Clarke's eyes scanned her surroundings as she and her people snuck quietly through the cover of night. Raven had set off two of her EMP devices on separate trails to the mountain hoping to hide their approach from the mountain's false eyes. Roving through the trees quickly and stealthily, they came to the path Raven and their scouts had indicated. With sure steps she moved through the forest. It came so instinctively that she allowed her mind to wander.
As always in the stress of the campaign, when she was allowed a moment to think the whispers from the Flame came. She listened to their advice and wisdom. Clarke found the voice of Heda Aela, third in the line of Heda, was the one most worth listening to. She was also the one that was the least vindictive in making her will known. The nightmares some of the former Heda would fill her mind with during sleep when she chose a path they did not approve of were draining.
Sometimes she thought the Flame was a curse more than a blessing to her people. She could feel how the whispers had twisted and pushed various Hedas; twisting them into what it wanted. Becca PrimeHeda was an inspiration. However, she had goals, goals she would push you towards relentlessly. She may have at first seemed the most welcoming and helpful of the spirits, but she was the most vicious if you went against her. Becca PrimeHeda always knew better and she was not to be gainsaid. Her nightbloods, Roan, Gustus, Anya, Ontari; the people she had let herself love unreservedly were what kept her from becoming just another cog in the long line of Heda.
Clarke let her musing drift away, her focus coming back to the present as she came upon the border of the fog. She met the eyes of Jordis who was standing at her back and signaled for her men to be watchful. If the mountain chose to unleash the fog as a precautionary measure, they would not have much time to retreat to the tents they were bringing with them.
Clarke sped up their pace. The risk of the fog was too high for them to be moving slowly. The quicker they could make it to the tunnels and to safety the better. She barely allowed herself to pause for an instant when her trained eyes noticed the convergence of multiple human tracks on along the path. It was obvious this was the place where Lexa had been taken but there was no time to linger here. She wouldn't have even needed the path that Raven had marked out for them with the help of her scouts. The trail the mountain men left in their wake was obvious to one experienced in tracking. The arrogance of the mountain men was disgusting.
Suddenly, one of her men gave a whistle. There in front of her was a mountain man bumbling through the woods in one of their red suits. He must have been sent to investigate the fate of the disabled eyes. With a flick of her hand, she signaled for him to be taken out swiftly and silently. A knife appeared in his eye as if by magic, breaking through his face mask easily. He didn't even have a chance to realize he'd been spotted before he was lying dead on the ground.
They moved past the body quickly. One soldier only pausing for a moment to retrieve their dagger from his head. Clarke continued to lead her forces along the tracks and what she'd memorized form the map Raven had made. Finally, they came to the entrance of the tunnels and Clarke let out a breath of relief. Turning to her men, she gave out orders in a steady voice. "Jod, take half the men and keep them here. If the fog comes retreat into the mountain. Secure our retreat. Monty contact Raven and tell her that we have reached the tunnels."
"Sha Heda." Jod replied. Monty took out the radio and brought it to life with a crackle.
With their backs guarded, she headed in at the front of her contingent from the army. A torch was lit and handed to her. The ground was coated in filth, some of it human. Rats and other vermin scurried out of their way. She curled her lips at the sight and stench of the caves. Still she strode with all the speed she could afford onwards through the black.
Turning a corner, she came upon a ripa. It was crippled, its left leg dragging due to an old injury. How long had it lived here in the tunnels unable to leave and hunt like the others? She cut it down. Her sword slicing through meat, gristle, and bone as it slid through the creature's neck. As it thudded to the floor, she snapped her sword to the side splattering the blood off of her sword before sheathing it. Any blood that had remained could be cleaned out later.
As her men spread out through the tunnels, they cleared them of any remaining reapers. Clarke followed the path Lexa's beacon had taken. She knew that would be where the entrance to the mountain lay. Monty who was following not far behind her suddenly came up to her panting.
"Raven says that Lexa needs us to make some noise."
Clarke looked behind her at the men still following her. There was an intimidation tactic that Clarke hadn't often seen fit to use that would serve well. "Fill the air with the marching cries. Let all the mountain hear and know to fear us."
