#druskelle

[jkriordanverse]

Grayson Hawthorne, Jacks, Jason Grace, Dean Redding, Aaron Warner( idk i dont know the guy), Savannah Grayson, Matthias Helvar, Keefe Sencen, Nikolai Lantsov

[crowsmischief]

in another life matthias and nina are very happy and very in love eating waffles in their farm taking care of trassel and growing yellow tulips, not in this one tho because leigh hates me.

[jenlizrose]

sad white wolf himbos and their hot sorceress wives trope is my favourite:

[datura-meloxia]

So, this may not be the typical iteration of this character that people would have expected, but I’d like to introduce my own version of our beloved Fjerdan, Matthias Helvar!!

Now, I’m neither 6’4” nor super hench like Calahan Skogman, so I kind of took that as the go ahead to make this version of Matthias completely my own. I was inspired by a lot of different fan art and then some specific details about druskelle taken from the books (and of course I had to fit Trassel in there too!!)

Getting to meet Freddy and Amita in this cosplay at MegaCon was so wild, and Freddy recognising it as Matthias was really really special. When I though it couldn’t get any better, I got to show Danielle pictures of the cosplay at the play she and Freddy were a part of, and she LOVED IT!! She even took photos on her phone to show to Cal!! (My friend managed to get some pictures of her reaction and it was the best thing ever!!!)

And to top it all off, Leigh Bardugo herself has now seen and liked my photos on Instagram… I don’t think I’m ever going to get over how WILD these last few days have been!

So with that being said, hope you all enjoy my Matthias as much as Leigh and the cast have :)) 🐺🤍

[mysteryofvampires]

My type? Blond, blue eyed scandinavian boys with problems!!!

[honeii-puff]

There is something that really confuses me about when people talk about Matthias’s hairstyle

So in the books, when Drüskelle are on their first mission, they aren’t allowed to grow out their hair. It has to stay buzzed, proven by the comment “when we get home, I’m growing my beard down to my naval” from one of the druskelle when Nina was taken captive.

They don’t have that rule in Hellgate. So it grows out.

And then he has someone (forgot who) on the ship help him cut his beard cuz the cuffs make it hard.

So I’m confused why people were dissapointed to see him with scraggly hair in Hellgate, when that’s how it’s supposed to be.

[wh0refornikolailantsov]

Prompt: “I shouldn’t be in love with you!”

For Matthias x Grisha!Reader please!!

Bestie, your testing my writing capabilities with Matthias and you know it, I will try my best but I don't think I got the skills to write him well

I Didn't Ask To Have These Feelings For You - Matthias Helvar

Content Warnings: Fjerdan Views Of Grisha. Canon Complaint Threat And Violence. Not Beta/Proof Read.

Heartrender Reader.

Love is the death of duty, those words have never meant much to Matthias, they were something he would hear people say outside of Fjerda, when he was travelling with the Drüskelle, but they didn't reach him, they didn't mean anything to him. Not until you.

He had not known you were grisha at first, you had found him, unconscious by the waters, the ship he was on had gotten lost in the fog on the trip by the Bone Road, and he had been headed for Vilka, under orders to bring back what he would undoubtedly find there. But he never quite mad it to Vilka, the black waters and the heavy air had gotten to his head and he got off the ship before they correct course. Matthias had planned to get himself back together and then continue his journey, but somewhere along the line things had gotten messy, he had been knocked unconscious by strangers that mistook him for a threat to them, and maybe he would've been, had he known they were grisha to begin with.

But when he had woke you had been cleaning the cut on his head with a warm rag and you offered him salted fish and honey water and he had not known how to respond to your kindness. You had been nothing but gentle, and welcoming, and he was a stranger in your home. Your home which you had brought him into, knowing what a danger he could pose to you, even if he didn't know it at the time, you had. You are grisha, and a Fjerdan is always a risk to you, but a Drüskelle, that's inviting a death wish into your home, and yet you couldn't just leave him for wilderness, for all the rolling fields and mountains, the landscape wasn't all that forgiving to strangers, you hadn't doubted someone from Fjerda could understand what what was like.

"You live alone?" he had asked you and you had laughed it off, typical for that to be the first thing he would ask.

"Yes," you had told him, "it's not as uncommon as you might think."

"Yet you brought me into your home," he stated. You had waited a moment for him to elaborate and when he hadn't you refilled his drink with a sigh and a gentle shake of your head.

"You have to believe there is good in people still, White Wolf," you had told him. He had ragged a hand across his blonde hair at that comment. "It's about honour is it not? Your whole thing?"

"Drüskelle are honourable," he had stated.

"Well I brought you into my home, unarmed and unchained, to tend to the wounds of a strange I had found who would've surely died or succumb to some dreadful fate, not being from this place, and being so close to the castle ruins, you're inviting danger in that. So surely, if Drüskelle are such men of honour, I had no reason to afraid, because what honour would there be in doing harm to me after that is what I have done?"

