Chapter 10

Roughly sixty days after Praimfaya

Octavia had been staying in her office less because she'd heard Clarke's voice again. She would spend the mornings there and then head out, making sure to drop in on the "school" before lunch and then join Ethan for lunch. They would discuss his training and what he wanted to do as a bunker profession as he got older. It changed everyday and she was glad for it. She was also glad that Kane had taken to taking the boy around the bunker to the different areas to let him see how things worked. He didn't understand that it was part of his training as Octavia's fosterling, and as a potential bunker leader, but he took everything seriously. She thought about sending him to Indra just before dinner every night, but she knew that Abby would hate the idea. He was still a young kid and she would want him to wait. But, Octavia knew that the world was rough on the ground and Trikru children started learning to fight as young as he was. She'd talk to Gaia, Indra and Abby about it later. It wasn't imperative enough to be dealt with right at the moment.

She had to find ways to hide her happiness. Clarke found somewhere for them to live and it was lush and green. It made Octavia very hopeful. The listened to the short transmission over and over again at night as she dreamed about what it looked like. But, then her heart would feel heavy. She hated the fact that Clarke had to deal with an entire village of the dead on her own. She was proud of her that she gave them a large Grounder burial. It had taken her almost two days to do it, but she accomplished it. Octavia could hear the sadness in her voice when she talked about the children.

Octavia spent the next day in the school with all the little goufas. She felt like she owed it to Clarke and to those who died. There weren't many children in the bunker. Some of the clans sent none, but Skaikru left the most with twelve of their remaining ninety-eight spots. She wasn't surprised to see who some of the selections had been. She knew that Kane used mostly Clarke's list and she'd been pragmatic in her selections. Able-bodied, young adults who were of child bearing age had been given preference, and then the able-bodied adults with skill sets that would be necessary to run the bunker and help them survive once they were back above ground were next. It was a decent mix, but she knew that Clarke had been thinking more long term than immediate.

Some of the other clans hadn't thought that far ahead. They sent mostly warriors, thinking that they would bully their way into leadership, but Octavia had nipped that in bud quickly with the introductions of the fighting pits. Everyone fell in line quickly and then with the advent of her new council, the people started relaxing into their new roles in Wonkru, the one clan. She was working with what she had and Kane helped explain things to them in ways that they could understand and get behind when she got to frustrated with them all. Which happened all to often, but Octavia was trying. She just didn't understand why everyone didn't immediately didn't understand that she was doing things to not only keep them alive but help them learn to survive as one cohesive unit once they were back on the surface.

Life was simple for them. They woke. They ate. They worked. They ate. They trained. They ate. They got their sunlight hours at the farm. They survived. They had a bed. Sure, they couldn't just leave. They had to spend time on the farm for their daily sunlight quota, but they were surviving. They just had to make it until Bellamy could come back from space and help Clarke dig them out. And, now, they had somewhere to go when they got out. Things weren't great, but they were good. Their lives were just simply regimented for now, but that would keep them all alive. And, life was the most precious thing for them all now. Simplicity made their days easy. Living would be hard later, so simple and easy now couldn't break them. The Earth would do that later. She needed as many of them to make it as possible and this life, this simple life would help them do that.

"So, it's official. I've met the child from Hell," the radio called out from the other side of the room.

Octavia cocked her eyebrow as she moved across the office that morning. It had been a few days since Clarke just dropped her transmission. The more she thought about it, she realized that it had been two days and she hadn't flipped out this time. And, now she had a reason that Clarke hadn't been on the radio every morning as she promised Bellamy that she would be.

"The demon child showed up during my last transmission. Can you imagine my surprise when I saw another living person here with me? She is definitely a Natblida and the last of her kind, according to Gaia's rules. She's seems to be six years old or so, but she is so smart and very cautious.

"I tried to talk to her. Stupid me, I tried English first. I should have known better. This village obviously wasn't full of warriors, so I doubt that there was no way of her to know what I was saying. She only speaks Trig and it is fast that I can barely keep up. However, I did catch a few choice words of her cussing me out and calling me a 'Flaimkepa.' I don't know why she is so afraid of them, but she led me straight into a bear trap to keep me away from her. Almost snapped my leg in two, but when she came to kill me for trying to take her, she realized that I had black blood as well."

Octavia could help but laugh at this child's antics. Leave it to Clarke to find the last Natblida on Earth and almost be killed by her because they were both alone in that valley. She wanted to meet this child now. She wanted to look into her eyes and promise her things, but she would have to wait. So, she decided to listen more to Clarke's stories from Eden's valley.

"I managed to get back to the village and stitch myself up before I passed out on the table I was using to work on. I woke up the next day and my stuff was gone. The little demon snuck in while I was out and stole my pack and all my stuff. She left the paper and charcoals, though. I guess she couldn't find a use for them. I guess that is a good thing. I've been drawing everyone so I have them with me. Little portraits hang around the building I've been living in. Each day, I pick someone new to draw...So I don't forget...

