Chapter 9
They entered the tent. It took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust to the lower light, but Octavia wouldn't leave Clarke's right side. They both shifted just a little, letting their hastily made packs shift on their backs. Clarke, while not weaponless, tried to look non-threatening. Octavia rested her hand on the handle of her sword, but she was looking around the tent. Clarke knew that she was looking for Lexa. Everything about that tent screamed Lexa, but they didn't see her.
Anya came in behind them and walked around to the war table. Clarke saw a few chairs and waited for Anya to bid them to sit. When Anya waved her hand at the chairs, Clarke moved to sit, but Octavia stayed behind her. Anya watched this and noted that Octavia wasn't just Clarke's sekken, she was also her personal guard. Clarke pulled the pack off her back and opened it. She pulled out the canteens of water and some of jerky that Murphy has managed to make them. Octavia reached into her pack and pulled out a shaped plate of sorts, from the plating of the drop ship. Clarke placed the meat on it and then placed the plate on the table in front of Anya as an offering.
Anya looked down at the plate and cocked her eyebrow. It was odd to her that the is blonde goufa, this so-called Skaiprisa was even there, let alone serving her. Her eyes got even wider when Clarke pulled the plate back as soon as there was more company. She watched as Clarke watched the young girl moving around the tent.
The younger woman, the newest person in the tent, moved around like she knew the layout well. Clarke watched her walk. It wasn't fierce like a warrior, more demure like a servant girl, but there was a strength behind it that betrayed her station. Her face was covered with a thin blue-gray cloth that matched her sleeveless dress of the same color. Her skin was obvious sun-kissed. She was keeping herself, now, behind Anya and making sure that only her left side was visible. Clarke knew that it was a slight for her to do this, but it was still intriguing. When Clarke looked from the servant to Anya again, she saw Anya flex just a little, and Clarke knew what it meant.
"The girl is the Commander," Clarke stated.
"Are you sure?"
"Give me a chance and I will show you."
"As you command, Skaiprisa," Octavia replied and nodded just behind her.
Clarke didn't have to turn to know that Anya wasn't both amused and annoyed by Octavia's words. She might not have known what Clarke said, but she understood that it was a command. When Octavia took several steps back, Anya watched her more than Clarke. It was then that Clarke knew that she had Anya's full attention.
"You bring food and water to speak with us, Clarke of the Sky," Anya started.
"I have."
"You know our customs, but we know nothing of you," Anya replied, almost accusing her of something.
"I was hoping to change that, Anya."
"And, why should we speak with goufa like you?"
"Because I can help you," Clarke answered.
Anya had nothing to say to that. She didn't know what Clarke meant. There was no way that she could. But, the servant quit moving behind Anya. It was obvious that she wanted to hear more of what Clarke meant.
"Will you share this food with me, Anya of Tree People?"
"How do I know that you have not poisoned it? How do I know that you weren't sent by Azgeda? You have the look of them."
"I resent that, Anya. I really do. Yes, I have blond hair and blue eyes, like much of Azgeda, but I am not from Ice Nation. I have no scars that mark me anything of theirs, nor would I claim them after what that Azplana has done to you, your people, and especially to your Commander," Clarke answered, rising her chin up in defiance, daring Anya to say more on the subject.
Anya remained stoic. She gave nothing away, and Clarke didn't think that she would. She did however notice the slight misstep that the servant girl took as she listened to Clarke's words. It took everything for Clarke not to smile about it. It just gave her more proof, in her own mind, that the girl was really Lexa in disguise. When she turned back to Anya, she noticed the blonde watching her more closely. She knew that it would happen, too. She had given up some more information that she knew.
She knew that Anya wasn't going to trust her. She had no reason to. They were the invaders. They were on Trikru land and they were dumb teenagers for the most part. Clarke was trying to make her understand that they weren't going to hurt them. She needed to get Trikru on their side as fast as possible. But, she also needed to protect her friends from the Mountain.
"You speak of things like you know more than you should for someone who claims to be from the stars," Anya finally stated.
"I know things; that is true, Anya. I've seen things happen. I know things that will happen if we don't align ourselves together. You should see me as a warning."
"What type of warning?" Anya asked her.
Clarke regarded her for a moment before she reached over and took a berry. She tossed her into her mouth. She knew that she needed to give Anya some truth but not all of it. She needed to be able to keep an upper hand, per se. She trusted Anya, even though she knew that Anya didn't trust her. They hadn't escaped the Mountain together, yet. And, if she could help it, they wouldn't. But, still, she let her eyes meet Anya's worried brown orbs and hold them. She kept her face passive. She didn't want to appear aggressive, but she also didn't want to seem weak.
