Chapter 22

They were all back in engineering working out plans. Clarke and Palla were setting guard points and patrols routes. Madi and Echo were planning out common areas for feasts and festivals. They also selected a site for training. Raven was drawing up plans for buildings, mills, and other things that they might need to become self-sufficient on this planet in their own little village.

"Where is she?" Bellamy barked as he broke through the door to engineering.

"Where's who?" Clarke demanded as she stood up to face the elder Blake.

"Octavia," he demanded.

"Isn't she with Madi and Echo sparring?"

"No, she's gone," Bellamy said as he moved closer to a very disheveled Palla. "What did you say to her last night? You were the last one with her!"

Palla bristled at his underlying accusation. She wasn't used to anyone talking to her like that except Ferre, Hrathgar and Balt. Clarke had gotten away with it a few times, but she wasn't going to let this pretty boy think that he had some sort of right to address her in such a manner. She wasn't going to stand for it and she definitely was going to nip it in the bud now, before she had to do something to him that would upset Clarke and Madi.

She bowed up. She made herself bigger. There was no other way to say it. Her petite frame grew and stepped around Clarke, Raven and the table that they were standing around discussing plans for their part of the colony. Clarke could only watch as her eyes flashed something dangerously. Palla had no weapons on her, but Clarke was sure that it wouldn't matter. She watched as Palla got up in his face. Echo stepped around them both.

"Echo?"

"Sha, Palla?" she asked as Palla never took her eyes off of Bellamy.

"Where is Madi?"

"Here," Madi answered from behind her.

Palla didn't move. She stayed, standing there, staring at Bellamy. She could feel his breath on her face. She could see his worry and his anger on his face, but she wasn't going to back down. Not to him...ever.

"Echo?"

"Sha, Palla?"

"Ready the black caballo and see if the roan is stalled," she called to the bodyguard.

She didn't have to look to see if Echo was going to do as she asked when she heard Madi's voice say, "Go."

"Indra?"

"Sha, Palla?"

"Did she talk to you last night?" Palla asked her in Trigedasleng.

"Sha, Palla."

"I suggest you sit down, Bellamy before I make you. You forget that you are a guest here. It is at my leisure that you are even here. Try not to be such an ass," Palla told and then turn around from him, meeting Clarke's worried eyes.

"Why you..." Bellamy started as he reached for her arm.

Palla simply moved to the side with a speed, no one in that room had even seen. She grabbed him and threw him over her hip and onto the floor. Kneeling into his chest, she had a dagger to his throat before he registered that he was one the ground.

"YOU ARE ALL FOOLS!"

"Palla?" Madi asked.

"Except for maybe you and Raven, Little One," Palla answered.

"Why are we fools?" Clarke asked.

"All Octavia wants is a family. All she wants is to be loved and forgiven for being put in a position that she didn't ask for. She needed all of you, and you all abandoned her in that bunker. It broke her and you've done nothing to help her. Madi is the only one who's tried. So, don't tell me that this is something that I've done," Palla warned them all before getting in Bellamy's face. "You are her fucking brother. You are her protector and you left her. You walked away from her. You can forgive Clarke for things that she's done, but you can't forgive your own blood. She understands why you tried to poison her. She forgave you for it. She realized what she became and she needed forgiveness. And, the only one who gave it to her unconditionally was Madi...after she took the flame, because then a twelve year old girl knew exactly what it was like to be responsible for thousands and to fight for them all. Have you not done the same thing, foolish boy? Sometimes I wonder who is truly older, you or her. Then, you prove her right. You aren't worth my blade. You are worth the position that you hold, but I understand the reasoning. Act out again, and I will personally strip you of everything you hold dear, BOY."

"Palla?"

"Sha, Echo," she replied without looking up.

"The roan is gone," Echo replied.

"And, the black caballo?"

"Downstairs, waiting on you, Palla," Echo stated.

"Clarke, did you tell her about the waterfalls?"

"Yeah, but it was..."

"Fine. Someone get him out of my rooms. He is not allowed to any command meetings until I feel like he has earned it. And, by Eligius and your sister, I hope you do," she said as she got up off him and headed down the hallway to her room.

Clarke followed her, not caring about the commotion in the other room as Indra and Echo both removed Bellamy much to his surprise. She watched as Palla went into the closet and started to strip down. She turned away after a few seconds, but it was too late. She'd already seen the scars and tattoos on her back.

"Palla..."

"You aren't going," she said sharply as she grabbed a black shirt and pulled it over her head.

"But..."

"NO."

"Palla..."

"You and Madi need to get him under control or I will kill him, Clarke. I cannot tolerate his methods. He either abides by my law or he will be banished. I won't send him over the wall, but I won't allow him in the Village. If you want him in your colony, that is your business, but I will not let him pollute mine," she told her as she pulled out some cargo pants and put them on.

When she was done in the closet, she moved to a trunk against the wall. Clarke had stared at the trunk, since she was allowed to stay in Palla's quarters. It intrigued her, but not enough to snoop in. She understood that everyone needed their privacy. Well, that was until Palla opened the trunk.

She pulled out some loose fitting armor. It was mostly a military vest. She wrapped it around her body and did the buckles. Then, she grabbed a belt with weird loops and two sheathes for big knives. She put the belt on and closed the trunk after she pulled out two strange looking sickles. Those were put through two of the loops.

She left the room and headed for the kitchen. She opened a cabinet near the main pantry. Grabbing two knives, she attached them via the sheathes to her belt. One was a Bowie and the other a commando. She reached back in and grabbed a tomahawk. She pushed it through the loop on the back of the belt. Satisfied, she went into the kitchen. Indra was already in there packing some supplies in a saddle bag. She handed it to Palla without thought and nodded to her.

