Chapter 8
Several hours later, they met up outside the mountain. They had found some clan clothing and some had been passed to Pelana, Ingrid and Tanwen. They left the mountain and ended up at a small lake. They stripped out of their spacesuits and washed in the lake before clothing themselves in more familiar garments. Tanwen let out a sigh of relief. She had gotten used to the looser fabrics of the clans and was glad to be back in them again.
They made their way back to the Commander and were escorted to her tent. Tanwen went in and was immediately engulfed by her wife.
"I'm so glad you survived!" Lexa said, kissing Tanwen.
"Me too," Tanwen said.
"I was so worried for you, I almost stopped you from going."
"I know. I also know it was the hardest thing you've done." Lexa nodded and hugged Tanwen again. Once they pulled back, they sat down side by side with their arms around each other.
"What now?" Tanwen said. "I did my part, now it's yours."
"Not quite. Bellamy reports that Sterling found the others from the Ark. He said that they were from Farm station. Around twenty of them had been killed by bone marrow harvesting?" Lexa wasn't sure what that was but was just repeating what Bellamy had told her.
"How many are still alive?" Tanwen asked, fearfully.
"141, though a lot of them are in a bad way. They had been…" She broke off, not knowing how to say it.
"Harvested," Tanwen said, flatly. "They were harvested too." Lexa nodded.
"Bellamy and Sterling are trying to find out who died and who's still alive. He did say that Monty's father was dead and his mother was alive but in a bad way." Tanwen closed her eyes. It was worse than she thought.
"Is Pike still alive?"
"He is, though he's complaining we're not treating him like a prisoner should be treated. He says a prisoner still has rights and one of them is medical help to stay alive." Tanwen snorted.
"Where was that edict when he gave up his people to die? He doesn't get one single bandage until I've talked to him and then he won't need one. He dies today, Lexa. That's not negotiable!" Lexa nodded.
"He is yours to deal with, ai kwin."
"What about our people? Did anyone die after we freed them?"
"Six. They were all near death but they held on long enough to die outside. They died free, Tanwen and that was down to you." Tanwen ducked her head, unsure how to take that. She'd been beyond pissed at the treatment of her people and she was in no mood to negotiate with the maunon.
"From what I saw, several civilians died from the radiation, but most of the soldiers had been made immune to it. Looks like the leadership here didn't really care about the civilians."
"There are some who are immune," Lexa said. "Their radiation shelter held and there are about two hundred people in there including children."
"Are they immune?"
"We don't know," Lexa replied.
"Then we find out. If any are immune, they can be exiled on one of those Caribbean islands. They get to live above ground, but on an island they cannot escape from." Lexa nodded. So far, nothing her wife had said was unreasonable and the way she was acting towards her former people was telling in how she saw justice and right from wrong.
"We will go see the others in a little while, ai kwin, until then, I want to snuggle with my wife, and let her know I'm happy she did not get injured or killed. Tanwen smiled and turned to kiss Lexa and then take her to their bedroom.
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Three hours later, they both donned their official garments and went out to talk to people. People from all groups were gathered around. Tanwen saw former Skaikru, the remains of the hundred and clanspeople from all the twelve clans around them.
"Clansmen!" the Commander shouted. Everyone turned around to hear what she had to say.
"Today is a good day. Today we freed our people from the mountain!" Yells and shouts of joy were heard.
"We will go through the mountain and find out if any of them are alive." Jeers and yells of anger accompanied that statement.
"Silence!" roared Indra. When everyone was quiet, the Commander continued.
"The leaders in the mountain captured over a hundred of the Skai people - with the blessing of one of their own people! We have him held prisoner. He is Queen Tanwen's to deal with as he was one of her former people! The leader we also captured and he is ours to deal with. He will feel our justice for all those he bled to death! He will suffer death by a thousand cuts!" More yells in support of it were heard.
"Those still too weak to walk will be carried back to Tondc to heal before going home. Anyone who wants to help, is welcome to. Chief Clarke of Halian village will be taking those who used to live on the Ark back to their village for their healers to heal. If we find that there are civilians in the mountain who have their bone marrow, they will be exiled to one of the islands off the coast of Yujleda. Heda Luna will be consulted on which one they will live on. They will not be given access to boats so they have to stay there. They wanted free, they are, but they will not disrupt our way of life, they will not cause trouble among the clans!" More yells accompanied that statement.
