the sun and the rain • malina x oc

stay together

ELARA|

the announcements started as usual, then moved to the things more specified to the area. trips across the fold. apparently there was a new skiff and some ultra blue light that the grisha fabrikators had invented to test out.

the lietenant told us about all the lovely things we'd get if the trip succeeded, one smartass asked about getting some whiskey and i chuckled. getting drunk was probably just what i needed right now. but that was not likely to happen.

when the extremely enlightening speech was over, the lietenant began to call the list of names out for the supply run across the fold. the first name, well it had me in shock.

malyen oretsev.

my eyes darted to alina, who was staring at mal, mouth agape. mal only stared ahead, slightly shaken and did not move until alina began to whisper.

'it has to be an error, you're with us, you're a tracker'

he looked back. bitter words escaped his mouth

'it didn't sound like a mistake'

the list of names finished and we were instructed to come back for dinner until the bell rang.

before he walked off, mal turned back and grinned, clearly covering up his real feelings.
'if it does work, at least I'll get to visit ketterdam'

☆°•⊙*~°

a

lina and i sat on our cots unpacking a few things when the dinner bell rang. ravenous from our journey, we immediately headed to the main tent where food was to be served.

we got in line with the other cartographers and noticed mal at the back with his tracker friends, mikkhael and dubrov. he looked at us for only a second, but i saw the fear in his eyes.

alina and i reached the front of the line and the cooks demeanor changed.

'what's a shu girl doing here?' he questioned.

'im ravkan, on the cartography team' she replied.

'shes half shu... an orphan' alexei added, only making matters worse.

'alexei' i scolded.

is that an answer? back of the line, your friends too!'

she tried to defend us, saying she didn't know us, but the cook persisted. she gave up, running off and leaving the clatter of her plate on the side.

i looked back at mal who nodded, turning to leave through the back door. i dropped my own plate and followed him, knowing we could not just leave alina alone.

we didnt speak much, only conveyed our mutual understanding through several looks and short sentences.

i knew he was looking for food to give her, and we were both hunger too so i followed him.

as we walked past the second army tents he noticed a bowl of grapes and various fruits that would be easy to grab in one of them, so we snuck into the tent quietly and he took the bowl, pinching a grape or two for himself.

'you can get arrested for that you know' a woman's voice appeared from the shadows.

as she emerged I quickly hid amongst the draped fabrics of the tent, assuming she didn't see me. i watched the interaction unfold from the shadows. she was a beautiful woman, with long dark waves and rosy lips, glamorous in her blue kofta.

'stealing from second army can get you thrown in a hole'

'maybe you should arrest me' mal replied snarkily, I almost giggled, but restrained myself.