Basking in the warmth of Lexa's embrace and blanketed in the comforting scent of a forest after a rain, Clarke began to feel her body grow heavy with sleep. She mentally slapped herself awake because she had questions and she hoped Lexa might have some answers. Taking one last breath of the heady scent, she steeled herself to keep an open mind.
Swallowing to coat her dry throat, Clarke spoke into the peaceful silence, "This is all real, isn't it?"
Lexa's heart jumped slightly at the huskiness of Clarke's voice, but otherwise remained unmoving, "It is."
"Rook's telling the truth, isn't she," Clarke persisted as she felt fear begin to creep up her spine. "About the wolves. The Spirits. The gifts."
"Rook does not give out falsehoods unless necessary," Lexa assured the blonde in her arms. "There have long been tales of Spiritwalkers among my people. Tales of bravery. Peace. Prosperity. Destruction. Spiritwalkers are revered and feared among my people. The last known was over eighty years ago."
"Is that what we are," Clarke asked, running her hand absently along Lexa's arm and causing the hair to rise as a result. "Spiritwalkers."
Lexa closed her eyes at the sensation Clarke was inadvertently causing before opening them to answer, "That is what I believe. Though what we are exactly, I do not have a word for. And no Commander before me has ever been a Spiritwalker."
"Tell me about the Spirits," she asked softly.
"What do you want to know," Lexa asked as she began digging through her memories of the stories she had been told about them.
"What are they?"
Lexa pondered the question for a moment before she answered, "The Spirits are like the gods of the ancient world but align more with the aspects of nature. Not like the dryads, nymphs, or sprites that were said to inhabit all living things. But more along the lines of people who lived closely with nature."
Clarke pushed off Lexa slightly to look at her in surprise, "You know what those are? Dryads and nymphs?"
Lexa uncharacteristically rolled her eyes, "Yes, Klark. We are a martial society not an illiterate one. Many books survived after Praimfaya and besides Gonasleng, Trigedasleng is a written language."
Clarke blushed with embarrassment and dropped her head, "I'm sorry. I keep making assumptions about your people. It's wrong of me, especially since I want this alliance to work."
"You are forgiven, but may I ask why," Lexa said, looking at her kindly. "Why this assumption that we are less than you?"
Clarke cringed at the question, but wanting to be truthful and showing it, she looked back at Lexa, "We were taught that if there were survivors that they would be changed by the radiation. Biological and neurological mutations. Because of that and the obvious destruction of the land, it was theorized that survivors would revert to baser instincts. More violent with the need to survive with lesser cognitive abilities. Basically, physically deformed and acting more like Neanderthals."
Deciding to tease Clarke slightly, Lexa asked, "What are these Neanderthals?"
"A species of humans that became extinct—" Clarke began to answer and then caught the gleam of amusement in Lexa's eyes making her stop. She glared at Lexa, hitting her lightly, "You ass. You know exactly what a Neanderthal is."
Lexa chuckled, "I do. Some of your theory is correct. The radiation from Praimfaya did affect those who survived. Many died from it and some became deformed. Our minds remained intact, though. Even to this day there are those who are born with physical or mental deformities. Though, from the texts I have read, some of it may be the result of environment and other factors."
Clarke frowned slightly as she thought through the information, "You're talking about pregnant women living in harsh conditions and not eating well or enough, right?"
Lexa nodded, "Sha. But I believe we are digressing. We were speaking about the Spirits."
Clarke huffed in annoyance. She would much rather discuss how the Grounders evolved than things that couldn't be seen.
Lexa could feel Clarke's mental grumbling and bit back a smile. She wasn't as successful as she thought when Clarke glared lightly at her.
"I can hear your smugness, Lexa," Clarke grumbled before settling herself once more against Lexa. "But fine. So, the Spirits. Is there anything that tells how they choose the people they bond with?"
Lexa leaned back against the wall as she thought about Clarke's question. She couldn't recall any such tales and told Clarke as much.
Clarke hummed in acknowledgement of the lack of an answer and posed a different one, "You must have theories, though. If most of the tales are about bravery and peace."
"It has been a long time since I listened to such tales or thought about them," Lexa replied truthfully.
"So, you're saying that you don't have a theory as to why we've been chosen by these Wolf Spirits," Clarke asked, frowning into the room.
"At this time, no," Lexa stated somewhat regretfully. "I would have to consult the archives in Polis before I could even begin to theorize as to why this has happened to us or why now."
"That's fair, I guess," Clarke grumbled. "Do you have any thoughts as to why I knew that there are no more wolves like the ones we fought? Or why I referred to their pups as ours?"
"I actually do," Lexa said as she adjusted to get more comfortable. "Rook has mentioned that the Bounstoka shared her memories with her. I have dreamt of being a wolf since the attack. I believe that the sharing of the memories is part of the process of our souls merging. A way to ease us into the gifts they have imparted. Teaching us what comes naturally to wolves."
"Like the fact that I can smell each plant individually that's in here," Clarke asked.
Lexa nodded, "Sha. The heightened senses that allows the wolf to be a formidable hunter. The strength to take down larger prey."
"What about the healing and telepathy?"
"I want to say that those are inherently of the Spirits themselves," Lexa replied thoughtfully. "Healing allows a person to continue their path without fear of dying too soon. The mind speaking is something that I am still unsure of."
"Okay, that makes sense," Clarke said as she began thinking things through. "But why did I refer to their pups as ours?"
Lexa sighed and ran an arm around Clarke and squeezed her gently in reassurance, "It may be that your mind cannot distinguish between what are your thoughts and what were hers. Before I became Commander, my Flamekeeper explained that once one of us Ascended, we would be able to commune with the Past Commanders. To gain guidance and advice from them. We were taught how to keep our minds strong so that we would not lose ourselves to them. When I commune with them, their thoughts have a distinct feel to them. It is hard to describe the feeling besides a sense of otherness or something foreign."
"Like it's not supposed to be there. I guess an example would be if you had a splinter underneath your skin. You may not see it, but you can certainly feel it," Clarke said thoughtfully.
"Maybe not as irritating or painful, but yes, something like that," she replied with a small chuckle.
"And what your Flamekeeper taught you, is that something that you can teach me," she asked a tad fearfully. "I don't like that I'm confused as to what thoughts are mine and what are the wolf's."
"Certainly," Lexa replied, sounding pleased. "It takes time to master, but since we are healing now would be the perfect time to begin."
"Maybe not right now," Clarke said. "You're warm and I'm too comfortable to learn something."
Lexa chuckled, "Very well, Klark. Rook should be returning with food soon and clothing. It would be better to do such on a full stomach."
At her words, Clarke's stomach let out a tremendous growl which made her blush scarlet in embarrassment.
"Yeah, food would be good right about now. I'm starving," Clarke admitted sheepishly.
Lexa just laughed and pulled Clarke closer to her. Both girls relishing in the feeling of being wrapped up in each other while also knowing that something was missing. And that something was Rook.
