"All your screaming whispers, slip right through my fingers but these memories linger on. Eyes closed, all I see is good times disappearing and I'm trying to hold on."

Five Seconds Of Summer - Castaway

****

After Finn's death, Clarke had disappeared behind a tent to wash the blood from her hands. I found myself wandering into a Grounder infested area to make my way to Clarke. Eyes were on me as I held up my chin with confidence and made my way into the tent. I could hear Clarke whimpering and panting from the outside of the tent. I wanted to kill every single Grounder in this camp right now, but I knew I wouldn't last five minutes against thousands of Grounders. It would be my death, and then everyone else's. I took one last glance of the Commander before entering the tent.

Clarke was sitting on a stool, scrubbing off the blood from her hands, and I put a frown on my face before walking my way towards her. I kneel down in front of her, grabbing her hands in her own. Clarke looked up, confused as of why I was the person to come here first. Since, her and I had disagreements. But I knew better than anyone, what it was like to take another life and the guilt that followed after.

"They would have tortured him. I had to. I--" Clarke cries and I nod my head.

"Okay. It's okay." I whisper to her.

"I had to." Clarke repeats herself and I nod my head. I grab the cloth from her hands and start soaking the blood off of them. "I had to."

"It's okay." I said through a weakened voice, "You did the right thing." I assure her but my own tears were falling from my eyes.

"What did I do?" Clarke whimpers, looking back at her mother, whom I didn't know was here in the first place. She must have followed me in here.

"The Commander is ready to talk." A Grounder states as he walks in here, eyeing us both. Clarke wipes the tears from her face and nods. We both watch as the Commander enters the room, with Indra and a few other Grounders. I watch as Lexa takes her seat on her large throne, staring the two of us down.

"Blood has answered blood." Lexa states. "Some on my side say that's not enough. They want the murderer to suffer as our tradition demands, but they do not know that your suffering will be worse. What you did tonight will haunt you until the end of your days. Still, there will be restitution. The body will be given to the people of the Tondc. Murderer and murdered joined by fire. Only then can we have peace."

"No. No, we've done enough." Kane states as he steps in.

"Dad-" I tried to warn him, but he cuts me off.

"The boy should be buried by his people."

"Enough?" Indra asks. "We were owned the pain of eighteen deaths. We were owed by our righteous kill. My village deserves justice." The warrior women looked as though she wanted to kill us all right here, and then.

"You don't want justice." Abby snaps. "You want vengeance."

"You have not seen my vengeance." Indra snarls.

"We'll do it." I speak up, gaining everyone's attention, including Clarke's.

"But when it's over, we talk about how to get our people out of Mount Weather." Clarke adds. "All of our people."

"We want the same things, Clarke." Lexa reminds her.

"Good. When do we leave?" Clarke asks.

"Now. Choose your attendants. I suggest she's one of them." The Commander stared at me, who I was staring directly back.

I watched as they exited out the tent. "Clarke, you don't have to do this-" Abby tried to immediately change her daughter's mind.

"Yes, I do. If this truce doesn't hold, I killed Finn for nothing." Clarke left the tent without another word.

I exhaled rather harshly, glancing at my father briefly before turning to leave.

"Dakota-"

"Don't." I snap at him, pushing his hand away from me and then following after Clarke. I spotted Clarke looking down at Raven, who was kneeled down by Finn's body, cradling his head in her hands.

"Kota? Hey, what happened, what did she say?" Octavia rushed over at the sight of my presence.

I turned to look at her, and Bellamy wasn't far behind, looking stressed and more than a little wary. "Blood answered blood." I sighed. "But that's not enough for them. They want Finn and the murdered to be joined by fire." I tell her. "We're taking Finn's body to Tondc to be burned."

"What? But Finn-"

"I know." I cut Octavia off. "We need to help our friends in Mount Weather and this is the only way."

****

The next day, we were all walking through the woods, making our way towards the village. Raven rode on the wagon with Finn's body, not taking her eyes off of it.

I walked along side Bellamy, whom was rushing forward to catch up with Clarke, whose eyes were scanning the trees nervously with every step she took.

Octavia, Lincoln and my father were walking together behind me. I've noticed how much my father had changed since he has come down here. Before, the Marcus Kane would be a man, hungry for power and status. Now, he was a man who wanted nothing more than peace. That terrified me, but comforted me at the same time. Maybe after all, there was hope on repairing our relationship.

Bellamy and Clarke stayed side by side for the duration of our walk. My steps had slowed down, leaving the others to step in front of me, and the Commander and her guard were directly behind me.

I found myself listening to their conversations, trying to piece together their language. This was not an easy task, and it seemed to be unfruitful. I knew that Heda meant Commander, and what they called us: Skaikru.

When night had fallen, the Grounders had decided to stop and make camp. The Grounders got all of their supplies out and they set up their own camp, as well as we did. Even though we were allies, there was still a clear division between us, and to my surprise, Lincoln seemed to be grouped in with my people.

Clarke broke the invisible line, choosing to set up camp on the unspoken Grounder side of the camp, and Bellamy didn't hide his distaste on Clarke's idea. I tore my eyes away from Clarke and Bellamy, hoping to find Octavia and Lincoln, when a Grounder appeared in front of Clarke and Bellamy, catching my attention.

