Nothing could have prepared Lexa for the events of the last year. The Northern Clans had completely cut themselves off from the outside world. Their borders were lined with thousands of hostile guards and all forms of trade had stopped. Hali no longer sent out their ships, the Maunkru no longer sent out their caravans and the Azgeda had abandoned all their outposts. Lexa hadn't thought this an issue until news of Polis reached her. The capital had been destroyed by the Mountain Men. For four months she'd searched for a replacement command centre before eventually deciding to take over TonDC until a better option presented itself. That was when realization hit. Without trade from the North, especially the Maunkru, the Trikru could not acquire the stone necessary to build solid housing and a sturdy base of operations. Thus the rebuilding was sidelined as the search restarted in earnest. If they could not completely rebuild Polis on top of Ton DC, then they would find another leftover of the last world.

Lexa decided to remain in TonDC with the rest of her army as they prepared an assault on the Mountain Men. It was time for revenge. She'd sent two more messengers to the North to see if she could rally their troops, she received no response.

Lexa feared that there was a civil war occurring within the North. Clarke had vanished in the Northern Islands and left Luna without support from the Warriors of Black. Without her support the Mother's claim to the throne of Hali was weakened and other Warriors of White could attempt to overthrow her. Whispers from her spies said that the Ice Queen was dead and burned thus removing the one clear threat to Luna. If the Ice Queen was dead though then the clear suspect in her murder would be Luna and thus hostilities would rise between the Azgeda and Floudonkru.

However, for the Maunkru to be drawn into the conflict with no clear goal was troublesome. Usually the three Northern clans could be counted on to act in unison due to their unofficial alliance. Together their total forces numbered over 100,000 easily overshadowing the 30,000 warriors of the Southern clans. Their shared religion and philosophy had bound the clans of Ice, Boat and Mountain together against the constant threat of Ragnarök. Never mind that the Maunkru had invaded Hali twenty years ago and killed the White Woman, or that the Floudonkru considered themselves the ultimate enemy of the Azkru and were constantly involved in a small war with their neighbour. To the South, the North appeared undivided.

If the three giants of the North were crippling each other, then the South would suffer the consequences. It was for this reason that Lexa decided to keep sending messengers to the North. She sent bombardments of lettres to Luna and the new king of the Azgeda. None of her messages ever received replies.

The towns within Lexa's domain still needed her guidance and thus she dedicated the task of contacting the North to Indra. The warrior was happy to be of service to her commander.

It was at the end of the year, eleven months since the supposed death of the Ice Queen that the sky lit up with fire. A streak of flame shot across the night sky and fell to earth. Lexa was not surprised. Clarke had told her this day would come, the Northerners swore by it. This was the beginning of the last twilight, the final Ragnarök that would decide the new world order. The flame giants had arrived to signal the attack and Lexa would not be caught off guard. She had the crash site surrounded by guards and positioned herself in the trees opposite the door, her last act before leaving TonDC was to send a desperate letter to Luna, a call for her to send the Bloody Smile to aid the South.

The warriors of the Trikru waited with baited breath for the hulk of scalded metal to make the first move. It resembled some artifacts from the lost world but was such a foreign shape that it was best to wait to discern it's nature before reacting. The raven carrying her letter to the North flew overhead before with a hiss a hatch opened in the side of the metal object. A silence descended upon the clearing as the warriors ceased all movements and the nearby creatures fled after making their own observations. The door slid open, the smooth movement seeming harsh to the raw nature of the Trikru.

Lexa held her breath, watching as the hatch hit the ground and the flame giants swarmed out of their ship. A cry of "We're back bitches!" left one of them. A brown haired female dressed in odd clothing the likes Lexa had only seen on Mountain Men. They spoke english which was damning enough on it's own but coupled with their strange garbs it was enough to send a shiver down Lexa's spine. The flame giants were allied with the Maunon. Lexa signalled a retreat, this was a foe too great to fight unprepared. The swarm of flame giants would be allowed to live until they could be properly disposed of.

As Lexa turned to retreat with the rest of her troops bar the surveillance team she'd be leaving behind, she noticed a peculiar child. Smaller than the rest with skin noticeably darker than the majority of his kin, the flame giant had a familiar face. Perhaps she'd met one of his Maunon relatives, Lexa didn't know. She told Anya to keep a close eye on the small giant.

Octavia had a grin on her face the likes of which she'd never felt before. It nearly hurt as it stretched her skin. The ground! They'd reached the ground! The green of the plants and the trees was an assault on her eyes and the blue of the sky was a colour unexplainable by words or pictures, the kind of blue you had to see to know. For a brief moment she wondered if you could float up into all that blue. Then she remembered that just like the Ark, the ground had gravity too. She looked around at all the green and jumped to feel the cushion of the dirt beneath her feet. Around her, her fellow delinquents roamed free as they too look in their new surroundings and released long contained squeals of joy.

