A/N: I'm back from my trip, and as I promised, here's the next update!! (I'll reply to your previous chapter reviews after I post this, since I figured you'd be waiting for this chapter already :D). Enjoy!

Chapter Eleven: Encounter with the Rogue

Rosto's attacker was swift and skilled with a blade, but after the initial attack when Rosto was caught off-guard, the fight turned in Rosto's favor. When one of Rosto's blades bit into the muscle of the cove's sword arm, the man cursed and fell back.

"I hate to disappoint you, but these aren't my rooms. Though your fighting is still good, your sense of direction is sorely lacking," Rosto told him, no humor in his voice.

The men stood apart, watching each other with sharp, measuring eyes. Rosto had recognized his assailant as soon as the man had stepped out of the shadows. If his skill with the blade had not given him away, then the long scar on his jaw would have. He was a rusher in Rosto's Court, a rusher who had been dissatisfied with Rosto's rule ever since he had taken the throne. He complained that it wasn't right to have a foreigner for a Rogue, on top of many other things, but he had never voiced a challenge to the Rogue. The rusher was one of the best fighters in Rosto's Court, but Rosto was better- and the other cove knew it.

"I wasn't lookin' fer ye!" the other cove spat.

"Then it seems you've failed again," said Rosto, voice hard. "Because here I am."

"I was comin' to pay yer pretty Dog a visit, not ye. It's about time someone took care of ye, Rosto the Piper," the man snarled, "but the other sarden tosspots that call themselves rushers are too loyal to ye, the traitorous scuts. So I had t' find another way to finally bring ye down."

"You damned coward," Rosto said through clenched teeth, barely reining in his temper. "Instead of challenging me outright, you planned to get me through hurting a friend that has no business with the Rogue at all."

"No business?" the man scoffed. "She's been affectin' the whole Court through yer mood swings ever since she ran off t' Port Caynn! A Rogue that's tied back by his emotions isn't fit t' rule and neither is a foreigner!" Suddenly the man leered at Rosto, "I guess it shouldn't have surprised me t' find ye here. She's a pretty mot, fer all she's a Dog. Prolly worth a good swivin' too, eh, Majesty? Mayhap after I've finished with ye here I'll find out fer myself-"

With a cry of fury, Rosto lunged at the man.

Both men were unaware of the sound of a barking dog and hissing cat, followed by the sound of boots, coming up the stairs as they fought. Rosto's attacker was near the door when it swung open and Achoo and Pounce raced in. In that second of confusion, the man took his leave, flying down the stairs. Rosto raced after him, followed closely by Pounce, Achoo, and then a very confused Beka.

By the time Beka made it outside and had followed them into the alleyway, she found Rosto standing with his back to her. She looked around him to see the other cove on the ground, a knife sticking out between his shoulder blades.

Immediately, Beka ran around Rosto to the man on the ground.

"He's alive, just unconscious," Rosto told her, watching as she felt for his pulse. When she looked up at him with questioning eyes, Rosto told her what had happened.

As he did so, Beka instantly grabbed for the hobbles she carried and tied the man's wrists and ankles. Then she looked at Rosto. "Why didn't you kill him?"

He shrugged. "He didn't challenge me outright. I'll leave him for you Dogs to take care of instead. There'll be no bribing, since I'd be the one to make that decision, so don't you worry about that. He'll get the punishment he deserves for breaking into a Dog's quarters and intending to harm you. That'll be enough for me."

For a moment Beka just looked at him. Then she blew her whistle to call for help from the Dogs. After she did so, she told Rosto, "You'd better get out of here. We don't need to be explaining why the Rogue was in my rooms either."

He blinked in slight surprise until she rolled her eyes and stood. "Consider it my thank you," she told him, taking his arm.

Suddenly Rosto hissed. That's when Beka noticed the blood starting to seep through the side of his dark shirt. "Rosto, you're hurt!"

"It's just a shallow cut," he told her, wincing. His face was ashen.

"Fools and their pride," Beka muttered, placing one of his arms around her shoulders. "We need to get you to a healer fast." After telling Pounce and Achoo to watch the cove she had hobbled, she helped Rosto back to Mistress Trout's lodgings. The Dancing Dove was farther than he should go. He tried to make light of it, but by the time she got him up to her room, he had lost a significant amount of blood.

Sitting him on her bed, she gave him some ale. He took it with a slight grin and a "thanks" as she used some linen to try and stop the bleeding for a little while until she could run to the Dancing Dove and get one of his healers.

When his bleeding subsided enough, Beka looked down at him. A blade had cut deeply into his side and it was still bleeding too much…and Beka was worried.

"I'll be alright; I've had worse than this afore. I'm a fast healer."

Beka looked up to see Rosto watching her. His voice was soft and his face still pale, which made her worry all the more. He looked bad.

Afraid of his condition and the strong emotions that suddenly weighed down on her, Beka told him, "You'd better not die on me, you looby. If you do, I'll never forgive you. I'm going to fetch you a healer."

Though she had meant to scold, her words had come out with far less force than she had wanted. The worry in her voice had shone through instead, and a slight smile appeared on Rosto's face.

"I won't," he whispered, but Beka didn't hear. She was already out the door, hurrying to the Dancing Dove.

In Jane Street Kennel, Beka sat writing her report. Her body was rigid with apprehension as she wrote down what had happened that night- at least the parts she wanted the Dogs to know. She left out Rosto's involvement completely, knowing there would be too many questions and speculations as to why the city's Rogue was in her rooms in the first place, but everything else she kept true to fact. She wrote that she arrived at her lodgings and when she opened the door to her room, a man rushed out and Beka pursued. To explain his wounds, Beka said another unfriendly rusher met him in the alleyway. Beka was pursuing that cove when the Dogs showed up. Unfortunately, that rusher had gotten away.

