Chapter 8

Lexa was radiating a powerful aura that was felt by all around her. Her stare held an intensity as she said, "I will hear what information you have Klark kom Skaikru. If I find it useful then I will consider this truce or else you will have to leave our lands by next day." When Clarke heard her name being uttered by the brunette, she felt her heart skip a beat.

"It is fair. Thank you for giving an opportunity." Clarke finally managed to answer to Lexa after processing everything that had happened. Now that the blonde got the chance to talk to the other girl, Clarke only had to convince the Commander to form an alliance between their people. It was easy said than done because unlike last time, she did not have a cured reaper to impress the Commander of twelve clans.

Lexa gave a nod in acknowledgement to Clarke and walked out of the cell. It was only after one of the warriors gave a push; Clarke snapped out of her daze and moved to follow the other girl.

However, once outside the cell, Clarke faltered in moving forward. As much as she was angry with both Kane and Jaha, she did not want to leave those two inside the cell. After another moment of hesitation, she reminded herself that Lexa was reasonable. She had not killed them before in the previous timeline even after the massacre had taken place and she did not kill Jaha after the attack right now. She would be reasonable not kill them both now.

The guards escorted Clarke outside towards the tents that had been erected. There was a flurry of activity around the area. Clarke assumed that it was because of the Commander visiting. When she moved towards the largest tent, Gustus stopped her from going inside. As soon as he did that, Clarke looked at him questioningly. She was wondering why he was stopping her when Lexa herself said she would talk to her.

Gustus simply replied, "Heda will call for you when she is ready."

Just as Clarke was about to open her mouth to say something, she caught the sight of Anya striding in their direction. The grounder only stopped when she was a few yards away from where they were standing. She gave Clarke a short calculating look. Then without saying a word to the blonde, she turned her back to the other girl and moved towards the largest tent in the clearing which belonged to Lexa.

Anya was talking to the guards posted outside the tent. After a moment of tense conversation, one of the guards moved the flap of the tent aside to allow Anya entry.

Bellamy, Octavia, Raven and Finn were sitting on a table in the corner of dining area of Camp Jaha. Raven was discussing the jamming problem with them. Finn was quiet and not participating at all. His mind was somewhere else.

When Bellamy and Octavia left the table, Raven turned towards Finn and gave him a long look. She was sure that he had not even noticed that their companions had left the table. She placed her hand on his shoulder to get his attention and to snap him out of his thoughts. "What are you thinking so hard about?"

Finn closed his eyes and said in a low voice, "What I don't understand is why we are wasting time here. Clarke needs us."

Raven knitted up her eyebrows in a frown and said, "Clarke herself told you and Murphy that she wanted to go alone, Finn."

"Of course she did that Raven. She didn't want us to follow her." Finn said exasperatedly. Raven just stared at his conflicting words. When he saw the look the girl in front was giving him, he continued angrily, "Why can't anyone see that the grounder has taken her as prisoner!"

"Hard to be a prisoner while snatching the guns from you." She said sarcastically. When Raven had heard the story of how Clarke had taken the guns from the boys, she had been astonished that the blonde had done that. But she could not believe what Finn was currently saying especially after hearing that story.

"Are you going to help me or not?" Finn stated with certain irritation as he waited impatiently for her reply. He was even tapping his right foot on the ground.

Raven was conflicted. She was certain that Clarke did not need help but if she did indeed then she would not be able to forgive herself. She let out a long sigh as caved in and said, "Alright, what do you need?"

The sunlight was waning and yet Clarke was not called inside the tent. She was impatiently waiting near it. When she glanced around the surroundings, she found that the grounders were preparing for the night. Clarke noted that Anya had not returned back outside but Gustus had entered the tent not long after she had gone inside.

It felt like hours to Clarke before Gustus came back outside walking towards her. He stopped in front of her and bent down so that he could speak in her ear. He spoke in a low threatening voice that only Clarke could hear, "If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I will slit your throat."

Clarke turned herself slightly towards Gustus and stiffened her posture. She inclined her head and gave him a small nod to state that she understood. She had made a promise to herself that nobody was going to hurt Lexa and she intended to keep her promise no matter what.

The blonde strode inside the tent without any hesitancy. As she took in the interior of the tent, Clarke's mind went to the first time she met Lexa. She had been sitting on the throne regally just as she was now, twirling her dagger with her fingers. The blonde could dream about those fingers all day along.

Clarke snapped out of her daydreams and noticed that Indra was standing towards right of the throne whereas Anya was on the left. Gustus took position behind Clarke ready to take her down if she appeared to be a threat. There was silence in the tent as nobody said a word.

Clarke noticed that Lexa was sizing her up. So she took the time to take in the figure on the throne. It seemed that Lexa had taken time to change out of the servant's attire and was currently wearing the commander's gear along with war paint. She looked fierce in her armor and blonde had to admit that the image formed was hot.

