This Black Blood is Without End

Chapter 16 – Auribus Teneo Lupum

Author's Note:

Hey everybody, sorry to go dark on you for so long there, I know it's been a longer wait than usual for this next chapter. Had some craziness happen last week, and once the dust settled it just took me a while to get back in the proper frame of mind for writing. Hope you enjoy the chapter now that it's finally here! Thanks for reading this slow burn monstrosity! :)

-FlyUpInSky

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The forms of the four Azgedakru slipped through the dark, leafy green of the forest like pale ghosts, their eyes alert and constantly searching the terrain around them. These were not their lands. Every moment here felt a trespass; every step they took bringing them deeper into the shadow of the Mountain and all its whispered of terrors. As the sun rose higher overhead and announced the arrival of midday, they reached a small, twisting stream of icy cold water, and the figures stopped briefly to refill their water skins and wash the sweat from their faces.

Clarke combed her damp fingers through her hair, feeling the slow, aching exhaustion stealing over her body and glad for the opportunity to rest – even if it was only for a few brief moments. She was missing her horse, but in all she was doing far better at keeping up with the three warriors than she would have thought. The past week of sunshine, exercise and good food had worked wonders for her bedraggled body, but she was still far weaker and tired more quickly than she would have wished. If this search went on too long, she worried that her body wouldn't be able to keep up. Her mind might be sharp, determined and willing, but muscles starved and atrophied from six months of imprisonment might not be up to the task regardless.

"This is taking too long," Bellamy grumbled, unknowingly echoing her own internal thoughts, his gaze impatiently searching the forest around them. "Perhaps we should have taken the horses."

"It is difficult to track from horseback, ai Hainofa," Martek reminded him, sharing a quick glance with his twin sister that could have been annoyance.

Bellamy scowled at this, but otherwise didn't reply. They had already discussed the issue of taking horses before they left the camp. Despite the potential for added speed, both twins had argued strongly against it and urged them to go on foot, and both Clarke and Bellamy had had to agree that their logic was sound. Octavia was also on foot and her trail would likely go where horses could not easily follow. Also, horses were both large and painfully loud in the forest, and would make avoiding being spotted by Trikru scouts just that much harder. Instead, they had left the horses behind and set out on foot from camp, and after a brief search, Riva had quickly found Octavia's trail. From that moment on, they had been setting a truly punishing pace in pursuit. They were all well aware that the younger girl likely had a sizeable lead on them, and they would need to hurry if they had any hopes of catching up before nightfall.

"It's too late to worry about it at this point, Bellamy. Going back for horses now would only widen the gap… Besides, as fast as we've been going, we must be gaining on her, right?" Clarke said, looking to Riva when she asked the question.

The young woman didn't speak, but she did meet Clarke's gaze and nodded confidently, her tanned face betraying nothing of her inner thoughts.

"We are getting closer," Martek agreed, speaking for his sister once again, "but she still has at least a couple hours' lead… She's moving surprisingly fast for someone untrained."

Clarke nodded at his words, and not for the first time that day, she wondered at the interesting dynamic between the two siblings. She had yet to hear Riva speak… Despite that, the twins seemed to communicated quite well non-verbally, and if words needed to be said, the sister seemed comfortable letting her brother do the talking. Was she just shy, then? Somehow, the word "shy" did not seem to fit the intimidating, fearsome young woman before her, and Clarke wondered if maybe she wasn't truly a mute and physically incapable of speech after all. She wanted to ask the twins more questions about themselves, to learn what had motivated them to offer their help and come along on this dangerous mission, but she soon lost the opportunity, as the warriors regained their feet and readied themselves to continue on. Once they started walking again, Clarke no longer had the breath for conversation, and instead focused on following as quickly and silently as her body and skills would allow.

Not much longer later, the trail they followed suddenly grew confused and jumbled, and the slim form of Riva in the lead abruptly stopped and studied the ground with a silent, intent frown.

"What is it? Why are you stopping?" Bellamy asked impatiently, crowding close to Riva's shoulder and trying to look exactly where she was looking.

After leaving their encampment in haste early that morning, the young woman had found Octavia's trail almost immediately and had since led them quickly and unerringly through the hostile woods, stopping only once or twice to find the trail again when it was briefly lost. This time seemed different, however, and her stoic face betrayed a hint of worry behind its white war paint as she looked at the upturned tufts of ground and crushed plants before them.

Riva did not answer the prince's questions, but instead turned and looked to her own brother who had also stepped forward to join them. She pointed to several indents in the soft earth that could have been footprints, and gestured towards the broken stalks of ferns and crushed grass. Martek nodded swiftly, his face solemn with understanding. Though he had spoken only of his sister's superior talents at tracking, it had quickly become obvious that he himself was also a skilled tracker, and he was clearly seeing the same thing that was worrying her.

"Your sister's trail is joined by several others," he said, in answer to Bellamy's questions, "and it looks like there was some kind of struggle."

Bellamy looked dismayed at this news, his eyes widening as he turned and tried to make sense of the subtle signals imprinted on the ground before them. This dark, wet forest with its lush undergrowth and towering trees was far different from the lands of Azgeda to the north, where sparse woodlands and rocky plains often dominated. Bellamy could spot an obvious deer trail here as easily as the next hunter, of course, but he was not as practiced at reading subtle signs in the plants and soft earth as the two siblings were.

"Was she taken?" Clarke asked quickly, stepping forward to join the other three, her gaze fierce on the twins.

There were no bodies to be seen, and that could only mean one thing in her estimation. Whoever it was that had met Octavia here in the woods, either she had escaped them or become their prisoner. Either way, the girl was clearly in immediate danger and there was little time to waste. There were several more seconds of silence as Riva searched the ground around them, then she surprised them all by actually speaking, her brown eyes meeting Clarke's.

