My Name Is Adela Kirigan (A Shadow and Bone Season 1 Fanfiction)

Chapter 29: They're On Their Own

General Kirigan stalked up to Ivan and David, the latter of whom was just getting up from his sudden induced slumber by way of a hit to the head. 

'They stole...' Ivan began to say, but General Kirigan cut him off. 

'I know.' 

'It was the thieves...' Ivan tried to say. 'I'll find a horse and I can catch up to them.' 

'No, it's a waste of time,' Kirigan replied. 'They're not with them. They're on their own. And our priority now is to locate them as quickly as possible.' Daniel raised his hand, making the General and Ivan give him funny looks. 'You don't need to...' the General began to say, but then checked himself. 'Yes, David.' He put his hand down. 

'Well, Genya gave her a ring. Made of pure iridium, not native to Ravka. So when we get within one mile of her, I can direct us.' A slow, calculating smile came over the General's face. 

'Well done,' he said. 'Proving again the many uses of a Durast. Let's go.' The Heartrender and the Durast walked after General Kirigan, away to find the Sun Summoner and her companion, the sister of the General. 

Mal trekked on a path to meet Alina, who was sitting on a small hillside. She met his eyes when he came close. 

'I've never seen a berry bush picked clean so high,' he said. 'I'm sure it's the work of our stag. If we follow that path, we'll catch up to it in a day or two.' 

'Good,' Alina said, coming down the small hill to meet Mal. He passed her a hat full of berries and she pulled them out of the cap, holding them in her hands. 

'Here,' he said. The two started walking. 'Listen, we're getting close to Fjerda. I don't like putting you in harm's way.' 

'Since when have you backed down from a fight?' she asked jokingly. 

'Since my new job. Bodyguard to a Saint.' The two laughed. 

'What if there's no real Saint here? It's just me.' The two kept walking. 

'When I was eight,' Mal started, 'you defended me from boys three years older than you with nothing more than a letter opener. Consider this payback.' The two walked down to a river, Mal crossing it when Alina spoke. 

'Well, if I do anything particularly heroic, I'm going to need you there as a witness so you can write songs about me later.' She hummed in appreciation, having eaten the berries, tossing the stem away. 'Delicious. I could eat five more,' she said, going down a small hill to the river below, Mal helping her across. 

'You really developed an appetite, didn't you?' he asked her. 'That's new. Not bad, I'm just saying... it looks good on you.' 

'Thanks. Using my power is definitely changing me. My appetite, for sure.' 

'No, you look great. I mean, you look healthy. Is that what, um... being a Summoner does to you?' Mal asked her. Alina didn't answer, instead slipped into a moment of thought. 

'That's how he's lived for so long,' Alina said, the recognition dawning on her. 

'Who?' he asked as she looked off into the distance. 

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

'Who's Aleksander?' She turned back, ducking her head, suddenly ashamed. 

'General Kirigan. I made some... stupid choices at the Little Palace. And he...' 

'Hey, look, you don't owe me an explanation,' Mal reassured her. She looked up at him. 'I just want to keep you safe. Come on.' The two started down the path again. Towards the Stag. 

Back in the village... 

General Kirigan walked towards the soldier who had been injured by Alina Starkov earlier. 

'Yeah, she was Shu,' the soldier said. 'Pulled a trick with phosphorus or somethng, blinded my mate.' 

'Any idea where she went?' 

'Neighbors said they saw her flee north, into the woods,' the soldier supplied. General Kirigan began to walk away, but the soldier spoke again. 'She's a spy, yeah?' The General turned. 

'What makes you say that?' 

'First Army came through here too, earlier. Looking for her.' Kirigan stepped closer, his interest having been piqued. 

'Who... exactly?' 

'Some tracker. A corporal.' Kirigan's eyebrows raised in surprise. 

'No ordinary tracker. No ordinary girl. Reunited. Adorable,' he said, nearly spitting out the last sentence as if it was a bad taste in his mouth. 'Miss Starkov is in the woods,' he said, turning away from the soldier. 'She's going after the Stag.' 

Alina Starkov had gone after the Stag. 

Adela Kirigan had gone back with the Crows to Ketterdam. 

And General Aleksander Kirigan was after the both of them. 

Only time would tell what would happen. 

But all that the three of them knew... was that the fate of the world was at stake.