Lexa looked up from what she was reading with a sudden sense of dread. She determined it wasn't a mistake and abruptly left the room with Luna trailing behind her.
"What's the matter?" Luna asked catching up to her. She knew something was up since Lexa wasn't one to react without cause.
Lexa didn't answer as they quickly found Abby unconscious on the ground. She knelt down to revive her.
Abby rubbed the back of her head to ease the throbbing pain she felt and looked around. "Where's Clarke?" Her maternal instinct was ringing an alarm in her head.
Lexa looked around and found Clarke's discarded gun close by. She walked over and tried to discern what occurred. "Where is Quark?"
"He went after a thief," Abby began to explain before giving details of the hooded figure who she suspected took Clarke.
Luna studied the scene and noticed something out of place and brought it to Lexa's attention.
Lexa picked up a small piece of charcoal and knew it was Clarke's way of leaving a trail for her to follow.
"Go," Abby said knowing there was no time to waste.
.
Clarke realized she was running out of charcoal to leave a trail and hoped that there were other things Lexa could use to track her down. She felt her abductor abruptly stop and put her down.
"You must promise not to run away," a male voice finally spoke. "I do not wish to harm you."
Clarke nodded her compliance and was relieved to finally have her feet back on the ground and the bag off her head. She could tell he knew his way around Polis taking all the back ways to get out of the city undetected.
"I need your help," he began tentatively trying to see if she'd run away.
"You have a weird way of asking for it," she pointed out looking around and determined he was alone. She raised her bound hands for him to untie.
"It was the only way I could think of to get Heda's attention," he confessed cutting the rope quickly.
Upon the mention of Lexa, Clarke's protective instinct took over and she started to escape but was tackled to the ground. "I'm not going to let you harm her!" She started hitting him as hard as she could before he pinned her arms with his own.
"I don't want to harm her either," he said trying to calm her down. "I just need her help to find my family."
"Why should I believe you?" she doubted his intentions.
The hooded man abruptly released her and sat on a nearby stump. "You're free to go; they were right, it was foolish to ask for help."
Clarke got up and started to leave but seeing him so forlorn she felt sympathy for him. "Why didn't you just ask her for help instead of doing this?"
"I tried to reach Heda but they would never let me near her," the man said pulling his hood off revealing his face. He waited for Clarke to recognize him.
Clarke barely recognized him but knew he was one of Lexa's guards who disappeared without a word. She didn't know the details but knew abandoning one's post was punishable by death.
They both heard a sound nearby and the man pulled her close.
"Don't make a sound," he warned. When he saw a figure approach he panicked and slung Clarke over his shoulder and ran.
"Wait," she pleaded seeing the figure get pulled up by a trap. "That could be Heda."
"Heda would not have fallen into my trap so easily," he said. "And if it was her, she can easily free herself and find us."
.
Lexa found Quark hanging upside down and didn't hide her disappointment in him. She considered leaving him there to teach him a lesson but seeing Luna's disapproving look made her reconsider. She cut him free but didn't care as he dropped to the ground with a strong thud.
"Thank you Heda," he said gratefully rubbing his shoulder that hit the ground first. He stammered an apology for letting Clarke get kidnapped but he stopped when Lexa raised her hand.
"Where did they go?" Lexa asked not wanting to waste time. She followed on horseback as Quark led the way quickly tracking the path Clarke's abductor took.
"There could be other traps," Luna warned looking around for any signs of danger.
Lexa agreed and signaled Quark to slow down and be more careful. She counted on Clarke being able to stay safe until she can be rescued. They came upon a clearing where they were stumped by which direction to head. She dismounted to help Quark look at the tracks.
"There are too many directions," he noted as he looked at the multiple hoof prints on the ground.
Lexa recognized that delaying tactic making her realize whoever took Clarke was one of her guards. She could see that her companions did, too. With sunlight starting to wane, the trio decided to setup camp.
"We'll figure it out," Luna said trying to comfort Lexa.
Lexa was pretty sure that they would eventually figure it out but wasn't pleased that there was a limitation to her connection with Clarke. She wondered how A.L.I.E. was able to
.
