Hey everybody! Thanks for all of your inputs, those of you who reviewed the last chapter and let me know your thoughts on the recaps. They aren't long, and very easily skippable so I'm gonna be keeping them. I know I personally get a ton of fic updates and having to not read the entire previous chapter, just getting the highlights, is useful.
Second thing I'd like to talk about: Clexa. Now, I'm Clexa trash af, don't get me wrong. However, this story actually has a story and Clexa just comes along for the ride because they're a major part of the main story line. Lexa is close, she's literally a chapter away, but please don't review with things like 'get to Lexa already' and things like that. I feel like you aren't taking the story as it's meant to be, and that's an actual story.
I write this for myself as much as I write it for you guys, and I appreciate each and every single one of you. And I'm very surprised and thankful to not have gotten any detrimental reviews as of yet.
Last thing I'd like to say before we get on with the chapter is this: Sundays are days where I definitely don't have work so I'm gonna have to change the update schedule and push them forward by a day. Updates should come now on Sundays and on Wednesdays or around those times.
Once more I'd like to thank my wonderful beta trueloveaddict-ally. She's helped me a ton and you guys get better quality chapters because of her.
Disclaimer: You know the drill. Please see chapters 1-3. No copyright infringement is intended, I just like to play in the CW's sandbox.
Once more unto the breach!
Before:
"A debt of blood is a big deal to us, Clarke; something we take as seriously as our leadership and alliances. Owing someone a debt like that places the person owed at the same tier as heda to the person who owes it, maybe even higher. Just as blood demands blood for wrongdoings, it does so for giving someone their life back."
...
She was past forgiving Lexa, she had done that.
...
Clarke looked up and so did Tris, and they both watched as a ship came crashing through the sky. Clarke knew right away that it was the Exodus ship, and she also knew that, like last time, it was coming in too hot.
...
The Mountain would fall again, and Clarke would live to see her people safe. Blood would have the blood it demanded.
...
"I get it Lincoln, I do. Fear of the unknown and all that. I meant what I said though, I'll prove that we can be trusted. I don't know how, but I will."
Now:
"Raven! What the hell is this?" Octavia asked as she shouldered her way into Raven's tent. It was early in the morning, early enough that it was still dark outside, but the only reason she hadn't waited was because the light in Raven's tent was already on. Okay, maybe that was a lie, she would have barged in even if the light was off. This was important.
To Raven's defence, she was up this early because she was worried and nervous, and that combination did not make it easy to fall asleep. No, instead Raven was up tinkering with what supplies she had, trying to make some more tone generators since they'd need them soon enough. So, she knew it was better to be productive and occupy her mind than to sit around and do nothing but worry.
Raven turned as Octavia came in and her eyes widened when she saw just what Octavia was asking her about. In her hand was a drawing, one she recognized as Clarke's, of Octavia and Lincoln in each other's arms, having a moment.
God dammit, Clarke.
Obviously it wasn't from this time and Raven mentally cursed Clarke. She tried to school her expression though and tilted her head slightly to the side, observing the drawing.
"It looks a lot like you and Grounder Buff together, O. You got a crush, little Blake? I didn't know you could draw."
"I can't, Raven. This is Clarke's. I found it with dozens more drawings in a cave not far from here. There were… some not so nice ones in there, Raven. What the hell is this?" When she said there were some not very nice ones in whatever cave Clarke had commandeered for herself, Raven wasn't surprised. The Princess had seen and done a lot of things and Raven knew she was haunted by them.
"Why would Clarke draw you and that guy together?" Raven said, trying to play it off and focus Octavia on the drawing she was showing her now.
"Don't bullshit me, Reyes. I heard you and Clarke." Raven was really worried now. She was part of it, sure, but it wasn't her place to tell Octavia what had happened to them.
"Heard us when?" She asked, just to be clear. She needed to be a hundred percent sure of what Octavia was talking about before bringing up Clarke.
"The night after Diggs and John… I heard you. When I came back and before I told Clarke all about what he told me. I thought, at first, maybe you and Clarke had seen him before he saved me or… or something! I don't know. I don't know how to explain to you what I heard Raven, it's crazy. This is crazy!" Octavia threw her hands up and then stalked forward, shoving the drawing onto Raven's desk, scattering some loose pieces of equipment. Raven sighed and turned fully to Octavia, taking the girl's hands into her own, trying to calm her down.
"Look, Octavia, I can't tell you." She pulled her hands from Raven's and held her hands out at her sides.
"What do you mean you can't tell me, Raven? You know what I'm talking about! I know you do!" Raven held her hands out in front of her, her palms up in a placating manner. She needed Octavia to understand.
