Hey guys, I know this chapter is up a day late and I'm sorry about that. I got a new job and a new puppy and school is starting soon so I have a lot going on. I'm working hard to keep this story on track so just bare with me. Know though that no matter what this story will not be abandoned. I would never do that to you guys. Anyway, I hope you like this one. Let me know what you think!

The march to Shallow Valley took two and a half days. The capital of Shallow Valley, Murdock, was luckily located along the border of Shalley Valley, also near the border of Trikru and Broadleaf territory, so they didn't have to ride into Shallow Valley territory to get to their target location.

Lexa and Clarke rode atop their horses at the front of the army with Indra, Octavia, Lincoln, Raven, and few other Trikru generals behind them. They had sent riders ahead to gather a few warriors from Broadleaf and when the army was at its full capacity, they marched to the edge of Trikru land, right along the Shallow Valley border.

Lexa stopped her white stallion as one of her scouts approached. Her and Clarke dropped gracefully to the ground as did the scout and they grasped forearms in introduction.

"Heda, Wanheda," the scout bowed his head. "We cleared the area of as many scouts as possible, however Shallow Valley are know best for their scouts, so it is likely that there are still more. I still have men out searching for them."

Lexa nodded along as he gave her all the information he knew. She had expected as much. The scout continued, "We only watched Murdock from afar, as ordered. It seems their army is mobilized, ready to move on a moment's notice, but it seems they have been that way for a while. It does not look like they have any orders to move. Yet."

"And what of their King?" Lexa questioned.

"He does not appear to be present," the scout answered.

"Thank You," Lexa stated. "Continue to watch for scouts and to watch Murdock. Do not approach until I give the orders. Inform me if you learn of anything important."

The man bowed. "Sha Heda," he said before returning to his horse and riding back towards Shallow Valley.

"King Zayn is likely with Queen Nia," Clarke stated from beside Lexa. "She will have ordered the army to be ready to move, but Azgeda and Shallow Valley are too far away for Zayn to return here. He is likely in Azgeda and delivering his orders through messengers."

Lexa hummed in agreement and turned to Indra who was still on her horse behind them. "Indra, we set up camp here. I want enough guards on the perimeter of our camp. Shallow Valley scouts are highly skilled and if we miss any they may report to their army. We are not in their territory yet, but we are close, and if they feel threatened, their army is already massed and they will attack us. I do not want us caught off guard."

"Sha Heda," Indra said, before turning around and issuing orders to those in the camp.

A little while later, the camp was set up and Lexa and Clarke were in the Commander's tent. They had eaten a late lunch together and Lexa was reading through a few reports that Luna had sent her from Polis while Clarke was polishing all of her many knives. It was quiet but it was comfortable, and both of them were just happy to be in the others presence.

That quiet however, was broken by Raven who barged into the Commander's tent, ignoring the guards outside who tried to stop her from entering, followed by Octavia.

The guards entered the tent to remove the two Skaikru, but Lexa waved them off with a flick of her wrist.

Raven sauntered in and sat down at the table in the center of the tent, putting her feet up, which Lexa narrowed her eyes at. "You should really just tell your guards that we're allowed in your tent whenever we want," Raven said casually.

"But then you'd be in my tent whenever you wanted," Lexa replied which earned a snort from Clarke and caused Raven to gape at her for a split second.

Raven was about to snap back with something, but was stopped by Octavia who swatted her feet off the table and took a seat beside her. "So what's the plan now that we're here?"

"Clarke and I were going to discuss that once I was done reading these reports," Lexa said. "I guess we can do it now."

Clarke slid all the knives that she had taken out to be cleaned and polished back into their proper places and stood from the couch she had been seated on. "I don't think attacking straight on is a good idea," she started. "Their army is ready to go. Even if we were to somehow catch them by surprise, they would recover quickly. There would be a lot of losses on both sides and right now we can't afford that."

"I agree," Lexa said. "We want Shallow Valley to join our side, we're not here to wipe them out. Plus the loss of men would be a burden when we move on to Azgeda."

