Note:

Part of this chapter will take place eight weeks after the first chapter and the second part will take place five months after that, six months of Clarke being held by the Azgeda.

I have a question, where is the Azgeda located?

Azgeda Chronicles: Chapter 2: The Azgeda Dogs:

First Half of the chapter:

Azgeda territory: Norway

The dropship had been hidden in a lake of ice. The frozen layer of water had been set ablaze with fire, the dropship wrapped in thick chains and ropes, bound to boulders and metal weights. More than fifty Azgeda men and women pushed the hunk of metal into the lake, getting it successfully into the freezing waters, watching as the dropship sank into the waters' depths, the flat, round, wide top disappearing as it was weighed down. The Ice Queen knew how deep that lake was. Knew the lake would freeze over in only two minutes or so. She knew that almost no one went to this lake. The dropship would be hidden for a long time. Perhaps forever.

Those that weren't sworn to Nia in absolute and knew that the twenty-six were of the sky, knew no longer, as the queen had had…accidents arranged for each of those that knew and planned to tell the Commander. No one outside of Nia's closest guards and their sworn soldiers would know. The guards that had been sent to push the dropship into the lake had been those that the queen knew would never betray her, ever. No one else knew where the twenty-six had come from originally.

And that was good. Nia, Ontari and none of the Azgeda closest to them wanted anyone to know that Sky People had fallen in this area. The Commander was trying to bring the Skaikru into the Coalition. If she learned that there were any Sky People here on Azgeda land, she would try to remove the twenty-six prisoners from the Queen's ranks. If that happened? They no longer would have any hold over Wanheda. And that was not a possibility that the queen was willing to take. The twenty-six would not be discovered as Sky People. If the Queen could prevent it, no one would ever find out.

The twenty-six were, by extension of Clarke, of Wanheda, their future queen and wife to Ontari, now Azgeda Tribes people.

When news of the dropship had reached Clarke, she had almost laughed bitterly. Of course. The queen was getting rid of the evidence. They couldn't risk anyone finding out who the twenty-six were. That was why. If the Azgeda lost the twenty-six, they would lose their leverage. Their hostages. And while it was of course a dirty, disgusting thing to do, like everything else the Azgeda did, it couldn't be any less or more disgusting than anything else the Trikru or the Mountain Men had done. Clarke, an hour later had confronted the twenty-six and explained what had happened to the dropship. It had been the dungeons all over again.

Edmund and Blair had both looked terrified. Parker, Cameron and Jesse had been outraged. There had been panic and fear for a great deal of them till Clarke had told them loudly to shut up. She had told them as calmly as she could how it was going to be, how Queen Nia had arranged it. They were hostages. Simple as that. They were prisoners. And if they tried to escape they'd die. Since the dropship had been hidden, it had been because of the Coalition. After Clarke had explained what the Coalition was and that the Sky People were already here and were being negotiated with (Clarke herself had barked out a laugh at that, since Lexa was actually trying to repair the damage she had done? Right, that was funny) and should the Commander find out that there were twenty-six people in Azgeda territory, being held prisoner, she would attempt to rescue them to prevent a war.

At least, that last part was what Clarke had told them. Maybe if Lexa found out that some Sky People were here, she wouldn't try to rescue them. After all, the Commander would sacrifice everything for her Coalition. If that meant possibly avoiding war by turning the other way while a few Sky People were held captive and said nothing about it to the rest of the Sky People and the 100, that really wouldn't have surprised Clarke at all. The Commander did still let the Azgeda into the Coalition, despite what the Ice Queen had done to Costia. The Commander wasn't very good at actually taking risks for all her talk about being strong and brave and making sacrifices. So Clarke genuinely didn't know if Lexa would even raise a finger to help these twenty-six. Considering it was so easy for Lexa and Anya both to turn their backs on the Sky People, made up of eighty people, plus the 100, which were only forty of them left, it was very, very likely that the Commander wouldn't give a flying damn about twenty-six measly Sky People.

So when Blair had asked Clarke if they'd be free if the Commander came, Clarke had been honest with the girl. Completely and utterly honest. She didn't want to be like the two women she had been in love with. She didn't want to lie to these kids like Lexa and Anya had lied to her. She had told them the truth. She didn't know. She had no idea. The Commander might save them to solidify the Coalition, but she might also let the Azgeda keep them if it meant not starting a war between the tribes. That was the two possibilities that Clarke knew. It had hurt to see Blair shudder in fear and to see the poor girl cringe. But Clarke had told the girl the truth. It was harsh, but it was reality.

It looked like with every piece of information Clarke gave the twenty-six, the twenty-six delinquents grew paler and paler. By this point it was a surprise that they hadn't fainted and remained unconscious. A couple of weeks after they were mostly healed up, save for the still aching bones and the cuts that needed to be watched, and almost four weeks after the dropship had been dumped into the lake, the lake freezing over only hours later, covering the dark, icy depths, the twenty-six, on Queen Nia's orders, began their first day of training with Clarke. She was their teacher now. And had been doing so for a month and a few weeks now.

Which left Clarke and her…well, her "students" in this current situation, in present day.

