Chapter 29

Clarke woke up still on her side. Echo was still pressed up against her. Their hands were linked and sitting in front of her heart, between her breasts. Clarke cocked an eyebrow about it, but she let it go. She figured it was just that they had been so close together now for weeks. She didn't want to read more into it. She didn't think that Echo would ever look at her like that, anyway. She had Bellamy in other lives, and hopefully, she would again. This didn't mean anything more than staying safe and warm during the night together.

She opened her eyes to see the faint light of the sun coming through the small window. She was grateful that they were in an actual bed for sleep and she'd slept soundly. Now, if she could just get a bath and clean her clothes in some warm water, she would feel even better. She didn't know if those kind of services were even offered by the tavern or in the village. She knew that she couldn't go down into the bottom of the tavern without Echo. While she knew enough Trigedasleng to be considered fluent, now, she still didn't sound a hundred percent. She knew that it would take time. So, each life, she kept practicing.

She untangled their legs and released Echo's hand as she got up. She needed to use a bathroom, outhouse, or something of the like and soon. She moved across the room and started getting dressed. She knew that she was going to have to wake Echo soon, or she was going to burst in the room. She didn't want to do it, but she had to go. It wasn't like they were in woods, or she would have just gone off on her own within earshot of their camp. There also wasn't a pot for her to use, either. She wasn't even sure where any facilities would be in the tavern, if they had any.

She wasn't sure what she would find outside the door of their room. She wasn't well versed in Grounder towns or villages. She barely remembered parts of TonDC before it was blown up by the Mountain. She knew that the Grounders had culture, that they were more than warriors, she'd seen it. She'd felt it, but she'd never really got to experience it like she wanted. And, now was no different.

"Why are you awake so early?"

"I need to pee."

"Down the hall to the left. Don't talk to anyone. Be quick," Echo told her as she started to get up from the bed. "I'm assuming that you want a bath, too?"

"I wouldn't mind it. In fact, I'd love a warm one. Bathing with icy cold water just isn't doing it for me anymore," Clarke answered.

"I think that there is a bath house in town. I'll go down and check. Bathroom and back, no looking, and no talking."

"Got it. I'm going. Be back here, soon."

Clarke left the room and went down the hall. Sure enough there was a communal bathroom. It had two stalls and actual plumbing. There buckets on a pulley system to replenish the bowls, but they actually flushed and went somewhere away from the tavern. She knew that Raven would have to dig around and figure it out, but she wasn't that worried about it. She did her business and returned to the room.

When she got back, Echo wasn't there. She just assumed that she'd gone downstairs to find out about the bathhouse. Either way, Clarke went to her pack to change out her clothes. It had been a few days with that shirt and pants. She needed to wash out her underwear, too. She didn't think she smelled too bad, but she knew that if she did Echo would have told her.

There was a knock on the door. Clarke popped up from her pack and stared at it. Echo hadn't told her to not answer the door, but she did tell her to not talk to anyone. She put her hand on her knife as she eased across the room to the door. Before she got to it, there was another knock followed by a voice.

"Shanen, open the door," the voice called out.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Clarke asked as she opened the door.

Echo walked in carrying a tray of food. It was smaller than the one from the night before, but that didn't stop Clarke from taking it from her. She was still upset with Echo for not telling her about the wound on her side. She didn't want her to aggravate anymore than it needed to be. Clarke took it to the table and set it down. On it were two bowls of some fruity concoction, a plate of eggs and meat, and two small glass of what looked like milk. Clarke just cocked her eyebrow at it and then sat down. She grabbed a bowl and dug in, not waiting for Echo to join her.

"I spoke with the keep. There is a bath house on the other side of the village. It is a bit of a hike, but I think that we can make it."

"Sounds good," Clarke replied with her mouthful.

"Manners," Echo chastised as Clarke took a big gulp of milk.

"Those furs got us all this?" Clarke asked as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"They got us enough," Echo replied.

"You aren't going to tell me, are you?"

"I got us three night lodging with meals, a few coins to spend, and two horses."

"All that for furs?"

"They were thick, good quality, winter furs, Klark. Their hunters don't venture in the snow and ice that deeply. They pay handsomely for Azgeda furs. The sled helped out, too. I think it bought us a few meals. It doesn't matter. We aren't going to need any of that as we head further east."

"I know that. I'm just surprised. I don't know how to use money or how to barter. We didn't have to do that on the Ark. We traded some stuff, but it was like I turned in a shirt that was too small to get a bigger one. It might not be one I liked or it was too big, but I got to keep it until I needed another size or I died," Clarke told her.

"And, if it needed repairing?"

"We had people that did that. Honestly, I not sure why we even wore shoes, but we all had boots that were generally old military issue. I think I only had like four shirts, two pairs of pants, and some under clothes, before I went into solitary."