"I'll bring her back, Indra. I will bring back your Skaikru daughter. Do not fear."

"I do not, Palla," Indra replied.

"Water?"

"With your caballo, Echo filled it while saddling," Indra answered.

Palla nodded and walked back over to the living room. She reached up onto the wall and took her sword, slinging it over her shoulder with the baldric. She looked around the room. She could see the worry and the guilt on all their faces as she turned back for the door.

"Have Abby ready... just in case. Call Hrathgar and warn him that I am heading towards the falls. Tell him the ones near the line. He'll understand."

"Palla..." Raven started.

"Little Bird...I don't know who you pray to, but start now... If the Praha get to her before I do..."

"You'll bring her home," Raven said with a fire in her voice.

"I will," Palla told them all as she walked out of the apartment and down the stairs to her black as midnight caballo.

She ran towards the caballo. She mounted quickly from the side without much effort. Settling her saddle bags and then tying off her sword to the saddle, she reached for the reins. As she was turning the caballo towards the falls that she'd just shown Clarkejust days before, Palla was worried what possible destruction and holy hell that Octavia was courting.

"Palla," Clarke addressed her as she stood beside the colossal caballo.

"What, Clarke?"

"Please bring her back to us. I know that we have wronged her. I know that I have wronged her. I have forgiven her, but..."

"There are no buts, Clarke. Either you forgive her, or you destroy her. That is all she knows. She is trying to prove herself to you. Give her your forgiveness and you will have her all. She's sworn allegiance to your daughter and pledged her life to you. What more do you want from her?" Palla asked as she raised her heels and kicked the caballo.

She was off like a shot into the woods. Clarke stood there dumbfounded as she watched her ride off full gallop. Raven caught up to them just in time to see a black flash enter the woods to the northwest of their position.

"She'll bring her back," Raven told her.

"Will we be worth it?"

"Palla hopes so," Raven replied.

"She was right," Clarke stated.

"About what?"

"Bellamy forgives me too easily and not Octavia at all."

"He wasn't there, Clarke. He doesn't know what she had to face in that bunker. Abby did. Maybe they should talk."

"She'll kill him."

"Who?"

"Palla."

"Don't doubt it."

"What was he thinking?"

"How he was going to save his sister on a planet he knows nothing about...you know the same way he tried on Earth."

"She can care for herself," Clarke replied.

"So can Madi."

Clarke turned to look at Raven more fully. She knew that Raven had a point. She also knew that she had to find a way to help Bellamy forgive Octavia. She didn't want her to be like Jasper. He couldn't handle Maya's death after Mount Weather. And, it was obvious that Octavia was not handling everything that went down on Earth, in the end, because of the bunker. Octavia was her friend and she needed to be there for her.

"Indra!"

"Sha, Clarke," she called back from the breezeway between the quarters.

"Get my mother. And, then, relieve Echo of her duties protecting and housing Bellamy. Take him out and beat him to a bloody pulp if you have to, but make him know that he needs to respect Palla like he respects heda or me. And, just when you think that he's had enough, give him some more for not forgiving his sister. Then, take him to Abby to be patched up. When he is able to talk, let me know. I think that I need to have another conversation with him...privately," Clarke told her.

"Sha, Wanheda," Indra answered and then ran upstairs to get the man-child with a strange smile on her face.

"Clarke?"

"He wants discipline. He wants order. He is going to get it."

Madi was standing at the top of the stairs waiting on them. She'd been at the top of the landing looking out as she watched Palla rode off to save one of her people. Octavia wasn't just her mother's guard. She was Wonkru and as Madi was the keeper of the flame, one of her people. She could feel the weight of her absence on her heart and she didn't like it. She felt it when Clarke explained what Monty and Harper had done to save them all. But, Octavia was her Skairipa. She refused to let her be Blodreina. Octavia was her fellow warrior, but she was more than just a member of the personal guard. She was more than a leader. She was like a sister to Madi and she wasn't willing to lose that.

"Raven, did she take a radio?" Madi asked as they came to the top of the stairs.

"I don't know."

"I put on in her bags, Heda. That small one that she carries. The one that she talked to us with before we landed. There is no picture, just sound."

"Thank you," Madi replied. "Raven?"

"Sha, heda?" she replied.

"Contact Hrathgar as she's asked and let him know what it happening. Say verbaitum what she said and nothing more. If he wants to come, we'll be waiting."

"Sha, heda," Raven replied as she made her way back into their temporary command center.

"Echo?"

"Sha, heda?"

"Make a large fire. It is going to be a long night. Then, find Abby and let her know what is happening."

"Sha, heda."

"And, Echo," Madi started in Trigedaslegne. "How many caballos are left in the barn?"

"Two, Heda."

"After you see Abby, have them ready to ride. I want to be ready if we need to go help Palla. I will not let Octavia be the first death on this planet. Understand?"

"Sha, Heda."

"Go."

She turned around to see Clarke watching her. There was something about the way that she commanded that was so much like Lexa. And, the more she thought about it, the more she could see Lexa in Palla, too.

"Ask it, Clarke. I can see it in your face. Just ask it."

"If it isn't the spirit of the Commander that is in the flame, but their memories and emotions tied to them, could Lexa's spirit still be out there?"

"She told you that she would always find you, Clarke and she will. You two are destiny. She might not be in Lexa's body, but I have no doubt that Lexa's spirit searches for yours as well."

"Why?"

"You said it yourself. You're soulmates. You will always find your way to each other."

"But, I don't believe in reincarnation like that," Clarke replied.

"Has that ever stopped her soul before?" Madi asked her and then walked into the quarters to look over the maps and the areas that Palla was offering them.