The swing to her side was blocked under a second and the ankle hand an arm hooked around it, flipping the leg, the young boy attached to the leg, Farron, a ten-year-old Azgeda Seken who Nia ordered Clarke to train alongside the twenty-six delinquents, went spinning into the charging Sabine and Casey. Farron collided with Sabine and Casey, all three of them going to the ground. Clarke didn't even need to turn around to sense the two other "warriors," about to charge her, Dallas and another Azgeda youth, Aron, a girl at the age of twelve and snapped her hand out, catching Aron by the throat, pulling her up and flipping her over her shoulder at the pile of three fallen children, her right foot snapping out and hitting Dallas square in the chest. The fifteen-year-old Dallas crashed to the ground from the force.

The piles around them also consisted of the totaled teenagers that Clarke had sent down onto their backs and sides, groaning. They were bruised up in only a few spots. Clarke sighed, not wanting to hurt these kids but knowing that that was part of the deal if she wanted them to be safe from Nia and Ontari's wrath.

Clarke hopped off the edge of the wooden platform, dropping on her feet on the stone floor. She grinned, looking over every last one of them again. Having pleading with the queen enough and getting the queen to agree to allow Clarke to train all of the twenty-six, she succeeded and now she could lay witness to the currently unpromising groups of defeated delinquents. The twenty-six water recycling station prisoners, now Azgeda students training to be warriors, were not a promising bunch. But then, Clarke doubted she had been herself was. Sure, she had been trained by the Trikru, by Anya, by Lincoln, by Ryder and by Lexa herself, and was still being trained by other Azgeda warriors, but she knew she had a lot to learn about being a warrior just like these twenty-six did. She was guessing Octavia hadn't been entirely promising herself. When you haven't been trained since childhood, training could come off as very clumsy.

It just meant that Clarke and these twenty-six would need practice.

Blair, who almost against her will, Clarke had gone easier on than the others, got up from where Clarke had tripped her around her left ankle and toppled the girl over onto her side. The black-haired girl headed over, looking at her fellow slowly recovering teenagers. Blair had the bow-staffs in her hands that Hodge had tried to use against Clarke and handed them to her teacher, smiling. Clarke smiled back, nodding. "Thank you, Blair." She said, looking down at the cracked weapons of crafted wood. She looked up at all of her students. This would take a while. No way around it. Like the 100, this group would take patience. That meant nothing though. Patience had come to her easily the moment she had given up the moment she realized her relationship with Lexa and Anya had been completely false. Based on lies.

Clarke walked up to the tangled mass to the left, pressing both bow-staffs on the grounds by their ends, using them as walking sticks. This little mass consisted of Glenn, Mario, Edmund and Finley who were slowly getting up, groaning all the way to their feet. Clarke smirked at them, observing the young, redheaded, Irish girl, Finley, of nearly seventeen years, the dark-skinned, sixteen-year-old Edmund, and the shorter but stockier, blue-eyed, brown-haired, Polish Jewish descended Glenn and the skinny, Italian descended, coal-haired, emerald-eyed Mario, both of fifteen years. They would scrape and get bruised to get to being warriors like she would, but it was manageable.

If Octavia could do it, so could these kids. Hell, these kids were less stubborn from what she could tell. Way less of sticks up their rears than some of the 100's asses. Especially less than the sticks that had been up Miller's ass or Bellamy's ass.

"Well," Clarke acknowledged, laughing, "This marks the end of our eighth training week. You guys could do better." The teenagers looked at their white and black fur covered feet, abashed. Blair came over and nodded, red faced. Clarke eyed Blair and felt something at her chest tug, Fox and Jasper popping into her mind again.

Before she could stop herself, she raised her right, free arm and pat Blair's back, making the girl stand up straighter, surprised and confused. "Considering you guys just got here two months ago," Clarke snickered, "You guys did...okay. But better than the first forty times." She was grinning and some of the others, Edmund, Bobbi, Beryl and even Parker got the idea and grinned with her, their confidence slightly boosted.

"Now then," Clarke announced loudly as the stragglers reunited with the group, "I'm going to take you to the medic center. See if any of your stitches or bandages have come lose. See if anything needs any more balm. Follow me." She walked past the others with Blair following very closely behind, the others following as well. They got to the medic center, sat down and Clarke one by one looked at each of them as she had come to do in the past month of being here, teaching these kids. She had learned a great deal about them.

She hadn't cared about them as she might have once had, but she knew that knowing about their lives would help them develop into their lives here. Blair had been abandoned at the age of eight. Her mother was a drug user. Clarke had a hard time not being reminded of Raven and her heart almost broke. Almost. Blair had been taken in by the system until at the age of eleven, Blair had gotten really hungry and had stolen some food. She ended up in the Skybox for two years before being sent down here.

Simone, Sabine and Lorena, as Clarke had gathered, were all siblings. Simone and Sabine were twins, so that couldn't be helped. But their mother had then had a third child, Lorena, two years later. It couldn't have been that long after Octavia had been born. Just four years after the stubborn brunette's birth. This had been discovered a year ago. Their mother and father had both been floated, and Lorena had been put into the Skybox. When Simone and Sabine attacked some guards to stop it, they were arrested too. Thankfully, all three of them had been too young to be floated. Beryl had nearly been attacked by a guard who had been looking at her funny. Clarke hadn't pressed about it, but she understood what Beryl was getting at. She knew what the guard had tried to do to Beryl. Beryl had fought back and her mother had died and Beryl had ended up in the Skybox as a result. Clarke had smirked at Beryl when the young girl had given her that story. "Good for you." She had said, "You made that creep know he couldn't mess with you without a fight." Her praise had made Beryl stand a little straighter and taller, her head higher when she walked when the girl had told Clarke that story four days ago and Clarke had given her that response.

