Chapter 41

They had been walking slowly for hours. Clarke made sure that they stopped every so often to the let the children and injured rest. Echo wasn't happy with their pace, but she said nothing. They weren't moving an army but a civilization and these things took time.

"Have the scouts come back?" Clarke asked her.

"Returned not too long ago. There is nothing ahead, but I'd still better to have warriors lead us. Bellamy's already gathered Miller and some of the other guards to the front."

"Are you okay with that?"

"With what?"

"The fact that Bellamy is just a guard. Miller and Jackson are rooming with you and we've put Madi there, too. You haven't said anything."

"It isn't my position to question but to serve, Wanheda," Echo responded.

Clarke wanted to smack her. She just smiled. It was such an Echo response.

"And, your brother is rooming with Indra and another guard."

"He is."

"I knew that you would want him close."

"I do. Mochof. But, I am still confused as to why you gave my brother a title. You don't know him," Echo stated.

"He is your brother. He's pledged himself to me and Madi. That is enough. You are my Ice Ripa and he is our Ground Ripa. The four main guards will be ther Ripas. We still need a fourth."

"What about Miller?"

"I was thinking of making him Captain of the Guard in Bellamy's place. He proved himself in the bunker from what I've heard. I would be a fool not to support him. He is one of the hundred, too."

"I wanted more men."

"You said something about six each, right?"

"Yes."

"You will lead the trials with Octavia. Do not worry. We will have guards and I know that they will be fierce, kind, loyal, and true."

"Sha, Wanheda," Echo replied.

"The others will be in rooming in our building, but not immediately near us. They will have outer rooms. Warriors and a few other close companions will be there, too. Echo, we will be protected."

"I know because I will make sure of it."

"Are you upset with me?"

"I just don't understand why you aren't keeping Madi closer to you," Echo stated.

"What do you mean?"

"Before you were rooming with Palla, Madi and Octavia. Now, you have your own quarters across the hall. Madi is with us, but you've taken on Niylah while keeping Octavia. Do you think it wise?"

"I've done that because I wanted to make sure that Madi was protected, Echo. I won't be in that room very often and as we work into surviving and building, Madi will be needed at the barracks to keep the people's will and spirits up. I'll be out at New Polis trying to get everything built. She understands. She wanted to room with Octavia and you both, but she knew that it might be too soon for O and Bell. When I offered Jackson and Miller, she jumped on it. This is as much her doing as it is mine. I know that you don't approve, but I would sleep better at night knowing that my daughter had three guards in her apartment with her, then just me and Octavia."

"So, this has nothing to do with what happened between you and O?"

"No, it really doesn't."

"Are you sure that she should still be your guard, Clarke?"

"You're referring to the fact that we slept together?"

"Yes," Echo replied.

"Good or not, it is irrelevant. I love O. I do, but there is nothing there for us."

"You're sure?" Echo questioned.

"Yes."

"Good, because I am sure that I don't have to tell you how hard of spot you would have put Bellamy and I if something had happened between the two of you. It wouldn't have been good. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, Bellamy still loves her. He just doesn't know what to do for her."

"I do. As does Niylah," Clarke started and then turned to face Echo more fully. "She did it for me after Mount Weather. She made me believe that I had a reason to live. She gave me the courage to understand that I did what I had to do to protect my people, but not only that, I helped save all the Grounders, too. Then the deaths of three hundred wasn't so painful and nightmarish. I could bear it when I realized that my actions didn't just save the forty-four in the Mountain, but also my entire clan, but even further, the Grounder race as well. By destroying the Mountain, I stopped the experiments. I stopped the kidnappings. I stopped the pain of never knowing. I stopped the Reapers and turned those that were found back into men. Sure, Lexa made the deal and left with every Grounder that was in the Mountain, breaking our alliance, but she started the war with the Mountain. I just finished it. And, I've had to learn to deal with the death of three hundred so that others, like yourself and everyone in that room sleeping, could sleep at night knowing that the Mountain had been defeated. I gave them more peace."

"So, you've accepted your title?" Echo asked.

