Chapter 38: Ch. 38 – A Letter from Home

"Has your mother turned you into my keeper, or does she hate this snow as much as I do?" I asked with a chuckle as I rode my horse down the streets of Troit.

"We're used to the snow," Prince Roan replied, riding his horse next to me.

"Well, I'm certainly not. There's over a foot of snow, ridiculous... without my powers, you'd only get me out of the castle with a blade pressed against my back."

"I was wondering how you manage to only wear your armor and no heavy cloak."

I conjured white flames across my shoulders and arms while happily sighing, "Real warmth."

Roan chuckled at my antics. The past two weeks of sparring had allowed us to become familiar with each other and even develop a bit of a friendship. Unlike his mother, Roan understood that compromising was not a weakness. He had even helped Clarke try to kill his mother to prevent the war against the Coalition and then continued to work with her when they learned of Praimfaya. As long as we did not break his trust, he was actually a reliable ally, but first, we would have to remove Nia from power.

Since I was finally running out of people to treat, it had been decided that I would start working on other projects and only heal people twice a week. The first of my crazy tasks was to build a new, giant stone wall completely around Troit with dimensions like a miniature Great Wall of China. After that, they wanted me to build a massive, fortified dock within their old walls. Even if I really did have a full year to work on them, I doubted that I would be able to finish everything that they wanted. Still, I had to play along, and it was a great way to keep building up my mana with the constant usage of my powers, even if it meant that I lost practice time with my actual spells.

"Okay... maybe your land does have its charms," I remarked as we reached the top of the hill and I looked out.

Trees had reclaimed most of old Detroit, but the ruins of old buildings could still be seen in a few places. Everything was covered in a thick layer of white that sparkled in the sunlight and even the lake was not spared as white chunks of ice floated in the water. It was something that I had never seen before, and I could not help but smile as I took in everything.

"I'm glad you like it, Octavia," Roan said, watching me.

I clicked my tongue while I rolled my eyes and urged my horse on. He chuckled and followed behind me with the rest of the group further back. Aside from Skaikru, there was a small team of Ice Nation people to help with the daily tasks while we lived out along the construction path.

Despite the half hour ride back to the castle, I had insisted that my group would move out to wherever I was working to cut down on wasted time traveling, or at least that's what I said. The truth was that I was constantly using my Wind Domain to stay warm with the obvious reason of practice, so I needed to meditate several times a day and, while I could still keep it up, it would slow down the process of restoring my mana significantly. The buildings that I would create throughout the process could be repurposed as bunk houses and storage rooms, so it was a win-win for Nia's advisors.

We dismounted with the banks of the lake a couple hundred yards away. Landing on the ground caused a flurry of snow to scatter as my Wind Domain displaced everything around me. I sighed, cancelling my spell, then held out the reins on my horse to Roan.

"Watch Helios for me. I'm going to get started prepping the area," I said then walked off, away from the horses.

"You're welcome," he called out after me.

I walked a dozen or so feet away then waved an arm, sending a streak of red flames ahead of me. I repeated the process over and over until I cleared out the snow in five-hundred-foot circle while the group gathered up and started handling their duties. After that, I built a simple stone hut to block the wind then meditated for an hour before getting back to work and creating a proper stable and a second building for the Azgeda people.

They had brought a wagon with them, so once the buildings were up, a couple of people started setting up basic furniture like cots, chairs, and tables. If it was not for the underlining tension, it would probably be a wonderful glamping trip. Everything any of us would need would be provided while I just had to slave away, building a structure that would never be finished or used.

"O, come take a break. A rider came with letters," Bellamy said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Anything from Raven?" I asked as I pulled out my headphones.

He smirked, "Yes."

I smiled and walked back to our little camp with him. I had not made too much throughout the day, but it was still impressive to see a wall that was hundred yards long and a foot thick, knowing that I had created it with my own power. We headed into our little building where Clarke, Finn, and Byrne were already sitting around the table with a large pot of stew placed in the center.

"So, what's on the menu tonight?" I asked as I sat down next to Clarke and Bellamy sat on my other side.

"Venison, carrots, and potatoes, I believe," Byrne answered.

"Did anyone make sure that it only had one head?" I chuckled.

"I checked twice when I saw them bring it in," Finn replied with a laugh.

"Here; one from Raven and one from Kane," Clarke said, handing me two folded sheets of paper.

I glanced over the two and picked out Raven's handwriting, placing that letter on top, before I collected a bowl of stew. I started eating and opened the letter from her then read it over. The past few that I had received were a little too similar, so I had the feeling that they were prewritten, but this was the one that confirmed it.

"What's wrong?" Clarke asked, noticing that I had stopped eating.

"It's nothing... Raven just said that Wick was being transferred to Polis," I replied.

"Enough said, she hates him," Finn chuckled.

"Yeah..." I agreed half-heartedly as I played with my food.