"We have a lot to do. I want those who cannot walk to be taken to Tondc. Carlo, get a group of the ex-prisoners together to help them back to Tondc." Carlo nodded, bowed and left to gather a group together. "I want Indra, Chief Clarke, Lincoln and Octavia, Bellamy, Tanwen and Rokian to gather here for a meeting." The rest of them scattered to various places and the chosen ones gathered by the Commander's tent. She led them into it and sat on her throne with Tanwen sitting on the chair beside her.
Once everyone was seated, the Commander spoke.
"We have a lot to do. Chief Clarke, what is the condition of those from the Ark?"
"Most of them have had at least one donation of bone marrow taken, Commander. We think that it takes no more than eight or nine times before a person dies. We know that at least twenty people have died because of it and most of the rest were used once or twice. Those ones should be able to walk with the help of crutches. It's the ones who were used more than that who worry me. They cannot walk and would need to be carried."
"How many?"
"93, Commander. I'm afraid most of them need help to return to Halian."
"Tanwen, any suggestions?"
"Wagons, Commander. If we can have the use of four wagons, horses and people to drive them, we can get them back to Halian in shifts. It may be a good thing as the healers can assess those we bring back and be free again by the time another load is taken there."
"I agree, Queen Tanwen. It would be the best solution." Both Tanwen and Lexa nodded.
"Indra, find four wagons for them and then find another eight for us to use. It's a long way to walk."
"Sha, Heda," Indra said, bowing her head.
"Bellamy, what did you find?"
"Well, we didn't find any more prisoners, but we did find a whole load of clan clothing and weapons along with artifacts. These will be returned to you. We have no idea which clan they came from, but your people might."
"Very well. What else?"
"There's a farm setup on the top two levels. They can grow food all year around and there is quite a bit of stored food including sacks of wheat, barley, apples, potatoes, swedes and corn. There are some more food stocks which will need to be eaten within a few days before they go off. Other than that, there is still some seed stock around. I guess they kept them back just in case they had a disaster so they didn't run out."
"Then that food will be taken out and distributed to those who were held in here. The stocks will be shared out as well for the villages where most of the people were taken from." Bellamy nodded.
"I want this mountain cleared of everything we can use and then when we leave, we seal it up. I do not want people thinking they can come here and live here!"
"What about the reapers?" Tanwen asked.
"We have teams rounding them up and trying to detox them," Bellamy said. "Jackson and several of the ex-Arkers are helping them. Those sonic emitters are working very well. The guards with the tranq guns have so far captured 18 reapers and hope to catch many more before tonight."
"Good, can you supervise that, Bellamy? If we can return them to their people, we will, but if they are too far gone to help, we need to neutralise them." Bellamy nodded. He'd seen a reaper and it was not a nice experience.
"Rokian, I want to put you in charge of getting people back to Tondc or their home clans. There are a lot of people to see and heal and they all need to go home to heal up."
"Sha, Heda," Rokian said, bowing. Rokian was a tall man, but slim. He was one of her best scouts and he was also experienced in organising defence against raiding groups from Azgeda.
"Indra, once you have organised the wagons, take some warriors and go through the mountain. Bring out our clothing and weapons and anything from the clans. I do not want anything of ours to remain!"
"Sha Heda."
"Chief Clarke, could you look over the medical stock for anything we and your camp could use? I realise most of the things in there will be things only your healers could use, but anything we could use too would be appreciated."
"Sha, Heda," Clarke said, bowing to her.
Then let's get to it," the Commander said, bringing the meeting to an end.
"Lincoln, Octavia, with me," Clarke said as they left the tent.
"So, what now, Commander?" Tanwen asked when the others had left.
"We clear up here, get our people out and get them home. We will have a celebration in Polis once we return there."
"When will that be? I want to make sure the Arkers are settled at Halian and we still have to figure out what to do with those in the Pentagon. There are only twelve of them and they are kids. They remind me a lot of us, the hundred. Only children and left to survive on their own."
