Since the previous chapter was recieved pretty well, here's the next chapter. Thank you so much for all the nice words! I'm glad to see some people are interested in reading a Lexa centered story! Since the intro didn't really show much, I decided to just dive right in there in this chapter.
Enjoy reading!
When you and Costia reach the camp before night time, you're surprised to find out that the commander and Anya are still discussing plans. When you approach the tent, the men who guard the entrance glare at you. They block your way, knowing you longer than today.
Instead, you pull Costia with you and turn away. You make a small detour in order to reach the back of the tent without being seen. The tent's tick fabric being put together with the help of wood and mud makes it difficult to distinguish the different voices, but you manage.
"Should we be listening-" Costia begins, but you quickly shush her, crouching down and putting your ear closer to the fabric.
"-She needs to be prepared in case something happens," you hear your mother's voice say and you immediately know the women inside are talking about you. "The living are hungry."
Costia crouches down in front of you, putting her warm hand on your knee to support herself. She mirrors your position and puts her ear closer to the tent to listen in.
"Her body is strong, but her mind-" Anya's voice sounds muffled. It feels strange to hear her talk about you in such a business-like tone.
"Her mind is stronger than you think," the other voice says. You feel a hint or pride swelling in your chest. Costia must have known, because she squeezes your knee gently and sends you a smile.
"That may be so, but she is not ready to go into battle yet."
"Continue mentoring her. Time may not be on our side in this matter." You're surprised when you hear the slight waver in the strong woman's voice. "She will be chosen."
Your eyes meet Costia's at those last words, knowing all too well what the women inside are talking about. The reason you have been trained by Anya. You have known the commander's spirit will settle inside of you if she were to die. Your mother has prepared you for this faith ever since you were little.
"She's not going to die," Costia assures you as if reading your mind.
You give her a strong nod, though you can't stop the fear from seeping into your body. The way the women in the tent speak about you makes it sound like the commander's spirit will choose its faith faster than you are prepared for.
You're done listening in on the conversation, wanting to make a quick exit. You shoot upright, making your head spin. Costia jumps in surprise, crambling to her feet and quickly walking after you when you turn to leave towards the trees.
"Lexa!" she calls after you and for a moment you consider running, leaving her behind at the camp. Instead you grab her hand and pull her with you into the cold forest.
When you have been silently walking for about twenty minutes, the shiver coming from the girl behind you makes you stop in your tracks, turning around to finally face her. The temperature dropped significantly once the sun had gone down.
"You should have taken the pelt I gave you," you tell her.
She shrugs in response, stepping closer to you and pulling you against a tree. She rests her back against the bark and holds you from behind. Her knee knocks into the back of yours and you both slide down onto the ground.
You're tense at first, but when she puts your arms to rest over hers in front of your middle, you relax. Her head rests on your right shoulder and her warm breath tickles your ear. You lean back into her, bringing your head back, resting your temple against her cheek.
"I don't know how to be commander," you say after a while.
"If anyone knows how to be our commander, it's you," she says with certainty.
"Why can't Anya be commander?" you look up through the trees, staring at the familiar stars in the sky.
"It doesn't work that way, you know this."
Costia is right. Eventhough Anya is a great warrior and leader of her people, she still stands under the commander. The commander's spirit will choose the person that is right for the job. You have been raised by your mother, knowing that you are exactly the right fit for the spirit.
Everyone seems to be certain about your abilities. Everyone but you.
"You won't be alone if you were to become the commander. Anya will help you." One of her hands combs through your hair, easily untangling any tangles.
"And what if Anya dies? I am her second. I will have to lead her people too and I will be all alone." You don't show anyone this kind of weakness to anyone but Costia. You frown at the chuckle that escapes her lips and flutters through the air.
"Give Anya some more credit, Lexa. She could destroy an entire camp with a bow before someone could lay a finger on her." Her arms wrap tigher around your middle, pulling your body even closer to hers.
