Iceland

[Echo]

Echo was looking for something, and she wasn't finding what she wanted. Mostly because she had looked in these woods all her life, and most of it was gone by now. She had a special skill, and she needed the proper tools to get it done--she could make the best weapons in the Ice Nation. She wasn't the best fighter with them, but she was the best at making them. They lasted longer, and stayed stronger then other weapons because of the way she built them. A trade secret if you will.

Another one of her skills were in being unseen. Echo gathered information for her clan, and could move with ease and be unseen in most parts. She paused thinking of the Mountain Men, her eyes becoming unfocused for a moment. She had only been caught once, and the lesson was hard learned. Taking a deep, slow breath she shook it off, before her eyes scanned the trees again.

It was in this moment, she heard someone approaching. You learned the signs when you lived here all your life. Sometimes it was as simple as a stick breaking, or an animal moving swiftly away. Sometimes it was the shift in the scents coming from the wind. Sometimes there was no noticeable sound at all, and her body just tensed, knowing what her brain did not.

Not wanting to return the favor of whomever it was seeing or hearing her, Echo reached up and took a hold of the branch above her head and pulled herself straight up, before climbing higher. Once she was in the thick part of the tree, she looked down to see who was near by.

[Clarke Griffin]

Clarke had been walking for a while now, almost non stop. She had stopped in a few villages, helping in exchange for necessary goods. She had needed food, basic weapons and shelter after all. They days were growing shorter and the blonde remembered faintly from her Earth Skills lessons that this meant winter was approaching relatively fast. Clarke knew, logically that she had to find a place to stay more permanently. Part of her considered turning around, returning to Camp Jaha. Winter there could mean she could endure. Unless they couldn’t manage to organize properly. Clarke hoped at least the delinquents listened to Bellamy. He’d bring them safely through winter. Which was the reason why she just could not go back at all. Not yet at least.

Clarke always held a dagger in her hand, knowing any animal could cross her path at any moment and not every animal was as shy and harmless as a bunny. She suspected she was going north by the cues nature gave her – or she had completely forgotten what she had been taught back then. Either way she made her way, wanting to find shelter, maybe in a cave or in a ruin of one of the old houses, Clarke didn’t know. All she knew was, that she needed semi permanent shelter. She had collected a lot of provisions so far, carrying them in her makeshift bag and given a cue by her stomach, the blonde decided to stop. Sitting on a fallen tree, she pulled out a bit of smoked meat to chew on, still not letting go of her dagger.

Echo

[Echo]

Echo was very still as she watched toward the sound, and slowly a figure became more and more visible. Sky Person. She could tell that with one look, just by how they moved. She didn't need to try to take in the clothing, or gear--she could tell that this one belonged to them. Once, this would have made Echo prepare for a kill, but ever since the mountain, she saw them differently. While in the mountain, she had been caged--all honor and dignity taken from her, as she was forced in clothes not of her own, and her blood slowly taken from her as she pushed her clothes to death. When they were not draining her, she had to watch her people dying. Her cage kept near enough to watch since she was of the strong--but she had been weakening. Had begun to give up--until the Sky Person came. He had come and swore to kill them all. Swore to come back and help her people, and he had kept his word on both accounts.

Her people had their honor back, and were no longer going to die like animals, but as warriors! They could live with dignity, and die a glorious death either in the fight for many years from now, in remembrance of the service to their people. It had been Bellamy of the Sky People who had came back to give her people that, and she would honor his request now, since she had been prevented from honoring it in the mountain. Protect my friends, he had asked of her.

Echo sighed, and moved to drop back down out of the tree, a dozen meters from where the Sky Person sat to eat. Her knees bent to helped soften her landing, and she paused there, before slowly standing up to her full height. "You are a long way from home, Sky Person." She called out, taking a few steps closer to the woman, trying to tell from her simple weapon, and behavior if this woman was a warrior, or not. "And not all here welcome guest."

[Clarke Griffin]

Clarke hated moments like those, where her hands were barely occupied and her mind free to wander, back to the horrors she created and endured. The bodies would not be erased from her memories any time soon. The consequences of her kills would not be erased either. In the closes Grounder villages she had heard of a title for her, yet she had made a point in not reacting to it. She knew of it and knew it might one day be useful in her travels, yet at the same time she knew it would haunt her more than anything. In moments like those her mind wandered to all she had left behind and to what she hoped her sacrifice brought her people and her. 

The blonde jumped only mildly, immediately shifting the dagger into her hand to the potential attacker. A Grounder – female. Clarke looked at her, trying to judge if she could take her on, deciding, that yes, she could. She had, after all, a gun, securely in her belt. She had saved the bullets religiously, anticipating that sooner or later she would need them. Naturally Clarke had no intention of wasting a bullet on her. She was alone. There was a potential at talking her down or using her dagger, if it came to it. The blondes eyes remained cold and unmoved, even as the other stated she was a long way from home – so she had seen Sky People before, good information. 

“I care as much about my welcome as your people care about my people.” She replied coldly. “I am passing through, but I’m not afraid to use the gun. You’d not be the first person I killed. Where have you seen Sky people before?”

Echo

[Echo]

She asked so many questions. Sky People, forever talking. They said so much, to say so little. Echo stood there, still a little distance away from her, and didn't move even when the Sky Person turned the little knife around. Echo would never show any signs of faltering or fear before anyone--especially someone threatening her. If she could be brave in the mountain, then there was nothing left to fear. So while the Sky Person threatened her, Echo remained still, unblinking and silent.

