Disclaimer: I don't own the Grisha Trilogy and its characters – it belongs to Leigh Bardugo. I do not own the Shadow & Bone TV series, which was developed by Eric Heisserer for Netflix and based on Leigh Bardugo's books. Any recognisable dialogue is from the books or TV show – some lines may be included verbatim, others in an amended form.
The Fold
"My intelligence reports indicate that the dry docks will be cleared of civilians and packed with soldiers when we arrive through the Fold," the Darkling told her as they sat in his carriage, a few hours away from Kribirsk, discussing what would happen when they entered the Shadow Fold.
"I didn't think we'd told General Zlatan the exact time of our arrival."
"Some of my associates leaked the information. Zlatan is clever, but he is too eager to make a move against us to properly question how convenient it is that details of our crossing fell right into his lap. There will only be those loyal to him on the dry docks – he won't want to risk that some of the civilians might take the side of the Sun Summoner."
"And I'm sure you've been encouraging that idea," she said with a wry smile.
"Perhaps," he said, "and any Grisha still in contact with family in Novokribirsk have been doing their part. After all, Alina, you were so concerned about the civilians."
She didn't think he cared nearly as much. After hundreds of years it was probably hard to bring himself to feel anything but apathy for a city of strangers. Still, he had made an effort for her sake, and that meant something to her.
"We will enter the Fold," he continued, "and get as far in as we can before the volcra notice us. Only then should you use your light. That should keep the skiff safe enough for the journey."
"And what about a path between Kribirsk and Novokribirsk?" she asked.
She knew he worried about the Grisha being considered obsolete, that the King and the people of Ravka would turn on them as soon as they were no longer required for Fold crossings, especially as more advanced weaponry gradually reduced the Second Army's effectiveness in the field.
Both Alina and the Darkling knew there was plenty the Grisha could do, even without Fold crossings. Fabrikator inventions could help the whole country. Squallers and Inferni could work together with otkazat'sya to create and use new, effective weapons in war. Healers could advance medical knowledge and Heartrenders could make extremely effective interrogators and spies. The problem was that the King did not have the foresight to see it that way.
"One pathway," he conceded after a few moments, "just wide enough for a single skiff. It will give hope and the people will love their Sankta Alina."
She scowled, "you know I don't like being called that."
"We must all endure distasteful things," he reminded her, "you having the people's love will be of great use to us, both now and in the future."
"Until I fall off their pedestal and they decide a dead saint is better than a living one," she muttered.
The carriage darkened and his eyes went stormy, "you believe I would let them hurt you?"
There was a tightly leashed fury in his expression and his voice, as well as the tiniest bit of hurt, as if it pained him that she might not trust him to keep her safe.
"No, of course not," Alina stuttered out, almost entranced by the look in his eyes.
The storm cleared, the shadows dissipated, "you will be safe, solntse."
It felt like a promise. She believed it.
They arrived in Kribirsk on the evening before their planned crossing to a bustling and noisy camp.
There weren't just regiments of soldiers present, but also crowds of peasants who camped on the outskirts of the city, eager to see the Sun Summoner enter the Fold.
"They're going to give me performance anxiety," Alina muttered to Genya as they prepared for bed.
"You'll be fine," Genya insisted with total confidence, "the bigger worry right now is whether or not rats will get into this tent."
Alina's compartment within the Darkling's imposing, black silk tent, shared with Genya, was not as grand as her rooms at the Little Palace, but it was still luxurious in the extreme, a far cry from the First Army tents. Alina was fairly sure that no vermin would manage to make their way inside.
"Don't be a snob, Genya," Alina smiled at her friend.
Genya sniffed, "I am not a snob. I just have a perfectly rational and understandable fear of waking to find a rat on top of me, preparing to gnaw my beautiful face to pieces."
Alina just hugged Genya. It was a bit of a ridiculous fear, especially considering Genya spent the majority of her life in the two palaces, where any rats or mice which dared to appear were swiftly dealt with, but she didn't want to make fun of the Tailor's worries.
"Are you sure you don't want to come on the skiff tomorrow?" Alina asked.
