» CHAPTER NINE
❛Standing accused of murderer❜
( episode one, season two )

                          𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 dark and foggy familiar streets of Ketterdam, Estelle wasn't feeling very nostalgic. Quiet the opposite, the woman was on edge, still worried that something was about to come in-between her and the pay off for her indenture.

The young woman let her gaze wander over the people that passed them by, almost seeing their next plan for a gamble or scam already playing out in their heads.

"Home sweet Home." Jesper's happy voice interrupted the silence, that had been laying over the small group of thieves since they arrived.

The zemini man shrugged while he adjusted the coat he was wearing, "Straight off the boat from Ravka and no one was waiting to kill us as soon as we arrived. Yaaay- that's a good sign!"

Estelle gave Jesper a small, serious glance, before she went to gaze straight ahead, continuing to watch the people, who passed them by, carefully.

But Jesper's mood couldn't be ruined by something as simple as a glare and he continued, "I think I might celebrate with a little dice and debauchery."

Kaz, who'd been walking at the front of the group immediately engaged, not even looking back at them. "No debauchery."

Jesper didn't waste a second, he raised one of his eyebrows suggestively, "Dice then."

But Kaz obviously wasn't in the mood to allow them any kind of celebration just yet, "No dice. We have stops to make."

Inej had her hands carefully folded behind her back while she raised her eyebrows at the man infront of them. "What's first?"

Estelle immediately joined in on her question, her arms dangling comfortably on each of her sides, "Tante Heleen?"

The group rounded the next corner, while Kaz answered them, "We get to the Crow Club."

The three behind him exchange wondering glances before they suddenly felt Kaz stop in his track.

Their eyes immediately landed on him and then on the thing he was staring at. Jesper was the first one to make his irretation known to the other's, "Where's our sign?"

Estelle frowned deeply while she listened to Kaz's voice, "It's been replaced."

Inej sounded questioning while she read the sign that hung over the entrance out loud, "The Kaelish prince?"

The zemini man besides her frowned deeply, "What kind of name is that?"

"Dime Lions."

Estelle tried to suppress her groan as she realized, who was probably behind all of this trouble.

The dark haired woman raised her eyebrows while she eyed the rather bearded man that stood in front of the entrance, a large dime lion tattoo adorned his neck. The woman still sounded disbelieving when she spoke, "Pekka Rollins owns the Crow Club?"

Jesper exchanged a worried look with her, "Where does that leave us? Are you saying we have no home?"

There was a small moment of silence before he went on, his face expression mirroring his horror, "My suits. All my hats."

Suddenly Kaz turned towards them, "Split up! It's not safe!"

Estelle made a sudden move to immediately follow his demand, but before she could even place one foot in front of the other, a loud whistle was blown and a few members of the standwatch appeared in front of them.

"Halt! You four! Hand ups!" The man at the front yelled at them, making them all put their hands up into the air.

The Captain's gaze wandered over the group, "Kaz Brekker. Jesper Fahey. Inej Ghafa and Estelle Wolkow." He sighed deeply before he continued, "Only a matter of time before you turned up."

Kaz remained calm while he raised his eyebrows at them, "Is there a problem?"

The commander of the standwatch nodded his head, "For you? Yeah. You're wanted for murder." Jesper frowned at them in confusion, "What? We just got back in town. Unless it's a crime to kill Volcra."

The commander gave him a pointed look, "Very funny, gunslinger. Now slowly, hand over those shooters."

The man in uniform and his companions seemed quite distracted by the sharpshooter. So Inej and Estelle exchanged a quick nodd before they slowly succeed to fade into the shadows of the ally behind them.

Estelle could still hear the male voices while she climbed up onto the dark roof of the building that was right besides the former Crow club.

She spotted Inej on a roof on her opposite, before her gaze wandered down towards the other's.

Jesper slowly grabbed his guns from his belt while the commander nodded over at Kaz, "And you. Give up the cane."

He then wanted to gaze at Inej and Estelle, "And you spy-" But the man stopped in the middle of his scentence, when he suddenly realized that the two were gone.

His eyes immediately widened in shock, "Oi! Where'd they go?!" The whole standwatch turned and let their gazes wander over the buildings around them while Jesper smirked from ear to ear, shrugging, "Yeah. They do that."

