Chapter 42

Raven sat down at her table like always. She was staring at the map before her. Madi was right. Clarke was right. Palla was right, but one of them was going to have back down enough to let her do what she wanted or she would just do it. She knew that Madi and Clarke would just end up forgiving her. Palla was the wildcard in this, but Clarke was right. They needed to get started and Raven hated having nothing to do. And, just sitting around the barracks, she had nothing to do. She had tinkered on everything that she could think of and improved some of the tech and machines around the barracks. But, now, she was just bored.

Clarke had been working with Palla to establish measures for protection during the winter. Indra was overseeing the building of lookout towers. Bellamy had a crew headed to the wall to meet up with Imber's troops to help them and boost manpower for defense. Octavia and Echo were sorting through warriors they thought might be worthy of the trials to be a guard or more importantly a jusgona. Madi had been training with Aeolus during all of this at Clarke and Echo's behest. Diyoza and her men were building defensive structures around the barracks and camp. Hrathgar, Ferre and the children had gone back to the Village to help with the preparations there and to be there for when Ferre delivered Tamman.

Niylah had been watching her. She's been cataloging what each member of Wonkru was doing. She was delivering daily reports to Clarke and Madi about how they were adapting. Raven wasn't surprised that she was asked to do this over herself. Niylah had a way about her that was easy to deal with and talk to. No one would question the trader, plus this also allowed her to set up a small depot in the same building they were smoking meat in.

Raven had seen to the construction of the hydro-farm. It was running successfully and she was just waiting on Jordan to come down to make it grow more. She knew that he would want to change things and have her tinker with it. He was Monty's son. She smiled when she thought about it. He had Monty's easy way about him and Harper's smile. She missed her friends, but she couldn't fault them for staying awake and trying to find a way for them to survive on Earth. She'd searched deeper in the ships's records to find out about all of Monty's experiments. Hell, she was proud of him for delivering Jordan and caring for him without any medical help for twenty plus years. She was sad that she wouldn't have Monty to help her with some of the tech, but she couldn't fault him for his feelings on everything that happened. Hearing him confirm that Harper had the same genetic condition that her father did had been a blow.

She quickly wiped her face and dismissed the thoughts. She missed her friends, all of them. She missed Wick and Finn, but she couldn't dwell on their deaths now. She couldn't then and she knew that she'd never really had time to honestly morn them. They had always been too busy trying to survive. That is when she remembered the phrase that Lexa had told Clarke on several occasions. It was fitting.

"Stedaunon don gon we en kikon ste enti," she said, not realizing that it was out loud.

"What was that?" Clarke asked as she sat down next Raven looking over the maps and the plans for New Polis, as they were staring to call it.

"Huh?" Raven said, shaking her head and looking up into clear blue eyes, that looked happier than they had been in years.

"You said something in Trig," Clarke stated.

"Oh, I did."

"I see that your classes with Niylah are paying off," Clarke told her.

"Well, I needed to know what y'all were saying. It's not nice being the only one that can't follow along sometimes. I mean, I got most of it, but now, I can actually answer back. Plus, it's helping when the Grounders need something fixed. We forgot that most of them don't speak English."

"Octavia was working on that. Maybe we should build a school or something. Teach both languages to all the kids."

"Clarke, there aren't that many children, but a school would be a good thing."

"I don't want us to lose our history. I don't want us to forget what we came from. We can't move forward and make things better if we don't remember."

"You're right, Clarke. We do. But, who will write our collective histories? You have twelve clans and a group of prisoners from before the bombs to deal with. Who says what is right and what isn't?" Raven asked her.

"That is why i'm going to get the Keepers to do it for us," Clarke stated.

"The Keepers?"

"Yes, they are the advisors to the Fio of Helios. Balt is the Keeper. He writes down the daily business and goings on of the Village. He raised Palla. She's told me that he is the most impartial person she's ever met. He records everyone's story. He'll record ours and then we can make a collective history that covers all of ours and that is mostly truth. It might take years, but I am sure that we can do something that will make us all proud of what we've accomplished."

"That would be nice," Raven added.

"But, that really isn't an issue now. Talk to me, Raven. You seem...off."

"I'm bored," Raven replied.

"You're bored?"

"Yes."

"How can you be bored? There is so much that needs to be done to help us prepare. Have you gone to the farm?"

"Yes, I checked it this morning. Everything is fine. And, I've already checked on the plumbing and the pumps, the water heaters, the smoke house and even started working with Wonkru getting a sawmill set up. But, there is nothing for me to do. Hell, I've even upgraded some of Abby's medical equipment. You don't need me building bombs, so...at least I haven't blown anything up."

