You guys are still alive, right?
Right?
"Wake up."
Clarke opened her eyes and she was surprised by who stood over her.
"Indra?" said Clarke as she slowly rose to her feet. She had been lying on the ground and her body ached with pain, "What are you–"
"Enough," said Indra and the older woman snapped her fingers. A green chain of light formed around Clarke's wrists and despite her best efforts, she could not break free.
"Let me go," said Clarke her lips twisted into a snarl, "I just want to be left alone. Why won't you let me be alone?"
"I do as Heda commands me," said Indra before jerking the chain forward. Clarke stumbled, but she kept her balance as she was guided through a myriad of hallways.
It was quiet. The hallways were dark and cool. Only the occasional lantern illuminated the passages, the sun having gone down long ago.
All too soon, they stood before a grand door. There were two guards posted at either side and Clarke could just barely hear the hum of conversation behind the door.
"Tell Heda I have her prize," said Indra to one of the guards and he sneered at Clarke before going inside. Clarke had been trying to break free of the chains but to no avail. None of her powers was available to her and for the first time in months, Clarke felt something that made her insides curl up and her muscles seize.
Fear.
Both of the doors were thrown open and Clarke was pulled forward by Indra. The room was full of people who stood on the sides, but there was something else that drew her attention as she was guided down a walkway.
Chairs.
There were six on either way of the walkway and Clarke despaired as she took in the sight of the Coalition's generals watching her. Their eyes were cold and dispassionate except for Ontari who seemed delighted.
Finally, they came to the end of the walkway and Clarke let out a groan as Indra forced her to kneel. The Trikru leader remained next to Clarke until a familiar voice gave Indra an order in Trigedasleng.
"Leave her,"
Anger and frustration boiled up as Clarke heard Lexa's voice. She tore her gaze away from the floor and instead looked up at Lexa. The Commander was seated in her throne and she had her warpaint on.
"People of the Coalition," said Lexa as she addressed the room, "Before you stands Clarke Griffin. Skaifaya. Wanheda. Destroyer of the Mountain."
Clarke could feel her anger grow as Lexa ticked off each of her titles. The crowd were hostile to her and jeers and expletives were thrown at Clarke until Lexa called for silence.
Clarke looked behind Lexa and she met the gaze of Anya and Costia whose faces were stony and set into something of a frown. Lexa seemed to notice her gaze and she held her hand out.
Costia was the one who obeyed Lexa's unspoken command. She unstrapped a dagger from her waist before placing it in the Commander's hand. Lexa took the dagger, but her hand lingered on Costia's.
Lexa pressed a kiss into Costia's hand which drew a smile from the latter. Clarke did her best to not show any emotion at the sight. However, Lexa's smug expression and the laughs from the crowd told Clarke that her efforts were in vain.
"You are strong, Clarke," said Lexa as she rose from her throne, "At least in body. However, you are weak where it matters most..."
"The mind."
Clarke felt her anger rise as Lexa stalked up to her. Indra's chains were still binding her wrists together, but she could feel a white-hot fire fill her veins. Lexa did not seem intimidated as she stopped in front of Clarke.
"You were too blind to see I used you to beat the Mountain," said Lexa her tone filled with something akin to pity, "You were too weak to strike me down and instead you sought for something unobtainable by someone like you, my heart."
"Clarke."
"I am not weak," said Lexa as she raised her dagger. The light from the torches in the room bounced off the smooth surface of the knife as it was raised above Lexa's head.
"Clarke."
Lexa's free hand came to rest on Clarke's chin and she pushed it up gently as she said her next words.
"Your fight is over, Clarke."
Lexa struck out with the knife and Clarke shut her eyes closed as an increasingly loud voice shouted her name from somewhere.
"Clarke!"
Clarke woke up with a start and the second she felt a hand on her shoulder she flipped the owner onto the bed as she reversed their positions. Clarke kept the intruder pinned beneath her and she was about to form a knife to stab them with when she saw who was beneath her.
"Oh my God," said Clarke as she climbed off the bed and helped the 'intruder' to their feet, "Luna, I didn't know it was you. Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"
Luna did not seem angry instead her face looked concerned as she said, "You had another nightmare. Look at the room."
Clarke followed Luna's suggestion and she sighed as she took in the sight of overturned furniture and clothes. It looked as though a hurricane had thrown the contents of the room around.
"Wait," said Clarke as she scanned the room frantically, "Where's–"
"Madi is sleeping with Adria tonight," said Luna as she rose to a sitting position on the bed, "This is the first one in months, Clarke. I've felt your turmoil for over a week now. What is bothering you?"
Clarke felt like lying. She wanted to tell Luna everything was fine and that they could just go back to bed. However, she knew any lie would be picked up by the older woman immediately.
"Do you still not trust me?" said Luna her tone only a little serious, "You and Madi have lived here for nine months now. I would have thought that by now–"
"It's not that," said Clarke smiling even though she didn't feel like it considering the circumstances, "You know I trust you, Luna. I trust you with my life. I trust you with Madi's life."
Another person would have thought that odd or callous of Clarke to say. However, Clarke knew Luna would understand the gravity of that statement. Clarke was not even nineteen yet, but she knew that she loved Madi more than anything.
Luna knew that too and she seemed to relax as she said, "Is it because of your...affliction?"
"It's not that. I'm fine now," said Clarke as she sat down next to Luna, "I got another message on the radio yesterday."
That sobered Luna up quickly, "The device your people gave you? Are they still trying to make contact with you?"
"No," said Clarke before shaking her head, "Apparently, people are looking for me."
"Who?"
