AN: reminder, also for the future arc: i barely remember canon, not to mention all the geo-political stuff. believe it or not, the fic was meant for fluff and humor at some point... the heart wants that promised fluff, the brain points out there is war out there damn it, so – i'll go as vague as i can. funny, considering the outline calls the second arc 'the front arc'. sometimes i feel like i don't know what i'm doing anymore, but damn right i'm gonna deliver that soap-opera worthy twist that i've got planned for the future (soon). not to mention that short and sweet ending
(hey, remember when i said sth about not writing Darkles' POV? we have one now. sort of.)
With joys of passing all her final exams (with the highest note from Baghra, how nice of her!), came also a sobering realization that – since Grisha graduates usually started with being sent to the southern border – Alina and David most likely still wouldn't get to spend more time with Ivan. Who knew when they would meet again after he leaves with the Darkling! But when Alina shared her concerns with Durast, he looked suspiciously uncomfortable. Finally, David broke under her piercing stare and shared the big news.
"I've just heard that I will join our General's squadron as well..." he whispered uneasily.
"Wait, what? But you're barely an adult... He goes to the volcra damned front! You could get killed!" Alina cried out. Separation from all her friends was one thing, but having most of them at the Fjerdan border? The Darklings have always gone where the conflicts were more heated up, and theirs was, unfortunately, no exception. She had next to no time to plot something that would get David and Ivan sent somewhere safer... And she wasn't so sure she would be able to at all.
There was no way that the Darkling would take an inexperienced Inferni, especially someone like her. Maybe in a few years... when Alina proves herself... That was one of her oldest plans – the best Grisha were those who surrounded the Darkling, so naturally, if she could work closely with him, then...
But there was no time for that longer game – David was leaving tomorrow with Ivan!
What Genya even thought about that , huh?
She asked David exactly that and he muttered something incoherent.
"David!"
"I said that I haven't told her yet..." he suddenly looked younger than Alina. Since when David knew how to pout?! Inferni shook her head.
"She probably thinks you're staying at the Little Palace!" Alina sighed deeply. "Go talk to Genya..."
David left obediently, leaving Alina with her shiny new kefta of an Inferni soldier. She traced the embroidery, thinking out loud. "What would he do... What would Black Heretic do..." It didn't help much with her racing heart. But then...
When in trouble...
She was running out of books… but there surely were some she hasn't got her hands on yet!
Despite using as much of her stipend as she could in the capital's bookshops, Alina still found the library of the Little Palace to be the best source to satisfy her particular curiosity.
Someone would say that the Black Heretic wasn't exactly the best role model for young girls, but Alina would only laugh. Black Heretic was the best, and if someone was to inspire her now, it was him.
"...Miss Starkova, I told you we have absolutely nothing new on the Shadow Fold! And I'm sure you've memorized some of these books already twice!" The librarian, so rudely awakened by her, seemed to take personal offense at her craving for knowledge this morning.
"It's Starkov , with all due respect... And I know, but-" she was interrupted by both the librarian babbling something about 'Youth these days... What's next, a boy named Morozova?' and a somewhat familiar presence behind her.
"I've never expected any of the young ones to be so interested in the Fold" an even more familiar voice took over the room.
Alina turned to face – of course! – the Darkling's unreadable eyes. They seemed much darker than she remembered, or maybe those were the shadows, twirling around him generously.
"If only the Fold! She's obsessed with the Heretic..." was a final contribution of the librarian, before old Grisha fell back on a seat behind the desk with eyes shut.
The Darkling's eyes flashed dangerously.
" Moi soverenyi , I just-" she squeaked, blushing, suddenly not so determined anymore. Maybe she would find inspiration somewhere different...
"Join me on a walk, miss Starkov," the General said in a grave voice, his face now blank. She looked at the librarian for help, but old Grisha was already dozing off. Alina left the library at the Darkling's nod towards the door he held open for her (ah, there was nothing like a gentlemanly executor in the morning!). She let him lead her further and further into the maze of corridors, feeling like a docile little duck.
