AN: Hi all! I know its been so long, but I honestly have a bit of an excuse this time. I ended up having twins last year and lets just say they have consumed all time and energy until recently! I've been able to get back into a bit of writing and managed to get this chapter out. I'm so sorry it took this long. To all of you who have stuck with me all this time - thank you! Your follows and favourites and reviews keep me motivated to keep writing. This story is one that I really want to complete, even if the show is over, even if it might take me awhile. Thank you for sticking with me!

Chapter Thirty

BELLAMY

The raw power of the storm caught them all off guard.

The gale force winds tore branches from trees and whipped them through the air, hammering the side of the dropship like a battering ram. The structure shuddered violently with each strike, reminding Bellamy of their terrifying descent through the atmosphere. Rain bucketed down around them, dousing fires and flooding the camp within a matter of hours. Anyone brave enough to try to secure the camp was drenched to the bone. Most hurried inside the dropship, looking for safety and warmth, hiding away from the roaring winds and groaning trees.

One of the last into the safety of the dropship, Bellamy stood at the entrance gazing out into the storm, dripping wet after doing what he could to secure the camp. Even as a gust sent a shiver through him, he couldn't bring himself to go inside, his fingers absentmindedly tracing every detail of the blade that wasn't his.

It had been two days since they had ventured into Grounder territory in search of his sister. Two days since everything had gone wrong.

The storm mirrored the whirlwind of emotions that rolled through him, though he could only name one of them. Anger. He inhaled sharply, ignoring the way his fingers ached and the metal dug painfully into his palm. He tried to quell the fiery feeling inside his chest as he closed his hand tightly around the knife.

Her knife.

He shouldn't be as angry as he was. They had gone out to find his sister and they had found her. They had even managed to capture the Grounder who had taken her. It should have felt good. A victory. But no matter what he did, the sickening feeling in his gut kept reminding him of how much they had lost along the way.

Mbege, Diggs, Roma… dead. Finn, nearly fatally injured at the hands of the Grounder who had taken his sister. Alex...gone.

Anger flared in his chest. How could she do that? How could she turn away and leave? He knew it was unreasonable, that by walking away and distracting the Grounders she had likely saved his life. But he couldn't get over the feeling that had gone through him as she had cast him one last glance, her green eyes full of sorrow and fear. Fear for what, he didn't know. All he knew was that she had looked at him like she had so much more to say. She had looked at him like she knew she was going to die.

He hadn't been able to shake the sinking feeling in his chest ever since.

He wasn't sure when or how, but something had changed between them before she disappeared. A connection that he didn't understand, but wanted to understand.

He was caught off guard by the feeling. They'd been at each other's throats from them they'd landed, and she'd been a pain in the ass ever since. The second he had found out who she was he was sure he knew everything he needed to know about her. The orphan. The murderer. Sentenced to be locked up until she could be floated for her crimes. It was a story everyone on the Ark knew.

Except it was all a lie. She wasn't an orphan; she was the unwanted child of Marcus Kane, hidden away and forgotten by those who should have cared. And she hadn't killed the guards while trying to kill her best friend; she had killed them trying to defend her brother.

And how easily she hid it all behind a mask. She buried her hurt behind defiance and attitude. She did what she had to to survive, because she knew no one else would have her back. Everyone who had cared for her had abandoned her.

He had seen the way that mask had crumpled when he had confronted her about Liam. The guilt, the confusion, the anger, the hurt. He could see it. And he understood it all. She was just a product of the same archaic laws that had floated his own mother and had his sister thrown into the Skybox for simply being alive.

When he had wrapped his arm around her and she had sobbed into his chest, he knew he wanted to know more. Wanted to do more for her.

Now she was gone. He was unprepared by how much the thought hurt.

Gone. Lost. Dead. The image of Diggs impaled on the spike trap, panic on his face as blood bubbled past his lips. Roma, glazed eyes still wide with fear from where she had been speared to the tree, like a butterfly pinned to a board. The fear that Alex could be out there in the storm, run down by Grounders, blood bubbling past her lips as she gasped her last breaths, her last fearful moments alone - or worse.

Bellamy shook his head, pushing his sopping hair out of his face, cutting off that train of thought.

Don't go there. She's not dead until you see a body.

