AUTHOR NOTE
Welcome back. Chapters 25 and onward serve as something comparable to a sequel to the first section of the story. This is a warning that things will get dark and deaths will occur. If you would like to remain in a pleasant, happy world. Stop reading here. If not. Enjoy!
Lexa tightened her fingers on the string of her bow and tilted the arrow slightly to the left. She exhaled calmly training the tip of the arrow to the male deer before her. She felt the Nightblood's tension, they seemed to be holding their breath beside her.
The buck was a large one, 8 points on its antlers and large sharp fangs protruding from its long muzzel and four bright yellow eyes, the eyes were fairly common but the fangs were a rarity. These types of deer had been known to maul hunters with poor aim or reflexes, sometimes to death.
But Lexa didn't fear this creature. The bow had been her weapon of choice for years, sitting a top the trees, picking off intruders and prey with ease. It was only after she'd entered the more intense era of her Nightblood training had she discovered her fondness of wielding two swords.
"Breath Nightbloods." Lexa said calmly exhaling. "Without air you cannot truly focus on your task." Obediently her charges released their breaths, some with more ease than others. Closest to her she felt Aden's eyes darting from her to the deer.
"The third eye." Lexa said calmly, lining the tip of the arrow with the Buck's rear eye on the far side of its head, not necessarily the easiest target but one she knew would be fatal. The Commander released her fingers and felt the arrow wush past her face and find its target.
The deer dropped lifelessly as the arrow impaled its eye and entered its brain. It died completely unaware of the dangers before it, like most who were killed by a bow.
The Nightbloods beside her relaxed; relieved that the threat had been eliminated. Several made to move forward to examine the kill. Lexa held up an arm halting them.
"I've made the kill but that doesn't mean training is complete for the day."
Lexa nodded to Dara one of the taller girls who had never held, let alone used a bow before being brought to Polis.
"Send an arrow through its second eye." She commanded the younger girl who nodded obediently, notching her bow.
"Tuck your elbow in." Lexa noted the girl's stance.
The arrow pierced the ear of the buck but not quite the eye.
"Keep both eyes focused on the target." The commander critiqued. "Practice more often in Polis to gain a feeling of how the arrows moves based on where you move it. Though bows aren't generally used in close combat they are still an asset in battle and as Heda."
"Yes Heda." Dara nodded. "Thank you."
Lexa nodded. "Perseus, strip of the buck of its antlers and teeth. Then we'll carry it back to Polis."
"Yes Heda" The large black haired boy responded, drawing his dagger and moving forward towards the deer.
As the boy took his first step into the clearing the ground began to shake with a grumbling roar. Without hesitating Lexa pulled Perseus back into the small grove the group had settled in to hunt. The children around her were turning their heads fervently searching for the source of the sound.
The Commander cursed herself for not bringing guards with her on this lesson. She and the Nightbloods were more than a day's walk to Polis. Though, Lexa knew that in order to truly be protected from the beast that had uttered its great cry she would have needed several warriors she still wished she had at least some with her.
"Heda what should be do?" Aden asked anxiously from her side. Lexa held up a hand to silence him, her ears focused on listening in the trees. Listening for movement, growls, grumbles, cries.
The beast was not near them, no its roar had been too distant, but what worried her was actually how distant it was. The sound had come from the north where Lexa knew there to be a small village. A village that mainly traded in hunting and not as much true combat, few true warriors lived there.
Her ears grew tense with effort as she strained them to search through the sounds of the birds, cicadas, and the wind, to what lay beyond.
Her fears were met as the great creature bellowed again. Seeming to rattle the teeth in her jaw.
One or two of the Nightbloods yelped in fear.
Lexa's heart dropped. Not from the sound of the beast, but the sounds that followed after. The cries and screams of fear. The innocent whom the beast had set itself upon.
"Oh no." Aden muttered beside her and she felt her heart warm slightly, his empathy towards the their people mimicked hers, as if he too possessed the flame.
"Come." Lexa said rising. Several of the children around her tensed, enough to show their reluctance. "Those cries come from my people." She snapped at them. "Your people, those who it is your job to protect."
"But Heda…." One began.
"To protect even if it costs you your life." She snapped. "Would you respond differently should it be an invading clan? Or when the mountain was still strong?"
Suddenly the cries of fear grew in volume and the great Pauna roared again.
The gorillas had been responsible for so many deaths in the land, rampaging villages, slaughter families. As Lexa and her students charged through the trees towards the chaos she only hoped that this time they would succeed in killing it, before it claimed too many of them.
XXXXX
Clarke grumbled in frustration as she glared down at the paper before her. The drawing of the flower she was meant to be copying was smudged. She was trying to count the number of petals the orange pod possessed but the charcoal drawing must have at some point come in contact with water, leaving the petals nearly indiscernible. This was the fourth drawing she'd encountered that day where she had come close to giving herself a headache from straining her eyes.
She'd been tasked several weeks ago by one of the healing elders to transcribe the botanical archives of the medical center into one large volume. She was a skilled artist and the archives were in desperate need of re copying so Clarke had been happy to do it.
Since returning to Polis and settling the Arkadians into their allotted tasks Clarke had found her days long and most times more than not considerably boring. Unlike Lexa and her friends who seemed not to have enough hours in the day to get things done Clarke had been finding herself more and more wandering the city without purpose or need.
