AN:
Sorry for the delay everyone. I had two incredible weeks with lilianafox and this past week hasn't been...so good now that she's gone back home. :( However, I'm moved into a new apartment, about to start a new job and will have more time for writing. YAY! :)
Thank you for those of you who have stuck with me on this. Your support is incredible and I am very thankful for it!
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TonDC – Revelations
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It's Clarke that wakes alone this time. Lexa's side of the bed is cold, indicating she has been up for a while. Clarke smiles and stretches, feeling better than she has in quite some time, despite knowing there is a threat looming, traitors among them… and then there's Jasper.
She lies there, thinking back to the look on his face as he held Maya's body in his arms. He was broken and in despair, his tear-filled eyes pleading with her as if doing so could somehow reverse time and change what had already taken place. Even through the pain, Clarke could see the fire behind his eyes, the hatred boiling. She felt it. At the time, she welcomed it because she felt she deserved it. She made a monstrous choice. But she made the only choice she could to save her own while sparing as many lives as she could. It still pains her, but she's come to terms with her decision.
Jasper, however, obviously has not. She knows to the others, the crude carving on that tree looked like the letter 'S', but it wasn't. It was the number '5'. As in Level 5. The level she irradiated. The level that houses all the bodies from the people that made the mountain their home.
It was a reminder, as if she needed one, of what had happened. It was a reminder of what she took from him. And the heart with the arrow in it is a threat. A love was taken. His love. And now he is threatening hers.
She swallows hard. He won't win this, and she fears what she may have to do to stop him. But then, it's not just him. There is the unknown element of the traitors amongst the Trikru… and apparently Jasper has found someone to work with him on this, making the risk worse, because it is unknown.
Clarke stands and stretches and gets dressed, making her way out into the village. Lexa will already be meeting with her warriors, and Clarke wants to know what their next step is. As she turns towards the war room, Kiern steps in front of her with a friendly smile, blocking her path. She cocks her head to the side looking at him questioningly. "Yes?"
He gives her a short nod. "Clarke, Heda requests I keep you company while she is with Indra. She won't be long."
"Where are they?" she questions, feeling it isn't like Lexa to take off and not tell her herself where she was headed or if something was going on.
"I'm sorry, Clarke, I do not know. I was simply told to keep you company and keep watch over you." He holds out his arm, leading her towards the path leading out of the village.
"Alright." She has no reason to doubt him; he is Lexa's personal guard, after all. Maybe she can get in a short walk, fresh air, and wash off in the stream and be back the same time Lexa is. "Can we head to the stream? I'd like to wash up."
"Sha, Kwin." He smiles again and eagerly heads down the path at her side.
"That's the first time you've called me that today…" Clarke hesitates, turning to look at him. "Kwin, I mean. You've been calling me Klark this morning…"
"Apologies, Kwin, this is still rather new to me. I meant no disrespect," he replies and picks up their pace slightly. Clarke considers this, something inside her begging her to keep this bit of information in the front of her mind, however trivial it seems. Lexa always tells her to trust her instinct, and she won't doubt her.
"It's fine, it's rather new to me too, obviously." She chuckles softly, hiding her worry. She of course had thought about it but never really focused on what the other Trikru members, the ones that aren't overly happy about this arrangement, might think. After all, they have traitors, and there are always those that have opposed an alliance between the Skaikru and Trikru. Add that to a relationship and a unique set of powerful circumstances between the two leaders and there is bound to be opposition. Forceful opposition. And yet…
"Kiern," she begins, drawing his attention back to her. Once she has it, she presses on, "Do you find it strange that while there was very obviously some resentment and those that disagreed with our first alliance before, that now it seems to not be so evident?"
"You feel there is no resentment and opposition now?" he asks her, the question sounding foreign to him.
Clarke chews on her bottom lip. "You feel there is?" Her question stops him short, as if he is searching for the right answer. She notes this for later.
