The Phoenix and the Crow

Awake

Everything hurt. And why was the room moving?

Y/N came awake slowly, her thoughts jumbled. She remembered the thrust of Oomen's knife, climbing the crates, and people shouting as she dangled from the tips of her fingers. Come on down, Phoenix. But Kaz had returned for her. They must have made it onto the Ferolind.

She tried to roll over, but the pain was too intense, so she settled for turning her head. Nina was drowsing on a stool tucked into the corner by the table, Y/N's hand grasped loosely in her own.

"Nina," she croaked. Her throat felt like it was coated in wool.

Nina jolted awake. "I'm up!" she blurted, then peered blearily at Y/N. "You're awake." She sat up straighter. "Oh, Saints, you're awake!"

And then Nina burst out crying.

Y/N tried to sit up, but could barely lift her head.

"No, no," Nina said. "Don't try to move, just rest."

"Are you okay?"

Nina started to laugh through her tears. "I'm fine. You're the one who got stabbed. I don't know what's wrong with me. It's just so much easier to kill people that take care of them." Y/N blinked, and then they both started laughing. "Owwww," groaned Y/N. "Don't make me laugh. That feels awful."

Nina winced. "How do you feel?"

"Sore, but not terrible. Thirsty."

Nina offered her a tin cup full of cold water. "It's fresh. We had rain yesterday."

Y/N sipped carefully, letting Nina hold her head up. "How long was I out?"

"Three days, almost four. Jesper is driving us all crazy. I don't think I've seen him sit still for more than two minutes together." She stood up abruptly. "I need to tell Kaz you're awake! We thought-"

"Wait," Y/N said, grabbing for Nina's hand. "Just... can we not tell him right away?"

Nina sat back down, her face puzzled. "Sure, but-"

"Just for tonight." She paused. "Is it night?"

"Yes. Just past midnight, actually."

"Do we know who came after us at the harbor?"

"Pekka Rollins. He hired the Black Tips and the Razorgulls to keep us from getting out of Fifth Harbor."

"How did he know where we were leaving from? How did he do anything about it? I thought Kaz took care of him?"

"We're not entirely sure yet."

"I saw Oomen-"

"Oomen's dead. Kaz killed him."

"He did?"

"Kaz killed a lot of people. Rotty saw him go after the Black Tips who had you up on the crates. I believe his exact words were, 'There was enough blood to paint a barn red.'"

Y/N closed her eyes. "So much death. And yet it never sticks with me. How many close calls have I had now?"

"Too many for comfort."

"Maybe, but not enough to cause any actual harm apparently."

Nina eyed the Inferni skeptically. "What are you talking about?"

She sighed, "Nothing."

"He was afraid for you."

Y/N hummed in confusion before she realized what she was talking about. Kaz. "Kaz isn't afraid of anything."

"You should've seen his face when he brought you to me."

"I'm a very valuable investment."

Nina's jaw dropped. "Tell me he didn't say that."

"Not directly, but it was heavily implied."

"Idiot."

"How's Matthias?"

"Also an idiot. Do you think you can eat?"

Y/N shook her head. She didn't feel hungry at all.

"Try," urged Nina. "There wasn't much of you to begin with."

"I just want to rest for now."

"Of course," Nina said. "I'll turn down the lantern."

Y/N reached for her again. "Don't. I don't want to go back to sleep yet."

"I could read to you if I had anything to read. There's a Heartrender at the Little Palace who can recite epic poetry for hours. Then you'd wish you had died."

Y/N laughed then winced. "Don't say that. I find Toyla's poetry entertaining."

Silence settled over the two in a comforting blanket. Neither made a move to break it, only basking in its presence, but after a few moments, Y/N spoke up. "Talk to me."

"Your eyes are drooping. You should sleep."

"Don't like boats. Nightmares."

"Me too."

"Sing something, then."

Nina laughed, "Remember what I said about wishing you were dead? You really do not want to hear me sing. Plus I only know old Ravkan folk tunes and Kerch drinking songs."

Y/N hummed, "Ravkan folk tunes. Something nostalgic."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." The Heartrender started to sing in their mother tongue and the girl on the table fought hard to hold back her laughter.

"You're right. You couldn't carry a tune in a bucket."

"I told you that."

"Go on."

Nina's voice was really terrible. But it helped to keep Y/N on this boat, at this moment. She didn't want her mind drifting to all her nightmares from when she was a child. When she was a child and used to run free in the fields with her brother. Their mother calls them home to eat, and their father brings sweets home for them from town.

"Catch me!" The small voice was heard over the strong autumn winds that blew around them as the young child threw themselves into Y/N's arms. She laughed and spun her brother around the best a ten-year-old could do to a six-year-old.

"Oooh a stowaway on my ship?" She bounced him onto her hip to keep him up. He shook his head fervently as peels of laughter fell from his small pink lips. "You know what I do to stowaways?" She spoke in a loud voice making it deeper to fit the character she acted out. The little boy laughed louder, "No! No! Please!"

"I'm sorry, young man, but it must be done!" She giggled as she tossed him into the giant pile of leaves their father gathered that morning. They both laughed louder as she threw herself down next to him.

She fought to keep her tears at bay, pushing the memory of her brother out of her mind.

Nina was still singing, something about a sailor who abandoned his sweetheart. A vaguely familiar melody.

"Teach me the chorus again, Neens."

"You should rest."

"Chorus."

So Nina taught her the words, and they sang together, fumbling through the verses, hopelessly out of key, until the lanterns burned out.