A Different Landing

Chapter-1

The gods, if they existed, must be laughing at Clarke and her people. She tightened her grip on the hard reigns in her hands, ignoring the cold and the creak of the leather. If someone had told her two years ago, when she was young and soft and seventeen sitting in prison for the crime of believing in people, that she would someday be leading an army for a woman who had ordered the murder and torture of most of her friends she would have laughed at them. But here she was, wearing the brands and tattoos of a savage people, wrapped in white furs and painted with white paint, weapons strapped to her body and warriors prepared to die on her orders following her.

Out of habit she found her eyes seeking the blond head of Charlotte riding beside her. Long cold, pain filled nights curled round the child who was on the brink of death had hard wired a constant need to be aware of Charlotte's location. Out of an army of four hundred that she was leading south only five of the members were among the original group that had come down in the dropship. Charlotte, Octavia, Atom, Raven, and Monty. Bellamy would take care of the others but the queen would never allow more than half of their group to be in one place at a time unless it was inside her dungeon. It felt like a lifetime ago that there had been 101 prisoners crashing to the earth reveling in their first breaths of clean air. Now there were twelve of them left and they were all scarred and weathered by blood and death.

Her horse snorted shaking its head slightly pulling her out of her dark thoughts. Pulling herself upright she surveyed the troops she was leading. They were all battle hardened warriors but they were her warriors and their relaxed presence soothed Clarke. Monty was grinning while chatting with the warriors around him. Raven was half asleep on her horse and looked like she was barely keeping herself upright. Charlotte was bright and curious, eyes sharp and searching for threats. Atom calmly riding to her left and back, a silent pillar. Octavia was arguing with another warrior. Everything was in order with her people. The army was well equipped and making good time. Pushing her heels into her horse's sides she sped him up slightly till she crested the hill. A mile further and they'd be joining the largest army gathered since before the war, all at the command of Heda Lexa.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Octavia said from beside her startling Clarke slightly.

"And deadly, keep your guard up, I don't want any of you going out on your own while we're in Trikru territory." Clarke turned a serious eye on Octavia the most likely to go wandering.

"Yes ma'am, general, ma'am. What are we to call you now? Do I get to call you princess again?" Octavia grinned at Clarke.

Rolling her eyes Clarke sighed, "You know the rules. Grab a dozen warriors and ride ahead. Get an audience with Heda and return with word of where she wants our army to set up camp."

Octavia nodded recognizing that her friend had become her commanding officer again. She turned her horse around quickly calling out the required warriors before riding off down the beaten path.

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Lexa was not fiddling with her dagger, that would be childish and unbefitting of the commander. According to her scouts the Ice Nation contingent of her army was arriving today and like every other time she heard anything to do with them anger and suspicion started turning her gut. Anya finally arrived her face grimmer than usual. It wasn't a good sign. "Speak Anya, what do the scouts report?"

Anya didn't twitch but her posture was anything but comfortable. She was obviously on edge like most of the Trikru warriors. "A small contingent of Ice Nation forces is approaching. They carry the symbol of 'General Klark kom Azgeda the undefeated' and the recently confirmed heir to Ice Queen."