Hello. I hope everyone's life is going somewhat according to plan. Shorter update today, but the next chapter is going to happen after a bit of a time gap I think, so there will be more stuff to write about. In the meantime, I hope this is enough for you all to get your fix. The formatting got a bit weird for some reason, so I hope that doesn't cause any difficulty for you all (Sorry if it does!) - my computer stopped working so I'm doing this on a strange other device with different software. Thank you to everyone who took the time to review, like, follow and whatever else, your input really helps and you all got brownie points and gold stars. ENJOY!
None of the characters belong to me. The 100 belongs to CW.
DesireeStorm: I agree.. It's really annoying not to be able to have them kiss and make up yet. Because all I want to write is a hot and heavy make out session. But patience is a virtue. The gay will be strong with these two.
SummerStormWar: Studio Ghibli fan?! Woot! Me too. Princess Mononoke is a badass, maybe I could make that happen. But youll have to wait and see. I definitely don't think it would happen as commonly as in Princess Mononoke, but that may change. I've been playing with the idea, so I'll definitely keep it in the back of my mind.
PS. I'm happy it made you sad, but not in a creepy psycho sort of way, just in a my-writing-is-effecting-your-emotional-state sort of way. Which is an amazing compliment. Thanks!
Lexa walked into camp with her head held high and shoulders pushed back – at least as far as she could given that she was leaning on a makeshift crutch and limping heavily. Her people stopped what they were doing to watch her lead the four others through the village, three of which were carrying some of the cured wolf meat and the remains of the carcass. They soon branched off, leaving her only with the man carrying the pelt. No one spoke, the wind swirled around silent bodies, carrying Lexa along with it.
Once the train of people had passed by, most villagers went about their work as usual, only a few followed the Commander to her final destination: Those who were young and curious, those in her higher command, and those who had whispered challenges of her leadership among the ranks. The difficulty was discerning who belonged to which group of the latter two.
Lexa caught sight of Indra out of the corner of her eye and felt unease twist in her gut. Indra had been her loyal second for many moons; she was as stubborn as she was dangerous, but she was also clever. If Indra had been the one whispering insubordination, it could easily be that such a simple display of strength would not due to silence them. Which was why she was going to the Mother of Eyes.
She did not live in the village with the rest of them, but amongst the trees. Even though Lexa was impatient to see her, she knew tradition, and knew she needed witnesses to the Mother's words, so she had taken the time to detour through the village. Now she headed back out, climbing past thick roots and troublesome rocks, gritting her teeth past the pain shooting up and down her leg with each movement.
The Mother of Eyes was an ancient creature of her lands. She had been around when the oldest man in her village had been a child, and she was revered but feared throughout her people. She was known to be able to speak to the Gods, to listen to the words of the earth, and to have visions of what was to come. Some even spoke of other powerful abilities that could not rationally be explained.
The Commander hated putting any truth behind these words, especially since she had met the Sky People, but even she could not explain how the Mother always seemed to know when she was needed, and would appear before the seeker from seemingly nowhere.
There she stood now, although Lexa had not heard or seen her approach, at the crest of the rise of the earth before them. She stood hunched over, a cloak of raven feathers and small bones covering the features of her shape and hanging low over her face. She stood still as rock, one wrinkled hand clutching a long staff made of an intricately twisted wood and metal; the other hanging limply by her side, the fingers moving quickly along a beaded necklace.
The Commander and those who followed came to a halt at the bottom of the incline. Discarding of her own staff, Lexa made a signal for the last man of her hunting trip to hand her the pelt. The weight of it made her leg burn as though on fire, but she made no sound. Clenching her jaw, she slowly made her way up the incline to face the woman, her leg almost giving out a few times.
"Mother of Eyes, I come here seeking your counsel, and I offer you the pelt of a Fenrif in hopes you accept my plea." It irked Lexa that she was pleading for help from a crone in front of her people, but if this was what needed to be done to regain control over her people and to protect Clarke and the Sky People then so be it.
She could not even tell if the Mother was looking at her, so low was the hood pulled over her face, so bent her back. The crone said nothing, only slowly turned and began walking away from her. Indicating that her people should wait where they stood, Lexa awkwardly limped after the crooked woman.
They eventually came to a stop at a fallen tree, now covered in moss and mushrooms, where Mother of Eyes sat down, her hand never stopping its clicking of the beads. Lexa, whose breaths came heavily and who dripped in sweat, tried not to obviously collapse in relief next to her, placing the bound pelt between them. It was not yet finished and still required work to be turned into a pelt that would not begin rotting soon, but her people had started the process at least, so she hoped the old crone would not reject her.