"She fought them off, but she was chased… That way," the young woman said, pointing to indicate the way.

If Bellamy was annoyed that she chose to respond to Clarke's question but not to his earlier ones, he didn't show it, and she wondered if he had noticed it in the same way she had. Did Riva dislike the prince? Or was there another reason she had finally decided to speak to her, but not him? As they picked up the trail once more, she felt her curiosity about the strange twins only growing with every moment she spent in their company.

Now, as they hurried through the forest at an even quicker pace than before, Clarke was left with nothing to do but worry, breathe, and focus on not falling behind. As worrying had the added benefit of distracting her mind from just how tired and sore her body was becoming, she let herself fall deeper into her own thoughts and plans.

Any relief she had initially felt at the news that Octavia had escaped was replaced almost immediately by her relentless pragmatism… This trail was hours old. Whatever had happened here, it had surely taken place some time ago. Octavia may have avoided initial capture and been able to flee, but Clarke doubted she would have been able to escape her pursuers for long in these unfamiliar woods. Though she admired the other girl's spirit and stubborn determination to be free, it had still been incredibly foolish of her to wander blindly into such dangerous lands alone. Octavia may not wear the scars that marked her as Azgeda, but until she could exchange all her clothes and belongings, it would be obvious to anyone who saw her here that she did not belong. As much as Clarke dreaded being proven right, she knew there was a good chance that Octavia was either already dead by Trikru hands, or had been taken by the Reapers.

If Octavia has been killed by Trikru, there will be no convincing Bellamy not to take his revenge… If I don't stop him, this entire peace mission could be over before it has even started!

The thought chilled her, and though half of her mind was occupied with keeping up with Bellamy and the twins as they raced through the forest, the other half was busy making plans for the worst. The further they travelled into Trigeda lands, the more she felt that this entire effort to find and recover Octavia was a huge mistake. There was simply too much that could go wrong… Too many ways to blunder and destroy any chance for peace with Trikru before negotiations had even begun. She now wished she had tried harder that morning to convince Bellamy to wait and not immediately chase after Octavia. Once the peace talks had begun in earnest, they could have asked the Woods Clan for help locating his sister. That could have taken many days, however, and short of tying him up for days on end, she doubted she could have kept the stubborn prince from going after his sister eventually.

Damnit, Octavia… You had to know your brother would never let you leave. Why couldn't you just have waited a few more days?

Of course, it was no use wishing the situation was different. While a prisoner of the Ice Queen, she had learned not to fixate overmuch on things that couldn't be changed, but instead to focus on what could be done in the here and now. Octavia was in danger. They would either find her alive, or they wouldn't. She needed to keep Bellamy from doing anything that endangered their hopes for peace, and she needed to protect the Sky Born from whatever unsavory plans Echo and the Ice Queen might have for them. Everything else was inconsequential. As Clarke pondered these truths, a new feeling came over her. For perhaps the first time since her imprisonment, it was as though her mind and soul were finally coming fully alive, and she felt present and awake in a way she hadn't for many months.

Her people were counting on her, and she would do whatever it took to keep them safe… If that meant she had to challenge the Ice Queen, Echo, and even Bellamy himself, then so be it.

Clarke and the three Skaibona warriors continued on their way, their urgency growing with every step along the trail, the likelihood of finding Octavia safe and uninjured diminishing with every hour that passed. Overhead, the sun arced slowly across the sky, its path as inexorable and relentless as time itself.

In the distance, the Mountain loomed nearer.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"This has to be it," Lexa said to Aden, searching the map spread out on the forest floor in front of them, then glancing around the large clearing where they currently knelt. Spread out in a rough circle around her, the young Skaikru she had chosen for this supply mission eyed the woods beyond nervously, fingers gripping their weapons, clothes growing damp from kneeling in the thick yellow grass. Nearby, several stone ruins dotted the landscape and small trees and bushes grew in small clumps, otherwise the large meadow was relatively clear and open. The map they were using was old, and therefore one couldn't depend on the fine details it portrayed, but the hills and mountains had not changed greatly in a hundred years, and she was relatively certain that this was near the location of the hidden depot. Now they simply needed to find it and discover a way inside.

Folding up the map, Lexa ordered the young Sky People to spread out in groups of two and search for the entrance, cautioning them to stay in eyesight and not open the vault on their own. She would have preferred not to separate everyone like this, but she didn't have much choice. If everything Lincoln had told her about the Reapers was true, every moment they spent outside the safety of the camp's walls only increased the risk, and they needed to find this supply cache quickly.

"Let's go, Aden," she said, once she had carefully stored the map in her pack and regained her feet. Together, they joined the others in searching the surrounding open area, pushing aside clumps of brush and grass and combing carefully through any rubble they found. Not long passed before raised voices caught their attention, and they followed the voices to find most of the others already there.

"We found it!" a tall girl with long, dark hair said excitedly, and Lexa felt a wash of relief at the good news.

"Well done… It's Roma, right?" she confirmed, recognizing the tall, thin young woman as the same one who had saved her life during the attack on the dropship. Her spear had killed the last Reaper just in time, and Lexa hadn't forgotten the fact that she owed this girl her life.

"Yeah… Well, actually, it was Diggs here who found it," the girl said with a smile, digging her elbow into the sullen, brown haired boy who stood by her side.