"Obviously there is something going on, but that doesn't mean it has to do with Heda being the last commander and you being her Kwin and the power you share." They reach the water's edge, and he crouches down to splash some water over his face.
I never said it did… she thinks, and her mind begins to race as she watches him and takes in his slightly uncomfortable posture. When he turns back to look at her, she shrugs and goes about washing up her face and hands as quickly as she can in order to get back into camp. She has a bad feeling, and the last thing she needs is to be further away from Lexa than she already is. She can feel her and knows she's near but not near enough.
"Okay, we can head back now," she calls as she stands up, wiping her hands off on her pants.
"That was very quick, are you certain you're ready to go back now?" He asks, eyes flickering towards the south where a thick grove of trees hides the valley in the distance.
"Yes, all done. Let's go." She turns to leave, but his hand on her forearm stops her.
"I really am sorry, Clarke, but I can't let that happen."
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"Oktevia, Eko! Where is Klark?" Lexa demands as she approaches them, hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
"I saw her head down to the river with Kiern not more than an hour ago," Echo offers and points in the direction. "I haven't seen either of them since." She turns to look at Octavia, who shakes her head.
"I haven't seen them this morning. I got back from rounds just now with the other seconds." She takes in Lexa's clenching jaw and tilts her head. "What's wrong, Heda?"
Lexa's nose flares, and she closes her eyes and holds up her hand to silence them both. After a few moments and a couple deep breaths, her eyes flash open. "She's not in the village, I don't know where… usually I can…" She trails off, turning and rushing towards the river, calling out to the others to begin the search. She is unnerved. She cannot sense Clarke as she usually can. It's as if she isn't… no, she won't think that way. "Indra!"
Her general is by her side in a moment, keeping up the quick pace her heda has set. "Kiern," is all she says, and she feels Indra stiffen beside her.
"Natrona," Traitor, Indra grits out. She's angry with herself. She knew something was amiss with him, and now her Kwin may be in danger.
Lexa huffs a sigh as they take a look at the area they frequent to wash up. They spot tracks, but her blood runs cold when she takes notice of blood on the ground at her feet. "Blood."
"Nou get yu daun, Heda." Don't worry, Indra says but bites her tongue at the look Lexa throws at her.
"Don't worry?" Lexa growls. "My personal guard is a traitor, he was the last seen with Klark, and there is blood!" She whistles once loudly and watches as one of her warriors comes racing towards them on horseback, leading her horse to her, and she quickly swings up on his back. "I'm riding ahead, gather some men and follow, use Eko and Oktevia on the perimeter. If anyone finds Kiern first, he's mine."
The last thing Indra hears is Lexa's shout of "wamplei kom thauz kodon". Death by a thousand cuts. She shakes her head, muttering, "Natrona won't survive her wrath if she finds him first."
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10km South of TonDC
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She comes to, she believes to be a few hours later, with a pounding in her head. She sits up and does a once over of her body, checking to see if she is injured. Other than the pain in her head, she can't feel any other discomfort besides the ache in her heart, and she knows that isn't hers.
Looking around, she can see what used to be a small, makeshift village, but it mostly seems deserted now. There are a few warriors wandering about, but their style of dress differs from the other grounders, so she knows she's nowhere near Trikru territory.
"Drink this," she hears and turns to see Kiern standing above her, holding out a metal cup. "It's clean."
She rolls her eyes and regrets it, the pain in her head flaring. "And why should I trust you?"
"I never said you had to trust me, Clarke, but the water is clean, so drink." He again holds the cup out to her, and she hesitates but eventually takes it. She is thirsty but is still hesitant.
"Where are we, Kiern, and what is going on?" Her eyes stay trained on him, but she's scanning her surroundings, taking in everything around her. "Ron ai ridiyo op." Speak true.
"Oh, it's so cute how you think you're one of them now, Clarke."
She turns, hearing a familiar voice, and her words die in her throat when the woman comes into view. It can't be… "Callie?"
