𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

ⅱ 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚

THE CROWS LAY AGAINST THE GROUND. They were hidden by a tractor in the field that the fold ran across. They watched over Arken's train as two guards walked around it, guns pointed towards it. "How many are there?" Inej questioned Kaz.

"Two," he answered simply. "At some point, one of them will have to go tell a superior what they found. Brey will clear and we'll go in then," Kaz explained.

"Not to be that person, Kaz, but are you sure you can drive that thing?" Jesper asked, spinning his gun in his hand, his hat sitting beside him.

"Yes. On the way to Kribirsk, while you were busy hugging bait-"

"Milo. The goat's name was Milo," Jesper sighed, turning his head away.

"...I was memorizing Arken's timings," Kaz continued.

"Not to gang up on you, but Jes has a point," Inej started and Kaz looked at her. "Arken's system was complicated and the ride was chaotic. No one would blame you for missing a count."

" 'Jes' ?" Kaz questioned with a slight scowl.

"It's Suli, for friendship," Jesper defended, knocking against Inej's side slightly.

"No, it's not," Inej snapped. "And if it was, that is not what Brey would be calling you."

"What does that mean?" Brey questioned, leaning past Jesper to look at her.

"Come on," Inej sighed, looking to her left at the two. "You both aren't exactly subtle." Brey and Jesper looked at each other, ready to continue questioning.

"Trust me," Kaz snapped, bringing the attention back to him. "Arken and I think alike." As soon as the words left his mouth, Arken's train exploded like Kaz exploded the carriage at the bar. A hunk of metal barrelled towards them and Brey brushed her hands together, stopping it in the air. Brey reached out and grabbed the piece of metal from the air and tossed it to the side.

"Too soon to appreciate the irony, am I right?" Jesper questioned. Kaz hung his head in annoyance and Inej gave him a stern look. "Yeah, too soon," Jesper whispered to himself and Brey nodded as well.

𓅨

THE CROWS MADE IT BACK TO THE TAVERN ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF KRIBIRSK. Closer to where the General was readying the boat to cross the fold soon. Jesper waited by the window, looking down as people rushed around. Brey rested on the couch beside him, sharpening her daggers.

"The skiff is still here," Inej relayed, taking her scarf off and dropping it on the table. "Travelers downstairs are complaining. They were due to cross this morning."

"Orders from the Black General. He plans to cross on it tomorrow," Kaz relayed, putting his pocket watch back in his pocket.

"The general?" Jesper questioned." Is that the same general who tried to... Oh, yeah, kill us all, reveal Brey's power and capture her... That one?" Jesper shook his head and looked back out the window.

"He has the Sun Summoner," Kaz spoke up, and Jesper looked back at him.

"Was this your plan all along? To have the general get her back so you can take her again?" Inej questioned, her hand resting against the chair. Jesper walked over to the table and rested his hand against the beam and Brey's eyes fully focused on the three.

"My plan is to get us across the Fold. We aren't prepared for another fight," Kaz explained, looking around at his crew.

"So you're not going to take another run at Alina?" Inej snapped. "And you're really willing to let a million kruge go?"

Jesper looked up and Brey slotted her daggers away waiting for Kaz's answer. "Brey, Jesper and I can't do it without you," Kaz acknowledged.

"Been saying that since day one," Jesper noted and Brey nodded softly.

Kaz shot him a dark glare before looking back up at Inej, "And you've made your position perfectly clear."

"So all you want is to cross the Fold?" Inej questioned, staring down Kaz. Kaz took a deep breath and reluctantly nodded. 

"Once we land in Novokribirsk, it's your choice what you do next," Kaz clarified.

Inej looked between Brey and Jesper who shrugged and nodded. "Okay," Inej confirmed.

Kaz pressed his cane down and stood, but Brey called out before anyone could move, "Can I point out something we seem to be dancin' around?" Brey stood, cutting off the rooms exit. "You want to board the skiff, with people who will recognize us, people who do not like us very much?"

"And people that want you to capture you," Jesper added, nodding softly at Brey.

"We'll have to blend in," Kaz stated. "Who else was on that skiff?"

"Some people from the winter fete," Inej answered. "Dignitaries from Kerch and Novyi Zem on their way back home and someone from The Wandering Isle."

"Now they're audience to one more light show," Kaz jabbed before his eyes moved to Jesper. "Jesper, how did you enjoy playing a Zemeni guard?"

𓅨

INEJ STEPPED OUT OF THE WINDOW, A DART GUN IN HER HAND. The Zemeni man and his three guards wandered out of the tavern and down the street. Inej took a deep breath and shot the dart into the man's neck. He grunted and held his neck, collapsing to the floor.

