Coming Back Down

Wanheda Pt. 1

  Breathing deeply as I was laying out on the branch of a tree, I let the sun warm my skin. I felt a strange calm as my eyes were closed and my hands were laced behind my head. It had been months since Octavia helped me escape from the camp, and I never felt such freedom as I had now knowing that I would never be confined again.

  I had heard whispers from trading posts I had managed to go unnoticed in about what happened with the Grounders and the Mountain Men. I even heard how it was actually Clarke that had brought Mount Weather down.

  It took me time, but I had eventually learned how to hunt and survive on my own. Hell, I even learned how to fight the Grounders that I encountered. I was skilled with a knife more now than I ever was and could even use a spear to take down a deer. So far, things were going pretty well for me. However....I did wonder how Octavia was doing. I was just hoping she was still alive.

~

  Wearing furs and tattered clothes, I pretty much looked like any other Grounder, and it helped me blend in. Using black ash to cover my face made it harder for anyone to realize I wasn't a Grounder if they happened to look at me.

  Waiting outside of a trading post, I made sure there weren't many people inside before I went in. It was getting dark out, but that was the best time for me to enter these buildings. There were fewer Grounders at trading posts the closer to night it was.

  Going into the building, there was only one person inside- a redhead waiting by the front counter. Whoever was in charge must have been in the back from how the redhead was waiting, and I kept my head down as I went through the many things the trading post offered. There were furs and clothing and various other things that kept me occupied until the woman in the back came out with things for the redhead.

  When the woman and the redhead began to talk, I couldn't understand what they were saying since I didn't know how to speak the language of the Grounders, but one of their voices was so familiar to me. It was as if the face of the voice was at the top of my head, but I couldn't quite recall it as I had my back toward them while I was inspecting a well-made spear.

  As I was testing the weight of the weapon in my hands, I happened to glance over my shoulder just as the redhead did the same, and we locked eyes. Her brows furrowed as her eyes narrowed, looking as if she recognized me but wasn't sure. 'Holy shit....' I thought while immediately knowing who she was.

  Walking toward her, her eyes widened as she finally recognized me. Grabbing her wrist, I gave a faint smile while speaking low enough to where only she could hear me.

  "Just act friendly so the woman doesn't pick up on anything." I muttered, letting my smile grow a bit. "Do you know how Octavia is?"

  "Viper....you're alive?" Clarke sounded shocked but managed to put on a smile.

  "Answer me if you can. Please, I have to know. She's the closest thing I have to a friend."

  "She was fine the last I heard and as far as I know. She was trying to learn the Grounder culture, but other than that, I'm not sure."

  "How did you learn their language?"

  "Picked it up along the way."

  "You'll have to teach me. I've been getting by with pretending to be mute and guessing what they were saying. I've had to kill a few that were smart enough to catch on that I was Skaikru." Clarke looked like she was about to say something, but two Grounders walked in, and we pretended to be occupied by the pile of furs in front of us. The woman running the post said something in the Grounder language, and Clarke, thank goodness, quietly translated for me.

  "You have something to trade?" The woman had said. "I asked you a question." She repeated when there came no reply. Turning my head toward Clarke as if I was showing her the pelt in my hands, I glanced back to see the Grounders. With the only source of light coming from the candles behind the closer one, I couldn't make out his face but could tell he was tall and broad. The one closer to the door was wearing a mask and had a shaved head.

  "Have you seen either of these women?" Clarke whispered under her breath after a deep voice asked the woman behind the counter a question. I heard the Grounder placing something on the counter.

  "That's not a very good likeness." The woman said. "And I've never seen that one."

  "Then you have seen her?" The man asked, referring to the one the woman did recognize.

  "She was here two days ago. That's how I got this." Clarke continued to quietly translate as we acted like we were looking at the goods in the trading post. "Said she was going north, following Eden's Pass."

  "Azgeda." The man wearing the mask said. "We have to hurry." And he walked right out.

  "Thank you." The one at the counter took a step back. "You've been more helpful than you can imagine." And he followed the other one out after briefly glancing at Clarke and I.

  The blond- er, redhead- spoke to the woman at the counter while walking up to her. The woman replied, causing Clarke to go quiet before she went to pick up the box of goods from the counter.

  "I would wait." The woman said in English. "Give them a chance to clear out. Have that drink." She set a cup down before looking at me. She paused, then nodded her head at me. "You might want to wait as well."

  "Why?" Clarke asked.

  "She's the other woman."

  "There's a bounty on her?" Clarke looked over her shoulder at me.

  "....That might explain the recent increase in attacks...." I muttered.

  "Why are you helping us?"

  "My mother was taken by the Mountain. You ended the reaping." The woman replied. "Now, let me take care of that shoulder." She pointed at Clarke. "You can wait here." She told me while walking toward the back. Clarke followed her, and I sighed. However, after about a minute of waiting, I got bored and pulled out my ukulele.

  "~Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you. Oh, shall I stay? Would it be a sin, oh, if I can't help falling in love with you?~" I sang along with the instrument in my hands. "~Like a river flows surely to the sea, Darling, so it goes some things are meant to be. Take my hand....take my whole life, too, oh, for I can't help falling in love with you.~"

~

  "Took you long enough." I popped off as Clarke finally came out from the back of the trading post. Leaning off the counter, I crossed my arms.

  "Come on." Clarke looked at the ground as she walked past me.

  "So, we find shelter for the night, and you start teaching me Grounder speak in the morning?" I questioned.

  "Is it me, or are you more talkative than you used to be?"

  "Haven't spoken to anyone in months, I'm making up for it. I'd rather talk civilly than be snapping at you." Following her out of the trading post, she paused outside while looking around. Turning left, she led the way as I calmly followed. Going around the corner, I heard Clarke gasp as I felt a hand grab the back of my neck while a cold blade touched my throat.

  "Hello, Wanheda." The man with the deep voice from before said while holding Clarke. The man with the mask grabbed a fistful of my hair to yank my head back.

  "It's Pakstoka, too." He said while looking down at me.