Chapter 3 is finished!!

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The next few days went past in a blur, I think the grieving had hit me. Diona and I didn't really get along anymore but she was still my sister.

I did everything in a kind of trance, like I couldn't feel anything else, I stopped going to breakfast those couple of days, the joy and laughter of my friends was just too much for me.

Watch was similar, I still caught the rats but I didn't do it with the same enthusiasm. I didn't hang around to talk to my fellow dogs or even my friends.

I was forced out of it though, coming home after my watch two nights ago, I finally came to my senses again.

I'd left as soon as Goodwin had dismissed us, not waiting for Ersken and took a longer way home than he did.

I was only a block or so from my lodgings and I'd just turned into an ally with Achoo a few steps in front of me when I sensed someone behind us.

I spun around just in time to see the flash of a blade and duck. It sliced through the air where my head had just been.

I straightened immediately and pulled out my two daggers, Achoo barked and returned to my side, snarling at the attacker.

The cove swung at me again but I brought up the daggers and blocked his sword, trapping it between the short blades.

Using this I pushed the sword back and he didn't get out of the way in time, the hilt collided with his head with a thunk and he dropped the sword and stumbled backwards.

He recovered quickly however and produced two longer daggers for thin air and came at me again, I skidded to the right to avoid one and ducked for the other. I thrust my own blades up to meet his and twisted them when they came in contact with his skin.

This backwards and forwards dance continued for a few minutes afore I tired of it. While he was concentrating on the blades I kick up and caught his shin, his leg went out from underneath him and he landed hard on his back. Swiftly I kicked the blades from his hands and stood over him with mine pointed at his throat.

Now I could see him better, I recogonise the cropped hair style and black clothing as one of my father's marksmen.

As this information registered in my mind I wasn't paying attention to my opponent.

He lashed out at me catching me in the arm, I twisted his around and drove his weapon back into his chest by instinct.

I leapt away from his now motionless body, breathing hard, sweat covering my skin and tears in my eyes.

I killed him!

I couldn't help it, the spell, I just did what it told me to….I didn't mean it.

I'm rambling now.

Achoo woofed softly at me, I dropped to my knees and buried my face in her fur, hugging her. She didn't move but sat and let me hug her.

After my breathing had returned to a some what normal pace I released my hound and stood.

I felt a stinging sensation run through my arm and was suddenly aware of the warm sticky liquid trickling down it.

The sarden scut got me!

I knew then that I needed to come out of my trance, if I didn't I'd be dead by next week.

So my father knew where I was, I'd expected as much, but now he's sendin' his runarounds after me.

"Well Achoo." I stroked her head gently. "Welcome to my world." I sighed realizing that this was how it was going to be again, that I was going to have to use this sarden 'gift' when I'd sworn never to use its power after I escaped.

I guess I was wrong.

I stumbled over to the body, and searched it for the dagger Father gave all his men, it had the same pattern as mine but it was a brass colour with no jewel.

I found it strapped to the back of his shin.

There was no doubt then, he knew.

I didn't get home for another few hours and when I did the boarding house was empty.

I didn't pay it to much mind, I simply striped down to my under clothes and slid under my cool sheets, Achoo stretched out beside me and fell asleep.

"She's back! She's up here!"

Was what I woke to the next morning, followed by the pounding footsteps up the stairs.

I opened my eyes to peer around my room, and then spotted Aniki in the doorway watching me.

I groaned and lifted my head up off my pillow.

"What is it?" I muttered groggily.

"What is it?" She repeated angrily, Ersken, Kora, Phelan, Rosto, Tunstall and Goodwin were now standing behind her.

"What is it, she says." Aniki almost yelled. "Where in Mithros name were you last night?"

I groaned again pulled the blanket over my head, I didn't want to remember last night and I defiantly wasn't going to tell them.

"Never mind bout that." I grumbled through the covers.

The next thing I know they were ripped from my poor body. I squealed as the cold air hit me, not to mention there were men in the room and I was only in my under clothes.

And my bruises and cuts from my fight last night were very visible now.

"What have you been doin' Cooper." Goodwin mumbled looking my body over as she held onto my blankets.

I groaned again, I was stiff and the cut on my arm ached.

I'd bandaged and washed it last night but it had bleed while I'd slept and there was blood through the bandage, down my arm and on the mattress.

Kora pushed past the wall of people that had surrounded my bed, and came to look at my arm.

