Salem Starkov is Alina Starkov's cousin who like her is a cartographer for the first army but when they both unexpectedly enter the Fold on a mission they are both exposed as people of myth, but the real question is, is everything in the myths true?
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The way is long and cold and full of ice, my teeth are chattering and I try to keep myself covered. I am walking along with Jesper and Wylan, a peaceful silence. I can hear Nina trying to teach Inej Fjerdan words and Matthias is stalking between the two groups, miserable bastard. That's when we see it. Nina puts her hands to her mouth, Inej makes some kind of warding signal in the air, Jesper shook his head and Wylan gaged. Matthias and Kaz stand completely still, their expressions inscrutable.
There are three stakes driven into the ground with a charred body on each, their blackened, crackled skin still smouldering. What kind of fresh hell!? "Ghezen" swears Wylan "what did this" because it is definitely that question of what not who. No human could do this to another. "This is what Fjerdans do to Grisha" Nina answers coldly and my chest aches, these poor people are Grisha?
"It's what criminals do" Matthias defends "the payers have been illegal since-" his voice trails off as Nina whirls to him and shoves his chest hard, "don't you dare" she seethes, fury burning like a halo around her. "Tell me the last time someone was prosecuted for putting Grisha to the flames. Do you even call it murder when you put down dogs?" The bigger man looks hurt like he didn't expect her to react this way "Nina-"
She cuts him off again "do you have a different name for killing when you wear a uniform to do it?" She asks and we hear the people moan, it's a horrible sound. "Saints" Jesper says "one of them is alive". The sound came again, thin and keening, from the black hulk of the body on the far right. It was hard to tell if they were male or female. A son tore from the heartrender's throat. She raises her hands but she is shaking too badly to use her power to end the person's suffering.
She turns tear-filled eyes to us "I...... please, someone....." Jesper moves first. Two shots ring out and the body fell silent, finally dead. "Damn it Jesper" Kaz growls "you just announced our presence for miles" I didn't think of that, what if someone hears? "So they think we're a hunting party" he gives in answer not looking too worried "you should have let Inej do it" Kaz says softly sending a shiver up my spine.
"I didn't want to do it" Inej says quietly "thank you, Jesper" I say Kaz's jaw tick but he says nothing in argument. "Thank you" Nina chokes out, she plunged ahead over the frozen ground, following the shape of the path through the snow. She is weeping I notice, stumbling over the terrain, Matthias follows her slowly. "Let's keep going" Inej mutters leaving the two by themselves, before we can however we are attacked. By Grisha. Grisha on Parem.
They catch us by surprise and what is even more surprising us Kaz standing in front of me, "I can protect myself" I mutter raising my hands but he stops me "we don't want you revealing your power just yet" I bite my lip but keep from saying anything as everyone fights these Grisha. It isn't right, these are my people, we shouldn't have to harm one another to survive. Nina knows one of the attackers and tries to talk them down. When that doesn't work they get killed, my heart aches for them, I feel their loss as if it was my own and it was in a way.
Nina insists in burying them and Matthias stays behind with her while the rest of us carry on. None of us feel like talking, the mood dampened by all the death we were just exposed to, well expect Kaz. He never to falter from anything, I wander why? A little further into the white abyss I feel something cold hit the back of my neck, I turn slowly and see Jesper looking at me a proud smile on his face. I teach down for some snow and bundle it into my hands "you are in for it Fahey" I say before chasing after him in the cold.
