Chapter 29: New Yet Familiar Faces

Our group drove for most of the day, but as we neared the area that we had been directed towards, a tree fell in the road. Before we could reverse, another one fell which locked in the smaller rover where Kane was. Bellamy, Finn, and Monty picked up their guns while I stopped Anya from pulling her swords.

"It could still be our people," I said before jumping out of the back of the truck.

"Octavia!" Bellamy called out.

"Relax, I'm under the truck. It just makes things easier," I retorted as I rolled underneath the truck and put in my earpiece. "See anything up there?"

"Nothing," Kane replied through the radio.

I spread out my Earth Domain then pushed it further than normal by doubling the amount of mana I used. The return investment was not quite double, but I could extend my senses to nearly thirty feet in any direction which allowed me to find half a dozen people surrounding us.

"I've got six, approaching low and in all directions. Your orders, Kane?" I asked.

"Are they our people?"

"It's not with my eyes, so I don't know."

"How quick can you make those shields of yours?" he asked.

"Quick enough to stop the second arrow if this is an Ice Nation trap. Give me a moment to prepare it," I replied, releasing my Earth Domain, and then crawled to the front of the truck. I focused my energy into the ground between the two rovers and said, "It's ready. If anything goes wrong, drop to the dirt and I'll protect you."

"Alright," Kane agreed and, a moment later, he opened the back door of the rover. He jumped out with his rifle hanging on his shoulder and scanned the area as he called out, "I'm Chancellor Kane of the Ark. I'm looking for survivors from Farm Station."

It took another minute, but someone walked out of the brush slowly then laughed, "It really is you."

"Pike, it's good to see you. Stand down everyone," Kane ordered through the radio.

"Farm Station, stand down," Pike ordered.

There were sounds of doors opening and feet hitting the ground while I crawled back to the back of the truck.

Bellamy was one of the first people out of the truck and knelt down with a smirk. "Having fun playing in the dirt?"

I took the hand that he offered and returned his smirk as he helped me out. Monty was the next to jump out followed by Finn and Clarke. Monty walked around the truck, no doubt looking for his mother. The rest of us waited in the back to make sure that no one gave Anya and the rest any trouble. People started emerging from the woods while Kane started explaining things to Pike. Things actually seemed like they were going to end peacefully when a gunshot rang out... but at least this time, I was the one hit.

The bullet hit me in the shoulder, and while my new armor took the brunt of impact, I still dropped to a knee in pain. Bellamy yelled that we were under attack as he and Finn raised their guns. Ignoring my pain, I formed a thick stone half-wall for them to hide behind while Anya jumped out of the truck and Clarke started pulling bandages out of her bag.

"Skaikru weapons," Anya growled.

"That doesn't mean it was in Skaikru hands. Mount Weather also used guns, so Ice Nation could have taken some and are trying to frame my people," I replied as I loosen my armor.

A few more gunshots were fired, and our side returned fire, but things quieted down so quickly that Clarke had not even finished helping me take off my breastplate. No one else was hit, but no one else was moving forward either, annoying Anya. She drew one of her swords and was ready to rush forward herself when I grabbed her shoulder with my good arm.

"We can't risk you. It doesn't matter who attacked us. Let my people handle this," I said.

"How is she?" Bellamy asked, leaning against the stone wall.

"The bullet isn't too deep and missed the bone. I should be able to pull it out once everything is secure," Clarke said as wrapped my shoulder.

"I'll take this over that arrow," I replied with grim humor, holding my arm tightly to my body.

"You kids okay?" Pike asked as he moved up and pinned himself against a nearby tree.

"Peachy," I snapped.

"Octavia?" Kane asked, joining Pike.

"I'm fine."

"Bellamy, Finn, stay here and protect them. Kent, Robertson, Curtis, with me," Kane ordered.

"Green, Desmond, Guerra, flank left and pincer in," Pike instructed.

Kane and Pike headed off into the woods while the guardsmen followed behind them and a couple of people from Farm Station went up the other side of the trail we were on. Monty crawled forward and joined the guys against the stone wall.