Genya shook her head, "it'll be packed enough as it is, with all the ambassadors. There isn't really any spare room and you know I'd be useless against the volcra. You'll have enough to do anyway, so I'll make sure everything is ready for you to relax when you get back."
Alina had wanted to give Genya the option, but she was happy enough with her decision to stay behind – one less person to worry about if her light faltered for some reason.
"Now, get to bed," the Tailor ordered bossily, "you have a big day tomorrow and you need your sleep."
Genya smoothed her hand over Alina's hair in an affectionate, comforting gesture. Though she was only a few years older than Alina and generally like a sister, Genya sometimes exhibited a motherly side that made Alina miss the parents she could scarcely remember.
Her friend fell asleep quickly, but Alina lay awake for much longer, thinking about the task facing her in the morning.
She couldn't see the Fold, but she could still sense it, looming over all of them.
I can do this, she told herself, I can do this.
She dozed off eventually, the mantra still repeating in her mind.
I can do this.
The morning dawned cold but bright, and Genya helped Alina dress in a thick woolen kefta – her usual black and gold – with some warm, fur-lined boots and a heavy black cloak.
"Aren't these the Queen's jewels?" she asked as Genya fastened some sparkling, gem-encrusted combs into Alina's dark hair.
"She won't miss them," Genya shrugged, "she got them four years ago, wore them once and hasn't looked at them since. Besides, the Darkling wants you to make an impression and I'm going to ensure that happens."
Alina had to admit, when she looked into the mirror, that Genya had done a wonderful job. She felt beautiful and powerful, like she could take on the world.
And then she stepped outside of the tent and was reminded of the Shadow Fold's towering presence.
Alina shivered slightly at the sight, although she let Genya assume it was the cold as the Tailor fussed and wrapped the cloak tighter around Alina's body.
The Darkling walked over to meet them, his oprichniki blending seamlessly with hers.
"Relax," he whispered to her as they walked side by side towards the skiff, "you can do this, Alina."
His words bolstered her a little. She was sure he wouldn't let them all enter the Fold if he didn't believe she could keep them safe. After all, he'd once mentioned he was like a beacon to the volcra – the reason he couldn't try and remove the Shadow Fold himself – so he was trusting her with his life.
They were the first on the skiff, stopping at the centre of the deck as the Squallers, Inferni and oprichniki took up their positions.
Alina saw Ivan in the shadows, watchful as usual. Corporalki rarely made the journey through the Fold – they were too valuable on the battlefield for that – but it didn't surprise her that the Darkling's most trusted Heartrender would be joining them for this particular trip.
The noise level rose as the ambassadors and their retinues boarded the skiff. She sensed dozens of pairs of eyes on her but didn't turn round, not wanting to deal with their scrutiny when she was stressed enough already.
She wasn't paying attention to what was happening around her, her gaze fixed on the Fold. It could have been five minutes or five hours before the Darkling called for the Squallers to start their work.
The skiff lurched forward and the Darkling reached out a hand to steady her as she almost fell forward.
The Squallers lifted their arms and the sails opened, the skiff beginning to move forward into the Shadow Fold.
It was strange, as if they were moving into a thick cloud of smoke, although it was lacking in any heat or the smell of fire. Everyone went silent, but even the noise of the skiff moving across the sand seemed to dampen.
Something about the Fold seemed almost familiar. She looked to where she knew the Darkling stood, remembered how his shadows had felt. The Fold was more insidious, wild and angry, but the similarity was clear to her. Perhaps it was because she knew the Black Heretic and the Darkling were one and the same, but it seemed so obvious to her in this moment that the Fold was his creation.
She wondered if anyone else could sense it, but she thought that they didn't sense the shadows the same way she did. Perhaps it was a result of their powers, the fact that they were two sides of the same coin, that Alina could sense his shadows just as she imagined he could sense her light.
Everyone else seemed focused entirely on the danger of the Fold. There was darkness everywhere. She could feel the Darkling next to her, but she couldn't see anyone else on the ship, could scarcely see her own hand in front of her. It was a disturbing experience and she imagined it was worse for those who didn't have burning sunlight at their fingertips.
