This chapter is bit of a respite before things start to get serious again.

This is a bit of a world building chapter so there is a lot of back stories that take place here so that the world is a little more filled out than what is talked about on the show.

Also those who have been looking at my Pinterest feed of my story ideas will catch a whole lot of some of the legwork I put I writing this chapter.

A big thanks goes out to darksage11 for responding to my request for having a character be created in his honor.

Your character will be showing up in Chapter 12.

Now Chapter 11:


11 - Lull


Ontari moved into the showers. Not so much to bathe, but for the quiet.

Taking a seat on one of the benches she watched a woman undress.

She was one of the locals that had come to find a family member. The woman's large lean frame and significant breasts stood out among even the Skaikru. The woman's build would have made her look like Clarke with her sizable frame, other than the fact this woman was a head taller and the body proportions were to match.

Seeing that the woman's facial Kru marks stated she was of Ice Nation made Ontari relax some as she slowly took note the other markings. Ontari felt that given time that she might ask Clarke to teach her how to heal her own facial scars so that she might balance them across her face evenly and remove the marks Nia had placed upon her. But watching the woman bathe Ontari felt that maybe she needed to place her own tale upon her on flesh. Reading this woman's might give her some insight of the story she wanted to have on her own body.

Crafts maker.

One of five sisters.

Prisoner of the Mountain.

She may have been thankful to Clarke for saving her life. If this woman had a child, the boy or girl would have been named Clarke or Skai or by the name that had been floating around whenever Clarke's name had been called out by some of her kru: Griffin.

Trikru... Markings. No... Bride to Trikru.

Given their location spoke that this woman had been a bride given to the Kru in the time of peace. The freshness of the marks stated she was a recently married. Maybe in the last few weeks given the healing. Given the number of settlements near the boarders of Azgeda and Trikru lands for fishing, this woman may have been handed over to ensure some trading rights to take place between some of the nearby villages in that area.

That would place her ceremony to just after Nia had been slain.

Given the number of individuals from Polis that had been brought she may have been from there or have been sent there to ensure that an alliance took place. It was the markings stated that she was also a Venus mother. A future barer of Nightbloods.

It was rare to see a Venus mother these days without some guard around them. But given the young woman's status, this would have been a coup to ensure that a Trikru Nightblood would someday take their place in Polis.

It was written in Bekka's journals that these women had supplied the additional eggs and wombs she used to create the first batch of Nightbloods that were sent out into the world.

The Venus Mothers were sort of seen as a blessing to those lands who had one.

They were left alone, to trade one even through slave barter was a death sentence.

Ontari's mother had been one.

Ontari did her best to remember the face, but only remembered the completed scar pattern on the face.

The half pattern that Ontari herself had before Nia desecrated it with her own blade.

Looking back at the Venus Mother Ontari kept following the woman's tale.

Her arrival in Polis must have meant that she wanted to make the Kru she had married into there: "strong."

The last one Ontari had seen that wasn't her own mother was when she was a child before Nia...

Ontari shook her head to fight back those dark memories.

No... Nia was dead and so were those dreams.

Take the path Bekka had given her.

A Venus mother meant that if the woman was willing then, maybe fulfilling Bekka's dream of growing the Nightbloods into the Kru of rebuilders could be done.

Usher Neo Renaissance into being.

Ontari could clone Lexa to make a child for Wanheda.

Bring life to the lands. Restore the world to what it had been before the Great Burn.

Honor Bekka's wish.

Ontari grinned as she relaxed some as the warm wet air filled her lungs.

This was a good sign of things to come given the events of the late night and early morning she had endured.

The soft sound of the water was why she was here.

It was soothing.

Ontari needed soothing and hope.

Seeing the Venus mother had brought hope, now for the soothing.

Crossing her legs on the bench she took a deep breath and relaxed her mind.

For a little while she found peace from the events of the previous night.

It had taken hours of Ontari looking at maps and directing the Nightbloods to mark out the locations in the real world. Landmarks as well as specific details such as were entrances were all noted and presented between Clarke's own mission.

The blood potion that Bekka was having Clarke cook up from a mixture of Skaikru and Nightblood bone marrow was very complex. Ontari only caught pieces of it and most of that was over her head. Other than politics, Ontari swore that she would pay more attention to Clarke's lessons on healing. When this treatment was combined with the woad and Liquid Salt potions it would provide enough protection for those in the bunkers to survive this returned Praimfaya.

The trickling of the water and listening to the woman bathe made Ontari's mind relax as she started to think of home.

No Nia... meant that Ontari could to some degree have the freedom she so wanted.

The role of Heda... that would be something that was earned.

The flame... Ontari would bare.

By Bekka's name she would bare it well. Not for personal reasons, but for those yet to be born.

Ontari... Second in Command to the Hundred.

She liked that.

Ontari would learn to be a leader.

Learn to be the right kind of leader.

Like Boudicca Queen of the Iceni. Feared by the descendants of the very foes whose once great empire had long turned to dust. Respected for the ages since by the decedents of her people. That was who Ontari wanted to be.

Ontari kon Azgeda... No...

Ontari kon Natblada-Kru. That was more fitting. She had to think of herself as being not of any one Nation, but a member of all them.

Ontari's body started to relax.

One battle down... Many to go.

But hope in this age was as precious as water was to a farmer in a drought.

If there was too much or too little, then all would be lost.


