Grounders

CHAPTER 6

On the ride Ontari and Echo rode behind Lexa and Alexis to give them time together.

“So, Alexandria how have you been.”

“I’ve been good nomon. I’ve missed you so much and every time I’ve had to make tough decisions, I’ve thought about you and what advice you would give me.”

“You have been a great Heda from what I was able to hear. How about your brother and sister, your Nontu,” Alexis asked with a tear coming down her cheek.

Lexa gave her a smile which Alexis knew was not something that Lexa did often. Even as a child Alexandria was a more serious child. Always following Alexis around the Village and copying everything she did. While her other children were off running around and getting into everything, especially Luna, she was her wild child. Lincoln would follow her around, but he was a sweet and kind child, just like Gustus. Just big bad teddy bears, the both of them.

Lexa noticed her nomon in deep thought. “Nontu has been my personal guard since you went missing. He made sure that I was taken care of and watched over. Lincoln has watched over TonD.C. with Indra, who became one of my Generals. Luna didn’t want to be Heda, so she left and went to the Floukru,” Lexa took a peek over to her nomon to see her reaction. What she saw was Alexis knowing her Luna was just as amazing as Lexa, but not as determined to be Heda like Lexa was. “You don’t seem surprised by that nomon.”

Alexis looks at Lexa with a smile, “I’m not Lexa. My Luna always had more Gustus than me just like Lincoln. Where you got both of us. The compassion of your Nontu, but the warrior of me.”

“Well, she is a leader nomon, she is the chief of the Floukru.”

Alexis had a proud smile on her face. “I always knew you would be Heda and I knew Luna would be a leader in some capacity and I’m very proud of her. My boy, he is exactly who I knew he would be. Caring and compassionate, protective of his family and home. Then there’s your nontu, what can I say about him. He has always been protective of his strike Heda, so I’m not surprised to hear he is your personal guard.”

Lexa smiled because as much as she followed her nomon around she was a nontu’s girl. She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Ontari, and Echo come up on either side of them. They were still covered in case they came across anybody on their trip.

“Fos, we have noticed that we are being followed,” Ontari whispered to Alexis.

“Heda, it seems like 5 from what I could tell,” Echo says. “Also, they look to be Azgeda. I saw one and she is a scout and spy. They are from my group and are loyal to me and not their Queen.” Lexa nodded and Echo continued, “may I approach then to have them join us, Heda.”

“Sha Echo, but if they don’t their fight will be over.”

Echo bowed her head, “sha Heda,” and with that Echo moved off. She came around the back of the Azgeda warriors and called out. “Talli, I know you are here, come out.”

“Echo,” Talli says surprised to see her here and with the Heda. “What are you doing with Heda.”

“I’m doing what you and I have been talking about doing for many years. I’m joining Heda to help bring down the Queen. I’m here to ask you to join me with Heda and help accomplish what we have dreamed of doing for so long.”

“How can we do that. The Queen has been working with the maunon to get to Heda.”

“Talli, my brother is working to raise an army as we speak. I’m headed with Heda and my sister to TonD.C. to work with them on trying to prepare to take down the mountain.”

“You have always had my respect Echo, but you have always been my friend, and sometimes more, so yes I will join you in helping Heda,” Talli said with a shy smile.

“You have had all that Talli and maybe my heart as well,” Echo mumbled. She then leaned into Talli and kissed her. Talli quickly kissed her back and when they pulled away Talli called out the other four Azgedan’s.

“Echo,” they all said and bowed their heads.

“Hello my friends. I’m here to ask you to join Talli and myself in the greatest fight in Azgeda’s history.”

“What do you mean,” one of them asked.

“We are joining Heda in the fight against the maunon and then help Prince Roan to overthrow the Queen and take back Azgeda. It’s time to take back what is ours, so are you with us.”

They all bowed to Echo, and she was grateful. “You have our fealty Princess,” they all said.

“Thank you all. Let’s go join Heda on her way to TonD.C.,” and with that they headed towards where Lexa was waiting. Once they reached Lexa Echo went down on one knee. She watched the other five to see what they would do and to her surprise, thought she didn’t show it, the other five took a knee as well and bowed their heads.

Talli spoke up, “We swear fealty to you Heda and denounce our Queen as our leader.”

