"Lonely water, lonely water, won't you let us wander? Let us hold each other."

— Hold back the river, James Bay.

       A week had passed since Celeste had been sent out to locate Inej's parents, delivering them a note as to where their daughter was. She couldn't stay long as she was expected to help on another job but Trixie reassured her that the note would be enough to convince them. Currently, she was walking around the Van Eck mansion, looking at everything with wide eyes, reaching out to grab vases of flowers that probably cost more than her entire house. Wylan supposed he should be annoyed that this random girl was walking around his house and almost breaking everything in sight but he was too amused to say anything about it.

        Trixie noticed her friend and motioned for her to follow her outside, sending an apologetic look to Wylan and Jesper as she passed them. When they were back outside, they met up with Kaz and waited by the rose bush for Inej's arrival. Celeste was bouncing on her feet, excitement practically bursting out of her as she scanned her eyes around, hoping to locate the Suli girl.

       "C, if you don't calm down I will go get Nina to put you to sleep." Trixie announced and the girl's eyes snapped to hers, wide and panicked. "Or I could try out this new poison Wylan gave me."

       "I'm calm." Celeste quipped, sitting down on the ground while Kaz rolled his eyes at the girl.

       The sound of Inej's voice made its way to their ears and immediately Trixie motioned for the girl to stand up, grabbing her arm to hoist her off the ground. Kaz seemed like he wished to be anywhere else, Trixie was smiling widely and Celeste looked like she was going to vomit. Slowly approaching the unlikely trio, Inej gave them a nod, wondering what it was they wanted to speak to her about. Getting the message to meet them in the garden during breakfast was confusing but she was willing to listen, it could be important.

       "Here." Kaz called out, not explaining anything as he held out a long glass for her to take.

       Slowly, the girl reached out to take it from his grip, placing it to her eye and peering at the harbour. Moving it back down, she looked at the trio with confusion in her eyes, not sure what they were wanting to show her. "I don't know what I'm looking for." She admitted and Celeste was unable to hide the excitement she felt.

        "Berth twenty-two." Celeste answered quickly and Inej nodded, placing it back to her eye.

       When she adjusted the lens and scanned along the docks, she noticed a small like warship. Sleek and perfectly promotional with cannons attached to the side and a flag bearing the three Kerch fishes flying stiffly from the mainmast. On her side, spelled out in graceful white script, were the words The Wraith. Pulling the long glass down, she turned to look at her friends with a look of perplexity, she couldn't believe it.

       It couldn't be.

       "That's not—." Inej began, her voice faint as if she was unable to comprehend the sight before her.

       "She's yours." Kaz interrupted her before she could start.

        "I've asked Celeste to help you hire on the right crew." Trixie announced, motioning to the Zemeni at her side, who gave a small wave. "If you'd prefer to take on a different first mate," Celeste directed an angry glare at the blonde girl, "I'll happily find you another."

      "Trix—."

       "Wylan was looking with us and he gave us a good price. His father's fleet is full of worthy ships, but that one..." Trixie trailed off at the end, unable to think of the words that fit with what she was trying to say.

       "It suited you." Kaz finished her words and Trixie nodded in agreement.

       "That berth belongs to you too." Trixie continued, sending her friend a small smile as the girl stared at them, unsure what to say. "It will always be there if you want to come back."

      "I don't know what to say." Inej told her truthfully, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill.

       "Say you'll return, I don't think I could cope with just him for company." Trixie announced, motioning to Kaz at the words him, while he side eyed her, shaking his head while the Suli laughed.

       "I'm not done with Ketterdam." Inej replied, rushing forwards to wrap her arms around her friend, who gratefully held her close.

        "Anything you need, get Celeste to send me a note  and I will be there, anything at all." Trixie mumbled as she felt the girl relax into her embrace.

       When they pulled apart, Celeste and Inej moved down the bushes to speak to one another about what the journey would include while Kaz and Trixie stayed where they were. His hands fumbled with something behind his back while the girl looked at her two friends with a small smile, hoping she wouldn't regret her decision to let Celeste go with Inej. At times she knew Celeste could be a lot but she was one of the best, the way she could switch emotions within a second, act hostile one moment and be the sweetest person to exist the next.