Out of the corner of her eye, Alina noticed the Oprichniki, dressed in grey, following them closely. She quickened her pace, almost running now to catch up with the Darkling. Better him than them. At least he was Grisha...
During their 'walk' General was making perfect small talk, asking Alina about her classes and exams like they were old friends, and she answered hesitantly, her throat painfully dry.
They entered what could only be the Darkling's personal quarters. Thankfully, the Oprichniki stopped to stand guard outside. She panicked anyway.
Was that what happened to Genya? Will he dress Alina up in white kefta and send her away to the Grand Palace, so she would serve the courtiers and the royals?!
But when the Darkling led Alina into a room filled with bookshelves, any trace of fear completely disappeared, leaving the girl absolutely in awe, with her head skewed to help her read the titles on the spines.
The Darkling stopped searching through the shelves to observe young Inferni, now circling the room with a half-opened mouth and shining eyes.
Only after a while Alina noticed that in the centre of the room stood a big, probably round table, covered in maps and half-opened scrolls. It made her realise where exactly they were now.
The famous War Room. A place Alina used to dream about.
(She secretly hoped Zoya had never been there.)
Her heart was racing and her mind was going crazy. All these books! And maps! And...
Suddenly, there was the Darkling standing next to her and handing her a small tome covered in black leather. She automatically accepted it only to see... 'Topology of the Unsea'. Too shocked to speak, Alina watched the Darkling handing her three other books. All looking old, and all about the Shadow Fold. She was almost asking him about something on the Black Heretic, but that would be just pushing her luck, wouldn't it?
"I believe these few will be fine for now... When you're done I'll probably find something else..." the Darkling mused out loud, squinting at one of the bookshelves and rubbing his lips in a terribly distracting manner.
"I- thank you so much, moi soverenyi, but..." Alina began but he waved her off.
"Now, I'm afraid I have a meeting with quite the... impatient... man, but I know you'll find your back to the dorms..." the Darkling left the room and Alina's eyes widened. He wasn't leaving her alone with those otkazat'sya outside, was he?!
"Wait, moi soverenyi ," she hurried after him, "I don't know when I'll be able to bring them back-"
"No need to hurry, miss Starkov, I will be just a few tents away," he said carelessly, turning again towards her, his hand already on the door.
She froze and squinted at him with disbelief.
"What did you-"
"Why, you've been assigned to my squadron, miss Starkov, didn't you know?" the Darkling asked innocently, but before he turned away from her, Alina saw his teeth flash in a surprisingly boyish smile.
And then he just left!
After hours of paperwork Aleksander was in that pleasant state of mind when even the most dangerous of King's diplomatic mistakes were easy to pacify. That disgusting excuse of a ruler was getting more and more on his nerves, but in a few years, after putting King's Healers under Genya's command and with her growing interest in the Alkemi studies, the issue will resolve itself. Judging by the state of the two youngest Lantsovs, perhaps the time has come for Aleksander to take Ravka completely under his wings? But to do it smoothly he would need control over the Fold and that – according to his mother – was not happening until there is a Sun Summoner to help. Without them, Ravka had to remain weak, divided and ruled by the worst possible kind of otkazat'sya . So waiting it is, until-
" Moi soverenyi. I would like to ask for... a favor," his favorite Heartrender's voice interrupted Aleksander's grim musings. His eyebrows rose.
"Ivan, of course! Come and sit, my friend."
Despite looking almost sleepy, Aleksander dearly hoped Ivan didn't pick up his quickened pulse. Never in all these years the Heartrender asked for something bigger that the pragmatic man would call 'a favor'. In those few seconds of making sure his shadows saw no eavesdroppers, Aleksander was almost dying out of curiosity. What could possibly be on Ivan's mind?
(Perhaps he finally wanted to make his bond with Fedyor official and now was asking for their General's blessing?)
