Okay, I've finally finished this story! Don't panic! This is not the last chapter. There are a few more to go. There will be some editing and maybe some re-writing of some bits, but it's done. Enjoy this chapter. Samdagger.
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Chapter 18
On the ground
Commander Lexa was in a meeting with some of her ambassadors.
"What are you going to do about those invaders?" one said.
"What invaders?" she asked.
"Those that fell from the sky."
"They are not invaders, they are friends. They've done nothing wrong. They were sent down by their leader in the sky because he wanted them to find out if the air was good to breathe but didn't want to do it himself. They have been helping us and have done nothing against us. Chief Anya has taken them in and they've integrated nicely."
"And those still up in the sky?"
"Some of them will be coming down here to escape the leader who wants to kill children just because they turned 18 and he counts them as criminals."
"When?"
"Any time now. They will be bringing food down with them and they will be living apart from our villages until spring."
"And what will they do then?"
"We will welcome them into our clan. These children and the two adults were thrown away by their own people. We will take them in."
"Why?"
"Because I believe they are the ones who can help us. Right now, those first four are looking for a place we can escape to if another deathwave happens. We don't know that it won't so we need a place to live when it does."
"You really believe that? It was almost a hundred years ago!"
"Sha. Those people will be left alone, understand?"
"Sha, Heda. What do we do now?"
"The same as usual. Those people will become Trikru, your clans are not affected." They nodded. "Now what did you really want to see me about?"
"We would like to organise a festival during the spring season. We would like to celebrate the end of winter and the start of the growing seasons." Lexa thought about it and agreed.
"I think a spring celebration would be good for all the clans. I agree. Who's going to arrange it?"
"We would, Commander. We think it would be beneficial for trade talks too. If we say what we would like, then other clans could plan for that when growing their crops or hunting. Hopefully, it will end the constant arguments we have during the summer and fall months when trying to arrange for goods over winter."
"I definately agree with that. You have my permission. When did you want this festival to take place?"
"Mid spring, Commander. I know that's a major part of the planting season, but if we know before we plant all we think we need, then it can be added to the planting plans of each clan."
"I'll ask the Flamekeeper exactly which dates we can use and then you can plan for the festival."
"Thank you, Commander." The ambassadors bowed and left. Commander Lexa sat back and sighed. She couldn't wait until Clarke came down. She hadn't talked to her for a few months. After Costia, she thought she'd never fall in love again. It hurt too much when they were taken from her, but she should have known that nature didn't care about human feelings, she just did what she wanted anyway and if that meant she pushed Lexa towards Clarke, then who was she to say no. She did fight against it, but somehow Clarke slipped inside her heart and made herself at home. Somehow Clarke was able to push Costia to the side, but still leave a bit of Lexa's heart for her. Clarke was not a replacement, she was her soulmate. She thought Costia was that - until she met Clarke.
She thought back on that first time. She'd heard about these goufas who somehow managed to kill three hundred of her warriors. Anya was dead, her warriors were dead and yet somehow these children survived. When Clarke came to her tent looking for a deal, she couldn't believe it. How dare these killers make demands and deals of her! But once she'd looked up and into those blue eyes, she was lost. How she carried on and negotiated with her, was beyond her. She thought Clarke had lied to her when she went to see Lincoln, but Clarke's mother - a highly skilled healer - managed to shock Lincoln's heart to start beating again. She turned a dead man into a living one! From that time on, Clarke continued to impress her, first with her insight of the Maunon's tek and then when she stood up first to Quint and then the pauna.
That was when she knew she was already inside her heart. Clarke would not let her keep talking about her death and told her to keep her spirit where it was. It was the first inkling that Clarke may feel the same. She was also attracted to her mind. She had a quick mind and the way she worked out that they could use the clanspeople already prisoners in the mountain was genius. Lexa had the same information and she didn't put it together.
