Chapter 51

Raven sat at her desk and looked at the reports from her scans. Echo stayed with her, not trusting Raven to be alone at that moment. Raven threw the reports down. She didn't know what she was reading and Echo wasn't even going to try. She knew that she had no idea what the papers or tablets said. It would be up to Clarke and she'd gone for a ride with Palla. Who knew when they would be back?

"I want to know," Raven said as she pushed back from the table.

"I know you do, but we need wait on Clarke. Unless you can't, then we can take it to Abby. But, if we do that, you have to tell Abby what we did," Echo reminded her gently.

"No, I don't want to go to Abby about this. She'd probably bench me if I did. We've had words before about her being my doctor. I don't think that she would take it too kindly if I was suddenly going over her head and using Clarke," Raven said.

"Then, I guess you'll just have to wait."

"Yeah, but we both know how impatient I am."

"Then, let's go work on something," Echo suggested.

"Like?"

"You feel like riding?"

"You know how I feel about those beasts," Raven quipped.

"Yeah, I know. But, if you are going to be Jusgona, you are going to have know how to ride. You are going to have to know how to mount, dismount and fight from atop a horse."

"Those aren't horses. Horses I might have been able to deal with. Those are giant thousand pound death devils that would crush me rather than take me anywhere," Raven lamented.

"Obviously you've never been on one. Get your jacket and come on. I'm getting you on a caballo today, even if it kills me," Echo told her.

"What about if it kills me?" Raven questioned as she hopped off her stool, grabbed her jacket and followed Echo out of the Engineering bay.

"Some of us could only be so lucky," Echo teased her back.

"Hey!" Raven exclaimed and punched her in the shoulder.

Raven knew that she shouldn't have done it as soon as she let her fist fly, but she couldn't stop herself. She was rash, brash and crude most days. But she was also Echo's Second for the time being. She was learning to bite her tongue in certain situations, but that was only because the back of her head was still sore from the last time she spoke out of turn. She knew how heavy handed Echo could be, but at the same time every time she saw Bellamy, she was glad to have Echo training her and not Indra.

She remembered too late how quickly Echo moved and that she had a good bit more muscle than she did. But, she remembered it all when she was looking up at her from the flat of her back in the breezeway. Echo was pissed. There was no other word for it. Raven knew that she pushed the limit too much that day and that was what finally broke Echo. She'd been trying not to lash out at Raven, but finally, she broke.

Looking down at Raven with her brown-hazel eyes, Echo was shocked. She had reacted. It was instinct and muscle memory. She knew that Raven had been teasing her and that punch wasn't meant to hurt her. It was just reactionary on Raven's part, but that also didn't excuse it. Raven's dark chocolate eyes were wide and full of shock with no pain.

"Sorry," she immediately said to Echo in Trig.

Echo didn't waver. She simply huffed and walked off, expecting Raven to get herself up and follow her to the stables. Raven knew that she wasn't going to help her up. She'd created her problem and Echo was making her fix it. They both knew that she could get up. It was going to take time and it was probably going to hurt. Echo knew that she should wait for Raven to get up, but she couldn't find it in her to care at that moment.

She was cursing under her breath in Trig. She knew that Raven preferred Gonasleng, but to her it just sounded better in Trig. That was until she heard the decidedly loud curse coming from Raven as she was trying to get up. Echo hadn't gone that far, so she turned around. She still didn't know if she was going to help her get up or just watch her struggle until Raven broke down and asked for help. Either way, her mind was racing because she'd heard the pain in Raven's voice. And, Raven was her responsibility since she was her Second.

"JOK!" Raven exclaimed as she rolled over towards her right, but her left leg wasn't cooperating.

Abby came out of the clinic. Madi was out of her rooms and down the stairs, sword pulled and at the ready by the time that Echo was back. Abby saw that it Raven and moved to help.

"No, Abby, I got this," Raven told her as she rolled to her left instead.

