Dawn of A New Era
Spoilers: All Episodes
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Lexa stood viewing the maps before as Costia sat nearby playing, Clarke in the camp assisting with finding tasks for the Skaikru. A soft brush of air by her leg made Lexa reach down to catch her daughter by her small waist, lifting the toddler from the ground with little effort. Costia pushed against her and grunted, clearly trying to get away.
"Leaving the safety of our tent is unwise my daughter."
"Down!" Costia yelled and hit her with both hands. "Down!" She started whining and twisting.
Grabbing her daughter's hands gently she shook her head. "We do not hit another my child, it harms them. Your hands have hurt me."
Little legs started kicking and Costia started screaming, causing Lexa to walk away from the maps to the private area of the tent. She sat on the bed she shared with Clarke and put Costia on her lap. Costia cried and pushed at her, "GO!"
"I will not go and you are not leaving the tent."
Clarke entered the tent prepared to start getting a meal together so that once Luka and Maya were finished with their tasks they could be told of what would happen to them. Before she could call for Lexa she heard muffled sobbing and moved to the private area to find her wife with their daughter. The girl was sobbing and Lexa was just looking down at the little girl, rubbing her back gently.
"Hey, is everything okay?"
"Mommy…" it was a sobbed cry and Costia held out her arms as if begging to be taken by her mother.
"Costia found her fists and legs to be powerful today, she harmed me in attempts to leave the tent." Lexa's voice was calm as she looked up at her wife. "I was allowing her to settle her anger."
Clarke nodded and gently touched Costia's back. "Costia we can't hurt people to get what we want." She kissed the toddler's head and stood up. "I will see you when we eat."
"Mommy! Mommy!" The little girl sobbed and yelled after her mother as she watched her walk away. Clarke paused at the curtain but saw Lexa nod in reassurance so she continued on despite her daughter's cries for her.
Lexa held her daughter close and kissed her head. "Your mother loves you my daughter, she will return and hold you when you have calmed your anger."
An hour later Lexa once again stood among her maps while a meal was prepared by Clarke at the table. Costia's crying had lulled her to sleep so she would nap while her mothers welcomed her new siblings. Lexa picked up a piece of charcoal and marked the map, listening as Clarke spoke to her.
"Echo left for the forest this morning, determined to complete some ritual." Clarke placed down plates. "Something about her son's spirit needing guidance."
Lexa turned to look at Clarke over her shoulder. "The child was too young to leave the ground with knowledge of how to find rest. Echo has gone to guide the child to rest so his spirit does not wonder alone tied to the ground without peace."
"Bellamy went with her, apparently the resident midwife broke the news that their son's sibling will join them in a few months. Echo violently denied it, telling the midwife she was lying in attempts to sooth the pain of her son's murder."
Soft green eyes found blue as Lexa took a seat at the table. "Does she speak true on the matter?"
"Bellamy's pretty sure she's telling the truth. Echo was sick a few weeks back and she hasn't bleed or so he told me in confidence. He's distraught with the fact that in the matter of three days he had a son, that son was slaughtered and then they are provided with another child."
"Perhaps allowing her son's spirit to find rest will allow Echo to accept the child under her heart."
Clarke tightened her hold on Lexa's hand, "that child we spoke of, it won't be possible now with our technology gone. Not unless…" she was cut off by Lexa's finger to her mouth.
"I mourn that child but we are complete now. We have three children to call our own and if we wish more, there are many that have no parents to call their own. My wish to see you grow with our child and bear it forth is not one that I shall receive in this life." Lexa leaned forward and captured Clarke's lips, resting her forehead against her wife's. "You and our children are more than I believed I would have, I accept the gods providing two orphan children in the place of the one which carries your blood."
Blue eyes searched green and Clarke let a whisper go, "what if I want that baby one day?"
Lexa nodded and brushed a finger across Clarke's cheek. "Then we shall find a warrior…"
"Shof op." Clarke smile slightly, "I was asking to see if you were making the decision for yourself or for the both of us." She stood and looked down at Lexa's perplexed face. "I'm not letting anyone else touch me the way I let you."