Heda asks, “do you all say as…,” she looked to Echo.

“Talli, Heda,” Echo said.

“Mochof. As Talli swears.”

“Sha, Heda,” the other four say.

“We welcome you, please stand.” With everyone up Lexa looked to Echo. “We don’t have enough room for all to ride so we will go slow the rest of the way to TonD.C.”

“Heda if I may,” Echo spoke. “What if we come behind you so you can let everyone know we are coming.”

“Please Echo may I speak to you for a moment,” Lexa asked.

“Sha Heda.”

They moved off just a little as Lexa spoke, “Echo, this is where I am putting my trust in you and your judgement. Please let my trust in you be true.”

“It will be Heda, and as a show of trust from me please take Ontari and Talli with you. That is my blood and my heart,” Echo said looking at Lexa hoping she understands, and Lexa does. Lexa nods in understanding, that Echo is trusting her just as much as Lexa is trusting her.

“Very well we will go ahead and ready TonD.C. for your arrival.”

When they came back to the group Echo motioned for Ontari to come over. “You and Talli will ride ahead with Lexa as a show of good faith. Remember we are doing the right thing for our people by working towards getting our mother out of power and putting Roan in as King.”

“I know Echo. I will make sure Talli is good and that we are good with Heda. I mean come on I’m Alexis’s seken,” Ontari said with a smile. “I don’t care whatever happens I will not ruin my opportunity to train with my Fos.”

Echo smiled at Ontari. She knows Nia was really hard on Ontari because she was her last hope for a nightblood, and she didn’t turn out to be one. Once Nia learned the truth, she Left the room and that was the last time Nia was anything to Ontari. Wen Ontari called someone nomon it was her calling Echo, because Echo basically raised Ontari. “I know Tari, and I love you sistra. I will be right behind you.”

“Love you too. See you soon.” Ontari then hugged Echo and went back to her horse.

Echo then went to Talli. “You’re going to go with Ontari and Heda as a show of good faith. To show we mean what we say. I need to know if you trust all four of the people in this group.”

Talli looked away, then looked back to Echo. “Rayl was just added to the group about a week ago personally by the Queen. I have had my suspicions that she put him with us to keep eyes on me.”

“Thank you, I will take care of him before we reach TonD.C. Talli, I love you please trust in Heda as I do.”

“I love you too and I do trust in you so I will trust in Heda. Please be careful with Rayl.” They reached for each other and gave each other a kiss. Echo deepened the kiss which made Talli moan. They were getting a little carried away when there was a clearing of the throat which made them jump apart.

Ontari let out a laugh on her horse. “Heda is ready to get moving.” She was still laughing as she led her horse away, Echo and Talli followed behind.

Once they reached the group Echo spoke to Heda. “Talli doesn’t trust Rayl so he will not make it to TonD.C.”

“I trust you Echo to take care of it.”

“Sha Heda it will be taken care of.”

“Good we will move out then,” and with that Lexa called for everyone to move out. As Echo’s group started walking behind following them to TonD.C.

Echo started talking to the three women warriors while Rayl was in the front of the group. The three warriors told Echo that he was one of the Queens chosen, which meant he was loyal to his Queen and would do anything to be in her good graces. With that information Echo snuck around Rayl and he seemed to sense something was off and looked behind him. When he didn’t see Echo, he turned back around only to find Echo standing in front of him and before he could do anything she slit his throat. The other warriors helped Echo to hide the body and then they continued there walk towards TonD.C.

When Lexa saw the gates for TonD.C. she let a small smile show on her face. She couldn’t wait to see Clarke. They went to the stables to turn over their horses to the stable hands, Lexa was almost knocked over by someone crashing into her. when she looked down, she saw Madi hugging her around her waist.

“Seken where have you run off too,” Anya shouts.

Lexa smiles remembering Anya yelling at her like that. “Hello Madi.”

“Hello Heda,” Madi said with a smile.

“Seken? Oh, there you are,” Anya says coming into the stables when she notices Lexa she bows her head, “Heda.”

“General,” Lexa says with a smirk.

Anya glares at her and then looks to Madi, “seken did you see how I greeted Heda.”

Madi looks down to the ground, “Sha Fos.”

“Good. You will do well to remember that for next time.”

Madi still has her head hung down, “Sha Fos.”