"There is a little pool of fresh water that is spring feed on one end and a small creek on the other. I've been gathering clean water from the small water fall that the spring created and watching this Hellion fish in the pool itself. I don't know where she is drinking from, but I've been using the cool water to soak my leg in for the past few days. It feels good. I've swam in it as well. You'll have to tell Octavia that there aren't any giant river snakes to bite her here, only small and very delicious looking fish. She'd love it.

"It's just so peaceful here, Bell. Maybe it's because there are no people. Maybe it is just this place. It's just...

"I hope to convince this child that we can live together. It is obvious that she knows how to live off this land on her own. She's been doing it since Praimfaya. That bothers me, too. She watched everyone she knew die and there was nothing that she could do about it. I hope I can talk to her and explain what happened without scarring or scaring her. I am not sure that she doesn't blame herself for it, all their deaths. I know I would if I was in her place."

The radio went silent for a few moments and Octavia wondered if Clarke was done for the day. She knew that Clarke had a tendency to shut down a little when her thoughts ran dark. She couldn't find it in herself to be upset with her about it. Octavia was starting to understand what Clarke put herself through to keep them safe and help them survive on planet that wanted them dead and a world they never understood.

"I've been trying to convince her to give my stuff back or at least share with me, but my Trig isn't that great. Lexa taught me some, but she always made sure that I knew what at everyone was saying by using Gonasleng. I'm glad that both Lincoln and Octavia taught me some basics. Lexa was more worried about saving me than she was teaching me though. I picked up a little, but it obviously wasn't enough," Clarke continued.

Octavia smiled. She remembered Lincoln sitting by the fire talking with Clarke before she went to Polis. He'd been so patient with both of them.

"I'll admit I should have paid more attention to Lexa and Lincoln. I also wish that Octavia was here. At least she could talk to the girl. She'd yell at me for being foolish enough to walk into the bear trap to begin with, but I already know that.

"Honestly, I wish you were all here. I miss Raven's sarcastic comments. I miss Monty's smile and Harper's optimism. I even miss Murphy's pessimism and Emori's laughter, usually at John. Hell, I could use Echo right now, too. I miss you guys so much, but I'm glad you made it.

"Just four more years and ten months until you come back. You better have some good stories to tell me. Be safe, Bell. May we meet again," Clarke said and Octavia knew she was done this time.

Octavia moved the recording to a new disc. She hadn't really thought it about it all. She hadn't really had the time to catalog them yet. She decided that she would work on that in the coming months. She wanted to have something to give Clarke or possibly Abby when they finally got out of the bunker. She didn't know how Clarke would react to her having recordings of all her transmissions, but she didn't care. It also gave her something to listen to when her mind started to tell her that they were going to die in that bunker. Clarke's voice was like a ray of hope and sunshine that would lift her up and give her the energy to keep going.

"Two months down," Octavia mused.

She got up out of the office and decided to head down to the farm. She would put in her time early that week. She knew that Abby and Jackson were both checking the logs to make sure that everyone was getting their time with the lamps. After her "breakdown," Kane had issued an order for it thru Indra. The council had been against it until they noticed that the older members of their clans were suffering the worst. Cooper, Abby, and Jackson had come up with a rotation for all the workers to make sure that they each got several hours a few days a week.

She felt Miller following her as she made her way down to level F and the farm. She walked in and looked around. Kara Cooper, head of the farm and former coup leader, came running out of her office. Octavia just nodded at her as she walked around. Finally she came to a stop in front of the Biolab. She could see that Kara was obviously working on something inside the lab. It was in that moment that she wished that Monty and Harper were there for her. Monty would be working the lab at her insistence and Harper would have been a guard permanently stationed to the farm and on Monty's schedule. Octavia would have made sure of it with Miller. She looked through the window, but she couldn't come up with anything.

"What are you doing in there?" Octavia asked her.

"Trying to generate some long lasting proteins," Kara told her.

"Like?"

"Beans and nuts," Kara replied.

"Good. Good. How are the pods and all running?" Octavia asked her.

"We are running at eighty-five percent capacity."

"Why not a hundred?"

"We want to keep some of the pods fallow to rotate the crops and keep the soils and fertilized waters from being overused. I don't want any issues down the road, so I am planning for them now. If we have a complete protein crop failure, we could die. Abby has been working with us on crop diversity and trying to make hybrids in order to help maintain food stores and still produce some of the vegetation that the Grounders used for medicine," Kara explained.

"We're all Grounders now, Cooper."

"Yes, Blodreina," Kara replied.

"Is there anything else that you could do?"

