Chapter 84

It had been two days since the trials started. Octavia and Echo were tired, but they knew that they couldn't stop pushing everyone. There was clearly a front runner, and his name was Solan. He was roughly around thirty years old. When Echo, Octavia, and Clarke found out that he was actually Luna's older brother and not the brother that died in the conclave, they weren't sure what to do with it. Echo seemed to want him to win. Clarke just wanted to talk to him. And, Octavia wanted to know more about who trained him and Luna, too. They all knew that Luna had been trained by the Flaimkepas and worked with the other natblidas. Lexa had been taken in by Anya, but who had become Luna's fos? Did Solan even know?

Clarke wanted to know the most. She wanted to know how close Solan was to Lexa. She moved around the grounds and watched him. He moved like Lexa and Luna. She'd seen them both fight. He moved like them. She wondered if they were all from the same village. She knew that it wasn't TonDC, but she'd never heard of the name the village. All she knew was that she wanted him closer to them. She wanted him closer to Madi. He had to pass.

"Echo," Clarke stated.

"Wanheda?"

"Tell me everything that you know about Soulen kom Trikru, nau kom Wonkru."

Echo arched a brow at her and then looked over to the man. He had numerous braids in his messy auburn hair. There were a few tattoos, all Trikru in origin, and all on his arms. They told of great deeds in battle. He was tall and lanky. He wasn't thick and huge like some of the other Trikru warriors that they had met, but he was agile. He was fast and good. He'd beaten everyone in knife throwing. He'd beaten everyone in ax throwing. And, he damn near beat Echo's record in archery. It was standing targets, but she couldn't wait to see him on the back of a horse.

"He hails from a village called Xandria. It was south of Polis and TonDC. It was destroyed during the wars when he was young. He is good at most things when it comes to be a warrior, but I can tell that he is better than that."

"He didn't follow his sister to Floukru?"

"No, he didn't. He wanted to protect Lexa. Like so many, he was in love with her, I think. She had that power about her. He respected Luna's decision. He missed both his brother and sister, but he wasn't a black blood. He only knew that Luna couldn't take the guilt of killing their baby brother. It plagued her, so she ran. He didn't have to defend himself or his family. Luna's shame wasn't his, but he knew that all the warriors watched him waiting for him to betray them. He tried to work his way to Lexa's side, to be a guard, but Lexa wouldn't take him."

"Why not?"

"It wasn't to punish him because of Luna's perceived cowardice. It was to protect him. She loved him like a brother and she knew that Anya cared for him, too. Onya had already lost one lover to Azgeda, she wasn't about to let her another. She sent Soulen back to Onya's village to help train the warriors."

"He was Onya's?" Clarke asked, her face paling as she turned to face him more fully again.

"In a manner of speaking, he was. They never bonding, but they did mate. When he couldn't serve Lexa, he turned to Onya."

"Who was Luna's fos?" Clarke questioned.

"From what I gathered, her name was..."

Octavia and Miller came up to them. Octavia gave Clarke a strange look. Miller just looked tired.

"What's up, Clarke?" Octavia inquired as she looked at both of them.

"Nothing really, we were just discussing the contestants," Clarke answered.

It was a partial truth. Clarke was focusing on person in particular, but she could tell that Octavia was focused on someone else. She knew that Octavia still wanted a relationship with her brother. Clarke wanted it for her, too. They all did. But, Bell fucked up. Indra had beaten him almost senseless for his words to Octavia instead of trying to understand her. Clarke eyes met Octavia's green eyes. She saw the questions.

"Are you worried about Bell?" Octavia asked.

"No, not really. He is scoring well. He wants to prove himself."

"He wants to protect you. He still feels like he failed you in Praimfaya. He's..." Octavia stated.

"It isn't me that he has to prove himself to, O, and we both know that," Clarke replied with a finality in her voice.

Octavia just nodded. Echo was actually surprised at Bellamy's performance. She wasn't looking for him to actually make it. She was under the impression that Indra wasn't just going to let him go, and that Octavia would fail him just to prove a point. He was doing well, but even Clarke wasn't going to help him. If Bellamy actually made the list in points, he would have done it himself. Echo looked back to Octavia. She needed to know.

"Is he even ready for the one on one fights?" Echo asked her.

"I have no idea. I am not the one training him. That's Indra."

"She was your fos, Octavia," Echo reminded her.

"I know and she's a hard fos. Not only to please, but to survive. Those that do are better for it. She refused me after I became Osleya. Something about I outrank her now, so it didn't make sense for her to keep training me in that capacity. Don't get me wrong, we still spar, but it isn't the same."

"That is why Madi and she wanted you to be my sekken, then," Clarke added.

"Huh?"

"Madi pushed for me to take you on as my second. I outrank Indra and you bent the knee to Madi. I'm Madi's second in command. You handed over the leadership to Madi and me, so one of us had to take you on. Indra knew that you weren't exactly ready to be on your own and you wanted to be able to prove yourself again. It all makes so much more sense now," Clarke explained.

"But, Bellamy..."

"Is your brother. That doesn't mean anything to the Grounders. He wasn't in the bunker with them either. He's never proven himself in battle, honestly, except to be a traitor to the cause. When he shunned you, he sealed his fate. The fact that Indra took him on is actually a blessing," Echo added.

