The party gathered just outside the main tower, where they had eaten before.
Clarke sat by herself on a log. She watched as Lexa mingled with the group. It seemed that many of the Trishanakru wanted to speak with their Commander. Some of the Trishanakru came up to Clarke and introduced themselves. They would exchange brief conversation, before moving on.
There was a flurry of activity as the grounders prepared and cooked the pheasants they'd caught earlier that day. A fire was lit and the air was soon filled with the mouth watering smell of cooking meat.
Lexa sat down next to Clarke. It felt so natural being with the brunette. They were best of friends. All hostility from the past was now forgotten. She wondered how she could take their friendship to the next level. Perhaps an opportunity would present itself during her stay with the Glowing Forest clan? The two women shared a comfortable silence, as plates of food were distributed amongst the group.
Clarke took a tentative first bite of cooked pheasant – It was delicious.
A grounder servant gave Clarke a drinking horn filled with some unknown beverage.
The blonde sniffed the amber liquid, bubbles rising to its surface. It didn't seem to have much of an odour. She took a curious sip. It tasted sweet and fruity. She was certain it was alcoholic, but not as strong as Monty's moonshine.
"Hmm…this is nice," Clarke said, smacking her lips appreciatively. "What is it?"
"It's cider," Lexa replied.
Clarke had heard of cider. It was a fermented drink made with apples. She took a long pull of the drink from the horn.
Lexa laughed. "Careful Clarke, it's strong drink."
As Clarke finished her meal, she felt a light touch on her arm, which made her flinch.
"Clarke, will you excuse me for a moment. I need to speak to Sindel," said Lexa.
"Erm, yes, of course," said Clarke. She frowned slightly at the sense of loss, as Lexa walked over to the other blonde woman.
"Hei Bandrona," said Darius, as he sat beside Clarke. His handsome face was lit by the amber light cast by the final rays of the setting sun.
"Hei Darius."
Clarke wanted to quiz Darius about the Glowing Forest. Why are you called the Glowing Forest clan? Is the Glowing Forest a real place? Does it really glow? But Lexa's words echoed back to her and kept her silent: That, Ambassador Clarke, is something you will have to discover for yourself.
"I hope you are enjoying your stay with us so far."
"Yes, I really love this place. It's different to the Woods Clan villages I've been to," said Clarke. She gazed into her drinking horn and frowned upon seeing it was empty.
Darius nodded thoughtfully. "I have been told that before. What you see around you is the main village of our clan. We also have several other, smaller villages. We have a responsibility to protect them. We are a warrior clan Clarke. We have learned to adapt, fight and survive." He gestured around him expansively. "What you see around you has been forged through war."
"I'm impressed with your new armour and I love the log cabins," said Clarke.
"Indeed. We are always working hard to better protect ourselves and to make life better for our clan. Now that we are part of the coalition, we are privileged to extend that responsibility to the rest of the clans. Polis is vital to the continued growth of our coalition. That's what your party is here for – they learn from us and we learn from them. Polis takes what they learn from us and takes it to the other clans."
"That sounds like a great idea. There's a lot that my people, the Sky People, can learn from the coalition. Sure, we a have technology and weapons that the coalition doesn't have. But there's a lot of things we lack, such as hunting skills and natural medicine," said Clarke.
"I am looking forward to learning from your clan. You seem to be much more in touch with the Old World, before the fire that consumed the earth. I believe your people can help restore a lot of what was lost to mankind," said Darius.
"I hope so. I want to do everything I can to ensure that happens."
A grounder servant walked past with a jug of cider. He gestured with the jug, prompting Clarke and Darius to hold out their horns for a refill. Clarke took a long pull on the beverage.
The Glowing Forest leader looked opposite him, to where Lexa and Sindel sat deep in conversation. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"
Clarke smiled. "Yes, Sindel is very pretty."
Darius threw back his head and laughed, slapping his thighs with his palms. "Yes, my niron is lovely." He turned to Clarke, his eyes focused intently on her face. "But I was talking about Heda."
