Happy Easter pals :)
"Felt it in my fist, in my feet, in the hollows of my eyelids
Shaking through my skull, through my spine and down through my ribs"
Blinding - Florence and the Machine
That afternoon Bellamy watched over the camp as the guards and the soldiers went on with their training. Everywhere there was a new sense of determination which ran through the Ark like the electricity through the wires – no one had wanted war, even if they needed it. Now, presented with the chance that war could be avoided, the camp was preparing to leave. No one had anybody to wait for, and those who hadn't been united with their children were more than happy to leave the forests that had stolen them.
For a brief moment Bellamy had considered going after Clarke when she left the meeting, but aside from having no idea where she had gone, he also recognised her need to be alone. So there he was, watching over the training. Somewhere amongst them was his sister, and probably Lincoln, teaching people to fight with weapons other than guns – that was a new thing to all of them.
Movements in the trees surrounding the camp caused Bellamy to tear his eyes away from the training. "Marcus" he called, pointing to the forest.
Marcus looked up. Galloping horses carrying armed Grounders broke through the trees, led by none other than the Commander herself. The guards at the perimeter of the camp raised their guns, training their aim on the approaching warriors.
"Fetch Abby," Marcus ordered Bellamy. "She's in medical."
Bellamy nodded and left immediately and Marcus checked for the gun on his belt. Then, he strode through the soldiers who had abandoned their training to stand waiting in front of the gate.
The horses halted just metres away from the gates of Camp Jaha and the Commander climbed down. Her body was dressed in full battle armour, and she scanned the gathered soldiers with a dark emotion. Her eyes were shadowed by war paint.
She looked at Marcus through the gates. "This fence will not protect you if you seek war."
"We wanted to talk to you, Commander," said Abby who walked to stand beside Marcus. Bellamy stood behind them.
"I will talk to your leader and your leader alone" replied the Commander, lifting her chin and narrowing her eyes.
"She doesn't want to talk to anyone" said Bellamy, unflinching as Lexa's cold glare fell upon him.
Marcus and Abby shared a quick glance. "Fine," spoke Marcus, nodding to his guards. "But if you come through these gates then you must leave your weapons outside."
Now it was the warriors' turn to tense and share masked looks, but the Commander unsheathed her sword and placed it on the ground.
"And the daggers" demanded Bellamy. Obliging, the Commander removed the daggers from her belt and her boot.
"If we ask it of them," said Lexa sternly to her warriors, "then they may ask it of us."
Marcus nodded his agreement. "Open the gates" he told his guards, and so they did.
The warriors went to follow their Commander as she walked proudly into their enemy's camp, but she held up her hand sharply to stop them. "Wait here" she said.
"Unless your Commander hurts another of my people…" warned Abby, talking to the warriors but staring at Lexa, "… we will not hurt her."
Beyond the gates the warriors growled, but the Commander turned and snapped at them sharply in Trigedasleng, silencing them immediately. Bracing herself, she turned back to the camp.
"Abby will take you to her," Marcus told Lexa. "There is a lot to talk about."
The muscles in the Commander's jaw clenched as Abby led her into the Ark. It was unnatural and having just walked out of the blazing sun of an early summer it was very difficult to see anything. She was used to wood and trees and earth, and even in Polis where the buildings were common she still hadn't encountered anything like this. With the exception of watching Lincoln be revived, she had not been inside the Sky People's Ark before and everything about it made her feel uneasy.
She felt like a prisoner waiting to be experimented on.
The metal floors clashed beneath their feet as Abby and the Commander walked through the long corridors.
"You fight odd wars," Lexa told the woman. She would not have brought her enemy into her home.
"It is an odd world," responded Abby as she came to a stop and turned to the Commander. "Wait here and I shall get Clarke. If you move our guards will call it an attack…" she said harshly. "…and the bullets will go through your head."
The Commander held the woman's gaze, accepting her warning with nothing more than a nod. Abby turned on her heels and left the corridor.
Minutes passed with Lexa staring at the metal of the Ark's frame waiting for Abby to return.
"What are you doing here?"
Lexa looked up, not to see Abby, nor Clarke, but the mechanic Raven glaring daggers into her from down the corridor.
"I wish to speak to Clarke," responded Lexa firmly. This was the girl whose lover she had had killed.
"And I wish to see you tied to a tree," hissed Raven, gesturing to her torso where the Commander had one sliced into the skin.
"Raven" called Abby, causing Lexa to whip her head away from the mechanic and towards the voice. Clarke was with her.
Abby took Raven by the arm and pulled her down the corridor. Lexa watched Clarke's eyes follow the women. The blonde turned to the Commander and gestured to the door behind her.
"We'll talk in here," said Clarke, turning the handle and motioning Lexa to walk in ahead of her.
It was a small room, with seats, but neither of them sat.
"You're uncomfortable Commander," observed Clarke.
Lexa looked calmly back at her. "A lot of people in this camp would like to see me dead."
"I know the feeling," Clarke replied, shrugging. "My best friends still can't look me in the eye."
Lexa stood quietly for a minute. "Would you be the one to kill me, Clarke?" she asked, her voice no louder than a whisper.
"Do you think you deserve that Commander?" responded Clarke. She clear her throat. "I wouldn't worry if I were you, we don't kill people as punishment anymore."
"But that boy?" began Lexa, rubbing her hands around her neck to indicate rope wounds. Murphy.
"The one you sent back to kill us all with?" asked Clarke. Lexa dropped her hands to her side. "He was to be punished for treason, killing one of our own. A friend of mine." Clarke shook her head at the image of the boy hanging as people watched on. "I didn't support it Commander."
Lexa looked to Clarke whose face was guarded. "How would your people punish me, Clarke?" she questioned.
"Other than war?" said Clarke as she took in Lexa's steady gaze. The Commander nodded slightly.
Clarke sighed and took the girl firmly by the wrist, pulling her arms upwards until they were above her head.
"They would tie you to two posts like this," explained Clarke without emotion. "And whip you with electricity until you went unconscious." Clarke dropped Lexa's arms and took a step back. Now she was in the shadows of the room, where the sun could not bleed through the skylight.
"Like lightning?" Lexa asked quietly.
"Something like that."
"Then why aren't they doing it now. I am in here. Unharmed."
"Because my people said they wouldn't harm you, and we stick to our word, Commander," said Clarke bluntly.
Lexa winced slightly and regarded Clarke with sorrowful eyes. "You never used to call me by my rank."
"I thought it would make it easier to look you in the eye" admitted Clarke as she sat down tiredly.
"And has it?" replied Lexa. She followed Clarke's lead and sat next to her on the bench.
Clarke shrugged, staring at the floor. "I haven't decided yet."
Lexa watched the blonde carefully. "There is not long until the full moon," she said simply.
"Is that why you're here?"
For a moment there was silence as the two girls looked at each other. Honesty, Lexa hadn't thought about why she came to Camp Jaha but Clarke deserved an answer. "I want to make sure you got back here safely, Clarke."
Other than the questioning look in her eye, Clarke didn't respond to Lexa's words. Sighing, she stood up and moved to the door.
"You're wishing to withdraw the declaration of war," guessed Lexa. She had known as soon as she was allowed into the Camp, and it had only became clearer with every second that she wasn't being killed.
"Lexa," said Clarke faintly. She turned to face the girl. "We wish to leave here and head east, away from your territory. We would like your permission for a peaceful passage."
Lexa's breath caught in her throat. Since becoming Commander, she had always thought that she would die an honourable death in a bloody battle. Never did she think it would be at the words of someone who couldn't swing a sword.