No Hero: Lost Among the Flame

Only the Commander

Clarke

As we began to navigate through the stedaunon I made sure Madi stayed close. I gripped my gun tighter in effort to ground myself. There was no reason to think Lexa couldn't handle Bekka. Alright so there was some reason for concern. If the flame was in anyone other than Freya I wouldn't think twice about Lexa handling it. Yet again because its in Freya means Lexa will do anything to save her from Bekka. It was in her hands now.

I rolled my shoulders and focused on our part. The five of us walked in a single file line with Bellamy in the lead. He made sure to hug the wall and shine his flashlight along the floor to watch for traps. "Are we sure finding Aden is the best way to go about things?" It was the first thing anyone said since splitting up.

"There is no other way, Bellamy" I replied.

He huffed, "Yeah but how do we know he'll be able to end this?"

"Because he's a natbleda" Madi said. I tried my best to muster an encouraging smile for her. Her parents had hidden her away from what it means to be a nightblood. They wanted to keep her safe which in the long run ended up being the right call. If she was in polis she might have been killed along side the nightbloods. "That may not mean anything to you but it does to us" she added, a bite to her tone.

Bellamy didn't turn around or stop walking but he did let out a sigh. I narrowed my eyes at the back of his head. He's had his share of disagreements with the grounders. I just thought he'd change his mind after all this time. Apparently Octavia uniting everyone in the bunker was overshadowed by what she became. I felt partially responsible. Lexa never gave up hope.

"I'm concerned that we don't have a plan B incase people won't listen to him or he won't help us. You all have seen him. The days of the commander are over. Too many people have lost their way" Bellamy said.

Suddenly, he held up his hand signaling for us to stop where we were. Around the corner there was screaming and shouting that could only be described as war cries. I wasn't sure if the group that ran past was Wonkru or Trikovakru. There was an opening for us to pass. "Go go go" I hurried Madi as an older man fell in our way making us step over his body. I didn't look long but he might have been Trikru.

We continued sneaking by attacking forces. Few had guns although there were several arrows flying around. I didn't get a good look but they seemed to be made out of scrap. Along the way I couldn't keep my mind off what Bellamy said. The commander gave people hope. Those days wouldn't end as long as there were still people willing to fight for them. Freya came from space and still found comfort in that hope. I had to talk about it, "Freya believed in the commander. Someone who wasn't even raised on the ground. That is how strong the ways of the commander are."

"Freya is a murder who left us the first chance she got. She's not the best role model" Bellamy muttered.

"If I recall Bellamy you were the first to divide us. You shot the chancellor and tried to keep the ark from coming down. Freya saved Clarke from being speared on the trek for food that you didn't want to go on. Think about the bridge or mount weather. Freya was brave before any of us realized we needed to be" Monty spoke up.

Bellamy grumbled, "What I did is in the past."

I hadn't thought about the bridge in a long time. Yet I can still recall the shock of seeing that bag taken off her head. And then how she threw herself into Anya to save me. "We've all done things for someone else that we're not proud of" I said.

"I never really knew Freya," Harper jumped in, "But I think she did all she could. She found someone who accepted all parts of her and valued her. She fell in love. You can't blame her for that."