Clarke and Bellamy both gave me subtle looks of concern, but the other two seemed oblivious to my change in mood. I read through Kane's letter, but it was little more than a status update on the two bunkers and Arkadia, so it did little to settle my nerves. If anything happened to Raven while she was off with Lexa... I did not know what I would do, but I knew it would not be good. When the others finished their food, I slipped out of our building and headed to the Azgeda one.

"I want to speak to Roan," I said to the Ice Nation guard that was standing by their door.

He gave me a nod then ducked through the leather curtains and headed inside the building. I walked away but remained in sight of doorway. I looked out towards the water while I kept reminding myself that everything would be fine, but there were just so many unknowns.

"You called for me, Natfaya?" Roan asked with a light chuckle.

"I need a favor... from your mother," I replied, turning around to face him.

His expression changed and he sighed, "What's wrong?"

"Raven... I told her to mention someone if something was wrong. Your mother has to have spies in Polis, so I want to know what's going on with her," I replied.

"If that's all you need, I can handle that."

"And if I need more than just word on her?" I asked.

"My mother will have to decide."

"I'd like to send a letter to Kane instead of Raven, asking about her assignments. If she is working on hydroponics systems, that means that he has seen her recently, but if she has been working on an electrical issue, that means he hasn't seen her in days. The problem is that I will need to send the letter sealed in a special metal tube so that he knows I'm serious. I know your mother, or one of her people, read all of our messages that come in and go out, but my sealing method will make that hard," I explained, although I switched the meaning of the two assignments.

Roan nodded, "I'll send a rider to the castle and ask for her to come inspect your first day's progress in the morning. Write your letter and we'll send it off tomorrow."

"Thank you," I replied before I headed back to the Skaikru building.

Clarke and Bellamy both gave me a look when I returned, yet I avoided their gaze and headed over to my cot, quickly meditating so that I would not have to explain anything yet. Eventually, I would have to tell them something, but there was little I could say other than I was worried about Raven, and they would both take the news in different ways. This matter was far too complicated, due partly because my doing since I chose to leave Bellamy out of the loop, but I knew that he would fight me in the beginning and act differently once he was here.

I spent the entire night meditating, balancing my intake versus expenditure by using Wind Domain and Earth Domain. There was nothing that I could do about my concerns while I was here except trust that Lexa would keep Raven safe. Meditating required me to calm down and empty my mind, so it helped relax and center me aside from just restoring my mana.

Clarke reached out to shake me by the shoulder, which was usually required when I went into my deep meditation, but I sensed her and opened my eyes, making her flinch.

"Sorry, I was meditating to relax, not to restore my mana," I explained.

"Wanna talk about it?" she asked.

I scooted over with a light smile and motioned for her to sit next to me. There was no way out of the conversation, but at least, it was just Clarke, so I could be a little more honest.

"Raven sent me a code that she left Polis with Lexa. The mission should be safe enough, but I had the feeling that her letters had been written in advance so far... I asked Roan for permission to send a special letter to Kane where I'll ask about her assignments. If he gives me the right code, there's nothing to really worry about, although I'll be acting like there is, but you remember all of the various codes we discussed," I said once she sat down next to me.

"Do you think Lexa is betraying us?" she asked quietly.

"No, not a chance, but that doesn't mean that they didn't have some kind of problem while they were alone. Hopefully, I'm just overreacting by jumping on it as soon as I get the letter, but their mission should not have taken the entire two months that we've been gone. I have no idea when they left, only that they were going to, so I'm just trying to find out what's going on," I replied.

"It's nice to see that wall you put up come down every now and then," Clarke said with a bit of relief in her voice.

"Side-effects of meditating for long periods of time... I forget about all of the stress on my shoulders," I chuckled.

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"Lucky."

"You may not have mana in your body, but you can still meditate. You just need to empty your mind and focus inward on your own soul, essences, or whatever you want to call it. It takes some practice, but it's worth it for the 'quietness' that it can bring."

Clarke shook her head with a weak smile and replied, "Even if I agree with what you're saying, that doesn't mean I can do it as easily as you can in a place like this."

I shrugged, "I doubt I could handle all of this without it. Everyone needs an escape, and this is a step beyond that because it forces me to stop worrying about things, even if I know better sometimes."

"Well, you should talk to Bellamy too. He's worried about you."

I chuckled, "He wouldn't be Bellamy if he didn't worry about me, powers or no."

"Still, he's your brother and you are keeping enough things from him."

"Yeah," I agreed with a nod. "So, is the sun up yet?"

"About half an hour off; I just figured that you'd be more willing to talk if the others were still asleep," Clarke replied.

"You better be careful getting to know me so well," I teased as I stood up, "Raven isn't really the jealous type, but I'm pretty sure that you are a special case... Not to mention that Lexa would probably come after me too."

Clarke rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her face anyways.

"I'm going to get started for today before Nia gets here. Will you bring me something to eat when the food's ready?"

"Yeah, one of us will," Clarke agreed.

"Thanks," I replied before I ducked through the double curtain and headed outside.