"I do, Octavia. I know what you're talking about. But it's not my place to tell you what's going on, it's Clarke's." Her eyes begged Octavia to understand and she moved to sit heavily on Raven's bed, leaning her head into her hands.
"I thought she would tell me when she was ready, Raven, which is why I didn't ask her about it. But then she left and, I don't mean anything by it, but she's known me longer than she's known you, hasn't she? Why wouldn't she tell me, does she not trust me?"
Raven's heart went out to Octavia. She got up from her chair and moved to sit beside her on her bed, wrapping an arm around her back and holding her close.
"She trusts you, Octavia. I think she honestly trusts you more than she trusts anyone right now. But you have to believe me when I say that there's a reason she didn't tell you, and there's a reason that I can't tell you. It's a long story, one that I'm a part of, but I think if you ask her about it, she'll tell you. You just… you gotta keep an open mind, yeah?" She felt Octavia take a deep breath before she looked up at her. Raven smiled and Octavia gave her a small one back before it fell from her face again.
"The other drawings… Raven, there was so much death, so much pain. Why would she draw that?" Raven sighed and remembered everything that they'd gone through. Clarke needed some way to work through it all and it seemed like she was trying to do that by drawing her feelings, her memories.
"It's part of her story, Octavia. Clarke, she's been through a lot. I think it's her way of sorting herself out." Octavia nodded and looked over at the picture of her and Lincoln on Raven's table.
"Why would she draw me and him together? I hardly even know the guy, even if he did help me and fix my leg. I mean… I guess there's something there but… why would she draw it?" Raven smiled softly, remembering how well the couple worked in the future… the past… whatever.
She skipped the question of why Clarke would draw them and focused on what Octavia had said about Lincoln. "If you feel something O, you should go for it."
Octavia looked at her again and Raven chuckled. The moment was cut short though when they both heard one of the guards call out. Both were on their feet in a moment, making their way outside. Raven stopped short when she saw the cause of the commotion.
She cursed under breath and realized why she had lost communication with the Ark. Octavia looked at her in concern and Raven shook her head. Crackling came from inside the tent and Raven was back inside in a heartbeat, at the radio and ready in case they had managed to make contact again.
"Ark station? Ark station are you there? What's happening?"
"-ven? Raven it's… fin… dus was stolen… tion is limited…" It wasn't much but Raven could at least recognize the voice as Abby's.
"Abby? Abby I don't know how much you can hear but we read you. The Exodus ship just entered the atmosphere but it's in too hot, there's no parachute. It's gonna crash." Only static came through the radio and Raven cursed again, wondering how much of that the Ark had gotten. She heard the tent flap behind her and assumed rightly that it was Octavia.
"What do we do Raven? Clarke probably saw that, and she thinks her mom was on that ship…" it only took Raven a minute to make her choice.
"You and I are going to go and find Clarke. I know where she's headed and she needs to know her mom wasn't on that ship, and you have questions. You also know how to hunt, and how to fight. So, I'll bring you there if you feed me." Raven was only half joking about that last part but it had its intended effect. Octavia laughed slightly before she nodded.
"I'll go and grab my stuff." Raven nodded and Octavia left to grab her weapons and a pack. Raven packed her own in the meantime and shouldered it when she had all of her things. She also grabbed the mobile walkie she'd thrown together and turned it to the Ark's channel so she could hear it if they tried to contact them again.
Once she was ready, Raven left her tent and walked towards Octavia's. "We're coming Clarke." She whispered into the early morning air. "Don't worry, we're coming."
She met Octavia just outside her tent, the younger girl ready to go. They both snuck out, not that it was hard with everyone preoccupied by the crashing Exodus ship. Raven led as they walked and Octavia looked around, taking in the scenery. She still was in awe of the beauty of the ground despite having been there for almost three weeks now.
"What were you doing so far out of camp that you found Clarke's little hideout?" Raven asked. She didn't see it, because Octavia was behind her, but she blushed lightly as she answered.
"Ah, I may have gotten turned around when I was… exploring?" Raven chuckled and turned to look at Octavia, slowing a little until they were walking side by side.
"Was that a question or an answer Blake?" Octavia rolled her eyes but flushed a little darker.
"An answer." She mumbled, looking at the ground. Raven nudged her and Octavia looked back up at her, an eyebrow raised.
"It's cool, O. I think you're the only one brave enough to even go out exploring. So you got a little lost? You're out there, taking in the sights. That's pretty awesome." Octavia grinned and Raven saw her posture change slightly as the girl held herself a little taller.
