Smoke was still curling into the air when Lexa and the Nightbloods road over the hill just above their camp.

As they came over the hill and looked down into the small divot below the Nightbloods gasped.
The stampede had most definitely run through the camp. Below where they stood, many of their tents lay mangled, the fabric torn, the pole snapped. Several of their packs had been crushed and shredded, their broken contents of clothes, food, and other supplies strewn across the camp.
It only took Lexa a moment to take in the entirety of the destruction, the rest of the time she spent scanning the area for Clarke and the others.

From what she could tell they were not in the camp, she also could not seem to see a speck of blood spilled in the camp. A good sign.

"Nepa!" Burke yelled down kicking his slight mare down the hill. "Tess!"

"Clarke!" Shauna called following her fellow her head swerving around searching for movement.

Lexa was about to lead Tarko down the hill when suddenly her Brother's namesake snorted loudly and tossed his head.

"What troubles you?" She asked warily, having had quite enough danger for a single day.

The black stallion responded by stamping his front hoof impatiently and whinnying again.

"What are you…?" The Commander began to ask then it hit her. He was drawing attention to himself. He as a horse. Clarke had been riding Wells and had taken him to the camp, along with Tess' and Nepa's mounts. Yet there were no horses in the camp. They had to have been ridden somewhere.

"Thank you." Lexa said patting her stead fondly. Then she sat straighter on her saddle to call down.

"Stay here." She shouted to the Nightbloods below her who had begun puttering through the camp's remains searching for clues of the whereabouts of their comrades. "Begin salvaging and erecting what you can. I will return."

"Heda?" Burke called up to her, confused but it was too late. The Commander had already placed on hand on Tarko's neck and whispered, "find them".

From there the horse gave a great confident snort and began to trot off in the opposite direction from which they'd come.
"I will bring them back." She called back to her baffled charges.

Tarko lead Lexa at a steady pace for only roughly 10 minutes before coming upon a sparse group of trees. There he slowed and came to a stop. Lexa gave the horse a gentle pat before dismounting. She scanned the trees, unable to see Clarke or the others but sure that they must be nearby. The Commander was however concerned about what else may be hiding in the thin tree line. Deciding that it was not best to call out for them, Lexa began to make her way through the trees, only walking one hundred meters before coming upon Wells and the other two horses. Clarke's roan stallion turned its head to look curiously at her, its eyes sparkling in a bright hello.

"Wells." The Commander soothed giving the horse a slight pat. The stallion shut his eyes and seemed to give a relaxed sigh. "Now where's our girl at?" She asked the animal lightly.

Almost as if to answer her question Lexa heard the violent snap of branches just ahead of her. She chuckled; even for Clarke who had little grace when moving through the trees these sounds were extreme. It was if the girl was trudging blindly through the trees, taking care to shatter every branch in her path.

Leaving the horses behind Lexa began to head toward the sound of snapping branches. She'd however only traveled a few steps when the hair on the back of her neck shot up. The Commander's instincts took over and without truly thinking the she drew her small blade and turned on the spot, ready to face the threat approaching her from behind.

She swerved around and pressed her blade against the human foe's neck. Only to find a blade on her neck as well.

Nepa's eyes, Lexa was sure looked much like her own, dark and determined. No true soul within them in that moment.

The two women stood still and silent for a moment feeling their adrenaline flowing throughout their bodies. Not truly recognizing one another. Then Nepa's eyes went wide and she retracted her own blade from the Commander's throat. The young girl's fears of thieves or murders receding. Lexa faltered with her blade.

"Nepa!" She cried in surprise, not because she'd found the girl but because the Nightblood had managed to sneak up so closely to her. She expected either more of herself or less of Nepa. She wasn't sure.

"Heda!" Nepa exclamation was much more of a happy one. She had a relieved grin on her face. "We were worried about your safety."

That's true, Lexa thought to herself. She and her group had at least known what caused the stampede. Nepa and the others had only seen the aftermath. They'd been left with no way to know where the hunters had gotten to or how to find them.

"Nepa?" A voice called from the trees and Clarke pushed a branch aside to reveal her face. Now was the moment that relief truly washed over Lexa's face. Clarke stood before her, alive and unharmed. Her face bore a few scratches that came from riding through trees but apart from that she was uninjured. And now stared at the Commander with what was no doubt a mirroring expression.

Surely had it been any other Nightblood than Nepa; the two women would have exercised their usual level of restraint of none contact or even any type of connection. But as the Nightblood was the most aware of their relationship Clarke and Lexa in that moment mutually agreed to knock down their walls and hugged one another. Lexa moved to Clarke, arms wide, the Skaigirl walked into them and pressed her head to the Commander's shoulder.