The entrance was well concealed under a large metal grate that had been mostly covered by a thick layer of dirt and grass, and she was impressed that the pair had found it so quickly. The large grate flipped open with a heavy thud and revealed a round door, which, from the looks of it, hadn't been touched in some time. Its wheeled handle and solid hinges looked rusted and worn, and she wondered briefly if the door would even open after all this time locked shut. After a moment's consideration, she called Jones forward to apply his muscles to the task, thinking that the large young man probably had the best chance of success. Grinning at the challenge, Jones rubbed his hands together briskly, then strained and swore as he wrenched at the round handle for several long seconds before it finally turned and cranked loose. Once it was unlocked the round door swung open with the painful groan of tortured metal, revealing an ominous, pitch black hole in the ground, the top edges of a ladder visible in the bright sunlight.

"Well… shit. That looks scary," Jones remarked, peering down into the darkness. He looked back up at them all, a wry smile on his broad, cheerful face. "Any volunteers?"

There was a smattering of nervous laughter at this and even a few swear words in reply, but Lexa didn't let her own amusement show on her face. She doubted there was anything truly dangerous within the vault, but the fear of the unknown was a powerful thing.

"I'll go," John Mbege said.

Ever since he had been accused of cowardice the day before, he had seemed eager to show that he wasn't afraid of anything. He stepped up to the hole with an eager smile, and Lexa pulled free the flashlight still clipped to the front of her jacket and handed it over to him.

"Here, you'll need this. When you get down there, just tell us what you see. If it looks safe, we'll be right behind you."

John nodded bravely and took the flashlight, then put his foot on the first rung of the ladder and began to lower himself down. When his head was about to disappear under the ledge, he threw a cocky grin in Jones' direction.

"Just so you know," he said to the other boy, "this means I have first dibs on anything I find down there!"

"The hell you do!" Jones swore back, scowling. They could all hear John's laughter as he continued to descend, and Lexa leaned over the entrance to watch his progress. When he reached the bottom, the light of the flashlight flickered briefly in every direction, then stopped as he looked back up at them with a shrug.

"Looks fine… Kind of empty, actually," he shouted upwards.

Lexa thought quickly, considering several plans for how to proceed before deciding on what seemed like the best one.

"Alright, everyone is going in. Let's not waste any time... The sooner we get these supplies and get back to the dropship, the better."

She didn't want to leave anyone up on the surface where they could be discovered by Reapers, not even as lookouts. They would all be safest staying together and exploring the depot. They could even seal the entrance behind them and spend the night inside if necessary. Evening was fast approaching, and it would be unwise to be caught out in the forest at night with Reapers on the prowl.

Though they spent several minutes making some rough torches to supplement the few flashlights they had amongst them, very quickly all of the Sky People had descended the ladder and joined John in the cool, stale depths of the ancient vault.

"Damn, it's wet down here," Miller muttered to no one in particular when he landed next to Lexa, a note of concern in his voice as he looked around him. "That's not good… If this much moisture got inside, it might have ruined the supplies."

Lexa frowned at his words, thinking it a smart observation. Miller didn't talk much, but when he did, he revealed a keen intelligence and a clever mind. He wasn't smart in the same way Raven and Monty were, of course. Instead, he had the kind of real world intelligence that her own people often described as being "smart on the trail". He was exactly the kind of person you wanted at your back when things got difficult, and she wondered what, exactly, he had done on the Ark to be imprisoned.

After her recent discussions with both Murphy and Atom, she found herself wondering more and more about the pasts of all those who had come down on the dropship. Lexa glanced around her at all the eager young faces in the dark, many of them now looking back at her and waiting for her instructions on what to do next, and she couldn't help but wonder if one of them was her mystery enemy… Was one of the people she was just beginning to trust and depend on plotting her death even now? It was a disheartening thought, and it was a struggle not to be reminded of Titus' betrayal. She didn't want to think that any of these young men or women wanted her dead, but after what had happened during the attack she couldn't discount the possibility. She would need to keep her guard up even more from now on, and also keep Aden close. If someone wanted to get to her, then Aden was an obvious target as well. The very thought made her blood run cold.

Flashlights came on and torches were lit, and it was like stepping into a different world. Around them was a place that had likely been untouched by anything other than time for nearly a hundred years, and a sense of curiosity and excitement filled the group as they took in their surroundings. With a quick word of caution, Lexa let the teens go to work, not really needing to give them any instructions now. Lost and unfamiliar they may be in the woods, but here, amongst the dank corridor's and rusted technology of the forgotten vault, they were clearly in their element.

"Do you think there are really weapons down here?" Aden asked once the others had scattered and they were mostly alone, a note of uncertainty in his voice.

"There must be," she confirmed, thinking over the fact that when her warriors had attacked the dropship in their own reality, the young Sky People had possessed working firearms. Clearly those had not come down with them, she now knew. They must have gotten those weapons from somewhere, and it seemed likely that they had come from this place.

"But… Heda, we aren't going to actually use them, are we?" he asked.

Lexa exhaled, the worry in his voice echoing her own internal struggle. Firearms were strictly forbidden among the Clans. Not only because of the curse of the Mountain – though Lexa had personally never put much stock in those superstitions – but because the threat of the Entity as well. Their religion taught that the Entity was the enemy of all humanity, and it was known to thrive on technology. It needed it to exist and grow more powerful, and therefore using any technology at all, even firearms, could be incredibly dangerous, as it might draw its unwanted attention. That Titus had willingly committed such sacrilege as to use a pistol to kill her had been a frightful shock, one that was in many ways more difficult to comprehend than his betraying her. Even now Lexa was still choosing to ignore the fact that she herself was carrying one of the forbidden weapons in the pack she always wore on her back.