Monkey watched as his wife Trip tucked their daughter Kai back into bed from the night full of nightmares she had been experiencing. Trip had come to Polis looking for her father after he didn't send word that he had arrived there. Upon arriving at Polis Monkey and Trip had been horrified at what they had seen. The city had looked like it had been attacked. The amount of blood in the streets was nearly a river flowing through it. Kai over the last few nights had been having bad dreams of Alie the witch coming for her. The image of his little girl standing in a pool of blood that was almost up to her ankles would be one that he fought hard to forget, but couldn't because his little girl wouldn't until her dying day. She needed to feel safe, Trip needed to feel safe. Monkey was doing his best to keep them safe and if it was only for a few hours, he would count it as a win.

Seeing Ice Nation troops helping under order by command of their King was a change from the militancy of his late mother. There were riders heading out to the Glowing Forest, Broadleaf, Trikru and Floukru villages to get help. If you had come in, any skills or talents you had with carrying the wounded or healing was needed. Trip and himself and offered with no question was asked.

The digging of graves, setting funeral pyres, and moving the dead had been the hardest for those there.

The attacking troops seemed to have struck from within the city walls. It was only learned later that some force from long ago had arrived and used some power to sway the people inside to do this harm to themselves. Monkey didn't know a lot about the technology, but Trip did. But words like Mind control and Brain washing came off of lips of those there. Even Wanheda seemed wary from the battle as she had taken on the leader of this carnage herself, Alie the Red Witch. Wanheda had been spending what skills she had to tend to Heda Ontari who had been wounded by Alie during the final battle.

Monkey had been able to use his free climbing skills to head up the shaft of the great tower to help get the pulley system established so that Heda Ontari could be brought back down for treatment. The task had taken many hours, but once it was completed those who had been trapped on the upper floors were able to come down to help those below.

Trip's own earpiece and the headband that he wore on his head that was part communications system that Trip had crafted had been born out of survival. The two of them had met as prisoners and only when they had escaped together from the slavers that it started to become something more. Trip's own knowledge of lost technology had come in handy in helping them to freedom when combined with Monkey's own strength and skill.

Monkey had been a Nomad and Trip had been part of Rockline people. But somewhere along the way... Monkey looked at their little girl with her tuffs of red hair. They had fallen in love.

Monkey was a father. Trip was a mother.

He had Kru... Family.

Now walking about one of the rooms that was being temporarily used to house the families of the injured he saw Trip doing her best to hold it together.

Monkey moved over to take his wife in his arms and she started to finally let out her sadness.

"Father..." Monkey slowly rocked her back and forth. "... he..." Trip's rawness was still there and Monkey held her letting her know that she was still safe.

"It's alright... you didn't know that some ancient cult was going to place your father on a cross like they did."

"A cult lead by an ancient machine being... A mad God A.I." Trip's hands shook as her body jumped as she tried to process her knowledge of the old world with what had transpired.

"But Wanheda took the being on and defeated her... It... Whatever..." Most of Monkey knew was that windmills made power that made light or turned gears. Ghost, Spirit, Machine, whatever Alie had been was one and all of these things at the same time. A creature beyond his knowledge, yet as savage as mad ruler could be.

"She did... but the blood." Monkey leaned and took his hand to rub the back of her head. Moving to take free her hair tie to let her hair flow free, Trip looked better with her hair down and more relaxed when it was so.

"You are alive, he is alive, and we are alive." He moved to kiss her on the forehead and motioned to their now sleeping daughter.

"But what now?" Trip's doubt was tangible. Fear, not understanding the force that had come for her family.

"We work, we heal." Monkey spoke. Trip needed to be grounded in the world of now. Not in the realm of "What ifs" and "What coulds".

"The Commander..." Trip's feelings were now coming into play as her mind raced back to that day of blood soaked streets.

"Ontari, Lexa or Klark?" Sensing that it was part jealously of the powerful women who had done things she could not.

"You know the one..." Monkey understood. Not every day that you have to bring down the injured body of Heda Ontari after you climb your way up to mount the pulleys needed to descend her down for the healers to get to and become seen as a hero in the process.

That was several weeks ago. Trip's father had been taken to the Skaikru village for care when they had found him nailed to a cross.

The man had lost a lot of blood, but it was Trip who had been typed to being compatible that had been the hardest for her cope with. She had given much blood that she to the point of pale at times.

Trip needed to let go and rest. Let her body heal... So that she could care for her father in time.

Monkey moved and picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the room.

"Hold on." Monkey spoke as he placed his wife on his back and started to head out the door of the room moving to close and secure the door behind them.

"Monkey?" Trip spoke as he kept her on his back.

"Come on... I want to show you something." Monkey spoke as he walked down the hallway and started to head up a series of stairs inside of the large arch of Arkada.

It took a while to get to the location he wanted to get to but, once there he needed to head through a hatch.

Trip seemed to almost cling to him all that ore as he moved up the stairs with his large mass.

The brands and tattoos on his exposed flesh spoke of his history. The red oaker that he used around his eyes make him look dangerous as he sprinted by as a Blonde Skaikru woman took note and started to follow. There were locations in this place that even made him jumpy, but seeing the blonde woman with her warrior armor and braided hair followed him put his mind at ease as he knew that they wouldn't be on this journey alone.

When they reached the top of the arch structure Monkey moved and found the door lock to the large hatch at the top of the structure. Pulling a few levers Monkey got the door to open and walked through with Trip on his back. The Blonde woman saw why he had come to this place and stood nearby watching and listening. Maybe she too had come up here for the view. Leaning against the side of the doorway she stood watch so that he and Trip wouldn't be disturbed.

"Found this place a few days ago." Monkey let Trip slide off of her back. "Thought that it would remind you of home." Trip took a few hesitant steps forward and looked through the window. Monkey watched as trip looked out upon the valley. The tension in her body started to let go as she took in the view. Seeing the late night turn to morning made her happy.

