Run With Me

Ta-dur! I saw last nights episode and I cried a bit, but then I realized that Lexa cannot stop being a leader just 'cuz she may or may not be totally Commander Heart Eyes for Clarke and wanna rip her clothes off. Ladies got their priorities people! She has a bunch of people she gotta take care of, and the Skaikru aren't really a part of the people Lexa must be responsible for. In the end, saving brethren is better then jus drein jus draun and the Grounders that retreated did so without pause because they were there to save warriors and children.

You have to respect this chicks badass-ness though, she went and killed a bunch of Mountain bitches like nobodies business. Like damn, forget Clarke and be mine. (I'm one of those weird gays that is totally in love with badass ladies.)

But I feel like Lexa still cares, and she does want to see Clarke again... Lets explore that, shall we?

"May we meet again."

Lexa fought back tears, pushing her lips together tightly as she worried at her bottom lip. She shouldn't have let Clarke get so close, she shouldn't have taken the deal.

Lexa's face hardened, her lean jaw clenching.

No, she was glad she had taken the deal. Her priority was her people, and the Skaikru were not her people, she was not responsible for them. Clarke couldn't understand, she was only responsible for what, a few dozen of the 100? Lexa was in charge of thousands, hundreds of thousands, maybe even in a million people that were scattered across the lands in so many different territories that she oversaw. They depended on her to organize methods of protection, for plans, for protection. Villages may have trained warriors, but they were useless without their Commander to guide them in battle, because she told her Generals what to do, and in turn, the Generals told the warriors.

As Commander, she had to rule with her mind, not her heart. She could not trust her heart, ever, in the matters of leadership and war. No, not when her mind was telling her yes, yet her heart was telling her no when it came to deciding if she should take the deal. Only through her love of her people was she able to say yes, because she did love her people, and she would begin to show that, show that she cared. She could show love to her people, as their Commander, but she could not show any sort of favoritism, not like she wanted to with Clarke. Never like what she wanted to do with Clarke, not unless she wanted the girl, or them both, to be killed.

She had done what duty had called for, and took the deal that would save her people. But could she save the Sky People too? Was there a way? Clarke had always spoke of other ways, and Lexa had always told her that there were none, none that were effective enough or effective at all. Perhaps, in this instance, Clarke would be right about these 'other ways' and Lexa just needed to find one.

Lexa stopped walking with her men, she turned to where two Grounders held Lincoln, a loophole in the deal she had made coming to mind.

"Leave him!" Lexa said in English, and the two Grounders dropped Lincoln's arms, and he jerked away, glaring at the warriors.

Lincoln then turned his eyes on the Commander, and they softened. She was younger than him, and she had probably hundreds of thousands or a million lives weighting down her shoulders. He did not like her decision, but he knew that she had to help her people, and the Skaikru had not done nearly enough to be a part of them.

Lexa ushered Lincoln close, close enough that their faces were inches from one another as Lexa said quickly, voice tinged with tenacity, "In the deal, the Mountain Men said that in trade for my people, my men would retreat. My men, not me. You, are not one of my men," Lincoln tensed, the rejection landing a blow on him he was not proud to admit, "You, are a Reaper." Lexa withdrew white paint, and dipped three fingers within it, painting vertically from the left side of Lincoln's forehead across his right eye down onto his cheek. Then, Lexa did the same to herself.

"Are you-" Lincoln began to ask.

"-I may have found a loophole, but I have not found anyway to keep the Reapers at bay, we have non of the noisemakers," Lexa explained. She pulled Lincoln closer, and forced him to look her in the eyes as she whispered quickly, "You truly think I wished to make such a decision? I must save our people, and I must help the Skaikru save theirs."

Lincoln nodded, and gripped Lexa's forearm as she gripped his, their show of respect, and their show of honor.

Lexa raised an arm, her fist clenched, and suddenly, all movement within the honor guard stopped, and they began setting up tents and unrolling bedrolls, some even collecting tinder for fires. Soon, they were all settled. "Klir!" Lexa nodded, and began to walk back towards the Mountain.

Lincoln went to the Commander's belongings, and extracted an old, sturdy hooded jacket and the leather vest that went with it. She couldn't be wearing that damn long coat if they needed to be sneaking around, and he knew she would end up slicing it. He ran beside her, and handed her the dark green hood. It was open like a jacket for her to slip on, and three strong strings would be used to close it over her chest and stomach. Lexa stripped off her black leather long coat, throwing it to have it land perfectly on a branch, left to hang until she came to retrieve it. She slipped on the hood, tying the strings quickly before slipping on the black leather vest that came to match. She removed a black slip of cloth from the pocket of her pants, and tied it around her face, covering her mouth and nose. Then, she removed a strip of black leather with an oval piece attached to it. She then tied this around her mouth, and outward dent cupping beneath her nose. Little holes had been created within the leather piece, allowing Lexa to breath with ease.

When Lexa and Lincoln turned to look at each other, the once-reaper allowed himself a deep swallow. Lexa looked more dangerous now then ever. The three white streaks along her right eye stood out in contrast with her darker skin, much like his own, but her eyes sparkled with a tenacity strong enough to make him quake in his boots had it been directed him in a negative form.