The Heartrender sat on the opposite chair somewhat uneasily and continued in his more usual clipped voice. "My sister... I mean, Alina Starkov of Inferni is among this winter's graduates. Of course, the less experienced soldiers usually go to the southern border or patrol along the Unsea, but I've been thinking..."
Aleksander listened to him patiently, nodding when he should have, all the while hiding a smile behind his hand, hoping that eyes won't betray him. He better not tell Ivan that on his personal order the young Inferni was already supposed to travel with them to the north. Aleksander didn't want his favorite Heartrender to get the wrong impression, as fun as it was to see him so protective of the girl.
With Ivan and David vouching for her, Zoyka's continued denial of a certain fistfight, Botkin always singing girl's praises, his mother complaining loudly about her and her own particular reading interests, Alina Starkov was getting more and more interesting... He just couldn't wait to watch her first steps outside the Little Palace.
"Guess what!" Alina and Ivan cried out at the other simultaneously, as soon as the four of them met in the evening.
Sporting those hilariously identical frowns, both tried to outdo the other and ended up speaking again at the same time.
"I'm going with you!"
"You're going with us!"
David hid a smile behind a pastry. (He and Alina have just raided the kitchens for the last time.)
"With the Darkling!" they finished still in perfect unison. And then scowled meanly at each other.
Fedyor couldn't take it anymore and laughed out loud. These two...
(He could swear Ivan was pouting at some point, angry at the turn his big surprise took.)
Suddenly the prospect of going back to the front was less tiring.
On the day he finally left Os Alta, Aleksander chose to ride in his carriage. Engaging in quite the exciting chat with David Kostyk, the most talented Materialki he had seen in years (despite his age), Aleksander barely noticed the absence of his favorite Heartrender. Fedyor, fidgeting on his seat next to unusually glum Zoyka, seemed quite nervous, despite knowing what exactly would have Ivan so busy outside.
Less than noble (in Aleksander's opinion) tradition of initiation among Grisha was the result of old integration with the First Army. Thankfully, those times were long gone, but the idiotic custom remained. Albeit more careful about fellow soldiers' lives than Zlatan's hooligans, the members of the Second Army, especially Ethearalki, liked to intimidate their newbies a little that one 'special' time.
As much as Aleksander managed to get rid of the more dangerous initiations, the childish need to fake-ambush the young Grisha while dressed like Shu or Fjerdans didn't die out on its own. David wouldn't have to worry about that – Materialki remained the most intelligent and collected among Grisha for a reason. Perhaps everyone should stay at the Little Palace until they are twenty?
He expected Zoya, as the youngest Ethearalki after Alina, to take part in other girl's initiation, but his charge's sour expression make him appreciate Ivan's sudden involvement in this stupid tradition.
At least there will be no stormy aftermath, especially when you remember how terribly beaten Zoya was left after her fight with miss Starkov. She was a sore loser, he knew, and now that two girls would have to work together, he would need to keep an eye not only on the younger of them.
Discussing amplifiers with David was always interesting, though young man's questions about living amplifiers made him somewhat uneasy, old fears speaking up in his mother's voice, but for a while Aleksanders' thoughts were completely occupied with science and legends... Until the carriage slowed down and their conversation was interrupted by Fedyor's worried voice:
"There is something wrong... something's happened to Ivan!" His usually serene face was now looking positively murderous. Aleksander got out right after frantic Heartrender, shadows already a few steps before him, the Cut dancing right at the end of his fingertips...
Members of his squadron stood at the ready, waiting for his orders and looking out for enemies.
Ivan was nowhere to be seen indeed, and so was young miss Starkov.
His shadows now prowling the ground in all directions, the Darkling looked slowly around-
And froze, his heart clutching stronger than any Heartrender could ever make it.
Far away in the woods, the air was filled with light.
earlier
"So, where are they?" asked Alina impatiently. The promised bunch of Ethearalki idiots who were supposed to "ambush" her as a way of some useless initiation were getting late, and she was bored.
