The Commander and The Girl

Chapter 8

CLARKE POV
I'm awoken by the voices of a woman and man talking. Groaning I lean back trying to get more comfortable.
I hear a laugh from my left, but am too tired to look up.
I move one of my legs over, as my butt was getting sore, and feel a hand fly at my side pushing me back up. I slump into their lap. I feel a bump and grumpily open up
my eyes, blinking to get adjusted to the moonlight .

I look up. I'm on a horse. I sit up and whip my head around to the person behind me. Lincoln looks at me with a small grin as Octavia bursts out laughing on the horse to our left. I feel my cheeks burn as I realize I've been sleeping on him the whole time.
"Sorry." I mumble before trying to situate myself on the horse.
I turn around and see Kane talking to a grounder. He looks up and gives me a kind smile before resigning his conversation. I look around at all of us. There's about 10 grounders escorting us to who knows where, and no one seems mad about it. We ride for another hour in the darkness before stopping at a river to drink. I slide off the horse stumbling on the way down. I take a while to move as my legs seemingly are not working.
Once I finally gain balance I walk down to Octavia and Lincoln deep in conversation.
"Hey how did I get here?" I ask genuinely confused. Octavia smirks.
"You really don't remember?"
I take a second to think before it all starts rushing back.
I shove Octavia off her log.
"You drugged me!"
I yell.
Octavia stands up brushing herself off, still smirking.
"I think I specifically heard you say, 'anywhere is better than here' in your trance. You should be thanking us."
She says smugly.
She isn't wrong.
I go by the river and grab one of the canteens, filling it up and taking a swig.
"So where are we going?"
I ask.
"Polis."
Lincoln says waiting for my reaction.
I stand frozen. "To meet the commander right?"
I say forcibly.
Octavia looks at me confused, then at Kane, and back at me.
"Yea I guess so." She says before taking a drink out of her own canteen
Why were they acting all weird around me?
"I'm fine, y'all know that right?" I question before we all mount our horses.
I look up at the horse I was on then back at Lincoln my cheeks burning again.
"Why don't you ride with Octavia this time."
Lincoln suggests seemingly apologetic at my demeanor.
"But she was so peaceful sleeping with you."
Octavia smirks. I look at her hesitantly before she starts laughing.
"Hop on baby."
I sigh in relief, and I walk over to her horse mounting it after a couple tries.
A soft hum of conversation travels through the group.
Fed up with being quiet I ask,
"So where have you both been?"
Lincoln looks back at Octavia who nods.
"After you came back injured and Bellamy's group was overthrown Octavia didn't want to stay in the camp. We wanted to stay together so we went back to my village with Trikru. They weren't accepting at first but Octavia was named Indra's second before she left earning us both the respect to be welcomed back." Lincoln said looking proud at Octavia.
"You've been not even a mile away and yet you never came back to see us, O?" I ask almost saddened by her leaving us.
"I couldn't. Bellamy proved he wasn't my brother when he joined Pike's group. Plus almost everyone thought you were dead until we got word from Kane." I looked back at Octavia.
"They think I'm dead?"
"Yup Kane said your mother didn't want anyone knowing you're alive as your life was at risk being Wanheda and all." She stated.
I turn back around to the front and think.
So much for a conversation.
We're silent the whole way back, the only conversations being spoken in the grounders' native tongue.
After another hour we stop right outside of Polis.
I slide off the horse getting more used to it, and stumble back as a grounder throws me a cloak.
"What's this for?"
"Right now is not a good time for Wanheda to be seen."
She replies. I look forward and see more warriors here then I remember.
Not questioning it, I put the cloak on, pulling the hood over my head and keeping my eyes down.
We walk our horses to a makeshift stable and make our way to the tower. The unfamiliar warriors here have heavy coats on as if it's below 0°.
Azgeda.
I murmur realizing their King must be here.
So Ontari did win. Poor Aden. He didn't stand a chance against a girl almost twice his age.
We walk closer to the tower and I feel my eyes grow wet. I quickly wipe away my tears as Kane steps in front of all of us. He speaks to one of the warriors protecting the entrance, and seeming familiar with one another the warrior lets us in.
I can feel his eyes on my hood and stare at the paved floor. I walk through the winding hallways as I follow the boots of Octavia and Lincoln. We're walking for awhile before Octavia opens a door.
"Your room." She states.
I walk inside and she shuts the door behind me.
I finally look up taking my hood off. The rooms smaller than my last, about half the size. There's a bed along the far right wall and a small couch against the window to my right. I take off my cloak and try to wrap my head around what's going to happen.

I'm being sold. The new Heda wants me in return for our peace. Word must have spread here as Octavia said no one in the village knew. Someone must have seen me leave breathing. That someone will be the cause of my death.

I look at one of the pillows and rip it open. I yell and I cry. All of this just so I can die. So I can be traded for our people. I haven't been out of my room for a day even and Kane has decided my life is worth the life of everyone else's. They won't even fight for me! If they had told me I would've done it. But they aren't even giving me that choice! I cry silently to myself until I'm asleep in the middle of the floor.
I did this to myself. I have no one to blame but me.