well not really anyway. I would have visited my brothers and sisters, if not for the fact that they were gone to the castle with my Lord Gershom's wife.

Not even I was brave enough to make a journey to the castle, even though I did miss them. No matter how aggravating they could be at times.

The only thing that really pulled me out was my spinners. I have been dedicated to them as of late, and I didn't want to break my habit. They were all pretty happy with me, after all I never missed one of them. Then again, I didn't have the guts to miss one. There always seemed to be that voice in the back of my head telling me I was missing something. Of course nothing ever came up. Well until today.

It was one of my smaller spinners, isolated by a few blocks. No one had chosen to live in this area, prior to the arrival of slave traders. No one felt safe around them, and it was a good thing they felt that way, because they shouldn't.

I entered it just like I had all my previous spinners, this being my last stop. Suddenly a loud scream filled my head, shaking my knees, and almost making me fall over myself. It continued for long, horrendous minutes, pitching higher and higher, never faltering, not even once.

I held my mouth shut, for fear of echoing the noise, people passed, watching me lash out with my eyes, some scurrying away from the scene. Then a new sound filled my ears, a hissing, a very loud hiss. I imagined one of the large cat-like monsters, I had seen only in scrolls, painted with ease along the soft parchment. It grew, and the scream died away, though I could hear panting in the background.

"Please, stop, I'll do as you say." The voice was old, and it cracked with the effort to keep it straight, I could tell it was male from the low base. "Just stop, please just stop. I'll give you my house, my money, my belongings. Just don't hurt the girl, not my girl."

The screaming started again, and this time I heard the wails mixed into the background. Then it faded away, lost to the world. I stared around blankly. This street, so far from real civilization had held these people. It must have been close, the sounds were clear, and fluent. It also lasted longer then most, bits and pieces I received.

I was shaking, by the Gods themselves, my whole skin seemed to prickle. Some would not understand the complete horror of that moment. For then I was alone. I was not Beka Cooper, I was not a Dog, I was not anything close to me. I was an old man, standing helplessly watching someone get tortured, begging for sympathy. Giving up my way of life to just save this one soul.

To some that might seem like just another experience, but it wasn't, not even close. My brain accepted the fact I was alone, accepted that I was going to die, right after this. I was begging, not for my life, but for the life of someone I loved. For seconds, I was not the person I knew so well. To be so out of my haven, to be so out of mind, body, and spirit, was the worst thing I had ever gone through.

Peasants watched me, as I shook, as tears trickled down my face. Then reality came back, yet the tears did not stop. I had been so obsessed over my own drama, I had forgotten about being a Dog. I did not know if these poor souls survived, only that they had been hurt.

I knew I was no where near this place last night, but something told me I could have saved them, could have protected them. Maybe that's just me, fighting for causes to big for my plate. Though doubt began to knaw at me as my mind began to spin.

I wasted no more time in my spinner, almost forgot to give it my parting gift. I raced down street, after street, running as fast as my legs would carry me. I had not worn my uniform, so of course few recognized me as a dog. My brown, cotton, gown was streaked with dirt, and mud. My shoes, torn and dirtied as well.

I raced, not the kennels, but home. Home here, where I sit now, jotting down my memories, before they fade away. I wanted to make sure I would not forget this, though I am sure I would never even dare to forget. Though the details are getting blurry, just as I knew they would. Tomorrow I will take this to Goodwin and Tunstall. I don't care if they aren't my partners, they will know what to do.

I will find whoever did this. If not only for the torture of two people, for the feeling that still haunts me.