"It is beautiful." trip spoke as she started to cry. Moving to comfort Her, Monkey started to understand some of her emotional state. She had felt powerless in light of the past events. Trip had wanted to take her pitchers worth of blood for what had happened to her father by this witch but couldn't. How can you take blood from someone who never had blood in their veins? But that point was moot. Now... It was a waiting game to see if and when Trip's father recovered.

The man was as stubborn and troublesome as Trip was, that stubbornness is what had gotten him hurt, but also had bought some time for a young girl to escape who had been part of the party traveling with him.

That same girl was now sleeping safe with her aunt Niylah at her trading post near the Skaikru village. The girl had lost her parents as well as her grandfather due to the mess that had played out because of Queen Nia and her vengeance on Skaikru. Now...as the sun rose over the horizon, there were signs that hope might return to these lands.

There was a storm coming, but like all storms it would pass in time.

They just needed to survive this one.

The Blonde woman leaned by the hatch and watched and grinned. Maybe she had come to this place too.

"I forgot how nice the sunrises are from here. Nothing like they are in space, but they are even prettier down here." The Skaikru woman spoke.

"They are, and each with a different story for the days to come." Trip spoke as she started to take note of her life and let this battle against things that could not be changed end. For the first time in days Monkey sensed that Trip was going to at least recover from this war with herself and realize that she wasn't alone in her fight.


Clarke walked back through the Ark. There were looks of worry on people's faces as she slowly returned to her quarters on the Ark given that she was still wearing her nightgown given the night-long war conference with Bekka and the previous Commanders. Clarke had been staying in her mother's old room since her mom and Kane had moved in together. In light of recent events, Clarke was glad that her mother was finding some happiness in her later years. Clarke sighed as she stopped and stretched out some moving some of the nightgown she still had on off of her left shoulder. Clarke still bore the panther scar, but with some prodding by Lexa during her time in Polis, Clarke had gotten a tattoo. Well a tattoo to transform the scar into an Arwen.

Lexa had been curious to why Clarke had asked for three dots to be placed at the top of the scar marks.

Clarke had to explain why.

The Arwen was a symbol made up of three rays with each ray signifying a balance between two opposing or complimentary powers in the universe. Like the yin and yang of Celtic symbolism.

This had gotten Lexa's attention of why Clarke could be both a feared warrior and an accomplished healer at the same time.

Clarke had to balance her skill of causing death by using skill to save life.

Maybe it was why Clarke strived so hard to achieve peace.

Then Clarke had explained the ancient meaning of the Skaikru symbol: The Triquetra, otherwise known as the Celtic knot. It was the three phases of the moon: New, Middle, and Full. Life, Death, and Rebirth. If one placed a circle within it or around it, it meant family... Kru.

That was when Lexa had asked Clarke to start a book of symbols so that when Skaikru went "Grounder" they could at least choose the symbols to place on their skin. Symbols that Skaikru could agree on and have present so that they wouldn't seem too much "Outsider" when dealing with the varying Kru from across the regions they needed to travel.

After the entire branding mess with Kane... Clarke realized that ink would be the better choice for her people to take up as they slowly started to adopt Grounder ways.

Arms, legs, back. Those were good starting places for her people to start placing their markings on.

Cara, one of her fellow delinquents during her last trip to Polis had gotten some ink done and not really gotten any flack for it.

Cara hadn't really wanted kill marks like Octavia had gotten, these marks were to remember who she was. She had gotten the number 100 tattooed on her right hand to be a reminder of the original hundred delinquents she had come down with all those months ago. The second tattoo that Cara had gotten was her prisoner number that she had placed along the flank of the right side of her body by her breast.

The tattoo artist stopped cold when he had done that one thinking that it was the number she had while a prisoner within the Mountain. In actuality it was her prisoner number from her time in the Skybox. When word had gotten around about the ink, Pike had thought she had gone "grounder", but when she explained what they were... well people had left her alone considering what they meant to her. It was her way of saying she was an Arker.

The only reason that Cara had gotten it done in Polis was the fact that Arkada didn't have a true "tattoo artist." Well it did in Lincoln, but given the location of one of them; she didn't want anyone she knew getting near there unless she wanted them too. That number was her's and she didn't want anyone short of a lover to know about it or why it was there. Clarke had asked the artist who had done the work and gotten the number and it made sense. It was the number of days Cara had left before she was going to get floated when she was sentenced to become a member of the 100. Clarke understood that every day since that number passed would be one Cara would be grateful to have.

Warriors of the various Kru had started to call her Death Witch just given one of the symbols she had placed on her body being connected to a symbol of mysticism. Some thought it was the number of her kills. In actuality it was the number of days she had left prior to her Eighteenth birthday when she had been sent down with the rest of the Delinquents. 111. First three kills and you are seen as being blessed by the Gods as being a mighty warrior. One-hundred and eleven of them... and Cara's devote tree worshipping, call her Diana and send forth a stag to stand beside her in battle that would get some folks attention. The image made Clarke laugh inside. Maybe Ontari was right in a way, Skaikru needed to die... or at least some of their ways needed to die for their people to live in this land in peace.

But the slow process of coming to terms with events such as that meant that Cara would soon be getting another set of numbers placed on her skin.

The date of when she joined the Cult of Alie and the date of her liberation from it.

That feeling was starting to flow through the rest of the Hundred. New and Old.

Clarke drifted back to one of the first few conversations she had with Ontari when the girl was in her prissy, pissed mood when people didn't take her seriously and thought she was still weak.

"I have come to kill you." Ontari spoke holding her knife at Clarke's throat.

"Really? Then we have a problem." Clarke responded.

"Why?" Ontari placed her anger towards the world waiting to see the fear in Clarke's eyes.