Casey, Parker, Bobbi and Dallas had all stolen food and medicine for their respective parents. It had ended with those that needed the medicine being floated as "accomplices" and the kids being put in the Skybox. Clarke's jaw had dropped when she had learned all that Pike had done. Pike hadn't been a saint but he had just been an average person that taught her and Wells Earth Skills. How could he be such a tyrannical chancellor? It looked like Pike was really abusing his power. Even Thelonius Jaha had known better than to float a person that had nothing to do with the crime. Well, aside from children born of the crime anyway. The parents hadn't had anything to do with their children's decisions to become thieves. But it looked like Pike was desperate to survive. If that meant he had to float everyone for even the most minor of things, and anyone related to that person, then so be it.

West and Finley had been friends prior to being locked up. They had plotted to steal food, medicine and water for those that seriously needed it, but couldn't afford it as well as Pike and his people could. That plot had been what had gotten them locked up. Bailey had stolen a gun during one of the riots and tried to kill Pike. Clarke had almost spit a river of her ale out of her mouth when she had been drinking it from a wooden cup when Bailey had told the older her own story. So Bailey had some guts, huh? And she hadn't even done it to get on the dropship like Bellamy had done. Bailey had done it just because she was sick of Pike. The sixteen-year-old, gutsy girl was lucky Pike hadn't immediately floated her for that.

It was a good thing Bailey had been on the Ark when she had done it. Otherwise, Bailey would have been dead meat. Down here, as Clarke recalled with Raven and the so-called Commander, you didn't even need evidence to call for someone to be executed. You just needed suspicion down here to order someone executed by torture. That was just how the Trikru were. Cameron, Hodge and David had all bonded over making light of the craziness on the Ark and had pulled a nearly dangerous prank. Dangerous, because it almost had blasted open the airlock doors. The three had been tossed into the Skybox in less than a heartbeat. Kristin had punched a guard in a drunken state. Martin had lied about not knowing anything about seeing Bailey grab the gun that she had almost killed Chancellor Charles Pike with. Cody and Jesse had both desperately needed food, and had stolen it, and had gorged themselves before being caught. Glenn had been starving and had killed someone for two weeks worth of rations.

Glenn, when realizing what he had just confessed to, had looked at Clarke nervously, Clarke had just shrugged at the boy. A year and a month ago she might have judged. But two weeks worth of rations? That wasn't nothing. Certainly not on the Ark. And Glenn likely hadn't been in any position to "honorably" seek out his own rations. She had seen much better conditions down here than on the Ark, and people still killed each other over food. Grounders were innocent? Riggghhtt.

Mario had committed the same offense that Jasper and Monty had. He had stolen some exotic plants, wanting to get high. That was nothing compared to Paul. The guy had stolen literally loads of drugs to sell on the black market. Avery had gotten into a fight with a bunch of other kids who had made fun of her for sleeping with other girls, bullying her over her sexuality. She had caused the most harm to the boys, so she had been locked up. Frank had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had just happened to be there when the criminals that had been West and Finley had run off and had been arrested. Something else Clarke knew wouldn't have happened had Jaha been in Pike's place. Say what you would about him, but the man wouldn't have floated or arrested anyone without proof unless he was absolutely sure it would save oxygen. And now there was no reason for it, given the lack of mass of people up on the Ark.

It looked like Charles Pike hadn't adapted to the lack of mass of people on the Ark. Absolute power was not good for the man.

Christopher had gotten into a fight like Avery had. This time it had been over his drunken father who supposedly beat Christopher's mother. Christopher had of course been caught. Then there was Edmund. When Clarke had asked him, Edmund had refused to answer. Clarke had pointed out that Edmund's crime or misdemeanor couldn't have been any worse than Bailey's or Glenn's. Edmund had just shook his head, looking away, beautiful bright brown eyes haunted. Clarke had understood that it would be too painful for him to talk about it and knew there was no benefit to it. So she just didn't ask about it anymore. She simply told Edmund that she'd listen whenever he wanted to talk about it and had let it go from there.

Most of them, like the 100, were from poorer not so well off families. The reasons for Hodge, David, Cameron, Paul and Mario had made such foolish decisions, had been because they took everything lightly. That had been because their families were better off. They hadn't thought they needed to worry, even though death usually came quickly on the Ark.

Then there was Finley and West. While not borderline wealthy like her and Wells's own once people had been on the Ark, they had been well off. Just not well off enough to get food and supplies for the lower class. That's why they had stolen. Avery was from a quite well off family. But her "transgressions" apparently had been unforgivable. When Martin and Parker had tried pull that "you're from a rich family wah, wah, wah, boo-hoo" crap that a great deal of the 100 had tried to pull with her and Wells, Clarke had chewed them both out, punching them both in the jaws, shocking them. She flat out spat at them that none of them had time to discriminate based on who Avery or anyone was related to. That was none of their business. There was no time for that. Life was too short, especially here for that.

If they wanted to waste their time on such trivial matters about who was related to who, then they could go ahead and waste their lives. Die here in Azgeda instead of surviving. At the twenty-six's aghast looks at that proclamation, Clarke had just shrugged and gone off to sparring with one of her teachers, Ratow.

