if anyone wants to dare | Glowfic Constellation

the-truth-is-never-straight

Sergeant Valeriya Oretsev - or just Val - had tracked Bo Yul-Bayur all the way to the (very frustrating) shootout between Shu and Fjerda that ended in his death and the capture of his daughter, Kuwei Kir-Bo, by Fjerdan witch-hunters.

Val isn't well suited to breaking into Shu research facilities, so if the Darkling wants to get her hands on jurda parem that way, she's going to have to send someone else.

But she is exceptionally well suited to pursuing the witch-hunters up the coast -

She isn't fast enough, though, and they get Kuwei Kir-Bo behind the unbroken walls of the Ice Court before she can do more than take down a few witch-hunters. (Assholes.) They didn't get a good look at her face, at least, which means a short run and a quick change of clothes lets her blend into the city, where she tracks down one of Ravka's spies (giving the appropriate code words, and also advice on being less embarrassingly easy to track) and then cools her heels until the Darkling can figure out a way to get a team into the fucking Ice Court. Or until she just calls Val back, but Val's got a hunch that she's not about to let Kuwei slip through her fingers.

Confirmation of that hunch comes in the form of Sturmhund, legendary pirate - unofficial Ravkan privateer, which is the extent of her identity that Val has clearance for - who's somehow swanned her way into an invitation to Hringkalla, the massive spring festival. Val's swept into her 'entourage' - not the Ravkan diplomatic team, who probably at best will be able to provide extraction backup in case of catastrophic failure to sneak away, with how closely they're being watched - and that somehow gets them all the way to White Island (Val is seriously impressed), where Val quietly scopes out the crowd while Sturmhund draws attention (apparently via vying for an 'audience' with the Crown Princess, which, good luck to her) -

And then she sees Kaz Brekker, of all people.

Well, they knew they wouldn't be the only ones after Kuwei - the Dregs' presence just means their competition is actually serious -

At which point she follows Kaz's gaze to a building ruckus at the center of the court, near the throne -

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the-truth-is-never-straight

...She doesn't object to the Darkling, mostly because Svetka likes her and Val's moral compass points towards the nearest hot girl, but, yeah, honestly she doesn't really object to no one having a shortcut to parem. ...Even if it'll probably get developed again.

Though - "Fuck, is that why Inej hasn't put a knife to my throat for sneaking in here?"

dirtyhands

"Yes."

the-truth-is-never-straight

...Eh, the Darkling can go fuck herself.

"Inej's my friend. You don't need to pay me for help rescuing her."

"Who's the other?"

dirtyhands

"Nina Zenik. You know, the lost Fjerdan princess's sweetheart."

the-truth-is-never-straight

She pulls up short. "Nina's here - ?" A complicated expression passes over her face, then: "I failed to save her once. I won't fail her again."

dirtyhands

"Van Eck, one of the merchers, has Inej. Don't know who took Nina, but they have soldiers that can fly. With wings."

the-truth-is-never-straight

"...Concerning."

"But it won't stop me from tracking them, not this time."

dirtyhands

"Good."

the-truth-is-never-straight

"And... The Darkling'll probably still want Bol-Yatur's daughter - if she won't replicate her father's work, but could, then maybe she'll agree to work on counter measures or something. And if nothing else, the Darkling will want to keep her out of others' hands." Plus the Darkling generally thinks she can be persuasive. "But that's not a priority for me - and rescuing Inej and Nina is not payment for her."

dirtyhands

"If she wants to leave, you can take her. Girl's ten pounds of issues in a five pound sack, and I don't think Ketterdam will be good for her."

the-truth-is-never-straight

"No payment?"

dirtyhands

"People aren't property."

the-truth-is-never-straight

"You're nicer than you act."

dirtyhands

"In some ways. But if your boss has a spare thirty million kruge, I'll cut you in on a percentage to keep that side of me to yourself."

the-truth-is-never-straight

She laughs. "You'll have to talk to someone else for exactly how large our war chest is, sadly. Though Sturmhund might be able to tell you how much she was hired for, to help me with this mission... Could give a ballpark, at least."

dirtyhands

"Sturmhund, the pirate princess?"

the-truth-is-never-straight

"Yep - Fjerda tragically doesn't trust Ravkan delegations half as far as they can throw them. I got into White Island with Sturmhund's crew, and she's the one who sailed me here. She's downstairs right now - probably still trying to charm your bartender, though she'll figure out where the brothel is soon enough."

dirtyhands