02 | THE COMMANDER'S ADVISOR
trigedasleng in italics

     "WHAT is the plan, Indra?" Irene questioned as she held her bow tightly in her left hand, eyeing the trees around the small group of warriors.

     "If they took the southern pass, we should be able to head them off before the tunnel." One of the warriors responded to Irene's question, though was immediately quieted by Indra, claiming how there might be people, or a certain person, listening to their conversation. They had given up the hunt for Octavia, though Indra would most likely not hesitate to kill her herself if she saw her again. Though after trekking through the woods for a few more hours, the group decided to stop, rest and go over the plan once more before they continued further. Indra explained where the entrance to the tunnel would be and where the ambush would happen.

"This is you plan? Tomac is wounded. Artigas is just a boy—" One of the the warriors questioned Indra, blatantly stating how their group of warriors would not survive if they went through with the plan.

"They took my father. I can fight." Atigus retorted as he waved the warrior off, not phased by how dangerous this mission could be for him as an inexperienced young warrior who had never fought a reaper.

"Do not get ahead of yourself young one—" Irene muttered as she looped her bow over her shoulder and crossed her arms, listening to the two men bicker.

"Can you fight a Reaper?" The warrior fired back, knowing how the boy would not win such a match, though Indra had enough of the bickering and silenced the two immediately.

"We strike from the shadows when they stop to feed on our bait." Indra stated confidently as she glanced around the gathered warriors before reverting her attention back to the boy.

"So I'm the bait?" Atigus questioned, wondering what Indra was planning to do with him.

"No." Indra stood up, eyeing the young boy intently, "you are a warrior." Indra then looked to her left, "she's the bait," causing the other warriors to hold defensive positions as Octavia rose from her crouched position on the ground.

"Well, you said Lincoln taught you how to fight," Irene stated as she turned to face the young girl and watched as she slowly walked out from where she had been hiding, "I hope he taught you well enough."

"I am not afraid," Octavia stated, a hint of fear in her words as she had agreed to become the bait for a group of savage, grounder-killing beings so that they may rescue their people and possibly Lincoln.

"You will be." Indra replied, knowing how the girl attempted to appear fearless and ruthless, though she was not prepared for what was yet to come. The plan was then briefed once more before it was put into action as Octavia laid herself on the ground while the others surrounded the area and readied themselves to ambush the Reapers. Irene watched carefully, with her bow and arrow at the ready, and waited for the signal as the reapers spotted Octavia's body. Irene exhaled calmly as the sky girl got up and turned around, just in time for Irene to release her arrow straight into the reaper's chest. She then fired arrow after arrow at the surrounding Reapers, giving Octavia and Indra cover for them to pursue the other Reapers around them.

     Once the ambush was over, Irene slung her bow over her shoulder and watched as the warriors around her reunited themselves with their loved ones. She watched, envious of their touch and feelings towards one another as she too longed for her siblings and their safety as well. Irene, with a calculated gaze towards the path which would lead her to the reaper tunnels underneath the mountain, finished salvaging the last few arrows which had embedded themselves into the bodies of the fallen reapers and began to make her way to the tunnels before a hand tightly latched itself onto her right forearm, halting the grounder in her place. Irene furiously turned to face Indra, who shook her head solemnly as she spoke, "it's not worth it."

     "But i have to try—"

     "Do not risk your life for a plan which has not been fully thought out, Irene. It's best to wait and plan ahead, rather than rush into things without a decisive plan of attack. What good are you to help your people when you're dead?" Indra slowly released her hold on the guilt ridden warrior, longing for her siblings safety and the well-being of her people. Irene nodded grimly in understanding as she knew Indra was right and allowed her to lead her away from the carnage around her.

     Though the two halted where they stood not long after their conversation as Octavia let out a cry of frustration as Lincoln was not amongst the reaper's prisoners. Irene began to approach her when Indra placed a hand on her right shoulder and began to guide her away from the sky girl, reminding her of their differences and how she was not of their people.

"We should at least thank her for what she's done, since she almost sacrificed herself for our people." Irene spoke as she glanced between Indra and Nyko before reverting her gaze back to Octavia, who was sitting alone by a tree stump. She wore a similar look as Irene when she herself had realized she had lost her siblings for the first time, an expression of loss and guilt for not being able to do more.

"We have nothing to do with her—"

"Indra, we will spare her life," Irene interrupted, giving a warning look as she furrowed her brows, glanced back at Nyko, and nodded to where Octavia was sitting. He simply sighed and nodded once in understanding before making his way towards the girl and acknowledged her courage for assisting them in saving their people from the reapers, telling her how they had decided to spare her life out of gratitude. As Nyko walked back to where the group was gathered, Irene gave a reassuring nod in Octavia's direction, who in turn acknowledged her kind gesture, with Indra doing the same as well before they all left to go back to the safety of their clan.

