A/N: Enjoy!

Chapter 14: News from the Mountain

Clarke perked up at these news. She jumped onto her feet, while Lexa slowly rose from her chair. She resisted the urge to stamp her foot down and tell her to hurry up. If Titus wasn't here, she might have, but she knew the Flame keeper was a lot less tolerant than his Commander with this kind of behaviour.

''Have Indra bring them to the throne room. The Natblidas can occupy themselves by practicing chess while we attend this matter.'' She stated.

They only had a flight of stairs to climb to reach the throne room, and Clarke used the time to ask.

''Who is Indra?''

''She is one of the Trikru generals, and the chief of Tondisi, one of the main villages. I have known her for a long time, and I trust her judgment though she is often… overly wary. If she didn't have so many responsibilities to her clan, I would like to have her in Polis by my side.'' Lexa explained.

The Commander sat on her throne, and Clarke assumed her now usual position by her side. She rocked on the back of her heels.

''You seem extremely eager to meet them.'' Lexa observed.

Clarke glanced at her. ''You repeated again and again that my companions were lost, that no one ever escaped the Mountain. If they have, they might have invaluable information – what's happening to my friends, to your people, ways inside the bunker.'' She listed.

Lexa looked slightly surprised. ''You are not happy at the possibility of one of your friends being in Polis?''

''I am trying not to get my hopes up. I had very few friends, so the probability…''

She was interrupted by the doors opening, and Lexa automatically straightened in her seat. She started addressing a dark woman with short hair and tattoos, but Clarke ignored her as soon as her eyes landed on the face of the boy following her.

''Monty!'' She squealed, abandoning all decorum and running forward to hug him. Though his hands were bound, he rushed to her when he heard her shout and held onto her for dear life. She felt silent tears wet her shoulder where his face was pressed and whispered comfortingly.

It took her a while to realize that her outburst had stunned everyone else in the room. She looked back at the throne to see Lexa give her a tight smile, eyes swarming with a mix of feelings that she could not identify. She looked somewhat… displeased, among other things. Clarke winced apologetically. Her actions had been very far from the stoic attitude she was supposed to assume in the throne room.

She was trying to work out the knots of the rope binding Monty's wrists when a voice behind the boy made her froze.

''Clarke?''

She took a step back and locked her eyes with the disheveled boy she had failed to notice before.

''Bellamy.'' She greeted coldly.

Why did it have to be him? There were almost eighty delinquents trapped in Mount Weather. Why did he have to be one of the two who escaped?

She tugged on Monty's rope to move him away from Bellamy and closer to the throne. She noticed from the corner of her eye that Lexa had risen at her sudden change of tone.

''Klark?'' She asked.

She kept her eyes trained on him. Did he still have his gun? No, surely the general would have taken away all the weapons before bringing them to the Commander.

Better safe than sorry, though. She positioned herself in front of Lexa, shielding her.

''Klark?'' Lexa asked again, worry starting to color her tone.

''Bellamy is the one who pushed me onto the spikes.''

The effect this simple declaration brought was impressive. At a single gesture from Lexa, two warriors pinned the boy down, twisting his bounded arms in a painful position, and he was thoroughly patted to search for any concealed weapon.

The general looked mildly affronted by the procedure.

''I already searched them, Heda.''

''I have no doubt you did, Indra.'' The guards nodded in confirmation that the boy was unarmed. ''I will trust your judgement, Klark. The Monty boy can go free, but this Bellamy cannot be trusted.''

She felt a push against her side as Lexa leaned closer to whisper next to her hear. ''He can't harm anyone now. Let me pass.''

She grudgingly stepped aside and watched as the Commander walked up to the boy, taking the time to study him. Bellamy tried to say something and was immediately shaken by one of the guards.

After a few seconds, Lexa turned back to her.

''You are the one he harmed. He committed no crime against my people, but I will abide by your judgment.''

''Er…'' She had never really planned to face Bellamy again, so she had absolutely no idea what to do. ''He hurt Raven too. I think I should discuss it with her before deciding anything.'' She said.

Lexa frowned but nodded. ''He will be put in a cell until you decide.''

''Will I be able to talk to him?'' She asked.

The brunette seemed surprised. ''Why would you want to? My guards can interrogate him for you.''

''I want to hear what he knows about the Mountain. And other things.'' She stated.

