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Chapter Text

So, in my head last night the 100 collided with Avatar and so I came up with this idea and I wanted to ask if someone finds this interesting when yes comment or leave kudos.

If many would like I will start the Story when I finished my other or earlier it depends how much People like that idea

Ah! and if someone like to help me with the Story then tell me I always like co-workers ;)

So, please let me know and may we meet again ;)

 Trailer made from  NightBug Von!!

Chapter Text

Everything began on a stormy night. Lightening lit up the sky, thunder rumbled and shook the buildings, and rain fell from the sky in a never ending downpour. If one were to take a look outside, one could believe the world would perish. On that night, in the midst of that storm, a child was born.

Chancellor Jake of the Air Nation waited anxiously outside the room. The room where his wife could die and he could do nothing but pace. The piercing shrieks seemed to find no end as they continued through the night.

Suddenly, a woman left the room and told him news that caused relief to flow through him faster than the rain could flow down the road; his wife and child were well. Once he was assured of his family's well being he hurried to see them. He stopped right beside his exhausted wife who was holding their baby in her arms.

Both parents looked upon their daughter happily and admired the beauty of their child. The girl's wavy blonde hair was rather unusual compared to the rest of the human race. The girl's eyes were the bluest shade of blue they had ever seen. So blue that one could get lost in them if staring for too long.

Jake kissed both his wife and child on the forehead and asked with a loving smile, "How should we name her?"

Abby looked upon their daughter and thought for a moment before answering, "Clarke. We should name her, Clarke."

"Clarke?" Jake asked, testing the name. "Yeah, I like the name," then Jake couldn't resist the urge to kiss them both again. "

"What do you say Clarke hm? Do you like the name?" he waved his pointed finger a little at Clarke, who was smiling at him and trying to catch the finger with her tiny little hands. When she succeded , Jake just smiled fondly at his daughter. Her hands were so small in comparising to his big, harded from war hands that they had trouble to embrace his whole index finger.

But not only her fingers, no her whole body looked so small and breakable like even one light touch could break her delicate form. He vowed to protect her from any harm which might befall her and to be there when she needed him. She would be his little princess, who he will protect, care and fullfill every wish she will ever have.  

He then removed his eyes from Clarke, to look at his beloved wife. "You should rest" he ordered his wife kindly, "the birth was certainly exhausting."

Abby chuckled and said, "You have no idea. But you look more exhausted than I," she commented at his tired state and they both laughed. When they set their gaze upon their beautiful child, they, nor anyone else, were aware of the decisive role the blonde haired, blue eyed child, would play.

8 years later:

An eight-year-old Clarke was hiding behind a bush from her father. She tried to restrain her giggles from givng away her position. "Where is my beautiful princess?" Jake asked with an amusement in his voice. Jake then saw his daughter hiding behind a bush and made his way to it. "Maybe here?" He asked dramatically. With that, he lifted Clarke and hugged her, "Found you!" He called, having won at Hide and Seek.

Clarke laughed in his arms, "Yes, daddy. Now it's my turn!" She exclaimed.

"Yes, but before….TICKLING PUNISHMENT!" He cried out as he began to tickle his daughter mercilessly.

"NO! Dad! Please stop!" Clarke cried out in a fit of laughter. "It tickles! I can't take it anymore!" Jake paused momentarily and Clarke used his distraction to run to the safety of her mother who was watching them in amusement. "Mum! Please help me!" Clarke requested.

Abby reached down to hug her daughter and said, "How about we punish him together?" Clarke nodded with an evil yet playful smile.

"Yes, that would be a great idea," Clarke agreed readily.

"What do you think, honey?" Abby asked her husband and Jake swallowed nervously. He turned to run but both Clarke and Abby caught him before he could flee. Tackling him to the ground, Abby and Clarke successfully tickled Jake until the three were out of breath.

After taking a moment to catch their breaths, they stood up while Jake said, "What chance can a man have against two such beautiful creatures like yourselves?" Before Abby or Clarke could reply the three were found surrounded by five airbending guards and Jaha, Jake's brother.

Jake moved protectively in front of his family. "What is the meaning of this?" He asked, his voice stern. No one said anything. "Take Clarke and go inside," he ordered Abby, "I will come later."

"You will go nowhere," a guard ordered, preventing Abby and Clarke's retreat.

"You do not know how long I have waited for this day," Jaha said.

"Why?" Jake asked, his voice filled with betrayal. "We are like brothers! My father took you in when he found you on the streets alone. We grew up together. How can you do this?"

"How?" Jaha asked sarcastically. "Very easily. Love is weakness, my little brother. I never understood why father chose to make you chancellor. You are weak, pathetic, and too kind for this world. But that will end now."

Jake went wide-eyed, not quite believing what his brother was suggesting. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I will kill you before you bring the whole nation into ruin," Jaha explained coldly.

"You can try," Jake said, anger evident in his voice. Jake was not going to just surrender.

"Oh, I don't need to really try do I?" Jaha asked and Jake paused. "How can you fight me and protect your family at the same time?" Jake looked between Jaha and his family and the guards and had to admit his brother was right. "Am I wrong?"

Jake growled and sighed in defeat. "I have a last request," Jake said and Jaha nodded.

"Jake! No!" Abby screamed but Jake shushed her. Clarke was crying into her mother's chest.

"What is it you desire?"

"Don't let my family see it. Please, leave them alone. They have nothing to do with this. Please, brother," Jake pleaded and Jaha shook his head.

"I think it would be a good lesson for Clarke to see that when you are weak, you will not get very far in life. Only the strong will survive."

"She's just a child!" Jake protested.

"My answer is no," Jaha said sternly.

"Can I say goodbye?" Jake asked and Jaha nodded.

Jake quickly spun around and squeezed his family tight. Tears were in their eyes. "I love you so much, my two beautiful ladies." Jake kissed his wife then Clarke on the head. "Never forget that, okay?"

Abby and Clarke could only nod through their sobs and tears. Jake kissed them both one last time before he made his final stand before Jaha. "I hope you are happy now, Jaha," Jake spat but Jaha ignored his remark.

"Kneel," he ordered. "I want to see directly into your eyes when your life leaves you."

Jake knelt, "You're crazy, Jaha."

Jaha started to bend an airball around Jake's head and he sucked the air right out of his brother's lungs.

Clarke was frozen in her mother's arms as she watched her father be murdered. Clarke's heart felt like someone was ripping it out of her chest. Her tears flowed unrestrained and her sobs could be heard throughout the courtyard. Abby just held her tighter, her own sobs unyielding.

Clarke could not understand how only a few moments ago they were playing and laughing and now, now her father was dying.

Abby, who found her voice spoke during Jake's final moments:

"In peace may you leave the shore.

In love may you find the next.

Safe passage on your travels,

Until our final journey on the ground.

May we meet again."

With Abby's final word, Jake died. Jake's body hit the ground with a thud.

Jaha turned to Clarke and Abby. "Now, for you two." Abby moved around Clarke protectively but still, Clarke and Jaha managed to lock eyes. Clarke's body shook not in fear but rage. She swore that Jaha would pay for murdering her father and destroying her family.

"Guards," Jaha ordered, "take the Princess to her chambers. I must speak a few words with her mother."

How DARE he call me princess," Clarke thought. The only one to ever call her that was Jake.

"NOW!" Jaha commanded again. Clarke began to struggle, not wishing to let go of her mother. "Clarke, don't try to fight or flee the guards unless you want me to kill your mother as well," Jaha threatened with an evil grin. Clarke stopped struggling and obeyed his command, not willing to risk losing her mother as well.

The guards led Clarke away but she still managed to hear Jaha say, "I know the secret about your daughter she…"

Clarke couldn't hear the rest as the guards forced her further inside. The bigger mystery was what secret?

What secret does he know about me? Clarke thought, "and why did no one tell me? Why didn't my parents tell me?

Clarke had so many questions and she didn't know if she would ever get the answers.

Chapter Text

Her father's death haunted her dreams for the past nine years.

Clarke moved towards the garden, knowing the nightmare would not end until she did so. As she walked, the same crippling dread that always gripped her heart when she thought of this place engulfed her.

Her breathing became erratic, and she knew it could not be healthy for her heart to be beating so hard in her chest. Blood pounded in her ears, threating to deafen her.

Clarke stopped walking in front of the spot where her father was murdered.

Only this dream was different than normal.

Instead of her father kneeling, Clarke began to kneel. Instead of herself producing the airball to kill her pleading father, her mother appeared before her, ready to kill Clarke.

Clarke felt her heart plummet as the confusion gave way to realization.

"Mom?" she asked, sounding small and fragile, unlike the girl she knew she was. Her voice was too thick with emotion.

"Hi, sweetheart," her mom replied, placing a hand on her shoulder. Clarke hesitantly raised her hand to meet it

"What-What's going on?" Clarke stammered, her voice still too foreign. Abby Griffin regarded with a mostly expressionless face though did offer a sad smile.

"You failed him, Clarke," her mother's accusation was flat and devoid of emotion but still stung Clarke to the core. "It's all your fault." Clarke gulped and shook her head furiously.

"Mom, no. Please," Clarke begged, "I don't understand!" her voice broke, her throat closing painfully around the words.

"This could not be happening," Clarke thought.

"You failed him," her mother repeated.

"No. No, no, no, no, no," Clarke screamed in her head.

"His blood is on your hands," Abby said to a kneeling and crying Clarke.

Abby said nothing more for words were no longer needed. As they say, actions speak louder than words. Abby produced an air ball around Clarke's head and began to suck the air out of her lungs, began to murder her daughter.

Clarke opened her mouth to scream, but no sound could come out as the air left her lungs, strangled by the lack of oxygen. It felt as if her chest had collapsed on itself, her heart fighting to keep breathing.

But the lack of oxygen was too much and soon everything went black. Her last thought: Her Fault.

Clarke sat up in her bed as if the force of a whip had cracked against her spine. A strangled scream escaped from her throat.

She struggled against the onslaught of such a forceful awakening. She blinked her eyes frantically, her breathing erratic as her eyes settled on the environment around her. She took deep breaths in an attempt to bring her heartbeat back to normal. After a few minutes, she could no longer feel the hard thumping in her chest or the pounding in her ears.

"Great," she said aloud to herself, "another day in this goddamn room."

Since her father's death, she was being held in this chamber for the safety of herself and others. Apparently, her powers were extremely dangerous and could kill anyone who came into contact with her. Clarke was unaware of what these supposed powers were. Her own mother actually agreed though and told Clarke the dangers Clarke could cause.

It is because of the danger that Clarke spent the last nine years segregated from the children her own age. Her only friend was Wells, Jaha's son, who secretly was in love with Clarke.

Wells was kind and always brought her food and ensured she ate. After the death of her father, she refused to eat, but Wells was patient and convinced her to try a little food.

Clarke was glad to have him in her life or she would have gone crazy in her lonely room. She felt like a prisoner in a golden cage.

Her routine was the same every day. She would wake early, bathe, and get dressed. After she was presentable, Wells would bring her breakfast and they'd eat together. He'd tell her of the outside and the people, and she'd try not to feel jealous and angry at him. It wasn't his fault she has been locked away.

After breakfast, she'd have the day to herself. Occasionally, she'd draw the wonders of nature that she could see from her balcony or read medical books that Wells had snuck to her. Because even though she was stuck in solitary, she wanted to learn how to save lives, how to help people.

Today was like any other day for seventeen-year-old Clarke. She made her way out of bed and into the bath. Once she was washed and dressed, she went to her favorite place, the balcony, and saw a lot of people entering the castle.

Clarke let her eyes wander over the crowd and discovered that Azgeda had been welcomed to Skaikru. Clarke studied the crowd further and noticed that it wasn’t just Azgeda warriors, but the Ice Queen herself.

The Queen led her troops on a black horse with her two most trusted generals, Ontari and Echo, on either side of her. The vast number of warriors behind them could be confused as an army.

Clarke looked back to the Ice Queen and observed her. She had sharp features, light-brown hair, and piercing blue eyes. A diadem made out of bones held her hair back.

Her clothing was a light colored leather and hide with white fur. It was decorated and enforced with carved pieces of bone. The clasps themselves seem to have been made from teeth.

Blue and black fabric were stitched into her coat of white fur and into her light hide pants. A big sword slung over her back. Although Clarke doubted it necessary for the gloves, she wore looked like a dangerous weapon in their own right, fitted out of metal and bone.

The shoulder pauldron was made out of what looked like a wolf's skull with black Azgeda patterns etched into it. The pauldron identified who this was as if the absurd amount of warriors and the way she carried herself didn't give it away.

It was her face that cleared residual doubt that Clarke was looking at Queen Nia of Azgeda. The Queen's blue eyes were hard and her face blank of all emotions. Several scars stood out on her pale face that only had blue war paint leading towards her eyes.

The way the Ice Queen carried herself as if she owned the world intimidated Clarke greatly but was also slightly awe-inspiring.

The villagers all parted ways for Queen Nia and her company and stopped what they were doing to gawk. Fear and curiosity were evident in their eyes. Children were held protectively by their parents or brought into the house. The tension was visible in the air as Jaha and his advisors welcomed the Ice Queen.

When Clarke looked at the Queen again, she ended up locking eyes with Clarke, as if the Ice Queen knew Clarke had been looking. A cold shiver ran down Clarke's body, and Clarke looked away from the intense gaze.

After a few minutes, Clarke risked a glance at the Ice Queen and saw her talking with Jaha and realized they were heading into the castle when the main door closed. Clarke returned to her room, lost in her thoughts.

Not too long later Clarke heard a raised voice outside her bedroom. "What is she doing here?! What is going on?!" No sooner as the question was asked that her bedroom door was swung open. Expecting Wells, she was shocked to find Jaha standing before her.

"What do you want, Jaha?" Clarke asked angrily.

"I want you to dress nice," Jaha answered, ignoring the hostile tone, "and I want you to eat with us tonight."

Of all the things Clarke thought he'd request, a dinner with the Ice Queen was certainly last on the list.

"I was never allowed to leave this room, and now you want me to spend an evening eating with you and your guest?" Clarke asked both suspicious and angry. "I thought you think that I am a dangerous person who shouldn't be allowed to live?" Clarke asked in a mocking tone. "I never did understand why you didn't kill me," Clarke stated as a matter of fact and annoyed. "Am I right?" She said more as a statement than a question.

"You are right," Jaha conceded. "Normally, I wouldn't need you but our guest has requested your presence at the meal, and I don't care what you think or want, but you will do as I say.“

Clarke grunted in reply. She knew the Ice Queen had requested her, she just didn't know why.

"Why is she here? Why would she want my presence?" Clarke asked.

"It's none of your concern," Jaha answered, confirming that it was the Queen who had requested her presence. "And Clarke, do not make her angry or disobey me," Jaha warned. "Those who do never see the next sunrise. Am I clear?" Jaha's voice was unnaturally deadly, and Clarke felt her body tense in fear.

She didn't let him know he had scared her. Instead she mockingly saluted him and yelled, "Yes, sir!"

Jaha glared for a moment before shaking his head and walked out the door. Before he left entirely he said he'd inform her when the meal began.

The door shut with a loud slam and Clarke was once again, alone with her thoughts.

Clarke meandered back to the window and saw the Queen talking with her generals outside. Clarke furrowed her brows as she tried to think about why the Queen was here and what she wanted from Clarke.

Again, it was as if Nia knew Clarke was watching because Nia turned her head and made eye contact with Clarke. Only this time, the Ice Queen was sporting an evil smile causing Clarke to shiver, a feeling of unease in the pit of her stomach from the look Nia was giving her.

The door opened suddenly and without looking, Clarke, asked, "What do you want now?" Her tone filled with annoyance.

"I want only that you eat, Princess," Wells answered with a smile, not a bit bothered by Clarke's snap. Clarke turned to see him placing the tray on the bed before sitting on the bed as well. Clarke felt bad for snapping at him and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" He asked.

"Your dad is a total asshole," Clarke huffed and Wells let out a laugh and Clarke followed suit. Clarke sobered after a few moments. "I am so happy that I have you, Wells, because I would go crazy with all these idiots all alone."

"So, I'm not an idiot?" Wells asked playfully, and Clarke shook her head with a smile. "YES!" he exclaimed overdramatically, his fits rose in jubilation. Clarke chuckled at her friend's drama.

Wells regarded Clarke carefully. "What's going on, Clarke?" He asked seriously. "You can tell me. I won't tell anyone."

Clarke debated if she should and thought that perhaps Wells would know something she didn't.

"Your father wants me to eat with him and Queen Nia, tonight." Wells raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That's strange, right?" Clarke asked and Wells nodded.

"Very much so. Why?"

"Queen Nia requested it, apparently."

"Seriously?" Wells said irritated.

"Yes. Do you have any idea why she would?" Clarke asked hopefully but deflated when Wells shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry. I have absolutely no idea, but I'll try to find out," he said, and Clarke looked at him gratefully.

"Just be careful. I don't want you getting caught and something happening to you." Wells gave a cheeky smile.

"Sure, Princess," he promised before gesturing to the untouched food in front of her. "Now eat and then do what they want so I can find out what is going on," Wells instructed.

"Okay. Thanks, Wells." Clarke paused for a moment. "You have always been here for me. You are like my family."

"You too, Clarke. I have to go," Wells said, and Clarke nodded. The door shut, and she was left alone again.

Chapter Text

A few hours after Wells had left another knock graced Clarke's door.

"I come with your vestments," a woman's voice said from the other side of the door.

"Come in," Clarke told one of the maids of the castle. Mia entered with a large amount of tangled fabric full of laces.

"Good afternoon, Sky Prisa," greeted Mia with a quick bow. "May you get up so I may begin?"

"Sky Prisa?" Clarke asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You do not know of your title, my lady?" Mia asked in disbelief and Clarke shook her head.

"I don't get too many visitors," Clarke replied in a mixed sad and angry tone. The maid smiled softly and apologetically. Clarke was not upset with her, though, it wasn't Mia's fault for her predicament.

"Well, Sky Prisa,"Mia began, "your blonde hair and blue eyes are a sign from the spirits."

Clarke raised an eyebrow in disbelief but remained silent.

"It is believed that you are an angel who fell from the sky to the earth. It is also said that you are so beautiful that only worthy people can look upon you or be blinded forever.

Clarke tried her damn hardest not to snort for she heard the reverence in Mia's voice.

"The Sky Prisa had hair so gold and shining like the sun itself and eyes so blue shimmering like the sky and stars."

"Wow," Clarke said as nothing else could be said. She didn't want to disrespect the kind maid's beliefs but also didn't want to validate them either.

"Anyways, my lady, please, we must get ready."

"Of course," Clarke complied with standing and placing herself in front of the mirror. Clarke followed all of Mia's instructions during her being prepared for dinner.

When Clarke let the blanket wrapped around her body fall to the ground, the soft curves of her body and the pure physical beauty greatly contrasted the gloomy, dull, and lost look her eyes held.

Clarke was lost in the look of herself. Not in a vain manner but rather wishing she could be far from this room. Clarke was so lost in herself that she didn't notice Mia had started to wrap a tight corset around her torso. The air began to be missing from her lungs, yet she barely took note of the difference. Maybe because she was used to feeling trapped, angry, and scared.

Once Clarke was fully dressed she was led to the dining hall. She kept her back straight and chin, displaying strength and confidence that she knew was mostly false. She just couldn't let anyone else know that.

She reached the chipped golden handles and was grateful she didn't have to try and open them with her wet palms. Her escort pushed them open for her, and as she stepped into the room, her eyes zeroed in on the absolutely massive table that dominated the room.

The beautiful dark mahogany table stretched from one side of the room to the other. It practically sparkled in the candlelight. Fifty matching chairs adorned the sides of the table. On one end of the table stood a throne; Queen Nia's throne.

The Ice Queen had yet to appear though it seemed that everybody else had already arrived.

Clarke observed every person in the room, taking in everything, from the way they dressed to where they stood. She noticed that only three seats were unoccupied, and they were all very near to the Queen's throne.

The two seats on the immediate right and left of the throne must be for her generals. The last one must be for me, right?

Clarke was initially and very briefly surprised that she was to be seated so close to the Queen and her generals. But she realized that she had been invited as the Queen's personal guest, and so it made sense for her to be seated nearby.

Clarke took a moment to study the rest of the extravagant dining room. Clarke saw that guards were stationed at each corner and at every possible escape route. Clarke decided to make her way towards her chair, seeing as most people were standing behind theirs.

She stalked towards what she believes to be her seat and when she came to a stop behind her‘s, she was delighted to find Wells standing directly across from her. He too was equally confused but nevertheless pleased at the seating arrangements.

The two shared a smirk but their peaceful moment was broken by the sound of the doors slamming open. The room fell immediately silent. Clarke turned her gaze towards the Ice Queen and her generals' arrival. The Sky Prisa then noticed that everyone else's gaze was not locked on the Ice Queen but rather the floor.

The echo of the doors slamming against the walls was still ringing in Clarke's ears, and yet she still heard the sharp, fast steps of light feet crossing the stone floor.

The guards pulled back the Ice Queen's throne, allowing Nia to stand comfortably in front of it. Nia radiated an aura of power and confidence as she gazed around the table, pleased at the submission of the people, before stopping at Clarke.

Again, Clarke and the Queen locked eyes. Nia's seemed to stare straight through her. While her expression did not change much, Clarke could see the evil smile on Queen Nia's face as Clarke met Nia's stare defiantly.

The defiance did not seem to phase Nia. Instead, the evil grin remained present as ever.

Why is she smiling at me like that again?

Locked in a battle of wills, the two held each other's gaze for what felt like a lifetime for Clarke. Unable to hold it anymore, Clarke bowed her head in submission. The muscles in her neck were still tight and defiant, but her stomach felt sick from her surrender.

Clarke did not see Nia's slightly pleased look at the action.

Thankfully for the Sky Prisa, only a few moments passed before the Ice Queen took her seat, allowing Clarke and everyone else to lift their heads. Though Clarke avoided meeting Nia's eyes again.

Nia waved her hand dismissively, allowing everyone to take his or her seats around the table. Clarke felt some of the tension leave her muscles when she once again met Wells' gaze from across the table. His reassuring smile and slight nod to Clarke made her feel slightly more at ease in this new and quite uncomfortable setting. Clarke only managed a small smile back, curious and afraid why the Ice Queen had ordered her presence.

Clarke could see out of the corner of her eye that Nia had her gaze locked on her. It was only a matter of time before Nia would start to speak to her.

"You must be the Sky Prisa I've heard so much about," Nia said, and Clarke nearly rolled her eyes at the timing. "Your beauty is well known amongst the nations, and I must admit, the rumors do you no justice." The comments themselves weren't overtly inappropriate. But Nia leaned slightly to the side and raked her eyes up and down Clarke's body. Clarke could practically feel the leering, and when she subtly glanced at the Ice Queen, she could see the hungry smile on Nia's face.

Clarke certainly did not like the way Nia was admiring her or the way Nia seemed to see her as less than what she was.

"Ontari, change seats with Clarke. I want her to sit next to me," Nia commanded, never once leaving Clarke's eyes. Clarke couldn't hide her shock or fear. Wells looked equally concerned and hopelessly at Clarke. Ontari, on the other hand, stood up without hesitations and went to stand behind Clarke so she could take her chair.

Clarke could feel Nia staring at her as she slowly stood up and moved into Ontari's former seat. Nia again leaned closer, but this time touched Clarke's arm. She tensed and shivered at the contact. Clarke's full attention was on Nia as the Ice Queen's hand wandered from Clarke's arm to her face. Nia let her hand linger there as she said, "You are breathtaking, Clarke," Nia said lustfully.

Clarke gulped at the look of desire and dangerous sparkling in Nia's eyes.

"Th-Thank y-you, ma'am," Clarke replied, her voice shakier than she had hoped.

Nia withdrew her hand and began to eat as if nothing had just transpired. Clarke let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and began to eat as well. Clarke just wished that dinner would end quickly.

The Queen would talk with her generals and Jaha about a few things but every few minutes, Nia would look at Clarke with penetrating eyes, causing Clarke to feel exceedingly uneasy.

Dinner did not end quick enough for Clarke. It wasn't until two hours later that everyone was allowed to retire to their chambers. Only Nia, Echo and Ontari, Jaha, Wells, and Clarke remained.

Finally, Clarke thought as Jaha and Wells started to stand, indicating it was time for her to go as well. At least, that's what she had been hoping.

"Clarke," Nia called out, causing Clarke to stop dead in her tracks. Clarke's heart plummeted to her stomach when Nia said, "I will accompany you to your chamber. There is something I wish to discuss with you."

Unable to refuse, Clarke merely said, "Of course, your majesty." Though the words tasted sour in her mouth, Clarke couldn't care less about the foul taste but rather tried to control her shaky legs and uncontrollable shiver. Both of whom were attributed to the terror of being left alone with Queen Nia.

Clarke took a deep breath in an attempt to hide her nervous behavior. She didn't succeed.

The two walked to Clarke's bed chambers in silence.

For someone who wanted to talk to me, you seem not to be doing a lot of talking, Clarke thought. But even Clarke knew better than to speak out of turn in front of Nia.

Clarke instead thought about how little she knew about Nia other than she was quite cruel and always got what she wanted.

The rumors were endless about Nia. It was said that she killed her own son and husband because they didn't please her. Nia ruled on fear, and her own people believed she was a witch, sent by the evilest of spirits. The list of rumors continued, each more horrifying than the next.

The closer the two women came to Clarke's bedchamber, the more nervous Clarke became. Sweat was starting to run down her neck. When they arrived at Clarke's Chambers, Clarke stopped in front of the door and turned to Nia.

Either I ask now or risk her inviting herself in.

"Ma'am? What did you wish to discuss with me?" Clarke asked, hoping to sound confident and failing miserably. Clarke cursed herself for failing and saw Nia grin slightly. The grin was unnerving.

"Right to the point I see," Nia said with an evil chuckle.

Right to the point? We're at my bedchambers. It's not like I'm going to ask you how the weather is? Clarke thought sarcastically to herself. She realized that Nia had taken a step forward and was mere inches away from each other. Clarke took a step backward to gain her personal space back.

