Disclaimer: I'm obviously not Tamora Pierce and don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I create.

Here is the re-edited chapter! Please review and tell me what you think. I replaced the old one with this one because I realized that it was mostly corrections that I had to make. Mostly the fact that I had this chapter and who knows how many others in past tense while my more recent ones have been present. As you can see, I changed that.

So without further delay, enjoy!

Dream Rose

May 11, 246 H.E.

The lady with black tear drops on her face dug frantically through the pockets of her under robe. She had to hurry, the guard mages would be back at any moment. Her long and slender fingers finally closed upon a small glass vial filled with a foul looking purple potion. Footsteps were approaching. She had seconds left. She uncapped the potion and, only gagging once, downed its contents. The vial slipped from her hand and shattered against the stone floor of her prison. She slumped to the ground seemingly dead as the guard mages approached her cage built of a gold-colored Gift. The guards obviously thought she was dead as they undid the spell on her cage. As one of them checked to see if she was dead, the other discovered the shattered pieces of the vial. She poisoned herself, he thought. They made arrangements for her to be buried outside the prison and hours later carried her out. It was nearly one in the morning when the hole was finally deep enough. It was a quick and silent burial. The diggers left and sometime in the early hours of dawn the grave started to shake. The freshly dug dirt rose and dropped about a foot-length away from the grave. From the hole the supposedly dead lady climbed, out into the night, covered from head to foot in dirt but alive. Vrinday Kayu was back.

November 16, 247 H.E.

It has been a few months since Port Caynn and I am rather enjoying the time spent since. Me and Tunstall have been bagging Rats faster than they can curse us; Rosto is turning out to be the best Rogue we've ever had for as long as I've been alive; Kora and Ersken are getting married soon; And Goodwin is now desk sergeant. She's a bit more allowing then Ahuda when it comes to taking Dogs off watch for big cases, not that I've had many, and none so big as the colemongers case, but big nonetheless.

Breakfast continues as usual with the addition of Tunstall and Goodwin to the group. Unusually enough, nearly everyone there is spoken for, Aniki and Bold Brian, Kora and Ersken, Tunstall and Lady Sabine (despite Goodwin's complaints of not getting involved with the nobility), Tansy has Herun, Goodwin and Tomlan, the only ones not spoken for are Phelan (who hasn't been with anyone since Verene's death), me, and surprisingly Rosto. Though Rosto still flirts with me at every breakfast, I refuse to give in. He should learn that I'm my own mot and I'll not be his gixie for a few stolen kisses. It takes more than that to win me over. Asides he's the King of Thieves, he's just as bad as the nobility in terms of relationship.

This breakfast is different though. There is no flirting, laughing, kissing or anything like it. A somber air permeates the room. The King's only son has gone missing and nobody has the slightest clue as to who took him and to where. It's a mystery how they got in and out of the palace undetected. I open my mouth to ask my friends if they have any ideas but Aniki beats me to it.

"How did they get past the palace mages? I thought the security was impenetrable," she asks with slight sadness in her voice. She's not native to this country, after all, but Aniki is kindhearted enough to worry about kidnapped children.

We're sitting in the dining room of the Dancing Dove on the second floor for breakfast, as usual. We still use the floor instead of the new, shiny mahogany table out of habit.

"No security is impenetrable. Only a cracknobbed looby would think so. Some security is extremely difficult to bypass but if one knows all the secrets, one can get past it." Rosto is sitting across from me and he doesn't meet my gaze as he says it. It seems to me that he knows sommat but it must be Rogue business, I guess, otherwise he would have told us.

"But who would know all the secrets unless they were on the inside, trusted. Mayhap it was someone who had access to his chambers and knew the palace very well." I'm letting Fuzzball play with my fingers as I talk. He's lots bigger now and fatter too, but still a cute kitten. In my other hand I'm gently feeling the edges of my fire opal while thoughts turn in my head. This is a puzzling case indeed.

