The Girl from Nowhere

Andes had been traveling for a month now. She was deep in Azgeda territory, miles north of their capital, and she was staring at the largest army she had ever seen. Spread out on the plains, there must have been thousands of warriors here. She saw a few clan banners, desert being one of them. She knew she needed to get close to the command tent. She was pretty sure she could disguise herself enough to move amongst them, she had already dyed her hair black. If she wore her mask, she would look like everyone else. She needed to find out what Danko had planned.

It took a few days, but she finally was able to get close. She infiltrated the broadleaf clan, they were part of the command tent guard rotation. Now she just had to wait for Danko and his generals to meet. Another few days went by, and finally they were assembling. She was as close as she could stand at the backside of the tent, standing guard. Thank god Danko was loud, subtlety was not his strong suit. Andes heard it all. They were going to kidnap the rest of the clan leaders, bring them north, try and coerce their fealty. They had warriors in place now to execute this part of the plan. Then they would march south, and destroy anyone who didn’t kneel to Danko. They would kill the clan leaders whose people didn’t kneel to Danko. Andes knew what this meant, and fear shot through her. Real fear, fear for Clarke, if she was a target. She had to leave as quickly as possible and make it back to Tondc to let Indra know, but she couldn’t leave yet, it would draw attention to her. As soon as she was relieved from her post later that night, she took off, running as hard as she could. She met up with Sampson and Midnight, and now all three of them were running. Andes was afraid, because she knew she was too far away to save Clarke, she would never make it back in time.

It took weeks to get close to Tondc. Andes was exhausted, but she kept going. She was still half a day from the village when she heard voices. She quickly left the trail and went up into the trees. Relief flooded through her when she saw Octavia and Indra leading a group of 15 warriors. She dropped down, calling out to them. Octavia rushed up to her and embraced her. “Andes, shit, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” she said.

Indra came up to her also, clapped her on the back. “You made it back in one piece. “

“Yeah, I made it back as fast as I could. Bad things are about to happen.”

“I’m afraid they already started.” Indra said.

A pain shot through Andes heart, “Clarke?” She looked at Octavia, who shook her head.

“Taken, along with the other 6 clan leaders. Happened a couple days ago.”

Andes yelled out her frustration, she didn’t make it back in time. “I heard their plan, I left as soon as I could to get back down here.”

Indra put a hand on her Andes’ shoulder, “It’s ok, and you’re here now. I don’t think they’ll hurt her. We think they’re using them all as leverage.”

“They are, but they’ll kill them if they don’t get what they want. He’s got a huge army, over two thousand warriors. I saw five clan banners that are with him, but there are others there that I don’t even recognize. They’ll be marching now, heading south. They’re going to destroy everyone in their path.”

“Let’s convene the council, we’ll meet at Tondc tomorrow, it’s more centrally located than Polis.” She called out orders to some of her men, sending them out to make sure everyone would be there. “You two go back to Arkadia and bring their council, we need everybody’s input.” Octavia and Andes nodded and headed back, taking two of the warriors with them, and the four of them headed back to Arkadia as fast as they could.

They were running for a couple of hours, when they stopped for a water break by the river. They had just another hour or so and they should be back at the Ark. Andes was resting for bit, she’d been running for weeks now, with barely any rest. She didn’t know how she was still on her feet. Suddenly one of the men shouted to Octavia. Andes saw them by the water looking at something. Octavia looked back at her, panic in her eyes, “Andes,” she shouted.

Andes immediately ran over to them, and when she looked down her heart broke. Jaks was lying there, an arrow in his side, covered in blood, so much blood that you couldn’t see his gray fur, barely breathing, but somehow still alive. “Oh my god, Jaks, Jaks,” she knelt by his side, putting her hand on his head, stroking him, trying to soothe him. The others wandered away, but Octavia stayed and knelt next to Andes. “We have to help him, O, we can take him to Abby, maybe she can do something, “ she looked at Octavia, her eyes filled with tears, pleading for some sliver of hope.

“Andes, we’ll never get him back in time.”

