Crows of a Feather

Jesper Jr

Kaz

Kaz approached the two girls he had come to depend on. They both were reading the memorial pillar, well Inej was. Erine tried to read but was only able to make out a few of the names. Kaz noticed Inej's sullen look, he knew that look. It was the look all children had when they were separated from their parents, or when they got lost in the market. Their only thought will I ever see my parents again? Kaz himself wore the look a lifetime ago.

He always admired Inej. His wraith. His personal puzzle. There was never a moment that the two didn't spend where he wasn't trying to figure her out, and there wasn't a moment that he ever did. That is what drew him to her. Amongst other things. Like how she could go through some of the worst hardships any girl could, be taken and used over and over, and still have faith in the saints. She was blindly loyal, to her family, to her saints, to Erine. He both hated and raveled with it. She settled for so little, and only needed to find her family. Kaz knew if Inej asked for the world he would give it to her. But instead, she asked for her freedom, and so he promised it. And this job was how he kept his promise.

He came to a halt just a few feet from the girls, both of their heads turning to look at the goat. "He's adorable" Inej teased at the sight of DIrtyHands, the meanest Bastard of the Barrel holding a small goat. " Don't get attached, Erine already said she doesn't like goats" He taunted back. The young girl stomped her foot. 'Yes, but I like this one. He quiet. I think he would be a good replacement for Jesper' Inej giggled. There's the laugh Kaz thought. It was one of his favorite sounds in the world. If he could bottle it up and keep it forever, he would. "I didn't think that I'd have to specify no detours to you." He said. Inej looked unbothered, she was never scared of him. " Even if a few minutes could answer a lifetime of questions?" she prodded. And there it was, the bain of Kaz's existence, hope.

Kaz hated hope, it was cruel and painful. But most of all it was dangerous. It was hope that took him from the farm, it was hope that took Jordie. Hope took everything from Kaz Rietvelt, and so it became Brekker's strongest weapon. Hope was powerful, but it always failed those who had it, a lesson he needed Inej to learn before it was too late. "Your parents are Suli. they don't cross the fold, they go around." He honestly didn't know if that would help her. " I know" She looked down " I just thought that- that if I saw their names on there, I could let the idea of them go." she reached into her tunic and pulled out a sewn patch of a saint, which one, Kaz didn't know nor did he care. He had seen her show it to Erine countless times when Inej would tell her about the circus, her past. "This thing, this was all that I had when I was sold to the menagerie. And if it was worth anything Heleen would have taken it. But this is just a simple token of faith that my mother stitched" She kissed it " Kaz this is all that I have left of them, she pleaded to him "Unless-" " Hope is dangerous" he cut her off, he needed her to know staring deep into her swirling dark brown eyes. "It clouds your judgement" he looked over to the steps where Erine had decided to sit, feeding crumbs of her cookies to the birds. "It gets people hurt" He looked back at her. "Pray, scream, do whatever it is you have to do to push this out of your mind and move on. We all have debts to pay" people to care for he wanted to add. But Kaz brekker didn't care, no. he only protected what was his. And with that, he took off towards the outskirts of the village goat in hand. "Erine, darling, come on the ground is filthy" Inej called holding out her hand for the young girl to take, which she gladly did. Erine held up a cookie to Inej 'Cookie?' Inej smiled and took the cookie before leading Erine to follow the brooding boy from Kerch and his goat.

Erine

Erine, Kaz, Inej, and Arken walked in the open field of Novikirbrisk under the cloak of night. Erine was feeling very uneasy walking this close to the fold, she could practically feel the darkness reaching out toward her. Very frightening to a child. That is why she made sure to stay nestled between Kaz and Inej while holding the goat. She ought to give him a name by now, seeing as they would be sticking with him for a while. Henry? No, too boring. JJ? Jesper jr? Not, she would never do such a disservice to a goat. Safe to say Erine wasn't good at naming things, perhaps she would ask Kaz for help, he did well enough naming her.

"We're almost there" The conduct-Arken, as Inej had finally corrected her, saying it wasn't nice to not call him by his name. "Where the hell is Jesper" Kaz asked Inej, to say Erine was shocked would be a lie. Kaz gave the gambler money and sent him off by himself, of course, he wasn't going to be on time, punctuality was not a Jesper talent. "Just a little further" Arken called leading the group with his torch. The four then approached a sign, one Erine could not read. She looked to Kaz, silently begging him to read out loud for her but Inej did instead "Landmines?" Erine didn't what landmines were but Inej's concerned tone and Kaz's stiff posture told her it wasn't good. The goat in her arms belted, for the first time. Erine grimaced at the loud noise, Jesper Jr might actually be a good option. Kaz walked in front of Erine preventing her from moving any closer "We'll wait, follow the path that you carve".

Erine wasn't complaining the fold made the air thick with dark fog, it was hard to see much of any path, and she could only hear the buzzing of the fog and the occasional screech of volcra that made her more and more anxious to cross. " Oh that sign, that was my idea to keep people away, can't be too careful. we're fine. come" Erine did like Arken's tone, it was like he was hiding something she knew he was. But why lie about a sign? Erine looked at Kaz, Then Inej. Inej went first following Arken's exact path "Follow Inej Katje, and only take her exact steps" Kaz whispered, but he knew she would hear him. Erine nodded adjusting the goat in her arms and followed after the Suli girl, she could feel Kaz tread close behind her.

The closer they got to the fold the more Erine wanted to get away. It was dark and loud. It reminded her of thunderstorms. The things she hated most in the world. The poor girl clutched the goat to stop her from shaking. "It is one thing hearing about it- but to be this close is-" " Nothing compared to the horrors that lie within." Arken finished. Erine wished she was back at the crow club, in her nook with her charts just staring at the stars. Safe, warm, and comfortable. The exact opposite of where she was. The Fold was so dark you couldn't even see the stars.

Arken disappeared into the shadows for a second, only to come back pulling a large, clanky, loud scrape of metal on a track. Erine assumed it was a train of sorts, though she never has seen one in real life. She just stared at it, setting the goat down, and holding his leash because her arms grew tired. The contraption didn't look very strong, it looked beaten. Arken went down the list of everything needed, only to find the one thing, perhaps the most important thing missing. "Wait for me!" they heard a familiar yell, followed by gunshots. He shot causing Erine to flinch, she hated guns. Immediately the group went from calm to panic. "They can't see the train," Arken said hurriedly as he put out the torch. Erine saw Kaz step towards her "Cover your ears" she did "Jesper get here now!" Kaz shouted as he ushered Erine inside of the contraption. " Leave the lantern!" Inej called as she climbed in as well, leaving the door open. Erine took the spot between Kaz and Inej. By now she had curled up into a ball and kept her hands over her ears. She heard a few more gunshots and she saw Jesper practically fall in, taking the seat across from her with Arken and the goat,

It was time for the Crows, and the conductor to cross the fold.

A/N- three for three baby

we are finally to the part where they cross!! how exciting! I sorta feel like I'm making Kaz a little too soft. I want to make him as true to himself as he is but I also just want to expand that very small caring side we see in his monologues about Inej. let me know what y'all think.

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