"I've got an idea. Get with Diyoza and see if she needs anything for our defenses. I know she said something about fire power, mines and such. She'd give you something to do," Clarke told her.

"I don't want to do that, Clarke. Unless...unless I have to. Remember we are trying to make this a better place than we left. We are all so tired of fighting and war, but I don't think that me tinkering around and making some grenades is going to help us that much."

"Then, what do you want to do?" Clarke asked her.

"Echo started training me on the Go-Sci Ring while we were in space. We even worked out a little on the ship," Raven started.

"You want to train?"

"Yes," Raven said as she hung her head.

"Then train. I won't stop you. There is no reason that you can't do that. It would be a good thing to know how to defend yourself, Raven. And, if you were training with Echo, she knows how to work with you and your leg. It could help..."

"It could help?" Raven questioned as she looked up into Clarke's expressive blue eyes.

"With your leg."

"There is nothing wrong with me leg," Raven countered.

"I never said that there was besides the obvious, Raven. You were shot. We can't change that. But, you're so damn strong. You let Mom do the surgery to finally get the bullet out of your back with no pain control or anesthesia. I can't imagine the amount of pain that you were in, but you made it. You proved us all wrong and you survived. And, you know why? Because you're like me, too stubborn to die. You want to prove to everyone that tells you that you can't, that you can, and you have. You do it every day. Hell, you made your own brace after you tried to fix Wick's just so you didn't have to use those crutches anymore. Raven, you can do anything that you put your mind to and if you want to train, train."

"There is something that you aren't telling me, isn't there?"

"No, I want you to train. The exercise will be good for you. I know how you like to keep strong. This will help you. It will test you both physically and mentally. I think that it is something that will help you find the peace that you're still looking for."

"Clarke, this is me we're talking about. I've never known peace. I've been fighting to survive since I was born. Remember, I never gave my mother any awards for how she treated me."

"I know that your life was hard on the Ark. It didn't get any better after Mom sent you down to find me. But, Raven, this isn't the Ark. This isn't Earth. And, I want us to do more than just survive here. I want us to live. I want us to thrive. I want us to be happy. If training with Echo makes you happy, do it."

"You're sure?"

"I would never hold you back, Raven. Remember, you're awesome and I'd pick you first. Just be sure to see Mom. She wants to check on your leg."

"So, that's the deal. I go see Abby and let her play with my leg and I can go train with Echo whenever I want. That's it?"

"Once a week, at least," Clarke added.

"Once a week, what?"

"You go see Mom once a week and you can follow Echo around like a puppy if you want. I don't care. I just want to make sure that you aren't pushing yourself too hard and causing more damage. That is my only concession to this deal. I don't want you to hurt yourself further. And, if I need your brain, I get it. Do you think that you can handle that?" Clarke questioned.

"I can totally handle that," Raven told her.

"Then, I'll go talk with Echo. I'm sure that she needs a break. I think she almost took off the head from the guy from Podakru who wants to be a guard."

"He got a name?" Raven asked her.

"I'm sure he does, but Echo won't use it. Something about they don't get their names back until she thinks that they are worthy of being in our presence or something. Indra agreed with her. They aren't training to be warriors or sekkons. They are training to be jusgona," Clarke told her and then looked into her brown eyes. She could see the questions and worry already forming in Raven's eyes before she inquired, "Are you sure that this is what you want to do?"

"Yeah," Raven said, standing up and slapping the table, "It is."

"Okay. I'll get Echo. Just remember that you decided on this torture yourself. I won't get her to relent until you beg me to make her stop."

"I get it," Raven answered.

"Good."

Clarke left her then. She wasn't sure what Raven's thinking was, but she'd finally found a way to get her to go see Abby about her leg. She needed to find Echo and talk with her. She wanted Echo to push Raven to her limits. They needed someone who wouldn't be soft on her and who would push her, but also make sure that she didn't hurt herself. Echo was loyal and she would care for Raven.

"Azripa!"

"She, Wanheda," Echo answered as she ran to be near Clarke.

"Raven wants to train with you, again," Clarke stated.

"Sha?"

"Yes, I want you to push her to her limits."

"Clarke?"

"She's finally agreed to see Mom about her leg, but only if you train her. So, push her. She wants to learn how to fight and defend herself. So teach her, but push her."

"Sha, Wanheda," Echo replied.

"I want you to tell me how she does, too. I know that you'll training for her leg, but train her in whatever she wants. She needs this. I think with the possibility of a coming battle she feels defenseless. Make her stronger, Echo."

"Sha, Wanheda."

"And, Echo?"

"Sha?"

"If she pleases you, make her your sekkon," Clarke told her.

"She, Wanheda," Echo stated and then went to find the fiery Latina, wondering what Raven was really up to, now.