005; FROZEN SHORES
IT WAS ANOTHER TWO DAYS BEFORE FJERDA'S ROCKY COAST CAME INTO VIEW.
They would spend the frigid night on the schooner and move in tomorrow to make their trek to Djerholm. Kaz hadn't shared anymore details about his ever evolving plan, if there were any. Though, Onyx was sure there was plenty he was choosing to withhold from them until he found it necessary. And if there was anything more specific he wanted her, or the others to know, he kept it to himself. It wasn't too terribly much of a surprise, but more information would've allowed a little more comfort to seep in before they were faced with the inevitable task of making it out of this whole heist alive.
She spent the better portion of that first night thinking over the words -- or lack of words -- that she and Kaz shared aboard the main deck, overlooking the calm seas. It was more of an exchanging of threats than a real conversation, but the point was made. That was why, against her better judgement, Onyx climbed from her cot and slowly ventured her way out onto the deck. Some of the crew stayed awake to make sure they remained on course, but Onyx had taken to moving to the very back of the schooner, where no one could see her. And in the silence of that first night, with the sounds of the waves and the stars above to keep her company, Onyx lifted her hands and began her dreadfully silent dance with the wind.
Her parents never knew that she was Grisha, much less a Squaller. Being in Kerch, being Grisha meant having an indenture, being a slave, being owned and sold. Most Grisha were stuck in pleasure houses or as servants to wealthy Merchants after being sold by slavers at the Harbors. Her father kept his gifts as a Fabrikator a secret, and was known simply as a skilled weapons maker. Her mother didn't have any abilities. The secret was theirs as a family, one they kept locked and sealed behind closed doors. And it wasn't until they were ash in the ruins of that Zelver District home that Onyx found her siren song.
From that day, scrambling for life, scrambling to keep herself safe, feeling the rush of power beneath her fingertips and running through her veins, Onyx vowed it to herself to keep it a secret. She feared the repercussions. The repercussions were terrifying. Being a young female in the Barrel was scary enough as it was, and it was a miracle she never ended up in a pleasure house; being a young Grisha female was even more terrifying. But it became easier-- learning, relying on her innate, natural abilities with weapons, killing those who might have found out.
It became easier because it was survival.
And luckily enough for Onyx Vissier, survival earned a reputation. And a reputation meant climbing up the lofty ladder of authority in the Barrel. And at the top? The man who forced her to become the monster that was said to hide under children's beds. She couldn't simply kill him outright, of course. No, no, Pekka Rollins deserved to beg for the death and mercy Onyx Vissier lost that night in the Zelver District-- the same place where Onyx Reinsing died in agony.
Onyx found her way back to her cot some time before sunrise. She spent the majority of the following day committing the Ice Court plans to memory and coordination with Inej about the potentiality of Onyx making the club behind her. This type of ordeal was Inej's thing, not Onyx's. She knew how to climb, she knew how to use the shadows and the rooftops to her advantages, but she was no Inej Ghafa. But still, the plan stood. They would both make the climb to ensure secure passage on the other side, with Onyx carrying the rope.
The thought of such a climb left her tossing and turning about in the night. It kept her from what little sleep she might have gotten before she clambered out onto the deck and gave them the final push they needed toward Fjerda. However, unlike the morning before, Onyx didn't wake to the sound of Nina coming to check and bandage her wound. Instead, it was the cool, salt air breeze and Kaz's gravelly rasp somewhere above her.
A hazy, blurry Kaz Brekker stood just adjacent to her when her eyes squinted open, one hand on his cane and his other grasping a thick, nondescript pack with a large piece of cloth clipped to the back. She blinked once, twice, and a third time before her vision cleared completely.
Kaz raised his eyebrows. "Sleep well?"
"Piss off."
Onyx rubbed at her eyes and carefully pushed herself up, a hand held to the dull ache in her side as her muscles constricted. For the longest time, Onyx prided herself in having a half decent routine for herself. But between the ordeal that transpired at the docks and the trek they were on to Fjerda, Onyx had found herself in a limbo of her old routine.
"I do believe it was you that told me, most normal people start with good morning at this hour."
"Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine this morning, Mister Brekker?" Onyx retorted, running her hands over her face with a sigh. Maybe she should've been more grateful for that Saints forsaken cot. Her gaze weaved through the gaps between the sails. The coast was all dark rocks and frigid waters blanketed by an uneven layer of white snow. As if to truly set the realization into place, a soft, freezing gust of wind blew through the deck and pulled Onyx's hair out of the last remnants of her braids. "We're in Fjerda, I see."
"We'll be leaving within the hour," Kaz told her. His eyes briefly fluttered away from her face and to where her hand pressed to her side, then quickly moved back up. "You and Inej discussed the climb?"
