Chapter 28

Three days has passed since Palla had woken, and true to her word, she stayed in the clinic for two days. By mid-afternoon, she was out of the clinic and walking around the grounds. If she wasn't talking with Raven, Indra, or Echo about the preparations that they needed for winter, she was with Hrathgar discussing the preparations for the Village. Clarke had been staying in the clinic with Octavia. Palla made daily, sometimes multiple trips to check on her. She never stayed long, but she always asked if there was something else she could do.

By the afternoon of the next day, she could tell however that the rest of the party was getting restless. They needed to do something besides cleaning out rooms and preparing for those coming. They wanted to do something to help them survive the winter, and Palla had an idea.

"A hunting trip?" Madi asked.

"Yeah, you need meat and skins. I can show you were to go now, so when your hunters come down, they can immediately go. Raven and Hrathgar almost have the storage area built. Let's start filling it," Palla suggested.

Echo and Indra looked positively excited. Madi was sure that Clarke wouldn't like the idea of her going and she wasn't sure that Indra would take Bellamy with her. It was a good idea. They needed to see what they could hunt and now was as good as a time as any.

"Echo, Indra, go get Bellamy and take him with you. Be nice and bring us back some meat. I'll go talk with Clarke about it," Madi told them.

Echo started to bristle about leaving Madi and Clarke both unprotected, but she saw the look in Madi's eyes. She knew that they needed this. They needed to start behaving like this was permanent.

"Don't worry about them, Echo. I will care for them. They will be safe here," Palla told her seeing her distress.

Echo nodded and ran off to get Bellamy and her weapons. Indra dropped a hand on Madi's shoulder and leaned down to whisper in her ear. Madi smiled and shook her head. Indra smiled and went to get her bow. Palla wanted to go as well, but she knew that there were other things that needed to be done.

"Madi, is Raven in her liar?"

"Liar?"

"Engineering?"

"Oh, yeah, she's still designing a layout for buildings based on the maps you gave her."

"Good. Tell Clarke that I will need to see her later. There are some things that I need to discuss with her. Do you know when they are going to go for the next transport?"

"She was hoping in the next few days. I am not sure if she is waiting on Octavia to wake or for Hrathgar and Ferre to head back to the Village. She knows that you don't want too many people out here until we get everyone processed and settled," Madi stated.

"I just want everyone to be safe," Palla replied.

"So, do we," Madi added as she walked into the clinic alone.

Palla walked down the walk to Engineering and knocked on the door. She normally wouldn't care, but Engineering was Raven's space. She'd given her the keys to the room for a reason. The fact that Raven cleared out a space to give her self some privacy and her own quarters. Palla couldn't fault her for that. She was just trying to allow Raven what she wanted.

The door opened and very disheveled Raven stood in the doorway. She looked tired and run down. It immediately made Palla worry about her leg. She was about to say something, when Raven gave her a smile and backed up to let her in.

"What's shakin' bacon?" Raven asked her as she hobbled, stiffly over to her engineering table.

Palla cocked an eyebrow at her because of the greeting. She did her best not to stare at Raven's leg as she watched her walking as she shut the door. Following her over to the desk, she perched on a stool and looked down at the maps. She wanted to see what she, Clarke and Madi had come up with, but there was more to it than that. She needed to see the maps. She was still worried about what happened in the woods before she got Octavia back.

"Thought you were chomping at the bit to get back to the Village? Why are you still here? Something your forgot to tell us?" Raven badgered her with questions as she watched the slightly older brunette shift on the stool before her.

Dark eyes flicked up to meet Raven's before she turned her gaze back to the maps on the table. She ran her fingers over the map without saying anything to Raven. The Latina scrunched up her brows in confusion at Palla's actions. She'd never been quiet with Raven. She'd never been so focused.

"What is it?"

"We were attacked here," Palla said pointing to the map. "I need a bigger picture. Can you get..."

"On it," Raven told her already tapping away at the computer.

