Terrier

Hundreds of years before to Tamora Pierce's iconic first novel Alanna: The First Adventure, when Alanna first raised her sword, Tortall had a heroine called Beka Cooper. Cooper is a strong young lady who battles crime in a magical realm. This marks the start of her legend, her legacy, and her tale.

Beka Cooper is a rookie in Corus, Tortall's capital city, where she serves with the Provost's Guard, sometimes referred to as "the Provost's Dogs," who enforce the law. Much to the astonishment of her fellow "puppies" and the more seasoned "Dogs," Beka asks to be sent to the Lower City. It's difficult to beat The Lower City. Nevertheless, Beka feels at ease in her birthplace.

Beka's request is granted. She is tasked with working with two of the Provost's Dogs' most renowned veterans, Mattes and Clary. They're competent, tough, and not too thrilled about having to deal with a puppy for the first time in a long time. They are ignorant of the fact that Beka has something special to give. Beka has never been one to say much, but she listens well. She is so talented that she is able to hear things that Mattes and Clary were not able to hear; whispers that are the voices of the dead that are carried down in flocks of pigeons.

In this manner, Beka finds out about someone in the Lower City who has overthrown the underworld's hierarchy and is frightening its populace into quiet and obedience. The Provost's Dogs have no other means of learning the identity of this vicious new overlord except Beka's enchanted listening ability, as the deceased are fearless. And if the Dogs fail to stem this unprecedented crime wave, the numbers of the dead will only become larger. Fortunately for Lower City residents, the new puppy is a real terrier!