Instead, Nia simply took another step forward and Clarke moved back. Unfortunately, she moved straight into her door. Nia easily pinned Clarke to the door. While her body ensured Clarke would be going nowhere, Nia brought one hand to grasp the back of Clarke's neck, and the other to caress her face.

Nia let her forehead rest on Clarke's. Clarke could feel the breath of the other woman on her lips. Clarke desperately wanted to move away, but she was immobilized.

Nia parted her lips slightly, breathing heavily. Clarke felt sick and wanted to vomit. When Nia started to move closer, Clarke thought Nia was going to kiss her, and her eyes widened in fear her breath hitched.

But to Clarke's sheer relief, Nia moved to her ear instead. Clarke could feel Nia's hot breath on her ear and just prayed to the spirits that Nia would release her.

"I like how you react when I touch you," Nia whispered seductively. Clarke blanched at Nia's insinuation but held her tongue. Nia kissed Clarke's cheek before forcing Clarke to look her in the eye.

Nia captured Clarke's gaze and leaned until Nia's lips were inches from Clarke's. "We will meet again, Sky Prisa," Nia promised, her voice husky and threatening. She let go of Clarke's neck and stepped back. With one last smile on her face, Nia turned away and returned to her bedchambers.

When Nia turned the corner, Clarke collapsed to the ground. Fear still pumping through her as she tried to decipher what had just occurred.

"What just happened?" Clarke asked herself. Clarke's thoughts were running all over the place as the strange, creepy, and terrifying behavior Nia exhibited.

A few moments later, Clarke managed to stand on shaky legs and enter her bedchambers. Clarke doubted she'd be able to get any rest as long as Nia remained in the castle.

Chapter Text

Clarke had not been able to fall asleep; her confrontation with Nia just a few hours earlier still plaguing her mind. She stood on her balcony and gazed upon the stars deep in, thought. A panicked knock on the door tore her out of her thoughts.

"What the hell?" Clarke whispered aloud in surprise. "Who's here at this hour?" She said to herself again. She hastened to the door and opened it to reveal Wells.

Wells plowed his way in and quickly shut the door before Clarke had had a chance to say a word. Clarke was about to speak when Wells quickly quieted her. "Pack everything you need. We have to leave, now!" He ordered, and Clarke looked at him dumbfounded.

"What? Why?" Wells had started to find a bag for Clarke. "Wells!" She whisper screamed to get his attention. He stopped his packing.

"I'll explain later, I promise, but we need to leave now. We don't have much time." Wells saw Clarke's clearly worried and scared face. "I know, but you need to trust me, please." Wells pleaded.

Clarke thought for a moment, but the desperate look in his eyes forced her to trust him. She nodded her consent and proceeded to run around the room, packing various items: a thin blanket, a bottle, a set of clothes, and a few coins. She had no personal mementos to take with her.

"Do you have everything?" Wells asked. Clarke nodded. "Okay, we have to leave." Clarke pulled the bag onto her back. "I bribed a guard who will let us out, but we can't exactly trust him. No doubt he'll sound the alarm as soon as we are out of earshot."

Clarke agreed easily. They open the door, and Clarke was surprised that there were no guards. She sent him a questioning look. "I put a sleeping potion in their food," he explained.

Clarke nodded in understanding, and they both continued to walk down the corridor, making every effort to be as silent as a mouse.

As Wells was about to turn a corner, Clarke grabbed his wrist, stopping him. He looked back at her confused. "Guard," she whispered.

He looked and saw a guard coming around the corner. They quickly jumped behind a side table of sorts. They held their breath as the guard walked closer and closer towards them. If the guard were to just glance down, they'd be caught. After a few moments but what felt like an eternity to Clarke and Wells, the guard finally turned the corner.

"Think I should tell my dad about the lack of security?" Wells asked his tone seriously. Clarke just pushed him lightly in response, but she smiled regardless. "Thanks for saving our asses," and Clarke nodded.

"We should take the personnel exit. It's closer and likely not busy at this hour."

"Good plan," Wells agreed.

They both made their way into the kitchen where the employee exit was located. When they arrived they open the door slightly to sneak a peak outside and to their horror, discovered many guards outside in the courtyard and on the castle walls. They had not been expecting the sheer amount of guards at such a late hour.

Maybe it's because of the Ice Queen's arrival, Clarke thought.

Wells sighed in annoyance.

"How are we to get out of here?" He asked.

That's a good question. After a few minutes of thinking and going over various scenarios how to get out without the guards catching them she had an idea. "We need a distraction," she voiced aloud.

"What kind?" Wells asked. Clarke looked around the kitchen and focused her sights at the stove.

"Fire," she said confidently, and Wells smirked.

You can always rely on clarke that she quickly finds a solution when needed. That's why he would follow her everywhere. He trusts her with his life. She just needs to say what he had to do and he would make it happen.   

"Where?"

"Food warehouse," Clarke answered. "It's important enough to get a lot of attention, but no one will be in harm's way."

"Excellent idea," Wells commended.

They made their way to the stove, which thankfully was already lit, a pot filled with stew sat upon it. Clarke was about to ask Wells what he thought they should burn when they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.

They both froze except their eyes did widen in terror. Their hearts threatened to burst out of their chest. Clarke thought some expletives.

"Hands, in the air now," the person ordered. His voice was deep and threatening, but also quiet. He did not yell or even raise his voice which was strange. Clarke and Wells did as they were told. "Slowly turn around. Now!" They did as instructed.

Clarke was trying to figure out how to get out of their current predicament. Cold sweat ran down her back, and she figured Wells was equally panicked.

"Wells?" The guard exclaimed, astonished. Wells' eyes widen in surprise and Clarke's narrowed in confusion. "Amazing!" The guard declared in mock amusement. "What would the prince and princess being doing in here, at a time like this?" The guard mocked.

Clarke was still filled with dread until she looked at Wells who was utterly surprised and relieved. He had even lowered his hands.

They know each other? Clarke thought as both a statement and a question.

"Oliver," Wells chided.

"Yeah, that's my name," the guard said with a chuckle.

"Wells," Oliver said in all seriousness, "what are you doing here?" Wells remained silent, unsure if he could trust his friend. "If you don't tell me, I'll be forced to sound the alarm," Oliver threatened. "You do realize it is my duty as a guard." His words were meant as a warning, but his tone was reluctant. Apparently, he was caught between the honor of duty and loyalty to his friend.

"Wait," Wells said and stopped Oliver's slow retreat. "Just, wait. We need to leave the castle. It's not safe for Clarke anymore," Wells explained. Oliver regarded Clarke carefully.

"Why?" He asked. "Who is threatening the princess?" This time, the title is not said mockingly but rather with slight reverence.

"We can't-" Wells started to say before Clarke interrupted.

"The Ice Queen," Clarke answered. "She threatened me in my chambers this evening," she said hoping he would believe them. 

Oliver nodded. If someone threatened the Princess he wouldn't just stand back and watch. No he would help them escape even if it means going against orders. 

"Very well, I'll help you escape," Oliver said and the two instantly relaxed. "How do you intend to leave? I don't know if you've noticed, but there's an unusual amount of guards on duty right now."

"We've noticed," Clarke said dryly. "We want to distract them with a fire in the food warehouse," Clarke explained.

"Fire?" Oliver asked slowly.

"Yeah, unless you've got a better idea," Wells said. Perhaps his friend knew something they didn't due to his position.

"I think yours is perfect. I can fire a lit arrow so you can have more time to flee," Oliver suggested.

"You can do that?" Clarke asked, but everyone knew she was really asking if he would be willing.

"Of course," Oliver answered immediately. "Wells is a good friend of mine, and I would do anything for a beauty like you," he flirted. Clarke was taken aback by the sudden flirting.

"Well, thanks," she said, unsure of what to do. Wells, on the other hand, grunted. The young man was quite uncomfortable with Oliver's flirting.

"No problem," Oliver smirked flirtatiously.

"But what if you get caught? Surely you'll be punished?" Clarke said.

"Ask Wells, I never get caught. Besides, the risk is worth it if it saves a life. Especially the life of a such a beautiful creature, such as yourself."

"You can never stop, can you?" Wells asked, annoyance seeping through his voice.

"It's part of my charm," Oliver laughed before whispering to Wells, "besides, you cannot deny that she is incredibly beautiful," Wells grunted again but could not deny the obvious. "So, now if everything has been resolved, shall we begin?" Clarke and Wells nodded but both still unsure if they made the right decision to include Oliver.

Oliver made his way to the burning stove and lit an arrow. He armed the bow, aimed, and fired. The food warehouse became ablaze immediately. Oliver turned to both and wished them good luck. He ran outside and began to scream. "FIRE! FIRE IN THE FOOD WAREHOUSE!" The guards looked panicked. "Don't just stand there! Help me!" Oliver ordered. The guards began immediately getting to work to put out the fire.

Oliver turned and nodded to Clarke and Wells that it was safe to leave. They made their way to the gate where the bribed guard stood. "I'm sorry, man," Wells said, and the guard lost his smirk.

"For what?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. Wells didn't answer and simply drew back his arm and punched the guard in the jaw. There was a loud crack, but he felt nothing but his racing heart as the guard fell to the ground, unconscious.

"That solved the problem if he'd turn on us," Wells said, and Clarke smiled in agreement. They both began to run as fast as they could into the woods. They ran until their lungs begged for oxygen and were forced to stop.

It took a few minutes before either could speak without wheezing.

"Want to tell me what the hell is going on now?" Clarke requested, still a little winded.

"I overheard a conversation between my father and his advisor. They were going to secure an alliance with the Ice Queen by marrying you off to her."

"Well, I could have guessed that," Clarke mumbled.

"What?" Wells asked.

"Never mind," Clarke said. "Why?"

"Why use you to get married?" Wells clarified, but Clarke shook her head.

"Why did you help me?" Clarke asked.

Wells couldn't answer because I love you. Because you are everything to me. Instead, he said, "It was the right thing to do, and you're my best friend."

Clarke wanted to answer but was interrupted by a flying arrow. It landed next to the tree near Clarke's head. She turned her head in the direction where the arrow came from and saw air nation guards running towards them. Shit !? Without saying another word they began to run and felt the whooshing of arrows narrowly missing their heads as the arrows flew through the air.

To their luck it seems the guards are not air benders but simply normal people like them.

Nevertheless Clarke ran. She ran because her life depended on her ability to not stop. Her mind raced as fast as her body. How did they find us so quickly?! She dodged another arrow but only barely. Shit!! We can't run forever. Clarke heard herself start to wheeze and knew her body was reaching its physical limit. We won't be able to outrun them.

She regretted thinking that last thought immediately as she snagged her foot on a root and fell to the ground. She caught her fall and scraped her hands and knees. But she realized she had twisted her ankle. She looked at her injured ankle and then to the guards who came closer and closer.  I really won't be able to outrun them. 

Wells saw out of the corner of his eye Clarke's fall. He frantically  turned around and returned to assist Clarke in standing. But just before he reached her, arrows flew towards Clarke. 

"NO!! CLARKE!! "  Wells cried out. 

He sped up even more desperately trying to reach her before the arrows could pierce through her body. NO!! This can't be happening!!

Memories from him and Clarke playing chess föashed before his eyes. Of her sitting on a chair before the window drawing the beauty of the nature and unconsciously touching her face with the lace from the brush and so brought paint on her face. Of her smile and laugh when she noticed later and him laughing with her. No!! It will not happen!! I won't allow it!!

In the last second, before the arrows would spear through the flesh of his childhood friend he reached his hand out,  grabbed her and spun her around so his back was to the oncoming attack.

He hugged Clarke tighter so that his body fully covered her body. Not caring if he could die because of it. Only focusing on Clarke's safety.  

He took a deep breath, waiting for the predicted arrows to hit come and drill through his body.

Two arrows failed to hit their target, but one went through the middle of Wells' shoulder. He arched in pain and grunted, desperately trying to alert their attackers that he was injured.

When he didn't feel or heard any arrows, he looked back and discovered that the guards were out of arrows but were now holding swords in their hands, still running in their direction. He sighed in relieve and lessened his hug around Clarke.

Clarke who noticed the same thing urged "Come on," Clarke turned to tug Wells away. "We need to hide."

Wells looked back and didn't see any people pursuing them. Where did they go? He just shrugged it away and  put his good arm under around Clarke's waist so that her right arm could be across his shoulders. He assisted her in hobbling, and both knew they needed to find shelter, quickly.

A few minutes later they found a small cave and chose to hide there. Wells set Clarke down carefully and sat down himself.

Wells saw Clarke rubbing her ankle and masking her pain. They couldn't stay there forever, and she was in no condition to walk, let alone run. Wells suddenly stood up, determination written all over his face.

"Clarke, we have to move. You start leaving and stay quiet. I'll distract them."

He didn't give her a chance to respond. He just started running. His shoulder was in pain, but it did not hinder his running so Clarke had no chance to catch up to him. Wells made loud noises to try and draw whoever was attacking them away from Clarke.

It had always been for Clarke.

He did not stop running until he reached a cliff. His distraction worked too well. He turned and saw himself surrounded by the guards.

"Where is she?" One of the guards asked.

"Gone, long gone," Wells said. Though his voice shook, it was more due to pain than fear.

"Tell us where she is or we will kill you," another guard said impatiently. Wells took a deep breath before standing straighter.

"No," he said evenly. This time, his voice did not shake. "I will never tell you." He was signing his own death warrant, but he didn't care.

"So be it," the guard said while taking a more offensive attacking position. Wells took a defensive position, waiting for them to make the first move.

He easily dodged the sword of the first guard as the guard had overswung and lost his footing, stumbling forward towards Wells. Wells grabbed the wrist of the guard and twisted it so the sword fell to the ground. He then kneed the guard in the stomach and then kicked him between the legs. The guard fell, groaning in pain.

Wells then grabbed the sword with his bad hand knowing he could fight through pain, but he couldn't fight with his non-dominate hand. He then hit the guard on the ground with the butt of his sword, rendering the man unconscious.

The other guards were surprised at Wells' talent and learned not to underestimate him.

I won't let them hurt Clarke. Not as long as I live.

"Who's next?" Wells asked.

Clarke watched Wells go and nearly yelled at him to return before she realized he wouldn't hear, or he'd just ignore her.

She gingerly stood up and attempted to make her way quickly but quietly to Wells. "What is wrong with that kid?" Clarke mumbled to herself. Clarke knew what she was doing was dangerous and stupid, but she didn't care. She couldn't let another person she cared about die and not do anything to stop it.

When she finally arrived at the edge of the cliff, she saw Wells fighting for his life. He was becoming weaker and weaker by the minute, and his wound was bleeding without respite.

The guards had surrounded him with the cliff to his back. Clarke knows they were only toying with her friend. Everyone in that clearing knew Wells did not stand a chance. Yet he fought with everything, not willing to give up or surrender.

Clarke made eye contact with Wells. His eyes widened in surprise. The guards had not seen Clarke yet so he made a face. Clarke easily could tell he was wondering what she was doing there, wondering why she hadn't run.

Clarke was slightly insulted that Wells could think she'd just leave him to die. But if he was willing to die for her, she was ready to die for him.

"Finish this!" The captain of the guards ordered. The guards stepped up their fighting and despite Wells' determination to save Clarke he was quickly overwhelmed. A guard swung his sword at Wells' throat. He blocked the blow but was thrown off balance and rolled off the cliff. He was able to grab a hold on the edge, but his sword went clambering down.

"WELLS!" Clarke screamed out. The guards quickly turned their attention from Wells to Clarke. She was like in a daze when she saw Wells falling from the cliff ,not caring that she just had alarmed the guards of her presence she proceeded to run to him but was quickly stopped by a guard who had appeared behind her.

The guard grabbed her by her hair and placed his arm right above her stomach, effectively trapping her. Clarke elbowed her captor in the face but rather than letting go, he merely pulled her hair tighter and pulled her closer to his body.

"Let go!" Clarke ordered, but she wondered why she bothered. It's not like he was going to release her because she told him to. But she was desperate, she just wanted to make sure Wells was ok.

The guard wrenched her hair farther back, sending white-hot pain racing through the back of her skull.

"Like that'll happen, bitch," the guard sneered. He threw Clarke forward with great force that she fell to her knees. He stood in front of her and punched her in the face, sending her to the ground. Her head throbbed from the impact, and her ankle was screaming at her.

From her place on the ground, Clarke frantically looked around for a weapon she could use. She found a broken arrow and when the guard looked up to see the guards ambling to the edge, she  took this as a chance to struck her captor in the throat.

He looked at Clarke with shocked filled eyes, not quite believing what was happening.

Blood squirted out of his throat and ran over Clarke's hand where she was still holding the piece of the arrow. She then slowly retreated her hand. His confusion quickly turned into panic and terror as he understood what was happening.  He dropped his sword and grabbed his throat in a desperate but futile attempt to save himself. Clarke knew it was to late for him. He came to the same conclusion when his legs gave out under him and he fell on top of Clarke.  Trapped underneath him, she watched the light disappear from his eyes and his body's movements halt.

Blood soaked Clarke's clothes, and her face was covered in blood. For minutes everything was dead silent. She couldn't hear anything. She came aware that she had killed someone. She looked at the lifeless eyes who were still watching her. She felt like she would vomit. She was brought back when she heard Wells' groans and panic began to rise for her friend. She pushed the dead guard to the side and with her entire body shaking she stood up and ran to Wells.

She had no time to think. She needs to save Wells even if it meant killing another Person.

She had taken the sword of the dead guard and stabbed one in the back, taking another life. She looked horrifying covered in blood, and she didn't know what her Expression looked like, other than it sent the lone guard running rather than attempting to subdue her.

As soon as she was certain, he wasn't returning she grabbed Wells' hand.

"Hang on, Wells!" She told him. He was weak from the blood loss, and he had exerted his body too much with fighting.

"I can't," Wells cried.

"I'll pull you up," Clarke told him, holding out her hand for him to take.

"I'm too heavy. I'll pull you over," Wells said. Ignoring Clarke's outstretched hand. "It's okay. It's alright. Just go. Get out of here!" He ordered, but Clarke shook her head defiantly.

"I will NOT lose you too so take. my. hand." She ordered, and each word was emphasized harshly. Wells still looked hesitantly but in the end reached his hand out towards Clarke, and she quickly grasped it. As she started to pull him up, they heard a loud crack but before they knew what was happening the ground beneath her feet gave way and both fell from the cliff.

Clarke looked at Wells ,as they both  tipped over, and saw shock painted all over his face and she knew that she reflects the same expression on her's.

„ Is this the end. Is this how I and Wells will die?" thought Clarke, before everything went black.

-

Chapter Text

Clarke vaguely heard the sound of birds chirping which confused her because she was supposed to be dead, wasn't she?

As awareness became to seep in, the pounding in her head magnified. It ricocheted around her skull and threatened to render her unconscious again, or at the very least sick to her stomach. Surely it was impossible for her head to hurt this badly.

Ever so slowly, Clarke blinked her eyes open. However, she quickly shut them due to the blinding light that made her want to heave.

Am I dead? No, death shouldn't be this painful. Why it would be called a "sweet release"?

Accepting the fact that she was more than likely not dead, Clarke attempted opening one eye ever so slightly. She cupped her hand around it in an effort to block out the light. It worked for the most part. She still grunted in pain when the light invaded her eye, but she managed to keep it open.

She cupped her other hand around her other eye and opened that one as well. Soon, she was able to remove her hands and keep her narrowed eyes open. Once she had become accustomed to the light, she was able to open her eyes fully. The pounding in her head was still very much present, but at least the light didn't make her vomit, though the feeling was still present.

When her eyes focused on what they were seeing, she was utterly confused. She was in a room and was on a bed of furs. She looked around the room and furrowed her brow.

Where am I? And how did I get here?

She tried to remember what led her here and suddenly remembered her and Wells falling off a cliff. "Wells!" She exclaimed and attempted to sit up in a frantic attempt to look for her friend. She was stopped by an agonizing pain that coursed through her entire torso and down her arms. She fell back down and groaned.

"That would have been too easy," she murmured to herself. She could feel her face go pale from the intense pain. "Okay, terrible idea," she mumbled to herself as she tried to keep herself conscious.

Clarke took even breaths, and once the pain faded slightly, she decided to slowly test her abilities. She tested her legs and lifted them an inch off the bed. It didn't cause her any pain so she tried rolling her ankles in a gentle motion. Her right ankle started to scream in protest, and she immediately stopped.

So, apparently I can only use one leg properly without pain….great," Clarke thought sarcastically to herself and sighed. "Better than nothing," she said to herself. I fell off a cliff, and I'm alive. I suppose I shouldn't complain.

Clarke figured her right ankle was twisted and possibly broke a couple of ribs. Her shoulder was also in a lot of pain, and it could be dislocated, but she thought she'd be in more pain if it were.

She also knew the chance of internal bleeding was high as were numerous of other problems that she had no way to diagnose. She figured though if she were bleeding internally, she would have died already. But she didn't know how to reconcile that with the fact that she fell off a cliff.

She lifted her hands to feel her stomach and realized she was wrapped in bindings around her torso.

Clearly, whoever has me doesn't want me dead…yet. She didn't know if she could trust the person who saved her, whomever that might be. She didn't know if they were working for Jaha or the Ice Queen. Clarke figured her best bet was to find Wells and escape. She only wondered how she was going to accomplish such a feat when she could barely sit up without passing out.

Clarke, slow down, she told herself, first things first, figure out where you are.

Clarke looked around the room and tried to find any clues that indicated where she was and also looked for a weapon she could use as well. The room was relatively simple. From her supine position, she could see the ceiling and walls were made up of wood panels.

Nothing in the room gave away where she was or who had taken her. She heard the door open and snapped her head towards the sound. A brunette woman greeted her sight. The woman's light brown eyes stared warmly at her.

The woman caught Clarke's eye and began to speak softly in a language she could not understand nor recognize. Nevertheless, Clarke felt eased by the woman's cooing as she made her way closer to Clarke. It reminded Clarke of how one might talk to a scared pet or a fussy infant as it brought a small smile to Clarke's face. How easily she was comforted by something, she could not understand and felt instantly safe in this woman's presence.

"I'm s-sorry," Clarke managed to say, "I-I don't understand," she stammered through a dry mouth and tight throat.

The woman instantly stopped speaking and regarded her with wide eyes. Clarke wished she could take it back as she appeared to have frightened the woman. The woman jumped back and walked a couple of steps before turning on her heels and sprinting out the door.

Clarke watched in confusion as the woman abruptly retreated. "Okay….?" She said aloud to herself. She waited for the woman to come back but she never returned. Clarke tried to figure out why the woman had seemed so alarmed when she had spoken. Clarke racked her brain to figure out what was going on, but nothing made sense.

Clarke felt the pull of sleep, and she attempted to resist the draw, not wanting to be caught in a defenseless- and helpless- position. Granted, nothing has happened yet. Yet was the operative word but Clarke soon found herself powerless to avoid the pull and she drifted off into a dreamless state of blackness.

When Clarke began to stir, she realized she was not alone this time as hushed voices surrounded her in a language she still did not understand. Blinking slowly, Clarke opened her eyes and saw two figures standing a few feet in front of the bed.

One of them was the woman from earlier. She was talking at an exceptionally fast rate in a hushed whisper and occasionally motioned to Clarke. The woman she was speaking to had brown hair and cold piercing grey eyes, so light they were almost white. Her arms were crossed across her chest, and she regarded Clarke with pursed lips and a hardened expression. Both were dressed like warriors who were ready for battle.

Studying the new woman, Clarke noticed she was tall, and despite the layers of clothing covering her frame, Clarke could tell that she was heavily-built with muscle.

The grey-eyed woman the dark and tattered clothing clung tightly to her imposing figure. Straps crisscrossed her chest and over her torso that met behind her back to hold up a sheath-a sheath that was currently housing a gigantic and intimidating sword, of which, Clarke could only see the handle.

Her arm protectors matched her eyes. They started as fingerless gloves on her hand and ran halfway up her arms, leaving only the skin around her elbows visible. Her feet were hidden in sturdy boots.

Everywhere Clarke looked on her body there were places to hold a variety of weapons.

She was a glorious and terrifying sight to behold.

Suddenly, the room became quiet. Evidently, during Clarke's observation of the grey-eyed woman, the two others had noticed Clarke's staring.

The first woman that Clarke had "met" made to come forward. A grin on her face but was quickly wiped when the other woman placed a firm hand on her arm, throwing a stern look at her.

The first woman ducked her head and kept up gaze to the ground. The other woman released her grip and said something quickly in their language. The chastised woman nodded, eyes still trained to the floor.

She turned away from her, facing Clarke once again. The grey-eyed woman made her approach. Her steps were cautious, her expression hard, and her posture tense. This woman looked prepared to strike Clarke at the first sign of danger.

Which, Clarke thought, judging by the look she was being given, she probably was.

She finally came to tower over Clarke who was defenseless. The woman looked into Clarke's eyes as if she were searching for something. Clarke did her best to pour as much kindness and innocence into her expression as possible. She needed them to trust her if she was going to survive.

The woman addressed Clarke in her language. Clarke furrowed her brows and shook her head, trying to convey her lack of comprehension.

"I'm sorry, I cannot understand you. I wish I could but I can't. I'm sorry," Clarke apologized. But also realized that her apology meant nothing unless they spoke the same language.

Clarke's mouth and throat were impossibly dry, so instead of coming out as genuine and comforting, it was more of a whispered croak. Unfortunately, Clarke's attempt to sound reassuring caused the exact opposite reaction.

The woman's eyes widened, and she quickly crouched down in front of her Clarke. She hauled Clarke into a sitting position and talked a mile a minute in her language.

Clarke cried out as she was forced into a sitting position against the wall. The dull ache that she had grown accustomed to morphed into an intense throbbing throughout her entire body. Her vision swam as she tried to focus on something other than the pain.

The brown-eyed woman, the one who had shown her kindness, rushed forward from where she stood and began shouting angrily at her "superior?". She interrupted the woman's primarily verbal assault on Clarke and kept pointing in Clarke's vicinity while she spoke.

