What the ocean found: Chapter 6:

Beloved daughter

Floukru territory:

Klark cautiously looked over the many workers at the ships in the harbor.

Both Saija and Luna noted how Klark kept her distance from the water. They had to wonder if she could swim.

Klark came from the Sky People, after all. Perhaps they didn't know how to swim, because of that.

If that was in fact the case, Luna made a note to teach Klark how to swim later.

Klark would cautiously thank them ever so often, when they'd show her to the various places where she could get food and fresh water in the village.

Saija noticed how the young woman would eye them before thanking them. She realized that Klark was toeing the line between not trusting anyone who was of the tribes, but also did not want to be ungrateful to her hosts.

She smiled at the blonde woman, finding her affection for the feral woman increase. Saija had been pondering on what it was she felt for this vulnerable young woman. It wasn't a romantic or sexual interest. She knew how those felt. That was not what she felt for this young woman.

She had yet to speak with Luna about it, because she suspected that Luna would not approve, when Klark was only beginning to live here.

And Klark hadn't yet begun to heal.

Klark asked quietly, knowing she was repeating her distrusting questions, but not caring, "What happens when the commander visits?"

As soon as she said that, both Luna and Saija noticed that Klark tensed up.

Luna said in a promising tone, "We'll keep you from having to see her. There are places all around this tribe's land where you can stay out of the commander's sight. And we won't allow her to know that you're here."

Klark eyed Luna, clearly skeptical, but didn't say anything.

Luna sighed as she confirmed this to Klark. Yes, she had told Klark all this before, but clearly, Klark needed them to reassure her-as was the case for her seeming unending distrust for all people of all the tribes.

Saija sadly smiled. (She really hurt you, didn't she?) Saija thought to herself as she observed Klark.

Saija knew that she could never forgive the commander for this. Saija had never had strong feelings about the commander, one way or another. And never had she had strong feelings about any previous commander before.

She always felt that the "ordained" position was a bunch of horse manure. To select a leader, based on which child survived a trial where the children murdered each other?

That was not grounds for a sign of a superior society.

Saija knew she could never voice this opinion, not unless she wished to be called some form of "traitor," however, to have a group of children kill each other for the sake of a throne over a number of tribes, and then expect that child to be able to govern those tribes and not be a deeply flawed leader that would cause more problems than give answers? That was ridiculous.

Had Saija ever had strong feelings about any commanders in the past before? No. But she couldn't say she was all that surprised that the current commander was so stupid that she had given the enemy, the Mountain Men, bone marrow, that would benefit them and help them wipe out the tribes.

But she couldn't say that she'd ever forgive the current commander for what she had done to Klark, either.

To assume that all people of all of the tribes would be nothing but loyal to the commander, was a foolish assumption.

Saija had never been loyal to the commander. The commander, all of the commanders, were simply figureheads. They always had been just figureheads, even if no other commander or flamekeeper wanted to admit to it. They didn't speak for all of the tribes, even if all the commanders previously believed that they did.

Saija was loyal to the Floukru. And if Klark was hurt by the commander and needed someone to be there for her, Saija could be loyal to her, as well. She wanted to be loyal to the younger woman, as well.

After they'd shown Klark most of the ships at the docks, Klark asked, "How much of land belongs to the Floukru?"

She actually sounded genuinely curious right now.

Luna said, smiling, "I can show you on a map when we get back to one of my cabins. We take up most of the coastline where we are, and there are much more of us inland, even if we're mainly a boating tribe."

Klark nodded.

Luna glanced to Saija, noticing how Saija was watching Klark with caution. Not as if Klark was the one that needed to be feared, but as if Klark was fragile and needed to be handled with care.

Luna recognized something odd in Saija's gaze as the other woman stared at Klark.

Tenderness. Warmth. Protectiveness.

Luna tilted her head slightly.

She would speak with Saija about her suspicions of what Saija thought of Klark later, but they should perhaps get Klark back to the main part of the village.

Luna spoke softly to Klark, "Come with us back to the village, if you will."

Klark shrugged and followed them as they walked back to the furthest part of the village, where they were before.

When they reached the main houses, Luna led Klark into one, showing Klark a map on the wall. It was a map of where all the tribes were located.

Luna gestured to the southern-easternmost part of the map, trailing her right pointer finger from coastline of the land of Ginia to the coastline of the land of Georg.

