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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟑
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐒

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Inessa stood by the railing of the ship, letting the wind blow through her hair as she took in the scent of the sea. Sailing was how she always imagined traveling around the world. It made her feel a sense of freedom. The only thing that would make the moment better was Nikolai. The Smirnoff girl felt as though she turned her back on her cousin when she refused the Crows' offer to go with them. It was very tempting and there was part of her that felt she made the wrong choice. But a larger part of her knew the Lantsov boy would have to wait. Right now, Alina needed her far more than he did. And Inessa wasn't ready to leave the Sun Summoner behind. Not until the Fold was destroyed.

Unknown to her, Mal was watching her from his place beside Alina. His childhood friend was fast asleep, which was something they all needed. But the tracker wouldn't even consider resting until he knew they were safe. What was bothering him was the secret conversation Inessa had with Kaz. She refused to tell him or Alina what they talked about, which didn't sit well with either of them. While the Starkov girl didn't push the Heartrender for answers, Mal considered it a few times. He knew that Inessa wasn't working for the Darkling, that much was obvious. But what he wanted to know was what secrets the Smirnoff girl was hiding. Especially since neither he nor Alina knew her very well. And it didn't help that she was now wearing a shiny new necklace.

Both of them continued to sit with only the waves against the boat to break the silence. That was until Alina's gasp cut through the air. When they turned their attention toward her, they found the Sun Summoner looking around with panic in her eyes. While Mal did his best to calm her down, Inessa walked across the deck to sit on the other side of her. The Starkov girl took a moment to steady her breathing before looking between her allies.

"More bad dreams?" the Oretsev boy questioned while his eyes continued to study Alina. After receiving a nod in response from her, Mal opened a sketchbook to its most recent page. "Same as what you showed me before?"

"Worse," the Starkov girl declared, earning sighs from her friends as Mal closed the book in his hands, "tell me again."

"General Kirigan is dead. The Volcra took him," Inessa explained before thinking back to the friend she lost along the way, "no one who wasn't on the skiff survived."

Alina let out a shaky breath as she looked around at the strangers on the ship with them. It wasn't long after that when she began whispering just loud enough for them to hear. "I keep seeing the Fold growing, sometimes a little, sometimes in a surge. I don't know what it means."

"It means that you were affected by what happened," Inessa responded before letting out a long sigh, "and no one can blame you for that, Alina. It affected all of us."

 "Let's think about what's next. It'll help us forget what happened back there," Mal said with a small smile on his face. They sat there and listened to the captain announce they were approaching Weddle Harbor. It wasn't long after that when the Oretsev man got to his feet and approached the railing, causing the two girls to copy his actions. "This is the first time any of us have ever left Ravka. We haven't had a good meal or good sleep in about two weeks and we're going to change that soon."

A matching smile made its way onto Inessa's lips as she stared at the city in the distance. "I heard they have hot stones that keep your bed warm here."

"Well, that's if they let us into the country first," Alina sighed while keeping her eyes glued to their next destination.

"We just keep our cool," Mal said as he looked between his allies, "and once we get past the checkpoint, we'll be free."

The smile on Inessa's face did nothing but grow when she heard that four-letter word. Free. Something she never thought she would feel in her lifetime. Her reaction didn't go unnoticed by Mal, whose own smile grew because of it. And despite the thousands of questions he had for the girl he saw as a mystery, the tracker was happy to have the Heartrender with them. Especially since they could use all the help they could get.

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"I hope we look like tourists from Ketterdam," Mal said as they stood in a line of people trying to get into Novyi Zem.

A long sigh passed over Inessa's lips as she watched someone caught with forged papers get escorted away. It wasn't long after that when she looked down at the parchment in her hand. "I hope these papers from Kaz work."

The trio fell silent once again as they took in their surroundings. There were dozens of groups trying to get into Novyi Zem, all for their own reasons. It amazed the Smirnoff girl that there were this many people in the world. But being cooped up all her life would have that effect on her. That would affect anyone.

"So we go with my plan," Alina announced, drawing Inessa out of her thoughts and back to the situation at hand, "we find the Sea Whip. That's why we're here. One amplifier might not be enough, so we'll get two."

"No Grisha has ever taken on a second amplifier," the Smirnoff girl told her friend, still unsure if finding the Sea Whip was a good idea, "we don't know the risks if we try this. It might not even be worth it."

"No one's ever torn down the Fold before either," the Sun Summoner retaliated while keeping her eyes glued to the line in front of them.

