No Winter Can Last Forever (O.C x The Darkling)

e l e v e n

Amadora's head began to hurt as she continued to bang it against the desk softly. Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. That was all her days had been filled with. Letters filled with desperate pleas to speak with Sankta Alina, the general's requesting more Grisha, and among all of those things was more death certificates. Each of the names, former students of hers. Each one was more familiar than the last.

Mornings in the Little Palace were quiet, most Grisha were still asleep or sequestered to their quarters. Aleksander had been called out to Os Alta for business which left the war room alone to her, not that she minded. It stayed quiet and peaceful as she mourned yet another loss.

Day kept going by with no progress. The once hopeful feeling that came with the arrival of Alina had faded back into her dreary existence. Every day Ravka became more and more of a desolate place, one where the life expectancy of Grisha could barely make it past 30.

How much longer could they survive?

Alina was far from powerful enough and her own frost powers were not going to stop the volcra from attacking throughout the planned journey. That left only Alek and his shadows. Adding fire to fire would only prove ineffective, so it was a waste of time. There was nothing left, and without the stag, there was no chance that either her or Alina could hold any ground against that of the fold.

A quiet knock came from outside the door. Confused as to who could be awake at such an early hour, Amadora quickly grabbed a robe to cover herself up with and headed for the door. On the other side stood a slightly dishevelled Alina, her petite frame looking up at her.

With a sigh of relief, Amadora opened the door for her, "Is everything alright Alina?"

Alina hesitantly stepped into the room, her eyes wandering around the decadent wood and furniture, "Yes it is..." She anxiously chewed at her lip.

Amadora shut the door behind her and made a point to stand in front of the small girl, "It doesn't look like everything's alright?" She gestured to a few open chairs, taking the seat across from Alina.

She bit at her nails before finally releasing her bottled-up thoughts, "Baghra is expecting so much of me and my abilities, which I wasn't aware of until just over a month ago, and Saints! She's hit me so many times with that cane my bruises have bruises, Amie... I just-- I just don't know what to do anymore."

A laugh escaped Amadora's lips as she raced to cover it up with her hand, "Baghra has never been known for her kind demeanour, believe me.. she was not my biggest fan when I arrived either that's for sure". The two girls giggled together, allowing any tensions to fall away.

"Why's that?" Alina asked.

Amadora happily sighed, remembering the times of her youth, "Well, when I first arrived here I was not the happiest person... I was 17, in an unfamiliar place, taking up home in a country I had only ever read about in books and now aware of everything I could do with just the flick of a hand-- like every new Grisha I was sent to Baghra and she picked up on my poor attitude almost immediately." She ran a hand through her hair, messing it up slightly, "She was frustrated with my lack of investment in my powers, I was something special, completely unheard of and I simply didn't care, Baghra refused to train me" Alina and her shared a laugh, "So the General took over my training which mostly consisted of reworking the way I viewed my powers, I grew up being taught to hide any inkling of power I had to ward off the Kaelish authorities... but once I learned how to use them I went to see her and show her how much I had changed, as a person and a Grisha, to my surprise she smiled and held my face with pride."

"Baghra smiled?" Alina gasped, smacking a hand over her mouth.

She nodded her head and beamed, "I was just as shocked as you were, I'd never expected that reaction out of her but she-she said to me 'Amadora... you are a special girl and I can see how good you are for this place..." She trailed off, omitting the parts that Alina could not know about.