CHAPTER NINE - WAR ON THE HORIZON 

"HAVE YOU HEARD anything from your people?" Echo asked Dakota as they rode next to each other. She gripped the reins of her horse as they approached a rocky slope and guided their horses down the path. She wasn't keen on talking, but Echo knew that most likely she would've heard anything about the certain situation they had put Roan in.

Dakota turned her head to look over her shoulder as both girls maneuvered down the path, and Echo flicked her reins to get her horse next to Dakota's. "No I haven't. I haven't heard anything from my father either." She spoke with a small hint of a frown on her face.

It was true, all she had gotten since retrieving the generator from Farm Station was radio silence from Raven and Clarke. She wasn't sure if they weren't calling in because they hadn't figured more on a situation to escape Priamfaya or they felt like she had betrayed them by becoming Queen of Azgeda. They had to understand though, she was currently an insider of all things that was happening in the Grounder Capital, and any information she come upon would go directly towards her father. In a way, she was giving something back to them.

She may feel like she doesn't belong in Skaikru anymore but she still had her friends among the Sky crew and she would do anything in her power to help them. But lately, she had been digging herself in deeper with Roan, and that connection with the Sky People was weakening by the minute.

"You've done something right with him finding out information from the other clans in the capital." Dakota mentioned while things between them had grown silent. "He's good at that stuff.. he's always been."

Echo nodded away at her as her blue eyes were focused on the treeline that was ahead. Soon, they would be approaching the meadow opening, that Dakota knew so well. Dakota looked behind her as the guards were following behind them, some staring a hole in her head as Herminius turned back around after looking to see if everyone made it down the slope safely. His own eyes caught glance of Dakota's and she turned her head back around.

"What was it like?"

Her attention was brought towards the spy that was traveling along side of her. Dakota's eyebrows rose. "What was what like?" She questioned her.

"Living up there, away from everything.." Echo questioned her, growing more curious of where the girl was from. She had heard that they came from the sky, but was never close enough to question anyone about it. She had the opportunity to learn more about it with the person that was traveling with her.

"It was..different from down here." Dakota looked over at her as she pursed her lips. "There was twelve other space stations that housed each different nation. We had strict rules put in place since resources were limited unlike down here. My father and I lived in the Alpha Station, which is our home down on the ground now."

"What about your mother?" Echo turned her head to catch a glimpse at her face, which had slowly started to falter with the mention of her family member. Echo's eyes narrowed curiously over at her.

"She suffered a crime that was punishable by death." Dakota said through a pained filled voice, as she tried to keep a straight face. She bit down on her bottom lip at the thought of her mother Julia. She would've liked to be down here, it was her dream to see the ground once again but she didn't get to see that dream. It had been awhile since her mother had crossed her mind. Dakota knew that her mother would be disappointed in her, she had never liked war. 

 
   "You know, when we came down here we never knew there was people living down here," Dakota mentioned over towards the Spy, who's eyes glanced over in her direction. Echo pursed her lips while listening to the girls story. "everything we were taught was wrong-" 

  "haiplana," Dakota turned her head at the sound of a breathless voice calling out, her brown eyes catching on one of the spies that Echo had sent out an hour ago and by the looks of him, he looked like he was running from something. "we caught sight of the village ahead, no one's there and it has been burned down to the ground." 

 "Burned to the ground?" Dakota copied him while shaking her head. 

 The royal spy nodded his head again, "and it's still burning, people are scattering and getting hit down as we speak." 

 Dakota's eyes looked over at Echo who was already starring at her but she couldn't tell if the spy herself was affected by the news. Her face still remained emotionless and her posture was straighter than ever as she sat on top of her chestnut horse.      Dakota blinked back, trying to process exactly how to handle the situation. She was told that the village had been attacked, not burned to the ground and left everyone scattering for the hills. Whoever decided to mess with the Ice Nation would surely pay for the chaos they had created, and Dakota was going to make sure of that.

 "mochof." Dakota thanked the royal spy for the service he had done. "Make your way back to the capital, watch your back." She nodded towards the spy and he started walking off in the direction.  Dakota sighed out as Herminius stopped his horse beside hers. "Whoever's out there, let's hope someone knows what happened." He told her and flicked his reins to move his horse forward. 

  Everyone had agreed and settled that whoever had the nerve to attack the village were not to be trusted or to be met with any kind of trust or scheme for negotiation. Their invasion had caused a catastrophe.

  Dakota stopped her horse at the edge of the small village, the sounds of screaming were echoing throughout the plains of the opened area. There was a fire, a large one at that, which burnt the Grounders to the ground, burning them and their homes. Dakota looked on with widened eyes as she remembered the scene of Tondc playing out before her very eyes, the vivid memory of her being trapped under a ton of rubble had her spine shaking, but her eyes filled up with fury. The anger that welled up in her body was almost like fuel to an open flame, it ignited her entire body, lighting up her veins like a wildfire that expanded to her bones. 

   Echo was the first person to move, "we need to move, now!" She yelled out towards the warriors behind Dakota who had been taking the scene in, watching their friends and maybe even some of their family run for their lives. 