"It's grown on me. Because as the 'Commander of Death,' I command life. That doesn't mean that I have to take it, Echo. I give it. I still work with my mother as a healer. But, Lexa taught me well. I'm prepared to fight and lead in battle if needed. And, it seems I'm too stubborn to die. So, I've really learned to command death. And, now as a mother, the mother to Heda, I will command her life so it is the longest a heda ever had. I want her to have the things that Lexa and the rest couldn't and I will destroy anyone and anything that hinders that," Clarke stated with fire in her voice.

"You want her to have a houmon, hodnes?" Echo questioned.

"I do. I want her to have everything that she wants. I don't want her to have to worry about dying at every turn. I will let her rule. I will give her the reins and let the people do their worship of the heda. But, I'll be damned if we live by only Jus drein jus daun and hodnes laik kwelnes."

"Love is not weakness. You've proven that. Lexa was trying to push for more. She loved you and she knew that with you she could do more."

"But, Nia..."

"It wasn't just Nia, Clarke. The people weren't ready to turn from the old ways. Jok, even I tried to kill you on multiple occasions, and not all of them were sanctioned by Nia. Trust me. It is difficult, but after being with Bellamy and the others on the ring..."

"You changed?" Clarke asked.

"I did. I became more than a Grounder. I became more than Azgeda. I was part of what Madi calls Spacekru. If it wasn't for Bellamy vouching for me, I don't think that even you would have let me back, but you did. You were prepared to spend five years in space with me, knowing that I was traitor to the coalition, that I was spy, that Octavia had banished me, that I'd tried to kill her, I tried to kill you, and that I really had nothing and no one to live for."

"Bellamy was a surprise, I'll say. But, I think you two are good together. You temper him in a way that I never could, or rather I never would. I've never looked at Bellamy as a possibility and that is mostly because my first impression of him was not very good. And even by the time that I actually cared for him, I still thought of him as a friend or a brother, even though I didn't know what one was. He was dear to me, but I couldn't honestly ever see myself with him. I still don't, so no worries there," Clarke told her.

"And, Octavia?"

"She is a challenge. She always has been. But, she is smart and loyal. She is dear to me as well, but I don't know that I could ever love her the way that she deserves to be loved. Don't get me wrong, Octavia is wonderful and special, but she needs someone worthy of her. I am not that person. I could never live up to her expectations and I won't try. That doesn't mean that I won't love her in my way," Clarke explained.

Echo just nodded. She knew what Clarke meant. Even in their small time together on Eligius, Octavia had grown on her. She had seen the woman before Lincoln's death, the woman before she became Osleya. But, she couldn't help but wonder if whatever Octavia and Clarke had was healthy. Sure, they both were carrying some heavy emotional baggage, but was sex really the answer. Echo didn't know. She didn't pretend to know. She just didn't want her friends to hurt each other.

"Just don't hurt each other," Echo stated as she moved away to give Clarke some room.

Clarke wanted to laugh. The thought that Echo was the one that was taking up for Octavia was the most ironic thing about the relationships that they were forming. Former enemies were know like sisters and were willing to die for each other. It was amazing how things changed with the world ending and survival becoming the only goal. It showed who people really were underneath it all. She actually let out a small chuckle as she turned to get her bag and keep moving towards the barracks.

She had to admit that she wanted to see Octavia. She didn't know if it was because she missed her or because she was worried about her injuries. She knew that it couldn't have been easy for her to be acting as a guard with her cuts and such. She also knew that Madi would push her, but at the same time, demand that she could hold her own if needed. She smiled as she started forward.

Her daughter was a force of nature. She always had been, but if Clarke thought that she would calm with age or even by taking the Flame, she was wrong. Madi just seemed more determined now. Like there was some cosmic goal out there that she had win or defeat or meet. And, Clarke didn't know what outcome she was hoping for besides rebuilding their lives on this new planet and surviving.