The time was fast approaching when she would no longer be able to just ignore this dilemma, however. The situation they found themselves in was extremely precarious, and this might just be a risk that they needed to take… With everything she had learned so far, she couldn't even be certain that the Entity existed in this reality, and the young Sky People they sought to protect would need every advantage they could get to keep the Reapers at bay. Also, though it worried her to consider the full implications, she knew they would need to be able to project strength if they were ever going to convince the various Clans to deal with them seriously… Trikru included. She knew very well that a strong show of force was often needed before peace could truly be established. That was exactly how she had forged the various alliances needed to form her Coalition, after all.

Of course, overshadowing everything was the greater threat of the Mountain Men to consider. With as many dangers as were surrounding them, if they continued as they were and something significant didn't change, Skaikru and their small camp would be quickly wiped off the map, whether it be from Mount Weather, Reapers, Trikru, or some other unknown threat.

"I think we must," she conceded finally, not shying away from his intent gaze. "They will need these weapons if they are to survive… and they do not share our beliefs. If we find weapons here, the others will use them no matter what you or I say. Besides, swords and spears alone will not be enough against the Mountain."

Rather than argue, Aden surprised her by nodding, a knowing expression on his young face. Was he also beginning to question some of what they had been led to believe was true in their old life? She would need to speak with him soon about her various suspicions… Especially about the link between Polaris station and the Spirit, and all that this implied. Now was not the time or place, however.

"It will be alright, Aden," she reassured him after a moment. Then, finally giving into the urge that had been growing since the moment she saw the worried look on his face, she allowed herself to reach over and ruffle his blond hair with one hand, the action feeling as familiar to her as breathing. The boy smiled and batted her hand away, smoothing his hair back down with his free hand. This was something she had done often on the Ark when he was sad or depressed, and though her brother had always acted like he hated it, she knew he secretly liked the gesture…

More memories from Lexa Black again, she realized.

Lexa frowned, disturbed by just how fully she had fell into old habits and ways of thinking from another life. The longer she and Aden spent in this reality, the more real their lives and histories here felt. At times now, for brief moments she would forget that she wasn't really Lexa Black at all… Or was she? The memories were there and growing stronger every day. She was here now in this world, and would perhaps never know anything but this world again. As far as everyone else was concerned, she was Lexa Black. Maybe it was time for her to accept that fully and embrace her life as it was now.

Of course, there was the small matter that she still didn't really know who Lexa Black was. Until she could remember all of her memories and past experiences, she couldn't help but feel like an imposter who had stolen someone else's clothes.

She and Aden didn't speak any further on the issue of the weapons, but instead joined the others in their careful and thorough search of the supply depot, though it was quickly becoming obvious that any major supplies that had been there had long since been cleaned out. What remained did not look promising, but they continued to search nonetheless.

Above ground, unseen and unnoticed by those below, the sky began to darken early as gray clouds moved in from the east, a large and powerful storm fast approaching.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Octavia flailed and kicked violently as her back hit the dirt, legs and bound hands scratching uselessly against the hard ground. The large figure of her captor loomed over her, his features cast completely in darkness as he was momentarily silhouetted by the light shining in from the entrance of the cave, and she battled to control her fear as he grabbed her roughly by her arm and dragged her deeper into the cavern, her shouts muffled by the cloth gag he had tied around her mouth. Her heart was hammering a million miles per hour in her chest, and her long hair was tangled with sweat, dirt and blood, its braids coming loose from the violence of the past few hours. She kept trying to fight him as he dragged her along, but the attempt was useless. Her ankle was swollen and wouldn't accept her weight, and her legs were exhausted from her desperate flight through the woods. What had started out as the best, most exhilarating day of her young life had quickly turned into a nightmare from which she knew she couldn't wake from.

Everything had gone terribly wrong.

As she was flung against a rough stone wall, her hands pulled up over her head and fitted with heavy metal shackles that led to single chain fixed securely to the rock, Octavia swore and cursed through her gag, not sure if the words were directed at her captor or herself. Her eyes glared hatred up at him in the dark, but if he was at all moved by her rage, then he did not show it. Her own emotions were so tangled that she hardly knew if it was fear or anger that now drove her to struggle defiantly against him

Just a few short hours ago, the only thought in her mind had been a desperate fear for her own life as she fled from a pack of Reapers through the forest. They had already almost caught her once, but by some combination of luck and ferocious tenacity, she had managed to break free of their initial hold and slipped into the forest, running and leaping through the underbrush with all the terrified speed and skill of a deer fleeing from a pack of ravenous wolves. She'd fled blindly through the woods, no coherent thought in her mind but to run as fast and far as she could, but even so she had been unable to outpace the monstrous men completely. Finally, after what felt like a very long time, she crested a small hill only to discover that it dropped off abruptly on the other side, and in her surprise she had taken a bad step and twisted her left ankle. The pain had caused her to lose her footing, and she had fallen gracelessly, rolling painfully down the sharp decline, slamming into small trees and rocks the whole way down. By the time she'd regained her senses at the bottom, the Reapers had cleared the ridge and spotted her there, savage howls rising from their throats as they saw that their prey was now within reach.

That was when he appeared, like some dark, angry phantom. He'd dropped from the trees and intercepted the first of the Reapers, a sword in each hand disappearing into both their guts at the same time. With agonized grunts and screams, the two cannibals had both fallen to their knees, inhuman faces still showing their shock at his sudden appearance even as they quickly bled out on the forest floor and died.