"We can keep this to ourselves, right? No need to tell Raven about a little scratch," I remarked, leaning against the back of the truck.

"Only you would think a gunshot wound is a little scratch," Clarke said as she tied the end of the bandage.

"I've fixed worse," I replied with a smirk.

"Clear," someone shouted from up ahead.

Anya took that moment to jump up and run ahead while the rest of us followed after her but at a slower rate. Kane and Pike had troubled looks on their faces, and when we neared, I understood why. The body of a man dressed similarly to Pike's group was laying on the ground, and Pike was holding on to a gun, so he had likely picked it up from next to the body.

"Explain this Kane," Anya growled.

"You can back off, Grounder," one of the Farm Station members snapped.

"Stand down, Guerra!" Kane ordered. "Pike, what can you tell me about this?"

"We lost Williams about five days ago, but we thought he was dead, and he didn't have a gun. We only have about five left and a dozen bullets, so we've been keeping them at the main camp," Pike explained.

"Clarke, check..." I started to say, but the sound of a horse neighing stopped me as everyone's head turned up.

Around fifty horsemen were riding up the trail in full Ice Nation gear. It was too perfect of a setup, and I sighed, realizing what the plan had likely been. I was just lucky that the Ice Nation did not train with firearms, or that bullet would have likely hit me in the head. If I had been killed, it would have been child's play to frame Farm Station for my death, and even without my being killed, all they had to say was that they had attempted to kill me. What truly complicated everything further was who I saw riding at the head of the group.

"Kane, you need to stay back and make sure no one tries anything. Anya and I will handle this," I said with concern.

"Ice Nation soldiers?" he asked.

"Not just soldiers... That's Queen Nia and her personal guard," I replied, walking forward since I recognized both her face and Echo's.

"Who do you think your ordering around?" Pike asked angrily.

"A hot-head that could undo everything that I've been trying to fix," I snapped over my shoulder then created a thin stone wall between me and the rest of them.

"You believe him?" Anya asked as we headed to meet Queen Nia.

"Because Nia's arrival is purely chance," I retorted.

She smirked and we stopped in the road. Nia slowed her group down and left most of her party behind her as four people rode up. I was not expected to kneel to her as I served Lexa, but I still bowed my head as she stopped in front of us.

"It is an honor to see you, Queen Nia. What did Skaikru do to deserve your presence?" I asked politely.

"We heard gunfire and assumed it was your traitors, so we came to handle them ourselves since you could not, Natfaya," she spat.

"A weapon malfunction, I'm afraid. I apologize for causing you alarm," I replied.

"And your injury?"

"My healing abilities are well-known. I jumped on the weapon to disable it before anyone else could get hurt," I explained with a smile.

Both of us knew the other was lying and hiding things, but if I did not accuse her, she could not accuse me easily.

"And collecting those traitorous members of your Clan which brought you to my lands?"

"We had just made contact with them when one of our youngest Second's panicked, causing the accident," I explained away with a simple lie. "I hope to have them collected by tomorrow's evening and then we will leave your lands immediately."

"And if we decide to follow you?"

"Then I apologize that I have to waste the Queen's time watching over us. Heda's orders were clear that Azgeda would watch my movements. I only want a place for my people, so I will do as I am told," I replied.

Queen Nia stared at me for a moment, sizing me up, before she snorted and turned her horse around. It was clear that she was not ready to start a conflict with me directly because my powers made me dangerous and hard to predict. The lines between what was true and what was rumor were blurred because I defied common sense, but that was what Katye and I were counting on. Everyone's goal was to put off this war for as long as possible because once we announced Priamfaya, things would truly devolve into chaos.

"You could have just killed her then," Anya remarked as we watched Queen Nia's guard ride away.

"Too simple for her, and you know it. A few scraps now will be a deathblow against them later," I replied.

She smirked, retorting, "As long as you are the one getting the scraps."

