Lexa waited patiently for Clarke to return not wanting to panic as the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the mountain. She was relieved when Clarke returned a few moments later. "What took you so long?"

"I may not hunt as well as you do," Clarke began hiding a small kill behind her back. "But I did get us something to eat." She proudly showed it off and could see Lexa was impressed thanks to the campfire that illuminated her face.

"Your skill with the knife has greatly improved," Lexa noted. She watched as Clarke skinned the small animal and prepared it to be cooked.

"Your aim with a gun is impressive," Clarke said. "You shot him in the head."

"You got him in the heart," Lexa noted having pulled out the knife from Pike earlier.

"I told him I would," Clarke said. "It's his fault he didn't believe I could."

"Did you hunt a lot when you ran away?" Lexa asked.

Clarke nodded remembering that episode in her life. "I learned a lot living on my own."

"Including hiding from the people who care about you," Lexa noted.

"But you found me and brought me back to my people." She watched as the fire crackled while their food cooked.

"What would your people think now that he is dead?" Lexa wondered how they would take the news when they found out.

"They will have to accept that we stopped a madman who was going to use a nuclear missile to destroy not only your people but mine," Clarke reasoned. "I have equal share in that burden."

"I'm sorry you had to," Lexa said wishing she had eliminated the potential problem sooner.

"Don't be; I'm not," Clarke said stoking the fire. "You're right; sometimes you have to eliminate a threat before it becomes a bigger problem."

Lexa studied Clarke in the flickering light. She could see that Clarke was putting on a brave face but was still shaken by it. She gently pulled her by the shoulder towards her. "It's all over now. We're safe again."

Clarke leaned against Lexa and tried to relax. "Do you have any idea how Pike escaped?"

"I'll find out how when we get back to Polis," Lexa replied. "I will deal with those who betrayed me personally." She tried to dampen her anger so as not to scare Clarke.

"I had to pretend to betray you," Clarke tried to explain her earlier action after a drawn pause. "You know I never would have right?" She felt Lexa tense up and prayed that it wasn't so she could render a fatal blow.

"There was a brief moment when I thought you did," Lexa admitted. "But a part of me still trusted you."

Clarke was overjoyed and had to hug Lexa for that. She was so happy that she forgot Lexa's arm was still tender and drew back when she heard Lexa groan in pain. "I'm sorry, I'll be more careful."

"I'm afraid my arm will never heal since you tend to favor pulling or squeezing it," Lexa teased with a straight face. "I thought you liked to fix things not break them."

"Not funny," Clarke said with a matching straight face. "I was ready to catch you. It's not my fault you preferred to hug the wall than me."

"Burning," Lexa said with concern.

"Your arm?" Clarke asked suddenly worried that her injury had gotten worse.

"The food," Lexa said watching it start to char on the spit. She watched as Clarke quickly salvaged what she could.

"Here, you can have all of it," Clarke offered.

"We have to work on your cooking skills," Lexa teased taking a portion of it. "But I'm not about to let you go hungry for your mistake." She gave Clarke a sweet smile that could make any burnt meal edible.

"This is still better than anything I grew up eating," Clarke noted as she ate.

"I'll have to let you try my favorites," Lexa offered making a mental note of it. "They're hard to come by but this could be the year we will get some."

Clarke smiled and hoped she was right.

.

Clarke stirred awake and saw Lexa in a tense crouch next to her. She caught on quickly that something had alarmed her. She crawled next to her and drew her gun.

Lexa moved to get a better view of the group approaching them. She relaxed when she recognized them as the villagers. She stood up and called out to them. She listened as the men explained how after their guide returned to report a stranger had arrived, they had come up to help.

Clarke waited and picked up a few words here and there that made her conclude that the villagers had seen the missile explode and realized that they had done it.

Lexa turned and nodded towards her. She stood aside as the men walked over to thank her. "I told them you saved their mountain."

"That's not quite true," Clarke corrected her but saw the signature Lexa look that demanded compliance.

"They don't have to know the whole truth," Lexa said quietly. "It would just generate more questions."

Clarke saw the logic in that and let it be. She saw the men bring back her horse with them and mounted it as Lexa did the same.

With refreshed horses and company, the trip down the mountain was less tedious. When they were within viewing distance of the evacuation site, the men rode ahead to prepare for their arrival.

"I can't wait to sleep on a bed," Clarke said.

"I can't wait to eat unburnt food," Lexa joked and smiled when Clarke gave her an annoyed look.

They were warmly welcomed upon their arrival. The little girl Lexa saved was the first to run up to her when she dismounted. Lexa picked her up with her uninjured arm and said something that made the little girl hug her.

"She likes you," Clarke noted.

"She likes you, too," Lexa said handing the little girl over to her. "She knows we both tamed the mountain for her."

"Is there a way we can just go and rest a little?" Clarke was clearly wanting to lay down. She waited as Lexa announced their plan and the villagers moved aside to create a path to their tent.

"They've agreed to let us rest," Lexa explained as they got into their tent. "But be prepared to celebrate tonight. They have planned a feast." She turned and found Clarke already fast asleep. She pulled off Clarke's boots and loosened her clothing to make it more comfortable for her before lying beside her.

.

Clarke woke up after a short nap and felt refreshed. She looked around but didn't find Lexa. She got up and started pulling her boots on when Lexa returned.

"You're awake," Lexa said happily setting down the binders they had brought with them. "Just in time for the feast."

