Mal took his place beside the stag, reaching into his pocket for the apples he picked from the trees. Baghra had been gone for a day now and he was anxious to know when she'd be back. He wished he had taken his chance and come out of the bushes when Alina was by the riverbank, but it would have blown his cover and Kirigan would have the stag by now. The stag was sat peacefully by the tree it was tied to, watching Mal as he sliced the apples with the knife Baghra had left him.
He held a piece out for the stag who gobbled it gently, it's teeth slightly grazing Mal's palm and licking the juice. Mal took a bite himself and looked out into the forest. He was thinking about how Baghra would get Alina out of the little palace. It was clear Kirigan was upping the security around her and wasn't going to give a chance for Alina to be taken away. And then it hit Mal.
What was Alina doing here in the first place?
Had they been searching for the stag themselves? Did Alina know about its amplification? The thought of Alina not knowing it's real use for her made Mal sick inside and he sighed against the tree.
The peaceful noises of the permafrost relaxed Mal, the tension leaving his body. His mind went to Alina and memories of running through the meadow with her, hand in hand, lying there in the grass with not a care in the world. He wished it could all go back to that life.
A twig snapping jolted Mal from his daydream, and he shot up like a deer in headlights. He reached for his rifle, watching intently as he waited for whoever was hiding in the trees to emerge. He stood up and took a firm grip, holding the rifle out, ready to fire. Another twig snapped and voices started to come closer.
"If we don't find her, what do you think the general will do" one said.
"Mostly likely have us killed" the other said.
"You're not serious, are you?".
"Did you see the look he gave us, I thought we were done for back there and besides, he said not to come back unless we find her" the voices grew louder and Mal stood in front of the stag, blocking it from being seen. Mal knew these were Kirigan's guards... but what did they mean by finding her?
The two guards emerged from the trees, dressed in their uniforms. They were young looking fellas and they scowered the clearing.
"So, if we don't find her, we just don't go back" the other said and the both of them let out a laugh. Mal cocked his rifle which alerted the two. He wasn't going to take any chances of them finding the stag and taking it away. the guards looked over and reached for their rifles but Mal fired a shot, smoke blasting from the end of the rifle and the guards threw themselves to the ground for cover.
"Saints" one of them said as he scrambled for his rifle but Mal charged to him, hitting him on the head and cutting it open. Blood pooled on the snowy floor, and he groaned in pain. The other guard stood, kicking Mal in the side, prepared to snatch his rifle but Mal was quicker and he punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Mal snagged the guards rifle and cocked his again, pointing it directly at his face.
"Who are you?" he demanded, and the guards laid in the snow, hands up in defence. They were helpless. Mal knew exactly who they were but he needed information.
"We work for general Kirigan" one breathed as the other groaned in pain from his head.
"Where is Alina" Mal said and the guard looked at him confused.
"We don't know, we've been sent to look for her?".
"She's here?" Mal asked. Was she still in the forest? From the riverbank, it seemed too Mal that she was leaving but had he been wrong, and she was still here?
"We don't know" the guard spat and Mal shoved the rifle closer, threatening him.
"Why was she out here?" Mal gritted. The guard was about to say something when the other one whispered instead.
"Saint's, it can't be" the guard was staring at the stag in amazement, his eyes a light with surprise. Mal looked over and noticed the stag was stood up now, watching the scene unfold.
"Hang on a minute, it's him" the guards looked to each other, realising who Mal was. Kirigan had mention Mal to them before and even showed them a picture of Mal. His warrant for arrest was still available and Kirigan had warned these two that he could be dressed in an Oprichniki uniform. As the guards took Mal's appearance in, they now noticed the top half of his uniform was the same as theirs.
The guard who hadn't sustained the head injury jumped from the ground and grabbed the end of his rifle, yanking it to catch Mal of guard. Mal grunted as his arm twisted but he let go of the rifle, allowing the guard to fall and give him the opportunity to kick him in the stomach, sending him to the ground in immense pain. the other guard had grown some strength and stood up, staggering a little, his sight blurry from the injury and threw a punch at Mal who dodged it seamlessly.
Mal held his fists up, ready for a fight and threw one hook to the right and ducked as the guard threw one back. Mal gave a short punch in front and with his other fist, swung it low into his ribs. The guard coughed as the wind was knocked out of him and stumbled back. Mal threw another punch at the chance and punched him square in the face, blood pouring from his nose and the guard collapsed, snow crunching as his body landed.
suddenly, the rifle came in front of Mal, pressing against his neck as the guard held it from behind Mal, strangling him and cutting of the air. Mal gagged and wheezed for a breath of air, trying to knock the guard off his balance at the same time. His hands struggled and waved about and Mal lifted his leg up and kicked as hard as he could on the guard's foot, knocking him down. Mal swung the rifle to the side and cocked it quickly, sending a shot in seconds and a bang echoed in the permafrost, birds escaping into the sky with squarks and screams.
The guard screamed in horror as his foot had been shot at, blood pouring all over the ground. With one final whack to the face, Mal knocked him unconscious. Mal could finally catch his breath and he stared at the bloodied sight before him.
