Chapter 2

They were looking for Jasper.

Discovering that there were other people on the ground had been a shock. That the proof of it had been a spear in the boy's chest had been terrifying.

Still, his scream and the disappearance of his body meant that there was hope. Clarke would not give up until she found him.

And find him they did. Tied to a tree, above a trap she nearly fell in.

As Murphy and Finn climbed to untie him, a feeling made her turn around and stare at the bushes. Just as she was about to dismiss the strange feeling, the panther jumped towards them.

Bellamy immediately reached for his gun, but it was Wells who shot.

And missed.

The panther, startled by the sound and the impact in front of its paw, stopped. With a snarl, it ran back to the bushes.

They cautiously walked back to the camp, carrying an unconscious Jasper and convinced feline eyes were watching them.

oooooooooo

Lexa dismissed everyone from her Throne Room, only asking Abby to stay. Titus threw her a disapproving glance which she ignored.

''Commander?'' The woman asked in a clipped tone.

Lexa tried to assume a more relaxed stance.

''Abi kom Skaikru. I wanted to tell you that I have sent several scouts in search of your daughter. Unfortunately, none have been able to find her thus far.'' She hesitated. ''I have not heard reports if her in Azgeda either, which I believe we should take as a sign that she was equally effective in evading the queen's fortune hunters.''

The woman sighed, visibly irritated. ''You do not need to tell me that, Commander. I know no one will catch Clarke unless she wants them to.''

''Clarke is not familiar enough with the forest to evade her pursuers forever. And she is needed by her people.'' Lexa warned, harsher than she had intended to.

Abby's anger had been expected, yes. But more than that, she had thought the mother would be worried about her daughter wandering in the wilderness. Her eyes narrowed. She knew things had been tensed between Clarke and her mother, partly because of Clarke's position as leader. She had always known that there was more than that, but had refused to pry.

But she had learned enough about the Sky people from Clarke and, later, Octavia to know that they were sometimes even harsher than her own people. As a leader, she understood the hard choices made to preserve resources, but she did not approve of how easily they had torn families apart over minor offenses.

''Do you not care about your daughter?'' She asked in a hard voice.

Abby's eyes flashed.

''Don't you dare accuse me of this! It is your actions that caused her to run away, not mine.''

''And you seem to content yourself with the situation, instead of searching for her. I hear that you never once sent a team to try and locate her. The only ones who did search for her were her friends.'' Lexa nearly growled at the woman, glad to finally have someone to bestow all her frustration and anger on.

Abby's face was still angry, without a hint of the guilt Lexa almost hoped would appear.

''I told you, no one will find her unless she decides to be found.''

''Clarke is smart, but she cannot remain hidden forever. Azgeda will find her eventually unless we find her first.'' She repeated.

The older woman glared at her. ''It is quite presumptuous of you to assume that you know my daughter's abilities so well. You have barely known her a couple of weeks.''

Lexa forced herself not to show how much those words had stung. Yes, her acquaintance with Clarke had been short, but it had felt no less meaningful. The suggestion that Clarke had hidden something from her all along hurt.

''Regardless, it is Clarke's destiny to be a leader. She cannot run from this, and we will need her sooner rather than later.'' She insisted.

A twisted, angry smirk played on Abby's lips. ''Oh, you certainly helped her find her calling.''

Lexa suppressed the urge to scream at the woman.

''Do you know where she is?'' She asked tiredly.

''Somewhere in the forest, most likely.''

''Helpful.'' Lexa commented sarcastically. ''Have you seen her?''

For the first time, Abby's face betrayed her sadness as she hesitated. ''… Yes.''

Lexa straightened in her throne. She had not expected this answer, though it might explain why the woman was not really worried.

''Have you talked to her? Was she well when you saw her last?''

The woman sighed. ''She looked physically fine. But she would not let me get close to her. In fact, she probably wouldn't have approached if I had not been in danger.''

Lexa rose an eyebrow in silent question.

''A panther was stalking me. She scared it away before disappearing again.''

Lexa frowned. ''Indra sent reports of a new Pauna – a panther one – in the area. You and your people should be more cautious in the woods.''

Though if Abby had been threatened by this new Pauna instead of a regular panther, how on Earth had Clarke managed to scare it away?

She mentally shook herself. She could ask the blonde herself, if she finally returned to her people.

''Is there truly no way for you to contact her?'' She asked Abby.

She had thought Clarke would have ran far away from Arkadia, but it sounded like she had remained relatively close. Probably, Lexa guessed, the young leader had not truly managed to abandon her people, no matter how much she had needed her solitude.

Anger and sadness warred on Abby's face.

''Make no mistakes, Commander. What I saw may have been my daughter's body, but it was not Clarke. She is alive, but I have lost my child. And I blame you for that.''

Lexa frowned, but softened her voice. ''I am no stranger to the wounds hard decisions will cause on a soul. Though I will not apologize for making the best choice for my people, I do want to help Clarke. Our acquaintance was brief, but there are not many people I trust, and Clarke is one of them.''

The Sky Chancellor stared at her. ''Would you gamble your life on this? Because if you crossed Clarke's path right now, I honestly do not know whether or not she would kill you. But since you are the reason she lost herself, perhaps you could bring her back.''

Lexa did not like how resigned the woman looked. What sort of turmoil had she seen in her daughter's eyes to be so convinced that nothing could restore her sanity?