"The Commander wishes to speak with you." He announced, staring directly ahead.

Clarke nodded while getting to her feet. "Okay, I'll-"

"Not you." He sneered. "Her." My eyes made contact with the Grounder, who was staring back at me with a little flame flickering in his eye. I sucked in my cheek and started to walk towards him.

He obviously took the hint that I was wanting to come meet the Commander and talk. Once we came to a stop in front of a tent, the Grounder in front of me bowed his head. "Heda."

"Thank you, Gustus. You may leave us."

Gustus nodded and walked out of earshot, but I could still feel his eyes on us.

"Sit."

I smiled slightly, "You don't command me. I think I'll stand. Thank you." I said while crossing my hands in front of me.

The Commander looked at me, obviously not used to being denied a command, pursing her lips she asked, "I want to know about Clarke."

"What about Clarke?"

"Is she trustworthy?" Lexa said while sharping her sword, not looking at me directly.

"Yes." I said immediately.

The Commander nodded, "It has come to my attention that you are not like them. You are different."

I narrowed my eyes, "What does this have to do with anything?"

"You wield our swords." She said, eyeing the weapon on my back. "You have the makings of a Gona. A warrior. Do not let your feelings get in the way of that. I see it in Clarke, and in you. If we are to take the mountain, you must be smart."

I pursed my lips. "You may leave, just remember this." The Commander stood up, placing the tip of her sword against my throat. "If any of you harm my people, I will wipe you out. You say I can trust Clarke, but can I trust you."

I smirked as I felt her sword dig in my throat slightly. "Trust is earned, Heda." I spoke. "I do not trust you, therefore you should not trust me."

Gustus, who was staring coldly at me, roughly shoved me away from the Commander the moment I finished speaking, "Leave." He commanded and I turned my head to leave.

***

The next morning, we arrive at the village of the massacre, The Commander and her right-hand man leading all of us through the section of the woods. Someone yelled at a Grounder to open the gate that stood in our way, and the warriors dismounted their horses to leave behind.

"Weapons." He demanded, causing Bellamy to look over at me.

Lincoln stepped forward, handling one of the Grounders his knife. "We need to disarm before we enter." He clarified to those that trusted him. Clarke handed her weapon without hesitation.

Beside me, Bellamy had handed over his gun with a sigh. Gustus looked at me with a look in his eye and I handed my sword over without breaking eye contact with his Commander, next my handgun that was tucked in the waistband of my jeans, and the knife I had kept in my boot for back-up.

Gustus moved to Raven, who proved to be an even bigger threat. We all waited as the Grounder started to remove everything that could be considered as a weapon on Raven.

The Warrior then turned to his Commander, "Heda, klir."

The gate then opened to allow us through. I took a deep breath as the Commander started to lead us into the village. I step with Bellamy, earning a glance when he notices my presence, and his hand takes mine. He glances over at Clarke before we start to follow her inside.

The Village started an uproar upon our arrival. Clearly, we were not welcomed in the massacred village, still scarred with Finn's actions. Violent screams erupted and eventually, one Grounder stopped the Commander in her path, refusing to let us deeper into the village.

"Skaikru don jak ething op kom au, ai gada, ai yongon."

I watched the man, noticing the murderous expression that was clear on his face. I didn't understand what he just said, but from the look on his face, I could imagine it was not pleasant.

Gustus steps away from Lexa's side approaching the man. "Rowe op." He commands, but the Grounder doesn't move.

"Ripas ste nowe heir." The man continues to sneer.

The Commander glances towards her first hand with a nod. Gustus strides forward slamming his fist into the man's face. He continues to hit the Grounder knocking him to the ground. Gustus sends his foot into the man's gut causing him to groan in pain.

Clarke eyes widen, rushing to Lexa's side. "Commander, stop him, please." She begins to plead. "They'll blame us for this too."

She glances over at the blonde for a moment, contemplating her words. "Teik em liv." Lexa commands causing Gustus to stop the assult. She turns to address her people. "The Sky People march with us now. Anyone who tires to stop that will pay with their life."

The Grounders lapse into silence watching their commander spin on her heel, heading off into the heart of the village.

I turn to look at Bellamy who was walking forward by my side. "Warm welcome." He mutters under his breath.

We venture into the village square finding the bodies of Finn's massacre placed around a massive funeral pyre. The Grounders take Finn's body from the wooden cart setting him on top.

Lexa steps onto s amsll platform, holding a flaming torch in her hand. "Kru of Tondc. En fleim, oso gyon flin jus of stelt."

Lincoln stands beside Octavia translating the Commander's words. "People of Tondc. In fire, we cleanse the pain of the past."

I swallowed thickly.

"Clarke." The Commander was holding out the burning torch, offering it to Clarke. Clarke stepped forward and grabbed the torch from the Commander's hand and stepped onto the platform the Commander was standing on. She hesitated, looking down at Finn's wrapped up body on the wooden tent waiting to be burned.

Everyone watches as the fire ignites the wood in front of her. "Yu gonplei ste oden," Clarke had aloud. The Grounders watched her as the fire spread, enveloping Spacewalker's body.