The commander didn't let them see his irretation and quickly approached them, "Two is enough for now. Come on! Off to Hellgate to await trial."

Estelle watched from above how they put Kaz and Jesper in chains and then put them in the carriage that transported them to Hellgate along with the other filth of the Barrel.

Estelle and Inej made sure to stay on top of the roof, where it was safe for them, until they were far enough away from the Kaelish prince and Pekkas men.

They then quickly started to make a plan on how to intercept the carriage on it's way to the Harbor and how they would gather their needed supplies for that.

Inej was the one, who would gather the supplies while Estelle would pay the Menagerie and their old friends a visit.

The dark haired girl was now on the ground, her grip tight on the knives that were stowed away in their several pockets, while she made her way towards the Menagerie.

To her luck and old friend of her's was just leaving the building of the Menagerie, passing by some man, who whistled after her.

Estelle shook her head to herself in disgust before she quickly stepped out of the shadows and joined the woman almost not noticed. "Eshana"

The brunette spun around and her brown eyes widened in excitement when she saw the tattooed woman infront of her. "Estelle! You're back!"

The woman brought her into a quickly hug, but after a moment Eshana seemed taken back by her appearance.

Her gaze suddenly wandered around the people while she leaned closer, "It's not safe for you on the streets right now."

Estelle glanced at her, also leaning slightly closer to her, "Tell me why. Who's been murdered and who pointed at us for it?"

Eshana seemed quiet nervous while she started fiddling with her fingers, "Not long after you and Brekker were gone -Tante Heleen was murdered." The woman's voice was only above a whisper, "If he finds out that I was the one that told-"

Estelle's face immediately fell when she heard the word 'he' coming from the woman's mouth. That was all she needed, to connect the dots and Kaz wouldn't need anything more either.

The dark haired womans thoughts suddenly snapped back to the information she had just gathered. Tante Heleen was dead. What did that mean for her and Inej? What did that mean for her indenture- for her freedom?

Her mouth opened a gap, "You don't have to say more, Eshana. You haven't said anything of importance that concerns him, until know. I have everything I need."

The brunette woman gave her a soft eyed gaze, "Take care of yourself, Estelle. This is a dangerous time for you in the Barrel."

The black haired woman nodded at her, "Thank you, Eshana."

And with that she quickly disappeared into the shadows once more.

Not wasting any more time, she immediately made her way towards the Harbor, she knew that the carriage wouldn't be there yet, but she would follow it.

A couple of long minutes passed by while Estelle climbed effortless from roof to roof, until she spotted the carriage on the ground.

The dark haired woman glanced to her left, and saw that Inej was joining her on the other sides of the roof.

Suddenly the carriage stopped and oke of the standwatch man got up and opened the door, pulling Kaz and Jesper out.

Inej and Estelle exchange a silent glance before they looked back towards the ground and saw how Kaz and Jesper were lead inside a large building.

Estelle knew that this little detour could not mean anything good and carefully slid down on one of the metal pipes, to peek into the large salon through the window.

There were a couple of standwatch men surrounding the sitting Kaz and Jesper. Estelle's eyes widened a bit when she spotted no other than Dreesen coming through the door.

Estelle couldn't hear their voices, but she saw how Kaz's lips moved and after a moment, one of Dreesens men moved towards him.

Dreesen seemed taken back by the interaction, but retreated slowly back into the other room, leaving the three alone.

The blond man, dressed in black, took of his hat and made conversation with the two crows. Estelle's eyes narrowed at the blond man, he seemed quite familiar. As if she had seen him somewhere before.

After a couple of moments Kaz shackles fell to the floor, but the blond man didn't seem surprised. He just went on with his questions, and after a certain amount of repeating it, Kaz finally answered him.

The blond man then left the two behind, and Kaz didn't waste anytime before he jumped onto his feet and hurried to grab a bag, that laid on the table infront of them.

He flicked a coin at Jesper and the man caught it before they exchanged a few words. Estelle knew that Jesper was a Grisha, so she wasn't surprised when he suddenly did something to the coin and freed himself form his shackles as well.

The woman nodded up at Inej and motioned for her to follow her down towards the ground.

Kaz and Jesper had just exit the gigantic building when the two spiders set foot onto the stone ground.

"We're in the literal bottom of the Barrel", Jesper stated while the two walked outside into the night.

