Thar Shaddin

Ree threw the ball as far as she could for what must have been the hundredth time. Kona's long legs took him speedily across the green grass. The dog's stride was so long, he actually skidded in a turn in an attempt to catch the ball in his mouth. Overshooting the ball in a hurry to bring in back, he skidded again, tail wagging furiously. Ball finally retrieved, he loped back to his person only to drop it at her feet.

Ree shook her head, amused. As she reached for the ball, Kona ducked his head and tossed it away from her.

"Kona!" she said in mock exasperation. This back and forth happened a few times before Ree was able to secure the ball and send it flying once more. Kona huffed a bark happily and took off.

Ree laughed and looked around. She wasn't the only person taking advantage of the unusually pleasant day. Lovers picnicked (and she secretly wished she was on a picnic...). Families gathered. Children cavorted and picked flowers. A few wide-eyed children shyly made their way over to her.

"Doctor Metarie! Could we play with Kona, too?"

Ree grinned. "If your parents say it is OK, of course you can." A slobbery wet ball dropped at Ree's feet.

"Kona, the children would like to play tag!" Kona's ears perked up. He was used to playing with children. "Go on, play tag!" The dog's tail wagged and he nosed one of the children. "Oh," Ree said, looking at the girl with a wide-eyed gaze. "I think you're it!"

Kona huffed another bark and trotted off a little before trotting back. "I think he wants you to chase him! Who will catch him first?"

The children laughed and ran after the big wolfhound. Ree continued to smile and sat down on the grass, drawing her knees up to her chest, to watch.

Tasza was sure he was being punished. He just wasn't sure for what. The day had started usual enough, with him rising first out of his assigned bunkhouse. He'd met up with Qe for breaking the morning's fast, and had gone in to see his assignment. He'd been placed along the thickest of the merchants for his patrol duty; at the end of the moon was when new assignments should have gone out. But no, when he'd gone up to the roster and scanned the listed duties he'd found that there'd been a few shifted around. Being that he was first and foremost punctual to his duty, assuring that his tasks were completed before anything else unrelated to the smooth discharge of that duty, he left without asking about the sudden shift in priorities.

The beat that covered the thickest collection of merchants was an important beat to cover. Usually several men were sent -- a few pairs, depending on the day -- as it was one of the highest areas crime was likely to happen. The presence of the Guard was important there, and moreso it had to be visible. A guardsman dispatched to that area had to be reliable, good at soothing tempers and a quick hand at reacting whenever a crime was in progress.

The park, in comparison, was . . . not an assignment that would be considered welcome for a guard like Tasza. The older guards, the lazy ones, those unreliable: that was what patrolling the park meant. Which was why he was sure he was being punished. He hadn't been assigned there since he was nothing more than a green recruit just starting out. He'd prove himself. He'd never to his knowledge let the Captain down.

No matter the duty, however, he was not the sort of man to become lax or let his emotional state interfere with patrol. He didn't slack off, but strode slowly and with confidence over the grass, keeping himself relaxed. His body language reflected that, though he kept his helmet on; he never understood other guardsmen who insisted on showing a friendly face to the public. The helmet was part of the uniform, even if not a strict requirement, and it was there to save your head as well as provide visibility.

Guardsman Tasza strolled across the grass, thus, sharp in his uniform and alert to the laughable idea that a threat might at any moment present itself in the sunny, cheerful patch of greenery so beloved to the good citizens of Marn.

Ree closed her eyes and tilted her face to the sun. Stretching out her legs, she leaned back resting on the palms of her hands. The smile on her face became softer. Sunlight warmed her skin. The light made the view behind her eyelids red. The scent of green grass and flowers filtered across her senses. The breeze lifted the sounds of laughter and soft conversation. Ree breathed, content with the moment.

Kona was thrilled with the run in the park. Children's laughter followed him. Every once in a while a small hand would touch his back or side as he allowed. Every once in a while, he would turn in a circle and chase the children. He hoped someday his person would have a little person like this in the house. He knew would protect that little person with every fiber of his being. Kona was a happy dog.