"Because, I didn't come to die. Please hold your knife at me if it helps you relax." Ontari was doing her best to fight against Lexa's "Don't harm Clarke" command. "You can't kill me. Even if you could, you can't bring yourself to do it. You'll hesitate. Again."

Ontari pressed the blade against Clarke's neck.

"I am not WEAK!" Ontari vented.

"I didn't say you were weak. I said you hesitated, that is far different than weakness."

Ontari felt hurt.

"I..."

"You need experience and not the type Nia fed you. You need training to become something more."

"I need nothing."

"You need support, you need allies. You need to look into the eyes of those who you send off into battle and say 'will you die for me' and have them respond back to you and say 'Yes!' by their own free will."

This hit home.

Clarke had the power to do without a chip that Ontari had pulled off with Alie's help.

"How do you do it?" Ontari spoke as she pressed the knife into Clarke's throat.

"I earned it... Through trust and friendship... and respect... Things you are deeply missing." Ontari felt hurt by this but realized that with a single word Clarke, the Commander of Death herself would schedule a meeting with Death itself for Ontari. It would be one Ontari would never return from.

"Then strike me down, Wanheda." This is when Clarke had reached up and taken the girl's hand away from her throat.

"That was not part of my deal with Roan."

"Roan?"" Ontari was now learning.

"Yes Roan, I swore to Roan that you would become Heda... I am going to make sure that you are the type of Heda that I would follow into battle and willing say 'Yes, I will die for you!', because I am tired of surviving like the other people of this world. I want to LIVE!" Ontari now got the point. She wasn't just getting her wish... she was going to learn what all that wish mean.

Ontari had seemed more... introspective after that when she learned that she and Clarke had the same desire to have something more in this world than being just the young woman just trying to survive.

Over the last few weeks Ontari seemed to have grown a lot...

Mostly between learning to trust in others as well as learning to love again.

Clarke had been much the same way when she had been placed into that decent pod and sent down with the rest of the other Delinquents.

Seeing the young Ice Nation girl mature into a young woman without the continuing influence of Nia's control over her.

But it was Jasper's influence that had transformed the girl since that incident with Senua the Reaper.

Ontari seemed to be more concerned with the realization of how close to death she actually came.

Maybe it was this introspection that made her less willing to go for the sword.

Some of the Ambassadors who had come to Arkada thought she was going to follow Lexa's new code of: Blood must not have blood. But it was something else.

It was more... Study first... Slay later. Only then know which head to cut off if it was deserved.

Though she did like sparing in verbal assaults to figure out one's positions on subjects, at first it was with the other Arkers, then it slowly moved with the Ambassadors.

Ontari was sharp... But she had rough edges on her.

But it was the small things that Clarke had learned about the girl... She was an intellectual, craved knowledge like a dehydrated person seeking water. Curious about everything around her and... Well if she liked you... she liked you.

If you held information back from her, she thought you were lying or worse... were a threat to her.

The bath house incident spoke as much until Sunny dropped her towel and realized that all Ontari was interested in was her IVF implant removal site. Being eight weeks pregnant also helped. The girl wasn't lying, she was trying to protect her unborn child.

Ontari kicked herself after that.

Ontari hadn't wanted to scare the mother the way she did.

Many of the Grounders took scars for those they killed, Ontari started to realize that Skaikru took scars of those who were born.

The scar of motherhood Ontari had called it. Seeing how ritualized it was.

There were other symbols that she was trying to figure out. But Ontari's own heart scar she saw as being something important.

Being touched by death and living to tale the story.

Ontari had spoken that Skaikru were developing their own marking tales.

For Ontari... maybe it was the reason she was calming down so much. Clarke had seen the former servant girl start taking notes in what she had seen. It was striking seeing how other Grounders such as the Ice Nation viewed them. Jasper's spear wound, the IVF scars in the women, Kane's Brand, the tattoos on some of the delinquents.

She was seeing the death of one way of life and the birth of another. Ontari was doing her best to chronicle it for the generations to come. Maybe it was her way of making sense of the reality of the world around her.

For the girl who wanted to see the Death of Skaikru... she was seeing the death of the old Arker ways and the Birth of Skaikru ways.

She was getting the context of getting the names right for who you wanted to slay.

Cara, Sennia and Eden along with Liam had started to slowly opting to take up marking themselves in their own ways as Octavia had started to do. For Ontari, she was... well a fellow Delinquent... One of them...

Maybe it was the reason Ontari and Jasper got along so well together. They had survived death and had the scars that said so.

There were stories floating around that the Skaiboy Trickster and the Ice Wolf had become lovers. Well that was confirmed and Jasper's Trigedasleng was improving. If Ontari started to smell like burnt herbs... That would be a problem. But the fact Ontari had been spending so much time with him had brought the other peace. That was reflected in some of the art that was springing up with Ontari's face appearing in some of the images alongside Lincoln's.

Clarke felt the cold floor on her bare feet and looked at the art on the walls as she past taking in some of the visual history that had started to become the story of Skaikru. Clarke recognized a few faces as she passed by.

Some of the art done by children, others done by seasoned artists. Even herself. But the story was being told, much like Bekka's had been inside the walls of the Temple of the Commanders. Clarke had started to take note of some of the faces she was seeing drawn on the walls.

Some of the hundred seemed to be the ones that stood out the most including herself, Bellamy, Octavia, Raven, Jasper, Monty, Harper and Lincoln. Individuals such as Cara, Sennia, Eden, and Liam were leaving their mark as well as they were going Grounder.

Sennia. Now that was a girl was making her own statement.

Sennia had picked up wearing a pair of white strips that went from the sides of her forehead to the upper biceps on her arms. Though not looking 'Grounder' based, it spoke warrior. Black meant Ground, White meant clouds, Sky.