Echo watched her, standing there silently as Raven rolled until she could get her right knee under herself and push herself up. She knew that Madi might be angry with her for allowing Raven to be there, but she knew that Madi wouldn't stop her from training her as she saw fit. Abby would be another story. Echo could tell that she desperately holding herself back from helping and it was only because Raven told her not to.

"Ge smak daun goyan op nodotaim," Echo stated.

Madi looked up at her then and realized that this was a learning experience. Raven must have done something that set Echo off. Madi just put her sword up. She walked around Raven and to Echo's side.

"Chit em do?" Madi asked her.

"Em smak ai."

Madi looked at Raven, who had finally gotten to her feet. The smirk she held hid the pain that Madi knew that she had to be in. Turning back to Echo, she schooled her smile before turning back to Raven.

"Raivon, you know better. Go on. And, this time, Little Bird, listen to the teacher better," Madi told her.

"Sha, Heda," Raven answered, hanging her head as she followed Echo, again, towards the stables.

When Abby took a step to try assess Raven quickly before she got too far away, Madi held her back with the touch of her hand on Abby's arm. Abby looked down at her granddaughter confused. Everyone knew that Raven was injured but, she couldn't understand why Madi wouldn't let her look at Raven. She'd obviously fallen. She could have done more damage to her back or to her leg. She really needed to be seen.

"She'll be alright, Abby."

"She fell, Madi. I need to see her. I need to make sure that she is okay," Abby countered.

"No. She'll come after she is done training and not before. She got what she deserved. She will be okay. Echo will make sure of it," Madi said with an air of authority.

"She deserved it?" Abby questioned.

"She hit Echo."

"She hit her?"

"Yes, and Echo countered. They weren't in a training cycle, so Echo couldn't let it go unpunished. Raven has paid the price of her lack in temperance. She will learn from this and she will get better. Echo will keep her in line and make her better, Abby. And, you have to trust that Echo isn't going to let her suffer. If Raven shows any form of discomfort or pain during their next training session, she'll bring her to the clinic. Echo is not a fool, but she know that she has to deal with Raven's sarcasm, temper and impatience. She is tempering Raven to be a better warrior. She'll be fine," Madi explained and turned to leave.

"And, you are okay with that?"

"Yes, I am," Madi stated and she moved for the stairs.

"I'm not."

"Well, then I guess it is a good thing that Clarke and I are."

"You are all still children," Abby countered.

"Children that have survived on our own for years. I know that you have had this argument with Clarke before, Abby, but remember who is actually in charge here. You are the Fisa, not Heda," Madi replied as she went upstairs. "But, feel free to bring it up to Clarke when she comes back with Palla. I'm sure that she'll have something to say about it. However, I sure that you aren't going to like her assessment either."

Echo entered the stables and moved through them until she came up to two caballos. She stopped in from of Svathimmel. She reached out and pet the midnight black caballo's muzzle. He was large and she knew that he scared Raven. She had a thought of putting her on him, but she knew that she wouldn't handle it well. Instead, she moved to the caballo stalled next to him. It was one of the smaller caballo. It was a little Palomino gelding.

"Fiya," Raven said quickly as Echo grabbed some tack off the wall for the Palomino.

She said nothing as she brought the caballo out of the stall and prepared it for a ride. She was setting the halter and fastening the buckles around its head. She paid little attention to Raven as she worked. She knew that she should be showing her how to do this, but she was still angry with Raven for her actions. It wasn't a normal outburst and she knew that other woman was in pain and restless. They all wanted to know what the reports said, but Clarke had gone for a ride. They knew that it would take time for the computer to run the tests, but Raven had the reports and no one to read them.

"Eko, ai laik fiya," Raven said again, hoping that this time she would get Echo's attention.

"Ai'm pis, Raivon. Yu laik mi Sekkon," Echo started. "I am responsible for you. You are my charge. You want to be Jusgona, but you don't have the temper for it. I can't help you if you don't allow me, Raivon. You are the Little Bird with a broken wing, but that hasn't stopped you, yet. Don't let it stop you now."

