The path ended, splitting off into opposite directions. Lexa had stopped ahead of her. Clarke shifted in the saddle, conflicted. Intellectually, she knew that there was probably a reason for the stop. A good reason. A reason that probably required the need to concentrate. In silence. For an unreasonably long length of time. Why isn't she doing anything? Clarke whined mentally, shifting again in her impatience. She's just standing there, staring at the wall like it's the most fascinating thing on earth. A wall. A plain, ordinary, nothing unique about it, wall.

Lexa stepped closer, raising the torch to study the wall in more detail.

Hello? Earth to Lexa? It's. A. Wall. Clarke thought sarcastically, shifting again. She sighed, impatience winning the battle over logic. She started to say something, when Lexa made her move.

She reached out, touching the wall in nine different spots almost faster than Clarke could blink. There was an audible 'click' as she touched the last one. A hidden door swung open, bringing a rush of cool outside air with it.

Clarke breathed deep, relishing the fresh air as Lexa led them outside, dousing the torch in a bucket of water by the entrance as she passed. The door closed behind them. Clarke turned, looking for it, but as it had been on the inside it was perfectly hidden. No sign of the door or the mines remained.

Lexa moved to the horses side and touched Clarke's leg, fingers a gentle caress on her thigh. "Are you ready?"

Clarke took in a shaky breath, hyper aware of the touch. She nodded, not trusting the steadiness of her voice, Lexa's touch affected her so.

Lexa smiled her approval. "Good."

She handed Clarke the reins, adjusting the woman's grip until she was holding them right. She walked around Naveen, making minor adjustments to Clarke's pose, murmuring directions and explaining the reasons for them. Satisfied, she stepped back. "Stay in the clearing, don't go too fast, and trust her eyes over your own. Her night vision is better. Kick her once to walk, again to trot. Pull back gently on the reins on whichever side you wish her to turn, or pull both of them if you'd like for her to stop." She instructed.

Clarke gulped. "You mean I have to ride her by myself?" She squeaked.

Lexa laughed. "Why not? Don't you want to?"

"Yes! No. I don't know!" Clarke moaned.

Lexa smiled at her. "Relax. Just start slow and you'll be fine."

Clarke took a nervous breath. "Ok... Ok. I can do this. Just one little kick. Just a walk. I can do this. I can." She screwed her eyes shut, and kicked.

Nothing happened. She kicked again. She opened one eye. Naveen was looking back at her. If Clarke didn't know any better, she'd swear that the horse was actually bored. She kicked the horse again. "Move!"

Naveen's ear twitched. She turned her head, lowered it to bite at the grass, then raised it again to look at Clarke as she chewed. Clarke tried kicking her again, a bit harder this time. "Um... Forward? Walk? Mush? Go you stupid horse!"

A soft series of plops was her answer. She looked back at the stinking pile in disgust. "Oh come on!"

"You could try saying please?" Lexa suggested, eyes twinkling as she repressed her laughter.

Clarke scowled, kicking the horse again. "Please?"

Her jaw dropped as Naveen stepped forward. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Congratulations, you now have the manners of a horse." Lexa teased.

"Shut up." Clarke countered, smiling back at her.

She rode across the field, pulling gently on the reins to guide her around it. Slowly she gained confidence, relaxing at the easy gait. This isn't too bad. The stars and moon, currently not blocked by clouds, gave her plenty of light to see by in the fading twilight. She looked around, enjoying the beauty around her for the first time since her first day on the ground. Not looking for hidden dangers, not thinking of plans for the future, just living in the moment and trusting in her horse and the Commander to guard her back.

"Try going faster!" Lexa called.

Clarke grinned as she encouraged Naveen to go faster. She quickly learned two things; one, that riding a trotting horse is nothing like in the movies, and two, that riding a trotting horse when you have several bruises on your torso and a sprained ankle, hurts. She lost the carefree grin as she began bouncing around like a sack of potatoes, teeth clacking with every bounce.

