A/N: And this chapter (long and in advance) should make up for all the late updates... This is THE Chapter so...I expect reviews for this one ;)

I mostly use the italic for sentences written in English but meant to be in another language, be it Trigedasleng or Italian. And if there are no " " it's someone's thoughts.

I'm sorry if there are mistakes, English is not my language.

Also... I'm looking for a beta to go over the story and help me with a few points and to get new ideas, so if you want to help me, contact me on tumblr my username is justawordunsaid or on twitter Sara_NobodyO

If you like it, please leave a review! Enjoy!


Chapter Fifteen: Loved ones

The soldiers guarding the people able to fight are no more than six and they can surely handle those. Nyx figures the main problem is that a lot of those prisoners are injured and won't be able to fight, she still counted a pretty good number of people who can though so she thinks they can win.

Clarke and Xavier will at first stay behind and help those who have the worst injuries, and join the fight later.

As they make their way to where the soldiers keep the prisoners, in a large room that must have been a store of sort, she thinks back to the last weeks. She was angry about Clarke lying to her, she understood though, what bothered her the most is that she had come to trust the stranger in very little time and thought they were actually bonding. So after hearing the truth she was pissed at herself for being childish and foolish, but then Clarke found a way to get close to her again in the little time they've spent on the road and Nyx can't help but feel like their friendship is an inevitable one. Clarke is strong, broken maybe, but still determined and passionate, she doesn't need anyone's help or protection and can pretty much handle herself in any situation. She's more than just a survivor, that girl says she fights for her people and now for some sort of redemption, she tells Nyx what brought her to victory is desperation, but the warrior knows better. She sees how Clarke fights for life, no matter what, no matter how broken she is, no matter how much she lost, no matter if people believe in her or not, she fights with all she has to stay alive. She survived a war and it's killing her, because survival is not enough, Nyx can see that in every sad smile, in every nostalgic glance at the sun set as if it held something she once had in her own eyes. Those tired, lost eyes, that still look up to the sky, at the stars, they still search for lights and colours in the forest, they still capture the dancing flame of a fire as if recalling the time when a fire burned in them too. Nyx has watched Clarke every day, she has seen the cracked, noticed the shattered pieces left around, but she also has caught a glimpse at something that not even Clarke herself knows it's there.

When people joined them in the villages they passed by, when their children cheered them as already heroes, when some of them stopped the group to proudly chant the old hymn of the Ice Nation in a confident whisper – Clarke had asked what it was and she had had Nyx repeating it to her again and again so that she could learn it by heart – Nyx saw the shallow ghost of hope hiding in the depth of her friend's eyes. And when Nyx understood what it was, looking at Clarke drawing for the children around a fire, she suddenly knew that they couldn't lose. She suddenly knew she would never allow that hope to be wiped out from Clarke's eyes, she would fight at her side and see it glow again.

Then, when she saw Clarke's passion reflected in the eyes of everyone she spoke to, one more thing came clear to her: that passion, the passion that Clarke seemed able to arise in each one of them, is what will bring them to victory. In that moment she saw all of them winning, she saw Chayim smiling at children in the capital, she saw Wit grinning broadly and showing off in front of other warriors, she saw Liri becoming a general and Mawiyah playing with other children without fearing the arrive of the soldiers. Then she saw Clarke standing in the middle of it all, silent, smiling back at her while Faith, in front of the two of them, cheerfully raises her sword, she saw Clarke quietly chant Ice hymn and she joined her in a whisper coming back to reality. Clarke had stared weirdly at her then, distracted from the conversation she was having with the people of the village by Nyx's soft spoken words. Nyx had grinned at her then and Clarke had sent her a small smile before lightly shaking her head and going back to speak to the people who wanted to join them.

