Lexa and her bodyguard detachment led by her captain of the guard Gustus arrived in TonDC at dusk the same day she left Polis.

They had ridden hard to make it so soon but she felt the situation had warranted the pace. Upon passing the gates of the village she beheld the sprawling village of her birth.

Each house was wooden and circular in shape with a trunk of one the towering trees serving as a central support. There was smoke rising from their chimneys and light pouring from windows. The smells of dinner being made and the sound of families gathered around hearths could be heard.

She longed for the days that she had been a part of such signs of life, she had not known such familial comforts since leaving for Polis at six years old.

After all, to be Commander was to be alone, that fact had been made painfully apparent the day Costia's head was delivered to her. Love was truly naught but weakness.

After leaving her horse to the stable hand she made her way to the Chieftain's house, it was the same as all the others but it was central to the village and much older.

Indra, the Chieftain of the Triku was there to greet her at the door. With nothing but a nod the dark skinned woman led her into her home as Lexa left her two personal bodyguards at the door.

Inside was a roaring hearth with a pot hanging above it and in front of the fire was a bear rug and wooden furniture draped in soft furs.

An uncharacteristically nervous Anya was standing on the bear skin rug.

"Heda," she bowed in deference.

"You don't normally show such respect in private unless something is wrong, what is it?" Lexa questioned, sensing something was off.

"Wanheda and her Sardaukar, they are missing along with Lincoln. We found a dozen dead Maunen at their camp, their fayagons destroyed. The scouts tracked the Sardaukar to the mouth of the Ripa tunnels but they dared not follow further, I believe they aim to slay the Maunon themselves." Anya supplied while bowing her head once more.

'Those tunnels are a deathtrap!' She knew there was likely an entrance to the mountain within those tunnels but she had lost many scouts trying to find it.

'Though if Lincoln is guiding them and she really is the Wanheda of prophecy then perhaps there is hope yet.'

'In the unlikely event that Wanheda is successful in slaying the Maunon alone the coalition will be weakened severely. The threat of the Maunon was the unifying threat that helped me secure the relative peace of the Kongeda.' She thought, face devoid of emotion in her practiced mask despite realizing her worst fears may be coming true.

"Has there been any news since?" Lexa asked, with Anya only shaking her head in response.

"Come daybreak, send out scouts. Hopefully there will be something." Lexa stated before leaving Indra's house and heading to her family's ancestral home where she stayed while in TonDC.

The house she grew up in was well kept but so unlike how she remembered it as a girl, it was cold, empty…lifeless. If it wasn't for her two personal guards, who were more like sisters, sharing the house with her, she would have just slept on the rug at Indra's.

After preparing the Commander's gifts and assuring the dead were and guns were disposed of Clarke made her way to level five, where the survivors of the Mountain were brought after being shown the atrocities their people had committed.

Upon entering the large cafeteria where everyone was gathered, she saw the two dozen or so children and six adults trying to calm them.

A girl, with porcelain skin and dark hair approached Clarke alongside Jasper. Clarke was a little surprised at how comfortable the two seemed to be near each other, their shoulders making contact almost subconsciously every few steps.

The girl bowed low, "Thank you for sparing my people Commander, I am Maya Vie." The girl was trembling like a leaf as if Clarke would rescind her mercy at any moment.

"Rise Maya, they are not your people any longer, they are mine. No harm will come to any of you." Clarke said gently.

She turned to address the rest of the people listening in. "You are all now my people, you have nothing to fear. I hope you all understand why we had to do what we did here now that you know the truth of your former people," Many of the faces looked down in shame. "I know you dream of the surface, I will find a way to make that dream a reality, this place will longer be your prison." She could see the hope in the children's faces and doubt in the adults'.

She turned her focus to Jasper. "You're responsible for them, keep them safe, teach them of our people," she looked to Maya, "though I doubt I would have to tell you to stay close." She added, smirking when they both blushed.

With that she headed towards medical to check on the Grounder survivors and gather Lincoln, they had to leave soon.

When she entered she could see many of the survivors had the light of life back in their eyes, but they also had suspicion. It was understandable she supposed, if it wasn't for Lincoln's efforts things would likely be much worse.

She looked around, searching for Lincoln but noticed the little girl that had attempted to save Charlotte last night huddled in a corner of the room, knees to her chest and eyeing everyone suspiciously. The other Grounders were pointedly avoiding the little girl.

She found Lincoln sitting on a bed speaking in his native language to a different child with Octavia resting her hand on his shoulder. He was gesticulating wildly as if telling a grand story, the child had her brown eyes wide in wonderment, looking between him and Octavia.

