"No way is it really going to be this simple." Octavia said once they had finally been left alone in a small tent on the edge of the camp which they had been told was theirs to sleep in.

Lexa nodded as she sat down on the furs that had been layed out for them to sleep on, "Of course it won't, he may have invited us in, but there's guards outside our tent and our weapons are gone."

"So what does that mean?" Octavia asked, "What do we do next?"

Ontari shushed her impatiently, shrugging off her coat before dropping to the ground beside Lexa, "There will be some sort of test to prove we can be trusted and are being honest about wanting to join the army, probably soon rather than later so just be quiet and get some sleep."

Lexa laughed as Octavia crossed the room grumbling to herself under her breath before nudging Lexa over a little so she could slip under the covers beside her, "You used to be so much more fun."

"We're about to jump into the middle of a war, you really think now's an appropriate time for fun?" Ontari shot back over Lexa's head.

Sighing, Lexa smacked them both in the stomachs impatiently, "Just go to sleep, I am tired and it's late."

Standing up from her bed, Clarke moved to the window, leaning against the ledge as she looked out in the direction Lexa had rode off that morning. It was the first time since Lexa had been shot that they hadn't slept beside each other and she was deeply mourning the loss of her wife's presence in their bed. It was a cold night without Lexa's warm arms draped over her waist.

Hearing a knock at the door, she turned as Aden slipped in, his face apologetic as she smiled and invited him to join her.

"Struggling to sleep Aden?" Clarke asked with a small smile as he stood at her side, watching the road as though Lexa was going to reappear any second.

"None of us can really sleep whenever she is away anywhere dangerous. We love her." He answered quietly, speaking for both himself and the other night bloods. "Some of the younger ones have been having nightmares."

Clarke pulled him towards her, wrapping her arm around his shoulder, "She will be fine Aden, I promise, she's too stubborn to let anything stop her returning. So you need to stay strong for the others ok? They need you."

"Sha Clarke." He said quietly, before looking up at her hesitantly, "Would it be ok if I stayed in here tonight?"

Smiling, she gestured to the bed, "Go ahead, get some sleep Aden."

The three of them were jolted awake by loud coughing at the foot of their little makeshift bed.

Groaning, Octavia tried to pull the covers over her head in an attempt to block out the noise, but Lexa's eyes snapped open quickly and she roughly tugged on Octavia's arm to get her to sit up.

"Rise and shine ladies, it's time for your initiation." The man in the center of their tent grinned at them, "Get ready, we leave in ten minutes."

"Told you." Ontari hissed at Octavia as they tiredly pulled on their boots and jackets before following him out of the tent.

The three of them were crouched in the trees overlooking the road that ran along the edge of the forest. Every week a supply wagon went along the road delivering supplies to the Desert Clan from Polis, but this week weapons were being included because of the added threat of the clan less armies on their borders. They had been ordered to attack the wagon and leave no one alive who would be able to locate the whereabouts of where the camp may be.

Glancing around to see if anyone was watching them within earshot, Octavia leaned in towards Lexa, "This is insane, we're about to attack your people, and we haven't even been given weapons."

"Victory stands on the back of sacrifice." Lexa whispered back quietly, "It is vital that we get accepted into the camp and so this is what we must do."

"Lexa we've been told to kill them!" Octavia hissed.

Ontari shushed her quickly as Lexa glared at her warningly, "Be careful Octavia, using my name is dangerous here, we have no idea who could be listening."

"Moba." Octavia backed down quickly, "But surely this doesn't sit right with you."

Sighing, Lexa gave her a hard look, "Of course it doesn't, I hate that we are in a position where this is even a viable option, but we are at war, and this is the way we save the most lives."

As they heard the sound of wheels bouncing over the uneven surface of the road, and the rhythmic sound of the horses hooves, Octavia nodded reluctantly, "Ok, I understand."

"Good." Ontari breathed, "Because it's almost time."

"Stop." Lexa said suddenly, as she caught sight of the convoy herself, "There's only three, knock them out cleanly, maybe we can do this without killing."

"The boss isn't going to like that." Octavia said doubtfully.

Lexa shook her head, "I don't care, these are my people, we have to at least try to spare their lives."

A moment later the first of the horses passed underneath the branch they were on, as the front of the wagon came into view they dropped down into the back of it, seizing hold of the warriors riding it and slamming their heads onto the wooden bar in front of them.

Hopping over into the drivers seat, Ontari quickly pulled back on the reins to stop the wagon before they jumped down.