Lexa was consumed with guilt about the betrayal at Mount Weather. Raven had it right, if she'd just taken the time to think it through, she would have killed Emerson right then and there. Instead she'd taken the short-sighted route and gotten her people out, leaving her allies to die. She wasn't sure what she would have done if Clarke had been killed inside the mountain. She definately would have stormed the mountain again, but she'd probably go alone. Life without Clarke really wasn't all that bearable. This time, things would be different but she didn't know how. With only four clans people remembering that she knew of and only four of the Skaikru remembering, it would be slow going to get people to do what they knew needed doing. Rallying the clans to take the mountain would not be hard, keeping the skaikru out of the maunon's hands would be.
WIth Sol, Jake and Rory on their side too, that should help, but she didn't know how much help Jake would be once he realised just how much danger his daughter could or would be in. None of what needed to be done was easy or safe, their very lives would be on the line. Sol had once said that maybe they should let the maunon have some of their bone marrow and then exile them to one of the islands off shore near Broadleaf territory. With no boats and no other way off the island, they couldn't interfere with clan life. They'd be above ground and alive. Maybe she'd talk to Clarke about it whenever she saw her again. Lexa sighed once more, she was really missing her lifemate.
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Two candlemarks later a messenger rode into Polis to see the Commander.
"Yes, what is it?" asked the Commander when the messenger arrived in her throne room.
"Heda, Chief Anya sends a message that those you were expecting have arrived on the ground. The Skaikru leader is on the ground." Lexa's eyes widened ever so slightly.
"Are they okay?" she asked, keeping her voice seem disinterested.
"Sha, Heda. Indra and Sol are looking after them. They are staying at the place Sol found that horseless carrier." The Trikru didn't have a word for the hovercraft/skimmer and didn't understand how it worked without horses to pull it. The Commander nodded her head.
"I will see them soon. I would know who is on my lands," she said, trying to justify going to see Clarke.
"Sha, Heda."
"I will be down before the snow falls to see Anya and those sky people."
"Sha, Heda," the messenger said before withdrawing. Once he was gone, Lexa smiled and sat back sighing, this time in happiness. Her heart was on the ground where she belonged.
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A week later, Commander Lexa, Heda of the twelve clans of the Kongeda, rode into Tondc. Anya was there to meet her.
"Hei, Heda," Anya said in greeting, bowing to her.
"Anya," Lexa said, nodded her head towards her and then got off her horse. She looked around. "Where are Sol, Raven, Jake and Rory?"
"Rory is staying with the goufas at that place they found the 'Ilana' at. Octavia came down as well, so mother and daugther are reunited." Lexa nodded again.
"And the other skai goufas, how are they coping with the conditions on the ground?"
"They are doing quite well. Raven and Sol have been going back and forth to see them and they've made sure they have enough warm clothing for the winter. Clarke has them organised so a team goes out hunting each day and Lincoln is showing them which plants they can eat in winter. He's also showing Clarke our medicines and our healer practices."
"Good. I would like to see them for myself, though. Is it far?"
"Fourteen miles east of us, Commander," Anya said.
"Fourteen miles?"
"Yes, Commander, Raven and Sol use the 'Ilana' to bring goods and transport people around. They know not to go past our village and they'll often stop about half a mile away, hide the craft and walk the rest, just in case the Maunon is watching us." Just then, the craft came back with Raven driving. She stopped the craft just outside the eastern gates and Clarke's head appeared over the side. She saw the Commander and her face lit up with a huge grin. Clarke scrambled down the side of the craft and almost ran to the Commander. She stopped short, remembering that they were not alone. She bowed to the Commander.
"Commander Lexa, I'm Clarke Griffin, Leader of the Skai people."
"Clarke," the Commander said, with a slight hitch to her voice.
"Commander, my tent is available for you to hold talks with the Skaikru leader," Anya said, diplomatically. Lexa nodded.
"Clarke, join me and we shall discuss your people."
"Certainly, Commander," Clarke said, bowing again and then following the love of her life into the tent.
