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2020-04-26
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2020-05-10
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2/?
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Ai Hod Yu In (so I shall bind you all the tighter)

Summary:

An immediate feeling of relief flooded through him at the sight of May, calm and unshaken and offering a path forward as she always did. “Good thing I have the Commander of Death on my side, then,” Coulson tried to joke.
The woman affixed him with a cold stare. “Don’t ever call me that.”

(a.k.a. The 100 AU literally no one asked for, but I'm writing anyway.)

Notes:

So I definitely should *not* be starting another ongoing fic at the moment, but I am doing so anyway. Hope you enjoy!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Daisy was not having a good day. 

“C’mon, Mack…just sneak me into the back of the throne room,” she entreated. “I’ll hide behind the curtains or something. They’ll never know I was there.” 

“You know I can’t do that,” the man replied from where he stood by the door, arms folded respectfully behind his back. The black mark designating him as Fleimkepa was clear on the front of his gray robes. 

“Then let me train with the new Nightblood initiates. Please?”

“You know that would not be appropriate, Daisy.” 

“Fine.” She crossed the room with a huff, going to stand on the balcony. Her room was located on the sixtieth floor of the tower at the center of Polis and overlooked the side facing Trikru’s woodlands. Before she’d even stood there a minute, Mack was ushering her away from the open air. 

“Daisy, you know what the head of the Commander’s army said about standing too close to the side,”  the Flamekeeper admonished. 

“Yeah, and next I won’t be able to go to the bathroom by myself either,” Daisy said. “The Commander of Death’s getting a little paranoid, if you ask me.”

“Don’t call her that,” Mack said. “There is only one Commander.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Daisy said, relenting and flopping down on her bed. She was nearly enveloped by the amount of furs covering it. “Fine, Seda is getting paranoid. Just…tell Coulson after the meeting is done that I want to speak with him.” 

The doors to the throne room closed after the last of the clan ambassadors, and Coulson relaxed his posture and let out a deep breath. “Well, that went horribly, didn’t it?”

“Azgeda making trouble, as usual,” the head of his army said, stepping forward from her customary place at the base of his throne to face him. As usual, her hand was on the hilt of her sword. “They are only getting more bold. And more dangerous.”

“Enemies on all sides, then,” Coulson said. “Maunon to the west, Azgeda to the north, Podakru to the east refusing to join the Coalition…”

“It has always been like this,” May assured him. 

“Doesn’t feel like it. When I was just a novitiate, watching Fury as Commander… It came easy to him.”

“Fury is dead,” May said dismissively. “That was a long time ago. You are the Commander now. The Spirit of the Commanders chose you.” She crossed the room, selecting a scroll off the wall and unfurling it, taking stock of what she found there. “I will take care of Podakru. Their ambassador can be made to…reconsider…his decision.”

An immediate feeling of relief flooded through him at the sight of May, calm and unshaken and offering a path forward as she always did. “Good thing I have the Commander of Death on my side, then,” Coulson tried to joke.

The woman affixed him with a cold stare. “Don’t ever call me that.” 

“May…”

“I am not the Commander of Death,” the head of his army hissed, throwing the scroll back in its cubby and stalking toward him. “I may have agreed to allow you to spread that rumor in Polis to shore up Trikru’s place in the Coalition, but I am not—”

“May,” Coulson said. “May, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to offend.”

“The real Wanheda is still out there,” she told him. 

“Whoever they are, they haven’t killed anyone in two full seasons.”

“Don’t underestimate Wanheda.” 

“I’m not.” He held up his hands. “I’m not. But we could really use a few less enemies right now.” 

May snorted. “Should’ve lost the Conclave then. You’d have fewer enemies if you were dead.” 

It was Coulson’s turn to be angry, although with May for some reason said anger always came out as more exasperated. “That’s not what I…”

“Heda.” Mack, the Flamekeeper, stood at the door. Coulson sat up a little straighter as May turned away from him to face him. “Daisy wishes to speak with you.” 

“Of course she does,” Coulson said, exchanging a glance with May. That girl was going to be the death of him, and with the Mountain Men, Azgeda, Podakru, and the Commander of Death all gunning for him, that was saying a lot. “Send her in.” 

Mack inclined his head and retreated from view. Less than five seconds later, Daisy walked in, dressed her usual Trikru garb and with an incensed expression on her face. “Finally!”

“Daisy!” May said. “Some respect, for the Commander.” 

Coulson hid his smile; he didn’t think that was likely. Daisy was as good as a daughter to him, and the young woman knew it. “Sorry, Seda,” Daisy said, addressing her mentor with at least some decorum. She turned back to him. “Sorry. I’ve been waiting to speak with you for hours.”