"How so?"

"She probably saved his life," Clarke stated.

"Meaning?" Octavia asked.

"He spoke out against you. You'd won the conclave. You still have power among us all. Madi had already named you as jusgona. That is up there with General of the Clans. And, she named you with me. We are the two most powerful guards among them all. Madi continued to keep you elevated. Bellamy didn't even have a rank. We he spoke out, he was essentially speaking out against Clarke and Madi for allowing you to have your position. A position that heda herself put you in, and then add in the fact that Clarke took you on as her sekken kom Wanheda, means that you are a potential leader of Wonkru again. The people haven't forgotten what you did for them in the bunker, or the fact that you realized that we needed heda to take gorge. You helped save us all by getting us on the ship and took the abuse that you took willingly. But, then, Clarke pushed you to protect Madi. She trusted you enough to be jusgona kom heda. And, that elevated you again. The people realized that everything you were doing was for them. They realize that Bellamy is a spoiled boy who doesn't understand the strains and tribulations that you have faced as a leader of the clans, a general in battle, and a favored warrior of heda. His actions were like slapping heda en wanheda. He's lucky he is still alive and breathing. Without Indra, who knows what would have happened to him," Echo answered.

"Do you honestly think that someone would have killed him?" Clarke questioned.

"Yes."

"Why?" Octavia inquired.

"Because even I did," Echo replied.

Octavia sucked in a gasp. She looked at the woman that she would call sister. Gazing deeply into Echo's brown eyes, she realized that the woman meant ever word that she said. Bellamy had slighted the heda en wanheda. Echo loyalty was to them first and to her lover second.

"I'm sorry," Octavia said and hung her head.

Echo moved quickly and grabbed her. Pushing her head back up, she made sure that Octavia was looking at her. When she saw the defeated green eyes finally meet hers, she held her and then leaned forward touching their foreheads together.

"There is nothing for you to apologize for, Octavia. You kept the people alive. You did the best with what you had. And, you conceded when you knew that you should. I remember. I was there. I almost stabbed you again. Bellamy was at my side, but heda still trusted you enough to come to her. She trusted you first. She called you first. That can't be undone or unseen. Bellamy's twisted beliefs on loyalty and morality need a lot of work. Indra will do that for him. You can't. I can't. Clarke can't. He has to want it for himself," Echo told her.

Pulling back just enough so their eyes met again, Echo held her by the shoulders.

"He isn't going to pass. We both know that, but this a way that he can prove to Madi that he is trying. She's given him clear instructions when it comes to you. He isn't going to break him. Madi actually scares the shit out of him, and she should."

"Why does Madi scare him?" Clarke inquired, really wanting to know.

"Because she has Lexa in her head, and he knows what Lexa thought of him."

"What instructions did she give him?"

"Train, earn his place, and work on being a better man. Until then, he isn't allowed to talk to you, unless you are giving him orders. You are his superior officer and he needs to learn his place. For the most part, she's been sending me or someone else to talk to him. She won't even grant him an audience unless he goes through his fos. She's made him a goufa in the eyes of all Wonkru. He knows he's messed up and he knows what he has to do to fix it," Echo said.

"So, you're all just going to fail him no matter how many points he earns?" Clarke questioned.

"More than likely, yes," Echo stated.

Miller just nodded. As soon as all three women saw it, they knew that he'd been given orders to make sure that Bellamy failed. Maybe it would humble him some more. He was getting there. Clarke and Echo could see it. Madi and Indra had talked about it, but they weren't willing to allow him into the jusgona. He was still being seen as a loose cannon. It didn't matter that Echo was his lover, Octavia was his sister, or the fact that he was Clarke's friend. Bellamy still hadn't proven himself. He was getting there, and competing was helping. But, it wasn't going to fix months of his mouth and hatred towards his sister. Indra was good at holding a grudge, and poor Bellamy was in for a long road of redemption in her eyes.

"Who is he fighting against barehanded first?" Clarke asked as she reached out for the brackets that Echo and Octavia had made.

She looked at the tablets and the scores. Shaking her head, she looked up at Echo and cocked an eyebrow. She handed the tablet back.

"Are you trying to break him yourself?" Clarke inquired, as held Echo's gaze.

"No, but he is going to have to prove himself, Clarke. He knows that. It isn't my fault that he drew me first. He has to fight the other three first. If he wins at least two, then he'll fight me, one on one. Octavia has her own set as does Miller. We all knew this."

"And, you've already cut three."

"And, we'll cut some more today," Echo answered.

"And, Bellamy?"

"Still has to get through three other fights," Echo stated.

"Who did he draw?" Octavia asked as she reached for the tablet.

"First round is against, Penn. Then, Ivon and if he survives that, then he'll face Solan. If he wins two of the three, he earns the right to me," Echo said.

"Solan?" Clarke asked.

"The same Solan kom Wonkru, yes," Echo answered.

"I hope you love your brother, Octavia. He's gonna need it. He's taken the hardest draw out of all the contestants," Clarke stated.

"Who's Solan?" Octavia questioned.

"Luna's big brother and not a night blood, but still as deadly."