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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟖
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑

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Inessa didn't know how long they had been traveling. All she knew was that day had come from the light peaking through where the cushion met wood. Her nerves had been on overdrive since she hid herself in the seat. She felt vulnerable, far more so than usual. Her thoughts were soon put on hold when she felt the carriage stop. Inessa waited for a moment to see if they would continue, only for nothing to happen. She hesitated for a moment before pushing the cushion off her and sitting up. The Heartrender would be the first to admit that she was surprised to find an empty carriage, but she was grateful for it.

The Smirnoff girl was on high alert as she quietly got out of her hiding place. Despite thinking that waiting for Alina to get her might be the better option, Inessa opened the door nearest to her. What she didn't expect was to find one of the imposter girls from the Little Palace standing beside a boy in a top hat. They simply smiled at her with a look in their eyes that the Heartrender couldn't explain. She quickly slammed the door shut before rushing to open the other, hoping it would give her time to get Alina and get out of there. But to her dismay, two more people were waiting for her on the other side. Inessa's eyes first met the other girl who disguised herself as an oprichniki. The two of them just stared at each other until the Heartrender's gaze moved to the boy she ran into in the hall.

"What do you want?" Inessa questioned without breaking eye contact with the boy.

"To get paid. Now get out."

The Smirnoff girl hesitated for a moment as she thought of a way out of her current situation. But she knew she was hopelessly outnumbered. So after letting out a long sigh, Inessa got out of the carriage and followed the girl toward the back with the boy right behind her. The two people who greeted the Heartrender were already standing in front of the trunk, waiting for Alina to appear. It wasn't long after the three of them joined them when the lock began to glow. The next thing anyone knew, the lock was pushed out from the trunk. Soon the lid lifted and Alina peeked her head out.

The Sun Summoner's eyes scanned over the strangers before landing on Inessa, who looked as though she'd rather be anywhere else but there. It wasn't long after that when Alina pushed the lid open all the way and climbed out of the trunk. She held her hands out cautiously in front of her, unsure of what to make of the strangers around her. Not even a second after that passed when Inessa moved to stand beside Alina and prepared herself to run at a moment's notice. 

"We don't want any trouble," the boy in the top hat said while keeping his eyes glued to Alina.

"Neither do I, so Inessa and I will be on our way," the Stakov girl responded before she and the Heartrender took a step away, only for a cane to block their path.

"Clearly, both of you want out of East Ravka. We can help you. We have a secure route through the Fold," he continued in an extremely calm tone. What they didn't expect was to find unconvinced looks on the girls' faces.

"Don't be rash," the blonde girl told them, her Fjerdan accent surprising the Sun Summoner and the Heartrender, "you stick with us, everybody gets what they want."

"I'm not being anyone's captive ever again," Alina declared, not bothering to hide the anger and annoyance in her voice, "so step aside and let us pass."

"I'm afraid we can't let that happen," the boy with the cane stated without an ounce of emotion in his eyes.

What happened next occurred so quickly, but Inessa was prepared for it. She shielded her eyes as a bright light emitted from the Sun Summoner's fingertips. The two boys and the blonde girl were instantly blinded, but the girl with raven hair was able to protect her eyes. To Inessa and Alina's surprise, the remaining stranger didn't attack. Instead, she held her hands up in surrender and stared at the Sun Summoner in awe. The three girls kept their eyes glued to each other for another moment before Alina and Inessa sprinted away.

Once they knew they were far enough away from the four strangers, Inessa and Alina slowed their pace. They began walking through the streets of Ryevost with their heads down, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. The two of them turned down an alley and walked down a set of steps. It wasn't long before they arrived at a small street market filled with various foods and other goods.

The Heartrender ignored her rumbling stomach as she continued walking, wanting to get as far away from Ryevost as possible. But Alina took her time taking in her surroundings and the items at the stalls. Her lack of urgency drove Inessa crazy, but she knew it would be better to stick together. So while the Sun Summoner continued to browse, the Smirnoff girl stuck by her side, looking over her shoulder as they went. What irritated Inessa even more was when Alina stopped at one of the stalls and picked up a dragon fruit. The seller was watching her closely as she examined it.

