Exhaustion. Clarke felt utter exhaustion.
Her body screamed at her to stop moving. Her wrists had been rubbed raw from her failed attempts at trying to break free. She could see only two of the other nine prisoners in her direct view. They were all bound together, one behind the other, feet bloodied, shoulders sagging and heads bowed. Five grounders, strapped with weapons, marched alongside ensuring the line kept moving with the brunt end of their spears.
"Where are you taking us?!" Her voice reverberated through the billowing trees.
No one else had resisted. No one uttered a single word. They simply marched ahead, no questions asked. Clarke couldn't understand.
"Where are you taki-"
"Shof Op!"
She was shoved from behind and felt her knee caps crack as they struck the floor.
"Get Up wanderer!"
She was pushed again and this time her ribs cushioned the fall. A rough pair of hands dug into her arms and yanked her onto her feet before she had anytime to register pain.
"Walk!" The grounder barked.
Clarke shuffled forward and collided with a body in front of her.
"Why have you stopped!?" The largest grounder reached out to strike her once more when he heard commotion from somewhere up the line that diverted his attention. "Hod up!" He whistled and signaled the two leaders riding atop their full armored horses up at the front of the line.
The Grounder Giant, clad in his strange armor, pulled on the leather straps of his reins and the line halted. He mounted off his horse and at once began yelling in Trigedaslang. Cesar slid off his and marched behind him.
Clarke remained hunched over, waiting for the air to return to her lungs. She inhaled deeply and slowly straightened her back. She craned her neck to get a better view. Three of her fellow prisoners were sprawled on the floor.
"Frag em op!" The Grounder Giant roared and Cesar shouted in response, lashing out in Trigedaslang. Clarke wished she understood what they were saying.
There was a cascade of arms waving, roars, grunts and two Grounder guards began unshackling one of the prisoners. Clarke peered through the line and watched the limp form sag as it hung loosely between them. She could see their feet dragging in the dirt, one arm dangled while the other rested in a sling, and a bag was placed securely over their head.
Lexa?
No!
"EM PLENI!"
Did she speak that outloud?
Clarke ran forward but was cut off by the chains around her ankles, "What are you doing!?" Her heart began pumping wildly inside her chest, taking over control of her body and shutting down her brain.
"Kill her!" The Grounder Giant ordered as he pulled out his spear, ignoring the yells of the loud mouthed wanderer.
"But she bears the mark, Onyx. You know how much she is worth," Cesar placed his hand atop of the larger man's shoulder.
"She is slowing us down," Onyx shoved Cesar's arm away and marched towards Lexa's unconscious form, "All we need is her head. We can expose of her body."
Onyx stood directly in front of the unconscious brunette and nodded at one of his guards. "Kill her," he growled.
Clarke yanked at her chains.
The guards that were carrying Lexa, remained still.
"Are you disobeying an order?" Onyx walked menacingly towards them.
"No General...But they say if you kill the one who bears the mark, death becomes you. It takes your soul and you become lost. You never move on."
"I said kill her!" Onyx snarled and pointed his spear at the guard.
Clarke stopped fumbling with the clasp and waited with baited breathe.
"She is worth far more alive." Cesar grunted.
The blonde did not doubt for a second that Lexa would have killed them all on the spot for disrespecting her like this.
"She is slowing us down,"Onyx barked and his eyes scanned the line before they settled onto the blonde and his lip curled into a crooked smirk. "Giver her to the branwada wanderer." He slowly stalked forward until he was standing directly in front of Clarke, "Her soul is worth nothing. Let her soul be claimed by she who bears the mark."
"Sha, General," all too quickly, the guards shuffled forward towards Clarke.
"How am I supposed to carry her?!" The blonde huffed.
"Figure it out..." Onyx's mouth curled into a grin that never reached his eyes, "or die." He spat at Clarke's feet and roared, "Let's move out!" as he walked back up the line and towards his horse.
The guards let go of the brunette and Clarke's knees almost gave out with the extra added weight. A fiery hot pain shot through her side as Lexa's body fell onto her's.
At once, everyone began shuffling back into position. The guards resumed their posts, the nine others kept their heads low and all the while, Cesar never took his eyes off Clarke's.
"Do as I say, or die," He dug his hand inside the pocket of his armor and the blonde couldn't see what he wrapped his hand around. He quickly leaned over and covered Lexa's mouth with an enclosed fist. Before Clarke had anytime to protest, the Commander began violently coughing.
"What did you do?!" Clarke felt the brunette stir.
Cesar moved in close and in a hushed tone ordered, "Keep her quiet. Keep her moving. Do not speak," The shaggy haired grounder bore his eyes into hers,"Skaiprisa."
Clarke was going to protest but Onyx grunted atop his horse and Cesar left her. Alone. With the Leader of the Twelve Clans barely able to stand on her own two feet, clinging desperately onto her side. A fleeting memory whispered into Clarke's head, ghost-like. There had been laughter and music and dancing and the soft hum of the Ark droned on in the background as Monty's special brew had been passed around eager lips. Clarke had to carry Wells back to his room as they snuck through the halls of the Ark, stumbling and clinging onto the other. Light and laughing.
"Move!"
The cool air whipped her face. The chains rattled and tugged at her feet and Lexa's body sagged into hers as the line shuffled forward.
"Lexa," Clarke adjusted the weight and slung the brunette's good arm over her neck as she let her bag-covered-head loll onto her shoulder. "Lexa, please, come on, you have to help me. We have to keep moving."
They traipsed forward, slowly and steady. It felt like hours before the brunette began to mumble incoherently. Clarke made out strange words every so often. Lexa kept repeating the same thing over and over. Clarke found herself wishing she understood Trigedasleng for the second time. It had become increasingly difficult to hear the brunette speak in her native tongue over the sudden rush of noise. Something in the air had shifted. Perhaps another prisoner was slowing them down. At once, the guards began commanding orders and the horses neighed and stood up on two feet.
Clarke tightened her grip on the brunette and braced herself for another encounter with Onyx.
"Lexa, stand up." She had made sure they had kept a steady pace, she had used every ounce of her strength to ensure they did. It couldn't have been them. The Commander mumbled a little louder. This time in words Clarke understood.
"I've always loved the smell blue."
"What?" Clarke almost collided with the body in front of her, again. She was forced to look up and out over the line of prisoners and she froze as she sharply inhaled and felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle upward.
They were standing on the edge of a cliff, the luscious green forest loomed behind them, and the vast expanse of mesmerizing blue stretched on, reaching out in all directions for as far as the Sky Girl could see.
I have not forgotten this story. This chapter is short, but I plan on making up for it in chapter 5.
Let me know what you think! Thank you!