Octavia had quickly overcome her own surprise and managed to regain her feet, crying out in pain when she tried to place weight on her left foot. She'd looked down at her injured ankle, glad to see that there was no blood seeping through her boot, and by the time she'd looked up again, the Trikru warrior – for a member of Trigeda he must be – was right in front of her, his dark eyes cold and fearsome behind his masked face. She had gasped and lurched backwards, then cried out again as the pain lanced through her foot. More howling had erupted on the other side of the hill, and it was all the reminder she had needed that there were still more Reapers on her trail.

"Please," she had gasped in Trigedasleng, eyes finding his gaze and holding it, "Please, help me!"

His eyes had narrowed at her slightly accented words, and she'd been immediately struck by the intelligence she saw there. She should have spoken more carefully. A trained ear could hear the difference between many of the clans based on their dialect and accent alone, and he had clearly noticed that she didn't sound quite like Trikru. He seemed to take her completely in, seeing all of her in a single, swift second. Perhaps it was the stress of the strange circumstances, but in that one second, she had suddenly felt as though he saw more of who she truly was in a single glance than any other person had before.

"Azgedakru," he had snarled, his voice a low growl.

He had no more than spoken when the howls of the other Reapers grew in volume, obviously getting closer. She had felt her fear growing. She couldn't run… not anymore. If he refused to help her, she was as good as dead. The Reapers would take her and she would never be free again.

"No!" she denied quickly, "I mean… Yes, I was raised in Azgeda, but I'm not… I don't… I'm not Azgedakru," she had argued, her own voice a defiant snarl as her mind scrambling to quickly come up with some reason, some explanation that would convince this man to help someone whom his people considered a bitter enemy.

"Help me," she repeated stubbornly, the request so firm it was almost an order, not looking away from his eyes as he continued to study her.

She saw his eyes come to the decision a short moment later, and she couldn't help but shrink back as he suddenly leapt closer and grabbed hold of her roughly, one hand yanking free the large knife strapped to her belt and flinging it out of reach. Before she knew what had happened, he had slung her over his shoulders and was darting quickly, but silently, through the brush, slipping further down the ravine she had fallen into. Twisting down some dark trails and sliding between several large boulders, he shoved her into a dark corner in the rocks, his heavy weight settling over hers and pinning her there, his large hand closing over her mouth to ensure that she didn't make a single sound. She stared up at him with wide eyes, but he was not looking at her. Rather, he was searching the forest beyond, his breath fast but steady behind his mask. For several agonizing minutes they had listened as the Reapers thrashed through the underbrush searching for them. He had chosen his track well, however, and had left no boot prints for them to follow, and the space they crouched in was almost impossible to discern from among the rocks.

After much angry shouting, the sounds of the angry Reapers finally drifted away, however, they had remained frozen in their hiding spot for quite a while longer. The Trikru warrior had not looked at her once the entire time, and had not removed his hand. After several minutes of complete silence but for birdsong and the rustling of branches in the breeze, she had moved restlessly against him, trying to wriggle free of his grasp and free her mouth. When his hand had moved away and he looked down at her, she had licked her dry lips and opened her mouth to speak.

"Thank yo-…"

Her words of thanks were interrupted when he swiftly yanked her down to the ground and on to her back, one knee pressed against her chest to pin her down while his hands worked to pull loose a spool of thick, stiff wire from his belt. Ignoring her protests, he had used the wire to bind her hands, then proceeded to thoroughly search her and the small pack she wore for more weapons. He had tucked her second, smaller knife into his boot and pulled her pack over his own shoulders, then pulled her to her feet. She'd stifled her groan of pain when her weight fell on her injured ankle again, but she hadn't had to bear the discomfort long, as the man had immediately lifted her and slung her over his shoulders like a sack of grain once again, then started through the woods at a brisk pace.

It wasn't until later that he had gagged her… She had been struggling continuously against his iron grip, and her muttered snarls, curses and protestations had slowly grown in volume, her fear of being discovered by the Reapers quickly being replaced by her more immediate wariness of what this man might have in store for her.

"Why are you doing this?" she had gasped angrily when he dropped her to the forest floor, pinning her down as he tore loose a strip of cloth and moved to tie it around her head and mouth.

Had he only saved her so that he might take her hostage himself? Clearly there was no convincing him that she wasn't from Azgeda, even if she didn't wear the scars, but what use could he have for a lone Azgeda girl?

"I'm not a threat to you… Just let me go!"

"Be quiet, unless you want them to find and kill us both," he growled, shoving the cloth into her mouth and tying it down tightly.

He had ignored her indignant, furious glare as he again picked her up like she weighed nothing and began walking once more. Even with her awkward bulk weighing him down, the man had moved like a graceful panther through the forest, confident and sure of each step, his passage hardly making a sound. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but after what felt like over an hour of walking, they had reached a low ravine that led to a narrow cave entrance, and it was within that very cave that she now found herself.

Now shackled securely to the wall of the cave, her captor stepped back and away from her, and despite the low light, her eyes had finally adjusted enough to be able to make out his face. Wriggling like a fish on a hook, she rubbed her cheek and jaw against her shoulder, working the gag loose with some difficulty. Once it was clear of her mouth, she coughed and sputtered, her jaw aching from the strain and tongue uncomfortably dry.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked again, repeating her question from earlier, pleased when her voice came out strong and unafraid. He might have her captive and helpless, but she was damned if she was going to show him just how afraid she was. He regarded her quietly for a moment, then lifted his hand and removed his mask, his eyes solemn and intense on hers.

He's very handsome.

The stray thought caught her by surprise, and she was amazed that she was able to notice such useless details even in such an extreme circumstance as this. What did it matter if he was good looking? The man might have saved her from the Reapers earlier, but he clearly viewed her to be an enemy.

