AN: Hello all!
Here is the next part in this story. I just wanted to say that I do not own any part of The 100 the tv show or its properties. I briefly touch on events in the show and give a very loose summary of it as well. Everything else in this story is of my own creation and I am just playing in the world that was created for the show.
Thank you all for the continued support on my story. Reviews are always appreciated. :)
Middle of the Night
He was woken by the sound of footsteps just outside of his cave. He groggily reached for his weapon only for it to be kicked away. He looked up in the minimal light and saw warriors. Great, he thought. That bitch has sent people to find me and bring me to her. He was forcefully picked up and thrown over a shoulder. At this point he could care less what happened. He was numb from all the hooch he had drank. His mind barely registered that these warriors were dressed in heavier furs than the Trikru wore.
He was thankful that the hooch was keeping him warm as the further away from the cave they got the colder it became. He tried to look where they were going but found out quickly just to be still as he had revived a swift punch to his head. That made his headache worse than it already was. He looked at the ground as he was carried and he swore he saw white as they went.
After what felt like an eternity he was thrown from the man's shoulder onto the back of a horse. His hands were bound, he was gagged, and a cloth bag was put over his head. He fought against the vomit that was threatening to come up as his stomach was jostled as the horse took off. He could tell that wherever they were going they were in a hurry. He wondered if Clarke just wanted him gone that bad or if this was some cruel twist of fate that he was going to be given another option. He gave into the blackness figuring it would be easier than fighting not being able to see.
A couple hours later
He felt his body move as he was stirred from his rough slumber. He felt the familiar bone of a shoulder in his gut as he groaned involuntarily. He could feel the chill tear through his skin and he instantly felt the warmth from the hooch disappear. He felt the change in walk from the person carrying him as they climbed a hill heading somewhere.
He heard a door open as the temperature changed slightly but not enough to make him feel warm again. He heard the clanging of metal, the sound of water dripping and hitting stone, and the sound of nothing at the same time. Where was he thought as he heard another door open. Except this didn't sound like a normal door, it was more like metal scraping against stone. Ah so I'm in a cell. He had read enough on the ark to recognize what this was.
He was thrown from the man's shoulder and landed hard on his side. He groaned as he connected with the cold, wet stone of his prison. He felt himself being dragged by an arm across the ground. He was sure that he would have some scrapes across his body. He felt cold metal around his wrist as he was propped up against the wall. He heard the metal clang as he was let go and his arm involuntarily tried to drop to his side.
He could feel the cloth still on his head and he wondered how long he would be blinded but at this point he was more concerned about getting warm. His thoughts were answered as he felt a fur being thrown on top of him and heard a plate skid next to his free arm. He gripped whatever was in the plate and took a bite. Well it wasn't terrible whatever it was he thought. He quickly ate it and went for more on to find that was it.
He sighed as he pulled the fur over him as he huddled closer to the wall and found that he was able to lay on his side even with his arm chained. That was a plus he thought as he succumbed to the darkness once more.
Ontari POV
She watched the person as he huddled against the wall. He could tell he was not lucid and under the effect of alcohol. That was the only way he would have been cooperative if he had known where they were going. She knew by his clothing that this was the Sky person she was warned about. She knew that Azplana would have her torture the man for information.
It was the thing she hated the most even though she knew it was a necessary evil right now. If she didn't bring information when requested she would be punished. She closed the iron bars and saw the man involuntarily flinch as she walked away and made her way out of the prison.
It had been two days since the mountain man had been brought to them. She spent all of yesterday torturing the man to get any information possible. She knew what Azplana was doing. Make her the bad guy so Emerson would trust Nia. It was the same story, just a different day. The only person it didn't work on was The commander's lover. Costia was her name and she wouldn't ever forget her name.
Her mind briefly flashed back to that night they learned she knew nothing and Nia had given the kill order. That was the first night she questioned Nia along with Roan and Echo. A plan was made and all three of them did what Costia wanted. A swift death and escape from the pain. Costia had told them that a coup was brewing and she had learned who was behind it. That is why she was captured and brought to them.
She shuddered as she remembered leaving after the death blow had been struck. It was quick. Echo was known for her knowledge of poison and they gave her a quick and painless death from one of them. After she had left Echo and Roan had done the rest. She was still young when it all had happened and she was spared even though she had bared witness to the torture.
She shook her head as she made her way into the cell that held Emerson. She had orders to move him. They had gotten all the information they needed yesterday. She opened the door and kicked his foot making sure he was still alive. He moved and looked at her. She saw the scars from her work all over his body. She wasn't proud of it by any means. She grabbed the clothes for him and tossed them at him.
"Get dressed you have been deemed useful and Azplana wants you accommodated in return. You have two minutes." She said as she unlocked the metal cuffs and returned outside of the cell.
She waited as she heard the rustling around as he got dressed with his wounds. He was surprisingly easy to break with his supposed background. She had learned that there was a way into the mountain, that he had codes to launch missiles, and a way to blow up the mountain. That was what sold Nia on this man. A way to strike at the commander. Well the information on the woman named Clarke was an added bonus. She realized that Nia was going down the same path as last time but there was a difference. Ontari would not be on her side and this woman seemed to be powerful in her own right. She was expecting to hear more from the Trikru main camp soon. Rumors had already started to spread about the second round of fights and if it were to be believed Clarke was most definitely the host of Wanheda .
She heard the man at the cell door and she grabbed his hands and put them in a bind. She still didn't trust this man. Well she didn't trust many people to begin with. She shoved the man in front of her as they started walking out of the prison. The man tried to talk but she hit the back of his head with her fist and he got the message as he picked himself back up. She was in no mood to talk today.
She led the man out of the prison and through a side passage that was used to go straight to the palace. She still was in awe, to say the least, that a castle had been built in the harsh conditions they lived in. It was no small castle either. On a clear day you stand at the top of the hill, at the castle gates, and see the whole city. From what she gathered it rivaled Polis in sheer size.
They entered through another door and she felt the warmth of the lanterns that tried to cut through the chill that always permeated through the castle. She continued to shove the man as he kept getting distracted by his surroundings. She just wanted to be done with and move on to the rest of her day. She was over her life in the clutches of Nia.
She led him to a room that in her honest opinion was way too nice for an outsider. She removed the shackles and informed him she would be back at daylight to take him to Azplana . He nodded at her as she shut the door and locked it from the outside. She had to admit Nia was anything but trustful.
She made her way out of the castle and down to the house she stayed in. She had been rewarded by Nia recently for her deeds. She knew what it was. A way to keep her loyal. She was glad for the little amount of privacy she got. She was glad that Nia had given her a house on the outskirts of the city. It would help her when the time came to leave.
She entered her house and put some more wood on the fire in the fireplace. She felt the warmth permeate through the house. She went to her room and shed her clothing. She glanced at the mirror that stood in the corner of her room. She saw the scars that covered her back. Layer upon layer of scars littered her back. Every single one had a story and none of them were pleasant.
Her mind flashed to her most recent lashings that she got for showing some compassion when an elderly couple stole some food. She knew the family and knew that they hadn't been able to produce enough food before the winter set in. Their single child was sick as well. She had turned a blind eye and in doing so word was sent to Nia and she was summoned to the castle. Nia immediately had her bound to the pole in the main room and her top was removed. She knew what was coming as the first lashing was given. She didn't even flinch even though her previous scars opened as each lashing came. After the twentieth lashing she flinched for the first time as she felt her skin tear from her right shoulder all the way down to her left hip. Ten lashes later she was released and told that she would turn in the family or suffer more punishment. She went to find them but they had been killed when she found them. She had been set up and punished even more. Her back was a bloody mess when she finally laid down for the night.
She shook her head as she slid on a shirt and made her way underneath her furs. She closed her eyes and attempted to sleep as she waited for the sun to rise on another day full of bullshit and hell in the frozen kingdom of Azplana.
Polis
Before Sunrise
Murphy POV
He had spent all day going through as many books as he could. He had learned valuable information on the inner workings of what happened after the bombs fell. There was supposedly a cult that had set the first commander to the torch because she disagreed with their beliefs. This cult disappeared and there was no record of what happened to them. A woman by the name of Callie was a part of the original ancestors of the grounders and one of two that passed Natblida down successfully.
He had found mentions of a woman called Ash but it seemed like everything about her had been erased or torn from the history of the first grounders. From what he could gather and piece together this woman went insane and started to slaughter villages five years after they left the bunker they were in. The original grounders settled in what is now called TonDC and then as their population grew they expanded across the remaining habitable land to form the existing clans.
In the brief history that spanned ninety-eight years, there had been twelve commanders with Lexa having the longest reign so far as the thirteenth commander. He had learned that each commander was chosen by combat in something called the Conclave. It was contested as a free for all fight between the Natblida that were currently being trained by the current commander. Each Natblida that was found, was brought to Polis at the age of six and immediately started being trained. Most of the Natblida were at the oldest fourteen when the last conclave took place. The youngest was nine. The thought of a nine year old being forced into a fight to determine the next person to lead made his stomach turn. By the time he passed out his head hurt from the influx of information that he barely registered Emori returning and taking care of his wounds.