"Everyone," said Clarke before sighing, "Trading has been good and there have been no fights at all except with some exiles. Until recently at least. "
"Your people are getting attacked?" questioned Luna, "Who is it?"
"They don't know," said Clarke, "A patrol of guards got attacked the other day. They were found dead in Mount Weather land."
"Why there?"
"I don't know," said Clarke, "The only hint they had was a drawing of me found near their bodies. It had a knife through it."
"Someone wants you dead," said Luna calmly as if there were not people gunning for Clarke's head, "It is to be expected. You are one of the strongest in the lands. The mighty Wanheda, feller of the Mountain."
News had spread of Clarke's legend like wildfire. The first time she had gone on a supply run in Sankru land she had been forced to flee so people would not associate her with Floukru.
Luckily, she had been alone looking for new boots when she had been found. The others from Floukru had not been linked with her and she was able to make her escape.
It had been only a few weeks, maybe three, after she had left Arkadia. The town was one of the bigger cities in Sankru, and it was surreal as she was recognised by person after person until she realised someone was following her.
She had left the town in the direction of the Azgeda-Trikru border before turning invisible and flying back to the rig. That had spooked Clarke so much she had not gone on a supply run since.
"It'll blow over," said Clarke as she laid down, but her words rang hollow even to herself, "Skaikru have been fine without me and they will continue to be fine."
Luna laid back down onto the bed and Clarke could feel the older woman's warm breath on the back of her neck. Clarke could feel the heat radiating from Luna who let out a sigh at Clarke's words.
"Take it from me, Clarke," Luna's voice was as gloomy as the void of space, "You cannot outrun your problems. They always catch up. Even here, you feel safe, but that will not last."
"There always has and always will be something that will try to disrupt your life, Clarke. I killed my brother for a position I never wanted. I wanted to just stay away from the world, but I came home instead and became the leader. Remember true peace–"
"True peace is given to those willing to fight for it," interrupted Clarke drawing a sigh from Luna, "I want to go on the next supply run. Madi has been begging to go for months now."
"We only need a few herbs for medicine last I checked," said Luna, "I don't think our other villages have the herbs we need either. You would be going into Trikru land for this."
"We'll be fine," said Clarke as she faked a yawn, "You've been training me and Madi for months and I could already beat you before all of that. We'll be fine."
Luna laid an arm over Clarke which caused the younger woman to turn around. Luna raised the hand that was around Clarke's waist to her head. Clarke stared into Luna's eyes as the moonlight illuminated the room.
"Fine," said Luna, "I need to go on a tour of Floukru villages once you return. Derrick was not happy I sent him the last time around."
"But," said Luna halting any words from Clarke, "Only if you can beat me in a fight tomorrow. We have not fought in a while."
Clarke was about to protest when Luna shook her head, "That's final. Now, sleep. I'll be right here."
Luna's fingers began to glow with a white light and within seconds, Clarke was pulled deep into sleep as she felt Luna move closer to her. She wouldn't wake up until the next morning.
"Why do you have to fight Luna for us to go?" said Madi as she watched Clarke go through a couple of stretches. They were on the beach used to signal the ship and where Clarke had met Luna for the first time.
Clarke had expected to be dragged back kicking and screaming to Polis, but instead, she had woken up in a bed with Madi watching over her. That had been nine months ago and it felt like it had gone past quickly.
"Because Luna is too cautious, " said Clarke as she finished her stretches, "We just need to get a few herbs and plants from Aryl. It's not too far from here. Don't worry I'll make this quick."
Madi giggled at that and Clarke turned as she heard the sound of sticks breaking. Luna had gone off to into the woods and she returned with a deer that she was now dragging behind her.
"What's all this?" said Clarke as she looked at the deer. Luna dropped her prize to the ground and she also put down the small crossbow she had in her other hand.
"This," said Luna while motioning to the carcass, "Is going to be prepared for everyone on the rig. You guys are going to miss out, unfortunately. Do you still want to go, Madi? Deer is your favourite..."
"Don't try to manipulate her," said Clarke as she preempted any response from the girl, "I'll catch a deer for Madi when we come back. In fact, I'll let her catch it herself."
"Really?" said Madi as she smiled up at Clarke, "I've been begging you to go on a hunt for so long! Does it have to be a deer or can it be anything I want?"
"We'll discuss that later," said Clarke as she moved towards a large section of flat ground, "I just need to take care of something quickly."
Luna caught Clarke's hint and she seemed eager to begin as she stood opposite Clarke. Luna raised a hand towards as she said the stipulations of the spar.
"First one to get brought to the ground three times, okay?"
"Perfect," said Clarke before staring at Luna's offered hand, "I'm not touching that. If you want some, come get some."
Luna drew out her sword and in response, Clarke made one out of light. They began to circle each other for a few seconds before finally, Luna charged. Clarke blocked the swing before pushing back against Luna.
Normally, she would be able to overpower Luna immediately if she used her full strength, but one of the more valuable things Luna had taught her was to fight without her powers.
Luna kept swinging her sword towards Clarke, but she was able to stay ahead of the sword and she blocked the swings that came too close for comfort.
In a fit of impatience, Clarke decided to do something that would take Luna by surprise. She waited for Luna to lash out with her sword before acting. Clarke dispelled her sword and caught Luna's blade with her bare hand. Blood dripped from her hand as the sword cut into her palm and Luna stood still for just one second.
That was all she needed.
Clarke let go of the sword before dropping to her feet and sweeping Luna's legs out from under her. Luna fell onto her back and Clarke was on top of her holding a dagger to her throat.
"One point to me," said Clarke before she rose to her feet. Luna did not seem particularly impressed, but Madi clapping in the background showed she enjoyed the bout.