Movement out of the corner of his eye interrupted his thoughts, and he turned to see Miller leaning against the far side of the dropship door, hands in his pockets and shoulders hunched to protect himself from the wind and rain. His dark eyes stared out into the storm from beneath the beanie he always seemed to keep on his head. When the teen didn't make any move to acknowledge him, Bellamy returned his own gaze to the storm, his mind wandering to thoughts of the other boy.

When Bellamy and the others had returned to camp with Octavia, they had informed the rest of the group about their encounter with the Grounders. The death of three of their own seemed to bring fear to the group the way that nothing else had since they'd landed. Previous encounters they'd had had been fleeting. This time the Grounders had little hesitation about slaughtering them.

When Bellamy had mentioned that Alex was gone, he had seen the way Miller's face had hardened and he had turned away from the rest of the group. Since then, there hadn't been much time to think about everything that had happened. Once Finn's injury had been stabilized, Bellamy knew he needed answers and that the Grounder in the cave could provide them. He also wanted payback for what had been taken from them. Rounding up a couple of guys, he had approached Miller, knowing he was reliable in a pinch. Miller hadn't hesitated to agree to venturing back out into Grounder territory. Bellamy wondered if the other boy was thinking about Alex still being somewhere out there. He wasn't the only one.

It was only when Miller brought a bottle up to his lips that Bellamy noticed the sway in the other boy.

"I thought...I thought I wanted her dead," Miller said after taking another large gulp. His words slurred slightly, telling Bellamy it wasn't the beginning of his time with whatever was in the bottle. Bellamy's eyebrows raised in surprise, he hadn't expected Miller to open up to him of all people. "After everything she did, I thought I wanted her gone. She deserved it. I was...I am so angry for what she did to Liam."

He doesn't know. A jolt of realization went through Bellamy at Miller's words. Nobody else knows. Alex's soft voice echoed in his head as he recalled the moment she'd opened up to him. Why did she tell me the truth that night? Why hasn't she told Miller what really happened?

"She was like my sister, you know?" Miller continued with a wistful but bitter smile. "We grew up together. Me, her and Liam. We got in trouble together. My dad and Mr. Kane couldn't keep us in line if they tried." The almost wistful look on his face faded away. "When I found out what she'd done...I just couldn't believe it. I mean, how could I? Alex might have had a temper, but to attack someone, Liam of all people? No way."

Should I tell him? Uncertainty filled him and stopped him from opening his mouth to tell him. There had to be a reason why she never told Miller the truth. On top of it all, he had never seen Miller show any care for Alex on the ground. Maybe she hadn't told him for a reason? Or maybe she'd just never had a chance… Either way, the uncertainty forced Bellamy to keep his mouth shut.

"But now that she's gone…" Miller trailed off, then shook his head, his tone becoming more certain. "No. She'll be back. She has to come back."

She's not coming back, Bellamy wanted to say, but couldn't bring himself to say the words out loud. "It's been two days. You think she's still alive?"

"You don't?"

No. I think she's long dead, he wanted to say, instead he sighed. "I doubt it. She took off into Grounder territory and we've seen what they do. If she could've come back she would have by now. She's either dead or wishing she were dead." The words tasted dirty in his mouth.

Miller shot him a glare, his eyes red, looking like he wanted to challenge Bellamy's statement. "I'm surprised you've given up on her so easily," he sneered. "You guys seemed to be getting pretty cozy."

Bellamy gritted his teeth. "Jealous?" he said. He couldn't bring himself to deny Millers observation.

So much had changed between him and Alex that he wasn't sure where they stood. But she had fought for him, killing a Grounder and saving his life. He trusted her, more than he trusted most people in his life.

And maybe, if things were different, if she was alive, there could have been something between them.

But she's gone.

"Doesn't matter," Bellamy continued, not quite able to hide the pang of regret in his voice. "She's gone." His voice echoed his thoughts.

"Maybe. For now. But she's strong, she's survived more shit in her life then most people on this dropship. You should know that." Miller took a last swing of the now empty bottle then glanced down at it with a grimace, before turning to head back into the dropship. As he passed Bellamy, he paused. "Don't give up on her. She wouldn't give up on you," he finished more softly, before disappearing out of sight.

Staring out into the raging storm, Bellamy's fingers traced the edge of the flipblade he still had in hand. With Miller no longer distracting him, the familiar sinking feeling returned, the one that had started the moment he watched the back of her blonde head disappear out of sight.