He made his way from his bed to the bathroom and as he got to the door he heard Titus talking to someone. Interesting he thought as he quietly made his way to the end of the hall. He saw the shadows of two people. He got as close as he dared and tried to make out what they were saying.
"So she has captured another person from the sky?" Titus said.
"Yes this one was hiding out in a cave that bordered Azgeda and Trikru lands." the other voice replied.
"Has she found out anything about this man?"
"No, he just arrived early this morning. She is letting him come down from the stupor he seems to be under due to alcohol he has consumed."
"The fact that she thought I should know as soon as possible is intriguing. I am glad that our alliance still holds strong."
" Azplana, is wondering if Heda has suspected your involvement in anything."
"No, she is more concerned with the people that fell from the sky and their leader. She believes that they are the key to furthering her agenda of peace." Titus spat at the other person.
"Well if the rumors are to be believed, the leader of the sky people has slain the mountain and now has made her way through six of the generals in Na uf en yuj. Multiple witnesses said that the spirit of Wanheda made an appearance yesterday and was a force to be reckoned with. They say that the sky leader gained control back and had to be knocked unconscious." Titus let out a forced sigh.
"If it is true then this leader needs to be dealt with. She poses a problem for our aligned beliefs. What do the clans that stay in TonDC say about this woman?"
"They have noticed that this woman comes and goes from Heda's tent as she pleases. Every night she enters but doesn't leave till the morning. This was happening before the mountain fell as well. They are buying into her and her people more and more as she makes her way through the gauntlet. She is making allies from all clans without even trying. She has beat every general except Aslena kom Sankru and the new general Echo kom Azgeda."
"So the spy lives and now is a general of Heda. Interesting. Very interesting."
"Sha, she lived and was immediately sent to spy on the sky people. Two days later she was called to TonDC and given the rank of general. The people are rallying behind Heda and Wanheda. People from all clans are migrating to TonDC to witness the fight between them as they believe that Wanheda will succeed and earn a fight against Heda that will take place tomorrow." He heard Titus start to go on a tirade that would have made a sailor blush.
"Thank you for the information. Tell Azplana that I am grateful for her alliance and whatever she needs to let me know. Now I must go check on my charge." He heard the last words and made his way back to the bathroom to quickly do his business and go back to his room. As he was leaving the bathroom he ran into Titus.
"Ah good you are awake Murphy. I hope you have found your new accommodations acceptable." He nodded at the man who he had just found out was a traitor to Heda.
"Today I will be running you through the basics of what it means to be a Fleimkepa. Follow me." He nodded as they turned around and made their way to an open room that had something he was not expecting to see in the middle of it.
In the middle of the room was a drop pod from the ark. He had learned about Becca falling from the sky but seeing her drop pod made everything more real. He instantly moved towards it and saw the faint letters that made out Polaris. The fabled thirteenth station was real. He shook his head as he turned around and saw Titus looking at him with a stack of books in his hands.
"You recognize that thing don't you." he nodded at the man.
"It is what we call a drop pod. It is from a station on the ark that was destroyed and had no survivors or so we thought." he saw the look of anger quickly flash across his face before he replaced it.
"Well I wouldn't worry about that. My method of teaching involves you reading these then we go over what you have learned. By mid day I want you to have read these at least once. There are five books that cover everything we must do as Fleimkepa's ." He nodded and took the books from his hands.
"Breakfast will be brought to you by Emori and I will retrieve you at midday." He nodded and got the feeling he was being dismissed.
He made his way back to his room with an arm full of leather bound books that were more like journals. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the information he had overheard and learned. He still had no idea where he was being held but he needed to find a way to either get a message to Clarke or prepare the best he could. His mind went to Emori. Maybe she could help him.
He put the stack of journals on his desk and sat in the chair. He grabbed a piece of paper and quickly wrote a note giving a little as detail as possible. He looked at what he wrote and read over it.
Skaiprisa
I am alive and safe.
Being held by a bald man.
Learning to be a keeper of fire.
Warn Alexandria of Bald man betrayal.
Be safe and may we meet again.
The banished one.
JM
He nodded as he rolled up the piece of paper and tied it with a string he found in his room. He knew this was a long shot but he had to try. He stuffed it into a pocket in the robe as he grabbed the first journal and began to read.
About an hour later he heard a soft knock come from his door and he told them to come in. He looked up as the door closed and saw Emori. He gave her a slight smile as she brought the tray of food to him. He could smell the fumes coming from it and his mouth watered. She moved to the side of the room and grabbed a chair and sat beside him.
"Thank you for doing all of this." She smiled at him and nodded.
"I do have a favor to ask and I don't know if you will be able to do it without getting in trouble." He saw her eyebrow raise.
"What is it John?" He pulled the rolled parchment out.
"I need this to get to Clarke. From what I have heard she is in a place called TonDC. Can you do that for me?" She looked at him and he could see her thinking.
"I can manage that. I have some trustworthy connections in the city that can help. You want this done as soon as possible, correct?" He nodded as he handed her the parchment.
"Then I will take my leave. I will make sure it is there by mid day.
He nodded at her as she left. He continued to eat as he hoped his gamble paid off. He wanted to help Clarke after she had not killed him. He felt like he owed a debt to her even though he knew he got lucky. He reflected on the first days on the ground when he was a dick and continued that way until he was banished as he read the hand written notes on what would become his duties.
TonDC
Sunrise
Clark POV
Throbbing, is all she felt as she came too. She felt it coming from her knee that Aslena had broken. . She had thought that it had been healed but she could tell that it was starting to swell a little. Well shit, she thought as she tried to move but was met by strong arms holding her in place. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Lexa who was smiling at her.
"As much as I would love to stay in your arms, I really need to wrap my knee and clean whatever wounds are not fully healed. I think Wanheda taking over somehow slowed my healing." Lexa nodded as she let go and went across the room to find some bandages that would be strong enough for the movement she would be doing today.
She looked over her body and surprisingly found not many wounds left open. She smiled when Lexa came back with a bunch of wrapping. She wrapped her wrists in a traditional style that most would use for boxing. She would need the extra support after the last few days. She started to put her clothes on and she wrapped her knee to give it some support. She made her way over to the rest of her gear and shook her head at the table before her. When had she accumulated such an amount of weapons? She knew that there was a potential for rain today but something spoke to her. She decided to forgo her coat and to fight in what she was already wearing. She started her journey as Skaikru and she was going to finish this as Clarke. Her final test for herself.
She strapped the thigh sheathes to her legs and slid a dagger in each. She slid two more in the sheathes on her belt, one in each boot, and she slid on her forearm guards and slid the daggers into place. She grabbed her two swords and slid or original on first then slid her new blade on next. She made her way to where Lexa kept the face paint and she saw her love there as well.
"Going light today ai hodnes?"
" Sha." Lexa nodded at her as she sat next to her and grabbed the red, black, and blue paint.
"Do you think Wanheda will show today?"
"Not likely, well at least not like she did yesterday. She may provide some help but for the most part I am finishing this on my own."
"Good to know. You have done well, ai hodnes. I am proud of you." She felt Lexa give her a kiss on her temple as she took her leave. She smiled to herself as she finished applying her war paint.
She looked in the mirror once more to make sure it looked right then she combed her hair to get the knots out. Once that was done she pulled her hair into a long ponytail letting a few strands of hair fall to the side of her face. She took a swig of water from her canteen and made her way out of the tent. The sun was still peaking over the horizon as she made her way to the pit. She looked around and noticed the population of TonDC had increased significantly. She was noticing more people from different clans as she walked down the path. Occasionally they would nod at her and some would bow slightly.
She kept her head straight as a part of her reached out and started to connect with Wanheda. She could feel the spirit there but it was duller and not as overwhelming as it was yesterday. She looked up at the sky and saw some clouds rolling in but for the moment it didn't look like they held rain in them. She heard her boot slosh in the ground as she took a step. Great, she thought the ground was still muddy.
She made it to the edge of the pit and looked up to the platform where Lexa had her post stationed. She saw the generals she had already faced standing beside her and they all nodded at her. She nodded back and lept into the pit. She felt her knee give a little but was glad for the extra support. She grabbed the hilts of her swords and pulled them out of their sheaths. The sound of her blades scraping the leather made her calm. She flexed her wrists as she twirled the blades at her sides. She heard the crowd start to chant her name as Lexa came forward.
"People of TonDC, I welcome you all to the third day of Wanheda's trial." The crowd erupted at her words.
"I welcome our guests from all around the Kongeda to witness Wanheda complete her trial. As it stands she has won six of her fights so far. If she wins at least two more today she will earn herself a fight with myself." The crowd erupted again.
"Falistad kom Boudalan, come forward." She watched as the massive man leapt into the pit and the whole ground shook as he unsheathed his massive weapons. She looked up at her love and nodded at her. She saw Falistad do the same.