If Ivan was breaking any sort of 'code' by telling her everything that would happen before they even left Os Alta, he didn't seem to care much anyway. He told her, scowling, that she didn't need any nasty surprises and Alina wholeheartedly agreed. After making sure nothing similar would happen to David – Fabrikators really were the only normal Order, it seemed – Alina was almost giddy at the thought of showing up triumphantly with beaten 'Fjerdans' trailing her back, mourning their defeat.
Technically, there would be three of them and all boys, but Alina 'The-Girl-Who-Won' Starkov feared nothing and no one.
Ivan, muttering something to his horse, Osvald, was getting bored as well, even if for Alina's slightly modified initiation she made him swear he will let her take care of her opponents on her own. It's been a while now after – all according to the plan – the two of them left the squadron to 'pick up some supplies', or whatever Ivan was supposed to tell her, but the ambushers were nowhere to be seen...
Maybe they've lost her? Her Morozko's coat was almost white in the winter sun, and would make a great disguise... if not for her vibrant blue kefta.
Finally! The snow fell abruptly from the trees nearest to the clearing they've just entered, and Alina mentally prepared herself for three-
Except there were more than free attackers.
At least six, maybe more, she thought panicked in the middle of Osvald's and Morozko's neigh.
Wishing she had actually spent more time in the stables of the Little Palace, Alina slipped from the saddle, her tights burning. She thought that the red kefta of Ivan probably got more attention, as he was currently Heartrending at least two of his four opponents, but quickly it turned out the enemies – for clearly they were no immature Grisha soldiers – were taking no chances, and the other four of them was closing in on her.
She moved towards them, to have more space, glad for her decision to wear plain blue on the journey and hiding keftas embroidered with her rightful Inferni red – those were Shu, that was obvious, and while Fjerdans were mostly focused on cleansing the world from 'the witches'... Shu were more careful, and seemed to perfectly differentiate between Grisha Orders.
As smart as they like to be considered, those Shu men didn't expect a delicate girl like her to fight with two blades, and fight so well. During their initial surprise, she managed a deadly strike.
Huh. That was easy.
Alina ignored a weird, fluttery feeling in her insides.
One gone, three left.
(She checked Ivan out of the corner of her eye, but he seemed to be alright. Alina didn't expect anything else, but it was good to be sure.)
If she could push them in Ivan's direction... As impossible as it sounded – two Grisha surrounding at least five opponents – Botkin did show them something similar. With them both working small science and blades, they would win quickly.
Even if they were outnumbered (for now), their attackers meant to capture at least one of them, while Ivan and Alina just wanted to kill all of the ambushers (in the whole history of the Second Army, interrogating Shu mercenaries had never given any useful results). That gave them the advantage...
But those Shu didn't wait patiently for Alina to come up with a decent plan – they tried to catch her. In a net. What was she, a fish?
(She barely jumped back in time to escape it. Volcra damn it.)
The problem with her opponents was that they weren't like huge, bulky Fjerdans. They were slim and fought with finesse that Alina almost envied before remembering her own skills weren't mediocre at all. And that they still haven't trapped her.
She Summoned, and it came as slowly as never, as if it knew Alina truly needed small science! She cursed her unstable powers, and suddenly found herself near Morozko again. One of the man – or maybe woman, those cowls didn't betray much – was too careless, and the horse kicked him casually in the head - good boy! She reached to finish him off and then-
Alina turned as if she heard something over the noise, and saw that they... Somehow, somehow those bastards got Ivan to fall.
It was absolutely not supposed to happen, and in turn distracted her and allowed one of the remaining mercenaries to grab Alina and-
Something shone in the afternoon sun.
Like thick shackles made of Grisha steel.
Nononononono-
'From Fjerda, the witch pyres are born ,' that stupid Keramzin rhyme came to her mind after all these years, ' In Shu-Han, their secrets shall mourn.'
No, please, Saints! I'll be good, illbesogoood-
Ivan yelled at her, incoherent to Alina's ears.