Clarke watched as her abductor argued with an older man who showed signs of albinism. She looked around her and noted that most had the same condition in varying degrees. She wondered what his association to them was when a female member offered her food.
"Wanheda," the young woman addressed her reverently. "Please have some." She took a piece herself to show it wasn't poisoned.
Clarke accepted it but tried to listen in on the argument. She could tell that the older man was worried about what Lexa would do because of her abduction.
"What have you done?" the older man said loudly. "She will kill us all for this."
"Wanheda won't let her," the younger man argued. "I've seen her spare her worse enemy. He was allowed to live."
"Banished from her lands," the older man reminded him. "We barely survive as it is."
The younger man left in a huff while the older man approached Clarke.
"I must apologize for my son's behavior," the man began to say. "He has been impatient and unreasonable since his wife and son disappeared."
Clarke took advantage of that opening to learn more about him and their community. She showed genuine concern that made the man feel at ease to tell the full story of what happened.
.
Lexa steadied her horse while she waited for Quark to return. They needed to narrow down the paths they would try following. Between the three of them they had a better chance of catching up to Clarke and her abductor but still needed to pick the more probable paths.
"That is a dead end," Quark reported when he returned from one he chose.
Lexa gave each of her companions a path to follow but stopped when something caught her eye. She quickly dismounted and ran to it.
"What is it?" Luna asked urging her horse closer.
Lexa recognized the object and picked up Clarke's watch. She was pleased at her resourcefulness and it pinpointed exactly which way they went. After hours of riding they came close to a tall waterfall. She looked up at it with curiosity.
"They must have crossed here," Luna suggested seeing the trail disappear by the riverbank a safe distance away from the base of the waterfall.
Lexa nodded and gave Quark a silent order to cross and try to pick up the trail again. She urged her horse to cross when Quark waved at the spot he found the tracks on the other side. But halfway through, she once again paused to look at the waterfall.
.
Clarke noticed that those around her were a bit tense. She wondered what had them in such a state that even the children were so quiet. They waited as the guard posted at the entrance gave the all clear signal before going about their daily routine. She then watched as the old man talked to a group of men for some time before coming over to see her.
"It is time for you to go," the old man told Clarke. "A few of my men will escort you back to Polis."
"Just like that?" Clarke asked trying to gauge his intentions. "What about your son and his family?"
"We will take care of our own," he assured her. "And he will not prevent you from going home; my men will make sure of it."
There was a commotion outside and soon they saw his son and the watch entering the cavern with three armed warriors behind them.
"Heda," everyone addressed her and knelt before her when they saw her.
"Heda, we are unarmed," the old man quickly approached and prostrated himself before her.
Lexa confirmed with a quick scan of the area before walking over to Clarke. She saw a bruise on the side of her head but knew it was just superficial. "Let's go home." She walked past Luna and Quark giving them a signal that Clarke recognized as her signal to kill them all.
"No," Clarke quickly said to spare them. "Don't." She turned to make sure that Luna and Quark stayed still and pleaded with Lexa non-verbally.
Lexa turned and glared at Clarke. "They need to be punished for this."
Clarke pulled her aside and tried to reason with her. "They aren't responsible; and he did if for a good reason."
"There is never a good reason to take you by force," Lexa said angrily.
Clarke tried her best to calm Lexa and explained why she was fiercely defending them. "He was just doing what you are right now."
Lexa looked at her in disbelief at the comparison.
"You would do anything to get me back," Clarke explained. "I think his wife may have taken the chip and A.L.I.E. has trapped her and her son somewhere."
"But we've defeated A.L.I.E.," Lexa reminded her.
"Then why hasn't she come home yet with her son?" Clarke asked. "We have to find them and maybe there are more of them out there."
"Why did she take the chip?" Lexa asked.
"Her son was born with the same genetic condition they have," Clarke explained turning to look at a few of them. "Your guard was the first to be born without it and they had hoped it was the end of it in their bloodline until he married someone with the same recessive condition."
"It still doesn't justify what he did," Lexa said strongly. "He betrayed my trust."