Sol climbed down the side of the craft and walked over to Anya. She had seen how Clarke reacted to the Commander.
"I take it we're not invited until tomorrow?" she said.
"Definately not!" Anya said. "I still don't believe it, though," she said, shaking her head.
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Once inside the tent, Clarke launched herself at Lexa, who caught her and hugged her tightly.
"I missed you, Lex," Clarke said into her hair. Clarke took a deep breath in, smelling that familiar scent once more. It did more to settle her than anything else.
"I missed you too, hodness," Lexa said, capturing her face and bringing their lips together, feeling like everything had just fallen back into place and her heart was once more beating in rhythm with her soul.
"How long do we have?" Clarke asked when they resurfaced.
"All night, Anya won't disturb us and neither will anyone else." Clarke smiled and then her stomach rumbled.
"Sorry, I was so eager to get here, I didn't stop to get a midday meal," Clarke said, contritely. Lexa smirked and Clarke spun back to the tent flaps, opened them and looked out.
"Sol! Need food, please!" she called out and Sol nodded back, barely able to hide the smirk she felt trying to break out onto her face. Ten minutes later, Sol called out to Clarke.
"Clarke, food and water for two!" Clarke called for her to enter. Sol went in and put the food and water on the table.
"Make sure you eat, Clarke," She told her before turning to the Commander. "I know you want to get reacquainted, but please make sure she eats?" The Commander nodded.
"I'll be back in the morning, Clarke."
"Mid morning, Sol, please. We've got a lot of catching up to do!" Sol walked out of the tent, laughing.
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Two months passed and it was now winter. Snow lay on the ground and the Commander had returned to Polis and Clarke had gone back to the retail park which the kids had renamed Orchard Park. As it was winter, there was not much to do other than collect water, firewood and food. Lincoln had taken some of the kids to one of the empty stores and was teaching them self-defense and unarmed fighting techniques. The ones he found were quick learners, he took for advanced training in knifework and short fighting sticks. Weapons like swords and staves would have to wait until they could go outside to practise. One chore they hadn't realised would be needed in winter was shovelling the snow away that had accumulated overnight at the entrance. The night watch would shovel snow away once an hour, but if there was a snowstorm or blizzard, they would come inside and wait it out and then go and shovel snow away from the entrance.
One added benefit of the snow on the ground was that it formed a rudimentary insulation for Orchard Park. Lincoln had explained that the snow kept the heat from escaping and that meant it was warmer inside.
One of the stores was a toy store and every night, board games were played to stave off boredom. They'd also found some cards, poker chips and instructions for Texas Hold 'em. Murphy was a card shark and Clarke had put limits on what they bet and what for.
The new rule was that whoever won all the chips at that game, could only get one person to do their workshift the next day. Whoever won had to choose who would do their shift and couldn't pick on one person all the time. If the game hadn't finished at the end of the night, whoever had the most chips was the winner. Clarke also set a twice a week limit on betting on work shifts. The rest of the time, it was for bragging rights only.
Other games were played and Lincoln had also set up a rudimentary obstacle course. The back wall was a pedestrian area and had been a sort of indoor/outdoor cafe for one of the stores. He'd set up some of the items from the stores as obstacles they had to either climb over or move past them. One side was for running and the other for the obstacles.
Rory had become a kind of den mother to them all and she would listen to the young adults as they were slowly coming to terms with life on the ground and how bad it had become on the Ark. Some of them were floundering without their usual routines, so Rory and Lincoln devised routines for them. Most were just chores that needed doing, but some of them were therapy sessions. Most of them had turned 18 over the past two months and were rejoicing in still being alive. Rory would always make their 18th birthdays into a big thing. Once they realised that they would not die, they started to embrace the Trikru way of doing things and a lot of them wanted to know if they could join the Trikru clan. Lincoln had told them that it would be up to the Commander and it wouldn't be until spring. They still trained with Lincoln though, hoping to give themselves a leg up if they could join. A couple of the young men wanted to learn to be warriors and be a second to one of the Trikru warriors. That too would have to wait and they did all they could to learn what the Trikru taught them.