"If you desire a child Clarke then you shall have a child." Lexa stood and took her hand. "You are mine and all are aware of this. It is not unheard of for a leader to take a warrior to her bed to provide a child, he is aware that the child is not his but the child of the leader and her consort. There would be no shame if you were to take a man to your bed to provide a child."
Clarke shook her head, "I told you that I asked you that only to see if you made the decision for yourself or for the both of us. I mean it when I say that I don't want anyone else but you and if we keep adopting orphan children, then I am completely happy with that." She smiled at Lexa and cupped her cheeks. "I grew up believing I would only have one child and then I was thrown in solitary with the knowledge I'd die without anyone or a child. I'm here now with you and I have not one but three children. It's more than I ever dreamed I'd have and I am completely happy with this future."
A smile crossed Lexa's face and she nodded. "I understand my wife." She kissed Clarke's palm and gently pulled the blond's hands down. "I only wish to provide you everything you desire."
"Well what I desire is to tell our children that they are our children." Clarke pulled back and sighed, "you ready for this?"
"I have been counting the days till I lay eyes on them for the first time and allow myself the happiness of being a mother to more than Costia."
It took time to retrieve Luka and Maya from their assigned tasks, Drax and Abby keeping the two busy with little things they could handle. They seemed to talk Clarke's head off as they told her of everything they had done since they arrived five days before. She'd been busy planning an offensive and clan meetings along with limited space in the tent had put off the uniting of their family until that morning.
Opening the tent flap Clarke ushered both in and they grew silent immediately. Lexa turned from where she stood viewing maps to wait patiently for the children to say something. Clarke gently prodded them forward till they were a few feet away from Lexa, their heads down.
"I have heard much of you both." Lexa spoke softly, her commanding voice not present despite the language seeming as if she was being Heda instead of her softer self. "Am I not able to see the color of your eyes?"
Both looked up and Maya let herself speak softly. "Apologies Heda, we mean no disrespect. To stand before you is an honor and we will do as you command."
Lexa met Clarke's eyes before stooping down in front of the children. "I do not wish you to do as I command. I wish you to answer a single question I have."
"We will." Luka whispered and Clarke chuckled, he turned to look at her.
"My warrior disappeared, cowering before Heda as if scared."
He pulled his knife and spoke louder, "I am not scared! I am a second and I shall fight!"
Lexa's chuckle was soft and she took the knife from him gently, placing it on the table nearby as he stood ready to attack. "A brave warrior you are but I have many warriors and many clothing makers." She looked between them, "however I have only one child to call my own. Would you allow yourselves to be called my son and daughter?"
Maya gasped, "you wish to call us your children?"
"I can do no other because my beloved consort has decided to claim you as her own." Lexa looked up at Clarke. "As such we cannot deny the demands of Skai Heda can we not?"
"Can I still be a warrior?" Luka asked and Clarke bent down beside Lexa to look at both the kids.
"I don't think it would be appropriate," the boy's face fell as she spoke, "for the son of Heda to be anything other than a strong warrior." A grin emerged where sadness had been moments before.
The tent gained in volume as they all sat down to eat, Lexa asking the children of their history. She took interest in both of their lives as well as their interests beyond making cloth and being a warrior. Clarke smiled as Lexa seemed to lose herself in the talks of the children. She watched silently to allow the conversation to flow between the three without barriers.
"Then a wild boar ran through the gate of the camp and all Skaikru screamed." Maya spoke before looking at Luka. "Luka attempted to throw his knife at the boar but he missed, cutting a tree branch from a tree instead. Octavia killed the boar and roasted it for all to eat that evening."
"We shall work on your throwing arm after you have found discipline." Lexa spoke to the boy softly before watching Maya's eyes stray to the maps on the table. "You are interested in my war maps."
Maya nodded, "I made cloth for maps with my mother. Once I made one for myself and my friends so we could assist in the training of thirds. We were asked to be the enemy they would track, we lead them in circles till they became lost but we did not. Our map of the land allowed us to know every creek and stone face so we could not be lost."
