Chapter Seven
Ta-Da! Another chappie for my lovelies! This chapter is for my most recent Guest reviewer! I really want everyone to be teenagers for once. All of that thousand year-old prophet in a seventeen year-olds body crap can come on a later day.
I'm planning on having a constant release of updates this weekend if I can mange. Maybe 3-4 chapters? No new updates next week Monday, and maybe not Tuesday. I have to get an MRI and a Doc appointment (I'm really messed up inside XD)
Here's your new chapter guys!
Clarke could feel herself shaking, no, thrumming with energy that dwarfed whatever she felt two weeks ago when she fought Quint. Her body was practically humming with excitement to get the war game underway. Her weapons were already strapped to her body, and now she waited for Lexa to adorn her with her own style of war paint, a Grounder tradition that she had been welcomed to participate in.
Lexa strolled into Clarke's room, ignoring the questioning gaze of Abby Griffin as she cradled a small, intricately designed clay jar in her calloused hands. Like Clarke, her weapons were already strapped to her body over a deep brown short sleeve shirt and even darker breeches in preparation for the riding they would do today during the battle. Lexa had a steed with a coat darker than midnight and eyes as green as her own, which were startling and just as alluring. She had given Clarke a light bay, stocky mare with black tufts of fur on her ears, mane and tail.
Clarke grinned at the sight of Lexa's war paint. It had always been the same for every war game. A black dragon was stretched across the bridge of Lexa's nose, its wings spread out over elegant, tan cheekbones as they dripped down, as though the dragon was slowly melting down across her face. Clarke felt that the dragon represented Lexa. She was a warrior, a demon some could say, though she was ever so slowly melting down into a teenage girl that Clarke could definitely see some sort of future with.
Cupid bow lips quirked in that innocent, amused smile that she swore Lexa saved only for her. "I have a design in mind. If you do not like it we can always restart. We have a half hour before we must be present for the war meeting."
"I'm sure I'll love it. But doesn't the meeting start in an hour? I thought it began at ten?" Clarke raised an elegant eyebrow, cocking her head to the side and Lexa's pulse quickened.
The warrior gulped, nodding, "It does, but a Commander and her generals should always be earlier than anyone else in the meeting."
Clarke nods, smiling, "Quite the leader you make, Commander Lexa."
Commander Lexa.
Lexa shivers, but plays it off as she pulls the stopper from the clay jar. Dipping her finger in the black kohl, Lexa moves closer to the shorter blonde. Their breath mingles as Lexa brings her kohl coated finger up to Clarke's fair-skinned face. She drags her calloused finger beneath Clarke's priceless blue eyes, then up in a triangle over her soft, sleek eyebrows. She painted fangs just beneath Clarke's lips, though bits of kohl managed to make their way onto soft, plump lips.
"Oops," Lexa muttered, and without thinking brushed her thumb over Clarke's soft bottom lip. She felt the shorter girl stiffen beneath her fingers. This was the rejection she had feared. No doubt it flashed in her eyes because Clarke's own softened, the war paint doing nothing to hinder her beauty.
"Lexa," Clarke breathed, eyes hooded. "That wasn't-"
"-The paint is done, come, look at yourself," Lexa interjected quickly, fearing whatever words that would come from such beautiful lips. She lead Clarke over to her mirror, and the blonde gasped before smiling. She looked awesome.
Clarke had ears sculpted from the kohl above her eyebrows, and waves of black danced around her eyes only to fan out like feathers at the tips of her eyes. Fangs dripped down beneath her lips, giving her a fierce, dangerous look. If she didn't look like a Grounder before, what with wearing Lexa's slightly bigger clothing, she certainly did now. Clarke whirled to look at Lexa, ocean-blue eyes sparkling in excitement as she threw her arms around the taller girls neck, giggling.
"This looks amazing Lexa!" Clarke praised, "What does it mean though?"
Lexa cleared her throat gently as she returned the hug, wrapping her arms around Clarke's waist. "It is Hawal Pauna, a mutated wolf species that originates in my home with the Trigedakru."
