It was very quiet up here at the top of the tower. With one exception. There was a constant clicking sound.

"Be quiet," she demanded when she couldn't stand the tongue clicking any longer.

Curious brown eyes stared directly at her. She looked back unflinchingly.

"Why are you always so grumpy, Indra?" the child asked.

Indra clenched her jaw. "I'm not."

"Yes, you are," retorted the child with a giggle. The little girl flopped backwards onto the bed – a bed that was far larger and luxurious than her own - her long brown hair flying out behind her. "You're really grumpy allll the time!" She laughed some more and then suddenly became sad and serious. "My mother says it's none of my business."

Which mother?

"Your mother is right. You need to learn to respect people's privacy. Especially when your elders are concerned."

The girl turned on her stomach, propping herself up with her elbows. Her dirty bare feet dangled in the air and she kicked them back and forth.

"You're not my elder," she replied.

Indra fought down the urge to snap at the commanders child. She was always so willful and lacking in respect. It didn't take a genius to know where she picked up that particular habit.

The girl was perceptive though and she caught Indra's eye and said, "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant...you don't look like an elder." She smiled a broken smile. Only some of her second set of teeth had come in. "You still look young."

Indra wasn't immune to compliments, so she couldn't help the slight smile that came to her lips unbidden. The child was smooth, like her mother. She would go far in the political arena if she so chose.

"You're even prettier when you smile," added the girl. "Your teeth are so nice and white." Then she flopped onto her back again and stuck her fingers in her mouth, making a sour face. After a few seconds she pulled them out and wiped them on her pants. Her just cleaned pants. "Mine are ugly, just like my nose," she lamented dramatically, with a long suffering sigh.

That vanity came from both of her mothers. The number of times the commander had asked for her help picking out an outfit to wear for Clarke was far too many. Indra shuddered internally at the not so long ago recollections. It was unfortunate that the child was born deformed. She would probably always be self conscious about the size and discolouration of her twisted nose.

"You are still growing," said Indra, focusing on the teeth. "They will come in soon enough."

"Yeah, that's what my mom said too, but I want them to come in now!" she said grumpily, hitting the bed with her tiny, unmarked arms.

"You must learn to have patience," replied Indra, warily, half expecting another temper tantrum. She didn't really know how to deal with those besides smacking her upside the head, which was something she was expressly forbidden to do after the first time. Why the commander insisted on her being the child's babysitter all the time, she would never understand. Apparently it was a great honour to be entrusted with such a precious charge. Indra stifled the irritated snort. The precious charge was incredibly soft and spoiled. Some of the servants even dared to refer to her as the sky princess.

The girl rolled around in agitation for a few seconds. "I'm so bored!" she exclaimed and then came to an abrupt stop. She looked at Indra again, expectantly. "Can we go to the ground, Indra?" She got onto her knees, clasped her hands together and gave her a 'puppy dog' look. "Pretty please!"

"My orders are to remain in this room with you until your mothers return from the delegation."

She huffed in annoyance. "They're always in a dela...gay...shun."

That was hardly true but Indra wasn't about to argue with a seven year old about political matters that didn't concern her.

"I'm so bored!" the child reiterated. "I want to do something!"

"You have your toys," said Indra. "Play with them."

"They're no fun anymore! And you're never any fun!" she accused, staring daggers at her in a very reminiscent manner to that of her mothers when they learned of the head smack. Indra was certain she would be kicked out of the tower, or at the very least, her hand would be chopped off, but thankfully neither of those things occurred.

It seemed another meltdown was imminent and Indra frantically searched her mind for something to distract the girl with before the piercing, head splitting shrieks started up. Her eye caught movement outside the large window. A window that didn't open.

"Have you ever watched the birds?"

The girl looked at her, arms crossed. "Of course I have," she said, rolling her eyes. "They're always there. I wish I was a bird," she muttered, "then I could get away from you. You and this stupid tower."

Ignoring these petulant remarks Indra continued, "You may have watched them, but you have never seen them."

She looked puzzled and even angrier. "That doesn't make any sense!"

Indra walked over to the window, hoping the girl would forgo her meltdown and follow. She did.

"What do you see?" Indra asked the child who stood almost as tall as her chest.

She shrugged.

"The birds follow a pattern," Indra explained. "Their movements are not random."

The child observed them for a time and then wide eyed exclaimed, "You're right!" She looked to Indra. "Why do they do that?"

"Air currents," said Indra. "They must search for updrafts of air in order to glide. This helps them conserve their energy as they search for prey on the ground."

Her eyes got even wider. "They can see animals on the ground, from way up here?!"

Indra nodded. "But not all of their prey is on the ground."

"Wow," the girl breathed out. She placed her hands on the glass, pressing her twisted nose flat, and looked down. "Wow," she repeated. Suddenly, she jerked her head towards Indra. The child looked terrified. "Do the birds ever make mistakes?"

Indra furrowed her brow, not following. "What do you mean?"

"Do they ever snatch up...kids?" The last word was whispered.

Indra bit her lip to stop from laughing at the girl. She debated telling her a falsehood in order to dissuade further desire to visit the ground. "No, they have never done that." At least not in these lands.

The child released a relieved sigh and then turned back to watch the birds some more, utterly fascinated. They stay like that for some time, and the quiet serenity of the moment makes Indra share something she hadn't intended on sharing.

"My daughter also liked to watch the birds."

Both of them freeze at this pronouncement. Indra curses herself as the girl turned to face her again, open mouthed.

"You have a daughter too?"

"I did, yes," Indra reluctantly answered, tight lipped.

The child absorbed that information with rapidity. "Oh," she said, looking away.

Indra hoped that was the end of it, but she knew it wouldn't be. The girl was far too inquisitive for that. "What happened to her?"

She closed her eyes and stomped down the ache at the painful memory. "She was killed by the Ice Nation."

"But I thought they were our friends?!" she said in confusion and horror.

"Now perhaps," said Indra, not entirely convinced. She doubted she would ever fully trust their intentions. "That wasn't always the case though."

The child is silent for a long time. "Is that why you're always grumpy?"

Indra didn't respond so the girl slipped her hand into hers and squeezed. "You can be my third mommy if you want."

It took a lot to keep her emotion in check, but she somehow managed to swallow it down. She squeezed the girls hand back, surprised at the sudden rush of affection towards such an annoying brat. Perhaps babysitting would not be so tiresome from here on out.

As always, Heda knew all.

Okay I mostly had her refer to their kid as the girl or the child cuz it seems like an indra thing to do...and cuz I couldn't think of a good name for their kid. :p

Yeah so I just kind of wrote this on a whim. It was supposed to be crack but that didn't happen.