Clarke's bit her lip bottom lip as her eyes darted anxiously around her. "Err…yes, I suppose Lexa's rather…erm…attractive."
Darius narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin. "You and Heda seem…close."
"Yes, we're good friends," said Clarke bashfully.
"Oh, I think you're more than just friends. I can tell by the way you two look at each other. I think you have feelings for Heda," said Darius with a soft laugh.
The blonde shuffled nervously on the log, heat rushing to her cheeks. "No, it's not like that at all."
A thin smile edged Darius' lips. "Alright, fine, I believe you if you say so. But I could swear there's something special between you two." He looked around him for a moment, before leaning in towards Clarke. He slowly arched an eyebrow. "You do know that Heda prefers women? And I'm not just talking about friends," he said in a hushed tone.
Clarke wrung her hands together. "Yes, I'm aware of that," she said, her heart beating fast.
"Well, if you do have feelings for Heda – you should make it known. I can see that Heda is attracted to you."
The blonde swallowed hard, running her fingers through her hair. "You…you think so?"
"Yes. I can see it in the way she looks at you. Just the way she behaves around you, tells me that you appeal to her. Heda is a fine woman." He stared blankly ahead of him, stroking his chin. "Before she came to us, we were enemies with Rockline and were at war with Broadleaf. Heda united our clans and brought us peace. She's a truly remarkable woman."
Clarke released an appreciative sigh. She allowed her gaze to fall upon the woman she was growing to love. To her delight, both women were looking over towards them. Blue eyes met green, causing a smile to spread across the faces of both women. At that moment, it was as if the world around her had fallen away. All that existed now was her and Lexa. Her breath hitched and a warmth spread through her entire body.
"Yes, she is a remarkable woman. You are right – I do have feelings for her," said Clarke, her eyes still focused on the object of her affection. She watched in fascination as Lexa turned back to Sindel. The two women talking animatedly. Lexa would occasionally steal a glance towards Clarke, causing a flutter of excitement to stir in the pit of her stomach.
"Then let it be known. Tell her how you feel. If you do not tell her then you may come to regret it later. Love is not something to hide away from. Love is something to cherish. If you care for someone, let them know how you feel."
"I…I think I'll do that," said Clarke absentmindedly.
"Good. Now, there is someone I must talk to," said Darius, rising to his feet. "I will see you later."
Clarke looked up at him and fixed him with a warm smile. "See you later."
Twilight descended on the fortified village. The sky painted in hues of blue, orange and yellow. Braziers were lit, illuminating the village in a warm orange glow.
"So, what were you and Darius talking about?" said Lexa, standing just to the side of Clarke all of a sudden.
The blonde's body tensed. She fidgeted and twiddled her thumbs. "Uh…nothing much," she said, her voice shaking slightly.
A slow, rhythmic drumbeat started up. Clarke looked over towards a small group of drummers. They were soon joined by Sindel, her elegant fingers strumming a soothing rhythm on a stringed instrument.
The brunette raised an eyebrow questioningly, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Oh really? I'm sure you said more than nothing much." She leaned in closer to Clarke, giving her a playful nudge.
Clarke felt a fluttery feeling in her stomach in response to Lexa's touch. She opened and closed her mouth to speak, but no words came to her.
A group of young, attractive, women sashayed into the circle of seated grounders. The girls were scantily clad in fringed brown suede bandeau tops, with matching short skirts and suede knee-length boots. There was a slight jangling sound as they moved, from the numerous decorative bangles that adorned the women's wrists. They swayed their hips, gyrated and danced seductively in time to the beat. Cheers and wolf-whistles erupted from the men.
"Hmm…fanas," Lexa purred, her wide-blown pupils fixed on the dancing women. She returned her attention back to Clarke. "So, why don't you tell me something about this nothing much, you two were so busy discussing?" A playful smile tugged at her lips.
Lexa shuffled a little closer on the log towards Clarke, their hips and thighs pressed together. The brunette's arm snaked around Clarke's waist, rubbing little circles on her lower back.