"Tell me about it?" Clarke asked, looking up into Lexa's eyes as she made no plans to move from the brunettes embrace.
Lexa swallowed, her pulse skyrocketing at the close contact before she began to speak. "Hawal Pauna is a vicious creature. She is far bigger than any man and far fiercer than the angriest of women. She is the most graceful beast in the forest, and the beauty of her elegance and physical appearance makes her not only a sight for sore eyes, but a beautiful creature to draw. None hunt her and live, and none have tried in a hundred years in order to protect her beauty."
Clarke licked her suddenly dry lips as her cheeks flushed a gentle pink. Lexa's eyes looked so honest and revealed so much emotion that Clarke didn't want to name, fearing her own reaction, especially with her mother in the house, no doubt trying to eavesdrop. "Why is this my design for my war paint then?"
Lexa scoffed, "Obviously when considering your rather surprising grace and rather startling ferocity Princess."
Clarke thumped the side of Lexa's forehead gently in reprimand as she giggled. "Oh hush with that 'Princess' nonsense. We all know you are the Grounder Princess."
Once again Lexa scoffed, though this time in disbelief. "Please, Clarke kom Skaikru, I am clearly a knight."
"A knight among knights." Clarke agreed, "So does that mean that you will rescue me from the big bad dragon that rests on your face?"
Lexa laughed, an honest, true laugh that had Clarke's heart soaring. "Yes, though I may have to save you from Quint. I can sense when someone is planning tricks I will not find humorous in the slightest, and no doubt they concern you today."
It was Clarke's turn to scoff, "Like he would try anything while I'm under the protection of the Commander."
Lexa's arms tightened around Clarke's waist, and the blonde stepped infinitely closer, reveling in the warmth of Lexa's body. "If he does, a hundred warriors will either come down upon him or restrain me before I pummel him." Lexa's voice had grown cold, yet contained a fire fueled by fury that stemmed from what if's.
Clarke rubbed her thumb gently against Lexa's neck, unknowingly soothing her friend as she said calmly, "I doubt he will. But if he does, don't go ape-shit on him, or my mother, Jaha and Kane might try to have you expelled."
Lexa smirked, "They can't do that to a Grounder student, just like Anya and Indra can't do that to one of the Sky People."
"Good then, because no doubt Anya and Indra would sing praise at you kicking Quint's ass." Clarke enjoyed the teasing words the two of them would share, it alleviated some of the tension from her shoulders, placed their by her mother, by Finn, by the Ice Nation, by everything. She knew that war was brewing, and she didn't know where her place would be, so she treasured these moments of closeness, unsure as to how long they would last.
Lexa nodded, her lips quirked in that same Clarke-only smile. "Definitely. I'm the only one that gives you bruises."
Clarke flushed a light shade of pink at the possible dirty reference, and Lexa's own flush is covered by her tan skin and the war paint as she hugs Clarke close for just moment longer before they mutually break away.
Things were so confusing with them.
"Alright, our plan is in place. Octavia, I want your men circling our definite area while Clarke rides beside both me and you. Lincoln and his foot soldiers will traverse the forests in camouflage. We move in three units that are not to be within thirty meters of each other, so if one of us is ambushed, the others won't be and be able to assist. Our number one advantage: Quint's team lacks gunners and they have only one unit on horseback. Also, they are made up entirely of Grounders, many of which those in this room have defeated personally. Do not let your confidence get in the way of your determination. I wish you all a strong fight, and may we all meet tonight in celebration for our victory!" Lexa raised a gloved fist, clenched around her prized black blade. Her team in turn raised their fists and their weapons, chanting her last name.
"Heda! Heda! Heda!"
Clarke was in awe. This may have been a mock war, but Lexa rallied her men as though it were real and they were fighting for their lives. They believed they were truly fighting an enemy, and belief is such a powerful thing within a stable mind.
Clarke gave Lexa a blinding, pearly white smile. Lexa smiled back.
The boys and girls still chanting smiled in turn. They all had one strong belief.
Those two would conquer the world.