"Begin." She heard Lexa yell and she took off.
Clarke vs Falistad
She went into a full sprint to close the distance between them. She knew she would have to get inside the space between his hands and the ends of his weapons. She slid as she approached the man and the mud helped her as she sliced his thighs with her swords. Her new one tore through the flesh of his thigh worse than she thought and she felt a lot of blood hit her face. Shit she hit the artery she thought as she quickly went on the attack again.
She quickly swung at his back as she danced around him just barely missing the blade of his axe coming down beside her. She turned and placed a foot on the handle of his axe and used it to leap over the man as she swung with her new blade catching him in the shoulder as he tried to turn to block it. She landed and felt her knee give again as she stood and rushed back at Falistad. She feigned to her right as he swung with his hammer and she had to slide to avoid it connecting with her skull. She swiped at his Achilles as she slid back and she felt the blade sever the tendon as she felt her foot catch in the mud. She scrambled away as the axe came at her again and she could see he was slowing. She ran at him once more and waited till she was close and leapt as high as she could with both blades aiming for his shoulders. She saw the axe coming at her as she turned mid air to avoid it but she didn't see the hammer coming around at her as well. She felt her ribs crunch as the hammer hit her square in the side as she flew across the arena.
She gasped for air as she stood. She watched as the man was gasping for air while stumbling over to her. She felt some more of Wanheda pour into her as she shook her head as she tried to clear the cobwebs from her head. She glanced up at the crowd and saw a look of shock on their face. She smiled as she sprinted at the man fighting through the pain coming from her side. She feigned right dodging the axe, then left as she dodged the hammer, she swiped with her new blade catching his bicep and with the other catching his forearm. This caused him to drop the hammer as he spun to get away from her. She slid as he swung the axe with both hands now and she felt her side flair up in pain as she slashed his leg again.
He went to a knee this time and she was quickly up and sprinting at him again. She used all her weight and launched herself at the small of his back, shoulder first and she felt it dislocate as she tumbled over the man. She lost her grip on her old blade as she got to her feet and pounced on his back bringing her blade to his neck as he stilled.
"Wanheda wins." The crowd was silent but then erupted as she collapsed on her ass.
She needed to set her shoulder and wrap her torso. She was far from done and she knew it was only going to get harder from here. She saw Nyko's sekon attending to Falistad as Lincoln was next to her. She felt him take a hold of her wrist and place a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and nodded. She tried to relax as she felt him yank and she heard the pop as she let out a whimper at the sudden shoot of pain that quickly started to disappear thanks to the slow creep of Wanheda.
"I need to wrap my stomach now." He nodded as he grabbed the wrap and waited on her to lift her shirt. She gingerly lifted her shirt to where she could see the black and blue bruises splayed prominently.
"I think I count three fractured ribs, Wanheda. You will have a hard time breathing but once it is wrapped hopefully your spirit will start to mend them. I wish we could get these looked at but we don't have the time." She nodded at him as he started to wrap the bandages around her. She felt the tightness of the wrapping as he secured it in place. She looked at her knee and saw it was starting to swell from the use.
"Can you rewrap my knee as well?" She asked as he looked at her knee. She saw the quick flash of pain in his eyes but just nodded and quickly went to work.
She flexed her leg as she stood and almost lost her balance but was caught by Lincoln. She nodded and stood on her own. She tested her strength in it and felt it start to shoot pain through her but she felt Wanheda already working to counteract it. She could feel pain with every breath coming from her left side as she picked up her swords and slowly walked back to her side of the arena taking a drink from her water before handing it back to Lincoln.
She looked up at Lexa and she heard her voice in her head asking if she was okay. She just nodded trying not to concentrate on hearing her voice. She watched as Falistad was lifted out of the pit by ten warriors. She saw he was limp which meant he had passed out from the blood loss at some point. She watched as her next opponent climbed down a ladder and entered the pit. She saw her nod at Lexa as she drew her sword and shield. Well on to the next she thought as she looked up at Lexa and nodded.
"Begin" Lexa yelled as she lowered her hand and the crowd went into a frenzy.
Clarke vs Selia
She wanted to get this over with but this was the first time she would fight someone that used a shield. She slowly started walking towards Selia at the same time she started forward. She watched carefully as she spun her swords feeling the bandages strain with every step. She felt her tendons grinding as she moved her shoulder trying to regain some strength. She could feel the fire slowly but calmly spreading to the places she was injured trying to subdue the pain she was feeling.
She sped up the closer she got and she knew that she would have a small advantage but not a big one. She needed to get rid of that shield. She went for an overhead strike with her old blade and felt it connect with the shield and felt vibrations shoot through her arm. She spun to her left and felt Selia's sword cut her lower back as she slashed her back with her newer sword. She felt it tear through the muscle and the gear she was wearing. She could feel the blood starting to run from her back as she quickly stepped to her right and swung again connecting once more with her back slicing further through the muscle and clothing.
She felt a blade tear through her pants as Selia spun trying to avoid further damage. She felt a cut form on the top of her thigh as she swung aiming for the small space that was just exposed on her shield arm. She was fast enough that she felt her sword tear through the small amount of muscle there severing the nerves and tendons. She saw the shield hanging limp at her side. She risked a glance at her leg and saw it slowly leaking blood. Not deep she thought as she heard the shield hit the ground with a wet thud. What she was not expecting was to feel a dagger sink into her thigh as she was looking up. She saw Selia rushing her as she barely had time to dodge to her left and bring up her left knee catching her in the gut.
She heard a grunt and felt a shooting pain as the dagger was ripped out of her thigh. She swung with her swords in a flurry trying to regain some control. She felt the blade grind against her sword and then connect with flesh. She spun to her right and slid in the mud which caused her knee to buckle and she went down to her knee. She felt a punch land on her side as she tried to stand she quickly felt more pain as another rib cracked. She grunted as she scrambled away and dropped her swords grabbing her daggers. She felt the anger start to slowly creep in as Wanheda was starting to get mad. She rushed at her with a burst of energy and tackled her to the ground as they rolled through the mud. She stabbed with her daggers as they rolled and she felt more blood hit her as they came to a stop and she had a dagger at Selia's throat.
"Wanheda wins again." The crowd exploded as they realized that she had just won eight fights and would get to face off against Heda. She also realized that she had just passed Anya and she was not expecting to feel tears fall from her face as she got off Selia. She limped back towards her side as she could hear a barely audible shout come from Lincoln.
She dropped to her knees as she pulled out the tie that held her hair in place and let it fall around her hiding her face. She felt the tears fall as she thought about Anya. She finally let the guilt of not being able to save her wash over her as she felt the memories wrack through her body. She saw flashes of every encounter with her. She saw flashes of memories that were not hers but those of Lexa's. She watched as Lexa and Anya trained, laughed, cried, and went to war. She felt more tears come from her as she swore she could hear Anya's voice.
"You have made me proud, Clarke. I knew you were strong and worthy of peace between us. I do not blame you for what happened that caused my demise. You did everything you could to save me and for that I am grateful. Thank you for giving my braid to Lexa. That meant more to me than anything else you could have done at the time. I know my sister and Heda are safer with you around. Take care of them and may we meet again Clarke. Know that I thought of you as a warrior and a daughter after our escape from the mountain." With those words she completely lost whatever control she still had, as she let out a primal scream of pain and grief. She could feel the tears flowing as she bent forward again trying to regain control. She felt a hand on her shoulder and heard Lincoln's voice breaking through the fog she was in.
"Wanheda, what is it? We need to clean your wounds." She lifted her head and saw his brown eyes looking at her and she felt the tears still flowing.
"She spoke to me, Linkon ." She saw the confusion on his face.
"Who spoke to you, Wanheda?"
"Onya." She watched as shock took over his face.
"She told me that she didn't blame me for everything that happened between us and that she trusts me with Elanta and Heda. She told me that she saw me as a warrior and her daughter. I didn't know she felt that way." She could feel more tears coming from her as Lincoln pulled her close as she heard a faint murmur coming from the crowd. She heard Lexa asking if she was okay. She told her kind of, and pulled away from Lincoln.
"Keep what she said to you close. It is rare for someone to speak to someone that has passed. Cherish her words and know that she meant them. Now let's get you fixed up. You still have two more fights, Wanheda." She nodded at him as she wiped the tears from her face and could tell that her war paint was no longer fully in place but she could care less.
He wrapped her thigh and rewrapped her midsection to cover the opened wound. She winced as he pulled it snug once more and she felt him pat her shoulder saying he was done. She nodded as she sheathed her daggers and grabbed her swords once more. She looked up to the sky and saw it had darkened during the last fight. She felt a drop hit her face as it started to lightly rain. She closed her eyes as she let her arms fall and let out a breath trying to center herself. She turned around after a moment and looked up at Lexa as she brushed her hair to the side. That was going to be a problem, she thought. She nodded at her letting her know she was ready for the next one. She closed her eyes once more as she connected with Wanheda again and asked her to provide a little more help. She agreed and she felt the fire spread slowly through her as she opened her eyes just as Darko made it to the edge of the pit.
