XX

[PREVIOUSLY: Octavia runs into Aidan who warns her of a plot to assassinate Anya on her way to Polis. Rejected by his own people for his betrayal in saving Octavia's life, Aidan urges her to do what he cannot: warn Trikru].

Thin tree branches whip by my face, cutting cruelly through my skin. Dead sticks and sharpened thorns reach out and graze my legs, my knees, trying to inflict pain, trying to slow me down. The roar of the cold icy wind howl through the tips of the trees, muffling my hearing and numbing my senses. My fingers, interlaced in the horse's matted mane, are so cold I can no longer feel them. I barely even know if I'm still sitting on the steed's broad back or not. I close my eyes and swallow hard, wetting my raw, dry throat, as my mind wanders back over the last couple of hours ...

"How much longer?" I urged impatiently, tapping my foot against the dirt floor and casting worried glances over my shoulder. "If Bellamy finds out I'm here ..."

"I'm done!" Aidan cut me short as he quickly straightened up, a fringe of thick, dark hair falling over his forehead in the process. "Here," he leaned forward and shoved a crumpled piece of paper into my hand, "These are the directions to TonDC. If you hurry, you'll make it there before they leave."

"And when is that, pray tell?" I raised my eyebrows as I pocketed the paper without giving it a second glance.

Aidan furrowed his brow, his hazel eyes snapping with anger and worry. "You're gonna want to take a look at that before you leave," he told me blatantly, pointing at my back pocket. "You have two and a half hours."

"W-what?" I whisper-shrieked. "That's insane! I'll never get there on time!"

"Not on foot, you won't," Aidan smirked as he brought his fingers up to his lips. He let out a low, alluring whistle that pierced through the chilly afternoon air.

As if in answer to his call, a short whinny resounded from nearby and the crackling of twigs underfoot indicated that someone, or rather, something, was approaching us.

I stepped back and glanced around uneasily, my hand straying to the tip of my sword.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Aidan shot out, seeing that I was about to withdraw the blade. "He doesn't fancy being told what to do."

"Huh. Like someone else I know," I muttered underneath my breath.

However, as quiet as I had been in my statement, Aidan still heard it. He snapped his head up and sent me a withering stare.

CRACKLE.

Something brown and white came into view, something large and muscular, something that looked very much like ...

"A horse!" I gasped out, shocked and awed all at once.

"Yep," Aidan rolled his eyes as he stepped forward to brush his hand against the horse's nose. "His name's Zenia." When I didn't reply, he turned around and gave me a strange look, "What? You've never seen a horse before?"

"No," I shook my head. "Well, I - er - have seen pictures of them, sure, but never one this close ... H-he's incredible." I walked softly towards the steed and smiled as I ran my fingers down his long, sturdy neck. "Amazing!"

Aidan cleared his throat. "Hate to burst your bubble, Princess, but you have a life to save. Better get cracking."

"What?" I stepped back and stared disbelievingly at him. "You want me to ride to TonDC ... on THAT? I don't even know how to ride!"

"It's simple," Aidan scoffed, almost sounding amused. "Just jump onto his back and hold on for dear life ... He'll do the hard work. Oh and don't fall off."

I heaved a deep sigh. "You're crazy."

"No, you're just crazy for not taking a chance," Aidan turned around and offered me his hand.

Being the stupid person that I was, all I did was stare at it, admiring the lines and callouses lining his palm, before looking quizzically up at him.

"You want some help getting on Zenia or not?" Aidan inquired, an edge of impatience to his tone.

I chuckled, trying to hide the red tinge of embarrassment that was creeping up my neck. "Er - sure - of course ..."

I didn't even have time to finish my sentence before Aidan grabbed my hand and jerked me closer towards him. I let out a tiny gasp of surprise as I collided with his hard, muscular chest. I froze, not knowing what to do or what to say. I glanced up into his deep hazel eyes. All he did was stare straight back at me.

Suddenly, my breath hitched in my throat when his other free hand wrapped tightly around my thigh, taking me completely by surprise. With a heave, he lifted me up and onto Zenia's back as if I weighed nothing at all. But, judging by the size of his rippling biceps, I highly doubted he had trouble lifting a lot of things.

"T-thanks," I stuttered out, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Go," Aidan said before he leaned forward to stroke the horse. "Zenia, take it easy on her."