If they wanted to waste their time and die quicker, then that was totally up to them.

Then there was the matter of the Azgeda themselves. While yes, Queen Nia had given Clarke the privilege of adopting and training the twenty-six herself, and had a few additional Azgeda kids like Farron, Aron, and a some others, two girls; Micah, Lane and a boy, Linden trained by Clarke, there was a question of how long that would be allowed. The twenty-six's safety depended only on how useful they made themselves to Nia and Ontari in the coming months. Not even years. Months. There was much to do on Earth. Even more to do in the Azgeda, as it was a very hostile environment to survive in. Even more precautions had to be made than in usual Grounder territories.

Clarke understood Queen Nia's protection for what it was. Protection, for a price. Not just Clarke's services, but the twenty-six's as well. The twenty-six would have to be very promising servants and bloodhounds for the queen and her heir if they wanted to survive. Clarke had made it very clear to them. They served, or died. Submission or being skinned alive or pulled apart. There was no in-between. That was just how the queen had arranged it. There it was. The obvious knife to the throat. The knife to all their throats.

She had given the group that lecture and they had all looked like they were getting ready to piss themselves. Thankfully, Blair clinging onto Clarke had kept the young girl from doing just that. Bailey had looked sick when she had understood what kind of situation they were in. Pretty much everyone either looked ill, numb or like they would rather be anywhere else except in an Azgeda tribe at that moment.

Now that all of the twenty-six were patched up, Clarke got up from her sitting position off the bench, being done looking at the small cut on Farron's back, sterilizing it and covering it up. The young boy turned to her, grinning. Clarke gave a small smile back. Farron wasn't so bad by Azgeda standards. Though Clarke supposed no Azgeda was. They were just trying to survive. They were just trying to survive the hellhole that was Azgeda and the Ice Queen. They acted a certain way to survive the society they lived in. Clarke had always known that, even when she had first heard of all the stories about the Azgeda.

Farron was a child and didn't ask for any of this. No child would wish for a life like this. That was why it was dangerous to raise children as warriors from age seven or six. They won't have a childhood. Farron was no older than ten. Even younger than Blair. And he was such a sweet boy. He knew he couldn't hug people or smile at them when his father was around, not unless he wanted the rough and burly Tenmar, a war wrought man who had been hardened by the battles before the Coalition had been formed, to beat his son as a form of a lesson. And he certainly could never display those shows of weaknesses when the Ice Queen was looking. The woman would have him taken from the group and thrown into the fighting pits to toughen him up. Clarke had made it very clear that it was okay for Farron to show that stuff around her and the twenty-six because they wouldn't tell. But he couldn't do that around anyone else. If there was one thing that Clarke had learned around the main Azgeda territory in Queen Nia's kingdom, it was that anyone could be listening in or watching when you thought that they weren't. And many people were looking for rewards from their queen.

It didn't matter who they had to stab in the back to do it. It was just here, it was far more obvious than with the Trikru. Because here, the Azgeda didn't pretend it was anything but their own survival and their own opportunities that they cared about like the Trikru did. The Trikru would do the same thing, they would just pretty it up with words like "justice," "honor," "loyalty" and "integrity." False reasons. Lies. Excuses. They were just as cowardly and cutthroat and underhanded. The Azgeda were just honest about it. Hell, the people of the Ark were even more honest than the Trikru in how cutthroat and selfish they were. Lexa had been right about one thing. The people of Polis really had changed Clarke's view of Grounders. There had been a time she had thought them simply survivors. Needing to adapt in a harsh environment. She had thought them all to be good people at the core. She had been proven wrong. What happened at Mount Weather when Lexa and Anya had betrayed everyone else had told her truly who the Trikru were. Liars. Manipulators. Backstabbers. Those that were far from being incapable to slit children's throats in their sleep and steal their provisions. That was just who they were. The only difference was that the Azgeda made sure people knew that that was who they were. The Trikru hid it.

After Clarke had made it particularly clear to the twenty-six what the group would have to deal with, she knew at some point, she would have to tell them about Lexa. About Anya. About the Trikru and Polis and all the other tribes and the villages that made up the tribes. And the so-called well-kept Coalition. If they were to survive Earth, they had to survive all of it. And that included the dangerous backstabbing world of the Trikru. Those that would leave their allies in less than a heartbeat. Clarke knew she had to decide a good time to explain how this world worked to the kids. Explain how the Grounder system worked, as well as she knew how it worked for someone who wasn't from Earth originally could.

She would have to tell them at some point.

About the treacherous Trikru. And about the things the Trikru had done to the 100.

After she was done instructing them, if they wanted to go ahead and do something stupid and get themselves impaled on some Grounder's sword, then that was completely up to them. But until then, she would need to inform them of the dangers in the world.

As Clarke herded the group out of the medic center and down the hall to the main courtroom where the queen was having her feast, they made small, quiet chatter, her, Farron and the young Azgeda keeping their faces neutral masks, and the twenty-six new Sky people trying to do the same, but their facades breaking every now and then with some joke here or there and they would laugh. It didn't matter. They needed to pretend they were devoted killing machines, not statues. The group arrived at the main court, going into the steel, stone and bone crafted, cavernous room, lined with wooden tables where warriors sat and ate. Farron bowed at his waist to Clarke, ran to Queen Nia and Ontari's thrones and bowed to the both of them before being nodded away and he joined his father, Tenmar who barely acknowledged his son. Aron and Micah did the same before going to their families' tables, Micah to her parents' table and Aron to her parents' table. Lane and Linden, being orphans of previous battles, chose to stay with the twenty-six and Clarke.