Her men cheered behind her and soon the tunnel was filled with the sound of clanking metal, wolf howls, coyote calls, and a steady beat of stomping feet. As the others searching the branching tunnels joined in, the noise became almost deafening. Monty came close to her almost speaking in her ear to be heard over the noise. "Lexa is going to be dropping the prisoners down through an opening in the ceiling. We need to find it and be ready to catch them. She dropped a light down it so there should be a light we can search for."
Clarke lifted her arm and the men behind her were silenced instantly. It didn't take long for that silence to spread throughout the tunnels. "Search for a light and a hole in the ceiling above it. That will be where our people will be coming from. Get those carrying stretchers there as soon as possible. We need to make something to catch them with."
Her men quickly spread out, following her orders. It wasn't long before she heard the call that they had found the device that made light. Clarke rushed to get there. By the time she made it to where her men were calling from, they had already started to weave together the extra cloth they had brought to bind any injuries into a net. When they had finished a rudimentary net, Clarke signaled to Monty to contact Raven that they were ready for the prisoners to come down.
"Raven we're ready on our end. Tell Lexa to send them down." Clarke heard Monty say into the radio.
Clarke made sure her tallest warriors had a good grip on the edges of the net. Then, in barely any time at all, a waifish creature dropped into the net and slid into the waiting arms of one of her warriors.
Clarke felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of her. She was practically naked and Clarke could see her bones even in the uneven torchlight. A rage unlike anything she had ever known filled Clarke at seeing what the mountain had done to her people. However, she didn't have much time to stew, the first person was barely out of the arms of the warrior who'd caught her before the next one was coming down.
Soon over a dozen of the emaciated and sickly forms over her people had fallen and been caught. Then one came down that was different from the others. This one held a pack.
Clarke approached the freed prisoner as soon as she was out of the arms of her warrior doing the catching. It was a young girl. She was murmuring something almost incoherently. "Heda, must get to Heda."
"I'm here. You've done your job young one. I'm here." Clarke said, her voice as gentle as she could make it.
"Heda," The girl looked up at her and spoke reverently. With that, she gave up her grip on consciousness and Clarke leaned down quickly to catch her body before it had a chance to slump. She carefully took the pack the girl was holding from her and signaled for a warrior to get her on a stretcher.
After the girl was securely on her stretcher and taken care of, Clarke opened the bag and handed it to Monty. "Are those the explosives we need?" She asked.
"Yup. That's C-4 and some timers. We should be able to cave in the tunnels with this." Monty said matter of factly.
Clarke glanced around at her people. More and more of the former prisoners were coming down every moment. A system had been developed. A warrior would catch the prisoners as they fell from the net and then pass them along to be put on a stretcher and carried back to the healers. Everything seemed well organized but still, this was where she needed to be, if only to use her medical knowledge to help the frail former prisoners.
She grabbed Jordis and gave her some rushed orders. "Take the Skai child to the mountain men's entrance to these tunnels. Bring a few warriors with you and make sure that any mountain men that tries to leave that way before the Skai child is finished is killed swiftly. Monty leave some C-4 and a timer behind we can't risk the mountain using this as an exit once our people are out."
The two quickly left, leaving some C-4 and a timer behind with a Skai person who knew how to use it. Her men knew what to do. Now, she could focus on soothing the pains and healing the hurts of her people who had been trapped in the mountain. She owed them all the aid she could give them. She quickly went to the area where prisoners were still dropping from the ceiling to inspect their injuries that were more grave than hunger.
As she was binding a gash from the fall with some of the spare cloth they still had left after making the net, she heard gunshots from above. It seemed their time had run out. Clarke looked over at Harper, the Skai child who had been entrusted with the explosives. "Get those explosives ready to go and set them on a five-minute timer. The time has come for us to leave."
Her warriors kept the net up waiting in case any other last-minute prisoners would drop while Harper set up the explosions. A few came through but something caused the flow of prisoners to stop. Clarke's heart fell at the realization that Lexa had still not come through. When Harper claimed she was ready, the disheartened warriors prepared to leave. Clarke stopped them with a glance. They could wait another moment to give Lexa a chance. She owed Lexa too much to leave until the absolute last moment. She had saved people Clarke had thought beyond hope. The least she could do was wait a little longer. Just then, one last body fell from the chute. This one wasn't naked like the others and for a moment Clarke thought it was a mountain man. Then she saw the blood and the face of the slumped figure.
