The days had passed by slowly for the blonde. Clarke, under Lexa's careful supervision, remained in bed with the exception of bathroom breaks. The last time Zoran checked on her, she was told that her healing process was on track.
It was the day when Clarke would finally be allowed to move around once again. Having to stay in that bed had made her quite restless, inadvertently causing her difficulty in controlling her moods. Clarke stood up after receiving the OK from the healer. Everyone had a careful eye on her in case her leg gave out and she fell. When she put some pressure on her previously worse off leg, and didn't feel anything, Clarke looked up at the other three and grinned.
When Lexa saw Clarke looking happy once again, an involuntary yet welcome smile broke out across her own face as well.
Clarke wanted to move around, do something- anything. "Can we explore the village?" The question was directed towards the brunette, and it was obvious. At this point Zoran announced his goodbyes and left the room.
Lexa considered it cautiously for a second before deciding that a little exploration wouldn't hurt anybody. "Of course, is there anywhere specific you would like to go?"
Clarke hummed for a second before shrugging and answering, "Anywhere other than here."
Lexa chuckled as Anya mockingly scoffed before saying, "I will be at the training grounds." Once it was said, Clarke began toying with the idea of properly learning how to defend herself. It would certainly be a useful area to be skillful in. They all nodded their goodbyes, which finally left Lexa and Clarke alone.
Lexa stepped forward in order to intertwine the her fingers on both of her hands with Clarke's. "If you are hungry, I can start by showing you the market's stalls. There are not many, but the food is not bad. And-" She was cut off by Clarke's index fingers on her lips.
"You're starting to ramble." Clarke chuckled when Lexa turned a light red. "Anywhere where I am with you will be good enough for me." They both smiled softly at each other before leaning in and indulging in their equal desires to a kiss- ii was just as soft as their smiles.
Lexa sighed as her face fell slightly, but she didn't pull away from the blonde. "It is still not safe to be sighted… together…" Lexa whispered, yet still managed to sound resolute. She had a feeling that Clarke would be able to imply exactly what she meant by together.
Clarke put it away for later discussion, just wanting the day to continue on with a positive upbeat. She sank into Lexa, letting her head fall to be supported by the brunette's shoulder. She wrapped her arms around Lexa's neck, while at the same time Lexa's wound themselves to be behind the small of Clarke's back. They stood there for a few moments- breathing in each others scent, and being just OK with hiding whatever it was they had to veil.
Clarke pulled her upper half away and smirked. "One for the road?" When Lexa stared down at her with a quirked brow, she demonstrated by pushing forward into Lexa's lips. It did not take long for the two to fall into an easy rhythm. The only thing that interrupted them was a deep growling from Clarke's stomach. Lexa grinned as Clarke glared down at her organ as if she could physically see it. They moved to the door with linked hands. Lexa threw one last smile over her shoulder before transforming into the more stoic version of herself, and dropping Clarke's hand.
Lexa first led her to the stand that housed her favorite meat, followed by some of the fruit stalls. Clarke had never tasted anything with such flavor as she had in those moments. The Ark was full of mostly freeze and air dried foods, and those were all rationed. They had developed a form of agricultural farming, but those crops looked gray compared to what she had seen on the ground.
While Clarke looked around and took in everything around her, Lexa kept alert. After a moment of staring at her, Clarke caught the commander's glance at her from the corner of her eye before continuing on forward, nodding at the people that addressed her.
"You know," Clarke waited so she could gain Lexa's attention before continuing. "I don't see why allowing your people to see the real you is viewed as weakness. Vulnerability is not a bad thing if you can control it. At least at a place like this, where you're among harmless people and not an army."
Lexa chuckled humorlessly before replying, "No one in this world is harmless, Clarke. Everyone has the ability to do both bad and good- it's just a matter of which they so choose to do." She realized she herself had a choice in that moment. She could live in the moment or just survive. Lexa allowed her heart to decide. "Come, Clarke. I want to show you something." She pulled the blonde's arm in a sharp turn towards their new destination.
Clarke followed wordlessly. The outskirts of the village were behind them. When Clarke saw no one else she moved closer to Lexa and nudged her elbow. When the brunette looked at her she was surprised to see a mischievous glint in her eyes, but even more so when the woman took off into a sprint in front of her. In the blink of an eye she became a ghost entering the trees. Clarke ran in the direction she saw last saw the brunette. She didn't keep up the pace for long and was soon out of breath. She took a few slow steps before feeling herself being pulled up from under her arms. When she was placed on a thick branch against the trunk she gasped and it was silenced by a kiss. She fell into the easy moments before opening her eyes and pushing against Lexa's shoulder with one hand while balancing herself with the other.
