Their walk seemed endless as they traipse through the wasteland. But this was their only of survival now that their rations are limited.
"Bellamy, come in if you hear me." Echo's voice sounded through the radio.
"Echo." He answered simply. He went to speak more but Harper was quick to cut him off. An odd feeling had settled in her when she heard the language she was speaking.
"Wait. She's speaking Trig for a reason." She pointed out thankful that they had used their time in space to pick up more skills than they had before.
Bellamy looked at Nia who nodded in agreement. Their language wasn't heard often, in fact, now it seemed to only be spoken when they needed to speak privately.
"Why are we speaking Trig? What's wrong?" Bellamy questioned. His knowledge of the Grounder language had expanded since he had first been learning when Nia lived among Skaikru. Now his vocabulary was more fluent than ever before.
"They know you're coming. You've lost the element of surprise." She replied with the dreaded news.
This sent Nia's body stiff. If the enemy knew they were coming then that meant more lives would be at risk. How could they simply gamble lives with no regard for their families?
"They know we're coming." Bellamy clarified for those who hadn't grasped the language as well as the others.
"Clarke?" Monty asked seeing that she was the only other person who wasn't accounted for.
Nia's gaze snapped up at the mention of her name. It couldn't be, Clarke wouldn't do that but this time was different, she had someone else to think off. But how could she sign their death warrants? If Clarke had anything to do with this, then this would change Nia's opinion of her and that's not where someone would want to be.
"It had to be." Bellamy stated frustrated with the situation as well. Clarke had just jeopardized his family's safety. "Echo, listen to me."
"Bellamy, if Clarke's on their side, she speaks trig, too." Harper pointed out worried about their further communication.
Grabbing the radio from Bellamy's hand. She wouldn't stand by waiting for when her family to fall.
"Clarke, if you breathe a word about anything said, choosing a side will be the least of your worries." Nia sneered through the radio.
The group had caught her words and glanced at one another shocked. Clarke was the one who betrayed them?
What they didn't know was Clarke heard the message and swallowed nervously at the threat she had received. She could hear the malice in Nia's voice and the sense of guilt overwhelmed her. Too wrapped up in her feelings she didn't see Madi perk up at the sound of Nia's voice.
"Bellamy, Nia, you have to go back. We have their pilot, so you're safe for now. But you can't come here." Echo responded quickly thankful that Nia was among Bellamy this time. She had thought that she might've still be continuing this facade.
"Not possible. It's a long story, but we can't go back and we can't stop. We've five days out. You have that long to find us a safe way in. After that, we run out of rations." Bellamy informed when Nia handed the radio back.
"We're on it. Be safe. Over and out." Echo replied shortly before looking to those who were there. They were the ones who were going to help save their people from their fate.
The couple were quick to inform Indra who suggested that they notify Octavia of their discovery. The trio approached Octavia only to be stopped by Miller and her guards. They disarmed Bellamy and Indra of their guns but the odd thing was they left Nia with Lexa's sword on her hip.
"You're marching is into a massacre." Indra informed once Miller allowed them through.
"We'll see." Octavia replied with no concern about the news.
Nia shook her head at how irresponsible and childish Octavia was being. She had seen many leaders and none had once acted as she had. They were always willing to find a way for there to be minimal lives lost.
"Echo radioed. Your enemy knows you're coming. We don't need to worry about the missions, but they're moving their weapons into position." Bellamy recalled what Echo was able to gain.
"It's safe to assume that since there's only three realistic ways into the valley, that all three will be heavily defended." Indra advised but Octavia continued to ignore them.
"Echo's scouting now, looking for the best way in. But since we can't go back because you burnt the farm, and since we can't stop because we'll starve, we thought we should let you know that you've killed your people." Bellamy hissed out to the person he once looked out for. But now this person was only a hollow image of her.
"Bellamy." Indra called to him trying to tell him that that wasn't the best idea.
"Enjoy your walk." Bellamy finalized before turning to rejoin the others.
Indra walked a few steps more before she halted and let Octavia gain her distance. But Nia didn't back down. She kept her pace and spoke in an even tone.
"If you want to be a leader than you need to consider every option you have. Especially when one can offer you the least amount of lives lost. If you continue to gamble lives, pretty soon the only one you gamble is your own." Nia stated before turning on her heel and making her way through the crowd.
Octavia spared a quick look over her shoulder and took a minute to think her words over. Many didn't believe in her anymore and those who did were only scared she might kill them otherwise. She in fact hated the odds stacked against her. Her actions had already isolated her from those she was once close to. What more would this path take from her?
Night had fallen and to their relief they had been given a chance to rest and set up camp. Nia sat by a fire with Atlas on her lap. The boy munching on a piece of ration that she had covered in some mushed up berries to get him to eat it. Getting him to eat was again a challenge since the berries he loved were running out.