She connected with his eyes as he leapt into the pit with his spear in his hands. Even with the extra help from Wanheda, she could feel her body start to struggle. After the influx of power yesterday she was surprised that she was even getting any help from Wanheda but she would take it. She knew her injuries were starting to add up. She looked at her right wrist and saw two small scars there, she could feel the faint trace of one on her left calf, she felt the trace from scars on her thighs from various daggers, she felt the scar on her arm from Aslena and Echo, she felt the various throbbing from her knee and her wounds she suffered today, and worst of she felt the pain of grief but happiness for Anya. She saw Darko nod at Lexa and she saw he raise her hand.
"It is time for our third fight of the day. The change in weather again should make this more interesting. Begin." She said as she lowered her hand again and the crowd went crazy again.
Clarke vs Darko
She started jogging towards him even though her body was trying to protest. She saw he was still standing still as she approached. She knew that she would need to change something up as by now he would have seen enough to counteract what she normally would do. She swung her sword intending to catch his arms but she felt the end of the spear connect with her right side as he spun out of her reach. She felt the point of it connect with her left side as it cut through her bandages. Fuck she thought as she swung again only to be met with her swords connecting with the metal pole of the spear.
She kept attacking trying to get the upper hand to no avail. She had an idea as she swung again. This time as she was coming down she dropped her swords and grabbed the pole and launched herself upwards much to the annoyance of her body. She landed on her feet and felt the spear come free as Darko groaned as he hit the dirt. She turned quickly and swung downwards with the blunt end of it connecting solidly with his ribs. She heard a crack and groans as she moved backwards holding the spear in a defensive stance. She watched as he stood and gingerly unsheathed his hook swords with a smile on his face.
He ran full sprint at her even though she saw him wince as he took off. She moved her hands closer together as she spun and extended the spear out trying to knock him backwards. She was having to improvise with the spear but she felt the hooks of his blades connect with the metal of the pole and she looked at him. She felt it being ripped from her hands and the spear head sliced through her palms. She quickly drew a pair of daggers and went on the attack. She dodged when he would swing but no matter how fast she moved it wasn't fast enough. She felt the point of each sword dig into her and rip flesh from her body.
She knew she had to do something and something fast. She racked her brain as she felt the handle of the swords connect with her chest sending her backwards. She rolled over and skidded to a stop on her knees. She looked up and saw him laughing at her. She felt fire spread through her and heard a laugh. Not this time she thought as she blocked Wanheda from taking over. Unfortunately in doing so she blocked almost all the help she was receiving. She felt pain rack through her body as she tried to breath. Fuck it she thought as she stood and charged.
She got as close as she dared and slid on her belly though his legs and as she was doing so she stabbed her daggers into his feet. She got to her feet and saw him trying to remove them. She grabbed two more as she stood and sprinted back at him. She launched but as she did her knee gave way and she didn't get as much launch as she wanted and collided with his legs causing her other shoulder to separate from its socket. She felt the dagger slip from her grasp as she tried to get up. She saw Darko bent backwards over her as he was still stuck in place. She quickly stabbed her with a good arm and felt it sink into his side, which gave her enough room to roll from underneath him. She saw his swords at his sides and she grabbed them and pointed them at each side of his head as his hands went up. She nodded and dropped to her knees next to him. She carefully removed her daggers from him as the healers showed up once more.
"Wanheda has now won nine of her fights. We have one more to go before the gauntlet is completed." She could hear the crowd in a frenzy as she felt her other shoulder being reset by Lincoln.
She didn't even grunt as she was exhausted from blocking Wanheda. She tried to pick up her dagger but found that she didn't have the grip anymore. She felt a more steady rain falling as she stood and sheathed her weapons. She made her way over to her swords and managed to pick them up. She fought through the pain racking though her shoulders as she removed her sheaths. She handed them to Lincoln and removed her thigh sheaths as they would need repaired. He looked at her as she handed her weapons to him.
"I can't hold them. I have to fight Indra without them." He nodded as he took her weapons with him as he exited the pit.
She heard the hush come over the crowd as they watched her take her position with no weapons. She looked up at Lexa and nodded then locked eyes with Indra who was looking at her and nodded in understanding. She watched as Indra removed all of her weapons and handed them to Octavia. She could hear murmurs spread through the crowd as they watched the show of understanding and respect coming from Indra. Once she was done she leapt into the pit with nothing but the clothes she was wearing.
"Wanheda, this is your last fight of the day. No matter what you will have succeeded in running Na uf en yuj. What do you have to say before we begin?" She took a breath as Lexa finished.
"I once saw a Skaikru prove her worth in the rain right here. She had no training whatsoever and still fought your warriors. Oktevia kom Skaikru fought your warriors to the point I find myself in now. I stand before you with no weapons and will finish this as I finish fights where I came from. I am ready to begin, Heda ." Lexa nodded at her as she locked eyes with Indra.
"Then begin." She lowered her hand as Indra nodded at both of them.
Clarke vs Indra
She raised her fists as the rain started to pour down on both of them. She moved closer to Indra and started to circle her. Indra copied her movements and she was able to tell that Indra knew how to brawl just from the way she was carrying herself. She locked eyes with her and smiled. She was surprised to see it being returned.
"Shall we dance Skaiprisa?" She let out a laugh that shot pain through her body but she didn't care.
"We shall Indra." With those words they went towards each other.
Clarke made it to Indra first and swung with her left fist aiming for her jaw. She felt it blocked and she felt herself being slung over a shoulder landing hard on her back. She rolled to her left and got up and swung with her right connecting with Indra's right side. She felt the bones move underneath her fist. She fully stood just in time to block a swing from Indra. She counterpunched and connected with her gut just as she felt a fist connect with her temple. She saw stars and crouched and swept a leg out connecting with Indra's legs knocking them out from under her.
She was on top of her in an instant laying haymaker after haymaker to Indra's body. She wasn't connecting with her face like she wanted but she could feel her fists connecting with the bones in her forearms. She felt a weight shift beneath her as she was tossed forward onto her face. Before she could move she felt a kick land into her broken ribs as she tried to roll away and stand. She managed to get to one knee before she felt a foot connect with her back sending her forward once more. She got a mouth full of mud and decided that she was not a fan. She rolled as fast as she could to get away and managed to shakily stand with her fists up. Her hair was completely soaked and starting to obscure her vision as she tried to focus on Indra.
Her vision finally stilled and she started to charge Indra again. She was not going to go down without a fight. She needed to prove herself to Indra. She needed to show she was worthy to be with Lexa. She needed to do this. Something clicked as she swung at Indra and she felt her fist connect with her face. She had caught her off guard but to Indra's credit she was not stunned for long.
Clarke felt her body try to respond to her command but as she went to swing again her knee buckled and she fell down just barely avoiding a swing to her head. She stood and once more felt pain shoot through her leg. She raised her fists and managed to block the swings but not the kicks that came at her sides. She was slow to react as the damage from the past days caught up to her. She could hear Wanheda telling her that she didn't dare help anymore because Clarke was in no state to hold her at bay. She blocked what she could but she felt a foot connect with her bad knee and she dropped like a pound of bricks in pain. She felt a weight on top of her as she tried to cover her face. She tried to fight but was slowly losing any ability to move her limbs.
"You win." She breathed out as she saw a fist stop inches from her face.
"I am sorry I failed you Indra." She saw the confusion on her face as she felt her head go to the side.
"You didn't fail anyone Clarke. It took guts to run the gauntlet. You proved yourself worthy of our trust and you have won many people over. Nine wins is nothing to scoff at. I am proud of you." With those words she felt the weight come off her chest.
"Indra is the winner." She barely heard Lexa call out.
"Wanheda won nine of the twelve fights and succeeded in running Na uf en yuj. She will now go against me tomorrow in a friendly fight as a show of respect. There are no stakes for this fight, just a show of respect. You all may go about your business." With a final chant for her they all left. She felt herself being lifted up and she looked at where she was headed and saw a stretcher waiting for her.
"I don't need that, just help me get to Heda's tent." She said to Lincoln and Indra.
"Wanheda, are you sure you can barely stand." She just nodded at them as she slowly started walking towards the ladder.
"I need to do this so they don't think I am weak. Heda would do the same and you both know it." She heard them sigh at her as they agreed.
They stayed by her side but let her walk as slowly as she wanted. Climbing the ladder proved difficult and painful but she made it. She looked up as she climbed over the edge and saw all the remaining generals that were standing before her.
"You have earned our respect Wanheda . You have done what no other has dared to do. If Heda approves we would like to lend our services to you for one task. You have earned this." She looked over at Lexa who was standing there watching trying not to show emotion.
"It is approved. What would you ask of my generals, Wanheda?" She thought for a moment.