"You scared the shit out of me!" When Clarke felt steady enough her free hand flew up to cover her erratically beating heart.
Lexa's eyes bulged and all she could respond with was, "Uhh.." She considered going back to Anya's for a change of clothes, until Clarke started laughing and shaking her head.
"It's just a phrase that means you really scared me." Clarke continued laughing as Lexa let out a breathy sigh and fell against the branch with relief. Clarke leaned forward to catch her but only made herself more unsteady. When her weight shifted too far to the side and she found a hand supporting her by the waist. Her wide eyes were met with entertained green ones.
"I do not fall, Clarke." After seeing the blonde blush and look down, Lexa knelt on her toes while pulling Clarke's chin up. "I could teach you. We still have not seen what I wanted to show you."
Clarke knew there would be few to none that would be able to help her more than Lexa. The way she walked alone was captivating. Each step she took was silent, as is Lexa walked on air. Lexa fighting was more than a battle, it was a dance. Lexa reached out and Clarke took her hand as she steadily found her sense of balance. A kiss was planted on her lips, but to Clarke's dismay it did not last long.
"It is a mental battle as much as physical, do not psych yourself out or you will fall," Lexa began as she pulled herself up the closest overhead branch. As Clarke tried to mimic her motions her foot slipped and she was yet agin caught by strong arms. "If you do, I will catch you."
The rest of the journey up went slowly, Lexa could have been up and down five times by the time her head broke out over the leaves. She happily kept along with Clarke's pace though.
When Clarke finally saw past branches and leaves her breath caught in her throat. The specific tree they were in was taller than most of the others surrounding them. She could see smoke from neighboring villages in the distance, trees among trees, and areas of grass that stretched on for miles.
"This is… breathtaking." As Clarke looked around, Lexa kept her eyes on the blonde. After a while longer, Clarke finally returned Lexa's stare. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"
Lexa nodded and released a content sigh. "This is where I used to run off to when I could get away as a child. Bluma, she showed it to me one time when she found time to visit. She was the first one to teach me how to climb trees. After she was killed, this is where I found solace and peace from my memories of the village until I was taken away from it."
Clarke did not know what to say. For one she was glad that a younger Lexa had a safe place, but she also felt pity for everything she went through at such a young age. With care, Clarke moved towards Lexa and leaned her head against the other girl's shoulder. She would give what comfort she was able to.
After a cool breeze blew past them Clarke shivered and Lexa said, "I will have warmer clothes made for you in Polis. For now we should return to the warmth of the village." Clarke nodded and followed the brunette down the tree, surprised that she herself only slipped a couple of times. When both of their feet touched the ground Clarke motioned for Lexa to come to her with her index finger. Lexa smirked and walked at a tantalizingly slow pace towards her. Clarke got impatient and pushed forward herself until her lips met Lexa's.
Lexa wrapped her arms around Clarke's waist and had soft hands tangled in her hair. When Clarke's tongue grazed her bottom lip, Lexa eagerly granted entrance. This kiss was more passionate than the others. Lexa chuckled when she heard Clarke's breath become heavy. Before long she pulled away before whispering in Clarke's ear, "We need to work on your stamina." When she pulled back Clarke's eyes were darker and her pupils wide.
"I'm sure we could think of something to help with that." When Clarke leaned forward she was met with air. When she opened her eyes she saw Lexa grinning just before her reach. Teasing was not Clarke's favorite- on the receiving end that is, but two could play at that game.
Clarke was almost too busy devising a plan of revenge for Lexa to notice her and Lexa were headed down a new path. She glanced around and everything looked familiar yet also different at the same time. "Where are we going?"
Lexa looked behind her shoulder at the blonde beauty before responding, "I want to see how my warriors are performing."
Clarke nodded even though Lexa was no longer looking at her. The idea of it all sparked an uncommon interest in her, one that was usually reserved for drawing or medicine. After a few minutes she could hear metal scraping against metal and the clashing of blades.
There was no formal area for training. It was a decent enough sized patch of land that had dummies scattered about. Some were impaled by arrows while others had slashes and missing body parts. There was a thin circle around quickly moving bodies. Most of the people there were warriors, but others had also joined in on viewing.
Lexa sighed lightheartedly while shaking her head. Anya really did know how to draw a crowd when she wanted to. It was one of the other woman's many unknown talents.
Clarke raised a brow and was about to question the brunette before she saw a familiar flash of blonde hair and automatically wondered how many people the woman had bested at that point.