Tate was beside her speaking about what he had come to learn while Bellamy was out helping people get settled. The girls inside the tent readying what they needed for what was to come. A silhouette of a person began to approach them making Tate glance at the boy with caution.
"Blodreina has requested your presence." Miller spoke to her waiting for her next move.
The request was rather odd to Nia, as she wasn't sure Octavia would want her around after what she had attempted back in the fighting pit. But her curiosity for the best of her and she kissed Atlas' head before giving him to Tate.
The sight would've been quite funny if under different circumstances. A rather large man with a rather small toddler in his lap. That's what Bellamy had stumbled across when he went searching for Nia. Atlas pulling at Tate's beard but the man doing nothing to stop him.
"We're gonna take heavy fire, but as long as we stay together, we can still do this. Does everyone understand?" Octavia spoke to those present in the room.
Nia had been surprised when she entered the tent to be included in this meeting. She had figured that Octavia would cast her out like she had done with Indra. But instead she stood there silently observing the ongoings of their plan.
Octavia hadn't included Nia in the meeting until one of the guards asked if Nia was still leading the first battalion. Her first instinct was to tell them no but another thought entered her mind. If Nia seemed to still stand by her then maybe the rest would follow.
"We need to see her now." Bellamy's voice was heard outside the opening.
"Let him in!" Octavia commanded the guard, seeing if he might have an insight to what they might be up against.
"You don't need that." He suggested to their makeshift map on the table.
"The spy found us a way in?" Octavia said with a realized brow.
"Yes. Everybody out." Bellamy walked over to the table and waited for them to move but no one did until Octavia signal. Nia went to follow behind but Bellamy grabbed her arm and prevented her from taking another step. "Before I tell you this, we need to set some things straight."
"I'm listening." Octavia urged for him to continue.
"This war that you're so anxious for is about to be fought on the last survivable land on Earth. That is monumentally stupid. But it's here, and in four days, when we march on that valley, we are going to fight this the right way." He stated unsure how she would accept the terms but they needed to be said.
"Does the right way end up with us winning?" Octavia asked not sure where he was going with this topic.
"It ends with us accepting the other side's surrender." Nia picked up on what Bellamy was trying to say.
Despite the many wars she had fought, the battle had always ended with the other side surrendering and them finding a way to coexist until the next war. She began to wonder what their life would be like if Octavia remained in charge. Would the death till decrease or would it rise whenever Octavia felt the urge to begin violence.
"Once they lay down their arms, we share the valley with them. No exceptions. No fighting pits. Real peace." Bellamy added on after Nia's statement.
"Believe it or not, I want that, too." Octavia commented making Nia wonder how true it actually was. She couldn't see a future where they lived in a sense of harmony.
"I wish I believed that." Bellamy responded.
"Fine. I accept your terms. Now, tell me how to win this war." Octavia announced making Bellamy push off the table.
"Indra has the details." He answered walking toward the entrance.
"Bellamy, this is how it was meant to be." Octavia called out to her brother in a last attempt. "You and me. Fighting side by side."
"I'm not fighting for you. I'm fighting for my family." Bellamy finalized before leaving the two alone.
Octavia looked to Nia with a stoic face but in her eyes was a broken girl thinking she wouldn't hear that from him. She straightened her posture but it was too late Nia had seen it.
"You need to realize that we're not you're enemies here, before it's too late. This life you lived, kept you alive for six years but maybe it's time to step back and find yourself again." Nia reasoned before following Bellamy out.
"According to Diyoza, at the first sign of attack, McCreary's forces at B and C will converse to reinforce A, thinking that's where were coming through." Bellamy explained the plan to those in the room after Nia had convinced his to tell them himself.
"Leaving the other two doors wide open." Octavia filled in understanding the plan that was set up.
"We'll come through here, Point C. Now, if we time it right and we move fast, there won't be any resistance." Bellamy informed allowing Indra to but in.
"Once we're in the woods, we take the village." She pointed out to the others.
"Once we're in the woods, we win." Miller added getting ahead of the plan.
"Ok. I'll tell my people." The once delegate spoke setting off the tone in the room.
"Your people?" Miller sneered back to her.
"Save it for the enemy." Nia was quick to defuse the situation before it could escalate further. The division of the people was something they all knew but it shouldn't play a factor, not now. It would be their downfall if it kept being brought up. "Spread the word. We go at first light."
The others left to carry out their tasks. Leaving the four to themselves.
"Tell Echo I said well done." Octavia told her brother trying to find a level of peace among them.
"You can tell her yourself in two hours." Bellamy fired back before leaving again.
"It'll all be worth it." Octavia called out to the two when they went to follow Bellamy. "Once we're in the valley, everything we had to do to get there, it'll make sense. You'll see."
"I hope you're right." Indra simply stated before leaving.
Nia didn't say anything but left. Her words lingering in her mind. It seemed like she was trying to convince herself than them. It hardshell of the Red Queen was breaking.