The cold-eyed woman abruptly turned her head to look at the other woman and shouted over her, effectively silencing the room. The only sound that could be heard was the heavy breathing. Although, Clarke could swear she heard the woman's mouth snap shut before she stepped away from them.

She returned her fiery gaze back on Clarke. Her mouth was set in a hard line as she assessed the shaking girl before her. She appeared to be at a loss of what to say or do.

Clarke knew the feeling.

After what felt like minutes of tense silence, the woman finally rose up from her couch to stand directly in front of Clarke. "Who are you and your friend?" She asked, and Clarke's jaw dropped.

"Y-you speak English?" Clarke asked astonished.

"Which nation do you belong to?" She asked, ignoring Clarke's question.

"My friend?! Wells?! I want to see him! Take me to him now!" Clarke demanded. Both women were silent. Clarke exhaled in frustration. "My name is Clarke Griffin," she said. Her tone displaying a confidence she didn't really believe was there. But the fact that she knew Wells was alive, at least she hoped that was true, gave her the energy to fight for him.

"And you?" Clarke asked. "What is your name?" She prompted them softly. She hoped whatever false peace had settled between them wouldn't break with that question. Clarke worried that one wrong move would end with her throat being slit open by one of the swords that hung on the women. Or worse, she'd be brought back to the Ice Queen and Jaha.

Again, they remained silent. Their continued silence only fueled Clarke's annoyance. One question was all she asked.

"Which nation do you belong to?" The grey-eyed woman repeated sternly. Each word was emphasized heavily and harshly.

Clarke considered if she should answer. They could take her back to the Ice Queen, or they could kill her right on the spot. Or maybe they'll let you go? She scoffed at the last idea.

But still, it wasn't only her life at stake. Wells could die for her actions. She decided the truth was her best bet on leaving alive. Hopefully, these people weren't supporters of the Ice Queen.

"Air nation," she choked out before clearing her throat. "Air nation," she replied more precisely. "My friend, Wells and I both are. We don't mean you any harm. We can be out of your life as soon as we are healed. Please." She begged. She begged for their lives and their freedom.

And to Clarke's surprise, the brown-eyed woman asked the next question. "You are Air nation?" Clarke nodded. "Then what are you doing on Trikru land?"

"We were on the run," Clarke answered but tried to reveal as little as possible.

"Why? From whom?" She asked.

"Does it really matter?" Clarke asked, and the woman scoffed.

"Of course it does!" She exclaimed. "You don't think the mistrust you feel of us is mutual?" Clarke figured the woman had a point but she was not  going to tell her that.

"Sorry, but do I look dangerous in your eyes?" Clarke asked seriously but with a satirical bite. "I can barely move without feeling an intense pain everywhere." Debilitating is the word I'm looking for. But who uses that in everyday conversation? "But yes," she said dramatically and sarcastically, "I'm quite dangerous."

Clarke saw the woman's slight twitch of her lips upward and Clarke mentally high-fived herself for the progress.

The woman took a few steps forward again, so she was inches from the bed. A victory grin was present on her face which made Clarke's stomach drop.

"I think I know the reason you are running, Sky Prisa." The way she sneered Clarke's unofficial title made her heart plummet and the blood run cold in her veins.

Fuck.

Chapter Text

Clarke looked on horrified. She had hoped her anonymity would help her. She had hoped that if they thought she was a nobody, they'd let her go unharmed. But she had called Clarke, "Sky Prisa". Clarke knew that the Ice Queen would no doubt pay a high reward for Clarke's return. So yes, Clarke was horrified.

"You ran away because of an arranged marriage between you and the Ice Queen," the woman continued, ignoring Clarke's horror. Though Clarke's horror morphed into horrified confusion. How does she know that?

"You were chased by her guards and tried to fight them but ended up falling off the cliff?" She asked and Clarke stared at her with her mouth open, jaw completely dropped. "Am I not right?" The woman asked with a proud smirk.

Clarke gulped. Her whole body was shaking in fear and she felt more helpless than ever before.

"And if we send word to the Queen that you are here, think she'll be please?" The woman asked in mocking glee.

She's going to send me back, Clarke thought in terror. Clarke's jaw had shut itself and she was frozen in silence. Unable to say anything in response.

"Think about what would happen," the woman prompted. "You would get married, to a queen no less," the woman started to list as if these were positive things. "Although, your friend would most likely be killed and the Ice Queen would probably make you watch," she said with a slight frown and Clarke glared at her.

"I'm sure you've heard the rumors but let me tell you something." She leaned forward and whispered in Clarke ear, "they're not rumors."

Tears began to stream down Clarke face but even though she was scared on her own behalf, she was petrified for Wells.

"Please," Clarke begged. She begged like she never had before. "Do anything you want to me. Torture me, kill me, send me back to the Ice Queen. Whatever you'll do to me, I accept. But leave Wells out of it." Clarke took a breath to calm herself.

Both women watched in silence during Clarke's emotional plea. They turned to each other and nodded in agreement. To what, Clarke couldn't be sure.

"I think you've tortured that poor girl enough, Aurora," the brown-eyed woman spoke. The grey-eyed woman Aurora, faced Clarke and with apology evident in her eyes she spoke softly and gently.

"I'm sorry for how I've treated you. But we had to determine if you were working for the Ice Queen." Aurora turned back to her friend. "I'm impressed that she lasted this long, Dalia," so the brown-eyed woman's name is Dalia, "she certainly is brave if she is willing to risk her life for the sake of her friend."

Clarke felt like time had stopped. She let out a breath she did not realize she was holding and said, with a shaky voice, "So this was a test?"

"We heard rumors that the Sky Prisa was allied with the Ice Queen," said Dalia, "That she was cruel like her."

"If that would have been true," continued Aurora, "it would mean for the people that the Queen was not only allied with the Sky Prisa, but with the spirits as well because you have fallen from the sky."

I thought only the air nation believed that. Where the hell are these rumors coming from?

Clarke decided to ignore the comment for now and decided to focus on more pressing issues.

"So, you're not sending me back to the Ice Queen?"

"No, Sky Prisa," answered Dalia. Unlike when Aurora had addressed as that during her interrogation, Dalia said it with an air of respect.

"If I ask you questions, will you answer them?" Asked Clarke, only a little bitter. Dalia nodded and Aurora smirked.

"Go on," encouraged Dalia.

"Which nation are you?"

"Earth Kingdom. Trikru," answered Dalia. Clarke noticed Aurora did not particularly like to share information. Clarke tried to think of more questions but due to the whiplash this "relationship" had taken, and the pain catching up, now that the adrenaline had worn off, she was starting to become foggy.

Since Clarke didn't say anything, Aurora and Dalia determined the conversation to be suspended.

"I will leave you to rest," Aurora announced. "Dalia will change your bandages. Don't worry, my wife is an excellent healer." Aurora gave something that sort of resembled a smile before heading to the door.

After Aurora left the room, Dalia rolled her eyes. "Don't mind my wife, Sky Prisa," Clarke's eyes widened, "she likes to portray this cold persona to everyone. But really, she's as soft as a teddy bear."

"Somehow I don't believe that," Clarke said slowly and Dalia smiled.

"You're right. She'd do anything for her friends and family in order to protect them."

Clarke only nodded, easily understanding that.

"I was afraid when I first met her too, Clarke. I was so frightened but now you can see for yourself. I am not anymore. I love her." Dalia paused. "I'm in love with her." She watched Clarke for a moment. "You two are quite similar," she stated.

"Similar?" Clarke asked and Dalia hummed in agreement.

"You both care for your friends and family more than yourself. You would do anything for them. Even sacrifice your own life. Which is easily a weakness as much as it is strength." Dalia stopped and sighed before resuming her work silently.

Clarke was shocked at how easily Dalia had read her; how easily she had been read. Dalia, Clarke realized, was quite similar to her father and Wells.

"My friend," Clarke said suddenly and Dalia looked up. "How is he?"

"He is here but I must warn you, he is badly injured. The poison in the arrow is killing him."

"He's dying!" Clarke exclaimed and went to sit up but was wrestled back down by Dalia.

"You'll hurt yourself! Take a breath." When Clarke had stopped struggling, Dalia released her grip. "He needs a lot of rest. The poison normally kills people within a few hours yet your friend survives. We are doing everything we can."

"Take me to him," Clarke demanded but knew better to try and fight Dalia again.

"You're too weak," Dalia argued but Clarke shook her head.

"I cannot sit here and do nothing," Clarke countered and Dalia shook her head.

"It's not your fault," Dalia said and Clarke wondered if mind reading was actually a thing. Clarke didn't say anything. All it took was Dalia placing a comforting hand on her shoulder for Clarke to break down.

Everything over the past few days crashed over Clarke: the arranged marriage, the escape, the fighting, the fact she killed people, Well's injuries. Clarke blamed herself more than she should. She took comfort in Dalia's embrace more than she should.

Dalia had wrapped her strong arms around Clarke and whispered comforting words and noises in her ear as Clarke sobbed. When Clarke sobs subsided the two maintained their positions until Clarke slightly pulled away.

Clarke looked down embarrassed but Dalia gave her a soft kiss on her forehead, like a mother would.

"Thank you," Clarke whispered. Dalia gave a kind smile in response.

"You can see him when you're better. You need rest like he does." Clarke nodded in acceptance. "Sleep, Sky Prisa," Dalia commanded softly. Clarke closed her eyes and didn't even hear the door as she drifted off into a dreamless state of blackness.

She welcomed the blackness this time.

Chapter Text

A long time ago before Clarke was born:

When Clarke's father Jake was six, the Air Nation was at war with the Earth Kingdom. Jake's father, Thomas, was a part of the Air Nation Army that battled against the Earth Kingdom's attempt to take over their land, and everything within it, including their families.

Thomas and his army were currently riding in the woods on the way back to the Air nation, their home, after winning the battle against the Earth Nation.

Thomas was sitting on his horse, behind him his army, leading the people who had helped protect their Nation, their home.

He had lost many good people in this war; people with families, and those who were only children themselves. He did not protect them as he had promised. The war may have been won, and the nation protected, but many had lost their lives to achieve that.

Thomas thought about the families waiting for their loved ones to return, but many would soon find out they would never see them again. Good people defended and sacrificed their lives in order to avoid being killed. Thomas understood the irony clearly, but could never understand the depravity of humanity.

They were riding for hours maybe even days, he had lost track of time. In the woods, there was a breathtaking silence. Will it be this quiet everywhere, if the war continues? thought Thomas.

The rhythmic trotting of the horses fading into the background made the silence tranquil. As if all life had vanished into peaceful serenity.

Humanity destroyed the possibility of this peaceful existence through its stubborn conquests for power and control, thought Thomas.

The wood's only source of illumination came from the full moon, hovering above them. Only the traditionally white light guardian illuminated red as if soaked with the blood that had been shed.

What if the moon remains this color? Thomas thought in horror. What if we're cursed to remain with a blood-soaked moon for our sins? The moon is a sign of life and without it are we destined to be silenced from this earth?

Thomas continued to think. Maybe it was a message from the spirits that if war continues to ravage the Earth, we'll be destroyed. Purged from the lands in order to protect the remaining innocent who still dwell among the spirits.

A burst of light from the sky interrupted Thomas's thoughts. He looked up to see a fireball fall towards the Earth. Landing in Trikru territory, the ground shook from the intense impact.

Thomas's gaze was pulled from the sky when a loud noise was emitted just a few meters in front of him. He stopped his horse, raised his right hand, and clenched it into a fist. His people halted in an instant, alert to the sudden change.

Thomas dismounted from his horse and gripped the handle of his sword.

The slow drawing of Thomas's sword produced a deafening clink, breaking the once enveloping silence. Thomas slowly made his way forward and what he discovered astounded him deeply.

Standing before him was a boy, not much older than his son Jake. For a moment he could not think; his mind blank of any thoughts. Or perhaps, the rush of too many thoughts, he could not decipher a single one.

Preferring to gather information than try to answer his numerous questions, he scanned the surrounding woods, looking for anyone else. Deeming it safe, he put his sword back in its sheath.

Thomas's once suppressed thoughts came zooming back all at once. 'Who was the boy? What was he doing out here all alone, at night?'Were only a few he could pick out.

A few of his soldiers made their way forward, concerned for their stone-like leader. They saw the boy standing silently in front of their leader and all looked to one another in confusion.

"It's just a boy," one said.

"We should leave him alone," another commented.

"If we do that, he will die," a third countered. "These woods are dangerous."

"We can't just take him with us," the second soldier responded. Pointing to the first warrior who had spoken, "You yourself said he is only a boy. He'll only slow us down."

Vaguely aware of his soldiers' discussion, Thomas observed the boy. With his dark skin and short black hair, he could easily be handsome had it not be for how sickly skinny he was. His clothes were torn and grimy. The boy's eyes were filled with fear, regret, and sadness. The boy was shaking; due to fear or cold, Thomas could not be sure.

"What is your name, boy?" Thomas asked suddenly, his voice calm and friendly. His question silenced his soldiers' conversation immediately. The silence was overwhelming as they waited for the boy to respond. The boy's eyes remained glued to the floor out of fear. "It is okay, son. You can tell us. We will not harm you. I give you my word as Chancellor of this nation." The boy met Thomas's eyes.

"My..n-name is J-Jaha," he stuttered.

"Jaha, my name is Thomas. What are you doing here all alone in the woods at night?" The boy did not say anything and looked physically conflicted at having to explain. Thomas decided to ease the burden of the young boy's shoulders. "It's alright. You don't have to explain. But tell me, where is your family?"

"I don't have one," Jaha answered. "Not anymore." Thomas's gaze softened. "They're dead; killed by the Earth Kingdom right in front of me. I ran."

"Earth Kingdom soldiers? In one of these villages? From which village did you come?" Asked Thomas worried. If Trikru warriors were in his nation, then they would all be in danger.

"Ah…from a small village near the edge of the nation." respond Jaha a little taken of guard at this question.

Thomas sighed in small relief that there was no danger inside his nation.

"Did you not come across another village? Another village that could have helped you or take you in?" Asked Thomas and Jaha looked down at his feet.

"Nobody wanted a boy like me," he whispered, breaking Thomas's heart.

"What do you mean with a boy like you?"

"Nobody wants a child that is not their own."

Thomas could not understand how such a young boy could believe that, but before he could say anything in return, one of his warriors spoke up.

"If that's true, how is it possible for you to still be alive?" His warrior asked suspiciously. "Earth Nation warriors are not known to allow survivors."

Thomas sighed and wanted to apologize for the behavior of his men as he saw that they were all eager to hear the boy's answer. But not only was he interested in how this young boy escaped, but his warrior had a point. Trikru did not spare lives. Nevertheless, he realized he should not force the boy to recount a quite traumatic incident.

"You do not need to tell us, child. I will not force you to recount that. But I would like to hear how you managed to escape." Thomas tried to keep his tone kind and even as to not frighten Jaha any further. Jaha nodded and to the surprise of everyone began to recount his story.

Late at night, Jaha was startled awake by loud and shrill cries of agony. He quickly climbed out of bed and ran to his parents' room. Opening the door, he was greeted by his father's dead body, lying on the floor in the middle of the room; blood dripping out of his wound. Jaha looked up to find his mother being held captive by three Earth Kingdom men. His mother screamed and cried attempting to escape, but the soldier's grip held her in place. Jaha was paralyzed for what felt like minutes but was only a matter of seconds.

Jaha was brought out of his trance when one of the soldiers had noticed Jaha's mother's change of expression from scared to horrified as she saw her son standing in the room. The soldier nudged his other men and nodded in Jaha's direction.

"Aww….Who do we have here?" Asked the soldier who had noticed Jaha first. Jaha's mother started to struggle even harder against the man who was holding her prisoner and screamed with all she had left for Jaha to run. Unfortunately, Jaha was frozen in fear and shock.

"Don't you dare touch him," his mother screamed. The soldier smirked and moved towards him. The soldier underestimated the strength of a mother frightened for her child. She managed to free herself and began attacking the soldiers wildly with the bit strength she had left. Jaha's mother threw punches everywhere she could and broke the nose of her original captor. She kicked another in the groin when he tried to help her original captor to restrain her, and he fell over in pain.

However, she was no match for three armed soldiers, and she soon found herself captured by the third soldier. He grabbed her from behind and gripped her hair tightly in one hand while holding a knife to her throat. The soldier chuckled, and Jaha's mother could not move lest she slit her own throat.

"You are strong," he commended, "but not strong enough." A single tear slid down her face. "It is a pity you do not have powers," he lamented sarcastically before adding seriously, "You would have been a great warrior." He laughed devilishly before turning his attention on Jaha.

Jaha was now facing his mother, behind her the men with a knife to her throat.

"I have a lesson for you, little boy." His tone deathly serious and all of Jaha's attention was on him. "Mark my words," he said slowly before slitting Jaha's mother's throat open. "Love. Is. Weakness." He said simply as he let go of his mother's body, Jaha watched as she first hit the floor with her knees then fell to the side, with still wide open eyes.

Jaha saw how his mother bled out right before him and he could do nothing but watch her die. This awoke him from his paralyzed state and he began to breath eratically.

He didn't know what he should do. Should he run and leave his mother to die or stay and mostly likely die as well. He could only look helplessly at his dying mother who only nodded before the life left her body and her once sparkling eyes turned dull.

As Jaha saw his mother lying there still, he shook his head out of disbelief and began to cry. He didn't want to leave his mother but he had no other choice than to leave, his mouth croaked, "I am sorry" to his dead mother then he turned and began to run.

Jaha ran as fast he could, breathing frantically. He sprinted out of the house faster than he ever thought possible. In the back of his mind, he wondered why the soldiers had not started to give chase, but Jaha did not focus on that, rather the bodies that littered the streets of his village and the sounds of screams that echoed all around him.

People were running in every direction, houses were on fire. It was a terrible sight.

In the distance he heard the soldier who had killed his mother roughly shout, "What are you waiting for! Catch him and kill him!"

Jaha quickly changed direction,instead, darting between homes towards the woods that lead away from his village, away from his home. 'Perhaps I can lose them there' he thought to himself. He ran faster than he thought he could, fear sporting in on. Jaha ran longer than he thought imaginable. He just kept running. Not stopping. It was long past the time that the screams of his village faded into the darkness.

Only the light of the moon remained, guiding him through the forest. No longer could he hear the sounds of the soldier's pursuit. Perhaps he had turned back not wasting his breath on just one boy.

Jaha ran until he collapsed from exhaustion. Once he was lying on the ground, he had no energy to move from his position. He just laid silently, waiting. When nothing happened, he closed his eyes, pure and utter exhaustion washing over him, pulling him unconscious.

Jaha woke a few hours later, the sun just starting to rise. He rose himself up and continued walking. Walking between villages and being sent away each time (some gave him scraps of food and water). Days later Jaha now came across an army, the Air Nation Army, led by the Chancellor of the Air Nation himself.

Thomas listened to the boy's story and was quite captivated, but also in shock, unable to comprehend the horrible tragedy bestowed upon the boy. Jaha began to sob uncontrollably as he retold his worst nightmare.

Thomas put a hand on Jaha's shoulder and attempted to comfort him as best as he could. "You do not need to be afraid anymore. You're safe. I will make sure of it," Thomas promised before engulfing the boy in a hug, murmuring assurances of love and safety.

Thomas looked up at the moon and saw it had returned to its normal white splendor a change from the sinful blood red. Taking this as a sign that what he was doing was the right thing, Thomas made a vow to take care of the boy.

Enough war and enough blood had been shed, and far too many families had lost loved ones. The wars needed to end, if that would be so easy.

Jaha cried and grieved for a long period of time and during this Thomas stood beside him trying to give a little comfort to the poor boy. Thomas couldn't describe the sorrow he felt for this boy, for the boy's family or the village which was now lost to the Trikru.

He was too focused on the war with the Trikru on the front lines that he didn't even noticed that Trikru warriors were attacking villages, and because of his failure many of his people who he should have had protected and wanted to protect were killed. Because of his carelessness the family of this young boy was now dead and the boy was left totally alone in this cruel world and forever marked from this traumatic event.

He will never forgive himself for this failure. He is the Chancellor, he had sworn to protect all of his people and here he was fighting for the safety of them but couldn't even protect one village from execution. He couldn't protect this village or the family of this boy but he could make sure that the boy lives and defend him from danger.

Jaha stopped crying a few moments later, and Thomas who hadn't left his side told Jaha softly, "You will ride with me," Jaha could only nod, too tired to form a simple word, Thomas put his hand on Jaha's back to guide him to his horse. Together they walked to Thomas's horse and pausing beside it.

Thomas helped Jaha onto the horse and after ensuring he was secure, made his way up so that he was behind Jaha. After again making sure that Jaha wouldn't fall he grabbed the reins and signaled the army to move.

Those who dismounted from their horses also got onto their horses.

The army followed his command and began to move in the direction of the castle, led by the two back to the castle, returning to their beloved home.

------

After hours of riding, they finally could see the outlines of the castle in the distance.

During the ride home Jaha fell asleep propping Thomas to move an arm securely around Jaha so he wouldn't fall. Every once in a while Thomas studied the sleeping boy in his arms, thinking about what he had to go through, and decided that he will take care of this boy himself.

He didn't know why, but he felt like he had to help this boy and he wanted to make sure that Jaha would never have to experience something like that again, and he would do anything to help this boy because it was kind of his fault. If he had paid more attention the village maybe could have been saved, Jaha's family could have lived. Who would have thought that after a war he would come back with a child in his arms and be so determined to help the child?

He thought about his wife and son was unsure what they would think about this idea. But then he shook his head they'll have nothing against this plan, his wife was one of the kindest person he had ever met and it was one of the reasons why he fell in love with her. His son also is such a pure and kind soul taking after his mother, he was also young and would really like the idea to have a brother who he could play with, that Thomas was sure of.

He chuckled to himself and thought "Yes I am happy man to have such a lovely family' He looked again to the sleeping boy in his arms and struggled with the thought if he should wake him to tell him that they will be there in a short time.

"He looks so careless and happy in his sleep" thought Thomas, but then decided to wake him because Jaha should see his new home. He gently shook Jaha's shoulder without moving his other arm that was secured around Jaha's middle.

After a while Jaha stirred and slowly blinked his eyes open. At first he didn't know where he was and frantically looked around but relaxed as soon as he noticed he was with Thomas and his warriors. Jaha then looked up into Thomas's eyes and asked "What is it? Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

Thomas saw panic rising in Jaha's eyes and quickly went to reassure him. "No, everything is alright. I just woke you so you could see your new home and the people who live there"

Jaha only nodded and turned his face to the front, it was still very dark but because of the light from the moon you could see the outlines of the castle and the village which surrounded it, however, even without the moon light you would see outlines because of the many flames which adorned the area.

Jaha's eyes widened at this sight he had never seen something so beautiful, the castle was big and was sitting on a little hill, the village surrounded it like a half circle. The lights lit it up, causing it to look like a piece of art. Around the village was a large stone wall with at least two lookout towers on every side.

As they came nearer to one of the villages Jaha saw a huge gate made out of metal with artwork on it, it showed Avater Aang he was slightly standing out from he metal door, so it looked like he would come out of the door at any second. In his left hand he was holding a stick that had the symbol of the Air Nation on it, his left hand and leg sticking out of the metal at least a half meter.

When Jaha looked to the side of the street on the way to the metal gate he saw statues of Katara and Zuko on the right side and statues from Sokka and Toph on the left side, they were big but not as big as the stone wall which surrounded the city. They were either sculpted out of stone or armour he didn't know, but they looked so real that it was nearly scary.

Thomas saw the awe in the little boys face and smiled at him as he said "My people are very proud of their history, and so they created something to show everyone. Do you like your new home?"

Only now Jaha registered that Thomas said "NEW HOME!". Jaha quickly turned his face to Thomas who looked on with friendly eyes "Ne-w h-ome?" Jaha whispered unsure.

Thomas only nodded and said "Yes, this will be your new home. You will live with my family and I in the castle."

Jaha looked deep into Thomas eyes, searching for a lie or anything which showed that this was just a joke, but found nothing. Jaha then thought about what Thomas had just said. Wait in the castle?!

"In.. t-he c-ast-le? What do you me-an ?" stuttered Jaha more confused than ever.

"I meant what I said, you will live with us in the castle and will be a part of our family from now on. I am the Chancellor, so sure my family and I live in a castle "explained Thomas to Jaha the smile never leaving his face.

"With…y-our fam-ily? W-hy?" asked Jaha nearly too quiet to anyone to hear but Thomas did.

"Honestly I had no idea at first, I thought I just wanted to help you because you had to go through so horrible things, but that's not the only reason. I think its fate that our ways met today and I have a feeling that you should be part of my family. I am also determined to protect you like you were my son. I hope that doesn't sound crazy it's just difficult to explain. Hell, even I would think I am crazy when I would hear myself" Thomas began to laugh. It is also the least he can do for this boy.

Jaha nodded and smiled "Maybe you are crazy, but a good crazy." But then Jaha's face turned serious and he said "Thanks, I will make sure to not disappoint you and to make you proud of me"

"You don't need to do anything just be yourself and it will be enough"

Jaha only nodded again thankful for Thomas kindness.

"That reminds me, I have never asked you how old you are."

"I am eight years old, sir" answered Jaha respectfully.

"You don't need to be so polite. You can just call me dad or father…" explained Thomas friendly but then he saw Jaha's expression changed from grateful to one of pain and quickly discovered his mistake, "Or… not if it's too painful for you, you can just call me by my name, Thomas or anything you want."

Jaha nodded and looked thankful to Thomas before he said " I will call you Thomas for now "

Thomas nodded and said a little playfully again with a smile plastered in his face "Then Thomas it is."

Jaha smiled too and shook his head because he didn't understand how someone could be so kind.

"Can I ask you a question si-Thomas?" Jaha hoped Thomas didn't notice the mistake and quickly looked at Thomas who just smiled like nothing happened.

"Yeah sure go on."

"You said family, right?"

Thomas only nodded and waited for Jaha to continue.

"So…do you have children?"

