ECLIPSE, grishaverse

ii. the scar on the map

                    YELENA WALKED INTO THE skiff looking at the blue and red silks on some people that walked around. She used to spend her time in Keramzin reading, learning languages, other cultures and, of course, about Grisha. Unlike others, she found them interesting and wanted to know more but her resources were poor, the books she wanted to read weren't in the small library of the Duke's house. Too curious, too nosy Ana Kuya used to say, don't you remember what happened to the cat? she asked her, proud of herself for that reference. It might have died, but at least it did knowing all the answers and not being an ignorant like you she wanted to say, but instead the little Yelena bite her tongue till it bled.

"I could shot you on the foot." she heard Mal saying and she followed the sound of his voice.

"I like my feet, thank you." Alina answered him.

"Really? They are certainly not attractive." Yelena said, mocking her little sister.

"You too? Saints, you have to get off the skiff right now, talk to Bohdan, tell him you two are sick. Lie if you have to."

"We don't get sick, and we are staying with you." Alina said, Yelena nodded in agreement.

"Get off this boat now or I'll carry both of you off."

"Raise the gate!" we heard Sergeant Yure saying, there wasn't a way out now.

"We will make it, all of us. I'll make sure of it." Yelena said, reassuring Mal and touching his shoulder slightly to calm him, then he sighted and left.

Yelena was walking to the side with Alina and where the rest of the cartographers were when she heard a woman in a blue uniform speaking.

"Here's how it goes, we go into the Fold, it gets dark but we like it dark." like my humor and mind she thought, suppressing a giggle. "That keep us from drawing attention, that's how we travel. The only light we use is the blue one at the mast. It's weak, but safe."

"But you are an Inferni, right? Why are you here if we are supposed to keep things dark?" an annoying cartographer from Alina's unit interrupted with a dumb question. For when the monsters creep into the skiff she thought.

The Inferni turned around to look at her and said. "For when the dark comes to keep you." Damn, that sounded better than mine senior Starkov smirked, while junior was holding onto the skiff, probably as scared as Alexei.

"Where's your General Kirigan?" Mal asked and Yelena furrowed her brows, confused. The Inferni ignored him and went to gave orders to the grisha.

The boat started moving with the help of the Squallers. The Sergeant started talking to them then.

"Right, listen to me, people. Until we reach the western dry docks, you are to remain at your station. Do not, I repeat, do not leave the skiff during the crossing."

From the corner of her eye she saw Alina's scarf flying off, and her little sister looking back but Yelena couldn't take her gray ones from the black mist getting closer, digging her nails on the palm of her hand to ease the anxiety, they were going into the scar on the map.

"In we go.." the Inferni whisper, then the Shadow Fold sucked them in.

All went silent, the sound of thunder rumbling and growling were distant, but apart from that she felt like when watching the sunrise back at Keramzin.