He knew Miller was right. He knew that if Alex was here and someone was missing, she would be the first out there to find them. No hesitation. No questions.

Glancing over his shoulder at the delinquents huddled around the inside of the dropship, he knew as much as he wanted to, he couldn't do the same. Not now during the storm. Not now when the delinquents were terrified of the Grounders that hunted them. He had to keep this group together. If Alex was out there, she was on her own.

Alex, if you're alive, you'd better get your ass back here. We need you.

ALEX

It was difficult to tell how much time had passed since the storm had begun. Darkness had fallen not long after the Grounders had left her be and soon after the storm had followed in all its fury.

Hunkering down in a corner of the small dark room, Alex did her best to avoid the water that dripped through the cracks in the ceiling. Listening to the howling winds, her exhausted brain willed herself to sleep, her fatigue weighing at her bones, but the raw power of the storm kept her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't ignore the way the walls shuddered around her, nor the way the temperature dropped as the night progressed. Teeth chattering violently, she did her best to wrap her arms around herself even with her hands still bound tightly before her. Forehead pressed firmly against her knees, she did her best to ignore the way the darkness pressed in around her.

As the storm had started she had contemplated using it as a way to cover her escape, but as the winds picked up and the breeze turned into gales, she found she couldn't bring herself to leave the safety of the four walls that protected her. On top of it all, she didn't know where she was, and she doubted that she would be able to find her way back to the dropship in the middle of the night, in the middle of a storm, in the middle of Grounder territory. And that was including ignoring her current physical condition.

The insanity of the past days had finally caught up to her. Her muscles quivered in exhaustion any time she moved, and each movement seemed to tug at the array of bruises that had blossomed under her skin. Her fight with the Grounders and her tumble down the river were making themselves known through the motley of purples and blue that covered her skin. Everything ached.

Fortunately, the searing wound at her side had faded down to a deep throbbing. Whatever salve the old lady had put on her wound was stopping her from wanting to pass out, or throw up, or both, which she was grateful for. She could only hope that the fact that it pulsed in time with her heartbeat wasn't a sign of infection.

Confusion warred within her when she thought of the Grounders. She didn't understand the old lady's intentions. Even though she was glad for the treatment she had provided her so far, she couldn't help but question it. Why was she treating her so differently than the other Grounders in the forest? What made the old lady different? The other Grounders they had run into had tried to kill them without a second thought. But the old lady and her people had gone out of their way to bring her here and treat her. The fact that she was bound and locked up implied she was a prisoner, but if she was, then why go out of their way to treat her? Did they want information? Was the old lady even being sincere when she talked about peace? It just didn't make any sense.

If what the old lady said about the flares destroying a Grounder village was true, then she could see why the Grounders might have reacted the way they did. We unknowingly killed their people and they reacted accordingly. We would have done the same. Even so, we didn't know. There is no way we could have known.

The old woman had mentioned that they had an opportunity, a chance for a more peaceful existence between their people. But how could that happen now? Both sides had lost people. They were no closer to understanding one another and weren't willing to understand each other. Clarke may be willing to talk, but Bellamy had seen what the Grounders could do first hand. He would be reluctant at best. Downright hostile at worst.

She jumped as a gust of wind pounded at the side of the building and the whole structure shuddered, the wind whistling through the cracks around the door like a wailing banshee. She eyed it warily, wondering when it was going to tear off its hinges.

She huffed a sigh of frustration. She didn't know what to do. Right now, the only thing you can do is rest and regain some strength. You'll never get back if you can't even make the trek.

Leaning back against the wall behind her, she closed her eyes, trying to force herself to relax and try to get some rest, hoping that her exhausted body would just fall into a slumber.

She took a deep breath. Then another.

Then another.

As the storm raged outside, it didn't take long for her body to embrace its exhaustion.

The creek of the door opening had her head snapping up from where it rested on her knees. Disorientation filled her as blinding light poured through the open door. Squinting, she realized that at some point she must have fallen asleep and that sometime in her sleep the storm must have faded away.

Instead of rain, sunshine poured through the cracks in the ceiling, highlighting the dust particles that floated through the air in the small room.

Blinking blearily, she squinted at the figure who ducked through the door and closed it behind them.