"So what's the plan?" Octavia repeated.

Clarke sighed and her brow crinkled, deep in thought, "They don't know we're here yet, and King Zayn isn't present here. I think we need to use his absence to aid us."

"It's a good thought," Lexa said. "But the Shallow Valley are a loyal people. They won't turn on their leader so easily."

"That's true," Clarke conceded. "But there have to be people who still support you. After the mountain, we were at peace for two years. Everyone benefited from that. There have to be people who want to return to that."

"Maybe," Lexa agreed.

"I heard that King Zayn was communicating with his army through messengers. We could try to take them out and keep them from delivering their orders," Octavia proposed.

"No, it's too risky. If one messenger gets by us, then they'll be aware of everything," Lexa shot down.

The room fell into silence, the four women deep in thought, until an idea came to Clarke. "I need to go in there," she said. "Well, actually, not me specifically, but The Shadow."

"What?" the room questioned.

"Look, I've been to Murdock before. I know it pretty well. I know the ins and outs and I know of a few places to hide. Here's what I'm thinking. I go in as The Shadow. No one will see me because," she shrugged, "Well they never do. I go in, and just get a read on the place. I find out who's in charge, what their plan is if they have one, and I find those people that support you. I know that there are some in there, and I can find them. Maybe I can find a weak spot or something or someone that can help us. Maybe there's someone that the people will support as their leader as opposed to King Zayn."

"You want to stage a coup," Lexa realized.

"Yes."

"But you can't oust one leader without another one to replace him," Raven said. "If you're right about Shallow Valley being deeply loyal, a coup won't work with just anyone. You'll need someone that the people trust and value."

"Which is why I need to go in there. I can listen for rumors, gather intel, and figure out how everyone in there feels about Zayn, this war, and a possible replacement," Clarke explained.

"It's risky," Octavia chimed in. "What if there isn't anyone to replace Zayn?"

"Then I gather useful intel. Find a weak point that we can exploit. If we have to take out a majority of their army then so be it, but I would like at least like to spare as many members of our army as possible," Clarke replied.

"And what if your caught?" Lexa questioned.

"I never am," Clarke replied easily. "Look, I know it doesn't sound like the most solid plan, and I know you don't like me going into enemy territory, but I can do this."

Lexa considered her options for a moment. It was true, if they attacked head on, the losses would be great, and it would cause problems in the future. However, it was also true that this was not the most solid plan and it put Clarke in danger, but if it succeeded, the loss of life would be very minimal, and if anyone could do it, it was Clarke. "Okay," Lexa finally answered.

"Okay?"

"Yes, go see what you can find, but don't do anything before returning and consulting with me first," Lexa said.

"Of course."

"And I know you can do it Clarke," Lexa said taking a few steps closer to the blonde so they were only a few inches apart. "I do not doubt your abilities. I never have. I hope you know that."

"I do," Clarke replied before leaning in and placing a gentle kiss to the brunettes lips.

"Aww, you guys are cute," Raven commented, interrupting the moment. The two broke apart and Lexa glared at Raven for both cutting her kiss short and calling her cute.

Clarke took in the angry expression on Lexa's face and smirked before turning to look at Raven, "You can say stuff like that in private, but no one else can hear you talk like that."

Raven held up her hands in their direction, "I get it. Can't have the people knowing their big bad Commander is actually a big bad marshmallow."

Lexa's glare grew a little more intimidating, if that was possible, and Clarke squeezed her wrist to keep her back. She knew Lexa wouldn't do anything, but she held onto her anyway. "I don't think I would continue saying stuff like that."

"I think I- Ow!" Raven said, reaching up to rub the back of her head, which had just been slapped by Octavia.

She grabbed Raven's arm and started to drag her out of the tent. "We're going to go now. Good luck out there Clarke," Octavia said before she disappeared out of the tent with Raven.

"Your friends are annoying Clarke," Lexa grumbled as soon as they were gone.

Clarke smiled, "I just don't think you like being called cute."