As the two neared the crowd, Lexa straightened her shoulders and went to adjust her sash before she realized that she had left it in the house. Clarke saw the movements and smirked. It appeared that Lexa was not perfect all of the time.
Once one person noticed, everyone's eyes seemed to fall onto Lexa and Clarke. People parted to form a path in the direction that the two were headed. Names and nods fell from the people closest to the pair. Once they reached the center, they saw Anya sparring with an obviously new warrior. When he caught a glimpse of Lexa he froze and looked at her for a second too long, causing his feet to be swept out of under him. A small amount of dust rose as he landed with a thud. Anya had her sword to his neck, face expressionless as she said, "The first bit of advice I will offer you is to never let your attention be swayed while in battle. Always keep it on your opponent." She dug the point of her sword into the dirt as she stretched her arms over her head and verbally acknowledged the newcomers for the first time, "Heda, Wanheda."
Clarke and Lexa both nodded in response. The blonde began tapping her foot excitedly, feeling an exhilarating rush of energy from the shortly lived bout. Without much thinking she called out to the woman who was still pulling at her muscles, "Feel up to a rematch, General?" Clarke heard a sharp intake of breath from the person next to her and knew Lexa wouldn't be thrilled by the idea, so she walked in front of her without looking into the woman's eyes. Clarke paused when she finally got an idea for payback.
Lexa knew Clarke would not face her, but she shared a brief moment of eye contact with Anya. She knew her former mentor would not back down for not just her own pride but for all of their sakes. The commander was proved right when she heard, "As you wish, Wanheda." Her mind went elsewhere when Clarke bent down a few feet ahead of her. It took all of her willpower not to stare at Clarke's butt as she stretched out her legs.
Anya caught onto what Clarke was doing and snorted at Lexa's poor attempt of staring anywhere but the blonde. As a result Lexa switched her focus to glaring at Anya.
Once Clarke finally stood up, she froze momentarily as she realized that she did not have a single weapon to use. The sound of a sword being unsheathed behind her drew her attention. Before she even turned around, Clarke knew who was offering her aid. She didn't want to, but out of respect the blonde looked into Lexa's eyes. It was at that moment that Clarke felt a bubbling amount of nerves hit her. Neither could tell the amount of time they were looking at each other, but both of them knew it was probably for too long. Lexa would provide Clarke with what strength she could- even if it was just by sharing her gaze.
As was tradition for the highest ranking warrior watching, Lexa stepped forward to announce the rules. Just as she opened her mouth another person came forward and interrupted, "Our revered general must be tired, why not go up against someone that has not been worn out?" Bree turned her head to Anya before saying, "Or do you want to test your new pets' skills?"
Clarke was slightly confused before it clicked. Bree was jealous, and she would use it to her advantage. Just as realization hit her, Clarke heard Lexa growl and grabbed Bree's attention before the commander could do something worse. "Even though you are not worth as much of my time as she is, I guess I could spare some of my efforts on you." She oncluded by looking at Anya for approval and saw recognition in her eyes before they both nodded to each other.
Lexa was too consumed by a mixture of rage and worry to catch the silent signals, so when Anya reached her side she whispered, "She's playing her," near her ear. She was still worried for Clarke, but Lexa silently admitted that she may have underestimated the blonde- a habit she thought she'd grown out of. Lexa quickly thought back on all of the events that had transpired and involved Bree. When she realized Anya was correct, Lexa shared a knowing look with her before speaking in a strong voice, "This is not a fight to the death. Neither of you are allowed to attack for the kill. It is only to be like any other sparing match. Begin."
There was one thing that Clarke learned during her months of self imposed isolation, and that was never to attack first. As for how to have a proper stance, she just tried to mimic what she had seen Lexa and Anya do. Bree lunged for her newly healed leg, which Clarke anticipated so she jumped back.
That would not have been a clean hit and everyone in the crowd knew it. Lexa fumed until she saw Clarke use Bree's momentum to her advantage. Clarke waited as the older woman spun herself around and knocked her legs out of under her with the blunt side of Lexa's sword.
Anya grinned as she saw Clarke use her finishing move from earlier. Before Clarke could complete it, Bree jumped up with wild eyes and uncontrollably forced her sword downward in an overhead arching motion. Clarke just managed to avoid being hit, but could feel the cool metal slide past her arm. Her eyes followed Bree's motions as her weapon entered the earth. Without a moments thoughts Clarke spun around Bree and put Lexa's sword to her neck.
Knowing that a battle could change in a moments notice, Lexa quickly announced, "Wanheda is the winner."