"Yesterday, we did." She cleared her throat. "I'll carry the rope, whenever you miraculously pull that from your ass."
"Can you do it?"
"I don't think you told everyone I was doing it because you doubt that I can."
Kaz knew that she and Inej were the best people for this type of climb-- Inej most of all. Onyx would never even begin to try and compare her and Inej's skill sets. Sure, they shared a few things in common in that aspect, but one of them lacked, the other prevailed with. Inej had the raw skill and talent for a six story climb, while Onyx had the trained upper body strength from years of stringing and using bows.
And no doubt being a Squaller could potentially aid in it as well, and Kaz knew that.
"Besides," she continued, "it's either make the climb or plummet to my death six stories and potentially leave the rest of you lot to die horrible deaths in a frigid Fjerdan prison."
Kaz adjusted his hold on the pack in free hand and cleared his throat as his eyes roved back to the rocky coastline. "Always such a charmer, Miss Vissier."
"I have that affect on people. It's intended." Onyx pulled her fingers through her hair a few times to detangle it. She'd done her best to clean it the night before in the wash basin, but limited resources could only do so much. It made her cringe internally. Who knew when her next bath would be. Disgusting. She nodded to the pack. "Brought me a gift, have you?"
"Cold weather gear. Unless you'd like to lose a limb to exposure, I suggest you use it wisely." He dropped the pack beside her and readjusting his hold atop his cane. "There's boots in there that should be your size, and a cloak. Specht has a bow we brought along that you can carry along with you incase we run into any trouble."
Onyx unconsciously felt for the taut string of her bow across her chest. She'd stored it below deck, beneath her cot for safe keeping with her quiver, with every intention of bringing it along with her. It was Fabrikator made, but she'd strung it up herself countless times by now-- an expect replica of the one her father had hanging in his shop, behind the counter for patrons to gaze upon. It was her safety net, as dreadful as it was to admit. Onyx could hardly remember a time when she didn't have it with her.
"Unless you'd like your precious bow confiscated by Fjerdan authorities, I suggest you leave it. Anything you go in with, you won't come out with," Kaz continued. It was clear he'd noticed the apprehension the moment he'd mentioned the bow. "Your knives too. Leave behind the ones you can't part with, only take the ones you're prepared to lose."
She wasn't exactly prepared to lose any of them. But some of them were better and more important to her than others. "You're leaving your cane then," she said, nodding to the crows head cane balanced underneath his palms.
"A regular walking stick will do just as decent of a job."
Though, no walking stick was like Kaz's cane, and most people seemed to know that. Besides the symbology behind it, it was Fabirkator made, just as Onyx's bow was, and it was a distinct feature of the reputation Kaz upheld within the Barrel.
Onyx breathed a quiet sigh and tugged the pack up to her side and began pulling out the contents she would need. There were several spare changes over clothes, snow goggles, and the aforementioned boots, as well as a warm looking cloak clipped to the back of the pack. It wasn't as nice as the one she had back home, but it would do its job against the cold. Even sitting a good distance from the shore, the light gusts of wind were enough to send goosebumps racing over her arms.
With her new clothing in hand, Onyx ventured below decks and changed, leaving the majority of her personal belongings tucked neatly beneath her cot. Still, she tucked a few knives away on her person and sought out a shabby looking bow and an even shabbier looking quiver from Specht. By the time Onyx had her items sorted and in order, everyone was preparing to depart the Ferolind. Nina had tailored Matthias to look a little less like himself, she noticed, though he looked less than pleased about it when she bypassed him to stand at the edge of the deck.
Nina shuffled up beside her a few minutes later. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling that if you ask me how I am again, I might hurl myself into the sea and drown."
"Charming."
"I must be on a roll with the charisma today." She leaned her elbows against the railing of the ship and sighed. Being at sea put her ill at ease for some reason, even if she was grateful to be somewhere other than deceased. But now that they were preparing to leave and continue on to the next part of the plan, it was tempting to want to cling to main mast and not go on. "My more civilized answer would be, I'm fine, thank you."
"Good." Nina brushed her hair from her eyes, her cheeks dusted a light pink from the cold winds. Onyx felt her eyes on the side of her head before their gazes locked, just as she read the unease brimming within the emerald green of her eyes before she spoke. "Matthias asked me what we intended to do with Yul-Bayer."
Onyx hummed. "And you said?"
"Nothing. Well, not nothing, but nothing about the scientist."
"Kaz has every intention of turning the Shu scientist over to the Merchant Council, considering they're our payout," she responded. Onyx collected her hair over her shoulder and began twisting a few pieces into a loose braid. "That's what the plan has been since the beginning."
Nina tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. "Do you intend to let him?"