Bellamy pulled her out of her reverie, he swooped her up in a hug. Octavia protested this overt show of affection but he just chuckled and pat her on the head. She objected to that too but he ignored her in favour of the drama unfolding next to them.

Wells had been looking over some maps while the others celebrated. Apparently Jasper had done something to set him off as the chancellor's son was gripping him by the arm and shoving him back. Murphy approached then with his already formed gang behind him, "Hey, Hey, Hey. Hands off him! He's with us."

Wells raised his hands in surrender, "I'm just trying to figure out where we are."

Bellamy interrupted them then as he approaches the conflict, "We're on the ground, that not good enough for you?"

"We need to find Mount Weather. You heard my father's message. Food and water need to be our priority."

Octavia was no longer inclined to listen to his frantic grabs for power, "Screw your Father. What's he ever done for us? Do you think because your dad is the dictator up there you can be in charge down here? You and your brother," She gestured to the tiny boy hiding in the door of the drop ship. Jake Jaha wilted under her glare and retreated back into the ship.

Wells watched the kid's retreated before snarling at Octavia, "He's not my brother."

Murphy chose that moment to strike, "Sure seems like he is to me. Isn't that why he's in here? Because after the Griffin incident your dad couldn't keep it in his pants."

Wells roared and raised his fists to go at Murphy. Bellamy was there in an instant restraining him from doing something he didn't want to, "Maybe you should be the one to go to Mount Weather. Let the privileged do the hard work for once."

A resounding cheer came from the gathering crowd at that. Most of the delinquents on the drop ship came from lower class families. To them the Jaha's were tyrants, executioners and to watch them do the work was a thrill Octavia could understand. Still, watching Jake as he peeked his head out again she could feel a little bit of sympathy for him. She was a second child as well. The fact that his parents didn't die for birthing him was the main reason she'd never dream of approaching him. The child was sheltered, a four year old with no contact with anyone except his parents.

Wells protested his nomination for the task, "You're not listening! We all need to go-"

Murphy had apparently grown tired of listening to him talk as he shoved Wells over, "Look at this everybody- Chancellor of Earth!"

Wells drew himself back together before glaring down at the shorter delinquent, "You think that's funny?" Just like that Murphy pounced on him. They rolled on the floor exchanging blows as the crowd around them cheered them on. On Murphy's third consecutive punch to Wells' face he'd apparently had enough as he stood up and gave him some space.

Wells struggled to his feet and tried to limp after Murphy, he'd hurt his ankle in the fall. Murphy egged him on, waiting for the perfect time to strike again. Octavia cheered, this was a spectacle unlike anything she'd seen before. Sure there had been fights in the prison block but she was never there to see them. Always hearing about them the next day from a friend or the guards whispering.

Finn chose that moment to interrupt. He leapt down from the side of the drop ship and landed between them, "Now's not the time for fighting. The guy's already got a bad leg, wait till this is a fair fight," Octavia watched him stare down Murphy.

"Hey, Spacewalker! Rescue me next!" Finn turned to smile at her and Octavia smiled back. Just like that Murphy and his posse turned and left and Wells went to go sit down by his map. Octavia admired Finn as he walked away before Bellamy jerked her out of her reverie, "What? he's cute."

"He's a criminal."

"We're all criminals."

Bellamy dragged her away by her hand, "Look, O, I came down here to protect you."

Octavia shoved his grip off, "I don't need protecting! I've been locked up one way or another all my life and now it's my turn to make my own choices! I'm done following orders. I'm done following your orders," She watched the hurt look in his eyes and backtracked, "I just, I need to do something crazy just because I can. No one, including you, is going to stop me."

Bellamy's gaze drifted to their surroundings and she knew he was going to change the topic, "I can't stay here, O."

"What do you mean?"

"I did something," he started to walk off, to leave her behind again, "To get on the drop ship. Something they will kill me for. I can't say what it was but just trust me. You do still trust me, don't you?"

Octavia nodded reluctantly. He was still her brother despite past mistakes. Just then she caught sight of Finn and Wells talking. The Space Walker wore a frown like a pimple. Octavia detached herself from her brother to go eavesdrop.

"You need to talk to him Wells," Finn said.

"I won't. He's not my brother or my responsibility. They tried to replace my best friend Finn! Tried to erase Clarke from everything as if she was never here in the first place."

"It's not the kid's fault. He's struggling same as you."

Wells looked displeased at this, "We're not the same," he slowly started to stand and limp back into the drop ship.

Finn made him pause for a few seconds, "Don't tell me that you don't look into his eyes and see your own. He's scared. Imagine getting sent down here into this green after spending your whole life in one room."

