A/N: Another early update 'cause tomorrow I can't post anything as my friends are dragging me out to the gay pride... Enjoy this one and don't get too used at me updating weekily :P

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.

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 Twenty-One: Last celebrations

"This is getting awkward."

Wit's attempt at cheer them up with his light tone seems to work a bit when Kyra lets out a quiet laugh.

Nyx stands then and offers Kyra a hand to help her get up. She stares at her without letting go of her hand before giving a small smile and saying "Welcome, Kyra."

She doesn't call her princess and Kyra looks relieved and grateful. She nods her head and mutters a "Thank you" before Wit is cracking a joke about the rebels and Nyx turns to Liri just as Malaya inquires "Who else knows?" looking at the older woman.

"Chayim, Raoul and Goral and of course Ethan already knew. We haven't told Danae because we didn't want everybody to know."

"And she would have talked, yep." Wit concludes.

"Yeah. So, basically everyone we decided to have in charge, except for her, Meike and Adam." Liri confirms.

"Why not Meike and Adam?"

Liri shrugs "I haven't really got the chance and there's no immediate need for them to know anyway. We can decide if telling them or not."

"What about the rebels from this village? Do they have someone to lead them?" Nyx asks.

"Yes, a girl named Vera and a man called Euler." Then she adds before they can ask "They don't know."

"Are we planning on telling all the others?" Wit insists.

His question is met with silence as all women seem to be thinking about it.

"I don't think it would be wise." eventually Malaya says out loud what everyone is thinking. "A lot of people would hate her simply for being the Queen's daughter and there's no time to retell the story to every soul who joins us."

Nyx seems to consider it a bit longer but she then sighs and agrees with her friend. "We can tell them when all of this is over."

Clarke keeps silent while they decide, but she agrees with Malaya, they don't know how everyone could react so it's best to keep it hidden for now.

"Okay, I guess you're right."

Nyx is about to suggest they go eat something, since they still haven't eaten anything since that morning and the sun is almost setting, when Liri remembers something.

"Oh, Asher knows too. He was taking a look at some minor wounds Kyra got fighting the soldiers and he saw the royal tattoo. He won't say anything though, we all know that. And Aeryn knows as well."

Clarke suddenly jumps up from where she was still sitting on the floor. "Where is Aeryn? Is she here?" she asks a bit too eagerly.

Wit chuckles at her enthusiasm and Nyx shakes her head amused. Liri only smiles at her and says the girl must be somewhere in the kitchens probably helping cooking some food for dinner. Clarke almost springs to the door before restraining herself and asking "Wait, why is she here? Shouldn't she be with Mawiyah at the safe camp?"

It's Liri's turn to chuckle. "Mawiyah is indeed at the sfe camp, but there's no way to keep Aeryn away from this fight. She may accept to stay behind when the actual battle takes place, but I bet she'll come with us all the way to Ice and I doubt any of us could deter her."

Clarke smiles too then, of course Aeryn would want to come with them. The blonde tells them she'll see them later and goes find the azgeda girl who first welcomed her in her house. Behind her Wit whispers something she can't make out from the door, but she doesn't turn to ask.

Aeryn has just come out of the kitchens when Clarke finally finds her.

When she sees Clarke she's about to say something before she seems to catch herself and whispers "Clarke", she smiles widely at the blonde and Clarke can't help but smile back.

"Hey" Clarke realises she doesn't know what to say and she kicks herself for being so eager to see her without preparing, suddenly the kiss comes back to her and she's stuck there unable to move.

But as soon as her worries start to take over her mind, she feels Aeryn's arms around her, the girl very much throws herself at Clarke and the blonde almost loses balance for a moment. When she steadies herself she hugs Aeryn back and relaxes in the girl's embrace.

"I got your crystal" is what Clarke eventually whispers into Aeryn's hair.

The girl chuckles without breaking the hug and talks against Clarke's shoulder, "You're back safe. When Chayim told us you were captured..." Aeryn trails off. "But you're fine. I'm so glad you are".

Clarke holds her tighter before letting go, she strokes her cheek and smiles again, "Nyx and the others were right on time" she promises.

Aeryn nods, relieved, and then goes to ask something more. "Were you badly hurt? Did they..."

"No. I'm fine, they didn't get to do anything too bad. Don't worry." Clarke just puts her hands on the girl's arms to reassure her that she's there and she's okay. Aeryn nods again and then shakes her head before changing topic.