Clarke and her group walked to Queen Ni and her daughter and they all went down to their knee, bowing their heads. The queen waved her hand, a dry remark leaving her in direction to Ontari that Clarke heard, "You would think by now that Wanheda would know that she doesn't have to bow. Oh well, it keeps her bowing to us." Clarke tried not to roll her eyes. That was the point. As long as she kept up the appearance that she was subservient to the queen and Ontari, then she could keep her head more easily. That was all there was to it. No loyalty, no deceit. Just pure survival.

After they were dismissed, Clarke, Linden, Lane and the twenty-six rose to their feet and went over to the nearest table. Though the feast at this court was reserved for only the best warriors, and the twenty-six, plus Linden and Lane weren't even close to being counted as full Gavsos (which meant Sekens in Azgeda language) yet, let alone warriors, them being vouched for by the mighty Wanheda of all people had gotten them a great deal of attention and benefits, like eating here in the queen and princess's presence.

Clarke and the others sat down at the table, Clarke sat on the side that faced the queen and the princess, her back to the opposite court's wall. Flanking her sides were Cody, Blair, Frank, Martin, Cameron, Parker, Linden, Lane, Dallas, Avery, Finley, West and Jesse. The spaces on other side of the table was filled with the mass of Mario, Paul, David, Hodge, Edmund, Christopher, Beryl, Bailey, Simone, Lorena, Sabine, Bobbi, Kristin and Glenn. None of the twenty-six even jumped at the blasting of the huge, long, brass and wooden horns from the balconies, the sounds booming through the hall, reaching the tables. They had heard the horns enough times during training, eating and scouting that they were used to the noise by now.

The tables were covered with silver and glass platters, stuffed with cooked beef, rabbit, mutton, ram meat and arctic salmon. A couple of arctic bears had been caught and properly butchered and cooked. Slabs of their marinated meat were offered to Clarke and her group. Wanheda got the first say on what she ate at the table. Clarke just nodded to the servants holding out the platter of bear meat, and with her sharp utensils, sharp as daggers as all utensils in the Azgeda were, she pulled off two slabs of the arctic bear meat and dropped it onto her plate. The closest servant girl, Hunisa, poured a pitcher of ale into Clarke's silver goblet in front of her plate. Hunisa, the servant in question, beautiful face framed by long, rich, ebony locks looked at Clarke, smiling and gave her a smoldering look before pouring some ale into the next person's cup at the next table.

Clarke tried not to glower. Being "Wanheda" did have its pros. Like being able to keep the twenty-six safe. But none of those pros involved people throwing themselves at her. One of those pros was not how many people whispered about her and gawked. Like she was a marvel. Like people couldn't believe that she was real. And some of them, like Hunisa, tried to garner...special attention from her. Next to her, Frank smirked. "Goodness. No offence, but I'll never get why you get so many girls trying to get into your pants, Clarke. I mean, you're hot, but-"

Frank was nudged hard in the side by Lane who shook her head at him, disgusted. "How many times have we told you? Klark is Wanheda. She's the destroyer of the Mountain and savior of the Ripas. You will show some respect." Clarke sighed, shaking her head as the rest of the twenty-six took their food from the middle of the table, not bothering to even ask for people to pass the food, as Clarke pointed out that the Grounders didn't give a damn about manners, so long as those manners were addressed to people in power. She watched Frank lower his head apologetically, grabbing at a piece of recently baked bread and tearing it in half. She shot a worried glance at Lane who smiled at her and then went to slicing at a piece of beef on her plate. This was yet one more thing she had been worried about.

The kids in Azgeda, like Lane and Linden, Farron, Aron and Micah, they looked up to Clarke, respected her. Worshipped her as a hero. Lane was no older than twelve and Linden no older than fourteen. They were being taught that strength was the only thing that mattered in the world and two months ago they had been told that the boogie men that they would have to grow up with, the Mountain Men, were all dead, thanks to Clarke. They all saw her as "Wanheda" and saw her as a hero.

It never got easier for Clarke to know that. It was why she had left her people in the first place. Because she didn't want to have to keep being reminded of what she had done. Staying with the 100, with her people would make her remember every second of what she had done, and she had known it. It just proved how screwed up this world was. Linden, Lane, Farron, Aron and Micah and all the children like them could continue romanticizing stories about Wanheda and her strength and power. In the end they were just proving how foolish and susceptible they were to this world's deceptions. She was no hero. She was a mass murderer.

Clarke proceeded to eat and did her usual duty of making sure that the others ate plenty as well. If they were going to not break every bone in their body the next set of training, they'd need to keep up their strength. Clarke watched Beryl, Parker and Martin grab up their pieces of beef and eat before she took her next bite. She allowed herself some amusement when she saw Blair and Mario fight for a piece of fresh bread even though there were plenty of slices next to their hands.

(Page break)

Six Months after the Mountain: (This second part of the chapter takes place five months after the part above)

Polis:

Anya arrived at the main room, Lexa awaiting her teacher on the throne, raising her head and standing when her Fos was only a few inches away, Indra and Titus besides Lexa, flanking her.

