Chapter 62

Raven and Octavia walked back into Palla's living room. They saw Palla sleeping on her couch. There were some blankets and furs covering her. They both smiled.

"Looks like some things never change," Raven stated.

"I see that. She sleeps on the couch back at the barracks, too. I wonder why?"

"Doesn't matter. We've got things to do today. Do you want to train now until she wakes? Or, do you want to train later?" Raven asked her.

"Up to you, Rae. You know that I'm always ready to spar. But, then again, I could use a good workout, too," Octavia replied.

They made their way into the kitchen and got together some bread and meat to eat. While Octavia was making them quick breakfast sandwiches, Raven looked for something to drink. She kept finding the ale. She knew that it was sweet and good, but it wasn't exactly something that they needed that early in the morning. After looking further, she tried the fridge and found nothing. Looking around, Raven saw the tap and decided that water would be the best. She found two glasses and filled them. They sat down at table and quickly ate their makeshift breakfast.

"Wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either," Raven stated.

"No, it wasn't. Real food beats rations any day. Come on. Let's go warm up and get some practice in with your sword."

"Why my sword?" Raven asked.

"Indra said that you were getting better, but you still need some work. Echo is good with a sword, but she is better with a bow. I like the sword better," Octavia told her.

"I am sure that was a compliment in there, but I think I missed it," Raven teased her.

"For Indra to say that you are good, it is a compliment. I wouldn't let it go to your head, though. Indra could still beat you into the ground with a smile on her face."

"Oh, I know that. It's one of the reasons that I am glad she is on our side. But, even you have to admit that Echo is good with a sword."

"She is, but she relies on her bow to get her kills. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with that. She was trained that way, though. Her primary purpose for Nia was to be a spy and assassin. Can't be a swordsman when you want a kill done from afar. She is also deadly with knives, so study well what she teaches you for close quarter combat. She'll stab you before you realize that the knife is buried in you."

"What about me?"

"What about you, Raven?"

"Do you think that I have a particular skill set?"

"You make things go boom," Octavia told her.

"And, how does that help me, O? Hmm...I know that Echo has talked to you about me. I know that she had to say something to you about me becoming her sekkon. So tell me, how does me making bombs and bullets help protect Clarke and Madi? How does that protect us here?"

"By keeping us armed and alive, same as it did on Earth, Rae. Same as it did on Earth. Who made the bomb that blew the bridge? You. Who made us bullets out of hundred year old stock? You. Who designed the bomb to blow the door on Mount Weather? You. Who designed the bombs that blew the generators at Mount Weather? You. Who is making mines and such to help Diyoza protect our section of the wall? You. Don't discount your worth just because you haven't taken up a sword and fought in direct combat. You have done a lot to save us all and I'm thankful for that. I know that you want to be jusgona, Raven, but what if you can't run? What if your leg doesn't let you? You will still be important to us...to Clarke...to Madi...to them both as Wanheda en Heda. You don't have to be a gona to fight, Rae. You fight your way."

"That doesn't help me," Raven stated.

"Sure it does. You can't fight like me. You can't fight like Echo. You have to fight like yourself. You can only fight as you do. I can teach you. Echo can teach you. Indra can teach you, but in the end, you can only fight how you fight. Indra taught me, but I fight like me. Sure it is Trikru in nature, but I don't fight exactly like Indra."

"I know that, O. I get that. That makes sense. But, I still want to fight. I feel like I could have done more at the mountain if I could have fought back. It is bad enough that I am broken. I want to be able to do something for Clarke. We all owe her. I owe her a lot. If we can figure out how I can run and ride a horse without my knee giving out, I am going to take it. I can pass the trials, O. I know I can. Echo has been pushing me and my leg. I can move. I can fight."

"Then show me what you can do," Octavia told her as she drew her sword.

Raven drew her sword and they began to circle each other. Octavia knew that Raven would attack more like Azgeda and she was prepared for that. Sparring both with Echo and Bellamy taught her how to fight against the Azgeda attack. Raven knew that, but she'd been training with Echo and Indra. She knew that she would have to mix it up with Octavia to actually get anywhere. She also knew that Octavia wasn't going to go easy on her and she was thankful for that. Echo didn't go easy. Indra didn't go easy. But, some of the other trainees that she fought against did. She didn't need that. She needed someone who go hard on her...all the time, because in battle they weren't going to go easy on her just because she had a bum leg.

