Wow guys, I'm blown away from the positive response I've got so far! It means a lot and certainly helps finding my muse. I'd like to thank everyone who followed, favorited, reviewed and well, basically everyone who just took some time to read the words I've written.

This chapter was actually written way before I wrote the prologue. The prologue got length-wise a little out of hand. Normal chapters will be shorter, around 2000 and 3000 words.

This chapter starts with a time jump. Though I decided to drop a few flashbacks of Clarke's childhood on earth once and then. First flashback will be in the next chapter featuring Clarke/Nyko.

Hope you like it.

Chapter 1

Fourteen years later

Lexa could feel the pearls of sweat running down her face as the burning sun shone down at her and the other nightbloods as they trained. As always, Lexa ignored the hot sunrays warming her skin, the pull in her muscles, her body screaming for a break.

Just like her fellow nightbloods the brunette had been in full training mode for the last two hours while Titus, their teacher and consultant of their current heda, yelled at them to improve their foot work and their stance.

Her opponent, Khalan, was just two years younger than her. The boy had short, black hair and dark brown eyes. The thin and long scar on his face gave him a dangerous look. He was quick on his feet and brutal with his sword, presenting each and every blow with a relentless strength.

Still, he was no match for Lexa.

The young girl trained to become a warrior since she was two winter's old, has been with the nightbloods since she had turned five. She was just as quick on her feet as Khalan, her slim body allowed her a certain agility the Yujleda boy lacked. Other than Khalan, Lexa worked not only with aggressive strength but also with tactic, opting to defend herself of each of the boy's hits than attacking herself. Lexa was patient, waiting until Khalan was tired out and unconfused to deliver her own attacks.

It didn't take much longer until Khalan was a breathless mess, the burning sun and the power he delivered his hits with tiring him out. Lexa bit down a smile, knowing that it wouldn't take much longer until there would be a perfect opportunity for her own attack.

A few seconds later she saw it, her chance to fight back. Khalan lifted his sword to attack her directly leaving his sides unprotected. Acting quickly, Lexa side-stepped his offensive move and swirled around, sliding her sword against Khalan's left side, causing him to scream out in surprise as spots of blackness drenched his brown sleeveless leather coat.

It wasn't a serious wound, just a mere cut deep enough to draw blood.

Khalan panted angrily as he turned back towards Lexa, readying himself for another onslaught of attacks while the brunette got into a defense stance again. Just as the boy rose his sword again, the voice of their teacher stopped the training of the nightbloods.

"Enough!"

Titus had his hands clasped behind his back standing in front of his students, his eyes taking in each of them and their appearance as they stood next to each other in a line, facing the older man and mentor. "This is enough for today. You're dismissed."

The nightbloods bowed to their teacher and made to follow the guards back towards the tower, but Titus voice rung out once again. "Lexa."

Lexa stopped and turned towards Titus again while the others continued on. Just like the older man she interlocked her hands behind her back as she waited for her teacher to speak. It was nothing new for her to stay behind. Sometimes Titus liked to have a few words with his students away from the others.

"Please, walk with me." Titus said and the two began to walk down the path the other nightbloods went down a few seconds ago, but in a slower pace. The path would lead them towards Polis, their capitol, seeing that they often trained on a plateau just outside of Polis.

Lexa adored Polis, loved to visit the market and listen to the different stories the traders told her of their travels. Since she had been living in Polis more or less her whole life, it feels like home to her. She knew every little path between the houses and every other street. She couldn't imagine living somewhere else but in Polis. The city itself served as neutral ground for all everyone, welcoming people from all clans as long as they come in peace. Every heda had to swear to treat every clan equally so that Polis remained neutral.

Though Lexa had always imagined that as heda, one could be doing so much more. Even though heda had to remain neutral, the status of heda was pretty high. If one would just put enough effort in it, Lexa was sure they could work towards a lasting peace between all of the clans and therefore create a safer life for everyone.

Yet Lexa also knew that the people were set on their believes and that it would be hard work to change them. However if Lexa would be chosen by the spirit as the next heda, she vowed to try and bring her people peace.

From experience of growing up in a village in the woods, Lexa knew that life was very dangerous for the ones living in smaller places, further apart from the bigger villages. Although there were certain dangers lurking out on the roads between the different villages and throughout the woods, Lexa enjoyed every trip that had taken her outside the walls of Polis.

As much as she loved the capital, the brunette loved to be out in the woods. She was Trikru after all. Born and raised during her first five years on this earth out in the woods. The girl loved the fresh smell of the grass after a shower of rain, the melody of the wind rustling through the leaves. Feeling the sturdy bark of the trees under her fingers as she climbed higher and higher up towards the sky.

Lexa had been entranced by the sky as a little child, envying the birds which always flew so freely up in the air, having the chance to be so much closer to the beautiful stars that lightened up their night. The brunette girl had found herself often sitting under the night sky glancing up as she tried to count all the stars.

She felt free every time she was able to roam through the woods, day and night. But living in the tower had its favors. She felt so much closer to the stars now.

"You did well today." Titus praised his student, tearing her out of her thoughts.

"I just applied what you have taught us. Fighting with our head, rather than with our heart."

Titus smiled satisfied with the answer. Lexa was one of his most promising students. She would make a fine heda in the future, he was sure of it. "You're without a doubt one of the most successful students I've trained so far. There's no doubt in my mind that you will be a worthy successor of Heda Sanco when the time comes."

