Hey Everyone! So welcome to my first 100 Fanfiction! Yay! This idea has been wandering through my brain for a few weeks now, so I figured I should just write it down. Originally, I had intended it to be a one shot, but its only about half written and I'm already at 5,600 words…so I figured a bit of a multi-chapter might be a good idea! Anyone – I hope you enjoy!
Clarke smiled as she breathed in the freshness of the early autumn air, grabbing the reigns of her horse, Spirit, a little tighter as she spurred him gently. Up ahead Lexa was explaining some sort of political relation between Ice Nation and the Boat Clan, as she rode. As hard as she tried Clarke could not seem to keep her mind on whatever it was the Lexa was saying. Everything around her was too overwhelming. The changing colors of the trees, the low whistle of the wind and the way the warm autumn air just seemed to taste a little bit different than that of the summer. Smiling to herself, she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, simply wishing to savor everything about this new season she was about to experience for the first time.
"Klarke? Klarke?" A voice brought her back to reality and she ever so slowly opened her eyes. Lexa had evidently caught on to her daydreaming and had stopped her horse and now was looking back at her a slightly upturned smirk on her face. "Have you not heard a word I've said this entire time?"
"Erm…uh…Azgeda…" Clarke tried to cover up before she noticed the smirk on Lexa's face had turned into a full blown smile, a rare sight on the Commanders face, as spurred her horse on to start walking.
"You know Klarke, it is important that you understand all the clan relations before we head into our negotiations tomorrow, you wouldn't want to say anything out of turn accidently."
"I know," She sighed, as Spirit began to follow Lexa and her mare again. "But - I thought the entire purpose of this ride was to spend some time together before the clans began negations."
"Is that not what we are doing?" Clarke chuckled to herself. Lexa was often so focused on her duties as the Commander that she would forget that there were actually other things they could talk about.
"Yes, technically – but perhaps we should discuss something other than battle tactics for once."
"We weren't talking tactics, Klarke." Clarke rolled her eyes, but smiled anyways. In the few months since Lexa had been shot, the two had grown much closer, but between dealing with Pike and all the ramifications of the City of Light, they had had very limited time to spend alone without the worry of all their duties looming over their heads. Over the next few days the two hoped to turn a new leaf for their people. An era where the 13 clans could live in peace among each other for the first time in their history. Lexa tutted her horse quietly, looking over her shoulder and back at Clarke. "Very well Klarke, what do you wish to discuss?"
Clarke paused for a moment, taking in the scene before her once more. Every inch of earth was so beautiful.
"Growing up on the ark is very different than being on the ground. Do you realize this is the first time I have ever seen leaves this color?" Lexa pursed her lips together for a moment, somehow she had not considered all the firsts Clarke would be experiencing after spending her first 18 years in space.
"It is very beautiful isn't it?" Lexa looked back over her shoulder again, to see a large smile had crossed her lovers face. In the corner of her eyes, Lexa spotted a strange movement rustle through the bushes near their feet. Clarke was about to respond when Lexa quickly raised her hand, bringing her horse to a sudden halt. "Klarke – stop."
"What?" She asked, as her mare took a step forward before she could pull back on the reigns. Beneath her, the horse's feet began to scamper as the large horse let out neigh in sudden panic. Out of the bushes a slick brown snake slithered out, its charge straight at Spirit. Spirit gave a few panicked gallops before he reared back and ran, flinging Clarke off his body and down a small hill that was next to their trail. Clarke let out a series of pained grunts as her body slid over rocks and uprooted trees before she was able to grab hold of a root and pull herself to a stop about halfway down the hill. From where she lay she could hear Spirit screaming as he stood on his two back legs in defense before he turned and galloped away.
"Klarke!" Lexa yelled, quickly surveying the area to make the snake had left the area before dismounting her horse and running to the edge of the hill.
