We moved through the darkness, no leaf moved as 10 of us including Lexa creeped towards the Ice Queens camp. It's been a full year since that day in the middle of Polis with Costia's head on a spear for all to see. War had broken out instantly after we searched every street, every house, and every alley. Killing the traitors one by one until none were left and then we closed all our gates sealing everyone that wanted to stay within Polis' borders. Lexa hadn't slept well in over a year and every one of her features I could see through the moonlight was vacant and cold. She had truly become Commander.
She gave orders quietly as we all separated and I pulled an arrow from its quiver and knocked my bow. I was ready in my position. This was the crucial moment. This mission was our last and if we succeeded we would have the Ice Queen's head on a pike along with Elise's.
"Skai Prisa…" I heard quietly in my ear.
I turned and it was Elanna.
"Happy Birth Day…Princess."
My eye's widened and they became less dull.
It was my birthday today. I felt myself come alive for once in a very long time and I felt everything wash over me. I was 17 today. I looked down at the camp in the darkness. How long has it been since I slept through the night…how long has it been since I had a moment where I wasn't out there killing someone or planning to kill someone.
I felt Elanna touch my back where it was scarred with too many kills to count.
"This is the last task Clarke." I heard her whisper in my ear and then she was gone.
I felt my hands tremble like they had the first mission we were on a year ago. We went to clear out an entire village of the Ice Nation. Every man, woman and child, it was horrific but it had to be done to show that the Heda was serious. It brought uproar to the rest of the villages which put tons of pressure on the Ice Queen herself. How did she answer? With cruel laughter of course. The Ice Nation began to see who they had put in power and it bent to our favor. Soon enough most of the Villages close to our borders began to bow to Heda as she road through and it made it easier for use to get closer and closer to the Ice Queen. The leaders of the villages bowed to Lexa.
I watched as she spoke to each village. Telling them exactly what would happen once she had the Ice Queen. She would have them pick another leader and they would join the 12 Clan Coalitions and be allied forever. She spoke powerfully and strongly and I stood there with her the entire way. She became who our Clan needed her to be, Commander.
I pulled back my bow when I saw a disturbance of the Queen's tent flap. I was hoping it was her so that I could end it now but as the red feathers of my black arrow touched my face I watched Elise leave the Ice Queen's tent. Dawn began to break from over the trees and I let out a breath, finally I was going to kill this traitor. I let go and watched with a satisfied smirk as the arrow sunk into Elise's neck and out to the other side. There was a loud scream of horror and loss as the rest of our army emerged from the trees around the village and the massacre began. There wouldn't be any survivors in this camp…it was all the Ice Queen's followers. I strapped the bow to my chest and unsheathed my sword as I ran down the hill as well. I lost Lexa in the crowd of fighting warriors but I had fighting to do on my own. I saw a huge man with an axe swing down on Elanna and knock her off her feet as she tried to dodge. He brought up his axe again but I was quicker as I sheathed my sword and took my bow into my hand I knocked an arrow I let it go and it sunk into his neck like I did with Elise and watched the Axe clatter out from his hands above his head and bury itself into the ground behind him, it was that heavy. Then he fell backwards right onto it killing him instantly. I flinched at seeing the other side of the axe protruding from his chest; I turned away towards Elanna to see if she was okay. Elanna got up breathing heavily as she favored her leg and side. I went to her and helped her towards the edge of camp and sat her down.
"Stay here." I ordered. I handed her a knife and she nodded out of breath.
I looked around and the fighting was almost finished and then I heard a roar come from within the Ice Queen's tent.
I rushed over there and saw Lexa being thrown out of the tent. My eyes widened at what I saw. It was a huge white lion bigger than the tallest man in the camp…I remember seeing a picture of a lion in one of the books Lexa and I found but it looked nothing like this… and it had blood on its muzzle. I looked down at Lexa and she was holding her arm which was bleeding horribly, Lexa's blood was on its muzzle…I watched as the Ice Queen came out looking extremely pissed off as she was holding Elise in her arms.
When her eyes landed on me they burned with fury when she saw the same colored feather of my arrow that was protruding from Elise's neck.
"You…"
The Lion roared and I had a hard time not trembling at its fury. I can see now why no one dared try and kill the Ice Queen…
Lexa laid next to me as we stared at the Lion as it paced. This wasn't good at all…
All of our warriors began trickling into the center of camp where the Queen's tent was and looked on at the Lion that stood in the path of all of us and the Queen.