Fear. Absolute panic.
Shu were going to take her, her and Ivan, and they would be lost forever. She was overwhelmed, she was drowning away from water, she-
She was not going to lose. And it wasn't just her life at stake...
She needed to be free now , she needed her powers to finally work but she didn't need a mere fire-
Time seemed to slow down for the first time since the attack.
Alina pulled.
And something inside her broke once and for all.
If the Ethearalki Order once thought her fire was uncontrolled, they knew nothing.
The light, that impossible light that burst from Alina didn't feel like anything that would bend to mortal hands. It reached far enough to burn through the eyes of everyone one the clearing except for Alina and Ivan. Shu mercenaries fell around them like abandoned puppets, their eyes turned into burned holes, their heads almost... whole. And if she didn't know any better, she'd say the locket hidden underneath her kefta was content . Despite an eerie joy (our enemy is dead) flowing through Alina's veins, she felt sick at the sight.
Ivan jumped up and got to her just on time to twist Alina before she vomited on her kefta. Or her swords.
"What do we do?" she whispered after a while, trying to avoid looking at... the bodies.
"Come here," Ivan whispered back and then enveloped Alina in a bone-crushing hug.
It did make her feel better. Letting go, he took out a perfect, white handkerchief somewhere from his kefta, and wiped her mouth like a mother hen that he sometimes was, that annoying brother of hers.
She couldn't have wished herself a better one.
"First, we need to... Discuss what happened here," he looked at her expectantly and when she said nothing, he continued, "You realize what it means, Alina? You are a Sun Summoner."
"We cannot tell the Darkling!" she blurted out immediately.
Ivan's eyes widened. "Why not? He's our soverenyi... And the Sun Summoner will be crucial to the future of Ravka... He's our soverenyi !"
"Yes, he is... But me being a Sun Summoner, like you said, will be important to the whole country. It's a little too much for now, don't you think? I need to be good at this. I need to train and explore it and use it on my own first."
"Alright, training. So you'd go back to Os Alta, have Baghra teach you..." Ivan perked up again.
"Never!" she hissed. "That woman was a nightmare , I'd rather enter the Fold on my own!"
"Oh, again with the Fold!?" The old argument clearly resurfaced in Ivan's mind, but before they truly went at it, Alina reached up to his shoulder and shook him, as much as she could.
"Ivan. Ivan! Listen to me. I need time," she pleaded. "When I'm... worth something, as that Sun Summoner, when I know what I'm doing, then I will go straight to the Darkling!"
Ivan looked somewhat relieved at those words.
"Well, as long as we're not hiding the truth from the General forever, then I guess... Do what you think you should. I trust you, Alina." He looked at her then, and under that stare Alina was happy she wasn't lying earlier – she really will go right to her soverenyi as soon as she controls the light and it doesn't control her.
"So, what do we do now?" she asked eagerly, glad to let Ivan take control of this mess.
"Now, we get rid of the bodies."
.
.
.
"You didn't bring flint with you, did you Ivan?" she asked tiredly.
"No," he smirked briefly.
She scowled. He frowned.
Alina Summoned her fire (she should have known, she should have figured it out when the prisms, those damned prisms were involved first!) and it slowly consumed the thoroughly searched through bodies. They found nothing useful – of course – unless you counted the chains and shackles the Shu were using. David would probably love to take a look at these.
Ivan was inspecting Osvald's leg and Alina hummed praise in Morozko's ear, when they heard other horses.
Alina was already reaching for her weapons, but Ivan waved her worried off.
"It's Fedyor," he said in that peculiar goofy tone of his, eyes shining with a smile. Alina rolled her eyes when he came to meet the dashing rescue: Fedyor on his Edvard, with the Darkling at his side and at least half of the squadron behind them. How irresponsible of them, really.