"If we do this, we must be smart, Lincoln. No doubt Indra's team has begun to leave the tunnels, but I'm sure Octavia has stayed, stubbornness is quite common among Skaikru, though now I consider her Trigedakru." Lexa began, and then lengthened her stride, speeding up to a light, constant run. "Hopefully she does not kill me on sight for the deal, or tries to, anyway."

Lincoln gave Lexa a small, amused smile as he chuckled under his breathe, "She understands what you had to do at Tondc, but she can't fathom it like I can."

Lexa placed a hand on Lincoln's bicep as they ran, the two Grounders keeping perfect pace as though they had run together since childhood.

In fact, they did.

"C'mon Lincoln!" Seven year old Lexa squealed, hopping about like an energized bunny. "We have ta go runnin' 'cuz Anya said I gotta build up my legs!"

Ten year old Lincoln smiled brightly at the young girl, she was like his sister, the little sister he always wanted. The tall boy ruffled Lexa's short hair, the girl having hacked it off with her favorite dagger after it got snagged on a boar tusk two days before. Lexa had screamed and struck the boar, killing it, but had to chop her hair to free herself from the cracked, jagged tusk.

"Let's go then!" Lincoln said excitedly, and the two took off at a steady, soft jog, opting to trade speed for time, wanting to enjoy the company of the person they considered a sibling.

Lexa turned to look at Lincoln, giving him a bright, gap-toothed smile, one of her teeth having only recently, finally, fallen out. Lincoln returned the bright smile, and he took Lexa's hand as they sped up, laughing and screaming as they ran around the adult, working warriors, right past Anya and Indra, who stood closer than usually acceptable for even the closest of friends.

Anya allowed herself to smile warmly at the young girl, she herself was only seventeen, but she knew far more than the rest, and Indra knew even more than her, despite being only a year older. Indra held Anya's hand in her own as she bumped their shoulders teasingly, shooting her girlfriend a bright smile as she herself caught sight of the soft one on Anya's lips.

"She'll do well, let them have their fun as they train." Indra said softly, looking around to check if anyone was paying them any attention before pressing a soft kiss to the inside of Anya's jaw, right beside her ear. "Care for a walk through the brighter lands? The sun is shining and the bright leaves will surely glow bright like glow bugs at this time of day."

Anya smiled, nodding before flicking a hand out, and immediately two guards began to chase slowly after the running children. She squeezed Indra's hand gently as the two made their way down a well-worn path outlined by the strong, medium logs. They strolled throughout the forest together, and caught brief glimpses of Lexa and Lincoln bounding through the forest, laughing and screaming as they chased off the small game in the area.

Lexa and Lincoln continued to run through the forest, until Lexa stopped, gasping at something she saw hanging from a low branch.

A pure black, young snake, maybe only as thick as Lexa's small pinky but three feet long. It's eyes were a dark green, almost as dark Lexa's own when she becomes angered, but just a shade lighter. It's skin was covered in actually rock hard, yet smooth like a polished stone. The snake looked at her curiously, from where it hung curled around the low hanging branch.

Lexa held out her palm, hoping it wouldn't bite.

It didn't.

Instead, the tiny snake slid onto Lexa's wrist, only to curl around the young Commander-in-training's bicep before slithering up to curl loosely around her neck, its small head resting on her shoulder as it closed its eyes, comforted by the warmth of the girls shoulder. Lexa giggled, her shoulders trembling gently, but enough to rouse the lazing snake, whose head rose to stare into green eyes much like his own. Lexa smiled at the snake, and she could have sworn he smiled back.

Lincoln stared in awe at his little sister. That was a young member of a dangerous breed of Trimani snakes the Trigedakru called 'Sonraun Odon'. 'Soul Over' because they were rumored to end the soul of the person who ever meant them harm. Well, this one certainly wouldn't be taking Lexa's soul, more like protecting it at this point. He smiled, looks like his sister made a new friend.

Lexa had been forced to let Lincoln go, especially after she had taken up the mantle of the Commander. She would not risk her brother in all but true blood because she wished to go for a run, but now, they could run freely, and soon, they would fight so others could do the same as freely as they did now, and as they did when they were children.

'We may meet again, Clarke Griffin, Lexa thought, pausing to look up at a branch. There, a large Sonraun Odon glanced down at her with green eyes almost as dark as her own when angered. He was a goof five and a half feet long, and his scales were rock hard yet ever-smooth as his body curled about the thick branch he rested upon. Lexa smiled, and extended her arm. The snake curled about her bicep before curling about her neck, within the dark safety of her hood, his head poking out beside the end of her chin, eyes glistening. 'But when we do, you will not run with me. No one can run with me for long, because eventually they are taken down, exhausted by the journey, wary from the dangers my running path takes, or another slower runner picks them off at a distance far behind us.'

Lexa and Lincoln began to run again, faster this time, almost at a sprint. They needed to get their quickly, they couldn't take the Reaper tunnels, so they'd have to do some sneaking around when they got there. This all took time they doubt they had.

'If only someone could keep up with me for forever'.