The sound of screams tore through the camp but for the first time Clarke found herself staring at the punishment that was death by a thousand cuts. Her arms had healed and the burns on her back had healed over enough to allow her to wear a light cotton dress that Lexa had a rider retrieve from the small village market outside Polis. Alanna stood tied to a pole undergoing her punishment, Lexa had informed Clarke that she would be allowed to place a single burn into Alanna's skin before Echo drove the sword through her heart.
The hours wore on and Clarke knew the last time she had allowed herself to view the torture had been when she had lead in Lexa's place while the leader recovered. The torture continued into the night and as fires were lit Clarke saw Ryder walk to her with the poker that would be used to make the mark.
"Ai kwin." He nodded and held out the poker to her, allowing her to take it slowly.
Clarke looked over at Lexa and she merely met blue eyes, strength and reassurance laid in the green eyes. Looking over at her mother, Clarke saw Abby just watching with concern on her face as if wondering what her daughter planned on doing. Instantly the sky leader moved to the fire that was beside Alanna's post and dipped the poker in it, waiting till it became red hot.
Alanna's eyes were wide as Clarke moved towards her before the sky leader placed it in the pale of water a few feet away.
"Blood has had blood." Clarke yelled and turned to all the grounders around her. "I do not demand blood because too much has been spilled. Our children are being slaughtered by Azkru because we continue to slaughter their children. The war ends with this death, Azkru are no longer our enemies and we shall no longer attack them. They lay beyond our reach as we lay beyond theirs. Tonight we claim the final Azkru life." She turned to look at Alanna, "your husband's blood pays for the blood you demanded of Costia kom Trikru. The only life your blood will spill for tonight is that of a defenseless child, your sister's son."
She backed up and turned to walk away, Alanna yelled after her. "You are weak!"
Several men moved to strike her but Clarke put up a hand and they backed off. She took her place beside Lexa and stared at the queen tied to the post. "If I was weak, I'd have died in the Ice Nation." Clarke nodded to Echo and the woman drew her sword before moving over to her sister.
"Yu gonplei ste odon sis." The warrior put the sword through her sister's chest and Alanna's body went slack against the wood.
Lexa turned to Ryder and nodded, "bury her, her spirit will not seek another."
"No." Clarke spoke as she stared at Alanna. "Burn her," she met Lexa's eyes. "They cannot be left without leadership, they are beyond us and we are beyond them. Peace has to be maintained and destroying her spirit will show we only hold vengeance."
"Heda?" Ryder questioned Lexa and she gave a nod.
"You heard your queen, do as she commands."
As the sun rose the ashes of Alanna's bury pyre slowly fell to the ground. Clarke stepped up to Echo as the pregnant warrior just stared at her. Lexa watched as Clarke put a hand to the warrior's back and spoke quietly.
"I lost my father when his assigned position called on him to do something too great." Clarke saw Echo looking at her. "Your sister was changed by many things but none of them are your fault or lie on your being the reason. Just as my father's death had nothing to do with me."
"If I had not been lost..."
Clarke nodded, "perhaps things would have been different but then so would a lot of things. You being lost allowed you to be Trikru, which allowed you to be captured by the mountain and be there when we Bellamy needed you. You would not have Bellamy, Rory wouldn't have been born and loved as he was and you wouldn't have this child now. All things happen for a reason, my father's death allowed me to be locked up and be sent here. It allowed me to establish peace for our people and stop wars."