After a moment, Lincoln noticed her presence and Octavia sat next to the little girl and began attempting a rudimentary conversation in Trigedasleng.

"Why is that child being avoided by your people?" She asked, nodding her head towards the little girl in the corner.

He glanced at the little girl and sighed, "She is a Frikdreina, a stain on the bloodline. Normally they are given up to the forest when they are born, I do not know how she survived so long. It is a sad reality my people are forced to live with."

'He must be referring to mutations, it made sense they would view mutations as threats to their continued survival.' She mused.

"What will happen to her?" She decided to ask.

"She will be banished to the Deadzone, it is a death sentence." He answered, sadness evident in her voice.

"Then I will take her in as one of my people, I owe her a debt for aiding Charlotte. Come, translate for me."

Together they slowly approached the small girl. She was a tiny thing, likely only four years old. She had a wild mane of brown hair, sun kissed skin with blotches of white here and there, and two mismatched eyes, one as green as the forest and the other as blue as the sky.

'These are no mutations! It's just vitiligo and heterochromia! There's nothing wrong with her at all!' Clarke yelled inside her head.

"You called her a stain on the bloodline, is it because of her skin and eyes?" Lincoln only nodded. "Lincoln, those are not mutations from radiation, they're completely normal."

Lincoln looked at her confused, "Even if it is as you say, my people would never accept her."

"Very well, I suppose I can't expect to change their views immediately." Clarke huffed.

She slowly approached the child and pointed at herself, "Heya, ai laik Wanheda." Clarke stumbled out what little Trig she knew.

The little girl's mismatched eyes went from suspicion to awe and she began speaking in rapid, broken Trig. Clarke looked to Lincoln for help.

"She has heard the stories of Wanheda, she says her name is Madi." Lincoln supplied the unanswered question.

"Tell her that she is now one of my people, and I will not abandon her." She said, while giving Madi a warm smile.

After Lincoln was finished translating Madi's eyes immediately filled with tears and she threw herself bodily into Clarke's chest in a desperate hug, squeezing with all her might as she sobbed. After regaining her balance, Clarke hugged her back, cradling her head to her chest. Madi whimpered out a few words in Trig as her sobbing quieted.

She turned to Lincoln, who had surprise written across his features, "What did she say?"

"She called you her Mother.." Lincoln answered, causing Clarke's eyebrows to attempt to rejoin the Ark.

'Mother!? Kind of figured I would have a relationship first, but no matter! I said I would not abandon her and I will not.' She thought, resolving herself.

"Well this will be interesting to explain to my parents." She said, laughing quietly.

"The reason I initially came down here was to get you, Lincoln. I want to head to the nearest village so we can make contact with Anya." Clarke said, brushing her new daughter's hair away from her face.

"The closest village is TonDC, we can make it there by mid day." He said.

After explaining her need to leave to a reluctant Madi, Lincoln was able to convince the little girl Octavia was with to keep Madi company while they were away. Being Wanheda's new daughter seemed to help in convincing the girl. Clarke kissed Madi's forehead and left with Dax, Octavia, and Lincoln in tow.

Lincoln guided Clarke, Octavia, and Dax through the woods towards TonDC. Dax had a massive bloodstained sack slung over his shoulder that if it were anyone else would be dragging on the ground.

Lincoln had spotted several scouts on the way, the first ran ahead of them with the speed and grace only someone who lived among the forest could possess. The other scouts merely trailed them, keeping their distance in the trees.

When they approached the gates of TonDC the gates were open but there was a wall of warriors lining the path.

A dark skinned woman with a permanent scowl etched onto her face was standing in the center of the open gates, arms crossed and glaring.

"Leave your weapons." She growled out.

A warrior approached Dax in an attempt to relieve him of his weapon but stopped when Dax glared at the man over his half mask, grip tightening on the neck of his war hammer hard enough that knuckles popping could be heard.

"A Sardaukar's weapon is sacred, you would sooner take our heads." Clarke tried explaining.

The woman looked like she might attempt just that but was cut off before anything could happen.

"Indra, let them pass. The Commander is waiting." Said Anya as she jogged up to them.

Indra let out an animal-like growl before stalking off towards the building Anya had come from.

"This way Wanheda." Anya gestured for the four to follow.

As they walked through the village Clarke could see the people staring and whispering in both fear and awe. Clarke was having a hard time paying attention to the people however. She was focused on the village itself. It was so unlike anything she had ever seen, beautiful wooden houses that were working with nature instead of against it and walkways high above the forest floor between the trees, where guards patrolled and watched their procession. There was so much life here, hiding just beneath the canopy of trees. Becca's people hadn't just survived, they had thrived.