"The palace guards already searched the place but there is no sign of him," Goodwin says as she enters the room. I look up at her and my eyes widen in surprise. Goodwin looks slightly disheveled, she never looks even the slightest bit unruly. I open my mouth to ask but Goodwin cuts me off. "They asked all the watch sergeants to help search the Royal forest yesterday and I just got back."

"Did they find anything?" Tunstall asks while he shovels eggs onto his plate. Does he not understand the seriousness of the situation? Then again, nothing could keep Tunstall away from food. Even on watch! One time a pickpocket blocked his way to a pastry shop, and he gave him the best nap tap I've seen in all my years in the Provost guard, better then even Goodwin's.

"No, not that I know of. They're still searching," she answers, eyeing the hot food hungrily. She takes a seat next to Ersken and begins gathering food on to her plate. Curse her, she took the last apple turnover, I had my eyes set on that one.

"I hope they find him soon," adds Kora from her seat on Erken's lap. They were an odd couple, Mage Rat and Dog.

"As Mithros wills," I say, my tone somber as I finish the mutton pasty I've been eating since Goodwin took the apple turnover.

"As Mithros wills," everyone repeats.

Breakfast ends shortly after that. I'm off to feed my pigeons and visit my dust spinners, the others scatter to various tasks...except for Rosto. I briefly wonder what he plans to do today but I remind myself that it's none of my business. I need to get my pigeon feed and the grit for my dust spinners.

Rosto follows me back to Nipcopper Close. It's just me in the lodging house now. Aniki has moved to the Dancing Dove and Kora has moved into a house with Ersken, an early wedding gift from Rosto, and it's quite lonely. I get to the door and turn around to see him, graceful as a cat walk up to me.

"What do you want?" I ask him. I have no patience right now, it's most likely due to the disappearance of the Prince. I search his dark eyes for a hint as to why he's followed me. He just looks...curious. I relax a bit, at least he's not here to flirt.

"I've nothing to do this morning and everyone else is too busy to have me tag along, so I was wondering if I could come along with you?" He replies. He wants to come with me? Doesn't he get enough of those blasted pigeons when I open the shutters at breakfast sometimes? Then again, I can sure use the company.

My decision made, I let out a long breath to express my exasperation. "Alright you can come. But I'm just feeding the pigeons and visiting my dust spinners. Very tedious," I add, trying to dissuade him. He smiles mischievously at me. Mayhap it's a bad idea to accept his company. He looks like a Rat as is up to sommat but I have already said yes, no sense in taking it back now. It would be rude. I turn around and run upstairs to my room, grabbing my pigeon feed and my bags of grit and run back down. Achoo follows me out, barking happily. When I pass back through the door to the outside I find Rosto waiting for me with a picnic basket. I knew he was up to sommat.

My traitor of a dog walks right up to him and gives him a big lick on the hand. Rosto reaches down to pet her while he watches me, that gleam in his eye.

"Wha'cha got there Master the Piper?" I still call him that occasionally to make fun of the fact he has no last name that I know of, anyway. The name definitely suits him, I'll admit. He's very good at the pipes.

Still grinning mischievously he says, "Just a little noontime nourishment." I frown at him and walk out into the street.

I think I'll head for Glassman Square. It's become a new favorite spot of mine for reasons unknown, must have something to do with the Snake case. I find it a pleasant walk even with Rosto as my silent companion.

Occasionally we pass a Rat or two and they nod their heads toward Rosto in a sign of respect and he nods back. It's still an awkward thing when Rats acknowledge Rosto as the Rogue, even though he's been Rogue for almost three years now, I just can't get used to it.

When we reach the fountain I sit down and start spreading the pigeon feed on the ground, and within seconds the place is covered with them. They never miss a meal and they always know where to find me, much to my dismay. Rosto sits down next to me quietly while I listen to Ashes'ghost. The other birds' ghosts have naught interesting to say asides them not deserving their deaths. Ashes' ghost, on the other hand, has quite a lot of something. I decide I might as well tell Rosto since he's come along.