"Did you Idiot's really think you could kill me!" she roared as her face was taken over by pure fury.
"You may have killed everyone that followed me in this camp but I am the true leader of the Ice Nation! No one has dared try and over throw me…you want to know why!?" she screamed.
"Meet Maximus!" she began to laugh psychotically as she was covered in Elise's blood. "He's the real reason!"
Everyone was silent as the Lion got closer to Lexa and I.
"Lexa…" I looked down at her and she looked up shakenly at me.
"Make sure you come out of this victorious…" I didn't have to say the rest as her eyes widened in horror.
Faster than I have ever drawn my bow before I fired at the Ice Queen, Maximus jumped in front of her taking the arrow in his muscled shoulder and roared. I turned around and took off through the village. The ground shook as the Lion chased me roaring louder than ever and it popped my ears. I let out a roar of my own as I ran as fast as I could through the village weaving and ducking every time I felt the lion grow closer.
My heart was pounding in my ears as sweat dripped down my face when I rounded a corner and there was nothing but trees in my way I heard a crash behind me and I looked over my shoulder. The Lion skidded into a house crashing it down and a thrill of pure fear went up my spine as I saw its bloody teeth. I turned back around and pushed my legs harder until I past the first layer of trees. Maximus crash into them. They groaned in protest as he roared with fury as he pushed his paw through to try and get me I drew another arrow and shot him in the eye and he roared in agony. I shot another in his other eye hoping to god the poison would start working.
The trees began to crack as they gave way and I pushed on into the forest, the lion still on my heels. I ran deeper into the forest until the trees were bigger and thicker and the lion rammed blindly into a big one and yelped as it shook its nose. I heaved quickly up into a tall tree and began burying arrow after arrow into the Lion. It was enraged as it began ramming the tree I was in. My eyes widened as the branch that I was on began to crack and buckle.
Shit.
I tried to reach for another branch but then it broke and I fell. I looked down at the upcoming teeth and claws and I closed my eyes as Maximus made another agonizing roar that shook my head and the forest around me.
Sorry Lexa…I did my best…
Back at the IQ Camp (Lexa's point of view)
I got up from the ground as I watched this huge Lion chase after Clarke. No one moved to help her and I began to shout out a command but then out of the corner of my eye I saw metal flash. I ducked out of the way holding my left arm to my chest as the Ice Queen slashed where my head had been. I looked around for my sword and then I heard Heda being called. It was Elanna. She held my sword above her head as she limped over. I dodged another swing from the Ice Queen and backed up.
"This is your entire fault!" the Ice Queen screamed as she slashed furiously at me. It was slow and too strong. She couldn't think to fight correctly through her anger. I looked down at Elise's body that had been set against the tent and then I looked at the Ice Queen.
"No…" I stopped moving and grabbed her arm as she swung at me again, holding it fiercely as I looked into her crazed eyes. "This could have all been avoided…if you had entered the coalition…these lands would still be your lands and you would have received help from all 11 clans that USED to be your enemies…but were willing to be your comrades instead." I hissed out.
"LIES!" She roared into my face. I felt spittle hit me in the cheek but I stood firmly my face grave and angry.
" . ." I stated.
"You would have taken my title away! I would be queen no more!" she struggled against me as she went to grab a knife from her belt.
I kicked her legs from under her and she fell so that I was standing over her, her eyes grew alarmed as my face became red with rage as I gripped her wrist tighter. I took a deep breath in and then I got as close as I could to her face.
"But instead you decided to kill the woman I loved! Because she was mine! Because you knew she was important to me! She knew nothing!" my voice grew louder with each sentence as my heart wrenched. "I can see it in your eyes! That you knew that to be true as you were torturing her to DEATH." I screamed in her face.
The Ice Queen flinched as I used my hurt arm to grab her other wrist.
"I would have not taken your title…or your lands…or your people! All I asked was your help and I would give help in the same way! What you needed and did not have I would give! And what we needed and did not have would be given by you! But instead! You took it upon yourself to kill your people by your own hand because you started a war over a girl that was only mine!" I breathed heavily as my voice grew stronger and louder at every word.
"All I asked of you! Leader of Ice, Queen of your PEOPLE! Was loyalty and assistance! Nothing more…nothing less…"
I watched as her eyes began to clear and she was trembling at my words.