"Where is she?" The Commander asked, voice even, intense green eyes locking with Anya's deep brown ones. Anya, grim faced as usual, maintained her calm voice, eyes never flickering face never showing signs of a flinch when she spoke and gave the foreboding news. "Heda, forgive. Klark, she's in Azgeda. The Ice Queen has her."

Lexa's mouth parted as her head raised, horror searing into her. The Ice Queen, the woman who had murdered Kostia, had Klark? When news had reached Polis of the Mountain falling at Klark's hand, both Leksa and Onya had known that all of the tribes would be vying for Klark's power. They would want her head to gain her power. And the Ice Queen had her. "How long has she had her?" Leksa asked, her voice almost possessing a tremor as she demanded the answer. Onya maintained a solid, cool expression, but Leksa could see Onya's impulse to reassure the other woman, but her stiff hands stayed at her sides. They both had known that the decision they had made at the Mountain would be a terrible decision to make. But a necessary one, though Leksa knew that Onya would debate that. The Mountain Men's forces were too strong, their technology too advanced.

Onya didn't believe that they couldn't have taken the Mountain Men down, but Leksa did what she thought was best for her people. She protected her people as Heda and that was what mattered. But Onya and Leksa both knew that Klark would not see it that way. When Leksa had ordered Onya to go back to the Mountain to make sure Klark was safe and Onya had found with her warriors what she had found, the Mountain decimated, everyone inside dead and Klark gone as her people left to go back to their camp, she knew that their bond with Klark would never truly be the same.

This latest news, that Klark was with the Azgeda, kept the cold serpent of fear slithering about, biting its fangs into Onya's very blood. Klark was with the Azgeda. The Ice Queen had Klark at her mercy. Onya bowed her head to the Commander. "Send me to the Ice Nation." Onya requested. "I will bring her back personally." Leksa observed her teacher. Her chest felt tight and painful. She couldn't lose Klark. Not again. She couldn't go through this again. "No. Both of us are going. We're going to bring her back. We'll find her." "Heda," Titus protested, voice offended as he stepped closer, "I implore you, do not leave Polis. You cannot trust the Azgeda scum not to turn on you as soon as you are in their territory."

"Silence, Titus." The Commander ordered, snapping her head to stare at the Fleimkeepa. "You will not interfere in retrieving her." The Commander fixed Titus with a dangerous stare. Titus appeared stricken a moment before he nodded and backed away, going back to the side of the throne obediently. Anya had lifted her head, appearing startled for once since she had returned. "We are both going, Heda?" Leksa heard the unease in Onya's voice. She was not going to protest against Leksa's orders, but the Commander could read the many wild flashes of concern that briefly appeared in her mentor's eyes before the older woman kept her eyes a calm, solid brown.

The Commander would have scoffed, had Klark not been involved in this. Someone having doubts that she would be safe when going to confront the Ice Queen? That alone was not just insulting, but dangerous to imply or even hint at. But because Klark was involved, it made the matter very complicated. "Do not question my decision." Leksa announced to everyone in the room, eyes going to Anya and making sure the older understood the meaning behind her words, "I am going to the Ice Nation and bringing Wanheda back to her people. I will hear no more of it."

Leksa could feel Indra stiffen up next to her in protest but noticed the older nod her head. None of them could do anything to keep the Commander from going, so they maintained their stance. Pleased, at least by both Titus and Indra's obedience, Leksa kept her eyes locked with Onya's and announced to her calmly, "We're arranging a trip to Azgeda now. It will take us a month to reach its shores. Leave with me today, Onya." The blonde did not protest. Leksa could see the older was tense as well as Indra had been, but the older still bowed. "Yes, Heda." Leksa gave a nod for Onya to move and her once mentor turned on her heel and went down the hall. Leksa turned to Indra and looked from Indra to Titus, "Have the council watched while I am gone. We will return as soon as we can with Wanheda. We are going to go to Skaikru's camp now. Remain here."

Both Indra and Titus bowed, answering in monotone voices, "Yes, Heda" before Leksa turned and followed after Onya down the hall. She knew she was taking a high risk by doing this. If she left that would leave Polis in danger of the council making decisions without her supervision, but if the Ice Queen had Klark, Wanheda, that was an even higher risk that they couldn't take. With Wanheda in her grasp, the Ice Queen would become strong and have the backing of the council. And if Nia chose to kill Klark…

Leksa's walking increased in its pace as her mind brought up that dangerously unnerving possibility. No. She couldn't think that. She couldn't. Klark wasn't going to die. She wasn't going to die. Leksa, almost numbly rushed after Onya, feet hitting the floor faster and faster as servants and guards bowed and stepped out of their Heda's way.

Onya had slowed down at the door to the long, black, steel stairs leading down and turned to the Commander. "Heda," Onya spoke, her voice firm but the Commander could see the increasing unease in the older woman's eyes, "I am not questioning your choice, but if the Skaikru learn of where Klark is, will they not try to stop us from bringing her back?" The Commander's jaw tightened. She didn't like the thought of Skaikru interfering, but if Klark was in Azgeda hands now, her people needed to know. "They need to know." Leksa answered, no emotion betrayed in her voice or on her face. "If Klark is in danger, and we don't tell them, that risks endangering the alliance." Leksa heard Onya's question without even hearing the unsaid words as the older looked at her once Seken. Isn't the alliance already dead?

