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Chapter 10 - Kom wor.
Clarke took a deep breath and crossed her legs, facing the floor. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and watched as Lexa sat next to her, leaning against the bed. They remained silent for a few minutes, both immersed in their own thoughts.
"I need answers, Lexa. I want to understand." Clarke finally said, facing the Commander.
Lexa sighed, looking at Clarke. She knew she had a long path to go through before she reached Clarke's forgiveness, if she ever does. But she was willing to take that path. She was done fighting it, hiding it. She felt like, with Clarke, she could allow herself to put her mask down. She knew it would be painful, very painful, but she also knew that she caused Clarke's pain. She owed her that. She offered the girl her own life and Clarke spared it. Answers were the least she could give her to try and repair the damage she caused. She nodded, never breaking eye contact with the blonde.
"Very well, Clarke. What do you wish to know?"
Clarke looked inside her eyes and she saw something she couldn't quite comprehend. She saw exhaustion, as if the Commander was done with everything. She remembered the Commander's expression from only a few minutes ago. She saw Lexa hating herself, hurting herself, trying to put her mask on but failing miserably. She took another deep breath, preparing to start asking her questions. She felt like she needed to prepare, she had no idea what was coming or if she would like what she was about to hear.
"I just..."
Clarke's words were interrupted by a knock on the door. Lexa took a deep breath, as if she was saved in the last minute from certain execution. She stood up and walked towards the door. She wasn't expecting anyone. After a moment, she heard one of her guards calling her from the outside.
"Heda! Emo hir!"
She slowly opened the door and faced the warrior. She sighed before replying to the man.
"I will be there in a moment."
The warrior bowed in respect and turned away as Lexa closed the door. She walked straight to her chest of clothes and grabbed her coat and corset, wincing slightly as she sealed it over the fresh wound on her belly.
"Lexa, what is going on? Who is here?" Clarke asked in confusion.
"My council has arrived earlier than expected. I am meeting with them in the main building, there is much to discuss about this threat." She faced Clarke and took a deep breath before continuing.
"I would like you to join me, if you wish."
Clarke noticed how Lexa put back the Commander mask with ease but now, to her, it was trnasnparent. She might be able to pull the Commander attitude to her subjects but Clarke could see right through it.
"A council meeting? Like the one back in TonDC?"
"Yes. The Ice Nation matter has to be taken care of at once. I called for a council meeting while you were still under Zalik's care."
She moved towards Clarke and took a deep breath, looking the blonde in the eyes.
"You have no obligation to help my people or myself, Clarke. And I will understand if you do not wish to do so." The Commander said, lowering her head when she finished the sentence.
Clarke stared at Lexa for a moment and she thought about her options. She has seen enough blood, way too much for a lifetime. She was tired of war, of battles, of conflict. For a minute, she considered denying help, letting the Commander sort things out on her own. This wasn't her battle to fight. However, the thought of innocent people being slaughtered caused her insides to twist.
Lexa nodded at Clarke and turned to leave, presuming her silence as declination. She knew she did not deserve her help.
"I'll fight with you."
Lexa stopped and closed her eyes, quietly sighing, before turning back to face Clarke who walked towards her, looking her in the eyes.
"But I'm not doing this to help you. I'm doing this because I won't just cross my arms while innocent people are dying."
Lexa nodded again and started to walk towards the door to leave when she felt Clarke holding her hand tight. She turned back in confusion and stared at Clarke with wide eyes.
Clarke pulled her closer and spoke loud enough just so the Commander could hear her as she knew the guards were waiting outside.
"There is something you must know."
Lexa noticed the urgency in Clarke's eyes and she wondered what would be so important. She looked at Clarke as the girl continued.
"The Ice Nation suspects of what happened in TonDC. They want to use the knowledge about the missile to break the coalition."
Lexa swallowed dry. She nodded and took a deep breath. She knew that some of her people did not take very well the fact that blood did not answered blood in Mt Weather. The last thing she needed was a rebellion. If war was really coming, she needed unity.
"Thank you, Clarke." She said as she opened the door letting Clarke out of the room.
They met the guards that waited for them and started moving towards the main building where the council waited for their Commander.
When they arrived, a large table had been set in the center of the main room. Twelve chairs surrounded the table and a thirteenth one was placed on a higher platform, right in the center with another one by its side. Eleven of the lower chairs were occupied by a grounder general but one was empty.
The generals stood up and lowered their heads in respect when the Commander entered the room followed by Clarke. She walked towards the higher platform and pointed the side chair with her eyes to Clarke. The blonde stood in front of the chair the same way the other generals were doing.