"Yeah a son, his name is Jake, he is two years younger than you, so 6 years old. He will be happy to have someone to play with I am sure."

Jaha thought that since he already has a son that it's even more incomprehensible why he took him in.

"But what if they don't like me or don't want me be a part of the family?" asked Jaha worried.

'Nobody wants a stranger as a family member'thought Jaha. 'I am only a boy who he picked up from the streets, nothing special so why? Why should they like me?'

"I am sure that will not be the case, but if it is I will find another way I promise, you will never need to go through something like that ever again" Thomas looked Jaha deep into his eyes as he said that to make sure he understood that he cares and to prove he is serious with what he said.

'Why does he care so much?'thought Jaha, but he again only nodded to Thomas and looked back to the front. 'Only a few meters left then we will be by the big metal gate' thought Thomas.

Thomas didn't say it but tob e true he was a little worried about what his family will think, yet he believes they will feel the same as he had and wouldn't be against the idea. Nevertheless Jaha's question bothered him a little, what if they didn't argee? What would he do? Would he go against his beloved family for Jaha?

NO! That he can never do, therefore he loves his wife and son too much but alas he can't leave Jaha to himself. He cares for the little boy more than he would have ever thought. 'Why is that so?' Thomas had no idea, he just sensed Jaha will play a big part in his family. Thomas then decided to stop thinking about it, because if he thinks a little longer he will get a headache.

He will just have to wait and see how it goes, and then decide what he will do. He knows that his family will not be against it in his heart. With that thought in mind he looked to the front where the gate stood only one meter away. He took a deep breath before the big mental door opened for him and his army to enter which they did.

The tower bells began to ring which signaled the return of the army. People ran outside their houses and gathered around the main street, which lead straight to the castle. Each one was happy to see they are back, but many were also sad because their loved ones were not with them.

Suddenly, one woman walked in front of Thomas's horse and began to say in a trembling voice "Where is my son? Where is my James?" Tears were streaming down her face. It was a heartbreaking sight to watch. Normally he would have nothing against such an outbreak, but he had a child, jaha who lost his family too, in his arms and it is not a scene which a child should witness.

He remembers this woman she was the mother of James, one of his best warriors. It pained him to tell the mother that her only son died to protect another soldier. Thomas looked back to his first General and nodded to him.

The General nodded too and dismounting from his horse but before he walked to James's mother he took James's belongings. It was customary to give the family of someone who died their possession which was always their sword, the hand from the amour and something the soldier had always with him, in this case it was a photo of his family.

In the picture was a man, a woman, and a little girl in the arms of James. It brought tears to Thomas's eyes but he knew he wasn't allowed to show weakness, and tried to stop them, thinking of something different but nevertheless it always broke his heart in situations like this. The belongings were always wrapped in the cape that had the banner of the air nation on it.

As the General handed the woman the things which belonged to her son, she began to scream and uncontrollable to sob, tears running freely down her face. The woman fell on her knees and hugged the possessions as tight as possible while the tears seemed to find no end.

After a few minutes a man with a little girl walking beside him came forward. He was holding the girls hand as they made their way to James's mother. The little girl left her father's side and ran to the woman "MUMMY!" screamed the girl and hugged her mother tightly. The girl was no older than four.

The mother looked up and into the eyes of her little girl and said with a raspy voice because of the crying and screaming, "Ohh…my little girl" and hugged the girl also. When the father neared them he also knelt down and embraced his wife and daughter. He too had tears running down his face.

Thomas decided then to leave the family their private space and signaled the armee that they are moving. All soldiers were moving except one, Thomas noticed it was the young boy, who was nearly himself a child, who James died to save.

He knelt down and put his forehead on the street and said "I am really sorry! It was my fault he died because he saved me! Your son was a hero to me and everyone else in this army!" the boy was also crying very hard.

The boy expected to see hard looks and hate from the family, however, when he looked up he only saw sadness and forgiveness. The little girl even put her small hand on his cheek. The father then said,"We don't blame you. We blame the war and the Trikru for that"

The boy was relieved that the family didn't blame him as much as he blamed himself. He then like Thomas vowed to help and protect this family with his life.

That was the last thing Thomas saw and heard before the distance was too great, but he was relieved that it ended in a kind of good way.

Jaha in contrast was boiling with rage as he saw this heartbreaking moment with the woman and her family. He hated the Earth Nation now even more which he thought was not even possible. He hated them for what they did to his family, to his village. He hated them for what they did to this family and too many others. He swore he would destroy the Earth Nation even if it is the last thing he ever will do.

Thomas at that time didn't notice Jaha's deep hate for the Earth Nation, and just thought that he was upset because it reminded him of his own family and tried to comfort him, " Shh…it's ok they will never hurt you again." but it didn't comfort Jaha it only spurred him on.

'Yes they will never hurt me again because I will hurt them first. I will destroy them and make sure they will feel the same pain that I had to endure!' thought Jaha as his face turned into a small smile.

Unbeknownst to Thomas who thought the smile was because of a totally different reason and didn't saw what was really behind this facade of a child.

-------

At the same time at the castle:

Thomas's wife Mary and their son Jake were waiting anxiously for the return of Thomas and his army, because the messenger they had sent told them that the army should be back in the next few days if nothing intervenes, and the messenger came three days ago.

As the tower bells were ringing Jake jumped from his mother's lap and shouted happy "Dad! Dad is back!"

Mary smiled at her son happily and said relieved, "Yes he is". She also hoped he wasn't hurt or worse.

She then stood up and made her way to her son, looking down, "Come, we will welcome Dad."

Jake looked happily up to his mother and nodded enthusiastically. They both made their way to the street where they waited for Thomas and his army.

After nearly ten minutes waiting, Mary and Jake could finally see the figure of Thomas who was leading the army sitting on his horse, but the distance was too far for them to see that Thomas had someone in his arms. But what they instantly noticed was the small amount of warriors who actually came back, nearly half of the army didn't returns.

Not to mention the remaining were battered and bloody from the battle. Mary was holding in tears. The moon hung in the sky casting its glow upon anything that touched the earth.

Mary was relieved that Thomas was back, but also sad that they had lost so many good men. Jake who looked up at his mother noticed the sad look on her face, and went to hug her. He took her hand in his hand and took a step back, he squeezed it and sent a reassuring smile.

Mary smiled at her sweet little son and mouthed "Love you" and Jake mouthed back "Love you too" then they looked back to the front, both with a smile plastered on their faces and giving each other strength.

As Thomas came nearer to the castle he could see his lovely wife and son who were holding hands, he smiled at the sight. When they were near enough Thomas brought the horse to a hold directly in front of his family and dismounted from his horse. He then helped Jaha slide down the horse until he could stand without falling. Thomas then looked to his wife and son, and saw the big frowns on their faces.

Thomas thought about how he should best begin but before he could even say a word he was interrupted by the voice of his wife, "Thomas. Who is this?"

Thomas looked down at Jaha then to his son and then back to his wife who was waiting expectantly for Thomas to answer.

"Umm…..This is Jaha we ran into him on the way back. He went through very horrible things and …..I hoped….I wanted him to live with us ….. I wanted to make him a part of our family and I promised him to protect him ….and I hoped ….that you …have nothing against it but ….if then.."

Here he is, the strong leader of the Air Nation who can talk and lead thousands of people but who changes to stuttering idiot in front of his lovely wife.

He again was interrupted by his wife, "Oh Thomas I don't have anything against it. If you think he should be a part of our family then there is a reason and everything you want I want too. I love you and if that is your wish then I will have nothing against it." Mary smiled lovely at her husband.

Thomas smiled back, grateful to have such a wonderful wife. They looked each other deeply into their eyes and got lost in each other. But their staring was broken when Mary looked down as she noticed that Jake had let go of her hand and was going to Jaha. Now both Thomas and Mary were curious about what would happen.

Jake walked to Jaha and stopped when he stood directly in front of him. He then looked serious and stared Jaha up and down, in the end his critic full glance was stopped by looking deeply into Jaha's eyes.

Jaha in the meantime was really nervous,what would happen if Jake didn't like him? Who would like a stranger as a brother? I was really dumb to believe that such a fairy tale was possible. Honestly it's not possible for people to be so kind. People are only kind if they get something from return and I have nothing to give. Stop, that's not true. One thing I give for sure are problems because everywhere I go someone dies or has issues.'

No, they would be stupid to take him in, because it would mean the downfall for this family.

During Jaha's thoughts he didn't noticed that Jake's face had one second to another changed from a serious to a happy face bearing a big smile.

When Jaha noticed he instantly stopped his train of thoughts and looked at Jake who was confused as he was unaware of Jaha's inner monologue he then decided to speak "Welcome home brother" and as Jake said that the smile never left his face, and he extended one hand.

Jaha was shocked, though that was an underestimated. Now he was utterly confused and at loss of words. Jaha looked many times from Jake's eyes to his hand and back up. After a few seconds Jaha hesitantly took Jake's hand in his and Jake squeezed it a little harder and had an even bigger smile on his face.

Jaha looked at their joined hands and then to Jake's face and began also to smile.

'Brother…..sounds good' thought Jaha. From that moment on Jaha and Jake's lives were joined like their hands and their story will begin.

Jaha for the first time after the horrible incident was really happy. 'Yes,…maybe I can live with them and be happy' thought Jaha.

And Jake? Yeah he was another story. Jake was so happy to have a brother, he had so much planned for what they can do together. 'I always wanted a brother and now I have a big brother! That's so cool! I can't wait to show him all my secret places and play with him. It was always so boring alone in the castle.'thought Jake.

"I have an idea that Jake has nothing against it" said Mary with a kind laugh and happy smile, which Thomas returned. Both looked at each other and then looked back at their sons and were happy.

Yeah, Thomas was sure that family was now really complete and everything would be alright.

Poor man, if he knew…..this was not even the beginning…

-----

Present:

She was startled awake by a gentle hand on her shoulder. Her head snapped up as she blinked her eyes wide open, immediately tensing away from the unfamiliar touch. She had never felt weaker and more hopeless than she did in this moment.

With a thud of her heart, she recognized Dalia crouching over her, body framed in sunlight streaming in from the open door and window. Dalia's hand rested on her shoulder as she eyed her with muted concern.

"Dalia...?" said Clarke with a sleepy voice.

Dalia nodded at her, removing her hand from her shoulder and turned around to a table where a tray with food was resting and reached out to take it. Clarke followed her movements weakly.

Although she had just woken from a rest, she still felt herself teetering on the edge of consciousness. Clarke noticed that she hadn't had a nightmare this time although, it could be also because of her exhaustion or, the pain of her injures.

"I thought you would be hungry." said Dalia.

Right on cue, her stomach gave a famished growl, and she tucked her head down as a blush creeped along her cheeks.

Dalia had an amused smile on her face "Seems I was right." Clarke blushed even deeper and quickly wanted to take the food tray from Dalia so, she started to sit up but her body instantly protested in pain. She decided then, that it would be better if she laid down again.

"I put fresh clothes on the chair so you can change in something more comfortable than just a torn dress if you want." she then gestured to a chair with a set off clothes.

"If you need help tell me." said Dalia with a kind and reassuring smile on her face.

After she said that, Dalia turned again and brought a cup made of wood up to her lips, looking on with an encouraging look in her eyes.

"Drink, sky prisa. It will help."

Without question, Clarke nodded her consent and Dalia pressed the cup to her mouth.

She parted her lips slightly, allowing for the cool liquid to pour into her mouth carefully. She moaned involuntarily as the fresh water glided down her throat.

She was so thirsty. The running and the injuries were so exhausting to her body.

"Slowly, you do not want your body to go into shock," Dalia warned, tilting the cup back down to halt the flow of liquid. Clarke nearly protested even though she knew she was right. She needed to pace herself.

After a few moments, she nodded to Dalia again and she tilted the cup back up.

They continued with this pattern for a few minutes in silence. Although her stomach now felt slightly sloshy with the amount of water filling it, Clarke didn't feel like she would ever quench her thirst. She told herself she would have to allow for her body to process the welcomed nutrients in time. Slowly but surely, her thirst would die down.

Now for her hunger.

When Dalia lowered the cup away from her face, Clarke immediately stared down at the full tray with food sitting beside her right leg. Her eyes darted to it quickly, mouth now filling with saliva in anticipation of a meal.

Dalia noticed her gaze with an amused expression and said, "Bread, still fresh. It should coat your stomach nicely."

She broke off a piece for her and handed it to Clarke who took the piece slowly, but when the bread was near Clarke's mouth she bit down savagely, not caring how she appeared to Dalia.

She had to remind herself to chew the entire thing slowly, so as not to choke.

Clarke's last meal was with the Ice Queen, when she didn't have much of an appetite and that were hours before. Therefore she was really, really hungry.

Dalia eyed her with a raised brow, amusement dancing in her eyes, and a smirk on her face.

She finished the piece quicker than she probably should have, eyeing the rest of the food hungrily. She silently begged her for more. Dalia obliged, breaking off another small piece and handing it to her.

They continued like this until the entire bread was finished. Clarke had tried to pace herself, but she was so hungry. Dalia seemed to know this as well, as she picked up and broke off a piece of what appeared to be some kind of meat and handed it to her.

For what felt like over an hour, Dalia and Clarke continued this way until all of the food had been consumed.

Dalia had supplemented her eating breaks with sips from the cup of water, and Clarke was immensely grateful for her care.

She found that she felt quite safe with Dalia. She was comforted by her calm demeanor and her kind eyes, her words of assurance and careful movements.

Although she had only met Dalia a few hours ago, she already felt like she could trust her completely - even if it wasn't yet reciprocated. It wasn't like she knew anything about her, that's for sure.

But there was something about the way she went about doing things that gave her reason to believe that she would never try to harm her.

She truly was a kind soul, and this shown through in every gentle action she took towards Clarke.

It was baffling and wonderful all at the same time.

Especially considering that she looked to be capable of everything but gentleness.

Clarke wished she could thank god for being found by such a person like Dalia.

It was a friendly atmosphere between the two, but it quickly vanished as Clarke remembered Wells.

Dalia who saw the changing of Clarke's expression knew what was about to come and quickly reassured Clarke, "Wells is ok. He survived the night, so he will surely recover but it will take a while until he is fully healed. He has severe injuries in the legs and the chest, and it will be weeks until the poison is fully vanished from his system. Also, his shoulder, which was hit by an arrow, should be healed without trouble but he needs much sleep and rest. "

Clarke silently took in the information and nodded. Fault creeping into her system.

Thank god. He is ok, well as good as someone could be when falling from a cliff. Suddenly, Clarke thought of something. She realized only now that the other woman wasn't here, and she wanted to find out why.

"Where is the other woman, Aurora is her name if I am correct?" asked Clarke friendly but suspicious.

"She is hunting in the forest for food, she should be back in a couple of minutes, though." explained Dalia. "Why?"

Clarke shrugged her shoulders and said "I was just curious."

Clarke was not only curious, but also afraid. Afraid that Aurora was on her way to tell somebody that she is here, especially the Ice Queen or Jaha. She knows that they said they wouldn't send her back to the Queen, but they never said they wouldn't inform her. Maybe the test was just a mind game so that she let her guard down and thinks that she is safe and then, they would strike.

But Dalia was so kind and seemed not to be such a person, but maybe even in the harmless and kindest people slumbers a dark personality. It's dangerous to be at ease. It can all go bad all too easily, Clarke had already experienced it, her father's death for example. Clarke could write a list about such things.

Or, Dalia didn't even know, and also thought that Aurora was hunting, that could be also a possibility.

Nevertheless Clarke decided to stay on guard, even if she was too weak to fight or defend herself and Wells. But to hell with that, she will never go down without a fight even if it's pointless.

And the second thing is that she really was curious.

Clarke wanted to find out more about these two because they are one of the first people she talked with, the exception of Wells, since her father's death. The first people she saw outside of the castle. The first people who were kind at her, ok one of them, and that was not only because of her title it seems, and Clarke hoped this thought was true.

So she started with the first thing that everyone would do when you want to know someone better. She introduced herself.

"You can call me Clarke if you want. You don't need to call me Sky Prisa."

"Clarke.." Dalia tried the name on her tongue and said with a friendly smile "I like the name."

Clarke smiled shyly back at Dalia, but then couldn't hold back her thoughts which were running in her head ever since she woke from her sleep.

"How and where did you find us?" asked Clarke curious and thankful.

"I was looking for plants and herbs with which I can make medicine and during my searching I found you and your friend passed out at the edge of a river, you were luckily that you fell into the water. Otherwise, you would be very dead right now. To be honest, I have no idea how you managed not to get injuries more severe than the ones you have." she finished, her tone somewhat vanished from all emotions, to try to hide her thoughts and expression about them.

But what Dalia didn't say was that even if they fell from the cliff into the water they should be dead.

First, the impact of the high fall would be too intense, and secondly it is also remarkable that they didn't fall on one of the stones which were everywhere in the water.

So their surviving was a mystery and a miracle at the same time.

Clarke didn't notice the change of tone in Dalia's voice.

"Yeah, I am lucky that life for once didn't screw me up." she finished, her tone somewhat light and factual, thought Clarke who didn't noticed that she said that aloud ,but when she looked at Dalia who looked utterly taken aback.

She knew she said that aloud.

Clarke might've laughed at her comically bewildered expression under any other circumstances, but she felt it might be inappropriate now.

Before anyone of them could say something or comment to what was just said the door flew open and Aurora entered the room.

Saying both Clarke and Dalia were surprised was an understatement. Dalia even had her hand on a knife which was attached to her right leg (Clarke didn't even notice that Dalia had a knife attached on her body and was slightly startled) and crouched down into a fighting position directed to where the loud noise came from. When Dalia saw that it was Aurora who was the one that entered she instantly relaxed but Clarke could see that Dalia was slightly confused and maybe annoyed ?

Clarke in contrast didn't calm down even when she saw that it was Aurora. Her heart was beating frantically. What the fuck is wrong with her? Why is she looking like she wants to kill someone? And why is she glaring at Dalia and me? Did I do something wrong, but why would she then also glare at Dalia? Had she changed her mind and she was here to kill me or to bring me back to the Ice Queen? No please!?

"Dalia! I told you, you shouldn't talk with her! We know nearly nothing about her and I don't want you to talk to her, she could be dangerous. Not even now, I am sure if we can trust her." Aurora looked furious at Dalia while she spoke.

Dalia rolled eyes, and says annoyed "Come on Aurora! This is ridiculous look at her, she is severely hurt. She can't even hurt someone if she wants to, and even if she wasn't hurt I am sure I could handle her. And I am pretty sure that she never even had a sword in her hand and….. I even needed to help her eat. We already tested her yesterday and you saw how she reacted to the Ice Queen. It's not something that can you just pretend, it was true fear and you know it. Despite we didn't really talk about important things." While saying that Dalia slowly got irritated at the look Aurora gave her, but tried to be strong and schooled her features so Aurora wouldn't notice but clearly failing if the small smile on Aurora's face said anything.

Aurora, who did not let herself be disturbed by Dalia, responded to her point of view. Clearly seeing that her wife was trying to school her features to look more fierce and serious in what she said but Aurora knew Dalia too perfectly to not see through that. Aurora smiled at her wife's struggle and naive attempts to hide her irritation.

Aurora eyed Dalia and smirked in triumph when she noticed her wife stiffen, and then try to force herself to relax. She had grown accustomed to Dalia's quirks, her tells, her seeming inconsequential little gestures. Dalia had never been particularly good at hiding herself from Aurora. But Dalia also had always been very good at stripping Aurora of her stoicism and that is something not many people could.

"That might be true but we talked about this yesterday I allowed you to bring her something to eat because you didn't stop pleading and because you promised me that you would keep your distance from her, but as soon as I leave for a moment you do the absolute opposite. I know that she is badly injured but that doesn't mean that she is helpless. Skykru are famous for their lies and tricks. I know that first hand…" Sadness is clear in her voice as she said the last sentence but then Aurora shook her head and said with a demanding and strong voice "Now leave, I need to talk to our GUEST" the last word spit out with pure hate as she glared at Clarke.

"But …." Dalia began with the last try to reason with her wife but was instantly interrupted by Aurora's stern and angry voice.

"No buts. NOW!" Aurora looked back at Dalia as she said that and sends her an angry glare. Aurora knew she would need to talk with Dalia later. She was just extremely worried about the safety of her wife. She didn't want to have a repeat of the past. One tragedy had been enough for her, she didn't need a second. If something would happen to Dalia...no, she couldn't live with that. The pain of losing her would kill her, would destroy her. In the past she nearly died because of the pain of losing ...she couldn't even form the name it hurts to much to think about it ... if Dalia hadn't been there she would be sure dead.

Dalia knows that and that's why Aurora couldn't understand why Dalia intentionally ignored her pleads. But Aurora can't be really angry at Dalia because that's her wife. Someone who does everything to help others, even if they don't deserve it. That's one of the reasons she fell in love with her. But Aurora also needed to stay strong for both of them because if she is weak then...then the same will happen to Dalia, just like ...No! Aurora couldn't think about that, thinking 'it is a totally different situation!' This Sky Girl is weak and has no chance against them. But she also knew that often the harmless looking people could be the most dangerous because they are unpredictable.

Dalia was right, the fear the Sky Girl had shown when they talked about the Ice Queen was true but...but what if this Girl was just one of the best actresses she has ever seen. If she was really in an alliance with the Ice Nation then that could be a possibility. The Ice Queen herself was known for her deceptions and manipulations. Maybe the Ice Queen has sent (her future wife) the Sky Prisa to manipulate them and bring her to the Commander.

Maybe she thought that the Sky Prisa would get sympathy from them because of the arranged marriage. No, she will not let the Sky Girl deceive her and play into the hands of the Ice Queen. No, first she will find out more about this girl and why she was really here, in this land.

Aurora had made a decision. If the Ice Queen and the Sky Prisa wanted to manipulate us than she would manipulate them as well. She will not let this girl out of her sight for one second. Now it's even easier because of the injuries. But one thing Aurora must admit is how impressive it was of how far the Ice Queen and the girl would go to achieve their goal. If my wife hadn't found them in time they would both be dead.

But another mystery is how they even survived the fall off the cliff if what they said was true. However, her wife said that there were many signs from the fall, the broken branches that were hanging around the cliff for example.

If Aurora thought more about it,..The Sky Prisa herself was a mystery. Aurora shook her head when she thought about how one blonde girl can cause such troubles. But Aurora knew one thing about the Sky Girl for sure and that was that she really seemed to care about this boy. She didn't know what relationship the two had, but she could clearly see in the way the girl acted that she loved this boy deeply. She had often seen this in other's eyes when someone really wanted to protect a loved one. She, herself often enough had this look towards Dalia.

So maybe she could use the love for this boy against the Sky Girl. Yeah that's a good plan.

Aurora's thoughts then were interrupted by her wife's voice.

Dalia nodded and walked to leave the room, but before she left Dalia sighed and said "Fine ….but don't be too hard on her. She is a good person and you know it."When Dalia didn't get a respond she sighed again, after that she left the room and shut the door behind her.

Aurora followed Dalia with her eyes and waited until she left the room before she would start to move or begin to speak.

Clarke looked at Aurora who then began to talk to Dalia in their language, but it seemed more like a fight or quarrel than talking.

Clarke looked back and forth between Dalia and Aurora while they talked. The only things she understood from the jumble of sounds were their names "Dalia and Aurora" and the rest was nonsense.

It seems Aurora was angry at Dalia about something and Dalia was annoyed at Aurora, about what, she couldn't be sure. But Clarke could put two and two together and could think about what they were talking about if one interpreted the dark looks and hand gestures at her right.

Maybe Aurora was angry at Dalia because she brought me something to eat or that she talked with me? Thought Clarke but they were only speculations. She could be totally false and it had nothing to do with her but she strongly doubted it.

But nevertheless Clarke was totally confused and had no idea what just happened. First Dalia brought her Food and talked with her ….a stranger no less! And now Aurora stormed furiously into the room and was fighting? With Dalia?

After Aurora and Dalia seemed to come to an end with the discussion Dalia left the room. Clarke was again left confused what just happened, but she was also slightly sad that Dalia left and terrified because she was all alone with Aurora. Clarke looked at the door where Dalia had left and prayed for her to come back and to not leave her alone with Aurora but she knew that her prays will not be heard.

With a gulp, Clarke slowly turned back to Aurora.

At the same time Aurora turned her fierce gaze back to Clarke. They looked at each other but neither of the two spoke a single word. After what felt like minutes of tense silence, Aurora began to speak.

"First of all I don't like you talking to my wife or you asking her questions."

Clarke internally rolled her eyes at that, like she thought. Clarke didn't understand why talking with Dalia or asking her questions was such a crime for Aurora. It's not like they talked about important stuff or secrets about the Earth Nation. Clarke quickly lost interest with what Aurora said she wasn't allowed to do. It's not like she could do much.

"Secondly but not least, I should have had informed the Commander of your presence here. I am sure she would be interested to know that the Sky Prisa is in her land"

At that Clarke snapped her head back to Aurora. She looked at Aurora with wide eyes, fear clearly present on her face. Aurora had stopped talking to see Clarke's reaction to what she said and was pleased when she saw the fear in the girls eyes.

The Commander? Clarke didn't know much about the Commander, just that she was the leader of the Earth Nation, like the Chancellor of the Air Nation and the Ice Queen of the Ice Nation. The rumors that she heard in the castle from maids who'd talk to travelers included a few who claimed that they saw or talked with the commander but how much from that is true only god knows.

Anyway the rumors said that she is very smart and strong but also ruthless. She would kill, torture, and betray anyone if it's for the safety of her people. She would do everything in her power to protect her people but she is also fair. She would kill a whole nation if they are a threat to her people.

Rumors also said that she has a heart of stone and doesn't feel a single emotion. That she makes a mask on her face with the blood of her victims. That she is such a good fighter that she can kill an army of 300 warriors alone. That she would even kill her loved ones and friends if it's for her people (if she even has one).

Most people also said that if someone looks too long or too deep into her eyes the person will be like hypnotized and feel the pain of all those people she had killed, and after that they will die just from looking into her eyes or will kill themselves because of the pain.

