As Clarke rode with her escort, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread following her. The woods outside of polis were eerie. The trees were old and ancient. The radiation exposure over the years had caused them to become misshapen and deformed. They looked alive, like old twisted souls with eyes that were watching Clarke as she rode. The leaves made no movement, nor a sound. It was like entering a tomb or trees, where Clarke was sure a lot of souls had been laid to rest. There was no breeze out here and the air was thick, almost suffocating the deeper they went into the forest. About an hour after the sun had set, they came into a small clearing amongst the trees.
"we will camp here for the night, Octavia, penn, you two have first watch. Make sure to tie the horse up and feed and water them" Indras voice was always so filled with hate. Years of training herself to feel no emotion had left her cold and hard. She scared Clarke but tonight she was thankful for her presence in this ghost filled forest.
Clarke laid down close to the fire, letting its warmth reassure her. As she looked up she hoped to see stars, the sight always a welcoming one. But here in this part of the woods there were no stars to be seen. The sky was an endless black sea nothing like she had ever seen. The great void above only adding to feeling that this place was cursed and she was not welcome. Finally She dosed off, with her thoughts on lexa back in Polis. She couldn't have been asleep for long, when she was woken by a blood freezing breeze that extinguished the fire instantly, plunging the clearing into utter darkness. Clarke sat up and drew her dagger, still groggy from sleep. She could hear the ominous howls of wind whipping through the trees. The once silence tree souls now bellowed deep, raging violently as if trying to rip out their own roots.
"Octavia.." she tried to call her name but it came out a whisper that even she struggled to hear. She rose to her feet slowly trying to get her bearings. Her heart was pounding in her chest, the thuds so loud in her ears it was almost drowning out the sound of the wind. Her breath was ragged and heavy, coming out in a white mist in front of her. The hairs of her arms raised, her instincts telling her to run. Then as if on command the trees fell silent. It was as if they were chanting and now the ritual had finished. The air froze as did time. Then she heard a laugh from in the distance, the sound was as if death himself had spoke. The laugh echoed off the darkness filling all the surrounding space and then as if on cue the fire sprang back to life, illuminating the scence around her. She gasped in shock at what lay before her.
Three of the escort warriors were lying face down in the leaves. Their throats having been blood now feeding the soil. Indra and Octavia were bound to one another both knocked out cold. At least they were alive. Clarke then looked around her, she was surrounded by twenty warriors all with masks covering their faces, all looking like demons in the night.
"what do you want? Why are you here" her voice was strong showing no hint of the fear she was feeling. She held her ground ready to fight.
"hahaha" the laugh came from the shadows. Clarke looked in the direction it came from as slowly a figure walked towards her." Clarke, Clarke, Clarke, always so reckless. Your life is in danger and you still think you have authority. Someone needs to teach you a lesson" Ontari walked into the light of the fire, the flames dancing in her black eyes. Her warrior eye makeup seemed to come alive, like shadows upon her face. In one swift movement she struck Clarke across the face, creating a deep gash across her cheek. Clarke stumbled back, taken completely unawares.
"Ontari, what. Why. King Ronan.." shock evident in her voice.
"Is dead!" ontari shrugged her shoulders as if this was a casual response about the weather.
"what." Confusion was setting in, how could this be. The last time she saw the king, they were on good terms. He had made peace with Lexa and had sent them the last mountain man in good faith. He couldn't be dead.
"Don't looked so surprised Clarke. He was a weak leader. He made peace with Lexa after she killed his mother, our queen. He should of retaliated. He should of won that single combat fight. How could we follow a leader who does not answer blood with blood. He had to be disposed of. I am now the queen of Azgeda" a cocky smile spread across her dark features.
"you. but don't they have. How"
" I am a queen now Clarke you should start addressing me as such and you ask to many questions for a prisoner"
"you are no queen, you are nothing but.." Ontari backhanded Clarke on the other side of her face.
"Manners now wanheda. My people want actions. So i will lead them and finally give my people the respect they deserve." She started to walk around the fire, looking deep into the flames as if they held answers. "Trikru has looked down on my people for far to long. The past 3 commanders have descended from them. They make alliances with the enemy, who slaughtered so many of our people. Lexa didn't attack the mountain men after all they did to her people. That is weakness. Now she will know what it is like to suffer" she paused briefly. "I know how close you two have become." She raised her head to look at Clarke. She cocked an eyebrow. " so Instead of me going to her I'll get her to come to me, because I have you" she drew out the last word. A slur. a smile spread all across ontaris features. The thought of war thrilled her. Killing was a natural thing to her. She had no conscious, nor guilt. Power was all she desired. It was all a game.
"Lexa will never fall for it. The armies of the reaming 11 clans will rally behind her." Clarkes voice shook.
"oh Clarke, you still don't see do you. Her armies are holding a blockade around your people. If she calls them off to attack me, they will rebel. How can they attack their own people, grounders of the coalition over skai kru who killed their people? She will have to kill all your people before she attacks me. Or call off the blockade and then your people will surely attack her armies. You see either way lexa will fall. And to think its all because of you"
As she let Ontari's words set in. She knew she was right. Lexa couldn't fight for just Clarke alone. Either all of Clarkes people would die or Lexa would be overthrown. The peace she thought was possible had now diminished. War was upon them and again Clarke felt responsible.
"Come now Clarke, its time you came to Azgeda." With these words a warrior from behind smacked Clarke knocking her out.
As the party rode off, the fourth warrior Lexa had sent with Clarke was hidden high up in the trees. He had not been spotted and thought wiser to stay out of sight. After waiting a few hours to be certain they had gone he climbed down and started running back towards polis. He had to tell the commander of the events.