"Lexa," Clarke called as she rushed forward to catch her body as it fell out of the net. She did not respond falling unconscious in her arms.
-TLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLG-
Ryder threw his back into hauling the cart behind him. He was sweating like a horse in the suit made by Raven kom Kongeda. However, Heda had assured them that it would protect them when the fog came out. So, he wore it without complaint.
He could see the entrance to the mountain before him. It was a massive door designed to open outwards. With a final heave, the cart he and Karl were dragging came to a halt in front of the large door.
Tristan came to a stop a few seconds later with the kart he'd been dragging. "Alright, let's block that door! Roll those logs! As soon as your logs are in place start breaking down your carts!"
Ryder grabbed onto the cart that held two massive logs hanging out the back and helped roll it into position. It took ten of them to get the things out of the cart. The ground vibrated as it hit the dirt. Leaning his shoulder into it he dug his feet into the ground and began to push. It took them all to roll it straight flush to the door.
By the fifth log, the sweat was dripping into his eyes. His eyes burned every time a drop of sweat reached them. His shoulder was bruised from pushing. However, now the door could barely be seen.
Twenty logs in and he couldn't feel his limbs, but the door was no longer visible at all. Falling back, he and Karl started breaking down the cart. As they pulled it to pieces those pieces were taken by others and hammered into the ground holding the logs in place. Once the axel was headed off to the growing structure holding the wall of logs in place, they grabbed their shovels and their sacks and moved to the side and started digging.
By the end of an hour there was a line. Four of them digging and filling sacks. Then the rest hauling the dirt up to the wooden structure and dumping the dirt around it. They were going to bury the mountain men alive. They wouldn't be able to force their way out through hundreds of pounds of dirt and log. He flashed his teeth as he slammed his shovel in again. No, no one was getting through their wall. At least not in the time it would take for Heda to see to it that no one could leave.
-TLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLG-
Ontari caught her breath as she and her men took a brief rest on their way up to the dam. They were all carrying heavy loads on their uphill journey and without much of a path, it was a test of endurance and woodsmanship. Even familiar woods became treacherous when you were loaded down. They'd had quite a few stumbles already. Ontari herself was part of a pair carrying a heavy log and had almost fallen on several occasions.
Deciding they had enough rest for right now. Ontari called for them to continue their march. Kneeling down, she waited for her partner kneel down across from her before lifting the log with a grunt. The scouts leading the way headed out so that they could mark an easy path for those doing the heavy lifting.
Finally, her arms aching and feeling like they were going to fall off, they made it to the dam. Raven had mentioned that they used it to produce power like with a mill. Ontari couldn't see how that worked. The flow of water was a powerful force but how could these men harness it? It seemed like something only the spirits could do. To steal the powers of rivers and make it their own. How was such a force to be beaten?
Ontari and the rest of her forces began filling bags they had brought with them with sand as they waited for the scouts to return. The scouts had been sent into the building to search for whatever entrance the mountain men used. While she worked, Ontari continued to contemplate the power of the mountain. No Heda had ever been able to challenge them. They were an unbeatable foe that had never suffered a loss and yet here they were to make war against them. Yet, in her heart, Ontari had complete faith in Clarke. If Clarke said it could be done, it could be done. It was as simple as that.
Ontari had doubted Clarke once and she would never do so again. When Clarke had first taken Ontari from the Ice Queen to be trained as her second, all she had seen was a naive girl little older than her. Somehow, through the anger Ontari directed at Clarke, she had seen Ontari's fear of Nia and Clarke had made a promise to her. She promised that she would protect Ontari from Nia and that she would live to see a day where she would be free of her control. Ontari had scoffed then. Thinking that Clarke could not protect herself from Nia how could she protect Ontari but Clarke had been good to her word. Ontari had been protected and Nia had fallen. Not only that but she had been given a family she had never dared to dream of. No, Ontari did not have it in her to doubt Clarke. So all there is to do is to complete Clarke's plan to the best of her ability and watch as the mountain fell before her.
She was brought out of her bag filling zone by the return of the scouts. They went straight to her. "Captain, we have found the entrance. There are no mountain men nearby that we can see."