"You're okay." Clarke huffed, hugging the older girl tightly.

"You're okay." Lexa's voice was muffled as she pressed her face into Clarke's bushy blonde hair. They stood like that for a moment, breathing each other in before Tess' voice called from the trees.

"Nepa? Clarke?"

"We are here!" Nepa called back, giving her Commander and Ambassador a moment to break apart and collect themselves.

Tess' small timid face emerged from the trees and she immediately broke into a broad grin at the sight of Lexa.

"Heda!." She cried ecstatically. "You're alive!"

Lexa gave the girl a pleased nod. "As are you."

"Barely." The younger girl, a slight bounce in her step. "We only just got out of camp before those Elk trampled it to pieces." She glanced around quickly. "Where are the others?"

Lexa gave a slight smile with her eyes. "Trying to put those pieces back together."

Clarke laughed. "I wish them luck on that." She nodded her eldest Nightblood. "Nepa suggested we cut some new supports for the tents."

Tess nodded. "I will get them so we can return to camp." With that, she disappeared back in the direction she'd come. Lexa made the realization that the creation of the supports had been making the large snapping sounds, not Clarke's blundering through the forest. The Skaigirl deserved more credit than she had given her. Nepa too, had somehow managed to get a blade to her throat.

Then as if on cue Nepa spoke up. "I'll help you." She said brushing past her Commander and Clarke, giving them a slight knowing look before following Tess.

The moment they were alone Clarke wrapped an arm around Lexa's shoulder and pulled her tightly to her, kissing her strongly. The movement startled the Commander but the older girl did nothing to resist.

"I was scared you were gone." Clarke said after a moment, their faces still close. Hearts racing.

"I'm right here." Lexa said warmly. "And so are you which is the important thing."

Clarke smiled before taking a step back, knowing that soon the Nightbloods would be back.

"We only just got away." The younger girl said remembering the fear she and the others had felt. "The horses started to freak out, and Nepa told us that we had to run. It was so close that Tess' horse got caught up in the front of the stampede." Lexa tensed. They'd had it worse than her. "They just had to barrel through. Lexa she almost didn't make it"

Lexa nodded. "Tarko did the same for me. If he hadn't warned me they might have run me down."

Clarke pressed her forehead to the Commander's. "I swear I don't think our lives will ever be quiet for more than a day"

Lexa sighed and pressed her lips to the younger girl's forehead. "Probably not." Then she took a step back as the two heard the Nightbloods returning to them.

XXXX

The lynx caused the fire to crackle loudly as it cooked on the large spit Clarke had personally cut as a tent post.

When they'd returned to camp Clarke and Lexa found the Nightbloods erected and salvaged almost all of their tents and had already built a fire to cook their kills.

The group in its entirety felt a new sense of euphoria as they became reunited in their camp. The last two days had been stressful and strenuous and with their camp near completion and a delicious meal being prepared they all seemed to feel a weight lifted from their chests.

Now, having completed repairing the last of their tents and cleaning their strewn supplies Lexa and the Nightbloods were sat around the fire enjoying the very heavy flavorful meat of the stampede instigators.

When Clarke had returned after having changed into fresh clothing she found all the Nightbloods and their Commander sat around the fire. Upon approaching the fire Reed, who had been sitting next to Lexa immediately rose and found a place on the other side of the circle, leaving the seat near Lexa vacant.

Clarke had paused, hesitant to take the seat, feeling it in a way; too obvious a give away of their unspoken relationship. Even though many knew of their bond Clarke and Lexa still did their best to keep it subdued. The fears and threats to a commander with a love still very real and ever present in their minds.

However, upon receiving an encouraging nod from Reed as well as most of the other children Clarke took the seat. Settling herself next to the Commander. She glanced sideways to Lexa, the older girl seemed to not to acknowledge what had just occurred, her eyes entirely focused on Tess who was recounting the tale of their escape from the stampede. However, as the young girl explained the story, albeit much more suspenseful and exciting than the actual event; Clarke felt Lexa's hand come to rest on her knee and give it a small squeeze. A small yet comforting bit of affection. Possibly noticeable by the children but chose to be glossed over or ignored. Clarke felt a comforting wave of heat come from Lexa's calloused hand. A heat that warmed her deeper than the blazing fire. Clarke placed her own hand over the Commander's, running her fingers over Lexa's knuckles. She caught a slight smile from the older girl; gauging the Commander's openness, contently leaned against her.

Around them the Nightbloods all smiled to themselves.