They reached their destination, which seemed to be slightly larger than the houses and was rectangular in shape.

'Perhaps a meeting hall?' Clarke thought.

They entered to see a mostly empty building, save for the walls decorated with the trophies of past hunts and animal skins leading their way up to a raised dais where a gnarled branch throne sat.

Anya joined the four others on the dais, standing on the far right. On the far left was Indra, scowl firmly in place. Between Indra and the throne was a woman with skin as white as snow, raven black hair with ivory beads woven into it and eyes that were nearly as dark as her hair. She had a slightly rounded face whose structure was framed with neat, intentional scarring, there was a brutality to her beauty. She wore heavy leather armor and white furs with heavy metal plates strapped to vital areas. Her gauntleted fingers were twitching for what looked like a one and a half handed falchion strapped to her back as she glared with barely restrained violence.

Between Anya and the throne was a woman with auburn, almost red, locks of hair that fell to her shoulders. She had warm brown eyes that held no warmth as she stared at them through her eyelashes as if daring them to make a wrong move. With white knuckles she gripped the handles of the dual cutlasses on her hips. She wore light, sleeveless leather armor and black furs.

And then Clarke finally looked to see who occupied the throne. She didn't know what to expect when meeting the other inheritor of the Flame but this certainly wasn't it. A young woman, maybe a year or two older than herself sat legs crossed, leaning heavily on the arm of the throne twirling a beautiful dagger as she watched Clarke like a predator might watch prey. There was a casualness to it that spoke to her confidence. She had eyes the color of the surrounding trees, wavy hair the color of bark that was intricately braided, black war paint across both eyes and dripping down, making her evergreen eyes all the more noticeable. She looked as if the forest itself had bore her, she was ethereal in her primal beauty, Clarke was enraptured by it. All those years of dreaming of Earth's beauty and here it was wrapped up into a single person, staring directly at her.

Someone to her left coughed. Apparently she had been staring too long.

"Hail, fellow inheritor to the Flame!" Clarke said while giving a deep nod of her head as Dax and Octavia fell to a knee bowing their heads.

"My name is Clarke Griffin, I come bearing gifts," she said while gesturing to Dax, who immediately stood back up and dumped the sack out onto the floor revealing over three hundred severed heads rolling up to the dais, "Justice for your people."

"There are still more gifts, but they await you inside the Mountain, they are too fragile to be moved." Clarke said ominously.

After looking closely upon the heads with an impassive gaze, the brunette spoke.

"So it is true then. The Mountain has fallen and Wanheda has come. Welcome Klark, my name is Lexa. What are these other gifts you speak of?" The now named Lexa asked, sitting up in her throne.

Clarke had to suppress a shiver at the way Lexa said her name in the unique timbre of her voice.

"The leaders of the Mountain, those behind the atrocities committed there. They face justice as we speak, I assume you would wish to witness it. There are also hundreds of your people still alive inside the Mountain, my healers are tending to them but they could use help."

Lexa's eyes shot wide for a split second before her impassive mask was back in place. Indra stepped forward, hand on her sword.

"You keep our people prisoner!?" She roared in accusation.

Clarke and her guards didn't flinch as Clarke continued to meet Lexa's gaze, "They are too weak to be moved, the trip here would have killed them."

"Em pleni Indra." Lexa stated, Indra growling as she retook her place on the dais.

"Anya says you went into the Ripa tunnels, am I to believe you killed your way through countless Ripa then stormed the Mountain killing all inside?" Lexa questioned the veracity of Clarke's claims.

"Yes. Though we did not kill the children or those that opposed the atrocities of the Mountain, they are now my people." Clarke clarified.

"The Maunen have haunted my people for a hundred years, they all deserve death. Jus drein, just daun." Lexa ground out as she slammed the dagger into the arm of her throne.

"Me and my people are the ones that brought down the Mountain, it is our justice they face, not yours." Clarke said, not backing down from the challenge and answering in kind.

"You would go to war over so few of your people?" Lexa asked.

"I would go to war over one." Clarke answered.

The silence stretched on for what felt like hours, until surprisingly the scarred ravenette broke the silence.

"You say many things Wanheda but I require proof of your people's strength," she grit out before pointing to Octavia, "I, Ontari Kom Azgeda challenge the strongest among you to single Gonplei. First to yield, or death. It can decide their fates" Ontari challenged with a feral smile.