The game of tag went further afield, leaving Ree to herself. Footsteps approached and a shadow fell across her, blocking the sun.

"D-doctor Sehkhara? Could you help?"

Ree's eyes fluttered open. A man stood over her. She couldn't see his face, darkened as it was in the shadows.

"Of course. What's wrong?"

The man pointed toward the buildings across the street from the park. “Someone’s hurt over there!” Ree moved to her feet in a fluid motion, grabbing up the satchel near her.

“Show me.” The man turned and headed toward the buildings. Ree followed.

It wasn't that Tasza hoped for something bad to happen. No. He bore no ill will for anyone, though sometimes he became frustrated with people, it was no reason to wish some of the awful things he'd seen upon them. But he did desire to be useful, to put his training to good use and be there when things did go wrong, because they always did. He knew that personally, as well as professionally.

Which was why it did not take him long to notice some sort of commotion across the street. So. Even the idyllic part of town would greet him in such a manner. Perhaps he had underestimated this beat, though from the reports he'd memorized he knew the area around the park was one of the safest areas in the city. He turned towards the commotion, taking several long looks around him to ascertain whether or not there were any suspicious individuals around him. Normal, happy people. He frowned, felt the familiar prickle of sweat across his skin, and the first wave of irritation that would turn to itching. He lived in discomfort. It was typical.

Satisfied for the moment that there was no danger he had to confront, he lengthened his stride into a quicker stroll. He was not rushing; the only time he actively hurried was when there was an immediate danger. Acting in a manner that implied concern had an effect on the citizens that Tasza considered unnecessary and boorish. In bad times, they looked to the Guard for how they should act.

He almost stumbled when he saw Miss Metarie Sehkhara heading in the same direction he was. She was still too far away for him to speak to without the need to raise his voice, but he knew soon enough they would be together. They were headed in the same direction, after all. He felt himself tense, despite his efforts otherwise, and a small pocket of dread popped spontaneously into existence somewhere around his stomach, radiating outward to poison his blood and begin the first stirrings of nervousness. Why now? Why today? Why ever?

His skin itched.

The two young women were yelling and pushing at each other. A hapless looking man stood to the side, hands up, as if trying to placate them. In unison, the two women, looked at the man,

"Shut up!"

Then, the pair turned back on each other,

"This is SO happening, you skunk!"

"That's fine by me. Not like you can satisfy MY man, you whore wanna-be!"

More pushing and shoving continued.

The man Ree followed, looked back at her only once, to make sure she was following. He took a wide berth around the arguing women, and continued forward toward an alley between two buildings.

"It's not much farther, just on the other side of these buildings. We can cut through here."

Ree nodded. She glanced briefly at the trio. People slowed as they passed by the trio, wearing looks of fascination, disgust, or annoyance. A few tittered behind their hands. This would definitely go in the Tattler.

Looking back at the man, Ree saw the gleam of sunlight on metal and felt relieved. A guardsman would take care of that situation, allowing her to do her duty, too.

One of the women let out a screech.

"On no you didn't! You did NOT just pull my hair!" A smack of skin of skin sounded as the woman gave the other a slap. By this time, the onlookers had noticed Tasza approaching. Murmurs of approval could be heard. The man, noticed Tasza, too. He grabbed the hair-puller's arm and was rewarded by a strong left hook meant for the other woman.

The man grunted and crumpled like a used tissue. Ree paused in following. The man she followed noticed, his eyes widening. He glanced toward the alley. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple.

"Th-there's blood! I think someone got stabbed!" Anything to keep Ree moving forward. He glanced in the alleyway again, then at the arguing trio. They were overdoing it.

Ree's mouth turned into a line of determination. Someone bleeding from a knife wound had precedence over someone who seemed to be surprised, but not really hurt. Two more strides would put her in the shadows created by the two buildings.

"Oh, baby!" Both women yelled in unison and sought to comfort the man. The result only continued their squabble.

"I told you - he's MINE!"

The man groaned and put a hand to his cheek.