So in those days of travelling from a village to another she hasn't just come to admire Clarke even more than before, she has also come to deeply care for her. And not because of the great asset she can be for them, but because of the person she is, because of all that magnificent, complicated being she is. Nyx is often left in awe when Clarke opens up and all the wounds and fears of her heart come into sight, in those moments she gets to see all the horrors that hunt Clarke, all the nightmares that keep her awake, all the monsters that chase her in the darkness of her restless mind, but she also sees the wonderful strength of her heart that still hasn't given up the caring, the hands that can still create art even after being soaked in so much blood, she sees what Clarke can't. She understands why Clarke never gives up, what makes her invincible. Clarke doesn't fight for herself, she fight for others, her desire to help is so powerful that overcomes any obstacle. And she cares so deeply for others because she is an artist, because being able to see the art in the world brings her to love in a way Nyx has rarely seen. And what kept her from dying in those woods after the Mountain, what gets her to fight for herself too is the fact that she knows there always are people who need help. When you start giving, you never stop. And it's too much to ask of anyone, most of people wouldn't stand all the weight Clarke has taken upon herself, but she's different. They say that only when you give all you get everything, Nyx imagines that it's true if you can survive the break, and Clarke can. Giving is Clarke's power, her care, her passion is what keeps her alive and what makes her strong. She saw that in the little time she has known her and she can only wonder how many times she will still see it in the next months.

And even knowing this, she still is worried, because Clarke may be able to win wars, but who will save her from the random fight she might not win? An accident, a stray arrow, a lucky shot, one too many opponent to fight alone... Nyx finds herself afraid of the fortuity of life. And it bothers her that Clarke will stay behind with Xavier.

Meanwhile Clarke is worried about Faith staying with Astrid. If backups were to arrive from that road they would surely found the girls and Faith alone wouldn't stand a chance against them. But she pushes her fears aside and focuses on the task at hand, they have almost reached the guards and they have to be concentrated to take them all out silently and quickly, before any other soldier catches up with what is going on.

She exchanges a quick glance with Nyx and sees the worry in her eyes, misguiding it for her same worry. She gives her a reassuring smile and the warrior forces herself to smile back, Clarke noticing her tension. She doesn't really get it, Nyx is never tense, focused yes, alert yes, but not tense or nervous, so why would she be now?

In the past couple of weeks they have managed to get closer again, maybe ever more so than before, and Clarke feels a strong connection with the girl, as if they knew each other without needing to learn each other. Seeing Nyx worried troubles Clarke, but she knows they're going to win this fight so she saves the conversation for later.

They attack all together, with perfect timing, everything goes smoothly and the prisoners are freed before the soldiers can realise what's happening. The first to notice are some guards who were chattering around a fire not too far away, and they're quickly taken care of. Unfortunately they manage to get some attention before being put down.

Nyx sends a glance back at Clarke, who's helping the injured, and gives a short nod before taking off to the main fight hoping her friend will be fine. Wit sends Clarke a wink before doing the same and the blonde is tempted to roll her eyes at him, sometimes he's such a child, Faith is probably more mature than him. She ignores him and the instinct to join them, and focuses on the girl she's trying to bandage with some old clothes.

Wit and Nyx go straight for the inn where the soldiers have settled, Jivin takes a small group to free the other prisoners, old people, children and those who couldn't fight.

The soldiers in the inn have been alerted by the screams from earlier and are starting to rush out the doors, meeting the rebel's swords and weapons. One comes running out and Rokh's axe meets his forehead with a sickening sound. After the first gruesome deaths the soldiers become more careful and make their exit in group, shielding one another. The rebels outnumber them, but the soldiers are more trained and generally have better weapons, so, their forces matched, the battle begins.

When Jivin and his group see the men guarding the prisoners he feels relieved and cheers the others up, there are only five soldiers standing guard and they are ten. He hears the screams of pain from the centre of the village and hopes they belong to the soldiers, he also hears Goral's war cry and feels a smirk tugging at his lips at the image of his friend whirling his swords and launching himself at some soldier.

They won that fight. Clarke and Xavier joined as soon as they could and they were just in time to be part of the victory.

Now the habitants have the situation under control and are arranging groups to help the injured ones, the healer and her assistants being a lot busy. Clarke offered to help but they insisted the whole group of travellers went to the inn to eat something and rest for what is left of the night.

Clarke spends the day after mainly with Astrid, Faith joining them frequently, and talking with the people of the village. Astrid is a sweet, spry child, she loves to show Clarke her secret corners in the village or to hear Clarke's stories of the Ark, Faith enjoying those just as much, she plays with Faith and it warms Clarke's heart to see that the child can still be so full of life despite all her losses. She decides then that she will do whatever she can to be there for the little girl, she will try to find her a family, and if she can't she will just keep the child herself. At that thought, Clarke frowns. She raising a child? Could she do that with all the blood on her hands, the death cries in her ears? But as she glances at Astrid again all those doubts fade away, she won't be a perfect big sister – mother? - but she will damn well try. The little girl laughing before her deserves all the love she has left and more. Maybe Clarke has finally found something precious enough, pure enough to be alive for, to redeem for.