"Nina--"
"Don't pretend that I don't know you, Onyx." Her eyes fluttered about Onyx's face-- from the wind burning her cheeks a light pink to the small scar against her right temple from a close call, then all the way down to the faint scar against her throat. "I know how you think, and I know you think like me. Especially when it comes to these things."
These things.
Things relating to Grisha.
It had been Nina that prompted Onyx to return to Ravka with her when the time came, whenever that was supposed to be. It had been Nina that tried to tell Onyx that what she could do, it wasn't something to be afraid of, or something to hide even from herself. And it had been Nina who insisted that the teachers at the Little Palace would train her to harness her abilities. So she could, what? Fight in a war she didn't understand, for a cause she didn't know? For a King she held no loyalties to?
"We think alike on a lot of matters, Nina, but you know that our thoughts on Grisha can differ." Onyx smoothed her fingers over the messy, loose braid laying over her shoulder, then tucked her hands beneath the cover of the cloak. Still though, she herself told Kaz that the scientist was better off dead the day he brought this waiting mess into her life. "Is now the best time to be discussing this?"
"It's the only time we'll be able to discuss it. When are we going to be in a private enough place again?" Nina's gaze wandered to the other side of the schooner, where Specht and the rest of his crew were preparing the small boat they would be rowing to shore. "You know just as well as I do that having someone that knows how to make something like jurda parem will cause nothing but pain and misery and another way for Grisha to be solicited and controlled."
Onyx followed her gaze as Kaz limped up to the small boat with Wylan and Jesper in toe. Inej wasn't too far behind, and Onyx couldn't help but be in awe of the grace she'd carried herself with over the last two days. If she was in pain, Inej hardly showed it. And if she had any doubts about Onyx's abilities to make the climb behind her, she didn't say so. In fact, she did just the opposite. Hopefully she would be right.
Before she could turn her attention back to Nina, Kaz's eyes swept the deck once, twice, then landed on her, as if he could sense the topic of their conversation. However, he simply nodded to the small boat and turned his attention one of the the other crew members nearby.
"We can talk about this later," Onyx finally said, adjusting her pack on her shoulders. "There's plenty of time between here and the Court to find ourselves in conversation again."
The silence stretched on between them. The schooner listed gently in the waters and a gust of wind snapped at the off-white sails above their heads. Onyx forced herself to turn away, before her conscience and her previous words got the better of her, before she told Nina that, yes, the Shu scientist deserved a swift death.
Nina caught her wrist. "You may not want to call yourself a Squaller, but you're still the Reaper." Her grip tightened. Onyx swallowed. "Be the Reaper of Ketterdam. Finish the dirty work, before more Grisha are killed because of this."
Onyx glanced down at their hands, at the firm hold Nina had on her-- firm, yet so, so delicate still. Yet still, she carefully loosed herself from Nina's grip made her way across the deck, sighing quietly. "I'll find you on the walk to Djerholm."
─────
There was a threefold saying that followed Onyx Vissier through the streets of Ketterdam. It was a saying as prominent as the cloak that followed her every footfall and the bow strung across her back.
THE REAPER REMEMBERS.
THE REAPER KNOWS ALL.
THE REAPER NEVER FORGETS.
Truthfully, it had been the citizenship of Ketterdam that coined the threefold promise that struck paranoia and fear into her enemies. Onyx couldn't even remember when it had come into prominence. However, she did know why the words stuck so easily into those that heard it. The underlying threat would seep into the mind of those that heard it, unable to be shaken, wracking them with paranoia. It was a promise and a threat in one all encompassing bow.
Onyx Vissier heard everything, even when no one thought she was listening. Onyx Vissier was lurking in the shadows, even when no one knew she was there. And Onyx Vissier did not forget the words and actions of the men and women who dared to cross her path, or those who ended up at the end of her arrow or the tip of her sharpened knives. Neutrality was easier when no one knew if they were safe from her wandering eyes and ears.
Onyx thought carefully over those words as they trekked through the Fjerdan wilderness on that first day. The first day was meant for getting a decent enough head start without idle chatter and exhaustion to keep them company. But it was the second day of travel, shortly after they gathered their things from their make shift camp, that the beginnings of Kaz's plan began to unfold from his lips.
"If we get this right, we're going to be in and out of the Ice Court before the Fjerdans ever know their prize scientist is gone," Kaz said as they fell into step together and headed southward once again. "When we enter the prison, we'll be taken to the holding area beneath the men's and women's cellblocks to await charges. If Matthias is right and the procedures are still the same, the patrols only pass through holding cells three times a day for head counts. Once we're out of the cells, we should have least six hours to cross to the embassy, locate Yul-Bayur on the White Island, and get him down to the harbor before they realize anyone is gone."
Matthias adjusted his pack on his broad shoulders. "What about the other prisoners in the holding cells?"