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to judge Bellamy. As far as she knew, he had only hurt Raven and herself, and both of them were now fine. She couldn't let what he did go unpunished, obviously, but she couldn't accuse him of murder when there were no victims. And she had no idea what he went through in Mount Weather.

''Very well. But your guards will accompany you when you do.''

Clarke turned her head to hide her rolling eyes. It was cute, in a way, that Lexa was so overly protective with her. But she still felt like those warriors were wasted on her – she was the one person most likely to survive an assassination. Despite having witnessed it herself twice, the other young woman was still reluctant to allow her outside of the Tower without half a dozen of guards. And when she had decided to visit the orchard, she had had to argue for nearly an hour when the Commander first assigned her ten guards.

On the Ark, private space was important. The apartments of each family were small, so what little space you had needed to be strictly your own. Since she arrived in Polis, she had realized that it was very different for the grounders. There was so much space that it was easy to find solitude if you wished to be alone.

Unless, of course, a small army had been ordered to follow you around. After claiming that this absolute lack of privacy irritated her, Clarke had finally obtained the authorization to leave the city walls with only two guards. And she could ask them to stay at a small distance if she wished.

Lexa had also invited her to observe the nightbloods training in a nearby glade. Her status as personal healer of the Commander made her one of the very few people allowed in this sacred clearing. She was happy to see the trees more often. She had not realized how much she had missed them since arriving in the Tower.

Clarke shook her head and turned to Monty. She finished untying his hands and ignored Bellamy's protests as the guards dragged him out of the room.

''How are you? Did you really escape the Mountain? And the rest, how are they?'' She asked frantically, while looking him up and down, scanning for injury.

The boy smiled as he rubbed his wrists, looking around the room, eyes lingering on the Commander.

''I am well, Clarke. Hell, I'm ecstatic! I thought you were dead! And here you are – wherever that is! What happened to you?''

''Er… long story.'' She felt Lexa approaching her and turned. ''Oh, this is the Commander. She is the leader of the grounders, basically. Commander, this is my friend Monty. He was one of the few that supported me since the beginning.''

It was really much more complex than that, but she didn't have time to explain it all to Monty right now. She just wanted to make sure he wouldn't insult Lexa without knowing.

Lexa relaxed a little at the introduction, though her eyes lingered on the arm Monty had wrapped around the blonde's shoulders. Clarke felt herself blush slightly as she took a step back and let his arm fall.

''Indra reports you claim to have escaped from Mount Weather. Is that true?'' The Commander asked, jutting her chin towards her general.

The boy stood straighter. ''Er, yes, Ma'am, it's true. With Bellamy's help, actually.''

''What about the others?'' Clarke pressed.

The boy shuffled uncomfortably. ''They are still there. They don't want to leave. But they don't know what's really happening in there!'' He defended.

''What do you mean?'' Clarke asked again.

Lexa rose a hand. ''This discussion might take a while. Let us move to the eating room. I am sure Indra and your friend would welcome something to drink and eat.''

Monty nodded eagerly and Clarke was a little ashamed that she had not thought of it herself. Just because he had not been hurt like Raven or Murphy did not mean he should not be taken care of before being interrogated.

But she was impatient to hear what he had found. It could be the critical piece of information Lexa and the previous Hedas had been unable to unearth, and the solution to freeing her people and advancing Lexa's agenda towards peace.

They settled around the table where Clarke and Lexa often shared their meals, and munched on dried meat and nuts while Monty chugged down several cups of water. Once he was no longer parched, he started his story.

''The Mountain men brought us all from the dropship. We spent some time in quarantine and then they allowed us in their community. They can't go outside, Clarke. I mean, not without suits. They say it's because of radiations. And I saw the consequences of a containment breach – they are not lying. The poor guy was covered in burns in a less than a minute. For some reason, we and the grounders are immune.''

''Natural selection.'' Clarke interrupted, her mind quickly connecting Monty's observations with her own understanding of biology. ''The grounders are the descendants of those that survived the bombs and the first high levels of radiations. Same for all the animals and plants. We were exposed to solar radiations in space – somehow, we went through the selection process as well. But if they stayed in the bunker since the apocalypse…'' She reasoned.

Monty nodded. ''Sounds right. Anyway, I thought there was something fishy. I mean, they were very kind and welcoming to us, but I wondered why they went through all that trouble to take us in, you know? So, I snooped around.''