"You are too rash, Clarke," said Luna as she flicked the blood off of her blade, "What if my sword had been poisoned? You would be dead in minutes if not seconds."
"Why would you poison your sword for a spar?" countered Clarke which drew a reluctant smile from Luna, "I've got an idea. The next point counts as double. Winner takes all."
To sweeten the deal, Clarke held her hand out and Luna looked at it with scepticism before finally shaking Clarke's hand. A second later, a roaring flame began to form in the palm of Luna's hands and without delay, she shot a blast of fire at Clarke.
They were standing on a sandy beach and so Clarke could not raise a wall to protect. Instead, she formed a psionic dome and the fire washed over the dark blue of the dome keeping her perfectly safe.
"So you got fire from me," said Clarke once the wave of flames died down, "What else did you get?"
*!*
Clarke flipped backwards as Instinct activated and she watched as a bolt of lightning slammed into her previous position. The sand was boiled as the bolt ran across its surface before dying down.
"Lightning is number two," said Clarke as she looked at Luna, "I can work with that."
Clarke sped towards Luna and lashed out with a kick. Luna, as expected, was able to react on time and she ducked underneath Clarke's kick. Clarke slipped from missing her balance and she let out a groan as she felt Luna tap her hand.
Clarke let out a blast of wind and she turned around to see Luna sailing in the air. Clarke was worried for a bit until wings spread from behind Luna and she was able to correct her flight. Luna's power was terribly annoying she had the ability to copy two random powers of anyone she touched temporarily.
Clarke was well aware of the irony of her thoughts.
Or at least it was random if she did not know what powers they had. It was why when they had fought in this beach all those months ago it looked like Luna had all the powers Clarke had.
Luna had more powers aside from her mimicry, but they were a bit of a mixed bag aside from the physical boost of being a nightblood. Mimicry, Sleep inducement, power sensory and finally–
Clarke was pulled from her thoughts as a surge of water was pulled from the ocean. They had moved even further away from Madi and Clarke spared a look behind her to see that Madi was okay before turning back to the wave.
Clarke raised her hands and wrestled for control of the wave from Luna. Clarke's muscles strained as she pushed until finally, she gained control of the wave. She was about to send it towards Luna, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Clarke looked all around her. Up. Left. Right. Down. Her paranoia overtook her for a second as she looked back over her shoulder, but still nothing.
It was only when Clarke turned her gaze on the static mass of water that she realised Luna had been hiding right in front of her. Luna seemed to realise the jig was up and she shot out of the water with a glowing trident in her hand.
Clarke let go of her control of the water and ducked underneath Luna's lunge. Luna continued to used to the trident to stab Clarke and she was forced to evade the thrusts and slashes.
Water began to pool around Clarke's ankles, but luckily her feet were kept dry thanks to her boots. Luna seemed to gro frustrated that Clarke was staying one step ahead of her and she changed her trident into a pair of daggers.
Now that Clarke was able to get closer to Luna, she switched onto the offensive. She stomped down onto the ground and tendrils of muddy water wrapped around Luna. Clarke was able to walk closer to the other woman and she stopped right in front of Luna.
Clarke raised a finger and electricity began to sparkle across it. She looked towards Luna who looked defiant until she sighed heavily.
"You win," said Luna her voice sounding just a little annoyed. Before she could respond, though, Clarke was surprised as a sudden cheer came from right beside them. Madi was standing next to them and Clarke sighed as she saw that the hem of Madi's pants were in the dirty water.
It seemed like Clarke and Madi would have to wait for a bit longer before heading for Trikru.
Monty was laying on his bed as he enjoyed a rare moment of solitude. Harper was out with the evening hunting parties, as was the norm. Her power to control animals made things easy for the hunters, but it resulted in them having no time to spend together.
Monty had been 'promoted' from guard duty and farm duty to working in engineering as well. The only incentive he had been given was to be moved into a room of his own instead of living in the dorms and in no time at all Harper had moved her stuff inside as well.
Not that he had a problem with that.
Although it was monotonous working in engineering it had quite literally saved his life. There had been an unexpected failure with the radios as well as the power around the camp. Monty had been pulled from his squad and they had been sent off without him.
That was the last time they had been seen alive.
The rover was found abandoned west of Arkadia, but it was completely empty. It was only once Echo, Bellamy and Lincoln had been deployed that they were able to track where the bodies were taken to.
Bellamy had relayed to Monty the scene. The guards that had been deployed had no powers of their own and had been easy pickings. They had all been strung up on the outside of Mount Weather's front entrance.
To make matter worse, Bellamy had shown him a sketch of Clarke that had been pinned to a tree with a knife. The knife had been planted right in between her eyes and it was a clear message as anything.
Monty had been able to keep the secret of Clarke's radio until now. He had tried at various times to convince her to return, but the lack of response made it clear Clarke wanted to be alone.
Monty did not even bother assuming that Clarke was dead or captured. There was no way someone would or could capture Clarke. The most likely clans to try something like that would also publicise and they had heard nothing of the sort from the traders that came to Arkadia.
"Monty, come in."
Bellamy's voice came in over his radio and Monty picked it up from his desk, "What's up?"
"Come to Hall 619," said Bellamy's and he sounded more serious than ever, "Bring Octavia and Lincoln too. They're training right now."
"Roger that," said Monty, "What about the others? Should I call them?"
"I have that covered," said Bellamy, "Echo, Miller, Monroe and Jasper are going to be sent to check on the Mountain with a couple of guards."
"Is that what this is about?" said Monty as he tensed up at the mention of the Mountain.
"We'll talk more in person."
Bellamy did not provide any more words than that and Monty put on his boots and took his radio before leaving his room. There was some traffic around the Ark and it only got more crowded as he stepped out into the evening air
.