They're offered food and shelter for as many nights as they plan to stay, but the group has already decided to resume their journey the next day. Chayim suggests the habitants leave the village and find shelter in another one, because it is likely that the soldiers will be back for revenge, most of them agrees and the ones who stood against the Queen's men ask if they could already move to the meeting place. Chayim and Nyx discuss about it, trying to find a solution, because they couldn't just send all those people to the village they plan to meet in already, it would draw too much unwanted attention, so they decide to point them to three different villages they know they can trust, all three of them near the capital and close to each others. The new rebels agree to do just that and they decide to make sure the others of their people get somewhere safe before heading to the villages Chayim pointed at them on an old map.

That night they celebrate, the people of the village cheer at them and Nyx lets her friends enjoy the party, though she doesn't join, looking over them from a balcony of the inn. She smiles as she watches Wit and Chayim dancing like drunk fools around a fire, laughing and mocking each other, she grins at Faith's antics as she plays games with the fire, throwing something she can't make out in the flames and waiting for it to crackle, happy that she gets more crackling sounds than Jivin who's next to her paying more attention to the girl at his right than her amused friend focused on the fire. She lets out a small laugh as Astrid challenges the fire to burn her and then retreats her fingers quickly when a small flick of the flame actually catches her.

Clarke chuckles at that too and Nyx turns to see the girl standing behind her. "When did you get so silent?" Nyx asks, masking her embarrassment at being caught distracted. Clarke looks at her knowingly and Nyx hangs her head jokingly. "Yeah, okay, I wasn't paying that much attention, I was enjoying watching them."

Clarke sits beside her and follows her gaze down to the people around the fire, they're smiling and joking, telling and chatting, showing off and flirting. "They do look happy."

Nyx watches Clarke closely for a moment, before casting her gaze back down. "You know, despite what you might have heard and what a lot of people think about us, we're a funny people, we like to joke and enjoy life, we like to lose ourselves in love and dance, our children are carefree and our parents joyful. Or, at least, we used to be like that. And yes, we are a closed off people, but we weren't that much before. I can't speak from experience, but they say that we once used to be a very welcoming and caring people. Yes, we've always looked harsh probably because we live in a harsh land, but there are stories according to which we once had many celebrations, festivals if that's how you would call them in English, known well out of our Nation that even brought people from other clans here to celebrate with us."

She takes a break to look at her people again and they both remain silent, Clarke waiting for her to say more. She loves this side of Nyx, the girl loves her people and talks about their history with pride, sadness sometimes, even regret, but always passion. She loves to see the girl like this: hopeful. There's that spark of light in her eyes when she talks about her people that leaves Clarke in awe and a bit in the blue. She can't say the same about her people, although she did fight for them until the very last moment, although she fiercely defended them, she can't talk with that pride in her voice.

"After the bombs the clans rose. It was hard, there was no time to enjoy life, no time to laugh, the clans soon started to fight each others and wars were added to the already too high number of threats people had to survive. We never learn, do we? We created the bombs that destroyed us, and yet the survivors started new wars, resumed killing each others. I wonder why humans seem so eager to be the end of one another, it almost looks like a need, something they can't live without." Nyx voice lowers and takes on a note of sadness and somehow a hint of anger can be heard behind it.

"But it can't be true, can it? It has to be because of our past, because we still haven't freed ourselves from a past of violence, but there must be a way, someday, to change it, to stop the wars, the killing, the useless, unneeded violence. If not, if this is how it'll always be, what are we doing here?" Clarke lets herself wonder about things she has chased away from her mind long ago, there was no time nor place for them during a war, but this time, even if they are at war once again, she lets herself ask, question, talk, be the one she once has been – or the shadow of that girl that fell from space – with Nyx.