''They… they found a way to heal from the radiation sickness. They use the grounders. It's a kind of dialysis, I think. Wish I could show it to you, you would understand it better than I, Clarke.''

Lexa and Indra tensed besides them but did not interrupt. Clarke knew some of the words Monty used were probably unknown to them, but she had no doubt their imagination was filling in the blanks.

''So, the captured grounders are alive?'' She clarified.

He hesitated. ''It kills them eventually. I am not sure how long they survive there. It's horrible, Clarke. Bellamy and I escaped through this area where the grounders are imprisoned. There must have been hundreds of cages. And then they throw the bodies through a chute – we escaped that way. There are some sort of… crazy monsters that live in those tunnels. They.. they eat the bodies. Tried to eat us, too.''

He shuddered visibly at the memory. Clarke gave him a moment before she continued.

''You said our companions don't want to leave. Why?''

''They don't know what's going on in there. Bellamy and I escaped almost as soon as we found out. And… well, they are afraid of the grounders. It's safe inside Mount Weather, they have food and warm shelter.'' He shrugged, throwing an apprehensive glance to the general and the Commander.

Lexa frowned. ''I don't understand. It sounds like your people and mine are treated very differently. Why? Did they ask for something in exchange of what they provide for you?''

Monty fidgeted on the bench. ''They want us to become part of their community. Your people are just… medicine. They, um, they see you as savages.'' He explained hurriedly.

Indra growled. Monty gripped Clarke's arm and tried to hide behind her. Lexa huffed.

''Calm down, Indra. This boy is not our enemy, no matter what his people are doing.'' She focused on Clarke. ''What do you think?''

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. ''Gene pool. My former companions are the long term solution – children produced by a sky person and a mountain person could probably resist radiation and go outside without the suit. Your people enables them to survive and treat themselves in the mean time.''

The boy next to her shook his head. ''Not only long term, Clarke. Part of why I started snooping was because a few days after we arrived, that guy was covered in burns. Doctors said our blood might help him, and Fox volunteered because she was friend with him. He recovered ultra fast, but I wondered how they knew of this treatment.''

''The day I found the grounders and fled, they applied to us for donating bone marrow – they said our bodies were so resilient to radiations that it might cure them. I am not sure if the others accepted – I used the distraction to slip away.''

Lexa half-rose from her seat. ''Cure? Do you mean that the Mountain men will soon be able to leave their home as they wish without burning?''

''If it works, yes. The doctor and the son of the president seemed… eager to get started. Gave me the creeps.'' Monty replied.

The Commander turned to Indra. ''You must return to Tondisi. Scout around the Mountain as much as possible. I want to know the moment they step outside of their Mountain.'' She turned back to the sky boy after her general bowed and left the room in a quick, confident stride. ''Do you know how many people there are? And how long it will take for them to be cured?'' She demanded.

Clarke listened as Monty nervously replied, filing away all the information and reflecting on all the medical applications. ''Er… The Mountain men are a little under four hundred. For the cure, I don't know…''

Clarke sighed and massaged her temples. ''I do. Around eighty sky people for four hundred – that means four or five donations each. With proper food and care, they can make a donation every month without endangering their precious gene pool. That means the Mountain men might be leaving their own prison within six months. Faster if they don't care whether or not the donors recover.'' She summarized. ''The first ones could already be out, since it has already been several days since Monty and Bellamy escaped.''

She paused. ''Why the hell is he with you by the way? Sounded like you were alone in your investigation.'' She asked, turning back to Monty.

''Octavia wasn't inside Mount Weather. When he saw me slipping away that day, he tagged along. He wanted to know if I had found a way out.'' He stated simply.

Clarke sighed. ''Octavia. Of course. Why did I even ask?'' She shook her head.

Bellamy's devotion for his sister would truly be admirable, if he did not regularly resort to crime because of it – and if she actually wanted it. From what she understood from Raven, the girl had found a friend – or perhaps even a lover – amongst the grounders and took off with him.

Lexa spoke up. ''You can deal with this boy later. We need to focus on the Mountain for now. If they will be able to walk on the ground soon, their shadow will grow. I cannot allow that.''

Clarke considered. She was disgusted by what the Mountain was doing to the grounders – more than she already was after learning of the Reapers – but somewhat reassured by the fact that her own people were not mistreated. Unfortunately, their current treatment might heavily depend on their cooperation. If they refused to donate bone marrow, the Mountain men could decide to take it anyway, and even harvest their gametes to save their precious gene pool. It was only a step further from what they were already doing.

