Disclaimer (applies to all chapters): I do not own any characters, places, or objects created by Tamora Pierce. Oh, how I wish I did.

A/N: I'm back (it seems I couldn't stay away for long!), and this time I've written a Beka/Rosto fic for you all to enjoy. After reading Bloodhound (which was EXCELLENT by the way) I felt like we needed some Beka and Rosto interaction at the end. This is my take on what would happen post-Bloodhound. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter One: Reports to an Angered Rogue

As the sun set over the harbor, the cool breeze from the sea swept through the darkened streets of Port Caynn. The town's squares and eating houses began to fill up with mots and coves alike, beginning the busy night traffic. Many couples walked about, some lovestruck, others bickering back and forth with the practice of many years together. The streets were a mixture of rushers and cityfolk, with the occasional appearance of street Dogs- that were either just plain lazy, or they'd been bribed proper. Mayhap both. A purse snatching happened near one pair of Dogs, but the scuts turned their attention instead to an old mot selling meat pasties.

But the filcher did not go unnoticed. Two very pale blue eyes, under a modest application of eye paint, watched the lad. The pretty mot was dressed in a simple dress of a citywoman, but her gait gave her away. Though she dressed ordinary, she had the telltale walk of a fighter. A Dog to be exact. The man with whom she walked with was not a Dog, nor did he fight for a living, but it was equally as obvious that he could protect himself well if a problem arose.

The cove leaned in to whisper in the Dog-mot's ear. She smiled up at him, taking her eyes off of the small filcher as the man whose purse he had stolen caught the young boy by the shoulder. He yelled for the Dogs. The young lad thrust a purse back at the man. He caught it, and in doing so, slackened his hold on the boy. The boy turned and ran. The man frowned at the purse and was about to yell again for the Dogs when he looked inside. He suddenly shut his gob and turned on his heel, moving in the opposite direction of the young filcher. The two Dogs, who had turned to look about lazily, returned to eating their pasties, never moving from where they leaned against one of the stalls.

The face of the Dog-mot dressed in city garb tightened as she watched again. Her shoulders were tense and her hands were fisted at her side. Then the cove she was with pulled her attention back to him as he told her something that made her shoulders relax. They were standing watching a puppet show when the mot had caught sight of the filching. The cove hadn't noticed that her attention had wandered.

The man was clearly a charmer, confident in his dealings with women, and it showed in the way he ran his fingers gently up and down her forearm, teasing her palm and fingers until all she could do was look at him and smile.

After that they walked about the city, the cove ending their stroll by leading them to a tidy-looking building in a decent enough district. It was where he kept his rooms. The cove, named Dale Rowan, took the young woman's hand as Beka, the Dog-mot, smiled and allowed him to lead her inside.

As the door to the building closed behind them, a dark figure moved in the alley across from the residence. The cove was dressed in plain clothes, with sharp green eyes that took in his surroundings as easily as if he checked the sky for time.

Where was Guardswoman Goodwin, leaving Cooper alone to gallivant about? What was she doing? It was as plain as the nose on a cove's face what Guardswoman Cooper was up to.

The watcher's lips settled into a frown. He had very bad feelings about this bit of development. If he thought it had been bad before, he knew it was about to get worse. Much worse.

Mithros save him from the wrath of an angered Rogue!

Back in Corus, the Dancing Dove, Home of the Court of the Rogue

The Dancing Dove was busy. Rushers and people of the Lower City looking to speak to the Rogue filled the main room. Ale and food was being served up by tough mots that were skilled at outmaneuvering roaming, pinching hands, though they expected- and sometimes welcomed- some coves' pats of appreciation.

There were many groups of men playing cards and dice around the room, gambling with coppers mostly, though there was some silver too. Not many people in Corus, not even the rushers, had noticed aught about false silver being passed around as of yet. Then again, not even rushers gambled with silver often. It was the nobles, or the few others who could spare the silver, that used it so freely.

Farthest from the entrance, near the largest hearth, was a raised wooden platform with a simple yet sturdy chair on it. In it sat Corus' Rogue, Rosto the Piper. Like the chair, his clothes were simple, but well-made. A mot, a doxie by the look of her, was draped across one arm of his chair, her fingers toying with the fair hair by one of his ears. Rosto seemed not to notice her attentions as he finished off yet another cup of ale.

Seeing that his cup was finished, the doxie took it from his hand, getting up as she did so. Running her fingers teasingly down his long arm, she turned to go refill his cup. She added an extra sway to her hips apurpose, the bold, seductive smile on her lips a well-crafted tool of her trade in getting a cove to all but grovel at the hem of her skirts.