Everytime Octavia advanced, she perried. She countered when she could, but her leg was stiff. She moved and constantly kept her guard up. She knew that Octavia was testing her, looking for her opening, and she was determined not to give her one. They continued to circle each other, thrusting and perrying. An occasional hack and slash was given, but they didn't let up. They were sweating, but it didn't look like either of them had the advantage.

Palla walked outside to see them sparring. She watched them go at it and she wasn't sure if Octavia was trying her hardest or if Raven had actually gotten that good under Echo's tutelage. And, then she saw it. Octavia dipped her elbow in preparation for an attack. She watched as Raven slid her left leg around, moving constantly, but she saw exactly when Raven saw Octavia's telegraph. Octavia came at her and Raven side stepped just enough to counter the strike. Her sword slid up Octavia's and she turned it blade towards the ground as the hilt found Octavia's face. The slightly younger warrior took two steps back and readied to counter strike again as Raven gathered her footing to go on the offensive.

"If you two are done trying to kill each other, we have things to do!" Palla shouted at them to get their attention.

Octavia's broke as she looked over to where Palla was standing. Raven's didn't. She continued forward with her attack and caught Octavia with the flat of her sword against her side.

"JOK! Raven, really? Come on," Octavia yelled at her.

"You didn't call the fight."

"What?"

"You didn't call to stop," Raven repeated.

"Echo's told you not to stop until ordered to do so, hasn't she?"

"I can't be distracted during a fight. I have to continue until it is called or my opponent is dead. Just because Palla yelled for us doesn't mean that we were going to stop right then. As my instructor, I can only stop when you tell me," Raven told her.

"Okay, fine, skrish. We're done for today. But, I have to tell you something."

"What?" Raven asked as she sheathed her sword and stood up fully and out of a fighting stance.

"You are pretty good with that thing," Octavia told and clapped her on the shoulder. "But, you hit me in the face again with the hilt and I'll stab you in the leg. Got it?"

Raven just laughed. O let her face slip and then laughed with her. Palla just cocked her eyebrow and smiled at them.

"Y'all ready to go?"

"Let me put this up and change shirts," Raven stated heading back for the house.

"I'll do the same," Octavia replied as she headed for the house.

"Keep the sword. We're riding the Wall. I want you armed."

"To the teeth?" O questioned.

"If it makes you happy, sure," Palla answered.

A few minutes later, Raven and Octavia came back out of the house in new shirts. Octavia had her sword in her baldric and hung over her shoulder. Palla could see that she had several knives placed on her body as well. She was sure that Octavia even had hidden blades on her person. She didn't ask. She didn't need to because she knew that Octavia was a warrior first and an ambassador second. She also knew that Octavia wasn't willingly going to go into the Village without some sort of weapon on her because she was there to protect Palla first and foremost.

"Ready?" she asked them and they nodded.

She walked over to the stables and they got their caballos ready. Once all three were saddled, Palla and Octavia helped Raven mount. Once Raven was set, they mounted and headed for the Village. Palla lead them past Ferre and Hrathgar's house and down a well worn path to the Village.

Octavia and Raven weren't sure what they were expecting, maybe something along the lines of Polis, but not what they saw. The Village was a well built mix of pre-bomb buildings and old world/grounder style. There were no cars, only caballos, pogs, sleds and buggies, but it worked for them. There were vendors in an open air market selling and trading their wares. The biggest thing that they noticed was that there were no ruins. Everything was well taken care of and maintained.

The people watched them as they rode in. Octavia watched them right back, looking for any possible threat to Palla and hoping that there wasn't going to be one. Raven was studying the tech that she could see from the electricity to the plumbing. It made her happy to see it and she knew that she would try to incorporate it all for them in Gryfondor.

"Like what you see?" Palla asked Raven as she rode between them towards the small hospital.

"I do. I want to get my hands on so much of this..." Raven said.