"Standwatch don't patrol down here. We're safer-", Kaz reassured the sharpshooter before he addressed the two women that had followed them in the shadows. "- Inej, Estelle, what did you find?"

Inej was short with her words, "We're accused of murdering Tante Heleen." They suddenly all stopped in their tracks, processing what she had just said, the two man looked over at them.

"What? We didn't do that, though", Jesper stated while he gave Inej a questioning glance. "Wait, did you do that?"

Kaz met Estelle's eyes, his brow quirked while he held their eye contact, "It was Pekka Rollins, wasn't it? He framed us for murder."

Estelle nodded silently before she gave him an answer, "He wanted to punish us, for taking the job after he warned you off."

Jespers had a confused expression on his face, "But why take it out on Tante Heleen?"

Kaz seemed a bit defeated while he looked down onto the dirty ground, "She held the deed to the Crow Club. We cut a deal so Inej and Estelle could help us with the Sun Summoner, so Rollins killed her."

"He owns the club. Everyone who works there now works for Pekka Rollins", Inej stated before they fell silent again.

Estelle crossed her arms over her chest before she sighted. The dark haired woman streched her right arm out and slowly pulled her sleeve up, reveling her menagerie tattoo that was still on her wrist.

Her dark eyes then met Kaz's, "There's more." There was silence between them before Kaz's voice, a low whisper broke through, "The Menagerie."

Estelle had to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall down onto her cheeks, while her voice trembled. "He owns that now too. Along with everything else the Menagerie owns."

Jesper avoided looking at her while he spoke, "So, standwatch are everywhere and Pekka's untouchable. Never thought I'd miss the Fold."

Inej's gaze landed on the bag that was in Kaz's hand, "What's that for?"

"We aren't the only ones under false accusations. Your saint has a new bounty on her head. This time from Fjerda", the young man answered her before Jesper joined in. "They think she's in cahoots with the Darkling."

Kaz had a look of distraction on his face while he pulled his hand out of the bag and placed a lot of money into Estelle's hand. "This is your ticket to go and protect her. Go to third Harbor. Find a stevedore named Jari. He'll put you on a cargo ship out of here."

Estelle frowned deeply while she took a step forward, "Your sending us away?"

Kaz shot her a dark look, "I promised you freedom." Estelle held up the money, while she frowned, "This isn't freedom, Kaz. Our indenture contract is owned by Pekka-"

Kaz eyes were wide and he seemed rather short-tempered, "I'll take care of it.- It isn't your fight now. It's mine." And with that the man walked off.

This was her chance to get on a boat and out of Ketterdam once and for all, but the dark haired woman just couldn't bring herself to leave him behind like this.

Estelle shook her head before she hurried to catch up with him, "I'm not leaving you, Kaz! - Not now!

The man had stopped walking as soon as she caught up with him and the other two crows quickly joined them. Inej raised her eyebrows at Kaz and Jesper, "What happened to Saints is fate. What happens here is up to us."

Estelle quietly held out the money for Kaz to take back, and he took it quickly out of her hand, before he put it back into his black coat.

Kaz didn't seem happy about their decision but at last he nodded grimly, "Fine. But stay in the shadows. All of you."

After that he gaven Jesper a very pointed look, he then went on and addressed the group, "We reconnect in two bells at the end of Rozenstraat. Look for a workshop around the back."

Estelle frowned while she watched him walk away once more, "Where are you going?"

Kaz turned to face them, "I need a Heartrender for what comes next. One who isn't already owned by Pekka. Ears open for one." He then nodded at them before he disappeared into the darkness, only the echo of his cane could be heard.

Jesper still seemed confused, "Heartrender? For what comes next?"

Inej nodded at Estelle, "I'll go."

The dark haired woman nodded back at the Suli, "I'll stay with him."

Jesper seemed deep in his own thoughts, "Wait, what comes next?"

                    𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐉𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑 remained hidden for most of the time, until they heard the second bell and it was time for them to make their way towards the end of Rozenstraat.

They didn't have much trouble finding the little workshop around the back, where a stair let up into a large flat.

Jesper was already up there, while Estelle waited for Inej and Nina to arrive safely at the agreed on spot.

The dark haired woman was playing with her star kinves when she suddenly heard a couple of light footsteps.

The woman leaned against the glass window if the shop while she casually leaned forward and peeked around the corner.