"I know you can do it someday. You will get there," Mal said just loud enough for them to hear as his eyes bounced around the room as if assessing for threats, "I just...don't wanna see it kill you in the process, okay?"

Before their conversation continued, they heard a port worker calling out for Ravkan refugees. The trio exchanged a confused look, unsure what to make of the new information. But before any of them could say a word, Alina walked away from them and toward the new line forming. Both Inessa and Mal watched her go with annoyance in their eyes. Neither of them were happy with the Sun Summoner risking herself getting noticed for the sake of information. But they both knew they would draw too much attention to themselves if they tried to stop her. So instead they held their place in line while the Starkov girl went to talk to some of the Ravkan refugees.

It wasn't long before Alina began walking back toward them. Inessa didn't know what to make of the concerned look on her friend's face. And by the expression the tracker was wearing, he felt the exact same way. But both of them remained silent until the Sun Summoner returned to the line with them. She let a moment pass between them before sharing the information she learned with her allies.

"They're not nightmares," Alina said just loud enough for them to hear while keeping her eyes glued to the floor beneath her feet, "it's really happening."

Inessa and Mal shared a concerned look before the line began to move. They kept up with the people in front of them, but the Smirnoff girl couldn't ignore the thoughts bouncing around in her head. She knew that her friends thought what was happening to the Fold was an aftermath of the Darkling's actions. But she couldn't help but wonder if it was more than that. After all, the Fold wasn't alive. It couldn't just grow on its own. But the Heartrender was quickly drawn out of her thoughts when the Oretsev man broke the silence surrounding them.

"So we find the Sea Whip. You two check the library. I'll ask the fisherman when they return from their haul."

"I should go with you, Mal," Inessa said without thinking, drawing their attention toward her before she continued speaking, "I was taught how to read maps...by the royal mapmakers. You're going to need my help."

The Oretsev boy just stared at her as he took in her words. There was something about her hesitation about the royal mapmakers that felt off. Once again, he felt as though she was hiding something from them. But he knew this wasn't the time to question it. So instead, he sent her a small nod.

It wasn't long after that when the worker called out to them, causing the trio to approach the desk. They did their best not to hesitate as they handed their papers over to him. Inessa held her breath as she watched the worker read over their information. As soon as he was finished, his eyes locked on them. "Where are you from?"

"Ketterdam," Alina said without skipping a beat, earning a small nod from the worker as he stamped their papers.

After getting into Novyi Zem and renting a room at one of the inns, Inessa, Alina, and Mal headed to a nearby tavern to get something to eat. They sat at one of the booths as they watched the people surrounding them. Despite the stress of the next part of their plan, the Smirnoff girl felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. And it helped that she was able to have a decent meal. She couldn't remember the last time she properly ate and she was over the moon to fill her stomach again.

As they ate, the three of them each thought about what they needed to do next. None of them were happy about splitting up, it was the last thing any of them wanted to do. But they knew it had to be done if they wanted a good chance at finding the information they needed. They needed to find the Sea Whip before the Fold took over all of Ravka.

Their comfortable silence was soon interrupted by ringing bells in the distance. Alina instantly looked up from her food and at her friends, who were already staring back at her. "The fishing boats are coming back."

Mal gazed at her for a moment longer before swallowing his last bite of food and looking over at Inessa. "We better go to the port and make a start on tracking the Sea Whip."

The two of them instantly got to their feet and began gathering their things. Once they were ready, the Smirnoff girl's eyes met Alina's once again. "Meet back at the inn at sundown?"

"I'll see you then," the Sun Summoner responded with a small smile on her face before watching her friends walk out of the tavern.

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Inessa and Mal stuck close together as they walked along the docks. They kept their heads low and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. For the tracker, it was to avoid unwanted attention. For the Heartrender, it was to avoid watching the fisherman prepare the fish for the market. Just watching how they handled the fish sent chills throughout her entire body. She knew they were doing what was needed to survive, but Inessa didn't need to watch it happen.

It wasn't long before they met a group of friendly fishermen who were happy to answer their questions. They laid out a map on a barrel before the small group surrounded it. Inessa's eyes scanned over the map until she knew she recognized what it was showing. It looked a bit different from the maps she was used to, but it was similar enough for her to understand it.