"You can after you see the Meeka and Sam. They will take care of you while we are out riding the wall. I figured that you wouldn't mind playing around with them until we got back this evening."

"Nope, not at all," Raven replied.

She kept looking around. She saw the windmills that helped pump the water and ground the wheat into mill and flour. She saw the way that the electricity was run strategically through out the town in order to get the best flow. She knew that the farmers and such that lived in the out lying areas used mostly fire for heat and light, but like Palla, they had small windmills that helped generate some power for cooking, heating water, and pumping water through the house. She understood that, though. They could only route the power so far before it lost its potency.

Palla and Octavia just smiled at Raven's delight, but they continued on towards the hospital. They came upon it soon enough. Raven just looked at with a smile. Octavia looked impressed and Palla just rode up to the front and tied off her caballo at the hitching post, waiting on the other two.

"You coming?" Palla asked them as she headed for the front door.

Octavia and Raven quickly tied off their caballos and followed her into the five story gray brick building. When they walked in, they saw a big desk and woman sitting there. She waved at them and they waved back. Palla just bypassed her and headed down the hallway until she got the elevators.

Octavia and Raven both stopped. Octavia remembered the elevator in the tower back in Polis. Raven hadn't seen it, but they had similar things on the Ark. Octavia eyed it wondering how it was powered.

"Get in already. It's fine. The hospital has power routed to it first. The elevators are powered by solar panels on the roof. It is the only building outfitted with them. And, they are safe. They run on a gear system and have safety cables. Trust me, they are inspected all the time because they are in the hospital. Let's go," Palla told them.

They got on and rode up to the third floor. Not knowing where to go, they followed Palla as she navigated the hallways. She stopped in front of a door marked with "Dr. Sam Orwell" on it. Palla reached up and knocked on the door.

"Come in," they heard called from inside the door.

Palla opened the door and ushered them both in. Octavia stopped just inside the door, but pushed Raven further in. She waited for Palla to come in before moving further into the room. Keeping her eye on Palla and the door, she kept her back to the wall as Raven eyed the women before them.

"You must be Raven," a blond woman in a lab coat said as she stood up from behind her desk.

"I am," Raven replied, still not sure how she felt about being there without Clarke.

"Don't worry. I am not going to hurt you and I don't bite. I just want to see how much nerve damage you actually have and to see if I can't help you."

"Palla said as much."

"Well, she's a fiesty one, Sor," Sam replied.

"She is. Take care of her, Sam. She's good people and a good friend. Plus, I am told that she likes to make things go boom," Palla said with a happy lilt in her voice.

"Oh, I am sure she does. Meeka is going to love her. She said that you were going to ride the wall today. Do you know when you'll be back?" Sam asked as she looked over a clock.

"If we leave now, I hope to get Imber and be back in time for dinner," Palla answered.

"Come to the house, then. We'll eat there. Don't worry about Raven. By then, she'll be holed up with Meeka in the shop working on something. Go on. We'll be fine."

"I'm trusting you with her, Sam. Don't let me down. Help her if you can, but no false hope."

"I never give false hope, Sorcha. You know that. Your back knows that. And, you need to schedule with me again, so I can finish it," Sam said as she moved around the desk and got in Palla's face.

"I'll figure it out," Palla answered.

"You do that," Sam said as she reached out to shake her hand.

They shook hands and then hugged. While they were hugging, Octavia moved over to Raven. She pulled out a small boot knife and gave it to Raven, whispering something in her ear. Raven took the blade and hid it on her person. As soon as Palla and Sam broke their hug, Palla tapped Octavia and they headed out the door.

"You won't need it," Sam said as she moved back around to her desk.

"Won't need what?"

"The knife. I am not going to hurt you. I have no reason to. I want to help you. Your case seems to be special and I can't wait to see it on my screens."

Raven just looked at her. She couldn't believe that she caught Octavia's movements. But, she didn't discard it.

"Come on. Let's go do some tests and then I'll compare them to what your friends have done for you. It won't take long," Sam told her as she opened the door to the labs.

Raven just nodded and followed her into the lab.

"Hop up on that table and we'll get started," Sam said as she moved to get some instruments and equipment.