Child of Legend - Volume 2

Chapter Nineteen

My father watched on as the carts piled with students pulled out of camp even raised his hand in a small single wave which I returned, when would I see him again?

A week? Maybe two?

After a day or two on the road I noticed a new Heartrender join the group, he had come from my fathers group.

We were all quickly rounded up from where we were filling up our canteens and herded onto the carts. Multiple questions were asked and shouted out when we started heading in the opposite direction on the Vy, towards Kribirsk. None were answered.

When the shouting had died down I heard other students my age, nearly soldiers, whispering. One girl, Nina, said she thought he was holding us hostage but was quickly elbowed in the ribs when one of her friends noticed me listening.

"That's not right," another one added, whispering, "Why would he hold his own kid hostage."

If only they knew.

Kribirsk was an abandoned ghost camp when we arrived, no first army to be seen anywhere. Instead Grisha milled about with lots of Fabrikators going to and fro with sheets of paper and supplies.

I didn't understand, why were we here? Did something happen? Had my father ordered us back? What use did he have with almost thirty kids?

After eating some food Zina, Koldan, and I snuck out of the great Grisha pavilion with its walls of black silk and its pennants of blue, red, and purple flying high above, to get some fresh air.

We sat down at the edge of a hill that ended in a small cliff-like drop looking out at the fold. They told me about their time at the orphanage and adventures in Keremzin and I in turn told them about where I'd been, telling them how Luka ended up with Nikolai, internally I wondered where he was now, I hoped he made it out of the spinning wheel when it was attacked, I couldn't cope with what the other option was.

From where we sat we could see some sort of glass-type skiff sitting in the sand, nearly fully constructed. "What do you think it's for?" Zina wondered.

"Nothing good," Koldan replied also looking out at it.

I stood as at the edge of camp a group rode in on horseback, their Kefta a storm of red, blue, purple, and at the front of them all his heavy black cloak stood out amongst them all. I had thought it would be much longer until I saw my father again but there he was dismounting his horse and handing it off to a waiting soldier, surveying the camp. Although we stood away at a great distance I could tell when he spotted me on the hill, my Kefta matching his apart from the occasional gold thread.

"We should get back," I said as the rest of his soldiers started to make their way to the pavilion. Together we started down the hill, I noticed my father disappear into a private tent with some of his closest most trusted Grisha, no doubt planning something stupid.

When we snuck back into the tent the hum of conversation wafted in the air. Tables that were laden with fruit and other snacks before were quickly devoured by the new group of soldiers. When I looked at some of their faces I could see guilt and maybe even a bit of sadness on some of them, it made me wonder just what they had done when we had left.

After an hour or so an Oprichnik found me sitting by the fire with the other students and asked me to follow him, I did so without question, already knowing where he would lead me. When I entered the tent my father was in he was stood leaning against the fireplace nursing a glass of kvas. He looked... tired, I could tell all recent events had taken a toll on him.

"You're going into the fold," I stated, east Ravka had stopped all trade with the west, the skiffs could only have been for him. He nodded, "Let me help," I begged, "You know I can light the way to wherever you're going, I can help." His answering sigh was enough to tell me that no, I could not go with him, it also told me that whatever he was doing, he knew I would not approve.

"I have something for you," he placed his empty glass down, I almost made a joke about how he couldn't just buy me off with gifts until I saw what was in his hands.

My old blanket, scarf, and letter from my mother all wrapped up in a silky black bow, it seemed like a lifetime ago that he took me from that village, I hadn't known what I was then, would have died from wasting sickness, I hadn't known all that I would go through as I was whisked away in his black coach towards my new life as a Grisha, as their daughter.

"You kept them all this time," I breathed, running my hands over them before he gestured for me to take them. "Thank you."

"Happy birthday Rena," he almost whispered, running his thumb over my cheek.

My head snapped up, "It's my birthday?"

He nodded, "I managed to pry it out of your mother. The last day of Autumn seventeen years ago the best thing that ever happened to me was born and I didn't even know she existed."

I laughed, in his defense that wasn't his fault, "And here I was thinking I was turning sixteen."

He smiled down at me, the dark circles under his eyes disappearing momentarily, "You were apparently, a very small baby."

This, this is what I wanted, to have this small time of peace forever, to enjoy it with him, my mother, Baghra, but I wasn't stupid, I knew that wasn't possible, not anymore.

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A/N: Fourth wing by Rebecca Yarros

That's it, that's my excuse and apology all in one for why this took forever.

It broke me and now I can't think of anything but that book, I cannot wait until the sequel comes out in November I don't care how much shipping costs or if it's an American version I need it ASAP