Leksa didn't respond at all, just walked down the steps and she heard a sigh behind her before Onya's footsteps followed her own. The current, very fragile alliance. After Klark had felled the Mountain, Leksa had tried to reestablish an alliance between their people and the Skaikru, now that the threat of the Mountain Men was not looming over them. There was no immediate threat to their people. So a permanent alliance with the Skaikru was possible now. If they got Klark, they could even make the Skaikru part of the Coalition if Klark bowed to Leksa.

But if they kept this information about Klark from the Skaikru, they could become harder to control. They could start protesting in anger. The Commander didn't like thinking that Belomi, Reivon, Abi, Wels, Fin and Oktevia would be coming with them on the mission to retrieve Klark. She knew how the five of them felt about her and Onya. It would likely result in anger and accusations on the trip to the Ice Nation. But they all needed to know. They would all be on their way to the Azgeda. She would bring a militia of her people to the Ice Queen's doorstep.

The Ice Queen would not kill Klark as she had Kostia. Leksa would not wait another day and expect to find Klark's head brought to her bedside or Onya's.

Leaving Polis's tower, Leksa and Onya reached the circle of horses tied to the wooden banners, meant for such a purpose. The warriors lined up next to the horses greeted their Heda, then their general. Leksa called out her orders roughly in Trigedasleng to the generals before her, "Gather each of your armies. Be at my back. We will go to Skaikru's camp. Do not harm any of them. We are there only to bring them a message. Then we will be going to the Ice Nation."

She watched as the generals' faces scrunched in confusion and some in shock and some in caution. She got her answer for at least one of their reactions when one of the the generals of the Yujleda stepped up, appearing emotionless as he spoke in Trigedasleng, "Heda, forgive me, but why are we going to the Skaikru? Or to Azgeda? Is it because of Wanheda?" The Yujleda, Barvin, spat out the word, "Wanheda" and Leksa almost reached for her sword. Almost. She heard a growl next to her and saw Onya about to advance on Barvin, but she held up her right hand, blocking Onya from moving forward. Onya's hand was over the pommel of her knife, ready to pull it out and cut the other general for his words against Klark. Leksa almost envied Onya for displaying what she wanted to do as well. But she just answered, her voice hardened by ice when she spoke next, "Yes. It is about Wanheda. The woman who slayed our enemy who has been hunting our people for years and years. This is about the hero who ended the reaping of our tribes and our sons and daughters and mother's and fathers. This is about saving the woman who turned Ripas back into men. Wasn't your sister turned into a Ripa, Barvin?"

The large, scarred and muscled Barvin bit back a growl, shoulders tensing. She had hit a tender area. His younger sister of only eighteen years, Tiya had been taken by the Mountain Men, turned into a Ripa by the Mountain Men. She had eaten human flesh. And was a forced soldier of the Mountain until Klark cured her. Tiya was still grief-stricken by the things she had done as a Ripa, but she was back to the woman she had once been. Her child, who had been born the year before she had been taken by the Mountain, now had his mother back, Tiya's homon had his wife back, and Barvin had his sister back. And it was because Klark had ordered all the Ripas be cured.

The commander continued, not letting Barvin get a word in, "We owe a great debt to Wanheda. And to the Skaikru. We are going to Azgeda to bring Wanheda back to her people. And offering a place for the Skaikru in the Coalition. Another word from your traitorous tongue and you will have your tongue sliced out." The threat was not an empty one and everyone that heard the Commander knew that. The Commander did not make idle threats. Barvin froze and took a step back. He then bowed his head. "Heda." He responded, not daring to look up again at the woman. The Commander just nodded, fighting a smirk at Barvin's now humble appearance. No one would threaten or insult Klark. Not in front of her or when she was in earshot.

She barked out the command for her generals to gather their warriors. They called their consent back and turned, running to where the lines of soldiers stood, waiting.

Leksa could feel Onya smirking, pleased. It was exactly the way Onya would have reacted.

Although Onya had been getting ready to gut Barvin.

The two warriors walked towards their horses. Leksa reached her black horse and Onya reached her brown one. The guards helped them up onto their steeds. Once each woman was mounted on the beasts, they rode towards the oncoming soldiers who went to their own horses.

It was time to leave, to go to the Skaikru's camp.

Author's note: Where the heck is the Azgeda? Heck, where are any of the tribes? Until someone tells me where the Azgeda and the other tribes are located, I'm saying Norway. Also, I need to get this off my chest. The group of the 100 prisoners don't deserve Clarke.

There are going to be spoilers in what I rant next, so if you don't want to be spoiled, don't read.

It always strikes me as hilarious when Clarke seems to care so much about the 100. That's funny. They sure don't seem to care about her. I'm just saying, I know what I've seen. The most they seem to care about is what Clarke can give them. It's like they have no idea how to handle a situation, like cats stuck in trees. But when Clarke actually steps up and acts as a leader to help them, they immediately go all "how dare you." She has to make the tough decisions. Are all of those decisions necessarily right? No. But is there a right decision under the conditions they're surviving in? You might argue that there is, but it's very difficult to see under the circumstances. But it seems to me, the only times that the 100 and the Sky People have ever cared about Clarke is when she has something to offer them.

