Episode Five, Part 6:
W h o   A r e   Y o u   t o   C o m e   B a c k ? 

And I know that you just came here to talk, but you're messing with my closure.
There's so much water on the bridge. You're telling me that you'd rather we just
 sink than swim. There's too much water on the bridge. You're telling me that you
don't think you can live with it. So I change my point of view, 'cause I want to be with you.

Sol exhaled as the gates of Basilisk appeared in sight, some sort of relief that lingered for a moment, only to vanish the next. 

She turned around to speak to everyone before they went in, preparing them for the likely reactions of her people. 

"Noah, Lyra - you two will need to cover your faces. I suggest pulling your hood rights up, and avoiding eye contact with anyone. Jonas, you can walk up with me and Atlantis. You'll be safe." She reached her hand out for the young boy to take, pulling him to walk closely in front of her where everyone at the gates would easily be able to see that he was just a child. 

Sol spun around, breathing deeply and leading the group up to Basilisk, not wanting to draw any longer than it was. She could see her guards all raise their guns, fearful that their Sovereign was being held hostage, not wanting to make any sudden movements in case they hurt her.  

"Guns down!" Sol ordered, yelling her command as she neared closer. 

"Everything's fine. Keep the people away, and tell Dreea and Joren to meet us in the Quarters." She continued, hurrying the group inside the moment the doors opened, and ushering them closely together towards the Quarters. 

As they all collapsed inside, everyone shared the same sigh of relief having made it to safety. Noah pulled off his hood, turning to Sol with a grateful smile, ready to thank her for what she did. 

"Noah?" A voice called. 

Everyone looked to the other side of the room where Dreea stood in the door frame, her eyes narrowing in anger as she stared at the king of Blood Riders. She darted across the room, lunging for Noah with her bare hands, ready to tackle him down. 

Sol stepped in between, struggling to keep her away, but Dreea held back a little as she didn't want to hurt her. 

"What are you doing here!?" She yelled. 

"I-" Noah stammered, overthrown by her rage. "River agreed to help me with my brother. I can help with Targo." 

"Do you have any idea what you put her through?" Dreea exclaimed, finally contained enough for Sol to let go of her. 

The Nobel was taken aback, not expecting Dreea's anger to stem from how Noah had hurt her.  

Noah breathed out, a slight tremble of his lips as he glanced over at Sol, guilt swallowing him whole. 

"You got her to trust you by helping her in the DeadLands, then you go and declare war on her." 

"It's not like that! River understands-" 

Sol sighed, a hand up to Noah to calm him down, to remind him that it was okay. She turned to her friend, knowing that any solution to the war rested on her people trusting Noah. Believing that he was different now.

"Dreea, I trust him." She confessed, softening her voice to the sincerest she could be. 

The Sovereign frowned, trying to find any doubt on Sol's face, but knowing deep down that she wouldn't. Whatever past discrepancies had existed between them had been buried, and Dreea knew she had to have faith in Sol's choices. 

"They know where Kodiak and Elara are. They're to key to getting them back." 

"They're?" Dreea looked over Sol's shoulder for clarification, seeing Lyra cautiously lower her hood and reveal her face. 

She rolled her eyes. "Bas will be happy to see you." She muttered, her voice thick with sarcasm. 

"Dreea-" 

"I know. Sorry." She apologized to Sol. 

"Speaking of which, can you find them? Bas, Quill, Wynn... They need to hear this. Have a say in what happens." 

As Dreea nodded, Sol continued to speak. "Explain to Joren what's happening, and get him to watch over this lot for a while. I have to take Atlantis to Aeryn." 

"Okay." Dreea answered. "I'll get him, and then you guys can head over there." 

/// 

Sol stayed with Atlantis, sitting down on the chair next to the bed as Aeryn finished looking over her. She wrapped a bandage delicately around her arm, careful not to hurt her anymore than she had already endured. 

Aeryn turned to Sol, as if to update her on Atlantis' injury, advising her on how to help her heal. "I know it comes at a difficult time, but she can't use her hand for a while. That means she won't be able to fight or defend at any of the stations you'll lead for war." 

"That's okay." Sol replied, looking up at Atlantis reassuringly, knowing she was terrified already about the thought of having to fight. "I wasn't going to have her on the battlefield anyway."

Atlantis tilted her head, not having expected Sol to considered her place in the war, let alone allowing her to avoid the dangers of the fight. 

"You'll be in the annex, along with all of the children of Basilisk, and a few others." Sol explained, putting her mind to rest. 

