Raven waited, laying out on her hospital bed. Her heart raced as she looked up at the cold, hard stone and harsh, white lighting. The incessant banging that began shortly after the attack refused to relent. Raven clenched her jaw as she tapped her fingers on the side of her bed. Help better get here soon, Raven thought. She was grateful Abby helped move her bed away from the window panels on the door. Seeing the faces of their attackers along with them trying in vain to break through the door would have been too much for her.
"Help should be here soon," Abby said, her voice slightly shaking.
"Pike said he's coming. We'll be out of here in no time," Raven replied. She knew there was no way the Grounders were getting through that door, but a part of her feared that they would find a way. If it were me I would've blown the door to hell by now. The thought of a Grounder being smart enough to gather some explosive materials to open the door only helped to further increase her heart rate. Great job, Raven. Way to calm yourself down.
"I just don't understand why Trikru would do this," Abby exhaled, sounding flabbergasted. The older woman sat up in her chair and ran her hands through her hair. "Tensions between us had been high since we took out the Mountain Men, but never enough to attack us. What did we do to provoke them?"
"The same thing we did when they attacked us before you all came down," Raven replied coldly. "We existed." She did little to hide the bitterness in her voice. Ever since she went rogue on the Ark to get to the Earth, it felt like she had been fighting for her life. Attack after attack by the Grounders, the threat of annihilation just around the corner. All for simply landing on a planet we thought uninhabited and potentially not viable for life.
"You've been listening to Pike a lot," Abby noted, her left eyebrow raising. "I didn't know you felt that way about the Grounders."
Raven shook her head, shifting to face Abby. "I'm not like Pike. I don't hate them, I'm just not surprised by it." She still remembered the first anti-Grounder speech she heard from Pike. The ridiculousness and the amount of fear mongering in it soured her on the man. She may have her grudges against them, but it wasn't hatred. Another loud bang caused Raven to sigh in anger. "If they keep banging on that damn door, I'll find a way to blow them straight to hell!" Her yell had been much louder than she intended, but it helped calm her nerves some.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Abby replied, laying a hand on Raven's shoulder. Her gaze shifted downwards and Raven saw the Doctor Abby face come out. I hate the Doctor Abby face. "How are you doing? Might as well check on you while we have nothing to do."
Raven shifted her leg and felt a slight twinge of pain from where her stitches were, but other than that everything felt great. "Hurts around the incisions, but other than that still the same." I still can't believe she fixed me. I didn't think it was going to be possible.
Abby stood up and walked away from the bed to look around in the cabinets. The banging on the door intensified when Abby stepped in view of the window and Raven curled up slightly on her bed. "It seems like the pain meds are starting to wear off. I'd give you some more now, but I may need you coherent to help me defend us if it comes to that." Abby grabbed a bottle of pills and stuffed them into her jacket pocket and Raven looked at her with a confused expression. "In case we have to bust out of here."
The banging on the door suddenly stopped and they heard faint shouting. Raven whispered a silent thanks for the respite, but soon after more loud bangs filled the air, only much faster. Almost like... "Gunshots! Pike is here!" The gunfire lasted for several moments before it all went quiet. Raven saw Abby slowly walk to the door to look out of the window.
Something knocked on the door, hard, three times and nearly caused Abby to fall straight on her ass. "Jesus," Abby whispered, taking a moment to collect herself. Once she was calm, Raven watched her open the door. For a moment, she thought that Abby was about to get them both killed and Grounders were going to come pouring through the door. Instead, Pike and two others from Farm Station strolled into the room with their rifles in hand. "Charles, thank god," Abby exclaimed.
"Are you two okay?" Charles asked, looking at the both of them. "You sounded pretty shaken up on the radio."
"Yea, that's putting it lightly," Raven sarcastically replied. "We just had a group of Trikru come in and start murdering everyone... how many died?" She thought of all the people that had come to either get treatment or scavenge for supplies. I hope at least some of them were able to hide.
"My men are still searching, but it doesn't look hopeful," Pike replied somberly. "I'm just glad you two are okay. Losing our chief doctor and one of our smartest mechanics on top of everyone else would have been crippling." Raven studied the man and if it weren't for the long expression on his face, she would swear the man felt completely relaxed. I guess it's why we voted him to be the leader, he doesn't shy away from the Grounders. Pike shook his head and looked to Abby. "How soon can we get her out of here?"
"She's going to need at least a day before she's able to be transported," Abby said, shaking her head. "If we move her too soon her stitches could rupture or she could re-injure herself."
Pike sighed and looked down to the ground for a moment before pulling out his radio. "All teams, hunker down. We can't move until tomorrow. Set up a defensive perimeter and start rotating watches. I don't want any surprise attacks." He's not very happy, Raven could tell.