"Hi, Little Griffin, long time." She approaches slowly and crouches down to be at eye level with Clarke. "Missed me?"
Clarke's words are broken, her thoughts running wild. "How… you were on the Exodus Ship… how did you survive the crash?"
Callie pauses and looks towards Kiern, who nods and mounts a horse, taking his leave and galloping off towards the North. Turning back to Clarke, Callie answers her questions. "There were a few of us. Some as you know made it back with the rest of our people and a few of us went our own way."
"But Mom…?" Clarke struggles to stand, still a little light headed, and is surprised when Callie assists her and makes sure she's steady before letting go. "You were her best friend, and she thinks you're dead. Why didn't you try to reach us?"
Callie ignores her. "You've found your Twin Flame." It's a statement of fact, not a question.
Clarke nods, curious to where this is going, although she feels she already does. "You and my mom, you thought…"
"We were kids, I was stupid, got scared…" She sighs and rolls her eyes, fighting off a smirk, looking so different from the woman Clarke had grown up knowing as her mother's best friend. "Marcus was a safe bet. And honestly, had things been different, you wouldn't have been born, and we wouldn't be here now."
"Speaking of, where is 'here' exactly?" Clarke looks down to the cup still in her hand, her thirst getting the better of her in this heat, and her head is still pounding.
"Drink Clarke, it is safe." Callie nods to the cup, and Clarke isn't sure why, but she feels she can trust her and drinks. "And 'here', is a few hours South of your Trikru friends, a local meeting point for trading grounders. And you are here, because you are of value to someone."
Clarke is annoyed and rolls her eyes, backing herself against the tree she had been sitting against and sliding down it. She knows it's no use attempting an escape in her condition; she has no idea where she is exactly and is in no shape to run. She closes her eyes and waits. She knows Lexa will come for her; it's just a matter of time.
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The sun is just beginning to set when Clarke wakes, and her body is screaming at her. She knows she's lost a fair bit of blood by how weak she feels and the pain in her head. She struggles to her feet slowly.
"Good, you're awake." She turns, seeing Callie approach and holding out a cloth with a few pieces of meat on it. "Eat, you need your strength. We have a few kilometers to cover to reach the final rendezvous point."
"Rendezvous point for what?" Clarke questions, taking the meat and biting into it slowly, tasting it. Feeling it's safe, she continues to eat. "And don't you know it's not wise to let someone with a probable concussion sleep?"
Callie shrugs. "Your mom is the doctor, Clarke, and you seem fine. And as far as for what, for the trade of course."
"You're trading me…" Clarke shakes her head, "for what? And why me?" She knows the last question is unnecessary. She's obviously being traded to grounders, which means she's of value to be used against Lexa. Just like Costia. She sighs and grits her teeth. Lexa cannot go through this again. She won't survive it this time…
"You know I have no ill will towards you, Clarke, but this is a matter of survival for me and a few of the others that survived the Ark. Including… your friend Jasper." Callie watches as blue eyes widen.
"Jasper is here?"
"No, he's already where we need to go, but I wouldn't count on a happy reunion." She turns and waves, and Clarke watches as two grounders approach with horses. "We ride with them. The woman that wants you has promised us some land and protection… We can start over here and be safe. All they asked for was you. The rest is of no concern to me." Callie looks at her sadly but with resolve. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, Clarke."
"Why do you think you can trust them? What if they take me and then kill you all?" One of the warriors grabs her arm roughly and goes to lift her onto the horse when an arrow is suddenly embedded into his neck, causing him drop her as she falls to the ground, and he nearly topples over onto her as he falls dead at her feet.
It all happens very quickly then. She hears a horse taking off and the sounds of a short battle before hands are on the side of her face, and Echo is staring back at her. "Sister, are you alright?" Concern drips from her voice as she takes in Clarke's appearance and the blood matted to the side of her head.
Clarke nods, relief flooding through her. "I'm good now, but Kiern is the traitor… and Callie…" She shakes her head, still not quite believing the events of the day. She turns, seeing Octavia approaching, wiping blood off of her sword. "Where's Leksa?"