There was something raw and sensual about the music. A warmth pooled in Clarke's loins. Her mouth fell open as she savoured the physical contact with her Commander and friend. Tell her you love her! She wanted to say those words, but they hitched in her throat for some reason.
"Hmm?" Lexa prompted.
"Erm…what?" Clarke managed with a nervous laugh.
"Come on Skai Gada – tell me what you and Darius were talking about?" said Lexa with a slight nudge of her thigh.
Clarke let out a long breath. She watched enthralled, as Lexa bit her plump bottom lip. The blonde tingled with anticipation at the thought of what it might be like to tenderly bite those luscious lips for herself. She reached out and touched Lexa's hand, which rested on her thigh. There was a momentary movement as their intertwining fingers and palms coalesced. Lexa's lips curled into a coy, but seductive, smile. Clarke could feel her heart beating so fast it made her feel faint and breathless.
The dancers were now flirting with the men, encouraging them to get up and dance. Some of them got up to dance, whilst others remained seated.
"Will you dance with me Clarke?" Lexa asked.
Clarke shook her head. "Oh, no. I don't dance." She didn't want to make a fool of herself. Dancing was not something they did aboard the Ark or Camp Jaha. She'd also had too much cider to drink.
Lexa huffed. "You're no fun Clarke. Come on, let me show you how to dance." She took Clarke by the arm, coaxing her to stand.
"No, I'd better not." The blonde said, gently shrugging her off and laughing nervously.
"Yu spin raun kom ai Heda?" said a playful female voice. Will you dance with me Commander? One of the dancers stood in front of them, giggling as she swayed in a well-practiced, sensual movement.
Lexa laughed heartily, the sound delighting Clarke. "Sha," said the brunette, taking her dancing partner by the hand. "We'll talk later Clarke," she said, glancing back towards the blonde, as they made their way towards the other people dancing.
Clarke's heart sank. She frowned at how their tender moment had been broken as suddenly as it had begun. Maybe I should have danced with her after all? But she also sighed with relief at not having to tell Lexa what she'd been discussing with Darius. She hated having to lie to people, or at least having to conceal the truth.
She smiled as she watched the Commander and the other grounders gyrating their bodies under the warm orange glow of the braziers. Lexa was a surprisingly good dancer. Gustus had obviously drank too much and was moving with the grace of a wild boar.
Clarke had lost count of the amount of horns of cider she'd drunk. The strong beverage had gone to her head, making her body sway slightly and her head spin. She yawned loudly and stretched. Her eyes felt like lead and her head spun. It was becoming increasingly difficult to stay awake.
Clarke's eyes fluttered open as she was roused back to consciousness by a gentle shaking from Lexa.
"Hei, hosh melon. Wake up!" said Lexa.
"Wh...what?" Clarke murmured. It felt like it was hard to focus her eyes, she felt so tired. How long have I been asleep?
"I told you to go easy on the cider," said Lexa, with a giggle. "Maybe you should go to bed Clarke."
"Hmm…I think you're right," Clarke grumbled, rubbing her forehead. She stood up too quickly, causing her to totter slightly on her feet.
"Would you like me to help you back to the cabin?" Lexa asked.
"No, no. I'll be fine, thank you. Reshop Heda."
"Goodnight Ambassador."
Clarke walked unsteadily back to their cabin. It was a warm night, so she stripped down to her undergarments, before sliding under the soft furs. She could still hear the faint sounds of drunken laughter and conversation from outside. But it didn't take long before she succumbed to her tiredness and fell into a deep slumber.
Clarke was roused from her sleep by the sound of movement in her cabin – Lexa no doubt. There was a noise as the visitor stumbled into something and cursed. Clarke flinched as her bed shifted under a person's weight. She gasped as hands shook her.
"Come on Clarke – time to get up. We're going to the Glowing Forest," Lexa slurred. She sounded drunk.
"Oh, Lexa, please – it's late. I need to sleep," Clarke protested.