Klark nodded as she understood. "From Virginia to Georgia," she grumbled quietly, "And there are more villages way more inland between these parts of the land?"

"Yes," Luna said, nodding.

"Alright," Klark said, and neither Saija nor Luna, in any way doubted for a moment that Klark was contemplating this as strategic information.

How precisely she was calculating it as strategic information, they didn't know. But she was. Perhaps she was contemplating on running and considering how far she'd get before some of the people within the Flou tribe would try to stop her.

Or how many of them would likely hand her over to the commander.

Luna asked, "Is there anything you'd like to do right now? We can get you some food if you'd like."

Klark shook her head as she answered, "Maybe later," she yawned, then closed her mouth as she said quietly, "I think I just want to sleep for a while."

"Okay," Luna said, smiling, "Do you want us to walk you back to your hut?"

Both she and Saija already suspected the answer.

Klark narrowed her eyes at them, her hand going to the hilt of the weapon she'd been given at the bathhouse. "No thank you," she said, "I can walk there by myself."

Luna nodded, as did Saija, both other women's faces unreadable as Klark exited the building and went to the hut where she was staying.

When Klark entered her hut, Luna looked at Saija as she said, "We should check on her every so often, to make sure she won't hurt herself."

Saija nodded in agreement, protectiveness over Klark increasing.

Luna asked as she closed the door to the main building they were in, "Saija, I must ask you something. I know I asked you before about what you felt about Klark. But I don't believe you gave me a fully honest answer."

Saija chuckled, not appearing offended in any way by Luna's statement about her not being honest.

"I didn't lie exactly," Saija explained, "I just didn't understand completely how I felt about Klark until now."

At Luna's curious gaze, Saija sighed, "I know this is going to sound strange, as Klark is an adult, however, I feel a certain protectiveness over her. One that I find to be similar to that of mothers wishing to protect their children."

Luna's eyes widened and then she slowly nodded. There didn't seem to be much surprise in her expression.

Luna had to admit that she didn't expect this, but she wasn't entirely that surprised.

Saija didn't have children, had never had children. And Luna never had believed that Saija had wanted children.

Yet, she couldn't mistake the look in Saija's eyes as the woman had looked at Klark.

A longing was there that had nothing to do with any romantic desires.

"From what I understand," Luna said, "Klark has a birth mother, yes?" But from what Luna had also heard? Klark's birth mother was an uncaring mother.

At least, if what she'd heard was correct.

Saija scoffed, "You've heard the rumors, just as I have, Luna."

Luna sighed, nodding. She had indeed heard the rumors. That Klark's birth mother had allowed Klark be arrested and thrown to the ground with many other criminals. That Klark's birth mother had gotten Klark's blood father killed. That Klark's birth mother had not comforted Klark whens he had needed it after Klark had done what was necessary at Ton DC.

The Sky People talked. And word got out and leaked to the various tribes. And the people of the tribes tended to talk.

Perhaps what Luna and Saija had heard were just rumors, however, even if they were just rumors? Luna found that she didn't like Klark's birth mother, even if she had yet to meet the woman.

Klark had gotten to the ground somehow, by being brought to the ground with several other criminals. And from what she'd heard? Klark's birth mother had allowed it.

Klark's mother did not sound like the nurturing sort.

Luna did not like the woman, even if that perhaps wasn't entirely a right way of viewing someone she had yet to meet.

"And if Klark's birth mother finds out where Klark is?" Luna asked, "And wishes to see Klark?"

Saija's jaw tightened as she said, "I know you don't encourage violence, Luna, but I wouldn't mind slitting that woman's throat."

Luna's eyes widened again, and before she could help it, she let out a small, morose chuckle.

Saija was full of surprises today.

At the cabin where Clarke was, Clarke placed the shortsword down onto the shelf next to her bed, and took her shoes off and laid down on the bed.

She didn't bother taking any other clothing off. She wanted to be able to run, in case she got attacked.

She had closed and latched the door. And she blocked it with various pieces of furniture, before beginning to get into bed.

She faced the door as she laid down and tried to get to sleep.

She didn't know if she could trust any of these people, even a bit. But she knew she would be careful of them the whole time. Clarke closed her eyes and tried to get to sleep.