"Believe me," Onyx hummed, tucking her cloak around her body more securely. "We have that covered." Kaz had, for once, decided to fill her in something other than the climb up the incinerator. It wasn't that much, but that was saying something when it came to someone like Kaz.
"Once we're out of the cells, Matthias and Jesper will secure rope from the stables while Wylan and I get Nina, Inej, and Onyx out of the women's holding area. The basement is our meet," Kaz continued. "That's where the incinerator is, and no one should be in the laundry after the prison shuts down for the night. While Inej and Onyx make the climb, Wylan and I scour the laundry for anything he can use for demo. And just in case the Fjerdan's decide to stash Yul-Bayur in the prison and make life easy on us, Nina, Matthias, and Jesper will search the top level cells."
"Nina and Matthias?" Jesper asked incredulously. "Far be it from me to doubt anyone's professionalism, but is that really the ideal pairing?"
"Matthias knows prison procedure, and Nina can handle any guards without a noisy fight," Kaz responded. "Your job is to keep them from killing each other."
"Because I'm the diplomat of the group?"
"Obviously." Onyx nudged Jesper's side as he fell into step beside her. "Who else would be the diplomat?"
Jesper pretended to weigh the thought as he linked their arms together and pulled them close to share in each other's warmth. "Well, obviously, I was going to suggest you, my dear."
"Mmm. I'd rather run myself through with my own arrow."
"Or someone else."
"Whichever comes first."
"There isn't a diplomat of the group. Now listen," Kaz cut in, shooting Jesper and Onyx a sharp look. "The rest of the prison isn't like the holding area. Patrols in the cellblock rotate every two hours, and we don't want to risk anyone sounding an alarm, so be smart. We coordinate everything to the chiming of the Elderclock. We're out of our cells right after six bells, we're up the incinerator and on the roof by eight bells. No exceptions."
Wylan adjusted his gloves over his fingers. "And then what?"
"We cross to the embassy sector roof and get access to the glass bridge through there."
"We'll be on the other side of the checkpoints," Matthias pointed out. He seemed almost, in a strange form of awe after hearing the majority of it all come together. Even Onyx had to admit, it was a solid plan if it all went the way it was supposed to. "The guards on the bridge will assume we passed through the embassy gate and had our papers scrutinized there."
"In prison uniforms?" Wylan asked.
"Phase two," Jesper said. "The fake."
"That's right. Inej, Nina, Matthias, Onyx, and I will borrow a change of clothes from one of the delegations -- and a little something extra for our friend Bo Yul-Bayur when we find him -- and stroll across the glass bridge," Kaz replied. "We locate Yul-Bayur and get him back to the embassy. Nina, if there's time, you'll tailor him as much as possible, but as long as we don't trigger any alarms, no one is going to notice one more Shu among the guests."
"So, what I'm getting from this," Jesper chimed in again, eyebrows drawn together, "is that I'm stuck with Wylan."
"Unless you've sudden acquired an encyclopedic knowledge of the White Island, the abilities to pick locks, scale unscalable walls, flirt confidential information out of high level officials, or kill without a trace, yes." Kaz glanced back at Jesper and gave a one shouldered shrug. "Besides, I want two hands making bombs."
Jesper looked sullenly to the guns hanging at his hips and sighed. "Such potential wasted."
"Let's say this all works," Nina cut in. "How do we get out?"
"We walk," Kaz responded nonchalantly. "Thats the beauty of this plan. Remember what I said about guiding the mark's attention? At the embassy gate, all eyes will be focused on guests coming into the Ice Court. People leaving aren't a security risk."
Wylan's head tilted in question. "Then why the bombs?"
"Precautions. There are seven miles of road between the Ice Court and the harbor. If someone notices Bo Yul-Bayur is missing, we're going to have to cover that territory fast." He drew a thin line in the snow with the tip of his walking stick. "The main road crosses a gorge. We blow the bridge, no one can follow." Matthias exhaled something between an exasperated sigh and a groan and shoved his head in his hands. Kaz shook his head. "It's one prisoner, Helvar."
"And a bridge," Wylan offered.
Jesper snorted. "And anything we have to blow up in between."
"That's true," Onyx agreed. "Seven miles is a lot of ground to cover."
"Everyone shut up," Matthias groaned.
Jesper shared a brief look with Onyx and shrugged. "Fjerdans."
"I don't like any of this," Nina sighed.
Kaz glanced back at her and raised a brow. "Well, at least you and Helvar found something to agree on."
AUTHORS NOTE
hello hello again :) just wanted to pop in and say that i am very very excited to start unraveling onyx's story for you all, especially her dealigns with pekka rollins that'll come in handy in crooked kingdom. but please, tell me what you think!! i'm planning on much more kaz and onyx interaction in the next few chapters as well!!