Seconds later there was another map in front of her. She stared at it. It wasn't hi rez, but it was based on their topography and scouting. She started measuring distances. Finger over finger until she landed on the wall.

"That can't be right. That is too far south. Shit!" Palla said quickly and she up and out of the room.

Raven tried to follow her, but she couldn't efficiently with her leg. She followed as best as she could, but she stopped just outside the clinic as soon as she saw Clarke. Clarke had come out because she heard yelling. When she saw Raven, she gave her a look before turning out to see Palla running towards the stables.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. She saw something on the map. Got really angry about it and then took off. Whatever it was, it wasn't something that she felt like explaining to me. I don't know what else to tell you, Clarke, but whatever it was...she's really feeling some kinda way about it," Raven told her.

"Stay with Madi and Mom, I'll be right back," Clarke told her and then took off after Palla.

She finally caught up to her in the stables. She was saddling her caballo much to the dismay of Hrathgar. He was holding the lead line and fighting back with her in a language that Clarke didn't understand. She caught the gest of it thought. It seemed that Palla was about to go riding off after something, unprepared and possibly unarmed, without a plan or back up. She wasn't taking no for an answer and she didn't care that she'd just been shot. She had to go. She had to know and that is why Clarke finally decided to break the up the craziness.

"HEY!"

Both of the Terrens turned to look at her. Hrathgar eyed her with his piercing grey-blue eyes. His blond hair was pulled back and his stature did nothing to really intimidate Clarke. He was just as big as most of the grounders. He was just a big man who cared for his Palla.

"What is going on?"

"The Praha crossed the wall."

"Okay, that sucks, I get it. You want to go beat something about it, but you aren't getting on a horse and going after them," Clarke said as she neared them. She heard Palla scoff as she continued to saddle her caballo. Hrathgar cocked and eyebrow and then moved back when he saw the fire in Clarke's eyes. He honestly thought the little blonde had lost her mind until she put the pistol to Palla's head. "Stand down."

"Clarke!" Palla stated. It was low hiss. It was a warning.

Clarke didn't back down. She pushed the barrel into her temple a little harder. Finally, Palla backed up. Clarke cut her eyes and Hrathgar took control of the caballo and led it away from them both.

"Now, you are going to talk to me rationally."

"Clarke, you don't know what you've done," Palla told her.

"We are here now. We might have started a war with the Praha. So, if they are over the wall, it concerns us as well. If I was you, I would start talking. I don't like to be kept waiting. And, right now your actions threaten not only me and my people, but my daughter. If she is hurt, I can guarantee that you won't like what I do. So, tell me what's going on," Clarke demanded.

"Are you going to put the gun down?"

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Yes, Wanheda," Palla answered.

Clarke lowered the pistol and looked into her dark eyes. She could tell that she was frightened. Something happened in that clearing besides Palla getting shot and it was time that everyone knew what it was.

"Talk to me," Clarke urged her.

Palla hung her head. She didn't know where to start, but she knew that she owed Clarke the truth. She hadn't been thinking rationally since she woke. She didn't know why, but she was more worried about the Earthlings than she was before. Something told her to go see Raven, to look at the maps, and when she did, it call came back to her. The war, the death, the destruction, the blood...then she was holding Octavia's lifeless body. She knew that it wasn't real, but it was too real at the same time. She knew that Octavia was still in the barracks clinic healing from the sticky sap fiasco. She was breathing. She was healing. Palla had checked on her personally.

"I went to see Octavia this morning."

"I know. I was there. I've been there almost every time that you have," Clarke stated as she tucked the pistol in her waistband at the small of her back.

"When I looked at her, I realized that I never told y'all what happened as we were coming back. I felt like I had failed her again. But, then as I remembered, I realized that I wasn't just failing Octavia and by extension you and Heda, I was failing my people. I didn't report what had happened. I haven't taken steps to stop it from happening again. I need to go back out there, Clarke. I need to actually look at where we were attacked. I need to know so I can tell Imber."