"Sir, I've got two horses approaching the main gate," a voice on the radio called in. "Looks like... holy shit! We've got wounded incoming!"
The whole room cocked their heads as Pike raised the radio. "Who? All of our men are inside this mountain or guarding the entrances."
"Sir... it's Bellamy, Harper, and the Grounder. They're all bloody, and... Oh Jesus. Harper's hand is gone!"
"Get her down here now!" Abby called out the second she heard the news, not wasting any time rushing around the medical room gathering blood and gauze. She threw the supplies down onto a nearby bed and stared straight at Pike. "I hope none of you are squeamish. This is about to get messy."
A couple moments later she heard heavy footsteps in the hall and Bellamy and Lincoln burst into the room carrying a barely conscious Harper. "Set her down over here!" Abby cried out, rushing to Harper's side and immediately checking on the wound, carefully unwrapping the makeshift bandage. Raven peeked over and Harper looked pretty pale and was barely moving. "She's lost a lot of blood. Charles, do you know how to run an IV?"
"Enough," Pike replied, handing his rifle to one of his men and rushing to the bedside. Abby handed him a blood bag and the tubes and needles to set it up.
"Get that in her, now! She's lost a lot of blood." Abby was pure focus and Raven appreciated how dedicated and skilled Abby could be when she needed it. "What happened?" Abby frantically asked as she grabbed a bottle of alcohol nearby and poured it onto the open wound, causing Harper to scream out in pain. "Hold her down!"
Raven watched Bellamy move to the back of the bed to hold down Harper's shoulders. "I got info on where Clarke was," Bellamy explained. Clarke? He found her? Raven thought. They had all been searching for so long, she wondered how he figured it out. Abby paused for only an instant, but Raven could tell that the woman was trying to push away her hope for the moment. "She was in Ice Nation territory. We helped her escape but we were attacked by someone named Roan. Someone else, Orion, came and stopped him from killing us all. Roan took off with Clarke and cut off Harper's hand."
"Did this 'Orion' say where they were going?" Pike asked, holding the now flowing IV and slightly squeezing it to help speed up the flow.
"The Grounder capital," Bellamy replied. "Polis. He said that he would track Clarke to there. He thought that Roan was taking her to the Commander."
Raven looked at Pike and he seemed a little shocked at the news, but not as much as the others. Nothing shakes this guy, Raven thought. Still, we know where Clarke is. Part of her missed the blonde, even though she was responsible for Finn's death. I just hope she's okay.
"We'll get all the details later, for now we need to help Harper," Abby replied, her voice steady despite the frantic pace she was working at. She grabbed a syringe that was full of what Raven guessed to be anesthetic and tossed it over to Pike. "Give that to her. Things are about to get very unpleasant for her."
Pike inserted it and Raven watched Harper slowly relax, before finally being knocked out. She watched Bellamy release his grip from Harper's shoulders and reach for something he had wrapped up by his side.
"I brought her hand," Bellamy said, extending the bundle in his hands towards Abby. "Can you re-attach it?"
Abby shook her head and waved off the package. "Judging by the blood loss it took you guys a while to get here. That cloth is also probably crawling with infections now. It would've been hard to do it even with the hand perfectly stored. Trying to put it back on would only kill her at this point." Raven looked towards Bellamy and saw him deflate slightly. Abby must have noticed it too, because she took her attention away from Harper for just an instant. "It was a good thought. I could still use your help, though. It's going to be a long process."
Raven watched Bellamy hesitate for a second before nodding, moving back to his place behind Harper's head. He looks so defeated, Raven thought. Her own sympathies went out to Harper. She knew what it felt like to feel crippled. Only for Harper there wouldn't be any replacement hand. She watched the others furiously work, silently offering her support to her injured friend. Harper would need it, if Abby was right. Raven closed her eyes and put her faith in Abby, hoping once again she could perform a miracle.
Clarke's head bobbed up and down to the beat of their horse's shoes. If it weren't for Roan holding her up, she would have fallen off long ago. The furious pace at which Roan had been riding prevented her from getting any sleep at all. She didn't know exactly where Polis was, but it certainly felt like they had been traveling for a long time and still hadn't reached their destination. Her back was a mix of dried and fresh blood from the wound she re-opened in their fight. Poor Harper, Clarke thought. Yet another person hurt because of me.
"We stop here," Roan told her, tugging on the reins to bring their horse to a halt. Clarke looked at her surroundings and there was a small cave just off to their right. Are we stopping for rest? Clarke thought. "You're bleeding and I need to fix your wound."
"Why are you doing this?" Clarke cried out as Roan hauled her off of the horse. What does he want? Why is he taking me to Polis? She thought back to what the Commander had told her about Polis. "It'll change your view of my people." Clarke clenched her fist to try and calm down. She would have reached for her knife, but Roan had been smart enough to take them from her.