Without taking her eyes from the blonde, Lexa commanded, "Tell me Klark kom Skaikru, what information do you have?"

Clarke's eyes flickered towards Anya for a second before looking into Lexa's eyes. She was sure that Anya had already debriefed the brunette about their escape from the mountain and the information she had given the older woman while running out of the tunnels.

"As I already told you, both of our people are being held captive inside the mountain and I, along with Anya, escaped from that place. We could free our people from that horrid place, but to do that, we need to stand together. With my people's knowledge of the mountain's technology and your army, we could free our people and end this terror of mountain once and for all." Clarke said with conviction. Silence followed after the speech ended. Everyone in the tent contemplated the words.

The quietness inside the tent was broken after a while by Lexa, "I heard you freed some of my people from the reapers."

"Yes" was the simple reply from Clarke.

"You did that by ordering the reapers." The words, 'like the mountain men' were left unsaid but everyone inside the tent heard them.

"While escaping from mountain men, I took the reaper controlling device they had among the other things." Clarke stated with a smirk. She looked at the other occupants of the tent. She was surprised that Indra had not said a word against what she had been telling. But then again, it seemed that Anya talking to them first had somewhat proven the validity of her statements. Clarke gave a shrug and said, "That helped."

Clarke let out a sigh and continued, "Look, my people do not want to fight with you especially when we can help each other to get both of our people out of that horrid place." This statement seemed to have the reaction Clarke was waiting from Indra. The grounder had snorted her disbelief letting everyone know that she disagreed with the skaigada.

"And we only have your word that you and your people will provide assistance." Lexa stated ignoring the interruption from Indra. Clarke was taken aback. In the previous timeline, this had not happened. Granted there always had been mistrust between the grounders and the sky people but never had Lexa voiced it aloud like that. Well, except for the time when Lexa suspected Raven trying to poison her.

It was then the implications of the statement dawned on Clarke. Lexa did not trust her at all. She felt despair setting in. Involuntarily, Clarke's mind went towards that particular day on the mountain when the retreat was sounded by the Commander in front of her. She may have understood the decision made by the other girl that day but sometimes even now thinking about the betrayal it still hurts.

But that did not explain the mistrust openly voiced to her face. Then again, last time she had proven her worth by curing a reaper which she did not have on hand currently. The feat had been considered so impossible that it earned her the alliance with powerful Commander of the 12 clans. Granted she had to kill Finn but Lexa had started to trust her. Clarke's mind went over the possibilities of what to do to earn the trust that she previously had with the brunette.

A thought crossed her mind. It was a bit reckless but she did not have any other plan. So, acting on the instinct alone and before she could back out, Clarke stated, "Then we shall bind ourselves in blood."

Lexa was looking at Clarke intensely. The only indication that she was surprised by the words was the narrowing of her eyes. Clarke did not remove her eyes from the unwavering stare of the Heda but from the corner of her eyes, she could see that the grounders in front of her were taken aback. "Do you understand the implications of what you just said, Klark kom Skaikru?" Lexa questioned.

The last time Clarke had uttered those words, she had been planning to assassinate Nia by poisoning the blade; this time though she had no intention of doing the same to Lexa. She had no intention of breaking the vow she would made to this woman in front of her. She had no intention of betraying her love. If swearing this vow reduces the reservations Lexa has regarding her then Clarke would also gladly even swear fealty to her in front of the whole world.

It was with confidence Clarke replied, "Yes"

Lexa clutched the dagger in her hand and then regally stood up from the throne. She walked a few steps confidently ahead and halted facing Clarke. She lifted her right palm face up and without taking her eyes off the blonde; she made a cut on her palm with the dagger in her other hand.

"Oso tai choda op kom jus." We bind ourselves in blood. The words seemed to echo inside the tent as the black blood dripped from the cut made.

Lexa handed over her dagger to Clarke after wiping off her blood on it with her sleeves. It was at this point Gustus interrupted his Heda but he was silenced with just a raised hand of Lexa. Clarke made a similar cut on her palm with Lexa's dagger and repeated the words.

Nobody paid attention to what Clarke said in almost flawless trigedasleng as their attention was diverted to the black blood that was dripping from the fresh cut made by Clarke.

Lexa looked at the blood in shock and whispered, "Natblida." It seemed that she was not the only one in shock, Clarke noted. The other grounders who saw her blood were shocked as well.

Looking into the green eyes Clarke said, "If you mean that my blood is black then yes." She then grasped Lexa's bleeding hand in her own in a handshake to complete the vow and seal the alliance. This brought Lexa out of her stupor. But as soon as the bleeding hand touched the other bleeding one and the blood mixed, an electric current passed through both of them. It started from their joined hands and passed throughout their body. The dagger in Clarke's hand fell on the ground with a clang.

Lexa's other hand, the one which was not in Clarke's grasp, grabbed the back of her neck as though in she were in pain. Lexa gritted her teeth and tried to breathe through the agony she was feeling.