He still hadn't spoken, but just continued to watch her silently, his expression stoic in the dark. Oddly enough, despite the dangerous situation she was in and the fact that he had taken her captive, she didn't sense any malice in him. Rather, his gaze on her seemed thoughtful, as though he was trying to decide what to make of her, just as she was trying to decide what to make of him.

"You saved me earlier… Thank you for that," she said after a moment when he still didn't speak. Perhaps curses and angry words were not the best tactic to use. She wasn't unaware of the fact that she was young and beautiful… If he had pitied her enough to help rescue her, then maybe he could be persuaded to set her free and let her continue on her way?

"Why don't you just let me go? I'm just passing through… I'm not looking for any trouble, okay?" she coaxed, softening her voice somewhat. She wasn't above begging and pleading if that is what it took to free herself. The walls of the cave seemed to close in around her, and the shackles on her wrist seemed to tighten like closing jaws. Sweat broke out on her forehead, and she was abruptly reminded of just how much she hated to be confined, to be locked up in tight spaces.

She needed to get out of here… She needed to be free. Like a fox caught in a trap, she would be willing to chew her own hands off if that's what it took to escape.

"You are Azgeda," he said finally, shaking his head slightly. "You should not have come here."

He turned and started to walk away, and she pulled against her chains, causing them to rattle loudly, panic filling her at being left here helpless and chained.

"No! Wait… Please, just let me go!" she shouted after him, her distress now creeping into her voice.

He ignored her pleas, and his large form was quickly swallowed up by the sunlight beyond the cave's entrance.

Screaming in furious, impotent rage, Octavia yanked repeatedly on the chains that bound her, twisting so that she could brace her good foot against the wall and pull with her entire body. Her angry shouts turned into a single sob that was quickly swallowed as she realized that the effort was useless. The chains were sturdy, and the large metal ring that was drilled into the stone was not budging. She was trapped here, her fate in the hands of the man who had captured her. At best, he intended to hand her over to his clan as a prisoner. At worst…

Well, there was no need to dwell on all the worst things he could do to her if he chose. Strangely, despite everything, she found that she didn't really think he intended to harm her. He hadn't been gentle, it was true, but he hadn't been unnecessarily rough either, and she hadn't sensed any eager cruelty in him. She was familiar with warriors of every sort and had met many among the fighters of the Ice Nation who reveled in the cruelties of war. He did not seem one of those ilk, and she prayed her hasty judgement of him was correct.

Exhausted, Octavia gave up her useless efforts after several minutes and slumped against the wall, willing herself to slow her breathing and remain calm. Shaking her wild hair from her face, she clenched her jaw and lifted her head, dark eyes narrow and focused as she looked to the cave's only entrance, her resolve reforming and building within her. She might only get one chance to free herself. She would need to be ready to take that chance when it came. Taking a deep, slow breath, Octavia clenched her teeth into a silent, determined snarl.

When her captor next returned, she would be ready.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The four Skaibona stood over the hacked and mutilated corpses, their horrified eyes looking down at the red mess which stained the bright green grass and leaves in front of them. When they had first stumbled upon the bodies, Clarke's eyes hadn't immediately understood what they were seeing. It was like a large drawing seen from too close, the lines lacking coherent shape and meaning. Only after stepping back a few paces and refocusing one's eyes could the shape of things become clear.

They were Reapers… Or at least, the twins seemed certain of that fact, and Clarke had to agree that what remained certainly didn't look anything like anyone from Trigeda she had ever seen. Behind the red blood and white paint that decorated their faces, their skin was heavily scarred and filled with metal piercings, and their hair and beards knotted and unkempt. Their visages were certainly alarming enough, but that wasn't what was most horrifying. Not even the matching, gaping wounds in their lower chests were all that unusual, though surely that had been what had killed each of them. Clarke was a healer, and she was quite familiar with blood and bones, and had seen injuries that would turn the stomach of even the most hardened warrior.

No, what was so difficult to comprehend, and what had filled them each with such horror, was the fact that the men were both missing all of their limbs… They'd been hacked off – likely after their death, she surmised, judging from the relatively small amount of blood pooling at the ragged stumps – and the removed limbs were nowhere to be seen. That they were not to be found anywhere near the bloody, mangled torsos to which they belonged was almost certain, and they all knew the reason why.

The surviving Reapers had taken the body parts with them… to eat.

Reapers were cannibals. She knew that intellectually, of course, but seeing it first hand was another matter entirely. Whether the Reapers themselves killed these two over some dispute, or Octavia somehow managed to, or someone else entirely did the deed, clearly the others hadn't wanted to let all that meat go to waste. Grown men were heavy and awkward to carry, so they had merely removed their limbs at the joints and left the rest behind.

Clarke felt the bile rise in the back of her throat, and she swallowed it back down stubbornly.

"We need to find Octavia," Bellamy said hoarsely, and it was like his words broke some sort of spell. Riva shook herself and turned away from the remains, moving to search the ground in a slowly widening ark, and Martek did the same on the opposite side.

"Could Octavia have done this? Killed them, I mean," she asked, looking over at Bellamy. The initial shock and surprise she had felt as seeing the mutilated bodies and contemplating the cannibalism it implied was quickly dissipating. She felt her mind go to the calm, analytical place it normally went to when she was studying an injury, and she knelt beside one of the bodies, pointing one of the stomach wounds out to him.

"This looks like a sword wound to me. It's probably what killed them. Could she have taken a sword with her?"

Bellamy frowned down at her thoughtfully, then shook his head, his jaw tense from the fear and worry that he was no doubt struggling to contain. Things were looking worse and worse for his sister, and she could only imagine how he must be feeling now.