The inversion of the colors spoke of her stance on the world. She had been born of the Sky, she just lived here, now she needed to let people know that Sennia of the Skaikru was to be respected as a person and not some trophy to be presented to one's clan.

Sennia was working hard to join the Gunner's detail after the recent number of losses Skaikru had endured at the hands of Alie. Maybe it was her way of being close to her late father who had been slain in that last battle. Sennia seemed to be a good fit since her maturity of fighting her way out of Mount Weather.

Clarke moved on to think of the others who had also had started to go Grounder as well.

Eden, the huntress.

Eden, had taken up with a set of triangles on her face. Mostly to break up the accents of her face while hunting, but it was mostly to make her look more like an animal than a person. Eden had been a caged animal most of her life... now the animal inside of her was free and for the first time in her short life at peace. Not bad for someone who was convicted of murder back on the stations. She could now let her skills aid the colony in providing food for those who lived there.

Eden's dark passenger seemed to have found some peace as it had a chance to be useful to those there and it had lost its taste for human flesh.

Then there was Liam.

Liam... Well his tattoo had been his way to honor his friend Lincoln and to call him brother. Since Lincoln's death, he kept it as a remembrance of his Trikru/Skaikru brother. Liam was in the process of becoming a healer. Since the events back in Polis, he had been one of the healers treating the wounded. Nyko was now thinking about taking the young boy under his wing as an apprentice. Something that Clarke saw as a mending of relations between the Skaikru and the rest of the Kongeda.

Clarke rolled her neck feeling the popping take place to relax her joints. That was when Clarke saw a drawing on the wall. The mixture of children from the Thirteen Kru made her happy, but the line if Latin above it spoke volumes.

Homo Sapien noctem sanguinem.

The people of the Night Blood.

Now this had her attention.

Looking closer at the images on the screen Clarke started to take in the details of what was taking place in the picture.

Most of the art style looked similar to her's. But the inexperience of the hand told that someone had recently learned to draw like this.

The picture of Ontari and Jasper holding hands wasn't scandalous but fitting. In a way as it stood next to the images spoke to something that Ontari was maturing. A girl who had been raised in violence had been finding her way to become a leader to her people. Opening up in the arms of a boy she had met seemed to have taken much of the misshapen edge off of her. Now the blade was being properly sharpened into a tool that would benefit all.

The world was changing as were the Grounders and the Arkers.

Clarke had gotten a crash course in Grounder culture as she started to understand the four laws of Grounder society and the Arkers who were becoming Skaikru were staring to take to heart.

- Be Brave and Aggressive - This meant: Be direct, grab all Opportunities, use varying methods of attack, be versatile and agile, attack one target at a time, don't plan everything in detail, use top quality weapons.

- Be prepared - keep weapons and tools in good conditions, keep in shape, find good battle comrades, agree on important points, and choose one chief.

- Be a good merchant - find out what the market needs, don't promise what you can't keep, do not demand over payment, arrange things so that you can return. (That was a work in progress and mostly it is what brought about Pike's downfall, he had forgotten that it was easier to trade than it was to attack when it came to your foe. Clarke and Kane would be mending fences for years for all of the crap that Pike had pulled in his short time as leader).

- Keep the camp in order- keep things tidy and organized, arrange enjoyable activities which strengthen the group, make sure everyone does useful work, and consult all members of the group for advice. (This was where Clarke was working hard with Ontari to broaden those skills with that last part, but it was hard... a good hard. Though Cooking... Ontari seemed to almost like that when she got the chance. Maybe Clarke could turn that to her advantage and have her do a "Cook Out" to broaden her communication skills with different Kru members.)

In a way, Ontari was right... just that she needed to have the right names for whom she wanted dead and for the reasons why. The rest of the process was up to the individual to figure out how to live with and tolerate other peoples. Skaikru was learning that the hard way like Ontari in blood, sweat and tears.

Now looking back at this mural Clarke started to understand why it had been left alone.

This image spoke to the changing world as did the children that were pictured in it.

Maybe it represented the change that was coming about that people had started to realize was important to them.

A new age was being formed.

That they were all becoming one people who had to come together to survive and thrive into something better.

Bekka and Lexa's dream.

"Wanheda?" A voice called out to her as she turned away from studying the artwork. Clarke saw a Blonde Trikru woman in brown loose leggings, a blue sleeveless linen tunic, thick fur shoulder pads, an extra-large belt that was less fastened in place than it was tied around her waist and thick armored arm guards.

"Yes..." Clarke responded back in Trigedasleng. This action caught the warrior woman off guard but taking it as a good sign proceeded.

"I Valkari of Trikru... Former Servant of Leska of the Trikru wish to..." the woman knelt before Clarke. Clarke moved to kneel before the girl in turn stop the Wanheda worship and to find out why this woman had come to her.

"Valkari... I know of you... I saw you many times moving between the library and the council chambers." Clarke grinned. "How you kept the records of information in order for Lexa to make decisions on the varying affairs within the Coalition. Why are you here?"

"I wish to serve the warriors of the Hundred." This was new. "My blades, my skills... my blood..." Clarke rose her hand.

"Valkari... slow down." Clarke was racing to catch up with a conversation that she might not have been part of that this girl had probably rehearsed so many times that she had thought she had with Clarke for the umpteenth time.

"Am I not worthy?" Valkari looked worried.

"No... It's not that..." Clarke wanted some answers. "Start from the beginning and explain why you want to join the Hundred?" Clarke's change in language wasn't so much a code shift thing as it was her way to at least get a context in her own language.

"I just explained..." Valkari started to look worried.

"Is it because of the threat that is rising because of Alie defeat?" Clarke wanted to pull some facts to figure out what was going on.