"Once I am healed, I want to be trained by all of you. You all have unique fighting styles and the more I am able to learn the better." They all smiled at her.
"We can do that." They all bowed to her as they left to go repair their gear.
"Well then, shall we continue." She said as she slowly made her way back to Lexa's tent.
It took her about twenty minutes to walk back. She almost fainted three times and had to be caught by Lincoln and Indra but she pushed through and made it back just as the sun was at its peak for the day. She entered the tent and made her way to the table. She sat in the chair and felt Lincoln and Indra guiding her down. She thanked them both as they made their way out of the tent looking back at her.
" Heda, there is a messenger that would like to speak to you. He arrived just as the last fight began." She looked up as Lexa nodded and man came in.
They talked briefly and the man handed Lexa a rolled piece of parchment. She raised an eyebrow but watched quietly trying to keep her eyes open as Lexa dismissed Indra, Lincoln, and the messenger. She smiled as Lexa let out a breath and turned to face her.
"Normally I would be able to make a joke but I feel like that would take the remaining energy I have left." She smiled as Lexa just shook her head.
"Let's take care of you my love. You need your rest. I'll make sure you won't be disturbed the rest of the day." Clarke smiled as Lexa started to remove her clothing so her wounds could be cleaned and taken care of. She leaned her head back trying not to move too much.
She was grateful for Lexa being gentle and caring. She felt her clothing being removed carefully so as to not jostle her wounds. She felt Lexa mutter something as her shirt came off but she didn't have the energy to prod.
Lexa POV
She finally was able to see the extent of damage done to her love and it made her breath catch in her throat. Everywhere she looked she saw black, blue, yellow, and green. Clarke's body was a nasty painting of bruises and cuts. She carefully removed the bandages as she saw the signs of healing that had begun but then stopped then began again. She raised an eyebrow as she continued to carefully undress her love. She had a bath run as they were making their way slowly to her tent. She knew Clarke was in pain but she knew that she couldn't stop her and make her take the help. She had so many questions about various things that she saw today but they could wait. Her only focus was taking care of the woman in front of her. The one woman that tore down her walls and made her love again.
An hour later Lexa stepped outside of her tent with Clarke passed out in her bed. She had wanted to stay by her side but she needed to do something. Clarke was in need of medicine and more bandages. She made her way to the healers tent to gather what she needed. Along the way she stopped by various huts to gather supplies that she needed to restock on. As she was walking thanks to her enhanced hearing she could hear people praising Clarke for what she just accomplished. It made her heart fill with pride at the fact that Clarke was being accepted. It gave her a small amount of hope that things would be different this time.
She made her way inside the healers tent and spoke with Nyko's sekon and he gave her what she would need. Some herb mixtures that would help with pain and swelling, some paste that would help close the wounds and a bag of bandages to wrap and cover whatever was required. She thanked the boy and checked on the generals that were sitting in the tent being tended to. They all thanked her for looking out for them and trusting them to have her best interests at heart. She nodded as she left wondering if they would be able to keep both her and Clarke safe once word of their relationship became public knowledge. She knew what Clarke had done had endeared herself to the people of the Kongeda , she just hoped that they would continue to support her.
She made her way back to her tent and stepped inside. She heard a grunt coming from her bed and she quickly walked over there. She was Clarke sweating and moving trying to get comfortable. She knew there was not a lot she could do but try to surround her with pillows to keep her still. She hoped that Wanheda was helping her heal if she was able. She bent down and kissed her forehead which caused Clarke to still with a smile on her face. She smiled looking down at her and turned to go to the table in the room. She saw Clarke weapons lying on the table and she saw the blood on them. She grabbed a cloth and had some water brought to her. She sat at the table once she had the water and dipped the rag in the water till it was damp. She squeezed it as she started to carefully clean each blade freeing it from blood.
It took her about thirty minutes to clean all of the blades Clarke carried. Once she was done she grabbed the role of leather Clarke stored everything in when she wasn't using them and started to put away her love's weapons. She rolled the leather up and tied it with a string attached to it. She sat them along with the swords on the table in the mini armory she had and made her way back to her throne. She felt the weight of the parchment in her pocket and she wondered how someone in Polis knew that Clarke was here in TonDC.
The messenger had specifically told her that it was for Clarke and to only be opened by her. She had red flags going off immediately but she resisted opening it, knowing that Clarke would show her once she read it. She sat on her throne listening for any sound to come from Clarke that she was hurting. She leaned back in her chair as Indra entered quietly and brought her food so she could eat. She just nodded at her when Indra raised an eyebrow in a silent question about Clarke. She saw Indra smile then bow and take her leave.
As she ate she glanced over toward her bed and saw Clarke breathing steadily. She was proud of her love and she knew that if Wanheda helped her heal then she would have a fight on her hands come tomorrow.
Clarke POV
She was back in the field again, however this time there was a hut set back against the tree line. She walked over to it and as she approached she saw smoke coming from the roof. She entered the hut and saw Ash sitting by the fire. At her entrance she was met by her gaze and a smile.
"Welcome Clarke, please sit, we have much to discuss." She nodded and sat down next to her.
"First off I would like to congratulate you on successfully completing the gauntlet. You did amazing and swayed many people among the clans to your side." She smiled as she watched the red and yellow flames dance across the logs.
"Secondly, I must warn you that you won't be fully healed by the time tomorrow morning comes. You will be closer to fully healed but the extent of your wound combined with the near burnout you experienced have slowed your normal healing." She nodded again.
"I had guessed as much. It was odd though today. I could feel her and I managed to block her from taking over completely at one point but in doing so it caused all her mediating of my wounds to stop for a moment. It got to the point where she even told me that she didn't dare try and help anymore because I wasn't in a state to fight her off." Ash nodded at her.
"It would seem that you have come to somewhat of an understanding with Wanheda then. If she realized that you couldn't fight her and backed off it means that she has learned something this time. Like she told you, you both have been through this ten times already. I'm glad though." Clarke looked up at her.
"I don't know how this has happened Clarke, but I have seen everything you have, felt everything you have, and experienced everything you have. I think Wanheda has chosen my spirit to be your guide and physical form for you to see. With there being only two of us I shouldn't be surprised." She saw Aslena take a breath.
"After she took over you I was pulled forward and took your place. The reason you couldn't do anything was because instead of housing just Wanheda you had me as well. I think it was a test to see if your body was strong enough to control and house me as well. I think anytime you tap into Wanheda from now on it will be my voice you hear. I feel different this time." She could see the ghostly stare forming on her face.
"Ash, whatever it is I am glad at least I have some to actually talk to about this now. Think of it this way. From what you told me you gave into Wanheda." Ash nodded.
"I have blocked her and stopped her from going too far. Maybe this is her way of finding the balance between her two hosts. She brought us together because she saw her mistake with you and the ten other versions of myself. I think this way with you helping me we should be able to figure out how Wanheda ticks. I'm sure she will still be around but it will be different." Ash smiled at her.
"You know for someone that has been through so much you are awfully optimistic. I was expecting you to be hateful and demanding to scream at Wanheda. What changed?" She chuckled at her.
"Let's just say, I discovered that through Wanheda, with enough emotion, people that are no longer with us can communicate with me. I got some much needed closure from someone I lost." Ash nodded at her stunned but not surprised.
"Well I am intrigued by this but happy for you. Now Wanheda has asked that you be taught how to meditate in such a way that will allow your healing to progress faster and communicate with me much like Lexa does with Becca." She nodded as she listened to Ash's words.
She spent the next hour or so it was hard to tell since she was dreaming? She still was unsure but eventually she managed to get the idea. She wouldn't be able to test it till she awoke but it is what it is. She heard the door to the hut open and at the unexpected intrusion she felt her weapons appear in her hands and Ash was next to her with a bow drawn.
"Well if this is the welcoming I get then I must say you have been trained well." She was shocked to say the least.
"Onya" she breathed out as she dropped her weapons and rushed the woman. She heard a chuckle come from the woman as wrapped her arms around her.
"How are you here? I mean I won't complain but how?" Another chuckle.
"A gift from Wanheda. Your memories and our little talk spoke to her and she granted me this one visit with you." Clarke smiled as she felt a few tears fall.
"Shall we sit or are you going to continue to squeeze the metaphorical life out of me." She blushed as she let go and went to sit back around the fire.
"Now, thanks to Wanheda, I have been somewhat brought up to speed on what you have done since I passed on. To say I am impressed is an understatement. I didn't lie to you Clarke. I see you as a daughter and you have made me proud." She smiled at her still trying to figure out why Onya was here.
"Wanheda, has also requested that I bring you up to speed on some things." Clarke raised an eyebrow but just nodded.
"The one that fled your camp has been captured by Azgeda. She is able to tell this because he is currently on the brink of death due to torture is currently being put through." Her eyes blew open quickly but remembered what she had told Kane. Jasper left on his volition and was considered clan less. He was no longer her people but she still hurt for the boy.