"No," he said, "She doesn't have a sword, and even if she had stolen one from someone else, it wouldn't have gone unnoticed for long."

She had to agree. Their warriors weren't in the habit of leaving their weapons just lying around, especially when they were camped on Trigeda lands and only a few miles from the Mountain.

"Someone killed these men. Maybe she got her hands on one of their weapons," Clarke suggested, climbing back up to her feet.

She didn't want to say what they were all fearing… That the same Reapers who had cut the limbs off of their fallen comrades had also taken Octavia. They spent the next several minutes in tense silence, neither one speaking as they watched the twins work and tried to stay out of their way. For once that day, Bellamy didn't pressure them with questions and demands, and she suspected it was because he feared what they were about to tell him.

"Lots of tracks all over… It's a mess," Martek admitted when he and his sister completed their search and rejoined them. "There were at least six or seven Reapers chasing Octavia. It looks like she tumbled down into this ravine… You can see where she fell there," he added, pointing to an obvious trail of broken branches and crushed plants that led down the side of the hill to near where they now stood.

"So who killed these two? Was it her?" Clarke asked after a brief pause, glancing sideways at Bellamy as she did so, a bit surprised by his continued silence. It was unlike him. The prince's face was pale but composed, and he was watching Martek speak with an intensity that was almost scary.

He's preparing himself for the worst, Clarke realized, and she felt her own worry for Octavia rising within her.

"No, there was someone else here," a soft voice replied, and Clarke's gaze shifted to Riva. The young woman was not looking at her. Instead she was moving past them and further along the ravine, her eyes studying the ground carefully as she walked. They quickly fell into step behind her.

"He's tall, but not overly heavy… He moves well. He knows what he's doing in the forest. Here, you can see his trail coming in." She pointed out a faint set of tracks off to the side, then pointed to another set of what looked like the same prints, these ones leaving noticeably deeper indentations in the soft mud. "And here, you can see where he picked up Octavia."

"What?" Bellamy said, his silence suddenly broken at the mention of his sister's name, "He was carrying her?"

"Yes. He killed those two, then carried her… This way," she said softly, though she was still not looking at them, her gaze intent on the ground beneath her feet as she continued down the ravine.

It was incredible to watch her work… Clarke had no idea what the young woman was looking at most of the time, as the path they walked was mostly rocks and small stones and there were no discernable prints that she could see. Nevertheless, Riva led them slowly but surely along, her piercing eyes seeming to read hints and messages that the rest of them were blind to. At one point she slid between two large boulders and disappeared into a dark, narrow crawl space for several moments, then slipped back out and rejoined them without a word, a small smile on her face. She shared a triumphant glance with her brother, and Martek grinned as though she had said something very funny.

"They hid together," he explained, and the excitement in his soft voice instantly filled Clarke with a sense of relief. "The Reapers walked right past them!"

"She escaped, then?" Bellamy asked urgently, "Where did she go next? If she was hiding here then she could be nearby!"

Martek looked to his sister and his twin shook her head once, frowning before turning back to the trail. She had the look of a hunting dog that had found its scent, however, and after almost a full day of watching her track Octavia through the forest, Clarke was beginning to be able to recognize when Riva was certain of where to go next.

"No, she didn't leave on her own… Whoever this is that helped her, ai Hainofa, he took your sister with him," he said, his tone now more cautious then excited.

"Let's get moving, then," the prince growled, pushing past them both to follow Riva, his shoulders stiff with renewed determination and voice menacing.

"If that bastard has harmed my sister, when I catch up with him he's going to wish those Reapers had found him instead."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Jackpot!" a voice shouted, the strange word echoing around the dark chambers of the hidden supply depot and causing all other scattered conversations to stop.

Lexa left the small side room she and Aden had been searching and strode quickly down the corridor with the Natblida boy at her side, the flashlight pinned to her jacked showing the way. They re-entered the main chamber and followed the sounds of voices down another narrow corridor. Though the hall was almost completely empty, a series of large, rusted metal barrels lined one wall, and it was there that Miller stood triumphantly, his arm dripping with a strange, oily black substance up to his elbow. In his hand, the metal and composite of a rifle gleamed in the near darkness like the iridescent shell of a beetle, and Lexa drew in a surprised breath at the sight.

"It's genius," Miller explained with satisfaction, indicating the barrels with one hand. "It's the only way to store them for a long time without worrying about them rusting… I don't know why I didn't think to check them earlier."

She didn't have to ask what he meant, as he quickly showed them all, flipping the lid on yet another barrel and reaching down into the dark, oily blackness and pulling out second, identical rifle. A quick search revealed that each of the barrels contained rifles just like those two, but that wasn't all. At the base of each were several well-sealed canisters containing bullets and magazines, and once they had emptied all of the nearby barrels and spread out everything contained within on the floor, they found that they now had at least a couple dozen rifles and several hundred rounds of ammunition.

"Hell yeah!" someone shouted, "Those Reapers better watch their sorry asses now!"

"Damn right! Let's slaughter those bitches!" another person added, and a round of exuberant laughter greeted the suggestion.

Lexa and Aden exchanged glances and watched the proceedings silently, observing as the excited teens jostled each other and picked up the weapons eagerly, clearly thrilled and relieved by this discovery. Aden himself seemed interested in the weapons, his young eyes looking them over with curiosity, and she realized he had probably never seen real firearms before. For her own part, Lexa felt the weight of the decision she had already made settling over her. Her hands clenched into tight fists at the thought of actually using one of the rifles before her, and it was almost as though she could hear the thunderous sound of the gunshot that had killed her echoing in the distance.

Wait… No, that was actual thunder, not a memory of her death, and Lexa wasn't the only one to notice the sound.