As she wrote, her mind was laced with worry. Would anyone believe this? The two Night Watch guards that had responded to her whistle had, but Beka figured they would also believe a street mumper if she told them she was the Empress of Carthak. Beka knew she'd naught have a chance of getting this passed her desk sergeant and past partner, Clary Goodwin, but with the Night Watch desk sergeant she had a good chance. He wasn't much better than those two guards who had come to her aid in the alley.

She was slightly relieved by this realization, but her shoulders were still tense and her writing tight. She hadn't been able to return to her rooms after she had fetched a healer for Rosto because she knew Dogs would be responding to her call for the cages, and now she was anxious to leave and see how he was doing. Even as she wrote, it surprised her how much she was worried about him. In fact, she could think of little else but his pale face and weak voice. It scared her.

When she gave a verbal report to the desk sergeant and then turned in her official written one, she was finally able to leave. The desk sergeant had heard her report and had asked only a few questions. Beka was leaving, relieved, when suddenly Goodwin appeared beside her. Apparently, the Evening Watch desk sergeant hadn't left after watch yet.

"Let me walk you home, Cooper," she said, already walking out in front of Beka.

Beka sighed inwardly. Her lodgings were well out of the way from Goodwin's house, and she could only guess at the reason why Goodwin wished to walk with her home.

The two were silent as they walked. It wasn't until they were almost to Mistress Trout's lodgings that Goodwin finally said, "I have to say, Cooper, I've heard more believable stories from cracknobs on the streets that claim they're the true King of Tortall. You're just lucky that Night Watch's desk sergeant is such an empty-headed looby."

Knowing better than to act stupid, Beka replied, "What don't you believe?"

Goodwin looked at her. The corner of her mouth twitched in a small grin. "I would be a mule's bum if I believed you gave chase to the rusher that caught your intruder in the alleyway and you didn't hobble him. Of course, I know that didn't really happen, so I'm not going to start scolding you about it."

They stopped as they reached Mistress Trout's. Goodwin turned to her and said, "I also heard that your intruder had multiple knife wounds. Night Watch won't care much now since the cove died in the cages on the way to the kennel, but it sounds to me like the rusher you 'chased' had an excellent hand with a dagger." She gave Beka a significant look. Then Goodwin glanced over at the Dancing Dove and, seeming to change the subject, asked, "By the way, how is our Rogue?"

Beka didn't refute her silent accusation and she knew the question wasn't one meant to be answered. Instead she watched Goodwin closely, wondering what she would do.

Seeing the look Beka was giving her, Goodwin nodded. "Don't worry, Cooper. I'll no more rat him out than you would on this. Besides, we would surely set the Realm of Chaos on its ear if we took down yet another Rogue in such a short time." She grinned and then clapped Beka on the shoulder. "I'd better take my leave. Tom will be up worrying himself silly."

Beka returned to her rooms to find the healer still there, sitting beside Beka's bed where Rosto lay sleeping. Walking over to the bed, Beka asked her concernedly, "How is he doing?"

"He's doing well. The healing has put him to sleep, but it won't be long before he's up again," the healing woman replied.

Nodding, Beka looked down at Rosto. When she saw he was breathing steadily and his color was much better, relief swept through her unexpectedly. "Good," she said.

Her eyes were still on Rosto when someone said, "It was a nasty cut made by a good blade- and a good swordsman." Beka turned to see Aniki lounging at her table. Before Beka could ask what she was doing there, Aniki told her, "I'm here in case anyone tries to take advantage of attacking a healing Rogue. They'll think twice about it with me here, you, and our healer." Aniki grinned, "She can do some fancy little magic that can bind people up so they can't move."

"I've had plenty of encounters with that to last me a lifetime," Beka replied sarcastically, remembering Sir Lionel's binding spell.

Aniki nodded, "Seeing her work, I almost wish I had the Gift. It would save my sword arm a lot of trouble."

She and Beka talked about the night's events- Beka telling Aniki that the rusher had died on his way to the kennel- until suddenly Beka yawned, "I'm exhausted." Then she looked over to her bed. "Where am I supposed to sleep?" she asked, suddenly realizing Rosto occupied her bed.

Noticing the direction of her gaze, Aniki said with a wicked smile, "I'm sure Rosto wouldn't mind a little company…especially yours."

Beka raised an eyebrow at her friend. "The only company he'll be getting from me is when I kick him out of my bed."

They heard a sleepy chuckle. Beka turned to look at Rosto. His eyes were still closed, but there was sleepy smile playing on his lips as he patted the bed gently with his hand. "There's plenty of room for you here, love. I was taught to share."

"I'm sure you were," said Beka dryly.

Rosto chuckled once more before slipping back to sleep.

"I'll tell him the rusher's fate when he wakes again," Aniki assured her, settling into the chair. "You can sleep in my rooms."

"Thanks," replied Beka, already heading toward the door. Before she left, she took one more worried glance at Rosto. At least he was looking better…and obviously coherent enough to flirt with her. That was a good sign.

From where she sat, Aniki watched Beka as she looked at Rosto. Gods above, she thought as she shook her head, at the rate they're going, the immortals will return before they finally get together!

Aniki was still shaking her head when Beka finally left.

A/N: Hey that wasn't a cliffie :D I'll update again in a few days! The next chapter will be the last.