"Also she offered some insight to why you haven't been experiencing any more nightmares." She raised an eyebrow. She wouldn't say she hasn't experienced any but those visions were pretty gruesome.
"The visions of your past life have kept them away. She fears that until you deal with the bodies in the mountain they will continue to haunt your mind. You have been exhausted from the gauntlet so it hasn't been necessary for her to show you any more to distract your mind. The dreams she has blocked would have caused you to bolt from where you should be and go out on your own. She figured by distracting you, you would focus on other things which she somewhat accomplished. Probably not the way she had hoped but it worked out in your favor." She heard both Ash and Anya chuckle as they shared an agreement.
"Well I had planned on going back to the mountain in two days. I have the battle with Lexa in the morning and then I need to check in with Kane. My mother is going to try something as soon as she is able and I will have to deal with that plus there is the fact of trying to act like nothing has changed between me and Lexa. Then there is deciding how to continue to prove myself to the Kongeda." She took a breath and looked at the two women in front of her.
"Clarke, take this from someone who grew up and saw the Kongeda form and lived through it. You won't be able to please everyone. You will have enemies that will come for you just for being Wanheda. You will have people come for you because you are so cozy with Heda and they are jealous. You will have people you think are allies turn on you and become enemies. It is the way it goes down here. I know you want peace but you know at the same time with peace comes war. It's why you are willing to do what you have." She looked as Anya as she continued.
"You are surrounding yourself with people you trust and that is good. I see so much of Lexa in you but at the same time with what I have been shown I know that without her you suffer. It was strange to see all the pain losing her causes you because I never thought that it was possible to care that much for someone. You two will be what the Kongeda has needed and it will take time. You are playing chess except the board is huge." She smiles at her words.
"You are so different from that goufa I saw on that bridge. Even then I saw the potential in you and how much you cared for your people. It was the first time I was willing to not slaughter people on the spot because they were different and causing me problems. Then you had to go and save me from the mountain. I have never seen such bravery but stupidity at the same time." Clarke smiled when she chuckled.
"The day we fought I knew something was different about you. I still think it was because of what the mountain did to me but that is my pride talking. It is rare for a non warrior to best a general. You proved that day that you were a warrior and a leader Clarke. Whether you knew it then or not you showed that when you put your mind to something, no one can stop you. If I hadn't died that day, I would have returned to TonDC and spoken with Lexa about trying to spare your people, not because of who they were but because you cared about them. IF and I mean if it got to that point I still don't see all but a handful of your people being so open to us." Clarke nodded and smiled, understanding where she was coming from.
"Now enough going down memory lane. I need to show you something, if you will follow me." Clarke raised an eyebrow and looked at Ash. She just nodded and told her to follow. She got up and left the hut. When she stepped outside of the hut she saw the scenery had changed and she was standing in a tower looking out over a city. She saw her hands were covered in Natblida and she turned around and saw her worst nightmare. Lexa was dead on the bed in the room. She tried to rush to her side but was stopped.
"This is the most recent version of your past. Our people were in a constant state of war. Your people were in the middle of a coup and had slaughtered the army that was sent to protect them from Azgeda. You spent the night here once you and Lexa had finally admitted how you felt about each other. Titus had tried to kill you but was inept when it came to Skaikru weaponry. Lexa had rushed through the door and Titus was startled and pulled the trigger hitting her with a fatal shot." Clarke felt the tears form as she watched the scene play out in front of her.
"You became the next Flame keeper because Titus didn't want the false commander to have it. He shortly took his own life after this. You went on the run and had to fight an AI named ALLE." She saw the air shimmer around her and they were in a city that looked like what she saw in some of the movies she watched on the ark.
"You had become a nightblood by science but didn't know that at the time. You used Ontari's blood and used the flame. It wasn't a perfect passing of the flame but it took and you became the next commander. You saw Lexa here and she helped you get to your destination to kill this ALLE person." She saw as Lexa found her and then charged head first into these mindless masses of people. The scene shimmered again and she was looking down at the earth and saw two versions of Becca.
"You pulled your second lever in this place, in doing so you killed ALLE but also caused the fail safes to fail on the nuclear reactors around the world to short circuit. ALLE had integrated herself into them and upon her death caused them to fry. Six months later even though you were the next commander no one knew it. There was another conclave and Octavia won it after killing Luna kom Flourkru. She led people in the bunker underneath Polis while you and others tried to go back to space. They made it while you did not. The Death wave hit and you passed out from exposure." She saw the scene shift again and she saw a wave of radiation hit as she passed out. She was sure she had died but she was wrong.
"You survived because of your Natblida. You were alone for a long time. You came very close to ending it all till you found Shallow valley and a young girl who you named Madi and took as your daughter. She was also a nightblood. You raised her as your own for years and she was your only salvation. Eventually people came back to Earth and war started again. The Earth was dying and you were lucky to have found the one place that was still habitable." The scene shifted again and she was on another planet.
"Once you escaped you went into a deep sleep called Cryo. You slept for 100 years and came to a planet that was run by cults. Eventually war came calling again and you had to fight the second Dawn cult which just so happened to be the one that set Becca to the torch." She shook her head as she watched moments fly by. She saw so many deaths that included friends and family. She really was alone.
"You had people turn on you." She was standing in a room with a giant metal ball in the middle. She had her pistol leveled at Bellamy with tears in her eyes. She watched as she pulled the trigger and shot him. She saw the tears in her own eyes as she went through a green portal in the room.
"You were defending Madi and thought you could trust him. Madi held the secret that this cult wanted to achieve their ascension. Eventually Madi was caught and experimented on and they got their answer, sadly she was brain dead due to everything. You for the first time connected with Wanheda and went on a warpath. You killed everyone in sight with Octavia right next to you. You entered some test that determined if the human race was ready for ascension and you killed the man responsible." She watched as the events unfolded in front of her.
"The judges took the appearance of your greatest teacher, failure or the one you loved the most. When you shot Cadogan the person that was there disappeared and you were alone again. Eventually they reappeared and standing there was your greatest love." She watched again as more tears formed.
"Let me guess we were unworthy because of everything that I had done." Anya nodded at her.
"You had been through so much loss and pain that when it was done you felt no remorse and thought you had justification for your actions. They thought every human was consumed by revenge like you and they decided that the human race was unworthy." She watched as she was run over the coals and verbally spared with the Lexa/not Lexa judge.
"You were at your lowest for the first time in a long time. You didn't care what happened because you had lost everything you had loved. If it hadn't been for Raven and Octavia the human race would have been wiped out. In the end they achieved ascension and all that was left was you. It was your punishment because of your deeds. You went through the portal back to Earth which had been healed and there was no sign of life except for some reason a dog." She heard Anya chuckle.
"You got to see Lexa one more time as she told you that Madi was safe and that you would be the last of the human race. No repopulation, no kids, nothing but you wouldn't be alone as some of your friends decide to come back and live out the rest of their lives with you. You finally had peace but it wasn't what you wanted." The scene shifted and she was back in the field.
"Now what did you take from that version of yourself?" She saw Anya take a seat in the grass and she sat next to her.
"Well for one I am already doing a better job at trying to get our people to work together." Anya chuckled at her words and nodded.
"Two, without Lexa the Kongeda falls apart and the next leader destroys what she was achieving." Anya nodded at her.
"But something tells me that person won't be a problem this time. Things are different aren't they? Anya nodded.
"Also that no matter what people can change and the person I thought they were is not always the case. Octavia was thrust into a role she didn't want but came through even though it was violent and gruesome." She shuddered at those images. Cannibals really?
"Bellamy never got over me and in turn let that affect how he acted and treated the one woman that actually cared for him. He thought he was doing what was right but wasn't and wound up dying." Anya nodded at her again as they stared out over the field.
"I really did lose everyone huh?" Anya just nodded and looked at her.
"It was the cost of constant war. You were looking out for everyone and no one cared. They questioned you at every turn and the rapid loss of everything you loved and the one person that was your soul mate, caused you to slowly succumb to Wanheda. When you broke it wasn't pretty, as you saw." She shuddered again.
"Lexa is your balance and without her you lose yourself. You can't change people Clarke but you can do everything in your power to try and sway them. Politics are a fickle thing that one wrong move can turn everything upside down. So far you are on the right track. You have all the clans behind you and in turn they are going to want to reach out to you and see what Skaikru is all about. You have done so much differently this time that even Wanheda is having a hard time figuring out how to help you." She laughed at the image of a spirit running around confused.
"I am not saying it will be easy as more conflict is on the horizon but with Lexa by your side and you slowly winning the clans over. You two should face no backlash from them when you announce your union." She felt an elbow dig into her side as Anya wiggled her eyebrows at her. She groaned and felt the blush rise.
"Speaking of you and Lexa, I feel I am obligated to tell you that if you hurt her I will come back from the dead and kill you myself." Clarke laughed so hard that she snorted and laughed so much.
"Yes mom, though I think you would have to get in line." Anya laughed with her as they settled down and watched the sky darken.