"What did you come down from the stars with then, Skaifaya?"

"The last outfit that I had and a jacket," Clarke answered with a small laugh.

"And, you've managed to last this long," Echo teased her. "Besides you look better like that then the dumb Skai clothes. Those will actually keep you warm and safe. Your old clothes would have not last two seasons here. It is better that you know how to deal with your clothes now."

"I am not saying that they would. That isn't the point. I'm just saying that I don't know how things work down here. I wouldn't have anything to trade if you hadn't taught me to hunt and skin properly," Clarke informed her.

"You would have figured something out, I'm sure, Klark. You are resourceful. I've seen it enough myself."

Clarke smiled. It was true. Clarke had found Niylah too many times before and used her trading post. Niylah hadn't taught her anything about what she needed to know to barter. She just offered goods to Clarke for what she provided, usually meat and other edible things from the forest. In the end, she realized that she was saving Niylah from having to forage on her own. But, it also proved Echo's point: she was resourceful. Sometimes, too much so.

"We going to the bath house?"

"We you finish stuffing your face, sha, we will," Echo teased her.

If they had bread, Clarke would have thrown it at her, but she didn't want to waste any of the deliciousness before her. Instead, she scarfed down the rest of her portions. She drank the milk, thankful for something besides water, and glad that it wasn't the same ale from the night before. Setting her spoon down on the tray with her empty bown and cup, she smiled up at Echo.

"Ready?"

"Sha," Clarke answered almost bouncing in her chair.

"What is your name?"

"Huh?"

"What is your name?"

"Uh, Echo you know my name. Was there something in the milk? Is your side okay? The pain too much and making you forget?"

Echo didn't respond in the way that Clarke thought she might. Instead she reached across the table and slapped her upside the head. Clarke cocked an eyebrow at her, but she didn't return the hit. She just starred at Echo wondering if she'd lost her mind.

"What is your name, sis?" Echo asked her again, and Clarke realized what she meant as she nodded back to her.

"Ai laik Shenan, bigasis," Clarke replied.

"Good, who am I?"

"Yu laik ain bigasis, Ash," Clarke answered, dutifully.

"Get your clothes. I'll see how much it would cost to get them laundered. Keyron knows, we both need this," Echo stated as she got up and went to her own pack to retrieve something to wear after the bathhouse and to get laundered.

Clarked popped out of her chair, smiling. She couldn't wait to test the waters here. She knew that most villages that had bathhouses had them around hot springs. Those that didn't, heated the water and had bath areas in the houses and such, like TonDC. Lexa has always bathed in her tent or a hut. There was no communal or village bathhouse for her to use, or maybe it was just because she was Heda, she didn't. Either way, Clarke was excited. She hadn't had a real bath since days before they fled Troi. She was way over due.

Within fifteen minutes, they were out the door to their room, locking it with a key that Echo magically produced from nowhere and heading across town to use the bathhouse. When they entered, Clarke let Echo do all the talking. They were assigned a room off to the right and they went to go bathe.

They entered the room and Clarke's mouth dropped. The smells and the steam were delicious. They went to a spot that was free. There was a bucket for them to put their clothes in to be laundered. They would be washed while they washed themselves. Clarke dumped all the clothes she'd brought with her in the bucket, while Echo only dumped a few. Clarke didn't ask as she pulled out an outfit and laid it on a bench. When she looked back at the bench, she realized that Echo had pulled an outfit for her to wear after they bathed. She knew better than to ask why. This was a world she didn't understand...yet.

Echo then stripped. It was in this moment that Clarke realized that she'd be sharing the bath with others besides Echo. She wasn't prepared for that. Echo cocked an eyebrow at her and then motioned for her to hurry up. Clarke looked bewildered for a second, until Echo was extremely naked. Then, she hurried up and disrobed, too. She followed Echo into the pool and tried not to moan so loud at the feeling of the warm water seeping into her bones.

They both relaxed. After a few minutes, Echo moved across the pool and grabbed some sponges and bottles. She made her way back across the pool. She handed a sponge to Clarke and then lathered up her own. Clarke got the idea and followed along. It was for the best because the other people in the pool with them were oblivious to them being there. It was either that or the they just didn't care who was around. Clarke didn't mind them either. She was just happy to washing and getting clean. The warmth of the water felt wonderful, too. She would be happy to spend hours there, just relaxing, but she knew that they couldn't. They would have to go back to the tavern soon enough.