Matthias hadn't had a response to that, because you were right, you had shown him kindness, and you were to expect nothing in return except the respect to not harm you for such kindness, as a Drüskelle he meant you no harm if you were not a threat, and he saw you not as a threat at all. He saw just gentle smiles, and healing hands and slightly burnt bread in attempts to make him food.

He saw only how you hummed to yourself while you cooked, how each time he ate he felt better, he felt stronger, and how you could tell so much about the day by looking at the sky. You had asked about his home, about his faith and he had talked to you with more comfort than he would've expected, but you were quickly becoming a stranger no longer, and instead someone he knew. Someone he felt he knew.

You hadn't planned on falling in love with him, you had hoped that maybe through kindness and companionship he would grow to see you as a person, before he had any idea you were grisha, and you hoped that knowing you before he knew would give him grounds to consider that maybe grisha were more than witches. You knew it was a risk, but considering being found out would mean the Kaelish would come for your blood anyway, you weren't a stranger to the danger on the doorstep. Also knowing Fjerdan's were on the Isle's looking for grisha meant the risk was already at your doorstep, and you could run, you could fight, or you could try and change their minds, even if it was only one at a time.

You'd hoped to gain his trust, maybe even cultivate a type of friendship between the two of you, something that might withstand learning that you were born to use The Small Science.

But somehow it had gotten itself further along than that, deeper rooted, and you could feel him in your skin as you walked beside him. You'd fallen in love with a Drüskelle. And part of you was willing to believe he had fallen in love with you too.

That's what makes this moment, this moment you knew was going to come eventually, but you hadn't pictured it like this. One of the kids from the isle had fallen from the rocks and had hit her head, and despite keeping to yourself for your safety, the kids in the area knew you well enough as the one with the medicines. So it was no surprise when the kids turned up at your door searching for help.

You treated the girls wounds with the medicines you had, bandaging up the wounds, and while the kids paced outside you listened closely to her heartbeat, counting her breaths, assessing her quietly, in the way only you could. You felt Matthias watching you, but you knew it's all concern and not suspicion. But then you feel it, the cracked bone that is lodging itself in tissue where it will only do harm.

"Matthias," you said softly, "can you pass me clean water?" Your attempt to send him on an errand long enough to do what you can for the kid was well thought out, and it should have worked. But when the bone snapped back into place it was Matthias's sharp inhale of breath that you heard.

You turned to him and his eyes were on you, wide and filled with a hurt you recognised all too well. "Matthias-,"

You don't get to speak before he has disappeared into the fields. You finish bandaging up the child and as she wakes you explain what to tell her parents and you watch the distance as they walk her back home. You've done this enough times, enough times that you probably should have been caught out by now. But some children talking of the healer in the woods, always sounded more like a folktale or an exaggeration than something to investigate and if they ever came looking for you, your medicinal practice you hoped would be enough to cover your tracks, no one had seen you were grisha, not until Matthias, not until now.

You're walking the lower rocks of the mountain, you're not sure if he has disappeared to never return, or if he plans to come back with reinforcement. The look in his eyes before he left is haunting you, like the ghosts you were told stories of when you were young.

You hear a heartbeat, steady and strong behind you, one that is familiar in it's rhythm, and you know you should feel afraid, he is Drüskelle, he has been raised and trained to do nothing but hate you, to track and capture and eventually kill you. But you can only bring yourself to feel relief.

"Matthias," you say without turning around.

"I was told that you were crafty and but I underestimated how deep that scheming can run," Matthias says.

"It wasn't a scheme," you say, keeping your back to him, scared to see what is in those icy eyes of his, scared of the hatred you might find there, the rage. You cling to the last memory you have of those eyes, all confused and hurt, because hurt you could accept, hurt you had earned. You had deceived him, you had let him believe things because you were sure you could bring something better out of it by letting him live in the lie for as long as you could, and you had known that was wrong, you had known the trust you were betraying but it was the only option you felt was there for you. It was that or send him on his way, and let him go on believing all that he was taught, save yourself the pain, and whatever may come, but never take the chance to change something. To let someone see, really see, where they have been misguided, and if you wanted to change the views of the world for anyone, you wanted that for Matthias. He is gruff and he is stoic, but there's a softer man inside the skin of the wolf, he has a hero's heart, not a warriors. And you might just die in choosing to believe that, and you are willing to play those odds. "I did not bewitch you Matthias."

"You lied to me," he says. You move to look at him, trying to gather the strength of heart to face him. "Don't turn around."

"Why not?" you ask. "Scared to look at me Matthias, scared of what you will see?"

"I am not scared of you," he tells you. You nod and spin on your heels, your stare burrowing into his and he darts a look away, scared that you will see the way his harshness softens at the sight of you.

"I am not something to be scared of," you tell him.

"You shouldn't have saved me," he tells you.

"Why?"

"Because I came here for you."

"Romantic," you say, the world brittle enough it nearly snaps on your tongue. He shakes his head at you.