Rosto hardly noticed however, his thoughts elsewhere…And to where his thoughts led him, he hoped that the doxie would be bringing back stronger ale.

Though his mind was preoccupied, his eyes were still as sharp as his knives. He saw his messenger as soon as he appeared at the entrance to the common room. Rosto shifted and sat up straighter in his chair, his eyes catching the cove's, summoning him to where he sat.

Coming before him, the man bowed with respect.

Nodding back, Rosto asked him, "What do you have to report?"

The cove straightened, his keen green eyes meeting Rosto's own. Carefully the man began to tell him all of what had happened in Port Caynn since the last report two days afore. Another one of Rosto's watchers had come back to report to him before, then returned to Port Caynn. There were a handful of them that Rosto had sent. This cove felt curst unlucky to be the one to report this time. The other watcher had told him of their Rogue's reaction to the first report. The watchers had been sent to Port Caynn to report back on what Guardswomen Goodwin and Cooper did there, but they all knew they were really there to watch over Guardswoman Cooper. Though Rosto listened intently to the other findings of their time in the port city- information on Port Caynn's Rogue, Pearl Skinner, and the like- he was especially intent on hearing news about the first-year Dog, Rebakah Cooper…And he had not reacted calmly to the news of Guardswoman Cooper hanging on the arm of some gambler cove, Dale Rowan.

The man who reported to Rosto now was plain nervous. The first report had included only the first night Beka and Rowan had been seen together, at the Merman's Cave. That night they hadn't been locking lips in every alleyway back to Ladyshearth lodgings as they did the night after. They hadn't even kissed that first night. Now here the poor cove came to deliver his report- and Beka and the gambler had done a lot more than kissing since then.

Giving his Rogue as thorough a report as he could without revealing last night's events, the cove stopped talking and waited for questions. The doxie had returned during the report with Rosto's refilled cup of ale, and now he turned it slowly in one hand as he thought.

Finally he asked, "You said that Cooper was out with Master Rowan last night alone." He said Master Rowan like he had a bad taste in his mouth, though the change to his voice was subtle. "There was no sign of Guardswoman Goodwin?"

The cove had to tell him of Goodwin's absence, but he did not go so far as to tell the Rogue what else had transpired the night before. He had only told him that the two had walked around the city together, with little to report that could be useful to what the guardswomen were seeking in Port Caynn. Understandably, Rosto was curious as to where Goodwin was, just as the watcher had been.

Unfortunately the watcher did not have an answer. "I'm not certain, Your Majesty," the cove replied honestly.

Rosto continued to turn his cup in his hand, watching it absentmindedly.

After a moment of silence, the man added, "When I returned to Ladyshearth lodgin's this mornin', Your Majesty, Guardswoman Goodwin was not there, nor was she there the morning afore."

Of a sudden, Rosto's hand stopped twirling the cup. His eyes fixed again on his watcher. A frown formed on his lips. "Returned to Ladyshearth lodgings? Where had you gone?"

Instantly, the cove realized his mistake, but he dared not lie now. Taking a deep breath, he replied, "I was watchin' Guardswoman Cooper, as instructed."

Rosto's brow creased as he studied the man in front of him.

As if waiting for explanation, the cove went on, saying quietly, "Guardswoman Cooper did not return to her lodgin's last night. She spent her night elsewhere…At Master Dale Rowan's, in fact." Even more quietly, he added, "That's where I left her this mornin' to report back here."

After an eternity of silence from the Rogue passed, the cove chanced a look up at Rosto's face. It looked as hard as stone. His black eyes stared ahead, unseeing, as those that had been listening hurriedly went about their own business, talking nonsense and trying not to catch the Rogue's attention. The watcher waited with bated breath, his palms breaking out into a cold sweat as Rosto's jaw clenched and unclenched. His knuckles turned white, he was holding his cup so tightly. Even the doxie had left off her teasings to go to the privy. No one would dare mention that she had just returned from there.

The poor cove wished he could use the same excuse to wander off, but instead he had to wait to be dismissed.

Finally, Rosto pushed himself out of his chair, sending his full cup of ale to the floor as he did. Then he flipped a coin to the watcher and told him to return to Port Caynn. After that a few quick, powerful strides took Rosto to the staircase that led up to his rooms. Reaching his door, he opened it and slammed it shut behind him, not caring if those below could- and would- hear…

A/N: Well, there it is, the first chapter of a new story! Tell me what you thought! This is my first shot at a Beka/Rosto (Well, truthfully my first shot at a story not Kel/Dom lol) :D I hope you liked it!