They sat quietly for some time, as Lexa regained control of her labored breaths. She refused to beg again, she was in the right and she was a good leader. She did not need some old crone to give her words of wisdom on her duty as Commander.
"Why are you here?" Mother of Eyes rasped.
Lexa looked at her coolly, attempting to control the irritation she felt so as not to cause offense. She was not foolish enough to do that.
"My people need to believe I am their leader again. I killed a Fenrif to prove my strength, now I come to you to prove the Gods still believe my spirit worthy."
"Your spirit was chosen. I see it in your eyes. You have the spirit of the Commanders past and come, you are past and future. Your people are past and do not see the future. Great clouds roll over hills towards you."
"What do you say, crone? What does that mean?"
"I say only what I see."
"Will my people follow me?"
"That is not the question you need answering."
Lexa's temper flared. "I almost died to answer that question. You do not know what you speak of."
"I know what lays heavy on your mind. I know the mountain sighed with death that day. The star from the sky turned red and burned."
Lexa stood up, ignoring her pain and gripping her sword. She knew who the crone spoke of, and it filled her with fury. How did she know of Clarke? Of her choice at the mountain?
"How do you know about that?" She hissed.
"The leaves and clouds filled with whispers of a tragedy. I simply listened."
"What do you know of Clarke? Why do you speak of her? She has nothing to do with this!"
The crone did not respond immediately. For the first time since they had sat down, Lexa noticed that the forest had become completely quiet, Mother of Eyes had stopped moving the beads on the necklace. The feathers on her cloak ruffled with a wind Lexa did not feel against her skin, but shivers travelled up and down her back.
Shadows shifting on her face to reveal pale lips set amongst a thousand and one wrinkles, the Mother lifted her face slightly. And although Lexa could not see her eyes, she felt them boring into her, felt as though eyes were all around her, the hairs on the nape of her neck rising to attention.
"You have lost your path Lexa. You have so stubbornly marched down one you no longer know where you stand. You are blind to your own and blind to the moon. Blind to death and blind to life. I have seen the paths of your future and some lead to greatness, to life. Others will lead you and your people to extinction. The clouds rumble, the ground shakes, the skies are on fire. You are alone."
Lexa was shaking, her mouth hanging open, the blood drained from her face. She watched, her heart pounding as the crone stood, and, as though it weighed nothing, lifted the bound wolf's fur with one hand. She stood across from Lexa for one more moment, her voice rasping parting words.
"The Gods have plans Lexa. Great and terrible plans. You will not survive alone, but your people will follow you. Your spirit is true. Doubt will be your downfall, one of many. We will meet again, not all is lost, but bare your heart and shield your back. The shadows twist even the purest souls."
With that, she walked slowly away, making no sound as her cloak trailed across the forest floor. She left Lexa standing in her wake, shaking and staring after her, no sounds escaping her dry mouth. She stood there frozen, her mind whirling and clashing, as the sun began to set.
"Heda.." She heard from her right.
Tearing her eyes away from an empty forest, she looked over to see Indra standing a few feet away, holding her branch she had used as a crutch to walk gingerly in her hands. She met her gaze impassively, neither of them saying anything for a bit longer still.
"What did she say?" Indra finally asked, breaking the silence between them.
"She…" Lexa cleared her throat, shaking her head slightly and breathing in deeply. Meeting Indra's gaze with a new feriocity, she continued. "She said I was the true Commander, and that my people would follow me. Did you ever doubt?"
Indra looked taken aback. "I was the one who told you of the rumors."
"There was a time not long ago you would have brought me the tongue of any who dare speak ill against me."
"I did not think you would have approved of such drastic action.."
"Because you think me weak? A coward who ran from the mountain?" She spat, taking a step towards the other woman.
"You did not run, Heda. You chose to save as many of your people's lives as possible, even over your word… over the sky girl."
"Clarke had nothing to do with my actions." Lexa snapped, grabbing the stick from her second's hands to relieve the strain on her burning leg.
"Of course, Heda. What I meant was that it would have been easy to fight. But to go against what our people believe in, to take another path; that shows true strength and leadership."
"So you do not challenge my reign?"
"No, Heda. You are the leader of our people and I will follow you and only you."