Lexa squats down to look Madi in the eyes and places her hands on Madi’s shoulders. “Only in public or if you come into my tent and people, you don’t know are in there are you to address me properly. When we are in private you may address me as Lexa. Are we clear little gona.”

Madi looked her in the eyes and with a smile said, “sha Heda.”

“Good. Also, when you are to be training with your Fos you should not run off unless it’s an emergency. Your Fos gets very grumpy when her sekens run off without her telling you your allowed to,” Lexa says with a smirk as she looks up to Anya to see her rolling her eyes at her. she smiles more and returns her attention back to Madi. “So Madi what is your Fos training you on today.”

“We are going to work with the bow and arrow. I am very excited about it cause it's my favorite.”

Lexa sees that twinkle in her eyes that Lexa used to get when she was training with the sword. “Well why don't you head out with your Fos, and I will come soon to see how you are doing.”

Madi’s eyes went wide with excitement, “sha Heda,” and with that Madi was off and out the stable doors. Anya just stood there shaking her head, when a calmer Madi came back in with her head down. “Moba Heda, you did not dismiss me.”

Lexa did her side smile to Anya, “you are dismissed strike gona.” Madi bowed her head and then turned to Anya.

“Forgive me Fos for forgetting my manners.”

“You are forgiven strike gona, but you will run ten laps before we start training.”

“Sha Fos.” With that the group left the stables and went their separate ways for now.

Lexa and her group found her nontu walking through the streets with a very happy Charlotte on his shoulders. Alexis’s breath hitched and tears came to her eyes when she saw the sight in front of her. Gustus always carried their children on his shoulders when they were younger. Lexa saw her nomon’s reaction to this and was happy her parents were going to be reunited. They were strong warriors in their own right, but they were so much stronger together, balancing each other, much like her and Clarke.

The group approached Gustus and Charlotte while Alexis still had her hood up. Charlotte was the first to see Lexa coming towards them. “Wexa, Wexa. Gus-Gus put me down,” Charlotte squealed as she was trying to climb down Gustus like he was tree.

“Hold on strik prisa,” Gustus laughed while trying to get the little girl down to the ground without her falling.

Once down she ran, or what is running for a three-year-old, straight to Lexa and Lexa bent down picking the little girl up into a hug. “Hello Char,” Lexa says with a laugh. She then placed Charlotte on her hip.

Gustus came walking over to the group when his eyes fell onto the person with the hood on. He stopped dead in his tracks. Just then Clarke came up behind Gustus, which no one saw her walk up because Gustus had blocked her from view. When she noticed Gustus’s behavior she reached for his arm. “Gustus are you alright,” she whispered to him.

“Prisa, I think I see a ghost.”

Clarke looks to him furrowing her brow, then looks to the hooded figure, and then to Lexa. While she was taking in the scene Lincoln and Octavia come up beside her.

Lincoln was carrying a food tray when he saw the hooded figure stopped dead in his tracks and dropped the tray onto the ground.

Octavia looked at the ground and huffed, “Lincoln what did you do that for. That was supposed to be lunch.

Lincoln didn’t pay Octavia any mind and just whispered, “nomon.” It took him just a second before he ran to the hooded figure dropping to his knees in front of them and hugged them around the waist with his head in their stomach.

The figure removed the hood and standing there was one of the most beautiful women Clarke had ever seen.

“Sha my son,” she said and wrapped a sobbing Lincoln in her arms.

“My god it is you my dear Alexis,” Gustus whispered out.

“It is Gus,” she said through her tears. He went up to her and wrapped her up into his powerful arms while she held Lincoln. Lexa stood there holding Charlotte watching the scene when Clarke walked up next to her.

“Hey, give me Charlotte Lexa so you can go to your family,” Clarke said with a smile and tears coming down her cheeks.

Lexa smiled at her and gave Char a kiss on the cheek before handing her to Clarke. She then went over to her family and joined in on the family hug.

Clarke looked around the village to see the people around with tears of their own for the reunited family. ‘Love is not weakness,’ Clarke thought. It was then that she noticed Echo and to her surprise Ontari standing off to the side with a few others, so she walked over to them. “Hello, I’m Clarke and this is my daughter Charlotte. We are two of the people who fell from the sky.”

