Chapter Seven
**Logan's POV**
Logan walked slowly, allowing Clarke, Bellamy, and Octavia to follow along at their own pace.
Finn had taken the job Logan set for him wholeheartedly getting all the younger kids organized into groups for their various tasks. Logan had smiled when they left, happy that the kid was stepping up the right way.
He'd given Clarke and Bellamy a rundown of how everything should go down.
They'd wait at the end of the bridge until the other party made themselves visible. Then they'd show themselves, disarm, and both parties would meet in the middle. Logan would act as middleman and allow everything to go smoothly,
Hopefully.
As the bridge came into view, they spotted Lincoln waiting for them.
Logan noticed Bellamy sigh in resignation and acceptance as his little sister ran straight into Lincoln's arms and he into hers.
"God, get a room or something," Bellamy said, just loud enough to hear.
Octavia didn't miss a beat. "Gladly."
Logan pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
Lincoln slowly separated himself from the girl and looked to Logan with a frown.
"When Anya learned of your involvement, she sent word to the Commander. I expect Tristan or Indra, maybe both will show, this could complicate things."
Logan nodded, taking in the information. "Noted."
They didn't have to wait long.
Anya appeared on the other side of the bridge with her guards.
Just as rehearsed, Clarke made a show of taking off the knife strapped to her hip and laying it down.
Anya also showed herself, removing her weapons and stepping forward.
Logan started walking.
Clarke caught up to him. "Don't you have to disarm also?"
Logan just looked at her. "Why would I need to?"
He kept walking. Clarke hurried to catch up.
---
**Anya's POV**
Anya had been surprised when Lincoln of all people walked into their camp just the other night.
He'd explained his involvement, and he explained much may have been a misunderstanding. That the Sage himself wished to have a sit-down.
It was very rare for the Sage to intervene in clan matters.
That was the only reason she'd agreed to this meeting.
Anya herself had once been a young orphan helped by the Sage, as many still were and had been, over the years. She remembered him giving food, clothes, tools, and teaching as much as he could in the early days.
But as more and more people learned, the Sage saw himself as less needed. The more he built, the less he came around.
These days, he only came to visit during the winter months and at the beginning of summer. Always to drop off tons of food, clothes, blankets, tools—anything else he'd made for everyone in the villages.
Anya herself had been setting up to bring carts and horses to help him load supplies in the coming weeks.
Then the Sky People attacked them, without provocation.
She'd hoped to end this war quickly, without the Sage ever being the wiser.
She still felt she needed to prove herself, even after Anya had learned the truth all those years ago.
---
**Flashback - Seven Years Ago**
Anya sat by the fire alone, tears just starting to form.
She hadn't been chosen.
Lincoln had been picked as the Sage's second, and she... she'd been passed over.
A familiar presence made itself known. Logan walked up and sat next to her, looking at the fire, not talking.
Finally, it was too much. The words came out in a rush.
"Why am I not good enough? Why was I not picked? Did I do something wrong?"
She couldn't hold back any longer.
Logan sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before speaking.
"Kid, when I look at you, do you know what I see?"
Anya shook her head.
He nodded. "I see a future leader. I see a strong, compassionate young warrior."
There was a slight pause before he continued.
"I pick those who need something. Tristan needed a rock, something to believe in, a guiding voice where he could use his talents for fighting toward upholding peace. Indra couldn't see the forest for the trees, which means she always focused on the smallest things and never the overall picture, she has since improved but I try to keep her on her toes. Now Lincoln... Lincoln needs love, his father was a cruel man who met his end in a pathetic way. Lincoln has only ever known hands raised against him in anger. Compassion and understanding are what he needs at the moment."
Logan looked at her.
"But you, little viper? You need nothing from me to be strong and good. I believe in you. And I've asked Indra to take you on as her second."
Anya held her breath.
The Sage said he believed in her.
And he'd asked Indra the leader of her clan, trained by the Sage himself to take her as second. Which would elevate her position. Maybe even put her in line to inherit the leadership once a new Commander was chosen and Indra left to take up her spot as the right hand, where Tristan waited holding the stewardship.
Everyone knew Tristan hated being in charge, waiting for a new Commander to be chosen.
Anya personally believed Lexa would be a good fit.
Her mind was doing circles. She didn't even notice that she'd been staring slack jawed at the fire for minutes until she heard the Sage walking away, chuckling to himself.
---
**Present**
Anya met the Sage and the Sky girl in the middle of the bridge.
"Your name is Clarke?" Anya asked.
"Yes," the girl responded.
Anya looked at the Sage and bowed her head in respect to his position.
She knew he hated the tradition of titles, but who had grown up and not heard the legends? The exploits of the Unkillable Sage who protected those who needed it, fed the starving, taught those around him to survive.
Not just that, but his own sister had been the first Night-blooded Commander. Their entire way of life had started from her and kept alive because of him.
There were even rumors of a cult that followed "The Way of the Sage" or some such nonsense. They'd never been able to capture one alive long enough to question them, they all seemed to die once caught.
The Commander had put out an order to just leave the crazy people alone until they turned hostile.
And here he stood with this Sky girl who had attacked them.
Something was not right.
Anya turned to Clarke and nodded. "As you may know, I am Anya."
She stared at the girl and ignored her outstretched hand, waiting to see what the point of this was.
Clarke lowered her hand and collected herself. "I think we got off on the wrong start, but we want to find a way to live together. In peace."
The only thought rolling around in Anya's head was: *Are you dumb?*
"I understand," Anya said coldly. "You started a war that you don't know how to end."
That's when the Sage spoke. "What do you mean, Anya?"
She looked at him and pointed directly at the Sky girl.
"The missiles they launched at us burned a village to the ground. Killed three people and injured four. The healer of the village was one of the ones killed."
Fury burned in her eyes.
---
For the next twenty minutes, they both explained their sides to the Sage.
Taking turns talking, they were able to come to an agreement, a stop in hostilities. But Anya's people would need to see the Sky People's camp, verify that they didn't have any more of those so-called flares, and to speak to their leader on the radio.
Logan stood up and whistled. "Alright, everyone! We have a truce. Come out!"
Anya smirked at Clarke as the three Sky brats jumped when her people popped up almost right next to them. Warriors they hadn't even noticed, positioned perfectly for an ambush if things had gone wrong.
Only Lincoln kept his calm, having spotted them. He'd kept the pretty Sky girl next to him at all times.
*Like anyone would dare attack the Sage's kid, * Anya thought. *At least he kept his guard up. He's improved. *
It took no more than a handful of minutes for all fifty people to assemble.
They started heading toward the Sky People's camp together.
Clarke looked pale.
Bellamy looked nervous.
And the Sage just walked ahead, calm as ever, like this was exactly how he'd expected things to go.
Which, knowing him, it probably was.