For a split second she thought the old lady or the guard had returned, but then she realized that the stature was all wrong. The person who had come in clearly had the slim frame of a guy, and was definitely smaller than the guard who had been in here before.

Then his face came into the light and Alex stared at the face of a young boy. He was not at all who she was expecting.

The baby fat on his cheeks told her that he was no older than some of the younger delinquents back at the dropship. Even though his limbs were long and lanky, his body hadn't quite filled out. His movements seemed clumsy, like he wasn't quite sure where his body ended and began. Braided dark hair was pulled away from his face in a ponytail.

Clearly she was not what he was expecting either, because he froze and stared at her with dark eyes.

"Um...hi?" she said when he didn't appear to be inclined to say anything. She winced as her bruised jaw ached at the motion.

It seemed to spur him into action. Moving forward slowly, he removed the bow he carried on his back and set it by the door. She eyed the weapon, wondering if he could use it.

A baby Grounder in the making.

"Hi," he replied. He approached her carefully, as if she was a skittish animal that might lash out if he moved too quickly. He knelt down on the floor in front of her, keeping his distance, before glancing over his shoulder at the door, giving her the distinct feeling that he wasn't supposed to be in here.

"I'm not going to bite," she said dryly, her voice was rougher than she expected and wondered if all the screaming had done that. "Are you supposed to be in here?"

He gave a nervous laugh and shrugged. "Probably not," he replied sheepishly, eyes darting to the door once more. "But I wanted to meet you."

She frowned at him, confused. Before she could ask him why the hell he wanted to meet her, he rambled on.

"Your people came from the sky!" he continued eagerly, although he kept his voice hushed. "I mean how's that possible? Where did you live? How were you there? Why were you there?"

She continued to stare at him even as amusement welled within her at his rambling. But even though she was amused, wariness rose its ugly head. Is he just fishing for information? "Uh, well. I have no idea who you are, so why would I answer any of your questions?"

"Oh, uh, I'm Artigas. Freya's grandson," he replied like it was the most obvious explanation.

The beginning of an idea formed within her. She wasn't sure if he realized that he was giving away important information or not, but she wondered if she could use the fact that he was the old woman's grandson to her advantage. Could she take him hostage somehow? Use him to get away? But even as the thought crossed her mind she hesitated. The old lady had talked about peace. How would they ever be able to get there if she captured or attacked her grandson?

Then again, she thought as her eyes trailed back to the bow, he might not be as helpless as I thought.

He seemed to realize that to get an answer for some of his questions, he would have to start off with something simpler. "And you? What's your name?" He looked at her expectantly.

She mentally shrugged to herself. "I'm Alex," she replied, not seeing any harm in telling him her name.

"Alex..." He pondered the name for a moment before continuing. "Did you and your people really fall from the sky?"

There was an opportunity here to learn something about the Grounders. Artigas seemed fairly willing to share information. Anything she could learn might help them in the long run. "Quid quo pro!" she quickly stated.

"Um, what?" Artigas blinked at her like she was speaking another language. Which, to be fair, she guessed she was.

"It means that you get a question, then I get a question. Each of us has to answer before the next question is asked."

He brightened up at her answer. "Oh! That sounds fair."

"Since you already asked a question - yes, we really did fall from the sky. We were lucky to make it down alive."

He stared at her in amazement. "Wow, that's amazing. What stopped you from dying? Did something slow your fall?"

She 'tsked. "You had your question, now it's my turn." He gave her a sheepish look at already having forgotten the rules. She glanced pointedly at his bow. "So, are you a hunter? A soldier?"

He appeared surprised that she was expressing interest in him and what he did. "I'm still training. I'm hoping to join the Commanders army during the next trials. But yes, I can hunt."

The Commander. She filed that information away to ask during her next question. She motioned for him to ask his own.

"Where did your people come from?" he asked, seeming to forget that he was originally going to ask about their decent.

"We came from the Ark. It's a station up in space that orbits Earth."

He stared at her. "A station up in space? Is there air? How did you breath?"

"I'll take that as an extra question. But yes, we have life systems in place that recycles all the air and water that's on the stations," she explained. "You mentioned your Commander. Is that your grandmother?"

"No," he replied immediately. "Heda is the Commander of the Coalition, she united the twelve Clans. My Grandmother…" he hesitated before answering. "My Grandmother is…" He couldn't seem to be able to find the words.