"This one was a cove who was pushed into the Olorun on accident and drowned but them as pushed him said he'd run off instead of admitting they killed him." This ghost is an angry one with a grudge. He tells me their names, where I can find them, and perfect descriptions of their appearances. It's a rather, thankfully, easy job. I let out a long breath, that's probably all I'm going to get. Maybe the dust spinners will have aught of interest. I stand up, brush the feed off my breeches, and stretch. Rosto does the same but his stretches looked more like a dancer's, a very handsome dancer. Shaking my head, I finish and we head for the corner of Cherry Orchard and Stormwing Street. I glance at Rosto to see him staring at me thoughtfully.

"What?" I ask suspiciously.

"Nothing." He smiles and returns his gaze to the street, automatically scanning it for threats. "So where are these dust spinners?"

"Well, the closest one is Hasfush. He's an old friend of my father's." I tell him. He looks over at me at the mention of my father. I don't talk about him much and none of my friends know his name.

"Who was your father?" He asks me cautiously. He's actually the first person to ask about my father. I don't want to answer but I trust Rosto enough. Asides it's a small thing.

"He was a rusher," He meets my eyes sharply."But of the good kind," I add. "All my sisters and brothers had rushers for fathers. The difference with mine was when he met my ma, he gave up crime and violence for the rest of his life." Which wasn't long. "He died afore I was born on account of Rats with grudges. Granny Fern is all that's left of his side of the family. He had no sisters or brothers." I heave a sigh, it's a sad thing to talk about. For an instant after I finish I swear I saw hope flash across his features but it disappears quickly so I dismiss it.

We arrive at the dust spinner soon after. Hasfush is only three feet tall at the moment, a good sign. I stop and Rosto comes up beside me, his gaze sweeping across the street, searching.

"There." I point to the corner of Charry Orchard and Stormwing Street. "Do you see him?"

"Is he those leaves swirling over there?" He asks, pointing to roughly the same spot.

"Yep, that's him." I step into the center and Hasfush squeezes my sides in greeting. He lets go of all the talk since the last time I visited, about a week ago. The usual babble fills my ears and then a familiar voice. It's a mot and her voice makes my blood run cold. She must have been close to Hasfush because the words are loud and clear.

"I've returned, Rebekah Cooper." The voice itself sounds sinister but the person it belongs to is even worse. She's dead! Mayhap it's just someone who sounds like her, I try to convince myself. No, I have an excellent memory and there is no mistaking that voice. It's just impossible that she would be alive after all this time. She poisoned herself in the mages prison shortly after the Diggers case. What was more, how could she know about my Gift? People know about the pigeons but very few know about the dust spinners.

Rosto must see my expression because he takes a few steps closer and gently grabs my arm. I shake my head to clear the sense of foreboding that has laid itself heavy on my heart. I drop the grit I brought, tell Hasfush thank you, and step out with Rosto still holding my arm. He can let go of my arm now. I'm still a little dazed and I almost fall over but Rosto steadies me. On second thought, maybe he should hold onto me just a little longer.

"Thanks," I mumble. Worry is breaking through his carefully concealed emotions.

"What is it? What did you hear?" He asks anxiously. It's just because he's a friend, I tell myself.

"Vrinday Kayu. But she's dead isn't she?" I wish beyond hope that it's true. That woman has been responsible for the deaths of seventeen people and most likely more in other countries.

"I've heard of mages that could fake their deaths beyond detection, so there is a possibility that she's alive." He can't have thought of a worse thing to say, I think sarcastically. But I don't mean it. It's better to face the facts.

"Well she knows about the dust spinners and…and I think she's coming after me." I finish. I'm scared plain and true. If she was just a regular Rat I would have her caught and hobbled before she could say Mithros, but this is a mage. A powerful one specializing in death magic.

"Don't worry," Rosto holds my eyes with his and says, "she'll have to go through me first."

Huh? Huh? So what did you think? Always looking foward to your reviews. ~Polaris ;)