For a few minutes it was quiet but then, out in the darkness, Alina heard the faint sound of wings flapping.
"Be ready," the Darkling warned her, as the sound of wings beating the air grew louder and louder.
"And … now," he said, cool and calm on the surface but with an undercurrent of urgency.
Alina clapped her hands together and then opened her arms wide, letting the light blaze outwards until their skiff was entirely lit up.
She heard cheering when the volcra hissed and shrieked as they came into contact with her light, unable to get past it to the occupants of the skiff.
Alina shivered a little. She was glad to keep the volcra away, but their shrieking noise was not at all nice to hear.
The skiff moved forward smoothly. Alina saw Zoya high above and was grateful for her presence – they may not get on, but Zoya was an incredibly talented Squaller and held the record for most successful Fold crossings (trips were, depressingly enough, considered successful if at least half of the skiff's occupants returned alive).
As she held the light, Alina looked around, trying to see through their surroundings through the darkness.
For the most part, she knew the Fold was a vast sandy wasteland. On this well-used skiff route, however, there were wrecks everywhere. The markers they used to measure the distance travelled were abandoned or destroyed skiffs of all sizes, an eerie reminder of how many lives had been lost through failed crossings.
It made her think of what she knew about the Darkling, about the life far longer than anyone but her and Baghra knew. He was the architect of this dark graveyard, where the bones of so many people rested.
Of course, he hadn't meant for it to be the blight it had become. He'd meddled with power he should probably have left alone, but he had done it with good intentions, in retaliation against a King whose decision to break his promise put all Grisha in danger.
Besides, it would be better now, as long as she succeeded with her pathway. It might only be wide enough for one skiff but it would be a safe route that would hopefully stop many desperate people from making dangerous journeys through the Fold with inadequate preparations.
They were about halfway through, if her counting of the markers was correct, when the Darkling lifted his hand and ordered the skiff to halt.
"What are you doing?" asked one of the ambassadors, a nervous looking Kerch man who looked like he would jump at his own shadow.
The Darkling only shot him a withering glare, clearly considering him a non-entity who didn't deserve a response.
"The Sun Summoner will now create a path through the Shadow Fold," the King's envoy announced pompously, looking as proud as if it were he who would be completing such a feat.
Excited chatter erupted and Alina turned away from the crowd of people until she faced only the vast darkness of the Fold.
In. Out. In. Out.
She had to stay calm. It would all be alright.
When she turned to look at the Darkling, his gaze seemed untroubled and relaxed. He gave her a nod.
Alina clapped her hands together and the light that surrounded the skiff began to expand. She let it build slowly, burning brighter until all the skiff's occupants were looking down, unable to cope with the blinding sunlight. Only Alina could look, and the Darkling too, shrouded in shadows that allowed him to watch everything.
She closed her eyes and tried to envisage the light moving outwards, towards Novokribirsk and back to Kribirsk. Her arms went wide, one hand aimed towards each location, she tapped into the well of power inside her and then she pushed.
It was …
Like nothing she had ever experienced.
She had never used her power like this, even when she had first put on her amplifier. This much light could have burned both palaces to the ground, levelled a forest or destroyed a village.
Light and heat and she felt like a star, shining brightly.
Saints, her whole body tingled. It was almost like she was burning, but there was no pain, only the rush of raw power and the sense that if she stopped she might just collapse right there on the skiff.
No, she had to keep going. Couldn't let the entire skiff be put in danger because she wasn't strong enough.
It was difficult, though. Harder than anything she had ever done.
She gave and she gave and she gave and still it wasn't over.
But there was progress, shadows burned away, real sunlight shining down on a small, thin pathway that was slowly moving towards both edges of the Fold.
It was happening. She was actually doing it.
She had no idea what was occuring around her. The light was all she could sense, well, that and the Darkling, who she knew was a cool, solid presence beside her even if she couldn't focus enough to actually look at him.
The light kept coming, the path slowly lengthening.
Would it ever end, though? Would her power truly manage to cut a complete path through one of the widest sections of the Shadow Fold.