"How much?" the Starkov girl asked, somewhat unaware of the look she was receiving from the man in front of her.

"Shu currency's no good here, girl. Move along."

Alina just stared at the man with a hurt look on her face, not expecting those words to come from him. It wasn't long after that when she placed the dragonfruit back on the stand and walked away. Unknown to all around her, Inessa's hands moved in a circle just below her waist. Not even a second after that passed when the man reached up and placed his hands on his temples, surprised by the excruciating headache. After letting out a small laugh, the Heartrender rushed to catch up with her friend.

Neither of them said a word as they walked down another alley. They had no idea where they were going, but they were determined to get away from the Second Army and the criminals. Even if that meant wandering East Ravka until they found somewhere they felt safe. Inessa had hope that once they found safety they would be able to get in contact with Nikolai. Because if what Baghra said was true, her cousin would drop everything to reunite with her. The Lantsov would protect them. They just needed to find a way to get a message to him.

The Heartrender was drawn out of her train of thought when Alina ran into her. After gathering her bearings, Inessa looked up to find a First Army soldier standing in front of them.

"Watch where you're going, girl!" the soldier shouted while glaring at the girls.

"Sorry," Alina muttered under her breath before she and Inessa attempted to get by him, only for the soldier to block their path.

"So far from Shu Han, aren't you?" he said without taking his eyes off the Starkov girl, "why don't you come inside?"

Alina and Inessa exchanged a concerned look before forcing their way past the soldier. However, they barely made it five steps when he grabbed the Sun Summoner's arm. Inessa's instincts took over before she could even think. She didn't hesitate to grab the man's wrist and squeeze as hard as she could. That was all it took for him to release his grip on her friend before the Heartrender punched him in the face. But Inessa couldn't celebrate her victory just yet.

She soon heard Alina's struggles coming from behind her. The Smirnoff girl quickly turned around to find another soldier attacking the Sun Summoner. But this time Inessa didn't need to step in. Alina was able to force the man away from her before holding her hands up to his face. A blinding light instantly emitted from them, causing the soldier to scream. That only lasted for a moment before Inessa grabbed Alina's arm and forced her to run with her.

The two of them sprinted down the street before flying down a stone staircase. Their pace didn't slow as they ran down a very tight alleyway until coming across a door. Despite their best efforts, the girls couldn't get the door open. That was until the Heartrender used all of her strength to kick it open, breaking the hinges in the process. Inessa and Alina barely had time to catch their breath before they sprinted into the forest. They slid down a small hill until reaching the bottom and running deeper into the trees. Neither of them slowed their pace as the soldiers' shouts filled the air around them. It wasn't long before they found themselves falling into a ditch.

Pain coursed through Inessa's entire body as soon as she landed, her knees taking the force of the fall. When she was able to get a good look at them, all she saw was red. The Heartrender tuned out the world around her as she held her hands over her knees. A shaky breath passed over her lips while focusing all her attention on her injury. It wasn't long before her wounds healed before her very eyes, causing a wave of pride to wash over her. But that was soon replaced with terror after looking up to meet the eyes of a stranger. Inessa instantly held her hands out in front of her to defend them, only for Alina to instantly stop her.

"Mal?" the Starkov girl whispered, just for the boy to hold a finger up to his lips.

The three of them sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, listening to see if they were truly alone. What felt like an eternity passed before the Oretsev boy gestured for them to follow. Inessa was hesitant as she watched him walk away, unsure if they should trust him. But Alina followed him without a second thought, which was enough for the Heartrender to believe they found an ally...for now.

They walked through the forest in silence, none of them having the courage to say a word. They were still nervous that they were being followed. Even though she'd never voice it aloud, Inessa was skeptical of Mal. Yes, Alina had known him her whole life, but the Heartrender only knew his name. And deep down she knew that he would leave her behind to protect himself and Alina, just like everyone else had done. She didn't trust him enough to let her guard down an inch. So not only was Inessa keeping a lookout for the soldiers from Ryevost, but also watching for signs of Mal turning on them.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the top of a small hill. The Starkov girl didn't hesitate to sit down on a fallen log, tired from all the running they endured that day. Mal stood beside her while keeping his eyes glued to their surroundings, making sure they weren't followed. About a yard away from them stood Inessa. She was leaning with her back against the tree and her arms crossed over her chest. It took all of the Heartrender's willpower not to sit down and rest from their unexpected adventure. The Smirnoff girl would be the first to admit that she was exhausted and ready to sleep for days. But she still wasn't ready to become vulnerable to the world. Not just yet.