"Shof op Klark!" Lexa mumbled. "Come on – let's go!"
She gave Clarke another shake, a little rougher this time. Lexa's hot breath brushed gently against her cheek as she leaned in close to her and spoke quietly into her ear. Her breath smelled of meat and cider. "Come on Clarke, I thought you wanted to see the Glowing Forest. Aren't you going to come with me?"
Clarke sighed, deciding to ignore the drunk Commander, hoping she'd give up and just go to bed. She pretended to be asleep.
However, Lexa had other ideas. The Commander got up and walked around the room, her boots pounding the wooden floor. After a short while, the room was bathed in a golden glow, which seemed to increase in brightness: she was lighting candles.
Clarke huffed and pulled the furs over her head in a vain attempt to block out the light – and Lexa. She groaned as the furs slid away from her head and body, leaving her lying on her bed, semi-naked, in just her undergarments. It was a warm night, after all.
"Lexa, please!" Clarke implored.
"Lexa, please!" Lexa echoed teasingly in response, before giggling helplessly.
Despite herself, Clarke let out a laugh. She had never seen the Commander of the thirteen clans, drunk. She opened her eyes and propped herself up on her elbows. She rubbed her eyes and blinked, as she acclimated her eyes to the candlelight. Her head was still fuzzy from the cider she had consumed earlier and her throat was parched. Lexa was sat on a wooden chair in the corner of the cabin, watching Clarke intently.
"Lexa, it's late…I'm tired…can we do this another time?" said Clarke.
"No, Clarke. We might not get the chance to go tomorrow. Let's go tonight! Come on, you'll love it, I promise you," said Lexa excitedly.
"How far is it from here?"
"Not far, a short horse ride away."
Clarke shuddered at the thought of a drunken Lexa riding her horse in the middle of the night. "Lexa, you're drunk…" she said pointedly.
"I admit I've had some cider to drink, yes."
"Some cider?" Clarke retorted. "You've had a lot of cider!"
Lexa shrugged. "Ok, I've had a lot of cider – what of it?" She hiccupped, covering her mouth instinctively.
"You're not riding a horse in the middle of a night when you're drunk."
Lexa seemed to sit for a while, brooding, before replying, "Then you will ride and take me with you."
Clarke's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in shock. "I…errr…I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. I mean, what if you fell off?"
"Then you'll have to ride carefully, won't you?" Lexa explained with a smug grin.
Clarke fell back onto the bed and groaned loudly in frustration, clasping the sides of her head with her hands. "Arrrggghh!" she groaned.
There was no way she was going to get out of this – she would have to ride to the Glowing Forest, wherever that was, with a drunken Commander as her passenger.
"Okay, okay I'll go," said Clarke, throwing up her hands in surrender.
"You'd better get dressed then. Unless you want to go like that."
Clarke swung herself out of bed and sat for a moment. She rubbed her forehead, still feeling tired and a little drunk herself. She grabbed her water skin, taking several gulps to satiate her raging thirst. Then, reluctantly, she dressed, slipping on her shirt, trousers, jacket and finally her boots.
Lexa busied herself with blowing out the candles before they stepped outside into the village. The sky above them was clear, with a waning moon and bright, twinkling stars. The village was illuminated by torches and braziers, which cast a warm, orange glow. There were a small number of Grounders sat around a camp fire, drinking cider. Other Grounders were stood at strategic positions around the village, on guard duty. Guards were positioned outside some of the cabins.
Lexa's bodyguards, Gustus and Ryder, were stood on guard outside the Commander's cabin. They stiffened as Lexa and Clarke emerged from the cabin. They acknowledged Lexa with a curt nod and brief, "Heda."
Nodding in response, Lexa let out a burst of rapid Trigedasleng.
The guards frowned and looked worried. They protested in response, but Lexa cut them off, her facial expression and tone heated. Finally, the guards relented and Lexa stormed off. Clarke followed closely behind her.
Lexa grabbed a torch from a bracket, before striding confidently towards the main gate.
