A Different Landing

Chapter-11

Anya was amused by her assignment in the early morning. She'd heard the revelry in the Ice Nation camp from her boring position next to Gustus running their own camp. Indra had been incredibly flustered when she'd returned from the celebration. Lexa had confided in her that an Ice Nation assassin named Niles had decided to pursue the woman rather brazenly throughout the night. She would have paid good money to see that debacle.

Sadly, all she would see would be the aftermath. As she entered their camp, a rather hung over second fell into step with her. Stifling a laugh, she asked, "So, are you my escort then?"

"Unfortunately." The boy's eyes were squinted in an attempt to keep the light out and his shoulders were hunkered down.

Anya enjoyed observing his suffering as they walked towards the general's tent. The camp was more alive than she was expecting. It was being packed up and prepared for the move to their new position for the siege that was formally beginning that night. The warriors not looking like death warmed over seemed to be delighting in making loud noises next to their unfortunate brothers. She saw a clearly still waking, Charlotte pass her with a nod heading towards her duties guarding Heda.

War camps were interesting organisms and Anya found that despite the different colors and marks they all tended to be remarkably similar. The general's tent was still pitched so she ducked in easily, having been informed that apparently asking or announcing your presence wasn't a thing in this camp.

She regretted that decision when she found the general pulling a shirt over her head inside of the tent. Averting her eyes, she tried not to think about what the vast amount of scar tissue that she'd glimpsed meant.

"Anya," Klark acknowledged, seemingly uncaring about her state of relative undress.

"Klark, you have some of our warriors." She explained her purpose here.

A short rasping laugh from the general surprised her. "Let's go get your trouble makers then." She started walking towards her, not even bothering with a jacket before stopping and groaning. Turning, the general approached her bed before hauling off the furs.

Anya felt her eyebrows raise at the sight of a clearly unhappy to be awake Octavia.

"What did I ever do to you Clarke?" The lump groaned.

"That would be a long list O. Get up I need you to get the armory ready to move by noon."

"But, it's so early." She grumbled into the pillow.

"Not my fault you didn't get in from your latest paramour till dawn." Klark grabbed a sheathed sword and chucked it at the warrior. "And we'll be talking about whoever your latest fling is that has left you smelling like sex recently. Clean the sheets while you're up, it's your fault they stink."

Leaving the unhappy woman despite the annoyed sounds the warrior was making, Klark gestured for Anya to follow her.

Anya was confused by the whole thing and she felt irritated that the general had obviously picked up on it when she paused and spoke with an amused lilt to her voice. "I am not like Lexa or you Trikru, or even most Azgeda. I will not hide the people I care for in fear. We're all we have left, we'd all die for each other and we will all kill for each other."

Anya understood. She'd seen orphans that relied on each other becoming closer than blood. As a leader, she was in charge of the lost children and she recognized that in Klark. However, that meant she also knew why it was dangerous. "You are not satisfied with the deaths of your brother's murderers are you?"