A/N: This is Terrier in Rosto's POV. I'm not sure how this is really going to turn out. Whatever, it's worth a try. After awhile, I might come back to rewrite this, but this is a rough draft. Hopefully my next chapters will be better. I need to come back and "cite" some things.

Rosto the Piper: Part of the Brood

(Disclaimer: I do not of the characters, the major plot and some of the dialogue but most of the subplots belong to me)

Wednesday April 1, 246

First Day in Corus

Corus was a busy as everyone had told me it would be. It wasn't only busy with people, it was busy with crime. Everywhere I turned I saw someone pick another's pocket or take the money purse from the victim's belt. I felt as though I were home. There was something about this place that made me know that I was going to stay here for a long time.

I wanted to go out and find the Rogue of this city, but my stomach disagreed with my intentions. Instead, my companions, Aniki and Kora decided that a drink and food was needed. We went into the closest eating house named Mantel and Pullet. Everyone in there seemed to be a Dog which didn't bother me. If I didn't do anything wrong then there was no reason for the curs to bite.

The ladies looked for a seat while I went to order something to keep us warm for the rest of the night, though I had other things planned that would keep us warm. We had only been there for no more than a minute when three people walked in: two older dogs, male and female, and one younger mot. I didn't think anything of them. They weren't my business, though that young mot caught my eye quicker than Aniki or Kora ever did. There was sommat odd about her.

She glanced at sommat near me with her blue-grey eyes and sat at the table designated for the Dogs that dragged her around.

I turned back to the bar, not caring. It was obvious she was a Puppy; the white trim on the sleeves of her tunic said it all. A Puppy wasn't a problem of mine, it was the Dogs.

The young mot made her way up to the bar. She leaned against it, looking shy. The barkeeper had already drawn some ale for the young girl in leather jacks that said Goodwin and Tunstall; I assumed it was the two dogs that pulled her around. "What of you, pretty puppy?" the man asked the Puppy, his eyes were leering. "A nice strong ale to loosen your belt? Wine for your first day?"

The girl looked away with an expression that was a mixture of annoyed and uncertain. "Barley water, sir, if you please."

The barkeeper gaped at her for a moment before he said in a flat tone, "You're joking."

"No, Master Barkeep. Barley water, please." The girl was rather clear with what she wanted, I didn't understand what was wrong with her request. Couldn't the daft man see that she didn't want anything strong?

Apparently, he didn't, because he snapped, "You've something against my good brown ale? Strong enough to stick a spoon in! 'Tis good enough for any Dog or soldier as walks through that door, good enough that the King himself, gods save him, has drunk it, whilst you turn up that dainty nose -"

I had enough of the man. I leaned in and knocked the plank bar, drawing his attention towards me. "Listen, keg tapper. Rather than waste the time yapping at a pretty girl who's not interested, why not occupy yourself pouring out for me and my ladies, and let her be about her business."

The girl glanced at me. I could see that here eyes absorbed my appearance. She was probably surprised by my rather pale nature. It was in my blood after all, being Scanran. Her eyes lingered longer than most, looking at every scar that was visible to her. Her eyes connected with mine and I winked at her as I leaned in for the barman's attention.

The mot walked away getting stopped by the barmaid, who gave her a mug of water. I didn't know what they were saying, nor did I care. "She seemed interested," Aniki said in my ear when I brought them their drinks. There was a bit of amusement in her voice.

"I don't think that was interest," I told her as I glanced back at the girl. Her Dogs were glancing at me with a suspicious look. There was no doubt in my mind that they were curious about me. I did stick out fairly well. I mean, how many people look as though they lost every flick of color in Corus? Not many, I'll tell you that. Without listening, I knew that they were talking of me. I was just that interesting; people had to talk about me.

Kora leaned in, her eyes gleaming at me. Her cat-like features were twitching with excitement. "I think we should go find our Rogue soon," she said. She was right; I had a goal of my own to achieve, after all. We heard Corus was far more entertaining than Scanra. "But after we finish our drink. If that barkeep thinks his brew is as good as he thinks it then I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt." She lifted her mug to me and drank down her contents, Aniki and I followed suit.

After a while, I knew that the Dogs and their pretty Puppy weren't looking at me or my ladies any longer. The Dogs seemed to be hounding their Puppy for something. Whatever it was, I couldn't hear.

