Chapter 55
Echo arrived with a few rabbit like creatures in hand. Octavia helped her strip them away from camp as Palla readied a makeshift spit to cook them. When the two warriors returned, Clarke was sitting by the fire. She looked tired. Madi was just starting to rouse. When Clarke noticed, she went to that tent to see her daughter.
Palla watched them. She could tell how much they cared for each other in the way they looked at each other. It didn't matter that they weren't blood. They had bonded completely, but Palla could understand that given the circumstances they found themselves in back on Earth. She smiled at them. She was happy for them, even considering that they were both leaders for their people. They looked out for each other. They made their decisions based on what their people needed, but also what they needed for each other. It was amazing how much power Madi actually gave Clarke and it was amazing how much Clarke actually let Madi lead. They fed off each other, but it worked and it kept their people safe, supplied, and happy.
"What?" Echo asked as she sat down.
"I wish that I'd had a relationship like that with my family or even had with Lex."
"Does she understand what you do?"
"She's five. She understands that I do things to help the Village and Balt has been training with her for to become the new Fios when I die, but she is still a child. She only understands what she knows and she doesn't know everything that I've done or that I do to make sure that we are safe, secure and supplied."
"And, Madi does?"
"She can't help it if she truly has the memories of the past Commanders in her head," Palla stated.
"Does that bother you?"
"No, I wish that Lex didn't have to follow in my footsteps. She likes farming as much as I do. She's taken to it like a bird to flight, but her blood will make her more than that. She doesn't understand that, yet."
"Then find a way to have more time with her. I know that it is hard in your position, but you can delegate things. I can also tell that you don't like doing that. You are a person that likes to be in the thick of things, so if you can do it, you do it. But, doing that leaves little time for family and friends."
"I know."
"Just think about it. I know that it might not seem like a good idea, but you could talk to Abby. She'll tell you how it wasn't easy for her and she had to walk away. I get it. You can't walk away from being the Fios, Palla, but your people need to make some sort of consideration for you. They need to help you help themselves," Echo told her.
"How did they do it in your clan?"
"There were people that raised children until they were able to work. As soon as they were six to seven summers old, they chose become someone's sekkon. By the time that they were in their teens, they already had a job within the community. We all knew that we had to work together to stay alive. It was a matter of survival. Every day was a struggle. We weren't nomadic, but we might as well have been in some places. But, most of Azgeda became warriors. War was a full time business for us until Lexa started the coalition. Uniting the clans brought us some peace and some more things to do. But, there was always the threat of war in the back of our minds. Some of our healers were our best warriors. We trained and we trained. If someone got hurt and couldn't fight, they trained the strikons, the young ones. They would take on the things that needed to be done in the villages," Echo stated.
"That sounds good, but we can't do that. We're established. We have jobs, but we know that we are doing what we need to continue our village. I would like to think that if it wasn't for the Praha, we wouldn't need soldiers of any type. I'm not saying that we wouldn't have a defence, we would. But, we wouldn't have the standing army that we have now. We wouldn't try to get more and more people to join and train even if they don't stay to serve," Palla replied.
"It is a wishful thought," Echo said. "Eat something and bed down. I'll take first watch."
"You don't have to do that," Palla stated.
"I will. Go on. I'll wake Octavia and then she can get you. We've been through this before. You need to be as fresh as possible for the journey home. Go on, and get some sleep. I'll protect us tonight," Echo told her.
Palla took some of the rabbit and some berries they'd packed. She ate, watching how Clarke and Madi interacted with everyone differently. She smiled, finished her meal, and stood up. She walked over to Echo and handed her the small radio.
"Just in case," Palla said. "Good night. And, good watch."
"Reshop, Payla," Echo replied and watched her go back to her tent.
Octavia moved across their small camp. She had been watching Palla and Echo. Sitting down, she handed Echo some rabbit and small pouch of berries.
"Heda en Wanheda are going to sleep in our tent."
"I'll take first watch," Echo told her.
"I figured as much," Octavia replied.
"Are you okay?"
"I just wonder why we've never had a real fight since before we went to sleep on Eligius," Octavia stated.
"Do you want one?"
"Well, no, I don't. But, we hated each other, with reason, but after Clarke made you Madi's jusgona, you never came at me."
"I couldn't," Echo stated.
"Why not?"
"Madi told me to treat you as a sister."
Octavia looked at the fire. Madi had told her the same thing, but she never thought that Echo would just let the past go. They had wronged each other, tried to kill each other and Octavia had even banned Echo from the bunker. It just didn't make sense in her mind.
"Why would she do that?"
"Because she loves you," Echo replied.
"What?"
"Heda loves you, Octavia. She wants you to be happy. She could see what we couldn't. She could see your pain. I chose not to because I was still hurt that you banished me, but it was more to it than that. You were different after the bunker. You started to try to repair everything on the ship. I could see it, but I let my own problems cloud my mind. It didn't help that Bellamy wasn't sure that he could ever forgive you. It gave me reason to not try."
"But, you do forgive me?"
"Yes, I do."
"Why?"