Bright, fluorescent lights were used to light up the camp even though the sky was still a muted grey. The days were getting shorter as winter approached. According to Lincoln, the seasons were not as they remembered.
Some years winter could last months on end and others were more regular having three months split evenly. Apparently, it had been far worse in the older days, but things were said to be normalising again if their data was to be believed.
Monty finally made to where Octavia and Lincoln were sparring. There were a couple of other people doing the same, but theirs was the most engaging by a long way.
Octavia seemed to have grown tired of the fight and she punched Lincoln hard in the stomach. Octavia's arm was encased in crystal and Lincoln hunched over as her fist slammed into his stomach.
Octavia kneed Lincoln in the face before climbing on top of him. Her hand shifted into a blade and she held it up to Lincoln's neck. Their conversation was too soft for Monty to pick up anything, but he rolled his eyes when he saw Octavia lean down and kiss Lincoln.
It was as if they had forgotten where they were and so Monty decided to save his friends some face. He ran onto the training field and called out to the two of them.
"Guys," said Monty and he had to repeat himself before the two separated, "You do know where you are right?"
Octavia spared a look at the people around them and all of them had stopped to watch Octavia and Lincoln. They looked away, though, once Octavia glared at them which drew a chuckle from Lincoln and a sigh from Monty.
"We need to get to Hall 619," said Monty as he helped the two of them to their feet, "Your brother called a meeting. He sounded pretty grumpy."
"He's been that way since he broke up with Gina," Octavia pointed out, but she followed Monty anyways, "So I'm guessing this is about the guards he found at Mount Weather. "
"Yeah," said Monty, "Echo, Jasper, Miller and Monroe and some guards are getting sent to investigate. Kane and Abby are spooked about this."
"That's a lot of firepower, " said Octavia and Monty could only hum in response, "There has to be something they're not telling us."
It was definitely within the realms of possibilities. Of all the delinquents, only Bellamy and Raven held high positions in the camp with both of them being the deputies of the Guard and Engineering respectively.
"Kane and Abby don't tell anyone much of anything at all, " said Monty, "I don't think it's about them, though."
"Who then?" Octavia asked, but a second later she answered her own question, "You think this is about Clarke? She left us, Monty. We've been just fine without her."
Octavia had, at first, been saddened by Clarke's unexpected departure. They all knew by now that Clarke had killed Finn after he had gone on a murder spree. Raven had not reacted well when Clarke broke the news to her and that had been the last day Clarke had been at camp.
The delinquents all reacted in different ways. Jasper, Miller, Harper and Monroe carried on, as usual, deciding to not act one way or the other. Monty was similar in that he did not really change one way or the other.
The most affected by Clarke's departure had been Bellamy, Octavia and Raven. Bellamy and Octavia were similar in that they had dedicated themselves to getting stronger, but they both held a distaste for Clarke.
Not for what she did for Finn, but for just leaving them and high and dry. It was frustrating to watch how the siblings' relationship with Clarke seemed to oscillate between hot and cold.
Any attempts to try and convince them to let go of their anger was ineffective at best. They channelled their anger into getting stronger and it had worked as Monty was sure only Echo and Raven could comfortably beat them when one on one.
Bellamy was the one most willing to reason and Monty was sure he had let go of his anger by now. Octavia and Raven, though, were another case entirely.
Raven had not changed in any way or that was what she tried to show. She would do her physio, practice her powers and help out in engineering. In fact, Raven did her best to act as if Clarke did not exist.
The few times Clarke's name was brought up around Raven often caused the mechanic to either leave the room or just close off from the world sometimes for days at a time. It soon became apparent to everyone that Clarke's name was anathema to Raven.
They finally reached Hall 619 and inside were the four going on the trip to the Mountain and Bellamy. Monty, Lincoln and Octavia took a seat on the chairs. Bellamy was the only one standing up and he was about to begin when Raven walked in.
"You made it," said Bellamy before pointing to a seat, "Sit down. This won't take too long."
"Is this about the guards at Mount Weather?" said Octavia and Bellamy nodded before giving a pointed look towards Monty.
Bellamy had not told anyone except Monty about the sketch of Clarke he had found. Lincoln and Echo one about the sketch and Clarke did as well if she had listened to his message.
Bellamy reached into his pocket and Monty was not surprised to see him take out a dagger and cloth. Everyone else not in the know seemed confused until the paper was unfurled that they seemed to understand.
"Why are you showing us a drawing of Clarke?" said Jasper as he stared at the picture, "It's pretty damn good. The nose is a bit big though..."
Jasper's joke fell flat and the boy didn't seem terribly bothered by it on the outside, but Monty knew he was just a little hurt on the inside. Bellamy's serious demeanour had done a lot to stave off any levity from the room.
"Lincoln, Echo and I found this drawing at the Mountain with the dead guards," said Bellamy before picking up the dagger, "This was found in between Clarke's eyes. This is clearly a message."
"So someone wants to kill Clarke?" said Octavia drawing a nod from Bellamy, "Why should we care? She left us and now we're supposed to scramble to help her. No ways. She can take care of this herself."
"I'm not happy with Clarke either, O," said Bellamy before turning course, "But she is the one that got you all out of the Mountain and you saw what she had to do back there."
Octavia seemed to sag at Bellamy's words. A few of them had volunteered to help clean up the Mountain and get as many supplies as possible from the Mountain. It had taken careful negotiations with Trikru, but in the end, they had been allowed to go ahead.
Once they were in there, they had seen the carnage Clarke had brought upon the Mountain. Hundreds of corpses had to be brought to the incinerator and the smell of burning flesh had been imprinted on the minds of everyone who had been there.