She was almost envious of her previous self now however, the master volume she had spent over a fortnight creating consisted of hundreds of drawings and descriptions, and she was not yet even half way through all the drawings the healers had supplied her with.
As Clarke decided that the plant must have four petals she felt her eyes itch with tiredness. The sun had set several hours ago and she was working by candle light which wasn't good for eyes at the best of times but Lexa had been out on a training exercise with the Nightbloods for three days now and despite her best efforts Clarke just could not get a full night's sleep without her.
She'd never tell Lexa this of course for she knew she'd receive one of the Commander's infamous subtle smirks. Still though she wished the Commander had not extended the exercise with the Nightbloods. She was supposed to return the previous night from the trip. Clarke had been anxiously awaiting her return but as the sun set Titus ensured Clarke that it was quite normal for the Commander to get completely focused on working with the children and extend the exercise.
She had not returned this day either which was causing Clarke to become slightly prickly and a tad nervous. She glanced out the nearest window and saw the moon high in the sky. It was late, past midnight. With a sigh, Clarke closed her book and tidied up her working desk, knowing she'd want it clean for a fresh start in the morning.
Clarke was just about to extinguish her candle and head to bed when there was a hurried knock at the door.
Clarke furrowed her brow. Most of the tower was sleeping and few people had called on her in the past weeks.
"Yes?" She asked hesitantly.
"Clarke it's me." Octavia's voice called quickly bad.
"Hi." Clarke said surprised opening her door to see her friend standing before her.
Octavia looked more frazzled than usual and had clearly just returned from a scouting mission.
"Is everything okay?" Clarke asked sensing the turmoil in Octavia.
"I'm here because I don't think anyone else will think to tell you." Octavia said breathlessly.
"Tell me what?" Clarke asked, concern mounting.
"A village half a day's ride from here was destroyed two days ago by one of those huge Gorillas."
"Pauna?" Clarke asked, feeling for the people of the village but more confused as to how it affected her.
"Yeah." Octavia nodded. "The village wasn't too far from where The Commander and the Nightbloods last made contact. No one has heard from them since."
Clarke's mouth went dry. Lexa would have gone straight for that village if she heard what was happening, or worse she could have run into the Pauna on its way there.
"Look." Octavia continued, sensing Clarke's mounting fear. "No one knows even if anything went wrong with them yet. It may just be a coincidence."
Clarke's eyes burned holes through Octavia.
"But Titus is still taking it pretty seriously. There's a bunch of warriors and healings packing up now to head there. They're hoping to reach the village by dawn. I figured you might want to go with them."
Clarke nodded wordlessly, trying best to keep her worries in check.
"Okay. I thought so." Octavia said "I'm going too, we can ride together and jeez Clarke. Stop looking so scared. If anyone can handle one of those monsters it's your girlfriend. She's as badass as they get, her and her little army of killer kids."
But Octavia was wrong, Clarke knew as she followed her out of the room and headed for the stables. Those beasts were vicious and enormous. They had killed even the best warriors with ease. One so long ago had almost killed her herself and Lexa. If it came down to a one on one battle Lexa wouldn't have stood a chance.
As Clarke mounted Wells and joined the small caravan of healers and warriors hurriedly leaving Polis her mind jumped to the last time she had seen Lexa.
It had been the morning the day she was set to leave. It was early, before the city had truly begun to wake up. Clarke had found herself jostled by a sudden movement in their bed. She had awoken with a start and had immediately searched for Lexa. The Commander had still been asleep but was clearly caught in a nightmare. Her entire body was tensed and she was spasming violently. Normally the Commander awoke not long after the nightmare but few times like this one she became entrapped within it. Her hands were balled into tight fists around the furs and even the smallest of whimpers were escaping her lips.
"Lexa." Clarke had said hesitantly. The memory of getting punched in the face by a sleeping Lexa still fresh. Slowly, as if trying not to startle a striking snake Clarke had taken the older girl's hand and gave it a slight squeeze. The girl didn't acknowledge the contact, still completely ensnared by her dream. Slowly and hesitantly Clarke managed to wrap herself around Lexa so that she was holding her form tightly. Her mouth close to the girl's ear so she could mutter soft and soothing things to her, as Lexa often did to her whenever she was caught in her dreams.
Bit by bit the Commander's tension seemed to recede, her fists relaxed, her brow became smooth, and eventually those stunning green eyes greeted Clarke.
"Hi." Clarke had said, a slight smile on her face.
"Thank you." Lexa gulped.
Clarke leaned in and gave the Commander a warm kiss. "There's nothing to thank."
Lexa gave a content sigh at the kiss, the last of her tension evaporating.
"Are you okay?" Clarke asked the older girl.
Lexa took Clarke's hand and squeezed. "I am with you."
Clarke smiled broadly, showing her teeth as Lexa pulled her in close to her. No matter the nightmare be it their reality or in their sleep they could always pulled each other from it and make things better. That's what Clarke had thought that morning.
But now as she rode off into the darkened forest with Octavia and the others she felt as though she dread she'd only ever felt in nightmares. She hoped and prayed that Lexa would be there when the sun rose to pull her from this awful reality.