Daughter Of Fire

Written after watch.

I think I very nearly skipped through the gates into the kennel, even though I ached nearly all over. We'd broken up yet another bar fight, they'd been a common occurrence of late.

Tunstall raised his eyebrow at me. "If you keep this up, they'll think we didn't do any work at all tonight."

I merely grinned. "There are five of our rats in the cages from tonights, let em' think what they like. I finally have a good partner of my own, I shall be happy if I wish."

He laughed and pulled open the door to the kennel. But as soon as we stepped through the threshold I sensed something was wrong. Very wrong. It was a similar feeling to when we'd come back to the news about Verne. My gut did a back flip and my eyes darted around the silent room.

Ersken, Birch, Jewel, his partner, nearly all of evening watch was present, but it was time to muster out yet, so they other pairs could still be making their way back.

As I looked around the room a strange thing occurred to me. My Lord Provost was present, he was speaking to the Evening Watch commander. But slightly to his left stood Lady Teodorie and behind her, sitting on the benches were my sister Lorine and my brother Will and Nilo. The expressions on their faces were enough to tell I was right in assuming something was wrong. The boy's eyes were red and puffy and Lorine's face was tear streaked.

My Lord looked up when the door opened and beckoned to me.

I stayed exactly where I was.

The fear for what he was surely about to tell me, rooted me to the floor. He tried again and still I couldn't bring myself to go to him.

Tunstall gave my shoulder a light push and I turned to look at his face. His eyes showed a slight trace of fear and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was.

"Beka." My Lord called softly across the room.

Every face turned in our direction and Ersken stood.

My Lord went to speak again but I shook my head, I didn't want to know. Something inside me told me I already knew.

Finally Tunstall pushed me forcefully forwards toward My Lord and I reluctantly went to him. I didn't bow to him or my Lady, I couldn't I was too scared.

"What happened?" The question came out in a strangled whisper.

"I'm so sorry Beka." My Lord said slowly. "Diona was murdered."

I squeezed my eyes shut and swallowed. When I opened them they were all watching me.

I looked past them to my siblings, they to were watching me.

"How? When? Who?" The questions came out so quickly I'm surprised they understood me at all.

"Early this evening, a dagger through the heart. Lorine found her, we haven't caught the person yet." My Lord spoke to me, his voice was even but I could tell he was angry.

"Lorine…." I repeated.

She stood up and ran to me throwing her arms around my middle and buried her head into my chest. I closed my arms protectively around her and gently kissed her head.

"There was so much blood." She sobbed.

"Shh." I did my best to sooth her, stroking her hair and rubbing her back.

"If only I'd gone to bed when she had.."

"No Lorine." I cut in forcefully. "This is in no way your fault, you understand me? If you'd been there you could have been killed as well, then where would we be?"

I'd meant it all to sound forceful but my voice had started to waver towards the end and tears blurred my vision.

"She was asleep? In their room?" I asked my Lord.

He nodded.

"How…" The question faded on my lips as the tears started to slip down my cheeks.

I lead Lorine back to our brothers and sat her down before sitting in beside her. She leant her head on my shoulder and cuddled up to me.

Nilo climbed up onto our laps and lay down, while Will squeezed in between Lorine and my legs. I stroked Nilo's hair and put my other hand on Will's shoulder.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, Evening Watch was dismissed and Night Watch mustered out by the time I regain some of my senses.

Half dazed I looked around the room. Goodwin was still at her desk writing something while talking to Tunstall, my Lord and Ersken. While my Lady sat off to the side of them working on some sewing I think.

Then something caught my attention. On a small table beside Goodwin's huge desk was what I recognized as the hilt of a dagger. It was silver and the shine of a blue stone embedded in the hilt flashed in the candle light.

Fear instantly gripped me and my gut clenched.

Perhaps I should explain. I have a secret that no one here apart from my Lord knows.

My siblings and I are only half brothers and sisters, I have a different father.

My father is Lord Soren of Layston a very powerful man in the King's court. A very evil man on the other side of the law.

My Mama escaped from him when I was ten months old, she had tried to take me but my father never aloud her much contact with me and she was unable to. When I was 6 I finally got out with the help of a friend and run to my mother, who by that time had had Diona, Lorine and Will. But never the less she was overjoyed to see me, the rest you know. I gave the Bold Brass gang over to my Lord when I was eight and he took us into his home. Which was the only reason I ever told him my secret, I feared my father would someday find me and the consequences would be high.