"You shouldn't have-,"

"I shouldn't?" you ask. "I shouldn't have what? Cared for you? I shouldn't have saved that girl? I shouldn't have helped every broken child that has come to me? I shouldn't have given you shelter, and food and comfort? I shouldn't have shown you kindness and understanding, despite knowing what you are because of the knowledge that if you knew what I was you would not do the same? Are those the things I shouldn't do? Or should I not use the Small Science at all? Should I let my body grow sick by not giving it what it needs, let my gifts go to waste and not protect those I can from harm? Or are you Drüskelle still so naïve to believe that this gift, is something I chose for myself, and not something I was given? No, because you don't think we grisha are human, so you know at the very least it isn't that. Tell me Matthias? In all the time we have spent together, would you say I am not human? Would you put me on trail and call me witch because I dared to care about others enough to risk my life to act on it? Is that what makes me less than human, that I am willing to suffer the consequences of doing everything within my capability to help others? Is that what I should not have done, Matthias?"

"You healed me," Matthias says slowly, as it dawns on him after all this time.

"Slowly, in small ways," you admit. "I shouldn't have done that?"

"No!" he sounds angry now, but the anger isn't all at you, part of it is at himself and you can feel it in the cold air between you both.

"What about what you shouldn't have done?" you ask. "You shouldn't have let me finish what I was doing, you shouldn't have let me heal that child, you should have carted me off to your commander in chains, ready for a judgement you know will only get me killed."

"Stop," he says, and the roughness around the edges of his voice becomes more dulled.

"Where in the list of all the things I shouldn't have done, can we compare to those sins of your own Matthias, shouldn't you have left by now?" you ask. "What else shouldn't you have done? Befriends a girsha-,"

“I shouldn’t be in love with you!” He snaps.

You lose all your fight with one sentence. It had been foolish of you to believe his feelings were the same of yours, and it had been even more foolish of you to believe those same feelings could withstand the knowledge of what you are. You were a fool to think he would love you, and a fool twice over to think he would love you still, and yet.

"But you are," it's a statement but it feels like a question as you say it, as if you could still be wrong, like you might just be the fool yet. But Matthias is a fool twice over beside you, for thinking he could not fall in love with you, and then thinking learning what you are would be enough to severe those feelings. It was not, and he doubted anything could break what he feels for you from him, his feelings were a part of him, his feelings for you as much a part of him as the blood in his veins.

"Love is the death of duty," he says through pressed lips, eyes closed tight as if he could wish the twisting feeling in his chest away, the feeling that he is betraying all that he has ever known.

"Matthias..."

"And to do that, I betray my country, my home, I become lost and forsaken, Djel-,"

"You think your gods know not enough about love to forgive you for being in it?" You ask. "Does your god not believe in love Matthias?"

He ignores you. "Then I am a traitor, and I am dishonoured and renounced, and then what do I have?" He asks.

"Me," you tell him, "you would still have me." His eyes meet yours with such a ferocity you fear you might fall back off your feet, but you stand your ground. "Would that ever be enough?"

He is silent for what might have been a blink of an eye or years before he speaks again. "In another life, you and I would not have been born to these roles, we might have had simpler lives, one where I would meet you in a place where music is playing, that song you hum to yourself, and we would have met and I would have brought you flowers and sweet things and you would have walked the paths of the places we knew and nothing would have cause for this much pain," he says. "But that is not our lives. You and I cannot deny what we are."

"And what are we White Wolf?" you ask daring to step closer.

"Lost," he whispers, reaching out to place a hand on your cheek, "and in each other, found." He is not at peace with himself, you can see the war in his eyes and the fear in them, the desire to run and hide and pretend that you never existed. His world could be so much smaller again, so much easier, where the rules all make sense and everything plays into a justice he understands, what he was raised in. But that would mean leaving you, and leaving you would be as good as handing you over to them, because you are not safe, not in this place and not in this world, too soft and too openhearted. Matthias is unsure of what it means, on a large scale or a philosophical one, but he knows one thing, that as hard as it pushes up against everything he has ever known and believed in, threatening to tear it apart brick by brick, he knows must be true. Love might be the death of duty, but he can let it die, if it means he gets to love you.

[atac-agent]

Helnik || GHOSTS OF OUR PAST || Chapter 2

Timeline: Just after Crooked Kingdom, right before King of Scars

Genre: Angst

Word Count: 2.8K+

Note: totally not venging revenge for my wasted tears over the untold story of helnik-

• masterlist // prologue // prev. chp // next chapter (coming soon)

---

Nina's heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the figure before her. The flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows on the walls, making the face of the intruder even more sinister. She took a step back, her mind racing with a thousand possibilities.

The figure smirked, taking a deliberate step forward. "Surprised to see me, Nina?"

Nina's breath caught in her throat. She recognized the voice, though it had been years since she had last heard it. "Jurgen," she whispered, the name escaping her lips like a curse.

Jurgen, a former drüskelle, had been one of Matthias' closest comrades. He was ruthless and unyielding, known for his brutal efficiency in hunting down Grisha. How had he found her here in Ketterdam? And why now, when she was already at her weakest?

"What do you want?" Nina demanded, forcing herself to stand tall, despite the fear gnawing at her insides.

