The entirety of the group seemed to be on completely on edge as they rode through the wolves' territory. Their meager breakfast of nuts and small roots did little to satisfy the mounting hunger they each were feeling. The supper they'd had the day before had been small and cold. Even Lexa was feeling a slight rumble in her stomach.

When finally the group emerged from the thick wooded trail onto a wide spread plain, far off in the distance a wolf howled.

"Goodbye." Lexa muttered on her breath.

"And good riddance." Clarke added only loud enough for Nepa and Reed to hear. Both let out a slight chuckle, which of course drew the Commander's sharp glance.

Clarke smirked to herself, knowing that though the children could be silenced with even the slightest look from the Commander, she was immune to her firm glares. Knowing that there was so much more under those harsh eyes.

"Heda?" Reed asked as the last silhouettes of the trees vanished on the past horizon. "May we hunt now?"

Lexa looked back, and was met with hopeful glances from each of the Nightbloods and a reproachful glance from Clarke who was pressing her hand lightly on her stomach, signaling hunger.
With a sigh the Commander reined in Tarko. "Very well." She said turning to face the group. "We will make camp at in the valley there" She nodded to the small divot in the field about 800m from where they stopped. "Reed, Burke, Shauna." The three sat straighter in their saddles.
"We will travel further on to hunt." Reed kicked his horse slightly moving to the front of the group eagerly.

"Nepa and Tess you will remain with the Ambassador and ready the camp."

"Yes Heda." Nepa said glancing to Tess, the youngest of the Nightbloods. "We will have the fire hot and ready."

Lexa and the hunters unclasped their packs, excluding their weapons and passed them to those remaining so they could construct all of the tents.

"We will be back within the hour." The Commander stated, then as a quick after thought. "I'm sure by that time, with the speed our Ambassador here works you may have erected hopefully one tent." With that she kicked her horse forward leaving a mortified Clarke and sniggering Nightbloods in her wake.

XXXXX

"It's an Elk" Reed said slipping back into the brush he and the others were crouching in. The animal was grazing just over the mound of earth they'd taken cover in.

The Commander had led them to the edge of a wooded area instructing them to hunt. She was awaiting them on the plain. Even while traveling the Commander never missed a chance to train or teach them, something they sometimes adored about her, others irritated by. This was a moment in which they were proud. For she'd trusted them to go on their own into unfamiliar territory and hunt for their meal. A great responsibility and to them a fun task. The three all had their heads imagining them returning with some huge kill to present Heda with.
Against Burke's chest however, was strapped a small horn. Lexa has given it to them to blow incase trouble found them. The three young teenagers however were determined to not let trouble find them. They would not blow that horn.

"How many antlers?" Shauna asked playing with the hilt of her sheathed dagger apprehensively.

"Only two." Reed said. "It barely had any mutation at all, just one extra eye."

"So it should be pretty docile." Burke said straining to try and get a glance of the beast over the brush.

Shauna nodded. Generally the more an animal was affected by what the Skaikru called Radiation the more aggressive it was. Though they were confident hunters the three had no desire to try and take down a savage monster.

"Triangle formation with Reed leading?" Burke asked looking at his fellows quietly. Seeing if they were game to try and take this Elk down. A fairly tricky task, as the animals were quite large and muscular, not to mention equipped with long sharp antlers.
All three nodded and gripping their weapons Reed and Shauna scurried silently through the bushes to surround the unaware animal. After a moment the young warriors has formed a triangle around the eating elk. Reed was just raising his bow when he felt the ground begin to shake beneath him. The boy froze, his eyes darting to his fellows, both of whom looked back at him with the same confused face.

The elk's head shot up and looked about. It too was sensing the ground's sudden movement.

