Bound Together

I

          ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

LANYING GAZED OUT AT THE SCENE BEFORE HER, AS THE THE ROLLING OF THE SHIP CAME TO A STOP ─ The familiar streets of the Barrel of Ketterdam came into view again as the Crows disembarked the ship that had borne them away from Ravka. As Lanying walked beside Kasper through the streets, she sighed in relief. This was her home, not Ravka, nor Shu Han. Ketterdam.

"Home sweet home." Jesper commented as they stepped into the familiar streets of the Barrel.  "Straight off the boat from Ravka and no one was waiting to kill us as soon as we arrived. Yay. That's a good sign. I think I might celebrate with a little dice and debauchery."

"No debauchery." Kaz countered in his harsh rock-salt rasp as he walked his cane keeping time with his strides as it tip tapped along the cobblestones.

"Dice then." Jesper had said

"No dice. We have stops to make." Kasper replied quickly his left hand resting easily on the hilt of the dirk always strapped at his waist.

"What's first? Tante Heleen?" Inej had asked curiosity evident in her tone

"We get to the Crow Club." Kaz replied as they continued through the dark streets of the barrel.

When they arrived at the plot where the Crow Club had once stood so tall and proud, they were horrified to see that the sign had been replaced with a gaudy emerald sign featuring a crown laid over a gordian knot.

"Where's our sign?" Jesper asked confused as the five crows gazed at the place the Crow Club sign had once hung.

"It's been replaced." Kaz stated simply. There was nothing more to say.

"The Kaelish Prince?" Lanying said, her voice rising into a question as she read the sign and tried to understand the reasoning behind why such a name was chosen.

"What sort of name is that?" Jesper asked as he too tried to process why this establishment was named the Kaelish Prince.

"Dime Lions." Kasper seethed his anger evident in his voice as both his eyes and Kaz's narrowed at the sight of the clear tattoo of the Dime Lions on the neck of the bouncer was visible

"Pekka Rollins owns the Crow Club?" Inej asked in disbelief.

"Where does that leave us?" Jesper added in his voice giving away his feelings.  "Are you saying we have no home?"

Kaz and Kasper were suddenly pulled into a vision of thier past. With Pekka Rollins, who was masquerading as Jakob Hertzoon, standing over then as he asked "How do you feel now?" To the couching or Jordie as the Firepox took hold and to the dark waters of the harbour where the reapers barge had borne them away. As soon as the flasshback came, it was gone. Gone like the dregs of their past lives.

"My suits. All my hats." Jesper lamented

"Split up. It's not safe." Kaz said adn as they all went to leave, a whistle broke the silence.

"Halt! You five. Hands up!" Constable Sem's voice rang out through the square. His gun cocking as he and all the Stadwatch pointed their issued pistols at the five crows in front of them. "Kaz Brekker. Kasper Brekker. Jesper Fahey. Lanying Kir-Shen.  And Inej Ghafa." He sighed. "Only a matter of time before you turned up."

"Is there a problem?" Kasper asked as he held his hands in the air looking annoyed at the Stadwatch standing before him.

"For you? Yeah." Constable Sem said as he moved closer to the quintet standing before him. "You're wanted for murder."