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On the Ark
Hunter was waiting just passed the entrance to the skybox, hidden behind a panel, unseen by those nearby. She was waiting for Kane to bring the first two kids to her who turned 18 today. Kane had recruited help with their endeavour of keeping kids alive. He'd talked to David Miller, a guard who's son, Nathan Miller, had been a prisoner and whom Clarke had taken down to Earth with her. Hunter didn't know him well, but he was willing to save those kids due to be floated.
Those first two kids were Chloe Spokane and Angelo Ederis, both in for theft and both claimed to be innocent. There was no proof that they committed their crimes, but no proof they didn't, either. Neither had family anymore so Hunter hoped that they would comply with the rule of not leaving Granary station and stay within the inner part to avoid detection.
Kane and Guard Miller took Chloe and Angelo from their cells and out of the skybox, explaining that it was time for their trail reviews. Neither one wanted to go and were struggling. Once passed the skybox doors and out into the narrow corridor, only used by guards to take kids to either trial chamber or floating chamber, Kane rapped on the hatch and Hunter opened it. Both kids looked astonished.
"Go with Hunter and she'll keep you safe and alive if you follow her lead and the rules. We don't want to kill kids if we can avoid it. If you don't want to live, say so now and we'll take you to the floating chamber right now," Kane said.
"Don't want to die," Chloe said, sullenly.
"Me neither," said Angelo.
"Then get in there and keep quiet. Hunter will explain once at your destination. You'll be marked down as being floated. Do not leave the area Hunter puts you or you will be floated." Miller undid their cuffs. "Get in." They both climbed into the hatch and Hunter put it back in place.
"Alright," she whispered. "From here on, we talk in whispers until we get there. Keep quiet and move quietly," Hunter said, before moving off. Both of them followed her. Hunter led them quietly through the tunnels until they had reached the hatch to the inner part of Granary station.
"We're here," Hunter said as she opened the hatch. They all exited the tunnels and both Chloe and Angelo looked around them.
"Where are we?"
"This is the abandoned half of Granary station."
"Where?" asked Chloe."
"Never heard of it," Angelo said at the same time.
"Most people don't. This was supposed to be for food storage when the Ark's population grew large enough. With the Council's policy of floating people, the population is reducing instead of increasing and so it was decided to use half of it and increase the size of the prison. This half, however, lay unused and forgotten. I don't think anyone's set foot in here in over thirty years."
"So we stay here?" asked Angelo.
"Yes. Kane and I and Clarke Griffin have decided to save as many of the prisoners as we could. Clarke organised a 'prison break' and got out as many as she could that were due to be floated. She then crammed 41 people inside the large escape pod that was attached to the underside of the Skybox and launched themselves to Earth."
"That's why there were people missing!" Chloe exclaimed.
"Yeah, Kane didn't know about that part. He only knew that he had to save as many people from being floated for turning 18. If he did know, he'd never have allowed them to leave."
"So what now?"
"You two are the first to be saved after them. We want you to live here for now. Kane's arranging a dropship so that a hundred kids can go down to the ground in three to five months time. In the meantime, we'll be bringing kids here to save them. Some of them will try to go home to their parents or friends. We can't let that happen. The secret would get out and you'd be floated along with me and Kane and that guard that was with you. Our very lives are on the line here."
"So what do you want us to do?"
"I'm afraid I need you two to be the guardians of the others. Hopefully, there won't be too many of them. Right now, there are another 17 people due to turn 18 within the next three months. They will be taken for a trial review. When they do, Kane will ask them if they want to live." Hunter saw confusion on their faces. "Two of those Clarke had slated to go with her, refused. They wanted to be floated to be with their parents. They were granted that wish and they were floated about a month ago. It was their choice, guys. I don't like it either, but honestly, would you want to force them to live if they didn't want it?"