Jurgen's smirk widened. "Revenge, of course. You took Matthias from us, and now you'll pay the price."

Nina's mind raced as she tried to formulate a plan. She couldn't afford to show weakness, not now. "Matthias chose his own path. He wasn't yours to control."

Jurgen's eyes narrowed. "He was ours until you corrupted him. But no matter. Your death will send a message to all who think they can defy us."

Nina swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Matthias' jacket still clutched in her hands. She needed to buy time, to find a way to turn the situation in her favour. "Do you really think killing me will bring him back? Matthias wouldn't want this."

Jurgen's expression darkened. "Don't pretend to know what Matthias would have wanted. You twisted his mind, made him weak."

Anger flared within Nina, a fierce protective instinct she couldn't suppress. "Matthias was stronger than any of you. He saw the truth, saw that the world wasn't just black and white. He chose love over hate."

Jurgen's lip curled in disdain. "Spare me your sentimental drivel. Your time is up, Nina Zenik."

With a swift motion, Jurgen drew a dagger, the blade gleaming menacingly in the candlelight. Nina's heart skipped a beat, but she refused to back down. "You're making a mistake," she said, her voice steady. "Ketterdam is under Kaz Brekker's control. You won't get out of here alive."

Jurgen laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Kaz Brekker? The so-called Bastard of the Barrel? He means nothing to me."

Nina's mind raced. She needed to think quickly, to find a way to outmanoeuvre Jurgen. She focused on her training, on the lessons Matthias had taught her about survival and resilience. "Then let's see if you can handle me," she said, summoning all her courage.

Before Jurgen could react, Nina lunged forward, using the element of surprise to her advantage. She grabbed a nearby candlestick and swung it at him with all her strength. The heavy metal connected with his arm, causing him to drop the dagger.

Jurgen snarled in pain and rage, but Nina didn't give him a chance to recover. She kicked the dagger away, sending it skidding across the floor. "You're not going to win this fight," she said, her voice filled with determination.

Jurgen's eyes blazed with fury, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his gaze. "We'll see about that," he growled.

Before he could make another move, he suddenly stiffened, his eyes widening in shock. A thin line of blood appeared on his neck, and he collapsed to the floor, dead.

Nina's knees buckled, and she sank to the floor, the adrenaline leaving her body in a rush. She looked up to see Inej Ghafa appear from the shadows, her expression calm and steady. "You're safe now," Inej said softly.

Nina nodded weakly, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "I... I think so."

Inej helped her to her feet, her grip steady and reassuring. "We need to be more careful. It seems our enemies are closer than we thought.

Nina's mind was still reeling from the encounter, but she knew Inej was right.

Nina took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. She knew she couldn't delay her journey to Fjerda any longer. She needed to bury Matthias and find some semblance of peace.

The next morning, the Van Eck Mansion was bustling with activity. Jesper and Wylan were already in the study, sorting through documents and maps. Kaz was at the desk, his fingers steepled in concentration as he reviewed the necessary transactions.

"Nina, you need to be ready," Inej said looking up from the map. "The journey won't be easy. I have spoken with the crew. We all give you all the help we can. In the meanwhile, why don't you come with me? There's a place we can go for waffles. You need a moment to breathe."

"Are you sure?"

"Com'on Nina. How can it hurt?"

Nina hesitated, glancing around the room filled with maps and plans, the weight of her next steps looming over her. But the thought of waffles, warm and sweet, tugged at something deep within her—something that reminded her of simpler times, of moments shared with people she loved.

Nina chuckled, the sound foreign and out of place amidst the wreckage of her mind. But she nodded. “Alright, let’s go. I can’t say no to waffles.”

The two women left the mansion, slipping into the bustling streets of Ketterdam. The cold air nipped at their cheeks, but Nina welcomed it, letting the sharpness of the wind clear her mind.

As they walked, Nina let her thoughts drift. For a brief moment, it felt like she was a normal person again, just two friends going out for breakfast, without the weight of death and duty pressing down on her. She clutched Matthias’ jacket tighter around her, feeling the familiar roughness of the leather against her skin.

"How do you find these places?" Nina finally asked, breaking the silence.

Inej glanced at her, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "It’s Ketterdam. You just have to know where to look."

Soon enough, they reached a small, tucked-away café, the kind of place you could easily miss if you weren’t paying attention. The warm scent of baking bread and syrup hit Nina the moment they stepped inside, and for the first time in what felt like days, a genuine smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

The place was cozy, with just a few tables scattered around and a handful of customers already enjoying their breakfasts. Inej led them to a table by the window, where they sat down, letting the warmth of the café sink into their bones.

A kind-looking woman with flour dusted on her apron approached, her smile bright and welcoming. "What can I get for you ladies?"

"Waffles," Inej said before Nina could even open her mouth. "Two plates, with all the toppings."

Nina raised an eyebrow at her friend. "All the toppings?"

Inej’s smile widened. "You’ll need it."

The woman bustled away, leaving the two of them alone again. Nina stared out the window, watching as the people of Ketterdam went about their business, oblivious to the battles and heartaches she carried with her.