Being refreshed, Clarke was eager to join and see what was in store for them. Sitting next to Lexa, she was surprised by the amount of food that they were offered.

"They gathered and traded with a neighboring village," Lexa explained. "I've told the village elders that it is safe to return and rebuild their village. The mountain is safe once again."

Clarke was glad that she could be partially instrumental in that. She enjoyed the food along with Lexa and the villagers. Occasionally one of the villagers would come close to offer more food until they were just too full to accept. Before long they cleared a spot to perform dances that entertained them.

"They've created a dance about our taming of the mountain," Lexa explained with a smile. "You're now a hero to them."

Clarke watched with interest as they expressed a story through dance. "Do they always do this? Is this why you said I'd like them?"

"They are less warlike than most," Lexa admitted. "But if needed, they will fight for me."

"I'm sure they would," Clarke agreed having seen how they banded together to rescue them earlier.

The dance ended and the villagers cheered. Lexa stood up and spoke to them that made them cheer louder. Then one of the elders spoke while a dozen women gathered in front of them. Clarke watched and wondered what was next. They began to dance provocatively that she couldn't help but be mesmerized by. It went on for quite a while before reaching a crescendo that ended with another loud cheer from everyone.

"That was quite a show," Clarke noted. "What's next?" She listened to the elder speak again and she picked up on the words daughter and gift. "What's going on?"

"They are offering me their daughters," Lexa replied calmly.

"What?" Clarke asked in surprise. "You can't be serious."

"It would be an insult for me not to consider," Lexa said getting up and walking towards the women. She carefully considered each as they stepped forward to be presented to her. One even ventured to touch Lexa's arm to which the villagers shouted with approval and encouragement.

Clarke genuinely wished at that moment that she had a knife to throw at the offender. Instead all she could do was sit and watch while Lexa met with the women one by one. When Lexa turned to do it all over again, Clarke had enough and walked back to the tent.

Lexa saw Clarke storm off from the corner of her eye but had to stick to her duty and admired each of the women by praising an attribute she considered each one had.

.

Clarke returned to the tent in a huff and tried to shut out the clamoring coming from outside that came in waves. She angrily paced back and forth wondering what she could do to avoid the inevitable. She thought about leaving for Polis but it was dark and she wasn't familiar with the terrain. She wondered if the little girl's family would mind her staying with them if she asked. She just knew she couldn't be there when Lexa returned.

Back outside, Lexa purposefully took her time to make a decision to demonstrate to the villagers that she appreciated their offer. She also wondered how she would make Clarke understand it was expected of her and accept it. She knew by Clarke's early departure that she was not pleased. She could only imagine what was going through her mind inside the tent.

Clarke didn't know whether the long wait for Lexa's return was a good or bad thing. She decided that it would be better to face her than run away. Besides, she knew she would have to eventually anyway. Perhaps the pacing had calmed her down a bit but when she looked at the bed they shared since they've been there, she started to get upset again. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Lexa enter the tent.

"Clarke, are you alright?" Lexa asked announcing her presence. She waited for her to respond and when she didn't she approached.

"I can't," Clarke said turning around close to tears. "I won't."

"What are you talking about?" Lexa wondered unsure what she was getting at.

"This may be acceptable in your culture but," Clarke started.

"Stop!" Lexa commanded with her usual raised hand. She got a glimpse of Clarke's pain before she looked away to hide the tears that were rolling down of their own volition. "I've already made my choice and I chose none of them."

Clarke snapped back and looked at Lexa with disbelief. "But you said it would be an insult …"

"To not consider the offer," Lexa corrected her notion. "But I can decline graciously."

"Graciously?" Clarke asked with curiosity allowing Lexa to wipe away her tears.

Lexa took Clarke's hand and led her to sit on the edge of their bed. "I told them that they were all so pretty that I couldn't choose just one; I had to choose all of them. But it would be too much to ask and take them all away from their families."

"What if they agreed to let you have them all?" Clarke continued. "Did you consider that?"

"I know my people well enough to know they won't," Lexa assured her. "And if they still insisted, I would decline ungraciously. Do you have so little faith in me Clarke?" She stood up abruptly so Clarke won't see that she was upset by her obvious distrust.

"I'm sorry, I was jealous," Clarke admitted reaching for her hand to stop her from walking away and standing to look at her. "I thought that now that you're …" She trailed off knowing that she was better off not saying anything.

"Why would you think I'd take another?" Lexa asked making her own connections quickly. "The boy you loved took another?" She tilted Clarke's head up when she looked down to avoid her gaze.

"It's complicated," Clarke reasoned.

"It shouldn't be," Lexa countered leaning in to give her a kiss with a silent promise. When she pulled away, Clarke pulled her back for more.

"Commander," a voice called out from outside their tent breaking their moment.

Lexa looked at Clarke and gave her a silent command to be quiet to see if he would go away. When he called out again, she knew she couldn't ignore it.

"Your people need you," Clarke said with a smile. Her smile deepened when Lexa reminded her he was their people now. She waited while Lexa went to see what he wanted.

Lexa came back to consult with Clarke. "The women would like to talk to me."

Clarke felt more confident now than she did before and let her go with a nod. As Lexa turned to leave, she stopped her and took Lexa's knife from her. "Just in case I have to decline ungraciously for you." She knew Lexa appreciated that even though she gave her a stern look before she left.