Lexa went to her chair but she didn't sit. She motioned for her generals to sit down and took a deep breath before she started talking.
"Em komgeda gada in natrona."
She said with a strong voice, the Commander's mask attached to her face emptying her eyes and voice from any emotion.
"The Ice Nation has betrayed the alliance built with the blood of all our people." She looked at her generals with challenging eyes, wondering for a moment if there was other traitors. "They have admitted joining us in battle with spying eyes, looking for weakness. But they found none."
She sat down slowly and quickly looked at Clarke, who watched the Commander's every movement. The blonde understood now. The empty chair belonged to the general of the Ice Nation, the alliance Lexa fought so hard to achieve was hanging by a thread and a new war was about to begin.
"They do not wish to live in peace. Instead, they intend to invade this land once more, causing distress between the clans." Lexa paused, grabbing her dagger and looking at her reflection on the blade before facing her generals again. "I will not allow it."
The general of the Highlands Clan asked for the word and Lexa nodded, allowing him to speak.
"How do we know if this is true, Heda? We heard rumors but..."
"They're already here."
The council went into complete silence when Clarke interrupted the general. Even Lexa looked surprised.
Clarke got up and removed her jacket, placing slowly on the table, exposing only enough flesh for the generals to see her scars. She runs her finger over the long scar on the base of her neck before facing the generals.
"If you want to know if they are really going to attack, well I have the answer for you. They will. And they don't want to talk; they want to kill every single one of you." She finished looking at the general in the eyes.
Lexa took a deep breath, reclaiming the word.
"Clarke was taken by Brynjar and her warriors. They stayed here instead of heading back to the White Lands after we were done in Mount Weather."
Clarke felt Lexa's words like she felt the cold water used by the Ice Nation. She flinched with the bitterness caused by the memory, but she doesn't let it show. Was that how she felt about it? They were done?
"We should have killed them all when we had the chance." Indra spoke with rage. "Quint showed no respect for you, Heda, he challenged your command."
"And he has paid with his life, Indra." Lexa stated.
The brunette turned her attention back to her generals.
"They took Clarke captive, thinking she could provide them with more information." She took a deep breath and thoroughly calculated her next words. "They did not expect, however, that the Sky People would not betray the alliance they have with us. Not even under torture." She swallowed dry after the last words. "And because of that, we now have intelligence on their intentions."
She motioned to Clarke, who stared at the Commander, surprised by her words. She was feeling extremely confused. It was like Lexa was playing mind games. She shows no regret for leaving her but at the same time shows that she values the alliance with her people, the very alliance she betrayed.
Clarke nodded back at Lexa and started to speak.
"The Ice Nation is challenging the Commander and her army. They want to claim this land as their own. Their general said of an army of their own, getting ready to attack. She was very clear on her message. They are coming."
"Where did they take you, Sky Princess?" Nicola, the Sea Clan General asked.
"I don't know. I left my people's village, Camp Jaha, five days before and headed north. They attacked me by surprise. I was kept inside a tent then I was taken here."
"Ha disha sis em au? Ha em na gon get klin?" The general of the Desert Clan showed distress in his words.
"Em ge ogud." Lexa responded dryly.
"We know of their intentions. I will not take this lightly. The Trigedakru does not bend to threats. We must prepare our warriors at once." She nodded in Nicola's direction.
She grabbed her dagger and lightly touched the table top with the blade's edge.
"Send scouts to all the villages to warn them of the imminent danger. Ensure they have enough warriors to defend themselves and all children, weak and elderly are taken to safer grounds. I want eyes everywhere and any information will be reported to me at once."
"And if we find them?" Indra asked in a low, thirsty tone, as if she knew what her Commander would say.
"Oso frag em ogeda op." Lexa said with fire in her eyes.
The generals cheered and Lexa portrayed a small grim. Clarke remember seeing her face like that when the war against Mt. Weather was about to begin.
"They shall have the war they seek. And when we find them, their queen is mine." She said inbetween her teeth.
The Commander stood up and was followed by her generals. The room fell in silence. Lexa stared at the empty seat with rage in her eyes.
"When this is over..." She paused and threw her dagger, piercing the seat that belonged to the Ice Nation general. "... the Ice Nation will be no more."
She looked back up at her generals and raised her hand.
"Kom wor!"
The generals cheered, raising their arms and repeating the Commander's words.
"Kom wor!"
Heda! Emo hir! - Commander! They are here!
Em komgeda gada in natrona. - There's a traitor in the coalition.
Ha disha sis em au? Ha em na gon get klin? - How does this help us? How do we know for sure?
Em ge ogud. - We get ready.
Oso frag em ogeda op. - We will kill them all.
Kom wor! - To war!