"You said we had hostages?" Lexa demanded at Gustus after sending out the remaining warriors to scavenge the camp for any useful materials.

"Yes Heda." He said ushering her over to the north side of the clear where Lexa could now make out three tied figures on their knees with sacks over their heads. One by one Lexa removed their sacks and saw that they were gagged as well. She paced back and forth in front of the three Azgeda, 2 were men, one woman. As she paced the eyes of the prisoners tracked her. As Lexa walked she became aware how sore her collarbone was. She glanced down at it to see blood seeping from a deep cut.

The female prison laughed under her gag. Lexa glared at her and nodded at Gustus. The guard knelt down removed the young woman's gag. She began to laugh her eyes fixed at on Lexa's.

"I do not see what is so funny." Lexa said flexing her jaw. "Your men are dead and you are tied. Yet you laugh."

The woman just laughed again before speaking.

"Its just Commander. You look as though you require a healer."

In a single swing Lexa separated the girl's head from her body. She hadn't even thought about drawing her sword it had just happened.

She turned her sword to the remaining wide-eyed prisoners. Their eyes tracked the blood as it dripped from the blade.

"Do either of you have anything to say?"

The men shook their heads.

"We were seeking peace when you and your people thought to massacre us!" Lexa yelled. Suddenly no longer in control of her own body. The words the girl had said cut her so deeply. Costia was dead, and if she wasn't dead she was suffering. The girl she loved, the one she felt closest to, safest with was gone.

Lexa felt her sword swing again and another head rolled.

"Heda!" Gustus called in horror. These men were scum, all of Azgeda would pay for this, and they would all die. She raised her sword for a third time. Suddenly she felt a strong hand grasp her wrist. She glared furiously at Gustus. Gustus was fearful; his eyes wide as he stared at his commander who was normally so calm and collected. Lexa dropped her sword.

The great piece of metal clattered at the surviving prisoner's knees. The man was shaking. He turned to look at the bodies of his dead fellows eyes wide.

"Now." Lexa said shaking Gustus' hand from her wrist and crouching to look at the Azgeda man. He stared back at her without an ounce of courage.

"You will tell me why this occurred. You will tell it truthfully or else you will serve no purpose to us." She gestured towards his fellow's heads. "You've seen what I do to prisoners of no use to me."

She removed the man's gag and he promptly vomited. As he retched Lexa asked again louder. "Why did this attack take place?" She grabbed the man's face and turned it to face her.

"Don't you know why?" He stuttered. Lexa did, to capture or kill Costia.

"I know what the attack's purpose was. But I don't know why it needed to happen."

"Nia…" The man stuttered. "Nia does not wish you to be Commander. But she didn't know how to remove you. You were too powerful."

"So?" Lexa asked squeezing the man's neck.

"So she needed to find a weakness." Lexa tightened her grip as rage took over her body once more.

"That Healer was the closest thing to family you had." The man said gasping for breath.

"Heda…" Gustus said watching the man's face change color. Lexa released him and his fell forward gasping for air.

"You are to go to Nia." Lexa said standing over the cowering soldier. "You are to demand she return the healer or Azgeda will face the wrath of the Commander."
Lexa cut the man's hands loose and kicked him in the direction of the Ice Nation's land. "Now go!"

The man scrambled to his feet and began to sprint off.

"Heda." Gustus said quietly from her side. "She may already be dead. Do you think it wise to send our only prisoner to seek someone who is probably lost?"

Lexa ignored his words, what he spoke was irrelevant. She needed Costia. She was not dead. She could not be dead.

XXXXXX

The day seemed to drag along as if time itself was holding its breath. Lexa and her men could not do anything but sit and wait for their reinforcements. Many of the survivors were too injured to survive the road without horses and the pure feeling of depression that was pressing on them seemed to destroy any energy that they may have had.

At mid day the scavenger birds and other predators began to arrive. The corpses were beginning to smell in the hot sun and the creatures that came were hungry for flesh almost as hungry as Lexa was for news.

The sun was just beginning to set when a horse's whinny caught the attention of the party. In unison members of Trikru turned their head to the south. There was a silence, a silence that almost foretold that they'd all imagined the noise. But then the sounds of hooves bombarded them and Anya tore over the hill on a large brown horse. Close behind road a dozen strong warriors. Anya was off her horse before she'd properly reined it in.

"Heda." She called running towards Lexa, fear in her voice. "I am glad to see you are well."

Lexa stood stiff. "Well is an interesting choice of words Anya." Lexa gestured to the ruined camp before them. "Does it look like I am well?"

"You are alive Heda." Anya said firmly. "You are alive to enforce punishment on those responsible for this treason."

Lexa said nothing.

"Heda." Gustus said pointing towards the northern hill. Lexa turned swiftly to see the Azgeda warrior she'd released at dawn crawling of the hill. He was alone.

"Bring him to me." She demanded and two of her new guardsmen fetched the crawling man and threw him before her. "Speak."

The man was in terrible shape, there were deep gashes across his body that had not bee inflicted by the previous night's battle and his left eye was nothing but an empty socket.

"Nia." The man gasped. "Will take no such demands or threats from you." Lexa's heart sank. "However, she does send a gift of condolence." The man reached within his pocket and removed an object. He held it out to the Commander who stared at it expressionless. In his palm sat a long braid of bloodied red hair.
"She says this is only gift that remains for her to give to you." Lexa felt spasms rush through shocked body. "I was given this as its owner's head was removed before me."