Then the Nightbloods heard it; the trampling of hooves, the grunts and groans of animals. A stampede.
It would be difficult to say who moved quicker, the Nightbloods or the Elk. Both seemed to sense the urgency of the situation but for different reasons. The elk bounded off in the direction of its stampeding fellows. The Nightbloods began to scramble about, moving towards the nearest, largest tree they could find. Burke held base as he was the largest, and the other two used his hands as supports to reach the lowest branches of a large oak tree. Then they hoisted him off the ground and began to climb higher. They had just scaled about 8 feet when the Elk began to run beneath them, trampling and destroying the bushes they'd just moments ago been using as cover. As he climbed Reed's spear must have come loose from his belt and it slipped away from him. Expertly avoiding his desperate grabs, the large piece of wood hit several branches as it fell to the ground amidst the panicked animals. Within seconds of the weapon hitting the ground the spear snapped and shattered under the weight of the running Elk. An all too realistic reminder to the Nightbloods what would have become of them had they not reached their tree in time.

"Heda." Shauna said worriedly.

"She'll be fine." Burke said confidently, his eyes tracking the elk as they moved. "She's mounted. She could always out run them if she chose."

"Let's hope so." Reed agreed, his approximate count on the animals that had run past surpassing 50. "As long as she can also outrun whatever spooked these guys."

Less than a mile away Tarko was beginning to shuffle nervously from foot to foot. Lexa watched him curiously. She was sat on a large rock just on the tree line of the forest she'd found with the Nightbloods. From her position she could see quite deeply into the trees as well as keep an eye on the small pillar of smoke that had formed in the direction of their camp. Clarke, Nepa, and Tess had managed to light the fire and from the size of the smoke it seemed to be a hot one. But now her eyes were not on the fire, nor the woods but her faithful steed standing in front of her . Who seemed to be tense, frightened even.

"Shh." Lexa said rising to pet his large muzzle. "What's troubling you?" She looked deeply into Tarko's dark eyes, trying to read into what he was thinking. All she could see was fear. Then she felt it. A low ominous rumble from the ground.

"No." She said looking to the woods. The rumbling was intensifying. "Damn it." Lexa pulled herself onto Tarko's back and held the reins loosely in her hands, trusting him to know which way to run. "Go Tarko." She said giving the great horse a gentle pat on his neck. The stallion gave a snort and gauging the direction of the grunts and groans of the oncoming elk trotted away to the left.
Lexa sat on his back momentarily confused as to why they'd traveled so little, then the stampede broke through the tree line and onto the plains. The animals leapt from the trees in exactly the spot she'd been sitting. Lexa watched, not 15ft from them, as Tarko had led her from their path.

Lexa couldn't help but marvel at her horse's intelligence. Keeping her safe from the danger but also allowing her to witness it. She removed an arrow from her quiver and notching it in her bow aimed in the midst of the animals. An easy kill, she thought releasing the arrow and watching her target tumble to the ground. An easy meal.

The Elk's fellows, none seeming to even notice its death, ran on, not even paying mind to the fact that they were crushing the body of their kin. Lexa hoped the Nightbloods hadn't been in the path of these animals or at least had picked up on the warning signs and avoided the stampede.
Her momentary fears of the hunting Nightbloods vanished however, as the stampede's course turned towards the thin pillar of smoke on the far hills.

"No." Lexa said loudly as the sprinting Elk ran on. Towards Clarke, Nepa, and Tess. The three she'd left behind. The three least skilled at hunting and combat.

The Commander was about to kick Tarko on to try and race the stampeding herd when the horn sounded. A deep bellowing sound that rose above the noise of the stampede. The horn she'd given Burke, knowing they'd never sacrifice their pride to use it. Yet she knew the sound.

The Nightbloods were in trouble. Lexa felt her body tense. Ahead of her Clarke was in danger; the herd wouldn't even notice whatever makeshift camp the Skaigirl had managed to construct in the time since they'd left them. They would destroy it, and anything living in their path. There were no trees, no caves, nothing for the group to use as shelter. They'd be killed. But behind her, the horn sounded again, closer to her than the camp, the Nightbloods were in danger, a danger they deemed severe enough to call for her.
Swearing under her breath Lexa turned away from Clarke and the rush of death approaching her and urged Tarko into the now trampled tree line. Following the path of destruction the elk had left.

As she moved deeper into the woods she heard it. Yells, Children's yells. Lexa drew her sword while riding. She rounded a corner in the woods and reined Tarko in hard. Ahead of her stood a large oak tree, Burke, Shauna, and Reed woven in its large thick limbs. At the base of the tree prowled four large Lynx.