Octavia decided to lend her expert opinion, "The kid just wants to be loved. If you don't want him I'll take him."

Bellamy laid waste to that plan, "I won't have you interacting with them, O. They killed Mom."

Octavia shoved off the hand he'd placed on her shoulder, "I killed Mom. They were just following the laws Mom ignored."

Finn said, "We need to leave for Mount Weather."

"You alone can't carry enough food for all these people!" Wells protested.

Finn turned to Jasper and Monty, two delinquents in for stealing and illegal possession, "Now we have 3."

"I'm coming too!" Octavia was ready for adventure.

"No you're not!"

"Bells, it'll be fine. I need to explore right now."

Bellamy sighed, "Just take a knife or two with you."

Just then a little voice spoke up from behind them, "Food?"

It was Jake, his eyes wandering over to the map clenched in Finn's hand. Octavia stepped towards him but Bellamy's arm barred her way. In the end it was Finn who reached him first and hoisted the little boy into the air under his arms, "You hungry?"

The boy smiled and nodded, his long black hair swaying in the wind.

"Guess we'd better hurry then." With that the expedition left the drop ship.

From where Anya was perched above the camp the scene below seemed ridiculous. To shame a child for birth instead of merit was ludicrous. The only thing close was… mutation. The child was rancid then. Why had they left it alive? Why did the Commander want to her to watch him? Anya had never felt such doubt in the Commander's orders before but something about the fire raining from the sky had shaken her. It went against everything her parents, friends and mentors had told her. The North always lied. Their tales of Ragnarök were nothing but a crutch to support their flagging economy.

Anya should've reconsidered the truth of Ragnarök when she learned that the North was occupied by two of the richest known clans. The Maunkru and Floudonkru had always controlled the majority of trade within the clans, it never occurred to Anya that the traders she was meeting barred the signature tattoos of boat or mountain. Even the facial tattoos that some of the Floudonkru merchant families claimed as heritage had invoked no reaction from the young warrior. It was greeting the Commander upon her return from Hali that revealed the wealth of the North. She wore armor finer than anything Anya had seen before and Indra carried a sword sharper than a hawk's talon.

Anya turned to the warrior crouched next to her. "Follow them," she pointed out the group leaving the camp, "Don't let them near TonDC."

The warrior nodded and shot off after the group taking two other warriors with him. Anya drifted off to thought as she observed the panic that greeted hungry bellies. The fools had no idea how to feed themselves or how to properly establish a camp. They milled about in horror and many scurried off in pairs to mate. A sure sign of an establishing society. They wished to procreate immediately and viciously so that a large pool of children was available for when disease and war hit. A wise strategic move, had they already built defenses.

Anya chuckled at the foolishness of the fire giants. Lexa had overestimated them again. They were surely the same as the Maunon with their fragile skin. One cut and they died a painful death. Death by a thousand cuts was not nearly as worthwhile with a victim who died after the first one.

Anya refocused as the leader approached the small giant. The man, Salami she'd overheard one of the giants say, struck the small giant across the face. He took the pain well. A repressed flinch that Anya had seen many a time gave away his charade and Anya watched as the child cowered before Salami. Momentarily Anya wished for Salami to end this small giant. To purge the stain on the bloodline and cleanse his people, to humanize them.

That was when Salami turned from the small giant and Anya decided his nature. A monster, pure and simple. One had to be to doom one's people to disease and pain. To leave a child in mutated agony and doom a civilization was the first true act of evil she'd seen the idiotic flame giants commit. For a people so maleficent to the North they were pathetic.

No defenses to speak of, no clear leader, no advanced knowledge and only rudimentary weapons did not create an intimidating enemy. Add their similarity to the Maunon and they might be something but already the giants were distancing themselves. They had yet to notice Anya's obvious hiding spot. A hiding spot the Maunon would have spotted in seconds.

Anya settled down against her tree to watch the flame giants scurry as Salami tried to force them into line. Quickly he found a group of men to follow him. Their builds indicating at a background in violence. The warriors followed the pompous leader as he paraded them about and shouted orders ate the other wandering giants.

They listened to him, surprisingly and soon the giants set about carving tools and gathering the trees that'd fallen from the strike of their metal monster. Anya quickly sent a messenger to Lexa, this was news she'd need to hear.

In her focus on Salami's amassed warriors Anya forgot to watch the small giant as he wandered away from the camp.

Four days after Lexa's message had been received in Hali, Clarke stepped off her small ship. It was the same one she'd journeyed in with the wolf queen, the same one she'd used to flee from the Azgeda. She pat the hull of the ship before setting off down the coast into the forest. She had a date with the Commander, it wouldn't do to let her down.