There are a total of ten Grounders accompanying them back. Most have already shifted into wolf form, preferring their own legs than that of their horses. Their paws have better traction over the soft sands on the path around the lake leading to the Dropship. Other guards of the village are helping strap on leather saddle bags to each of the Grounders heading out. The packs are made of toughen leather, streamlined against each wolf, obviously custom made to fit them perfectly.

Wells and Bellamy are standing awkwardly around the pack of wolves so much larger than their own shifts. They aren't able to take the trip in their wolf shapes. They are still locked in their bipedal forms until the next foreseeable full moon.

"They'll be staying on all fours so they'll only have emergency rations and weapons," Lexa explains as she leads over a palomino, "they'll be with you till you return to your camp."

"Then only Anya will remain." Clarke seen several horses hitched around the barracks but had been too weary to near them. They had seemed so intimidatingly huge.

Anya sidles up to her, in her wolf as well. She nods, wagging her tail and bumping into Clarke's side, encouraging her to meet the horse Lexa has brought.

"You do not have to fear Espera, she's the mother of mine and Anya's horses." Lexa offers out her hand to Clarke to take. "She's surefooted and hard to spook, she'll provide a safe ride to your camp."

Clarke grasps onto Lexa's hand, her hold tightening when the horse's ears pitch forward to focus on her, the large eyes pivoting down to take her in. With a gentle tug from Lexa, Clarke comes forward, letting the pale horse bend closer to her.

"Greet her." Lexa brings up her free hand, stroking against the broad neck of the creature, she lifts up their join hands but let's go when Clarke's hand hovers just over the mare's nose.

Clarke's hand is trembling, she keeps her fingers open, letting the horse nudge forward. "Its mouth is so soft!"

"She's a good mare and well cared for." Lexa turns her attention to Wells and Bellamy, the subtle gentle quality she had towards Clarke immediately subsiding to a stricter tone. She gives Wells a nod then turns her sharp eyes onto Bellamy. The other alpha ducks back, tilting his gaze onto the ground. "Why are you not in your wolves?"

The boys look up to Clarke, giving her the say in whether or not to giving away their inability to shift. They had instinctively hidden it during their trek to TonDC. Their injuries made their human forms much easier to carry or aid on the journey here. Though now they have no excuse not to be in their wolf forms. When shifting is treated as normal and not the aberration the Ark saw to subdue, they had presumed not to give away their lacking on this front. They are already smaller than the Grounder wolves, no reason to give them more doubt in letting them join the alliance. Their delay in answer only makes Lexa's expression turn suspicious which has Bellamy and Wells standing ramrods straight and inching closer together for support.

Clarke takes a step towards Lexa, bringing her right next to the Alpha. Lexa lets her near, leaning in when Clarke goes to speak in hushed tones. "We can't access our wolf forms without the moon."

"The moon aids and guides but the shift has already been given to us." Lexa turns to the boys, coldly assessing them. "If they allow it I can pull their wolves out though it's not my place to do so."

"You can do that?" Bellamy asks, excited at the thought of being able to have his other form, to feel strong enough.

Lexa tilts her head at his speaking out and he quiets. "If you two and Clarke permit it, I am able to."

Bellamy nods and enthusiastically elbows Wells who turns to Clarke for confirmation.

"If you don't mind?" Clarke is unsure but rather interested to see more of what the Ark has taken form them.

Lexa comes towards Wells first, who after receiving another sanction from Clarke shrugs out of his jacket and pulls off his shirt. Lexa lifts her hand to lie upon his neck. He's a whole lot taller than her but with her touch he crouches down until he has bent one knee.

His hands are on the zipper of his pants when Lexa's grip wrenches his head back to look into her eyes. "Ai laik heda Leksa kom Trigedakru, Mafta ai op yu Elpha."

Wells stiffens, freezing as his mouth opens in silent pain, his hands fall to his side as he crumples forward and lands face down on the ground. Lexa backs away and before Clarke can bend to help him he slaps one of his clenched hands forward. His nails are already sharpening and turning pearled white, fur stretching his skin in patches and tearing through in others. He's gasping and shaking, his transition jagged and uneven in the areas that do shift and others remain distinctly human.

"Do not fight it." Lexa voices an order but it incites a snarl from Wells. It actually brings a smile onto her lips. She gives Clarke a look then pointedly down at Wells. "You'll have to tell him."

"Hey c'mon just relax, it'll be over soon ," Clarke crouches down, hand hovering over Wells elongating spine, the bone is coming through first, tearing through the skin and patches of fur, her voice shakes a little, "please."

Lexa reaches over, fingers light over the back of Clarke's hand, she guides and where Clarke makes contact with Wells' skin it bursts through with thick dark fur. The spread is much quicker now, the change in form going in tandem over his curled back. He's snapping and ferocious once he gets to his legs.

"Wells!" Clarke calls after him; worried he'll dart into camp and hurt others or himself.