Both shook their heads. Hunter didn't know if that meant they agreed with her, or that they just couldn't get their heads around not wanting to live at such a young age.
"So, there's space for around 100 kids if they double up or 50 in single rooms. I'd rather they shared as the roommate could be there as a kind of protection detail. Each kid will have to be alert that no other kid will try to leave this area. Discovery means death as you'll all be over 18."
"So we watch each other? We're not snitches!" Angelo said, aggrieved.
"No, you're not," Hunter said. "You're survivors! For you to keep living, you need to stop any kid from escaping. Right now, there is a limited area you can use. There are no windows in here because this is the inner part of the station. Lights can be used here without giving away that someone is in here. You can use the bathroom facilities without giving yourselves away and sound will be more muted in here as well. You still cannot shout and yell or scream because that could be heard in the corridor just outside the station entrance. As far as anyone else is concerned, this station is abandoned and we need to keep it that way."
"Why is Kane doing this?" asked Chloe.
"To save you," Hunter replied.
"No, I mean why now? What happened?" Hunter gestured for them to sit on the sofa she'd seen in one of the other rooms and dragged it into the largest one to use as a lounge area.
"Okay, I'll try to be quick, but it isn't a quick story. Basically, Jaha and Kane sent four people to the ground. Kane had no idea of Jaha's plans or his idea of a new civilisation. They sent Jake Griffin, Chief Engineer and father of Clarke Griffin, Aurora Blake, who goes by Rory, mother to both Bellamy Blake and Octavia Blake, Solange Armtrong, known as Sol, sister to Erin Armstrong, and Raven Reyes, one of Jake's young mechanical engineers. Clarke, Octavia and Erin were all in the skybox, waiting for their turn. Did you see three girls being released by Kane and Dr Abby Griffin a few months ago?" Both nodded.
"I asked Kane what was going on, he said that we were having our cases reviewed but we didn't hear anything else, though a couple of younger kids were taken out and not returned to the skybox," Angelo said.
"That was them. Six others have been released because they could prove they had no connection with the crime they were accused of. Now, Jake and Rory were sent down rather than float them, Sol was basically blackmailed into going. The deal was that if she went, Erin would be released from prison to take Sol's place on the Ark. Raven was lied to and told that there was no pilot to take them down, but they'd told Jake that he was to pilot it.
Erin was released - for around an hour and once Sol was off the Ark, she was re-arrested by authority of Jaha. Kane never knew about it, he thought she was still free. Erin was sharing a cell with Octavia Blake, Octavia has a brother, Sol's best friend is Harper McIntyre, her boyfriend is Monty Green, a best friend of Raven Reyes. Octavia's mother is Rory and Clarke was also in prison in solitary confinement. With me so far?" They nodded, not uttering a word, keen to catch every word.
"So we have Erin, Octavia and Clarke in jail, Harper, Monty, Bellamy and Abby Griffin on the Ark and free, and Sol, Jake, Rory and Raven on the ground. Now, Bellamy found out that those four had been sent down when he snooped in some official files in one of the guards' offices. He told Octavia, who told Erin. Erin told Harper about Sol going to the ground when she visited, Raven had left a video file for Monty telling him about everything she knew. A lot of them had little bits and pieces, but it wasn't until they put them all together that they figured out what was happening. The air supply on the Ark is running out. We have about another year before it stops working.
"Erin and Octavia would be told things by Bellamy and Harper, and they'd pass it on to Clarke. Clarke was actually the one to tell her mother that Jake was still alive on the ground. All four of those still free on the Ark met up and started to plan what to do about it. Kane pulled off a one-man coup and Jaha was arrested for treason. It was only afterwards that the truth was revealed. Once in the Chancellor's office, Kane found files there. Guys, Jaha was at the head of a cabal - a group of people with a specific agenda. This cabal went all the way back to the war. Four familes were kept at the top and in charge of the Ark in some way or another. If someone not of their people had been elected, then those people didn't last long - if you know what I mean.