"You should eat something. Dinner is ready, let's go, come on." she tugs Clarke along and leads the way to a huge room with so many tables that Clarke doesn't even try to count them, at each table there are group of twenty rebels or so, eating and chatting friendly.

Clarke thought Aeryn would have wanted to talk, but the girl seems just fine with them eating together with the others. They reach the table where Rokh is stuffing his stomach with every kind of food on the board and sit down trying to ignore the bear man eating as if it were the first after months. Aeryn scoffs at him quietly as she sits between Clarke and him.

From across the table Faith greets them enthusiastically and Chayim gives a short waves of his hand before going back to the food and gesturing them how good it is. Wit leans over Clarke and addresses Aeryn with a dopey smile "If you had any part in this, just know that you're officially my favourite person."

Aeryn chuckles and shakes her head as Chayim's grumbling voice is heard from Faith's side "I thought I were your favourite person."

Wit laughs out loud and Chayim grumbles again "Traitor."

Faith pats him on the back and offers him another steak that keeps him busy for the following minutes as Nyx joins the conversation.

"Well, it surely is wonderful to eat something properly cooked after the quickly prepared meals Rokh made us. Not that he's a bad cook, of course..." she trails off as she savours another piece of meat and lets out a playful moan that earns her a glare from Rokh.

Malaya is shaking her head amused at Nyx's side, but she eats in silence, until Wit provokes her and of course she has a witty come back for him.

Clarke watches them, sometime speaking up when Chayim or Faith call her in, but mostly she just enjoys seeing them having fun, joking, playing pranks on each others and doing their best to annoy Malaya and Liri. They look happy, they look free, they don't look like people who are about to go to war. Or maybe they look exactly like people who are about to fight for their freedom and, knowing they could very much die soon, are making the most of the time they still have. At Liri's side, Kyra is silently watching too and Clarke wonders what she might be thinking, the girl's eyes let out nothing but a depth Clarke still can't decipher. The girl smiles at her and Clarke returns it, a bright smile she hasn't felt on her lips in a long time, but here she is with these people who bring the light back into her, who are ready to fight at each other's side, at her side.

At dinner that night she also gets to know Adam, Danae, Raoul and Ethan. They helped leading the rebels, Ethan and Adam brought them to Sorgente, Danae and Raoul had left with their own groups and came back with new people to join their fight. Ethan is a man in his thirties, he has a well shaped, strong body, messy short hair and a warm smile, he seems friendly and funny and playfully acts like a father scolding his children when Wit and Chayim start bickering at the table. Danae is a young woman about the same age, her blond hair falls on her back uncared for, her matt eyes make Clarke slightly uncomfortable as the woman seems a bit of a nosey person, though Faith says she's a great fighter, she's always talking and chatting with people around her and seems one of those people who would be comfortable in any environment. Adam is a sweet guy everyone seem to love, he's friendly and kind, and if Clarke didn't know any better she could easily imagine him being one of those boys in the books from the old world who were popular in school and always had everybody's attention. Raoul instead looks a lot shyer, even though Adam tries to make him join every conversation he prefers silence and only answers with a smile and little words, his hair sometimes falls in front of his eyes and the green in them almost disappears behind brown curls, but when they're uncovered by strands of hair they look deep and wise, calm and ancient like the forest, Clarke thinks she likes him better than the others she has just met, except maybe for Ethan, she really likes the man too.

Rokh and Goral are joking and laughing loudly when Liri interrupts their fun and says she'll have to steal of some them, she looks oddly serious, Clarke catches sight of Kyra already standing behind her and thinks she has an idea what the seriousness is about.

Liri nearly drags Goral, Chayim and Aeryn out of the doors, Nyx, Malaya, Clarke, Wit, Ethan and Raoul following behind, chuckling at the sight of their three friends being hauled out of the room. Kyra waits for them in the hallway and then Ethan takes the lead and takes them to the underground part of the building.

They see big and small rooms, all filled with beds, sometimes they see bunk beds that are obviously of the old world, sometimes makeshift bunk beds. They stop before seeing the whole extent of those rooms but they notice many doors leading to other spaces like the one they're in and they can only try to imagine all the beds necessary to accommodate all the rebels who have settled in the building.

They pass through one of the doors and immediately come to an halt in front of a closed door. Liri opens it gently, the door, ruined by time, makes a screeching noise and the woman lets them in. The room is small but still hosts three old bunk beds, one on every side of it, there's not much more other than the beds, only bags under the beds ready to be picked up in case they needed to run.