The Heartrender listened to the fishermen answer Mal's questions, which were mainly about where they caught the most fish. Inessa remained silent throughout most of their conversation. But that was only until she realized the fishermen were avoiding a certain spot on the map. It wasn't long after that when the Smirnoff girl pointed to that area and looked up at the fishermen. "What about here?"

"No, no, trust me," one of the fishermen responded with a hint of urgency in his voice, "no schools of fish travel there."

"Why's that?" Mal questioned after looking away from the map and at the man beside him, "is there a predator in these waters? Maybe something worth a hunt?"

The fishermen just stared at the pair until one of them folded up the map and handed it to the tracker. "Don't go looking for your own deaths."

After thanking the fishermen for their time, Mal and Inessa began their journey back to the inn. However, they barely made it halfway down the dock when the Oretsev boy stopped in his tracks. If Inessa wasn't paying attention, she would've slammed right into his back. Confusion flowed through her veins as she tried to look around him to see what spooked him, only for Mal to keep her behind him. It was as if he didn't want her to see what was in front of them...or he didn't want what was in front of them to see her. But her questions were soon answered when a loud voice cut through the air.

"Attention! First Army, load up. We leave in five."

Before a full thought was able to go through Inessa's head, Mal pulled her behind the crates beside them. He took a moment to steady his breathing before his eyes landed on her. "We need to split up. It'll draw less attention."

No matter how much Inessa wanted to argue with his ridiculous idea, she knew he was right. They were both wanted for being deserters of the First and Second Armies. If they were caught, that would be the end of them. They would have a better chance if they didn't stick together. So after letting out a long sigh, the Smirnoff girl sent him a small nod. The two of them just stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, as if taking in what the other looked like in case things went south. It wasn't long after that when Inessa walked away from the crates, leaving Mal behind. The Smirnoff girl barely made it halfway down the dock when she heard shouting coming from behind her. But no matter how much Inessa wanted to turn back around and help the Oretsev boy, she knew that wasn't what he wanted. So Inessa continued walking down the dock with tears in her eyes.

Inessa quickly blinked them away as she turned a corner to a street that she hoped would take her back to the inn. She wanted to find Alina as soon as possible in case they needed to create a rescue plan for Mal. However, the Heartrender barely made it another step when she slammed into something. The impact forced her to stumble back, only for a hand to grab her arm to steady her. When the Heartrender looked up, she found a Fjerdan and a pair of Shu staring back at her.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," the Smirnoff girl told them while trying her best not to stare at the odd trio. She never thought she'd ever see a Fjerdan with Shu, but there was a first time for everything.

"Don't worry about it," the raven-haired boy responded with a large smile on his face, only for it to falter when he saw the distress in Inessa's eyes, "is everything alright?"

"Yes. I'm just in a hurry. Now, if you'll excuse me," the Heartrender said before starting to walk around them.

She only made it a few steps when the Fjerdan grabbed her arm again, forcing her to stop in her tracks. A shaky breath passed over Inessa's lips as she looked up at him. She was surprised to find that he wasn't meeting her gaze. Instead, his attention was locked on her necklace. He just stared at it for a moment longer before his eyes moved to meet hers. "Where did you get that necklace?"

Inessa instinctively reached up to touch her necklace before responding. "I didn't steal it if that's what you're thinking. It's a family heirloom."

Confusion flowed through her veins as she watched the blonde boy look over at his allies. It only took the Smirnoff girl a second to realize why. The way their eyes were locked on her and how their hands were positioned made it obvious. The Shu were Heartrenders, and they were listening to her heartbeat. Why it was important for them to know if she was lying, Inessa didn't know. But it made her want to get away from them sooner rather than later. However, when she tried to break out of the Fjerdan's grasp, his grip around her arm tightened. Panic coursed through Inessa's veins as her eyes flashed between the trio. Her instincts took over before she could even think as she tried to bring her hands together. But to her dismay, the raven-haired boy grabbed her other arm to keep her from using her abilities.

The Smirnoff girl's breathing quickened as she watched the raven-haired girl move to stand in front of her. They kept their eyes locked as she held her hands out toward Inessa. "I'm sorry about this. But he's missed having you around, and I doubt you'd come with us willingly."

Confusion soon mixed with the panic flowing through Inessa's veins. But before she could question the stranger's words, she felt her heart begin to slow. The Smirnoff girl did her best to fight against the raven-haired girl's hold on her, but there wasn't much she could do with her arms restrained. Inessa soon found it hard to keep her eyes open, no matter how hard she tried. It wasn't long after that when the world around her plunged into darkness.

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