He settles mid step away, when he turns his eyes are taming. He's whining and complacent by the time he paces towards Clarke and Lexa.

Lexa repeats the action with Bellamy who is much more reluctant after seeing the amount of pain Wells had to endure. Bellamy falls to the same fate, twitching in agony and even though he knows not to fight it he can't do anything but resist against the unusual electric sensation. It wasn't like what the moon had unlocked, they are being summoned by Lexa and he's demanded to answer.

When Clarke makes to ease Bellamy's transition as she had Wells, Lexa's draws her back. Bellamy was already free of his shackling defences, letting the sway of Lexa's command wash over him and bringing his body into wolf form reborn. He parades towards Wells, proud of himself for being able to take this shape without help from Clarke.

Anya snarls, making the boys stiffen. She exchanges a worried look with Lexa, both of them uneasy.

While Wells brings himself steward next to Clarke. Bellamy takes turns setting his tail up and straightening his forelegs then looking away from Anya and Lexa. Clarke grabs the non-shredded ear and after a chastising tug he tries to imitate Wells' much more relax stance. Both Alpha and Beta don't compare in size to even the smallest of the Grounder guards around them. Her boys are by far the largest in her 100 but they look scrappy next to the military like war hounds.

Bellamy growls at the horse which has Espera stamping her hoof once, making the male Alpha back. She's been around werewolves for decades, she's not so easily frightened and obviously not to such a small pup. Clarke brings her hand up to cover her laugh at Bellamy's chagrin. He droops his ears and snaps his teeth at Wells, releasing his annoyance into the other wolf's fur; Wells easily side steps the bite, angling close to the large horse and sniffing at the never before seen animal. The horse let's all this go on, staying still until Wells has finished his inspection and rounds back to Clarke.

"May I help you up?" Lexa is right beside Clarke; her proximity has the shorter girl heating up.

Clarke nods, putting her hand up on the horn of the saddle as instructed and putting her foot in the stirrup.

"She'll hold still, don't worry." Lexa puts her hands on Clarke's hips, lifting the other girl up effortlessly up but keeping the contact only long enough for Clarke to settle. The guards are all politely keeping their eyes on the citizens around them instead of their leader at the center.

Clarke bites her lip; Lexa had practically swaggered away after her impressive show of strength. She knows exactly what she's doing and that almost smug smile is what keeps Clarke from jumping off the horse for a repeat performance. Anya paces to the other side of Espera, her head coming easily pass the horse's shoulder. Anya looks up to Clarke, reassuringly close, both suitors placing themselves on either sides just in case of a fall.

Clarke lets her hand reach down for Anya, stroking her fingers through the Beta's fur before taking the reins in her hand. "I suppose this is goodbye for now, just until I can settle my people and figure out the Mountain men… I know the Ark can help us but I have to help them first."

Lexa dips her head in agreement.

Lexa has her hands held behind her back and her face inclining up to Clarke. She's a picture of stoic control. The Heda sees off Anya and their Omega with barely any visible concern. Though Anya seems to know Lexa's hidden emotions only too well, she steps back to Lexa's side and ducks to nudge her head against the Alpha's thigh. It's only a moment and Lexa's hand settles quickly into the scruff of fur on Anya's neck.

"Return." Back to me. Lexa commands as she grips at the fur in her palm, her eyes downcast before patting her hand down once more and returning into the village without another word.

Anya gives out a bark which brings the guards immediately to heel. They form a perimeter around Clarke, with who she thinks should be Aerius at the point of the group. They wait for movement and it's not until Clarke pulls her eyes away from Lexa's disappearing form does she realize they are moving around her, she has to start the march.

She gives Espera a slight nudge and the horse complies. Going at a walk till they make it out of the village gates and then working into a smart trot. Clarke lets her horse pretty much just carry her since it seems intent on showing her the ropes. Anya's side is brushing up against her leg every so often, shifting the mare's movements when needed. Even when they make it into in the tight foliage outside of the road to TonDC they keep up their pace.

Clarke has to tilt back when they go down an incline that has her worrying about her balance but her steed is steady; almost like it was taking extra effort to give its rider a safe trip. Bellamy and Wells had no trouble keeping up with the group while going along the trail but once they reached the rockier slopes and rooted soils they have to deliberate their steps. Their heads are kept down and focus to the obstacles on the ground instead of streaming over the terrain like the Grounders.

They haven't run into Octavia's group yet but their people's scents cling to the foliage they pass. Octavia is leading their people by following Lincolns trail, the healers and help sent had traveled through a longer route, safer by far than their steep decline. While Clarke trusts that Octavia won't get lost she questions how sound of an idea it was to let her group leave the village unattended. Though she couldn't have guessed the outcome of the meeting, it could've meant a risking all those inside TonDC since a massacre once hung over all their heads.

…

Ai laik heda Leksa kom Trigedakru, Mafta ai op yu Elpha =I am commander Lexa of the Tree People, follow me, your Alpha.

…