After a moment of deliberation Lexa leaves Clarke and Kai in the woods using her energy. For the second time that night, the brief weightlessness disappears and she is feeling a sense of motion that had abruptly stopped. This time, she is prepared for the landing and feeling that comes with it, as her feet touch down on cobblestones again. She shakes her head to clear the fog and doesn't stumble this time when she takes her first step.

The people around her let out light gasps at her reappearance, which she ignores, it is the same reaction they held when she began to glow and vanish not long before. She doesn't owe them any explanation and she doesn't offer any, she is Heda. She doesn't have time for this. She moves straight for Ziva and Luna who she picks out of the crowd first.

"Those that require the healers may go now. Ten men tasked on the blood trees, I want the tree's set by morning! Those remaining, scour the city for any who seem out of place and they are to be brought before me!" Lexa barks out in Trig as she moves towards the two leaders.

They are both bleeding and bruised but relatively okay. Luna has a gash on her cheek and forehead, her coat is ripped along one side and her knuckles are bleeding. Ziva has a black eye forming and a large gash on her arm that's still bleeding steadily. The warrior is oblivious to the pain and blood as she is turning her focus from Luna onto Lexa with a slight bow.

"News?" Lexa doesn't bother with formal greetings.

"Five assassins remain alive," Ziva offers. It's not much but it's something.

"Some escaped, though we have no knowledge how yet," Luna tells her. "I have my people looking into it. If there's a way in or out we don't know about we soon will."

Lexa gives her a slight nod. She has faith in Luna's people; they are notoriously stealthy and sneaky. Much like the water that flows through the Earth underground, they flow upon it silent and steady rarely allowing to be blocked. They will find the answers she seeks if none of the prisoners speak it.

"Send a party into the woods to the Northeast as well," Lexa commands Luna. "They will find the body of an assassin," she takes a sharp breath, "beyond that, they will find the body of one of my novitiates." She doesn't mean to pause here, but the emotions that choke her cause her to do it anyways. She is quick to recover as she sees Luna's eyes widen, she doesn't need any sympathy right now - she needs answers. "Have them follow the trail and report back."

Luna swallows and lowers her eyes nodding once. "Sha, Heda," she says firmly.

"Where's Titus?" Lexa asks the both of them.

"He should be with the natblida's should he not?" Ziva asks and her usually heavy low voice is laced with an obvious hint of worry for her sister.

Lexa's jaw juts back and forth, she takes a sharp breath through her nose, "He wasn't at the festival tonight. I want to know why. Luna, find your men that were tailing him, I want to know where he was. Go now." She orders to a nodding Luna, who then retreats.

"Should I go look for him Heda?" Ziva offers adjusting her grip on the blades she still hasn't put away.

Lexa shakes her head once, "No. I will find him eventually. Where is Ryder?"

"He was overseeing prisoner transport to the dungeons," comes her answer.

"Ziva get to the healer's wing and have that arm looked at," Lexa commands, she knows she won't leave unless its an order. There's a brief moment of hesitation before the woman nods and leaves. She does not put her blades away.

Lexa heads to the dungeons taking deep breaths. She looks at two of her sentries as she passes, "You two, with me."

Flanked by the two large men she gets closer to the tunnels. Instead of turning left to Titus's zone she heads to the right towards the prisoner's cells.

"Ryder," she says greeting the man.

He looks her over when he sees her checking for wounds beside the ones on her face. He stands tall and his features are set once more, "Heda. The prisoners are secure."

She nods, "Five I am told."

"Sha, two women, three men."

"Do we know anything?"

"We have not had a chance to look them over for distinguishing marks yet Heda." The man tells her softly.

She sets her jaw; she feels uneasy, she is too eager, too hasty for answers. They have not had the time to do anything yet in regards to getting answers. The attack has barely ended; she can't expect to have answers yet but that doesn't mean she does not want them. Now.

She is anxious. Lexa does not do well with anxious. She needs to be busy, active, accomplishing something. She hates this. She can feel her heart race again; her blood begins to boil, her anger from the night stirring, and her grief for those lost beginning to eat at her. She swallows and swallows and swallows in attempts to keep it all down. Bottle it up and let it rage within, but her hand is on the hilt of her sword and she is white knuckle gripping it like it's her lifeline. She feels like she did when she first took command.

"We will start right away," Ryder offers eyeing her with concern.

She nods again with another tight jaw twitch. Her grip on her sword does not relax, it is taking every ounce of strength inside her not to rage out and kill the first assassin she sees in the cell just feet away.

Breathe.

"Titus?" she manages to growl out.

Ryder shakes his head, "He's not here. I have not seen him all night."

Lexa takes another deep breath and lets it out in a sigh; "Go beyond the wall, to the northeast you'll find Clarke. Bring her home, take four with you, there are bodies she will point you in the direction of them." She sucks in a sharp breath now, she swallows uselessly again against her emotions. "Handle him with care," she adds softly in trig, a whisper, knowing Ryder will understand when he gets to the bodies in the woods. He will know when he sees Maks.

"Sha Heda," Ryder says bowing his head with a slight furrow to his brow. When he raises it the warrior mask has crumbled and he looks at her with affection and concern, "Are you alright?" he asks quietly for only her to hear.

She gives him a tight nod, "Fine."

It's all she can say right now. It's a lie, they both know it, but she can't deal with this right now. He also knows that too, his question was simply an acknowledgement that he knows. He sees her pain and he feels it too. He wants so much more for her than this.

"I'll be in the healer's wing. If you see Titus, have him sent to me," she orders hardening up herself once more. Before she leaves however, she walks.