"You aren't going out there alone," Clarke told her.

"I need to do this, Clarke."

"I am not saying that you don't, but you don't need to go out there alone. Don't believe me on that, ask Hrathgar. Or, better yet, let's go talk to Ferre, Sprite and Lex? Do you think that they will understand you putting yourself in danger without them knowing why?"

Palla looked at her. No one had ever dared to question what she was doing, except for Ferre and Tamma. The more she spent time with Clarke, the more familiar she became with her. Ferre being there hadn't helped any either. But, she wasn't sure how much she was going to let Clarke get away with.

"She has a point," Hrathgar stated as she turned to face him.

Ferre was standing there beside her. Her hazel eyes were on fire. Palla could tell that it was directed at her and not Clarke. Sprite and Lex were standing there with them. It was the first time that Clarke had seen both children.

"Sorcha Bradbury, I don't care what in Hades you thought you were going to do, you aren't."

"But, Ferre..."

"No! Do you understand? Do you not understand that we constantly worry about you? Do you think that it is easy for us to let you go out every so often? Well, let me tell you something. It isn't. I have to watch you drop off Lex and the ride away to do only Eligius knows what because you are worried about the people. I get that. I really do. But, what about your family? Do we not count for anything?"

"Yes, you do...but..."

"No, buts, Sorcha. Right now, we don't need Palla or Fio. We need Sorcha. We need you to think about all this. We are helping because you are family. We are giving them our time, supplies, and animals. Don't make us give you up, too!"

"Sorcha..." Clarke started as she moved towards them. "I get it. You're afraid of the Praha. You told me what happened. I understand the fear. I understand wanting to protect everyone. I've been fighting for my people since we landing on Earth. We aren't on Earth, but we aren't going to let you fight our battles for us. If it is the Praha and they are here because of us, we are going to mount up beside you and your people. They didn't just attack you, Sorcha. They attacked Octavia. And, while she might not be blood, she is my sister. I will not stand for it."

"Clarke..."

"No, either we go out there with you, or you don't go at all."

"This isn't fair, and you both know it."

"Fair doesn't matter. I almost lost your once, Sor. I am not letting you back over that wall without a plan. And, I'll be damned if I'm letting you go alone," Ferre told her. "If that means that the Earthlings go with you, then so be it."

"This isn't their fight."

"This is no longer yours, Sor," Ferre countered. "You fought and finally secured a peace agreement with the Praha after years of fighting. You were attacked. I am not belittling that, but you belittle yourself."

"How?" Palla asked.

"You are the Palla and the Fio. You are our leader. You have a general, but you don't use him. You try to protect us all, but you never think about yourself. You come up with plans to defend us, but you never stop riding the line at night. You never take time for yourself. You never take a vacation. I am not talking about packing up and going somewhere south and just being away from everything. I know that you don't want to do that, but you've got to rest sometime, Sor. You can't keep pushing yourself like this. It isn't healthy. How is she supposed to deal with that?" Ferre asked as she looked to Clarke.

Palla caught the movement. She knew what Ferre thought about Clarke being possibly. She wasn't so sure and she wasn't going to push the issue.

"Palla...please, wait for Indra and Echo to come back from hunting. Then, we can all go. If you want, Hrathgar can go as well. Might be good for the Praha to see that we have a mountains for men with us. But, tell me what you remember," Clarke stated as she stepped into her bubble.

She didn't know what Ferre was referring to, but she was sure that the dressing down that Palla received was enough to make Palla pause for a moment. Thankfully, they hadn't gathered a crowd. Hrathgar grunted in agreement with Clarke's assessment as he went to a chest on the wall across from the large caballo stalls. He opened it, pulled out some maps, and a knife. He walked over to the wall and stabbed a map into the wall.

"Talk, Palla. Tell us what happened. Show me," Hrathgar demanded.