Andes knew she was right. She sat down and carefully put Jaks head on her lap, whispering in his ear, rocking back and forth. Sampson and Midnight were there now, sniffing their brother, and both started whining, sensing his pain. They sat down next to him and put their heads on him. Andes knew he didn’t have long to live. His breath was erratic, labored. The tears flowed freely down Andes cheeks as Jaks took his last breath, his death howl coming with that last breath. And now Sampson and Midnight were howling, Andes joining in, moaning in pain. Part of their pack was gone forever. Octavia got chills hearing it. The sound was eerie and mournful. When they stopped, Octavia sat down next to Andes, who still held Jaks. She was just staring ahead, her eyes unfocused. “He was trying to make it back to Arkadia” she said in a monotone voice. Octavia didn’t know what to say to her, so she just stayed quiet. She knew they had to get moving, but didn’t want to rush her. “I can’t leave him here.” Andes said.

“I know. We can take him back and bury him in the graveyard at Arkadia.”

Andes nodded. She knew they had to leave. She gently put Jaks head on the ground, and pulled the arrow out of him. She wiped the tears from her face, “help me get him on my shoulders. “

“Andes, jesus, he must weigh over a hundred pounds.” Andes just looked at her, and she didn’t say anything more. She helped hoist him over Andes shoulders, front paws over her one shoulder, back paws over the other one. She held him and started walking. When they made it back to Arkadia, they went straight to the cemetery, dug a hole and buried him. Andes knelt by his grave for a few minutes. Octavia moved away to give her some privacy. Andes held her hand over the freshly dug dirt that covered him. "Yu gonplei ste odon." ("Your fight is over.")

The next day the council from Arkadia left for Tondc, Kane, Abby, Octavia, Andes, Bellamy and Raven, who was instructed by Octavia to bring the flame. They were the last to arrive. Indra was in the command tent waiting. They were all seated in a large circle. Andes wasn’t sitting, she wasn’t part of a council, she was just there to give her report when Indra called on her to do so. She was showered now, her hair uncovered. She knew some of the people there were already staring at her, guessing at her identity.

“We’re meeting here today because we are all facing the greatest danger that we have ever faced.” Indra looked around at the attendees. This was the ruling council of Polis, along with the Arkadia council. The other clans were not part of this initial meeting. The thought was to come up with ideas before involving everyone, maybe formulate a plan to present to them. It was hard to get the clans to agree on anything, so they needed to present a strong case for any plan they chose, especially since the actual leaders of the clans weren’t even there, taken by Danko. Indra continued, “Danko has assembled a very large army. He has kidnapped clan leaders, he’s threatening them, saying he will kill them if we don’t surrender. They are marching now towards Polis.”

“How do you know all this? I thought our scouts were killed and butchered before they could report anything.” This was Daniel, a much respected tradesman from Polis, he was the defacto leader of the council, older and wise, his opinion on all matters greatly respected.

Indra looked over to Andes, and nodded for her to come forward. “This is Andes, she has been scouting for us for the last two months.”

“Andes you said?” Daniel asked. Andes nodded. “Where are you from?”

“Nowhere.” Andes gave her stock reply.

“I find that hard to believe,“ said Tomas, another member of the council. He wasn’t as highly regarded as Daniel, often argumentative and difficult to get along with.

“Andes tell them what you saw, “ Indra said. Andes relayed all the information. When she was finished, everyone sat in silence for a minute.

Kane finally spoke up, “We have to assemble an army, we need everyone on board.”

“Do we even have enough warriors?” Bellamy asked.

“I don’t think so, “ Daniel said.

“What about Skaikru and their bullets? Won’t that give us an advantage? There is no defense against them, isn’t it possible to take out hundreds with your bullets?” Tomas said.

Kane, shook his head, “our inventory is dangerously low. We don’t have enough to win a battle, let alone a war.”

Daniel spoke up, “We need someone to unite all the clans. The problem is that we’ve been without a true commander for almost a year now. I’m surprised it’s taken this long for war to be on our doorstep.”

“Who can lead then? There must be someone.” Kane said.