Interesting.

He seemed to snap out of where-ever his thoughts had taken him. "Are there more of you?"

Be careful, her brain suddenly told her.

"Some. But I don't think we'll ever see them again," she replied carefully.

He frowned, looking sad. "Like your family? Did they come down with you?"

The question took her off guard. My family? Thinking of Liam on the Ark still in a coma seemed to reawaken the ache in her chest, the one that never seemed to go away.

"No… They didn't."

He seemed to pick up on her change in mood and nodded. "I understand what that feels like - to be separated from family. It's…hard." He gave her a sad smile.

"Yeah," she replied softly. "Yeah, it is."

She wasn't sure how genuine Artigas was being but for a moment she felt like they shared something. A similar pain.

Focus. "Uh, you mentioned Clans, are there lots of them? How many Grounders are there?"

Because there are clearly way more people left on Earth than we first believed…

"There are twelve clans total. We are - were part of Trikru. The same Clan the Commander is from…"

He trailed off at the sounds of footsteps outside the hut. Both of their heads snapped up to face the door and Artigas leapt to his feet, an already guilty look on his face.

Yep, definitely not supposed to be in here.

The door opened and the guard stepped in, pausing at the sight of Artigas in the room, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

The younger boy seemed to shrink before him. "Devan…"

Devan? Is that his name?

"Yu beda nou be hir!" he barked at the younger boy.

Artigas didn't need to be told twice, leaping to his feet and darting out the door passed the older man, grabbing his bow and arrows on the way out. She managed to catch his eyes briefly before the door fully closed.

Although her back was to the corner, Alex could feel her hackles raise. Here was the Grounder who had captured her. The one who had pinned her down to cauterize her wound. She wouldn't be here if it weren't for him.

He was dressed differently, in lighter clothing than the last time she had seen him. The makeup on his face was gone, leaving behind a much more youthful face than she had first imagined. He looked to only be a few years older than her. Unlike last time, he was weaponless, which somehow didn't make her feel any better. She didn't doubt that he could hurt her if he wanted to.

It was only as she studied him that she suddenly noticed the distinct similarities between him and Artigas. Were they brothers? At the very least they must have been related.

His face betrayed nothing as he closed the door behind the younger boy. It was only as he turned around to face her that she saw the bowl he was carrying in his hand. The painfully hollow feeling in her stomach made itself known as it growled out loud. She desperately hoped he had brought food.

She watched him warily as he approached her and knelt down, holding out the bowl.

Her mouth watered furiously as the aroma wafted over her. It was like nothing else she had ever smelt before, yet somehow reminded her of the boar Bellamy and the others had caught and cooked just after they had first arrived.

"Eat," he said, voice low and somehow deeper than she expected.

After a pause, she reached out with still bound hands and cupped the bowl, bringing it carefully towards herself, feeling the warmth beneath her fingertips. She hesitated only a moment to inspect the contents before shrugging to herself.

Well, they didn't poison me last time. Bringing her lips to the edge of the bowl, she had to refrain from moaning embarrassingly at the flavours that exploded in her mouth.

While she ate, Devan perched himself on a crate by the door, watching her, his expression carefully blank. It didn't take her too long to start to feel uncomfortable under his gaze.

Pulling the bowl away from her lips, she fixed a glare on him. "Will you stop staring? It's creepy."

He didn't say anything, except quirk an eyebrow at her almost mockingly.

Fine, if he won't say anything, then I will…

"Is your name Devan? Are you and Artigas brothers? You look similar enough." She returned to slurping at the soup, watching him over the rim of his bowl.

He shot a glare at the door as if it was Artigas himself, before replying. "Yes. it is." He didn't confirm if they were brothers.

She finished the soup and set the bowl to one side, her stomach feeling content for the first time in a long time.

They settled into an uncomfortable silence.

Say something, anything.

"Thanks for saving me," she blurted out. Then hesitated. "I know you didn't have to. But if you hadn't, they…"

"They would have killed you," he finished for her, his brown eyes never leaving her. "But only after you had suffered."

Her mouth went dry as she stared at him. She licked her lips nervously. "What's going to happen to me now?" She hated how small her voice sounded. "Your grandmother isn't going to send me to them…right?"