"That is not the only problem you have," said Echo as she stood up and walked over to Bellamy, "Whether you like it or not, Clarke is seen as Skaikru. The clans willing to kill her think the same which is why they will try to goad her out of hiding."
"That's why they were killed," said Octavia a bit shamefaced, "To draw Clarke out from wherever she is. She could be dead for all we know!"
"She's not dead," said Raven causing the room to plunge into silence. Everyone seemed to be on edge as they remembered Raven was in the room. In a deviation from the norm, Raven did not seem bothered by their current conversation.
"Raven is right," said Echo once it became clear Raven was not going to add anything, "If Clarke were killed or captured then one of two things would have happened. One, Skaikru would have been coerced into being absorbed by a clan."
"What's the other?"
Echo turned to Monty and said one word that made his insides curl up.
"War."
"I thought the Coalition was strong," said Octavia, "Why would anyone want war?"
"The Coalition was shaky at best," said Echo and she seemed to hesitate before continuing to speak, "In Azgeda, Queen Nia would keep trying to push Lexa. However, she had no weaknesses and was the strongest warrior in all the clans."
"Was?"
"She's talking about Clarke," said Bellamy, "You guys were not there for her gauntlet. I was in the crowd with Kane. They were going crazy for Clarke. She beat the heads of every clan's military. And then she beat the Mountain Men on her own."
"Why would they only act now?" said Miller, "It's been like nine months since she left."
"We don't know," said Bellamy, "We don't even know who 'they' are."
"So what are we meant to do now?" said Octavia, "We just wait for the next attack?"
"No," said Bellamy, "Once the ones going to the Mountain come back then we're going to look for Clarke."
"She could be anywhere," said Monroe drawing nods from the others, "We don't have enough time."
"There's only one place she would have gone to," said Lincoln silencing everyone else.
"The Boat People," said Echo drawing a nod from Lincoln.
"The who?" said Jasper mirroring the confusion of everyone else.
"Floukru," said Lincoln, "It's where I was going before I got caught by the Maunon. They are the smallest clan and they don't believe in fighting. Trikru has always had a good relationship with them. They're located east from here."
"Their leader is also very strong," said Echo, "She's a nightblood from the Commander's Conclave. No one tries anything with Floukru because that would mean crossing Trikru."
"It sounds like you two already had an idea of where Clarke went," said Bellamy drawing nods from both of the Grounders," Why didn't you guys say anything?"
Echo was the one to answer, "Clarke turned me and Lincoln back into normal humans. Reapers usually die, but she was the one who cured us. We swore loyalty to Clarke and we would not do anything to betray that promise."
"She wanted to get away from here," said Lincoln, "Peace of mind is something rarely available in our world. Clarke deserved to be alone. If she is with Luna then she will be fine."
"Would this Luna tell us if Clarke was there?" asked Miller drawing a shake of the head from Lincoln, "So what are we meant to do?"
Monty had been silent for the majority of the meeting, but he knew he had to speak up. If more people got hurt then it would be selfish of him to say anything.
"I know how to speak to Clarke."
Everyone in the room looked at him and their surprise was as clear as day. Their eyes were boring into Monty in a wordless command for him to elaborate.
"I bumped into her when she was trying to leave," said Monty glancing at Raven who seemed calm, "I gave her a radio and told her to keep it on the same channel so I could reach her."
"Has she ever responded?" asked Bellamy drawing a shake of the head from Monty, "She could have destroyed it for all we know."
"She didn't," said Monty as he pulled out his radio, "Trust me, guys."
"Clarke," said Madi as she walked next to the woman, "Your hair smells nice. You should keep it that colour."
Clarke smiled as she heard the innocent request from Madi. They had been in Trikru territory for over a day now and Clarke had been forced to figure out a disguise for herself. The best she was able to do was use red berries to dye her hair.
According to Luna, it would last so long as Clarke did not get her hair wet, but even then streaks of red would remain for weeks after. In truth, Clarke was not a fan of her hair being an almost bloody red, but Madi made things a bit easier.
"I'll think about it," said Clarke smiling before it was immediately wiped away as she heard the distant sound of voices, "Don't look anyone in the eye, okay Madi? If there's any trouble then you run. The rig is east from here and if you get lost just signal me."
The change Madi went from outgoing to reserved happened in an instant and Clarke bit the inside of her lip at the sight of Madi's stony face. It had taken a while to get Madi to come out her shell more and despite Clarke's best efforts, Madi was only outgoing when she was around Clarke, Luna and Adria.
It showed that the girl still battled with ghosts of her own and it tore Clarke up that she could not make them disappear. Madi was strong, though, Clarke and Luna had made sure of that. That didn't mean Clarke didn't prefer for Madi to not have to use her powers, but that was wishful thinking.
They were able to get into the nearby village without much of a fuss and they were able to locate an inn that had a bar attached. Another thing that was decidedly unexpected about the Grounders was that they had their own system of currency.
All clans had their own set except for Floukru who made use of Trikru's currency. The Coalition stipulated that all currency was permissible everywhere and that had made the Commander popular with some of the weaker clans.
Clarke paid at the front desk and she tried to be as curt as possible to the woman that ran the inn who had insisted on getting them settled.
Niylah moved here after her father died and she had sold her trading post's entire stock before buying this place from some elder who, in Niylah's words, had not been long for this world.
It was rather quaint and not terribly big, but Niylah seemed happy enough with what she had managed to procure. It was nice to know that people could still aspire to have a business like this despite the state of the ground.
"Could I get you something to drink?" said Niylah as she stood in the doorway. Madi had practically thrown herself on the bed and was probably half asleep.