Crap crap crap crap, CRAP! How do I stop this thing?! She panicked, forgetting everything she had learned. In her panic she kicked when she should have pulled...

Naveen whinnied gleefully as she broke into a canter, rushing straight towards Lexa. Lexa jumped aside, barely avoiding getting trampled by the runaway horse. She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Pull on the reins!"

Clarke heard her, the shout cutting through her panic. Reins! Right! Except she wasn't holding any. They fluttered in the wind of their passing, just out of reach. Crap! She grabbed onto a double fistful of horse hair, and in desperation she leaned back and pulled.

Naveen reacted as a war steed. She dug her feet into the ground and slid to a stop, sending Clarke crashing forward over her neck. She then reared back onto her hind legs, screaming in challenge to an unseen foe, kicking at the air with her forelegs. Clarke fell back, losing her grip on the mane and falling to the ground with an audible 'oof.'

She lay there, dazed, seeing stars as Lexa's laughter rolled over her.

Lexa walked over to her, tears of mirth shining in her eyes. She looked down at the blonde. "Are you ok?"

In that moment, Lexa was no longer the Commander to her. That title was gone, away with the wind and Clarke's common sense. She glared at the woman. "Ride a horse, she said. You'll be fine, she said. Go faster, she said."

Lexa grinned. "She also said, 'get knocked down, get back up.' Think you're ready to try again?" She held out her hand, offering to help Clarke up.

Clarke's world narrowed on that hand. That's it! That is so it. She growled low in her throat and grabbed that hand, yanking its owner down with all her strength. Lexa fell, wide-eyed, and Clarke used the surprise to her advantage, straddling the woman. She showed no mercy, attacking the woman's sides with a vengeance.

Or that was the plan anyway.

"What are you doing?" Lexa asked, amused by the blondes efforts.

Clarke looked up at her, pouting at the completely unaffected Commander. "Tickling you."

Lexa raised an eyebrow. "Through armour?"

Clarke looked down at the stiff leather. "Oh. Right."

Lexa smirked, eyes twinkling as she slowly raised her hands. "Which you're not wearing?"

Clarke's eyes widened, realizing the woman's intentions. Oh crap. "Now Lexa... Remember that I'm injured... You wouldn't tickle a wounded woman, would you?"

Lexa's expression softened as she lowered her hands to rest on Clarke's legs. "Of course not..." She said, smiling sweetly.

Clarke smiled, relaxing after the close call.

"Much."

Clarke yelped as strong, quick, fingers found the sensitive spot behind her knees. She struggled to rise, laughing and snorting uncontrollably, but the Commander held fast, attacking her behind her knees and under her arms at unpredictable moments. Every time Clarke successful guarded one spot another one was exposed, and Lexa was quick to take advantage.

"Mercy! Mercy!" Clarke begged, howling with laughter. "Stop!"

"Make me." Lexa smirked, renewing her attack on Clarke's legs.

"Ah!" Clarke cried, laughing hard enough that her sides started to ache. A plan formed in her mind and she clutched onto it. She moved to block Lexa's acess to her knees, as she had done before. Lexa took the bait, moving to switch her assault to Clarke's underarms. This time Clarke was ready for it. With a speed born from desperation, she grabbed those hands, forcefully pinning them to either side of the Commanders head.

"Got... You..." She panted. She collapsed on top of Lexa, head resting on her shoulder, gasping as she recovered from the Commanders devilish assault.

Lexa chucked. "And what do you plan on doing with me?"

Clarke pushed herself up, narrowing her eyes playfully as she looked down at the woman beneath her. "Depends... If I let you go, would you promise not to tickle me?"

Lexa smirked. "I think you've learned your lesson."

Clarke laughed softly. "That's an understatement."

She gazed at Lexa. The moonlight bathed her face, giving her a softness that Clarke hadn't noticed before. She loosened her grip, bringing one hand up to gently caress the moon lit face, a question in her eyes.

Lexa tilted her face, subtly leaning into the caress as her eyes connected with Clarke's. Accepting. Challenging.