“Council meetings can go long,” he said. “What did you need, Daisy?”

“I wanted to start working on that gun we recovered from the Mountain Men again,” she said. 

“No.”

“No? You said after your emissary to Podakru had come back, and they did. You can’t just—”

“He is the Commander,” May reminded her again. “He can just. You are the Commander’s ward; you cannot be seen working with the tools, the tech, of our enemies. What you do reflects on him, and the Coalition is fragile enough as it is.” 

“I’ll be discreet!”

“Your time would be better spent training,” May said. She frowned. “Daisy, where is your sword?”

For once, the young woman looked guilty, shifting from foot to foot. Coulson leaned forward, equally concerned. “I left it in my room.”

“Bronwoda!” May swore at her. Fool! “These are dangerous times, and you don’t even take your weapon?”

“I’m in the tower…and there are Trikru guards everywhere,” Daisy said.

“She’s right, Daisy. We can’t afford to be anything but cautious,” Coulson said. May shot him a furious look but he beckoned to her anyway, continuing his calm tone. “It’s just a delicate time right now, and it can’t hurt to be too careful. All right?”

“All right,” Daisy said, approaching the base of his throne. He stood from the seat, wrapping his arms around her frame for a rare hug. 

“Ai hod yu in, Daisy kom Trikru,” he whispered in her ear.

She stepped away slightly when he released her, but she was smiling. “I love you too.” 

“Training tomorrow. Dawn,” May told her, unrelenting. “Bring your sword.” 

“Fine. I’ll be there,” Daisy assented before turning around and marching out of the throne room again. The room seemed darker without her fiery presence.

May looked sideways at him where he stood on the small dais. “You didn’t tell her.”

“What, that we have intel that Azgeda is trying to kill me? Their novitiate is entering adulthood and is the oldest and strongest of the group. And they’re Azgeda; it’s not exactly new.” 

“That word of Daisy’s existence in Polis and importance to you has reached the Queen, and she may try to get to you through her. Hodnes laik kwelnes, Heda.”

Coulson looked at the only other woman he loved and was forcibly reminded why he could never tell her. “I know, May. We’ll figure something out. We always do.” 

Daisy had the urge to throw her sword across the room and only just stopped herself from doing so, knowing that explaining the large hole in her wall to Coulson later would only cause him to trust her even less than he did now. She was sixteen, not five, damn it, and not the lost little girl he’d taken in all those years ago when he’d been newly installed as Commander. Back then she’d had to be raised and trained in secret, of course, so as not to become a liability for him, but after she’d become May’s second it had gotten somewhat easier to explain her presence in the tower. She’d gotten breathing room, at least, which was more than she could say for her position currently. Now that she was older, the scrutiny had increased again, and Coulson and May had only gotten more paranoid. 

She looked up at the knock at the door, but it was only one of the Trikru guards bringing dinner. Well, then. She wasn’t expected to join Coulson tonight. Maybe being seen with her was too much of a liability. 

The guard set the wooden plate on the table near the door. “Thank you,” Daisy said, giving him a nod. She didn’t recognize him, but that was common enough as the guard rotated in and out of Polis to give them equal time with their families back in Tondc or one of the other villages. 

He nodded stiffly back. “Daisy kom Nokru.” She blinked, jaw hardening, but he was gone again before he could think of a response. Even after ten years not all of Trikru accepted her of one of their own, not that they would ever call her such a thing in front of the Commander. Nokru, Frikdreina, she’d heard it all and more. It didn’t help that the highest calling within Trikru was that of a warrior, and Daisy… Well, it wasn’t that she didn’t like fighting. Defeating your opponent was a thrill, and she enjoyed the burn in her muscles, but it was still… She liked tech more, and tech was forbidden, lest they bring the wrath of the Mountain Men down on all of Trikru and the Coalition as a whole. 

Yet another way she was a liability to Coulson. 

It wasn’t that she wasn’t grateful, Daisy thought obstinately. She was. Who knows where she could have ended up if he hadn’t taken her in all those years ago, forced the clan to accept her though nothing was known of her origin. He and May, she loved them, almost like parents if she even knew what that was like. But they also treated her like a child. She wanted to help. Figuring out the Mountain Men tech—that would be helpful, if only they could see it. Or, if they didn’t let her help, she at least didn’t want to be a liability anymore. To get to live her own life. Not to be a shadow in Polis anymore, hiding lest someone figure out exactly how much she meant to the Commander. Not to be Daisy kom Nokru. 