Monroe appeared a few seconds later, emerging from the main chamber with a look of concern on her serious face.

"Hey, guys?..." she said uncertainly, pointing back over her shoulder towards the entrance with her thumb, "I think there might be a storm coming."

Slightly relieved for the distraction despite herself, Lexa swept back into motion, her voice rising in an authoritative snap that wasn't to be disobeyed.

"Everyone put the rifles down. Miller, I want a full search of every barrel in this place from top to bottom, and gather everything you find here. Make sure we didn't miss anything. Nobody touches these weapons until I say so, is that understood?"

He nodded at her instructions, and she turned away as he started organizing the weapons, pulling them from the reluctant hands of those around him.

Though she had determined that using them was necessary, there was no doubt in her mind that these weapons were dangerous in the wrong hands. Memories of the massacre that Skaikru had so easily committed still haunted her sleep, and it was sobering to think that such power could be held in two human hands. She would need to proceed carefully lest something equally terrible happen in this reality. Was this truly the correct path to follow? Despite all she had said to Aden earlier, she couldn't help but feel some doubts.

Lexa wondered briefly what Clarke would suggest she do in this instance, but the answer came almost immediately. Despite all her hopeful words and constant arguments for peace, when faced with doing what was necessary to survive and protect her own people, she was just as ruthlessly practical as Lexa herself was. Clarke wouldn't hesitate to use these weapons. Indeed, this was exactly what Clarke herself had done long before she and Lexa had even met.

A quick climb up the ladder revealed that Monroe had been correct. There was a storm approaching, and the evening sky was growing steadily darker as thick, angry clouds moved in from the southeast. Lexa studied the storm for a while before descending the ladder once more, and this time she carefully pulled the grate and door shut behind her, though she didn't let the door close completely for fear of not being able to open it again. The heat and humidity of the past two days should have warned her that a storm was on its way. It looked like they would be spending the night here after all.

Sometime later, they all gathered in the main chamber and prepared to settle in for an early night, only one small light left in the center of the room to stave off the pitch blackness. Lexa found a clear patch of floor and took a seat with Aden, trying to get as comfortable as she could in the cold, wet darkness. Aden's warmth at her side was welcome, but she was surprised a moment later when Miller and Jones approached and joined them. Jones' large from was unmistakable despite not being able to see his face, and the sharp smell of the oil that had soaked into Miller's sleeves from his search of the barrels gave his identity away as surely as if he had spoken. Miller slid down the wall to sit next to her, and Jones did the same next to Aden, and she cocked her head questioningly. Though he couldn't see her expression, he must have caught the gesture, and she felt him shrug where their shoulders met.

"All things considered, it might be best you don't sleep without someone watching your back, you know?" he said softly, and she felt Aden stiffen next to her at his words.

She had told Aden briefly about what had happened during the Reaper attack, and had even shared with him her suspicions that someone among the young Sky People might want her dead, but she supposed the boy had forgotten the threat during all the excitement of the day. Or perhaps, like her, he hoped that they were safe amongst these trusted few. Lexa knew better, however, and apparently so did Miller. She wished she could see his face so she could gauge his expression. Paranoia and suspicion rose within her like an ugly monster, insidious and pervasive. This was not her first time fearing betrayal from within, and she knew it was all too easy to start to distrust everyone without cause if she allowed herself to.

It can't be either of them, she reminded herself.

During the fight, Miller had been one of those at the gate and Jones had been in the thick of the fighting. Whoever had thrown the rock had come from within the camp, and it was unlikely that they were among those she had brought along with her here… Still, Miller was correct. She needed to be careful. Even here, surrounded by others, murder could happen all too quickly and quietly in the dark.

Miller shuffled into an even more comfortable position beside her, then added as an afterthought, "Jones and I are taking turns. We flipped for it."

"Yeah, and I have to stay awake first because Nate's a rotten cheater," Jones grumbled amiably, and since it was dark and she knew they couldn't see her face, Lexa allowed herself to smile.

"I'll take a turn!" Aden offered eagerly, not to be outdone by the older boys, and Lexa felt her smile grow even wider.

"Sure thing, short stack… You can have the second half of my shift," Jones replied enthusiastically, and she both heard and felt Miller sigh with exasperation.

Lexa leaned her head back against the wall and let herself relax, closing her eyes. In the underground chamber around her, she listened to the soft lull of whispered conversations, the darkness making it seem much later than it actually was. Were it not for the storm, they probably would have had at least an hour or two more of daylight. As it was, there was little else that could be done in the black depths of the vault besides wait out the storm and catch up on some much needed rest.

Lexa Black fell asleep moments later, while outside the growing storm began to thunder and rage, lashing the trees with wind as lightning crackled through the sky.

A short ways distant, completely unaware of those hidden within the earth nearby, four Azgedakru moved cautiously down a shallow ravine, their eyes focused ahead of them and not on the storm above. After travelling some ways, the narrow entrance to a cave came into view just as the swollen clouds overhead opened up, a deluge of rain pouring down on them and soaking their hair and clothes. The runoff quickly created a small stream which rushed past their feet, following the twisting ravine downhill and away from the cavern before them. Ignoring the fury of the storm around them, the warriors pulled their weapons free with deadly purpose, the white war paint on their faces running and dripping from the rain, forming pale teardrops that made them appear not sad, but terrifying.

"She is here," the young warrior in the lead said, and the others nodded with fierce anticipation at her words, their eyes sharp and ready.

The wind howled, the trees thrashed in agony, and the rain beat against their skin as they stood together for a moment more, each preparing themselves for whatever they might find within.

As one, they entered the cave.