Season 1: Clarke tries to get food for everyone, people immediately start stigmatizing her just because she was related to people she couldn't help being related to. She tries to warn people there's a killer in their group, and there was. It was Charlotte, not Murphy, but there was one. The people needed to know what kind of danger lived with them. Sure, what happened to Murphy obviously shouldn't have happened, but people needed to know that one of their own was responsible for Wells's death. And think about Murphy's personality. It was only a matter of time before Murphy murdered someone. I mean, he would have murdered Jasper the night before just for "making too much noise" when Jasper was in pain and healing. Oh, and how about that time Murphy tried to burn a girl's face? Yeah, remember that? He thought it would "look better if we suffered first." He tried to burn a girl's face while trying to get her wristband. May I ask where people's excuse is for that one?

What was the likelihood that Murphy wouldn't have done something like that again sooner or later? No one was safe with Murphy at that time. It was only a matter of time before he killed or hurt someone.

Season 2: Clarke tries to warn people about the Mountain Men because she justifiably is suspicious of them. She would do anything to protect her people, even give up a warm bed and the promise of safety as long as she knew for sure that her people were safe, including from the Mountain Men. How does Clarke's people treat her? Oh, she's an "ungrateful ass," she is putting them in danger. Jasper, Miller, Monty, Fox, Harper and the others are won over so easily by cake, why can't Clarke be the same way? Why is Clarke such a spoilsport, you know, trying to protect her people and all that? Why is she always ruining the 100's fun? Wah, wah, wah, boo-hoo. She's so terrible, trying to keep the 100 safe.

Then there's Ton DC. Was what she did the right decision? Probably not. But was it necessary? Maybe. But whatever you thought of what Clarke did, Clarke was doing what she thought was best for survival.

Season 3: Clarke kneels for the Commander if it means that her people will be safe. She begs that her people be spared after Bellamy and Pike kill 300, having the "Blood must not always have blood" law installed with Lexa. What happens? Bellamy blames her for everything. And Clarke regularly is chewed out by the people she's been trying to save for not "doing enough" even though she and Raven are the only ones that have actually done anything and hold her as a scapegoat for literally everything that's happened.

While I have stopped watching the series and since episode seven have realized that the series is a complete waste of time and the actors and actresses' talents, I have heard of the things that happened in the last couple of series that frankly shouldn't even have been made, they were so bad from what I saw and heard of them. I know that Clarke chose to take a bunker for her people over the Grounders. And while both you, the fandom and the people in the series try to judge her, Clarke is just doing what she's always done. Protecting HER people. She is doing what a leader does. Does that make it right? Maybe not. But there was a limited amount of people that could be saved anyway. Clarke and the others couldn't save everyone anyway, so the decision would have to be made anyway. So in this case? With such a situation that was like a gun to the characters' heads? I don't think any right decision could be made, because that idiot Rothenberg made the situation impossible.

That's why you don't have stupid plots like the one Rothenberg made last season. If you want there to be a right choice, you don't make dumb plots where radiation will inevitably blast out all over the world and only a special number of people will survive. Sorry, but if you want any stance for morality, don't do a dumb plot like that.

What's funny to me is people seem to be fine with Bellamy slaughtering 300 people in their sleep that were sent to protect Bellamy and his people, they forget that when he threw Raven's radio into the river, he got 150 or so people killed and yet the fandom still sees him as a sweetheart even if he's a coldblooded murderer. And what always makes me laugh is that the fandom's fine with the Trikru being ruthless and making decisions like leaving the Skaikru to die at the mountain as long as it was for their own survival even though it risked war again and it basically gave the Mountain Men, the Grounders' sworn enemies bone marrow and the ability to walk on the ground without protection.

But when Clarke makes a ruthless decision for her people to survive, when survival has basically been their primary concern since the beginning? She's somehow horrible. Like I've said before in another story, be careful of that misogyny. You're exhibiting it. Let's just call a spade a spade, shall we? You're misogynists if you have that view. If you still champion Bellamy's selfish actions but are disgusted by Clarke's necessary ones, then that is misogyny.

Oh, and this is very important to remember, misogyny is used in fandoms sometimes to champion some women and shame others. That's what this fandom does A LOT when comparing Clarke with Octavia. I get that Octavia has had it rough, but it doesn't excuse her saying that Clarke isn't doing "good enough." Octavia has never been forced to take on the role of leader and doesn't know the pressures or the decisions that have to be made. I know she's hurt that Clarke left her to die in Ton DC, but she has no place to judge. And the one time she does have authority in the last season, when she really has no right to be the leader, she almost gets humanity killed by trying to have all people in the bunker.

How exactly would that even work? You need to make specific decisions about who survives in order to make sure that humanity survives long term, not just short term. And the Skaikru? They have more advanced experience with medical training.

The Grounders? They're suspicious of advanced medicine. Remember how Anya reacted when Clarke tried to heal Tris? When Clarke tried to do something as small as getting rid of poisonous blood? Anya freaked out. And when Clarke tried to get blood for Tris, Anya backed away from the needle. Right, so the big bad Grounders are scared of needles. Yes, I see a very long term survival rate for all of humanity if the Grounders are the ones in the bunker. You know, people who are scared of advanced medical training? Yeah, they'll ensure humanity's survival long term. Suuuuurrrrrreeee.

Rolls eyes.

Sorry, I just needed to get that out of my system. And if anyone thinks I excuse the Ark people for their actions, think again. I'm just saying, the Trikru are just as bad.