I chuckled and we walked back to the main group. I caused the wall to crumble in front of us, which was not wasted dramatic effect since Kane, Pike, and the other members of Farm Station were still gathered around.

"The Queen is watching us, but it seems like she is still honoring Lexa's orders so long as I'm alive," I explained as Anya and I walked up.

"He was killed over a day ago," Clarke said, who was kneeling next to the body of the Farm Station member.

"Can you prove it to the Council of Ambassadors, in a way that the Grounders can accept?" I asked with no hope that she could.

Clarke did not answer, but Pike was ready to fight, yelling, "They were the ones to attack us! Why the hell do we have justify anything?!?"

"Because we invaded their lands! This isn't the Ark anymore, and we aren't top dog! Do you want peace, or do you want to keep fighting until every person in Farm Station is dead?!?" I yelled back.

"Octavia... calm down," Kane said firmly.

I glanced at my good arm and could see a few traces of flames flickering. I sighed, suppressing the fire, and replied, "Sorry, pain and anger bring out the fire. I'll go back to the truck."

I headed back to the truck as I had said I would with Anya and the rest of my friends following behind me. I sat down on the edge of the stone wall and pulled off my breastplate completely. Clarke sat her med pack next to me and pulled out a few items.

"How did things go with the Queen?" Bellamy asked.

"Well, she didn't declare war yet, so good enough. If we make it out of here without any more excitement then we'll have our real answer," I replied.

"And what are the chances of that?" Finn asked.

I smiled and chuckled, "Who knows."

Anya was the only one who understood my humor in my poor joke since few people could predict Queen Nia's decisions. The rest sighed with concern, but I did not explain further. Katye had an interesting idea how to keep Nia's armies off of us, but it would still take some work and complete secrecy except for the third person that she should have sent into the Ice Nation to assist me though only time could tell if they were truly on our side or not.

While we waited on Kane and Pike to sort out the problems that my presence had undoubtingly caused, Clarke treated my shoulder, numbing it and taking out the bullet. I placed a hand on the wound and channeled my healing energy into it. It was almost humorous that no one reacted anymore; people could adjust to a lot of things quickly it seemed.

Kane and Pike walked up a few minutes later and started ordering people to move the fallen trees. I healed myself until I felt dizzy then stopped to let Clarke wrap the small hole that was left over as Kane and Pike walked up.

"I'd recommend giving me a few more minutes for the drugs that Clarke gave me to kick in, if you're here to reprimand me," I chuckled as Clarke fixed a sling over my arm, so that it would not move too much.

"You're really cocky for someone just shot by a Grounder," Pike said.

"Acting scared and timid has already cost enough people their lives. The Ice Nation may have shot me, but they didn't kill me which was their mistake. Announcing any accusation will just strain the delicate balance between the Twelve Clans. There are over a hundred thousand people under the banner of the Coalition. Do you really want to fight them all with less than five hundred people?" I retorted.

"You aren't the Octavia Blake that was in my class," he accused.

"No, I'm not," I did not deny, but still hid the truth within the lies, "I've watched my friends and family die, I buried nineteen of those who were sent down here with me, and I have killed more than my fair share of people. How much have you changed since you were on the ground?"

Even Pike was affected by the venom in my words as were the rest of the group around us. I sighed and stood up then walked to the end of the wall. I channeled my mana into my foot then shoved the wall off to the side of the road under his stunned gaze which, surprisingly, made me chuckle.

"You enjoy doing that too much," Finn chuckled.

"Wouldn't you? Do you guys have the trees, or do you need an extra hand?" I asked.

"We'll have them moved in a few minutes. Go ahead and rest," Kane replied.

"Thanks."

Bellamy and Kolbi, one of the Grounders still inside the back of the truck, helped me climb into the truck. He and Anya followed me inside and I found a corner to sit in. Bellamy sat next to me, of course, and I leaned my good side into his.

"Just let me know when we get there," I yawned.

"Sure," he said with a light chuckle as more people climbed into the back of the truck.