Clarke finished her washing and dunked her body to get all the soap off. When she came up, Echo handed her another bottle and pointed to her head. Clarke looked at the bottle, then Echo, then back again. Her hair wasn't quiet blonde. It was still browning from their impromptu dying, but Clarke was worried about how clean it would be. Echo just pointed to her head and nodded. So, Clarke washed her hair. When she came up out of the water, she was surprised that she didn't see blond in her hands. It was still brown, but maybe a shade or two lighter. Echo just smiled at her and Clarke looked back at the bottle. Echo reached over and took it. She placed it back on the side of the pool and then washed her own hair. When she was done, she took everything back to the other side of the pool. She returned to their side and just leaned against it while sitting on a little ledge carved into the side of the rock wall. Clarke joined her and they both just sat there to relax and let some of their turmoil go for a little bit.

It was short lived though. Clarke knew that she should have known better. When had anything in her life been this easy. The simple answer was never, but the longer answer was before she turned fifteen and started apprenticing with her mother in the Med Bay.

The other people sharing their pool had continued talking, but Clarke really hadn't paid them any mind. She left them to their own enjoyment of the pools. It wasn't until two more women came in. She felt Echo stiffen a little and pull her a little closer in the water before she realized what she was seeing.

The two new comers, while naked, were obviously warriors of some sort. They didn't bear facial scars, so Clarke knew that they were from Azgeda. One of them had a few tattoos, but Clarke didn't know any regional or clan specific shape or designs to know any better. She'd studied Echo's and still really couldn't place it to any one clan, but it was good enough to pass as one from the Trikru. She didn't know these. She tried not to stare, but failed. However the two women didn't seem to mind, or really care. One of them even winked at Clarke a little saucily. Had she been in a different mindset, Clarke would admit that she might have been tempted. (But, she would have chosen to go back with Echo instead.)

"I'm not sure what happened down south. I know that Wocha Indra was leading a group of warriors against Heda's army. It didn't make sense though. No one can understand why Indra was protecting the Skai rats. Trikru had lost the most to them," one of the women stated.

Clarke bristled. Echo reached out and placed a hand on Clarke's knee. It was a silent and sure command. Be quiet. Make no movement to acknowledge that you know who they are talking about. Make no acknowledgement of any pain that you might feel for what you are about to possibly hear. Be still. Be strong. Break down later. You are a warrior of Azgeda. Act like it. Clarke gave her a simple nod and felt Echo squeeze her knee in return. They both knew what they were about to hear was going to hurt and hurt hard.

"I know what you mean. Indra was always one of Lexa's favorite generals. She was very loyal."

"She was to Lexa but not to Ontari. Can't blame her on that one, though. Ontari is brutish, but what do you expect from Azgeda. All they know how to do is hurt people. It isn't surprising that she went after Skaikru. They were the only clan to stand against Nia."

"They were."

"And, now, they are no more."

"It is a shame, though. The ambassador and the tekheda were cute and smart. They would have done well in the clans."

"Ontari is still looking for them, though"

"Just like they are still searching for Wanheda."

"Yes, and we both know if Ontari keeps up ruling like Nia is actually in charge of the Kongeda, the gona are going to rise up against them. Nia is fool if she thinks that all the clans will bow to her and not to Heda. Ontari would do well to send her back to the ice where she belongs."

"Doubt she'll go. She needs Wanheda though to prove her worth to the people. Ontari defeated Lexa in solou gonplei."

"Ontari's rule won't last long either if she can't produce Wanheda. Too many from Azgeda have said that she is natblida, too. Wanheda could challenge her."

"Is that why she is looking for her?"

"She summoned Luna, but Luna refused her. She won't set foot off her rig. Rumor is that she took in some of the Skai people. I think that ran knowing what was coming, but some stayed to fight. Some how Azgeda bombed the Mountain again. I guess Wanheda killing everyone inside wasn't enough for them. They needed to make sure that the Mountain itself was gone, too."

Clarke tried to keep her breathing steady, but she was starting to fail. Echo must have known. Without any fanfare, she got up and pulled Clarke with her. They went to their bench and dried off. The time for relaxing was over.

Clarke got dressed in a daze. Everyone was gone in Arkadia if their words were true. Maybe a few, a choice few made it to Luna and her rig. Clarke could only wonder at who it was, but she hoped that it was Raven and Octavia and some of the Hundred. She knew that Bellamy and Kane probably stayed back to fight and/or politic their way out of dying only to be massacred by a larger force. It surprised her to hear that Indra had stood with them, but it pained her as well to know that the general stood on that ground just die. Her loyalty to Lexa knew no bounds, and Clarke was proud to call her a friend.

After they were dressed, they left the pools in search of their washed clothes. Finding them, Echo paid for their services with bits of coins and they left. Clarke had to stop herself from running back to their room.

When they got back to the tavern, Echo sent her up. She stayed to talk with the keep. Clarke didn't ask why. She just assumed that it was because they were going to be ending their stay. She went into the room and packed her bags. Either Echo came with her, or she didn't. But Clarke was heading out towards Becca's and possibly Floukru to see who survived Ontari and Nia's ordered extermination.