"Alright scouts start picking up bags. Everyone else pick up your load and follow the scouts. We're going to make the mountain men regret making enemies of our people." Ontari announced to the forces gathered.
Her force cheered but that was quickly overcome by the groans of those picking up their loads. Ontari and her partner carried their log following not far behind the scouts. Finally, her arms crying out in pain, they made it to their destination. She and her partner carefully maneuvered the log using the handholds so that it was in front of the door. They had to use handholds because the log was covered in thorny plants with sharp metal spikes sticking out at strategic points. Some of the metal spikes had even been tipped with poison to make them even more treacherous.
After they had laid down their log, the pair behind them put their log over the one just put in. As each pair put in their log, the wall quickly grew. When they were about halfway through with covering the door, it opened inward slightly and a grenade flew out through the crack. Fortunately, they were prepared for this. Ontari let out a single word order decisively. "Buckets."
The log holders held their breath and kept working while one of those who had already set down their loads quickly picked up the grenade and threw it into a bucket of water they had brought along. Every warrior there also pulled up cloths they'd soaked in water on arriving to cover their mouths. Those without loads pulling up the cloths of those with their hands full.
Another log was put into place quickly and when the mountain men went to throw another grenade, the warriors could hear it smacking against the wall and recoiling back into the mountain. Still, gas leaked through the gaps between the logs.
"Get the sandbags stuffed between the logs. Stop that gas from getting through and then put the next line of logs in place. I want that wall two logs deep now!" Ontari declared in Trigedaslang. Letting out some precious air to give the order as they waited for the gas to dissipate.
They heard shouting on the other side of the wall and then a few sharp bangs but nothing made its way through the wall. Ontari's warriors kept working their pace slightly increased but otherwise unaffected by the slight chaos around them. Even with the disruption caused by the mountain men it wasn't long before the last log fell into place. With the sandbag layers in between the logs they couldn't even hear the mountain men anymore.
"Alright everyone, good work. We've done our part. Let's head back. Those who are staying behind to keep watch, set up camp close enough so that you can keep an eye on the wall at all times. Today the influence of the mountain is ended."
The steps of Ontari's force were light as they left the mountain.
-TLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLGTLG-
Lexa spluttered as she came awake to a face full of water. She tried to sit up but was stopped by the shifting of strong arms carrying her. Suddenly, she began to struggle. The mountain men had her. She had to escape. The arms holding her tightened around her and a voice interrupted her panic. "Calm down, I've got you. You are safe now."
Lexa recognized that voice and that recognition and the soothing tone and words, soon had her calming down. Lexa looked up at the face of the person carrying her. Even cast in the shadowy flickers of torchlight she recognized it.
"Clarke." Lexa said, confirming it to herself. Clarke paused in her determined march and met Lexa's eyes with her own. Lexa, her eyes fixed on Clarke's, felt herself being shifted so she could return to her feet. As soon as her right foot hit the ground, she felt a spike of pain. She must have grunted in pain because before she knew it she was in Clarke's arms again. Not a terrible place to be but still humiliating in its own way. She wanted to come out of the mountain on her own two feet.
"You can put me down. I'm sure I can walk with a little support." Lexa protested, far more weakly than she'd like to admit, and with a rasp in her voice.
Clarke's eyes danced with amusement as she sent a clear glance to her injured ankle. "Not on that ankle." Clarke's voice softened, "There is no shame in being helped from the field of battle. You have performed miracles today. That will not soon be forgotten."
"Everyone got out?" Lexa asked, her voice a bit slurred and rough from the lingering effects of the gas. Gods the gas. She hadn't expected that.
"Everyone that could be got out, got out. Those that remained will die with more honor then they would have been afforded otherwise. You've done well Lexa." Clarke words were full of respect.
Lexa, however, was filled with shame. She had failed those left behind. If she'd only thought to block the vent, then everyone could have made it out. "I could have saved them all. I should have saved them all. If only I had…"
Clarke's voice interrupted Lexa's self-flagellation. "We can not save everyone. You did your best. It is better to count the number of those saved than those lost. Today you have saved many that everyone had lost all hope for."
There was understanding and compassion in Clarke's eyes. Lexa forced herself to push aside her feelings on what had just happened, now wasn't the time for that.