Pride wanted her to prove she was unafraid but attacking first, but she reminded herself this was about honor, and honor came before pride. Always. The Sky Person called Bellamy had kept this word and she would keep hers. Not just because he had saved her people, but because he had kept her from giving up. It was only befitting she returned this one to her people, or made sure she got where she was going. Honor demanded a debt was paid. Blood for blood. Life for life. A promise kept, for a promise kept.

"For one so far from her people, you are not seeking to make many allies." With all her threats, and guns. Guns were a coward's weapon. If you took a life, you should do it with your own hands, and looking into their face. If you didn't the life meant nothing in the balance of the cost. "You have no reason to fear me, Spy Person, so silence your threats before they silence you, and explain your intentions here, for you will find me willing to give aid to your travels away from here in return for a debt owed to another one of your people." Not in return of, but beginning to reply it. Some debts you couldn't reply.

[Clarke Griffin]

“I seek no alliances with Grounders.” Clarke answered calmly. By now she was half convinced the girl had been around, maybe in the army with them, wanting to free their people from Mount Weather, which made it all the worse. She didn’t care about alliances with Grounders anymore. Once they called off a possible alliance, due to the rightful worry of them being able to break it at a moments notice. Clarke had understood then. Now, though, the most recent alliance has been broken at the whim of a girl, because she could not see the tactical advantage. She’d rather sacrifice all of Clarkes people, along with those she killed in Tondc. 

“I have no destination.” Clarke finally replied honestly. She finally pocketed the dagger, but kept it close. One could never know. Clarke made herself comfortable on the fallen tree again. “I’m wandering, no destination, no expectations.” Not even her survival, if she was honest with herself. Just staying away and dealing and hopefully knowing her people were safe. With her in the camp Lexa could lash out at her people at any point. With her gone, her people might be safe from Lexa. Lexa knew too much and Clarke now knew she’d probably happily turn the truth to her advantage. “A debt owed? Huh?” That was rare then. “I would have thought all debts were done when your people turned away from mine at Mount Weather.”

Echo

[Echo]

Echo watched as she put the weapon, and her eyes looked over the clothing, seeking out other places a weapon could hide, without making her actions very telling. The Sky Person had said she had no destination. Which meant she had left her people and was not expecting to return to them. For the clans, one did not just leave their people--unless they were a wastelander. It made her wonder what it took for the Sky People to cast out one of their own. Especially after seeing the lengths they would go through to to get their people back.

It was the last words spoken by the Sky Person that got a reaction from Echo. Her eyes jumped back to the girl's face, and narrowed, anger evident in the expression she didn't bother to hide. Echo's fist tightened into balls, but remained at her side. It took effort to not just lash out, but blood would not settle a debt--it would credit a whole new one.

Echo had been too weak to fight, but when the order to leave came and the Sky People had not left she had voiced her protect, only to be pulled away and forced to walk. It had not been hard, she'd been caged for a long time and recently bleed. Her body had been weak when her mind had been strong. She would have stayed. Once she had built strength, her and Tree Nation warrior, Alekay, had parted from the group and gone back to the mountain--only to the horror of the aftermath. Her would not let her mind go there, for the aftermath was too much to think on. The sights had been the worst she'd ever seen.

"Their are many, Sky Person, who would have stayed if they were able. You should mind your words with more care." Because their were some who would seek insult to be called a coward--which was how her words had been taken. "The freed from the mountain know who the debt of honor belongs to, and it is not the commander." It had been the man who unlocked their cages, as he had promised. The commander had taken away their right to give life in return for life.

[Clarke Griffin]

“I was there. I was leading my people into Mount Weather, when your commander took the deal.” Clarke pointed out. She had been there, she had to pick up the pieces of what Lexa had done. Of course she knew the main blame lay on this woman. She was the one to decide, to force Lincoln with them, but they could have easily overpowered her and stood their ground, yet nobody did. They followed her, owing loyalty to her, but neglecting loyalty to their own culture. “We were aware of ‘blood must have blood’ yet you never took the blood they took from your people.” Clarke wanted to remain angry, she wanted to feel just a little longer, but soon enough she deflated. She had been betrayed, she had to do what she did, yet at the same time there was simply nothing that could undo it. She lived with the guilt, but she also lived with the only consolation that she’d ever have: Part of the blame would forever be on Lexa. This blood was on her hands, too. And like them, she could never wash it off. With the memories, Clarkes anger broke, the feelings disappeared into the numbness that had occupied her heart before. 

“I know it was not all of your decision. That day more people, innocent people met their death – at my hands. What I know is, that she washed her hands in the blood of those people as well, by turning away from the mountain. Children died, innocents. How does your alliance still hold?” It was now a genuine question. How could the leaders of twelve clans just stand by and watch Lexa break an alliance. Didn’t it make the entire coalition as fragile as what their alliance had been. “Lexa will walk over anyones body to have her way.” Clarke looked at the Grounder. Turning the palms of her hands outwards in surrender, she mentally gave up. She couldn’t win. No matter what she’d say, the Grounders couldn’t undo anything. Maybe it would end the numbness finally. “Go ahead, take me prisoner or do what you have to do.”

Echo