Octavia's answering smile was just as feral, titanium teeth gleaming in the light. "I accept."

"A challenge has been issued, a challenge will be met, may the strongest win." Clarke said, citing her people's ceremony for duels.

"Very well Ontari," Lexa said, standing from her throne and gesturing to the entrance.

"Which one is this Rayvon you told me so much of Anya?" A hushed voice said as they made their way out of the building.

"She is not among them, Luna ai hodnes." The quiet voice of Anya could be heard answering.

Lexa sat near Klark as they waited for the two warriors to take their places on the raised wooden platform they used for duels.

Ayna had described the woman to her but she did not do her justice. She reminded her of the days that she would climb the trees and gaze at the open sky wishing Wanheda would come to slay the Mountain. Her eyes were as blue as the sky in mid summer and her hair was as golden as the sun, Klark was her childhood daydreaming personified.

" - nightblood?"

Lexa snapped out of her reverie, realizing she missed Klark's question.

"What was that?" Lexa asked her to repeat.

"I asked if you're the only nightblood." Klark said with a lightly teasing note.

"No, my personal guards, Ontari and Luna are also Natblida, as well as my novitiates back in Polis." She supplied.

"A nightblood will always bear a nightblood child, how can there be so few?" Klark asked.

Lexa sighed, "Natblida don't usually live long enough to bear children and even if they did love is weakness, even love for a child. When a Commander dies, all of the Natblida novitiates fight to the death in the Conclave, the survivor is deemed chosen by the Spirit and receives the Flame, it is our way."

Klark gasped lightly, "That's….such a waste..but Ontari and Luna seem to be in the same age group as you, why did they survive?"

"Luna was in my Conclave, but when she was matched against her twin brother, she forfeited knowing full well that tradition would demand the new Heda kill her. When I won, I defied my people's ways for the first time." Lexa stopped and looked at Ontari as she stepped onto the arena.

"...when I conquered the last holdout of the Coalition of clans I found Ontari being kept as a slave in their fighting pits. She had been raised there all her life, forced to kill from the moment she could hold a sword. I believe their Queen, Nia, meant to break the girl and use her against me somehow, but Ontari was stronger than what was done to her. They are both forbidden from taking part in the Conclave now and sworn as my personal guards."

Klark was looking at her with an unreadable look on her face.

"You say that love is weakness but I see it in your eyes when you speak of your people and I see it in your people when they look upon you. You love them, and they love you. Your coalition, this peace you have made, it is a labor of love, without it you wouldn't be a leader, but a tyrant." Klark said with a look in her eyes that she hadn't seen directed at her in years…..not since Costia.

Lexa hadn't been what Clarke expected in many ways, she had assumed her to be an apathetic tyrant, but listening to her talk about Ontari and Luna, and seeing the little ways she interacted with her people changed that, she obviously loved her people and they her. She was truly a leader of the people, and it was inspiring.

Lincoln and Octavia walked onto the raised arena with what Clarke assumed to be the entire village surrounding it, watching.

Lincoln announced the duel in both Trig and English, or Gonasleng as she learned they called it, and that he would be the referee.

At first Clarke was worried that Lincoln wouldn't be impartial enough, given the way he looked at Octavia but she noticed that he was giving Ontari similar looks.

She turned once more to Lexa, "Is there something between Ontari and Lincoln?"

"They have had nights of comfort but I don't believe anything more, why do you ask?" Lexa asked.

"He and Octavia have been giving each other looks since they first met and he gives Ontari the same look." Clarke clarified.

Lexa knit her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes staring at the three as if she could will them to spill their secrets. Clarke thought it was the cutest thing she had ever seen.

Lincoln signaled the start of the duel. Ontari and Octavia met in the middle faster than the common eye could see, swords clashing and sparks flying.

Ontari was brutal with her technique in a way that only a lifetime of kill or be killed could teach. She swung as if trying to cleave steel, every time being met by Octavia's sword and dagger to the result of a shower of sparks and cries of excitement from the audience.

Octavia was ducking, weaving, and parrying most blows but was still forced to block with not one but both weapons, such was the force being brought to bear by Ontari. Octavia was faster but anytime she was about to strike a blow Ontari blocked with one of her gauntlets and counterattacked with an armored fist.

Both fighters were landing only glancing blows as they waged war on each other, black blood dribbling down both of their armor. The crowd was obviously not used to seeing two nightbloods fight and was going wild, shouting and hollering over the sound of the thunder clap of blades.

Their dance of death went on for nearly two hours until they were both hunched over gasping for breath, barely holding onto they're blades. They were smiling as they stared at each other with unconcealed lust.

