I impatiently stepped out of the elevator and headed to the small audience chamber I'd been directed to. I was annoyed at being called away from my current mission and irritated that I had just spent the last three days in the saddle to get to Polis quickly. I shoved the door open and made my way to the side table that held a couple of pitchers and cups. I sniffed at them and found one to my liking before I poured myself a generous amount. I closed my eyes briefly at the coolness of the liquid as it slid down my throat. The tickle of the fumes from the alcohol as it wafted back up. I sighed in relief, went to the windows, and looked at the city below me.
Sipping the drink, I gazed over the people moving about the market and wondered why I had been called to Polis and Heda's Tower. My spies amongst the clans had not reported any new threats or whispers of discontent that would require my involvement. The only oddity had been the fireball landing within Trikru's forests a week past and the slight increase in Maunon patrols since then. And since I had not received word from Trikru's leader, I had not given the incident further thought.
I heard the door open and turned my head to stare at the young woman who entered the room. I watched her lithe form walk to the same side table and pour herself a drink. She reminded me of one of the sofstepa's that frequented Maun-de. Graceful and light in step, power and control evident in her muscles and movements. She wore dark clothing that clung to her slim frame, and her only ornaments were a wooden hilt knife at her waist and a shiny bronze cog that sat on her brow between a pair of forest green eyes. The woman was breathtaking with her sharp jawline, prominent cheekbones, straight nose, lush lips, and intricately braided chestnut hair. Her very aura radiated calm, regal authority. There was no mistaking who this woman was. Heda Leksa kom Trikru, the current Vessel of Keryon kom Fleim.
Neither of us spoke for a moment as she finally turned her gaze towards me. I arched a brow and leaned against the window sill, waiting.
Lexa walked over to me, and I couldn't help but let my eyes roam her length. A small smile played on her lips, letting me know she knew exactly where my mind wandered. I shook my head slightly, smirking, and took another drink.
"Heda," I said, breaking the silence and inclining my head towards her, a teasing glint in my eye. "You sent for me?"
She closed her eyes briefly at the sound of my voice, making my smirk widen. I remembered too well what my voice could do to her.
"Thank you for getting here so quickly," Lexa replied, her voice naturally soft with a hint of sultriness, shaking herself from the spell of my voice. "I apologize for taking you from your hunt."
I shrugged, sipping my wine, "My prey will be there when I return. Why am I here?"
"There has been a development in Trikru lands that I need further investigation."
"And neither Onya nor Indra can help you in that endeavor?"
"They are monitoring the situation," Lexa stated, giving me a stern look. "They have sent scouts to keep watch."
"If they are handling it, then why am I needed," I asked, taking a sip. "What makes this situation different?"
She sighed, turned away from me, walked, and sat on a smaller version of her throne. I followed; my curiosity piqued. She took a slow sip of her wine as she seemed to gather her thoughts.
"Six days ago, something huge fell out of the sky near Indra's village," she said, observing me. "A fireball that turned into a large metal structure. There were people inside this thing."
Shocked, I found myself temporarily at a loss for words but quickly found them again, "Jok ai. I knew people in the Sky, but it's been taught they would never return."
"You knew," Heda Lexa accused, leveling a glare at me.
I scoffed, "Of course, I did, as do all in my clan, Heda. Your Fleimkepas have long disregarded the Histories. You could have perused our Archives any time since you took the oath. But not once have you visited."
Lexa grumbled, slouching on her throne, "I've been busy."
I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration before leveling a stern gaze on her, "If Skaikru has arrived and you were not aware of them, then why am I here, Heda?"
"They appear to be like the Maunon. In bakkova, sleng, tek, en gons (clothes, language, technology, and weapons)."
I began to understand, "That is why you have called me. My knowledge of Maun-de. What is it that you are asking of me, Heda?"
"There are conflicting reports and confusion in what is being overheard. I wish you to infiltrate them," she said, playing with the cup in her hand, "Find out who they are and why they are similar to our enemy. Why they fell out of the Sky and why they were heading towards Maun-de."
I rubbed the bridge of my nose and sighed, "Wouldn't it be easier to kill them and be done with them before they try again?"
"That is the consensus, but I want more information before making that decision."
Something in her voice raised red flags in my head, and I looked at her sharply, "What aren't you telling me, Leksa? Because you know as well as I do that both Onya and Indra are quite capable of discerning what is being heard. They have been dealing with the Maunon as long as I have."
Lexa sighed, stood up, set her cup on her throne's arm, and slowly approached me. I quirked a brow at her closeness but didn't back down. She studied me before sighing again and replied, "They act like goufa, Li, yet appear old enough to be seasoned. The scouts have reported no signs of supplies, and they seem to lack the necessary skills to survive. There was overheard chatter of being surprised to find they were not alone. Talk of others in the Sky and bringing them down."
I frowned and shifted my sight to stare over Lexa's shoulder as I reflected on my teachings. Focusing back on her forest green eyes, I said, "Their lack of skills coincides with what has been passed down regarding the ways of the Old World. Life then was much easier with abundant tek and resources. There was no need to hunt, make defenses, or shelter. They were only beginning to struggle when Praimfaya happened. But none of that would explain why these Skaikru would send untrained, unskilled goufa to scout the land without supplies. Or why now."
"Now you see my conundrum," Lexa sadly smiled. "While it would be easy to rid ourselves of these veidas, it may not necessarily stop the rest of their people from coming down. And if they come and find we have killed their children…."
