The rest of our journey seemed to take hours. At the edge of the forest the bounty hunter covered my head with a sack, blinding my vision. Where ever we were about to go was important enough to keep hidden from my eyes. I had a sense we'd left the woods behind as the ground felt harder like stone. The sound of voices grew louder as we walked on, until we came to a hault. My captor addressed another man, "Ai laik Roan Kom Azgeda." The sound of large gates opening could be heard as we walked onwards. Nerves began to get the better of me as I felt as though I was surrounded by people. It was incredibly disorientating. The sounds diminished as we entered another area that felt like an indoor building. We had reached some kind of elevator as I hear the sound of a mechanism moving and could feel the sensation of it rising up. Nobody spoke, the atmosphere felt unnerving. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the cold sweat of fear forming on my body. I had no idea what awaited me, my death or maybe something worse. The elevator stopped suddenly and I was led into another room and pushed to my knees. I could hear whispering voices, then a blinding light clouded my vision as the sack was removed. I recognise her voice before I saw her face... "Hello Clarke." There she stood before me, Commander Lexa, the last person I expected to see.
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Mixed emotions surged through me as she spoke with Roan. Her words washed over me, echoing through my mind as I fixed my gaze upon her I could feel my anger beginning to rise. She dismissed everyone in the room as the guards helped me to my feet. Lexa removed the gag from my mouth and spoke. I couldn't focus, couldn't believe she was standing here in front of me once again. My rage hit a crescendo as she told me that war was brewing, that she needed me. All I saw was red, how dare she bring me here, how dare she ask for my help after everything. I spat at her before being dragged away by her guards. I could have killed her there and then, my blind rage ruling my head and my heart. Maybe death would have been easier to deal with than such a tumultuous reunion with the girl I once cared about, the girl who betrayed me.
This troubled reunion with Lexa, left me with too many emotions to count. Most of all I still felt the sting of betrayal. Her guards took me away kicking and screaming to a room and locked me in. My hands were still bound but I managed to free them, taking the flesh from my wrists with it. I didn't care, I didn't feel pain at that point only anger. I paced back and forth, feeling like a caged animal. As the adrenaline faded, my emotions got the better of me. I slumped to the ground and leaned against the wall. I was so exhausted I began to cry. Why couldn't she have just left me out there in the wilderness? Nothing prepared me for seeing her again and the emotions that would once again surface. In my head I hated her, I despised her, but in my heart I felt something else, something I didn't want to feel even after everything that had happened.
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Catching my breath, I rose to my feet and looked out of the window of this huge tower. A broken, vibrant city sprawled out. This was the Capital, this was Polis. I always thought my first visit here would be under different circumstances, that I would be a guest not a prisoner. I imagined walking the streets of this city side by side with Lexa as two leaders bringing unity between our clans. This was a very different twist of fate. As the sun began to set, I had informed my guards that I would not speak with Lexa, that her visits were not welcome. I needed time to think, to calm myself. This talk of war and my role to play in it seemed inevitable, even though I wanted no part of it. She had asked for my support, Heda needed the power of Wanheda and that gave me leverage with my current situation. If I were to pick a side it would be on my terms. If Lexa's leadership was being challenged then my support for her would make me invaluable. They all seemed to want Wanheda, they all wanted my power. I now realised how important I had become in the sway of Grounder politics. I no longer felt helpless, I felt empowered. This was when I truly understood my new name, my new identity. Wanheda had finally risen from the ashes and she would demand her respect.