 "Spare children and those who fall back," Dakota yelled out, maneuvering her horse to turn around to face everyone. "and kill anyone who stands in your way" She sneered and turned her horse back around and started racing towards the burning village. Her brown curls were flowing through the wind as she grabbed the hilt of her sword and letting the metal slide out of it's sheath.  Everything seemed to slow down and her heart started pumping harshly against her rib cage as she neared the village and one of the enemies had turned in her direction; hearing their war cries.

  As her sword connected with the head of the warrior and the blade sliced through his flesh, suddenly everything was very loud. She felt blood in her ears, the screams and shouts of those around her. The heel of her left foot struck the second killer where the jaw connects to the throat, causing a satisfying snap as the warriors neck failed to cope with the frightening speed and the abrupt turn. At the same time, her right heel struck directly in-front of him crushing his throat straight on.

  Dakota smirked as she landed down on her feet after letting go of Hades' reins, as she watched the horse gallop over to safety she forgot to realize that someone had been sneaking up behind her and just as she was about to get her head cut off, an axe came swinging full force in her direction and her eyes widened and she dunked in the nick of time to have it fly over her head and embed the warrior's head behind her. 

   "Stop daydreaming about Roan and rainbows," Herminius came walking over towards her with a scowl on his face and she raised an eyebrow after looking up from her squatting position. "we're under attack." 

 Dakota sunk her hand into her jacket to grip one of the sharp knives she hid in the pocket and sent it flying behind her, striking a grounder in the shoulder.   "Shut up and have my back."  She smirked and pointed her sword behind his back, and towards a man who was advancing behind him. Dakota watched as he didn't even bother to grab his axe back from the dead body below him and instead, wrapped his hand around the woman's neck and watching the girl look on with clenching teeth. 

 Dakota's eyes widened as Herminius' fingers grew white as she squeezed and the warriors face started to turn blue and her eyes started to bulged out, "care to do the honors?" Herminius looked back at her with a flirtatious look, like he loved what he was doing. 

 Dakota looked on with a wicked smile as she started to walk up towards the woman, seeing that Herminius had loosened his hold around her neck from killing her too quickly. Dakota knelled down and nicked her palm on Herminius' axe, letting her blood pool in the palm of her hand before dripping it over the woman's face. 

 Dakota watched on with a toothy grin as she started to struggle below her and cursed her name. "She's coming for you! She will kill you all!" The woman managed to croak out and Dakota froze on the spot, her eyes narrowing down at the blue faced warrior gasping for breath. 

 Herminius planted the woman on the ground, a gasp coming out of her mouth as she hit the ground hard with a thud. The wind escaped from her lungs as she looked on with a glare. "Who's coming?" Herminius yelled down at her. 

   The woman laughed wickedly and spat up at his face with a sneer. "Your doom." She directed her voice towards Dakota who rose her head down at her, her own icy stare fighting dominance with the warrior below her.  "Well, it's a pity you won't be alive to see her fall." Dakota scoffed and grabbed her own two fingers and started digging in her eyes, the whites busting open while her fingers sunk lower in her eye socket while the screams of agony filled her ears.

  Soon the warrior slumped to the ground as consciousness escaped her body and overtook her senses into a deep sleep. Dakota raised her head towards Herminius and wiped her fingers on the ground, the grass sticking to her fingers. "Tie her to the tree, let her be an example to those who dare cross us." She directed an order towards Herminius who had nodded at her request and grabbed the woman's body, and slumped her lifeless body over his shoulder. 

    "You heard her, gather some rope." Herminius yelled out to the crowd who stood by as Dakota began walking through the burned down village, bodies of burnt innocents littered the ground and animals hooves were implanted into the mud. 

   "Haiplana," Her people murmured softly as she walked past the burnt building of what she assumed to be a farmhouse. The warriors bowed their head in respect upon witnessing how she handled the situation of catching an enemy. "We have a prisoner." 

    Dakota turned her head towards the tents that were being set up, and an Azgeda flag being set up beside one of the bigger tents- her tent. "A prisoner?" Dakota questioned, arching an eyebrow.

    The warrior nodded at her, "I believe so." 

 A frown came onto her face at the news of the unnecessary destruction this prisoner had caused. "Ready the counsel tent; I'll be wanting a word with our rebel."

   "You are in the presence of Dakota Kane Kom Skaikru, Rightful Queen of the Ice Nation, and the last remaining Nightblood." Herminius stated clearly, his voice echoing across the tent as she looked towards the woman who was brought before her, chains were around her neck and wrist as she was dragged up. 

  Dakota looked towards Echo standing to the left of her, who had noticed her shifting gaze and side-ways glanced at her, her back straightening up.

  The Royal Spy who had caught her had told her much about the warrior that was standing before her, a war ambassador for an unknown clan that was not stated by her. The girls mouth was gagged, and there was a slash across her cheek that was dripping with red blood, running down her neck. She had obviously but up a fight, but that was no match for the ruthless Ice Nation.