"It would lead to war, and they could align themselves with the Maunon," I sighed, stepping away to pace. "If Skaikru has the same capabilities as the Maunon, it would be better to have them on our side. Perhaps even be the key we've been searching for all this time." I stopped to look at her. "You know the clans will never go for this, Leksa. Not unless these goufa can prove themselves."
She walked over to me and laid a hand on my chest, "Which is why I need you to infiltrate them, Li. You are the only one I trust capable enough to discover their worth if any is to be had."
"And if I find them lacking?"
"Then do what you must," she answered evenly.
I smiled, gently removing her hand from my chest, "You know Onya will not be happy that I'm usurping her authority. She's still mad at me for beating her to the raiders in Trishana. And the slavers in Yujleda. Not to mention all the others in the last moons."
"I will handle Onya," Lexa smiled back. "You have your task."
"Very well, Heda. I'll leave tomorrow after I inform my men," I nodded with finality and drained my cup.
She nodded, "Mochof."
"Was there anything else?"
"No."
"Then I shall take my leave," I replied, bowing and setting my empty cup on a nearby table.
She nodded, but Lexa called my attention once more as I walked out of the room.
I turned halfway to look at her, "Sha, Leks?"
"This is a delicate matter, Li," Lexa replied, staring me down. "You cannot draw undue attention to yourself. If there is even a hint that you are right and these Skaikru are the key to ending our centuries-old standoff, we need them to offer it themselves. That is the only way the Ambassadors will consider them staying."
I sighed, walking back to her, "I know it has been a while, Leks, but I do know how to play this particular game. You know it too, or you wouldn't have sent for me. I will get the answers you need. Ai swega."
"Just…be careful," Lexa said, moving to stand before me. "Skaikru's arrival has stirred something awake. And not even the Fleim can discern the meaning."
I softly smiled at her concern, "I will be careful, Leks. The Keryon kom Trikova isn't willing to let me meet the Final Pyre yet. My Riders won't be far from me, and I'll ensure that you're informed of every step. Do not let your faith in me waver now after all this time."
She echoed my smile, "Never. But you are a magnet for trouble."
I rolled my eyes, "I wish I had a valid argument to counter that, but it is an unfortunate truth, and I have the scars to prove it. Now, if there's really nothing else, I've been in the saddle for the last three days."
Lexa chuckled, "Go. We've discussed all that matters."
I nodded, and with an incline of my head, I turned and strode quickly out of the audience room. I walked over to the stairs, promptly descended a flight, and slipped into a suite of rooms. I smiled, seeing the usual disarray, and headed into the bathroom. After cleaning the week's worth of dirt and grime I had accumulated, I went back into the main room, divested myself of my outer layers, and lay on the couch. I dozed, and when I heard the door open, I smiled and watched Lexa through slitted eyes as she walked over to me.
"You have your own room, Li," Lexa said, smiling at me.
"Which you would've promptly called me from the moment your duties were done," I cheekily replied. "You are predictable in your habits, Leks."
"It has been too long, Li," she said as she straddled my hips.
I chuckled and pulled her into a kiss, "It has. Have you missed me, Leks?"
She kissed me again in answer, hungrily, as I ran my hands up her back, pulling her closer.
"You're an ass, Li," Lexa murmured as she bit my lip, making me groan.
"And you talk too much," I huskily countered, pulling her into a heated kiss.
Our clothes quickly disappeared as our tongues clashed in a fight for dominance. I shifted until Lexa was on her back, my hands and mouth traversing the planes of her body, making her arch and cry out in pleasure. Her hands grasped me and everything else in desperation to keep herself grounded.
I had barely tasted her sweetness before Lexa flooded my mouth and tightly held me between her thighs. But I didn't stop there; I continued to assault her dripping cunt until I had my fill, one arm holding her hips down as the other relentlessly pumped and curled into her warm depth. She came again, her back arched, and her head was thrown back as a loud guttural moan left her parted lips.
My cock throbbed at the sound, and I kissed my way up her panting body. She dirtily moaned, tasting herself once our lips reconnected. I pulled back, hovering over her, and turned her head until our eyes locked. An unspoken question of readiness in my dark eyes had hers turn nearly black in answer. Lining myself up, I barely teased her entrance before slamming into her, making us moan as our hips met. Her legs wrapped around me as I drew back until I was nearly out before thrusting forward.
My voice joined hers as I set a fast pace, moaning and crying out expletives. Lexa's fingernails raked down my back, making me arch into her, deliciously pressing our breasts together, rubbing as I thrust into her. Our kisses turned messy, and then I kissed down her sharp jaw, lightly nipping at her flesh, wanting nothing more than to mark her where everyone could see. I settled for biting her shoulder as we came hard simultaneously, and she returned the favor, biting my shoulder and extending our orgasms.
Utterly spent, I collapsed with just enough forethought not to crush her beneath me, licking the blood from her shoulder before kissing the mark I'd left. She hummed in pleasure, her chest heaving as she held onto me. When I felt some strength return, I picked her up, and she tightened her legs around my waist. I carried Lexa over to her bed and fell into its soft embrace as my exhaustion finally caught up to me, and I fell into a deep sleep with her nestled in my arms.
Later that evening, she had food brought up to the room, and we spent it catching up. This was how it always was for us when I was in Polis. Trading sex and news. There was no real emotional attachment other than a kinship that had spanned nearly our entire lives. The sex was all about filling a physical need for both of us. Thanks to the Ice Queen killing her first lover and the resulting heartbreak, Lexa had no desire to gain any more involvement than that. And between my reputation among the clans and rarely being home, I didn't have time for more than the rare dalliance with friends.
In the morning, we shared a lengthier tumble and bath before I headed to where my warriors were bivouacked.