Octavia shakes her head, looking into the distance where Callie made her escape on one of the horses. "She took off before we did. Eko and I took the perimeter, but we thought for sure she'd find you first."
Clarke breathes deeply and closes her eyes, reaching out for her love. She doesn't catch the playful eye roll or smiles that pass between Octavia and Echo as they watch her do the same thing Lexa had earlier. "She's hurt, but she's safe." Clarke looks confused but scrambles back to her feet with Echo's help. "I don't know how, but she's being protected."
"Let's get back to camp then. We'll regroup and see how she wants to proceed, or if she's found Kiern yet." Octavia leads them back towards camp. "She took off like a bat out of hell when she realized you were hurt and Kiern was the traitor."
Echo nods in agreement. "I have a feeling she must have caught up with Kiern. Hopefully she killed that bastard. How could he betray our Heda?"
"That's exactly what we need to find out, but she has to keep him alive for that. There may be others." Clarke's injury may slow her, but her determination to get to Lexa pushes her forward to keep pace with her friends.
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Meanwhile…
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He hears her hurried approach and thinks quickly on how he must handle this. Kicking his horse into a gallop, he races in her direction, making his breath sound heavy and rushed. "Heda! Heda!" He calls out and sees her approaching in the distance. "Heda, turn back! It's a trap!"
Lexa reigns her horse to a halt and dismounts quickly next to him. "Heda, we must go!" She doesn't listen to him as she grabs him and jerks him down off his horse. "Heda!"
"Do not address me as your Heda! You are a traitor!" she seethes and punches him roughly in the jaw, sending him to the ground. "Did you think I would not figure it out?"
"Heda, please, there are others, they took Clarke, I tried to save her!" He scoots backwards in the dirt as she advances, trying to quickly get to his feet.
"Is that why there was blood near the river's edge? They were so foolish to attack you in force that closely to the village?" She kicks his leg out, sending him back to his back. "And then what, you took off this far out to rescue her yourself, rather than come seek me out in the village?" Her voice is growing louder and more angry as she continues. "Do you think I am stupid?"
Kiern freezes, his quick thinking not working for him as he realizes the rouse is up. He holds his hands up in surrender. "Please, you must understand."
"I understand plenty. You are a traitor, and you will pay with your life." She draws her sword and hovers it above him. "Where is Klark?"
At this, he smirks. "Looks like I may still be of use. If you kill me, you won't find her in time."
Lexa's nose flares, and it takes all she has in her not to kill him now, but she knows he will be the quickest way in finding Clarke if the others have not. She can sense her more now, but it is weak. Clarke is hurt and in pain, and Lexa won't risk her life on a gamble if she kills him. Her hesitation costs her, however, as she doesn't dodge the blade he launches at her in time, and it lodges itself into her side. As her attention is drawn down to remove the blade sticking out of her jacket, Kiern kicks her sword out of her hand and tackles her to the ground.
He has the upper hand against her only momentarily when he suddenly stills above her with his knee in her wounded side and his hands around her neck. Lexa is pinned, however, and cannot move but stops trying when she feels his body stiffen and sees his eyes focus on something in the distance.
"Surrender Kiern. Loyal Trikru will have you surrounded, there is no way out of this." Lexa watches his eyes, seeing the fear in them.
"I don't think they are Trikru," he begins and releases his hold on her slowly and begins to back off and to his feet, drawing his sword. Looking around quickly, he spots hers and kicks it to her. She looks up at him, shock evident in her eyes as she grabs her sword and slowly turns to see what he is so focused on.
"Wolves," she whispers, gripping her sword tighter and reaching for the dagger she keeps in her boot for her other hand.
"Leksa," Kiern whispers, eyes darting to her left now, "there's another."
"I'm aware," she replies, never taking her eyes off the one in front of her. She knows there's one at her left, but it's a few paces further away. "Can you hold off stabbing me again until we deal with this?" She clenches her teeth together as he nods his agreement and slowly begins to inch towards her.