She is also famous for her great earth bending. Many had said that her Earth bender powers are so strong that they even challenge the powers of the last avatar.

It is also believed that she is the strongest Earth bender that the earth nation has ever seen.

If you sum up all those rumors than you have the commander being a goddess or the devil depends from which side you are seeing it.

So Clarke is not very keen to meet this Commander. She would like to live a little more before she faces death, but if Aurora informed this Commander then she have little chance to escape this doom.

Clarke can only hope that the Commander will kill her fast even if she strongly doubts it. She will for sure want information from the air nation and their alliance with the Ice Nation. Surely she will not believe her when she would say that she knows nothing about the Air Nation plans or the alliance with the Ice Nation.

So after all this fight to escape from the grasp from Jaha and the Ice Queen she will just die? And what about Wells, will she kill him too or will she let him live after he said everything he knew, which she knows is not much because Wells's father is not really an open person, not even to his own and only son.

There is a rumor that she will kill not someone if the person is of use to her, if that's true and she really hopes it is, then maybe , just maybe she can make a deal so that Wells can live. She has no idea how but she will think of something. She doesn't care if she dies but Wells doesn't deserve death only because he wanted to help her.

Sure Wells will not be pleased, but she can't let another person she loves die because she did nothing about it.

So it is decided, if she wants to kill me I don't care, but I will do everything to save Wells even if it's the last thing I do, literally.

But maybe …. Her thoughts were interrupted by Aurora's voice.

She had seen the girl deep in thought and wanted to know what was going on in the head of hers, but stopped her curiosity before it could overtake her and didn't ask.

After a few torturous minutes for Clarke, Aurora began to speak again. "But I didn't."

Clarke being shocked by these words was an understatement.

Clarke broke eye contact momentarily to process everything Aurora just said. She had so many questions and things she wanted to say but she didn't know where to begin. She decided to start with the most pressing thought on her mind.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you inform the Commander?" asked Clarke, really curious for the answer.

"I have my reasons that you don't need to know, they're not important for you to know." Aurora said matter-of-factly.

"Please, if it's not important for me why can't you just tell me? And why should I believe that you didn't already inform the Commander, how do I not know it's not a ploy for me to get comfortable."

"Even if that's the case you wouldn't have a chance against one of us, and not only because of your condition but you also wouldn't dare to do anything because of your friend. You know we would kill him in an instant if you do anything."

"And yet you believe I am dangerous and you don't even let me talk to your wife." said Clarke really annoyed that she again gets no answers to her question.

Why can't they just for once answer a damn question!?Thought Clarke.

Aurora didn't like how this girl could turn her words but she had to admit that this girl is pretty smart for her age. The way the girl doesn't let her fears dictate her actions is impressive.

No, the fear even makes her stronger it seems and it's like firewood for her fighting spirit. Showing fear is a weakness but she makes it seem as if it were strength. She uses the fear to give everything to protect her loved ones but it is not desperate as with most.

Aurora can't explain what it is but she knows this girl is different than anyone she has ever met. If good or bad, that she has still to decide. She is also not afraid to talk openly even if she is at a disadvantage but she doesn't talk without thinking and only if the situation is right.

She is very passionate when she speaks and surely if she could fight it would be too. She is also very stubborn, she doesn't give up until she got what she wanted that's the first thing Aurora noticed about the Sky Prisa. Clearly this girl is …interesting. With all these abilities she would be a good warrior even a good leader if she uses them correctly but Aurora shakes this thought instantly out of her head.

Back to the task Aurora!Aurora scolded herself in her head.

"So I decided you and your friend will stay here until you are healed enough that you can walk without help, but I never want to see one of you ever again near this house or area, am I clear?!"

Clarke only nodded silently and waited for Aurora to speak again. She can work with that.

"But I will inform the Commander of your presence in her lands as soon as you and your friend leave." Again Aurora waited curiously for the girl's respond to that.

Clarke couldn't be silent anymore after she heard that and said horrified "But what if the Ice Queen or Jaha finds out that I am here?"

"That's not my concern Sky Prisa but only yours and your friend's" Aurora said matter- of-factly.

"But I will give you advice: You better hope that the Commander finds you before the Ice Queen because she perhaps is gracious enough to grant you a fast death" said Aurora with a serious voice.

"It would be better if no one of those two finds me!" Clarke muttered sarcastically and annoyed.

But Aurora didn't even listen to her, stood up and said before she left the room, closely the door behind herself "Fast recovery, Sky Prisa."

Clarke didn't really register Aurora's last words because she already was in deep thought. But had she heard it she would have been very angry at how to Aurora everything seemed just like a game, or that she didn't care if someone's life will be destroyed or gone.

That brought her to the thought of where they even wanted to go. Wells never said if he had any idea where they could go and be safe from everyone because they needed to run and had no time to talk, they hadn't a single minute rest. But she would ask him immediately when Wells awakes and recovered enough to talk and also when she could walk to him without falling to the floor.

And there we have the next problem, how can she talk with Wells without one of them hearing or can be sure that they are not spying on them because they are so silent that you can't even hear them walk.

She knows from stories that the Trikru warriors are the most silent warriors in whole world. They are famous for their silence and good fighting. They are so silent that even a few say that they are one with the woods.

Like how the Azgeda warriors are famous for their brutality and heartlessness similarly like the ice from the land in which they came from. They are the rumors which she caught all the years in the castle but she herself detected that not all rumors match the truth, if she only takes herself as example. But she also knows that sometimes even a fraction can be true and she is sure that it is the case by those two.

Even if she hadn't had much to do with these warriors. If she takes the warriors of the Azgeda she saw for example then the rumors can't be too far away from the truth and when she takes Dalia and Aurora for example then she can be sure that those two fall into the description of the Trikru warriors.

What she also can be sure of is that the Earth Nation warriors and the Azgeda warriors are the absolute opposite from each other, from what she already has seen. The Trikru warriors are so silent that you can't even hear one sound, and Azgeda warriors are loud and arrogant, if she can use the Azgeda warriors who visited the Air Nation as an example.

Azgeda warriors are arrogant and believe that they are better than everyone else whereas Trikru warriors are extremely careful even before an extremely injured girl who it seems cannot even fight with a sword or her hands and still never underestimate their enemies although they know they are superior.

She also noticed that the Ice Nation warriors had scars plastered on all their faces and white war paint expect the Ice Queen, who had blue paint around her eyes, but she things that only the royals wear this colour but she can't be sure because she saw only one royal from the Ice Nation and that was the Ice Queen which she could have declined if someone would ask her.

The Trikru warriors instead have tattoos which are not always on their faces. She saw on Dalia's right arm a long black painted tattoo with circles and decorations, she is pretty sure that she saw the beginning of a tattoo on Aurora's right cone and left neck. Her artist's heart only wanted to follow the lines of the design with her fingertips. So she thinks but only thinks that maybe the Trikru warriors wear tattoos on their bodies like the Azgeda wear their scars?

She is very curious to find out which colour the Trikru's warpaint has. But if she thinks about it again then she doesn't. She would bury her curiosity if it means to be dead.

She knows most of her knowledge from the Earth Nation warriors or Ice Nation warriors even from the leaders of the other nation that come from rumors, which needed to change she promised to herself. She can't just depend on rumors what other people say because sometimes only little is true from them or maybe even nothing and it's too dangerous to believe inaccurate information.

One false move can cost you your head, literally.

She knows it wasn't her fault that she was held captive in her room but she wants to learn new things. She wants to learn how the outside world is, how earth outside her four walls were. She wants to learn more about the people which live here or in other nations.

She wished she could just travel freely and discover new thinks, learn more about the different nations and their people. She wants to get to know more people, new people from different nations. She never had understood why all nations are enemies.

Maybe onetime in a long future... the nations won't hate each other anymore and can live in peace, but that will also maybe remain just a wish. A wish for a better future, where people and children grow up safe and without pain.

But back to the actual topic she will first ask Wells if he knows of a place where they would be safe and then work on a solution to the problem with Aurora. If Aurora really informs the Commander of her presence then it will be even more difficult to find a safe place.

It would be even worse when the Ice Queen and Jaha know where they are and even the worst scenario would be that all of them find out that she is here in the Trikru land. Then they would have three leaders from different nations on their backs and that is not as funny as it sounds.

She knows she can't think about a solution if she doesn't know if Wells has a place to go. So she decided to wait until Wells recovered and then will think of a solution. Now they need to wait and recover first, later they could think about this whole situation.

The thinking made Clarke really tired, she didn't even noticed that she began to drift into sleep again but she didn't complain.

She thought before sleep overtook her I will just relax this once and will rest. I am sure nothing will happen until tomorrow. I will this once trust their words….

So she did exactly that and went to sleep. Guard down for one night. Again.

The fresh clothes which Dalia brought were forgotten on the chair and silence overtook the room, expect from the steady breathing from a sleeping Clarke.

Chapter Text

(Chapter 9 -- Will be insert here)---Update: 03.02.2018--- Chapter will be delayed because I have a huge writing block with the last part and I am also really busy with my studies but I try to be back at writing as fast as I can. I am sorry that you all Need to wait so Long for this chapter and I hope it will be worth the wait. Just wanted to update you all so that you know I haven't given up this Story.

Sneak Peek 1:

„Heda!”  His squeaky voice trembled as he tried to get his breath back. He must have run as fast as he could. What ever he has to say conveys the impression of upper importance if they would send a non nightblood into a sacred place like that.

Lexa could see his throat bob as he swallowed thickly as he stops in front of her. He then dropped to his knee and bowed his head deeply.

She waits until he has composed himself enough so that he could talk again before she asks „ What is it, goufa?“

 Sneak Peek 2:

There was no way out other than death. She surrendered to her fate. I am sorry Wells. She felt the tears begin to well behind her eyes. She wanted to push herself to her feet and fight but if she even so as moved one inch the blade would slash her neck open. She prayed to the humanity in Aurora to let her live.

Thank you again for all the kudos, Bookmarks and comments. They mean really a lot to me!! Love you all <3

Chapter Text

This is a short Explanation why I hadn't updated and will update not until end of December. ( 01.01.2018 - Nearly finished with the next chapter, only need to edit a few parts and I am struggling to write the last part but hopefully I will be finished soon ;)  )

We were on Holiday when my brother, my best friend and I had a car accident. No worry I just got a minor concussion,  few bruises and broken bones but my brother .......he was in a very critical situation. It was horrible ....and I am still shaken from this Event. My best friend fortunately had only a few bruises because of the protection from our bags including my laptop bag.

This brings me to the next thing because of the crash my laptop got several damaged. I brought him as soon as I was back to a professional and asked if he could safe what was on the laptop. Unfortunately most of the documents were lost or several damaged.

I have only a few pieces left of the next chapter and need to rewrite nearly everything.

The third problem is I have still nightmares of this accident and my brothers emotionless face. I just....I can't concentrate on the story. School began again and takes a lot of time too but I am confident to tell you that I will update end of December.

I am sorry that you all need to wait so long for this chapter and I will try to make it worth the wait, I promise :)

P.S.: Thanks for all the kudos, comments and bookmarks they really help to keep me going.

A Little preview for you all :

„Heda!”  His squeaky voice trembled as he tried to get his breath back. He must have run as fast as he could. What ever he has to say conveys the impression of upper importance if they would send a non nightblood into a sacred place like that.

Lexa could see his throat bob as he swallowed thickly as he stops in front of her. He then dropped to his knee and bowed his head deeply.

She waits until he has composed himself enough so that he could talk again before she asks „ What is it, goufa?“

Love iwi <3

Chapter Text

For the next weeks Dalia and Clarke fell into what one might call a routine.

Dalia would come twice a day once in the morning and once at sundown, to bring her ample of food and to renew the bandages.

As well as a salve to speed up the healing process of the cuts that lined her face and hands. 

Despite Aurora’s loud protest the last time Dalia and Clarke found themselves talking to each other. Both found a common ground in the art of healing. They discussed different herbs, ways how to treat wounds and Clarke would retell what she had read in the books worn out with age back in her room. Dalia was impressed by Clarke’s knowledge which prompt her to ask Clarke if she ever made use of it. Clarke then explained to her that her knowledge only comes from books and what her mother had taught her. Dalia was delighted to hear that Clarke’s mother was a healer too. Dalia then said she would need a tutor and if Clarke wanted she could teach her.

When Aurora got wind of their plan, she was less than pleased about it, but in the end she could not deny any of her wife’s wishes. She agreed, but not without giving Clarke another threat.

It may at first seemed like Aurora were in control but in reality Dalia was the one. Aurora was like what one might describe a lovesick puppy around Dalia- Very protective. She would loudly bark but never bite against Dalia’s wishes.

Still between Dalia’s teachings and sleep she was followed by exactly those two eyes.

So here there were, weeks later. Clarke was finally ready enough to walk again without constant pain travelling through her body.

She stands besides Dalia , sorting herbs Dalia had gathered into wooden bowls from extremely toxic to harmless. Which exactly was the first lesson Dalia has taught her. Dalia once jokingly said „We wouldn’t want you to lose a limb by accidently eating one of this blue piebald berries“.Clarke is thankful for everything Dalia has done for her. Clarke was so focused on this simply task that she didn’t even notice that Dalia stopped with hers. Only when she felt another set of eyes following her movements, looked she up. She was met with the curious gaze of Dalia.

“Is something wrong?” Clarke asked carefully, which brought Dalia out of whatever trace she was captured in. Dalia snapped her head to Clarke, her facial features scrunching up into a frown and then she shook her head like one would do if you thought of something silly.

“Ahm..no ..Ahm….It’s just..It’s nothing really” Dalia’s eyes finally met Clarke’s acommpanied by a gentle but forced smile.

Clarke arches an eyebrow.

Dalia bows her head, hands coming together to continue her sorting of herbs.

For a long moment Clarke simply looks at her. She itches to put a resurring hand on Dalia’s shoulder. To tell her, it’s ok to ask questions.

Dalia shifts, clearly uncomfortable at the growing tension, and finally her arms slacken and she turns to Clarke.

“It’s just….I have never seen a tattoo like this and from what I know of the Air Nation is that they don’t have tattoos since the great war and even then they wouldn’t look like this.” Dalia pointed at the inked skin that peeked through under the shirt on her right arm.

Clarke had rolled up the sleeves of her shirt to work easier clearly forgetting her not so inconspicuous tattoo. She quickly covered it again with the light clothing.

She’s just about worked herself up to explain when Dalia speaks again

“If I start to think more about it, it looks similar to the tattoos of the Trikru and in our culture every one has it’s own meaning, so I am asking myself what does yours mean? Furthermore how did you get it?” Dalia continued,seemingly getting deeper into her own thoughts.

Clarke tried to tame her growing panic. Her heart rate pounded through her head as she began to tremble.

If Dalia seemed to notice she didn’t let it on. Clarke clenched her hands into fists to refrain them from exposing her. She clears her throat to loosen the lump in her throat „ Ahm….I got it when I was really young so… I can’t remember sorry…“ She may have nearly shallowed a few words here and there but Clarke hoped it sounded convincing enough.

To her relieve Dalia seemed to buy the poorly wrapped lie and mistook Clarke’s anxiety as discomfort on this topic. Which aims not far from the bullseye.

She wasn’t used to people asking her personal questions no less talking to her. Isolation does that with a person. She is sure if she hadn't had Wells to talk with all this years, she would have built a society anxiety or something similar.

She lifted the last herb and put it into the toxic bowl.

Finished with her part, Clarke excused herself and made her way to Wells before she could walk through the door she was halted by Dalia’s voice.

Who had her back to Clarke even as she said in a small voice „ I am sorry if I may have upsetted you it was not my intention“

„No you didn’t it…it just brings memories back…“ Clarke didn’t wait for a response before she closes the door behind her.

She didn’t instantly move instead letting the door carry her weight, taking shaky breaths.

She fingered the cloth where now her hidden tattoo rested. She looked around, finding herself alone in the room except of a sleeping Wells.

Deeming it safe she rolls her right sleeve up to expose a little piece of her tattoo. She traces the inked lines with her short fingers when memories flooded her mind.

She was young again, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her father was still alive and knelt before her, his big hand clasped her shoulder, looking worried. Her mother stood not far behind him. She had tears running down her face. Her face was puffy and red from it.

Clarke’s own young eyes couldn't hold back the waterfall. Big hot tears travelled over her cheeks. She remembered the pain. A small shadow of it is still there. It hurted so much.

Her father squeezed her shoulder softly to get her attention back to him. Clarke could see he was holding his own tears at bay.

„Clarke you need to listen to me really carefully. It’s really important.“ He tells her. His tone is firm, but not unkind. It has ring of both authority and affection to it, and the little girl is nodding even before he finishes.

„Clarke you can not tell anyone how you got this tattoo or what it means.“

Clarke tried to interfere but was stopped by Jake’s voice

„It’s not important if you don’t know what it means, others may do. So please promise me that you tell nobody, not even Wells“

Clarke’s facial features scrunched together in confusion.

„Why? Wells is my best friend. He would never do something to hurt me“ asked the naive child.

„You can trust nobody with this. You only need to be heard talking about this with him or he accidently tells someone. The less people know the smaller the risk of anybody finding out“

Clarke shakes her head not understanding what the big deal is with this tattoo or why she can't tell at least Wells.

„When you get older you will understand. Now promise me you will do what we discussed“

Clarke mulled over it and finally extended her pinky finger „Pinky promise, daddy“

Jake smiled lovely at his daughter „Pinky promise“.

He intertwined his pinky with hers. She spared a last look at her mother who had a relieved but repentance look on her face.

Since that day she had never worn something without long sleeves. I am sure there are rumours about this too. Her father had lied she still doesn’t know why she needs to hide it.

With a sigh , she pulled it back down, feeling the familiar safety of the clothing.

With a bucket of water in hand she knelt next to the makeshift bed Wells was laying in. As she first saw that Wells who really had more fatal injuries than her was laying in what resembles a beggar bed where she instead was laying in a wonderful soft dream of a bed, she got really angry.

She thought those women to be different but it seems where ever you go it’s still important who you are or what lineage you are coming from. Sad, just sad.

She still felt a small tuck of pain when moving in specific positions but nothing like she has endured on the first days.

She immersed the shred in the clear water, squeezed it shortly and brought it softly to wells overheated skin. The coldness of the water bringing a small relieve to Wells exhausted body.

She moistened the shred again that Dalia had given her. It was a little ragged at the edges from use.When she deemed it to be wet enough she lifted it and squezzed it until no drops of water could escape. She gently washed the pearls of sweat away that adorned his forehead. Wells let out a small groan when the cold water touched his burning skin for a second time.

Clarke really hoped that he will overcome this fever soon. Dalia reassured her that this was a normal response to the poisoning in his body. Still she would feel better if Wells would wake up soon.

She wants to hear her friends voice again, not groans of despair. Furthermore she isn’t sure how long those women will keep their promise.

In a few days.

In a few days had Dalia said then should be the poison fully out of his body. Dalia was confident to say, her reasoning if he survived until now he can survive until the less dangerous amount of the poison is out of his body.

She had only a few days left to think about a plan. She hoped Wells knew where they could go after he wakes up because she had no idea. She tried to find one but came out with nothing all this weeks.

She straightens her slumped shoulders a bit when voices drift closer to the room and someone enters, the heavy confident stride letting Clarke know who it is without looking. She hears the scraping of wood as the chair in the right corner of the room was pulled aside followed by a dull noise when this person sat upon it.

She could feel the older women’s peering stare boring into her back. Clarke didn’t care to turn around and just continued her tasks. Over the weeks she grew used to the eyes following every step of hers. She couldn’t wrap her mind around how Aurora could think of her as a terrible threat but shrugged it away, adding it to the women’s personality.

They never talked much to each other. The way she looked at Clarke with utter dissdain was enough of a warning to her so she wasn’t sure what possessed her to be talkative tonight.

„ You know just because I was born a princess doesn’t mean I had a perfect life“ Clarke began breaking the developed silence between them

Aurora snorted at that. Clarke couldn’t describe what was different tonight but she couldn’t control her anger at Aurora’s I- know-everything-better attitude.

She squeezed the ragged shred a little to forcefully prompting her into hurting herself. Her rosy fingers turning white through the force.

Silence conquered the room again each of them lost in their own thoughts. It hung in the air like the suspended moment before a falling glass shatters on the ground.

This time Aurora’s raspy voice filled the silence „ I am sure trying to decide which dress to wear or what food to eat is really difficult. The only thing I could sympathize with you about is the need to marry the Ice Queen. I am sure you found your parents cruel when you didn’t get everything you wanted“

At the mention of her parents Clarke finally snapped.

„You don’t know me! Don’t talk about thinks you don’t know and never speak ill of my parents again“ Clarke snarled, moving her aggravated gaze to Aurora for the first time tonight, to underline her words.

„Oh. Did I hit an open wound. I am sorry“ Aurora said.

Clarke heard the sarcasm dripping from every word, she herself is a lover of using it.

Clarke turned back to her ill best friend and decided to ingnore Aurora’s witty comments for the rest of the evening. It seems to her Aurora takes joy out of making her angry.

The anger was soon replaced by sadness when she thought about her parents.

Again she didn’t know what brought her to open up about her past or to Aurora of all people. But the words bubbled out of her mouth like water falls down a cliff. Uncontrollable to stop. Maybe she wanted it just out of her system. She could never talk about this with anyone, not even Wells. Maybe it was because Aurora didn’t care who she is or how she feels.

„ At the time I was 8 years old my father was killed before my very own eyes by someone who I believed to be my uncle“

A deadly silence wrapped itself around them. Even through the burning fireplace the room’s temperature seems to have dropped to a freezing cold. It lingered in the air, thick and heavy, like a blanket.

„What about your mother?“ Aurora asked at last with a tone Clarke couldn't decipher, it sounded nearly careful but that couldn’t be.

„I don’t know. She vanished, she could be still in the air nation or dead I wouldn’t know“ clarke said dejected. Suppressed pain flashed over her features before it was gone a minute later.

„If both your parents were out of the picture who took care of you then?“ Aurora gently prompt for more.

„My fathers’s murderer. He put me into a room and isolated me from everyone because of my—“ Clarke stopped before she could say something which she would later regret.

„Because of your….“ Aurora repeated, her right eyebrow arched. 

Clarke acts as if she didn’t hear Aurora.

„I felt like a prisoner in a golden cage.The only person I was allowed to talk to was Wells. I just wanted to get out of this damn room feel the fresh air on my skin and the soft ground of the woods under my feet again. My wish was granted but not in the way I hoped it would.“ she peeked a glance at Wells.

„My fathers murderer told my people a lie so that they wouldn’t ask questions“

Aurora felt there was more behind this but didn’t dig further.

It’s too late to go back now, so Clarke just lets it all out, her fear, rage and helplessness, the way the past weeks have stripped her of everything.

Clarke was on a roll „Then the Ice Queen was welcomed into the Air Nation. I was curious at first but the way she looked at me and touched me made me feel scared, helpless….. I didn’t know at the time that Jaha planned to marry me off to her. I only found out through Wells when we were running for our lives. To save Wells life I killed people of my own, soldiers who were just following orders. I still feel their hot blood on my hands and see their lifeless eyes staring at me in my dreams but I would do it again. I couldn’t risk that another person I loved died because of me. You know what happed next…“

Clarke didn’t miss a beat and robbed Aurora’s chance to talk, she let out a bitter laugh „ There was a brief moment when I woke up where I hoped to get a second chance but it seems I am doomed to run and hide. They will never stop looking for me and after we leave this house the Commander too will search for me and Wells. Laying in the bed for weeks, gave me a lot of time to think and I vowed to myself to become stronger.I never want to feel the way I had back there in the castle under the mercy of another person. I will find a way to protect Wells and my people.“

Tears sprang to her eyes, threatening to fall but Clarke took all of her resolve she had left to stop them. She wouldn't cry in front of another person, another stranger.

One time was already embarrassing enough for a life time. She brushed away unfallen tears with the back of her hand.

Aurora didn’t say anything, stunned into silence. The Skyprisa was right, she judged a single person for the crimes of her clan without knowing that the blonde girl herself fell victim to them.

A groan followed by a deeper shade of a voice finally broke the awkward silence which has been laying over them since the end of Clarke’s monolog.

Clarke nearly jumped out of her skin, to her shame she had forgotten the third person in the room.

„C-ar-ke…“ said a tired Wells. He heavy coughs, it was painful for him to talk. His voice is hoarse from weeks no talking.

“Wait” she quickly stands up, takes a wooden cup which was standing on the table next to Aurora, fills it with water and returns with it in her hand to Wells side. She gentle helps him upright and brings the timber made cup to his dry lips. His body welcomes the water like a flower would in the desert.

She grabs the neck of the water jug, to refill it as soon as he is finished with the first one. His body has lost a lot of fluid through the healing process. Drinking should help against the dehydration.

He coughs and feels something loosen.

“Clark-e” Wells tries again, which sounded much better than his first try had. There are still traces of rust in his voice, but the words do come easier.

She hears a chair scrape again, and then Aurora comes into view as she steps forward “I will let you be but don’t forget to refill a wood when the fire goes out.” A ripple of something passes through Aurora’s eyes, too quickly for Clarke to identify, before she left the room. Or maybe she was too busy being happy to hear her friend’s voice again and to see him awake after all this weeks.

…..

Late at it is, she walked into her bedroom, to find her wife already deep asleep.

Aurora smiled softly at her beautiful wife, bringing her hand to gently brush back the fine hairs that have fallen out of her braid off her face.

Pressing her lips to her forehead, she whispered, “Sleep well my love”.

Seeing as the sheet of fur was about to fall off the bed, she grabbed it and pulled it over Dalia’s body, to make sure she wouldn’t be cold, before she moved to lay beside her.

How hard she tried to relax, sleep wouldn’t come instead she found herself thinking about what the Sky Prisa had said.

After some time the memories fussed together and instead of the Sky Prisa stood a young boy not older then nine winters. He had dark-brown, nearly black hair and innocent crystal blue eyes.

He was shaking over his whole body, his eyes nervously flickered around from one person to another until they finally settled on her. He held his breath, dreading to make a false move, to dissapoint.

