Down to Earth (A 100 Fanfiction)

Chapter 28 - The Mother

Cassian heard footsteps behind him. He recognized the strong and precise way that they hit the ground, and immediately knew who it was. But the former warrior in him still put him on edge. His hand twitched to reach for his dagger out of precaution, but he managed to restrain himself.

He turned around and looked up at Indra, who was standing behind him with her hands positioned behind her back. Her dark eyes burned holes into his back, a feeling that he was all too familiar with when it came to her. She had always given him that look, from the moment he had stepped into her village.

"Morning," Cassian said, closing the lid of his flask. He had been standing by an open barrel where the Skypeople kept their clean water.

A tunnel from the river beside the camp could be joined to the camp and a well built to store it could be built. It would make things easier for them when it came to collecting water. He made a mental note to mention the idea to the boy when he arrived, considering that he appeared to be one of the head builders in this settlement.

"Give me some."

The flask was snatched right out of his hand. Cassian let out an exasperated sigh as he turned back to watch Indra open the lid and take a swig of water, draining the flask of its contents. That meant that he would have to fill his flask of water again. Great.

"You know, there's supposed to be a please that goes with that request," he said to her, but Indra just ignored him, examining the flask despite having one of her own in the private quarters that Kane had provided her with.

"Are you collecting water because you're going to train the boy?" Indra asked, meeting Cassian's gaze.

Cassian raised an eyebrow, nodding slowly. Indra knew about his private training lessons with the boy. She had been standing right beside him when the boy came and asked him for the training. The young man had even said that Indra had encouraged him to ask him. He had also seen Indra watching them training while she was busy with her own training lessons with Octavia. So, why was she questioning him about Roman's training?

"Has Kane's son made any progress?"

"It's only been two days, Indra. He's still only starting out. But ... he is quite a fast learner. He's quick on his feet and knows how to block an incoming attack. It's the offense that he must still work on."

Indra nodded, looking at the sun rising over the treeline. Cassian always liked looking at the sunrise. He never got to see it much in his old home, but when he came to Tondc, he got to see it every day. And these days, he would often sit on a cliff edge with his daughters to watch it. But the girls were still at the village, safe in the care of some of his most trusted friends. The girls had wanted to come, mostly because Nala wanted to see Roman. But Indra would hear none of it, and he had to agree with her. Taking two small children to a settlement full of people who had been considered as enemies mere days ago was hardly the best of ideas.

"What about him?" Indra asked, handing the flask back to him. "What is he like?"

Cassian was very surprised by this. He wasn't expecting Indra to interrogate him about the Skypeople's leader's son. But knowing her, he knew that her intentions weren't just friendly chat. Everything was always a discussion about whether a person was an enemy or not.

"He's ... a very intelligent boy," Cassian replied after thinking about how to respond. "He's very understanding, especially when I explain our way to him. A quiet young man, but I see a fierce and powerful spirit lying within. In order for him to become a better fighter, he must learn to unleash that spirit. Which is what I have been trying to do."