Valkari swallowed.

"Did you do something under the influence of Alie that...?" Valkari was shaking. "You want redemption for your actions... For those whom you harmed." Valkari nodded. Clarke understood. "You have to work with people whom that you once thought were your enemy. They have as much to lose as you do."

"I have to work with the Ice Nation?"

"You have to work with all Kru."

This made Valkari think hard about her next few words.

"Ice Nation killed..."

"Family..." Clarke spoke. "Did you harm Ice Nation?"

"Yes..."

"Blood has been had." Clarke said putting things into context but sensed that there was something more to Valkari's story. The Ice Nation seemed to be the center of it.

"But you said that... Blood should not have..." Valkari looked worried.

"Needless blood should not have been had." Clarke clarified. "That was the objective." Those words hit hard. "There is a time to spill blood, and a time not to. Lexa like I was tired of the needless blood being split over small things that could have been settled or rectified just by simply talking out the issue that had caused the problem. Others... well... you have to spill blood, spill it for things that it must be split for so that a greater threat can be dealt with for the sake of all."

"That is what Lexa was trying to do? Trying to ensure that blood was split for the right reason and not to settle some minor act of vengeance."

"Mostly..." Clarke was starting to understand her actions more and more. "Also... My people have been forced to change their ways so much. There are bound to be a few missteps along the way. Though a few...should have been hacked off at the source to have prevented further bloodshed." Clarke realized that Valkari was understanding where she was going as she finished her sentence.

"Pike!"

"Pike." Clarke answered with heaviness to her voice.

"Was it true that he trained you?"

"He did... he wasn't evil... just after so much loss and being attacked so long he was more driven by fear of losing everything he cared about. Alie used that fear to move to claim Skaikru for her needs."

"I slit the neck of an Ice Nation child before his mother." Valkari shook remembering her actions. Now... The truth was coming out.

"The child was innocent?" Valkari nodded. No wonder the young woman wanted to be part of the Hundred. Clarke now started to understand why.

"It was not honorable... I..." Sheer guilt was now kicking in. "Needless blood was spilt. Blood must have blood; the child's spirit cannot rest until I stand beside them in the next world to be punished."

"Murdered and Murderer to be sent to the next world side by side." The fear spoke volumes in the young woman's eyes sensing that she was subject to the laws of Trikru and for the crime she had committed. "I understand. But you were not in control? Blood must have Blood... and Murderer and Murdered... I see your dilemma." This girl was enduring the same horrors Clarke had endured when she had to throw that switch to slay the people of Mount Weather.

"I..." Valkari was starting to cry. "I took the chip of the Red Witch Alie!" This girl was as much a victim as the child she had murdered. If more like her were coming, then they would be precarious state if the code of Blood must have Blood was carried to its most vengeful conclusion. In Lexa's name Clarke had to nip this in the preferable bud.

"Welcome to the Hundred." Clarke spoke, this woman needed a path of redemption to save her soul. "You now have to use your skills that got you in trouble to help save those next to you, no matter what station or Kru they are from. You cannot undo the past, but you can balance the scales of your soul to learn to live with the action taken. It will haunt you to your last days and maybe the spirits of the dead will grant you some peace."

"I will..." Valkari spoke sensing that whatever had gotten her into trouble might be a chance at redemption. "I will... Wanheda..."

"Clarke... my name is Clarke." Clarke grinned.

"Klark... yes Heda Klark."

"Just call me Clarke."

"Klark. Understood." Valkari nodded and realized that there was much she needed to learn on how the Hundred functioned.

Seeing Bellamy, Clarke saw that maybe Valkari needed someone to mentor her through what she was now living with.

"Bellamy... I have someone here that you may want to talk to." Clarke called out. Bellamy wariness spoke that he was in the apologizing mood. Valkari moved and started to speak... in the next few minutes Bellamy realized that this girl wasn't hostile to him, but had the same wounds of the spirit he had. The path towards redemption would be a long one, but the not knowing you are alone was one of the few things in this world that would help save one's soul.

Alie hadn't really understood that, but the fallout she had brought had forced a much-needed change that was needed to be brought about.

If the people of these lands survived, then maybe a better world would be forged from its ashes.


Octavia felt Indra run her fingers over her hand.

It was so strange to see this side of Indra.

For a girl who hid in the floors and walls of the station to find the freedom of the ground, she had gained so much.

Lincoln... He had shown her what love was.

To have him taken from her by Pike still hurt.

That was when the tapping resumed. Indra handed her some nuts to munch on so that Octavia could have some nutrients to counteract the loss from the ink being embedded into her skin.

Octavia breathed through the pain as the cold air crossed over her naked chest.

"You in pain Oktavia?" Indra spoke as Octavia shook her head stating no.

"Just cold." Octavia bit her lip as she felt the smell of blood and ink mix on her flesh. This pain felt real... Grounded...

With the rub of numbing pain oil, Octavia finally started to cry some.

Octavia moved her head to look down at her chest. The double hatchet pattern of Lincoln's tattoo had been duplicated upon her chest. It was a little lower and a bit smaller, but it connected her love with her again... over her heart.

"From this world to the next my love." Octavia spoke softly as she dipped her fingers into some of the oil and caressed the fresh ink on her chest.

Octavia slowly let the pain drag her off to sleep as in the first time she was able to rest.


Octavia walked through the hallways of the Ark.

There were children playing.

Music.

She stopped at the window to see that she was in space.

Octavia saw that she was wearing war paint. It was different than the style than her traditional one. It looked like a cross between Lexa's… but it also included Lincoln's markings - his double axes.

This is when a young Skaikru girl came up to her wearing an Ascension Day mask.