"There's a bounty on your head, Wanheda," Roan spat out. "I take you to Lexa I figure I can get a pretty hefty reward." The man sat her down near the entrance to the cave and turned to look around on the ground. Clarke looked around in all directions and the second she did cold, hard metal was pressed up against her throat. I didn't even hear him draw the blade! "Don't try to escape. I don't want to have to hurt you."
Clarke scowled and she let her bound hands drop to her lap, helpless and at Roan's mercy. I wonder if the Commander will kill me for my power like Nia was going to. Clarke took a breath and tried to let herself relax. Getting angry over the Commander wasn't going to do her much good in the situation. She looked up for Roan and saw him walking back to her with a pile of wood in his arms. "Why the secrecy?" Clarke asked, looking around. "Nobody is out here. Why hide in a cave?"
"It would be unfortunate if anything happened to you before I'm able to get my reward from Lexa," Roan said, no hint of amusement in his face. "I'm patching you up and then we're on the move again. Polis shouldn't be far." Roan grabbed Clarke and forced her onto her feet, nudging her further into the cave. There was a natural bend in the cave and that's where Roan stopped, dropped the logs he was carrying.
Clarke sat down, back against the cave wall as Roan went about creating a fire. While he was distracted setting up the fire, she felt tempted to get up and make an escape. It wouldn't work, Clarke thought, feeling deflated at that truth. I saw him move when he attacked us. I wouldn't get to the end of the cave before he caught me. Clarke sighed and waited until the fire sparked to life.
With some work from Roan to feed the flames, they soon had a nice sized fire going. The heat felt nice to Clarke, but she wished she were anywhere but here. She saw Roan pull out a knife and she pressed up against the cave wall. "What, are you going to cauterize my wound?" While she had done it before, Clarke did not want to go through that pain ever again. One of her hands reached out to her leg to rub it just at the thought of how much it hurt.
"That would be faster, but no," Roan replied. "The Commander wants you alive and well. I don't think she'd be happy if I returned you with a mangled scar on your back when I could have attempted something else." Roan pulled out a small kit from his side and a bottle of what she assumed to be alcohol, laying them out on the ground.
Clarke's eyes widened when she saw him pull out a needle and some thread. "You know how to do stitches?" He doesn't look like a healer, though one thing I've learned about the Grounders is appearances can be deceiving.
"When you're an exile, you learn how to take care of yourself or you die quickly," Roan replied, holding the needle just outside of the flames. "Having a cousin that is a healer also helps." Roan turned to her and twirled his finger. "You're going to need to take your coat and shirt off for me to do this. Let me know when you're ready."
Clarke watched Roan turn around and begin sorting everything out he would need. The decency of the man who had basically kidnapped her gave Clarke some surprise. Turning to face the cave wall, she gingerly removed her outer layers, laying them on the ground next to her. Thank god my wound isn't any lower, or I'd have to take my wrap off too. "I didn't know Niylah taught you all of this," Clarke ventured, trying to pass the time and learn more about the man she was dealing with.
Roan didn't respond for a moment, and Clarke feared she had gone too far. Instead, he scooted over to her and handed the bottle of alcohol to her. "Drink this for the pain," Roan said. Clarke took the bottle and removed the cap, taking a small gulp from the bottle. The taste wasn't as bad as she thought and she took another drink while Roan talked to her. "Niylah taught me some things before I was exiled. I built on them while I was on my own."
"You two were close?" Clarke said, turning her head slightly to look at Roan.
"We used to be. Not so much anymore," Roan replied, ice in his voice. "Enough talk, let's get this over with."
Clarke turned her head and downed a larger gulp of her drink, bracing herself for the pain she was about to feel. There's something he's not telling me. She felt Roan's hand press against her back and she knew what was coming next. Lowering her head, Clarke closed her eyes and tried to think of anything other than the severe pain she was about to go through. This is going to suck.
Clarke woke up to a world of darkness and strong arms carrying her. I must have passed out, she thought. She blinked her eyes several times, trying to clear the darkness, but her vision never brightened. Fear of being blind raced through her mind for a moment before she noticed the darkness was actually cloth. I have a hood on! "What's happening? Where am I?" Clarke felt herself being lowered to the ground and when her feet touched she tried to run away.
"Stop," Roan's whispered. "The hood is for your protection. We're in Polis, but you won't be safe until you're with the Commander. Remember, you're Wanheda."
The Commander. Polis. Clarke's heart started racing. She tried resisting from going forward, but Roan's hands pressed into her back, urging her on. "Please, you don't have to do this," Clarke pleaded. "You can just let me go. I'll slip away and nobody has to know anything."
"Shut up and keep moving," Roan commanded, giving her a slight shove.