"Maybe that's what life is about. Maybe life is about being strong enough to keep fighting for something even if all the evidences say it will never be. Fighting for it not to see it happen in our own life, but to keep it alive, because the mere concept of it is worth dying for in order to keep it burning in people's mind. A bit like love, don't you think? It's not about being loved back or being together with the person you love, it's just about loving, even if it's desperate, even if it will never bring you anywhere, you just love for love itself, you fight for it because love alone is worth everything, even if that love will never come true, even if it only stays a feeling in your heart." Nyx suddenly stops when she turns to Clarke and sees her expression.

Clarke is awestruck. Simply awestruck. She tries to open her mouth to say something but then closes it, because what could she say? That was just too unexpected and beautiful.

Nyx quickly shakes her head "Sorry, I got carried away I guess."

And then Clarke bursts out laughing.

"Wow, didn't know I had been so funny, but I'm happy I amuse you".

Clarke shakes her head trying to stop laughing. "No, no. That was … I don't think I have a word for it, actually. And then you apologized for saying something so beautiful and it was just ridiculous, because...please, just get carried away all you want. I think I'd like to know more about what you think about things like that, love and life, maybe death too, one day."

At that Nyx smiles. "Well I guess we can talk about that stuff some day or another... Maybe not in the middle of a war though" and she chuckles a bit, happy to have been able to bring some light to Clarke's eyes. "Anyway, love wasn't what I wanted to talk about, I was telling you about my people, or I was trying to", she chuckles some more and Clarke joins her.

"Well, as I said, I don't mind you getting carried away one bit. It was pretty awesome, not a lot of people are brave enough to believe or say things like that, at least not people I've known." Clarke thinks about one person in particular, but she doesn't want to let the thought of Lexa ruin her moment with Nyx, so she just pushes green eyes aside and tries to regain the smile she had on her face the whole time Nyx spoke. It's when she forces herself to push Lexa aside that she realises that Nyx talking about love didn't trigger her like she would have expected. She didn't feel pain or regret or sorrow, she was too captivated by the girl's words and by the truth in them. But now she knows she'll be thinking about what the rebel said again that night, and she will think of Lexa while she does. For now though she brings her attention back on Nyx.

"Well, anyway, when we started to get used to this life, wars lessened, they were less frequent, less violent. At some point, but I wouldn't know if this is actually history or somebody's dream, they say there has been peace. There wasn't an alliance like now, just a common agreement about not attacking other clans. Of course it was a short peace, if it has happened in the first place, but what I was trying to get to is that in that short period our people flourished. All clans did. We were great craftsmen, our jewels were the most fine of the clans, matched in beauty only by those of the Boat People but so very different from theirs. We were also good with waterworks, our fountains were the best of all, intricate, elegant, funny. We were a funny people, a bit closed off maybe, shy at first, but we love life. That much hasn't changed. We still love life and fight for it. You know, trikru pride themselves with being the strongest warriors, and they indeed are, but we are fighters first and what we fight for, the passion we put into it, it's what allow us to match their strength, to their skills and discipline, technique and might we oppose the power of fighting for what we love and believe. My people don't like to admit it, because they have grown too proud and distrusting, but trikru indeed are better warriors, though we are better fighters, we never give up if our heart is in our fight. Despite that we're also the clan that has seen the worst and most cruel leaders and warriors. Maybe opposites can coexist after all."

Clarke is left speechless once again. Everything she had been told about the Ice Nation...none of it seems true anymore. It already started to crumble after getting to know the people of Cristallo, but hearing what Nyx is saying changes things ever more and at a deeper level.

"So...most of the people in other clans hating you...they hate you because of your leaders, because they don't know you...?"

"As I said, this land gives birth to opposites and the violent and cruel ones are the ones the outside sees."

"Nyx... I'm sorry but, after what you told me, why didn't you fight? Why are you only rebelling now?" Clarke dares to ask because she just can't keep it inside.

The dark haired girl takes a deep breath. "We love life, we love fun, we love enjoying ourselves. But we have never had a lot of time to actually do it. Our history, going on from where I stopped, is not just signed by wars with the other clans, it's scarred by all too many inside conflicts. I doubt there's a clan that can beat us at this, we've been at war with ourselves so many times it broke us. It's our weakness I guess, sometimes we had to let cruel and violent people be in command in order not to be destroyed by the other clans. Many civil wars, if we can call them that, have been interrupted by outsiders' attacks. While my people were fighting against themselves they were attacked by the other clans and had to defend themselves, to do that they often gave up the fight or their freedom. Time after time that broke us. Why didn't we rebel earlier? Passion, Clarke. We have lost our passion."

