Chapter 2 – A decision is made

The way back to TonDC passed in silence. The little baby in her arms had not moved even once. Lexa did not know if the baby was underweight or not, she had never carried such a young body before. Darkness had already settled around the woods until Lexa reached the village.

As she was carrying the little girl still encased into her coat, the baby was not easily recognizable and no one intercepted her way, before Lexa disappeared from view within the commander's tent.

She carefully divested herself of her coat, letting the piece of clothing drop to the ground, while she tried to hold the little girl as still as possible. It seemed that the toddler had fallen asleep within her arms and she did not wish to wake her.

Lexa carefully placed the baby onto her bed without jostling her. She feared that she had failed in that, when the little girl immediately began to move a little once she touched the mattress. But the child just turned around, snuggling into the soft fur beneath her with a little sigh, before she quitted down again.

Now that they had left the darkness of the woods, Lexa could finally really take a look at the child.

The girl truly was small and she guessed that her estimation of her age between one or maximal two years was correct as well. She had bright blonde hair, which was spilled around her head in soft shining curls, giving her almost a sort of halo as she was lying on the bed. One hand had found her way to her face and she was sucking on one of her thumbs as she slept. The clothing of the girl was dirty and clearly showed that no one had really taken good care of her.

She wondered again where the child's parents were. She hypothesized that they were not with the invaders at all, otherwise she could not explain why the girl appeared to be so unkept. Not just her clothes were dirty on closer inspection, the whole girl truthfully looked filthy.

She remembered that the child had been crying for the whole time where she had observed the camp of the invaders and Lexa began to wonder if the child may be sick as well. In the very least, she would be bound to be hungry.

Lexa was unsure on how to proceed now. She was not prepared to take over the care of such a young child. She did not possess any experience with children this age. The nightbloods she had mentored in the capitol were all several years older than this little baby was.

She stepped back from the bed and crossed through the tent, sending Gustus who was guarding the entrance to fetch Indra and Anya for her. Both had experience with children and she hoped that they would be willing to help her. She would not order them to help her, but she was more hoping for a personal favour.

Lexa returned to the side of the bed, sitting down on the edge as she waited for the two older women to arrive. The dip of the mattress must have jostled the little girl and a moment later her grey eyes fluttered open.

The moment the baby recognized that she was in unknown surroundings, the girl's small body tensed up visibly and her grey eyes wildly searched around herself, still sucking on one of her thumbs, while she clutched the fur tighter into her chubby fist, until her gaze fell on Lexa sitting next to her.

"You are safe" Lexa immediately tried to sooth the little girl in a gentle tone, deliberately choosing to directly speak in English with her. None of their scouts had heard the invaders speak any other language. The girl was so young though, that she was not sure if she could speak at all yet or not.

The girl's eyes remained glued to her face, but she did not remove her thumb from her mouth.

"Can you tell me your name?" Lexa probed the child kindly, wanting to find out if she could speak at all.

The child mumbled something around her thumb in her mouth, completely indistinguishable for Lexa.

Lexa's mouth curved into a smile. She had not understood the girl's name, but she was at least trying to communicate with her. The girl was visibly tired though and Lexa doubted that she would be getting a better answer for now.

Indra arrived a moment later at the commander's tent, hovering in the middle of it with a confused expression "Commander" the dark-skinned woman addressed the younger woman in a neutral tone.

Lexa looked over at the woman. She held a great respect for her and Indra had known her since she was discovered as a nightblood. "I did not ask you here as my general" Lexa began in a kind tone. Her eyes shortly flitted back onto the bed, the baby seemed interested at Indra's arrival, so Lexa indicated for Indra to step closer to the bed.

The dark-skinned warrior followed the mute order with a slight frown, obviously unsure on what to expect now.

Lexa could spot the moment Indra realized that there was a small child in her leader's bed by the slight widening of her dark eyes. Her expression has not been especially friendly or welcoming either.

The baby seemed to have decided that she was warry of the unknown woman now, reacting completely different than she had to seeing Lexa for the first time and she pulled at the furs under her, until she could hide her face behind them.

Anya arrived in that moment, before Lexa could explain and the general immediately stepped closer to the bed. Her sharp features did not flash with surprise though "It is true then" she commented in a cautious tone.

"True?" Indra asked in rising confusion.

Lexa could only guess that word was already spreading through the village that she had brought a baby from the invaders. "A patrol had encountered her with one of the invaders. The boy had stepped into a trap and died" she explained quickly.

"Why is she alive?" Indra questioned in obvious suspicion; her expression was still anything but welcoming.

Lexa supressed an eye roll at the question "She is a mere baby. She does not deserve death" she answered in a slightly sharper tone. If she had found a baby among warriors from Ice Nation, she would have decided the same way.

Indra wrinkled her nose as she inspected what was visible of the baby "She is filthy" she commented in disgust.

Lexa nodded and hesitated for a moment. Since she had stepped up as the commander, she had never asked anyone a personal favour and she was unsure how to ask for one now without both women taking her words as an order. "I know nothing about the care of a baby…" she began, letting her words trail off as she looked at both of them.

Anya raised a brow of that "You are planning on taking care of her yourself?" she asked in astonishment.

"I am sure one of the families here would be willing to…" Indra tried to offer, but Lexa silenced her with a resolute shake of her head.

The commander stayed silent for a long moment. How could she explain reasonably that she felt that it was the right thing to keep the little girl with herself?

Many believed that the commanders were foreseen by fate. Could her encounter with this baby have been fated as well?

"I feel … connected to her" she finally settled on, deciding that she could trust both of them with this, as she gently let one of her hands rest on the mound child's body formed under the furs now.

Anya's expression easily showed that she did not regard the idea that Lexa could be the one raising the baby as a good idea, but the general also knew the young leader well enough. She knew the burning within her green eyes. Lexa had already decided and nothing would be able to sway her mind now. She was slightly confused as to why Lexa was obviously asking her for help now, but she also knew that she would never deny her.

Anya commented after a mute moment of contemplation "Bathing and feeding her should suffice for now".

Indra seemed to have decided that she would help as well "I will organize clean clothes for her. And diapers".

"Diapers?" Lexa echoed, voice an octave higher in shocked astonishment. She had not even thought about this for a second.

Anya snorted slightly under her breath "She cannot be older than two summers. Probably younger. She will still need diapers".

Lexa panickily wondered just what exactly she had gotten herself into?