She wanted to be someone else. 

Anyone else.

Anywhere else.

And why couldn’t she? May had taught her well enough to slip out of Polis unnoticed, and she could survive fine in the woods on her own. She had another identity out there, one unused and unknown since she was five years old and stumbling into Tondc. Somewhere out there, she had parents, parents who weren’t plagued by the political schemes of twelve clans constantly edging toward war and parents whose lives would not be put in jeopardy every day by her choices, much less by her very existence. The best way to keep Coulson safe, and to get to live her own life, was to find them.  

Daisy stood up, giddy exhilaration burning through every one of her muscles and tingling the tips of her fingers and toes. She was leaving Polis. Tonight. 

Notes:

Translations:
Maunon - Mountain Men
Ai hod yu in - I love you
Hodnes laik kwelnes - Love is weakness
Frikdreina - Mutant, nomad, one without a clan (for a reason)

Any and all feedback appreciated :)

Chapter 2

Summary:

May and Coulson discover Daisy's disappearance.

Notes:

Okay, so, let me first address the dumpster fire that was that comment section on last chapter. First of all, thank you to everyone who stood up for me, that was all very sweet. To the original commenter, I did appreciate you sharing your feedback and ideas with me even if the wording of said ideas was not the most appropriate, and I will be taking some of your suggestions to heart, including adding the Trigedasleng translations (which was an honest mistake by me) and lowering Daisy’s age to better reflect The 100’s universe and the reality of Grounder lives.

However, just to make one thing clear - I do not subscribe to the idea that Ward is misunderstood or that he was mistreated by Coulson. Ward WILL be making an appearance in this fic, and it will not be on the side of good, so if that is a problem for anyone, I suggest you leave now. The scene shown in the show that many of you have referenced of Ward with his dog in his rifle’s sights followed by the scene of him dumping FitzSimmons into the ocean is an implication that yes, he did change his mind and kill Buddy in the end, just like he chose to drop his friends and teammates into the ocean - and the killing of his dog was CONFIRMED in season 2, episode 21:

Bobbi: I bet he started you off easy…a symbolic target. Maybe the doctor who made your mask. Ward probably started off easy, too.
Kara / Agent 33: You're right. It was his dog. Garrett made him kill his dog.

The abuse he received as a child and Garrett’s influence does NOT excuse Ward his own murderous actions. As we saw in the Framework, Ward could have been a different person if Victoria Hand (R.I.P.) had replaced Garrett in his life while he was young and impressionable, but that was BEFORE the unforgivable actions he took during HYDRA’s uprising, not an indication that he could have been redeemed after the fact. In the real world, that did not happen, and Ward reaped what he sowed for his crimes and the sadistic actions he took against his team. So again, if Grant Ward as an antagonist in this fic is going to be a problem for you, please continue reading at your own risk.

Now, on to chapter 2 :)

Chapter Text

“Heda,” May intoned. He blinked, confused for a moment by the darkness, before sitting up in bed. The light outside the window was more gray than anything; it must have been just past dawn. 

“Come in,” he called, fumbling with the furs. 

May stepped through, and he immediately felt the urge to look more awake, though that was ridiculous. The head of his army had seen him in much worse states than this. “Daisy is missing.”

“What?” he asked blearily. He made another glance at he window. Yep, definitely dawn. “Are you sure she’s not just blowing off training? She’s been known to do that, you know.”

“Oh, I know,” May said. “But she’s not in her room.” 

He sat up straighter now, alarm coursing through him. His Daisy was not an early riser. “Azgeda?”

May’s face was cold, unreadable. “She left a note.” 

“She…” Coulson stared at her as she passed him the grayish piece of paper. He looked down at it.

I’m fine. Don’t come after me. I can take care of myself.

“Do you think it’s a ruse? That Azgeda has her?”

“If it is, they would have left a better note,” May said plainly. “This is just stupid enough a move to be all Daisy.” Her voice softened, something akin to regret seeping into her tone. “I was too harsh with her yesterday.” 

Coulson swore. “It’s not your fault. I should have told her everything. She has no idea what might be waiting for her out there.” He looked at the note again. “We have to find her. Now. Sound the alarm; assemble the army.” 

“Heda,” May said, and Coulson knew he would not like what he was about to hear. “We can’t. We start a full manpower hunt for Daisy and we reveal our hand to Azgeda, to Podakru. Trishanakru will be next to join them.”

“And having Azgeda know exactly who she is will only put Daisy in more danger,” he said. He met May’s eyes. “Get your best warrior, one who won’t be missed. Bring them to the throne room.”