"I can't," said Clarke as she gestured towards Madi, "I have to look after her."
"Is she your sister?"
"No, but she's family to me," said Clarke.
"I see," said Niylah, "How long are you in town for?"
"We leave tomorrow, " said Clarke, "We don't like to stay in one place. It's not a life we want to live."
"A life like that must be difficult," said Niylah as she stepped closer to Clarke, "Do you ever get lonely?"
"We have each other," said Clarke she tried to stay calm even as Niylah stepped closer to her, "That's all she needs for now."
"Is that all you need?"
Clarke did not answer Niylah's question and the other woman stepped closer to Clarke before pulling her into a kiss. Clarke was frozen still as she felt Niylah's hands on the back of her head. A small part of her wanted to give in, but Clarke squashed that as she pushed Niylah away softly.
"I'm sorry, I–"
"It's fine," said Clarke as she tried to dispel the awkward air, "Don't worry about it. "
Niylah seemed rather upset by the turn of events before she shook her head. Clarke wondered why Niylah stayed behind until she said words that made Clarke pause.
"You did not apply those berries properly, Wanheda,"
A dagger of green light formed in Clarke's hand and she was about to attack when Niylah raised her hands.
"I knew who you were from the moment you stepped in," said Niylah and from this close Clarke could see Niylah's eyes were an unnatural green. They faded back to a normal shade and Clarke let her knife dispel.
"What do you want?" said Clarke as she made sure to stand in between Niylah and Madi.
"Nothing," said Niylah the awkwardness from their kiss lingered, but both women put it out their minds, "You defeated the Mountain Men. My parents were killed by them. I owe you more than you know."
Clarke was still a bit wary of Niylah and she tensed up as Niylah reached into her pocket, but Clarke relaxed once she saw it was simply a scarf.
"Tie that around your mouth when you go out," said Niylah, "Your face is well known. It would serve you well if you wish to avoid any problems.
"I'll apply the berries to your hair in the morning," said Niylah, "The shade you've chosen is too dark to be natural and will wash away within hours in the sun."
With that Niylah was gone and Clarke could finally breathe easy. Madi had thankfully not been woken up and as Clarke settled down next to Madi she was left alone with her thoughts.
Clarke let her hand run through Madi's hair. Madi moved closer to Clarke in her sleep and despite the stressful situation she had just gone through Clarke could not help, but smile if only for a little bit.
Niylah had caught Clarke off guard twice. A part of Clarke wished Niylah had just wanted to fight her and nothing else because that kiss brought up things Clarke did not want to think about.
Deep down, more than anything, Clarke just wanted peace, but that seemed so far out of reach. Clarke owed Luna more than the other woman could know. If she had been alone for these past few months, Clarke had no idea what she would have done or who she would have become.
The fight never ends. That was the reality of Clarke's life and for the life of her, Clarke wished she could just give in to what her heart wanted, but even then it felt like she was being pulled in multiple directions.
How could she follow her heart when she wasn't even sure what it was telling her? It was better and safer and smarter to think with her head. Logic was cold and unfeeling and that was what Clarke needed to be. For Madi. For Luna. For Skaikru.
Clarke took out her radio and she very nearly caved and called Monty, but instead, she turned the radio off. She wouldn't make a decision one way or the other just yet. There was wisdom in caution.
Monty sat alone in engineering as he tapped away at his computer. His attempt to contact Clarke last night had gone abysmally. It had done nothing, but wasted time and Monty had to sit with egg on his face as Bellamy explained the plan to go to Floukru once everyone returned.
The only ones who were not going were Monroe and Harper because both of them were key parts of the hunting groups and they were important to keep the food stores at a suitable level. It was an open invitation and no one had to come if they did not want to.
After all, it was quite a serious violation of their agreement with the Commander if they went traipsing into the territory of another clan and this was before they went past several miles of Trikru territory.
Monty was simply doing a routine systems checkup when he heard the door open. Raven walked in and she sat beside him as she watched him type lines and lines of code at a rapid pace.
"You should offer lessons or something on coding," said Raven as she peered at the computer screen, "You're one of like five people that know how to code. I can guarantee you will have at least one student."
"I'll think about it. I'm way too busy as it is," said Monty a bit distracted by he typed a few more lines before he leaned back in his chair and turned to Raven, "Was there a reason you came in here?"
"Why didn't you tell anyone about Clarke's radio?" said Raven, "You must have seen how worried Abby was for weeks that Clarke was in danger. If it weren't for Kane who knows how she would have ended up. I saw her breakdown almost every day I went for physio."
"Look, Raven," said Monty with an edge to his voice, "Clarke asked me to never say anything and I promised her that I wouldn't unless it was important. I'm sure Clarke knew what leaving would do to Abby, but she still did anyway and no small part was due to that fight you guys had."
Raven leaned back as if she was struck, but Minty cut off any words from her, "I'm not blaming you for being mad at Clarke. You knew Finn for most of your life and obviously, you'd be angry at her. Anyone would. You're only human."
Raven looked down and cradled her head in her hands as Monty continued, "The thing is, though, is that people forget Clarke is just human too. We're all she has and she left all that behind. She wanted some time away and I know if the roles were reversed she'd do the same for any of us. It killed me to see Abby in the state she was. I didn't even tell Harper that I could contact Clarke."
"Clarke coming back before she was ready would have only hurt you, her, Abby and Bellamy and Octavia."
Monty breathed heavily as he let out what felt like a mountain on his soul. Even though his attempt to contact Clarke had failed miserably it still felt good to not have to keep the secret anymore.
"I guess so," said Raven as she stared at the radio on the desk, "There's still no response?"