For a moment Nyx just stares at Clarke, before whispering, pride and care showing in her voice and in her eyes, "That's why my people listen to you even if you're not one of them. That's what they all see in you, it's what I saw in you since the first time we met in that fight. They see the passion they have lost. When you spoke to the other rebels in Cristallo, you showed them what went missing, you gave them back a part of themselves. You put their heart back in their fight. I have been able to make them rise, to make them protect their own families, but it was mainly for pride and fear of the soldiers that they followed me, expect for those few who were with me since the beginning. But you made them ashamed and proud at the same time, you made them wish to fight like we once could, with our heart balanced on our sword."

"Stop. Don't say that. You have far more passion than me and you lead them since the start. You..." Clarke stops at Nyx's laugh.

"I'm not saying that I haven't got the same passion you have. I'm saying that my people only ever saw me fighting soldiers, the Queen's men who reached our village. It's quite not enough, they were too afraid to follow me into a battle against all those men. A few were enough to scare them, fighting an entire army was not something they were willing to do. But you fought the Mountain, and I'm not making a hero out of you, I know you don't feel like one, but what matters is that you fought something that not even the Queen defied. And you won because of that passion. They were ready to follow me because I had you by my side. This is what I'm saying, Clarke."

Clarke now has tears in her eyes. This girl is simply too much. She doesn't know what to say so she just reaches out with a hand and clasps Nyx's extended one on the floor. Nyx smiles at her and Clarke feels like laughing, she feels like smiling forever, she feels like crying and dancing. With a pang in her chest she realises she feels something that resembles happiness from afar. It's not happiness, but hope. She gasps at the understanding, she found her hope.

She lets a long comfortable silence settle between them and just enjoys Nyx's company. She missed this feeling, she can't explain how but it reminds her of how Wells made her feel. Somehow safe, comfortable, warm, as if she could just let her thoughts free to go where they want because no matter how dark they turned, Nyx could pull her back from them. She couldn't heal them - Clarke sadly thinks that there probably is only one woman who could do that, the very one who caused most of them - but she can save Clarke from drowning, and that's more than Clarke has had since what feels like forever.

Almost half an hour passes by, both of them still contently watching the people around the fire, but eventually Clarke speaks up.

"You've told me so much about yourself and your people, I guess I own you some pieces of my story too."

Nyx briefly looks at her before diverting her gaze again. "You don't have to."

"Yeah, I know." Clarke shrugs before carefully going on. "I want to though, so make it easy for me because I would never know where to start: ask me a question."

Nyx smiles, "How many questions have I got?"

Clarke chuckles, "Let's start with one and see how long it takes me to answer it."

Nix chuckles too before growing quiet, thinking. When she turns to look at Clarke she asks about the Mountain. From how she's watching Clarke the blonde knows that Nyx noticed how much she hated the subject and understood how much it must hunt her, she also gets that it's why Nyx asked. And with that careful, undemanding look she's asking if Clarke is comfortable enough to talk about it.

"Alright. Let's do this."

She tells Nyx everything, not just what happened, but also how it changed her, how it broke her, how the scars were burnt into the very pattern of her spirit. And Nyx is there, watching her the whole time, no pity, no fake understanding, no advice to offer, no "sorry"s, no wet eyes, no accusing glances, no useless forgiveness. She's just there. All she offers is herself, all she gives is an anchor. And for the first time, Clarke finds something to help her with her hunted soul, for the first time someone is able to break through all of it. Nyx is silent, she's not a loud presence, she just stands there, in the corner of Clarke's mind, reminding her of the little miracle of her simply being there, where no one else ever reached – even though that's kind of a little lie, because someone did and left ashes in her wake. Nyx doesn't restore or heal, but she's there and it's damn enough.

Another silence settles, Nyx's hand is tighter around Clarke's, not invading, not too tight, just there. Not letting go.

After another long time is again Nyx's time to speak.

"We won't take deals, Clarke." is just a whisper, as if Nyx were scared to say it.