"Kane and Abby were brought into everything then and they all planned what to do. Clarke was released because she had NOT committed a crime, Jaha just didn't want her to tell people about the failing air supply so he had her put into solitary. Octavia and Erin were released because they also had not committed a crime. Raven built a radio and contacted Monty with it. I don't fully understand it, but it has something to do with frequencies the Ark cannot find. Anyway, they talked to Kane and the others in secret and started plotting to get people to the ground. Kane had Murphy brought to interrogation and used an unknown tunnel to his offices and Murphy would hunt out those files that Jaha thought would be hidden.
"Guys, they wanted to remake their version of civilisation on Earth. They would be okay, but everyone else would be either a slave or used for breeding! We found files with detailed plans for it all and a few of the kids were named as breeders including Clarke. She immediately started a side plot with just the kids knowing and only a few of them. I was recruited to hunt out those hidden places and files that Murphy searched for and for this - hiding those due for floating. Right now, Clarke and 40 others are on the ground because they escaped using the last large escape pod. 28 of those people were prisoners that they broke out of prison to go with them. You are the first two still here that were supposed to be floated. You are here to let you live." Hunter sat back and watched their faces. Both of them were horrified to learn it all.
"So what now?"
"Kane still has to figure out who is on his side and who is still one of Jaha's people. We don't think we've found everyone yet and we don't want people to know because it could cause a civil war up here and that would be disasterous!"
"So we stay here to keep us alive and safe?" asked Chloe.
"Yes, will you help me with the others?" Both nodded. Good, find quarters for yourselves. I've marked the doors you cannot go through so please, don't try. Those doors lead to places you could be discovered."
"Got it," Angelo said. "We'll explore where we can go and assign beds as people come here."
"What about food and toilets and things?" asked Chloe.
"Kane checked out the facilities and they are connected to the main sewerage and water supplies. Don't use too much water because it's monitored. One shower a week only, I'm afraid. For food, Kane is trying to get you some, but while searching for those hidden places Jaha had, we found some food rations. Mostly freeze-dried or powdered, but there were a lot of them. We reported only half of them and kept the others for you and anyone put here. Please ration it carefully. It's going to be another three months at least before that dropship is ready to go down. Unless I find some more, it's all you'll have to eat."
"Got that," Angelo said, nodding.
"Sorry, it's not much, but it's all I could do without being caught."
"That's fine, Hunter. We'll make do and then we go to the ground!"
"Right, I need to leave, but I'll be back this evening," Hunter said, getting up.
"Thank you," Chloe said, hugging her. Hunter left them to it and went to her quarters to lie down.
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Kane talked to Clarke and Jake on the secret radio to get their advice on floating those they could prove were guilty of trying to set up some kind of tyranny against their own people. He wanted to know if they would be doing the right thing or if they should wait to see if there was any more evidence against them. Clarke's opinion was to float them with the evidence they have. Jaha didn't seem to need much in the way of evidence to float kids, so he should have a taste of his own medicine. Jake was a little more reticent. He too, didn't want to float people, but he also knew that Jaha and people like him would not stop. If Jaha could get free, he'd start everything up again. Both of them agreed that Kane should float those he knew were guilty, but leave those he didn't have proof against, in prison and see if any more evidence turned up. It was the only way of keeping them out of the Ark's population. Kane reluctantly agreed and he set up a series of trials for those he needed to float. Jaha and his fellow cabal members would get their trial and then be floated.
Two weeks later all of the cabal members were floated, Jaha included. Kane sighed once it was done. He never felt right these days with floating people. He knew he was a bit of a hypocrite because he was all for killing people off in job lots before he knew about Jaha's people and plans. Now, though, he remembered his last life and he knew the person he could become. If he started up on the Ark, he hoped to be worthy of being Indra's friend once more.