Lexa huffed, "The Commander is not cute."

Clarke grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her in so their lips crashed together. "I disagree," she said through heavy breaths. "But I like it," and their lips collided together again before Clarke broke away. "Now I need to get ready."

Lexa shook her head to clear herself of the daze Clarke had just put her in and nodded. "I need to go check on Indra and make sure the camp is being properly guarded. I will be back soon. Don't leave before I return."

"I won't," Clarke said before quickly pecking Lexa on the lips. "Now go. I'll be here when you get back," Clarke promised and she watched Lexa leave the tent before she started to switch over into The Shadow.

/

After checking in with Indra and her guards on patrol, Lexa returned to her tent to find Clarke dressed in an all black, tight fitting uniform. She was seated on the couch, finishing applying black warpaint to her face. The entire look was intimidating to say the least, but Lexa couldn't help but feel attracted to it. "So this is The Shadow?"

Clarke looked up from the mirror she was using and her eyes locked on Lexa's. That was the moment she realized Lexa had never seen her dressed like this, and she wasn't quite sure what to say. They fell into a moment of silence which wasn't awkward, but it also wasn't comfortable.

After a moment Lexa opened her mouth to say something, but Clarke stood up from where she was sitting and held up a hand. "Don't," she said firmly. "Don't apologize."

"I wasn't-"

"Yes you were. I told you not to blame yourself for what happened to me. None of it was your fault and there was nothing you could do. Stop blaming yourself," Clarke said.

"Black looks good on you," Lexa commented, effectively changing the subject.

Clarke smirked. "I know. We match now."

Lexa smiled that small smile she has and it only made Clarke's smile grow. "You wear it better than I do."

"Let's agree to disagree," Clarke said. The moment then grew from playful to serious, "I have to get going."

"Be careful."

"I will."

"Don't do anything reckless."

Clarke rolled her eyes, "I won't."

Lexa walked towards Clarke and held her with both hands on her waist. "Come back to me."

"Always," Clarke whispered before leaning in for a deep, heated kiss, in which they were both careful of Clarke's warpaint.

When they broke apart, they were both breathing heavily and staring into each other's eyes. "I'll be back soon. I promise," Clarke said before kissing Lexa one last time and then exiting the tent.

The sun had already started setting when Clarke left the camp and it had been replaced by the moon by the time Clarke reached Murdock.

She entered the city without any problems. No one questioned her, no one even saw her as she made her way into Murdock. She knew the city. Had been there a few times to take out a few targets for Nia, and she knew the city pretty well. She always scouted the area before entering when she had to make a hit. That was how assassins were trained. Know every way in, know every way out, know where to go if things go wrong, know where to go to keep an eye on your target, know the location, and so she did, so walking through the city, Clarke knew where she was going.

The Shallow Valley army was gathered at the far edge of the city. Some of the houses there were used and a lot of tents were set up. The city wasn't made to hold an entire army, so there were a lot of people living in tents for the time they were staying in Murdock.

Clarke made her way there first to see what she could learn from them. The black of her uniform mixed with the black of night kept her hidden from view as she maneuvered her way through the city. She kept her ears open, listening for anything important that may catch her attention, and she started to notice things.

The citizens in the city were a lot more withdrawn than she remembered. There presence was not as large as it once was, and when they were out, they moved quickly and kept their eyes down and away from any of the warriors that they passed.

She continued to make her way through the city, but she paid closer attention to the people. They were scared and withdrawn and something wasn't right. That's when she heard a yelp in the alleyway of a building a little ways in front of her. It was quiet. She wouldn't have heard it if she wasn't listening for it, but luckily she did.

She kicked into high gear and made her way forward into the alleyway where a warrior was beating a much smaller man who had to have been a farmer or blacksmith or something, a civilian. Clarke didn't hesitate to step in. Even though she had promised Lexa she wouldn't actually engage with anyone, she couldn't let this stand.