"No," said Monty before he heard the klaxon that marked the opening of the gate, "Is that the squad going to search around the Mountain?"
"Yeah," said Raven as she rose to her feet, "I'll be seeing you around."
Monty waved Raven goodbye and once again focused on checking the system of the Ark. You could never be too careful after all.
"You said this will come off in water?" Clarke said to Niylah as she looked at her hair. It was now a more natural shade of red and while it was still vivid it was nowhere near as eye-catching as before.
Madi stood next Clarke and she did not need a disguise since she was just a little kid. Clarke picked up the scarf she was given and she tied it around her mouth.
"Wearing a scarf like that is common amongst Sankru people," said Niylah, "You will be fine if you make haste. The more people they are when you're awake, the more likely you'll get caught."
Clarke and Madi soon bade farewell to the innkeeper and began their search around town for what they needed. The plants were going to be used for preserving food and also for medicinal purposes.
Clarke did not know much about botany, but it was interesting to note that the Grounders had renamed certain plants. It made sense, after all, there was no remnant of the old world standing and this was just a result of that.
It took them a while to find the first of the herbs on the list. It was used to make teas that would alleviate the flu. The vendor was quite stubborn about the price which had been way too high and eventually Clarke had brought her down to a suitable price.
This was how the rest of their day went. Clarke and Madi walked all over the town going from vendor to vendor and trying to negotiate fair prices. It was probably the middle of the afternoon when they finished up.
Clarke had been vigilant about whether she was being followed for the first hour, but nothing had happened at all. She and Madi were practically invisible to the residents of the town. They were finally done and Clarke was sure she could make it back to the rig within two hours of running and flying.
They were now walking down a dirt path as they took the exit out of the town. They walked for ten minutes and soon were back into the woods. The forest was alive with life before it almost abruptly became silent.
Clarke stopped in her tracks and Madi followed suit. Clarke put a hand on Madi's shoulder and she bent forward to whisper in the girl's ear.
"We might have trouble. I'll cause a distraction and you run. Use your powers and do not get caught, Madi."
Madi's expression was a mix of serious and fearful that made Clarke wish that nothing would happen. Clarke knew that either their pursuers knew who she was or they were bandits trying their luck.
Clarke could not afford for her pursuers to find their way to the rig. It would not bode well for anyone if she were found in Floukru territory and it was essentially inviting danger to their doorstep.
Clarke continued to walk with Madi and as the forest remained eerily silent she kept scanning for any sign of a body. A tense two minutes later, they had still not been attacked. Perhaps they were spooked by the chance that Clarke was onto them.
Just when Clarke thought they were going to be left alone, however, a twig snapped from somewhere. Clarke paused and she just looked at Madi. The girl understood the command and her body turned invisible before there was a blast of air as she took off.
Madi could only fly at full speed for about ten minutes, but that went down when she used her cloak as well. That meant Clarke would have to finish this one quickly.
Clarke shrugged off the bag of herbs she was holding and she let it drop to the floor. Niylah's scarf was still around her mouth and so her voice was just a little muffled when Clarke called out to the trees.
"I'm giving you five seconds to leave. If you're still here by then, you'll regret it."
Five.
Clarke began to build up psionic energy.
Four.
Dark blue energy began to rise from Clarke's body.
Three.
The sounds of arrows being drawn back drew Clarke's attention.
Two.
The hum of a sword being drawn filled the clearing.
One.
Clarke's eyes began to emanate dark blue energy.
Zero.
At once, a flurry of arrows was fired from the treetops. Clarke let out a pulse of psionic energy and the arrows were sent flying off course. Someone was running towards her from the ground and Clarke saw the gleam of a sword.
She raised her hand and fired a blast at her assailant. The person was cloaked in a brown hood but was sent flying away through a tree. The hood fell to reveal a woman with no clan markings and her facial orifices oozed blood. Her skull was misshapen and Clarke knew she was dead.
She felt nothing.
Four people also in hoods dropped down to the floor. They surrounded Clarke and one of them raised his hand as he said, "Wanheda, we wish you no harm."
Clarke pointed a hand at the man and was about to shoot him down when he continued to speak, "We know it's you, but that's not why we are here."
The jig was up and Clarke removed her scarf, "How did you find me and what do you want off?"
"Your power is immense," said the man, "I could sense you from a long way away. To answer your second question, we want you to join our side."
"Your side?"
"Yes," said the man confidently, "The side of those who have been wronged by the Commander. She is weak. She has forced clans to break their traditions. Weaker clans are fed on the sweat of the larger ones. Is that fair? Is it our fault that our ancestors fought to survive and won?"
Clarke remained silent as she regarded the group of four. None of them was in any threatening stances, but Clarke kept her arm up pointed at the leader.
"And she continues to impose her will on us even though she abandoned the attack on the Mountain. She abandoned you and left you to the Maunon. You destroyed the Mountain down to their last spawn. Skaikru cured the Ripas. Yet, Lexa remains in power. "
The other people were nodding along with the man as he said, "A worthy Commander would never have abandoned you. War is brewing, Wanheda. We ask you now do you wish for your people to live in peace under a fair and trustworthy ruler or do you wish to stay in your metal husks with your safety only guaranteed by the fickle will of the Commander."
Clarke's feats were proven correct. The Coalition was splintered. Multiple clans had no faith in Lexa and were actively making moves to overthrow her. No doubt a lot of clans had received similar offers like this one. She was seen as the leader of Skaikru and so here they were.
How many clans had accepted this offer?
"I refuse your offer," said Clarke and she watched as the hooded warriors took a step forward, "Skaikru is not a part of the Coalition. Your quarrels are your own. Do not make this our problem."