"Sha, Eko."

"What is your pledge?" Echo asked her.

It was something that she'd made Raven learn, memorize and spit out whenever asked. It wasn't necessarily something that was true of all warriors. Most were never given a pledge by their mentor. The pledge didn't come until they were serving the leader of their people or Heda. The fact that Raven had one meant that Echo thought enough of her that she might actually pass the trials. And, that scared them both.

Echo grabbed a saddle and began to set it on the horse's back. Raven watched her. She realized that Echo's anger had passed, but she better answer soon or she would draw her ire again. She hadn't really meant to hit Echo. It was a knee jerk reaction. Her stubbornness and

"Ai badan yu op en nou moun ba Heda en Wanheda," Raven recited.

"It will do you good to remember that."

"Sha, Azripa," Raven replied hanging her head. "Fiya. Ai laik krei fiya."

"You're forgiven this time, Raivon. Don't do it again. I don't want to hurt you, but sometimes..."

"Chof," Raven said quickly before Echo could finish her thought.

"Pro."

"What's his name?" Raven asked as she finally neared Echo and the caballo.

"Palla said he doesn't have one. Hrathgar just finished breaking him, but he said that he has a very mild temperament. I've ridden him. He does. He'll be perfect for you to learn on. And, who knows? If you do well, Palla might gift him to you," Echo told her.

"That is if you can get me to ride him," Raven stated.

"Oh, you'll ride him. Of that, I have no doubt. Now, wait here while I get Svathimmel ready," Echo told her as she handed her the reins.

Raven stood their dutifully holding the reins while Echo saddled her caballo. She check the rest of the tack and then motioned for Raven to follow her out of the stables and into a paddock. She led Svathimmel to the rail and tied off his reins. She then spun on Raven. First thing was first, getting Raven up on the caballo. Then, they would work on her doing it on her own.

"Let's get you up there," Echo stated as she took her reins. "Can you push off with your left foot? Can your leg hold the weight?"

"I honestly don't know. Now time like the present to try it, though, right? Let's do this."

"Put your right foot there, in the stirrup," Echo directed her as she stood behind her.

She positioned herself just behind Raven incase her leg gave out. She wanted to give Raven a boost if she needed it as well. Raven realized that Echo was going to use her body as a wall to help her mount if needed. She leaned into the caballo with her body as she set her right foot in the stirrup. So far, so good. She didn't falter. Her leg didn't give out, but she was in awkward position.

"Now, drop your weight a little onto your left leg and push off the ground with it. As you do that, push down with your right. Hold on to the saddle, here and here," Echo told her as she placed Raven's hands. "Pull up with your arms. I know that you can pull yourself up, but you need to let your legs help you."

"Okay, here goes nothing," Raven muttered as she did as commanded.

She pulled up, but didn't quiet make it up all the way. She started to sag down. Echo reached down and grabbed her left leg.

"Push down with your right foot," Echo said as she pushed up on Raven's left.

Her body lurched upward.

"Now, swing your left leg over the back and take a seat."

It was easier said than done, but Raven managed to get righted. It wasn't graceful, but she got in the saddle. Her left leg hung funny, but she was sitting upright in the saddle. She turned and looked down at Echo. Her chocolate brown eyes were shining.

"Good job."

"What about my leg? I can't bend it to get it in the stirrup," she stated, but Echo was already around the other side working on the stirrup. She simply grabbed Raven's leg and moved it to a new position and into the stirrup. "Well, I guess that works, but I won't be able to give him leg commands. Don't caballos use leg commands?"

"Most do, but not Palla's."

"What does that mean?" Raven asked.

They hadn't heard Clarke and Palla come riding up. So they were both surprised to hear Clarke and Palla speak to them. Echo had been too preoccupied with making sure Raven didn't fall out of the saddle that she hadn't heard the slow clip clop of their horses hooves.

"Raven, you're in a saddle!" Clarke said in wonder.

