Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable from Beka Cooper: Terrier
AN: See, I'm babysitting all weekend, so chappies galore! Thanks to all faithful reviewers, sorry, but I don't to individual thanks. Enjoy!
Chapter Five
Beka POV:
"Well… She's gone" The rusher looked absolutely terrified at the look on Srimfor's face. I wonder, what did he do to get them so terrified of him?
"Gone?! How is she gone?!" The power in his voice answered my question. He was a mage. And a powerful one, at that.
"The ropes on her were cut with a knife, and the door hadn't been locked."
"Why is that?" He sounded deadly calm again. How many had heard that calm voice right before they died? Never mind. I don't want to think about it.
"Well, she was supposed to be unconscious for another week. We didn't find reason to waste people watching her." He sounded very nervous.
Srimfor looked positively livid. I didn't want to see the rusher's punishment, so I looked at Pounce, who had silently followed us the whole way here. He saw me looking, and meowed.
There's a lever on the side of that alcove. Pull it.
I did, and a tunnel opened up silently next to me. I followed it to another alcove in a very expensive room.
This is Srimfor's quarters. They're coming in now, so get back in the curtains!
Srimfor came into the room, followed by Rosto. Through the door, I could see the rushers trying to clean up a very red burned object. It happened to be the same size as the rusher. Rosto was looking at the alcove I had been in earlier with relief on his face. Obviously, he thought I was still there. When the doors were closed, Rosto turned to Srimfor with an evil grin on his face.
"Well, now. What are we gonna do? Your guest of honor isn't going to show up after all. Maybe I'll just leave."
I was trembling. Rosto was going to get himself killed!
Rosto POV:
I didn't see Beka ever leave her hiding place as we went inside Srimfor's quarters. Good. That meant she was still outside, and could escape. She shouldn't have to see this. She's tough, but I've seen what this 'Rogue' does to people who make him mad. That rusher was nothing compared to what he was planning with me, I'm sure. I know that if I get him mad enough, he might make a mistake, but it's a long shot. He may just kill me right away, before I get these ropes off. That's why I wanted Beka to leave. We went to Srimfor's chambers, and I got right to work. I turned to him, grinning infuriatingly.
"Well, now. What are we gonna do? Your guest of honor isn't going to show up after all. Maybe I'll just leave."
He glared at me. I looked around the room, apparently bored.
Meow.
It's a good thing I have such light skin, elsewise I would have paled. I saw Pounce, sitting in front of a tapestry-covered alcove. He meowed again, and it almost sounded like speech.
You didn't really think she would just leave, did you? Stupid mortal. He mrted a few times, and it sounded like a laugh to me. Maybe Beka isn't wrong, and that cat is more than he seems. I've heard her having conversations with him before. Wait. She's in here?! How?! Pounce laughed again. Srimfor was watching me with growing impatience. He didn't like being ignored.
"Perhaps I will simply scry for her, and have my rushers bring her back." I wasn't worried. If Pounce could free her from a sleeping spell, he could easily block her from a scrying one. Srimfor saw my un-worried face, and scowled. Then, he grinned. I watched him warily. That smile looked slightly insane. He grinned wider. Forget the slightly part. The bonds on my hands fell away, and I pulled out a blade immediately. He didn't look surprised, and pulled one of his own out.
The fight went on for several minutes. I was much better than him, but at odd intervals, he would use his gift to get the advantage. One such time, he levitated a dozen vases and ornaments and threw them at me. I managed to dodge most of them. One hit my gut, another on the knee. Some others smashed a few windows, letting in the Scanran wind and chill. I had finally gotten the upper-hand when I was thrown against the wall mercilessly. He got up slowly, and advanced on me, grinning demonically. Well, I knew it had been a long-shot. But why did Beka have to watch? He was almost upon me when the tapestry was shoved back, tearing it in the process and making both Srimfor and I look up.
There stood Beka. I have never seen her so angry before. Her eyes were like bottomless pools of ice, ten times colder than the northernmost glaciers. Her braid had come undone, and her long hair was whipping around in the wind, which had intensified since the fight had began. A storm was coming. The light from the corridor behind her made it look like she was glowing. She looked like a warrior goddess from the legends. And she was mad. She had a dagger in hand, the one that she kept in her boot. With an animal roar, she threw herself at Srimfor. Her movements were like poetry. I could barely keep up. Srimfor looked terrified. He tried to throw spells at her, but they rolled right off her. Where did she learn to fight with a dagger? I wasn't even that good, and I was the Rogue!
Beka glanced at me. I was still trapped against the wall, and my eyes were beginning to get heavy…
Beka POV:
When I jumped out from behind the curtain, they both looked at me. Srimfor looked terrified, but Rosto… I couldn't tell what he felt. I leaped at Srimfor, roaring. I wondered why his spells were just rolling off. But that was for later. I moved as fast as I could, leaving him no room to attack. Silently, I thanked my Da. He had died while I was young, before Ma began going with all those rushers. But before he died, Da had given me knife fighting lessons. He had said that I was a pretty mot, and needed to know how to defend myself from the bad coves in the city. After he had died, I had continued to practice, and, apparently, I was good enough to hold my own against an experienced rusher.
I glanced at Rosto, just in time to see him faint. Enraged, I threw my dagger at Srimfor's heart. I'm not good at throwing light things, so that dagger was especially weighted. It flew right into his chest, and he fell, staring at me. I walked over and yanked it out of his chest. He died, amazement in his eyes.
I ran over to Rosto, catching him as the spell holding him to the wall died with Srimfor. He woke up, looking at me with bewilderment Then he saw Srimfor in the corner of the room, and he stared at me. I grin at him.
"That's what he gets for messing with the Terrier." He shook his head.
"You do realize this means that you are the new Scanran Rogue?"
AN: Sorry if it's a bit short, but the next chapter will be up soon!