Liri sits on one of the beds and gestures for the others to do the same. Wit and Chayim jump on one of the top bunks while Raoul and Nyx quietly sit opposite to Liri, Ethan and Malaya settle down next to the woman, leaving Goral to sit on the bed under Wit and Chayim's bunk, smacking at their legs playfully dangling from above. Aeryn simply drops down on the floor and Clarke follows her example, after a moment Kyra sighs and does the same.

"Remember that I told you Tehav, my mentor, wanted to take me somewhere he said I would have found help?" everyone in the room nods at the girl's words. "I think I have an idea about where that is. Liri thinks I might be right."

They just wait for her to go on, but is Liri who talks next. "The Moon Clan".

"The Moon Clan?" Chayim exclaims.

"But... The Moon Clan allies with the Queen!" Goral protests.

Nyx is silent, waiting for wither Liri or Kyra to explain further, Ethan looks thoughtful and Clarke is confused.

"The Moon Clan is an ally to the Ice Nation", it's all Liri gives them for some long moments filled with other protests.

"You suggest we ask someone, who has allied with the Queen all this time, for help?" Raoul remains calm but he looks a bit confused.

"You think they would aid us just to get rid of the Queen? Could be. But if they don't like her why should they trust her daughter?" Wit joins in.

"If they indeed don't like her, why being her allies all this time? The Moon Clan is powerful, the azgeda army may be stronger, but the Queen couldn't conquer those lands if she tried, no one ever managed to. They're safe, so why remaining allies with her when they could simply cut us out?" Chayim reasons.

They go on discussing for a couple of minutes before they are interrupt by the same person who always manages to silence them.

"Why do you think they would help us?" Malaya finally asks.

"As I said", Liri resumes from where she was stopped, "the Moon Clan is an ally to our Nation, not to our Queen. I always wondered why they would keep an alliance with her, as you said, Chayim, they could easily cut us out, the Queen couldn't do anything against them, and still they stayed. Why? Apparently Tehav had the answer."

Liri turns to Kyra who starts talking again. "He said the Moon Clan didn't break the alliance for the sake of our people only. He told me that in the past Ice could count on their power to lead our warriors in battle, he told me stories of past glory, but then he said that the Moon Clan doesn't fight at our side anymore, not since the Queen took power. If once we had their support in war, now they only offer protection to our lands, to the capital. Tehav said the deal is that the Moon Clan will protect Ice from possible invasions, but will not aid the Queen in her battles. He was convinced the reason was that they don't support the Queen but the people, they don't stand by the Queen but by the Ice people."

"And if that's true, they could accept to help us take back our Nation." Liri finishes for her.

Minutes stretches before someone talks.

"We can't be sure of it." Malaya eventually whispers, as if she didn't really want to say it, as if she wanted to believe and hope, but her rational side won over the optimism.

Slowly, in a careful voice, Aeryn speaks from Clarke's side, "But we could find out."

Nyx looks at Aeryn and weighs their options.

"Actually, I'm almost sure they will help. Tehav met ambassadors of the Moon Clan during his life and he was sure they would have helped. I trust him, I know they will help." Kyra adds before Nyx can say anything. The brunette turns her eyes on her and keeps silent some longer.

"It is true that the stories talk about how great Ice was in war when the Moon Clan was at our side, and indeed they haven't fought with us since Kyr's death." Ethan reasons.

Nyx turns to the woman when Clarke addresses Liri, "What did you have in mind?"

"We should get her there. A small group of rebels could accompany Kyra to the Moon Clan, they will hear her out. If they agree to help, if they even just offer some minor troupes, the victory would much more likely be ours."

Clarke nods, if it is as Kyra and Liri say, they should give it a try. She turns to Nyx to see if she has made up her mind and finds her nodding slowly.

"We can try."

And just like that, with no one protesting any more, a decision is made.

"Let's hope your mentor was right, then." Malaya comments.

Aeryn smiles reassuringly at Kyra and Clarke gives her a nod.

"Now you should all rest. Some of you have just come back from a long journey, you must be dead tired. We will plan how to move tomorrow." Ethan ends the conversation and sends them all to sleep, they bid Liri and Kyra goodnight and walk away, Chayim and Wit head off to their own room and Aeryn shows Nyx and Malaya where they're going to sleep before pulling Clarke toward their room, across the hallway from the other girls.