“Hello Clarke and Charlotte, I’m Echo and this is my sister Ontari.” Ontari just nodded.

“It’s nice to meet you Echo and Tawie,” Charlotte said putting her hand out.

Ontari smiled so wide at the little girl and shook her hand. Echo smiled at the gesture and her sister because she has never seen Ontari like that with anyone besides her and Roan.

“Hey Char, why don’t you take Ontari to the pits and let her see what you have learned so far,” Clarke suggested.

“Okay mama. Come Tawie I show you how I can use a sword like Heda.”

Ontari looked to Echo who smiled and nodded her head to go with the little girl who was trying to drag Ontari away. Ontari had a huge smile as she let Charlotte drag her to the pits.

“I’ve never seen Ontari so carefree and a smile that big,” Echo said as she watched the girls head to the pits.

“Well Char will do that to you.”

They stood there in silence for a moment before Lexa came back over to them. “Please meet in the war room in an hour. Clarke, please bring Raven and Murphy with you, and Echo, I would like you and Talli to join as well.

“Sha Heda. I will go get her now,” and with that Echo left.

Lexa looked over to her family “Please join us as well, and Octavia could you please tell Anya and Indra, I would like them to join. You as well Octavia.”

Octavia quickly had to hide her excitement and bowed her head to Heda, “sha Heda,” and then she turned and ran off to find her Fos and Anya.

Clarke and Lexa went to Clarkes tent and once they were alone, they were on each other in a second. They were kissing and grabbing whatever they could get their hands one. Before they could get too carried away Lexa pulled back which made Clarke whimper. “Please Niron, don’t make this harder.” Clarke had a pout on her face. “I hod yu in Clarke, but we have to gather people and met everyone, and I need more than an hour to properly love you. I want to set into motions the plans for taking the mountain down.”

Clarke leaned in and kissed Lexa one more time. “Sha Heda,” Clarke said in her husky voice that she knew drove Lexa crazy and this time Lexa whined. “Now, now Heda none of that now,” Clarke said with a smirk.

Before anything else could happen, they heard yelling outside of the tent.

“You get back here you little brat.”

Lexa looked at Clarke who just shrugged and before they could do anything else there was someone running through the tent flap.

Madi is flying in, “Hide me ma, Raven is going to kill me.”

“What are you…,” but before Clarke could finish Raven came bursting into the tent.

“Where are you, you little,” and with that Raven stopped as soon as she saw Clarke and Lexa.

“Oh god Raven what is that smell,” Clarke said almost throwing up.

“Oh, that would be horse shit Clarke as your daughter there,” as she pointed to Madi, “threw it on me.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose ma. I was doing my choirs of mucking the stalls and when I went to throw the scoop of poop, I had into the barrel Raven walked in the way and it got on her instead.”

“Oh, you little.”

“Raven,” Heda yelled. “If you call Madi a name one more time you will have me to deal with.”

By this time Anya and Murphy came into the tent when they heard all the yelling.

“Raven, why do you smell like horse shit,” Murphy asked while moving around the tent away from her.

“That little shit there threw it on me,” Raven said pointing towards Madi.

All of a sudden Raven was being thrown over Lexa’s shoulder and taken out of the tent. She could hear Anya in the background shouting, “please don’t hurt her Heda.”

Raven was hitting Heda’s back yelling to put her down, but Lexa didn’t listen. They passed by Gustus and Alexis and Gustus pulled Alexis along behind them laughing telling Alexis, “Oh, this should be good.”

When they got to the lake Raven started to yell louder, “don’t you dare Lexa. Don’t you dare throw me in the,” but Raven couldn’t finish her sentence because she was thrown into the lake. Everyone on the shore was laughing with Gustus being the loudest.

“Oh, Striksora you flew for a few seconds.” Anya went in and grabbed Raven up out of the lake. Raven was sputtering and whipping water from her face.

“I told you not to call Madi another name. Be grateful it was the lake and not more horse shit,” Lexa said with a smirk on her face. Raven just huffed as she and Anya walked past Lexa heading back into town. “Anya half an hour till we meet in the war room. Both of you.”

They both mumbled a “sha Heda,” as they left.

“Oh, how I have missed this Gus,” Alexis said hugging up to his side.

“Me too ai houmon, me too,” Gustus said pulling Alexis even closer and kissing the top of her head.