"No. My grandmother hopes that you can help build a peaceful relationship between our people. You need to be alive to do that."

"And you? What do you think?" she asked tentatively.

"I think it's foolish to trust what we don't know," he said with a shrug.

"We- We didn't land here looking for trouble you know. We were just trying to survive."

"And yet by trying to survive, your people killed many of my own," he shot back. "My people view that as an act of war."

She shrunk back. "We didn't know that would happen," she said softly. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry it happened. It was never our intention to hurt anyone."

He studied her quietly, assessing her sincerity. Then he sighed and his expression looked more open than she had seen it so far. "I agree with my grandmother. The only way to move forward without more bloodshed is to talk. And I think, if you are willing, that you could help us do that. My people have seen enough bloodshed to last many lifetimes."

"I hope," she began tentatively. "I hope we can find a peaceful way to move forward."

"Me too," he sighed.

Commotion outside diverted their attention. When Artigas ducked through the door and quickly closed it behind him, Devan immediately pushed himself to his feet, looking concerned.

"Chit yu gos?" Devan asked him with a frown.

"Anya komba rou," Artigas replied hurriedly, glancing back at her. He looked worried. "Em get em skaikru roun hir."

Devan glanced back at her and suddenly Alex felt like whatever they were talking about didn't bode well for her.

Before anything else could be said, the door slammed open and two Grounders she didn't recognize marched into the room, their eyes immediately landing on her. The mood in the room immediately darkened. Her heart lurched in her chest at the sight - these Grounders were the ones that had hunted them in the forest. The ones who had killed Mbege, Roma and Diggs. The ones who had chased her off the cliff and away from Bellamy.

Devan stepped forward, casually intercepting their path. "Chit sketchi?"

One of them stepped forward, his face covered with a metallic mask, his eyes painted black. "Oso hir sis gada. Wocha gaf em."

Devan paused, then nodded, stepping out of their way.

Her heart sank into stomach as Devan allowed them to pass. This was bad, very bad.

She shrank back in fear as the two Grounders made their way towards her. Her eyes darted between Devan and Artigas and the two Grounders, searching their expressions for something, anything that would tell her what this was about. Their somber expressions did nothing to reassure her. As the two Grounders closed in on her, she bared her teeth at them, but they were unfazed, each grabbing her tightly beneath each arm and hauling her to her feet. "No! Let me go!" She struggled, trying to twist her way out of their grasp, but her tired and injured body did little against their grip. As they dragged her past Devan and Artigas, she whirled towards them, dragging her feet. "Hey! What's happening?" she demanded, her panic showing in her voice. Neither responded, Devan's expression was closed off entirely and Artigas stared at her with a solemn look.

Their looks had fear fluttering in her stomach and panic seized her. She renewed her struggles, desperately trying to get away. "No!" One of the Grounders growled and grabbed a fistful of her hair to help control her. She whimpered, feeling the hair tear at the root.

She didn't have much more time to process anything before she was dragged out the door and into the daylight and mud.

She was being marched to her death.

FREYA

The girl was obviously terrified as they dragged her out of the hut, though she did her best not to show it. Despite the warriors that held each arm and her wounded side, she still struggled against them. Devan fell into step behind them, his face emotionless as the other warriors. Her younger grandson stood at the edge of the hut, eyes wide and concerned at the arrival of their guests.

Beside her, Anya, one of the chieftains of Trikru, stood tall. Their arrival had surprised her though she did not allow it to show. Although she was still respected among her Clan, her relation to the rest of Trisku had been strained for a long time. Her people only came to her now if they needed healing or guidance.

Or if we happened to capture one of those they hunted.

The warriors dumped the struggling girl in the mud before them. The storm had faded, but the effect still remained. It would take a long time for the earth beneath them to dry out. Alex struggled, a snarl on her lips, trying to push herself up onto her hands and knees with her hands still bound before her, but one of the warriors grabbed a handful of hair and forced her head down, until her cheek was pressed into the mud.

"Seda," Anya began respectfully, giving a small bow. The woman had always shown her respect, even after her fall out with the rest of Trikru. She had been more understanding than most. Anya was well respected among the Clan, having mentored the current Heda before she'd ascended. She was both a fierce warrior and a skilled hunter, and little could stand between her and her goal. "I see you have found one of the ones we've been hunting."