The guards were looking for Alina for some reason and Mal wished he'd known before knocking them out. He could wait until they woke up to ask more questions, but he didn't want to take the risk that if there were more Oprichniki out there, who could find him knowing these two were missing as well.
Deciding it was best to move camp, Mal dragged the guards against the tree by the stag and using some of the rope left over, tied them to it so they wouldn't follow once they woke. The guard with the bullet in his foot certainly wouldn't be able to run after Mal and the idea of shooting the other one as well was tempting but Mal needed to save his bullets for when he really needed them. They had seen his face as well and would most likely report back to Kirigan which Mal didn't need either.
Mal untied the stag and gave the leash a gentle tug for the stag to follow on. He knew Baghra would have something to say but he would deal with that when she returned with Alina and right now his focus was getting somewhere safe and covered.
…
Alina dumped her kefta on the chair beside the vanity and threw of her close before falling into bed. She didn't have the energy to put on her nightgown. The day seemed to drag on and she was relieved to finally be able to drift on in her comfy bed. She was exhausted from catching up with the other Grisha and luckily, they didn't ask to much about her disappearance. Kirigan had obviously said something which kept the rumours at bay about where she went and why she went.
She slept soundly that night and when morning came, she couldn't bear to get out of bed. The room was colder than usual and having no nightgown on did make a difference. Alina stirred in bed and snuggled in her sheet, her head peeking out and she looked over at the clock to see it was already nearly nine o'clock. She had missed breakfast and Kirigan would most likely be waiting for her.
She scrambled out of bed, making a beeline for the bathroom. Genya would probably be on her way to see why she hadn't gotten up yet and she didn't want her morning to start with a scolding.
Alina dressed quickly and emerged from the bathroom, searching the room for her kefta. She could have sworn she left it on the chair last night when she came in. Alina looked everywhere, even in the places where it was impossible for her kefta to be, but it was nowhere. The only kefta she had was the black and gold.
Alina looked at it through the bag and let out a small sigh.
You've forgiven him now so what's the problem
After her training with him yesterday and the kiss in the woods, she had completely forgotten about everything that had happened. But like her brain was telling her, she had forgiven him, and it was time to move aside from it. She pulled the kefta out of the bag and slipped it on before making her way down to the courtyard.
Alina had forgotten how much she enjoyed training with Kirigan. Watching as he so easily called his shadows for her to allow her to banish them with her light gave her a giddy feeling inside. She was growing more powerful every time she summoned and Kirigan gave her that pleased smile as he watched her light bounce smoothly through his darkness.
And when she came down this morning, he instantly gleamed at her as she wore the black and gold kefta. He didn't make a comment about it and only admired her in his colour. They walked together, her arm clutching his as he led the way. Alina took the opportunity to ask about Baghra.
"So when will Baghra be coming back, she must be really sick for you to have sent her away?".
"Until I'm certain she won't be a threat to anyone. I sent her to Poliznaya, they have a recovery centre there were they should keep her under care until she get's better".
"Well hopefully she does, I kind of miss her" Alina said and Kirigan chuckled softly.
And at the end of her training, he couldn't resist not kissing her, his hand cupping the back of her neck, the sting of cold of his ring on her skin and Alina moaned softly into his lips.
"Come on, let's take this inside" he whispered, and Alina grinned, biting her lower lip sexily. The second the door to his war room shut, his hands were on her, and her hands were on him. He pushed her against the table, kissing her all over, nipping at the skin on her neck and Alina moaned softly, her hands running with his hair. Tingles ran through her body and Alina felt warmth between her legs. She ran her hands inside his kefta, across his chest and a hot flush came over her.
Alina pushed herself closer to deepen the kiss, but Kirigan pulled away to Alina's surprise.
"Wait" he breathed, and Alina sunk lower.
Oh no, have I done something wrong
"Not now… later, tonight" he said, and Alina realised what he meant. He didn't want to do this now, he wanted her later tonight.
"Oh" was all Alina said and Kirigan shook his head.
"I don't want to have you on my table, I want you in my bed with me, I want to do this properly" he said, and Alina blushed. She had never laid with a man before and as her first time, she too wanted it to be special. Alina nodded her head and Kirigan cupped her face, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, his nose pressing on to hers.
"Meet me here after dinner" he said and she nodded, a smile appearing on her face.
Alina couldn't contain the blush she held on to her face as she left the war room, walking down the hallway. Luckily for her it was empty, and she took a moment to catch her breath, the giddiness inside her still there from the passionate make out she just had. As she walked down the hallway however, a hand grabbed her from the side, wrapping onto her mouth and she instantly screamed inside it.
Her scream was muffled, and she struggled in the hands pulling her into a small room which was pitch black. Alina thrashed in the hands and tried to rip them off her but the voice beside her ear made her freeze.
"Shush girl" Alina stopped, and her eyes widened. The hands dropped and she turned slowly, the darkness seeping back into the corners of the room to reveal the person standing behind her.
"Baghra".
Hey so I hope you like it, what do you think will happen next, let me know in the reviews.