It had been almost three months of being stuck at the little palace, and a week or two since I had discovered that Zina, Luka and Koldan were reporting on me, I was still ignoring them.

Grisha came and went enjoying their lives while I was only permitted to leave when the general said so, and that most likely meant with him.

So imagine my surprise when one rainy day as I was huddled over some theory on the couch, books spread out all over on my desk and bed, I heard a knock at my door. I didn't have the faintest idea of who it was.

"Come in," I shouted, too lazy to go over to the door, they came to me, if they really wanted to see me they could let themselves in.

"Is it such a drag to open your door?" The Darkling asked me sarcastically, walking through the door.

"Truthfully? Yes, what do want," I said putting my bookmark in my book and closing it.

"You're very straight to the point, arent you," he commented sitting down on the small bit of couch that wasn't covered in books.

"Well incase you haven't noticed, I'm a bit busy trying to catch up," I gestured at all the books laid across my room.

"Very well," he sighed, "I'm going to inspect some of the front lines tomorrow and one of my inferni seems to have come down with a cold. I figured you might benefit from the change of scenery."

Joy danced in my eyes, "Seriously? Away from the palace? Uh YES," I exclaimed tossing my book away, "What's the catch?" I asked suspiciously.

"Not everything has a catch you know," he reliped.

I raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed, "Its the outpost by the Shu han border, by your old village."

"Oh," I shrank back into the couch, I felt conflicted, all I wanted was to go back there, try and get some sort of reassurance that everything was alright, but if there was an outpost there that only meant that everyone was gone.

"Are you still okay to come?" He asked.

I nodded, "But one question," he raised an eyebrow, "I left something there, it was well hidden so even an idiot like you wouldn't be able to find it, could I get it?"

He cocked his head to the side a bit, "Did you just call my men idiots?"

"No I called you an idiot, idiot. So can I?"

His lips quirked up into a slight smile, "Of course."

So there was a soul under all that.

The next morning I joined a group of around 10 Grisha in the courtyard where a cluster of horses were lined up.

In the group I could make out the colours of a few healers, heartrenders, squallers and inferni.

"I forgot to ask," the Darkling said coming up behind me, "You do know how to ride, don't you?"

I flicked my hair behind my shoulder dramatically, "You're looking at the number one messenger in my village."

The ghost of a smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth as a servant came over with two horses and handed us both the reins.

The horse the Darkling held was black all over, even the tack was fully black, I had to admit it was very fitting for the rider.

Rena held the reins of a beautiful grey speckled horse, whose eyes were a deep brown like her own.

She rubbed her hand along its muzzle as her father conversed with Ivan. The horse nickered softly, welcoming the gentle rubs and scratches.

"Are you ready?" Her father asked her, as everyone started to mount their horses.

"To leave here? Yes," she responded struggling with her short build to place her foot in the stirrup.

"Surely it isn't that bad here," he said, giving her a boost into the saddle and then mounting his own horse.

"No, but I do hate being cooped up, incase you, somehow, haven't noticed," she mocked.

Another ghost of a smile flickered over his features as the group of Grisha rode out of the gates, towards the Shu han border.

As it was getting dark we broke off the path and found a clearing surrounded by trees, but had a clear view of the trail we were just on.

The Darkling rode back to where I was leading me over to a fallen tree to tie our horses to.

"We're stopping for the night," he told me as if I hadn't noticed, "It might be the only rest we get for a few days."

I nodded as I came to a stop and dismounted rather ungracefully, if anything I probably looked like a fish on dry land slowly flopping towards water. It was laughable compared to the swift movements of my father.

I relived my horse of the weight of its saddle, draping it over the log, the darkling did the same.

I hopped over the log and began to walk into the trees, "Where are you going?" The Darkling called.

"You hear that," I said tapping my ear, "Running water, I'm filling up my canteen and reliving me feet of their blisters, I'll bring you back a fish. Try not to miss me," I mocked.

I found the river not too far from our camp, the fast running water cool underneath my bare feet, I had deposited my boots, socks and kefta close by the river bank as I hiked up my pants and waded through the water.

I held the knife Botink had gave me in my hand, my movements slow as I tried to locate signs of life in the river, I saw a school of fish approaching me from up river. I slowly counted to three and then plunged my knife down, catching the tail of one of the fish, my other hand caught another and I quickly pulled them both out of the water and walked back to the riverbank to retrieve my things and return to camp.

"Where'd you get those?" I heard Ivan question me as I was walking towards the fire an inferni had set up in the middle of the clearing.

"What do you think? I caught them obviously," I responded handing the two fish to a bewildered squaller who was cooking a rabbit over the fire.

"Why? Don't you think I'm capable of catching my own food Ivan?" I asked, "I'm not some stupid, dependant little girl," and with that I left him to go set out my bed roll like everyone else.

"You're quite the hunter," the Darkling sat next to her as she ate her share of rabbit and fish.

She was a slow eater and she knew it, everyone else was already finished and either sleeping, on watch or talking in small groups.

"Thank you," I managed while taking a bite out of the meat.

"Where'd you get that knife?" He asked me picking up my dagger that I had placed by bed roll and started inspecting it.

"Botkin gave it to me," I responded as he unsheathed it from its scabbard, "He said I had earned it," he stabbed the point into the process of meat I had left on the plate as I wasn't hungry anymore, and ate it.

He cleaned it off on the inside of his kefta and returned the blade to its scabbard.

"He's right, you know," the Darkling stated as he placed it back where he found it, "You have earned it. I heard you're one of the best in your class in combat, and rising up in theory," I blushed slightly at his complements.

"More people reporting my every move to you," I sighed.

"No," he looked down at me, "I keep track of every Grisha that has potential to be in my service. Like those friends of yours."

"Their not my friends," I muttered, he raised a brow but didn't question me further.

"Rest," he finnaly said, "We leave at first light. If we continue the pace we were at, we should arrive at the outpost in about three to four days."

I nodded, laying down on the flimsy cloth and makeshift pillow that made up my bed roll. I shivered as a cold breeze brushed against my body, almost immediately I felt something warm being draped over me, that I later realized was my father's cloak, and I fell into a welcome sleep.

hey besties, double update cause I definitely wasn't late👀

Updates might be a bit later on Fridays now as I'm back at school, so thank you for reading and don't forget to vote and comment!!