"Theogious! This is why I left you, Sheila!"

"No, baby! Don't say that!"

"HA!"

Another man and woman watched the argument from a distance before turning away upon seeing the guard. Looks like they didn't have to make a distraction after all.

"We still better get paid," the man grumbled.

As Tasza got closer to the altercation, details resolved themselves. Two women, a man. Something to do with relationships. Ah, two overemotional and disgraceful women fighting over and being abusive towards a man who had not, as far as Tasza could tell, done anything wrong. He hated this beat.

"Excuse me," he said, as he stepped up to the scene at hand. Miss Sehkhara appeared to be going somewhere else. That was good. She was following a man Tasza didn't know. Puzzling, but though it made him uneasy to see a woman following a man into the depths of hidden alleyways, he had a problem to take care of right in front of him. Besides, Miss Sehkhara spent enough time with the Captain to not do anything stupid. She wasn't Tasza's problem, anyways.

"Excuse me," he said again, voice a little louder. Firm, calm, in control. Getting their attention was going to be a piece of work, and Tasza had no wish to compromise his dignity by wading into a fight between two scrabbling, disgusting women. To behave in such a manner in public was the epitome of poor breeding. He was privately surprised the man had deigned dally with either of them, when both were obviously such poor choices for even a temporary affair.

He had no desire to hit them, but if they gave him no choice he would. With his mace, his beatstick, if he had to. That was part of being a guard. Man or woman, adult or child: in order to protect the city, you had to be prepared to scourge it clean of its worst individuals, no matter what appearance they might take. "Might I ask what is going on?" He toned his voice low, dangerous, hard.

It was going to be a long day.

The man Ree was following glanced back toward the crowd and make eye contact with Tasza. The man's eyes widened and he looked away quickly.

"This way, Doctor Sehkhara."

The man gestured to a door.

"In there."

The man was more nervous than he had been before. Guards patrolled the area, sure, but they were usually less diligent. That one, though, seemed more into it.

Ree nodded. She gave a knock,

"Doctor Sehkhara, here. I'm coming in."

Turning the knob, she opened the door and stepped into the room.

The man exhaled a breath he hadn't realzied he'd ben holding and then walked quickly away. His part was done. Risking one more glance back at the Guardsman, the man moved away from the fighting threesome and Doctor Metarie Sehkhara.

The lighting in the room was dim and someone lay on a bed.

No smell of blood filled the room. Ree turned to look at the man who had brought her, confused.

The door closed and a large shape filled her vision. Ree's eyes widened and she inhaled sharply. A large ham-hock of a fist smashed into the side of her head.

"That'll keep you."

A miniscule amount of blood trickled to the floor from a split in her lip and smeared as she tried to speak. Her left ear was ringing, but subsided as blackness filled her vision.

An unpleasant smile curved the thug's mouth. The shape on the bed turned out to be a crudely fashioned set of pillows and blankets.

Reaching down, the man hefted Ree up over his shoulder and moved toward another door. A set of stairs lay behind it. The weight of the man caused the stairs to creak as he ascended.

~~

The two women had started smacking at each other again, squabbling on the sidewalk with the man between them. Upon seeing Tasza, most of the crowd quickly found something else to do, leaving only the Guardsman and the threesome.

The women turned toward the sound of Tasza's voice and cried out in unison, "WHAT?!"

This was immediately followed by attempts to back pedal, which turned into another bout of the two women squabbling. This time, they blamed each other for the disturbance.

The man for his part, was trying to get out of the way. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled apologetically.

"Heh, heh." He didn't want to go to jail and began backing away slowly.

Tasza was not the grimacing type. Even so, it took some effort to keep himself from showing disgust beneath his helm. It didn't matter that they couldn't see it; control was an imperative part to being an effective guardsman. Control, especially because the thought of confrontation was always a distasteful one. But as with all things, he mastered the feeling and pushed it down deep, squelching it despite the resulting rash of nearly painful itchiness that immediately plagued his back.

Women.