Clarke smiles because she understands the other girl doesn't want to sound false or hypocrite, or judging. But there's no need for Nyx to be afraid, Clarke understands her as well. "If you had to choose between your people and me..."

Nyx doesn't let her finish. "Clarke I..."

"No. Listen." Clarke interrupts her as well. "If you had to do it, I hope you would choose your people." She goes on before Nyx can say what Clarke knows she was going to, "It's different now, Nyx. It wouldn't be like at the Mountain. That was a betrayal, my people had an alliance with the trikru, we have no alliance. I am here because I want to help, if I'll die here so be it. When I came and stumbled upon your village I had thought about death far too many times to count. You say I gave your people their passion back, but they did the same with me. I was lost, broken, I had no passion, my love for life was gone, and then you and your people brought it back", she takes a pause to look Nyx in the eyes. "If you had to choose between me and your people I hope you would choose your people, because that's what I would want", she lets a smile slip. "I have too much innocents' blood on my hand for it to be washed away. I couldn't stand any more people dying for me, but if my death could save someone, then it would be great. Please, Nyx, choose your people."

Nyx then broke the eyes contact and stared away into the darkness. "Let's not get to that, okay? Nobody chooses no one over anyone."

Clarke smiles at her but gives her hand a tug, when Nyx turns to her once again Clarke simply says "Please", a small smile still on her face, but not a sad one, more like a hopeful one.

Nyx brings her gaze back into nothingness but doesn't answer.

When it starts to be really late, they decide to get some sleep and greet each other goodnight. Clarke leaves the room ready to face the thoughts of Lexa that will surely come to her after all that talking. But when they do come, Nyx is still with her, at the back of her mind, and finally Clarke can see things more clearly, less smudged by pain. And she thinks back at what Nyx said of love being about love itself and nothing more. About how it was fighting for it even when you knew it could never make you happy or give you the person you love at your side. Maybe...

Just maybe...

Maybe...

Maybe Lex...

And sleep envelops her.


The morning after they leave the village. Clarke tried to find someone who could take care of Astrid, but she didn't find anyone, so they're bringing her along until the next village they're stopping by, there they will meet some relatives of Rokh and they will take care of her. Rokh said they shouldn't have any problems keeping her with them for a few months, although they do need to find her a definitive accommodation.

The child walks between Clarke and Faith, Nyx leading the way with Rokh, Jivin and Xavier at the rear. Astrid is quiet and silent in her moves, probably more silent than how Clarke had been when she started training with Nyx, which seems to amuse the dark haired rebel who jokes about it once in a while. Clarke doesn't mind the mocking and laughs along with the others, the cheerful mood being all too welcome.

Clarke and Nyx have just finished talking with the people in Rokh's uncle's village and they're heading to the inn meeting the others on the way. Rokh is staying at his uncle's place, Astrid is with him, but there was no space for all of them, so Clarke asked Faith to keep the child company and the others arranged to sleep in two different inn, across the road from one another. Rokh's uncle's house is just down that same road so they are fairly near each other, though it still bothers Clarke to sleep apart, split in three. Jivin and Xavier are in the same inn as Clarke and Nyx, while Wit, Chayim, Goral and Meike took the free rooms across the street. Clarke knows they're safe, the people have more than welcomed them, but she just can't seem to shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen.

Sleep doesn't come easily to her and when the noises begin she's on her feet in a second, still dressed from the day before, she grabs her weapons and carefully heads out. The noises come from the road and as they draw closer she makes out heavy marching and clangs of weapons. Nyx is already at the door of the inn when Clarke rushes down the stairs calling out for the others. Xavire and Jivin are soon by their side and they follow the girls outside.

And outside is hell. Soldiers are marching into town and threatening people to tell them where the rebels are. Someone betrayed them and sold them out, someone called the soldiers. Clarke's feeling was right.

The soldiers are breaking into houses and dragging people outside to question them and Clarke immediately thinks about Astrid and Faith. She sprints toward the house they're sleeping at, she runs hidden by the shadows, she has to fight a few soldiers on her way, but no one notices her.

Her mistake is not getting Nyx attention or telling her where she was going. The small group of rebels is already fighting soldiers, even though they're clearly outmatched, Nyx leading them in a fury of blows and strikes. Luckily they're soon joined by those in the village who said they would have fought the Queen with them. Now the fight is much more fair and Wit is sure they're going to win this one as they won the last.