"We will deal with them when we return. I need to make sure they do not try to harm our people."
"I think taking them to Halian would be good. With them being children and with Clarke and Bellamy in charge, they can be integrated into the village. They live above ground, free and they will be learning along with those newly freed Arkers. They can see that children are just as productive as adults and that we don't marginalise them."
"I understand but it would be better to wait until Halian has settled down with the others."
"Maybe, but the longer we wait, the more likely they'll think we either lied to them or betrayed them. I think we get the Arkers to Halian and then get the others and they can go and live with them. Leaving them to later would make them stand out as outsiders."
"You make a valid point, but I would need to see them first," Lexa said.
"Agreed," Tanwen said.
"Good, let us go among our people and make sure they know we are there for them." Tanwen and Lexa moved off to their people and talked to them, reassuring them they were now safe and free.
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That night, Tanwen, Clarke, Bellamy, Sterling, Monty, Jasper, Miller and the rest of the delinquents taken prisoner all met in one of the rooms.
"We are going to execute Pike tonight. Commander Lexa has agreed that I get to deal with him. No grounder will be there, even the Commander," Tanwen said.
"When?" Bellamy asked.
"In about an hour."
"Where?"
"Pike will be taken out of the mountain and tied to the trees. We won't be doing the clans 'death by a thousand cuts', but we will execute him. I do want him to feel the cut of every death he caused."
"So far, 24 people from Farm station have died by bone marrow extraction," Sterling said.
"Any more in danger of dying?"
"Not sure, but a couple are still in a serious condition," Sterling said.
"Then he will feel the cut 24 times."
"Who by?" Clarke asked.
"Anyone who wants to. I will deliver the death blow."
"Does your initial cut count?" Bellamy asked.
"No, it does not. That was to stop him from running like the coward he is!"
"I'll take a cut," Sterling said.
"Me too," said Miller.
"And me," Monty said. "My dad died and my mom is in a serious condition. If she dies, I want him to know why it's happening." Tanwen nodded.
In the end, she got twenty four people who wanted to cut Pike for his actions.
"Alright, we will meet back here in an hour and then Pike will die." They nodded and everyone dispersed to do things before they had to deal with Pike.
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Tanwen went to her tent and found the Commander there.
"Commander," Tanwen said, nodding to her as she was talking to Indra and a couple of other warriors. Tanwen went to the bed area, leaving Lexa to her meeting. Lexa watched her go, worried about the look on her wife's face.
"Is everything organised?" Lexa asked Indra.
"Sha, Heda. All wagons, horses and drivers are ready to take our people home and Clarke's people to Halian."
"Good, after we have dealt with the mountain leader and Tanwen's people have dealt with their former person, we will shut the mountain up and never return!"
"Sha, Heda," all three said. Lexa nodded and dismissed them. As soon as they left the tent, Lexa was up and hurrying to the bed chamber. She saw Tanwen lying on the bed with her back to the opening.
"Tanwen?" Lexa said, moving to her wife.
"I'm okay," Tanwen said. "Just trying to work up to having to execute him."
"It is needed, Tanwen," Lexa said, moving to lay behind her wife, holding her.
"I know, but I've never killed anyone that wasn't trying to kill me first."
"Execution is not about killing someone in cold blood, Tanwen, it's about making sure they cannot do the same things again. Pike would betray your people the first chance he got and would kill our people to do it."
"I know. Seems like Pike is a xenophobe - someone who hates other cultures," she explained. "I wouldn't be surprised to find out he's also psychotic or rather, a psychopath. I never understood why he beat the crap out of Murphy in the classroom. He wasn't even punished for it. He assaulted a child by Ark standards and every crime was a capital one - it carried the death penalty. He should have been floated for it."
"Do you think your leaders on the sky knew and just ignored it?"
"I don't know. Kane knew so he should have been arrested and floated. I don't know why he wasn't."
"Maybe you can ask Kane when you see him next," Lexa said. Tanwen nodded before turning over and hugging her wife.
"Can we just lay here until I need to go and deal with him?"