Clarke knew it was inexcusable but hoped she would show mercy. "Then banish him; at least his family can still be with him."
"No, they will not survive," Lexa said quietly. "I will spare his family and his people but he must die." She didn't want to discuss it further and signaled Quark to take the kidnapper outside to meet his fate.
.
Lexa waited while Quark strapped the kidnapper to a tree. "You know the price of treachery so explain to me why you dared to take Wanheda." She was looking for a reason to forgive him as Clarke wanted her to do.
"I'm sorry Heda," he replied contritely. "I never meant to hurt her. I just needed to get your attention."
"You got more than her attention," Quark chimed in. They both knew that it was Lexa's ire that he got more than anything.
"I can't allow this to go unpunished," Lexa said sadly. "You know the rules. Yu gonplei ste odon,"
The man accepted her decision and readied himself for the death blow. "Before I die, can I make a last request?"
Lexa allowed him that much and agreed to find his family and set them free if they were somehow trapped somewhere. "Your son will know that you went through great lengths for him." She then turned to the duty of making him die properly.
.
Clarke watched from a distance with the rest as Lexa plunge her sword through the man's heart. He was instantly dead then there was a sense of relief when Lexa announced she no longer demanded all of them to die. She saw a few men go to prepare for the funeral pyre.
"You know she had to do it," Luna spoke to Clarke.
"No she didn't; she could have let him live," Clarke argued. "He just wanted to be with his family."
"She had no choice," Luna defended Lexa. "If she let him live, others will do the same to you and use you like a pawn. Worse case, you may end up like Costia."
Being reminded of Costia's demise made Clarke see why Lexa needed to make him an example. She felt bad that she was too critical of Lexa. "How did you find me?" She had been curious about that.
"Lexa was drawn to you," Luna replied remembering Lexa's interest with the waterfall. "Then we managed to capture your abductor who brought us to your location."
Clarke concluded that he was unnerved and got careless. She wished they had released her sooner and avoided his punishment. She walked over to meet Quark partway and stood by him.
"He wanted me to thank you for trying to spare his life," he said.
Clarke didn't feel she did enough to merit his gratitude then realized someone who would be in the same situation. "She mustn't ever know about what Bellamy tried to do." She desperately wanted Quark's assurance of discretion.
"She won't learn it from me," he promised. "But I can't guarantee your friend's silence."
Clarke told him she got that handled and hoped to warn Bellamy before his next encounter with Lexa.
Lexa walked over and stood next to them before Luna joined them.
"Do you know his name?" Clarke spoke up first.
"Kell," Lexa replied hoping that would give her closure. "We should leave soon."
"I'd like to stay," Clarke said noticing that the other two left even before Lexa asked them to. "I just want to make sure they'll be alright."
Lexa didn't argue but quickly thought of something to say. "Don't take too long; your mother will worry." She then returned her father's watch to her.
Clarke accepted it before pulling Lexa into a hug. "Don't worry about me; I'll be alright."
.
Lexa stoked the fire and watched the embers glow hotter momentarily. She was considering what she would do next.
"You should go back," Luna suggested correctly guessing what was on her mind.
"Polis needs me," Lexa said. "There are more important matters there for me to fix."
"She needs your help to fix things," Luna pointed out.
"She needs to stop wanting to fix everything," Lexa argued. "Not everything needs it."
"You used to think that way, too," Luna said with an amused grin. She quickly dodged the projectile Lexa aimed at her.
"I've learned to choose the more important things," Lexa noted. "Clarke needs to do the same."
"Then teach her like you've taught her to care for our people," Luna suggested. "She's shown how much she cares even for those we consider outcasts."
Lexa pondered on it and when morning came, she had resolved to help Clarke to Luna's approval. They rode quickly only to find the place abandoned.
"Where did they go?" Luna asked assessing the place. It was obvious the former occupants left in haste.
Lexa studied the charred remains of something on the floor. She could see it was smashed and concluded Clarke must've destroyed it because she determined it was a threat.
"What is it?" Luna asked looking over Lexa's shoulder.
"I don't know," Lexa said wishing Clarke was there to explain that technology to her.
.