Aurora knelt before him, puts her hands on his shoulders, so that they were on the same eye level.

“Don’t be afraid. Take deep breaths, it’s ok seken” Aurora calmly instructed.

The boys eyes widened comicly. He took a shaky breath and whispered “Seken?”

“Yes you heard right my son. I choose you as my seken” there was a slithy uptick at the corner of her mouth.

With this words the boys whole demanour changed instantly to a pround one. He straightens his shoulders, buffed his cheast out and repeated the words which has been inculcated into him since his birth “ For the purpose of my blood. I give my heart, my soul, my head to my people. To honour those who have fallen and will soon rise, I will fight until death shall take me.” He moved his small fist over his heart to emphatic his words.

Aurora nodded proudly. She had made the right choice by selecting him. Something had drawn her to him since she first laid eyes on him. Kindness radiated off of him but there was fire behind it. Fire which seemed to sparkle as he recited those sacred words.

……

The same boy now older sat upon a horse, with the weight on his shoulders only a small portion of people could relate to.

The sky was clear from any clouds, blindening sunbeams made it difficult to see the outline of his person.

“Without a seed of trust there cannot be peace.” Only then looked he over his shoulder, flashing her a smile “I know what I have to do.”

He directed his sight straight ahead looking over the horizon.The sun was rising marking the begin of another day.

“I will not stand by and watch my people getting slaughtered because some are too afraid of change”

From where she was standing, she couldn’t detect his eyes but she was sure she would find the same fire of determination she had seen all this years ago.

She trusts him to do the right thing. He may not be the strongest but his heart was on the right place and that’s what counts to her.

She stays there, watching until he and a small party of soldiers disappeared from her sight, shallowed by the boundary of earth and light.

……

Now time flashed forward, to a young blonde girl from an enemy clan.

She layed in bed, with pain from a fall she should’t have been able to survive.

The same eyes. The same fire as she tries to sit up even through the pain.

“Come on Clarke…You can do it…Wells needs you ….your people need you” the Sky Prisa urged herself on.

Every single day Aurora observed the girls struggle and fight. Her fight against the inevitable.

Smart.

She is a quick learner. She observes everything she hears and tries to do her best.

Strong not physical but mentally everything added to the puzzle. Two persons with similar strong- willed natures, both bound to their fate.

With the same dream of freedom.

She knows what she has to do.

Closing her eyes she fell into a deep slumber.

……

At the same time another person found no rest, plagued by the past.

Clarke shifted from one side to another, sweat gathered at her forehead.

She was back at the day her father was murdered. Back at the room which would later meant to be her prison.

Clarke was escorted with one guard on either of her side to her room. Upon arriving, she was roughly shoved inside promting her to nearly lose her footing. As soon as she stood firmly on the ground again,she turned to glare at them only to be received by a wall of wood.

She continues to glare angrily at the closed door as tears sprang to her eyes. Clenching her fists at her sides, she jumped onto her bed. Tears now freely streamed down her face and land on the soft pillow which she has squeezed to her face. Marking the white pillowcase with dark spots of pain.

She screamed into it, punched it, squeezed it. Letting everything out „Dad!!“ the agony seemed to find no end.

Could she die of dehydration from crying ? She didn’t care…

Hiding her face into the pillow she tries to forget the images of her father dying. Wishing for it to be just a cruel nightmare. To wake up the next morning and to see the smile on her fathers face when he wished her good morning.

Suddenly the door was opened, shocked she looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway, not far behind the soldiers from earlier.

„Clarke…“ said her mother with a broken voice. She stretched out her arms, Clarke sprinted into them. She slung her arms around Abby’s neck, clinging for dear life.

She felt a little better with her mum’s arms holding her, protecting her. Even as she knew far back in her head that her mother was as helpless as her in this situation.

“Oh Clarke. My poor baby. I am so sorry.” She tightens her grip around her small daughter when the sobbs got stronger. Abby moved one hand to stroke the back of her child’s head.

“Forgive me.” Abby shakily whispered into Clarke’s hair.

Clarke nodded before registering what her mother had said. Confused, Clarke raised her head where it had comfortable rested in Abby's neck. Starring with glassy eyes at her only safe heaven left.

“W-hat do you m-ean” she stammered out.

Abby just shook her head ruefully, saying “You need to listen to me very carefully we have not much time” she discreetly peeked a glance at the stoic guards.

She let Clarke slit down her body and took her daughter’s right hand between her own. Trying to extract strength for what she was about to reveal.

“ There's something that your dad and I did not tell you“

Clarke was about to interpose when Abby held up her hand and hastly spoke „We wanted to tell you when you are older.”Abby stopps shortly, her eyes worringly flickered between Clarke’s, searching for something before continuing “You have powers Clarke.Very powerful powers but uncontrolled very dangerous ones. You can not imagine how much destruction and death you can bring with them. People would fear you, avoid you or even try to kill you. When people are afraid they do terrible things. For exactly this reasons you need to keep it a secret. You need to promise me to keep it a secret and to tell nobody about them. Are we clear?“

Clarke only nodded, trying to take everthing in. Given what happed today she shouldn’t be surprised to find out her parents had more secrets they didn’t care to tell her despite them being mostly about her.

.

Her mother’s voice drew her back to reality. She only now felt the soft touch of her mother’s hand on her cheek. With the other Abby moved a single strand of hair behind Clarke’s left ear which had fallen into her face during the episode on her bed.

„Good“ her lips forming a small shaky smile.

„You are brave, kind and strong--so strong. You can overcome everything if you have hope and be smart even if people should tell you otherwise. Never give up, stay true to yourself and never forget who you are. Forget that and you will lose yourself“ Abby’s speech was interrupted a few times by sobbs that shook her body but she needed to get that out. .

It alarmed Clarke completely when a tear fell from her mother’s eye.

“I’m sorry, Clarke,” Abby whispered. “I tried to keep you safe, but--“

Before Clarke even had a chance to response, Abby was grapped on her upper arms and yanked outside by the guards.

Abby struggled against their hold, trying her hardest to get back to her daughter even if she hurts herself in the process. Unfortunatly the guards were too strong. She slacked in their hold, screaming „I LOVE YOU CLARKE! Please forgive me I had no other choice!!“

„What? … Mom I don’t understand,what do you mean?“ panic made it’s way into her voice.

Abby tried again to free herself but to no avail. She looked with pain filled eyes at her daughter, mouthing „ I am sorry..“

„MOM!! NO MOM!! LET HER GO!!“ Clarke tried to ran to her mother but was blocked by another pair of guards.

„NO!! MOM!! MOOMM!!“ she continued to scream as she looked on as her mother was dragged away. Clarke managed to get a last glimpse at Abby’s face only to see guilt plastered all over it.

„I had no other choice“ said Abby under her breath, to small for her daughter to hear. After those last words both lost the sight of the other.

When the guards noticed that Clarke’s struggle debates, they let go of her. She fell knee first to the floor,looking blank at the thick wooden door which seperates her from the outside world. Where only a few hours ago her parents walked through to wake her with a kiss on her forhead.

She couldn’t believe that within a day she lost both her parents, questioned her existence and felt utterly alone.

Fear gnawed at her with relentless teeth and being alone made it worse. Her mind conjured various scenerious of her fate. She wants her mommy and daddy back. She doesn’t know what she should do.

Why was she left alive? Why did her mother leave her in a moment like this!!

Why did Jaha….Jaha. At the name anger took over her body. Hate which was hidden deep inside her body, such immense hate she didn’t even knew a person could possess.

He will pay for killing her father, for destroying her life. She would revenge her parents.

At that time she unknowingly opened a door she shouldn’t ever had opened. With this anger travelling through her body she felt powerful, invincible.

Darkness overcome the young child. Nurtured by the pain.

She felt like she would explode so she let everything out the pain, the confusion and the anger. She screamed in agony, letting people on the outside wonder which horrible creature made this sound.

She awoke with a shock voilting through her body. Bathed in sweat, her clothes sticked uncomfortable to her skin. She shallowed thickly at this painful memory. It was the last time she had seen both of her parents. Time and Time again she tried to find out want happened to her mother or what her words meant that day but she failed to come up with something useful. Wells too found nothing on the disappearance of her mother. However she will never stop searching for her until she sees her mother’s dead body with her own eyes, she won’t believe her to be dead.

She pushes herself out of the bed, making her way to the table in the right corner oft he room where Dalia had left a water jug and timber made cup.

She filled the cup with water, craving to cooldown her overheated body after such violent wake up. With the cup in hand she looked out of the window, right into the starry night sky. She always liked looking at the stars, it reminded her that even the smallest and farest stars where never totally alone in the dark cold space. Her father once told her people in the ancient past believed the stars to be their lost, watching over those they have left with a protective hand. At times she wished it to be true. She took another sip before she went back to try to get even a few hours of sleep.

…………

Chapter Text

A peaceful breeze surrounded the wooden hut, the forest calm except of chattering animals. The early air wet and cold as aftermath of the night. Yet this serene picture should be soon disturbed.

Dalia was roused from her sleep by the sounds of rustle and clirring. She opened her eyes just enough to peek beneath her lashes. She was welcomed by the beautiful sight of Aurora dressing. Her braids swinged with every movement. Dalia studied Aurora’s exposed skin with greedy eyes. Her bare stomach, was scupltered with strong abs.  Her trace was broken when Aurora pulled a shirt over her body, seemingly unaware of her wives intruding stare. Dalia shallowed down her arousel. It was too early to think like that. WIth the knowledge of Aurora making herself ready to hunt, she  lets out a sigh and burrows deeper into her little nest of fur, allowing sleep to wash over her again.

Not one minute later , she was alarmed by a scream. Clarke’s scream. Jumping out of bed, still a bit dazed she hurries to her weapons, two knives sharpe enough to cut through a wooden branch without much force. The bedsheet trailing behind her, she tangles quickly out of it careful not to fall. Seconds later she stood ready in Clarke’s room to kill any itruder who dared to break into her house.

But nobody was there. A second scream echoed through the wooden hut. Dalia quickly darted in it’s direction. Why was Clarke outside?

Instead of an intruder she found Aurora looming threatenly with a sword in hand over Clarke. Dalia lowered her knives which she had drawn before her breasts with both the tips pointed sidewards.

„What the hell Aurora!!“ Dalia barked.

When the shock and adrenlenin past, Dalia was seething with anger.

Clarke was on the ground, beside her a sword. 

Dalia couldn’t read Aurora’s expression as she had put on a neutral mask. Opposite to Clarke who was shaking out of fear visible in every fiber of her being.

Aurora seemed to ignore Dalia. Her focus fixed solely on the poor blonde. Minutes ran without one of them moving an inch.

At last when Auora spoke with firmness in her voice „Take the sword and fight or die right here and there“

Both Dalia’s and Clarke’s eyes widened.

„What are you doing Aurora?!“ cursed Dalia. 

Aurora finally turned her head to her wife with a pointed look. Relization dawed on Dalia. Her eyes flickered to Clarke who already looked at her with huge hope and fear. The hope for Dalia to save her. I am sorry Clarke.

Clarke seemed to notice that Dalia wouldn’t help her and it nearly pierced her heart as she saw the dissapointment and betrayel in Clarke’s expression.

She was really sorry for this young girl.

……..

A sinking feeling settled in her stomach as she realized Dalia wouldn't help her.

She peeked at the still untouched sword resting only a few centimeters on the soft grass next to her. She had no choice than take the sword and fight. If not she would die. 

She pulled herself upright and punched away the dirt on her clothes. She had promised to become stronger to protect Wells and her people. Despite how good could a middle aged woman who was living upsight any population in a wooden hut be? She could win. Her mind obviously ignoring the fact that Aurora looked like the epitome of a warrior. I won't die before I revenged my parents, saved my people and if my mother was still alive I will find her. 

She took the sword, the rich orange light of the morning sun licked at it’s naked form, unlike the last she had rammed in a soldiers back spattering it with blood, it lays heavy in her hands.

She could see the rippling deep within the steel, where the metal had been folded back on itself a hundred times in the forging. The only evidence of it’s use were nicks at the edges. It’s handle was made out of rough burnished colored leather beneath she could feel the hard body of steal.

Her muscles in her right arm strains with the affort to keep the metal sword up in the air. It was a foreign feeling for her body, the only countable heavy things she had ever carried were old, large books of medicine. Her undeveloped muscles hidden beneath a shell of glowing -soft flesh. Only waiting for her to finally make use of them.

She studied Aurora who held her blade without a single pearl of sweat. Her pospure fitted exactly to the image of a true warrior. She arcs the sword around her body as graceful as would it be an elongated arm. She made it look so simple.

Instead Her pale hand looked unfit, out of place with the designed weapon for a warrior. A princess weapons are her words and brain whereas the warriors is the sharpe blade of death. It should. It says in the old writings but as she thought about the Commander and looking at Dalia and Aurora she wasn’t so sure anymore.

Aurora’s feet danced over the floor, silent, fast and light. It was beautiful. Her fingers itched to put those motions onto paper to save it for later generations.

Her body swayed identical to a ship on water, trying not to let the weight of the blade drag her down to the forest floor. Like two opposite ends of a magnet the blade and the ground searched each other and Clarke seemed to be the unnatural force to keep them apart. Finally when she thought to have found an acceptable positon, already the first strike flew her way. A little bit startled and with her hastly movement to shy away from Aurora’s blade she nearly fell backwards if not for the weight of the metal in her hand. She steadied herself with it’s help again.

Her right arm shook with the effort to keep the metal blade up, her back tensing, straining unused muscles. She moved her left hand under the right, her hands looked so small in comparingsing to the handle of the sword. The strain in her back was uncomfortable. Unfamiliar. Like her body just only found out that those muscles existed. It was nearly painful.

She felt the vibrations going through her arms each time the metal blades clashed.

For a minute the ring of steal on steal surrounded them like a second cloth.

Now her father’s teachings before he had been killed came in handy. She succeed to deflect a few strikes before she lost her footing through a very brutal one. She hit the hard wooden floor on her bad side, the impact punching the air out of her lungs in a harsh cry. Unfortunately for her it were only basic self-defense lessons. Nothing with a sword, or even a harmless wooden sword. Her breaths came out as short gasps. She tried to meausure on her heartbeat, to regulate it. The same way Wells had taught her on one of the recurring nights when terror haunts her sleep. She closed her eyes concentrating on the rhythmus of her heart, to her relieve it seemed to work, as she slowly was getting her proper breathing back.

As soon as she opended them again she was greeted by the tip of Aurora’s sword. Dangerously hanging in the air only mere inches from her throat. She swore she could feel the steel’s coldness on her skin even if it was only a shadow. She tore her gaze away from the deathly weapon to assay Aurora’s face and found her grey eyes gleaming with determination. Her own sword laying carelessly on dirty ground, too far for her to reach. She froze in fear of death. Her mind racing to find an escape as cold sweat began to run down her back.

Upon not coming across any, Clarke closed her eyes and turned her head to the side.

There was no way out other than death. She surrendered to her fate. I am sorry Wells. She felt the tears begin to well behind her eyes. She wanted to push herself to her feet and fight but if she even so as moved one inch the blade would slash her neck open. She prayed to the humanity in Aurora to let her live. She waited for Aurora’s blade to chop off her head, to end her useless life, but to her bewilderment it never came.

When she found the courage to look again, a whole minute had passed, and the sword rested now peacefully at Aurora’s side.

For seconds everything seemed to move in slow motion. Clarke’s focus flickered to Dalia in hope to find an answer to what the hell was going on. Instead she grew even more confused as to why Dalia stood smiling at the entrance of the wooden hut.

Drawing her eyes back to Aurora she finally noticed the mocking air surrounding her like an invisible shell. Clarke growled in helpless fury, but something about Aurora’s taunting didn’t anger her as much as it should have.

There was something approaching approbation in the older woman’s eyes as she stretched out a hand for Clarke to take, and pull her to her feet.

“You’re terrible, but not hopeless,” Aurora said casually as she staggered, attempting to regain her balance. “I might just be able to keep you from getting yourself killed next time you step into a fight“

Blue eyes blinked rapidly „What?“

„You heard right. From now on you’ll train with me every morning , and I’ll show you how to hunt because we now have to fill two extra mouths” Aurora said. Her indifference hardly concealed as she spoke.

“We need to do something about your hair it attracts too much attention“ she added in an after thought whilst she adroitly carest a golden hair strand with the tip of her sword. As fast as Clarke was capable to blink Aurora had retracted her sword back into it’s sheat and headed for the entrance of the wooden house. Dalia moved aside to let her through but not before giving Aurora a chaste kiss on the cheek.

And Clarke swore she had seen a hint of pink on Aurora‘s cheeks before she vanished from her range of vision.

The blonde watches the back of the retreating brunette, waiting for further explanation, the joke’s punchline, or for the duo to just disappear into thin air when Clarke blinks for a second too long, because this can’t be real. Can it?

Aurora who hated her and her people, gave her a chance to live a normal life without the constant fear of being found.... She couldn’t believe it.

She must still be dreaming or gone crazy to imagine something like this ever happening.

She tipped her head back and closed her eyes, letting out a stream of breath and releasing herself off her bodily tension that had captured her in it’s wake.

Joyful tears sprang to her eyes which she quickly blinked away before anyone could witness them. She doesn’t want them to think her a cry baby, especially Aurora. She wasn’t sure where they stood after this. She was contempt enough to get trough whatever awaits her in near future if it meant she had a chance on a partly normal life. When she had composed herself she rightend her head forward and opened her eyes again, blinking at the brightness of the morning sun. Meanwhile Dalia had moved to her side wth an apologetic smile. A soft tap to her arm and a pat on her back , was warning enough before she was pulled into a side hug. Clarke let her head fall on Dalia’s shoulder and breathed out a sigh. Dalia squeezed her left shoulder in response before moving away. A nod of understanding passed between them.

„How about we get you out of this dirty clothes and I will run you a relaxing bath?“ Dalia asked in a sweet tone.

Frowning Clarke looked down, scrutinizing herself in a fashion she hadn’t in a while. Splashes of Moist Stains of mud and traces of green from the grass decorated her light sleeping clothes which Dalia had only given her two days prior. In an pattern she often would gain after a heavy session of painting. Wells always would joke that more paint was on her and her clothes than on her drawings.

Ashamed at herself to have dirtied and possible ruined Dalia’s clothes, she looked down at her shoes, not be able to look Dalia in the eye .

She nodded her consent and let herself be pulled back into the house. She had never imagined how crazy life could be outside of her four walls.

Even the short times she had relived in the fresh air surrounded by green and life, had her wishing to have attempted to run a long time ago. But the fear of the unknown and the threat of death had hold her back, until now.

She was relieved to the bone, to have a friend like Wells with her. A friend who stood on her side without question. A friend she owes her temporarly freedom. He helped her over the final step to overrun her fear and escape her prison for once and for all. And maybe, just maybe she had gained two new at that.

Chapter Text

Lexa wakes up at dawn, as she almost always does. She cracks her eyes open to find the room still blessedly dark, though there is a half melted candle on her bedside table, flickering weakly, along with a book she began to read yesterday. It always relaxes her when she watches the beautiful dance of the flame when it’s touched by a breeze of air from the open window. She takes a moment to wonder how something as beautiful as this could bring destruction to everything with simply one touch.



Isn't it sad that people seem to reduce fire to these two things destruction and beauty but fire can be more it can create and transform things.
If you even look a little closer at a burning flame you would notice there are many different colors depending on the heat level aside from the typical red, yellow and orange.
These colors just decorate the top of the flame whereas at the bottom of it you can perceive stains of blue and white.



The energy, excitement and exuberance of the fire comes out at the top, but without the purity of the blue white embers below, those upper flames could not reach their glory.
This is part of the reason why fire is a complex element to understand. It may burn with joy or anger, it may offer life-giving light and heat or destruction.
The same applies to people, each person has white and blue flames inside them which keeps them going in life insignificant if they burn because of a dream, a wish or hate and revenge.



Lexa shallows and finds her throat desperate for a glass water to get rid of the discomfort a dry gullet brings with it. She looks around the room and spots on a table a water jug with a wooden cup standing next to it. She silently thanks the person who had put it there and pushes herself out of the bed, craving to moisten her dry throat.



She quickly pours the water into the timber made cup and gulps it down almost in one whole shallow. Feeling the rawness in her throat lightly lessen, she puts the cup down. It was not enough to get completely dispose of the discomfort but it was sufficient for starting the routine of her day.

After she has drunk her fill, she changes out of her night clothes and into a loose grey sleeveless shirt and a pair of tight black jeans. She scoops down to pick up her identical twin blades from where they rest, hidden beneath her bed, thinner and lighter than the broadsword that was given to her by the flamekeeper the day when she became the Commander of the Earth Nation.




They are her favorite weapons alongside her sword which she has always attached around her hip, Anya her mentor gave it to her when she finished her apprenticeship as her seken and since then this sword is her favourite. It’s not too long and not to short, surprisingly very light but also very sharp the handle was specifically crafted for her hands by a blacksmith who lives on the coast, near the boat clan. On the top of the handle are designs which symbolise the three pillars of a Commander : Wisdom, compassion and strength. It was one of the best gifts she has ever received and she feels stronger with it in her hands.

She steps out into the corridor and closes the door to her room behind her, glancing briefly at the guard by the elevator as she holds her blades beneath her arms. She walks down towards it and gives the guard a slight nod, who then opens the doors for her to step inside.

It takes several minutes before she reaches the lowest level, but the cool morning air brushing against her exposed skin is worth it.
Lexa strolls through the city in the direction to the Nightblood training grounds, which is a large clearing surrounded by trees outside Polis. It’s laying on a little hill but there is a spot where you can see all over Polis from it.



Twilight melted away, majestic sunrise, red orange glow seeping over the horizon as if the light itself was being poured from a molten sun. Powerful rays flood over the landscape lighting every blade of grass, shining from each leaf.



She always treasured the short walk to the Nightblood training fields especially in the morning because it is always astonishing to see an imposing and spirited city like Polis change into a ghostlike city and then later awake from it’s death sleep just to repeat the same routine on the next day.



She finds herself instinctively going there in the morning whenever she wants a moment of quiet to gather her thoughts. It’s also a way of avoiding any trivial conversation that often comes with meandering among the local villagers. Right now she just wants to take a moment for herself, however brief. She tells the guards that they don’t need to follow so closely and they immediately fall back a way but stay within calling distance should they be required.



Lexa unquestionable loves and would do everything for her people but even she must admit it’s nice to have a little peace and silence before the duty as the Commander calls her attention again.
Calm is the forest right after the dawn light has kissed the colours into being. Just being there brings the soul into sweet surrender, at one with nature, vibrant yet relaxed. Every fragrance is fresh, like the page of a new book. Each burst of birdsong is unique, a live chorus to waken the mind, to shake off whatever sleepiness remains. Thoughts and feet wander, lungs fill, time rolls by in its silent and endless way. Scurrying squirrels searched for food under bristles of wispy moss. Birds were interrupting the blessing silence with their singing and were flying carefree through the air. Oh what would she give to be free like the birds for one time in her life.




A common person would get lost in the woods but her feet had memorized the way after numerous times and were leading her in the right direction.
After nearly 20 minutes walking through the still awakening forest she could see the familiar gate of the nightblood training grounds.


It was a very big and high gate made out of stone. Two warrior statues were protecting it from each side. The warriors were wearing what looked like spartaner helms on their heads.
Their arms were bare, on their shoulders were pradons from which a cape was falling down their backs and end at their side. They had breast armors shaped in the form of a half “X”. Around the waistline they had wrapped leather and underneath fabric. They were holding broad swords in front of their body, with the top of the sword sticking into the ground.
Standing next to the gate, which had ornamentations on it, looking straight forward, taller than the gate or the wall which surrounded the nightblood training grounds , signalling and frightening the person who wants to enter a sacred place.



Those proud warrior statues were made in honor of the Nightblood warriors who gave their lives to protect their Nation. Without them the earth nation wouldn’t exist anymore. That’s also one of the many reasons why only Nightbloods can become Commander and lead their people.

Lexa stops when she is right before the stone gate and looks over her shoulder to see that her guards followed her orders and were far away so that she wouldn’t notice them.
She turns her head back to the front and takes the position to bend the gate open. Normally it would take at least two very strong warriors to bend this gate open because of it’s size and weight. Although the blood of the Nightbloods allows them to open it with not much of a challenge.They are stronger than normal earth bender.



In exception of Lexa who is the strongest nightblood the world has ever seen. She widens her legs and steps with one foot forcefully ahead while she makes a gesture with her hands, like she would push the air apart in front of her. She bends the door open with not a single afford.



When the gate was fully open, she signaled her guards to come out of the shadows and they instantly obeyed.
She walked through the now open gate without sparing another glance at her guards. They knew better then to follow her. Only nighbloods or Nightblood teachers were allowed entrance.
When she was inside, two guards stepped forward to bend the gate close again, so she could train in private and without interruption.

After a short walk she comes across a clearing with two paths, one on each side. Above them hung wooden signs with inscriptions. The sign above the right path says “EARTH BENDER TRAINING PLACE“ and the sign on the left side has „SWORD TRAINING PLACE“ written on it.


Those two places not only differ from their names and use but also in their looks.



Whereas the sword training place is a green clearing surrounded by trees, the earth training place is a pure area of mountain and stone which is perfect for earth bending.
Another advantage was that both places were high above the ground so the only way to get in for non earth benders were the gate which she entered a few minutes ago.
They were specifically selected because of this and many other reasons.




She still could remember when she was first brought here as a child. How she was in awe of this place and his history. She was so intrigued that she read every book about the story of the great Nightblood warriors who as last resort and barriere faught and gave their lives so that their people could survive. How only one of them withstand death and led their people back to glory.
How they appeared out of nowhere when the Trikru people needed them the most and fought with everything they had. Nobody knew who they were or where they came from but now every single person from the earth nation knows about them and their heroic story. Still only the offspring of the nightbloods have access to their special records and the large library which is guarded and locked in Polis in the tower of the Commander. She wanted to learn more and more about them.