Heart pounding, Clarke did as she was told and begrudgingly kept moving. I'm not ready to see her. I'm not. She remembered how the Commander looked, the details of her face and her anger began bubbling up from within. Finally facing her after all this time would be hard for her, though cathartic. What will I say? What will she say? What will her explanation be for leaving me at the Mountain?
Roan grabbed her shoulder and brought her to a stop. Clarke was confused for a moment before she felt the ground below her being lifted up. "Are we on an elevator?!" she asked, spinning around, trying to gather some glimpse in vain.
"Yes, now be quiet," Roan ordered. "You do not speak again until we are at the Heda's throne."
Clarke sat in silence as they ascended for what felt like ages. How big is this place? What is this place? She had so many questions about Polis and what it looked like, but the thoughts that really took over her mind were the woman she was about to face. She had almost confronted her at the camp, but she wasn't anywhere near ready then. The first thing she would have tried to do was kill the Commander, though part of her wondered if that were any different now. I was going to be part of a plan to kill her with the Azgeda. Has that really changed? She didn't know the answer to that and wish she had her knife or sword for comfort.
The movement finally stopped and she heard doors in front of her open. Roan placed a hand at her back and Clarke walked forward, being guided by Roan so she wouldn't run head first into a wall. Everything was quiet, but she heard someone open a set of doors in front of them. She was walked a bit further before Roan forced her to her knees.
"Prince Roan of the Azgeda. To what do I owe this pleasure?" The Commander, Clarke thought. Her heart now pounded in her chest and her breathing picked up. She has no idea that it's me.
"A gift, Heda," Roan said. "I've come to claim a bounty."
"Very well. Which bounty are you here to claim?" The Commander sounded every bit the same as Clarke remembered, though her tone was a bit different. Something is off with her. She seems... agitated? Clarke couldn't place it, but something was definitely affecting the woman.
She felt Roan shift and suddenly the hood was lifted off of her head and the bright lights of the day temporarily blinded Clarke. She lifted her hands to cover her eyes to adjust, though it didn't do much to help. "I bring you Wanheda," Roan stated confidently. Clarke took a couple of seconds to let her eyes adjust and then looked forward. Standing before her was the Commander herself, donning her signature armor and looking anything but poised.
"Clarke?" Lexa gasped out.
The moment the words left her mouth, all of the pain and hatred came rushing back to Clarke. Everything she had been through since the Commander walked away at the Mountain flashed before her. Blood boiling, Clarke let out a yell and lunged forward, though Roan caught her and forced her back to where she was kneeling. "You bitch!" Clarke snarled out, not trying to hide her anger. "Leaving at the Mountain wasn't enough?! You had to put a fucking bounty on my head too?" Clarke tried to wrestle free of Roan but winced as she moved her back the wrong way and inflamed her stab wound.
"What is the meaning of this?" Lexa demanded to know. "I instructed that she be brought here unharmed. Why is she in pain?"
Roan answered for Clarke. "I didn't do it, though I did my best to keep her from making it worse. Someone must have found out she's Wanheda and wanted to power for themselves." She looked over to Roan and he pulled out the Commander's sword and knife that Clarke had been carrying around. "She was also carrying these around with her. Thought you might want to have them back."
Clarke looked up to the Commander and saw a speck of worry and distraught on her face. Good, Clarke thought. Maybe she'll realize she fucked up by leaving. She also sent a death glare to Roan for taking her sword and knife. The knife wasn't as big of an issue as the sword. I earned that.
The Commander took the weapons from Roan stared at them for a moment, then back to Clarke. She saw something change in the Commander's face and the woman raised her head towards the door. "Guards!" Lexa called out. Clarke looked behind her and several guards burst through the door and surrounded the two. "Take Prince Roan and Clarke to separate cells. When I am ready, I will speak to them both individually."
The guards grabbed Roan first and he started putting up a fight. One guard landed a strong blow across his face and Roan stopped fighting. "You're making a mistake, Lexa. I fulfilled the bounty. I want my reward!"
"You will get what I deem fit!" Lexa hissed back. "You may be a prince, but remember your place. You are exiled, clanless. Do not presume to demand things from me."
Clarke saw Roan shoot her a glance before allowing himself to be dragged out of the room. Two more guards came in and flanked Clarke on either side. Guess it's my turn now. She hasn't changed a bit.
The Commander walked forward and knelt before her, an indescribable look on her face. "I'm sorry for this, Clarke. It is for your own good. I hope you'll see that," she said softly.
Clarke spat out onto the Commander's face and she felt the guards descend on her to begin dragging her out of the room. "My own good?! You've never cared about what's good for me. You're a selfish bitch!" Clarke screamed as she tried struggling against the guards. The last thing she saw before the doors closed was the Commander raising a hand to her face, a stunned expression plastered across her face. She tried struggling one more time and she felt a crack against her head, her body went limp and everything faded to black.