To her relive, there was no other than Inej and another, to her unknown woman approaching her in the dark.

Estelle immediately straightened up while she glanced at the brunette woman behind Inej, "Who is this?"

Inej motioned for the woman to entered the shop, which she did, while the Suli answered Estelle, "A Heartrender."

The dark haired girl nodded her head at her impressed, obviously surprised by how fast Inej had managed to find a Heartrender. "That was fast."

Inej gave her a small smirk before they followed after Nina upstairs. Kaz was the first that spotted the three girls, entering the room silently, "Your here."

"With the new Heartrender", Inej immediately nodded before the brunette and curvy woman took her hat off. "Nina Zenik. At your service."

"Nina Zenik?" Jesper, Inej and Estelle immediately exclaimed disbelieving while they stared at her with wide eyes.

The brunette gave them a confident galnce while she chuckled, "Well, that's a reaction. Is there a famous Nina Zenik that I don't know of?" She adjusted her coat while she quirked an eyebrow at the group.

Suddenly the shaggy haired, brunette and rather small man on Estelle's opposite cleared his throat awkwardly. "Can I get anyone some tea?"

Kaz gave the man a side glance that said enough to shut him up and then focused back on Nina, "You worked with Arken."

The Grisha shrugged, leaning her head a bit to the side, "It was more of a limited partnership."

"Did you trust him?"

Nina scoffed loudly, "That turncoat? Not on your life. He was shadier than an oak at three bells."

Kaz's face expression was stern, "What's your price?" The woman seemed rather desperate for help, "I've expended the legal avenues on my problem. Every clerk in the city says the same thing. 'The judge will see you in six months.'"

"And so your looking for the not-so-legal rout on- what exactly?" Kaz leaned onto his cane while he raised an eyebrow at her, expecting.

Nina had a serious expression on her face, "I'm told you could free someone from Hellgate."

Kaz gaze immediately turned to Inej, shooting a death glare at her, which the woman successfully avoided. But then Nina caught his attention once more, "Someone, I say as if he's anyone, and in truth, he's the love of my life."

She smiled slightly while thinking about her loved one and Kaz face expression changed slightly, his lips pressing into a thin line, "I can't get you a release from Hellgate. - but I can get you a visit. - In exchange for your service."

Nina didn't waste a second on thinking about his offer, she immediately nodded her head, "What do you need me for?"

Kaz gaze was as always unreadable, his voice low, "The aftermath." He then quickly made his way up the stairs, passing by Inej and Estelle, "Follow me."

Everyone exchange a questioning look and Nina remained standing where she had been, before Inej turned towards her, "He does that."

The brunette woman had an unamused look on her face, "Does he?"

Estelle suppressed a small smile, she could tell that she already liked the woman. The two quickly followed after the rest of the group, up onto the roof of the building.

As soon as the tattooed woman stepped outside, the cold night air hit her face. The goosebumps erupted all over her arms and she came to a stand in-between Nina and Kaz.

Her gaze was now laying on the gloomy landscape of dark chimneys from which the grey smoke rose, as well as the fog that spread over the city and the dim lights that pushed through that fog.

Estelle's eyes scanned the side of Kaz side profile carefully, when she suddenly heard him whisper to himself, "Brick by brick."

Out of nowhere, an explosion went off in the distance, lightning the whole barrel up. The light orange fire and the dark smoke rose into the air, making Estelle squint her eyes, to see what was happening down in the streets.

Jesper's voice was shaky, "What was that?" Inej, who stood besides him stared straight ahead, "The Crow Club."

"I had some really nice hat's in there", Jesper stated whining over his loss before he glanced at the brunette man besides him. "Was that yours?"

The brunette man remained silent, his face expression mirroring his shock.

"I take it we're now in the aftermath?", Nina questioned Kaz, her eyebrows raised while she leaned onto the stone railing.

Inej's dark eyes were now focused on their leader, "This doesn't help us clear our names, Kaz. This is war with Pekka Rollins, the King of the Barrel!"

Kaz was quick to answer her, his eyes firmly sat on the smoke that rose from the rumbles of the Crow Club, "The Barrel doesn't belong to Kings-"

He turned on his heel and went for the door, "- it belongs to Bastards."

𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 !
𝗉𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝖽𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝖻𝖾 𝖺
𝗌𝗂𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋.