Title: Light Rises from the Night
Author: Pinion King
Fandom: The 100 (TV Show)
Date Started: 13th March 2016
Series: Light Rises from the Night

Authors Note:
Here is another one. I have been working scenes from other parts of the story. Got a little stuck with this part. Hopefully I can get a few new reviews!

Chapter 10

Clarke stared into the eyes of the man in front of her before cracking a slight smirk. She was about to say more when she heard 'A.L.I.E' whispered through her mind from a voice that sounded a lot like Becca. Her eyes narrowed slightly a noticed that the man's eyes were unfocused. They weren't looking at her, but over her left shoulder. Resisting the temptation to turn around, she returned her face to her blank commander look, as Octavia had taken to calling it. "You do know what the word banished means? Because being right in the heart of the place that you were banished from isn't such a good idea."

"I am not banished I am free."

"I haven't lifted your banishment."

"In the City of Light there is no banishment I am free and at peace." The man seemed out of his mind. Nothing like the Emerson she knew in the past. She circled the man watching him closely as he followed her by spinning on the spot.

"If you are free and at peace why are you here and pointing a gun at my head?"

"She wants to meet you. You are the one before you are different. You both face tragedy and pain yet you both still give everything to your people and never show any signs of your pain."

Clarke rolled her eyes. It was interesting that A.L.I.E was interested in her. "What is stopping me from killing you right now?" Clarke was surprised that the man hadn't forced her to drop her weapons.

"I have your friends. The ones you were going to meet. If you kill me you will never find them."

Clarke froze. No one, bar her, the Skaikru and Octavia knew about the meeting point. A single man in Emerson's condition wouldn't have been able to overpower them, especially if they we in their rover. She knew there was only one answer. Someone had taken the chip. She knew Raven had, but she was unconscious when Clarke spoke of the meeting point. They surely would have kept Raven in that state. If it wasn't Raven then who? Her mind kept going back to the night she took over Arkadia and the easy acceptance from Kane and her mother. Could one or both of them be under A.L.I.E's control? They both knew exactly when and where the meeting point was. Clarke had broken down in front of her mother surely A.L.I.E would know that. A.L.I.E would know she was in pain.

Clarke took no notice of the gun still pointed at her head as her thoughts went round in circles. She could feel a headache coming on. She then cursed under her breath as she realised A.L.I.E now knew a way into the city. Every move she made she was playing into A.L.I.E's hands. Her hands tightened their grip on her swords. She knew she had to kill the man whether he had her friends or not. She didn't trust him not to lead her straight to Jaha and A.L.I.E and there was no way he was letting him any further into her city. She would track his steps once he was dead. She had no doubt that the last mountain man wouldn't have any idea how to cover his tracks. She just had to work out how to kill him without getting herself shot in the head first. Thankfully her dilemma was solved when a noise, which sounded much like a person tripping over something, from behind him distracted Emerson. Emerson turned is head to look over his shoulder giving Clarke the moment she needed to drive both her swords through his chest. She held them there for a few seconds before she ripped them back out. She watched with half satisfaction and half disgust as the last mountain man dropped to his knees and then face down on the ground a pool of his own blood starting to form around him.

"You can come out now." Clarke looked towards where the noise had come from and watched as a figure stepped into the dull light. "Aden." Clarke sighed "Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

"I was hungry. I was heading for the kitchens." The boy tried to defend himself as he walked towards his Heda. "I saw you walk past and decided to follow you."

"With no weapon?" Aden looked down at his feet and shuffled slightly "Weren't you taught silence when moving?"

"Sha, I tripped." He muttered, embarrassed by his basic mistake.

Clarke sighed, something she seemed to be doing a lot of recently, and rolled her eyes. She noticed the boy glace at the body and turn slightly green. "Well come on you can help me. You are already here and I doubt you will stay in your bed long. We will have a chat later about getting involved in things that aren't your business." Clarke handed one of her swords to the young Nightblood and turned to head back down the tunnel. Aden ran to catch up with her.

"Who was that?" He asked softly.

"Carl Emerson. The last mountain man."

"Why was he here?"

"Long story." Clarke said as she stepped out of the tunnel. A quick scan of the area around her confirmed that no one was there. "How are your tracking skills?" She looked down at the boy who had a slightly awed look on his face as he looked around. The Nightbloods didn't leave Polis too often.

"Good Heda."

"Well then, let's find where Emerson came from."

Aden quickly found the very obvious trail and the two set off. "What are you hoping to find Heda?" Aden asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Emerson said he has my friends and mother."

"You went down to the tunnel to meet them. Why were you bringing them through the tunnels into Polis? I thought the conflict was Skaikru was over?"

Clarke looked down at the boy. She couldn't blame him asking questions. She didn't mind, if he was going to be Heda one day asking questions was a big part of the job. "Unfortunately it's complicated. Being Heda is more than just dealing with threats that you can see, there are some that you can't see or fight with a sword. There is one that has been building since before the bombs went off. It has been waiting for a century, building its strength and waiting for its time to come."

"It is coming?"

"It is already here."

"Did Heda Lexa know?" Clarke shook her head. "Why? How do you know?"

"Titus' job is more than just the keeper of the Flame, or your teacher. He is also a keeper of knowledge. He knew about this threat and it is his job to inform the Commander about it so they can be prepared. He failed to inform Lexa and in doing so how allowed this enemy to return. I found out when I was at the Skaikru camp. I saw the enemy at work."

"Why didn't you kill it?"

"By the time I realised what it was, it was gone. It has no body and no soul. It cannot be killed by sword."

"Then how do you stop it?"

"That is what my friends and I are trying to work out. This is a secret, no one can know. If people knew it could be disastrous, not just for the Coalition, for but human kind."

"I won't tell anyone, I swear." Aden promised Clarke.

"I know you won't." Clarke put her hand on the boys shoulder gently and gave it a squeeze.

The two returned to their silence and continued their walk through the forest following the trail Emerson had left behind. He clearly had no idea how to hid his trail. Clarke almost winced when she thought back to how bad at this she once was.

They hadn't been walking for long when she heard the snap of a twig then a rustle of some bushes. Neither of the two trackers had made the sound. Her hand snapped out and blocked Aden from moving further. She motioned for him to hide behind a tree. She hid behind her own tree and slowly slid her sword out from behind her back. Clarke crouched low as the now recognisable footsteps came closer. From the noise they were making it was more than just one person.

As they went past where she was crouched she stepped out. She dazed one with a hit across the head, winded another with a punch to the stomach, tripped a third up before she took a forth hostage with her blade resting on their neck. Aden had the remaining three on the ground moaning slightly. With the fight over Clarke allowed herself to look at the one she had taken hostage. She instantly put her sword away.

"Shit, Lincoln."

The man looked slightly stunned before he regained his bearings and was looking at Clarke in shock.

"Heda?"

Clarke looked at those on the ground and recognised all of them. Skaikru.

"Clarke?"

Clarke looked down at the one she had hit on the head. "Sorry Harper." Clarke knelt down to help the girl back to her feet. She looked over at Aden who was watching them all wearily. "It's ok Aden these are my friends."

Aden looked amused "Is that how Skaikru greet each other? Hitting them over the head?"

"You did too." Clarke fired back.

"I was just following your example and what you told me. You are Heda I have to obey what you say."

"Smart ass." Clarke muttered under her breath.

"What was with the attack Clarke? You want to kill us too?" Jasper said with a slight wheeze as he tried to get his breath back.

"Sorry, long night." Clarke paused and took note of the group. "Where are my mum, Kane and Raven?"

"They and some guy called Emerson jumped us. Your mother and Kane dumped us and took off with the rover and Raven. The other guy ran off this way." Miller piped up.

"Yeah I found him trying to sneak into Polis. He won't be a problem anymore."

"You killed him." Jasper snapped, Clarke could almost feel the hate. "It is what you're good at."

Clarke just ignored him. "Come on, we need to get to Polis, I have been gone too long. The guards won't say anything but I don't want anyone else asking questions."

"Where is Octavia?"

Clarke looked at Lincoln who looked slightly worried. "Sleeping. She forgot." Clarke eased the man's fears. She got a smile in reply. "She did take a second today. One of the Nightbloods, Kaylen." Now Lincoln's smile turned into what Clarke could only describe as a look of pride for his lover.

Clarke turned and lead the group back to Polis losing herself once again in her thoughts. She was interrupted shortly after.

"Heda, when do you think I will get chosen as a second?"

Clarke looked down and gently smiled at the boy. She was waiting for the threat of A.L.I.E to be eliminated before she took Aden on. "In time young one. Patience is an important skill for both a warrior and Heda." Clarke knew she was a hypocrite in that speech. She was anything but patient.

"Heda Lexa always told me that."

Clarke's smile grew "She told me that as well. I never listened though."

"You didn't listen to Heda?"

"Only sometimes." Clarke smiled slightly.

The two dropped back into a comfortable silence both returning to their own thoughts.

"Why did you attack Arkadia? Heda Lexa didn't want to. Blood must not have blood."

Clarke was surprised by the question. With her Skaikru friends around, some of whom had looked up at the question, her she switched to Trigedasleng. This was something that she wasn't comfortable discussing with her friends close by. Especially Jasper who she knew would turn her words against her by bringing up the mountain. "When I became Heda, the coalition was on a knife's edge. Lexa was the coalition. Without her to lead it, it would only be a matter of time before war started between the clans. Being a member of Skaikru, a clan that has unfortunately been causing trouble ever since they arrived, the leaders were very untrusting of me. They threatened to leave the coalition. If that happened then all the clans would be at war. They all wanted Skaikru's blood. I realised that I couldn't force blood must not have blood on them I would have to bring it in slowly." She paused for a second. "Heda Lexa and I made the mistake of trying to change things all at once before her death. We rushed into it without thinking. Most of that was my fault, I was trying to save my people and pushed too hard."

"You are Heda they have to do what you say."

"True, but forcing someone to do something they don't want to do is not a good idea."

"Why?"

"Think of it this way. You like roasted boar for your dinner. How would you feel if all of a sudden I said you can no longer eat roasted boar and that you now can only have rabbit stew which you hate."

"I would be angry."

"What would you do?"

"I would still try and have the boar, maybe even sneak some from the kitchen."

"Exactly. You would rebel." Aden nodded "Now let's say that every seven days you can have boar on five nights and rabbit on two. How would you feel then?"

"I could accept that. I still get what I want but also what you want."

"Exactly. I have made a compromise. I am still giving you what you want but I am also giving you what I want. Let's apply that to the Skaikru and blood must not have blood. If I forced everyone."

"They could rebel against you." Aden interrupted.

"Yes. They would probably kill me, the Skaikru would be killed and the coalition would crumble leading all the clans to war. So I made a compromise. I knew that not everyone in Arkadia was guilty for Pike's actions. Blood must have blood would call for everyone to be killed whether they agreed with Pike or not. I compromised by capturing Arkadia and not hurting the innocents. I then turned Pike and those that followed him over to the clans." Clarke stopped as she opened the hatch into the tunnel and started to lead her friends through the tunnel.

"So the clans still get the blood they want but those that were innocent are left alone." Aden finished as he caught back up to Clarke.

"Correct."

Aden scrunched his face up slightly "I wouldn't be able to think of that."

Clarke chuckled and switched back to English "You are still young. It is something you will learn with time." Clarke paused for thirty seconds "I want you and Kaylen to come to the council chambers tomorrow when I meet with the ambassadors."

"Why?"

"It will be good experience for the two of you. You can learn the part of being Heda that doesn't involve swords."

"Sha Heda." Aden agreed as they both stepped out into the tower entrance hall.

"Now off to bed with you. I trust that you will be keeping your adventures tonight a secret."

"Sha Heda." Aden promised before he ran off towards the Nightblood dorms.

"Who's the kid?" Harper asked as she watched Aden run off.

"Aden, he is one of the Nightbloods." Noticing Harper's look Clarke continued. "A group of kids with a unique blood. Only those with the blood can become Commander. If I die Aden will most likely be the next Commander."

"So young."

"Yes he is."

"How did you become Commander then? You don't have special blood do you?"

"Wanheda has its uses. After Heda I was the most powerful person on the ground. A lot of people feared me for my power and many were afraid that I would remove Lexa from the throne. When Lexa died, I demanded that I be allowed to take the trials to become the next Commander." Turning back to the group "Come on I'll show you where you can stay." Clarke lead the group up to the third floor of the tower. It was rarely used so her friends would be safe for the night until she dealt with the ambassadors. "Pick a room and get some sleep. I will send the maids to you with breakfast in the morning. There is a bathroom at the end of the hall. Please don't leave these rooms; there is still a kill order on Skaikru. I will get it removed when I meet with the clan ambassadors later this morning. Lincoln I can take you to Octavia if you want."

"Sha Heda."

Clarke nodded. "I will see you all hopefully mid-morning." With a smile Clarke left with Lincoln trailing behind her, she signalled for the elevator. Thirty seconds later it arrived on the floor. Climbing in with Lincoln she signalled for the elevator to be taken to her floor. When they arrived hey stepped off and Clarke lead Lincoln to Octavia's room. Opening the door slightly and peering in she could see Octavia was still asleep.

"She is still asleep." She whispered to Lincoln before she opened the door further and let the man step in. Closing the door behind her she waited for a few seconds before she heard a yelp and cry of Lincoln's name. With a sad smile and slightly jealous heart she returned to her room. She deposited her clothes on the floor as she walked in and changed into her nightwear and crawled into her bed. She was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.