Atlantis smiled, looking away from her sister so she didn't overwhelm her with gratitude. "Thank you." She murmured, meaning every waver of her voice. 

Sol nodded, understanding. "Come on. I'll help you find Zara." She motioned for Atlantis to follow her, waiting until she stood up to walk. 

Atlantis bit down on her tongue, wanting to say more to Sol, wanting to be honest about how much she was hurting, but she couldn't let herself ruin everything. She looked down at her hand as they walked, scrunching her face up whenever she touched it, feeling a terrible pain at every fraction of a move. 

"You okay?" Sol looked over, slowing her pace down in concern 

Atlantis couldn't help but wince, dropping her hand down to her side so Sol couldn't see. 

"I'm fine." She lied, trying to hurry up again so she wouldn't have to hold back in front of her. 

"No, you're not." Sol murmured. As Atlantis tried to pass, she grabbed onto her good arm, refraining her from leaving. She turned around unexpectedly, nervous to look up at Sol, worried that she would be annoyed at her for lying. 

But Sol reached down, carefully taking Atlantis' bandaged hand in her own, turning it over to see what she had done. 

"How bad is it?" Sol asked. 

"It's not-" 

"How bad?" She repeated, her voice only a murmur, full of concern for her response. 

Atlantis sighed. "Really bad up until here." She stopped her finger a couple inches down from her wrist. "And then I can't feel anything." 

Sol looked up at her, hoping she hand't heard her correctly. She opened up Atlantis' palm, stretching her fingers out a little. "Anything?" 

Atlantis shook her head. "I-I can't move my fingers." 

Guilt washed over Sol, slowly letting go of Atlantis. "I'm sorry I did this to you." 

"What?" She asked, again, shaking her head. "Please don't think that this is your fault. We both fell - we couldn't have helped it. It's no one's fault." 

Sol didn't know what to say, not satisfied with Atlantis' answer, afraid that she might have caused serious injury to her hand. 

"Look, my mum's just over there." She motioned behind Sol, smiling a little. "I'll let you get back to the others. Honestly, River, I'll be fine. Thank you though, for caring." 

The Sovereign remained still, feeling Atlantis leave, but her words lingering. Somehow, she was right. Sol did care about her. A lot. 

/// 

Back in the Quarter's, Sol waited anxiously for Dreea to return with Elara's family, standing near Noah and Lyra who were both facing away from the doorway, Lyra in particular sick with anxiety over how her family would react. 

After what felt like forever, the doors opened, and Dreea entered first a couple of moments before the rest of them. 

"They were up to something, like always." She rolled her eyes, leaning up against the counter Sol sat nervously on. 

She looked to her, her face all scrunched up, not understanding what she was referring to. 

"They'd been in and stolen supplies. Looks like they were trying to leave, no doubt to find Elara. I know we're going over everything with them, but I think you and Wynn need to talk. Alone. God knows despite your differences, you need each other." 

Dreea didn't stay close enough to see her reaction, to see Sol glance over at Noah, torn between everything she felt, and that her words only made everything twice as difficult for her to understand. But noise piled in before the answers could ring clear, and Sol stood up from the desk, eyes searching for one person. 

Azha, MaReya and Quill were the first to enter the room. The first of their family to see who was standing before them, waiting, trembling out for forgiveness. Fabian and Ares entered next, pushed aside by a set of hands, calling out the girl's name as he raced to embrace her. 

"Lyra!" Harlow screamed, the joy in his voice distinguished by it's estrangement in their world. He was across the room in a moment, crashing against Lyra who bent down with open arms. 

At the mention of her name, Bas and Wynn - who were the last to enter the room, stopped dead in their tracks, completely unprepared to see her again. Their was an abundance if feelings they couldn't separate from the other: grief, anger, betrayal, and lost somewhere among the rest, love. 

Lyra looked up to the doorway, still crouched down with her arms wrapped around her brother, her eyes full of sympathy as she looked up at Bas as if to say, 'I'm sorry for coming back like this.'

Bas felt the urge to pull Harlow away from her, to keep him out of reach from their sister so she could never break their hearts again, but there was a comfort on his young face that he hadn't seen in so long, and he couldn't take that away from him again. 

He took a step back, leaning up against the door frame, not wanting to move any closer to her. He could see from the way she stood back up, keeping hold of Harlow's hand, that she was crushed by the distance he chose to set. His arms were folded, an unmoving look of anger carved onto his features, and not a single word was said to her. 