"Sha, hodness, we can. Do you want me there?"
"No, Lexa, this is something us delinquents need to take care of. This doesn't concern the clans, just those of us he betrayed. He still thinks we are separate from you, so we will deal with him. Don't worry, he'll soon find out that we are one big happy clan before he dies. I'll make sure he knows just how much he fucked up before he dies. If necessary, we'll invoke Ark rules. One crime and you die." They lay there until it was time to meet the others.
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Tanwen went to the room to see everyone else was already there.
"Are you ready?" she asked them. They nodded. "Alright, Bellamy, Miller, Sterling, go get Pike and bring him to the top of the mountain, please. We'll meet you there." Bellamy nodded and they went for Pike. Tanwen led the others to the top of the mountain and over to the trees they'd use for the execution. Several minutes later, Bellamy and Miller were dragging Pike out of the top door. Pike was still running his mouth.
"I have rights!" he kept shouting.
"Tie him to the trees," Tanwen said. Bellamy and Miller dragged him over and Sterling used leather straps they'd gotten from the Commander to tie his arms and legs to two trees. Once done they stepped back. Tanwen stood in front of Pike.
"Charles Pike, you have been found guilty of neglect of your people and of cowardice in saving your own skin and letting your people die."
"I did nothing wrong!" he yelled.
"You've never done anything right!" Tanwen snapped back. "You always think you have rights but you think no-one else does!"
"You can't prove that!" he said.
"I was there when you beat the crap out of Murphy, Pike. I was one of the delinquents. You deliberately assaulted a person still considered a child by Ark standards. That is a crime you should have been punished for."
"I did what was necessary! I did it to prove you are all on your own and no-one will stand up for you!"
"We stood up for ourselves, jackass! Those you see here have all joined the Trikru - that's the local clan."
"You became savages? Why?" he asked, incredulous that they would do that.
"We aren't savages, Pike. You are. The Trikru came to our aid. They agreed to an alliance against the mountain."
"Why are you helping them? They're savages!"
"Why did you give up your people to the mountain men?" Tanwen countered. "Why did you sell them out? I know you are only concerned with your own skin, but to sell out your people for it, that's not just immoral, it's despicable!"
"So what are you going to do? You're just a bunch of misfits, criminals, who is going to believe a word you say?"
"Everyone. You haven't been around long enough to know the local landscape. I married their Commander. I'm now seen as the Trikru Queen, which means I'm second only to the Commander. All other clansmen, no matter their clan, have to obey me. Clarke Griffin is the Chief of Halian. Halian is the camp most of the Arkers live at."
"You're just kids!" he yelled.
"No, Pike, we're adults. The clans don't see our age as a reason to ignore us. Some of their kids are adults by the time they turn 14. Deeds, not age, make an adult down here. We fought against the Trikru and we made an alliance with them. We have proved ourselves to them and they respect us, now it's down to the so-called adults of the Ark to do the same."
"They are savages!" Pike yelled again.
"You won't change his mind, Queen Tanwen," Bellamy said. "He's already made up his mind."
"I know. I was giving him a chance to explain himself, but I don't think he will. He shows no remorse for what he did. Monty? You get the first cut."
"Cut?" Pike said. "You're going to cut me up? You can't do that, it's against the Ark rules!"
"So is getting away with beating up someone still considered a child," Tanwen said. Monty stepped up.
"This is for my father," he said as he took the knife from Bellamy and sliced Pike across his chest. "And this is for my mother who just died," he said, slicing down one of Pike's arms. He passed the knife off to Bellamy and stumbled back to Jasper's side. Jasper held him as Monty was close to crying. He's just left his mother's body and he would go back there to sit with her until it was time to cremate both his parents.
Bellamy stepped up and sliced his thigh. "That was for Neil Mason," Bellamy said. Neil was one of the farm station people who died. As each person stepped up, they said the name of one of the people who died to provide the mountain men with bone marrow. Tanwen was surprised but said nothing. Pike had to learn that he was not above the law and his crimes had consequences.
After twenty five cuts, Tanwen stepped up again.
"I would ask if you had any last words, but I don't really want to hear them," she said, taking the knife from Bellamy.