It all happened quickly. Clarke stepped into the warrior's path and delivered a swift fist to the face, making him stumble backwards. She used his instability to pounce on him and he stumbled even further backwards until his back rammed into the side of the building. Clarke grabbed him by the hair and with all the power she had, she slammed his head into the wall, knocking him unconscious. Then she was gone.

She watched from a hiding spot as the man the warrior had been beating recovered, looked for his savior to no avail and then sprinted out of the alley. When Clarke was sure he was safe she started to resume her task of scouting the city and she realized what was going on here. The warriors were taking advantage of their power and skill and taking it out on the citizens of the city.

Based on the fear written on the citizen's faces, it had been like this for a while. It reminded Clarke of Azgeda, where the warriors always saw themselves as above the villagers and weren't afraid to let the villagers know just how lowly they viewed them.

It pissed Clarke off a lot, but she was just one person, and there was nothing she could do about it right now. Hopefully her and Lexa could figure out some sort of plan to fix all the shit that was going on here.

Another scream filtered it's way through the sounds of the city and into Clarke's ears, but she had to ignore it. She had to focus on her job and find intel. Then she would be able to help the people of Shallow Valley.

Clarke made her way into the warriors camp first and tried to gather as much information as she could, but nothing stood out. After a while, she decided to move on to the citizens.

She found a tavern at the opposite end of the city where a lot of people were sitting outside so Clarke found a perch and listened for anything that could help her. She listened to a lot of different conversations and a lot of them made her blood boil.

It was confirmed, the citizens of Shallow Valley had been treated like shit for a while now. Clarke wondered how she hadn't noticed it those months ago when she was last in Murdock, but as she really thought about it, she started to realize that she had missed the signs.

She continued listening for a while when a conversation between two men, who looked like they should have been warriors, caught her attention. They were off to the side at their own table and speaking in hushed voices, but Clarke was in a good enough position to hear them.

"Her execution is set for sunrise. If she dies we have no chance."

"Well what are we supposed to do. They are transporting her here, it's not like we can just break into a prison to release her. We don't know where or when she'll be here."

"I know, but there has to be something we can do. I think General Ric has the information about her. Maybe we can steal it."

"There's no way and you know it. We won't get into the warrior's camp, and even if we did, his tent is way too heavily guarded."

"She's our only hope. The staunch followers of King Zayn are cruel enough to keep others from rebelling against him. She is the only person who could convince them to stand up and fight, the only person who would be accepted as the leader of our people."

That was all Clarke needed to hear. She was off, heading back towards the warriors camp and towards General Ric's tent.

Those two men were right. The tent was heavily guarded. Clarke could take them, but she promised she wouldn't draw any attention to herself, and she knew that it would only cause problems if she did, so she decided to go another route.

There was torch lit a few tents away from the general's and Clarke quickly made her way over to it. She took it out of its holder and used the flame to set the nearest tent on fire. Once the fire started she made her way back to the general's tent and waited.

It didn't take long for the fire to spread and grow noticed. Warriors started crying out and yelling, all trying to find a way to put out the fire. A second later. General Ric came looming out of his tent to take in what all the fuss was about.

He rolled his eyes and huffed something under his breath before leaving his tent with his guards to get a handle on the situation.

Once the coast was clear, Clarke sprinted for the tent and made her way inside. The tent was a mess and it smelled gross, but Clarke ignored it as she found a table piled high with papers.

She sifted through them until she found what she was looking for. She studied the paper for a few moments, before she put the paper back where it belonged. The sounds outside had died down, so she knew she needed to leave quickly, and she was just barely able to make her way out of the tent without being seen.

Once she did, she made her way out of the camp and out of Murdock. She had an execution to stop.

/

Clarke found a perch in a tree along the route the Shallow Valley prisoner would be brought and she waited. She was in the tree for an hour before she heard her target approaching.

A woman was bound and being led by six burly guards. The woman was arguing with them, yelling at them, standing her ground and Clarke could immediately tell that she was going to like this woman.

She waited for them to get closer until they right below her. "You're making a mistake," the woman growled.

"You tried to commit treason against your King," one of the men replied.