Something in Clarke responded to the challenge, hungered for it. She slowly lowered her head, teasing the woman, ghosting over her lips with her breath before gently brushing them with her own. She glanced up, suddenly doubting that this was really ok, checking to see if maybe she had misread the signal. The look in the Commanders eyes caused her doubts to scatter like leaves in the wind. Clarke's breath caught at seeing that look. Warmth, acceptance, patience... No, not quite. Patience is when you expect something, but this... Her heart glowed as she looked at Lexa in wonder, the contentment in her eyes warming her in a way no passionate embrace ever had.

She closed the gap between them, eyes sliding shut as she kissed willing lips. Softness greeted her, opened to her, accepting, hinting at a welcome for more yet not pushing. Sensing movement, Clarke broke the kiss, lifting her head just enough to see what she had sensed.

Lexa's hand hovered, close to her face yet not quite touching. Clarke looked into her eyes, suddenly anxious. The contentedness was still there, easing her anxiety. The warmth was also there, mixed with a hint of question. Clarke bit at the edge of her lip and nodded her permission, sighing as Lexa's hand ghosted over her cheek to rest at her jaw, her thumb trailing a path across her lips. The hand slid to her head in a caress, fingers weaving through her hair as the Commander pulled her down for another kiss.

Where Clarke's kiss had been tentative, Lexa's was confident. She claimed Clarke's lips without hesitation, kissing with a slow passion that left Clarke burning for more. She skimmed over Clarke's lower lip with the tip of her tongue, tasting, neither asking for entrance or demanding it. She gently drew the kiss out, drawing the abused lip into her mouth and nibbling at it before releasing it only to kiss the blonde again.

She turned their bodies, twisting until their positions were reversed, Clarke's curves laid out beneath her. Clarke gasped into the kiss, not pulling away, her hands coming up to hold Lexa closer to her. Lexa took advantage, deepening the kiss, her tongue caressing Clarke's briefly before pulling back. She slowed the kiss, breaking it gently before pulling back to look at the blonde.

Clarke opened dazed eyes, trailing her hands down Lexa's arms to rest on the ground at her sides. "Wow."

Lexa smiled. Rising to her feet, she reached down to help Clarke.

Clarke grasped the hand, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet.

Lexa's smile turned wicked. "So, ready to try again?"

Naveen nickered joyously as Clarke groaned in despair, lust forgotten as she looked at the devil incarnate in sheer disbelief. "You're joking right?"

"Get knocked down, get back up." Her eyes softened, smile losing its wicked edge as she looked at Clarke, taking in the way she was keeping her weight on her uninjured foot. "But you need not ride alone. Not this time."

Clarke considered the offer, then nodded, figuring it was probably the best compromise she was going to get. She scrambled back into the saddle with Lexa's help, who then mounted behind her with an ease Clarke envied.

An arm wrapped around Clarke's waist, the other reaching past her for the reigns. Lexa's breath ghosted over her ear. "Lean into me, and relax. Move with me. Trust in her and trust in me. I won't let you fall."

Clarke nodded even as that breath sent delicious shivers down her spine. She leaned into Lexa, sighing as she felt Lexa's warmth flush against her back.

IlIlIlIlIlIlIlI

Lexa started Naveen off at a walk, allowing Clarke a moment to readjust to being on horseback, and Naveen time to get accustomed to carrying the weight of two.

She felt Clarke settle more fully against her, relaxing quicker that she had expected her to. Her lips tingled, the kiss affecting her more than it should. Love is weakness. She reminded herself.

But the reminder did nothing to erase the warmth she felt that had nothing and everything to do with the blonde pressed against her. Focus on the debt. Blue eyes filled with a fire she had lit opened in her memory, warmth turning to desire within her at the thought. She pushed it aside. Lust. Nothing more. Genuine concern for the girl, butterflies in her stomach at her every smile and laugh, and the warmth she felt now, denied her the lie. She closed her eyes, finally realizing that she was falling for the blonde. Hard.

Shit.