These Wounds Will Heal

[Costia]

Costia hadn’t thought that she’d been in danger when she’d left Polis, she’d never been a target before, never been attacked outside of the battlefield and yet now she was sat huddled in a cell that seemed to be far too cold and without the appropriate clothes for such temperatures. She’d travelled alone before and never even encountered an opportunistic nomad that had mistaken her for an easy target to rob. She’d never suspected that she could be in danger, not more so than any other warrior that was travelling alone through the forest, there were obviously dangers but nothing that she didn’t think she could handle. She hadn’t been expecting an ambush, she was alone and within Trikru territory, so she wasn’t a threat to anybody. Her guard had been down, which now when she looked back on it, she saw that it had been foolish to relax even within her clan's own territory. She remembered thinking that it was strangely quiet in a place which should have been alive with the sound of birds and other forms of wildlife, her gut was telling her that something was wrong but she didn’t think anything was off. Then before she could react, she’d been dragged off of her horse and a blow to the head had knocked her out cold.

When she’d woken, she’d been in this same cell with her hands bound together, she’d had no idea where she was or who her captors were. However that changed fairly quickly as shortly after she woke, a couple of guards came to check on her. After seeing that she was awake, they dragged her from the cell and she could do little to resist, not when there were two of them and her hands were bound so that she couldn’t defend herself. She’d been taken to see their leader and the moment that she saw who that was, Costia knew where she was. Queen Nia of Azgeda was the one guilty of organising her kidnapping and at first Costia was angry that set her warriors on her for no apparent reason. Azgeda weren’t a part of the coalition, they’d refused to join Lexa’s cause and that made them a threat, but Costia was still confused about why they’d targeted her. That was until Nia began her questioning, apparently she knew of her relationship with the commander and she seemed intent on finding out information about the commander, she wanted to know her secrets, her plans and strategies. Costia wouldn’t have told her anything even if she could, but the fact was that Costia knew nothing that Nia wanted to know. Lexa never spoke to her about such things and when it became apparent that she had no intention of talking, Nia used other means of getting the information.

At first the torture had been bearable, it hurt but Costia could cope without wanting to tell her captors anything, she had no information that would be of any use to the Ice Queen anyway but after a while it got worse. Costia didn’t know how long it had been since she’d been taken, she guessed at least a couple of days but every so often she’d be dragged out of her cell again and tortured for the same information that she just didn’t have. Her whole body hurt, she’d been burnt and cut until she couldn’t take it anymore, she just wanted the pain to end and she didn’t care anymore about how it ended. She didn’t expect to leave Azgeda alive, she knew that soon Nia would realise that she was telling the truth and she didn’t have any of the information that she sought and then she’d be killed, there would be no point to keeping her around, the only thing there would be left to do would be to cause Lexa the most amount of pain possible. Costia had accepted her fate, she’d been tortured and made to beg for the pain to end, only for the Queen to refuse to end her suffering. Costia was glad that Lexa hadn’t shared any information with her as she was sure that she would have broken and told Nia what she wanted to know, she was ashamed to admit it, even to herself but by this point she was prepared to do anything to get the pain to stop, even if at first she’d been sure that she’d never betray her commander.

Derrick

[Derrick]

Costia

They had fought. The last thing they had done was fight with words with Lexa's intention of making it up to her when Costia returned to Polis. She never got the chance. Instead of word with Costia returning, one of her guards informed that something had happened in the forests just outside the city. Costia's horse had been found abandoned with no Costia in sight. As if she had simply vanished. Lexa knew otherwise. Costia wouldn't simply vanish, she was taken. The news of her disappearance had hit Lexa like a knife to her heart and she had to take a moment to let it sink in. Titus had to order the guards to leave before rounding on Lexa. Both had different views on the subject - Titus thought love was weakness, Lexa did not. And she held up a hand, refusing him permission to speak. "You're going to tell me to leave her." Lexa pulled her head up to stare coldly at him.