"I want Ark justice!" Pike said.
"Very well. For the crime of abandoning your people and for selling them out to save your own skin, I sentence you to death as a traitor. We don't have a floating chamber so we'll just have to kill you here and now."
"No! You can't!" he yelled, trying to get free now he realised he was not going to survive.
"Yes, I can. As the ranking member of the former Ark people, it is my duty to sentence you. You are going to die Pike, that's a given."
"What about Jaha?"
"He's dead. I killed him as a traitor for telling Mount Weather where we were." Murmurs from the prisoners sounded around her. "Sorry, I was going to tell you later, but Jaha radioed Mount Weather and told them about the fight at the dropship. Because of him, you were all captured."
"What about Kane?" Pike asked, gettring desperate.
"Kane is not in charge. Clarke is in charge of Halian village, not Kane."
"What about the ranking security officer?"
"That would be Bellamy Blake," Tanwen said, pointing to him. "He came down with us to be with his sister." Pike looked at him and realised that every person who could conceivably help him was one of the criminal kids they'd sent down. He swallowed.
"So what now?"
"Now you die. You'll be cremated with your victims."
"Victims?"
"Yeah, those who died so you could live. You really became a mountain man, didn't you? Using others to keep yourself alive?" Tanwen held the knife to Pike's throat.
"You have a choice. I slit your throat or I stab you in the heart. Which is it?"
"Neither," Pike said.
"No deal, yu gonplei ste oden," Tanwen said, slicing his throat. Within a minute, he was dead. They left him there until it was time to cremate him. They all walked away from the body hanging between two trees.
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At dawn the next day, Pike's body was cut down and wrapped in a shroud and placed with the others on a funeral pyre. The Commander and the rest of the grounders were there as well. They'd use one pyre for all the dead, Arker, grounder and mountain men. The Commander lit the funeral pyre and one of the grounders recited a poem in Trigedasleng. Tanwen didn't catch it all, but knew it was something to do with fire and cleansing. They stayed there until the pyre had burned down and the bodies had turned to ash. Several warriors would stay behind and make sure the fire was out and then rake the remains of the fire up and bury it to nourish the ground once more. After that, everyone scattered to think about their own thoughts, about their place in the world and about what they wanted to do in the future.
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Once back in Tondc, Tanwen was cleaning the swords she'd used in the mountain. It was an activity she quite liked doing. It gave her time to think about things. The first blade she cleaned was just a generic blade, nothing fancy about it. The second one, though, had an inscription on it in Trigedasleng. There was a little bit of leafwork on the pommel as well with two leaves wrapping around each other in metal for the pommel. Tanwen looked at them and tried to figure out whose clan it had once belonged to. Her grasp of written Trigedasleng was not very good so she called in Ingrid.
"Hey, this blade has an inscription on it. Can you read it for me, please?" Tanwen handed over the sword and Ingrid took it.
"Henroy of Podakru," Ingrid read. She gasped as she remembered who it was.
"This belonged to one of the leaders! Henroy went missing about eight or nine years ago!"
"So this belongs to the Podakru clan," Tanwen stated. "I will return it to the ambassador once we reach Polis," she said. Ingrid nodded.
"We'll need to find another blade for you," she said. Tanwen looked at the blade again.
"Wonder if I can get one made in its image?"
"Ask the Commander," Ingrid said. "Sometimes blades are only meant to be made once."
"Alright, I'll ask her tonight," Tanwen replied.
"Anything else?" Ingrid asked.
"Not at the moment, but I want to know when we need to be back in Polis. Those people in the Pentagon should be dealt with first. I don't want to abandon them." Ingrid stared at her. "It's what the Ark did to us," she explained. Ingrid nodded in understanding.
"The Commander will return from training and talking with her generals around the evening meal," Ingrid told her.
"Good. Did any of my people come back with us or did they all stay in Halian?"
"I think Monroe's still here."
"I'll talk to her tomorrow then, after I've talked to my wife." Ingrid nodded and returned to sentry duty while Tanwen returned to cleaning her weapons.
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"Hey, Lexa?" Tanwen asked when they were getting ready for bed.
"Sha?"