Lexa sighed, exhaustion hitting her with Indra's words of faith and sub-ordinance. With her at her side any whispers of rebellion would soon die down, especially with the crone's words; but the Mother of Eyes had also spoken of danger, of death and destruction. Such warnings could not go ignored.
"Let us return to the village. There is much we must discuss."
Clarke was taking her fourth break for the day. She was blaming it on the pup, but she knew in the back of her mind that she was growing tired and wary, and that she needed the break as much as the Athena.
Athena. Clarke absent mindedly watched the pup finish up its fourth meal with a greed that would lead one to think that it had not had anything to eat at all since the morning. Lexa had warned her that an animal that grew to be as large and powerful as the Fenrif would require a good storage of food, which is why they had spent most of the rest of the morning discussing various techniques to hunt and trap small animals, as well as various plants that could aid in the development of a child and as such hopefully do the same for Athena. Somehow they had managed to avoid all unspoken thoughts and question between them by focusing solely on the dopey animal who had, at the time, been attempting to eat an ant.
Before they had parted, Lexa had given her the rest of the cured meat she had brought with her for the hunt, not evening offering any of the Fenrif's - as though she already know the disgust Clarke felt at the sight of it - as well as the rest of the oddly colored gruel for the pup. She had also given her a warm, if rough, blanket, which she now had wrapped around herself, comforted by the weight of it on her shoulders. It smelled of sweet smoke and sweat, a scent she found surprisingly enticing.
Athena let out a yip, breaking her from her reverie. Remains of her dinner were smeared across her snout, even though she kept licking her chops in an attempt to get every last bit. Smiling at its struggles, Clarke opened up her warm cocoon and shifted her legs, creating the small nest she had first used for the pup in the cave; Athena did not even hesitate, springing towards her and crashing into her stomach before settling down in a small ball, smearing the remains of White Tear leaf and rabbit guts along her pants.
Surrounding the both of them with the blanket again, Clarke stared straight ahead at another tree trunk without really seeing. It would not have mattered even if she had been focusing on the trunk; she would have seen no difference from the one in front of her to any of the ones surrounding her. She was lost, and that was the issue.
Not only did she have to take care of herself now, but also a small pup which was easy prey. Right now it may be content to just sit beneath a tree with her, but what about once it got older? She would need to train it, to bond with it, and she had no idea how to do that. Images of it wandering off in the middle of the night to be eaten by one creature or another flashed before her eyes but she quickly pushed them aside.
She needed help, and she didn't know where to get it, didn't know what to ask for. The sun was beginning to set and she had spent the entire day wandering in no particular direction. At first she had been suspicious that perhaps Lexa had commanded someone to follow her and make sure she stayed safe, but after breaking out into numerous randomly placed sprints and doubling back, she had never seen a hint of anyone. She was on her own. That was what she had wanted - right?
There was also the issue of food. She had been keeping her eyes out for any game or edible plants, but she was becoming aware of just how loud and out of place she was in the forest. She kept stepping on twigs and tripping over invisible branches; she was sure she also smelt out of place. Even the pup, which could not have been older than a couple weeks, moved with more elegance than she did. So the only thing she could do was set up traps, although she had never needed to do that herself and had only learnt about it in theory. But that also meant doubling back during the day or finding a permanent place to stay, and currently all she saw were trees.
Which brought her back to her most current issue. Chilly winds were starting to pick up in the growing dark, pulling at her hair and travelling down into the crevices of her clothing, finding skin and raising the hairs on it. The night would be cold, and dangerous, and after her encounter with the Fenrif, as beautiful as it was, she was not stupid enough to believe that should she encounter another beast of the forest it would turn out so well. She needed a place to stay, protected from the elements and any creatures prowling the woods, and she didn't know where to find that.
She felt the tears begin to sting her eyes, the rawness of her throat, but she bit her lip. Crying would not help. She would not succumb to those feelings again. She needed to be strong, for herself and for the pup. Both of their lives depended on it. Pulling the blanket tighter around them and breathing in heavily, she pulled her gun out from her bag and settled in for a very, very long night.
PS. I was looking at traffic stats the other day and saw that there are quite a few of you from different countries. If you're reading this/and or reviewing it and English isn't your first language, then I applaud you. It's pretty badass that you can read multiple languages, and thank you for putting in the time to read through my story. If you want, leave a comment in the review section in your mother-tongue, and I'll see just how badly I can respond in your first language (aka Google Translate), because I'm definitely nowhere near was fluent as you guys are in English. Cheers!