Breathe.

She stalks the cement hallways of the prisoner's cells. Steeling herself and fighting her rage, she hardens her features and sets her jaw. She lets Heda take control. She needs to make this walk and prove to herself that she is not run by her emotions. She will not kill them, not yet. Not without her answers. She eyes each one individually taking in their appearance looking for any obvious indication of who they are or which clan they are a part of. She sees fear in their eyes and it makes the Heda within even more concentrated. She takes the walk twice in silence, slow and threatening before she leaves once more.

She feels stronger now, decisive, hardened, more in control after that. Less like she's spiraling. She passed a test she placed before herself; she proved once more she has incredible self-control. She wanted to see them bleed, she wants it, but she will wait. She practices patience. Heda will make them speak with each drop of their blood until she has the very last of it.

Her pace is quick as she makes her way back to the tower. The doors open for her as she enters and she heads directly to the healer's wing. The wing is a flurry of activity. Various warriors lay out on cots and along the floor, wherever there is room. The healers and their apprentice's are bustling about; the noise is a constant hum in her ears, there are low moans escaping some of her people and soft words of comfort being spoken.

Many greet her as she makes her way into the wing and towards Abby. The woman is bent over a cot with her back to her. When Abby stands up straight and turns around her eyes widen as she sees Lexa.

Immediately Abby is rushing forward. "Lexa," she breathes and much like Clarke had earlier, she has her hands pushing and poking at Lexa checking for other wounds. Her hands land on Lexa's cheeks pulling her head lower to see the gash on her head and trying to push some of her blood of her face. Lexa politely grabs her wrists and brushes her off.

"I am fine."

"Lexa, you're injured. You need that looked at," Abby says coming forward again.

A raised hand stops her and Lexa speaks, "I'll have Clarke look at it later. My people's needs come first, take care of them."

"You are what your people need," Abby mutters now sounding like Clarke too.

Lexa ignores her, "Aden?"

Abby gives her a grim smile, "The wound is deep. He has a fight on his hands. Echo is finishing his stitches now." She looks behind Lexa somewhat hopefully, "Where's Clarke?"

"She is on her way back to the city," Lexa responds looking for Aden's cot.

Abby cocks her head, "She's what? Zora said she was in the throne room!"

Lexa's eyes widen at what she let slip. She tries to calm the woman before she can get too worked up, "She's fine Abby. She found Kai beyond the wall; they are on their way back. Ryder is on his way to them, he'll bring them home." She puts her hand on Abby's shoulder and gives her a tight squeeze of her hand.

Abby swallows anything she might say, because really, there's nothing she can say. She nods and beckons Lexa to follow her to Aden's bed.

"Heda," Aden says grunting in pain as Echo stabs into his skin again with a needle.

"Shhh, Aden." Lexa says coming to sit beside his bed, taking the seat Zora offered her. "Just rest child, keep your strength up." She looks from Aden to Zora who much like her older sister, still has her hand tight around her blade. Lexa sees the red blood on the dull training sword, "You were very brave today," she tells them both knowing they had defended their fellow novitiates. Both kids raise their chins in pride and she offers them what small token she can, a soft sympathetic but very prideful smile. She gives them as much emotion as she can right now in subtle looks and gestures. She stays with them for some time listening to their tale of getting back to the tower. When the story dies down she praises them again. She is beyond proud of them both.

Lexa lays a light hand on Aden's shoulder and gives him a squeeze, "Rest now." She stands and gestures to Zora to retake her chair, "Sit, rest." The girl hesitates but Lexa has left no room for her to decide whether it is an order or not. A moment later, she sits and Lexa gently takes the sword from her tight grip. "You don't need that now Zora, you are safe." The girl gives her a tight nod and focuses back on Aden who groaned as Echo ties off the last stitch.

"Thank you for your help Echo," Lexa offers the woman.

Echo stands, "I am only here to help, to prove my worth Heda, no thanks is required." Her loyalty is strong and she offers no lie in words, Lexa can see it in her eyes.

Lexa nods and decides to offer what she can right now, she needs her to know she really appreciates her efforts and not just on a dutiful level, but on a personal one. She extends her forearm to the ice nation woman who clasps it after hiding her brief shock. They say nothing, Lexa thanks her with her eyes and Echo bows her head slightly in acknowledgement before they break apart.

Lexa does a lap around the wing making sure to stop at each and every person who lies injured. She offers the ones awake her thanks, her condolences and her care. The ones who are asleep she stands silently beside but thanks them all the same. She honours each and every one of them for bleeding for her and their people.

When she is ready to leave the wing she heads upstairs towards her next destination.

When the elevator doors close behind her Lexa breaks down.

The emotions and her own lack of rest are beginning to catch up with her once more. Aden almost died. The novitiates were exposed and unprotected last night. Maks's fight ended. Kai was almost lost as well. And her people, oh her people, so many innocents died tonight simply for being present or in someone's way. Some died in the rush and push of the crowd, they were trampled and dying slowly. She has been on many battlefields, but battle and war are different than what transpired last night. She was prepared for an attack but it was not enough. Too many died. An attack is different than a battle in many ways but mostly, it is the innocents that make the difference. She feels each and every loss like her own, because they are her own.

Unable to stay standing, she bends at the waist, hands on her knees and takes in a few shuddering breaths. Tears well in her eyes but she doesn't let them fall, she stands straight once more and looks to the ceiling of the small box she rides in.

When the elevator jars to a halt at the throne room floor and the doors open, Heda exits.