Inej Ghafa

Kaz Brekker.

Wylan Van Eck.

Jesper Fahey.

Matthias Helvar.

Nina Zenik.

The six crows are only visible as shadowy figures, huddled together between fir-trees. Because of their warm clothing and the dark, you can only tell them apart by their sizes. It's nearly impossible to see anything here and beyond the wood, it's even more difficult - all is grey and filled with wind and snow-flakes there. But if the sun was shining and the storm but a little less strong, you'd be able to catch a glimpse of it from where they're standing. You'd see the great black wall and behind it the fortress and its illuminated windows, high towers and delicate turrets winding into the grey sky.

"Brr, why do adventures always take place in such hostile places?", Nina murmurs shuddering from the cold, "Can't we all just sit in a cosy café and play games for once? And eat something nice and sweet?"

"I'm gonna get you waffles, when we're back in Ketterdam, love", Matthias says, smiling softly, and wraps his arm around the Grisha.

"And something hot to drink."

"And something hot to drink.", Matthias repeats.

"Sounds like heaven"

"And thus not the place for us.", a third person interrupts the couple, "You to focus and stop your sweet-talk if we're to get this right."

"Brekker, the spoilsport", murmurs Nina and rolls her eyes.

"Everyone knows their job?", Kaz Brekker asks, ignoring the insult.

"Yes, Sir", Jesper salutes.

"Get in, get out, blow something up in the process, the usual madness.", Wylan says and shakes his had, "What am I even doing here."

"You're doing great, Wylan", Jesper pads Wylan on the shoulder cheerfully, "Just some improvement needed on the madness-part." 

Wylan groans.

"We've been through the plan enough, Kaz.", Inej says, "The storm won't last endlessly - we should go."

"One last thing", Kaz answers and turns his gaze at you, "Half of our payment before, half after, was it not so?"

Coins jingle as you hand a small bag over to Kaz. The bastard of the Barrel isn't going to get you into the vaults of the fortress without a certain amount of money involved.

Kaz weighs the bag in his hand and tosses it over to Inej. The dark-haired girl catches it and opens the leather band. It doesn't need her long to count the coins, she's probably done this a thousand times before. Closing the bag again, Inej nods. It's the right amount of money. Kaz returns Inej's nod and maybe their eyes lock for a moment longer than necessary. But when Kaz looks at the whole group again, you can't be sure anymore how much of it was your imagination.

"Apparently you're an honest criminal.", Kaz says to you. You decide to better not object that you aren't really a criminal, but rather ... too curious for your own good.

"Then let's go.", Jesper says with way to much enthusiasm considering that you're about to exchange the shelter of the woods for a snow storm, "I hope no one's afraid of the dark!"