       Maybe she shouldn't worry too much.

        "How are things at the house?" Kaz asked at last, breaking their silence quickly.
 
       "Chaotic," Trixie admitted with a slight chuckle. "I've walked in on Wylan and Jesper more times than I count."

       "A sight nobody should ever see." Kaz agreed with her while she let out a soft laugh, nodding in agreement. "I hear Wylan is letting Jesper play the markets."

       "Very cautiously and with extremely limited sums." Trixie explained, her eyes flickering from the roses to his eyes. "It's oddly smart what he's doing. Hoping that it's going to channel his love of risk into something productive."

       "It might work brilliantly or it could end in total disaster, but that's generally the way Jesper likes to work." Kaz commented, tapping his right hand against the cane in his grip. "At least the odds are better than in any gambling hall."

       "To be fair, Wylan only agreed after Jesper promised to start training with a Fabrikator." Trixie explained and Kaz nodded, listening to her carefully. "Assuming they can find one. It might take a trip to Ravka."

       "Tell Jesper he's missed around the Slat." Kaz suddenly told her and her lips curved upwards into a small smile. She knew it would mean the world to Jesper, hearing something like that, Kaz admitting he was missed, it was like winning a gambling game to him.

       "You know, you've changed." Trixie suddenly told him and he turned to her, raising a brow as he motioned for her to elaborate. "Or maybe you've always been this way, just pretending to be this huge monster. None of us are stupid, Kaz, we know you and you're not as terrifying as you make yourself out to be. Although, you can keep that persona for everyone else, I've already got two free dresses from being associated with you."

       Kaz let out a sound that she recognised as a quiet laugh, causing herself to mirror that sound. While she was distracted, he dropped his cane against the bush and she felt his knuckles slide against hers. Suddenly his hand was intertwined with hers, their palms pressed against one another, fingers clasped together. She looked down at the sight and let her lips upturn, flickering from their hands to his eyes, where he avoided her gaze, looking out at the ships passing by on the sea.

      They became comforted by that silence that they'd always loved so much, surrounding them and erasing any thoughts that'd cause any stress upon them. It was odd, two dangerously deadly people just basking in the rising sun, terrified that they'd say the wrong thing to the other and cause them to leave. Both of them were unaware of the eyes on them, two inquisitive people sharing a knowing look with one another.

       "Kaz," Trixie asked, suddenly interrupting the silence that had surrounded them for a brief minute, "why crows?"

        "The crow and cup?" He furrowed his brows at her question. "Probably because crows are scavengers. They take the leavings."

       "I don't mean the Dregs tattoo. That's as old as the gang." Trixie scoffed, turning to face him. "Why did you adopt it? Your cane. The Crow Club. You could have chosen a new symbol, built a new myth, your mind is amazing, I'm sure you would've chosen something terrifying, yet you kept it as a Crow."

      Kaz's bitter coffee eyes remained trained on the horizon, the rising sun painting him in pale gold light. Trixie wished there was an invention to capture something forever because this was a sight she never wanted to let go. It reminded her of one of those paintings in her mother's house, gorgeously perfect and unreachable.

       "Crows remember human faces. They remember the people who feed them, who are kind to them. And the people who wrong them too." Kaz explained and she listened carefully, hanging onto his every word as if he would disappear.

      "Really?"

      "They don't forget." Kaz nodded slowly, there was something about his voice that made her feel as if there was a double meaning to his words. "They tell each other who to look after and who to watch out for."

        Kaz finally turned to look at her, moving his other hand from behind his back and placing something into the girl's hands. She looked down and noticed that there was a red rose in her free hand. Looking closer she could see that wrapped around the stem, a pink ribbon clung onto the green and the sight brought a soft smile to her face. When she raised her eyes, she noticed he was actually smiling and it was something she wanted engraved into her mind forever.

      Trixie would pay all her Kruge to make sure that smile was a permanent feature for the boy, it looked nice on him.

Words~1704
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