"I didn't get to explore the Ark, but the ground? It's so cool, Raven! There are these fish in the river that come out when it rains and they're like… white, but also rainbow coloured, and there are rabbits with little horns on their heads, I watched a couple of them fight once. I don't mean horns like stag horns but like… little things that stick out of their heads in one point." Raven watched as Octavia brought her hands up to her forehead in fists, index fingers pointing outwards.
"The little one skewered the bigger one and it was terrifying and cool all at once." Raven smiled as Octavia continued to talk about all the things that she'd seen. She spoke like a kid on Christmas morning and Raven couldn't get rid of the smile on her face even if she wanted to.
"I saw a tiger once too." Octavia said offhandedly and Raven stopped, moving her hand to Octavia's arm.
"You what?" Raven shook herself like she'd heard wrong, there was no way that there was a tiger around.
"A tiger. You know, orange and black, striped, giant cat?" Raven narrowed her eyes.
"Okay smartass, I know what a tiger is. What do you mean you saw one?" Octavia rolled her eyes and kept walking, Raven moving to walk beside her again.
"I mean one day I was walking and I saw a bunch of deer. We were good for food, so I didn't kill any, but I sat and watched them for a while until this massive blur streaked out from nowhere and killed one on the spot!" Octavia motioned with her hands and Raven tried to calm herself. It's not like Octavia had been killed so there was no reason to worry. They hadn't even seen the tiger at all last time.
"That's actually pretty cool." She mused out loud.
"Right?" Octavia said excitedly. Raven laughed and smiled and so did Octavia. They kept walking in silence after that for a little while before Octavia spoke up again.
"I saw something… someone, in Clarke's cave." Raven looked at her in worry before she clarified. "In a drawing, I mean. In a lot of her drawings." Raven looked at Octavia and studied her while she walked for another minute in silence.
"Did Clarke have a girlfriend, back on the Ark? She's in so many drawings, and they all seem really… personal, but I haven't seen her, and it's not like I was free to see anyone on the Ark. You know whatever it is that I don't. Is that one of the reasons she's trying to get the Ark here safely?" Raven smiled softly.
"No, she uh… she didn't have a girlfriend on the Ark. Not that I know of, anyway." That was the truth, she didn't know if Clarke had had a girlfriend before being locked away. To be honest, she hadn't even ever thought to ask. Their relationship was confusing, but the two of them knew what it was. Raven had been angry with Clarke for the longest time but, being hurt by the same guy kind of brought them together in an odd sort of way that made sense.
She remembered the first time she'd really thought of Clarke as anything but a rival, the day she'd been shot. Clarke had said that she would pick her first and Raven had shrugged it off as a joke, but she had been touched by the sentiment.
After that they had been friends, up until the point that Clarke killed Finn. Now of course, she was thankful that Clarke had done that because, otherwise, they would have either had a second war on their hands or she would have had to have suffered through days of Finn being tortured.
At the time, though, she had been furious with the Sky Princess. There really hadn't been a lot of time to ask about past relationships. Maybe this time around they would find a time of peace and be able to talk about the mundane things like that.
"Who is she then?" Octavia asked, mostly to herself, but Raven shrugged, throwing an arm around Octavia's shoulder.
"Another part of Clarke's story, O. But I get the feeling that you'll find out soon enough." Octavia looked at her with an eyebrow raised but smiled softly before looking at the path in front of them again. She wrapped her arm around Raven's waist as it didn't look like she was moving her arm from around her shoulder anytime soon, and walking was easier when her arm wasn't constantly bumping against her companion.
A couple hours after nightfall, the girls decided to settle down and make camp before continuing on in the morning. They ate some of the food they brought and Octavia shared her water bottle, not needing to open the second, or one of the two that Raven had in her own bag.
"We have maybe another day's walk ahead of us." Raven said as they settled in. Octavia turned to look at her.
"How do you know where we're going anyway? Oh wait, let me guess, that's part of Clarke's story too?"
"Well, now I know who to call if I ever need a psychic." Raven reached over and poked Octavia in the forehead. The other girl just frowned before sticking out her tongue. "Very mature."
"Oh like you're so mature." Raven tried to primp herself as much as she could lying down, faking a haughty attitude.
"I'll have you know that I'm the epitome of maturity, young Blake. But don't worry, when you're all grown up, you'll know what I mean." Octavia reach back over and pushed Raven who rolled onto her back with a laugh.
"Yeah, you're right though. If I told you that, I'd be telling you a part of what Clarke's gotta say and I don't want the Princess to have my head." She moved back onto her side and propped her head on her arm. "Sorry O, I honestly wish I could tell you."