"We have a common enemy," Clarke said as she grabbed a nut this time. "I know that you want to destroy the Mountain and I have ways to do it. It will take both us to get the justice that you deserve. I am willing to sacrifice myself and my people to help you retrieve yours."
"The Mountain eats people. It does not give them back, Skygirl. The only things that the Mountain produces are..."
"Reapers and acid fog, I know. But, there are more inside. The reapers were once your people, but they have lost their way. I can heal them, at least their bodies, but their minds will never be the same. I cannot heal their minds. That would be something that can only be done by their people, their kru, and the heda herself."
"Who are you, Skaigada?" Anya asked as she studied Clarke harder.
"To my people, I am called Clarke Griffin. And, to be honest, I was considered a traitor to my people. I am a criminal, as are the rest of my people that are here now. We are all children. Only one of us at the moment is over eighteen summers. I, myself, will turn eighteen winters soon. My friend behind me, Octavia, is only sixteen summers."
"What is her crime?" Anya asked as she watched Clarke take a small sip of water.
"Being born," Octavia answered.
"Being born?" Anya questioned as she finally took a berry.
"Where we are from, up in the sky with the stars, we live in a metal building. Resources were scarce. We couldn't just grow things. We had to recycle everything that we had. Our ancestors, the first to leave Earth before the bombs, before what you call Pramfaya, realized that they had to keep the population small. As such couples were only allowed one child. Octavia is a second born. She was hidden from everyone until just past her fifteenth Winter. Her brother was punished for hiding her and given a bad job. Her mother was killed for having her," Clarke explained.
"And, her father?"
"Was never found, the coward never stepped forward to claim her if he could," Clarke lied for Octavia, so she would have to say.
Anya muttered something under her breath.
"So, Clarke of the Sky, why have you come to me?" Anya asked her.
"My people don't know how to survive here. We are from the stars. We had no earth to grow things in. We had no rivers to swim in. We had no enemies but ourselves. We've been sent down from the sky to see if we could survive. In a few weeks, the rest of my people will come. I want it to be a peaceful transition."
"You are asking for help, but have nothing to give us for the land that you've already stolen," Anya accused.
"Bring me a reaper, in a week's time, and I will give you something back, Anya. Either way, my people will still come. If you help us now, I will get them to help you take the Mountain. I know how to get in and get out. I know how to cripple their fog. I don't have the man power, but I have the knowledge. Also, there are those among us, the hundred of us that came down. Well, really we are ninty-seven at the moment, that don't necessarily have the same view points as those that are to come. I can help you get them in line with your laws and such, but I need help from you to do that. We have to have a peace. They don't know that there were survivors."
"That isn't giving me a lot to work with to take to Heda. It would be her decision on whether you live or not. You have taken from her."
"I know that, Anya. We are prepared to work to pay off our grievances. But, I need some assurance that we will be able to do that. There are those among the stars that will just come down and try to take. I know who they are and I will allow your justice to prevail. But, that is not all."
"What else could you possibly know, Skaigada?" Anya questioned.
"I know who you are to the Commander. I know that she was your second. I also know that you lost someone very dear to the both of you to Queen Nia, roughly about two years ago. I know that her loss is still felt very heavily. I also know that while Titus is a good man for the most part. He is a tyrant when it comes to your noviates. I also know why those children are chosen," Clarke answered.
"We're doing this now?" Octavia asked from behind her.
Clarke turned to look at her. The look said more than Clarke would, but she needed to make sure that she was still giving off an air of authority, real or imagined. Octavia would follow her orders. Clarke knew that. But, she also knew that Octavia would challenge her. It was just how they worked together. Clarke welcomed it, but she wasn't sure how Anya and possibly Lexa would receive it. They knew that Octavia was her subboardant, but Clarke thought of her more as an equal in their command. Clarke was the politics and Octavia was the might.
"I want to see what her reaction is. Now quiet. And, just watch the girl. I'll deal with Anya."
"As you wish, skaiprisa," Octavia replied and dipped her head. "She is still hiding her right side from our view."
Clarke just nodded. She reached back and opened her hand. Octavia knew what she as asking for. Slowly and surely, she reached to her side and pulled one of the knives off her side. She handed it to Clarke, hilt first. Clarke closed her hand around the hilt and brought it around to her front. She saw Anya bristle.
"We come from the stars. You call us Skaikru. But, we are not like you. And, there are a few of us that are...different still."
Before Clarke could say anything else, there was a loud boom and a huge commotion outside the tent. Clarke jumped up and looked at Octavia. She looked down at their wrists and then started counting.
"Shit," Clarke exclaimed.
"Is it Raven?"
"Yeah, we have to go."
"You aren't going anywhere," Anya shouted.