Inside Clarke is surprised by two short arms locking around her neck enthusiastically.

"You're alive!" a child's voice yells happily in her ear.

"Astrid!" Clarke gasps loudly at realising the little girl is there.

On the other side of the room Faith chuckles softly, joined by Aeryn.

"Why isn't she at the safe camp?" Clarke exclaims after she has hugged the child right back.

"She was, but she desperately wanted to see you. There's still a small group of people of Sorgente who need to get to the safe camp, she will leave with them as soon as possible." Aeryn explains gently.

"I thought you were dead." the child says sheepishly.

Clarke lifts her in her arms again and assures her that she is very much alive, before setting her down and asking if she is okay. The child nods vigorously and spins around to show her that she is unharmed and well. The others laugh at the girl's antics and Clarke ruffles her hair with a wide smile. The child protests and tries to smack Clarke's hand away, but the blonde persists until Aeryn tackles her with Faith's help and they're all battling on a bed. They're laughing and playing, only stopping when Faith lets out a loud groan at bumping her head against the top bunk. They all burst out laughing and Faith pouts until Aeryn strokes her hair as if she were a child and Faith stands up indignantly.

Suddenly it downs on Clarke that they're laughing and playing right before leaving for a civil war and she surprises everyone, herself included, with laughing even harder. Her tummy aches and she can't stop laughing, she has tears in her eyes and she sees Aeryn staring at her with a fond smile. Faith and Astrid are laughing and playfully fighting on the floor now and Clarke reaches over to take Aeryn's hand, the laughter has trailed off and she leans in to whisper, "Look at us, playing like children right before a war."

Aeryn doesn't lose her smile at the mention of war, she only tells Clarke in a hushed tone, as if she were revealing a secret, "These are Ice people. This is how we are."

"Remember when we were in Cristallo and were having dinner together, and we told you it was a celebration that was once held every week? You asked what it was about."

Clarke feels a light being ignited in her at Aeryn's next words.

"This, Clarke, is what our celebration is about."

… … … … …

They decide to send James, Ethan and other five rebels with Kyra to get her safely to the Moon Clan. James is a former commander of King Kyr, he's older than Liri and when they tell him the truth about Kyra they can almost see a flash of recognition in his eyes. Liri found him in a village not far from Sorgente and the two recognised each other, so he immediately joined her and followed her back to the rebels' primary base. Liri is sure Kyra will be safe with him and no one dares contradict her.

They also plan to move in a couple of days, they will march to Ice in separate parties, every group will have a sort of leader who will be in charge of the camp they will set once they reach the lands around Ice. They have the support of the villages all around the capital, but they still need to be careful not to be found out. Wit is confident they can manage, and for once Liri agrees with him.

The two days that follow are busy and tiring, Astrid leaves for the safe camp, Aeryn refuses to and states that they will need as many healers as they can find and she can be useful. Nyx wants to protest, but it's a lost cause so she eventually surrenders to her stubborn friend and just prays she doesn't get killed.

The huge building that served as their base is now a mess of rebels training, rebels preparing, stocking supplies, planning, arguing, sharpening blades...

The day before leaving, Faith demands that they have dinner outside, with fires and drinks. No one is able to refuse her so most of rebels are out in the open space of the old square, drinking, laughing, chatting, saying their goodbyes. The next time they meet will probably be in battle.

Faith is talking in front of the fire, pressed between Clarke and Malaya. They sit all around the fire, the faces Clarke has come to call friends. There are Wit and Chayim, bantering as usual, Malaya, less stoic than usual, Nyx, looking free and with a bright little smile in her lips, Aeryn, smiling widely and drinking beer, Goral and Rokh, spilling each other's drinks while Jivin and Xavier complain about them getting beer everywhere, there is Meike, scowling at them when she looks up from her conversation with Raoul, and Faith, of course, who won't stop trying to annoy Liri and Malaya. Ethan and Kyra are sitting with them as well and Clarke can see Adam and Danae not far from them.

Faith leans in to whisper something when she sees the blonde looking over at the two rebels. "Yep," she popped out the "p", "they're a couple. An awful one, if you ask me."

"What? Why?" Clarke questions chuckling.

"Well" Faith slurs purposefully, then stops and thinks for a moment, "Well, I guess they make a good pair, but I hate them both, so they are an awful couple, 'cause they're both awful, you know?"