Clarke had a bad feeling about all of this, but felt powerless to do anything about it.
There was another burst of rapid Trigedasleng and enthusiastic gesticulating, as Lexa gave the guards at the gate the same treatment as the ones that had been guarding her cabin earlier. After some animated and, at times, angry discussion – the guards finally relented. There was a mechanical sound as the counterbalance was activated and the large wooden gate swung open towards the ground.
There's no going back now.
"Oh boy!" said Clarke to herself, as she drew a calming breath. She wasn't looking forward to this at all, despite her curiosity about the Glowing Forest.
"Come on, we'll take your horse," said Lexa, looking a little unsteady on her feet.
Steltrona nickered in greeting as Clarke approached. "Hey boy, good to see you," said Clarke quietly to the horse as she stroked it's neck. "Sorry its late – we've got to take a drunk Commander to the Glowing Forest – hope you don't mind–"
Clarke felt her body lurch forward as Lexa shoved her playfully. They both laughed. She turned to face Lexa. "Are you sure about this?"
Lexa gripped Clarke lightly by the arm. "Yes."
Clarke rolled her eyes and began tacking her horse.
"Now, help me up," said Lexa, handing Clarke the lit torch in her hand.
Clarke sighed as she helped Lexa up onto the back of her horse. Then, Clarke handed Lexa the torch. She put her foot into the stirrup and raised herself up and onto the saddle. It was strange to have a passenger on her horse – it was something she'd never experienced before. She felt Lexa's arm snake around her waist for support. Clarke was surprised to feel a warm glow spread through her body in response to Lexa's touch.
Clarke let out a little gasp as Lexa leaned into her, her breath brushing gently over her cheek as she spoke softly, "Let's go Clarke."
The blonde smelled the same odour of meat and cider on her breath as before – but she didn't mind.
With a slight kick of her legs, the horse moved forwards and she directed it towards the open gate with light tugs on the reins. They must have looked a peculiar sight: the ambassador to the Sky People, riding her horse to the Glowing Forest in the middle of the night, with a drunk Commander of the thirteen clans as her passenger – torch in hand. The thought made Clarke chuckle.
They passed through the open gate and the horses feet clattered on the wooden drawbridge, until they were finally on grassland.
The Commander's body leaned in towards Clarke's own again, as she spoke, "It's just over there – to the right."
Clarke steered the horse according to Lexa's direction. The last time the Commander's body had been so close to her own, was when she'd been briefly confined to the cells – the thought made her shudder. This time, however, it was different. Clarke now savoured the contact with the other woman. Concerned for Lexa's safety, the blonde held on tightly to the arm wrapped around her waist. There was something intimate about their proximity: Lexa's body occasionally rubbing gently against hers as they rode; Clarke's hand covering Lexa's, as the other woman grasped her tightly around the waist.
The cider Clarke drank that night, undoubtedly contributed towards the way she felt so comfortable being so close to Lexa in that moment. Clarke let out a little gasp as she felt a frisson of sexual arousal in response to the intimate contact. She felt her cheeks flush red with embarrassment and was grateful for the cover of darkness to hide her discomfiture. However, she was sure that Lexa had not heard her gasp.
Lexa sighed. "What is it Clarke?" she asked, sounding exasperated.
"What?"
"I heard you – you're about to start complaining again, aren't you?"
Clarke laughed. "No, no I'm not. I'm pleased you asked me to do this now."
"Oh?"
"Yes, I actually like this, riding in the middle of the night, with my best friend." Clarke gave Lexa's hand a light squeeze.
"Aw, Clarke, you are so sweet," the brunette said affectionately, her hand stroking Clarke's abdomen in lazy circles.
Clarke gave Lexa's hand another squeeze in return.
Lexa leaned in closer again, making Clarke almost quiver with delight. She was getting aroused. It took everything she had to prevent herself from moaning with pleasure, as Lexa's body pressed against hers. The continuous back-and-forth rocking motion of Clarke's hips, as she kept contact with the saddle, moving with the horse's motion, only served to heighten her sense of arousal. Is Lexa feeling as turned-on as I am?