I hissed when she unwrapped it, but held firm for her.

"That's a nasty cut Beka, how did you come about getting' it?" I asked me.

I stayed silent.

"I know for sure you didn't have all them bruises and that nick before watch." Tunstall added. "And you didn't get em' on watch either."

I glared at him, he wasn't helping.

"It don't matter, I'm fine." I grumbled. "Now can I have my blankets back?"

Goodwin glared at me, not a good sign.

"Not until you tell us what happened Cooper, and that's an order."

I sighed again and flinched as Kora put a damp cloth to the gash.

"Why can't you lot just drop it?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Because we're your friends Beka, and we're worried about you!" Ersken cried.

That pulled a string, I didn't want to worry them unnecessarily, but I still believed I was protecting them by not telling them.

"I got into a fight on my way home." I grumbled finally. "But that's all you need to know, and that's all your gonna get out of me."

Rosto frowned, as did the others.

"Does this have sommat to do with your sister's killer? You told me I didn't need to know who it was." He was watching the blood slip down my arm.

"Your sister's killer? Lord Provost ordered you to keep away from him Cooper." Goodwin frowned, she was confused.

"I didn't go any where near that sarden scut!" I argued. "The cove found me, not the other way around!"

"So it is sommat to do with Diona." Tunstall mused.

Rosto smirked triumphantly at me, I returned his smirk with a glare.

"Well Cooper who is this 'he'." Goodwin demanded.

I opened and closed my mouth a few times trying to come up with something to get me out of it but came up with nothing.

"She told me he's a powerful cove." Rosto replied casually. "But he isn't a mage."

"Which is exactly why I'm not saying anything!" I interrupted him turning my icy glare back to his face.

"We'll see how powerful he is when I get my teeth into him." Goodwin growled. "Who is he Cooper?"

"NO! Please, just leave it, if you go poking your nose into his business he'll have you killed!" I let desperation seep into my voice, I didn't want to lose them.

"We want to help put him away Beka." Ersken tried reasoning. "A man like that is to dangerous to just leave be."

"A man like him is too dangerous for you to survive!" I retorted. "He has men all through Tortall, word would get back to him that you were looking into him, you wouldn't last a day! He don't spare anyone either, it wont matter who you are. Very few people know who he is and that ain't because he's good at keeping it a secret." I glared at them all, they had such think skulls!

Kora had finished bandaging up my arm and I got up and pulled on breaches and had just pulled a tunic over my head when Goodwin spoke again.

"How do you know him then? If you know so much about him then he must be after you to, so you better tell us sommat so we can protect you."

I sighed. "I don't need protecting, I don't know if he wants me dead anyway."

Well, I didn't know for sure, but the chances weren't good that he was just looking a family reunion.

Goodwin scoffed, she was betting death to.

"You didn't answer her first question Cooper." Rosto glared. "How do you know this scut?"

"It doesn't matter how I know him, I just do." I grumbled, looking on my desk for a brush.

With that many people in my tiny room, it made moving around a bit hard. And Rosto stood in front of my desk.

His arms folded across his chest and his black eyes fixed on me, and they weren't happy.

"Look Piper, I don't know why your so vexed about this, I'll handle it, I've spent half of my life nearly dealing with him, I know him, so there's no need to worry." I huffed.

"Half your life aye?" Aniki grinned. "He must be family or sommat real close to you then."

I froze. "What makes you say that?"

"Well the look on your face just proves she's right." Goodwin grinned. "We're finally getting some where. So we're looking for a powerful cove who's a relation to you or someone who you've been around a lot for the first part of your existence. Which won't be for much longer if you don't tell me sommat Cooper! I don't take kindly to one of my dogs being threatened, especially my puppy."

Rosto was still glaring at me.

"Are we going to breakfast or not?" I grunted. Throwing open my door and stalking down the stairs and over the road to the Dove.

They followed me soon enough, with the baskets of food and what not.

Our breakfast room was already set up and we sat and started eating in silence.

It went on for a while before the was loud knocking from downstairs.

Rosto stood and went to investigate.

Phelan, who had been quiet until now spoke. "Please Beka? Let us help."

I was spared answering though when the door was flung open, startled we looked up.

Rosto marched in, anger written all over his handsome features.

"There's a cove lookin for you Cooper." He practically snarled it.

I stood and watched as a man appeared behind Rosto, his cheeky know-it-all smirk plastered on his face exactly the way I remembered it.

My mouth dropped.

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