Every now and then, as she pushed and pushed the light, Alina would feel herself faltering, despite the immense power of her amplifier. When that happened, the Darkling would grasp her wrist gently and she would feel a jolt that re-energised her enough to continue.
It was exhausting work. She knew keeping a light up to allow safe crossing would have been relatively simple, but the energy required to actually burn away sections of the Fold was immense.
The constant screams of the dying volcra were almost worse, the sort of sounds that she knew could give her nightmares.
At some point she heard the Darkling call for the Squallers to get the skiff moving once more.
She couldn't focus on the movement, couldn't really think of anything except the light rippling outwards.
They came to a halt just before they reached the edge of the Fold that bordered West Ravka.
As she pushed her light out, finally clearing the darkness, Alina could hear the Grisha and ambassadors present on the skiff gasp.
For the first time in centuries the Novokribirsk dry docks had a straight, safe route through to Kribirsk.
Alina slumped slightly against the Darkling, the light fading from her hands.
"Well done, solntse," he murmured.
He sounded exhilarated and excited. When she looked at him, she noticed anticipation shining in his eyes.
Alina knew what was coming next and, not for the first time, wondered if she should try and stop him.
It's only the dry docks, though, she reminded herself, full of people who want to kill you and keep Ravka divided.
This was war and there was always a cost.
She sensed the Grisha and oprichniki shifting slightly, preparing to deal with any of the ambassadors or their retinues who tried to protest what was about to happen.
The Darkling brought his hands together with a sound like a clap of thunder.
It happened slowly, darkness rippling out from his hand. When the darkness met the Fold there was a rumbling sound and the shadowy walls of the path she had created rippled and pulsed.
It was as if the Fold were a living, breathing creature, a shadow monster.
And then the Shadow Fold, which had remained a constant, fixed place for centuries, moved.
At first it was inch by inch, but then it became more like a wave, swallowing the small, uniformed figures on the dry docks before they could even try to flee.
"You'll kill your own people!" the Fjerdan ambassador cried out in terror as the Darkling continued to push the Fold forward.
The King's envoy looked furious and panicked at the same time, but his protests were swallowed by the noisy outcry from various ambassadors.
"Do you think I would slaughter innocent Ravkans?" the Darkling turned his piercing stare onto the ambassadors as he dropped his hands and the Fold's progress forward ceased immediately, "those docks were full of traitors led by General Zlatan, who planned to massacre everyone on this skiff as soon as we exited the Fold. Everyone."
The message was clear. Without Alina's light bringing them across the Fold and the Darkling pushing the Fold forward to engulf the dry docks, every one of them might have been murdered as soon as they got close enough that General Zlatan's men could aim and fire.
They all owed Alina and the Darkling their lives and Alina wasn't sure how pleased they were by that.
Two figures stepped forward. Alina recognised Ailbe, standing next to the other Kaelish ambassador.
"We offer you our thanks for safe passage through the Shadow Fold," Ailbe said formally, nodding her head to both Alina and the Darkling, "we will be sure to convey our experience here today to our people and our marshal."
Alina gave her a friendly smile, trying to balance the Darkling's more calculating expression. The Wandering Isle was not large, but it could be a useful ally to have, especially if they were wary enough of the power of the Shadow and Sun Summoners that they would more carefully police any attacks on Grisha.
Still, they were not the people this demonstration was really aimed at. The Wandering Isle was separated from Ravka by the True Sea, and had little reason to fear the Shadow Fold. Shu Han and Fjerda, on the other hand, would have clearly seen the message that was being sent – the Darkling was capable of moving the Fold and any transgressions on their part could lead to their land and their people being swallowed by the darkness.
Alina saw the delegation from Shu Han muttering together, looking around nervously and shaking their heads.
The Fjerdans were putting on a show of being unbothered by what they had just witnessed, but she could tell it had shaken them.
All the ambassadors would be disembarking in Novokribirsk, while the Little Palace residents would be returning to Kribirsk and then to Os Alta. Still, she had a feeling that there might be some last-minute diplomatic talks as their neighbours attempted to convince the Darkling that there was no need for him to consider pushing the Shadow Fold into their territory.