Still…

''Will they truly be a threat to you, once they are cured? Apparently, they captured your people because they needed them to survive the radiations. What purpose would they have to continue?'' She remarked.

As she expected, Lexa immediately shook her head.

''No. They have harassed my people for decades. I cannot let it go unpunished. And the Mountain is in the territory of the Trikru, near the borders with Azgeda and the Shadow Valley. They will want to conquer these lands.'' She paused. ''From what I understand, it is similar to your Ark. You told me resources were limited, so you also limited the population. It must be the same for them, because my warriors do not allow them to forage for food often. Once they are free, they will want to thrive on the ground – that means killing those who already use the lands they want.''

Clarke acquiesced her reasoning. ''But them coming out is also an opportunity. They will not be immune to the acid fog, so they will not use it when their own men are within range – their number is too small to allow careless losses.''

The Commander tilted her head. ''It means I no longer have to find a way in – I can just wait for them to get outside.''

She rose from the table. ''I will discuss this further with you later, Klark. I have other duties to attend now. Your friend can have rooms prepared on the same floor as Murphy and Raven.''

Once she had left, Clarke motioned for Monty to get up and follow her as she explained.

''The grounders arrived at the dropship shortly after you were taken to Mount Weather.'' She explained. ''They found Raven and brought her here, as well as Murphy that they had captured some time ago. I met the Commander after Bellamy tried to kill me. I was able to explain about the Ark and why we were sent down, and now she trusts me. As long as you don't try to harm anyone, you will be welcome here – for a while.''

She located a servant and relayed Lexa's orders for a room to be prepared for Monty. The young boy bowed to her, muttering ''As you command, Nymph'' and Clarke refrained from rolling her eyes at the title.

She continued. ''Raven found old radios and fixed one. We are trying to contact the Ark, but they have not been on the right side of Earth the last few days, so no luck so far. I try every morning for about an hour – we can't really do more until Raven is back with the solar panels.''

She showed him Raven's room and the dynamo-powered radio. Monty grinned.

''So, hope is not lost, eh? I hope my parents are okay.'' He commented.

Clarke smiled back at him. ''Raven told me you kept trying even after I disappeared. Thanks for that. And sorry for… not being there.''

He waved her away. ''You say Bellamy tried to kill you, and the rest weren't exactly kind to you either. I understand why you would choose not to come back. And I am sorry, too. That I could not do… more, I guess. Contact the Ark, or get the others to listen to you, or convince them to leave this damn bunker with me. Even Nathan wouldn't come.''

Clarke remembered that the two boys had grown closer after Jasper's death. She had never interacted much with the boy herself, but he had always been respectful in their interactions. She doubted he would support the Mountain's actions, but guessed that his refusal to investigate and escape had hurt Monty.

She hugged him again – she had really missed her friend. ''You have been great, Monty. Really great.'' She soften her voice. ''Jasper would be proud of all that you have done. And I am sure he would have been right besides you when you fled the Mountain.''

He hugged her back and she could hear his voice tremble as he replied. ''Thanks, Clarke. He really liked you, you know? He told me, before Bellamy ended his suffering. He said he was glad he had stayed alive long enough for you to find him and bring him back. Said that no one had ever given such a big proof of how much they cared, so he could die happy.''

She buried her face to hide her tears. ''You never told me that.''

''I know. But with Atom, and then Wells… It never felt like it was the right time. When Bellamy said you had died, I thought I would never have the chance.'' He confided.

''Thank you.'' She murmured.

She pulled back and brushed her tears. ''You know, I actually have a lot of things to do. I will discuss Mount Weather with the Commander, and we will try to come up with a plan. At least now I know that we have some time to free the others. I swear we will find a way, Monty.''

She pointed to the radio. ''But in the meantime, if you could take over the radio until Raven comes back, and give her a hand if she needs it… Well, that would really help.''

He nodded with a wide smile. ''Sure! I would like to talk to my parents, anyway.'' He paused. ''Does that mean I have to pedal on that thing?''

She laughed. ''No, Lexa – I mean the Commander – has one of her warriors helping us for that bit.''

''Good. I don't think I would have enough breath to both power that radio and talk to it.'' He grimaced.

The young servant from earlier knocked on the door and informed her that the room was ready. She walked Monty to it and bid him good day.