In a blur of movement Octavia and Ontari sheathed their blades and collided once more but this time with lips and teeth as their tongues fought for dominance. Lincoln looked like his spirit had left this Earth. After what felt like forever, they came up for air and both turned their attention to Lincoln. Ontari grabbed Octavia's wrist, marched up to Lincoln and grabbed his as well before dragging them both towards a house.

Silence reigned over the village for over a minute.

"Well…who won?" Clarke asked a just as speechless Lexa.

"I believe I saw Ontari sheath her weapon first so I will give the win to Octavia." Lexa said unconvincingly.

Clarke chuckled a bit, she was sure Octavia had sheathed weapons first but it seemed Lexa was giving this to her as a way to avoid conflict between their peoples.

"You continue to surprise me Lexa." She said with a light laugh.

Lexa was looking at her now and there were so many emotions flashing through her beautiful eyes despite her stoic mask. Her eyes truly were the window to her soul.

"They may be gone for a while..we will have a feast to celebrate the downfall of the Mountain and the arrival of Wanheda, we shall leave for the Mountain come sunrise." Lexa said.

Clarke smiled warmly at her, "That sounds wonderful, I didn't say it before but this village is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen and I would love to see it mid celebration."

"Thank you, it is where I was born." Lexa said, chest swelling with pride.

"That would certainly explain its beauty." Clarke said with a small smile.

Lexa just stared at her with mouth slightly agape, the first time she had seen the stoic mask crack.

Come dusk there were torches lit all along the village, bonfires roared, the smell of meat cooking wafted through the village, people were singing and dancing to the rhythm of drumbeat.

Lexa sat on a log bench as she watched her people sing and dance around the people playing drums atop the raised arena.

Lexa loved seeing her people like this, so full of life, without a care in the world. It was moments like this that made her dream of the Kongeda in the first place.

Out of her periphery she saw someone sit down next to her.

"It's beautiful, all this life." Klark said. Lexa didn't have to look to know she was smiling that fanged smile of her people.

She turned to the blonde and sure enough she was smiling, fangs gleaming in the firelight, eyes lit up as she watched the people celebrate, "It is." She said, unsure if she was talking about the same thing.

Klark turned her smile to her and stood up, offering her hand, "Let's dance."

Lexa wasn't about to shy away so she took her hand and led them to where everyone was dancing.

Klark obviously didn't know the dances of her people but she made an admirable attempt. It was endearing to see her trying so hard and getting frustrated when she messed up. Lexa danced around her as she watched with a smile that felt natural. When Klark tripped over her own feet and began cursing in ways she had never heard of before Lexa laughed, she laughed for the first time in what felt like years.

Klark's head whipped up from where she was crouched to glare at her but it softened immediately and that look was back, the look she hadn't seen since Costia. She stopped laughing and Klark stood, they're hips were almost touching. Klark's eyes were lit by the fires as she stared into her eyes. The drumbeat matched the pace of her heat as Klark leaned in slowly, blue eyes fluttering closed, her own mirroring her. Their lips met, it was soft, shy, before someone deepened it and their tongues met, performing their own dance. It was like experiencing the forest for the first time, it was freedom, it was life. For the first time in a long time Lexa wasn't Heda, she was just a woman falling for another.

Lexa slammed the doors to the meeting hall closed and barred the door. They feverishly undressed each other as they stumbled towards the throne, lips never parting.

Upon reaching the dais Clarke roughly pushed Lexa down onto the throne and whipped off Lexa's pants in one motion exposing her naked form. Clarke stared for a moment, enraptured by her beauty, moonlight dancing across her tanned skin.

Clarke dropped between Lexa's knees and began kissing up her thighs teasingly slowly as Lexa carded her fingers through her hair.

When Clarke kissed the side of her labia Lexa bucked her hips up slightly.

"H-hurry Klark" Lexa moaned.

Clarke didn't need to be told twice and began her tongue's slow ministrations, leaving no area unexplored.

"S-soon" Lexa breathed out in ragged gasps.

When Lexa's wetness increased and she began to quaver, Clarke moved to her now exposed bud and began sucking at it as her two fingers entered her and curved up slightly.

With a guttural cry Lexa came as she gripped onto Clarke's hair as if she might float away.

After a minute of gasping breaths Lexa looked Clarke in the eyes with hunger.

"You're turn," she said as she pounced, knocking Clarke onto her back and tearing at her pants.

After hours of exploring each other's bodies they fell asleep atop the furs, a tangled mess of naked limbs.