My father is known on the streets as 'The Hangman.' Though very few people know who he really is, to others he is faceless.

He trains and controls an elite army of assassins who he uses to move up higher in the courts and get what he wants.

When Mama was pregnant with me my father got his most powerful mage to cast a spell on me.

I am an assassin. I know all the secrets and the moves, I can kill a man with out spilling a drop of blood, with out leaving any trace that I was ever there. I could beat everyone present with one hand tied behind my back and blind folded.

And I hate it.

But my father made one vital mistake, he thought that I would follow him like a lost puppy. But I didn't I hate the man and what he made me do, what he cursed me with.

When I was born a dagger magically formed. It was silver and had a stone the same colour as my eyes embedded in its hilt.

Exactly like the one on the table.

I gently moved Nilo so I could get up, all three had fallen asleep and I did my best not to wake them.

I made my way quietly to the desk and only when I got there did the others notice me.

They stopped talking and just watched insure what to say.

"Where did you get that?" I asked slowly.

"That was the dagger that killed Diona, Beka." My Lord replied.

With a shaky hand I reached out and brushed my fingers over the stone and along the blade, which was red with dried blood.

I felt more tears welling up but I blinked them back down, the fear instead rising in my throat. "Goddess please no, please no." I muttered.

"What is it Beka?" Ersken asked the worry seeping into his voice.

I forced my hand to pick up the dagger, but it shook terribly. "The dagger….." I started but couldn't find the words to say it.

"What about it? Spit it out Cooper!" Goodwin ordered me.

"It's mine." I gasped.

Silence followed, and no one moved, though I wasn't looking.

"My own dagger killed my sister."

"But if it's your dagger then how could someone use it to kill her?" Tunstall asked.

"I haven't seen it in 10 years, I know who killed her. Or rather who ordered her death." I think I spat the words rather than said them.

My Lord suddenly knew who I was speaking of and something mixed in with his usual calm voice. "But why would he wish to kill Diona Beka? What would he gain?"

"He delivered a message. That's all, he delivered a message." I replied. Ersken later told me that my voice was an emotionless tone and told me to never do it again.

"My little sister was killed to get a message to me." I turned the dagger over in my hand, feeling how it fit perfectly there, molding into my hand.

"Who is this 'he' Cooper?" Goodwin growled, she hated to be kept in the dark.

I think I did the bravest thing in my entire life that day, I ignored Goodwin.

"Put your best guards around you and my brothers and sister my Lord, just in case." I ordered. He nodded understandingly.

"I'm going to kill him for this!" I growled, expertly flicking my wrist sending the dagger flying, embedding it's self just above the entrance.

I glanced back at the astonished faces before stalking towards the door.

"Beka, you stay away from that house do you understand me?" My Lord called after me, his voice was hard and serious.

I turned back to retort but he spoke before I could.

"That's an order Guardswoman Cooper, you are not to go near that house, your father or anyone who had, does and will work for him understand?"

I bit my lip, the spell inside me that I can never get rid of, burned with instinct to avenge my sister. It burned so hot I was nearly ready to burst.

I nodded curtly.

"Promise us Beka, give us your word." My Lord pushed.

I looked at them all, my training dogs, my partner, my friend, my mentor and still sleeping my siblings. I could never hurt them but it was about time I did something about The Hangman. As a dog I was supposed to protect the people, wouldn't getting rid of him be doing my job?

"Beka?"

I sighed. "Fine, I won't do anything, yet. I give you my word as a dog and your friend, I won't."

They nodded pleased with my answer.

"Now go home all of you, don't worry Beka I'll protect them." My Lord smiled finally. "Take her home Ersken."

Ersken walked quickly to my side and turned me back towards the door, grabbed my hand and gently lead me out.

The tears welled up again as Ersken lead me through the streets occasionally squeezing me hand in reassurance and I stared off into space. The tears started to fall slowly and this time I didn't try to hold them back.

The world that had been so cruel to me had just taken my little sister and it was because of me.

The world that I had fought tooth and nail to get away from………was back.