How much their words might be simply pretty lies remained to be seen, but it was more progress than the King's envoys had managed in years and they all knew the Darkling was not one to make idle threats – he may not have spoken the words out loud but everyone present knew what his demonstration meant and what he might do if diplomacy failed.
Alina, however, wasn't going to stay for the politicking.
She wanted to be involved in the same governance and negotiations that the Darkling was, but she was self-aware enough to know that she didn't have the political knowledge necessary, not yet at least. She didn't want to inadvertently make things worse, after all.
Besides, she was swaying on her feet, exhausted from what she had done. Generally, Grisha power strengthened the user, and she was certainly far healthier than she had been as a child in Keramzin, but such a massive use of power in a short period of time was unusual and required some recovery time.
So, Alina was going to the skiff's small cabin to have a well-deserved sleep.
It admittedly made her feel a little like the youngest Grisha students, three and four years old, who had naps every afternoon at the Little Palace, but she didn't think anyone was going to question her having a brief rest, considering she had just torn a corridor through the Shadow Fold.
Her oprichniki followed, four posted outside the small cabin and two of them sitting quietly in a corner of the room reading. She was used to them being outside her room when she slept, but she could understand why the Darkling would insist on some of them remaining in the cabin with her. The ambassadors were still on board at the moment and Alina wasn't naïve enough to think that some of them wouldn't consider this an opportune moment to permanently remove the Sun Summoner.
Saints, she was getting as paranoid as the Darkling. Or maybe she was just growing up, realising that the threats which had always seemed distant and removed (the Drüskelle attack a few years ago aside) were ever-present, their enemies ready to strike at any sign of weakness.
There wasn't time for too much introspection, however. She really was extremely tired and the bed was surprisingly comfortable considering it was little more than a rarely-used cot in case anyone took ill during a crossing.
She was asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow.
On their triumphant return to Kribirsk, Genya was the first to throw her arms around Alina in a warm hug, "congratulations, darling, I knew you could do it."
She helped Alina to their compartment within the Darkling's tent, telling her all about the reactions she had witnessed when Alina had created the corridor through the Fold.
"Impromptu parties all over, both Second and First Army," she explained, "some of it got a little out of hand – too much kvas and an idiot who managed to find faulty fireworks somewhere – but it was a very cheerful celebration. Fedyor will be so sorry he missed it – he does love a good party."
Alina was glad she had slept on the skiff because she had no time now.
Genya touched up her face and hair, straightened her kefta and then led her to another compartment of the tent used for receiving visitors.
A long three hours followed, with various First Army Generals and Colonels who wanted to pay their respects to the Sun Summoner.
The Darkling remained absent. This seemed to relieve the First Army visitors, who clearly found the Shadow Summoner intimidating. Alina, though, missed his reassuring presence, especially as she was subjected to a long queue of men who, despite praising her in terms of almost ridiculous flattery, also all seemed to be trying to take some sort of credit for the successful Fold crossing while at the same time begging favours for themselves.
Eventually, the Darkling turned up, dispatching all the visitors with an ease that could probably be attributed to his foreboding expression.
"You took your time," she said tartly.
Behind her, Genya choked slightly at Alina's sharpness with their General, but the Darkling seemed to find her irritation amusing, "my apologies, Alina. I will endeavour to ensure you are not bothered again before we leave in the morning."
Alina tugged Genya back to their compartment, ignoring the Darkling's slightly teasing expression.
Soon enough, her best friend was called away to Tailor a few of the other Grisha. Some spy work, Alina thought, so that the Darkling could get a sense of the feeling in the First Army camp.
She was settled in a chair with a cup of tea, trying to decide which of the three books she had bought with her she should read (the entertaining novel, the educational textbook or the philosophical treatise), when Igor announced himself with a knock on one the tall wooden poles holding the tent up. She looked over at the entryway to see what he wanted.
"Miss Nazyalensky is here to see you, Lady Starkov."
"Yes, let her in please," Alina replied.
She tried not to let the confusion show on her face, but she had no idea why Zoya would want to see her. They tended to avoid each other as much as possible, which Alina thought was probably the safest state of affairs for both of them.