"Why must you keep looking at them?" Aniki asked, her eyes locking in with my own. "You are going to draw attention to us if you don't quit!"

"It looks like he wants another mot to warm his bed at night," Kora accused with a hint of amusement. "Rosto is sick of us already."

"He kept us longer than other mots," Aniki chided. "Though it's his loss."

"I never said that," I say, sipping my ale. "I was just a bit curious of 'em." There is no point in lying to Aniki or Kora; they know me all too well. "We should go look for the Rogue," I said. I knew it wasn't going to be hard to find him. The people in this part of town jabbered about him like bad gossip – made he was bad gossip. His name was Kayfer Deerborn, that was all I got while making our way to this eating house "Or you may stay and have another round while I go look for our new dear Rogue."

"You aren't going to have all of the fun," Aniki exclaimed. "Let's go." She drank the rest of her ale and slammed the mug against the table, making a few men look over with interest. Aniki was a beautiful mot. Her blonde hair wasn't as light as my own but it was light enough to know she was Scanran. She had a well-worked body with muscles that could make any woman envious. She always wore clothes made for men and a sword that she prized, though she didn't admit it very much.

Aniki and Kora were up before I was. They are always ready for excitement. I turned to look at the Dogs one last time, but they were too wrapped in their own conversation to care they the Rats were leaving.

We found our way to the Lower City, the trip there was as uneventful as the trip to Corus. The Rogue wasn't too hard to find either, all I did was ask where he was hiding and the people in the Lower City just pointed. Apparently, he didn't try to hide himself. He seemed well known around the Lower City parts.

I found myself in front of a stone building that looked the have belonged to someone with money. I raised an eyebrow up at it and looked around. Everyone in this hellhole was poor, wearing nothing but rages and eating scrap (if they were lucky); what was a building such as the one in front of me doing in a place like the Cesspool (so I heard it was called)?

"Are you ready to meet our Rogue?" I asked my mots. They turned their heads up to me with glittering smiles. Through their smiles, I could see that they were just as curious as to how a Rogue could set up his court in a fancy place such as that building. It made him seem superior when he was supposed to be equal.

We entered the place, getting looked at by a couple of shifty looking men. I could see that they each had a large knife at their side, if not a sword. None were subtle about their weapons. It made them obvious tricksters.

We found our way to an open room where several tables were set. I decided that it would be best to introduce ourselves after we watched the man. He wasn't hard to miss. His sat his rolling self on a makeshift throne, peering down at the people below him. There was definite superiority in his blue eyes. He wore a large black pearl drop in one of his ears. It looked as though the pearl drop were going to rip his ear right off while the other ear was content with a simple silver hoop. Upon his large fingers sat a sapphire ring the size of a bird egg. In short, he was a rather gaudy man with little personality.

Beside the Rogue was a mot, brown-skinned, and a Carthaki wearing breeches and a shirt. Her hard eyes were lined with tattoos and her ear was studded with rubies. Behind her, there were two coves, both Carthaki by the look of it. One, wearing a slave collar, held the leashes of two mastiffs. His muscles were large and made the mastiffs look like little puppies.

The mot noticed our presence. She didn't say anything to the Rogue, just eyed use with suspicion. I smiled at her in my most friendly manor. She returned a smile, but it didn't match mine. It was a tight smile with very little emotion. I didn't let her get to me. Though she had a high rank in the Rogue's Court, did not mean I had to find her very bone rattling.

"Do you think she finds us threatening?" Aniki smirked. There was a drip of sarcasm in her voice. She leaned against the table on her elbow, looking at the Carthaki mot.

Kora looked at the Carthaki with great interest. Her eyebrows arched slightly and she turned her head to the side. I knew for a fact that Kora was judging her. She was absorbing all of the mot's features, like she did with everyone else she met. "She's wary."

"As she should be," I mumbled. We sat there for a while longer, finding the Rogue to be as dull as he appeared. I found myself bored and announced our leave. "We need to find a place to stay for the night anyway." I had some money on me. I cut it from a man's purse on our way over.

"Separate rooms, please," Kora said sighing tiredly. "It was a long trip here." Aniki sighed along with her and nodded. My night's plans were ruined. Though I knew there were many nights ahead. We found our way to a small inn in the Lower City, hoping to find more excitement tomorrow.