“All the Natblida are gone. We’ve looked for months, there are no more left. They were all killed by Ontari. The clans will only recognize a nightblood commander, that’s the only way they will all come together. And without one, we’re doomed.” Tomas said

Indra and Andes exchanged a look, and it didn’t go unnoticed. Abby spoke up, “What?” She asked the both of them.

Indra looked at Andes, it wasn’t her right to give up Andes secret, it had to come from her. Andes suddenly remembered her dream, the dream with Lexa, ‘you will shine brightest of all’, and in her heart she knew, she knew this was her destiny. “I’m Natblida.”

The room fell silent, all eyes on her now. “She speaks the truth, “Indra said.

“How is that possible?” Daniel asked. “All were killed.”

“I wasn’t here, I haven’t been for years.” Andes answered.

“She was in training in Polis years ago. She was sent away before Lexa’s conclave.” Indra said.

“So, Andes can become commander?” Kane asked hopefully.

Tomas scoffed. “Surely you don’t think that this girl from nowhere can lead us. She’s not been properly trained. And she’s a wanted murderer.” That was news to the Arkadia council.

“The murder was justified, everyone knows that,” Indra said

“She killed a clan leader, “ Tomas argued.

“That was 8 years ago. And may I remind you of whom desert clan is aligned with right now. They are our enemy, so this shouldn’t be an issue.”

“What about the flame? We don’t have the flame, Clarke was the last one who had it.” Daniel said.

Raven spoke up now. “I have it.”

Tomas held up his hand, “Wait, I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Every commander that came before has had to go through a conclave. They had to prove they were worthy, they had to fight to the death for the right to be commander. To just hand this girl from nowhere the flame and the title of commander will not work. They will not follow her. Indra, you know I’m right, she has to prove herself.”

Indra sighed, “He’s right. They won’t accept her just because she’s Natblida.”

“But there are no other nightbloods for her to fight. How could she prove herself?” Bellamy asked.

Andes was just listening to all this, and everyone forgot she was even there. “I have an idea.” They all stopped talking at looked at her. “We’ll have a conclave.”

“Impossible, “ Tomas said.

Andes held up her hand, “Here me out. Send me into the ring with the best warriors we have, however many it takes. And make sure all the clans that are left send someone.“

“A fight to the death?” Tomas asked.

“Yes, but with a twist. They can kill me, and if they do, they will be viewed as great warriors, killing a Natblida. But, if I win, I spare them, and they give me a promise of fealty to our new alliance. “

“You’ll spare them?” Tomas asked.

“Yes, that way they have nothing to lose. And I think we’re going to need all the great warriors we can get, no sense me killing any of them.”

Now Abby spoke up, “Andes, no, you don’t have to do this.”

Andes was never more sure of anything in her life, “yes I do, it’s the only way.”

Daniel spoke up, “this might work, but we don’t have a lot of time. We need to present the idea to the clans that are still with us.”

Andes nodded, “Set up the conclave for tomorrow, the clans are all here. Let’s get it over with; we’ve got a war to fight.”

“What about the flame?” Indra asked.

“I’ll take it, as soon as I’m done winning.”

The plans were finalized. Daniel, Tomas and Kane would present the plan to the clan leaders now, telling them this was the only way. Without their leaders, who were prisoners now, they shouldn’t be hard to convince. Bellamy was sent back to Arkadia to get Murphy, in the hopes that they would need a flame keeper for the ascension ceremony.

Andes was left in the room now with Raven and Octavia. Raven was beside herself, “What are you doing? We just got you back, and now you’re gonna throw your life away?”

“Raven, I’ll be ok, trust me, I’ll be fine.”

“How can you say that?”

“I just know, ok?”

“I just worry about your motives. Are you just doing this for Clarke? Is this some sort of masochistic way to win her back?”

“No, I’m doing it for everyone. This is my destiny. I know it is. And I will survive it. And I can’t tell you how I know, I just do.”

Octavia put a hand on Andes shoulder, “you need to sleep, you haven’t slept in days.”

“I know, I’m going now, ok? I’ll see you guys later.”

“What do you think?” Raven asked Octavia after Andes left.

“I think she’s gonna win.” Raven wished she had Octavia’s confidence.