"Well that is our cue. I wish there was more I could offer to you but alas this was the only time I will get to talk to you." She was pulled into a hug by Anya.
"This was just what I needed. Thank you Anya." She felt a tear hit her head as she looked up.
"Always my child. Now go be with your love. Remember I will always be with you just like Ash, well maybe not like that but you get my point." Clarke laughed as everything faded as she slowly started to see the yellow flickering off the tent as she opened her eyes.
Three hours after Clarke vs Indra
Dusk
Lexa POV
She came through the flap of her tent carrying two plates of food. She had stayed listening to Clarkes' steady breathing for about an hour until she felt that she was okay. She had left to go do some things around TonDC while there was still daylight. She met with some of the visiting clan leaders. It turns out that word had spread quickly of what Clarke was accomplishing and they all were very interested to watch them fight. She sighed as she realized they were here for Wanheda and not Clarke. She was going to have to be careful but she hoped that Clarke had won a majority of the people over.
She set the food on the table and walked over to her love. She saw her starting to stir so she waited. She felt the roll of parchment weigh heavier in her pocket as her love stirred. She could tell that something was different but it was still her love there. She smiled as she watched every detail on her face. There was something in the way she awoke from a slumber that just made her heart flutter.
"Hello Ai hodnes" she said as Clarke smiled at her.
"Hi." Clarke motioned for her to come over to her. She happily obliged.
"What time is it?" Clarke asked as she was kissed by her.
"Dusk. I brought dinner if you are hungry." As if on cue she heard Clarke's stomach grumble. She chuckled as she picked up Clarke in her arms and carried her over to the table.
"Thank you for this. I feel a little stronger but when is our fight tomorrow? That will determine how much of a run for your money I can give you." Clarke asked as she ate at an alarming rate.
"Since it is just one fight, it will be at midday. That will give any other visitors enough time to make it here." She took a drink before she continued.
"Good, I want to be able to give you a good fight." She smiled as she looked at the empty plate. Lexa just chuckled as she stood and had a guard bring another plate. She saw the blush form on Clarke's face.
"Anything new happen while I was out?" The second plate arrived and Lexa handed it to her.
" Sha." she pulled out the roll of parchment from her pocket and handed it to her.
"This arrived as you were brought back here." Clarke nodded as she saw the realization click.
"Have you read it?" she shook her head at her love.
She watched as Clarke unrolled it and quickly read over it. She watched her face for any sign of what she was reading and all she saw was a raised eyebrow. She waited patiently for her to finish as she finished her meal. She heard the sigh come from Clarke as she looked up. She saw the paper being given back to her.
"Read it then tell me what you think." Her voice was indifferent as she reached for the parchment. She grabbed the parchment and unrolled it and began to read it.
Skaiprisa
I am alive and safe.
Being held by a bald man.
Learning to be a keeper of fire.
Warn Alexandria of Bald man betrayal.
Be safe and may we meet again.
The banished one.
JM
She sat the parchment down and couldn't believe what she just read. One of Clarke's people was being held by Titus. She also was concerned about the fact that apparently she was being betrayed by that same man. The only good side to this was Clarke had eyes on Titus. That would become valuable till she could do something about it.
"Well that is definitely interesting and worrying all at the same time." Clarke nodded at her.
"What I am curious about is how Murphy wound up wherever he is. Where is that by the way?"
"Polis. It is the capital of the Kongeda, and technically my home." She saw the raised eyebrow of her love.
"Interesting, I thought TonDC was your home and the capital." She just smiled at her love.
"I wish it was, but as Heda I must reside where she is in the most convenient place for her people. Polis is the center of all trade for the Kongeda. People from all over come and trade, sell, and buy many things. It is where the ambassadors also live for a majority of their time." She saw a puzzled look on Clarke's face.
"How many weeks or months are the ambassadors expected to be there? Also who is this bald man mentioned in that letter?" Lexa nodded and took a breath.
"Well ambassadors are in the capital for two weeks the travel back to their clan to give reports, gather opinions from the leaders, visit with family if they have it, and enjoy time amongst their people. After that they travel back here and report to me. Their job is not easy, which unfortunately makes it quite difficult to please and deal with." Clarke nodded at her.
"So after Skaikru is made official I will have to keep up appearances till we make what is between us known." Lexa thought for a moment.
"Well for the first month after Skaikru becomes the thirteenth clan you will be in Polis. I will personally oversee your training on what it means to be an ambassador. With you being Wanheda brings another wrinkle in the fold. Also me being your Fos puts you in a precarious position as well." She took a drink before she continued.
"As a Sekon you normally would be expected to be with your Fos until they feel you are ready to go on missions alone. Your status as my Sekon is not known to anyone but Indra. Most of the clans know you as Wanheda which puts you higher up the chain to almost my level of power. Throw in you taking on the role of ambassador. I feel like it may be too much to explain." She tapped her chin as she thought.
"Do you think Raven would take the role of ambassador?" Clarke raised an eyebrow at her.
"She is the next logical choice after you. She knows your people, she is overseeing all of you technology, and who knows she could take a look at the water turbines that power polis to see if there are any repairs that are needed." Clarke smiled at her.
"We can ask. It would definitely make me being by your side easier to explain. Soon or later we will have to make our relationship known. I have a feeling once we are in polis rumors will run rampant and I would like to avoid all the speculation that comes with them." Lexa nodded and smiled.
"What would you suggest then Ai hodnes?"
"Well it all depends on when you are expected back in Polis. I have a few things that need to be cleaned up before I can leave knowing I left Skaikru in good hands." She watched as Clarke stood shakily and started to pace. She raised an eyebrow and watched her carefully, ready to jump in to help if she needed it.
"In two weeks I must return for the summit. Titus will be there as he is the bald man in that parchment. He is the current Fleimkepa and will oversee the arrival of the clans. It is the last time our people can travel to Polis without their travel being extended due to winter. With Skaikru becoming the next clan it will be a big ordeal and a feast will be held. All leaders will be in attendance as well." She watched Clarke pace back and forth.
"Well then, we have our fight tomorrow. Will the leaders of the clans be here?" She nodded at her.
"This is the last stop before Polis and most are already here as word spread about the gauntlet. They will start their journey to Polis soon."
"Then tomorrow we take the leaders to the mountain and show them that it is no more. While we are there we can retrieve the bodies from the cafeteria and burn them." She saw her shoulders sag. She stood and made her way over to her and embraced her.
"Any more nightmares, Ai hodnes ?" She felt Clarke shake her head.
"Wanheda has been blocking them by showing me different versions of my life. That is a whole other conversation because it is a big one." She felt a small chuckle come from her.
"So be it. What else do you have to do?" She felt Clarke relax into her embrace.
"Well after that there is the medical equipment. That will need to be taken to Skaikru. Which is when we could deal with my mother and ask Raven. I have a feeling by then she will be up and moving and once she sees you she may act." She lifted Clarke's chin and looked into her eyes.
"You know if she does something our hands will be forced." She saw the battle wage across her face.
" Sha, at this point I'm expecting her to try something. As much as it pains me to accept that, it has come to it." She felt another sigh come from her love.
"I will be right there with you my love. After our fight tomorrow we will go to the mountain. Removing the bodies could take all night plus I think it will do well for everyone to see what happened. If you start to have issues, find Octavia, Aslena, or me and we will help you. I don't know what I am walking into tomorrow but I will be there with you this time. You won't be alone, Ai hodnes ." She felt a small nod against her chest.
" Mochaf, Leska." she felt Clarke turn in her arms.
"We should probably get some rest. I want to be able to give as good as I get tomorrow." She felt her breath on her as her words were whispered in her ear. She felt the shiver run down her spine.
"As you wish." She said as she swallowed and made her way over to her bed for the night. She heard the chuckle come from Clarke as they changed and laid down for the night after sending a message to Kane with a rider.
Camp Jaha
Middle of the Night
Kane POV
He set down the papers he had been going over as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes that was starting to form. It had been a long day after the incident yesterday. He had received word from a Trikru scout that Jasper had been spotted along the border to Azgeda late last night. When he asked about it this morning he was told that he was no longer in the same spot. The scouts had tracked him across the border but it had looked like he had been captured. He felt his shoulders sag as he went over Clarke's words. Jasper was a part of the clan less now. He had been banished from Skaikru. One of their own was no longer welcome and on his own. As much as he wanted to hate the boy for the trouble he caused, a part of him still cared for him.
He shook his head as he looked over the medical report on Abby. Jackson would be releasing her in the morning instead of the next day. She had made vast improvements since yesterday and was able to walk for an extended period of time without assistance. He knew that she would try to get as much information as possible as to what had happened while she was in Med Bay. He figured the less she knew the better. He was still trying to figure out what she already knew. He replayed the conversation that was held before the mountain and how she had quickly connected the dots as to who was actually running Skaikru. He saw the looks of pure rage on her face anytime Clarke was around, especially with The commander by her side.