"We thought about trying to generate some sort of fish or something and designating a tank for them, but I am not sure that we have enough to do it. It isn't like we brought any fish in here with us, but the added protein from an animal that we could possibly sustain, even in low numbers just to take the edge of the farm would be very beneficial. There are some strange DNA stains in the lab that I've been working with Jackson on during his time in the farm. He thinks some of them are animal, but he isn't sure what species. I don't want to start artificially growing something and it be a virus or something."

"Agreed. But, I like the idea. Keep up the work with Abby and Jackson, and keep it between only those who need to know. If we can make a fish pond, do and it be sustainable, do it. But, I worry that we will eat them all too quickly and also that we will have to feed them to get them to size for harvest. The farm is your domain, Kara, and you are doing great things for your people. Keep it up," Octavia told her.

She knew that the praise was not often heard enough, but she thought that Kara, Abby, and Jackson were onto something. They wanted to get in front of a possible famine before it happened. Octavia wanted them all to survive, so for Blodreina, they all wanted the same thing. She liked their ideas, especially the one about fish, but she was smart enough to know that it was a long shot and they had a very slim chance of having anything viable in the DNA stores to make anything with even if they could. But, then she thought back to Clarke and her moths. Bugs however, were small, plentiful, and never failed to survive. She was sure that they could find something in the bunker to play with. And, as much as the thought turned her stomach a little, bugs were protein.

"Kara?"

"Yes, Blodreina?" she asked in answer.

"Have you thought about bugs?"

"Bugs?"

"As a source of protein. They wouldn't need much to each and they reproduce quickly. They could be bred in the biolab and then almost immediately harvested."

"They could, yes."

"Look into that as well. I am sure that Murphy wasn't the only cockroach that survived. I would like biweekly reports on your progress. I want these reports to come to me personally and then we will decide what to tell the council together."

"Yes, Blodreina," Cooper replied.

"I'm expecting great things from you, Cooper. Don't let us down. You've proven your loyalty and you'll be aptly rewarded. Keep up the good work."

Octavia continued her rounds and finally ended at the school. She looked at all the little goufas, her novitiates, the next generation. They were still so young, but they were soaking up Trigedasleng and Gonasleng. She realized that Gaia was using both to teach. She leaned against the door way and watched.

Her eyes came to rest on Ethan. He wasn't her child, but he was her responsibility. She'd promised Jaha to care for him. Jaha had promised his father and fellow engineer, Geoff Hardy, to care for him. Both of whom were now dead. She knew why Ethan clung to her. It was the same reason she clung to Bellamy. They were family. Ethan had no one but her, but she was about to change that.

"Miller, where is Indra?"

"In the training rooms with the third battalion," Miller replied.

"What clans make up that battalion?"

"Boudalan, Sankru, Podakru, and the guard company of the same clans, Blodreina."

"And, their commander is?"

"You, Blodreina," Miller replied.

"No, who is in charge of the battalion? Who is the captain? Who reports to Indra?"

"Indra has placed a former guard of Lexa's as their commander. He is from Podakru and his name is Erie. He is a good soldier. His daughter is as well."

"She is?"

"Yes, her name is London. She is a member of the guard, but she works only on their levels. Erie has been training her and working with Indra to get her moved to the army. He wants to make her one of his lieutenants," Miller stated.

"Bring her up and put her on the farm detail. If she's as good as Erie thinks, she might get a promotion. I might have a personal job for her," Octavia mused as she turned back to watch Ethan.

"Sha, Blodreina."

"Tell her it is a promotion and make her a lieutenant. I know that you only allow the captains to be my personal guards, Mila. You watch out better for me than you do for Jakson. If she does well and by your standard, Mila, bring her to me in a few months time. Then, I will make my decision."

"Sha, Blodreina," he replied.

"Tell Gaia that I want the children to start sparring, but only those over eight," Octavia told another guard stationed at the door.

She walked back up to her office. She looked down in the pit. They hadn't had to use it again. She knew they would, but for now, her threat had worked. She just wondered how long it would take before tensions would rise beyond their threshold and she'd have to let settle the people again. She shivered as she walked by. It was involuntary and she tried to shake it off. She'd been angry when she ordered it. Her body and mind still full of bloodlust from getting the farm back. She wanted to punish the people personally for doing it, but she knew that she had to make an example of them. She had to regain control. Even now, almost three weeks later, she felt guilty for it, but she knew that she couldn't go back on her word. It was the only way to maintain order. Severeness was the only thing that the Grounders understood because everything in their world was life or death, black or white, but as much as Octavia tried to be a Grounder, she was still a Skai girl at heart. She might have been the "Girl beneath the floor," but now, she was their Blodreina, the Red Queen, and she would be their salvation.

"Kom folau, oso na gyon op." From the ashes, we willrise.