"It’s hard," Nina said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "To keep going. To act like everything’s normal when it’s not."

Inej didn’t answer right away. She simply let the silence hang between them for a moment, before speaking softly. "I know it’s hard, Nina. But you’re not alone. And you don’t have to be strong all the time."

Nina swallowed, her throat tight. "I keep thinking about him. How I failed him."

"You didn’t fail him," Inej said firmly, "You loved him. And that’s what matters."

As they waited, Nina's thoughts kept drifting back to Matthias, to the life they could have had together. When the waffles arrived, she found she couldn't muster the enthusiasm she usually had for the treat.

"Nina, it's okay to grieve. You don't have to be strong all the time."

Nina looked up, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Inej, I don't know how to do this without him. He was my anchor, my rock."

Inej reached across the table, taking Nina's hand in hers. "You helped me when I was at my lowest, remember? When Oomen cut me, you brought me back. You showed me how to fight, how to survive. Now it's my turn to help you."

Nina let out a shaky breath, the tears finally spilling over. "I miss him so much, Inej. It feels like a part of me is missing."

Inej squeezed her hand. "It's okay to miss him. But remember, Matthias wouldn't want you to give up. He'd want you to keep fighting, to keep living."

Nina nodded, trying to absorb Inej's words. "You're right. He would."

Nina stared down at the waffles in front of her. Normally, she’d dive right in, smothering them with extra cream and berries. But today, they seemed almost... foreign. She poked at them with her fork, letting the smell and warmth curl around her, though it did little to comfort her heart.

Inej remained silent, sipping her tea, her presence steady like the tide. She knew when words would help and when they’d simply add to the noise in Nina's head.

After a moment, Nina took a bite, savoring the sweetness despite the bitterness in her chest. The food tasted good, but it couldn’t fill the void Matthias had left behind. "I wish he could’ve tasted these," Nina said softly, her voice cracking just a little.

Inej looked at her with quiet understanding, but she didn’t push. She never did. Instead, she let Nina's words hang in the air, knowing that it was enough for now.

As they finished up, Inej gently placed a few coins on the table and rose to her feet. "Ready?"

They ate in silence for a while, the sound of other patrons laughing and chatting quietly filling the cozy café. Nina tried to focus on those noises, tried to pretend like everything was normal. For a fleeting second, she almost believed it.

Nina wiped her mouth with a napkin and nodded. "Yeah. Let’s get back. I need to focus."

The cold hit them again as they stepped outside, though this time it didn’t feel as biting. It was almost as if the small café had offered a temporary reprieve from the grief that threatened to suffocate Nina. She still carried the weight of her loss, but it felt... lighter, like a burden she didn’t have to shoulder alone.

They walked in silence, navigating the familiar streets back to the Van Eck mansion. The further they got, the closer reality crept in—plans, journeys, final goodbyes.

Back at the mansion, Jesper and Wylan were busy finalizing the preparations. They had gathered all the necessary supplies and were now packing them into sturdy crates.

Nina joined them, her heart heavy but resolute. "I'm ready," she said, her voice steady.

Jesper handed her a small, intricately carved box. "We found this among Matthias's things. We thought you might want to take it with you."

Nina opened the box, her breath catching when she saw the contents. Inside was a small, silver locket engraved with the words, "Jer molle pe oonet. Enel mörd je nej afva trohem verret." She felt a lump in her throat as she read the inscription. "I have been made to protect you. Only in death will I be kept from this oath."

Jesper placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He wanted you to have it, Nina. To remember him by."

Nina closed the box, holding it close to her heart. "Thank you, Jesper. This means more to me than you know."

Kaz approached her, handing her a set of documents. "These are the arrangements for your journey. The ship will take you to Fjerda, and from there, you'll need to make your way to the burial site."

Nina took the documents, her heart heavy but determined. "I'll see it through. For Matthias."

The room around her hummed with quiet activity, but the world felt distant. She traced the inscription on the locket, the words grounding her as if they were Matthias' final vow to protect her even now.

Kaz’s voice broke through her thoughts. “The ship won’t wait, Nina.”

She lifted her gaze to meet his, nodding once. The Bastard of the Barrel was a man of few comforts, but Nina knew that his abruptness was his way of caring. She slid the locket into her pocket, feeling its cool weight settle against her. She would carry Matthias with her, always.

The others had gathered in the grand entrance hall—Jesper, Wylan, and Inej stood watching her, their faces shadowed with worry. But this wasn’t their fight, their farewell. This was hers alone.

Jesper, trying to keep the mood light as he always did, flashed her a crooked grin. “Don’t go causing too much trouble up there in the ice. We can’t all come and rescue you, you know.”

Nina forced a small smile, though it barely reached her eyes. “I think I’ve caused enough trouble to last a lifetime.”

Wylan stepped forward, handing her a small bag with rations and supplies. “It’s not much, but it should help until you reach Fjerda.”

Nina took the bag gratefully, glancing down at it. “Thank you, Wylan. I don’t deserve all this.”

Wylan opened his mouth as if to argue, but then thought better of it. He knew better than anyone that there was no talking Nina out of this.