She too could remember when Anya selected her as her seken and how she trained with her nightblood comrades. To be the next generation of Nightblood warriors who would lead and protect their people.




She was curious and eager to learn but she quickly became aware when the spirit chose her as the next Commander that it is a big challenge and the reality is not as easy as it is described in the books.
She had learned and seen many things since she became Commander. She has seen the horror and loss of war. She has killed and has seen comrades die. But the most important lecture that she has got ,when her sister was killed was that Love is weakness and to be Commander is to be alone.




She has vowed to live under this rules and nothing or nobody will ever being able change it. Her only duty lies to her people and nobody else.
But Lexa doesn’t want to think about the death of her big sister not now, not ever and the easiest way to accomplish that is to train, to get stronger and never let anyone else get so near to her heart.
She has learnt her lesson and is not in the need for another one.




Lexa tightens her grip on her swords and darts into the direction to the sword training fields. Today she is more in the mood to fight and swing her swords through the air then to bend the earth. The sound of her blades cutting and sliding through the air always relaxes her ever working mind.


On her way she was acompanied by statues, which were elevated on each side of the road. Each one of them showed a warrior in a different fighting position and fighting style with a sword.
You can follow the movements of the warrior from the initial position to the final blow until you arrived at your destination.



There are similar figures on the other path as well, the only difference is that they were not warriors with swords but instead Earth bender warriors who took different positions to bend earth.
Those sculptures as well as the two at the gate were art works made from the Trikru people to show their respect and gratitude to the fallen and new rising nightblood warriors.


Lexa was always fascinated from art and the people who could create such mayestic and beautiful things like this.


She herself couldn’t even imagine to create something other than death or despair with her hands. Since she was a child she was trained to kill and fight with her hands. To protect and do everything for her people. She was never allowed the privilege of a childhood. Her people didn’t need another child no they needed someone to lead and protect them. And this was her duty so she needed to grow up faster then normal children of her age and learn to fight, kill and lead without mercy. She needed to be strong for her people. So she trained and fought, never given up until she was the best fighter of all the nightbloods.



Even as she accomplished her goal, she didn’t stop to train, to read and learn new things until now.

It didn’t take long until she passed the last two warrior statues and arrived at the clearing.



Stopping in the middle of the training field, she takes a deep breath before she starts to warm up. She moves her body slowly, twisting and turning gracefully as she arcs her blades around her body with careful precision. She starts to feel her muscles loosen and her blood pumping through her body.
She begins her morning sparring the same way she always does when she finds time to come here.




She closes her eyes, twists her body slowly into position and brings up her swords to deflect the blow of an invisible enemy’s blade as it arcs towards her chest.



Ordinary she would spar with other people like Anya, Titus or her nightblood comrades. But it doesn’t matter to her if her enemies are real or not. She has remembered from everyone she ever fought their best moves and fighting styles and so she can project those skills on her invisible enemy. She sometimes even thinks about scenarios how they would attack in groups or other unfair ways.
She bats the attacker’s broadsword away as if it’s a toy kicking out at his knee which he twists out of the way at the last moment. She then takes an experimental swipe at his shoulder, which he blocks with ease, before she brings her other sword down and slam his blade from his hand with pure brute strength.





He didn’t even had time to roll away from her when the next blow hit his head and slit through it.
As she continues to bat, block, twist and kill every invisible attacker, she suddenly feels the presence of someone standing behind her who is very much real.
She keeps her momentum, bringing her sword around as she spins on the spot only stopping with it a few centimeter from the intruder‘s throat.



„Anya“ she says composed while slowly opening her eyes.




Lexa is welcomed by the familiar sight of her teacher, Anya. A tall woman with dirty blond-brown hair and maroon eyes. High and very sharp cheekbones render her face.
From the moment Anya took her first step on the training fields Lexa felt the vibration wandering from where Anya touched the ground with her feet, into her feet.
Earth benders have the abitlities to feel movements and vibrations with there feet and can say without seeing who and where something comes from but extremly concentration is needed to do so.
Lexa has mastered this skill already before she finished being a seken. She is one of the youngest who ever mastered this early.




A very very long time ago there even was a Earth bender girl who was blind and only saw with her feet.
This girl not only fought together with the Avatar, no she even invented a new bender form which is being called metal bending.
As a result of that Lexa not necessary needs to see with her eyes to fight and do everyday things. If she even wanted she could have named the exact moment when Anya was standing before the Nightblood training field’s gate.


„Lexa“ respones the mentor equally as calm.



They stare at each other, silently waiting for the other to break the eye contact first but then after what seemed like an interminable amount of time break out into smiles because they both knew neither from them would.

„Care if I join you?“ asked Anya still with the small smile adoring her face.




Lexa shruggs and answers even, „Not at all. It’s a long time since I last kicked my teachers ass“ her lips forming a small smile at the last part.




„Yeah well it is also a long time since I last taught my student a lesson“ Anya challenged back.




„Well only one way to find out. Right?“ says Lexa, her green eyes twinkling with mischief.




„Right. I will enjoy kicking your ass“




Lexa lets out a small chuckle delighted to have a real challenge again „ You can try“




„I will“ Anya says with an evil yet playful smile on her face.




After their little banter they took their fighting stances.




Anya is one of those people where Lexa can drop her guard and be free from the burden of being the Commander and can be herself. Not the Commander but Lexa. A girl that just want peace. A girl that needed to grow up to fast and be something that she didn’t even ask for. A girl that would do everthing for her people even if it means to put them before herself and her loved once.
It is also fun to have a real fight which doesn’t end after only a few minutes. Anya is the only one who can put up a fight against her but ultimately loses to her too. Everyone else her nightblood comrades, Titus, Gustus and Indra have no chance against her and are defeated in between seconds and a few minutes depends who Lexa is fighting with.




And that’s how it is needed to be because she is the Commander and as Heda she needs to be the strongest. Only the strong can survive this cruel world.
If you are weak you or a loved one gets killed this lesson has burned into her anched heart so that she never would forget what would happen if she allows herself to be weak.
But Lexa didn’t get there without afford…. no. She trained harder and longer than the others. She brought her body often more then less to utter exhaustion.
She observed others fight memorised their moves and there weaknesses. She even spent endless nights reading books about different fightings styles and tried to copy a few she found usefull.
She even more did so when she was chosen from the spirits to be the next Commander.




Anya was the person who she could discuss and try new fighting styles. She helped Lexa to achieve her goal. Even if Lexa would never dare say it out loud, she felt like Anya was like a mother or another big sister to her.





She helped her grew up and be the person she is now. Anya was never one to deny Lexa’s thoughts and ideas but supported her even if nobody else would.
But because she is the Commander she can’t even thank Anya for her .....help, care …..no for just being Anya and being there for her.
Additional their relationship allows them to read each other like an open book. Always knowing when the other is sad or in need of help.
She wished she could show Anya how much she meant to her in public but unfortunatly it would endanger the only person she could really trust with her life.
Lexa snapped out of her thoughts and brings her concentration back to observe her opponent.




Noticing that her former student was lost in her thoughts, she was about to remind Lexa to never lose focus on her attacker when she saw in Lexa’s eyes that she had returned from her head.
She smirked proudly, happy to see her lessons paid off.
They circle each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

…….






They weren’t even ten minutes into fighting when a shouting voice resounded from a far and broke the peaceful air of the forest, bringing Lexa back to reality from the little freedom and lighteness she felt.




„Heda!! Heda!!“




Lexa sighs, lowers her blades and looks at Anya „ It seems we need to postpone this for another time.“

Anya nodded in understanding and puts her extended swords back into their sheaths „Sure Heda. Duty calls“




To tell the truth Lexa was more than a little disappointed that she couldn’t train with Anya longer. The last time they trained alone like that was when she was still a seken and Anya her mentor. It seemed like a life time to her.

Lexa angles her body in the direction to the blaring, straightening her posture ,schooling her features she goes fully into Commander mode. Not even a few minutes later a young boy who must have been no more than fourteen winters bursts through the nightblood training grounds.




„Heda!” His squeaky voice trembled as he tried to get his breath back. He must have run as fast as he could. Whatever he has to say conveys the impression of upper importance if they would send a non nightblood into a sacred place like that.




Lexa could see his throat bob as he swallowed thickly as he stops in front of her. He then dropped to his knee and bowed his head deeply.
She waits until he has composed himself enough so that he could talk again before she asks „ What is it, goufa?“




„Heda. I am sorry to interrupt you but someone has arrived who claims to have important information about the Ice Nation. Titus tried to get the message out of him to deliver it to you but he said he was ordered to give this information you and only you.“




The Ice Nation? Lexa sighed inwardly. What is Nia planning now? Lexa is a little perturbed what this information could contain but doesn’t let it show on her body language.
Looking at Anya who just turned to look at her she could see the same concern and uneasyness showing in her eyes like she was feeling.
Twisting her head back to the young boy kneeling before her she orders, keeping her voice steady „Tell him I will be there shortly and will receive him in the throne room“




„Sha Heda“ the boy answers.




Standing up, he bows deeply again before ducking out of the training ground making his way swiftly to fulfill her orders.




Anya waits until the boy is out of ear shot before she asks „What do you think is Nia planning now?“




„I have no idea but I can image a few things ….“ She trails off , she then sends Anya a quick ressuring smile so to not worry her former mentor „For now we will hear out what this person has to say. Maybe it’s not what we are all thinking“




Observing Lexa she knew that she doesn‘t believe her said words either.




Anya thought better than to comment on the lack of hope and ethunsiasm in Lexa’s voice, to what she just said. Knowing full well that Lexa just doen’t want her to worry and believe in her. Which she does with all she has.




Anya saw Lexa grew up from the little girl who loved to devour book after book to the strong woman who now leads her people with love and fairness like she has never seen a leader ever before. She couldn’t be more pround to have been her teacher in physical training.
Lexa is extraordinary and she knew that from the very first moment her own hazel brown eyes met with big green eyes which twinkeled with facination when they first looked upon the nightblood training fields.





She could see the widsom , the thirst to learn more burning in Lexa’s eyes and she knew this is the person she wants to train.
This time Anya was the one who was snapped out of the memories that floated her mind.





„Now if you will excuse me. I will go and change. Meet me there, I want you to be present“ mandates Lexa even, void of any emotion.





„Sha Heda“ frowning Anya noticed the change in Lexa’s tone and she knew this wasn’t Lexa anymore but Heda.





With that said Lexa made her way back to the Commander’s tower, during that time the ressuring smile her lips had formed to not worry Anya was replaced by a somber look.

Could this be the end of the peace?






………






At the throne room:




A man enters the hall followed by a small party of guards and the young goufa from before.




But Lexa’s attention was thoroughly on the slightly bent person who stood at the front.





He wore a black-greyish coat connected with a hood which covered his entire face because of this she couldn’t detect the strange man’s face.
Over all his clothes were put together through scraps of clothing which were half-heartly and careless sewed into the material. A simple metal button at the top of the coat held the coat’s two pieces together.





The young goufa steps foward, bows deeply and reports now with a much calmer voice, this time without a single tremple in it „Heda. This is the person who claims to have a message for you“ he quickly gestured to the odd clothed man before he retreats back to where he was standing previously.





Hearing his announcment the stranger in question took a step foward and removed his hood. Uncovering what was hidden before.
With his facial features now free from the shadow casted by the hood Lexa and everyone else had a clear sight to his face.
Everyone’s eyes widened when they surveyed the foreigner’s face. Even Lexa’s expanded for a short moment until she composed herself again and quickly put her stoic mask back into place.



A scar.



A burning scar marked and overlayed half of his face.




Angry red looking skin covered and fused together with his right eye and his mouth……if you could name it that….. wasn’t even half there anymore. The whole half of his face looked like melted skin which was running down his face.




She felt bad for him, taking his other half in consideration he may would have been a handsome man. The one not affected eye had a deep brown-choclate like color, making the face a little less severe.
Whereas the burned half of his face may scare someone to death his eye only radiates kindess and calmness.




Lexa couldn’t look away from the seeming middle aged man or younger it was really difficult to decipher the exact age with the burning scar marking and overlaying half of his face as well as all the black-greyish clothing wrapped around his whole body, protecting it from the prying eyes of other people, only his face and fingers were exposed to the outside world.
Seing such clothes were unusal but not unknown. Because of his clothes Lexa could discern that he doesn’t belong to any clan or nation. There are many reasons why this could be. First he could have been banned because of something he did or he left out of free will.

But examining the scar, which tells a totally different story, the reason could be more likely that he couldn’t go back because there weren’t anything left.
During wars it was not uncommon that a little village came into crossfire and got destroyed in the process. Maybe thats where he received his scar.
Furthermore the mix of colours in his clothes made it difficult to name from which nation or clan he previously came from.




Each Nation or clan has specific colours to signal their place of orgin.
For example, the fire nation wears black, red and yellow clothes whereas the Water Nation wear clothes with the colours of gray, blue and white.
The Earth Nation people are a little bit more difficult to seperate due to wearing more black and grey colours than green. The Commander even is in possession of a shoulder armour connected with a red cape which is falling down her side to signal her status.




The Air Nation seems to be the same in this aspect. They wear nearly every colour from red, yellow to gray and brown. The only colour they don’t have in their clothes is black.
But this are only the basis of it from clan to clan it also differs and in some Nation it even differs because of the status of a person.
After the first shockwave has passed, Lexa says and indicates with her right hand that he should come forward.
Silently following her orders he walked to the steps. Once he reached the first raise in the floor, he dropped to his knee and bowed his head deeply,“What is your name,goufa?“ She questioned but only silence answered.




Lexa frowned at that, maybe he couldn’t speak or could it be that he was deaf too?
Wanting to test which of those two theories is true she asked another question „I believe you have something for me ? Some information?“
Again only silence responded until he wordlessly reached to his shoulder bag which was before shielded by the coat. The brown bag was like his clothes tattered and on a few places poorly sewed together to fill holes.




After a few seconds of digging around in his bag, he finally seemed to have found what he was searching, taking out what it was, a slightly crushed letter appeared.
Lexa cocked an eyebrow, she nodded, allowing him to come forward but before he could even reach the second stair Titus stopped him and took the letter to hand it over to Lexa.
She inwardly rolled her eyes at Titus behavior.




She slowly takes the letter from titus but without leaving this strange person’s face. So it seems he could hear but not talk which is unstandable by looking at his mouth.
Letting her eyes fall down to the letter in her hands, she knitted her eyebrows together in thought. Who would send her a letter?




There was no seal or other things which would indicate who wrote the letter.




She deliberately unfolded the letter to come to the information written on the inside.
The first thing she noticed was that the letter was hastily written so she came to the conclusion that whoever wrote it didn’t have much time.
She quickly looked at the end of the letter to see who signed it.




Lexa froze at the name. Her heart picking up its pace as it pounded in her chest. She couldn’t trust her eyes. There stand hastily written „TARIS“ the name of someone she thought to be dead a long time ago.



If it weren’t for the others inside this room she would have nearly dropped the letter.




She shallowed thickly and began to read anew but this time from the beginning.

DEAR HEDA,

I AM SORRY THAT I COULD ONLY WRITE YOU NOW. I HOPE YOU DID NOT WORRY TO MUCH OR GAVE YOURSELF THE FAULT FOR SOMETHING YOU COULDN’T HAVE CHANGED.
I AM SURE YOU GREW UP TO THE STRONG WOMAN I ALWAYS SAW IN YOU. OH YOU DON’T KNOW HOW I WISHED TO HAVE BEEN A WITNESS TO IT. YOU WERE JUST A LITTLE GIRL AT THE TIME I LEFT BUT I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WOULD BE A STRONG AND FAIR LEADER FOR OUR PEOPLE.

I WOULD TRUST NOBODY ELSE THAN YOU TO LEAD AND PROTECT OUR PEOPLE WITH ALL YOU HAVE. NEVER FORGET ANYA, GUSTUS AND I BELIEVE IN YOU AND WILL ALWAYS FOLLOW YOU.
BUT NOW TO THE REASON WHY I AM WRITING YOU. NIA IS PLANNING SOMETHING VERY HUGE. I COULD’T WRITE IT IN HERE BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO DANGEROUS IF THIS INFORMATION COMES INTO FALSE HANDS.

I SENT A PERSON I HAVE MET YEARS AGO AND WITH WHO I SURVIVED ALL THIS YEARS. HE LOOKS VERY SCARY BUT HE IS A KIND SOUL WHO JUST HAD A LOT OF BAD LUCK. YOU CAN BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY YOU CAN TRUST HIM. HE IS VERY LOYAL TO HIS FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES. PLEASE GIVE HIM A ROOM AND SOMETHING TO EAT AFTER YOU HAVE READ THIS LETTER, IT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO ME.
AND DO NOT WORRY I AM WELL I AM SORRY THAT I COULDN’T BRING THIS LETTER PERSONALLY BUT THEY WOULD HAVE NOTICED MY ABSENCE.

HEDA, SEND SOMEONE YOU CAN TRUST TO THE OLD RUINS NEAR TON DC TWO DAYS BEFORE FULL MOON. I WILL BE WAITING THERE AND TELL THIS PERSON EVERYTHING I FOUND OUT.
THIS INFORMATION COULD CHANGE THE FUTURE OF ALL THE NATIONS.

ALSO TELL MY BROTHER I LOVE HIM AND I AM DEEPLY SORRY. IS HE STILL AS PROTECTIVE AS BEFORE? IF YES TELL HIM TO BE A LITTLE LESS SERIOUS OR HE WILL GET WRINKLES FROM ALL THIS SERIOUS AND ANGRY LOOKING.

GREET ANYA AND YOUR SISTER FROM ME TOO. I AM SURE THEY DIDN’T CHANGE A LOT TOO. I HAVE MISSED YOU ALL SO MUCH AND I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE MY LITTLE GIRLS GROWN UP AND BE STRONG WOMEN.

WHEN I WILL BE BACK GET READY FOR A BEAR CRUSHING TARIS HUG.

YOUR UNOFFICAL UNCLE TARIS




He doesn’t know.




Lexa blinked back tears at the thought of her sister. She can’t show weakness especially in front of everyone.




A hundred questions burning through her mind and piecing together what she already knew.
The letter was from Gustus’s brother who she had send a long time ago to spy on Nia. She couldn’t trust anyone else with this task at that time. She never heard anything from him after two weeks so she thought Nia had uncovered him and killed him. She felt deeply sorry for him and Gustus and only waited for the head to be delivered to her but he never came.
She couldn’t risk to send someone else to find out what happend to him and allow anyone else to die an unnecessary death because of her mistake.




So when she saw that the letter unmistakely came from Taris Gustus younger brother. She felt like she has seen a ghost. She couldn’t believe that after all this years he was still alive.
She needed to talk with Gustus after this. He for sure will be happy to hear the news.
Taris was always the funny and relaxed one of the two brothers. Both brothers have huge hearts but a different way of showing it.Gustus with his fiercely protectiveness and Taris with his jokes and overcaring personality.




Even in this hastily written letter his humour was evident. She smiled at the last part of the letter. Yes that was without doup Taris. Nobody else can bring lightenless into a situation like that.

She dearly missed his laugh, funnyness und his often more than less bad timed jokes. She missed him greatly.
He always believed them to be a family with Gustus as father , Anya as mother or second big sister and him as the funny uncle. That’s way he called himself Lexa’s unoffical uncle.
She and her sister appreciated it a lot when they were younger and just taken away from their family, from their home.
They helped to relieve the sadness they felt from leaving their parents and their home village (behind). To overcome and making the fate of being a nightblood bearable.
They taught her and her sister everything they knew. How to fight, kill, lead and how to survive.




They helped them to grow up into the women they were now. But there were no „them“ anymore, no only „her“. Her big sister was dead and Taris will be devasted when he finds out.
She doesn’t know if she can stand to see him fall apart in front of her or to reopen the still healing wound in her heart.
At that time she thought she had lost both of them but hearing now that he survived fills a little bit of the hole she feels in her soul.
She can’t even describe how happy she is that he is still alive and well.




Lexa was brought back from her memories by a cough and Titus worried voice.



„Heda, are you alright?“ asked Titus.



She looked at Titus and then around the room, everyone looked expectantly at her, then back at the letter still in her hands.
She didn’t even noticed that she sat minutes without saying or doing anything. So lost in her thoughts that she utterly forgot the people around her who were anticipatorily waiting for a reaction or her orders. But instead she sat like an idiot, staring into nothingness.
She nodds, knowing full well what she had to do.





Now is not the time to be sentimental, she has a duty to fulfill and that she will do.
She will send the three shadows to him, her most loyal and strongest warriors. This time she will make sure that Taris will come back safetly but before she even can think about Taris’s return she needs to destroy Nia’s plan.




„Everyone leave. Expect of Anya and Titus“ resounded Lexa’s booming voice.




Everybody did as told and slowly shuffled out of the room until only Anya and Titus remained at her side.
Waiting until she was sure everyone has left and out of ear shot she turned to her bald-headed advisor.
„Titus search for Gustus tell him I need to speak to him and send a messager to the brothers I want them to be here as fast as they can“
Titus did not move and stood as if rooted.




It seemed like Titus was waiting for something, for what Lexa didn’t know so she orders„You can leave know“
To Lexa’s surprise Titus didn’t argue back instead he said „Of course, Heda“, bowed deeply before ducking out of the room. Leaving Anya and Lexa alone.
Lexa nodded absently, already in thoughts of how to best handle this situation.




Anya knows Lexa sooner or later will tell her what or who has written the letter and what is going on otherwise she would not have kept her if she did not want to talk about it. And so she waits patiently until Lexa has her thoughts arranged and is ready to share them with her.




After a few minutes through silence, Lexa quietly says "The letter is from Taris"




Anya needed to expand her ears to catch the muffled words Lexa spoke but when she did she thought she misheard it.
It couldn’t be possible.




TARIS!? GUSTUS’S BROTHER!!!




Anya was shocked by all the things she expected Lexa would say that was not one of them. HOW? How can it be that he is still alive?




That explains Lexa’s stunned look when she opened the letter followed by a distant one as she recalled the man from her memory.
Even now lexa had a far away look on her.




Gustus….that’s why she asked Titus to search for Gustus. Maybe for once we will see Gustus smile again who knows?
But that could not be the only thing written inside the letter. Why else would she summon the three shadows. Why couldn’t he write earlier so that we knew he is alive and safe , this bastard.
Why now? What has changed?




Why would Taris chose this exact time to andanger his safety to write them if not something important happend or will happen.
Again she waits patiently until Lexa reveals another part.




„He doesn’t know…..“ whispers Lexa




"What do you mean?" Anya probed for more, frowning in concern.
Lexa does not answer, but instead presses Anya the letter into her hand. Anya confused at Lexa’s strange behaviour, decides not to comment on it, takes the letter and began to read.
Now she could understand the meaning of Lexa’s silence and her nearly inaudible words.




It must be hard to progress seeing it remained Lexa not only of her sister but also sparked a glimmer of hope in Lexa’s battered soul. Anya noticed in Lexa’s demeanor and behavior that she can not quite wrap her mind around the possibility of Taris survivel.




She knows Lexa guarded her bruised heart after her sister’s death but the sad detriment truth of it is that it’s now difficult and frightening for her to open it to let hope sicker in and to risk another blow to her brittle heart.




Years of being Commander and the repeat of the pain of losing someone has taught her to do so.
She can see in Lexa’s face that she is sceptical of the truthness of this letter, a little voice whispering to her that this could be a trick of the Ice Queen. That the letter was written years ago by Taris before he was discovered, that this is again only a psycho game of the Ice Queen.




Anya is sure that Lexa has gone through this questions at least a million times in her head already. She has the same fears but she was more frightened about Lexa’s mind health if it turns out to be a ploy seeing how her sister‘s death nearly destroyed her. It is already a shock to read that someone who you believed to be dead is still alive and that this someone is writing her and asking for a meeting.




Anya’s restless mind instructed her to inspect the letter a little more closely. Moving her long fingers over the rough paper along the words written on it.
The ink was only recently brought onto the paper which itself assumes not to be relatively old. Even if their logical understanding agrees with it, it still could be a copy made by a counterfeiter on behalf of the Ice Queen.




The Ice Queen is rumoured to have a collection of talented people following her.




Most of them are outcasted or banished people, in search of a new home. However it’s not important where you came from or if you want to join her out of free will, when Nia sets an eye on you. She has her ways how to make them follow her, most of them are not very pleasant.

Either way she does not give up until she has what she wants and she successfully has always got what she wanted.
On the other side if they wouldn’t take this possibilty, that Taris has really written this letter than they would let the perfect opportunity of being one step ahead of the Ice Queen pass.

Lexa clenches her hands into fists above the armrests of the throne. Emotions of anger, sadness and even a little hope are travelling through her body all at once. Her mind and body couldn’t decide with which to stick.

Growing up in a dangerous world has tutored Lexa to never let fear dictate her actions and she restrains herself in doing so now. In her early years of being a leader she underrestimated her enemies but this time she will play it safe. She will send the three shadows to retrieve the information from Taris. They are her best fighters so if it should unfold to be a ploy from Nia she has faith in them to find a way out of it.




Even with the Queen being a master manipulator, she would bite out her teeth on them because their loyalty to Lexa is as hard as steel.  

With a knock on the door both are drawn out of their thougths.




„Come in“ every trace of the silent voice Lexa used before was gone, replaced by the all to familiar Heda one.


Titus reentered the throne room accompanied by a confused looking Gustus and a young man, not much older than twenty-five winters .

Lexa eyed Gustus inconspicuously, not knowing how to best tell him the news.




„Heda.“ Gustus bows his head slightly in respect.




Lexa nodds, gesturing for him to come stand beside her. They will talk about it later when they are alone.
She moves her gaze from Gustus to Titus and his young companion.



„Heda. I am sorry to inform you that two of them were to far away from Polis to come therefore I could only bring one“ looking shortly to his right „Although they assured me they would travel to Polis as fast as they could“



Lexa made it clear Titus along with the guards were dismissed once he finished his explanation. He dispersed with quiet grumbling. She ingnored it. The less prying ears hear about this the better.
Her attention rested now solely on Elias, the youngest of the shadows. He hadn’t changed much since the last time she had seen him.
He seems to have grown in length, but still not comparable to the heights of his brothers. Which was not shameful seeing as one of them is as tall as a full-grown grizzly bear and the other not cut much shorter.