"Look, I get that you want to be all high and mighty, Anya. I get it. But, that is another one of us coming down. I have to go meet her or things will happen that I cannot stop. You are free to come with me. Bring Tris, Nyko and Lincoln. I am sure that between the three of you that your Commander will listen to your tale. I'm going now. Have me followed or come along, but someone...well a lot of someones lives are at stake. If I don't get to my friend first..."
"We will go with you," Anya stated cutting her off.
"The girl nodded to her. She looked for approval. I am sure that more than those three will come with us," Octavia told her.
"At this point, O, I don't care. We have to get to Raven before your brother does. If he destroys the radio..."
"I know," Octavia replied and hung her head. Some how in all of their "rebirths," Octavia had become responsible for Bellamy. Clarke hated it as much as she did, but she knew that the familial bond between them would always be strong.
As they started out of the tent, Octavia turned around and looked at Anya. She saw that the warrior woman was standing in a manner that shielded her view of the servant girl behind her. Octavia narrowed her eyes and then looked back at Clarke expectantly.
"Do suppose you could let us borrow some horses for this?" Octavia asked.
Anya just nodded and the three of them exited the tent. Anya began to bark orders in Trig. Octavia and Clarke had to hide their smiles because they understood what she was saying.
Lincoln, Nyko, Tris and Gustus came forward. Gustus lead three horses to them. Octavia mounted deftly. Clarke mounted almost as easily before turning to Harper and Monroe.
"You two ride together," Clarke commanded.
Gustus helped them mount. Harper was in front. Monroe didn't look happy about it, but she held onto Harper as they started to ride. She kept her spear pointed down and kept her eyes on Octavia and Clarke. She was still a guard.
"We're ready," Clarke told Anya.
They rode off towards the crash site. As they rode, Clarke was doing a mental count in her head. Had it really already been almost ten days on the ground? Shaking her head, she plotted along, leading the way with Octavia by her side. Harper and Monroe were riding beside Tris. Anya and Nyko were following them. Clarke could hear the low chatter of Trig between them, but she didn't speak up.
"Who is Raven going to ride back with?"
"Me."
"Do you think that she'll actually get up on the beast?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Are you going to tell her about Finny-boy?"
"Tell her what exactly? It isn't like I slept with him this time. Besides, she'll figure it out soon enough. At least this time, she won't be mad at me about it. Plus, if she plays her cards right, she'll get 'Cheekbones' there on her side and in her bed quick enough. I am sure that will help her get over the wandering boy," Clarke answered.
Octavia laughed. She knew that Clarke was right, but she wasn't sure who Raven was better suited for: Anya or Luna. She would let Clarke do her thing, but she worried about Raven.
"Don't worry about her. We'll keep 'Cheekbones' alive. We'll keep them all alive," Clarke stated. "But, first we need to make a call back to the Ark and let the idiots know that we are surviving."
They came upon the small clearing that Raven's pod landed in. Clarke and Octavia dismounted first. Clarke told them all to wait for her signal. When she turned around to see if Anya would actually listen to her, she saw that Tris already had an arrow nocked in her bow, drawn down on the pod before them.
"Stay here," Clarke said as she and Octavia slowly made their way towards the pod.
"She's early," Octavia stated as they moved closer.
"She is, but it is just hours, I think. She landed at night last time," Clarke answered. "I think we were a little more controlled this time in taking off the wrist bands."
"We were, but we also don't know what else that changed for those up there," Octavia replied as she pointed towards the sky.
"Right now, Unity Day has to happen and we still have to save 300 lives. We can do that by just taking to the Ark. For now, we let them know that Earth is survivable, but nothing more. I'll protect Bellamy. I get his pardon, but Diana Sydney and her crew need to still take the drop ship and die."
"Wanheda has spoken?" Octavia asked.
"No, Diana is more dangerous than Jaha. And, honestly, I don't want to deal with her or any of her lackeys. I know that Mom won't be on that ship, so it isn't going to hurt my feelings if any of them die."
Octavia just nodded. She knew that Clarke was right. One of the lives that they shared where Diana Sydney had survived has been an absolute nightmare. They didn't want or need that. Octavia was just a little worried about her older friend. Clarke wasn't unfeeling. She felt every death, which is why this hurt them so much that they had lived it so many times, but this Clarke in front of her, this Wanheda, was callous about their deaths. There was no feeling behind it. It was a means that would justify their end. Octavia could only hope that Clarke wouldn't continue to be so blaise about who she ended up proscribing death for as they went along with this new life.
They approached the pod slowly. She wasn't sure what condition Raven was actually in. They'd never made it so close to her landing before. Clarke opened the pod, burning her hand on the door in the process.
Letting out a hiss, she climbed up and looked inside. Raven was hurt, but she'd live. And, then she heard the radio.
"Ark Pod, this is Ark Station Medical, do you read me?"
"Is that?" Octavia asked.
"Mom."