Kaz and Jesper walked from the side alleys. Kaz slammed his cane against the first man's skull and Jesper slammed his gun across the other man's head. The third man tried to run back but Brey stepped up and punched him in the center of his face and he fell to the floor and smashed his head against the concrete.

"Are you gonna help?" Jesper sighed, reaching for one of the unconscious bodies. Kaz tossed his cane further up in his hand, displaying the head on the cane to Jesper and Brey couldn't help but laugh. "Oh. Well, isn't that convenient for you?" Jesper sighed again and reached back down.

Brey riffled through the guard's clothes until she found the papers. "Four papers," Brey noted, folding the papers and slotting them in her suit pocket.

.

Jesper tugged at his collar slightly, smiling at himself. "You look fine," Inej sighed deeply, leaning against the table.

"He looks more than fine," Brey mumbled, buttoning her white undershirt, her corset hung on the wooden chair.

"Why thank you, leanbh," Jesper spoke in a hushed voice, sweeping past her to grab his jacket. Jesper lent down, his voice low as he spoke in her ear. "Yes, I did find out what it means."

"I made some edits to their papers," Kaz announced, dotting a final note on the parchment. "Should be enough to get us through the checkpoint and onto the skiff." Kaz handed the papers around. Brey folded the paper and slid it into the jacket.

"Huh?" Jesper gasped, looking down at 'his' paper. "No one is ever going to believe I'm that old." Jesper pulled on his hat, tilting it slightly off-centre.

"You tell yourself that," Kaz teased, though he didn't change his tone. Jesper coughed to clear his throat and snatched the papers. Brey laughed softly, grabbed her corset and stood in front of the mirror, fixing the buttons on her cuffs.

𓅨

"BREY," KAZ CALLED. Brey set her coat down and walked to him. "Sweep the camp once more."

"Aren't you being paranoid?" Brey questioned softly. Kaz sent her a dark glare and Brey took a breath before speaking up again. "If I go out anymore, people will get suspicious," Brey pointed out.

"It's a last check," Kaz countered. "Just see how many Grisha are getting on that boat." Brey sighed and nodded, stepping from the tent. Brey walked around the camp, trying her best to stay far enough from the General and Alina's camp but close enough to count the guards. Brey walked past the tent, her eyes widening as she saw the Squaller from the bar, Zoya. Brey ducked into a tent.

Zoya noticed the sudden movement and sent two guards towards it. Brey turned and the woman inside gasped as she saw Brey. Brey grabbed her dagger and held it to the woman's torso and Brey pressed a finger to her lips, quieting the woman in front of her. The guards walked past and the woman's eyes widened as she scanned Brey. "Listen, girl-"

"You're from the Isle, Hanser," The woman mumbled with a think Kaelish accent, her eyes stuck on Brey's charm.

"Excuse me?" Brey questioned in shock. The woman slipped from Brey's grasp and rushed to her luggage, throwing her stuff around until she found an old notebook.

"Your mother, Dealla, that sweet woman. She healed my daughter," The woman pressed her hand to her chest as she recalled the memory. "After her husband went back to sea and you started looking after your sister, she wrote everything in this notebook-"

"Stop lady," Brey called softly, holding her hands up. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you not Arleen Hanser?" The woman questioned.

"She was my sister," Brey corrected.

"Breydon Hanser-"

"Brey Foley now, changed it a few years ago," Brey quickly interjected.

"Brey," The woman repeated. "Your mother was Grisha, she wrote all about her abilities in this book. She wrote it for Arleen, but now I guess it's yours."

"Why do you have it?" Brey questioned, her grip on the dagger tightening.

"I went to your house after the raids. You and Arleen were gone, as was your father. We tried to heal your mother but-" The woman paused, a sad expression growing on her face. "She passed, my condolences."

The woman held the book out and Brey snatched it from her. "When you get on that boat and if things go wrong, go underdeck," Brey ordered simply before leaving through the other side of the tent.

Brey walked around the general's tent once more before heading back to Kaz. "You took your time," Kaz mumbled, stepping aside and letting Brey pass him.

"If that was a joke... you should stick to murdering people," Brey said softly, walking to her satchel and slotting the book inside. "There are four guards and two other Grisha. The Squallar and Heartender form the attack at the bar. Well, they're the one's I could see anyway."

Kaz nodded and stepped from the entrance. Brey looked at the book and snapped her bag shut.

𓅨

❝ 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 is a funny thing ❞