Chapter 2

Saturday, November 14, 246

Write before watch

I woke up to a mix of pigeons scratching at my shutters and pounding on my door. It wasn't long even before Aniki started yelling through it too.

"Beka, I know you're in there! I heard you come in with Rosto last night at an ungodly hour. Now open up!" I jerked the door open just as she was about to start pounding again, making her stumble into me.

"Why were you up that late anyways? And if you knew how late I was up last night, why wouldn't you let me sleep in for once?" I asked as I put her right and let her in. I closed the door in Rosto's face when he demanded to know what the racket was this early in the morning. I didn't want to deal with any more people this morning yet. I wasn't even awake yet. By my calculations I had only gotten a few hours of sleep by the time Rosto and I had come in and I had finished writing in my Journal.

As I went to open the shutters for the pigeons who were still banging to get in, Aniki sat on my bed and watched. She wasn't silent for very long before the questioning I knew would come started.

"Beka, I know what happened last night," she began. My head snapped around and she answered my questioning gaze. "We heard that a cove had attacked a puppy halfway between here and Jane Street Kennel, and Brian confirmed it, saying it was you he saw being half carried back to the Kennel. What I want to know is, what happened? What was it that had Rosto running out of here like the black god was chasing him, right in the middle of court."

I kept silent for a while, gathering my thoughts. I didn't want to hide anything from her, but at the same time, I didn't want to make her worry. Then again, all she had to do was ask Rosto, and he'd probably give her the story I gave him.

"Rosto really ran out of the court?"

"Yes, he most certainly did. I'll be having a few words with him later about that too." I chuckled softly. I could only imagine how she'd be 'talking' to him about this later. A knot in my shoulders loosened at Aniki's joke. I wasn't dreading telling her so much anymore.

"I was attacked on my way home by some drunk cove. He knew how to fight, so his being drunk probly saved my life. I was stupid enough to let him get a good hit, breaking my shoulder before I managed to give him a nap-tap. Went back to the Kennel with a pair of dogs to give a statement and get my shoulder fixed." She hummed, thinking, while absently fiddling with a dagger.

"That's it? Did he say anything? Was he a part of the rogue?"

"No. Rosto said he wasn't. Though, Rosto never really looked at him either." It didn't seem strange until I'd said it out loud. Why wouldn't Rosto have checked? If it were one of his rogues, he'd have been risking a war with the dogs by not taking care of the lout right quick.

"Aniki, did Rosto go back to the cages after he left me at my room?" She stopped playing with her dagger and looked at me then.

"You don't need to worry about that scummer, Beka," she said, getting up to leave. If I'da asked her what Rosto did, I know she she'd have lied. The lout was probly dead by now. I hoped at least Rosto managed to get something out of him before he doused the cove.

Writ after watch

This evening we had another shock for us today. I found out as us puppies finished our training before watch. Rosto was at the kennel and asking to 'parley with the dear ol' sergeant' as he put it. The room was so quiet you could hear the light wind from outside leaking through the door. No one knew whether they shoulda laughed the rogue out of the room or arrest him for being too