Book Two: Jarring of Judgement
In which Trikru characters are introduced and Clarke's captivity is (technically) at an end.
She wakes in a room. She's on a bed, for a change, and she's never seen the room before in her life. It doesn't faze her. She's becoming used to it, this involuntary relocation that seems determined to intermittently plague her. Besides, what else are they going to do to her? She can't stop it. It's better just to ... drift.
The bed she's on is nice, wider than her last and piled with ... furs? But everything smells of danger, of Ontari, and of Nia, but ... not. Different. It's like Costia and her are, only ... not. She doesn't have the words. She doesn't even know if she really has the thing the words are for.
There are two doors visible from her position, one to the side and one facing the foot of the bed, but she doesn't bother getting up to check them. If she's supposed to leave, they'll come get her. And if she isn't, she'll just have to get back in, and she knows she won't get this comfortable again. The thought of the effort it would take is exhausting.
The thought of having to think is worse.
For now, she is feeling serious oneness of being – being of oneness? Or is it just oneness, all on its own, all alone - with this bed. She has a feeling once she moves she is going to hurt. A lot. And when she starts to think – no. Her brain shies away from that. Better not to move at all, to lie still and be cotton and think of nothing.
Anya lets the Omega – another one, why hadn't they known? How did they not know? – drop from her grasp, her head's final impact with the floor softened by limp unconsciousness, and makes a show of backing away from Lexa, whose rage and grief are visibly battling for control of her actions.
She had stopped the Omega's broadcasted distress, but will it be enough? Was her action fast enough to have effect, or is the unknown variable nothing after what that nomonjoka Nia did to Lexa's niron.
Her wolf is in her eyes. The moon is barely risen, but she could force the change to come early.
Anya wants to tell her no, not in enemy territory. That the added strain and disorientation would be too much of an advantage to their enemies. Even more than Costia's abduction was a hole in the pack's existence, they cannot lose Lexa. Costia was the packs heart, and the promise of its future, but Lexa ... Lexa is the pack. And Anya will rend apart any who seek to harm her. Even if that person is Lexa herself.
(Metaphorically.)
She wants to tell her that she will give all the vengeance needed, that sword can work as well as claw, but Lexa is beyond words, so she bites her tongue and projects a calm she does not feel.
Not a threat, she shows her, her body soft and peacefully inclined, and takes over as Lexa slowly begins to relax in turn. Her human brain is needed more here than Lexa's wolf cunning. Her own emotions are safely ignored. For now. Until they are needed.
Two gona are sent to secure the place she emerged from, while others fan out to check behind the other hangings that line the hall. Besides the walls, the room is empty and easily survailable. Nia's throne stands alone at its head.
It gives them some small space to breathe. They will come across enemy gona again, and soon, but a moment of safety it enough to right them. As if that word applies now.
Lexa turns to Costia, slow as a Sekkon to the worst of chores, balanced forward on the toes of her boots. She doesn't run, or move at all until even Anya begins to choke on the quiet. Then she closes her eyes and takes a braid, tucking it into her cuff.
"Yu gonplei ste oton."
She stands and becomes Heda. Anya bares her throat and hands her her sword. They have no time for grieving, not here.
Vengence is another thing altogether. They follow Nia's path like the wolves they are.
The compound is cleared of any but low ranked enemy gona, and those that remain to face them ... they try to fight. Anya will give them that much. They take no prisoners.
Anya takes the juniormost and injured gona back to the den. They have fresh eyes to bring to the fight, and Lexa shows no signs of stopping her search. Gustus is with her, but he is as tired as any, and exhaustion breeds mistakes. She hurries her travel as much as possible.
With them, they carry Costia and the unknown girl.
Heda remains on the hunt. Indra leaves with her cohort to reinforce her as Anya arrives at the halfway point, to take what should be her position as Second. She will not make her stand watch over her own daughter.
Her followers peel off as she ascends the tower – to the barracks, the nursery, the food hall stocked with bread and hot soup. Barely a dozen remain to reach the infirmary.
Nyko is not an emotional being. He is not cold, not like Titus of the learning hall, but never has she seen him more than gently, faintly warm while at his worm.
That, as much as his undeniable talent is why he became pack healer. Still, his jaw tenses at the sight of Costia's stretcher, and tighter still at the other. His apprentices are quickly dispatched to care for the gona, and he takes the two of them into backroom. Anya follows.
Triks, Jacksom, Fyr and Tenka back away as quickly as they can.
Clarke wakes in a room that smells of herbs, and medicine, and faintly, almost so weakly that she can't tell the smell exists, of blood. She doesn't open her eyes.
Long past the point Anya stopped waiting for them, Lexa's gona return. The compound has been cleared, spoils and what documents remained for them to find taken. They do not bring Nia with them. She has disappeared, gone like thin smoke into the wind.
Her children have likewise vanished.
Anya orders that the guard standing watch be doubled. Azgeda has been struck a blow tonight, but they too are injured. And Nia Quin enraged is as unpredictable as she is complacent. They cannot afford to let their guard down.
Lexa goes directly from her entrance to the cold room, without a seconds glance at the new Omega. Indra follows after her, silent as the – silent as a new moon night. It seems that the new Omega is to be Anya's concern. She's too tired to be more than resigned to it.