Three more kids were now in Granary station, alive and safe. They were told about the strict rules needed to save them and that they couldn't contact their families to tell them they were safe, and all of them protested, but their lives were forfeit if anyone found out.
Hunter was still searching out those places that could be used for hiding items and files. She'd found another four places and emptied them out of files and three quarters of the food. She reported the other food to Kane and he added that to the stash that would go down with them for use on the ground. She took the rest of the food to Granary station, thinking it was ironic that now it was used to hold people, there was now food being stored there as well.
There was one person who was now in prison that Kane wanted to be saved - Jasper Jordan. With Jasper being Monty's best friend, he wanted to save the boy this time. He still felt the deaths of those who decided to suicide rather than live on in a world they found too harsh. He would make sure that Jasper went down in the dropship and if they had to wait longer, then Jasper would be taken to Granary station. Kane was determined that Jasper was saved this time. He'd already reported it to Raven who had told Harper. Harper told him that Jasper must be kept away from Mount Weather, even if everyone else went in there.
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On the ground
Clarke, Sol, Raven and Jake poured over the maps Sol had brought down. Clarke and Octavia had been told of the underground bunker Sol was positive was there and what they'd done so far to try to open it. Sol and Jake would wait until it was almost the summer solstice and watch where the sun rose each morning for the month before it was due. If they could predict where it would rise on that day, they could at least move the mirrors into a rough alignment. They had no idea how long they had to get it right, so they wanted to at least be close to it. They'd also been looking for places to put the Arkers, all of them. They didn't count those in prison before the fall of Jaha's reign, so only the juveniles counted as delinquents. Those delinquents would have the chance to join the Trikru once they'd been assessed and if they wanted to. The others would be called Arkers and would be taken elsewhere to live. They'd looked at the Caribbean Islands and approved some of them - assuming the Commander and Heda Luna of the Floukru clan agreed.
Clarke suggested they wait until spring to figure out where they could be put and for people to go explore the islands. They agreed and turned their thoughts to the others still on the Ark.
There was still not enough clothing for them and they'd also need either tents or some sort of building. Clarke remembered some of her transportation history classes and remembered vehicles called 'RVs'. she couldn't remember what RV meant, but she did remember that people took them on the road with them as a mobile place to live. There were also things called 'static caravans or trailers'. She was sure some of the names were from Europe instead of America, but she knew what they meant. If they could find some of them, maybe they could be taken to wherever the Arkers would live. They also searched for places that could have been left intact after the war where they could find some of the trailers. It wouldn't be easy because it would be in clan lands and some of them didn't want the Skaikru anywhere near their lands. It would have to be an order from the Commander to get them if they could be found.
Raven and Clarke turned their attention to Mount Weather along with Octavia. They didn't tell the others about it, this was their fight, not those that didn't remember. Not the adults on the Ark and definately not her father. This was something they needed to do for themselves and for people like Harper, Monty and Jasper who suffered torture at their hands and for Fox, Jessica and the unnamed boy who died at the hands of the maunon.
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Sol was looking at the maps she had. Even though they'd agreed to postpone finding a place for the others until Spring, Sol couldn't shake the feeling they'd need it as soon as they could. Putting it off until spring would mean they'd be out on a boat, looking for those islands and going over them at roughly the same time as they were due to come down. As she was at Tondc, and the others were all at Orchard Park, she decided to ask either Indra or Anya if she could see one of their maps.
"Chief, Anya?" Sol called out to her as she approached Anya's tent.
"Sha?"
"May I talk to you for a moment, please?" A few seconds later Anya told her to enter.
"What is it?" Anya asked.
"I've been looking for a place to put the Arkers, Chief, but my maps are not your maps. I have no idea which clans own which lands and more importantly, I don't know where your boundaries are."
"Why do you need to know?"
"I'm looking for some place to put our people and if I can find a place on the mainland, it would be better for people visiting their families." Anya thought about it.
