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KAZ WALKED FORWARD, LEAVING THE rest to follow behind, feeling his brooding at a distance. Dinara knew he was clearly upset about the whole touch episode, wanting to respect his boundaries she kept her distance. The battle in his head was not one she could win, but he wouldn't mind her trying with everything she had. The wet clothes stuck to her skin, unable to block out the cold, harsh wind that was icing her skin. She wanted to leave this frozen hell, wanting to get her money and live out her dreams, maybe with Kaz at her side. As they walked up the rocky walls of the gorge, she tried to not to look down, for fear of falling to her death. The bridge seemed closer with every step she took, walking until they crossed it, a bit closer to going home. They had made it the furthest any team had, happiness souring through her veins at the thought. A loud rumbling stopped her in her tracks, head snapping towards the Ice Court.
"Kaz, what's the plan?" Dinara asked. Her eyes darting between the Ice Court and the boy in front of her, trying to decipher what he was thinking.
"Wait," he said simply, his eyes trained on the bridge in front of them, waiting for whatever was coming from them. Kaz seemed to have something ticking in his mind, yet Nina and the others still allowed protests to leave their mouths — he simply answered with a mention of the kruge waiting for them at home. When the large tank rumbled over the hill, two people were waving to them from the gun turret — Inej and Wylan. The two were gesturing wildly and yelling, trying to gain the attention of everyone else. A large grin made its way onto Dinara's face, glad they had a way out of Fjerda — a way back to Ketterdam. She let out a large whoop, Nina following suit, loud whoops flying through the air.
"Saints, Kaz, you actually look happy," Nina said, unable to tear the shit-eating grin off of her face, bring Dinara's attention to the boy on her right.
"Don't be ridiculous," he snapped, it there was no mistaking it — Kaz Brekker was grinning like an idiot.
Dinara walked over to the boy, standing up on her tippy toes to make eye contact with him, a large grin on her face. "You should smile more. You look pretty," she said simply, a small red flush present in her cheeks.
Kaz coughed, surprised by the action. He tried to keep his gaze on her eyes, trying his hardest to not let his eyes trail down to her lips. "If I smile, you have to smile. You look exquisite when you smile."
Dinara's eyes grew wide for a moment, not believing the words that just came from his mouth. Her smile carving deeper into her face, eyes gaining a small sparkle in them at his words. "Deal. You don't shake, so a simple salute will do." Kaz lifted two fingers to his forehead, saluting the girl, Dinara following suit immediately.
"Not to break up the love fest, but we have to get going," Nina said. A knowing smirk had grown on her face, their heartbeats telling her their feelings were growing stronger with every stolen glance.
As they went to walk forward to meet the tank halfway, the Fjerdan's had arrived to take care of the situation in their own way. They had tanks lined up, almost touching each other, creating a wall that no one would be able to cross. The tanks continued rolling forward — a slow, but steady pace, ready to defend their home against the outlaws. Doubt seeping in her brain, wondering if Jesper hadn't been able to get the drüskelle gate sealed. The dull shouts of Inej and Wylan reached Dinara's ears, unable to make out their words, straining her ears, hoping to figure out what they were saying. Their arms were flailing in the air, becoming clearer with every minute that passed. Their shouts becoming clear, wanting the group to step out of the way, so they wouldn't be crushed by the tank. As the tank came to a stop, the grinding of the gears made a dull ringing noise in Dinara's ears, her hands coming to cover her ears, hoping to drown the noise out.
"We have a tank," Dinara said, her eyes wide in disbelief. She glanced between Kaz and the tank, her brain searching for the answer of the situation in front of her. "Kaz fucking Brekker, how the bloody hell did you get us a tank?"
"They got us a tank," Kaz replied. The pride in his voice breaking out at the pulled off task.
"We have one. They have a lot more." Matthias pointed towards the horde of metal tanks that were advancing towards them. The ground was rumbling from their mass, sending Dinara to have to catch her balance. Arms flailed at her side, trying not to fall, not wanting to break her nose on the ice below her feet.
"Yeah, but you know what they don't have?" Kaz questioned. Giant clanking brought Dinara's attention to the tank on her right. "A bridge." A metallic shriek almost burst Dinara's eardrums, the loud noise going in for a few seconds. The violent sound continued, a bone-shaking boom sounding across the ice. The high whistle of bullets coming out of the gun, colliding with the bridge, the two trestles going up in flames, sparks and timber falling into the gorge below. When the gun fired at the bridge again, hitting its mark, the trestles collapsed, leaving a giant gorge. Thankfully — Fjerdan's couldn't fly.
"We have a tank and a moat." "Climb on!"
Dinara boosted herself onto the tank, hands scrambling to find a groove she could use to hold onto. She almost lurched off the tank when it rolled foreword, hands clutching so tight that her knuckles were turning white, her hair covering her eyes — yet she couldn't do anything to move it, in fear of falling off. There they were — a girl in purple silk and a boy with red gold curls poking out from behind the guns; four soaked people holding tight onto the sides for dead life — a Shu boy in prison clothes, two bedraggled drüskelle, a half-naked girl in shreads of real chiffon, and Dinara, a girl who's expensive dress clung to her body, rips showing off her pale skin. As they arrived into the town, Matthias had told Jesper to cling to the western roads, allowing them to travel in the darkness, unseen.
When Wylan ducked down, the tank turned west, following Matthias' orders to the T. Dinara watched as the houses went past, eventually going out of sight as they headed into the western part of town. Tall buildings lined the streets, all the windows dark — workers having gone one or the night. Matthias had explained that it was the warehouse district, a ghost town at night. The clattering and clanking of the tank echoed through the streets as it rolled down the streets. Dinara thought at times the tank was going to topple over as they rolled around corners, Jesper not being the best driver in the world, she did have her doubts. She could distinctly make out the taverns, shops, and shipping offices as they headed into the barbour district. The smell of the sea invaded her, enveloping her body, making her realize how homesick she actually was.
"Almost there!" "Stop! Stop!"
The tank jolted to a halt, nearly sending Dinara off the edge, her hands tightened their grip, allowing her body to stay on the tank, a grip on the back of her shirt helping with that notion. She glanced back at Kaz, her breath sucking in at how close he was to her, sending him an appreciative look, one he nodded back for. Dinara was glad that he was able to be there for her, even though she had it under control, she didn't want to picture what would have happened if she didn't. She was thankful he was always on her side.
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