"Maya is known for evading the camp guards during a game of chase." Luka piped up with pride, "they can never catch her because she runs like the wind."
Lexa stood and walked to the planning table, turning to look at Maya. "Come join me."
Clarke sat watching as Maya stood and joined Lexa at the table. "No, Luka you'll stay at the table." She met his eyes and he just turned his body to watch his new mother and sister speak.
"Tell me what you see." Lexa motioned to the map and Maya looked at the map laid before them both. "I have been searching for a way to overcome the Azkru camp."
Maya surveyed before she pointed to a place on the map. "They lay beyond the high cliffs, it is a gateway for them to come and go. They cannot pass through or they risk any escape but a gateway is open from two sides. Battle them from the cliffs and block their entrance, they can never again enter Trikru territory again." She looked up at Lexa as if waiting for a rebuking but Lexa merely placed a hand on her back gently.
"Our daughter sees what I cannot my wife." Lexa looked back at Clarke, "one day she will make wise council at clan meetings as her mother has."
Before Clarke could speak a voice resonated through the tent. "Mommy!"
"I'll get her." Clarke spoke before Lexa could move. "I owe her a cuddle after this morning."
"Costia?" Luka questioned and looked between his new mothers. "Is she now our sister as well?"
"Of course, she is my child as you are." Lexa sat back at the table and Maya joined them.
Luka smiled at her, "I am Costia's personal guard, Skai Heda stated so."
"You should call your new mother by her new title." Lexa spoke softly and let his curious brown eyes. "I believe the title she responds to as your mother is that of 'Mom' but you may call me Mother."
"May I call you by your name until I do not feel as if I dishonor my own mother by calling you as such?" Maya spoke softly and put her head down. "I mean no disrespect…"
Lexa lifted the girl's chin and met her green eyes, "you may call me Lexa until you no longer feel as if you dishonor your own mother by calling me such. There is no disrespect my daughter, your mother will be honored in this tent as will Luka's. You may have two new mothers but you will always have the mother who gave you life, we shall never replace her."
"Thank you." Maya smiled and giggled softly. "You are not as they say you are in the village."
"What do they say of me in the village?" Lexa asked curiously as Clarke walked over with Costia in her arms. "Our daughter was just to tell me of what they say of me in the villages."
"This should be interesting." Clarke snickered slight and sat down, placing Costia in her lap.
Luka looked at Costia and stood up, walking around the table to sit beside his new mother and sister. "Costia, do you remember me?"
Costia turned her head and looked at him, smiling as she saw him. Clarke kissed the girl's head and looked at Luka. "I don't think she could forget her personal guard and brother."
"Unacceptable!" Lexa's voice drew Clarke's attention away and found her wife angered. However the anger dissolved before she turned back to Maya. "They have said these things of me?"
Maya nodded, "but they are not true. You are not ruthless without a heart and you are not cold as the ice nation." A smile crossed the girl's face, "you are strong and brave and warm. You care for your people and fight those who would harm us. If you had no heart you would not wish to be our mother or respect our families who gave us life."
"Remember I said the same before I knew you." Clarke placed a hand on Lexa's arm. "They need to know you before the legends disappear and the truth emerges."
Lexa motioned with her finger for Luka to come to her and he did, moving over to her. "Tell all who speak such legends that Heda is ruthless with a heart only for her people."
The boy's toothy grin emerged and he nodded. "I shall yell it so they hear."
"I shall as well." Maya stated with a smile.
Lexa looked at them both, "if you are finished with your meal you shall receive a bath for you are in need of one. I shall also find clean clothing for you both."
"Where shall we stay now that we are your children? Will we stay in our own tent or the one we stand in?" Maya looked at her softly, asking a very important question.
"You shall remain here with your mother and I." Clarke spoke softly and looked at both. "Maya, you and I will work on expanding the private quarters tomorrow but for now you shall have beds here in the main area."
A/N: Okay so a nice chapter after the heavy one previously.
Next...well they have a battle plan so comes the preparation before the battle.
Please read and review...