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down," the Oretsev boy said, drawing Inessa's attention toward Alina. She was just in time to watch the Sun Summoner slowly take the canteen away from her lips.

"So we're talking now?"

A long sigh passed over Mal's lips as his eyes continued to scan their surroundings. "Should be safe now."

Not even a second after passed when Alina threw the canteen at him, hitting him square in the back. Inessa couldn't help but smile at her friend's actions. The Oretsev boy instantly turned around with annoyance in his eyes. But before he had a chance to question the Starkov girl's actions, the latter jumped to her feet and began speaking. "Where have you been?"

"I've been tracking you since you left the Palace the night of the fete," Mal responded, sending chills throughout the Smirnoff girl's entire body. An uneasy feeling soon settled over her at the thought of them being followed for so long with neither of them knowing.

"So now I have your attention?" the Sun Summoner questioned, drawing Inessa's attention back to the situation at hand, "it's been months, Mal. You couldn't be bothered to reply to a single one of my letters."

"What? I never heard a word from you. I wrote to you nearly every single day."

"Sure you did," Alina retaliated, completely unaware of the guilty look appearing on Inessa's face.

"I hate to interrupt," the Heartrender said, drawing their attention toward her. Both of them looked as though she forgot she was standing a short distance away. "Your letters were never sent, Alina.  General Kirigan ordered all the oprichniki to deliver them straight to him. He burned them. The case is the same for Mal's letters."

While Alina just stared at Inessa with a blank look on her face, Mal had nothing but anger in his eyes. He kept his attention glued to the Heartrender for a moment longer before his gaze fell back on his oldest friend. "She's part of the Darkling's inner circle. We shouldn't trust her."

"That's a great way to thank the person who helped break out the Sun Summoner," the Smirnoff girl scoffed, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice, "and for your information, I don't trust General Kirigan anymore than I trust you."

While Inessa and Mal continued to glare at each other, Alina was studying the boy standing in front of her. No one said a word for a long moment, letting the birds be the only thing to break the silence. That was until the Starkov girl found the courage to speak. "Are you still afraid of Grisha?"

"Only the ones that work for the enemy," Mal responded, earning an eye roll from Inessa before his attention landed back on Alina, "and the ones that keep secrets from me. How long have you known?"

"That I was Grisha?" the Sun Summoner asked, only for the skilled tracker to nod in response, "you thought I knew?"

"You cheated on the test when we were children. You cut your own hand."

"Not because I knew I was Grisha," Alina defended without bothering to hide the irritation in her voice, and Inessa didn't blame her for it, "because I knew what would happen if I somehow passed their test. They would've taken me away."

"To a palace, Alina!"

"They would've split us up!"

The Starkov girl's words were enough to silence Mal and make Inessa wish she was somewhere else. Not because she didn't want to help her friend, but because she felt as though she was listening to a conversation she shouldn't be. And yet, the Smirnoff girl didn't move an inch, knowing it was better to stay with them if she wanted to survive. The silence surrounded them for what felt like an eternity once again, making Inessa fidget with her fingers under her crossed arms. Luckily for her, the silence was soon broken.

"I've been trying to find you this whole time. I found the Stag," Mal said just loud enough for them to hear, making the Heartrender much more interested in their conversation, "Kirigan's orders to track it came from your drawings. I thought you were showing me the way to you."

Alina hesitated for a moment as she took in his words. It wasn't long after that when she responded. "He stole them from my journal. Baghra was telling the truth."

"He's been obsessed with finding it for as long as I can remember," Inessa announced after thinking back to all the times the Grisha General told her about Morozova's amplifiers, "it's a very rare and very powerful amplifier. If another Grisha claimed it, they could rival his power."