Alina braced herself for the questioning, since Ivan and Fedyor seemed busy entwined like that, and the Darkling indeed rode straight at her, his dark mare (couldn't it look more fairytale-ish, really?) stopping dramatically. Alina almost rolled her eyes and said something sharp, but then remembered she was covering up her suspicious powers.
" Moi soverenyi , we have been attacked by eight Shu men. Ivan managed to Heartrender most of them," he did get three and she (technically) only one and a half... the burned out ones didn't count for Alina. She straightened under the Darkling's focused eyes. Somehow they looked nothing like Baghra's when he looked down at her like that. She gulped and opened her mouth again to continue, but he interrupted her quickly. "There was a great light over here, didn't any of you notice anything? Was that something the Shu did or-"
Ivan finally remembered himself. Fedyor let him go with a smile and Alina's brother came to the rescue. "No, moi soverenyi . I'm sorry, moi soverenyi ! We've made a fire to burn the bodies, perhaps it was that. Alina's fires tend to be... somewhat ambitious, moi soverenyi."
If the Darkling noticed the amount of ' moi soverenyi' in Ivan's poor report, he didn't let it show. He listened to them both, nodding, but he seemed somewhat... detached from all of it.
"I see..." he muttered, the twinkle in his grey eyes fading.
Maybe it was all that earlier... excitement and maybe she was tired, but at this moment Alina thought that the Darkling, sitting on a horse, all high and mighty in his unique black kefta and shadows playing on the ground beneath him, despite being surrounded by so many people... seemed terribly lonely.
Her heart skipped a beat.
(Of course, Ivan caught it immediately and looked at her, concerned.)
Of course, the search for the Sun Summoner was somewhat legendary these days, but as – officially – the only Shadow Summoner, the Darkling must have had more reasons to want them found.
She would reveal herself eventually... but right now Alina couldn't hope that the Darkling won't immediately send her away back to Os Alta, to train under Baghra's wings... She scowled at the thought, accidentally earning the General's attention.
"I trust that the books weren't hurt, miss Starkov?" he asked playfully.
"Of course not!" Alina nearly cried out, touching protectively the sacks attached to her saddle. Perhaps not the best place for those books , but she wanted to keep them close, in case of any stalls they would make. She couldn't help but glare at her soverenyi . Sensing the danger, both Fedyor and Ivan calmed her pulse in perfect unison, and other Corporalki looked at the three of them, confused.
The Darkling, once again ignorant, smiled.
He was going to keep on riling her up* like that, wasn't he?
Once Ivan and Alina finally finished their report, with Heartrender guiding Inferni in her first official statement before the General, other soldiers were ready to join the remaining half of the squadron, and began to pair up.
"Miss Starkov with me. We don't want any stray mercenaries attacking her after this initiation!" ordered their soverenyi , and Alina huffed while mounting Morozko, before taking off rapidly. She was not going to race the General, but she wouldn't slow anyone down either.
It's going to be a long journey, she thought, while a tiny, barely visible spark of light was dancing inside her hidden palm. The locket warmed pleasantly and Alina...
Alina smiled.
AN: I'm not sure how Bardugo went with declining 'moi soverenyi' and I guess I've used a few variants already... perhaps it's something edit worthy, perhaps it's not
Ivan's history if he had access to Google: "can heartrenders stop inferni from falling in love with their bosses"
also, that (*) - so apparently 'rile up' has a few more meanings ;) but i'm gonna leave it like that. it looks hilarious even if alina's was more innocent (at least for now.)
now, next chapter will be either soon if it's an AN about Alina;s powers that ive planned but totally forgotten the damn long meta i imagined, or it will be idk when if it's the first chapter of the new arc. i probably need a break to organise it all in my head a little bit... maybe figure out how i want to connect those few plot points i've planned. and in advance, i apologise for how awkward any romance stuff will go. i used to have otps already in-love while i wrote whoesoe, so... (but the first arc was fun. i'll always have that.)
Don't hesitate to tell me what you think (of this chapter or even the whole fic so far, especially since this chapter wraps up the first arc)!