 "Remove her gag." Dakota demanded as she sat up straight in her throne.

  The woman was brought down harshly to her knees, her chains rattling at her movement. Echo obeyed the command, and walked up to remove the warrior's gag off her mouth so it rested on her neck, soaking up some of the blood. "How does some Sky bitch come commander of something like the Ice Nation?" She sneered through a dry throat, all the moisture from her mouth had been dyed up from the cloth around her mouth. 

  Dakota nodded her head slowly before rising from her throne and started walking towards her and then kneeled down. Echo's sword had come from it's sheath to make its home around the warriors neck and Dakota smirked. "Because I can kill eight of you with my hand tied behind my back." She stated calmly. "Now, you tell me; what's your name?"

  Dakota's brown eyes searched beneath the pools of her icy blue eyes and her own eyes had hardened under her icy glare. It was now that she had gotten a good look at the woman knelt down in-front of her, multi-colored freckles adored her face while her strawberry blonde hair framed her hard features. 

  "And why should I tell you?" The woman growled, her face as hard as stone. 

  Dakota clenched her jaw and nodded towards Herminius who had stepped forward and landed a hit to the woman's jaw, making her wince but not cry as she would dare not show weakness in the presence of this so called false Queen. "We can do this the easy way, or we can do it my way." Dakota rose from the floor and turned to sit back down. "And trust me, my way is not so pretty." She sneered as she grabbed one of the leather whips that had sharp metal spikes at the end of each ripped strip. 

  The woman's icy glare was glued on the leather torture device, something she had never seen before and she blinked back a few times, but she didn't let her stoned expression falter. "And why should I help you?"

  Dakota smirked over at her while crossing her knee over her leg. "In exchange for your life of course." She bartered with the traitor and Echo's head turned towards her. "This woman helped burn this village to the ground, and you want to make a bargain?"

 Dakota rose her hand towards her, gesturing her to shut up. "I'll do what I please, I'm Queen after all." Dakota fired back, her face not leaving the woman's broken down, but seemingly strong frame on the floor below her.

  Echo was just about to open her mouth before the woman on the floor had opened her mouth and said. "It's Yenne. My name is Yenne." 

 Dakota's lips turned up into a smile as she looked at the woman. "Good to know you cooperate, I hate to get my hands dirty, you know?" Dakota played with the leather whip that laid against her legs, the metal points digging into her black leather pants.

  "Well Yenne, it seems like whoever brought you here has made an awful mess haven't they?" Dakota's eyes rose back to the woman's frame. "Did you know they have killed children here as well?" Her voice had gotten dangerously low as she stood up from her throne, and Herminius looked on with a proud smile. 

 "Who are you working for?"

  Yenne stared directly at the woman before her, but not even her could beat the ferocity in her gaze. The words she chose and the venom that was dripping in her voice had her second guessing just how capable she was on striking this girl down right her and now, and how she was surrounded by fierce warriors and some even members of the Royal Guard. She was outnumbered here and outsmarted but she should've known that her Commander had lead her into a death trap with no way out. 

  "I don't betray the ones that I swore an oath to." Yenne fired back, and at some point wishing that she could take back her words and eat them instead as Dakota turned around with just as much fire in her eyes than before. 

  "Well then, looks like your oath has been paid." Dakota growled down at her and then turned to face Herminius and Echo. "Tie her to the post next to her friend, I want her alive." 

***

"For treason against your Queen and your people, you will now suffer the consequences of ten lashings." Echo called out as Dakota looked on with a smirk on her face as the woman struggled against her binds.

 Dakota watched on as Yenne's eyes started scanning the treeline with a stone faced expression and she turned towards Echo. "Eyes on the trees." She gestured her head towards the trees that laid in the distance, knowing that the possibility there were being watched right now was big. Whoever this person was, and whatever war she was planning, she would see just how ugly things could get. 

  Dakota raised her hand as the leather whip was dangling in her palm. "This is going to hurt, trust me I know." She said emotionless while taking her knife from her jacket and tearing open her vest to reveal her skin. 

 Dakota looked over at Herminius as he nodded his head at her, and with a ferocious smirk, soon her screams had sounded throughout the meadow. Blood soaked Dakota's face as she lashed her once more, a sickly smile coming onto her face as blood splattered in her mouth. From a distance of the safety of the treeline stood a woman who was overlooking everything with a distaste, her hands clenched around her dagger as her boots were planted firmly in the grass instead of wooden planks. Her grey eyes grew colder the more she looked on as her lover got whipped over and over, the metal barbs cutting her skin and leaving her blood dripping down her stomach. 

A/N: AH. I'M SO HAPPY WITH THIS CHAPTER, AND I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE TOO.

3 MORE DAYS U GUYS AND SEASON 5. I'M LITERALLY DYIN. 

Anyways, thoughts on the chapter? And how are you liking this small development on the relationship between Echo and Dakota? I've always had a love-hate relationship with Echo, and now that's she's one of the mains for season 5, I can't wait to see what Jason has planned for her.