May inclined her head. “What will you do?” 

“I’m going to send Clint as well.” 

“Good. He has as good a chance as any.” May stepped forward and clasped his hand. “I trained her well, Coulson.”

“I know you did. That’s what I’m afraid of.” 

The first rays of morning sunlight split through the tree branches, and Daisy stopped her horse for a moment, enjoying their pale warmth. She’d gotten no sleep since the night before, but far from feeling exhausted, she was brimming with energy, rejuvenated with the thought that soon, she might finally find her parents, and a place in this world where she actually fit in. Her saddlebags were full, her Trikru marks hidden with skin-colored paint, her sword was even belted at her side—Seda would be proud of her. 

Well, if May didn’t want to kill her first for running away. 

She’ll understand, Daisy thought. Coulson will too. It’ll be easier without me there. 

Twisting her heels, she sent her horse plodding onward. She’d followed the beaten path out of Polis for the first stretch, knowing her tracks would be mixed in with all of the others going in and out of the capital city, hunters and traders and warriors, but it would soon be time to choose one of the trails that split off from it, and maybe abandon the path altogether. Tondc was the obvious destination, but it was a bit too obvious for her to go there right away—it was where she’d been found, yes, but even if Coulson and May didn’t know she was looking for her parents it was the largest of the Trikru villages and the only one Daisy had ever spent any time in. But if she headed the opposite direction for a little while, and then cut across Ingranronakru land…

Daisy smiled, and turned her horse to the right, sending a prayer to the Commanders long past off into the wind. My parents—whoever they are—tell them I’m coming. 

First Lieutenant in the Commander’s Army Bobbi of Louwoda Klironkru stepped cautiously into the throne room, hoping she wasn’t sent here to be killed. One stab of the Commander’s knife, yu gonplei ste odon, and that was it. But she didn’t think she’d done anything worth killing over, even if her last mission to Podakru had been less than a success. And she had known Coulson and May a while, and as Commanders  go he seemed to be more on the diplomatic side of things than the ruthless, bloodthirsty side.

Still, getting asked to come to an audience with the Commander just after daybreak when he wasn’t even from your kru was never a good sign. 

Never.

“Heda,” she said respectfully, stopping her approach just before the dais and giving a short bow. May stood at the side of the throne, unsmiling and in full armor, but that wasn’t of particular concern for Bobbi. The woman was a masterful fighter despite her deceivingly small frame, but the supposed Commander of Death never smiled. 

“Bobbi,” the Commander greeted her. “I have a mission for you.”

“Of course, Heda,” she said. 

“A mission that will remain secret,” May added. 

She lifted her head. “You have my discretion.”

“Daisy kom Trikru has gone missing,” Coulson told her, face impassive. “You will find the best tracker in Trikru, and you will go after her.” Bobbi dropped her gaze, thinking. She knew the rumors about Coulson’s relationship with Daisy, and she knew enough that she had never partook in them herself. And if she was missing…

“The best tracker in Trikru,” she repeated. “I am a good tracker myself. Heda.”

“You are a great warrior, Bobbi, and a great spy. But tracking?” May asked. Bobbi grit her teeth, knowing May was right. Her tracking skills had gotten her through, yes, but they were definitely not what had earned her such a high place in the Commander’s army despite her kru. 

“All right, if you will give me your seal, I’ll find whoever it is and enlist their help. Trikru territory isn’t too far away,” Bobbi agreed. “Who is it?”

May and Coulson exchanged a glance. “You know who it is,” May told her. 

Bobbi groaned inwardly, barely keeping any of it from reaching her mouth. “You mean Hunter.” 

The Commander looked at her, gaze steely. “I do. Is that a problem?”

“No, Heda,” Bobbi said immediately. “Lance kom Trikru and I…we just…have a history.”

“I’m counting on it,” Coulson said. He handed her the Trikru seal, adorned with the symbol of the Commanders, as was his right while his clan remained in power. “Ride fast, Bobbi kom Louwoda Klironkru. And bring Daisy home.” 

Sleeping in trees was…not her favorite. Stringing a leather hammock between two pines and trying not to fall off it when rolling over was not conducive to good sleep. But at least there were pines now, back on Trikru territory, as hiding from the hunting parties roaming the Ingranronakru plains had been more difficult than she’d anticipated, where caves large enough to hide her horse were even harder to come by. The more she thought about it, the more sure she was that Coulson probably had sent someone after her in the end—maybe Robbie? she hoped it was Robbie—so she had taken to riding during the night and resting during the day to better avoid detection. She had taken one of the Commander’s personal seals when she left, but she wasn’t sure how much good it would do if someone from another clan did find her. The Coalition was fragile, after all. 