(Page break)

Arkadia

It was a few hours before night would come, when Wells peered through the holes in the fence and saw that Anya had returned. And Wakuren was with her again.

Wells looked behind him. None of the others were anywhere close to the fence, thankfully.

He turned back to the fence and faced Anya and Wakuren.

Anya had returned an hour ago, and she'd had Wakuren with her. And Wakuren had told Wells what she'd needed to tell him. And yes, what she'd told him had made Wells feel like he couldn't answer, for honestly an hour. It was shocking what Wakuren had informed him of.

He saw how Wakuren's face softened as soon as she saw him. "Hello, Wels," she said, smiling, seeming hesitant.

Wells nodded. He wasn't sure how to act around Wakuren. Even before the last hour, when she'd explained herself to Wells, he wasn't sure how to react around her. He wasn't angry at her about the mountain. Like Anya? Wakuren had returned to the mountain after the commander had forced them to leave.

It was just that Wells had given up any real expectations of having a parent's love, since his biological mother had died of illness when he had only been four, and since he knew his biological father, Thelonius Jaha, only had seen him as an asset, and the man who had been more like Wells's father than his own biological father, a man named Jake Griffin, who had been Clarke's father, was executed before Wells and Clarke came down in the dropship, he had figured he and Clarke were more or less parentless now.

Abby only proved this further after she had mistreated Clarke the way that she had.

Clarke's biological mother wasn't dead, but she certainly didn't care about Clarke, even if she claimed to.

And even if she actually loved Clarke, Abby's love wasn't worth anything. Because Abby's actions proved that she didn't love Clarke enough.

So, what Wakuren had told Wells the hour before? Wakuren's affection for Wells, for Clarke? It was strange and Wells wasn't sure what to do with it.

He knew that Clarke hadn't known about Wakuren's affections. Clarke left before Wakuren had told Wells, so, she didn't know.

Wakuren had had two children before. Two biological children, two sons, who had been killed by people of the Ingranrona tribe, years before the coalition was formed.

Wakuren, as a result, had more or less become the blight on all of those of the Ingrarona tribe.

Though Wells had never seen Wakuren's back, and therefore, had never seen any of Wakuren's kill marks, he was willing to bet a lot of money that almost all of the marks on Wakuren's back, were marks from the Ingrarona members that Wakuren had killed.

All of the Ingrarona tribe feared Wakuren, and steered clear of her.

And here this woman was, who was so capable of genocide and had enjoyed it, and she had claimed to have come to have maternal feelings for Wells and Clarke.

It felt slightly surreal.

During when Wakuren had entered Ton DC and had first met Clarke and Wells, when Clarke and Wells had been around the rest of the tribes, she had gotten to know the two Sky People and had come to feel a great deal of affection for them.

After Clarke had left and Anya and Wakuren had searched for her, of course, not finding her, Wells had seen the despair in Wakuren's blue-green eyes. He hadn't understood it at the time. But he did now.

Wakuren had explained it to Wells, the hour before. She had explained that no, she didn't see Clarke or Wells as replacements for her two dead sons.

No, Wakuren wasn't loyal to the commander. She hadn't been loyal to the commander after to coalition was formed, as it meant she was no longer allowed to kill Ingrarona, and she certainly wasn't loyal to the commander, now that said commander had abandoned two of her children to die at the mountain.

Wells was relieved to hear that, yes. But he wasn't sure still how to see Wakuren's affections. From what he had seen of adoptions on the Ark?

It was rare when anyone wanted to adopt someone who wasn't a small child. The age limit for when people stopped getting adopted, tended to be around thirteen or so.

People didn't like it when there were kids with issues. They liked impressionable people that they could mold into what they wanted those children to be.

People that tended to adopt, at least from what Wells had seen? Didn't want to raise actual people, they wanted to raise robots that they could program.

Maybe Wells was being too cynical, but that was just what he'd observed of the people on the Ark that adopted.

Given that a lot of people got had gotten floated for minor crimes on the Ark?

There were a lot of orphans. Because of this, adoption was by no means uncommon on the Ark.

So, Wells had seen a lot of these transactions, where parents would file for adoption for a few of the orphaned children.

Adopting was popular on the Ark, since no one was allowed to give birth to more than one child.

However, people tended to aim for a specific type of child-and that was a very young child that the adoptive parents could influence into growing up into the type of adult they wanted to mold the child into.