The culprits who no doubt spooked the elk into stampeding in the first place.

The thick short cats were jumping at the tree and sinking their deep claws into the bark. These cats were climbers and Lexa could tell from a quick glance at their jaws that their teeth had mutated to be twice as large as a panthers. Deadly and as sharp as a blade.

Scattered beneath the tree lays almost an entire armory of weapons and one dead cats. Several arrows sticking out of its haunches. As Lexa leapt off of Tarko she watched as Burke swung his sword wildly at the high climbing cats. His blade caught a Lynx in the face and it lost its grip, falling to the ground. However, before completely detaching from the tree the mongrel managed to get a grip on Burke's sword pulling it to the ground with it. Taking the last of the warrior's weapons.

"Hey." Lexa yelled at the predators, successfully gaining their attention. Gripping her sword tightly in one hand and holding a straining Tarko with the other Lexa didn't bat an eye as all four cats turned their heads in near unison to face her.

"Heda No!" Shauna cried in horror as the four Lynx began to advance on the Commander who held nothing but her sword, her bow strapped to her back.

"Come down." Lexa commanded the children who were no use to her 10ft in the air, and in no position to learn. Keeping her eyes on the advancing enemy Lexa sensed the Nightblood's hesitance. "Now!" She yelled, the increase in her volume instigating the Cat's attack. The nearest Lynx broke into a run towards her. Without blinking an eye Lexa released Tarko's reins and the large stallion ran forward, colliding with the cat, who stood no chance against the horse's size.

As Tarko trampled the first cat the other Lynxes roared in rage and charged. The horse reared and its plate-sized hooves fell down on the next nearest cat. While Lexa, who had run from behind Tarko plunged her sword into the other. Both attackers fell dead to the ground joining their fellow, leaving only one breathing Lynx.
By this time Burke, Reed, and Shauna had descended the tree and landed safely on the ground, collecting their nearest fallen weapons.

Lexa held her sword at the ready and whistled for Tarko to retreat. The horse whinnied and back up behind her, away from the hissing and spitting Lynx.

"Now Nightbloods." She said eyes locked on the predator. "Finish it."

Shauna, who had gotten hold of her dagger, launched it into the cat's shoulder, an easy shot seeing as the poor beast had been totally preoccupied with Lexa. The animal roared in pain and staggered around to see what had dared attack it. However, it was only met with an arrow in the head launched from Burke's bow.

"Good." Lexa said as the cat fell dead. "Now." She said gesturing to the tree. "Explain to me why you let them get an advantage over you. You all had the high ground."

"They pulled our weapons down…" Reed muttered ashamed that he'd had to blow the horn.

"You shouldn't have let them, or you should have gone down with them." Lexa said in a no nonsense manner.

"We know Heda." Shauna said quietly wrenching the dagger from the Lynx's shoulder. "We let fear take over us."

"Thank you." Reed said not looking her in the eye. "For coming."

Lexa looked at the crestfallen children and sighed. "We will speak more on this later." She said trying to avoid any disappointment in her tone. They should have known better than to permit themselves to be stuck in a tree. She'd trained them better than that. "We have more pressing matters. Where are your horses?"

To answer her. Shauna whistled for their steeds and the three slight horses trotted into view. "Good." Lexa said, again perplexed as to why the children hadn't called for their steeds sooner. "Now mount up. We must return to the others."

The Nightbloods looked at one another confused. "Heda, shouldn't we continue the hunt?" Reed asked timidly.

Lexa pulled Tarko and turned in back they way they'd come. "The stampede went in the direction of our camp. We must go to them."

"Of course Heda." The three said hurriedly knowing the severity of the situation. They set to work collecting the rest of their fallen items; as well as hoisting two of the cats onto their horses, their kills of the hunt.

"Come!" Lexa said loudly kicking Tarko forward, not allowing the Nightbloods to dawdle. The stampede had been large and fast, she only prayed Clarke had had the sense to leave the camp the moment she heard. If she didn't, Lexa was admittedly terrified as to what they might find.