Octavia sighed and nodded, lying like Raven was so she mirrored her. "I know. I just wish…" Raven nodded.
"I know. Come on, let's get some sleep. Somebody needs her beauty rest, we can't all look as fabulous as I do." Raven grinned when she heard Octavia's exasperated laugh.
"Sure Reyes." It was quiet for a beat and then, "Goodnight."
"Night O." They both fell asleep soon after, unaware of the eyes watching them.
ooOoOoo
They decided to stop a couple hours after sundown. They had been walking most of the day, only stopping when Lincoln had spotted a small boar. They hunted it and stopped for lunch when it was down. Clarke still had some salted meat in her pack but she wanted to save it for when they really needed it.
They made camp in a small clearing with mossy knolls. It was chilly, but they made do, sleeping near the fire they'd started for warmth. It might give away their position but they were fairly certain no one would attack them. Clarke slept light enough that she would hear it if someone made any noise close by, as did Lincoln.
Clarke tossed and turned for a good amount of time before she fell asleep, not wanting to have more nightmares, not wanting to see the faces that haunted every minute of her life. Eventually though, sleep took her and Clarke was dragged into a deeper sleep than she had had in a long time.
While Clarke slept, Lincoln stayed up thinking about how Clarke had woken up early that morning with screams on her lips. He had heard her calling out in her sleep but the murmured cries had been quiet until close to the end. He listened as she talked about her father and about Charlotte and he knew how many more she had lost. Clarke had every right to have demons and Lincoln wished he could help her.
He had told Clarke he was dealing with it, but he had dreams too. He dreamed about when he was under the red, when everything was kill and ravage and kill again. Sometimes he dreamed of Octavia's blood running through his fingers, of her and her brother not being fast enough to knock him out. He dreamed that he killed her, of her lifeless eyes staring up at him.
He feared that most in the entire world.
Lincoln shook himself from those thoughts and resolved himself. He was in control. He was very much in control. He was-
Knocked out.
In the dark of the night with only the light of a dying fire illuminating them, four figures walked into their camp, knocking Lincoln out and doing the same to a sleeping Clarke for good measure.
"Hon emo daun. Konge oso heda en tel em op bilaik oso don sis tu Skaikru op gon prom." Capture them all. Summon the Commander and tell her that we've captured two Sky People for questioning.
"Sha Gostos." Two warriors left leaving Gustus and another to bring Clarke and Lincoln to wherever they would be holding them.
Gustus knelt down next to the fallen Lincoln and spoke again. "You really are a traitor, Lincoln. Heda never should have trusted you." With that, he moved to Clarke and none-too-gently threw her over his shoulder, motioning for the other warrior to pick up Lincoln.
"Gon Tondisi." To Ton DC, he said, smothering what was left of the fire by kicking dirt into it.
Lincoln woke up first. He sat up slowly from the hard ground, a hand coming up to cradle the back of his head. He groaned slightly when his hand met the tender area but that was quickly forgotten when he caught sight of the people with him in the room.
"Octavia!" He scrambled over to where Octavia was lying on the ground and sat behind her head, pulling it up into his lap and combing his fingers gently through her hair. His other hand went to the base of her chin to make sure she was still alive and audibly sighed when he found a pulse. Scanning the other two in the room, he saw that they had their hands bound and wondered why whoever had taken them hadn't bound his.
He took in the rest of the room and frowned when he recognized it as one of the main gathering rooms in Ton DC, and also as one of the only huts that locked in the village.
He heard Clarke groan and looked over at her, worry clear on his face.
Clarke tried bringing a hand up to nurse the growing headache pounding in her skull but found herself bringing her other hand with it as she did so. Her eyes opened quickly and she pushed herself up, heart racing in her chest as she found herself in a place other than where she had fallen asleep.
"We are in Ton DC, Clarke." She heard Lincoln and looked over at him before her eyes were drawn to the figure in his lap and then to the girl next to them.
"Raven? Octavia? What-" She looked back at Lincoln who shook his head and then looked back down at Octavia, his hand still moving soothingly through her hair.
"I don't know. They couldn't have been taken from your camp which leads me to believe they were outside, alone." She saw him frown and Clarke sighed, moving over to Raven. She sat beside her and shook her shoulder gently.
"Raven. Raven!" She groaned and Clarke saw her eyes tighten as she tried to turn over onto her stomach more.
"Five more minutes." Despite the situation, Clarke couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head to herself.
"Raven wake up. What the hell are you doing here?" Clarke saw Raven's brow furrow and moved back a little when she moved to turn onto her back.
