The 100 - Just one life more!

17: Kane

TW: Dead body, Knife, Violence

The remaining time till the Skaikru left with Heda and her party to Camp Jaha was uneventful for the Skaikru. Heda on the other hand got a message from Polis, that two Skaikru were held captive, one of them claimed to be their leader, wanting to talk to her. So she ordered her guards to bring both men to the Skaikru camp. Hopefully the messenger was fast enough, so they would arrive roughly at the same time at the camp as Lexa and the others.
On the morning they wanted to leave Heda's and Anya's tent were both taken down and packed into a wagon. Alura would stay in TonDC to help rebuild the food stock and help Nyko maintaining order in the village, so Indra could travel with Heda and help her with the Skaikru.
The Skaikru packed their few belongings as well and Anya helped Clarke to store the guns and the ammunition separately in the wagon they would take. After all the things were stored and the horses were saddled or harnessed there was only on thing left to do. To guards came out of one of the houses, bearing a stretcher. The person on it was covered with a white sheet. They carried the body to the wagon and put the stretcher with Finn on it into the wagon. Then they strapped him down with ropes to secure him during the ride. Finally everybody could mount their horses. But since the Skaikru have never ridden a horse before, they needed help mounting. So Octavia helped Bellamy, one of the guards helped Murphy and to everyone's surprise Heda helped Clarke to mount. She came to Clarke, asking, "Do you need help mounting?" Clarke sheepishly looked to the ground. She didn't want to look like she couldn't even do the simplest tasks, but she had to swallow her pride. She didn't know how to get on this darn horse. So she admitted, "Yes, thank you. I don't really know how to get on there." Clarke could swear Heda's lips twitched up a little into the little brother of a smile, then she gave Clarke a leg-up and mounted her own horse.

It was almost dark when they reached the tree line to Camp Jaha. They could only go slowly because of the Skaikru and the wagon. The advantage of that was, the guards of Polis were already there with the prisoners. Lexa decided they would make camp in the woods and approach in the morning. That way she had time to talk to the prisoners and, as Clarke pointed out, it was less likely that they were shot by some idiots with guns, also known as the guard.
It didn't take long for a tent to be build and the prisoners were led in. To test the waters, though, Lexa decided to disguise as a servant girl and see how the two of them would react. Carefully Lexa got out of her armour and placed it down in the wagon. Then she got out of her coat and put a bandana around her head.  For the last touch she took a flask with water. Now she would pass as a servant girl.
After she gave her shoulder piece to Gustus, her plan could start. Gustus brought her into the tent and two of her guards followed. Immediately on of the men stood up. He was light skinned while the other was dark skinned. The latter obviously couldn't be bothered to stand up. So the two guards punched him and lifted him to his feet.The other one screamed, trying to help his friend, "Pleas stop! We want peace! We want peace!" Lexa looked at Gustus and Gustus nodded at her, then he siad, "You speak of peace and yet you sent an assassin into one of our villages. Jus drein jus daun." After that he commanded the guards, "Sis op bloka ausad! (Take up guard outside.)" and to Lexa he added, "Konge osir taim bilaik odon. (Fetch us when it's done.)" With that he gave Lexa a dagger and left with the guards.
Now Lexa had time to examine everything. The two men were bound to the middle pole with long metal chains. They were made before Praimfaya and thanks to great maintenance they still worked. Both men seemed exhausted, no wonder, they were captured and then travelled, probably less comfortable than the Skaikrus with her.
Kane looked at Lexa and started to speak, "What did the Commander talk about? An assassin? What happened?" Lexa turned her head, "A Skaikru boy attacked on of the villages with one of your fayogons. This attack cannot stand. Blood must have blood. This is our way." Kane listened and it grew silent for a moment. Then he spoke again. The passion in his voice was clear, "Lifes were lost on both sides. That's why we need to End. This. War!!!" Furiously he threw his jacket to the ground and grew silent with resignation.
That got Lexa's attention. This man had similar ideas to Clarke. Both wanted peace. Let's see how far he was willing to go. Lexa got out her dagger and threw it between them, "The Commander wants to test you. See how true you can be to your word and how far your willing to go. One of you must die tonight by the hand of the other. Only then can we have peace." The dark man came to Lexa and sat down next to her, both man ignoring the dagger. "I'm Thelonius Jaha and that is Markus Kane. What is your name?" he asked. Lexa didn't know, what his intentions were, but she played along, "I'm Leksa kom Trikru."
"Lexa, what do you know about the assassin?" Jaha said.
"The assassins came in the night. They burned the food stocks and used their fayogons." Lexa didn't want to give to many details. She was interested how they would react, if she let them believe, people lost their lifes and the Commander wanted justice.
"We didn't order an attack. I didn't order an attack. And neither would Abby," Kane now entered the conversation, "I can help your Commander to find justice. I can help him get to the bottom of this. But not if I'm in here in the middle of the woods, god knows where."
"How," Lexa asked, "Who are you to your people?"
"I'm their chancellor, their leader. That's why I went to search for the Commander. I want to achieve peace. And I'm willing to go far for it." He took the knife. Now, that was interesting. He didn't strike Lexa as the type for killing someone in cold blood. She obviously was wrong. Then he spoke again, "Thelonius, after I'm gone Abby is in charge. Make sure the Commander knows that." And with that he cut open his arm.