The air in the mansion seemed to grow heavier, like the walls themselves knew this was a moment of finality. Nina had never been one to shy away from the truth, no matter how painful, but standing here, preparing to leave behind her only family in Ketterdam, the weight of it was almost unbearable.

Finally, she turned to Kaz. “I’ll be back,” she said softly.

Kaz met her gaze, unflinching. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Zenik.”

Nina bit her lip but nodded in acknowledgment. Kaz didn’t deal in hope, and Nina couldn’t blame him for that. She shouldered her pack and headed for the door.

As she walked down the grand staircase and out into the cold Ketterdam morning, Inej caught up with her.

“Nina, wait.”

Nina stopped, turning to find Inej with that familiar look in her eyes — the one that said she saw more than what was in front of her. The one that had always made Nina feel like Inej knew her in a way no one else could.

Inej took a step closer, her voice soft but firm. “Take care of yourself. And remember, you’re stronger than you think.”

Nina swallowed hard, nodding. “I will, Inej. Thank you.”

The two women exchanged a silent understanding. No more words were needed. Inej was a reminder of all the strength Nina had left in her, even when it felt like she had none. She would carry that with her, too, on this journey.

As Nina walked toward the docks, the city slowly began to stir to life around her. The familiar clamour of Ketterdam’s streets was distant now, a background hum as her thoughts focused inward. She was leaving behind a part of herself here, a life she had known and the people she had grown to love. But another part of her, the part that still belonged to Matthias, was pulling her north—back to the frozen wasteland that had taken him from her.

Each step felt heavier than the last, but with each breath, she steeled herself. The weight of her mission settled over her like a cloak, protecting her from the cold, from the fear, from the sorrow that threatened to overwhelm her.

Matthias had fought so hard for this—fought to change, fought to live. Now, it was her turn to honour him. She wasn’t just carrying his memory with her; she was carrying his fight, his hope. And somehow, through the numbness and the pain, that thought gave her strength.

As she reached the docks, the scent of saltwater and wood filled the air. The ship that would take her to Fjerda bobbed gently against the pier, its dark sails standing stark against the early morning sky. It wasn’t a grand ship, but it was enough. Enough to take her where she needed to go. Enough to take her home.

Nina paused for a moment, standing at the edge of the dock, her heart pounding in her chest. She took one last deep breath of Ketterdam air, letting the wind carry away some of the weight she had been holding onto.

And then, with steady steps, she boarded the ship. The journey ahead would be long, but she was ready to face the unknown.

Ready to honour Matthias by living the life he had fought so hard to protect.

[savethegrishaverse]

For our next twitter party, we want to talk about the "witch" hunters of the North, the Fjerdan #Drüskelle! 📚✨ Come prepared with your best tweets, questions, comments, gifs, memes, and more. Let's make some noise! 🗣️

#SaveShadowAndBone and #SixOfCrowsSpinoff TWEETING PARTY 7/23 at 12PM! Come check it out here!

Remember to:

Only use three hashtags.

Enjoy and be engaging with your tweets! Keep sharing! Timezones under read more.

If you cannot attend, you can always schedule tweets ahead of time on desktop in order to help out still!

ALL TIMEZONES: Tuesday, Jul 23: 9am PST 10am MST 11am CST 12pm EST 2pm -03 5pm GMT 6pm CET 8pm MSK 9pm +04 10:30pm IST

Wednesday, Jul 24: 1am CST 2am JST 4am AEST 6am NZST

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Hi!! this is a kinda random question, but I was just thinking about it. So we know that the Druskelle (and presumably most of Fjerda) are bigoted, racist, etc.. Does that stem from their culture and like the wars and stuff or is that part of their religion? I guess hypothetically could Matthias/Maya/your other Fjerdan ocs have corrected their prejudices and still believed in Djel or do the two beliefs contradict? Just wondering what your take is :)

Hi, thanks for the ask!

I absolutely adore religion in the Grishaverse and a while ago I wrote quite a long analysis on Matthias and Inej's relationship with their respective religions, mostly focusing on Djel since I feel I know more about Fjerdan religion than Ravkan having read the soc duology a lot more times than the other books, and I talked quite a bit about some of these things so I'll link that here in case anyone is interested and below I'll put a couple of quotes from that more specifically pertaining to what you've said here. Essentially, I believe that the Drüskelle order is a cult and represents a warped version of Fjerdan religion and that Matthias' journey of self-discovery and of learning to find the version of Djel that he believes in and that aligns with who he wants to be is one of the most beautifully written character arcs I have ever read.

Some quotes from my previous analysis:

"Theoretically, the Drüskelle are raised (forced) to believe the same basic principles of the religion that most of the religious people in the country are [...] However, what’s taken completely further is that the Drüskelle are told that the only way to be truly respected by their god is to take decisive action against Grisha people for their power, because it’s “demonic” and a warping of Djel’s gifts. Now first of all, none of the religious teachings we learn about as the reader even remotely suggest this, which suggest that it’s a baseless prejudice for which religion has been used as an excuse for so long that it’s become culturally ingrained and believed."