I gave a nod to the Azgeda guard before I made my way to the end of the wall as I put my headphones in. First, I cleared away the snow for a hundred feet along the path that the walls would take then returned to the end of the wall. I placed a hand on the wall and channeled my Stone Wall spell. Gone were the days where I would slowly see the wall creep up inch by inch as a literal wave of dirt raced out of the ground and stretched up to the top of the wall, condensing into stone as it fell into place. I just had to walk forward slowly and channel the spell until my mana started running low.

The sun was finally peeking over the horizon when I sensed someone walking up behind me. I pulled out my headphones and turned around to find Bellamy with a bowl of stew. It may have been the same thing that we had last night, but it was better than stale rations and warm.

"Thanks," I said, taking the bowl from him.

He nodded his head and let me take a bite before he asked, "What's up with Raven?"

I sighed and took another bite of food before I answered, "I don't think Raven is in Polis anymore and her other letters felt prewritten... Mentioning Wick was code that something is going on there. I asked to send a special letter to Kane, to find out if has seen her recently."

"And if he hasn't?"

"I don't know... It's not like I can just leave Troit to go searching for her and asking Nia for favors is dangerous."

"I warned you that it was dangerous to trust Lexa," he said.

"I know, but what other choices did I have? Do you want to fight the entire Coalition?"

Bellamy sighed and looked away since he did not have a better answer than I did.

"I don't know anything for sure yet, so I'm going to keep hoping for the best while expecting the worst," I said. "It's about all I can do right now."

"Do you think Lexa would betray you?"

"She'd be a fool to with my powers and everything that I know, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't," I sighed since I needed to keep lying to him.

He nodded his head and replied, "Well, I'm here for you, O. Don't forget that."

"I know, Bell... Thanks."

I finished up my food and Bellamy kept me company until the cold got to him and I sent him back inside to warm up. I went back to work on the wall, slowly making my way towards the lake. Nia and a group of her advisors arrived a few hours after sunrise, so I stopped working and met her group back at our little campground.

"I've heard you been working hard already today," Nia remarked.

"It's easier to get my mind off home if I am busy," I replied.

"Yes, my son mentioned there was a matter. Go check Natfaya's progress while I speak with her privately," Nia ordered her advisors.

The men in question walked off quickly, taking a few of the Azgeda guards with them.

"May I retrieve something from my room before we talk?" I asked, respectfully.

"Yes," she agreed.

I bowed my head then headed into the Skaikru building. It seemed that Clarke or Bellamy had filled in Finn and Byrne on what was going on as no one went to follow me inside. I headed over to my cot and grabbed my bag before heading back outside. Nia had already disappeared, but the look on Roan's face and position told me that she was waiting inside the other small building.

"Going to check my bag?" I asked.

"You asked for this meeting," he reminded me.

I smirked and ducked inside their building with Roan right behind me. Their shelter was set up similar to ours with a half a dozen cots along the back wall and a seating area in the front half of the building. Nia was sitting at the end of the main table, and she motioned for me to sit across from her. I walked up to the table and set my bag down then started pulling out my letter plus a dozen metal, half tubes.

"Roan mentioned that you were worried about your lover back in Polis," Nia said when I sat down.

"Yes... There had been something off with her messages for a while, but the most recent one mentioned a person that we had agreed would mean something had happened. I can hope that she's just forgotten, but I doubt it. I want to send a message to Kane and ask about her. He knows that I can create these canisters, so if I send him a letter in this, I know that only he will see it once it leaves me. I've asked him to send me a list of assignments with his next batch of letters which will have a code to tell me if he has seen her recently," I explained. "He also has a method to reseal the tube properly, so he can send me a reply. I'll read his reply in front of you if want, but I need to know that it was 'his' reply."

"I've tried keeping tabs on her since we've left, but she hasn't left the temple in over a month and my people can't get close," Nia said.

"That's the point. Only Skaikru members are allowed in the bunker because they are easy to identify... Is Kane still in Polis?" I asked.

"He was seen as of five days ago."

"Then he's my best chance at a real answer."

"I'll let you send your letter, Octavia, but my question is what will you do with the answer?" Nia asked.

"I don't know... The best-case scenario is that I'm overreacting, and nothing is wrong, but if I'm not," I sighed, conjuring red flames on my shoulders before quickly extinguishing them with a deep breath. "I'm not seeking to end our arrangement for the crimes of my people. I just want to know about her safety, so if Kane can't tell me that he has at least seen her recently... then there is little I can do for the rest of the year. Azgeda does not need to be implicated in my personal affairs."

"Check her letter, Roan," Nia said.

I held up the paper with a smirk and he took it from then sighed, "It just has the word 'assignments' on it."

"I don't need to say any more; he'll know what I'm asking about," I replied with a shrug.

"Seal your letter then and I'll have a rider take it immediately. You should have an answer within a week," Nia said.

"I thank the Queen for her assistance," I replied with another nod of my head.

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