Beside him, Wynn was a little less readable, almost not knowing what to do with himself. He could feel everyone's eyes on him now that Bas had made his feelings clear, and it was as though they were all waiting for his verdict. To see if he would shatter, or collapse, or harden. 

He breathed out, his entire body shifting as if his world had to adjust, or his heart had to search for space she could return to, but he couldn't find a home for her anymore. 

"What are you doing here, Lyra?" Wynn's voice cracked at her name. A name he hadn't tasted in months, thought maybe he would never have to say again. It dawned on him that at some point since he last saw her outside the gates, he had made up his mind that she was dead. Gone. Not ever coming back. 

He didn't realize it until now. He didn't realize he had accepted it, or that it was what he believed to be the fate of the first girl he loved, until she returned and it didn't feel right anymore. 

"I know Elara's missing. I've been watching Targo and I've seen where they've taken them. If you let me, I can you help you get to her." 

"Why should we trust you? Do I need to remind you what happened the last time you tried to 'help'? You held her at gunpoint, and you killed our mum!" 

"Wynn-" Sol interjected, trying to calm him down. She knew how angry he was with Lyra, but wanted him to realize that she was the answer to getting his sister. 

"No, Sol, stay out of this." Wynnlow complained, unable to express his utter betrayal at her for bringing her into camp. It was the first time he had really paid attention to Sol since he came inside, only now realizing that Noah was with her. 

What was she thinking? He asked himself. First Lyra, and now she was working with their enemy? The boy who announced his plans to kill her people? 

At the back of the room, Bas called for Fabian to take Harlow away, not wanting him to hear all of the awful things their sister had done, or witness all of the suffering she had caused. Lyra was regretful to let go of his hand - Fabian refusing to look at her which only cut her further, watching as her little brother was taken away as if to be protected from her. 

The tension in the room was thick - heavy and suffocating, and Wynn refused to hold back on what he felt. 

"You're just like the people who took her." He declared, his eyes completely coated in tears. 

"Maybe I was, but I don't want to be anymore. I'm trying to do better than that." She pleaded, hoping her words would get through to at least one of her family. 

"So you come to me for redemption?" He murmured. The anger was dissolved in misery - his voice alone to ache the hearts of everyone in the room. 

Lyra looked at the ground, not sure what she could say to make things right. "I didn't come here to be forgiven." 

"Good." Wynn spoke, not letting her finish. 

She sighed. "Forget about me, hate me all you want, but at least don't lose a chance of finding Elara because of that." 

"You said you know where they've taken them. Where?" Ares stepped forward, realizing there was no hope for conversation if things carried on the way they were. He rested his hand on Wynn's shoulder for support, trying to comfort him through all the chaos. 

Wynn was able to let go of a deep breath, calming himself just enough to listen to her. 

"Blood Rider's Labs. Not technically on their camp, but in their possession, nonetheless." 

Ares sighed, shaking his head. "That...doesn't help. We can't get anywhere near them without being killed." 

"That's where Noah comes into this." Lyra shifted, motioning for the others to take over. 

Wynn folded his arms, his face settling with a look of disapproval as Noah stepped forward beside Sol.

"I can get into the Labs."

"Of course you can. You're Blood Riders. Speaking of which, what is he even doing here, Sol?" Wynnlow spat, wanting to believe that she had a good enough answer that would make up for some of the pain she was putting him through. 

Sol tried to stand up a little taller, nervous to reveal to everyone what her and Noah had discussed. Was now the right time to confess that Noah didn't want to be Blood Riders anymore? That they were waiting for right time to declare him as a Basilisk? No... She couldn't tell them that yet. 

"Declaring war wasn't Noah's choice. To put it short, his dad isn't very different than mine. I agreed to keep his brother safe from their father until after the war, which, we are trying to figure out how to stop." She turned to Noah for reassurance, hoping she had explained it well enough. 

"I know you think I'm your enemy here, but I'm not. For a long time now, River and I have wanted to be better than our fathers; we've wanted to unite peace between our two clans, and maybe the way to do that is for me to help return your Sovereign to you, and Elara." 

Wynn felt uneasy at the mention of his sister's name. Sol wasn't looking his way, but Wynn could see that she trusted Noah. Despite it twisting his stomach into knots, Wynn couldn't help but have faith in Sol. 

"Fine." He agreed, taking them by surprise at how quickly he had came around. "But this for you guys to feel better about what you've done." He looked between Noah and Lyra. "This is to get Elara and Kodiak back." 

Five // Part Six

So you come to me for redemption?