"So what now?" Octavia asked, looking back up at the trees, "Is someone going to come and help us with this lot?"

"Unlikely." Ontari replied as she started rifling through the back of the wagon, tossing each of them one of the short sword she found their before sliding one into the sword loop on her own belt, "We haven't finished the job we were sent to do."

Lexa leaned over the edge of the wagon, gripping hold of a shovel, "Well if we're going to kill them, it would be wise to bury them so the bodies aren't found."

"That's cold." Octavia said quietly, staring at the three men unconscious in the front of the cart. "They're people, with families and lives."

"Ours come first." Lexa said, her face impassive as she hauled the first one from the wagon, gesturing for Octavia to bring over the other two.

Slipping down the embankment on the opposite side of the road, Lexa worked solidly for an hour to dig a hold wide and deep enough for all three of them, assisted by Ontari as Octavia carefully went through what else was in the wagon.

Once the hole was finished, she shooed Ontari away back up onto the road as she rolled the three men into the ground.

When she climbed back up she was covered with dirt and drops of crimson liquid dropped from the blade of her sword onto the ground, accompanied by a fine mist of it that was smudged slightly against the dirt on her cheek.

"You-?" Octavia started to ask, before trailing off as Lexa tossed the sword into the back of the cart, pulling a clean one from the wooden crate and fastening it to her side.

"It had to be done."

"You did well." The leader of the clan less armies greeted them with a wide smile as they walked into the camp, "So now you are a part of our family, and my family are welcome to call me by my name, I am Matthew."

Lexa stepped forward and gripped his arm tightly, "Irisa."

"Well, Irisa, welcome to the army." He grinned as the warriors gather around cheered.

"Clarke, you're needed in the throne room now." Lincoln said as he stepped into her room, "We have just gotten news about Lexa, Octavia and Ontari."

Dropping the book she had been reading, she hurriedly followed after him as he led the way up to the throne room, the doors quickly pulled open to allow her to slip through.

Her stride faltered slightly as she hesitated over where to go, but Indra and Roan both quickly motioned towards Lexa's throne, which she realized made sense now they were married and Lexa had trusted her to lead in her absence.

As she sat down, she found herself face to face with three men who were coated in a thick layer of dirt, with the one on the end nursing a ugly cut down his forearm.

"Who are you?" She asked impatiently, eager for news of the three of them.

Stepping forward the man in the middle offered her a scrap of paper. "We were on a supply run to the Desert Clan, when we were ambushed out of nowhere, when she woke up we were buried and that paper was in my hand." He explained quickly, before falling silent as Clarke raised her hand, her eyes glued on the graceful letters that were unmistakably Lexa's handwriting.

I apologize for what we had to do to the three of you, but it was necessary and may have spared many people across the Thirteen Clans their lives.

I am Lexa kom Trikru, Heda kom Jus.

I understand you may be reluctantly to believe these words, but take this letter to Clarke kom Skaikru, Wanheda and Mountain Slayer in Polis and she will confirm the truth in what I say, that this was vital for the survival of us all.

Clarke,

I wish I could see you in person, but this is the only way I can get a message to you, and I fear I won't be able to send you anything more until this is all over.

We found the camp and we are accepted into it, when we have the information we need to topple this uprising then I will return home to you. I count the days until then.

And tell Lincoln and Raven that Ontari and Octavia are well and they shouldn't be worried, I will bring them both home, I swear on my life.

With love always,

Lexa

Clarke grinned as she offered the note to Lincoln who was stood beside her, before looking back at the three men in front of her, awaiting confirmation of the authenticity of the note they had carried back to the city.

"What is written in that letter is the truth, and you will each be well rewarded for bringing it back to me, please, rest and see to any wounds you might have with our healers and then join me for a meal before you leave the city."

"Mochof Wanheda." They bowed before quickly exiting the room to head for a well deserve path.

As soon as they were gone and everyone else had followed them out at her unspoken command, Clarke stood and wrapped her arms around Lincoln, "They're safe Lincoln, they actually pulled it off."

He just smiled, hugging her back tightly as he reread the words on the page, especially Lexa's promise to bring home Octavia and Ontari. In all the years he had know the Commander, she had never once broken a promise unless she had no other choice. Her honor was what made her the greatest Commander they had ever had, and her words eased the tense feeling he had had all day. Allowing him to finally breath easy as he just held Clarke as she cried in relief.