𝑺𝒎𝒐𝒌𝒆 | 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑲𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒏 𝒙 𝑶𝑪

Forty-Three

They rode toward Fjerda, quickly losing any semblance of a road.

While the rest of her "co-workers" seemed to be unaccustomed to the lands near the Fjerdan border, Jolana knew the territory well. 

This was her home, her space. Before the Little Palace, before summoners, before death. 

The snow-sprinkled ground was a comfort despite the increasing discomfort she felt in the cold.

"How do we know where we're going again?" Jesper asked loudly

"Jesper?" Kaz said calmly

"Yes, boss?"

"When have I been wrong?"

"Well there was that on--"

"That was a rhetorical question," Kaz rolled his eyes and rode a little ahead.

Inej rode beside Jesper, "Don't worry Jes, every time I think he's wrong, he always proves to be right. It's like he's a Grisha who has the ability to manipulate his luck, and always in a way that ends with him having more kruge than the next guy,"

"That would make him the Saint of money or something,"

"That role is already taken,"

"He could be the saint of black clothes or something, he guides crooks in style," Jolana chimed in from the back. 

Jolana was pretty sure Kaz didn't like her.

She wasn't too offended because he looked like a guy who didn't like many people. 

It was a little sad though because she had formed a pretty good bond with Jesper and she wasn't entirely sure if Inej liked her but at least it seemed as though Inej acknowledged and respected Jolana. 

It was almost as if she could stand right in front of Kaz and he'd just look straight through her as if she were a window and not blocking his way.

One lesson taught in both the Little Palace and in a war on a Fjerdan battlefront is that not everyone will like you, so Jolana knew it well.

The days seemed to be shorter than she remembered, which could've simply been the seasons but part of Jolana thought it was a sign that the Sun needed some help. Alina needed her help.

They reached a small open plain within the trees and after Jesper suggesting they rest for the night, they pitched a tent and Jolana easily got a fierce fire going to keep them warm. 

She retired to the tent where she found Kaz sitting, looking at his cane like his cane had a lot of debt that needed to be repaid this instant. 

"Hello," Jolana said, to announce herself.

"Hello, Inej," Kaz said not looking up

Jolana was very confused for a second, "I'm not Ine-- Saints!" she turned around to see he was in fact greeting Inej who had made her way into the tent without Jolana noticing. 

"Pardon me, I just needed to grab something," she said and when Jolana looked away, Inej was gone, she would need to get used to her slinking away often. 

"Did you need something?" Kaz asked

"I just wanted to ask how much further we were going, because I'm unsure about--"

"You were listening to the conversation earlier, I understand your distrust of me. But it is clear enough these two people who you like trust me with their lives, why can't you?"

"Well I'm not super concerned for my life, it was a simple question--" he cut her off again,

"Well here's a simple answer, I know what I'm doing,"

"Saints, you act like such a teenager sometimes. I understand you need to intimidate everyone for--"

He looked up at her, "Do you enjoy life?" he asked, a threat laced in his words.

"Honestly, as of late, I don't spectacularly have much fear of death so I don't have much care to enjoy life. I never knew just how right they were about the whole, life gives death meaning and all that. I thought that was just something they said to make the sixteen-year-olds who don't know how to hold rifles properly feel better. I never knew just how true it was until I maybe couldn't die," 

"Maybe?" he was slightly intrigued, "I feel like that's something you would want a concrete answer on,"

"Well I'm not sure I can't die but I'm not not sure I can't die,"

"Would you want to test your theory?"

"I'm not going to kill myself because if I don't come back that will just be pathetic and I'm not just going to ask someone to kill me. Like hi, person I met a couple of days ago, would you please shoot me?"

He didn't laugh at her joke. Looking back down, inspecting the head of his cane.

"You would want to test your theory though. If you could?"

"Well yes, I--"

He then hit her over the head with his cane and she went unconscious. 

"Now you don't have to ask someone,"

He then walked outside and asked Jesper to borrow one of his revolvers. Jesper hesitantly handed it to him and they were all a little concerned when they heard a gunshot inside the tent. 

They became even more concerned when the tent went up in flames and Jolana was still nowhere to be seen.

-

She opened her eyes and was blinded by the sunlight.

This must be a good sign

She sat up and realized she was stark naked and saw the pile of clothes next to her. She got dressed and wiped the black soot from her face. 

"Good morning," Jesper greeted, "Good thing he didn't actually kill you,"

"Glad to not actually be killed," she turned to Kaz

"Good thing you didn't take more than five hours to come back," Kaz said sizing her up

"Your hair is different," Inej commented, "It's almost brown now, but it looks very red in the light,"

"It won't be light for long, so let's get moving," Jolana said getting on her horse, the others followed suit and they rode further.

She went so that she rode beside Kaz and said quietly, "What if you actually killed me?"

"I didn't,"

Jolana was going to say something else but instead chose to say, "Maybe you really are the saint of luck or something," and rode a little ahead

She could've sworn she saw the ghost of a smirk play on his lips.

-

Newly discovered immortality aside, her day was getting better. She rode her horse far ahead of the others because she saw a familiar figure in the distance.

"Alina?" she said jumping down from her horse.

The girl turned around.

"Lana!"