I wake up the crackling of a fire and when I open my eyes I gasp, scrambling away from what my freshly woken mind determines as a threat, "woah careful, Sale, its ok you are safe now" I hear the familiar sounds of Mal's voice. I take a moment to assess where I am and see that surrounding me is Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Zoya, Mal and Alina all safe and alive. Sighing I stand up and rush to embrace my cousin, we hug each other tightly everyone silent for a moment until I pull away and ask "what happened?" the last thing I remember is is being hit with shadow and then everything after that is kind if hazy. Alina stays by my side as she explains "we fought the Darkling, we won although Novokribirsk was swallowed by the Fold" my heart jumps "but everyone is ok" I finish for her and she nods.

The others are all looking at me with pity in their eyes which lets me know they saw what happened on the skiff between Aleksander and I before he hit me with his power. I have cuts and bruises all over my body and I look up at the Fold feeling guilty about not saying goodbye to him and also feeling guilty for feeling like that. I move and sit between Jesper and Kaz trying to warm myself by the fire without much luck because I am still shivering, swiftly Jesper takes his jacket off and hands it to me, I take it with a thankful smile and wrap it around my body instantly feeling warmer. "I've never met a Saint before" Inej says to my cousin across the fire, this is the first time I have ever seen her nervous even after facing one of the most powerful Grisha ever, Alina makes the girl nervous. "I've never been a Saint before" she jokes although no one laughs, everyone too tired that's when I notice Kaz and Jesper have moves away from the group to talk privately. Huh weird.

I look at my hands in my lap and Mal slips his hands over them, I look up at him and he gives me hands a comforting squeeze "I told you we would find our way back to each other" he jests and I try my best to smile and I lean my head on his shoulder "and all this started because Alina didn't want to leave you alone to cross the Fold" I feel Mal laugh and he replies "if you weren't there we probably would have all died" that is something I don't like thinking about. Especially because of all of the near death experiences after that but I answer "I'm always saving your ass" as light hearted as possible.

Jesper and Kaz come over, the former with a bag in his hand and he starts handing out clothes "step one of a good plan" Jesper says "a change of clothes" he hands me clothes that are better fitting than his jacket, which falls down to my knees and I change swiftly not caring about modesty considering everything we have just been through. "So" Alina asks once everyone is standing "will you be trying to kidnap me again?" I look at Kaz who has a hard to read expression on his face and Jesper answers "of course not". Kaz looks at him with distaste and asks "have you found religion too?" he is so serious all the time it is hard not to smile, "no its just... bad manners isn't it" Jesper answers trying to come up with an excuse and I shrug "basic courtesy" earning a look from Kaz which I answer with a wink. No amount of near death experiences will keep me from being my normal over confident self.

"You are quite valuable, you know?" Kaz tells Alina and that sounds vaguely like a compliment, well as much of one as he is probably prepared to give anyway given his God complex. Alina comes hobbling over to us, still sporting wounds from earlier events and says "so is this" we look down and see the hair piece she had on in the Fold in her hand. It is a beautiful hair piece with blue and black gemstones in that is probably worth more than my weight in Kruge, not that I know how much that its of course. Kaz takes it from her hand and observes it "I saw this on a portrait of one of the queens in the Little Palace" he says, eyes still on the jewellery, "its not a gift" Alina says her voice taking on a more cold tone "its too keep quite about who I am" she glances at me "who we are. Where I go from here" my heart aches in my chest as I realise this will be one of the last times I will see her since I still plan to go to ketterdam with the Crows.

Kaz and Alina stare at each other for a long moment before Kaz hands the piece of jewellery to me and whispers "keep it safe" I nod and tuck it into the pocket of my trousers, a hand on it at all times. Mal and Alina go to leave before she stops and turns to me, reaches out a hand which I take and she says "I am so sorry for everything I have put you through over the last few months" she gives my hand a squeeze and tears form in my eyes "you will always be in my heart Salem, you are my twin flame" the tears spill over and fall down my face "I love you Alina, always" I say my voice breaking and she lets go of my hand. I embrace Malyen Oretsev for the last time and he whispers "don't get in too much trouble without me" I laugh and wipe the tears from my eyes "never" I whisper back before I watch them go.

I turn back to the others, Zoya staring into the flames of the fire "I have to go" she says suddenly getting up and walking towards the Fold "wait" I call and Inej says "you can't go back into the Fold" Zoya turns to face us hurt all over her face and I feel pity for what she lost to the Darkling. "To Novokribirsk" she says "I have family in that city. I need to know how much of it is lost" Kaz stands up clutching onto his cane tightly. How that thing survived the events on the skiff I have no idea, "its dangerous to go looking for the dead. What you see may haunt you for the rest of your days" he warns and I can tell b the tone of his voice that he has some experience with that notion himself.

"Not going will haunt me more" she says her voice quite and lack of hope obvious, I was never close to her but I would never want Zoya to suffer not knowing what happened to the city her family lived in. I would do the same in her position. I embrace the girl much to her shock and she hugs me back "I will see you soon" I whisper and watch as she climbs her way back to the Fold. I turn to my new friends and ask "so where to now?".

Kaz kicks dirt over the fire to cover our tracks and we start to make a plan. "its a two day walk to Os Kervo from here, given our condition" he eyes me as though I am going to break down and I just narrow my eyes letting him know I am stronger than he thinks, "two days is the crows walk" Jesper adds and I'm not totally sure what that mean, "we can smuggle ourselves onto a ship to Ketterdam from there" Kaz explains and I nod my head. Why buy a ticket for safe travel when you just smuggle yourself on bored, that's when I realise I am going to see the true sea for the first time and I am suddenly eager to get going. We start on our slow walk to the docks, the real docks.

I walk in front with Jesper who is, very animatedly telling me about Ketterdam and all of the things I will probably enjoy while Inej and Kaz talk behind us. It is quite a peaceful walk to Os Kervo and once we get there I gasp at the sight of the True sea "beautiful isn't it" Jesper says from beside me and I nod taking it "I hope you don't get sea sick" he says patting my back and we head onto the ship. Once on board I notice two familiar figures standing near the front taking in the view, I don't say anything but slip away to go and see them. Once there I rest my head on the girls shoulder "amazing isn't it" I say to my cousin who turns and smiles at me "see you got here in one piece" she muses and I smile "thankfully, although we did have some trouble with a farmer who chased us from his lands with a shotgun" this makes us all laugh and Mal asks "are you sure you don't want to come with us?" I turn to look at the Crows perched below us and I smile as I watch them formulate a plan for once we are in Ketterdam and I look back to my old friends "yeah, I want to mix it some" I hug them both again before making my way back down.

Sitting across from Kazans and next to Inej I watch as we pull away from the docks when I feel someone's gaze on me and I turn to see Kaz staring "what?" I ask self consciously and he leans forward moving a piece of hair on my head "you have a blond streak" he says softly and I look and smile before letting my hair fall "oh yeah"

A/N: since there is no season 2 yet everything after this chapter is based on the Six Of Crows books :)