Clarke has almost reached the house, still mostly unnoticed, the soldiers are moving up the road so there are just a few left where she is, which allows her to move faster without having to stop and fight off some men. All carefulness is thrown at the wind when she hears Astrid cry out and Faith yell furiously, she sprints forward, all caution forgotten, she runs down the side of the road, only half hidden by the shadows the moon casts upon her. But she's not fast enough.

When she arrives a soldier has Astrid in his grip and another one is holding Faith by the throat, the girl trying to claw at his face with her nails. She sands a knife right through the chest of the one holding Astrid and Rokh stumbles out of the house, three soldiers chasing after him, Clarke throws another knife and one of the three men falls crying out in pain. Rokh makes a quick job of the remaining two and reaches for Faith, but before either of them can get to the still struggling girl, a woman puts her sword at Faith's throat and stops everyone.

Clarke sucks in an angry breath at recognising the woman as one of the people rescued from the Mountain. The warrior suggests they surrender and Clarke sees too late Rokh slowly moving closer. She shakes her head at the rebel, but he's already pouncing at the woman's back.

The warrior turns around impossibly fast, overthrowing his sword to the ground and kicking him off his feet, sword pointed at his chest already drawing some blood. The other soldier now has his knife pressed against Faith's throat and Clarke surrenders, discarding her weapon slowly.

"The great Wanheda giving up fighting to save some children. And here my people thought you were so powerful. You want to save them so badly?, then you're coming with us, the Queen will be very pleased with your capture. She sent some of her men to hunt you down and the fools are still aimlessly wandering around in trikru lands, she'll be nicely surprised when instead of coming back with mere rebels, we'll bring her the mighty Wanheda, slayer of the Mountain. She can't wait to see you." the woman mocks causing Faith to rise again in anger.

She laughs at the girl's struggling and grips her chin painfully. "Such a fierce little beast, it would be fun to end your stupid life right now."

"Don't. Touch. Her."

The woman laughs again, "Oh, looks like I angered the great Wanheda. What are you going to do, Commander of Death?"

Clarke takes advantage of the soldiers' distraction when they laugh with her and throws herself at the man holding Astrid killing him instantly with a knife hidden in her sleeve. Then she quickly snatches his sword from his dying hand and she charges the soldier who has his knife against Faith's throat, she cuts a gash in his back and runs him through with the sword once Faith if free. But then she's not fast enough to prevent Faith from fighting against the woman who has finally reacted after the initial surprise.

The fight doesn't last long and soon the woman's sword is pressed against Faith's body, almost piercing her chest. The girl has an injured arm and a small wound on her left leg, her breathing is laboured and her eyes are furiously staring at the older woman hovering over her chuckling.

Clarke has no choice but to hand herself over and hope that Rokh will get Nyx and they'll manage to save the rest of the people. Two bear men tie her up and the woman threatens: "You try to rescue her, and the people in this village all die."

Clarke barely has time to say goodbye. She tells Faith to be strong and Astrid to hold on to the older girl, she then begs Rokh not to come for her, she pleads him to tell Nyx not to try and save her, to protect their people and take care of Astrid. She gives them a last smile before the two men drag her away.

The other watch her go, Rokh's eyes are hard, he's already blaming himself for not fighting back hard enough, tears are streaming down the girls' faces, Astrid hides her face against Faith's stomach and the girl feels strength fill her. She will not let Clarke down, she will be strong, she will take care of Astrid and then they will get their friend back. Nyx will get their girl from the sky back.


Indra and Eamon should already be at Camp Jaha, instead they're only leaving now, days late. And when the sun sets that same day Lexa receives the worst news she has ever had, all her fears spring back to life, her worst nightmare is becoming true.

She takes her horse and rushes out of the city without taking guards with her, ignoring her generals' reprimands. It will be completely dark soon, but she doesn't care. She has to catch up with Indra and Eamon before they reach Camp Jaha, and they have to get there as soon as possible. Then, with the Sky People's weapons, they will march against the Ice Nation and destroy everything standing in between Clarke and her.

The Ice Queen will soon have Clarke. Her hodness has been captured and they're bringing her to Lexa's worst enemy. She sees Costia's death all over again, only this time the head sent to her room is Clarke's.