Lexa lifted her head proudly. "You honor me. But I am sure that Heda Sanco will have some more years to serve his people."

Titus sighed. The bald man turned his gaze away from Lexa and let his eyes roam over the outlines of Polis while deep in thought. After a beat he glanced back at the brunette nightblood. "Sadly, I don't think so. Our heda's condition worsened. His illness affects him more and more. His fight will be over sooner rather than later."

The brunette stayed silent, musing over Titus' words. It was a known fact to the nightbloods that their heda suffered of a long-lasting illness. Until now, the healers couldn't help Heda Sanco. Lexa knew that the time for the conclave was coming closer, however she was prepared for it. She only hoped the spirit of their heda thought of her as worthy enough to make her come out successful.

They almost reached the intersection that would lead them either to Polis or farther into the woods. As Lexa let her eyes glance around their surroundings she saw four riders making their way towards Polis. Her eyes widened as she recognized the rider leading their little group.

It was Anya, one of the leaders of a unit of the Woods Clan and Lexa's first.

Lexa and Anya knew each other for some years now, the older woman having shown Lexa most of her fighting technique. Anya was probably the one Lexa was the closest to. The brunette looked up to the other woman, respecting her well-thought decisions, her wise opinions and her effortlessly and elegant work with her weapons.

Back all those years ago Anya had seen something in Lexa. Something that made her worthy of becoming the leader's Second. Next to her training and lessons the nightbloods received, Lexa trained separately with Anya. The young girl trained the moment she got out of bed in the morning until late into the night.

The brunette nightblood had often accompanied Anya back to her village deep in the Trikru area, allowing Lexa to not only learn fighting skills from her first but also learn more of strategies and diplomacy. Heda Sanco taught them a lot, but being the second of a leader helped immensely to hone those skills. To not only learn the theory but make real life experiences. Lexa was thankful for those opportunities seeing that being heda didn't just mean being a good fighter.

Over the years her skills improved and the hard training got lesser and lesser. Now, she was mostly training with the other nightbloods. But every time Anya was in Polis, the two of them would train together.

She was surprised to see her mentor. She didn't know that Anya would come to Polis this soon after her last visit.

Lexa let her eyes gaze towards the other three riders. Two of the remaining riders were male, and even from this distance Lexa identified them as Anya's most trusted guards, Domica and Syros. They were always with the older blonde when they had to travel between villages or even into other clan territories.

Lexa herself had often sparred with them using the time Anya had had to respond to her duties to continue with her training. Both, Domica and Syros, were experienced warriors and had given Lexa quite the hard time during their training fights. At first Anya hadn't known that her two guards trained with Lexa, neither of them felt the need to inform her, yet Lexa's mentor had no problem putting one and one together after noticing a few little training injuries on her second or even her guards. Lexa had been surprised when the blonde warrior told her guards to not go easy on the brunette before bidding her farewell and leaving for her duties. Anya had never gone easy on her, always stating that one had to be ready for any kind of hardships that came with life.

Weak people would not last long.

Taking a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts again, green eyes gazed at the unknown fourth rider. The rider had the hood of their brown coat protectively over their head, covering the face from any onlooker they may encounter. Though the long, blonde hair and posture of the rider indicated that the rider must be female. Anya's guards rode on either side of the female rider.

For Anya to escort the female rider personally to Polis said something of the importance of the mysterious person.

"Who is she?"

Titus had noticed Lexa's confused, yet curious gaze towards Anya's little group. He had known that the female leader would arrive in Polis sometime the next days. Anya definitely arrived earlier than he had thought she would. But he knew that she was dedicated, a loyal and dutiful Trikru warrior and certainly a worthy mentor for Lexa. "A nightblood. Found in one of Anya's outer villages. Her parents hid her until one of the villagers noticed that she was a nightblood."

"Fools." Her eyes remained on the female rider. The blonde curls cascading down onto the rider's chest was nothing she had seen before. Lexa might have seen a few people with light blonde hair, but they didn't reach the brightness of the rider's hair. It was as if the sun had kissed each and every strand, making it a sun on its own. The rider carried herself proudly, yet cautiously.

"You do not have to worry about her, Lexa. You're the best of the nightbloods. She has no experience with fighting. She'll be one of the first to fall in the conclave."

That one was true. Without having received the slightest bit of training and with Heda Sanco's obvious impending demise, the girl will stand no chance. She was literally riding towards her own funeral. Her parents should have sent her to Polis as soon as they had noticed her nightblood. Now, they will be at fault for their daughter's death.

Lexa didn't pity her. She felt nothing. And she certainly wasn't worried. This girl was just one more obstacle in the conclave. One more nightblood would change nothing for her. The brunette exchanged niceties with the other nightbloods, but most of the time she was on her own. She didn't see the point in getting to know them better when they would've to kill each other in the end. Not anymore.

When they all had been younger they had spent all their time together. They were all around the same age and they have currently no one under the age limit for the conclave. Years ago they had often caused trouble for Titus. He certainly had had a hard time to get the nightbloods under control. However as they grew older they also got calmer. And with the age came the realization of their fate. Without many words Lexa had distanced herself to the others knowing that there'd be only feelings hindering her in the right moment, and that could cost the brunette her own life.

It was like Titus taught them.

Love was weakness.

I'd love to hear your opinion on this chapter!