"Matthias even shows particular pride that he was personally told the secret of the second glass bridge by Jarl Brum himself"

"And this is the thing, ok, because by claiming that Djel will show the boys the path and then telling them himself (!!!!!!!!) Brum is claiming far more power than a servant of Djel and or Fjerda. No, now he turns himself into a messenger of Djel, a prophet if you will, just to reaaaalllly double down on that religious trauma he’s giving these kids. He is putting himself into the Messiah-like position; he’s saying that Djel sent him to them to tell them that they must kidnap and kill people to earn his love."

"in his own practice Matthias would appear to see Djel as a benevolent god"

"presented himself as a Messiah-like figure and effectively forced these young boys to believe that betraying him is akin to betraying Djel"

Okay I'm restraining myself from adding more to that list because I'm just sitting here reading through the original analysis going "ooo add that" "and that" "that too" and I'll just end up copy and pasting the whole thing if I carry on like this, so if you'd like to read more I should've linked it at the top :)

I'm gonna talk a bit about Djel and relationship with religion in terms of my Fjerdan OCs here, if anyone is interested but hasn't read the fic you don't have to have done to follow the religion info but it's worth knowing that it's set almost entirely in Ketterdam and takes place nearly 10 years after Crooked Kingdom :)

For my Fjerdan OCs religion is very much on my mind whenever I'm writing them, and I find it a very interesting thing to consider. So, I have three Fjerdan OCs in Daughter of the Rain and Snow: Maya, a Tidemaker and our titular character, Celina, a deceased (pre-events of the fic) otkazat'sya whose body was burned and who therefore cannot reach Djel, and Fiona, a Heartrender who lost her relationship with religion a long time ago and has no interest in taking it up again. I'm going to start with Fiona because I haven't really explored her relationship with Djel very much since she has had less scenes than the others thus far, but I tend to have quite fleshed out backstories for my side characters even if they don't make it into the story lol

Fiona is 22 during the events of the fic and has been working with Inej and the crew of the Wraith for almost four years. She made her way to Ketterdam at 17 after her family discovered she was Grisha and threw her out. In a desperate attempt to flee Fjerda - and notably not knowing any Kerch language - she signed an indenture contract with a Kerch merchant who offered her safe passage to the country. She did not know what she was signing, and her contract was written in Kerch, but she just wanted to get out of Fjerda as quickly as possible and this seemed like her only option. She was freed and ended up working with Inej when she was 18. Fiona had battled with her relationship with Djel for a long time after discovering she was Grisha and keeping it secret, but when her parents learnt the truth and started abusing her and eventually turned her out with nowhere to go and no protection to be found she adopted atheism completely, akin to the way Kaz and Wylan found their atheism. -

“Saints speed,” she said to Inej, who echoed the words she knew were said for her benefit alone.

Fiona had given up on Djel, the god she was raised with, and had no interest in taking up another. (Chapter 8) (I feel so weird quoting my own writing)

Religion is very much at the forefront of everything I write considering Maya and Celina, particularly since Celina only appears as a character in Maya's POV chapters (she exists more as a concept to Kaz, Inej, and Aimee, who connect her to things she represents to each of them but whom they never knew as a real person). Maya battling her relationship with Djel is very much in the forefront of the story and one of my favourite chapters is when she goes back to the tree she cut down in anger and prays for it; the chapter is essentially a long monologue of Maya talking to Djel and voicing every side of her argument out loud. I won't list everything here but I'll add this quote from the chapter:

“I’ve tried it every way,” she whispered, failing to fight the sobs that were growing in her throat, “I ignored it, I tried not to use it, I used it for others, I used it for myself, I used it for You. And I have somehow failed You every time. Maybe I deserve to burn now, but they say you are born Grisha. Did You really look at me and always know I would deserve to burn? From the very moment I was born? Perhaps this is all I am in Your grand tapestry of destiny; a game for You to play, a doll that You can take apart and stitch together at wrong angles. I am a broken toy that can be discarded and burnt whilst the world moves on as though I were never here. I made the wrong choices, but I thought they were the only ones left. You could have let me stay at home. You could have let her live - let both of them live. And I never would have done anything like this. I’m so sorry…” her voice broke and she felt the tears flooding over her cheeks as she collapsed over the ruined tree trunk and cried into its empty flesh, “I’m so sorry,” (Chapter 66 on tumblr, chapter 67 on AO3)

And the chapter ultimately ends with Maya asking Djel to teach her how to deserve forgiveness from Inej and the other characters for everything she'd done, or to at least teach her how to forgive Him.

