Dirty Hands (Kaz Brekker One Shots)

Kruge

For the past half an hour or so, you had done not much besides watching the flickering of the candle lanterns scattered across the room. Sat crossed legged on one of the marble coffins inside the tomb you used as hideout, you stirred and stretched every now and then to keep yourself busy, to maintain the yawns at bay. You were waiting for Kaz in Black Veil Island —⁠had been since the pocket watch you carried with you struck eight bells⁠—, but two hours had passed by then, and you inevitably glanced at the moving golden hands with a face stained by the beginnings of worry.

You put the round device back in the pocket of your jacket and gazed down at the sleeping beast at your feet. On days when you had to wander the streets of Ketterdam by yourself in pursuit of one of the thief's wild hunches, you liked to take an extra precaution with you, and what better protection than a trained dog that obeyed only you; and Kaz, if he was polite enough. You had found the poor thing in the harbour one day after a long shift, his scrawny legs barely holding him upright as he eyed the pastry you were munching on with hunger. Another bastard in the Barrel.

"Kruge," you called lovingly as you untangled your limbs and let them cascade down the side of the sarcophagus. The animal opened his eyes to gaze at you, sharp ears pointing your way.

Kaz had questioned once why you had decided to name the dog after the Kerch currency, and you had given him an amused look and had simply stated, so that even you will love him. And it had worked. For the most part. As much as the thief hated to admit it, you could see he had come to care for the animal.

"You wanna get some fresh air?" you wondered, and he cocked his head curiously.

He mimicked you when you stood up, and followed you to the solid iron door of the mausoleum. You let him smell the cool night breeze before confidently stepping outside, then watched as he freely wandered around the near bushes and trees in search of a new discovery.

You were getting impatient. Kaz didn't have a tendency to run late, so the fact that he wasn't already there was nerve-wracking. Was he in danger? Should you go find him just to make sure that his arrogant confidence hadn't finally got the best of him? You considered returning to the Crow Club and waiting for him to eventually show up there, even eyed the gondel you had hidden under one of the many willows surrounding the small islet, but in the end decided to grant him some leeway. He hadn't specified why he wanted to meet you there that night; only that it was important, and that you shouldn't say anything to the others. You had given him a questioning look then, but he had just told you to trust him. So you had done just that.

Enough time scurried away for you to seat down on the steps of the carved marble ship and for your trusted companion to return to your side, bored of the decently explored surroundings. You extracted a couple of cookies wrapped in a clean cloth from your pocket and offered them to him, and he lied down and happily munched away.

Barely a couple of minutes later, nevertheless, his ears perked up, and you both gazed out into the misty distance as the sound of calmly disturbed waters announced the presence of a second row boat. Your hand inevitably went to the pistol you carried in your shoulder holster, and Kruge rose to his feet —⁠a guarding stance that subsided into a wagging tail once you two heard the characteristic sound of Kaz's cane on the soil ground and you lowered your arm.