"Starkov," the Squaller nodded as she entered the compartment.
Igor, always one to insist on proper titles, began to speak, but Alina waved him away, "it's fine, really."
While it would certainly be quite satisfying to hear Zoya have to call her Lady Starkov, it would only wind the older girl up more and Alina was too tired from her work in the Fold to deal with that.
"I wanted to say thank you," Zoya said.
Alina almost dropped her teacup in shock, "what?"
The Squaller scowled, "don't make me repeat it, Starkov."
"You're welcome, I guess."
"Well, my aunt and niece live in Novokribirsk," Zoya told her, "I barely ever had the chance to see them, after I went to the Little Palace, since they were on the other side of the Fold. Sometimes when I did crossings there was a free hour or two to meet with them, but most of the time we have to get back almost immediately. It will hopefully be easier to see them now."
If she was honest with herself, it had never occurred to Alina to ask Zoya about her family. Most of the Grisha seemed to cut ties with their families, unless their relatives were Grisha too.
"I'm glad," she told the Squaller sincerely.
"You really are, aren't you," Zoya noted, an almost confused expression on her pretty face, "but be careful with that, Starkov, the sort of people who care too much are always the ones that are most likely to get hurt."
A brief nod and then the Squaller was gone.
"Well, that was interesting," Alina murmured to herself.
She'd never expected a thank you from Zoya, but they were older now, hopefully past the childish taunts of their younger years.
"Why have you got that expression on your face?" asked Genya as she re-entered the compartment, "you look kind of dumbstruck."
"Zoya just thanked me," she told the Tailor.
"Huh," Genya mused, baffled herself, "I didn't expect that. Still, it's better to have allies rather than enemies, especially when you'll soon be –"
But her friend cut herself off then, looking as if she'd said too much.
"I'll soon be what, Genya?"
"Nothing," the redhead smiled reassuringly, "don't worry about it, Alina."
Alina trusted Genya, so she didn't ask again.
She wondered, though.
"Sankta Alina! Sankta Alina!"
The cries and shouts and cheers followed their carriage as it left Kribirsk on the road back to Os Alta.
Alina, never comfortable with the title that had been bestowed on her, had avoided the grasping hands of most of those who had come to see her, but she did stop to say hello to some of the children, whose smiles were too adorable to ignore.
The Darkling allowed it, although she thought it was probably more due to the fact that it made her appear a kind, humble figure rather than for any sentimental reason.
Eventually, though, they had to leave. The Darkling, Ivan and the oprichniki had worked out the best route to return to Os Alta in order to avoid any potential ambushes and give them comfortable and easily-defended lodgings on the way, and they were on a tight schedule. Ivan looked tense and she really didn't think it was a good idea to make them late.
After all, she might be a living saint to a large portion of the population, but Ivan always remembered the girl who had run around playing with her friends and playing jokes and never quite trusted her to behave with all the decorum he considered necessary for the Sun Summoner.
It would certainly be a relief to be away from the Shadow Fold.
She could look at the corridor she had created and be proud of it. Safe passage, finally, after centuries.
The dry docks at Novokribirsk being swallowed by the Fold was not necessarily something to rejoice over, though she had a feeling many people (the Darkling included) did celebrate it, but she knew it had been a necessary show of force to quell General Zlatan's revolt and as a deterrent to ensure Shu Han and Fjerda did not try and further encroach upon Ravkan territory. It might even save some Grisha lives, if their neighbours were worried enough that they actually handed over their Grisha to Ravka rather than experimenting on them or burning them at the stake.
Yesterday had been a hard day, possibly the most difficult she'd ever endured.
She wasn't a child anymore, though. She had to make tough decisions and live with the consequences of her actions.
And she could. She could accept what she had done in the Fold, what she had helped the Darkling do.
Alina couldn't pretend that there wouldn't be civilian casualties in the years to come, just as she knew innocent people would die in the course of making Ravka and Grisha safe.
She just hoped she could continue to live with whatever she might have to do in the future.
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter should be out next Friday.