"Yes," Freya replied. "Devan found her injured by the river and thought to bring her back to us. I am hopeful to learn more about their people."

"Well done, Devan." Anya nodded in his direction. "Perhaps one day soon you'll be able to join our war party."

Her grandson said nothing but dipped his head at the praise.

Returning her attention to the bound and kneeling girl before her, Anya nodded at the soldier who held the girl's head down, who released her. Pulling out a dagger from the sheath at her hip, Anya crouched down as the girl's head came up, ending up face to face. The girl froze at the feeling of cool steel at her throat, but it did not dissuade the defiant glare on her face.

Anya studied her impassively, cocking her head to one side. Searching for what, Freya wasn't sure. "Has she said anything?"

"Yes. She claims her people were unaware of the damage they caused to the village. That it was never meant to be an attack."

Anya scoffed and shot her a look. "And you believe her?"

"Her response seemed genuine, yes."

"You are getting soft, Freya. It has been too long since you have had to make tough choices."

Freya's expression hardened. "Becoming soft has nothing to do with it. You're forgetting the first rule of war."

"Oh, and that is?"

"Know your enemy," Freya admonished. "Who are these people who fell from the sky? Why did they land here? Why now? There is much we don't know about them."

"It won't matter if they are all dead."

"How can you know that there aren't more coming to join them?"

The girl clearly didn't understand what was being said, her eyebrows furrowed as her eyes darted between the two of them as they talked. "Hey! What are you saying?" she demanded. "I know you can understand me!"

Anya cocked an eyebrow and shifted her grip so that the tip of the knife settled directly underneath her chin. The girl froze again, leaning her head away from the deadly blade.

"You wouldn't be so brave if you knew what we were doing to your friend," Anya finally replied in the language the girl could understand.

The response clearly caught the blonde girl off guard. She stared at Anya, her mouth parted in shock. Then panic covered her expression. "What? What do you mean? Who are you talking about?"

"Oh, just a boy. Dark haired. He was so alone when we found him." Anya smirked at her and pushed herself to her feet, returning the knife to its sheath.

"What, no! No! Let him go!" Alex struggled to get to her feet. "Hey! Don't turn away from me!" She attempted to lunge after Anya, but a punch to the gut from the closest guard had her crumbling back to the ground with a gasp, knees sinking deep into the mud and her hands going to her injured side.

A flash of irritation crossed Freya's mind, but she didn't let it show. She wondered if the girl's wound had reopened. It had taken them a lot of effort to stop its bleeding. She made her way to Anya's side. "You've captured another?"

"Yes, a boy. He was wandering the woods alone, far from where they landed."

"Then I am hoping you will allow her to remain here. I would like to learn more about their people, where they come from, how they got here. They may have technology that we can use. Medicine. Weapons. We may even be able to learn to coexist."

Anya gritted her teeth. "They burned a village to the ground. They need to pay for what they've done. Peace isn't an option."

"Peace is always an option," Freya snapped back, feeling the ache in her old bones. This was a fight that had been going on for a long time, one that she still wasn't sure she could ever win. "When you are my age you will understand. If there is no peace then the bloodshed will never end."

"Your words are surprising considering your past, fragheda," Anya gave her a steely look.

Freya pressed her lips into a thin line, feeling like she had been punched in the gut. Fragheda. Kingkiller. A name that haunted her dreams. Her reason for banishment. She pushed away the bitter feeling that filled her. Her people didn't understand the sacrifice she had made for them. All they had seen was her and her bloodied sword.

Anya decided to change the subject. "We will stay with you and your family tonight and then we will return to Tondc tomorrow. She will come with us, and she will be made an example to her people."

Freya gave her a cool smile. "Of course. You are welcome to join us tonight."

Their conversation coming to an end, Anya whistled and the two warriors who held Alex yanked her to her feet and dragged her back towards the hut. Opening the door, they shoved her forcefully inside then proceeded to close the door and lock it behind them, before standing guard outside it.

Freya stared at them, contemplating her options. If the girl stayed here she would surely be dead in a few days. If she died they would only be another step further from peace.

She met Devan's eyes from where he stood by the door of the hut and she could see the wariness in his features, like he knew she was about to do something she shouldn't.

A quick smirk crossed her lips. When had she ever done what she was supposed to?