She rode into Tondc just after dusk, melding in with the hunting parties before splitting down a side path away from the main square and guiding her horse past rows of huts and sturdy leather tents. The familiar scent of smoke tingled her nostrils, and her thighs ached from the three days straight of riding. The hut she was looking for approached on her left, and she slid out of the saddle on protesting muscles and dropped to the packed earth with a small thud. Daisy stashed her horse between the houses and out of the road, then knocked on the doorpost. 

The leather sheet swept inward. A woman with dark, close-set eyes peered out at her, first surprise and then recognition taking over her lined face. “Daisy. Daisy kom Trikru.”

“May I come in?” Daisy asked in trig. The woman nodded uneasily, sweeping aside the thick leather and allowing Daisy to pass. The inside of the hut was warm and airy, a pot of something boiling over the cookfire in the center of it. 

The woman bade her sit down at a wooden table. “Tea?” she offered. 

“Sure, thank you.” Daisy watched her pour some from the kettle over the fire and bring over two cups. “You’re probably wondering why I’m here.”

“I think I could take a pretty good guess,” Avery said. “Does Coulson know you’re here?”

She hesitated, then shook her head. If the woman was going to turn her in, Daisy would be long gone before any of the Commander’s men could arrive. “I want to know everything you remember from that day.”

“I don’t have the answers you seek,” Avery said, “and I was the one who found you.” She narrowed her eyes. “Let the past lie, Daisy.”

“I can’t. I want to find my parents. I want to know where I came from.” Her voice shook slightly. “Who I am.” 

“You are Trikru. You are the ward of Coulson kom Trikru, successor to Fury kom Louwoda Klironkru and heir to Becca Pramheda. Isn’t that enough?”

Hating herself, Daisy shook her head. “Please.”  

“It’s not a good idea,” Avery said, closing her eyes. Her lips pressed together. “You were very small. Very skinny. Covered in dirt. I was out gathering jobi nuts for our healer when you ran straight into my legs.” 

“Ran from where?”

“The forest. Maybe in the direction of Polis but I can’t be certain. You came on to me so suddenly.”

“What was I wearing?” Daisy pressed. “Maybe we can identify which clan by my clothes—”

“No clothes.”

“I was naked?” Daisy asked, vaguely repulsed. 

Avery nodded. “And jabbering away at me in English, which I didn’t understand. I brought you to the village and asked Victoria, the chief at the time, to speak with you. When we came out, the Commander had wrapped you in a fur and was kneeling next to you. Coulson told us he would take you with him back to Polis, to see if any of the clans had lost a child recently.”

“And had they?”

“He never said. Next we hear, you are under his protection as Daisy kom Trikru.” Avery’s voice was quiet. “So, if you wish to know more, you should ask him. Or, better yet, leave well enough alone.”

“I can’t,” Daisy said. “Please, anything else you remember.” She looked imploringly at the woman, who stared into the depths of the flames off to the side. 

A twig snapped outside, making the woman jump. “I have said too much already,” Avery said, standing and suddenly resolute. “I have given you all the help I can. Please, you must go.”

“I have more questions,” Daisy protested. 

“But I have no more answers.” She crossed to the tent flap, lifting it to the side in a clear indication for Daisy to leave. 

“Why?” Daisy asked, getting up in spite of herself and stumbling toward the door. “Is it because the Commander doesn’t want me to know? I’ll tell him it was my fault; I made you tell me—”

Avery’s eyes were wide, darting around the empty road. “Just go, Daisy. You were never here. Because wherever you go, Death follows.”

“May wouldn’t hurt you,” Daisy protested, but the flap had already swung shut, obscuring the woman from view. A second later, a small bulge appeared in the leather, indicating it had been pinned closed. Sighing, Daisy turned away, untying her horse and pulling herself into the saddle once more. “Hiyah!” she said, digging her heels lightly into the animal’s sides, and together they rode out of Tondc and disappeared into the darkness. 

A shadow stalked through the trees, lithe and alert. Gray-flecked furs had been long replaced by more muted browns to better blend in with the foliage of the enemy’s territory. Sleek, lined boots moved soundlessly through the underbrush despite the plethora of dried leaves and branches impeding their path. One pale hand held a short, triple-edged knife, the other swept a hand through shoulder-length hair to check the black dye still held. Her fingers came away clean, and she readjusted her grip on the knife as she peered out toward the wisps of smoke on the horizon.

The Commander of Death was on the hunt. 

Notes:

Feedback always appreciated! :)