"Besides," she whispers, "you'll never be alone."
The secure arms around your waist and the soft breath in your ear makes you feel impossibly safe from any enemy. You turn your head to the side and press your lips to her jaw before she slides her lips down against yours and pulls you into a kiss.
You don't know what you would do without her.
xxx
Two weeks go by without any significant changes. The only change is the increment in training. Anya trains with you every day and you occasionally manage to beat her at hunting. You have been better with a sword than she is for a couple of years, but you still train with her. You win almost every time.
The training goes on for hours at a day, no time for any slacking. When Anya manages to send your sword flying out of your hand and puts her own towards your throat, she sighs in exasperation.
"You are getting worse."
"I'm just tired," you answer, picking your sword back up and putting it in its holster on your back.
"We have no time for you to be tired, Lexa. You need to be prepared for what is coming." She holsters her own sword and sits herself down on a nearby rock. You follow.
"What is coming?" you ask. You watch her face closely. You see her hesitate, before turning to you.
"The Ice Nation has come from the north," she starts. "They are looking for new land."
"So? They know the trees are our habitat." You don't see the danger.
"They are looking for more fertile grounds. They are with many."
"We are with more. It would be stupid for them to attack us," you retort.
"They attacked one of our camps," she says. You eye her questionally when she doesn't continue. She turns to you and eyes you sadly. "Emo gonplei ste odon." Their fight is over.
"An entire camp?" you ask incredulously, jumping to your feet.
"We will stop them before they get to another camp. We won't give them the trees."
You clench your jaw. This is your home. This is where your people have been living for almost a hundred years. Nobody is going to take that away from you.
You pull the sword from the holster on your back and point it at Anya.
"Again."
xxx
"We leave at first light!"
The camp is chaotic. Warriors are running around with weapons and rations, children are playing with sticks and others are getting ready to leave the camp if necessary.
You enter the commander's tent, coming face to face with your mother. The paint on her face makes her glance stronger. She looks ready to fight.
"Mother-" you start, but are immediately cut off.
"You won't be coming along, Lexa."
"But-" you start. You're ready to protest, assuring her that you are ready for battle. You are not afraid.
"I need you to stay here and lead our people." The tone in her voice shows you that there is no changing her mind, but you try anyway.
"I am ready to fight," you raise your head and clench your jaw, trying to look confident. You find that it almost comes naturally to you.
"You will stay here," the commander repeats. "The living are hungry."
"You can't keep me here," you protest.
"Tristan," your mother calls and the grounder steps inside. You groan softly. "Keep my daughter here."
Tristan nods and steps towards you, too close. You shrug his hands away from you and exit the tent, sparing your mother one last look. Her eyes don't waver at your obvious disappointment. However, when you huff before you exit, you could have sworn you saw a small smile forming on the commander's lips.
xxx
You wake up before anyone else. The slow breathing of the warm body beside you lets you know that Costia is still asleep. You slept in her tent this night, like almost every night. You knew the guard outside would never let Tristan inside without permission, even if the commander told him to do so.
You silently pull the arm that is wrapped around Costia's waist back, careful not to wake her. When you sit up, she turns slightly, her light hair cascading over her own face and her arm stretching itself out towards the place you had been sleeping.
You ignore the urge to brush her hair away from her face and quickly dress yourself. You find the face paint and smear it on your face with ease, your fingers creating the dark stripes on your cheeks.
You holster your sword and are ready to leave when a sleepy voice comes from behind you.
"Where do you think you're going?" Costia asks groggily.
"Going for a walk," you lie eventhough you already know she knows your intentions.
"You're wearing warpaint," she says matter-of-factly.
You sigh and pull the belt of your holster over your head, letting it fall to the ground. "They are leaving at first light," you say desperately.
"You're staying here, Lexa." She leans forward and catches your hand, pulling you back towards the bed.