It was quiet and still for a moment after that, until there was a flash of movement followed by Clarke being pushed to the side. While regaining her balance, the blonde looked up to see Anya holding Bree by the wrist with one hand and ripping the weapon from it with her free one. She angrily pronounced, "This is one reason why I did not make you my second.." She glared at her a moment longer before continuing in English, "There is honor in defeat if you know how to accept it, and in this moment you have none. Leave, now."
Clarke looked at Lexa again and could see her hand clenching and unclenching at her side. Because of the newly formed tension filling in the air, the crowd dispersed into the activities that they had all previously been doing. Clarke still hadn't moved- not sure of what to do until Anya discreetly nodded her head in the direction of her house. Lexa returned to her side before Clarke could even think to look for her.
As the three navigated back into the village, Lexa protectively walked closer to Clarke. They were left alone as everyone who saw the irritated looks in the older women's eyes left them to be in peace. When everyone was finally back inside and the door was closed, Lexa pulled Clarke's arm to inspect the side that the sword had touched. When she saw that no blood had been drawn, Lexa dropped the arm and crossed her own.
"You are lucky that she let her anger control her and her fighting," Lexa began. "Why?" When Clarke only looked at her, Lexa rolled her eyes and elaborated, "Why would you fight, Clarke? Are you trying to injure yourself again?" Lexa brought her right hand to hold the bridge of her nose while the other rested on her hip.
"To start of with, it was only supposed to be a simple sparring match." When Lexa opened her mouth, Clarke shook her head and took the brunette's hands in hers- leaving them to hang between the two. "I don't completely understand why I did it. If anything, it was a spur of the moment type of thing. To put it simply, I craved to fight like never before."
Lexa thought about Clarke's words. She too was familiar with the desire to feel the thrill of battle. As the brunette considered Clarke's reasons further, Anya spoke up, "You truly have the soul of Wanheda." When Clarke looked at Anya, she saw a look of wonderment in her eyes. Once Clarke realized what the woman meant, she pulled away from Lexa. A familiar sense of anxiety overcame the rush that accompanied the win.
Before she could further panic, Lexa reclaimed her hands and pulled her close. Anya silently left the room to let the two speak in privacy. When Lexa no longer heard the quiet padding of feet she ran hand through the blonde locks resting on her shoulder in an effort to calm Clarke down.
"You do not need to be afraid, Clarke. Being Heda causes the same thing to happen to me. Do not fear who you are. I wish you could see what I do." She paused only to pull Clarke away enough to look in her watering eyes. "You are not alone. I will admit that controlling the urges will not always be easy, but I know you can do it. You are stronger than you realize. That does not mean you should go around untrained."
As a small smile came from Clarke, she began thinking how lucky she was to have Lexa. She was convinced that she'd be dead if it wasn't for the commander and her general. "Is that an offer?" Clarke inquired with a slight smirk. The more she played it over in her head, the more enticing the idea became to Clarke.
Lexa smiled and leaned her forehead against Clarke's. "Only if you want it to be."
Clarke hummed for a few moments, pretending to ponder the idea when she already knew her answer. "Does this mean I would be Anya's grand-second?"
Lexa pulled back enough to cock her head to the side. She played the word though her head a few times before realizing what Clarke meant and chuckled. "If you want to think of it that way, then yes. Even if you do not ask, she would want to oversee some of your training." The brunette paused for a second before adding, "When I have duties to attend to, she will train you."
Clarke smiled leaned her head against Lexa's shoulder. "Make sure she doesn't try to kill me?"
"No promi-" Lexa was cut off by the door being thrown open. She pulled Clarke behind her, only calming when she saw it was just Anya. The look on her face caused an unsettling feeling in both Lexa and Clarke's stomachs.
Anya roughly pulled an unknown man into the room and slammed the door shut. Clarke could feel the vibration it set off in her feet. "Speak," was all Anya could force out. Everyone could tell that she was greatly restraining herself.
The newcomer stood tall after straightening himself out. It wasn't that his face had no expression that disturbed Clarke, no she had seen that many times within the grounders, what disturbed her was that his eyes held no emotion. When Lexa saw him look over her shoulder to Clarke, she moved to create eye contact with him and glared. The blonde was able to see his face enough to recognize the markings on his face as Azgeda.
"A challenge has been issued towards you for after the summit." Lexa puffed her chest out defiantly, knowing that whatever the messenger was here for was not meant for celebration. The moment he finally got some resemblance of humanity in his face, Clarke wished that he hadn't. While his eyes were still filled with nothing, a vile smile broke across his face. "Winner receives Wanheda."