"I like it too Clarke. You see, I told you, you would. Just wait till you see the Glowing Forest – you'll love it – I promise," Lexa said brightly.
"I…I never got around to thanking you Lexa."
"Thanking me? For what?"
"For this!" said Clarke gleefully. She was happier in this moment than she had been in a long time. "Thank you Lexa – thank you for everything you've done for me. My life is so different now to what it used to be – all because of you. I feel you have helped me become a more complete woman."
"I can make you feel even more complete Clarke," Lexa cooed over her shoulder.
The blonde wondered what Lexa meant, but continued to thank her friend nonetheless, "I wish there was something I could do for you in return."
Lexa chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure we can arrange something."
They had crossed the expanse of grassland and were now flanked by woodland on both sides.
"Turn right here," said Lexa suddenly.
Clarke brought the horse to the line of trees, as directed by the Commander.
"We're best going from here on foot," said Lexa.
Clarke slowly and gently dismounted the horse, not wanting to dislodge her passenger. She was a little unsteady on her feet. She took the torch from Lexa as she helped her off the horse. Lexa stumbled slightly and Clarke steadied her. She passed the torch back to Lexa, before proceeding to tie the horse to a nearby tree trunk.
Clarke let out a long sigh of pleasure. She didn't know how she'd managed the journey without climaxing. Lexa took her by the arm and guided her towards the foreboding line of trees. The orange glow of the torch cast long, eerie shadows amongst the trees.
"Come on, let's get going," Lexa urged, gently guiding Clarke into the woods.
They made their way along a narrow path, flanked by trees either side. It was pitch black except for the fiery glow of Lexa's torch, for which Clarke was grateful.
They walked through the woods for about five minutes when Clarke spoke, "Is this the Glowing Forest? I don't see anything glowing."
The only thing glowing at the moment is your torch, Lexa.
"Shhh! Be patient Skai Gada – you will see soon – I promise."
Then Clarke saw it – a fluttering of tiny wings passed close by her head – lit with a pale blue glow. It bore a beautiful pattern on its wings. It was like nothing Clarke had ever seen before.
"Wow! Lexa, did you see that?" Clarke exclaimed in astonishment.
"Yes, Clarke – it's called a butterfly."
"It's beautiful," Clarke breathed.
She was in awe of the tiny creature which fluttered around her briefly, before setting off again in the direction they were heading, along the path. Clarke giggled and followed it, with Lexa by her side. She couldn't get too far ahead of Lexa, because she needed the light from the other woman's torch.
After a short while, they reached a clearing. Clarke gasped as the butterfly eventually landed on a tree trunk. The tree trunk was covered in a dozen or more of the tiny creatures – all of them glowing with blue light. Furthermore, the tree trunk itself was covered in patches of moss, lichen and fungi, which were also glowing with the same blue light.
Clarke saw even more glowing butterflies as well as luminous plant life, which covered trees, rocks and the ground. Some large plants emanated the same soft, blue glow.
Up into the treetops, there were tiny dots of intense blue light, clustered together, moving around in an erratic fashion. Clarke assumed they must have been some sort of insect, such as flies.
There was no need for the torch, as everything glowed as if it were illuminated by a blue moon. The trees around her were like pillars of blue light.
"Wow! This is amazing Lexa!" Clarke enthused, transfixed by the glowing fauna and flora around her.
She moved towards the glowing tree she had seen before and touched it. She half expected to experience some sort of sensation: as if it would give her an electric shock or something, but it didn't.
She laughed with joy as scores of glowing blue butterflies flew away from the tree as she came near. She was surrounded by a vortex of tiny, glowing, beating wings. She held out her arms and to her delight, some of the creatures perched themselves on her arms.
"Oh Lexa, Lexa – look at me! Look at me!" she said excitedly, like a child at playtime. She spun around in a circle, arms outstretched, giggling as the lustrous butterflies took flight.