"I'd like Monroe to make contact with those kids again. Make them realise they have not been forgotten."
"This really bothers you, doesn't it?" Lexa asked as she looked over to her wife.
"Yeah, it does. It's a lot like what happened to us. Once we were in prison, they forgot about us and only took an interest in us again when it was time to kill us."
"I understand," Lexa said. "I will permit those children to go to Halian as long as they understand who is in charge."
"You overall, Clarke for Halian," Tanwen said. Lexa nodded.
"Sha."
"Would it be okay if I accompanied them there?"
"As long as you are not gone long. We are going to go to Polis in six days."
"That means getting them out tomorrow," Tanwen said, more to herself than Lexa. "I'll get with Monroe and we can figure out how to get them out. I'll take Pelana and Ingrid with me as well as a couple of skinny warriors. The pipe they need to crawl through is small."
"Can you get them all out?"
"I think so, it'll just be a long drawn out process. There are two babies to bring out as well as their clothing and personal possessions."
"Then I'll lend you a wagon as well."
"Can you make it two? With twelve people and their belongings, we may need two." Lexa nodded.
"I'll assign them in the morning. Right now, I just want to snuggle with my wife," Lexa said.
"I agree," Tanwen said, getting into bed and pulling the furs over her as she slid over to her wife and snuggled into each other. "Sorry, but I'm too tired to make love tonight."
"Don't be sorry, I feel the same way. We'll make up for it," Lexa said.
"Hmmm," Tanwen hummed as she put her head on Lexa's shoulder and relaxed. It wasn't long before they were both asleep.
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"Monroe!" Monroe looked around and saw Tanwen.
"Ai kwin?" she replied.
"We need to go get those kids from the Pentagon. Lexa's given permission to take them to Halian." Monroe's eyes widened.
"Now?"
"Yeah, I have to be back here in six days to go to Polis."
"Alright. Who's going?"
"Well, my two female guards, two skinny warriors to help you with the pipe and getting them out, two wagons and horses to get them to Halian. The warriors can drive the wagons." Monroe nodded.
They moved off and picked up the two warriors. Monroe looked them over and passed them as skinny enough.
"Okay, people, when we get there, do exactly as we say, okay? That place can be dangerous. We get in and then I'll tell you why we need you to help us," she said to the two warriors. They nodded and Monroe led them to the wagons and climbed into them. The two warriors drove them upstream to the nearest bridge and then turned south to the Pentagon. They left the horses and wagons tied up near the entrance and Monroe pulled up the hatch and went in, turning on her flashlight.
Once everyone was inside, Tanwen explained why they were there.
"We found twelve kids alive down here a month ago. We are bringing them to the surface today and taking them to Halian. Clarke will look after them." Everyone nodded.
"What are your names?" Tanwen asked.
"Oli," said the first. He was a young man with blonde hair and the beginnings of a beard.
"Artigas," the second one said. "My father is Nyko the healer." This one was young, probably younger than they were, maybe 15 or 16 at most.
"Alright, Oli, Artigas. There are some tight spots to squeeze through and you will have to follow Monroe through a pipe to reach them. Monroe is one of my trusted people, so if she tells you to do something, do it. We don't have much time, okay?"
"Sha, ai kwin," they both said, drawing themselves up realising they were being treated as grown up warriors and trusted with a special mission.
Monroe took the lead and this time it took only half the time to get to their destination because they didn't stop to investigate each room and section.
"Hey Dan?" Monroe yelled into the pipe. There was no response but they didn't expect one. With the door sealed, they wouldn't hear them.
"Boost me up," Monroe said to Oli. He gave her a boost and she crawled into the pipe.
"Who wants to go help her?" Tanwen asked.
"I will," Artigas said. He was smaller and skinnier than Oli. Tanwen nodded and Oli gave him a boost as well.
"Monroe, give us a holler when you are getting them out."
"Okay!" came the faint response.
Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Sorry this is late, I've been ill and the heat is out in my house. I'm heating the living room and taking hot water bottles to bed with me. Hopefully, the heating will be back on in a few days. The internet in the living room is crap so no update yesterday. Sorry. Samdagger.