After they arrived back at Trikru, word had been sent from the Commander about how the village would proceed without reinforcements from Polis as many of the warriors around the other surrounding villages were spread thin with their own situations and could not risk their own people to aid another's, therefore Irene set out to go back to Polis and further discuss the condition of the Tree Clan. Though, before she could go, Indra offered to go along with her, as she wished to speak on behalf of their people as well, and had arrived in Polis within a day's ride and briskly made their way to the Commander's throne room where Lexa awaited them with Titus and Gustus at her side.

"Commander, I've brought with me Indra of the Tree Clan to negotiate with you the circumstance of our people." Irene remarked as she and Indra kneeled before Lexa out of respect. Though upon finishing her statement, Irene arose from the ground and approached Lexa with a pleading look in her eyes. "Your people need you Lexa, since the attack on the sky people, the stealing of our people by the Reapers and Mountain Men, the number of our village's Trikru warriors has gone down significantly and they haven't been able to fully defend themselves since." Irene turned to face Indra and nodded for her to stand as well and gave permission for her to speak to the commander. Indra described their situation and how they were in dire need of more warriors to support their people as more individuals had recently fallen from the sky in a much larger machine.

"How many are there that you know of?" Lexa questioned as she took a step forward to stand beside her advisor.

"There should be about forty of those children left, all taken to the mountain, though we are still estimating the numbers of those who had just come down, there should probably be about three-hundred of them setting up camp just outside of our village in Tondc." Indra finished, glancing to Irene who was looking to the ground in thought, before reverting her attention back to the Commander. "We've lost many good warriors to those Sky People and we can't afford to lose anymore."

"We need your help, Lexa. Please..." Irene trailed off as Lexa motioned for Gustus and Titus to leave them, waiting till they finished bowing to her before leaving the room did she give her answer.

"You have advised me well within the past few years of your time serving me here in Polis, and I respect you and your wishes," Lexa paused as she made her way over to her throne and carefully caressed the furnished handles of wood before turning around to take a seat. "Though we know nothing yet of who these people want or can do to us with the technology they use, it's too risky of a decision to make right now." Lexa pursed her lips and inhaled as Irene took a pleading step forward, about to oppose holding off the needed warriors, before Lexa raised her hand to silence her. "Which is why I've placed a bounty on any sky person who happens to be lurking a bit too far off from their camp."

"What do you plan to do with them? Surely their people will come looking for them if they are found missing—" Indra questioned, unsure of what the Commander planned to do with their enemies.

"You're going to test them, aren't you?" Irene spoke, knowing Lexa too well as she has spent the majority of her lifetime alongside her.

"It's the only way to truly understand them without the recent threat of their increase in numbers," Lexa nodded as her friend had understood what she was trying to do. "I do this, for my people. Our people." Lexa stood and motioned to the doors, causing the guards waiting in the corner of the room to open them simultaneously. "We will wait a few days before investigating the two captives we already have in custody. Only then, will we see who they truly are."

     A few days had then passed, all the while causing anxious feelings as Irene assisted Lexa in planning for the events of an attack from the Skaikru, as they were now calling them, and strategized how they may possibly coexist with them, which Indra was among the first to disagree on such a plan. Irene was unsure of the right path as the Skaikru children who had first landed on their territory had no idea of knowing people lived amongst them, as they most likely believed the earth to be desolate of humans, and how they were simply defending their people, which was a trait Irene recognized within her own people.

"How are you so sure this will work? We don't even know what they are capable of and yet you're sending yourself down there unarmed," Irene questioned after the meeting had ended and everyone had left besides her, Lexa, Indra, and Gustus. Lexa had come up with the plan to act as one of the serving villagers while Gustus would take her place as the acting Commander. Irene thought about the brilliance of the plan and how it could actually work, though doubted it as well.

"Everything will go according to plan—" Gustus started, attempting to ease the thoughts of the Commander's advisor.

"You don't know that," Irene snapped, furrowing her brows in a concerned manner before turning her attention to Lexa once more.

"Do you not trust me, Irene?" Lexa pondered, lifting a brow as she saw how her friend's lips pursed in thought.

"You know I trust you, Lexa. It's those Sky People I don't trust," Irene grimaced at the thought of the siege on the young Sky People as she shook her head, "you forget what they did to our people—"

"I never said I have," Lexa interrupted, her voice rising in the slightest at her advisor's accusation.

"Forgive me, Commander," Irene paused as she looked down momentarily out of respect before lifting her head to face Lexa. "I only wish for your safety."

"Which is why, you will be accompanying me to greet the captured Sky People." Lexa stated, watching as Irene expressed a look of shock, before exiting the meeting room with Gustus on her tail. Indra slowly turned to face a stunned Irene, a faint smirk upon her face.

"What?" Irene asked, unsure of what could be so amusing about her being thrown into a dungeon with two unknown Sky People who could possibly murder their Commander.

"Well, you asked for this." Indra commented whilst shrugging her shoulders, causing Irene to scoff and exit the war room with a displeased frown upon her face, only making Indra's smirk grow in the slightest.