I chanced a quick look towards him, watching as he stepped back and tilted his chin up to look at me.

"May we meet again," he voiced softly, his accented words rolling lightly off his tongue.

"May we meet again," I returned.

"Giddup," Aidan ordered, tapping Zenia lightly on his side.

Zenia took a step forward, lurching my body through the air. I grabbed desperately at his thick mane as my chest collided with the horse's neck. I had barely time to recover before Zenia took another step and another and another. I closed my eyes tightly, a wave of fear breaking over me. What if I fell off? What if I managed to lose the horse? What if I got lost? What if I didn't make it to TonDC on time? What the hell had I gotten myself into?

I opened my eyes and exhaled, ridding my lungs of the suffocating carbon dioxide that was threatening to burst them. Another storm was on the way. I could see it in the darkening clouds overheard, I could feel it in the icy wind, I could sense it by the quietness of the shadowy forest.

Fortunately, Zenia and I were nearly to TonDC. I shivered as one my hands carefully unlatched itself from Zenia's mane and felt around in my pocket for the piece of paper Aidan had given me. I tried to unfold it, but my fingers were so cold, they would not comply. With a heavy sigh, I leaned forward and rested my head on the horse's neck and whispered, "You know how to get there, boy, so get us there ... and hurry."

"Skai Gada! Skai Gada!"

Suddenly, a harsh shout echoed throughout the trees and three fully armed grounder warriors, coming out of nowhere, surrounded me and my horse, blocking our path.

I reacted quickly, raising my arms to show them that I was unarmed. "I need to speak to your Heda!" I called out, my voice almost lost to the growing wind. "Please ..."

One of the grounders cocked their head to the side, either pretending to be confused or genuinely having no idea what I was saying. Another of the grounders stepped forward and, without a second's hesitation, grabbed me by my arm and yanked me off of Zenia and onto the ground.

I landed on the hard floor, gasping in pain at the abrupt contact.

"Em pleni!" the grounder snarled as she jerked me to my feet. "Kep in strechplei." The sharpened tip of the warrior's sword dug into my back as she spun me around and forced me to start walking.

I let out a pent-up breath as I glanced around at the war-painted faces of the grounders encompassing me. How could I have expected anything different?

Even though I was willing to comply, I was forcibly and somewhat painfully, dragged into the bustling village of TonDC and thrown down at the feet of a girded and mighty-looking Indra. She took one look at Zenia and then she was on top of me, tackling me to the ground. Whipping out a short knife, she held the shining blade to my throat as she hissed, "What are you doing with Erin's horse?"

"W-what?" I spluttered, confused. "I - I thought it was Aidan's!"

"Ah, so you were conniving with that - that traitor!" Indra spat, spittles of her saliva spraying across my face.

I winced and tried to turn my head away, but Indra dug her knife even deeper into my neck, forcing me to look back up at her.

"I will end what my Heda started," she growled through gritted teeth.

"W-what's that?" I blurted, fear rising up within my throat in the form of bile.

"Killing you," Indra hissed as she drew back her knife.

"No, wait, stop!" I cried, raising my arms protectively in front of my face. "I am here to warn Heda of a plot to take her life! Aidan sent me here as he could not come himself! Please, listen!"

Indra lowered her knife as a look of surprise flashed across her face. Then, her expression was replaced with one of disgust. "Aidan is a coward!" she hissed. "If he was truly worried about the safety of his Heda, he would not have shot at her and he would not have sent you!"

I gulped, my eyes following the flash of Indra's knife. "I - I wanted to come ..."

Indra paused as she gazed down at me. For a long moment, her dark eyes bore holes into my own. Then, suddenly, she released me and straightened up.

I stared at her in shock but before I had a chance to react, the three grounders who had captured me before in the woods were upon me.

"Take her back to the dungeons," Indra spat out. "And make sure she stays there. If she will not learn her lesson, then she will be used ... as a weapon against Skikru."

My eyes widened in horror and I struggled desperately against the strong, burly grip that had been clamped down my arms. "No!!! Please, you don't understand ..."

"Go! NOW!" Indra stepped aside and pointed in the direction of the underground dungeons, her brow furrowed ferociously.

I couldn't believe it. I had come to help the grounders and now I was in the exact same situation as before.

With Indra breathing down my neck, I was as good as dead ...

Gif: Octavia as she encounters the grounders in the woods.

XX