"Are you from the ground?" The young girl spoke. Octavia took a look at the young girl seeing the fear and almost raw curiosity within her eyes. Had she ever been that young and innocent in her life? Maybe she had.

"No." Octavia spoke looking at the young girl whose long brown hair reminded her of her own. "Though I do live down there with my friends and those whom I call my family. They are my Kru."

"Your parents must be proud!" The young girl spoke moving slowly to reach out touch Octavia.

"I don't have any parents... They are dead... Though Indra... a woman from the Ground she thinks of me as her daughter." Octavia spoke.

"What is it like... the ground?" Octavia turned to the girl. The girl's soft blue gray dress and natural movement spoke to none of the hardness that would soon come to Skaikru.

"Hard... But good people live there." Octavia tapped the girl over the heart. "You have to be brave and aggressive, be prepared, be a good merchant and keep camp in order. Once you do those things, they will respect you." The girl looked a bit confused at the vague terms Octavia used but she was interrupted before she could continue.

"Octavia my love." a familiar voice called out. Octavia turned to see who it was and her heart jumped.

"Lincoln..." Octavia called as she rushed towards him. The comforting embrace of his strong arms when they met took away the pain of Octavia's heart. If this was a dream, then let her not wake up. "... How are you here?"

"This is the realm between your world and the next my love." Lincoln spoke. Octavia started to realize that there was another man standing by them.

"Jake Griffin." The man spoke as he looked at her. "You must be Octavia... a friend of my daughter's."

Octavia's brain was racing as she started to process the information before her.

Daughter... Griffin...

"You are Clarke's father..." Octavia's brain caught up with her body. "Then why are you speaking to me?"

"Octavia, you must help us save those in need. You may have been an outcast, but you need to use that to help bridge the worlds of the peoples of this world." Octavia noticed how the Griffin patriarch was looking at her. If this was a vision quest, then it was going places that she started to worry about. This is when a woman reached out to her.

"Octavia, listen to this man." Octavia turned to see her Mother Aurora standing before her.

"Mom..." The woman who bore her into this world was standing before her.

"Octavia...you are a good person. I know that you are in pain, that you blame your brother for my death... Don't..." Octavia felt her heart in her throat. "It was neither of your faults... It was mine..." That was when Aurora Blake reached out to touch her daughter's face. "But I am glad that you are alive... Repeat the lesson that I taught you growing up."

"I am not afraid." Octavia said the words she cried.

"Good... say it again. Slay another one of your demons."

"I am not afraid." Aurora started to cry.

"Again..."

"I am not afraid!"

"Again!"

Octavia stood watching her mother prompt her on, but it made sense as the frightened little girl she had been came face to face with the warrior she now was. She would not let her fear or pain dictate her path in life anymore.

"Octavia, we need you to help save the members of our families, it is not their time yet to join us." Jake Griffin spoke to Octavia.

"Octavia my love, we need you to head to Mount Weather. Head to the Reaper caves. Look for the Lab. Find the cold room. You will find something that Clarke needs to help save those yet to be born." Lincoln spoke placing his hands-on Octavia's shoulders.

"I can't..."

"It is in the lab where the Mountkru took samples of my seed for study."

"Seed?" Octavia spoke.

"For children." Lincoln spoke grinning. Octavia realized what he was saying. "You always would make a great other." Octavia embraced Lincoln feeling her body heave as she realized that a part of him would soon be with her again. Lincoln nudged her to look at the girl she had been speaking too earlier. "She is the flower of the seed yet to be planted." Octavia saw her features and Lincoln's in the girl's mask covered form.

"Save my granddaughter, Octavia, before the cold dies." Octavia realized what this meant as her mother spoke. Octavia was looking at her daughter... her and Lincoln's daughter.

"I will find it and bring what Clarke needs." Octavia spoke as she felt Lincoln's lips on her forehead. This was a mission to save the last part of himself that had had to give to her. To save their unborn child.

"May we meet in the next world my love." Octavia let the smell of his warm flesh sink into her.


Octavia awoke with Lincoln's Skaikru jacket covering her and grinned. If it was a vision or a hallucination, it didn't matter. She had a mission. Clarke needed something from the Mountain, she would get it.

For the sake of her unborn child... she would get it.


Clark walked into her quarters and peeled off her nightgown before moving over to a dresser drawer pull out some clothes. But Valkari was right, Alie had done much wrong to everyone. Though Alie had tried to do it for the right reasons. The faulty computer program wanted to save the world, but the cost had been too high in her own warped way.

Now with the new data on the other shelters that Beka and the others had dug up they might be able to save enough people to make it. Between the trips to the other backup government facility bunkers like Mount Weather back I have been able to narrow down the locations too. They had also discovered another decommissioned government facility that had been set up for the congressional government that had ruled over this part of North America in the time of war. Between those three other facilities another fourth one had been found by Jaha and he was researching the details of it to see if they could use it.

So far from Jaha's research it had been set up by some doomsday cult. Given its size, they were looking at the least getting a significant number of the people from the city Polis along with the surrounding smaller communities within the various 13 nations to safety.

Arkada could hold 100 people for the duration. Agro Station could hold another 300 hundred, most of that would-be Ice Nation along with Floukru and Skaikru to keep it working. Greenbrier a decommissioned bunker for the American senate could at least hold a 1000; Deerspeak, another 800; Blackwoods… She needed work, 900... At worse 500. Four Horseman… estimated about 1000 to 2000… if it was workable.

Clarke moved to scratch under one of her breasts and sighed.

Moving to drop her undergarments Clarke moved to the sink in her room and filled it with water and dropped a cloth into it so that she could wash down some. The previous night's events were enough to be difficult.

