𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐒 | 𝐤.𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐞𝐫

EIGHT

"We're almost there," Arken told the three Crows who followed him, while the goat walked along on a rope lead that Valya held.

"Where the hell is Jesper?" Kaz muttered. Valya raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if he truly expected an answer.

"Just a little further." Arken was holding a flaming torch as he led the party.

They came across a sign that very much didn't improve the feeling of the group. The drawing used to represent the danger ahead painted a nice picture, a man with body parts missing and half a leg flying across the patch of yellow on the sign. "Landmines," Inej read.

The goat was beginning to bleat in distress again. "We'll wait," Kaz said as Arken turned. "Follow the path that you carve."

Arken glanced at the sign. "Oh, that sign, that was my idea to keep people away. Can't be too careful. We're fine. Come."

"Of course, people are going to be put off by the landmines as opposed to the Fold and the volcra," Valya murmured to the other two Crows.

"It's one thing hearing about it," Inej breathed out. "But this is..."

"Nothing compared to what lies within," Arken told her, handing her the torch. He walked ahead, looking up at the rumbling thunder and flashing lights. From the shadow, as he wound a lever, came some sort of train. "There." He turned back around. "So, goat, jurda... thank you. Now we're just waiting on..."

A gunshot sounded un the background. "Wait for me!" Jesper shouted. More shots sounded, and a golden glow came from the lantern he held, followed by larger, flickering lights of men chasing him, accompanied by shouts.

"They can't see the train," Arken said, putting out the flame.

"Jesper, get here now!" Kaz commanded, sounding a little like a frustrating father.

"Leave the lantern!" Inej told him.

"Landmines!" Jesper yelled back, a gunshot following, and his lantern dropping before drying out. "Oh, wait for me!"

"Jesper, move! Come on!"

"Don't you go without me! Wait!"

Valya waited for Jesper out the front of the train, while behind her the others piled in. "Valya, get in!" Kaz called.

"Not without Jesper!" She denied.

"Inej, pull her in."

"Inej, don't touch me! Jesper, we have places to be!"

Inej looked between the two of them, sighing and rolling her eyes.

Finally, Jesper caught up, and Valya followed him onto the train, pulling the door closed as shots and yells continue to sound from the angry men.

"Please tell me you have twenty pounds of alabaster coal," Arken breathed out as he moved around, Valya watching outside.

"Slight snag in the plan. Turns out that the kid who was helping me buy the coal didn't exactly know how to, uh, by coal." He shrugged a little.

"We know you gambled it away."

Jesper scoffed. "I lost a little bit of the money." Looking at Kaz's expression, he sighed. "I lost all of the money. But I managed to steal twenty pounds of alabaster coal." He handed the sack to Arken, taking off his coat.

"No, no, there's sixteen pounds."

"Sixteen pounds of alabaster coal," Jesper sighed, grinning at Valya and Inej.