"I tried to save my people," she yelled back. "King Zayn is a monster, hungry for power and control. He is not a good leader for our people."

The response she got from that was a punch to the gut, causing the woman to fold over in pain. "You will not speak ill of King Zayn," and that was when Clarke snapped into action.

She dropped her tree, landing on the first guard, and punching him hard in the face. She reached for her arm and grabbed two knives. One she launched into the eye of one of the guards and the other she used to plunge into the heart of the man she was on top of. Two down, four to go.

Clarke paried back and forth with the remaining four men, taking down two of them, before she felt a blade cut down her side.

She hissed in pain, but fought through it, rolling to her side to avoid another blade and then taking down the third man. The last man charged at her and Clarke quickly reached for a knife on her thigh and launched it through the air.

The blade met the man's eye and killed him instantly, dropping him like a log.

Clarke stood in the clearing, panting heavily, covered in blood, with six dead bodies surrounding her and a bound woman.

The woman looked at the black figure before her with wide eyes. "Thank you," she said hesitantly, not sure if this person was friend or foe.

Clarke's hood was up, covering her face, plus her paint was on, so the woman hadn't seen her face, and Clarke had to keep it that way. She couldn't have this person finding out she was The Shadow.

She approached the woman slowly, putting away her blades to show the woman she wasn't going to hurt her, and the next thing the woman knew, Clarke's arm was around her neck, "I'm sorry about this," Clarke breathed into her ear and then she was out.

/

Clarke burst into Lexa's tent and the brunette was immediately on her feet. With Clarke in Murdock, she hadn't been able to sleep so she had been waiting for her return on the couch. "What the hell happened?" Lexa asked as Clarke approached, with an unconscious woman in her arms. She set her down on the table, breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry. I know I said I wouldn't get involved with anything before speaking to you, but I had to. She-"

Clare was cut off by Lexa's lips on her own. When they separated, Lexa's hands came up to cup her cheeks, "What happened?" She questioned.

"They were going to kill her at sunrise, and I think she's our best chance for a coup. I had to save her," Clarke explained.

"I don't blame you Clarke," Lexa said as she approached the girl at the table. She took in a sharp breath when she recognized the woman. "Zora."

"You know her?"

"She's Zayn's sister. Princess of Shallow Valley."

"Thank god," Clarke said, her thought that this woman could lead a coup being confirmed.

She moved over to the couch in the tent and collapsed onto it with a wince, which Lexa noticed immediately.

Her eyes widened, "You're hurt."

"I'm fine Lexa," she said as the brunette walked over to her quickly and knelt down before her. Lexa of course, was having none of it. She lifted up the blonde's shirt carefully, cringing as she saw Clarke wince. She took in the gash and was relieved to see that it wasn't too bad.

"I'm going to fetch your mother," Lexa said.

Clarke grabbed her arm before she could leave, "Lexa don't. Just let her sleep. I'm fine. The wound isn't that bad and I can treat it here."

Lexa knew not to argue so she made her way towards one of her dressers and took out a bag of medical supplies.

A few minutes later, Clarke had the wound cleaned, she changed into different clothing to get out of The Shadow's clothes, and she had Lexa wrap a bandage around her abdomen. "Thank you," Clarke said when Lexa was done.

Lexa didn't respond with words. Instead she leaned in and kissed Clarke, hard. "I love you," she said when she pulled away.

Clarke grinned, "I love you too."

Clarke's smile dropped when she thought about everything that had happened a few hours earlier. "Lexa we need to talk."

Lexa realized that their moment just became serious, "What is it?"

"Lexa, the people there… It's bad," Clarke said.

"What do you mean?"

"The citizens are being abused, the warriors treat them like they're less than. It looks like it's been going on for a while."

Lexa's gut churned. Her people had been mistreated while they were hers to protect. She had failed to protect them, all while promising her people that she would. "How long has it been going on?"

"I don't know," Clarke admitted and turned to look at the unconscious woman in the room. "I think we need to wait for her to wake up, and then we'll get our answers."