They didn't know where she was or what happened. Lexa wasn't stupid. Costia would never leave her horse willingly and if she was taken in Trikru territory that meant an enemy that was sly, cunning and overconfident. "Azgeda took her." For that she was certain. No amount of being swayed could alter her thoughts on the matter. Not even Titus who tried to tell her to remain calm and think about the situation. Lexa thought on it and knew if they left Costia in the hands of Azgeda, then she wouldn't be coming home alive. Titus was not pleased especially when Lexa alluded to finding Costia and bringing her home, with her included. Such risks were not something the Flamekeeper wanted his Heda to go through. This was her fault and she knew it and she could not have Costia paying the price for Lexa.

It had taken time, too much time, to find out the information and form a plan. It involved getting Azgeda clothing and wearing it as they rode horses to the ice nation territory, only stopping when they needed to rest for the night and carry on in the morning. Further north they went, the colder the air got, cooling the exposed skin of those riding. It didn't stop her but spurred her onward, knowing every second could be a second too late. She wasn't sure what she would do if Costia died and she really didn't want to think of it even if it was such a strong possibility. Azgeda were not a force to be reckoned with and this mission, this plan, was suicide. If caught they would be killed and even a retaliation wouldn't do much good - Azgeda was the strongest clan out of them all.

Lexa leaped off the horse and peered cautiously. Though the need to find Costia was urgent, they were in enemy territory and they had to be careful. It took hiding in shadows, listening to guards and piecing together the information to find out the exact location, all while the nerves in Lexa's body thrummed to an unbearable feeling. She had separated from her guards while they searched, only to pass word a few hours later to put the rest of their plan on motion. Still acting normal, Lexa began to make her way to the cells. Since she didn't want to be found out, she still wore Azgeda clothing, not even realizing how Costia might react when she saw. If she saw. No, she is alive. I know she is. She had to be.

The cell door was closed and locked, though it didn't take too long before the lock came right off and Lexa was able to slide the door open. When she saw her alive, Lexa let out a breath that she hadn't even knew she had been holding.

((ooc// in au land this totally could happen i had no other ideas xD))

[Costia]

When Costia heard the sound of footsteps approaching her cell, she tried to shuffle back into the shadows, knowing that anyone who entered would see her anyway but wishing that they wouldn’t. It seemed too soon for them to be taking her from the cell again, maybe Nia had finally realised that she didn’t know anything and had decided to move up her execution. Costia had always known that this would end in her death, Nia would not simply hand her back over to the commander, she wanted to be weaken Lexa, to hurt her and she now had a way to do that. It was hard to want to live when all she had to look forward to every day was more torture and every day she woke up disappointed to find that she was still breathing. She prayed that each day would be her last so that the pain would finally end and it seemed like that day had finally arrived.

She could hear noise on the other side of the door, it was louder and didn’t sound as though somebody was unlocking the door. Costia figured that maybe they were trying to get it unlocked, maybe it was stiff, the cold temperatures sometimes made it difficult for them to get the door open. It didn’t bother her, it only prolonged the inevitable, it didn’t change anything other than the amount of time she had left to spend alive. Eventually whoever it was trying to get inside the cell, managed to get the door open and Costia shrank away from the light that was let in through the open door. She saw an Azgeda warrior walk into her cell, there were usually more of them, at least two, she wanted to laugh, Nia obviously thought that she was now too weak to put up much of a fight. That assumption was right, Costia hadn’t even tried to stand since she’d last been brought back to the cell, she didn’t know if she could and didn’t see any point in attempting it. Even if by some miracle she managed to get out of her cell, she wouldn’t be strong enough to run or to fight her way out, she’d given up hope of ever getting out alive.

The warrior that was now standing in her cell seemed to look at her but made no attempt to drag her to her feet or abuse her in any way like the majority of others did when they came to collect her. She at least hoped that if they made to grab at her, that she would have to strength to get one good punch in, if she were to die, she didn’t want to go easily and they were foolish if they thought that she wouldn’t at least try to fight back. Her strength was faded and yes… She was broken, but she was a warrior and warriors went out fighting.


Derrick