Clarke carried one of the younger members of the group as they hiked to a new shelter. She wished Lexa was there to help her defend the community. The minute the drone came to life in the cave, she instinctively knew they were in trouble. She wondered if that was how the A.L.I.E. came in contact with Kell's family.
"Wanheda, I can carry him for you," Quark offered already carrying one in his arm.
Clarke declined wanting to be of help as much as she can. "Can you ask them how and where they found that thing?" She was shown the drone device by the children as the last thing Kell's son had been playing with. She needed to know more about it and didn't want any misinterpretation of her questioning that would cause them to clam up.
Quark acting as translator told the tale of how they found it while playing one day and Kell's son brought it back to their cave. They said that he could communicate with it and order it to do things like bring him and his mother food. They also added that they started acting weird after.
From what she gathered, she figured that the two had ingested the chip and that was how they were able to control the drone and also be under A.L.I.E.'s control. When the drone snapped back to life, she got worried sensing that it was under someone else's control. It seemed to her to be studying her and in the process was moving too close for comfort to her that Quark smashed it with a big rock. She wasn't going to wait around to find out who was controlling it and knew that their location was compromised. With a bit of convincing, she managed to get them to leave in case they were attacked by whoever took Kell's family. She stopped abruptly that Quark bumped into her.
"What's wrong?" he asked seeing her alarm.
"I have to go back," she replied setting the boy down on the ground. "Lexa needs my help."
.
Lexa and Luna searched high and low respectively to find the path the group took. She lucked out and found the trail they took and was about to call Luna over from the top of the waterfall when she heard then saw something come towards her from the air.
"Lexa, take cover!" Clarke yelled as she ran towards her.
Lexa quickly realized the flying thing was trying to target her and to lure it away from Clarke, she chose to run away from her towards the brink of the waterfall. She quickly considered her options once she got to the edge.
"Watch out!" Clarke yelled looking for a way to stop the drone that was bigger and appeared armed. She could only helplessly watch as it launched and aimed a small missile towards Lexa. It made impact and the blast threw rocks and water that blurred her view. When things cleared up, she couldn't see Lexa where she last stood. "No!"
"Wanheda, move," Quark shouted pulling her back towards the woods as the drone turned towards her.
The two hadn't gone far when the drone tried to launch its last missile but it jammed and self-destructed.
Clarke quickly turned back to the spot Lexa was last at and looked over the falls. She tried to find any trace of her and found Luna dragging her limp body back to shore. She was relieved but also wanted to get to her quickly and found no other way than to jump down. "Are you going to stop me?" she asked Quark as he stood beside her.
"I think we can do it," he replied with a confident smile and jumped right over.
.
Clarke waded quickly over with some help from the river current and reached Luna as she was resuscitating Lexa. She was readying herself to take over when she saw Lexa regain consciousness.
"Clarke," Lexa said trying to focus and find her.
"I'm here," Clarke said taking her hand and looking into her eyes. "I'm alright."
Lexa smiled weakly before losing consciousness again.
"What's wrong with her?" Luna asked knowing that wasn't the expected reaction.
Clarke examined and realized that Lexa had sustained an injury to the back of her head. It wasn't evident and she quickly ministered the wound. "We need to get her to a shelter."
Quark quickly rounded up the horses but knew Lexa was in no condition to ride. That's when he saw a group approach and prepared to defend Lexa next to Luna.
"We've come to help," one of the hooded men declared.
Luna and Quark turned to Clarke to let her decide what they were going to do next.
Clarke quickly determined that Lexa's injury needed better medical care so she decided to take her to the next best thing. She ordered Quark to quickly go fetch her mother while they took Lexa to Niylah's place.
"Why not Polis?" Luna asked while the men prepared a litter to carry Lexa safely.
"Because I don't want Titus getting in the way," Clarke replied. She wasn't sure if Luna knew about the chip or the protocol Titus would like to follow around it once the host was injured.
"And Niylah can be trusted?" Luna asked cautiously.
"I trust her," Clarke confirmed. She counted on Niylah's discretion and the possibility she had scavenged things she might need to heal Lexa.