He let out a breath as he looked at what had been confiscated from Abby's office and quarters. On his desk lay two rolls of paper. One was of the layout of TonDC that was littered with "x's" that marked what would be the best places to attack. He had to give it to Abby for the fact that for as quiet and reserved she seemed to be, this was thought out. It had details that he didn't know like where certain buildings were and where most of the people stayed. He racked his brain trying to figure out when she had the time to learn all of this.
The second roll of paper looked like a modified version of a gas dispersal system. It was crude in design but from what raven had told him, it would work effectively for what she was planning. From the looks of the design she was going to be using multiple devices placed where the "x's" were on the other map. He counted six "x's" on the map. He set the designs down and leaned his head back. Just how long had she been working on these plans? He wondered as the door to his little office opened. He looked up and saw Raven peaking inside.
"Still up I see." He nodded as she stepped through the door. She handed him a cup and from the smell of it he could tell it was coffee. He breathed it in for a minute before taking a sip.
"Raven, let me ask you something." He saw an eyebrow raise on the mechanic's face. He spread out the paper in front of him.
"By your best guess, how long would it take to make one of these machines for someone with your skills?" He saw her lean over the desk and study them for a quick moment.
"For how simple and crude they are, I would say about a week. It looks like a version of a smoke machine or fog machine. Very simple to make but if you don't know what you are doing it would cause you to accidentally set the smoke or fog off. Based on these plans you would have to know how to rig them to go off at a set time and where to place them to have the best layer of gas to spread." He watched as she looked at the other paper.
"As much as I hate to say it those marks are strategically the best place to hit. They cover the most ground and if the main target is this." She point to what was a building that had been circled multiple times.
"Then it is right in the middle of the most gas. You would have enough cover to get in and get out especially if you had the surrounding area covered. You would also have to have a protective suit for yourself and whoever your target was if you were trying to say rescue someone." She sat down as she put her feet up on his desk.
"This whole operation could go sideways in an instant and could cause mass casualties. What even are these for, Kane?" He sighed as he leaned back in his chair.
"These were taken from Abby's office and quarters this morning. I personally searched her belongings for anything that could help Clar- Wanheda when the time comes." he was still getting used to that name.
"She is being released early tomorrow. Jackson has no more excuses to keep her there as she is able to walk unassisted now. I put copies of these plans where I found them that way she wouldn't know someone had found them." She saw the smile appear on her face.
"Old habits die hard huh?" He raised an eyebrow at her not liking what she was implying.
"Oh come on Kane. We all know the council did that kind of shit all the time. It's how they were able to convict Jake so quickly." He felt his mouth open at her words. How had she known this.
"People talk, Kane. When you are basically the second in command of engineering you hear things as you are crawling through the vents doing repairs. Jaha and Abby found his original findings and made copies. Jake knew this because a page was missing. He was very carefully with what he wrote down. He was very vague when it came to his notes about the ark. The only other person that could have read and understood what he was saying was his own damn wife." He could tell she was starting to get upset and he couldn't blame her. Jake was a good man that just was looking out for the people. Kane had been one of the only two members of the council to vote against his floating.
"I know you voted against it, Kane. You may have done some horrible shit on the Ark but when it came to the people as a whole you at least had a heart in that matter." He chuckled at her words.
"The past is the past and you have sure as hell made up for your misdeeds. You were the best option to lead us in Clarke's stead. You care about all of us and can see the benefits of what Clarke is doing. You changed when you came down here even if you still have those dirty tactics up your sleeve." he saw the smile on her face.
"Now how do we go about telling Clarke about this?" He pondered this for a moment.
He could radio her and inform her but if his gut was right then she would be focused on her fight against the commander. He didn't want to distract her from that. It was too important that she focus on putting on a good show. He knew that it would be a good one especially, as much as he hated the thing she had become in the pit, if Wanheda decided to come out and play. He figured that he would wait till around early evening to tell her. He knew he would have his hands full with Abby and running interference with her and everything else.
"We will tell her tomorrow but around early evening. I don't want to distract her from anything at the moment." He saw him nod as he heard a loud knock coming from the entrance to Raven's shop. He raised an eyebrow as she got up and went to see who it was. He followed and waited by the door to the office. Close enough to hear what was going on.
"There is a rider from TonDC at the gates. He said that it was important that he give something to the one called Markus. " He heard his name and he made his way to the door.
"Well let's go shall we." The guard nodded at him as they turned and went to the gate.
He felt the presence of a Trikru warrior at his side. He looked over at the man that had become his shadow under orders of Heda. Apparently he was an important figure that needed round the clock protection. He shook his head as they approached the gate and opened them slightly. He stepped outside cautiously as she saw the man standing by his horse.
"I am Marcus. How can I help you at this time of night?" He asked calmly with his eyes scanning what he could see from the fire light along the wall.
"I bring a message from Heda and Wanheda. After you have read it, I was told to have you contact them in the morning after sunrise." He took the parchment from the rider's outstretched hand.
" Mochaf." he said as he grasped the man's arm in the warrior greeting he saw them all do.
" Pro." the man said as he mounted his horse and turned back towards TonDC.
He looked down at the roll of parchment and stuck it in his jacket as he stepped back inside the gates. He thanked the guard and motioned his head for Raven to follow him. He wanted to see what was important that a rider be sent here so late. They entered the shop again as his guard faded into the shadows beside the building. He walked back to his office and sat in his chair, setting the roll of paper on the desk. He folded his hands as he stared at the roll of paper. Raven sat in front of him and leaned back in her chair.
"What do you think it says?" He looked over his hands that were clasped together in front of his face.
"No idea. Let's just get it over with." He reached for the roll of paper and undid the string. He unfurled the paper and started to read.
Markus
I hope this found you well. Wanheda and I have come to the conclusion that the medical equipment inside the mountain would be of great use to our people. Skaikru are the only people that know how to use this equipment and I have agreed to let your people venture back into the mountain to retrieve this equipment. That is the only equipment that will be allowed to come out of the remains of the mountain. This does come with a caveat though.
Before the equipment is removed the bodies of those left in the mountain must be dealt with. I am requesting that you bring a small force to aid in the removal and burning of these bodies. Based on the number Wanheda has proved, I expect this to take the rest of the day after the final fight. Bring anything that you believe will assist in the removal of the bodies. Anything can help no matter how small it may seem.
After the removal of the bodies, I will be traveling with you back to Camp Jaha to check on my warriors. There are also some things that need to be discussed as it relates to Skaikru becoming the thirteenth clan of the Kongeda. If you can make sure there are suitable arrangements to accommodate myself and twenty of my warriors.
I will also warn you that there is a high chance that the leaders of the other clans sans Azgeda will want to come see what the people Clarke came from are like. I would advise that you inform Skaikru of this and what the consequences of disobeying Wanheda or my orders are. I trust that everything will be in order when you and your party arrive at the gates of the mountain two hours past Midday.
Safe travels
Heda Lexa
Thirteenth Commander of the Kongeda
He sat the paper down and looked at Raven. She saw she had zoned out and he chuckled as he handed the paper over to her to read. He waited as she quickly scanned over the letter. He thought about Heda's words. They would be going back to the mountain. The one place where so many people had been tortured and had died just to keep one cluster of people alive. He shook his head as Raven set down the paper.
"Well that would explain why it was sent so urgently. I am surprised that she agreed to this so quickly. I know when we met with her it was still just a maybe. I wonder what changed her mind." He heard he starting to chuckle to herself.
"Well I think I know but that is only speculation. Clarke apparently can be really persuasive if you know what I mean." He felt his mouth drop open at her words before he lost all control and laughed for the first time in ages.
"I doubt that had anything to do with it." He saw her eyebrows raise at him asking him if he was being serious.
"Okay so maybe Clarke had some influence but I highly doubt they are that close, Raven." He tried to keep a straight face as he knew that Clarke had trusted him to keep that information to himself.
"You are so full of bullshit. I already know that something is going on between them. I am not blind. Those two are attached at the hip. Hell when Clarke was fighting Lexa could barely keep her eyes off her. She does a hell of a job hiding it but if you look close enough you can see it." He said nothing and just nodded.
"Well whatever the case we need to plan for who will be going with us. The problem arises when it comes to Abigail. Who do we leave here to watch her or do we take her with us because of the medical equipment?" He sat back as he thought. Twenty people would be required but he couldn't leave Camp unguarded.
He picked up his cup of coffee and noticed it had gone cold. He forced it down and looked at Raven. She nodded and stuck her hand out asking for it. He smiled and handed it to her. He had a bad feeling that he would need to move a coffee pot into his office after tonight. He was in for a long night and would probably wind up sleeping in her again. He sighed as he started to write down names of people that would go and who would be in charge of what while he was gone. He hated this part of the job but it was his duty as second in command. Clarke had made it clear that there would no longer be a council that dictated everything but right now he sure could use one or at least some advisors. He saw Raven enter again with a fresh cup as they started to formulate a plan for the next coming days.