Six of Crows Oneshots

Piano (prt 1)

Technically, Kaz Rietveld was here first.

Brekker was the second fiddle.

Dirtyhands was the one who floated among rumor mills and grapevines.

Kazimir Rietveld was born first.

In a little southern town called Lij. On a farm, with his Da and brother Jordie.

Da always said his mother used to play the piano. She had graceful hands, even if they were rough from their daily hard work, she would caress the keys like she has taming a mustang. Kaz only saw flits of memories, and Da wouldn't answer his curious questions.

Da didn't like to talk about Ma much. Kaz remembered flashes of her face. He was told he had the same sharp angular features, the gentle wave in his hair, and of course, as the nice Baker lady says, they shared dark onyx eyes. Jordie was Da's mini-twin, whereas Kaz was always told he was his mother's incarnate little boy.

Kaz found the old piano as soon as he could reach the bench. The keys weren't shining white any more, they were more like a comforting off white, the black wasn't shiny like stone anymore, it was more like the worn off ebony of a work horse's dirtied mane. The piano itself wasn't broken, just worn from use.

He sat on it one day, taping the keys aimlessly until he got out a string of reasonable notes.

Then Kazimir started to play.

The music poured from him like a lazy river, like the tiny creek on the other side of the field.

When he finished the song, he heard a small sniffle. Kaz turned to see his Da openly crying. He didn't have time to get off the bench before Da enveloped him in a giant hug. Kaz patted his father awkwardly on the back. Da hugged Kaz like he was a ghost, as if he let go his little son would float away. Later at dinner, jordie started talking about sending Kaz into the city so he could become a famous musician. Tears rose up in Da's eyes again at that comment. Da never cried. Never cried till now.

Kaz didn't cry either. Kaz wasn't supposed to cry. But the day before he and Jordie left for Ketterdam, Kaz Rietveld's lazy river turned into rapids, and he poured it into one final song on that old piano.

He thought of his Da in the field, body mangled and horribly misshapen. He thought of Jordie's promise of a better life. He thought of everything he'd have to leave behind.

He hasn't played since then. Even at "Mr.Hertzoon's" house, he barely touched the piano. He entertained Saskia every once in awhile, playing a tune to get that pretty red ribbon. But other than that he didn't dare touch the instrument. It brought up too many memories.

Kazimir Rietveld died in that harbor with Jordie. Dirtyhands and Brekker were born like dark twin flames in one broken and mistreated boy.

But today, in Wylan's mansion, Kaz felt a small creek run through his spine. It welled in his ribcage, and he felt a little boy resurface again.

He didn't know Wylan had a piano. Nor did he know how it would affect him oh so much. It was just supposed to be their agreed weekly dinner, and that's IF Kaz could come at all. The one night he did, he found the piano.

Something stirred, like the trickle of an old creek breaking through his armor.

Brekker was the one to plan, to see the structure and secrets of life.

Dirtyhands was the one who got the rough work done.

But Kazimir Rietveld had come back to see the joy in life again.