Dunyasha Lazareva

Dunyasha Lazareva
@bucumber
Biographical Information
Full name	Dunyasha Lazareva
Alias(es)	The White Blade Snowflake (by Nina)
Age	17-19
Status	Deceased
Physical Information
Gender	Female
Hair Color	Copper
Affiliation
Nation	Ravka
Occupation	Assassin
Appearances
Appears in	Crooked Kingdom

"The blood you spill is the blood of kings. You are not fit for such a gift." — Dunyasha Lazareva, Crooked Kingdom

Dunyasha Lazareva, known as the White Blade, was a Ravkan assassin trained at a monastery in Ahmrat Jen.

Biography

Dunyasha claims to have Lantsov blood and considers herself a contender for the Ravkan throne. The Fjerdan drüskelle considered backing her claim to undermine Nikolai Lantsov's regime, but considered Dunyasha too erratic and possibly delusional.

Crooked Kingdom

Pekka Rollins brings Dunyasha to Ketterdam to kill Inej Ghafa. The assassin ambushes the Wraith on top of the sugar silos at Sweet Reef, where she fights Inej onto the high wire. She injures Inej with her throwing stars multiple times, then detaches the wire, causing Inej to fall twenty stories. Inej is saved by a net carried by Nina Zenik's army of dead bodies. Dunyasha descends from the silos but decides against continuing the fight, vowing that they will meet again.

Dunyasha encounters Inej again on the roof of the Church of Barter. Inej slashes open both of Dunyasha's calves; Dunyasha is excited by facing an opponent capable of wounding her. However, Inej soon notices Dunyasha's tell—a slight hitch in her breath before she lunges—and stabs Dunyasha in the sternum, leaving her furious. Dunyasha pretends to admit defeat by bowing to Inej, then throws a cloud of red dust in Inej's face, blinding her.

Dunyasha disarms Inej and drives her to the edge of the roof. Inej, realizing she has the advantage of knowing the Ketterdam rooftops, maneuvers Dunyasha into stepping on a loose piece of scrollwork. Dunyasha falls, surprised but silent, and lands on the street outside the Church of Barter, dead.

Inej believed Dunyasha to be her shadow. The Suli believe that whenever someone does wrong, it gives rise to their shadow until the shadow is strong enough to deliver retribution.

Personality and traits

Dunyasha is talkative, fearless, and possibly insane. She thinks highly of herself, believing herself to be the greatest assassin of this age and the rightful Lantsov heir. She shows interest only in killing; everything else is a practiced necessity, but not her reason for living. Dunyasha believes she has never taken an innocent life.

She appears to value honor in fighting, often bowing after combat. However, she exploits those who notice this habit by pretending to concede, only to blind her opponent and gain the upper hand.

Physical description

Dunyasha is tall and slender. She has pale ivory skin and wears her auburn hair in a thick braid "laced with the glint of jewels." She wears a white tunic with a hood and trousers, both embroidered in gold and banded with ivory leather. Inej Ghafa estimated her to be a year or so older than herself.

Skills and abilities

Trained by the Sages of Ahmrat Jen, Dunyasha is highly skilled in combat. She is incredibly fast and fights with knives and spiked silver stars, which are presumably shuriken. She evades easily and is not restricted to one style or mode of attack. Inej Ghafa describes her fighting style as "weightless as a sun gilding the surface of a lake [...] as if she were moving to music only she could hear." Dunyasha often hides her direct assaults with flourishes of her blades, making her difficult to read. She was trained to fight one-handed, but not trained to endure fighting through serious injury. Dunyasha is also capable of walking and fighting on a high wire, showing an incredible sense of balance.

Appearances

• Crooked Kingdom
• King of Scars (mentioned only)