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" Her saltbox house on the coast took her mind off of Saint Louis "
―IT'S BEEN ALMOST a week since we joined Sturmhond and his crew on his whaler ship, and I'm still getting used to the smell of rendered blubber in sharp contrast to the usual luxuries of the Little Palace that I realize I've taken for granted. Though I suppose I don't regret leaving behind all the court's dalliances and mistreatment.
The Darkling has specifically assigned Ivan to watch over Alina Starkov while I get to do all the fun work. I never really knew the Sun Summoner. In the Little Palace when she first arrived, I'd heard of her but never formally met her.
Fabrikators are treated as lesser beings and, of course, I would never be blessed by her oh-so magnificent presence while I was forced to work on textiles. Especially not when I was stared at like an abomination for refusing to wear a kefta and instead donning an excessive amount of silks. I did get to witness her ability at the Queen's fete, and although I marveled, I can't help but wonder why someone like her would refuse to contribute to creating a safe place for Grisha. She seems kind enough, but it's oddly selfish and inconsiderate for her to try and stash away her ability when she could be doing so much more. She could destroy the Fold and finally show the world that we won't stand for being experimented upon nor commanded by a weak king who takes advantage of weaker girls anymore.
I remember when I first realized that maybe the Darkling wasn't so bad and realized what I had to do. I moved up the ranks of his Grisha and finally, finally made it to an adequate position, enough so to get given the gist of what his plans were. It surprised me at first that our ideas were so similar and that he saw the world as I did, saw how unfair Grisha were treated in the palace by the King. It seemed so strange to me that I agreed with the Darkling, a man that's been made out to be intimidating and terrible by all the Grisha.
Although I'm still wary of him, I know that his goal is for good cause, and I've decided I'm going to do whatever it takes to help reach it for future generations of Grisha that will be able to be free of a tyrannical, idiotic, shapeless podge of a king.
The familiarity of anger towards said ruler surges through me, but I release a gentle exhale as the fresh scent of the sea salt waves washes it away.
As a Durast, I'm particularly helpful on the deck where I can aid in sharpening harpoons by altering the shape of their tips, as well as make nets, ropes, and knots stronger by pressing their particles closer together, in turn making them solider. While I don't entirely trust Sturmhond's crew, I'm not exactly against them. They're like a well-oiled machine, easily sliding into their jobs and roles without complaint. The thing about them is that they genuinely respect each other like a large, extended family with cousins twice removed.