"Would they stay there?"
"It would depend on how big the piece of land is, or the island. The Arkers are greedy and arrogant in their perceived superiority. They may think they deserve more land and they should just take what they need. I'm trying to keep them safe and alive, but I don't know the lay of the land, Chief." Anya nodded and got one of their maps out.
"This map will only show Trikru and Broadleaf clans. Trikru holds the lands from here," she said, pointing to the border with Canada, "and along here." she pointed to a jagged line down through the lower states. "The rest of the land below that, is Broadleaf territory." Sol looked at the map. She traced the border between the two and came across a very small space on the map that didn't seem to have anything marked on it.
"What's this?" she asked. Anya looked at it.
"That is a disputed valley between Broadleaf and ourselves," Anya explained.
"Who owns it?"
"That's the dispute. In the beginning, before the clans were formed, there were a lot of little territories, held by many groups of people. Once the clans were formed, the first Commander of the twelve clans that formed from them all decreed that no-one was allowed to invade another's land. To do so, would be to allow others to invade them. That rule was vigorously enforced during his reign. That valley is disputed because each side thinks it belongs to the other."
"Wait, so no-one lives there and Broadleaf thinks it's your land and you think it's their land and because of this rule, both clans leave it alone?" Sol said, trying to come to grips with it.
"Yes."
"Can you tell me about it? If the Commander agrees and we can have an agreement with both Trikru and Broadleaf to use that valley, I think it MAY be somewhere we could put the Arkers," Sol said, thinking it through.
"We believe that there once was an undiscovered cave under it. Two years after the war, there was an earthquake in that area and that valley fell into a very large hole. The sides of the valley are sheer cliffs, climbing about 70 foot up to our ground level. That's on both sides of the valley. At the north east end of the valley is where the river runs. There is now a spectacular waterfall dropping into the valley and continuing on as a river running down the middle of the valley. The only way into the valley is at the southern end of it where our ground level slopes down towards the river and their ground level meets our ground level. The river is a dividing line between the two clans."
"So if we put them in there, they can only get out through the bottom of the valley? That could work," Sol said, more talking to herself than Anya.
"How? They can still leave the valley!"
"The Arkers are probably arrogant enought to build a barrier across the southern end - to keep the clans out. There's nothing to say you can't do the same - to keep them in!" Anya smirked.
"They would say we don't trust them and are keeping them in the valley so we can pick them off when we want," Anya said.
"They can't say a damn thing if they build their barrier first!" Sol said, vehemently.
"I've heard from Indra that they will say anything to justify their own behaviour," Anya said.
"True, but then again, so do some of your own clans. Raven said something about the Azgeda queen being a narcissistic psychopath."
"Not sure what that is," Anya admitted.
"Narcissists are consumed by themselves. As far as they are concerned, they are the ultimate person, the centre of the universe, the most supreme being and are only concerned with their own problems. A psychopath is something similar but has no real feelings for anything except their own pleasure and needs. Torture is something fun to do. Murder doesn't apply to them because they don't see others as people. They were put there for their own entertainment so if they want to kill them, that's their right."
"Sha, that sounds like Queen Nia of Azgeda!"
"So, the Arkers are not the only ones who think they are entitled to more than they have," Sol said. Anya nodded her admission that it was true.
"You will have to wait until the Commander returns to Tondc before you can ask her," Anya warned.
"I know, I just wanted to lay the groundwork with you. Right now, it's too cold to go look at it. I know we can't go into the valley yet, but in spring, I'd like to take a group to check the valley from the Trikru side. We'll take binoculars and just look at it, nothing more."
"If the Commander agrees, then I will give you permission to go look. The Commander will have to negotiate with the Broadleaf clan as well to keep their people out of the valley when your people are living in it."
"Do you think they'll agree?"
"I do not know."
"Well, let's hope they do." Anya nodded but said nothing. Broadleaf could be stubborn when they wanted to!