That sealed the matter and as she was attacked from behind Clarke spun before shooting bolts of electricity at her attacker. Her would-be assassin was stopped in his or her tracks before Clarke dispelled the stream and watched as cardiac arrest took over the assassin's body.
*!*
Clarke spun around and avoided the thrust of a spear. Another one of the assassins tried to run her through with his sword, but Clarke was able to avoid that as well. She stomped down on the ground and spikes punched through the body of the spear holder.
Clarke enveloped the other assassin in psionic energy before immediately crushing their body. A scream was cut off immediately and Clarke turned to the leader only to grimace when she saw there was no one.
*!*
Clarke jumped into the air, but her feet were caught by the leader who had leapt out of her shadow. He slammed Clarke into the ground and her vision blurred as he loomed over her.
"You chose wrong."
Clarke felt tendrils wrap around her limb and despite her best efforts, she could not escape. She spared a glance to her limbs and she saw what looked like solid shadow wrapped around her. The man's face was covered with a mask of some animal and this was what Clarke was staring at as he wrapped his hands around her neck.
Clarke was about to activate her fire cloak when a gleaming green arrow punched through the stomach of the man. The tendrils disappeared from Clarke's limbs and she was able to reverse their positions immediately. She was about to snap his neck when he sunk into the shadows.
"You'll regret this, Sky Princess."
He was gone.
Clarke rose to her feet and she tracked the source of the arrow to–
"Madi?" said Clarke as she ran to the girl and pulled her into a hug, "I thought I told you to run."
"You're family," said Madi and that was all that needed to be said.
"Let's go home."
Clarke flew high in the sky as fast as she could. She reached the rig in less than an hour of hard flying which she had achieved by making her wings flap as fast as she could with her superspeed. Madi looked about ready to faint when they landed and Clarke pressed a glowing hand to the girl's temple.
Madi recovered almost immediately and moments after the girl stood up straight, did Luna come up to the deck. Luna seemed concerned as she took in the red blood on Clarke's shirt and the hard look in Clarke's eyes.
"We have a problem."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Did any of them have any identifying accents or weapons?" said Luna as she sat opposite Clarke in her room.
Madi was already asleep on the bed night having fallen not too long ago. Luna and Clarke were going over every possible detail from the attack. They had been at it for hours now.
"No," said Clarke, "Generic spears, swords and arrows. They could be anyone in the Coalition except–"
"Except for us," said Luna drawing a nod from Clarke, "I am sure Nia is involved, but without any proof, it would be useless. I need to go on that tour now more than ever. My warriors need to know that our peace will not last much longer."
"I also need to go back to Arkadia," said Clarke a frown marring her face, "They won't stop at attacking me and I need to be there to protect my people."
"I know," said Luna as she smiled Clarke causing the other woman to glance away, "You would not be if you did something else."
"I am leaving soon. Time is of the essence," said Luna and in truth, Clarke was not surprised, "By the time we see each other again, we could be at war."
They both rose from the bed and Luna pulled Clarke into a tight hug which was returned just as fiercely. No words were exchanged, but there was no need for either of them to say anything. They already knew what the other would say.
Finally, they stepped back and Clarke blinked away the haze her mind had fallen into. Luna's hair glowed brightly from the candlelight and it gave her an almost ethereal appearance.
"May we meet again," said Luna as she stepped away and Clarke smiled ruefully at Luna as she left the room.
"May we meet again."
Luna was out the door a moment later and Clarke was left alone with Madi and her thoughts. Clarke dropped back down to the bed before rising almost immediately as something hard poked into her.
She turned and saw it was her radio which she had turned off. She turned it on immediately and she was surprised as the voice of Monty came over the radio.
"I'm telling you guys," said Monty, "She'll pick up. Trust me. Clarke, come in."
Clarke let out a sigh when she heard the voice of Bellamy come over the radio. They had to let go of the button for her to speak. What could have happened for them to forget something so simple?
"Guys, we don't have time for this. We've got to move. They're in trouble. Raven if you're with him, take that away from Monty. I'm waiting at the gate. We'll use this channel to communicate. Over."
No sound was broadcast and Clarke took the opportunity to speak. However, she was too late and the radio crackled as she heard a voice she hadn't heard in months.
"Sorry, Bellamy, but this is important," said Raven, "I don't know if you can hear me, Clarke, but this is important. Miller, Jasper, Monroe and Echo are gone. They got sent to the Mountain to help investigate, but they're gone. The other guards were all knocked out or killed, but they're gone."
Clarke gasped at this news. No wonder everyone sounded so frantic. This was an emergency. It was no coincidence she got attacked on the same day as this.
"I know we have our differences, Clarke," continued Raven causing Clarke to close her eyes, "But those guys need you. I-We need you."
Raven's voice was cut off and this time Clarke didn't hesitate. She pressed down on the radio and spoke clearly into its microphone.
"I'm on my way."
Author notes:
Don't look at me like that, guys. I know. Seriously.
This is way overdue. Like wow, this took me way longer to get out than I expected. The last update was last decade. I'll be surprised if any one of you is still alive.
Jokes aside, sorry for the delay. I've been focusing on other projects, but don't think I've abandoned this. I've put too much on this already.
I wanted to do a transitional chapter, but that would have been pointless. So I slapped a nine-month time skip to get the ball rolling. I like this version a lot better. It only took me about a week to write this one.
So, things are already a mess. Poor Clarke. When things go bad for her they go real bad. Clarke spent nine months on the rig and forged bonds with Luna(who I still love despite what she tried to do in canon) and Madi.
As always, I would love to hear what you thought about this chapter so please drop a review and subscribe to this story if you haven't already and my PM lines are always open.