Shifting the bag on her shoulder, she looked around. Her eyes met Echo's and then Aeolus'. Shouts were heard around their little camp and slowly but surely everyone was back on their feet. She nodded at her guards and they started through the trees again. Guards and warriors were all armed and she could see it on their faces. This was almost the same as before. They were on guard. They were watching for the threat that lingered and hide behind the trees, but the one thing that she could count on was that they were all doing it. They had been trained for days like this since birth. It was one of the reasons that she wanted the Grounders on Terre Nova. They knew how to fight. They were willing to do it. And, it would take them days to figure out where they were and how to defend it without any help from the Village.

They would be safe for the Winter. That was Clarke's ultimate goal. Surviving the Winter and beginning their new lives come Spring was all she was looking forward to doing. She also knew that as soon as the Grounders and most of Wonkru were settled that Palla could go back to the Village and deal with things that she needed to there.

And, the more she thought about that, the more she wondered why she didn't want Palla to leave. She knew that she had to go, but Clarke was determined that when she came to check on them at the barracks that they would be ready for anything. They would have the hydrofarm started in its own building. The smoke house would be full of meat and timber. The tanners would be working on skins, rugs, clothes, and anything else they could make from the hides of their kills. Raven and her builders would have reinforced the wall and defensive measures would be in place around the barracks. Indra would name a warrior or someone that she knew and trusted to care for the stables and caballos. They had a plan. They would make it. She was glad to have Palla's help, but she wanted to prove...needed to prove to herself that they could do this on their own.

They cleared the tree line and the barracks came into view. She smiled. It was home for now, but soon they would build houses, permanent houses.

As she moved to the front of their group, she could make out Madi and Hrathgar standing by their signal fire. It wasn't lit and the suns were high enough that it wouldn't be needed for hours. Like always, Clarke dropped her bag and she and Madi ran towards each other in greeting after being apart. Echo just smiled and grabbed Clarke's bag watching her Heda and Wanheda hug at seeing each other.

Clarke sat Madi down. She looked down at her daughter and saw that she had the cog firmly planted between her eyebrows. The symbol of the Heda was prominently on display. She turned to see as they got closer that everyone of Wonkru came up to a certain distance from Madi and took a knee. The only ones who hadn't were those of the Guard and the Prisoners. Who by Diyoza movements and silent commandes moved into a defense perimeter around the grouping.

"Who are they?" Madi asked her.

"That is Echo's brother, Aeolus. He is one of your guard. He is one of the jusgona. I've been referring to him as Graunripa and Echo as Azripa. Now all you need is a podaripa, fayaripa, en triripa," Clarke stated.

"Jusgona?"

"The Blood Guard. Six of the most elite warriors who's entire task is to make sure that you don't die, but they are more than that. They are your messengers, guard, champions, and whatever else you might need of them. They will be the head of the Guard."

"And, Skairipa?"

"Of course, Madi. She is one as well. I am sure that she'd be honored. But, I know that they they want six guards for us each."

"Meaning we'll have to come up with more names," Madi stated.

"Sha, Madi."

They hugged again. Madi was glad that she was back. Octavia was good company but she wanted to get started on things. With Octavia's condition, she couldn't. She wouldn't allow Octavia to hurt herself in order for them to have started something before Clarke and crew got back.

Just then, Octavia made her way down the stairs. She fumbled a little, but she caught herself. Clarke watched as she flinched in the brightness of the sun, but she smiled when she saw Echo go to support her. Octavia waved her off and slowly moved her hand to the sword on her left hip as she stepped up beside Madi and Clarke. She saw the look that Octavia gave her and then the look she gave Palla.

"Welcome home, Wandheda."

"Mochof, Skairipa."

"No Skairipa. No Osleya. No Blodreina. No skaikru. No Trikru. No Wonkru. Ai laik Okteivia kom Gryfonkru, Jusgona kom Wanheda, en Sekken kom Wanheda," Octavia told them in perfect unbroken words.

Clarke just cocked an eyebrow at her. A smirk covered all their faces as Clarke shook her head at Octavia and then gave Echo a knowing look. Then, they all broke out in laughter causing all those behind them to smile. They'd never seen the Heda smile or laugh as much as they did with Madi. So, they knew that they were safe and things were going to okay. It would be hard, but with heda and Wanheda leading them, they would make it.