I think one of the most important aspects of religion in terms of this and in terms of Maya and Celina's relationship with each other is that even though Celina knows Maya is a Tidemaker neither of them ever talk about it and Maya reached a point where she was actively afraid to bring it up because she didn't know how Celina felt about Grisha and she didn't want to jeopardise not only what is the only relationship she has with anyone right now but arguably what is the first relationship she's ever had that wouldn't be considered abusive (her relationship with her father is kinda up in the air, I know, but considering that he sold her I don't think it's a spoiler to say I hate that man's guts even though y'all have a little bit more to learn about him yet) since realistically Celina was the only person she had a real conversation with for three years and the only other people she spoke to in that time would be clients, Yennefer, and occasionally other girls at the Tulip Mill. Maya even saw Yennefer's death more as vengeance for Celina than she did for herself, saying that Yen's death was for Celina and Kaz's death would be for her before she finds out that Kaz was partially responsible for Celina's death in the worldview that she holds - and as Kaz considers himself no less responsible for her death than Rollins was for Jordie's. I don't know if I'm explaining it quite right but the fear that Maya developed surrounding other people's perspective on Grisha power preventing her from being able to share her feelings with Celina I found a really heart-wrenching detail to write and I was definitely hoping to present the idea that even if religiously the ideas don't contradict - considering that we see Celina adapt her belief in Djel to say that anything that she does at the Tulip Mill will be forgiven because she has no choice over it - culturally speaking it's still such a complex and difficult thing to move past that Maya isn't even sure she can ever express it to the only person she trusts, and I also hoped to touch on this idea with the flashbacks to the Ravkan boy at the Grisha workshop with Maya who didn't trust her because she was Fjerdan even though she was Grisha and had literally fled Drüskelle and her home country

Anyway I hope this made sense, it's starting to feel very rambly and random, and I hope that it was interesting to read. Thanks so much for teh ask and for your interest in the fic! <33

[potatounicoorn]

Army dreamers | Six of crows animatic

I made my first animatic! Crooked kingdom spoilers ahead. Hope you guys like it lol :D

[jkriordanverse]

A badass knife wife who is amazing and will not put up with your bs.

Kaz: where?

A young merchling flutist who occasionally blows things up.

Jesper: where?

A hot curvy Grisha you're supposed to be hunting down (+ also lewd in your head).

Matthias: where?

Bonus:

A gambling sarcastic funny & hot sharpshooter who is super super loyal.

Wylan [& Kuwei]: *in unison* Where?

[call-me-sunpaw]

Believe me. It does make sense.

[dreamtigress]

Vindingrijkheid

Vindingrijkheid (Fabrication/Invention) is a spinoff story from Kanej Wensen, featuring Jesper starting his apprenticeship with Tij Bashnya at Toren Leder.

This takes place during and after Verbanden & Geesten. Jes begins learning how to better focus his powers, some leather crafting, and a good chunk about his mentor as well. We get a section from Tij’s POV, and see how she views her new found apprentice. We also get to see Jesper and Tij trading stories as they work on a custom order for Kaz.

CW for some discussions of past trauma, death, grief, and torture.

[lesbiansoncaffiene]

Religion/Spirituality in the Grishaverse (I am thinking thoughts)

I wanna talk about Leigh Bargudo’s handling of religiosity in the Grishaverse, especially within the Crows (Inej and Matthias) and how much it means to me as a religious person

So. So so so so so. I’m not sure how to exactly explain this feeling but I’m in love with the way Leigh wrote the religious aspects of Inej and Matthias’ characters, and how much it spoke to me as a religious person the same age as the characters (16-18-ish)

For both, their religion is something they grow up with, ingrained in them throughout childhood and while it may have wavered within both as they go through life (Matthias meeting Nina and Inej getting kidnapped) they still maintain a connection to their respective higher powers.

And that’s something you don’t really see a lot in books, especially YA books, since it’s either never mentioned or rejected by the characters/society (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but this characterization of young people who are tasked with so much and still choose to believe in something greater than themselves is very personal to me and a big split from the usual narrative.

I dunno, but the little aspects of their faith journeys, like Inej saying a prayer after winning a fight or Matthias staying connected to Djel in Hellgate, that really speaks to me. Because religion doesn’t have to be this huge show, it really can just be a girl thanking her Saints for her life.

And on the topic of Saints, I’m high-key obsessed with Leigh’s decision to make Saints as opposed to a bunch of gods/demigods. Saints are something that are mostly seen in Catholic/Christian doctrine, and seeing her include Saints made me feel more connected to the universe she created, as someone who is a practicing Catholic.

(Also Inej naming her daggers after Saints?? Icon)

Another element I found to be really touching was the fact that both Inej and Matthias are shown struggling with their faith. A lot of times, characters are shown being pretty cemented in their faith if they have ones and we get a glimpse of two kids (cause they are) who are struggling with the things they’ve done and things that have been done to them, and still maintaining their faith.

Especially Inej, grappling with the fact that she’s a whole ass-assassin, and still maintaining her faith for forgiveness. Which, I for one, fully believe that she would be forgiven, cause she has a good heart, and does what she does to survive.

I could go on (I could write a whole essay about this fr), but these are just some main thoughts on religion in the Grishaverse and how much it means to me as a religious person (a folk Catholic, specifically). My religion is a big part of my life because of the things that have happened in it and my reaction to them, and it’s really cool to see that reflected in YA literature

[rrrustandstardusttt]

Matthias Helvar // Six of Crows Duology