Clarke laughs and the girl just shrugs and resume trying to get Liri's attention, before getting up and winking down at Clarke.

"I'm going to see if that girl down there wants some more beer and some better fun than that bear of a man sitting with her", she points to a young brunette sitting at a fire near who is laughing awkwardly at the man's joke, she takes a step forward and says "Wish me luck" before trotting off in the brunette's direction.

Clarke shakes her head and lets out an amused "Good luck". Then she turns her attention back to Aeryn and Nyx, who are telling funny stories from each other's childhood.

Later that night Clarke finds herself staring at the fire, Aeryn barely awake at her side, Kyra nursing only the second beer near them, Xavier and Goral the only others still sitting there. Nyx was drag into a drunk sparring fight by Wit and Chayim, Malaya joining when one of the boys had hit her on the back of her head with an empty jug. Luckily it's a bare hands fight with only random objects as weapons. Clarke glances at them sometimes and laughs when Wit cowers from a charging Nyx, hiding behind Chayim.

At some point Faith flops down beside her, grin on her face, a nasty light in her eyes.

"Gossip time!" she exclaims, clearly tipsy, if not drunk.

Clarke shakes her head, "Nope, don't think I need that".

"You don't." grumbles Aeryn at her side, Clarke glancing her a grateful smile.

She tries to shuffle away from Faith's hand as the girl leans in with an evil smirk on her face. "So. Let's start with something easy. You know Raoul, right?"

Clarke doesn't even deign to give her a nod.

"Yup, you do. He has a huge crush on Meike. Remember Meike, huh? And she. Has a huge crush on him. Fun fact? Everyone knows, except them."

Clarke sighs, defeated.

"Aaand, what do you think about Wit and Chayim?" she waits expectantly for Clarke to say something, but doesn't seem bothered when the blonde stays silent. "We've been betting on them since forever! I mean, I say they are together. Only few people say they're not. So our bets are mostly on when they'll come out as a couple." Then she seems to think hard about something and she leans in some more, Clarke can smell the alcohol in her breath. "I think", she slurs, "that those two have threesomes with Xavier a lot of times!" she babbles out the last part very quickly before jumping up and running with Xavier hot on her heels.

"I mean, I think you three would be SO cute together!" Clarke hears her yelling still trying to outrun the boy.

Goral laughs, stil sitting opposite to Clarke in front of the fire, "Yeah, I can see them banging". He groans when Chayim hits him with a mug still half full of beer.

Soon after Faith is at her side again. "Okay so, first thing everyone knows: Liri and Ethan should be together. Second thing: Raoul and Meike are idiots and should get together. Third thing, well, it's not really something we know, it's more of a question: what is Malaya?"

Clarke scrunches up her face. "What? Seriously, 'what'?"

Faith ignores her. "Asexual? Or maybe she likes both males and females? I can't imagine her with a male, I can only imagine her hurting a male." she appears to be talking to herself now, "But, I could totally see her with a woman! I mean, not in a romantic relationship or anything, just...well, having sex." And then she lights up again, "Some people think she sleeps with Nyx!"

Now Clarke makes a disgusted face. Aeryn suddenly sits upright laughing hard, "Nyx and Malaya? Seriously? Nyx?" she's laughing so hard she gets tears in her eyes. "As far as I know, and I should know a lot, Nyx likes men!"

Faith looks disappointed. "She can't like men. Come one, it's Nyx!"

Aeryn shakes her head, still laughing. "Sorry, little one, I've never seen her with a girl and I highly doubt we'll ever do."

For a few minutes after that Faith falls silent, grumbling something to herself, then she comes up with something else. "Well, I know who Malaya would be well paired with!"

Aeryn raises her eyebrow at her, Clarke hides her face into her hands, hoping she won't get hit by the warrior still fighting a few feet away because of what Faith is about to say.

"Katarina!"

Clarke carefully looks up, expecting some flying objects directed their ways. When she deems it safe to lower her arms, she turns to Aeryn. "Who's Katarina?"

Aeryn points to a tall slim brunette girl some fires away from them. "She's a very good fighter and she spars with Malaya a lot." then she turns to look at Faith, "You picked a good one this time. They could actually make a good couple, deadly couple, but still, good pairing you did there."

The two start to talk about how right Faith is and they start pick other couple out of their friends, so Clarke stands and moves to sit down with Xavier and Goral who pours her more beer.