Wringing out the cloth enough to leave it significantly wet so that she could at least feel clean, Clarke could still see the faces of the people trapped there in the City of Light. But to some degree Bekka had soothed them and guided them to a point where they could make a difference. The dive into Alie's archives of all of the information she had gathered over the nearly century she had been active had been substantial. Alie was so... short sighted. She had thought there was one answer for everything... This was not a single answer problem to solve! It was a series of problems to be solved!

Clarke moved to stand in a small basin that she had picked up in Polis that she used for occasional quick bathing during her time with Lexa. The few times that Clarke had used it in Polis was to quickly clean herself up after she and Lexa had early morning wake up sex during those few brief weeks they had spent together. Mostly Clarke had done it to throw some suspicion away from Lexa that their relationship was nothing more than two warriors respecting each other.

In truth, Lexa and Clarke's relationship had been far much more. It was like, they had found the missing pieces for themselves in each other. Last night seeing Lexa again, Clarke just hurt.

Clarke just wanted to say the following words: "I miss you." But other priorities had taken prominence over the saying of those simple words to her beloved counterpart.

Clarke started to scrub at her body as she worked her frustrations out. The coarseness of the washcloth forced her to relax as she kept picturing Lexa talking with Ontari. It was seeing Lexa being so far away from her. Clarke's heart screamed in fear and pain. Ontari had spoken to Lexa afterwards that she had a blessing to perform a project on her behalf. Clarke was confused, but Jasper seemed to have understood what the young Commander in training was been made privy to.

Given how tired everyone was Jasper seemed to have shelved the issue until they were rested. Whatever Ontari had spoken to Lexa about seemed to have made Clarke's late lover happy. Clarke had felt that this was something that had taken her out of the loop and it hurt.

Clarke scrubbed harder venting her frustrations on the sweat and dirt on her skin as she scrubbed her back. Clarke's skin and soul screamed before she did as she threw her wash rag into the sink making the small basin full of water splash up across the mirror and wall. Clarke could barely react as the door of her room swung open as a figure raced in ready to do battle with any attacker that might be attacking Clarke. Clarke jumped backwards to see figure standing before her as she quickly raced to cover herself.

"Clarke are you hurt?" Clarke's brain was racing to catch up as he realized it was Niylah. Who was standing in her room... Looking at her being nearly naked. While she had been bathing… and was now soaking wet in front of her: "Friend with Benefits."

"No..." Clarke raced to grab the shirt off of the bed and cover herself with it. "Niylah..." Clarke was doing her best to compose herself as her Trikru friend and friend with benefits looked around her room and blushed a little seeing the Mighty Wanheda being frustrated at not being able to wash at a hard to reach spot on her back. Niylah broke the tension before she started to laugh.

"Clarke... you are you." Clarke felt the levity of the situation as she started to laugh too. It felt good as Clarke looked down at the small tub she was standing in realizing how much of an idiot she must of have looked like before Niylah had burst in. "Must have been some annoying piece of dirt for you to be doing battle with that you became flustered." Clarke sensed that she needed to talk with someone.

"No Niylah, but it wasn't the dirt I was having the problem with." Clarke felt that she needed to talk with her friend. "Close the door." Clarke finished as she watched Niylah close the door to her room.

"Clarke..." Clarke moved to sit on the bed and motioned for Niylah to set next to her. "What is wrong?" Niylah spoke as she sensed that it was personal emotional pain.

"Niylah." Clarke felt Niylah's Hands reach out to her. Clarke tried to fight back her pain, but was failing as the warmth of her friend's touch brought forth a flood of emotions. Niylah moved and kissed her. "Niylah." Clarke responded back breathlessly as the Grounder woman leaned back and grinned realizing that her Friend "with benefits" passion seemed to have taken the edge off of her. Niylah was as uncomplicated as Clarke could get in this world with a true confidant. Someone who would be a shoulder to cry on or a crotch to grind with, Niylah was an island of sanity in an insane world.

"What troubles you so?" Niylah's soft gentle grin towards Clarke made the weeks fall away. Clarke spoke. Pain, hope, sorrow, loss... by the Sacred Tree Clarke had experienced loss. Niylah just listened as Clarke covered the months after the fall of Mount Weather to the last few hours.

Niylah didn't judge her, she just listened.

It had been ages since she had been able to open up like this... To let go of so much of her emotional and spiritual burden that had weighed on her for so long. Niylah just was there being the calm to the storm Clarke was going through.

"So much pain and loss for a world that you felt comfortable in. Lexa... the young Nightbloods... You longed to be Clarke, not of Skaikru, not Wanheda, Not Skai Princess... just Clarke." Niylah showed compassion in eyes that understood the weight of what Clarke was going through. "You found a home with a people who wouldn't judge you of your past or your actions. You just were seen as a warrior and friend who did what was right for your people and for the love of those you deeply cared about. You had it given to you, torn from you and now you seek to rebuild that you cherish most: Kru. All Kru."

"Niylah..." Clarke was stopped as Niylah moved and took the semi soaked shirt Clarke had been covering herself with and laid her back into the bed.

"You have always been Clarke... Even to me. Even when you had your red hair. You are moving through the phases of your people's symbol of the Arwen, and you are becoming stronger for it. Let me give this to you as my gift." Niylah moved over Clarke and removed her shirt and the rest of her clothing before she proceeded to sooth Clarke's pain for a little while as she slowly made love to the Princess of the Sky.

Even Saviors needed to be saved from time to time from their own demons.

Niylah did that as Clarke realized that she didn't want to be alone and for that moment she wasn't.


Let me know what you all think of this chapter so far.

Next Chapter: Luna's return

Leave a review below.

Hearns


Terms:

Kongeda – Coalition

Praimfaya – The Nuclear Apocalypse