ALEX

"No, no!" she cried as the two Grounders dragged her backwards towards the hut that she had been locked in. "Let me go!"

It didn't matter how much she seemed to struggle, the two didn't seem to have any problem dragging her backwards through the mud. Pushing open the door, they shoved her backwards and she landed hard on her back, her breath leaving her lungs in a gasp.

For a moment she struggled to catch her breath, the wind knocked out of her. When the oxygen finally returned to her lungs, she awkwardly leaned up on one elbow to stare at the door, her mind stuck on the words the younger female Grounder had spoken.

Dark haired friend, she had said. Worry filled her gut like acid. Who did she mean? Who else had been captured? She couldn't have meant Bellamy... could she?

No, no. You don't know that. But no matter what she told herself, she couldn't get the thought of Bellamy being held captive by the Grounders out of her head. You left him behind. You tried to get the Grounders away from him, but what if it didn't work? What if they found him? What if they have him? What if they are hurting him? What if…

Alex pressed the palms of her hands firmly against her eyes until she saw stars.

Focus. Think. There's only one way to know if they had Bellamy, and that's to return to the others.

I need to get the fuck out of here.

Feeling determined, the adrenaline from her confrontation with the Grounders keeping her brain alert, she heaved herself to her feet, bracing herself against the wall, hissing as her wound tugged. The pain had reignited after the Grounder had punched her in the side. She ignored it as best as she could. She could deal with that later.

She slowly shuffled around the inside walls of the small room, pausing to listen at the door. She could still hear voices outside and knew that the door would not be a way to escape anytime soon. Dammit. She would have to wait.

Settling back down into her spot, she waited for night to fall, hoping to use the darkness to her advantage.

Hours passed.

Scrapping in the back corner of the hut snapped her out of her daze. She peered into the dark corner and saw nothing but empty crates and wondered if it was just an animal of some sort. But even as she stared some of the crates slowly began to move.

What the…

Startled, she pushed herself to her feet, watching in disbelief as the boxes moved aside to reveal a hole in the wall.

You've got to be kidding me. There was a way to get out this entire time and I didn't know?

She approached the hole cautiously, leaning down to peer through it, only to nearly jump out of her skin when Artigas' face popped into view.

To her credit, her scream caught in her throat.

His expression was more serious than it had been earlier, staring at her with dark eyes. He pressed a finger to his lips then waved his hand, beckoning her through the hole.

Alex blinked at him. He's helping me escape? Suspicion filled her. Was it some sort of trap? Even if it was, she had an opportunity, a way to escape. She sure as hell wasn't going to pass on the chance.

Leaning down, she peered through the hole only to see Artigas on his knees a few feet away. He waved her through, glancing around in concern.

"Hurry," he whispered. "If you want to leave, you need to do so now."

What?

Alex didn't need to think twice about it. Laying on the floor on her back, she reached up with her bound hands and started to pull herself through the narrow gap. It was a tight squeeze but she managed to wiggled her way through, gritting her teeth when her wounded side grazed the edge.

Then she was out.

Pushing herself up onto her hands and knees she stared at the young boy wondering why the hell he would help her escape. When she opened her mouth to ask, he pressed his finger to his lips and shook his head, before motioning her to follow him.

They slunk around in the darkness, moving away from the buildings behind them and into the forest edge. She glanced back at the village, the buildings outlines illuminated by the campfire they must have had on the other side. She could hear voices and laughter.

They didn't make it far into the forest before Devan stepped out from behind a tree before her.

She froze, his appearance sending a chill down her spine. He was dressed in the familiar dark colours he had worn when she had first seen him. His bow and blade strapped once more to his back. Had it been a trap all along? She contemplated making a run for it, but somehow didn't think she would get far in the darkness.

And he could put an arrow between your shoulder blades before you took two steps.

Artigas came to a stop next to his brother, giving him a nod, then doing the same to her, before ducking off into the darkness of the forest, barely making a sound.

What the hell is going on?

"What do you want?" she asked, jaw tight. Her teeth ached from where they were gritted so tightly.

"Relax," Devan said, tone almost placating. He seemed to sense that she was a fright away from bolting. He didn't move closer.

"I'm here to help you escape."

AN: What did you think? This chapter is where we really start to see a split from the original timeline. We got to see Anya and Artigas, who are both in the show! I couldn't not include them... Drop me a review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!