𝑺𝒎𝒐𝒌𝒆 | 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑲𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒏 𝒙 𝑶𝑪

Four

They were quickly shoved into the carriage. Alina was given a red kefta to wear. Jolana didn't receive anything. They started to move and the carriage shook. The two heartrenders who were traveling with them were staring at Alina. 

"This is Fedyor," the scarier-looking one said.

"Pleasure to meet you." Alina was fiddling with the kefta. "It's bulletproof, the uniform of the Second Army," Fedyor explained. Alina rubbed the scar on her hand and turned to her side and started quietly talking to Jolana.

"What's your name?" Alina asked.

"Specialist Jolana Sokolov," she said putting out her hand very officially. Alina reached out to shake her hand and Jolana softened, "Just Jolana though,"

"I'm Assistant Cartographer Alina Starkov if we're being all official but I'm just Alina," Alina gave her a small smile but then her face got a little sad, "Did you know?"

"About being Grisha?"

"Yeah,"

"Not at all,"

"At least I'm not the only one," Alina tried to smile again but she couldn't help but grimace. They were quiet but Jolana tried to make conversation.

"So is Mal that tracker?"

"You know Mal?"

"No, I don't but I saw you arguing with a tracker yesterday... on the skiff. You saved him. You saved all of us with your powers. That light,"

"Well, I-"

"You could save us all. They say the sun summoner can get rid of the fold."

"A lot of pressure-" Alina was cut off by yells.

"Hold it here!" They could hear from outside the carriage, "the road is blocked! Beware!"

"Stay here and don't leave," the scary-looking one said to the pair of girls. To which Fedyor quickly said,

"He means well,"

The two new Grisha tried to listen, "Drüskelle!!" she heard one yell but then they were quickly cut off by what sounded like an arrow.

Jolana was on high alert now. There were loud sounds of commotion. Loud winds and yelling. Alina tried to look through one window and Jolana tried to look through the other. Weapons were then fired at the carriage itself. Alina and Jolana both ducked down. Alina slid off her kefta and tried to use it as a shield and cover the both of them with it. They hid decently well but then gas started to seep in. It made them cough and they had to get out to open air. One of the doors flew open and they pulled Alina out of the carriage, yelling 

"Witch!"

There were few words that Jolana knew in Fjerdan and one of them. She was pulled out quickly leaving the kefta behind. Jolana put the kefta on and tried to chase after Alina. Alina fought against it, pleading,

"I'm not Grisha! I'm a map maker!"

Putting on the kefta put a target on Jolana's back she chased after Alina but she had to crawl to try and avoid the arrows that were aimed at her. She ran up as Alina got hit in the face. The Fjerdan had his ax up ready to swing. Jolana got there in time and pulled the Fjerdan hunter off of Alina, pulling him about five yards away. The issue was the hunter was just as satisfied with killing her as he would have been with killing Alina.

Jolana tried her best to focus. She knew she was supposed to able to use fire so she put all her energy into holding the Fjerdan away and bringing that fire. She closed her eyes and exhaled then something went through her. It felt like adrenaline but better. It felt like a drug going through her system. When she opened her eyes the drüskelle was dead completely scorched. So was everything within a five-yard radius, just barely avoiding burning Alina with the rest of it. She saw another Grisha hunter ran up and had Alina pinned. She tried to run over but saw that everything was solved. The one that was on top of Alina was now beside her, in two pieces. There was a blood splatter over the horrified look on Alina's face. A familiar dark figure ran over.

General Kirigan

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No, not really," she sputtered

"The others will have fled now they know I'm here," Jolana ran over ignoring the general, and helped Alina up. The general looked at Jolana and then at the huge patch of charred and black fields and the scorched Fjerdan.

"Miss Starkov, you'll ride with me,"

"What about Jolana?" Alina asked, "She saved my life,"

"She will be rewarded for helping protect our sun summoner but she can go back to the group and get to the palace that way. You need protection,"

"Go, you'll be safe with him," Jolana urged. 

"I want her to come with us, not negotiable," Alina said firmly

He turned to look at Jolana, "Can you ride a horse?" Jolana nodded, "You'll travel with us if it's really non-negotiable," Jolana turned to Alina and there was a small look of satisfaction on her face.

"Where do I get the other horse?"

"Well go over there and take one, if people ask say I ordered it,"

Jolana grabbed a dark brown horse, looked strong like her old horse.

"Let's go before someone decides they want to kidnap a sun summoner," Jolana said in sort of a joke.

"I bet people already have decided," General Kirigan said seriously. With that their journey to the little Palace continued.