"You have sentenced yourself to death because you could not see this." I grounded out as I gritted my teeth. "And this I will do myself…as Commander of the 12 clans…"
I took the Ice Queen's sword from her hand and pointed the blade to her throat as she knelt down in front of me.
"Any last words…" I said.
The Queen just smiled as she looked up at me with crazed eyes again.
"I hope Maximus kills the one you called Skai Prisa…" She cackled manically but it was cut off by my outraged scream as I cut off her head with one swift swing. Her head hit the ground and it still had that crazed smile upon it. I breathed heavily as I looked away feeling sick from how off kilter this woman had been.
Everything was silent once again and then I looked up at the warriors surrounding us. I became alarmed when I could not hear crashing or any sound what so ever coming from where Clarke took off.
"Where is she!" I yelled.
No one said anything as I took a deep breath and held my arm.
"GET YOUR ASSES MOVING AND FIND HER NOW!" The warriors all scattered and I began to move quickly through the wreckage the huge Lion had done to the village.
Elanna limped towards me and handed off my sword.
"Heda…" she began.
I shook my head.
"We have to find her first…I need to know if she's okay…"
Elanna nodded and we both walked quickly past broken homes and into the trees that had been smashed.
I began to feel dizzy and Elanna was looking no better.
"I want that village burned to the ground Elanna…I want you to go through all the Ice Queen's things and look for anything we may need to find the rest of the traitors…this isn't over just with her death…the Ice Clan must be dealt with properly…"
Elanna huffed agreeably and then my eyes grew wide.
There against a ripped apart tree covered in claw marks lay the unmoving white Lion….it was massive still. Elanna and I walked cautiously towards it. We realized it was dead. The Lion was here…but where was Clarke. I grew more alarmed by the second.
"CLARRRRKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEE!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. There was no answer and I felt despair hit me. Please…don't take her away from me too… and then the Lion moved and we both jumped back at the ready with weapons drawn, but then realized it wasn't the Lion that was getting up. There was something…or someone under it.
My eyes grew big as I heard a muffled help from underneath it.
"Clarke!" I yelped as I scrambled over the massive Lion. Elanna was no help with her hurt leg so she pulled her horn from her belt and blew.
A loud and drawn out horn call left her horn and then there was crashing through the trees as warriors began to appear back at camp. They immediately assisted me with moving the Lion and there below the massive beast was Clarke. She groaned as she was pulled from below by me. She was covered in Lion blood and I couldn't help the tears and sob of relief as she went limp in my arms breathing heavily.
"Clarke…" my voice cracked as I held her close not giving a damn if I became covered in more blood as well. "I'm so glad you're okay…" I whispered into her hair. Clarke groaned again and then she opened her eyes to stare at me.
"Lexa…" she said as she coughed and made in pain noises.
I leaned closer.
"Don't ever let me do something so stupid again…" she moaned out and I couldn't help but laugh. Just laugh and laugh as everyone stood around us smiling a little at this display.
The war was over we could go home.
"I promise Clarke…I promise…" I said as I hugged her closer to me and we sat there on top of the huge Lion as everyone began to sit down as well or just fall over from over exhaustion. There was a huge sigh of relief from the warriors in the mission party.
"And…also…" she began.
I looked up and I tilted my head a little as my eyes drooped from exhaustion.
"We are so making a huge Lion rug for the tent." She said with a huge grin that was so Clarke that I couldn't help but burst out laughing again.
"You would want a huge Lion rug…" I couldn't help but continue to laugh as everyone laughed with me.
"Yes…yes I would…and…ALL OF YOU LAZY BUMS THAT DIDN'T GET CHASED BY A HUGE LION CAN HELP SKIN IT!" Clarke yelled out.
There was a collective groan from every warrior present as Clarke laughed so loud a smile was brought to my face.
It was about time everyone was happy again, including me.
One of the captains of the three other squads came into view and walked up to me.
"Heda." he bowed.
I nodded as I held Clarke closer as she closed her eyes tiredly.
"I want the village taken care of by sun down….nothing is kept except what will help us find the rest of the enemy…all the bodies burned without ritual. I don't care if their souls make it back to reincarnation. We are all heading home come nightfall…"
He nodded and then left with most of the warriors still surrounding the area.
"Finally…" I looked down at Clarke's sleeping face. "We can go home…"
And that's the end of the battle with the Ice Nation! Woo! Next up the aftermath of the war and what will be changing with Clarke and Lexa o: guess what guys! The 100 are coming down! WOO.
Till next time,
Artemis:)