He bravely stood before her, shoulders squared. He still had his characteristic shaggy brown hair that curled in every possible direction like an uncontrollable beast. One thing the brothers all have in common were their eyes. Grey like a storm and cold like ice, they have an unnatural essence to them. Making anyone who looked too long in their eyes shudder. Despite having the disadvantage of having only one shadow, she is grateful that Elias ist he one standing before her. He is fasted travellar and very cunning. He is the only one one who could make it on time. She would still feel better if the others were here but time is running out as Nia could launch her plan any day. Like a mirror Elias and Lexa’s eyes reflected each others emotionless.




They followed each others every move. Recalling pictures of the past and compared them to the image before them.
He couldn’t help but think back to the time he had met her in the nightblood training grounds.



His brothers were one of the oldest. Unlike most they hadn’t been discovered and brought to Polis at a young age. Most of their Nightblood fellows grew up in Polis. Most of the Nightbloods grew up in Polis. At first not many of their Nightblood comrades liked them. They were cold, distant and different. They already had a life outside the Nightblood training grounds which they were forced to leave behind. They only cared about themself and their own selfish will, bitterness radiated off every fiber in their bodies for being forced to leave their home. They never talked much if then only to each other. Which caused the others to be uneasy around them, some even voicing that the brothers don't belong here.





Everything changed when a young girl with big green curious eyes and her older sister were welcomed into the Nightblood training grounds. The brother’s family as well as Lexa’s tried to protect their only children but were both killed by law for this. Maybe they bonded easier over the same tragic fate. Being a nightblood and loosing their families.




She wasn’t like the others, she didn’t care about the invisible boundary the brothers had drawn between themselves and the other Nightbloods. She stept into their safe zone like nothing. Without fear she looked deep into their eyes and the brothers found themselves looking into captivating green eyes which radiated off innocence of the most beautiful kind.
First they weren’t sure how to handle a girl following them every step like a burdock sticking to someone’s cloth. Always besides her, her protective sister who was at the same age as his oldest brother, Ethan.




Lexa was the youngest of them all, she barely had flesh on her body. Her arms not much bigger than their wrists. Over the time they learned to care about the brunette girl. They made sure she had enough to eat, sometimes even giving her pieces of their portions in case her hunger wasn't sated enough. Her very presence melted the darkness which has been resided in them. They grew protective over both girls, like brothers would be over sisters.




Even from a young age Lexa outsmarted everyone and as she grew older she outmatched everyone in fighting too. She no longer needed protection. 
The fith were the strongest and best fighters of all the Nightbloods. They trained each other, fought each other and protected each other. Nobody dared to go against them. The leader unsurprinsingly Lexa. The respect she has gained around her by working the hardest for it, ran deep. 

Furthermore the teachers were amazed by Lexa’s rare talent to mingle heart and head decisions.
It was because of Lexa that the other Nightblood accepted the brothers as one of them. Everyone loved her, still loves her.
So nobody was really surprised when the spirits chose her as the next Commander.




They were all proud of her. The Earth Nation people were happy to serve under such a capable leader.
She was the first Commander besides the one before her who searched for peace with the other nations, which she finally was able to accomplish.
Unfortunatly not long after, erverything risked to break down when the Ice Queen in a despiteful act tortured and killed Lexa’s sister, serving her head to Lexa’s bed in a sack where someone would put trash in, as a parting gift.




It were not the first time that leaders lost their cool and took the path of revenge, nobody would think less of Lexa if she did.
So she surprised everyone by doing absolutly nothing.




The brothers knew she would never choose the selfish way of revenge She would never risk the safty of her people by following the selfish way of revenge.
Unfortunatly it affected Lexa more than anyone could see from the outside. With each passing day her once sparkling eyes turned duller and duller. Making them a darker shade of green than before. The sound of her laughter had become a distant memory. Here and there those that knew Lexa since a child could see microscopically small gestures or twitches in her body when someone brought up her sister. The fire that had burned behind her eyes became extinct and replaced by tiredness and constant pain. 

Before this tragedy Lexa was a person who showed her emotions freely letting people see her true intentions, letting them see her heart behind her decisions. If her people noticed a change in her, they didn’t let on; perhaps they had all seen too clearly within themselves how war wears on the soul.




The brothers had sensed something broken in Lexa, spots of burned-out emptiness where there used to be light but anytime they tried to approach Lexa about it she closed herself off any emotion and became silent, in fear of breaking down completely. So they stopped trying and instead took an oath that they would protect her from experiencing such loss again. They dictated their lives to her. Going even so far as swearing that if Lexa should die without giving them any further order they would gladly follow her. They also sweared to find a way to take revenge at the Ice Queen without bringing Lexa nor her people in danger. To the world they became monsters, they made themselves a feared name around all the nations to protect and show everyone that the three shadows are loyal to Lexa and nobody else. 

Still as powerful they were, they were helpless when it came to protect Lexa from herself. 

Lexa had pushed it all aside, buried it deep, spun it into the heart of a web where it couldn’t be touched without unravelling her whole being. She took more and more risks until one of them ended with the death of another loved one.




Many feared it to be the final straw for Lexa to snap. The brothers knew better, she was stronger than anyone could imagine.


She strucked them by surprise by asking them for a favour. She wanted them to teach her how to hide her emotions. They were flabbergasted. They became like this to cope with their losses but in the end it had harmed them more, Lexa had been the reason they came out of their shell.


At first they rejected her, how could they teach her something that could ultimately destroy who she is? She was always one to believe that strong leaders weren’t in need to hide their emotions. Lexa insisted and told them it would help to prevent something like her sister’s death. They suspected Titus to have influenced her, making use of her vunerable state to push his twisted ideals onto her.  When they spotted tears at the corner of her eyes their resolve  broke and with a heavy heart weigtened down by their massive guild they taught her how to hide her emotions, how to shut out people and how to let no one make he feel anything. 

It was during a mission when Elias received word of Lexa needing him to be in Polis. He knew getting a message from heda it was a matter of urgency and importance. Accordingly he left everything behind, jumped on his horse and rode as fast as humanly possible to Polis. Luckily he was riding back from a finished mission so he weren’t as far from Polis compared to his brothers.




After hearing Titus, his unspoken question if his brothers got summonded too, was answered.


Out of safety, they didn't share the outlines of their missions, only general whereabouts. During missions they even cut any contact to each other to make sure they don't compromise each other.  Therefore he had been unsure if his brothers had any knowledge about why Lexa needed them. 


Now as he stood before her, he couldn’t describe how much he had missed her. He hadn’t seen her for years. Whatever Lexa needed him for he will give his best to fullfill (anders wort suchen) it even without his brothers helpful presence. He squared his shoulders proudly. Ready to receive orders.


„Heda you send for me“ he bents forward to show his respect.




„Sha Elias, I have a very important mission for you“ despite trying to sound as monotonous as possible, Elias could filter a little dejection in Lexa’s voice.


She then explained the situation they are in. She needed him to retrieve The information from Taris. Both Elias and Gustus were strucken when they heard Taris’s name. Especially Gustus, he loudly exclaimed that he wanted to accompany Elias instead of the other shadows but Lexa voiced her concerns. She needed him here. Gustus only stopped when Lexa told him with a small tremor in her voice that she can’t risk a repeat of the same mistake and send two people she cares about on a risky mission. The three shadows were trained for missions like this. Gustus not, his duty lays to be Lexa’s guard and advisor.





…….




In front of the gate of Polis:



Elias made his horse ready to depart when he felt Lexa standing behind him. He stopped what he was doing and turned to face her.
Only a few people can see through the mask Lexa learned to put on but as they were the ones who taught her it was easy for them to read her. He knew she was worried, the last time she send someone on a risky mission like this he never returned. She herself felt responsible for this failure.


They stared at each other, memorising their clothes, faces and bodies like it would be their last time.


When their eyes met Lexa said „Be quick we don’t know when Nia is planning to put her plans into action“



Both knew that she really wanted to say „Be careful and come back as quickly as you can“



He nodds, letting a small ressuring smile slip over his features. She outstretches her arm , and his long fingers wrap around it, squezzing shortly. Saying goodbye for the last time before he mounted his horse and made his way to fullfill her orders.




………

Elias had been riding seven days without problems, taking only minimal breaks, south and southwest and then south again, further and further from Polis.




Until today.




Thunder rumbled in the distance. He could see dark clouds targeting the same way as him. He still had two days of ride, with only one break planned.
Unfortunately there was no way around the storm without getting behind schedule. He will need to get through this storm at least until he found a suitable shelter.


Literal waves of water spilled from the sky. Under their mercy was Elias. Drops of water splashed in his face despite wearing a black hooded coat as protection. The speed he was riding with made them  feel like little whips, stinging his face. His horse laboriously fought his way through the softening soil of the woods.



Elias pulled sharply at the reins to take an acute turn to the left to avoid running into a fallen tree that blocked the road. The horse's hooves pushes with all it’s strength against the wet floor, panting from exertion and fear.


Thunder rumbled once more in the distance and a bolt of lightning cracked the midnight blue sky into two. Jagged flashes of pure light cast a glow against the monochromatic background. The rain exhibited no sign to cease, the inception of the storm had only just arrived.


What began as some high winds and a smattering of rain has built into the worst storm Elias ever encountered. The wind doesn't howl, it screams. The rain doesn't fall it is driven, hard, merciless, torrential. The trees do not sway, they creak, bend and moan as their fine limbs are ripped away. 

It's as if the spirits itself voiced their anger through the weather. Elias's grip tightened on the reins, resolute to not fail Lexa. 

Chapter Text

Seeking refuge from the fierce storm, he found solace in an abandoned village. Carefully selecting a house that appeared structurally sound and wind-resistant, he kindled a fire to dry his drenched garments. Taking advantage of the break, he decided to rest briefly, hoping the storm would subside and allow him to continue his journey to Taris sooner rather than later. However, the tempest persisted throughout the night, leaving him with no choice but to forgo any further breaks if he wanted to arrive on time. With continued bad luck, the storm took a whole night to calm down. Still he remained determined and he pressed on without any further delays. As he finally reached his destination, he slowed his horse's pace and surveyed his surroundings, his senses alert for any signs of disturbance.




He dismounted from his horse, secured it to a nearby tree, and proceeded cautiously towards the clearing. A sense of unease gnawed at him, causing him to halt in front of the ruins of Ton DC. There was no one in sight. Had he arrived too late? Glancing up at the moon, he noted that the full moon was still two days away, indicating that he was indeed on time. But where was Taris? Suddenly, the sound of a branch snapping caught his attention, causing him to swiftly turn around, sword at the ready.




"Who goes there? Come out slowly," he demanded, his voice raspy from prolonged silence. A man came out, slowly, as told, with his hands raised in surrender. Elias maintained his defensive stance, not lowering his sword, as the man approached. When the man stood within the reach of his sword, Elias spoke, "That's close enough." He carefully scrutinized the figure, searching for any concealed weapons.

Elias eyed the figure before him with suspicion. "Are you Taris?" Elias and his brothers had never met Taris."Yes," the man said calmly, his hand discreetly reaching into his clothing. Elias's body tensed, and he instinctively positioned the tip of his sword under the man's neck, a clear warning that any sudden movements would result in swift death. However, the man's outstretched arm revealed a small talisman, crafted by Lexa. Elias recognized her handiwork instantly. When Lexa was younger, she had a phase of creating metal talismans, each one unique for the people she valued. With this realization, Elias relaxed his grip on the sword and returned it to its sheath. 




Elias noted that Taris looked at his gray eyes, glinting in the moonlight. "I suppose you are the one Heda sent." Elias tipped his head in response. Taris surveyed the surroundings with caution before approaching Elias. "The Ice Queen plans to marry the Sky Prisa to unite the Water Nation with the Air Nation". Elias narrowed his eyes, this was nothing new. Both the Chancellor and Nia had open grudges against the Earth Nation. The brutality and massive numbers of the Water Nation warriors, combined with the cunningness and strategies of the Air Nation, pose a serious threat against the Earth Nation, but this can't be the message that was too big to write down, so he waited for Taris to continue.




"From what I gathered, the Chancellor agreed and even opened the Ice Queen and her warriors the gates to their capital city and palace." At this, Elias's eyes slightly widened. Such trustfulness was more than surprising, he couldn't stop asking, "Did the Ice Queen have any special history with the Air Nation before this?" Taris held his chin in thought. "I don't know much about that, but they seem to have met once when the Sky Prisa was still a small child during one of the peace celebrations for all nations." Elias frowned. There has to be more behind this; for sure, love is not the thing the Ice Queen is after. "What do you know about the Sky Prisa?" Sometimes you learn more about another person if you look at the people around them.




"The Sky Prisa is the epitome of a mystery. She is mainly in her room. The rumors say she possesses an exotic beauty. Those who have met her spoke about her hair being kissed by the sun and her eyes holding the ocean in them. But the most concerning thing I heard while I was eavesdropping was when the Queen spoke with her two main generals. The Sky Prisa seems not to be fully human; she has - " Before he could finish his sentence, his neck was slit. He still tried to get the words out, but because of all the blood in his mouth, all that came out was a gargle. Elias, startled, drew his sword; he had not heard anyone coming.




He had his answers as to why when he got struck by a wind whip, which threw him several paces away. Quickly getting himself up, he muttered how he hated air benders under his breath. He looked around him; he was surrounded. He waited for his attackers to attack first, so he knew what each one of their abilities was. He dodged as well as he could the attacks of the two air benders and three water benders; the others five seemed to be non-benders, but skilled with each a different weapon. 


He decided to first finish off the air-benders because they seemed to be the most dangerous ones. They are fast—too fast. Dodging any strikes from his sword, they jumped away any time he tried to use the floor against them. Elias's grew frustrated. While he tried to catch the air benders, the other benders and non-benders came at him from all sides relentlessly, making his goal even harder to achieve. He wished his brothers were here with him. They fought the best together. One of the non-benders made a mistake in his strike to attack Elias by stepping in too far into Elias's space. Elias swiftly sidestepped and let his sword cut cleanly through both arms of the warrior. He screamed in agony before Elias punctured his sword through his throat, silencing him forever. 


One down, nine others to come. He let the earth shallow one of the non-benders, he would be crushed and suffocated in this earthy grave. Next, he hinted at a leg attack with his sword before actually jumping in the air, swirling and throwing his sword, his swords embedded itself between another non-benders two eyebrows, dead in an instant. He quickly bend an earth wall around himself to block the ice spears from the water benders.


Next, he threw his fists down on the floor to cause the earth to ripple like water in the sea, throwing both water benders off-balance. Which gave Elias the time to collect his sword again. Just as he held it again in his hand, he got lifted by the air benders and thrown against a tree. The impact knocked the breath out of him. Still a bit dizzy, he stood up and surrounded himself with an armor of hardened earth to block the air and water slices that had aimed to cut him in half. He felt how he grew weaker, his lack of sleep catching up to him. He had to end this quickly; otherwise, he would die and fail Lexa. He dared a glance at the pool of blood surrounding Taris. Anger welled up in his heart.


He needed a new strategy. He let himself be shallowed by the earth, and he and his brothers practiced holding their breaths long enough to attack an opponent from below. Below, he stomped his foot to scan where exactly his opponents were. Then he chose one of the air benders and sucked him into the earth, preventing his arms and legs from bending. The other air bender who was too shocked to move out of the way fast enough, had his head cut off by Elias's sword. Now only the two water benders remained. Both parties moved around each other, waiting for the other one to strike first. 



Elias threw a rain of stone darts towards them, which they masterfully dodged; one backflipped and threw water slices against Elias, which were blocked by a huge earth wall, large enough to cut off the view of each other. Elias thumped his foot against the earth to learn where they were. One water bender jumped on the back of the other, letting his leg outstretched while falling, which made the water slice the huge earth wall in half. The other water bender attacked Elias relentlessly to cover the warrior still in the air. 



Elias acted as if he were focused on dodging the strikes, but in reality, he waited for the water bender to land to move the earth under him to make him stumble to the ground, then he swiftly bend earth spikes that pierced through the whole body of the water bender. 




The other water bender looked at his friend before turning at Elias with rage. It seemed as if the water bender girl he just killed was someone important to that guy. The water bender moved with pure rage and anger, making it easy to find mistakes, so Elias hit him into the back of his knees, which made him kneel, and then plunged his sword through his heart. 




Elias leaned against his sword in exhaustion. He took multiple breaths to calm his adrenalin-pumped body. He straightened; he knew it was still too dangerous to remain here; reinforcements could come any minute. He dragged his arching body to Taris corpse and found Lexa's talisman clutched in his hand, sprinkled with blood. He carefully took the talisman from Taris hand, cut off a hair braid, and said, "Yu gonplei ste odon", moving his finger to close Taris eyes. 




He wished he had the time to give Taris the burial of a warrior, but bringing the news to Heda was more important than anything. He glanced at himself. He has various shallow cuts and will feel the numerous bruises for at least a few weeks. Blood that was not his own soaked his clothes, making them wet, similar to the rain days ago. He quickly mounted his horse and made his way back to Heda.




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Training with Aurora proved to be just as challenging as Clarke had anticipated. There was never a moment of respite under Aurora's watchful eye. Each morning, Clarke engaged in rigorous physical exercises, involving running laps around the house while carrying weighted sacks of dirt on her limbs. Additionally, she was assigned the task of carrying a bucket of water from a nearby valley fountain up the hill to the house, all under the strict supervision of Aurora, who ensured not a single drop was spilled. Clarke couldn't help but notice Aurora's frequent scans of their surroundings, even when she believed Clarke wasn't paying attention.

During the midday break, Aurora allowed Clarke a brief respite to eat. However, this was followed by sword training, specifically with wooden swords. Aurora quickly observed Clarke's preference for double daggers over a long sword, but insisted on teaching her the techniques of the latter as well. According to Aurora, the more proficient Clarke became with various weapons, the greater her chances of survival in life-or-death situations. Aurora would demonstrate the movements, and Clarke would then imitate them to the best of her ability. Using the tip of her wooden sword, Aurora gently prodded Clarke to correct her stance before instructing her to repeat the motions repeatedly.




Wells, meanwhile, was finally up on his legs again, not fit enough to join Clarke in the training. However, he was sufficiently strong to assist Dalia in the kitchen and transport the firewood that Aurora had chopped into the house. He also made sure to toss a few logs into the fireplace during the evening hours.  




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It has been nearly a week now. Wells had now joined in on the training. They were currently practicing the movements that Aurora had taught them, simulating a fight. Meanwhile, Aurora was out hunting for food, and Dalia was busy crushing herbs and creating new potions of medicine to sell in the nearby village next week. As Clarke made a move, Wells swiftly diddled her attack. Unfortunately, Clarke's momentum caused her to lose her balance, and she stumbled on her knees. Sweat dripped into her eyes and mouth, causing discomfort. She looked up at Wells, who had a smirk on his face. Clarke struggled to stand up, using the sword as support, and hurriedly launched a series of attacks. However, her skills with the long sword were still lacking, and Wells effortlessly blocked all her moves.




With two daggers through, Clarke actually managed to sometimes get past Wells defenses. 




Out of the corner of her eye, Clarke spotted Aurora, who was carrying a deer on her shoulder. Wells took advantage of Clarke's distraction and caused her to trip, landing on her rear end. Clarke let out a frustrated huff and glared up at Wells. Wells shrugged. "Always have your surroundings in perspective, but never get distracted from your enemy." Clarke sighed. He was right. Wells extended his arm as a gesture of assistance, which she accepted.




Clarke looked around and let a small smile dance on her lips. She honestly wouldn't mind continuing to live like this. It's peaceful. In that moment, her traitorous mind had to remind her about her vows to find her mother and to take revenge for her father, crushing her hopes of peace instantly. Brushing off the dirt from her attire, she proceeded to enter the house.




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Clarke was jolted awake, as if under a spell. Her limbs acted of their own accord, giving the illusion of being mesmerized or controlled by an external force. Clarke's mind was blank, her eyes weighed down, and her legs propelled her out of the house and into the untamed wilderness. Despite the alarming signs cautioning against entering the haunted woods, Clarke remained devoid of fear. The trees grew thicker, and ominous warnings littered her path, urging people to steer clear. Yet, she pressed on, her steps unyielding.




In the midst of her confusion, she became aware of the distant beat of drums and the sound of unfamiliar instruments. Her mind was too clouded to process these sensations. Suddenly, a chorus of voices, both male and female, began to sing in a language she couldn't comprehend. The eerie music seemed to possess a primal quality, evoking thoughts of ancient rituals. Finally, her legs halted in the heart of the forest, where the moonlight took on a crimson hue. It was then that Clarke found herself encircled by ethereal figures, both men and women; their presence unsettling. The air crackled with an intense energy, as if it were ablaze. As Clarke regained control over her body, fear overtook her. What was happening? Where was she? The figures drew closer, prompting Clarke to flee, yet the haunting voices and relentless drumming pursued her relentlessly.

Aurora. Wells. Dalia. Someone help! Clarke screamed in her mind. "What do you want from me?!" she roared at the mysterious figures, suppressing her fear. Could these be the spirits that Aurora mentioned, the ones that steal souls? Clarke let out a piercing scream as she nearly collided with a cluster of these figures. From up close, they appeared even more terrifying. Their eyes were absent, leaving only dark voids in their sockets. Traces of blood trickled down their cheeks and stained their clothing. Clarke lost her balance and landed on the ground, her breathing rapid. The overwhelming urge to cry engulfed her. What in the world of spirits is happening here?




Without a second thought, she resumed her frantic sprint, her only objective being to escape this haunted forest. Suddenly, the forest floor transformed into a substance that resembled water, but it wasn't water... it was blood. Thick, scorching blood. The searing liquid burned Clarke's skin, causing her to scream out in agony. Desperately, she reached out her arms, as if expecting the figures she had fled from to come to her aid. The blood continued to rise, swallowing her whole with each movement she made. Clarke searched her surroundings frantically, hoping to find anything that could offer her a way out of this nightmare. 




She was starting to drown. Clarke took one last big breath before her head went under the scalding blood. Making her feel as if she got cooked alive. Her outstretched hand was the only thing remaining to be swallowed. Suddenly, a small hand reached out and grabbed hold of hers, pulling her with surprising strength. Slowly, she was rescued from the treacherous sea of blood. As she resurfaced, she blinked furiously and gazed at her savior. To her amazement, it was a young girl with a gentle greenish glow surrounding her. The girl had braided brown hair and radiant green eyes. A sense of wonder filled Clarke as she looked on.




Once she was completely out of danger, the girl touched the ground, causing the blood ocean to vanish and revealing a floor of beautiful flowers. With graceful movements, the girl began to dance, captivating Clarke's attention. One by one, the figures and their haunting singing disappeared. In the end, only the girl and Clarke remained. Clarke let out a grateful "Thank you," while the girl, who appeared to be around twelve years old, continued to smile. She turned and started walking away. 




Clarke quickly looked around her in fear and hastily decided to follow the girl. Hopefully, the girl will lead her safely out of the forest. The more they walked, the more Clarke felt like as if they were moving further into the forest instead of outside, but she was too scared to leave the girl's side. The road started to go up; they walked up a hill, it seems. Eventually, they approached a clearing adorned with a prominent stone in it's center. It looked like the stone had fallen from the sky a long time ago. 


The girl nodded in the direction of the stone, so Clarke strode towards it.

To their surprise, Clarke's tattoo began to emit a radiant blue light, mirroring the glowing inscription engraved upon the stone.

Two souls, one destiny.
Two spirits, one of the light and one of the dark. 
None can live without the other, none can be destroyed by the other. 
The rise of the Commander of Death and his inherent spirit: Vaatu, 
will throw the world into 10,000  years of darkness, bloodshed and chaos.
Only the Commander of Life and his inherented spirit: Raava are capable of bringing balance to the world. 
Geen light the color of life, red the color of death and blue the color of true balance.
Only one path will lead to true balance, all the others will plump the world into darkness.

Out of nowhere, the hue on her arm shifted abruptly from blue to red. Clarke's eyes widened in response, as a beam of red light burst forth from the stone and ascended into the sky. This spectacle was visible to all the nearby villages and cities, spanning across several miles. Unbeknownst to Clarke, the same crimson radiance began to flicker within numerous ancient temples scattered throughout the various nations.




Still reeling from shock, Clarke was taken aback when the girl's voice broke through her thoughts. She had completely forgotten about her. "What?"
Once again, the girl repeated her plea, "Find me," before vanishing into thin air. Within a matter of seconds, darkness enveloped Clarke.





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A door resounded with forceful pounding, accompanied by urgent calls from a man and a woman. Lexa jolted awake, disoriented and perplexed. She must have dozed off on the couch, intending to take only a brief nap. A peculiar dream lingered in her mind, though she couldn't quite recall its details—only the vivid memory of BLUE EYES.

Leaning forward, Lexa straightened her attire and commanded, "Come in."

Anya and Gustus entered the room, their expressions grave and their hidden fear palpable. Lexa's growing concern mirrored their unease. "What's wrong? Did something happen to Elias?" Lexa abandoned her usual stoic facade, as she was now only among Gustus and Anya.

"No. It's more serious. Follow us," Anya gestured towards the balcony. Lexa complied, and without saying a word, Anya pointed to the foreboding red light piercing the sky. Those familiar with the legends knew its significance. By instinct, Lexa rolled up her left sleeve, revealing a glowing green tattoo.

She glanced back at the crimson light. "So, the hunt for WANHEDA has begun."





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In the garden, where Clarke once happily played with her parents, the Ice Queen stood with an air of foreboding. Her gaze was fixed on the red light that cut through the sky, prompting a wicked smile to spread across her face. She turned to Ontari and Echo and ordered them, "Retrieve WANHEDA for me, unscathed." They nodded in obedience and swiftly set off to carry out her bidding.



With her eyes on the moon, the Ice Queen whispered, "Before long, SKY PRISA, you will belong to me," as she breathed in the scent of the rose she held in her hand.