"Do you remember when we would be training Heda?"
"Sha," Octavia replied.
"I could see it in your eyes. You wanted to be better for her. You wanted to serve Heda en Wanheda. That is all you ever really wanted. I could see it in the way you moved. I could see it in the way that you talked to Clarke or Madi. There was a hunger there I recognized," Echo told her.
"A hunger?"
"To belong again. To be the best warrior that you could be. To serve Heda."
"You had it, too?"
"I still do."
"Are we going to be okay?"
"You want to know if I have your back?"
"No, I know that you do," Octavia stated.
"Then, what is it that is bothering you?"
"You took Raven as your sekkon," Octavia answered.
Echo nodded. She picked up a stick and poked it into the fire, building it up a little before she added some more logs to it. She looked at Octavia. She could see the stress in her face. She was still fighting back to being who she was before the conclave. She was a warrior for Skaikru en Trikru, but she was more than that.
"Octavia...I know that you have hard life. I know that you have fought for everything that you have. So have I. I think that we carry a kinship and I respect you, even if I don't agree with your all the time. If I had to pick someone to be at my side with Heda en Wanheda, it would be you. Raven...Raven didn't realize what she'd asked. Jok. I didn't either when Clarke told me to take her on. I had no idea what she was trying to do. She is more stubborn than you," Echo told her.
"I doubt that there is anyone who is as stubborn as Raven is, but I know I come a close second. I guess I haven't realized who distant we all became because of Praimfaya. I don't want to be distant with them, but I know my actions in the bunkers created most of it. I wasn't exactly nice when everyone came to rescue us," Octavia stated.
"But, you've learned from that. You've proven your loyalty. You're fighting to be the best Jusgona among us all. I know that you are good. I know what you are capable of and what you are willing to do for us to survive," Echo said.
"But, Raven doesn't..."
"That is because you and I spent all our time training when we woke up. And, I know it was because you were trying to show Clarke and Madi that you would support them. Raven had her own things to deal with. You cannot blame her for going to Clarke to ask to be trained. Clarke didn't know that she was trying to become Jusgona."
"But, Raven asked for you," Octavia countered.
"Because we trained on the Ring, Octavia. That could have easily have been you. Raven knows how I work. She knows how I'll push her. She understands you love her, Octavia. She does, but she was looking for familiarity. I would love for you to train with us. I miss us training together."
"If she becomes Jusgona, what are you going to do?" Octavia asked.
"I don't know. We have a few months before the trials. I know that she is expecting to compete, but I don't know if her leg will be ready. If she does compete and she makes it, I don't know what Madi will do with her. I mean, we do get to train them and assign them as we are jusgonahedas, but I don't know if Madi will actually take up the title and position. She is only one of us that is good with tech. I want her to succeed. I want her to have what she wants."
"Madi will let her be jusgona if she passes the trials, Echo. She will have no reason not to let her. She'll keep her attached to Clarke or herself, though. She won't let her leave their person. She won't give her outside assignments," Octavia explained.
"I know."
"Do you think that will upset her?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Raven doesn't know what it means to be jusgona like we do. She understands that we are elite warriors. She understands that we are to protect the Heda en Wanheda, but she doesn't know that it also means that we will have to do things that aren't morally correct. She only sees the visible guard and I am okay with that for her. I can't see us sending her on a mission to assassinate if need be. But, that is why I am glad to have Aeolus with us," Echo replied.
"Your brother does seem to be well versed in supporting the Heda no matter the mission."
"That was his job for Queen Nia. He's been doing that most of his life. Surviving and serving Madi is just something else for him to do. He swore allegiance to them both."
"I know that. I was there, remember on the ship? But, what I don't understand is why? He left Nia's appointment and went back to Roan. Why would he turn against Azgeda?" Octavia question.
"He knew same thing that you did. Azgeda is no more. Wonkru is the clan now, unless we actually take the new name of Gryfonkru. He knew what he needed to do."
Octavia just shook her head. She understood what Echo was saying. They served those that deserved it. He'd chosen to fight for the living leaders and survive, than to continue the clan politics of old. He was one of the few progressives that Octavia had run into in the bunker. He'd kept to himself, but he still have been loyal to the Blodreine when she needed him, and she didn't even know.
"Who is with Raven training while we here?" Octavia asked her.
"Indra."
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"I'm sure she's loving that."
"I'm sure she's showing Bellamy up," Echo replied.
"I'm sure she is, too."
"Go to sleep with Clarke and Madi, O. I'll wake you when it is time for your shift. Just don't forget to wake Palla for hers."
Octavia nodded. She grabbed some more wood for the fire and added it. She walked over to the bigger tent and unzipped it. She slipped inside and closed it back.
Echo moved to the ground and sat back against the rock she'd been on earlier. She watched the horizon more than fire. Her bow next to her right hand, two arrows already sticking the ground to shoot. Her quiver next to them on the log, ready for quick slinging if needed. In her lap she had her sword. She'd already sharpened it. She was cleaning it now. Her strokes easy and quiet. Her ears peeled for anything that might be threatening. She sighed. It was going to be a long night.