"I'm okay…" Clarke called back as she rolled onto her back, revealing a trail of blood that was seeping down her left thigh, the fabric of her pants now torn and jagged. She collapsed on her back, trying to slow her ragged breathing when Lexa appeared in front of her and knelt down at her side. Lexa put her hand on her chest, applying slight pressure to help slow her lovers breathing as she reached forward and helped Clarke to a seated position. Gently Lexa cupped Clarke's face with her hands looking deeply into her eyes, checking for concussion.
"Did you hit your head?" Clarke shook her head, very aware she had lucked out on that one.
"No, just my leg" She almost grunted. The more the shock of what had just happened wore off the heavier the throbbing pain in her thigh got. Lexa nodded, turning her attention Clarke's leg. Lexa swallowed and looked back at Clarke, eyes serious.
"Fuck." Clarke cursed. No wonder it hurt like hell. Though there were multiple gashes on her thigh, the worst by far was a deep, cut about four inches long – the bottom of which was still lodged with the stick that had caused it on her way down. "You're going to have to take that out."
"Klarke, maybe we should wait for a healer…" Clarke shook her head vehemently.
"No, its too deep. We need to wrap it before we get back to camp. It won't kill me, but the longer its n there the worse it will be to take out. I cant move with it there." Lexa looked Clarke deep in the eyes before looking down at the stick embedded in her lovers flesh. It was about an inch wide, through short and stubby and Lexa had wondered if the force of Clarke falling had broken it off a root as she slid down the hill. Lexa trusted Clarke – her skills in healing were far superior to her own so with one final look into her blue eyes, she nodded in confirmation.
"This is going to hurt."
"I know." Clarke assured her, as she leaned back on her elbows and grasped some roots and grass for momentum. "Do it."
Lexa looked up at her one more time before nodding as Clarke braced herself even further. Her hands trembling she reached forward, bracing Clarke's thigh before reaching forward and yanking the stick out in one fluid movement. Clarke let out an agonizing sound that was half scream, half groan. Lexa could only imagine the splinters left behind – the thing looked like a jagged spear. The wound began to pulse with fresh blood, and Lexa rushed to put pressure on it with a rag she had pulled from the medical kit she had somehow remembered to grab off her horse before running down the hill to Clarke.
Clarke allowed herself to lay back on the ground as Lexa continued to tend to her wound. After a few minutes the bleeding slowed and Lexa let out a silent breathe of release before looking to Clarke for instruction. There were still other gashes that they hadn't even looked at, overall the bleeding seemed to have slowed down and she knew Clarke was not in any immediate danger.
"Wrap it. Tightly" She instructed, "We can look at the others once we get back to camp."
Lexa quickly went to work, unraveling some bandages from her medical kit and tightly wrapping around Clarke's thigh.
"Can you stand?" Lexa asked, as she finished wrapping the wound as instructed. Clarke nodded.
"I think so." Clarke pushed herself to sitting, and before she could try to stand, Lexa's arms came around her and gently helped her to get to her feet. She was barely able to put any pressure on her leg, but slowly the two women made their way to the top of the hill, where Lexa's horse, Meela, seemed to be waiting for them. Lexa let out a sigh of relief, glad her mare hadn't run off spooked like Spirit had.
Lexa helped Clarke steady herself against the mare, before putting her foot in the stirrup and mounting the creature. She then helped steady Clarke long enough to her to help lift her onto the horse so she was facing her. For a moment, she briefly thought that in any other situation it would be unacceptable for the two to ride like this. She thought that perhaps Clarke had had the same thought because at that moment, Clarke slipped her arm around her back and gripped tightly – allowing her head to rest on her shoulders. Lexa shifted the reigns to one hand, and brought her other arm around Clarke's waist to secure her position on Meela. Her breath hitched for a moment, when her hand found itself coated in sticky red blood and Lexa realized for the first that that Clarke had also torn open her back on her way down. The fact that Clarke hadn't even noticed a testament to just how much pain her leg was in. The warrior adjusted her grip, and tutted Meela into a gallop. She wanted to get Clarke back to camp – and soon.
Thanks for reading everyone! I really hope you enjoyed – I haven't written nearly as much in the last few years as I have in the past – but recently I have been itching with ideas! Next up, Clarke and Lexa arrive back at camp!