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Night soon fell and Inessa found herself sitting in the entrance of a shallow cave. Mal had left to scout the area one last time to make sure they weren't followed, leaving the two girls alone in the shelter. The Heartrender had just finished using her abilities to raise Alina's body heat as well as her own. It would only last for a few hours, but she hoped she'd regain enough energy by then to do it again. The Smirnoff girl's eyes scanned over the Sun Summoner, who was fast asleep a few feet away from her. Inessa would be the first to admit that she was jealous of the girl taking a moment to relax. But she still wasn't ready to place her trust in Mal. For all the Heartrender knew, he would convince Alina to leave her the second she fell asleep. 

It wasn't long before the sound of approaching footsteps filled the hair, causing Inessa to turn to find Mal returning. He had an exhausted look written all over his face as he placed his bag down. The Smirnoff girl was surprised when he sat down across from her, something she never expected to happen. Especially after their shared words earlier that day. Inessa couldn't help but study him while he looked out into the distance. Despite her lack of trust in the boy, something was calming about his presence. Something that the Smirnoff girl couldn't quite comprehend. But her attention was soon torn away from her thoughts after sensing the Oretsev boy's pain. It didn't take her long to locate the source of his discomfort.

"What happened to your shoulder?" Inessa asked without thinking, causing Mal's eyes to lock with hers.

He just stared at her for what felt like an eternity before opening his mouth to speak. "It's nothing, I'm fine."

"You do know that Heartrenders can tell when you're lying, right?" the Smirnoff girl retaliated, earning a somewhat surprised look from the boy across from her, "you don't need to tell me what happened. But at least let me help you."

"I don't need help from one of the Darkling's Heartrenders," the Oretsev boy responded with a bit more venom in his voice than he intended, but that didn't surprise Inessa whatsoever.

"I understand your skepticism, but you should know that this wasn't what I wanted. I never wanted to be known as 'one of the Darkling's Heartrenders.' I wanted to be a Healer. But General Kirigan didn't even entertain that thought," the Heartrender explained, not caring about the look she was receiving from Mal, "he kept me under his watchful eye since I was tested. I was never allowed to leave the Little Palace unless I was with him, Ivan, or Fedyor. Just sitting in this cave is brand new to me. My life was chosen for me, I didn't ask for it."

Inessa instantly looked away, not liking the pity that appeared in the Oretsev boy's. She never intended for her story to make him feel sorry for her, she just wanted to get the idea of her working for the Grisha General out of his head. The Smirnoff girl didn't care if he didn't like her or didn't trust her, she was still uncertain about him as well. But what she did care about was being seen as weak, especially after being sheltered for so long.

"My injury is the least of our worries," Mal said, breaking the silence surrounding them and changing the subject almost entirely, "what we should be concerned about is not freezing to death."

"I can help with that," the Heartrender declared, earning another skeptical look from the skilled tracker before holding her hand out in front of her, "give me your hand."

Now it was Mal's turn to hesitate, unsure of what to make of Inessa's request. That was until he realized that she and Alina weren't shivering at all. In fact, they looked almost comfortable in the bitter cold. Another moment passed before the Oretsev boy gave in and held his hand out, allowing the Heartrender to take it into her own. The next thing Mal knew, his heart began to race before a wave of warmth washed over him. That feeling lasted for what felt like an eternity before Inessa let go of his hand. His heart soon returned to its normal speed, but his body still felt as though he had been sitting in the sun for hours. 

"Grisha abilities don't have to be feared," Inessa whispered just loud enough to be heard before placing her hand on Mal's shoulder. Not even a second after that passed when the pain disappeared entirely. "You just need to be willing to learn more about them."

The two of them just stared at each other, unsure about the emotions either of them were feeling. But the silence was soon broken when Mal began speaking. "We need to keep west, to get to the Fold."

"Did you tell General Kirigan where to find the Stag?" Alina asked, causing Inessa and Mal to jump. They just stared at the girl who they previously thought was fast asleep, unsure about how much of their conversation she heard.

