Kazi

Kazi is a main character of Dance of Thieves.

Vairlyn Ballenger (mother-in-law)

Karsen Ballenger (father-in-law) †

Gunner Ballenger (brother-in-law)

Priya Ballenger (sister-in-law)

Titus Ballenger (brother-in-law)

Jalaine Ballenger (sister-in-law) †

Samuel Ballenger (brother-in-law)

Aram Ballenger (brother-in-law)

Mason Ballenger (adoptive brother-in-law)

Micah Ballenger (brother-in-law) †

Sylvey Ballenger (sister-in-law) †

Lydia Ballenger (sister-in-law)

Nash Ballenger (sister-in-law)

Lukas Ballenger (brother-in-law)

She is a member of the Rahtan. She was born in Brightmist in Venda and lived here. When she was six, she lost her mother and became one of the most famous thieves. However one day while she was meeting the Queen she spat in her face. The Queen took her in and turned her into one of her elite guard, The Rahtan.

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## Appearance

Kazi is described throughout the book by her love interest Jase Ballenger. She is said to have Thick wavy dark hair (Page 44) her hair is said to be black (Page 69). She also has Golden Smokey eyes (Page 54).

## Personality

* Stubborn
* Smart
* Kind
* Skilled
* Clever
* Agoraphobia or Kenophobia (fear of open and/or empty spaces)

## History

Kazi was born in Brightmist, one of the poorest quarters of Sanctum City. She grew up with her single mother who did everything she could to feed the both of them: clean, sew clothes, and sell perfume. They even had a secret language together of hand movements and tics. Both of them lived in a hovel together in the quarter. One night when Kazi was six years old, a Previzi driver came into their home. Kazi had hid under the bed like her mother had told her. The driver had come for the both of them, but Kazi's mother had used their secret language to tell Kazi to stay put and not to say anything. After the driver left she stayed under the bed in her own waster for two days, in fear that the Previzi driver would come back for her as well. This is where her fear of the open space comes from.

Left to fend for herself, she turned to stealing to survive and eventually became an infamous street thief known as Ten, for the ten fingers she still had which signified that she had never been caught and punished.

She was taken in by Queen Lia of Venda as a child, after she spat in the Queen's face in the streets. She was given training to become a soldier for Venda and joined the ranks of the Rahtan when she was 12.

Her mother told people that the name Kazi is a highland name that meant 'spring', 'little bird', or 'god's messenger'. However, Vairlyn notes that Kazi is a common name in Candora among fletchers for first daughters, as it means 'sweet arrow', the rare arrow that flies truer and farther than the rest.

## Relationships

### Kazi's Mother

Kazi's mother migrated to Sanctum City from the northern province of Balwood in hopes of finding a better life. She was pregnant when she came to Brightmist and Kazi describes her as "beautiful but so very young". Kazi's mother raised her on the streets of Brightmist and they were very poor. Whatever her mother was doing to earn money, she would bring Kazi along. They developed secret hand signals as a way to communicate. Her mother was kidnapped by a labor hunter when Kazi was six years old to become the new wife of the King of Eislandia. She was chosen by Zane because the King of Eislandia wanted more sons and Kazi's mother had already had a child.

She died of a sickness that went around where she was about a year after her arrival, and has a gravestone. Kazi's mother did not speak the tongue of the land and no one on the farm spoke hers. The old cook on the farm claimed that she really died because of a broken heart. She seemed to be fiercely unhappy and had fits of tears and rage.

### Jase Ballenger

Jase and Kazi first met at the market in Hell's Mouth when Jase saw Kazi stealing oranges as she duped a merchant with her juggling act. Jase knew that Kazi was asking questions about the treaty violations. He tries to talk to her, but she holds a knife up to his throat and tells him to leave, so he does. When she realizes that was the new *Patrei* she follows him into an alley way.

In the alley way she hears noises and finds Jase tied up and beaten against a wall. She holds out her weapons and tries to save them both. She is met with two labour hunters who hit her over the head and take both of them. They both wake up chained together in the back of a wagon. Kazi decides how to get them out of this situation. She bothers the driver who punches her in the face, while this is happening she steals the key from him. They unlock their wrist but Jase forgets to unlock their ankles, so when they start running through the wildness they are still chained together. While they are running away from the Slave Laborers they fall into a river. Kazi doesn't know how to swim, so Jase floats them through the river.

They decided to make the best of it in the wilderness and started passing the time by Kazi telling riddles and Jase telling her stories of his family history. Jase would even help her go to sleep at night under the stars. After almost drowning in a rain storm the two decided that if they became more than friends it's still making the best of it. This is where their romantic relationship started. However, they both knew that once they got back things would have to be different since they were from two enemy kingdoms.

Unknown to Kazi instead of Jase taking her to a Vendan settlement he takes her back to Tor's Watch. She is furious at him for lying to her, but decided for herself that it's the best place to get information. Here they get cleaned up quickly to make it to Jase's fathers' entombment.

On their way there Jase tells Kazi to trust him and just to go along with what he says. He does this because no one can know where he was while he was gone. When they get to the entombment Jase's cousin, Paxton, asks him where Jase has been for the past two weeks. He holds his hand out to Kazi who reluctantly follows along. Jase then tells Paxton that he was ensuring future generations of Ballengers.

## Friends

* Wren
* Synové
* The Ballengers

Both are also Rahtan with her. They have worked closely together for years. All three of them are orphans which has lead them to create a family with each other. After that Kazi and Jase came back, Kazi started to create a good relationship with the Ballengers.