"I am trained for this, Costia. I can't just stay here and do nothing." You sit down beside her and she pulls you down to lie in front of her. She spoons you from behind and rests her head on your shoulder like she always does.
"You were trained to be the commander and Anya's second. We need a commander and Anya's people need a new leader if something happens to them," she speaks softly against your cheek.
"I thought you said nothing was going to happen to them," you say. You need her reassurance.
"Nothing will." She squeezes you tighter. "They will probably be back before you know it, which is another reason why you should stay here."
You sigh and lean back into her. You're still unsure about this. You feel like you're supposed to be there. You were trained to fight all your life. Not fighting feels like weakness to you.
"If you're still in doubt, I could always invite Tristan in to keep you here." Your eyes widen at that. "Though I prefer keeping you here myself." Costia grins and pulls you around to capture your lips in hers.
You let out a soft hum that turns into a surprised gasp when you feel a leg pressing between yours.
You definitely prefer this way, too.
xxx
You lie on your back staring up at the cloudy sky. You listen to the soft breeze of the wind, making the leaves on the trees move. You hear birds sqawking above and around you. The occasional footsteps and voices coming from the camp are oblivious to your presence.
You wait. You have been waiting for nearly two days. The camp has been too silent since the departure of the warriors. Everyone seems to feel the sudden emptiness that constantly floats in the air. The uncertainty of knowing what is happening to your people fighting the Ice Nation is the worst. They should be back any moment now.
The first sign of news comes a few moments later when Costia finds you and sits down next to you. When she doesn't say anything and simply puts her hand on your knee, you know something is wrong. You find her hand and thread your fingers through hers.
"Anya is back," Costia tells you and you glance at her, waiting for her to continue. Hoping.
"How many did we lose?" you ask when she doesn't continue.
"It is hard to say. But they were prepared. Our warriors had to pull back to camp."
"Pull back?" you sit up, suddenly angry. "We are warriors. These are our woods. We can't let them scare us away!"
"Lexa, they were prepared for the battle. We weren't with enough," Costia explains, brushing a strand of loose hair behind your ear.
"We didn't even send all of our warriors. We have more clans in the woods. We can beat them." You stand up to your feet, quickly followed by Costia, who grips your wrist to stop you from leaving.
"We lost a lot of people today," she says sadly.
You turn to her, desperate to know what you're supposed to do next. You have no idea. You feel powerless, like you have been feeling for the past few days.
"Where is my mother?" you ask her. She will know what to do.
Costia's eyes meet yours when you ask her and the small twinge of guilt is enough for you. You let out a small sigh and step towards her, dropping your head to her shoulder. Her hands on the small of your back and your head are the only things keeping you upright at this moment.
xxx
"Heda gonplei ste odon."
The Commander's fight is over.
You shiver at your own words as you speak to the crowd. You pause, the uncertainty running through your veins as you subtly look at Anya to your right. The cut that runs over her nose and across her left cheek covers her face with blood and is mixed with mud and dirt.
It makes you wonder what your mother ended up like.
You push the thought away and face the crowd again. You lost a lot of people in the fight. A lot were wounded. You know your people wouldn't pull back if they had any chance of winning. This means that you need a better strategy if you want to win.
You assure your people that you are not giving up on your habitat. You are not leaving the trees. You will figure out a plan to drive the Ice Nation away. There will be vengeance.
It feels strange and unnatural to stand where your mother had been standing only days ago, speaking to your people the same way you are now. You hope your uncertainty doesn't show in your voice.
The ceremony that follows after your speech goes by in a flash. You are named the new commander of the Trigeda people. Scouts leave to different clans to bring them the news. You are a part of the general meeting that follows. You discuss different plans for what is next. You're glad Anya takes the word.
You decide to wait things out for now. You know the Ice Nation won't immediately attack after the fight. They lost people too.
The bodies of the fallen people are still at the battlefield near the Ice Nation's current camp, meaning they are impossible to retrieve. Instead of burning the bodies like usual, people gather beds of flowers to set alight.