Wolves are one weakness the Trikru have always faced. They are pack hunters and very smart. Without archers, one on one combat is nearly impossible for a small group, let alone the two of them, and she's injured. They don't run into them often as the wolves tend to stick to their own territory, and the Trikru leave them be… but every so often, something causes them to venture out. Scattered packs, looking for food maybe, but these two, there's something different about them.
They are large; very large for wolves, but not bulky. They are muscular and lean and with eyes that are piercing in a way Lexa has never seen before. Perhaps this is the reason she can't take her eyes off the black one staring back at her and the lighter grey one to her left isn't of concern. The eyes of this wolf… remind her of what she's seen of her own in their colour and yet while fierce, they feel welcoming.
Her back tenses, preparing for the attack, when Kiern finally gets to her back and that's when the wolves make their move. It's a rush and flurry of movement, and Kiern breaks form to slash his sword through the air at the grey wolf as it advances, but Lexa doesn't move a muscle, and she isn't sure why. Something is telling her with all her being not to move, other than to drop down to one knee as the black wolf leaps at her but sails past her, landing on Kiern's back and knocking him back to the ground. As soon as he is down, both wolves are on him, and the last thing Lexa hears from him is his scream and sound of him choking on his blood from the bite wounds in his neck.
She raises slowly, sword and dagger still gripped tightly in her hands. If they turn on her now, it's over. She's weakened, and there are two of them and no one around to help her. She swallows thickly, feeling the blood leaking from her side and the lightheadedness coming on fast. She feels Clarke now, reaching out for her, and tries to block out what she is sure is coming. Her death. She closes her eyes tightly, taking a deep breath, and focuses all the love and strength she has on Clarke before she opens her eyes to face her fate.
The wolves are gone.
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She pulls her hand away from her left side and swears under her breath. Her hand is coated with blood that has soaked through her makeshift cloth bandage. This just won't do. She alters her path slightly, heading for a small cave she knows is only just ahead, and hopefully there is something she can use to slow the bleeding. If Clarke were here, she knows she'd be tended to in an instant and properly.
She slows her walk slightly, hesitating at her thoughts. This is the first time she's thought to rely on someone else for something she was trained to do and handle herself as commander. She lets a small smile tug at her lips. Clarke really has opened her up, but it's only with her kwin. No one else would see this side or know this. As commander, it's too much of a risk. Having Clarke, loving her, already puts them both at risk. And Lexa will not risk Clarke any more than she already is by being hers. She's learned that the hard way once already.
Feeling safe that Kiern has no others out with him that may be following her, she ducks behind some brush and finds the small entrance. She has to crouch down to enter and hisses at the pain in her side as she does so. It was a clean cut, but it went deep. She glances around, just enough light shining through the cracks to allow her to see the room's contents. It's barren, not having been used in some time, but in the corner is a small wooden box, and she hurries over to it and gently crouches down. Removing the lid, she's pleased to find some relatively clean cloth and some of the burning liquid to help clean the wound. She grits her teeth. She hates this part.
Removing her outer jacket, she unbuckles and moves her top to the side to see the wound better. It still bleeds but seems to have slowed. She nods and looks around quickly to find a small piece of a tree branch and places it between her teeth as she pours the liquid onto the cloth. Taking one quick deep breath, she presses the cloth against the wound, and as the burning hits, she lets out a scream around the stick, her teeth nearly breaking through it. Breathing sharply through her nose, she regains her composure and begins to use the extra cloth to wrap around her waist to hold the bandage in place before once again securing her jacket back around herself.
She stands on shaking legs, hesitating and regaining her composure. She won't walk outside that cave and potentially have the enemy see her weaker than they already have. She will not allow them that satisfaction. She can't allow herself time to think about the wolves or how they didn't attack her. Her only goal now is to make it out of these woods and back to their camp. Back to Clarke.
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