Suddenly, there was a boom behind them and Clarke stumbled in her steps as a great cloud of dust flew past them. Lexa looked at the ceiling above and could see cracks forming in the light cast by the torch.
"Clarke run!" Lexa yelped with urgency.
Clarke followed her gaze and then let out several phrases in Trigedaslang that Lexa was sure were curses even if she couldn't understand them all. Their pace quickened and Clarke began panting as she sprinted with Lexa in her arms. Over the sound of Clarke's breaths, Lexa could hear concrete crashing to the ground behind them.
On taking a sharp turn, Lexa sighted the light at the end of the tunnel. Still, just as Lexa's breast began to fill with hope, a piece of the ceiling above them crashed to the ground. Lexa's body met with the ground again but she didn't feel the pain she was expecting. She looked up and saw Clarke's body sheltering her from the weight of the stone.
"Clarke." Lexa called out concerned.
With a grunt, Clarke heaved herself up and the stones skittered away from her body. She leaned against the wall for a moment.
"We need to keep moving." Clarke said her words short and voice controlled.
Clarke made to pick her up again but Lexa was concerned about the toll the falling rocks had taken on Clarke's body and tried to stand on her own. Her ankle screamed in pain when she tried to put weight on it. Clarke quickly took Lexa's right arm over her shoulder and supported most of her weight.
"Our people should be waiting for us just beyond the tunnels. Prepared to take shelter if the fog should rise. We can make it a little further. Just move slowly toward the light. I have you." Clarke assured her firmly.
Together they began the stumbling trip to the outside once more. Lexa leaned into Clarke's support, each step no matter how light was an agony. "Aren't you supposed to tell the injured not to go into the light." Lexa coughed out. She descended into several hard hacks, trying to get the dust out of her lungs.
"Why would you not go towards the light if you were injured?" Clarke asked, furrowing her brows in confusion.
Lexa spat out a mouthful of something. Likely spit and dirt. "It's a Skai thing. When you die our afterlife is down a long tunnel with a light at the end. Or, at least that's what they say. Never really bought into that. Then again, we prayed to a tree."
"There are many spirits in the trees." Clarke said before continuing. "Death is not a light. It is darkness and cold, and then you are reborn."
Clarke said it with unwavering certainty and Lexa wondered at her surety of what came after death. How could anyone who had not experienced death be certain of such matters? Lexa wanted to ask but a stumble in her steps diverted her thoughts with sharp pain lancing through her. Once she was secure again they made their way onwards. "Well looks like we're neither of us heading to the dark."
Clarke laughed as she pulled Lexa the last few steps. "Indeed." Clarke paused before continuing. "You have done well Lexa."
Lexa felt her heart lighten at the words. An incredible daring filled her, and knowing that these might be the last private moments she was allowed with Clarke for a long while, she leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth.
Clarke gave her a strange look as Lexa pulled away that she couldn't interpret. Suddenly shy, Lexa looked towards the light and realized they were almost there.
With that they came out into the sunlight shining through the woods. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, Lexa could see a group of waiting for them. She even recognized Harper and Monty among the crowd. A great shout rang out as they came out into sight. Lexa was glad to see Jod come running towards them first.
"Heda, we feared you were lost when the ground shook." His eyes were locked onto Lexa, who was grinned up at him wanly. "Second, you lived."
Clarke passed Lexa over to the large man. Lexa ignored the pang of disappointment as she left Clarke's arms. "We need to leave this place. I do not trust the mountain does not have any more surprises waiting for us." Clarke said darkly with a glance at the hulking mountain behind her.
"Sha." Jod swept Lexa up into his arms. She tried not to think about how much more comfortable it had been in Clarke's. Looking out at the beautiful green world that she had been introduced to what seemed both like a lifetime and a short time ago; Lexa gloried in her return to the sunlight and freedom.
A laugh bubbled out of her throat as she closed her eyes and let her head fall back. She was alive. For the first time since she'd agreed to this, she didn't feel the weight of her own death hanging over her. Hell, for the first time since Jasper had been speared she felt like she could breathe easy. Though her lungs ached from dust, strain and the lingering effects of the gas. It was freedom and air had never tasted so sweet.