You pick one for your mother.
xxx
"Again."
You grab Anya's sword from the ground and throw it back at her. She catches the handle with some difficulty.
Despite everything that happened the day before, you are more determined than ever to be in the best possible shape.
"A break," Anya simply states as she drops herself to the ground, her sword clattering against the stones. You have been at it for several hours and Anya was clearly not in her best shape because of the fight with the Ice Nation.
"No break," you reply, ready to lunge your sword at her.
"You have been training for hours," Costia's voice comes from behind you. You quickly spin on your heel and point the sword at her. You expect her to raise an eyebrow, but instead she just looks at you sadly. You avert your gaze and turn back around.
"No break," you say again, motioning for Anya to get up.
"Fight me," Costia steps around you, bending down to pick up Anya's sword.
"You can't fight," you state. You didn't mean to sound harsh. You have just never seen Costia fight before.
"So teach me," she replies, pointing the sword towards you.
You make a quick motion and within seconds Costia's sword is on the ground and your sword is at her throat. You gaze at her, unimpressed.
She returns your gaze with a look of sadness. A look that you can't deal with right now. You do not have time to mourn the dead. The living are hungry and the Ice Nation is still a threat.
"Go back to camp," you tell her, dropping your sword to your side.
"You're giving me orders now?" She looks at you with a disappointed look on her face.
You feel a tinge of regret when you nod your head. You avert your eyes and tense up when she steps closer to you instead of leaving. For a short moment you're afraid of what she is going to do.
Then her lips softly touch your cheek. "It will be okay," she reassures you before turning on her heel and leaving you and Anya at the side of the creek. You turn around when she's out of sight.
You grab the sword from where it had landed after you disarmed Costia and hand it to Anya. She pushes herself up by leaning on her sword. The slight twitch of her face tells you she's in pain.
"We have trained enough for today, Lexa. I need to get back to Tondc before the night falls."
"We need to keep training." You shake your head. You need to be ready in case the Ice Nation attacks. You need to keep training.
"We have trained enough," Anya repeats.
You continue shaking your head, pointing your sword at her, ready to fight. When she doesn't move, you slash your sword through the air threatingly.
"Stop," Anya groans, clearly annoyed by your behaviour. She holsters her sword, making it clear she's done training.
You throw your sword to the ground in exasperation. The metal loudly clatters against the rocks and you groan when the handle bounces up and hits your shin. You kick it, sending it flying away from you.
"Calm down," Anya tells you with a strong voice.
You're about to retort when you hear the familiar sound of a horn. Acid fog. You need to take cover. You know there is a cave nearby that you can hide in, but your body fills with fear when you realize that Costia is walking back to camp.
Anya pulls your arm when you don't automatically follow her. "We have to go, it will reach us soon."
"Costia is still out there." You stand your ground, unsure whether you could reach her before the acid fog if you hurried.
"She will find cover," she says. When you still hesitate, she pulls harder. "We have to go!" she calls louder, snapping you out of your daze.
Your footing is unsure when Anya pulls you with her towards the nearby cave. You continue looking over your shoulder in Costia's direction. When you reach the cave, you pull your arm free.
"Wait, what if she came back?" You hesitate, wanting to turn back around, but you can already see the acid fog nearing through the trees.
"She knows better than-" Anya gets cut off by a high pitched scream you recognize as Costia's.
"Costia!" you yell, scrambling forward, but strong arms circle around your waist, quickly pulling you deeper into the cave. You struggle against the force, but Anya uses all her weight to hold you back, making it difficult for you to move.
"You will die if you go out there," Anya groans as you try to pry her hands from around your waist.
"The fog hasn't reached her yet, Anya, something is wrong!" You kick your heel against her shin and she falls back, making it possible for you to free yourself. You hold your breath, ready to run outside the cave and prepare for the acid fog if you had to. Maybe you can make it if you run.
Before you can try, something hard hits the back of your head and everything goes black.