"Because I train to use voice commands. In battle, I might need my legs for something else than directions. They know voice directions and are rein taught as well. Legs, while, helpful aren't the most important things for a mounted warrior except to keep them mounted on the caballo," Palla told Raven.

"I am in a saddle. That is as far as we've gotten today," Raven told her.

"And, I think that it is a good place to stop. We have other things to worry about now. So, let's get you down. We'll go for a small ride tomorrow," Echo told her.

Echo talked her through the dismount. When she was back on the ground, she thanked Echo for helping her and went to take the reins, before Echo waved her off. They both knew that she needed to talk with Clarke.

"I'll take care of them. Stay with Clarke. Protect her until Palla and I are done," Echo whispered to her.

"Sha, Echo," Raven replied and moved to Clarke's side as Palla and Echo took the four caballos inside.

Thankfully a stable hand was there to help them, so it wouldn't take as long.

"You were on a horse," Clarke said.

"I know."

"You said you'd never ride a beast because you could drive a Rover," Clarke stated.

"Well, we don't have Rover," Raven quipped.

"True, but there is more to it. What happened while I was gone? You seem more docile than normal," Clarke told her.

"I hit Echo."

"You did what, now?"

"I hit her. I was teasing her, but it was out of place. I wanted to hit something because I'm impatient. I knew it. She knew it."

"Did she punish you?"

"She did."

"How?" Clarke asked.

"Flipped me onto my back and left me there on the ground to get up on my own."

"Are you hurt?"

"Just my pride."

"Did you learn anything?" Clarke questioned.

"Not to piss her off," Raven retorted.

"Raven..."

"Yeah, I did. I need to work on my sarcasm and letting my pride lead my conduct. The rest of my punishment was getting me up on that beast."

"That beast does have a name," Clarke told her.

"Actually, he doesn't," Palla replied as they joined them again.

"He doesn't?" Clarke inquired.

"No, he is a freshly broke gelding. Gentle soul, but still trained for a warrior. He'll be a good horse for Raven. He'll protect her and he's trained to handle her issues with her leg. I had Hrathgar and his brothers working with him as soon as you told me about Raven's weakside."

"He's been trained to be mine?" Raven asked.

"He has. I'll have to teach you the verbal commands, but he knows rein work too. Echo can work with you on that. Soon enough we'll have you riding."

"But, he's mine?" Raven questioned, still dumbfounded.

"Unless you want another horse. I just figured that his easy temper would work well with you. I didn't mean any offense that your injury precluded you to..." Palla started to tell her before Raven almost knocked her over with a hug.

"I think that means that she likes it," Clarke stated with a laugh.

"So, since you like him and he is yours, you must care for him. You have to learn his ways, too. He will learn yours. But, first thing is you have to name him," Palla told her.

"Bomber."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Bomber," Raven said a little more forcefully.

"Bomber?"

"Bomber is his name," Raven stated.

Clarke and Echo laughed. Leave it to Raven to name her caballo, Bomber. It was such a Raven-esque name that they couldn't argue with it.

"Bomber it is, then," Palla replied with a slight laugh of her own.

"Tomorrow, you learn to muck out stalls," Echo told her.

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, after katas, you will muck out his stall."

"Tomorrow," Raven stated in agreement.

"Tonight, we read your reports."

"Let's go. I'm sure they are done. And, I know that the suspense is killing you, Raven. Palla?"

"Yes, Clarke?" Palla replied immediately.

"Will you grab us all dinner and come to Engineering while we figure out what is going on with Raven's leg?"

"Absolutely," her thoughts about eating jerky and fruit gone with the promise of one of Niylah's hot meals. "Should I get Niylah and Octavia, too?"

"If they are free. If not I'll fill them in later. I don't want too many people getting wind of this. For now, it stays between the six of us."

"Agreed," Echo stated.

"As you wish," Palla said and started up the slight hill back to the barracks and the mess.

"No matter what, Raven, will get through this," Clarke told her.

"Damn right we will."