"Clarke?" She asked, confused. It took a second to register but then Raven was sitting up, her hands in her lap, fighting against the bonds. "What the hell? Where are we?" She looked around and her eyes widened.
"Oh hell no. Someone's got a sick sense of humour." Clarke looked around and realized that they were staying in the same place that Raven had been accused of trying to poison Lexa the last time around.
"Raven, why are you and Octavia here?" She turned back to Raven and then looked to Octavia who was moving in Lincoln's lap. Raven looked over at her too and Clarke realized that none of them were armed. She patted her thigh and then her jacket and almost sighed with relief when she could feel the outline of her dagger. She didn't though, nobody knew that she had it on her, so no one could take it from her. She took that as a good sign; no one knew of her here.
Octavia opened her eyes and was met with the sight of Lincoln towering over her with worry in his eyes.
"Have I died and gone to heaven?" She mumbled, making Raven and Clarke laugh. Lincoln's brow furrowed more as his hand moved around Octavia's head in search of a more prominent wound.
"Is she hallucinating? Raven, did you give her Jobi nuts?" He looked at Raven accusingly and Raven held her bound hands out in front of her, spread as much as they could be.
"Don't look at me dude, that's all her." Raven's tone was amused and Clarke chuckled.
"Octavia, are you alright?" She asked, getting serious. Octavia looked away from Lincoln to see Clarke and Raven and sighed.
"Yeah, but can I, like, stay here for a little while longer please? You know, in case I have a concussion or something?" Octavia looked at Clarke who smirked. Lincoln's eyes widened though and he looked at Clarke as well, concern written plainly across his face.
"Does she have a concussion? Clarke, help her." Clarke rolled her eyes but moved closer to the pair, putting her hands on Lincoln's shoulder.
"She'll be fine. I'm more concerned with why we're here when you said we weren't supposed to be attacked." She raised an eyebrow and Lincoln frowned.
"Those are good questions. I have a few, myself." Octavia spoke up from her place on Lincoln's lap and reluctantly sat up, turning to look at Raven and Clarke. Raven knew what Octavia wanted and adopted a slight look of shame.
"Sorry Griffin." Clarke heard her whisper before Octavia was talking again.
"I found some things that need explaining Clarke, and I also heard some things when you and Raven were talking." Octavia looked pointedly at the mechanic who sighed.
"She found your stash, Clarke, and she heard us that day when the grounders attacked. You know, when we were talking about you-know-what." Clarke's eyes widened and she looked back to Octavia. She saw Lincoln's expression too, still distressed as he caught on to what direction this conversation might be headed in.
"I swear, Octavia, I will tell you about it, but we need to get out of here first. There are more pressing things right now." Octavia shook her head but Clarke pushed on. "Like, at the risk of repeating myself, why and how are you two here?"
Raven jumped at the change in topic and her hands went for her belt which she quickly realized was no longer full of her equipment.
"Goddammit, they just had to take my tech, didn't they?" Clarke looked at her with a pleading expression and Raven sighed. "We came in part because of what Octavia was asking about and also because we heard from the Ark early this morning… Is it still this morning or is it tomorrow?" Raven frowned before continuing.
"Anyway, we heard from them after the Exodus came down and I wanted to tell you that Mama Griffin was not on the ship." Clarke felt tears well in her eyes as she moved forward and put her arms around Raven's shoulders. She felt Raven's hands at her stomach because she couldn't exactly hug her back right now, but that didn't matter.
"Thank you." She whispered, glad for at least one less thing to worry about. She whispered it over and over, feeling Raven nod against her when she said it. She only broke away when the door to the hut opened and in walked Gustus along with three guards that Clarke vaguely recognized.
She hurriedly wiped her tears from her face and stood from her place on the ground. She looked at the warriors with a stoic expression.
"Why have you brought us here?" She asked tersely. None of them answered her, but then she saw something that made her pause. Gustus was wearing Lexa's shoulder pauldron.
Guys, I'm literally so excited for Wednesday for you guys to get the next part. Well, I'm excited for you to read all of it but, you know, in due time. So the time travellers and Octavia are all in Ton DC, what does that leave the dropship with, and what are they to think? Also, oops, Octavia found some of Clarke's things that weren't really so well hidden, now were they Clarke? Then again, she didn't expect people to go exploring...
And what the hell is Gustus playing at?
Also those rabbits O was talking about? I imagine them to be like jackalopes except instead of full on antlers they're just protrusions on either side of their heads, between the ears. Cute little devil bunnies.
Hmm... I think that was all I wanted to say. So, until next time guys! Have a great week! And oh! Happy just-missed-it Harry Potter day to everyone!
-Bad Wolf.