Chapter 4

"Ai laik hosh op gon yun ansa….Chon yu bilaik?" the cold voice above me demands. With an arrow aimed at my face there is literally only one thing I could do…

"I…I don't understand."

The brunette visibly tenses and her glare intensifies tenfold. "Sis em op" she orders the bald man and I am roughly taken off my feet and as I strain against the rough hands grabbing me I feel the burning in my wound intensifies while dizziness overtakes me momentarily. Luckily it was gone almost as soon as it came. It would not do to show my weakness to a possible enemy.

As I was being dragged away the woman yelled out: "hod op" she walked to me with an unreadable expression and took my trusted knife from my boot and nodded to the man to take me away.

As I am dragged away I see a city looming in front of us with a massive tower reaching for the heavens above. How did I not notice this before? I wonder. We enter through a side entrance to the city and even though I enter the city as a prisoner I can't help my curiosity. I see market stalls in front of the tower bustling with activity and I wish I could have a closer look. I am taken to a guarded entrance below the tower and there I am shoved into a cell, the door slamming shut behind me. The only source of light that enters the cell comes from a torch just outside the cell, but it is enough so I can see chains against the grey stone walls as well as a bucket on the floor. I wonder what the bucket is for?

At first I stood around, not sure what to do or whether someone will come. But soon I feel dizzy again and opt to sit down. I still have a low-grade fever and I really hope my body fights off the infection before it gets worse. Over the next few hours my position changes from lying on my back to lying on my side to sitting with my back against the wall. During this time I also found the intended use for the bucket.

Later in the afternoon two burly guards come to take me away. "Where are you taking me?" I ask, only to receive glares in return, their faces giving nothing away. They grab me roughly and bind my wrists behind me while I struggle against them. This time the strain on my wound is too much and through my struggle I feel the wound tear and I can just pray that it's not too bad.

They take me up in the tower to an elevator! I wonder how it is powered as we move up and up and up. "Where are you taking me?" I ask again, desperate to find out. They just glare at me and I huff "Look, it's not as if I won't find out soon anyway." We come to a halt at one of the upper levels.

As we step out we head to large double doors guarded by yet another two large burly men… what do they feed these people? They are huge!…maybe it's the radiation.

One of the guards at the doors stops me, he looks even bigger as he is nearing me. He has dark hair, shaven at the sides and a long beard with two braids in. He also has tattoos on his temples that meets his beard on both sides. "If you so much as look at the commander in the wrong way, I will slit your throat." All I can do is nod, hoping it doesn't come to that.

He then moves ahead of us into the room and signals the guards holding me to proceed. They strengthen their grips on my arms as we walk through the doors.

I am taken into a circular room with empty chairs arranged around the room and I am shoved on my knees. Apart from myself and the guards there are three other people in the room. The bald man who looks like a priest stands there with a scowl on his face, and a fierce looking dark-skinned woman with a face tattoo and short hair, who looks to be shocked by something. In the middle, sitting on a throne made of antlers, branches and spears, is the young woman I saw earlier today. Unlike earlier she now is wearing warpaint around her eyes running down in three tear-like lines beneath each eye. Between her eyes she wears a circular, golden headpiece but it is too far to make out the design. She is again dressed in black but wears a shoulder guard with a red sash running from it. She twirls a dagger in her hands, looking disinterested.

Behind them there is a large balcony letting in light to the room.

The dark-skinned woman says something to the commander but I can't hear anything of what she's saying. For a split second the brunette seems surprised but quickly schools her expression, if I wasn't paying close attention I would've missed the brief change in expression.

"Klark kom skaikru…. Rumour has it you are dead" the commander states, surprising me with her knowledge.

"Commander, I think you will find that the rumours are greatly exaggerated."

"You will show respect!" the black-skinned woman snarls. The commander looks as disinterested as always but she puts the dagger on her lap.

"Why are you here Klark kom skaikru? I was under the impression that you were your people's leader."

"I left the dropship in hopes to get a new start. I do not agree with my people's ways. I also didn't plan to come to one of your cities." I hope the commander accepts what I say and don't ask more questions about my so called death. I am not ready to talk about that, it is still a sensitive subject for me. Even if I can believe that Bellamy would do such a thing to me, I still feel betrayed that his friends let him.

The commander studies me closely with her calculating gaze until the priest-man interrupts her thoughts.

"Heda, em ste spichen en em set fut ona sacred graun"

"Shof op Titus" she says impatiently.

"Klark kom skaikru, your people have committed acts of war against us. Even if you were not with them at the time and were somehow presumed dead, how do I know they did not act on your orders or that you are not here as a spy?"

"You were their leader and you will bear the consequences of their actions unless you can offer me proof that you are honest."

She has a valid point and my shoulders sag, I have no proof of my intentions, I only have proof of my injuries.

"Furthermore you were found on sacred ground which is a punishable offense" she adds.

As she says this I take note of the cold sweat that has taken ahold of me as well as the searing pain in my side. I remember now how my wound had tore open earlier when the guards brought me here, it must have been worse than I thought. I reflexively look down to my wound and I see the wetness on my pants over my right thigh as well as the blood beginning to pool on the floor.

I sigh, making peace with my nearing fate, whether it be now or later, it is inevitable. The sigh that escaped me must have been taken the wrong way and in a flash the black woman draws her sword moving in quick strides towards me, but as she catches sight of my blood she halts, mouth gaping. The guards notice this and when they see what the woman is looking at they gasp in shock and release my arms. Without the added support of their tight grips, I fall to the floor weak from bloodloss and infection.

I don't register the silence that overtakes the room as the others also see my blood, nor do I register the murmurs of "natblida" that follows.

~End of chapter~

Translations:

• Ai laik hosh op gon yun ansa

I am waiting for your answer

Chon yu bilaik

Who are you

Sis em op

Seize her

Hod op

Stop/wait

Heda, em ste spichen en em set fut ona sacred graun

Commander, she is lying and she set foot on sacred ground

Shof op

Be quiet

Natblida

Nightblood

Thanks for reading so far

Please note that the only reason they were oblivious to Clarke bleeding out and not seeing it was due to her wearing dark clothing and a leather jacket

I hope this chapter is ok, I knew where I wanted to go with this chapter from the beginning but I was unsure of how to get there, had a few options