So, for Wakuren to wish to be the mother to him and Clarke, to two people who both now were over eighteen? Both adults?

Wells wasn't entirely sure how to react.

He'd even said to Wakuren, "Clarke and I…we're both adults. And we both have serious problems. Trauma and all, you know?"

"I know," Wakuren had said, "I wasn't expecting anything else. But if you and Klark will have me, Wels? I wish to be your mother. To the both of you."

Wakuren had explained that she wouldn't try to coddle Clarke or Wells when they were trying to do something strategic, but when they needed comfort after doing something brutal, anything brutal that they might find necessary to do, that she would be there for both of them, when they needed her and would reassure them as a mother was supposed to.

Wells hadn't missed the way Wakuren had said that.

He knew who Wakuren was referring to when she'd said that.

Wakuren had been referring to Abby Griffin.

Abby, who had told Clarke in disgust at Ton DC, after Clarke didn't tell anyone about the missile that the Mountain Men sent that Clarke, "couldn't wipe her hands clean this time."

Wells had never wanted to kill Abby before. But he had when he'd heard her say that to Clarke.

Because she neglected Clarke. And because Abby had been referring to Jasper, who Clarke had to kill to spare him from being tortured to death.

Wells had never hated Abby before that moment.

Not even when Abby had allowed Clarke to think that Wells had sold Jake Griffin out to Thelonius Jaha, back on the Ark.

He'd been able to forgive that. But Abby treating Clarke like that, when Clarke was only doing what she had to do, during war? Or treating Clarke like that at all? It made Wells want to watch Abby die painfully.

Wells looked at Wakuren through the fence now as he asked, "I presume that Anya told you everything she told me?"

"Yes," Wakuren said, nodding.

"Alright," Wells said quietly, looking at Wakuren, "I've thought about what you said before. And…alright. If you really want to, I'm willing to be your son. And as long as you give Clarke the love that she needs."

Wakuren's eyes widened and she smiled, face lighting up.

Wells had the distinct sense that were there not an electric fence between him and her, she would ask if she could embrace him.

"We're coming with you," Wakuren said, leaving no room for argument, "After you leave this part of the territory, to flee the tribes? We're coming with you."

Wells watched Wakuren's face as she said this, and he got the idea that did she feel like she could be this blunt this early on, she'd say what she was thinking, which was probably close to something like, (A real parent would never leave their child, especially not during an attack from another tribe.)

Again, Wells had the distinct sense that Wakuren was alluding to her hatred of Abby.

Wells couldn't say he didn't appreciate how much Wakuren loathed Abby.

Wells nodded. "I agree," he said, "I want you to come with us. But there's one thing I want to discuss. There are people in this camp that can't come with us. They are too dangerous to Clarke."

"Abi," Wakuren said, a slight grin forming on her face, as she contemplated how enjoyable it would be for her to kill Abby Griffin.

"Abby," Wells agreed, "But also? Bellamy and Octavia Blake. Not to mention Marcus Kane. And a young man in the camp named Nathan Miller. He was very traitorous to Clarke in the mountain. He needs to die too."

Wakuren and Anya both listened in carefully.

Wakuren and Anya both seemed to accept this quickly. "Very well," Anya said, "What would you have us do with them? Don't they remain in the camp, protected by the electric fence?"

"Not all the time," Wells said, "Sometimes both Blake siblings and Miller go out of the camp and patrol. That's your chance to get rid of them."

"I see," Anya said, nodding, "We will take care of them. Before we try to leave?"

Wells nodded. "Yes," he said, "It's best if all five of them are dead before we leave for another place to live."

"Alright," Anya said, "We'll make preparations and stay near the camp. As soon as we see Belomi, Oktevia or Millah leave the camp, we will ambush them."

"Make it look like a random Grounder attack," Wells advised, "Don't let anyone else see you." He added, smirking, "A random Grounder attack that will end with Bellamy, Octavia and Miller dead? That will just give my people more of an incentive to leave this place."

Anya and Wakuren both smirked at this. It seemed that Wells had planned a great deal of this. And soon, Bellamy, Octavia and Miller would be dead.

A means to an end. But by no means not enjoyable.

And Abby and Kane would join those three corpses to be, as well.

Author's note:

Is it obvious yet just how much I absolutely fucking hate Abby Griffin?