"No," the Oretsev man responded before letting out a long sigh, "well, not exactly."

"How much does he know?" the Starkov girl questioned after sitting up and turning her body to fully face him, "could he find it without you?"

"I pointed to a broad area on his map. That's it."

"That doesn't matter, Alina," Inessa said, hoping that her friend would forget about the Stag and focus on their well-being, "we'll make it to the Fold in a few days and be safe on the other side. No one will find us."

The Sun Summoner hesitated for a moment, listening to the thoughts bouncing around in her head. That alone was enough to make Inessa nervous. It wasn't long after that when Alina said two sentences that made the Heartreander's blood run cold. "We should head north. Find the Stag before he does."

"I don't think that's a good idea," the Smirnoff girl told her, wanting nothing more than to get to a place where they wouldn't be found.

"It's a powerful amplifier," Alina retaliated as her eyes bounced between her oldest friend and her newest friend, "it might make me strong enough to...to destroy the Fold."

"Is that why General Kirigan wants it so badly?" Mal asked while Inessa ran her hands through her hair, silently trying to calm the nerves flowing through her.

"It must have some other use for him."

"There's no way I can talk you out of this, is there?" Inessa questioned, earning nothing but a determined look from Alina, "fine. Let's go north. But once we find this thing, I wanna take a very long nap."

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The next morning had finally come and their mission to find the Stag had begun. Inessa waited in a clearing for Mal to return from scouting ahead. The Heartrender would be the first to admit that this adventure was pointless. Even if they did find the Stag, the Darkling had an entire army of Grisha following him. They wouldn't be able to get close enough to the Fold or even have enough time to destroy it without being discovered. But she also knew that it would be a failed mission to try to talk Alina out of looking for the Stag. So instead, Inessa would do what she had been doing since they left the Little Palace. She would protect the Sun Summoner to the best of her abilities.

It wasn't long before Mal finally returned. Inessa was confused by the hat he was carefully carrying in his hands, but she didn't question it. Instead, she focused on his discovery. "I've never seen a berry bush picked clean so high. I'm sure it's the work of the Stag. If we follow that path, we'll catch up to it in a day or two."

"Good," Alina responded while getting to her feet before she and Inessa approached the Oretsev boy.

They had barely made it a foot away from him when he held his hat out to them, revealing bright red berries. A small smile appeared on the Sun Summoner's lips as she took the hat into her hands. While she and Inessa each took a few berries to munch on, Mal continued speaking. "Listen, we're getting close to Fjerda. I don't wanna put either of you in harm's way."

"Since when have you backed down from a fight?" Alina questioned while Inessa grew very quiet, unsure of how she felt being so close to a country of Grisha hunters.

The Starkov girl sent her oldest friend a playful smile before continuing down the path. Mal and Inessa soon shared an uncertain look before quickly following her. It wasn't until they were on either side of her that the skilled tracker responded to her question. "Since my new job. Bodyguard to a saint."

Alina glanced over at the Oretsev boy with an unreadable look in her eyes. Even though Mal was oblivious to his friend's emotions, Inessa knew exactly what she was feeling. The Starkov girl hated having the weight of the world resting on her shoulders, but there was nothing she could do to change that. Instead, she let out a small and somewhat forced chuckle while tossing a berry stem behind her. "Delicious. I could eat five more."

"You really developed an appetite, haven't you? That's new," Mal responded with a small smile on his face, "not bad. I'm just saying it's good for you. You look healthy."

"Grisha powers take a lot of energy. It's different for each Grisha, but still much more than you'd expect," Inessa explained as they continued down the path that led them closer to enemy territory, "we need to make sure we continuously replace that energy or else we'll grow weak and vulnerable."

The Heartrender's words caused Alina to stop in her tracks, making her friends glance back at her with confusion in their eyes. The Sun Summoner just blankly stared at the trees surrounding them until opening her mouth to speak. "That's how Aleksander's lived for so long."

"Who's Aleksander?" Mal questioned after listening to Alina's words and noticing Inessa's worried expression.

"General Kirigan. He'll hunt me down and he'll never stop. I'm the only threat to him now."

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