Tasza took a step forward, his back perfectly straight. "I must insist you either go about your business or to calm your disagreement. You are disturbing the peace, and I would hate to think what would happen to two individuals who have been witnessed purposefully assaulting each other. However, being that you are two reasonable and well mannered ladies, I suspect you would be pleased to settle this matter in a more discreet fashion. . .elsewhere." He was careful with the tone of his voice, keeping it strictly businesslike until the slightest hint of churlishness might appear on any of their faces.

He could lash out with his voice, as necessary. He could show the edge, the willingness to use violence to back up his words. And sometimes even the barest threat was more effective than brandishing a weapon. The unknown was always a frightening venture, after all.

The man reached out for one of the women.

"Come on, let's go."

Lisbeth glared at the other at the other woman and opened her mouth. The man put his hand over her mouth.

"Let's go!" Lisbeth looked at the man and her whole demeanor changed.

"Anything for you baby. Aw, did she hurt you."

The man glanced at Sheila, then looked to Tasza.

"We're very sorry, sir." He didn't want any trouble. Sheila was crazy! He couldn't believe she made such a scene. He was surprised that Lisbeth had such spark in her. He eyed her speculatively.

Sheila's face turned red. How ... how DARE he! A pine cone somehow found its way into her fingers as she stood up. Her arm pulled back.

A door opened. Inside was another dingy room, with a single large bed and a kitchen area. A table with a single chair was the only other piece of furniture. Ree was dumped unceremoniously on the bed. First, he was going to get what was his. Then, he'd deliver the "good doctor" over. The man who hired him didn't say he couldn't do what he wanted and he'd been waiting for a long time to do this.

First, the clothes needed to go. His hand hovered over Ree's chest for only the briefest of moments before grabbing the fabric of her shirt. The shirt criss-crossed over her chest and tied at her waist. It gave easily to the tug as did the thin undershirt. All that was left was a feminine bit of fabric covering her breasts. Ree's body lifted slightly and fell back to the bed as the straps popped and broke.

The man's mouth curved into a smirk as he admired the way Ree's breasts moved with the motion. He grabbed one and squeezed hard enough to leave a bruise later. Pity she wasn't awake. He always liked the sounds these little elf women made when treated to a real man's touch. The pants wouldn't give as easily, so he was forced to tug them off. Ree's bag made a loud thump as it hit the floor, but he ignored it. He was getting annoyed. Getting his due was taking too long.

Tasza slid forward with the reactive speed of a man long used to seeing people at their worst. His mace was in his hand, and he slid it forward, down, so that it crossed over the shoulder of Shiela's throwing arm. She would still be able to throw around it, but she'd be prevented from doing any real damage with whatever it was in her hand; the angle and pressure of Tasza's mace would prevent the hip and shoulder motion necessary for that.

"I am willing to overlook the scuffle in progress before I got here, but I am afraid I will not be so lenient on any assault that occurs after I have made myself clear. Now. Disperse peacefully, or I will take whatever action I deem necessary to uphold the law."

He spoke quietly, but with a calm clearness that was impossible to mistake. It was the voice he used on drunks, on people who weren't quite in the right frame of mind who were about to do something particularly idiotic.

Sheila's forward throw was paused by the guard's mace. It wasn't a crushing blow, simply pressure enough to keep her from launching the pine cone at the back of Jed's head. Her arm fell to her side slowly. The pine cone slipped from her fingers.

Turning on her heel she looked at the helmed, impassive figure. Her face screwed up and her bottom lip trembled. Big, fat tears welled in her eyes, but her jaw was clenched. It was obvious she was trying not to burst into tears. Nodding once, she moved to go in the opposite direction of the lovey-dovey couple.

The last hangers on, thinking they would see the guardsman in action, wandered off. They did not need prompting from the guard. No one wanted to be the last one left standing around. Some whispered behind their hands. In the near distance, children laughed and a dog barked.

In the room, the man eyed Ree speculatively. Her mouth hung open slightly and her eye had started to swell. She hadn't woken yet, which was annoying, too. He wanted her to be awake for the best part. His eyes narrowed and he smiled. He could keep himself occupied until she woke. Kneeling on the bed, he hooked her chin with his thumb. It wouldn't be like someone making an effort, but he liked the idea of messing up her hair and face. The bed creaked under a steady rhythm.

Tasza watched the people disperse with some satisfaction, and a lot of scorn. He didn't let it show, not even behind his helmet. Instead, he checked to make sure no one was hanging around, no malingerers to cause more problems. Those involved seemed to go their separate ways, and even if they didn't they were heading in a direction that would be off his beat and no longer his responsiblity, no matter if he wanted to follow to make sure they didn't do anything else stupid. Besides, he had a greater duty beyond the squabbles of intolerable females. His duty was to the people in the park, to ensure their safety.

It was a long day. There was only relief in him that he did not see Miss Sehkhara again. He did not stop to wonder where she'd gone, or why she'd gone in the presence of who was, to him, a stranger. She had not been under duress, had not shown signs of stress beyond what she showed within the clinic the few times he'd cause to see her there. The brief sight of her vanished from his mind under the grueling strain of a boring day, but at least his skin didn't itch.

If Tasza had been a man who took women more seriously, if he relied on gut instinct more than his ever practical logic, he might have had some suspicion. There might have been some unease. He might have had cause to wander past the clinic to see if everything was okay, might have lain some probing questions where he knew they might do some good.

But Tasza was very much a proper guard. Almost too much so; he was a reactionary thinker, a man who played by the book and did not think overmuch about the feelings of others. Emotional leanings were improper, after all.

He wouldn't know anything was wrong at all until the next day.

The man smiled at his handiwork as he moved off the bed and tucked himself away. Since she had not woken, he guessed he would just get something to eat. A good sandwich and a pint would be perfect. He yawned and scratched at his butt. At least his annoyance had abated somewhat. The man pulled fixings from a cold pantry and placed them on the table. After he had taken a few bites, he heard a step sound on the stair. Pushing back from the table, he picked up a mace and turned to face the door.
A quick knock preceded the door opening.

"It's me."

Alfric tucked his hands in his pockets and surveyed the scene. He sighed to himself. At least the woman was still breathing. Alfric had not been sold on using the former guardsman for the job, but the guy was one of a dozen or so who didn’t have the good doctor on a pedestal or were worried about her possible relationship with the Captain of the Guards. People had seen the pair together twice in recent weeks. The first time fostered gossip. The second was an outing to Shim, where a public (albeit chaste) kiss had been shared at the bridge over the Ofriyu Mar. It had been enough to make the more skittish or more intelligent decline the offer.

"We gotta get moving. Bring the goods."

All he knew was he had an order to abduct the doctor. So, he made it happen. The why of it didn’t matter and he was paid well enough not to care. They had chosen this building because it was on an alley and faced the market. The fun part was that the market was next to the Justice Center, but trying to abduct the woman from the hospital or her house would have been too obvious. Her routine varied very little, so obtaining her meant waiting until the routine changed.

Alfric waited by the door as the man tied the doctor’s hands and feet, then gagged her. Alfric surveyed the work. Shoddy, but it would suffice. The important part was that the boss wanted her alive. Alfric moved back down the stairs and opened another door, which led to a cellar. Many of the buildings on the market had these. They would use the coal shoot to load her into a cart of goods for transport. The former guardsman had enough connections to know who was on the take to make sure the cart would not get checked as thoroughly as others.

Alfric looked at the big man. He’d done his part.

“Your money is where we agreed.”

The man made a menacing face and clenched the mace. “I want my money. Now.”

Alfric sighed again. He lifted his right hand, pointing his index finger as if he held a gun.

“Bang.”

The big man’s eyes widened as blood spewed from a hole in his forehead. For a moment, the man’s body stayed upright. Then, it collapsed to the floor in a heap. Muscles tremored.

Alfric tucked his hands back in his pockets and squatted down to survey the man, waiting until the light left the man’s eyes. Looking around the cellar, Alfric straightened. The rats would do their part. The chill of the cellar would keep the body from developing a smell for several days. And, by that point, Alfric would already have delivery of the goods.

~~~

When Ree awoke, she was somewhere dark and close. She was half-naked and could not move. Her eye throbbed and a bitter taste lay on her tongue. She was gagged and bound. Where was she? Why had this happened? A small noise escaped her. No! Don’t Panic! If she panicked she would hyperventilate. Ree squeezed her eye closed as tears filled them. She was scared. Things like this did not happen. Ree tried to keep her breathing even and to think. Keep calm…

The next time, consciousness came slowly. Her eye throbbed, her muscles ached, and a sharp pain lanced through her head. She was no longer some place dark. Ree squinted her good eye against the low light in the room. Fabric lay across her face. Ree reached up and touched a make-shift bandage.

“Oh, you’re awake.” The voice was masculine, but soft. A concerned face came into view. Tousled black hair fell around a beautiful face. Dark lashes etched grey eyes. Ree’s lips moved.

“Wait.” A strong arm lifted her gently and cradled her against a strong chest. A cool glass pressed against her lips. “Drink a little water first.” The water was bliss. Her throat was parched.

“I cleaned you up as best I could. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.” Ree shook her head.

“Wh-where?” The man plied her with more water.

“I don’t know.” He looked worried. Ree noticed a bruise on the man’s face. She reached up to touch his cheek.

“You, too?”

He nodded. “But, I think you got the worst of it.” The man looked away, embarrassed. “I… I cleaned you up as best I could.”

Ree looked away as well

“Thank you.”

Alfric slid his eyes to look at the Doctor. How did you live for 95 years and be so… what was it? Naïve? Innocent? Trusting?

"Here. A little more water..."

~~~

When the children's parents called for them Kona trotted back to the spot where his person had been. He sniffed the ground in curiosity. The ball was where he had left it. Kona carefully picked up the ball and lifted his head. If a dog could show a confused expression, this dog certainly wore one.

Kona lifted his nose up twice, sniffing the air. He trotted across the grass and paused at the roadside. To a casual observer it appeared the dog looked before crossing the street. He followed the slight scent to the alleyway and paused before a door. He pawed at the door, but it didn't give and no one opened it.

Dropping his head down, he sniffed the doorway area again. He was confused. If his person were behind the door, she would open the door because he pawed at it. That was the way things went. Kona gave a huff of breath, before taking another sniff. This time, the inhalation was deep. He smelled many things. Sewage, rats, people, horses, other dogs, cats, coal, food and other scents he did not know.

He was worried, but he would wait. Kona sat beside the door to wait, placing the ball between his feet. The sun set and the dog looked left to right. His stomach growled. Had his person gone home without him?

Taking up the ball, Kona trotted back to the street and followed the path he and his person had used to come to the park. Once home, he pawed at the door again and gave a hoarse huff of a bark. No person came to open the door. Kona's eyebrows waggled and he tilted his head to the side. Another huff bark left him, as if to say, "huh?"

Dipping his nose to the ground before the door, he sniffed. The scent was not fresh. Kona curled up before the door of the house, tucking his nose under his tail. He glanced around. His stomach growled again, but he decided to wait for his person to come home. She would come. She always did. Kona blinked once, twice. His eyelids grew heavy and he began to doze.

The sound of a cart woke him, just as dawn crested the horizon. Bottles clattered together and the milk man approached the door.

"Ah, there you are, you big mug." Placing the bottles by the door, the man patted Kona on the head. The big dog's tail thumped on the wooden stoop, but the dog kept his nose tucked, still curled up from his night's sleep. "I'm sure the good Doctor will be up soon to let you in." The man patted Kona's head once more before heading off to his next rounds.

Kona was still hungry, more so than he'd been before. The big dog slowly rose into a stand, stretching his long legs with a groan. His lips smacked as his tongue ran around his muzzle. His person had not come home during the night. No sound came from within, indicating she was home. Kona stretched again and decided to go visit his person's person.

The dog trotted away for the house and went to the Guard HQ. There, the dog visited momentarily with the two guards on duty. The pair watched in curiosity as the dog climbed the steps to the HQ and sat beside the door. Most of the guards knew the dog belonged to Doctor Sehkhara. Those who did not could easily find out by looking at the tag dangling from the dogs collar. The dog was well-groomed and well-behaved. It was obviously not a stray. Occasionally, the dog would look at the guards as if to say,

"Well, are you going to open the door?"

There was exactly one thing Tasza hated to the point of becoming actively upset about it, and that was other guards who didn't do their jobs. He strode from his small apartment towards Headquarters, thinking about how yesterday had ended.

There had been a small peddler traversing the park towards the end of his patrol, hawking some sort of small-time charms that sounded quite suspiciously like magical influence to Tasza. Once he'd approached the man, he'd been told that the more usual patrolees had 'allowed' this man to peddle these wares, despite their strong resemblance to items that had magical properties. Tasza did not believe them to be inherently magical, but the fact that they apparently helped one's home stay safe, or encouraged people to like you were not traits he would call unmagical.

The peddler was treading the edge of what was acceptable, and Tasza could not let it continue. He'd given the peddler a cease and desist order, and had resolved to file appropriate reports in the morning. And now, it was morning, and while paperwork was not his most favorite thing in the world he would do what needed to be done.

He arrived well before his scheduled time of patrol, mentally preparing himself for what he would write and how best to encourage the two guards who had allowed the peddler to sell his wares be put on detention for severely weakening the law. It was, to Tasza's mind, a destestable way for a guardsman to act. It was, also, unacceptable. The city remained orderly only so long as the guardsmen acted honorably within the strict parameters set by the Tomes and guidelines of the Judges. If there was ever any wavering in how they upheld the line between right and wrong, Tasza was sure the city would fall into chaos.

And it was that thought, as he moved to enter the Headquarters, that he almost tripped and fell over the dog. One of the guards at the door was squatted next to the thing, hand outstretched almost as if he'd been about to pet it when Tasza had stumbled over it. He regained his footing, and the guard rose -- looked like Randolf under the helm, given the way his lips twisted and the lack of shine on his armor, which he never took proper care of unless the quartermaster threatened to write him up -- and Tasza glared between them.

"Hail, Tasza, ain't this a bit early for you?"
"I have reports to make. What is this mangy animal doing here?" The dog looked vaguely familiar. Tasza might have known it, if he had any cause to admire animals. But he didn't. He started to go around the dog in order to enter.

"Dont you know?" It was Elric, opposite Randolf.

Tasza paused, swiveling his head to look at Elric expectantly.

Elric scoffed, "It's Lady Sehkhara's dog Kona! Come on, Tasza."
"I do not fraternize with animals." Tasza replied, voice stiff.
"Oh come off it," Elric said, shaking his head. "Kona's a good dog."

Tasza sniffed in disapproval, and opened the door. Randolf came unexpectedly behind him, once Tasza had stepped through, and held it open so the mutt could trot on into the Headquarters. The Headquarters. Tasza froze and turned to watch the dog walk right on in as if it had an appointment with someone. He looked at Randolf, and opened his mouth. Elric beat him there, bending around the opening with a knowing smirk.

"It's Lady Sehkhara's dog, Tasza. Don't want to piss off the Captain, yeah?"

Randolf started to close the door, a smirk on his face too. Tasza stared at them, and Elric saluted right before he lost sight of the two men behind the solidity of the door.

He worked with a bunch of rambunctious idiots.

No matter. He ignored the dog, and walked smartly towards the office where guardsmen wrote their reports, and tried not to frown when he realized it was also where the dog was, apparently, going. It seemed highly inappropriate to him that a pet would be allowed into the Headquarters, but he firmly told himself that it was none of his business, and if anyone asked he would inform them that he'd nothing to do with the dog, and if they wanted more information they should ask Randolf and Elric, who were on the whole insufferable to begin with.

The dog, as it turned out, was greeted more warmly than Tasza himself was. He set about ignoring the cooing and babble sent the way of the dog, and took some of the prepared forms by the Office's secretarial staff and sat at one of the neatly arranged desks to write his reports. He soon found that it was nearly impossible to block out the talk between one of the secretaries and one of the guards who was there -- as was Tasza -- to fill out reports before patrol began.

"It's so unlike him, don't you think?" Kenrick, the secretary, asked of the guard, Drusus.

"From what I recall, the Lady either keeps him at home or at her work, right?" Drusus replied.
"Think she forgot to feed him?" Kenrick asked, and Tasza could hear the grin in his voice.

One of the other secretaries, Otho, chimed in from his desk. "You know, I took my youngest son to the Hospital yesterday, and she wasn't there. They said she never came back from her lunch."

Tasza looked up.

"That's unusual. Do you think she's sick?"

Tasza remembered her following an unknown man into the alleys.

"She'd have to be pretty flush with something before she'd skip out on work like that, don't you think? That woman is a workaholic!" Kenrick still sounded like he was smiling.

Tasza wasn't.

"I did think it was pretty unusual she didn't tell them where she was going. They were a bit concerned. Ah well, think she showed up for work this morning?"

Tasza stood up, abruptly, his chair rattling behind him. "I'll check," he blurted.

All three of them turned to stare at him. He felt the first vague brush of an itch at the back of his neck. He also felt his face redden, which was not appreciated considering he'd taken off his helmet to do the paperwork.

"I-I saw her, yesterday. On patrol. She was eating, but she went off with a man I didn't know. I assumed it was a medical emergency, from the way she looked."

Drusus whistled. Kenrick and Otho exchanged a look.

"I'll check her home," Drusus said, and there was a new grimness to his voice.

"I'll visit the Hospital," Tasza clarified.

Otho shook his head, "Better hope she's in one of those two places, Sinuvarakoon, or else the Captain will be having words with you."

Otho was one of exactly five people Tasza interacted with regularly who both could remember and pronounce his surname.

It was not reassuring.

Kona was a gentle giant, sweet tempered and well trained. In another place, his breed is used to hunt wolves and boar, and Kona’s build showed it. He was a big dog, easily weighing the equivalent of a grown man. Standing, the dog’s head would reach to half of Tasza’s height. Sitting, the dog was not much smaller. His head was long with a long, somewhat pointed muzzle. His head was big, but not wide. His chest, though, was wide and deep. His long tail curved up slightly. Kona’s coat was grey mixed with wisps of white, giving him a soft, mist-like color. His eyes were expressive and brown, topped by bushy eyebrows. Typically, Kona’s ears rested back against his head, but were perked forward slightly as the guard’s hand reached toward him. His tail thumped against the top step.

Kona tilted his head, looking between the two guardsmen with a glance of his eyes. The tone of one of the guardsman was not a happy one. Kona dropped his chin to his chest, but continued looking up at the man. Hearing his name, Kona’s head swiveled to look at Elric. At the words, “good dog,” Kona’s tail wagged slowly. Kona stood to the side and faced the closed doors, waiting for them to open. The unhappy guard sniffed and pulled open the door. Kona waited for the man to pass, hoping he could squeeze in before the door closed fully.

The door did not close and Kona looked at Randolf, tail wagging faster. He gave a soft huff-bark as if to say, “Thank you.” Kona slipped through the door and trotted through the halls, heading toward the Captain’s office. In the area in front of the Captain’s door, another guard and the secretary greeted Kona warmly. Kona was impatient to see the Captain, to let him know his person was missing, but he knew his person would be disappointed if he did not behave properly. Kona’s tail slowly swished from side to side. His eyes closed slightly as he allowed himself to enjoy the fingers scratching his ears.

The rattle of a chair startled Kona. He opened his eyes wide, stopped wagging, and turned to look at the unhappy guardsman. The man radiated worry and the slight tang of sweat as he spoke. The tone of the other guard’s voice caused Kona’s ears to flick up and down. What was happening?