Sorry if most of this is dialogue, the final chapter won't be*smiles angelically*
I'll see you Monday folks
"And the salt in my wounds isn't burning any more than it used to
It's not that I don't feel the pain,
it's just I'm not afraid of hurting any more"
Last Hope - Paramore
When Clarke woke up the next morning, Lexa was sat against a nearby tree wearing her armour once again.
"That should not have happened."
"Lexa…"
"It was weakness."
Sitting up, Clarke looked wearily over to Lexa who held her gaze. The brunette's face was void of emotion, as blank as Clarke had ever seen.
"Don't say that unless you mean it."
Lexa stayed quiet but swung her eyes to the waterfall instead of Clarke.
"We should go then, so I can leave with my people."
"We should."
Clarke narrowed her eyes, but saying nothing she stood and picked up the backpack from the ground beside her.
"You know, Lexa, I thought you actually cared for a second last night."
Clarke saw the muscles of Lexa's jaw clench but shook her head and sighed.
"I cannot ask you to stay when I cannot, Clarke. TonDC is no place for a Commander."
"Then I think you'll find that it's you who is leaving. Again."
"I don't want you to hate me."
"Then stay!"
"It is not that simple, Clarke, I will need to return to Polis."
"Your people come first."
"Yes."
Clarke bit her lip and sighed. She gave one last look to Lexa before starting the walk back to camp.
She knew Lexa had followed her, had felt the Commander's eyes burn into her back, but the taller girl was so quiet in her footsteps that Clarke could almost forget her presence. Regardless, it was a long walk filled with silent tears and angry thoughts which only got louder with each hour that passed.
"Clarke…"
The blonde stopped and slowly turned to Lexa. "What?" she asked.
Lexa flinched at the coldness in Clarke's tone but carried on anyway. "I will miss you," she admitted.
"You don't get to miss me, Lexa," growled Clarke. "You lost that chance this morning."
"I must do what is best-"
"For your people?"
"For us, Clarke. We must not be made weak-"
"Stop" said Clarke, pushing Lexa roughly against a nearby tree. "You've said enough," she spat, and then released the girl and started walking again.
Neither of them said another word.
The warriors were still stood outside the gates when the two girls returned to Camp Jaha, but it was Abby who greeted them first, walking calmly over the distance of the clearing.
"We can go," Clarke told Abby. The blonde refused to look over her shoulder as she strode back to the camp. In her daughter's absence, Abby looked at Lexa carefully.
The Commander held her gaze, eyes neutral of emotion and face pulled into a mask again – even without the war paint. "Clarke is correct, we will let your people pass."
Abby lifted her chin in understanding, and threw a quick glance back to the camp. "Thank you," she replied.
Lexa shook her head slightly, but continued with the same emotionless voice. "There is nothing to thank. We did not honour the alliance."
"But you haven't chosen to kill us all."
"It is a sacrifice." Lexa looked at Abby – her eyes were so unlike Clarke's with the fire and the pain. The girl swallowed, took a deep breath and spoke words she knew her generals wouldn't entirely agree with. "If the Skaikru elect to stay then we will forgive all threats of war."
Abby nodded her head slowly in contemplation.
"I will be back to TonDC at the next full moon," said the Commander, gesturing to her warriors to bring over her horse and climbing gracefully onto it. She looked down at Abby as she had look down at lndra only days ago and then over to Camp Jaha. Amongst the gathered people, Clarke was nowhere to be seen. "If you have not left then we will meet, and we will make a deal."
"I will inform the Council," replied Abby.
Noting the lack of promise, the Commander nodded and pulled at the reins of her horse. Following her lead, the warriors did the same and soon they were thundering away from the camp. Abby was left to watch as the cloud of dust settled in their wake.
A month later and the leaders of Jaha were preparing to travel to TonDC, carrying weapons for defence that they would later refuse to remove. A rider had been sent with a message, and he now sat stone still upon a waiting horse.
"We cannot go with you," Lincoln told Marcus as Octavia nodded in agreement. "They may forgive you, but they will not welcome traitors."
"Sounds familiar," mused Clarke as she walked over to the group.
"If you cannot go, then we have nobody who understands the Grounders' ways," said Abby, "and that is not a mistake we can afford to make this time."
"The Sky Princess should go," said the rider on the horse, his voice ringing in that way which was still foreign to the Arkers. He wore a mask, and looked straight forward. "It is what Heda is expecting."
Lincoln looked apologetically at Clarke. "You should go. She respects you more than she respects anybody else."
Clarke huffed. "What if I don't respect her?"
Lincoln laughed darkly, a sound which surprised even Octavia. "Then this should be interesting." He turned to speak to the others. "You are best to leave now or else you'll get there after dark."
It was early evening when they arrived, and the Grounder rider led them straight through the village to where Indra was standing outside of the tents. Her fierce eyes scanned the Sky People and her hand clasped at the dagger on her belt.
"Come with me," she said, motioning to the group to follow her as she walked further into the village.
The group, silent in their walking and tired by their travel, did as they were told. Bellamy stood at Clarke's side, hand on his pistol, but she was not relaxed.
There was a fire at the place Indra brought them to which lit the surrounding forest and illuminated a vine covered statue in a warm orange glow. It reminded Clarke of the cave she had found Lexa in, all those months ago.
People stood around the fire but - with their backs to the approaching Sky People – they were nothing but silhouettes.
"Heda," said Indra, needlessly announcing their arrival.
Having walked closer, and with eyes finally adjusted to the brightness of the fire, Clarke was able to recognise the figures. There was Lexa, staring firmly at the flames, and beside her a woman.
"Clarke," said the woman warmly as she faced the Sky People. Lexa stayed staring at the fire.
"Marie," replied Clarke, ignoring the confused look of her people besides her. "I was not expecting to see you again."
Marie looked briefly to Lexa and then back to Clarke. "Neither was I, child." She turned to greet the rest of the Sky People in the clearing.
Clarke could hear them introduce themselves, in some distant part of her mind registered them as they shared their names, but Clarke's eyes stayed trained on the outline of Lexa's back. Clarke walked automatically to stand beside her.
"There is an oath," said Lexa without turning to greet her. "That my people have used for generations." She looked at Clarke once before turning away from the fire completely. "A powerful oath punishable only by death," she told the gathered group. She didn't raise her voice at all, but it commanded the attention of the Sky People as clearly as if she had shouted.
Lexa scanned the faces of her audience, but she couldn't look at Clarke.
"Between two warriors it is strong," she continued. Then she turned to Clarke, "but between two leaders it forms the strongest alliance we can make. It would bind our people not only by word, but by blood and by spirit."
"Blood brothers" said Bellamy.
"Yes son," replied Marie. "It is rare – we don't easily share our blood."
Lexa ignored Bellamy and Marie and dropped deliberately to her knees before Clarke. The blonde towered over her.
"It is a vow to protect each other, care for each other, and fight alongside each other as long as there is still blood in our veins," continued Lexa, staring up at Clarke earnestly. Clarke didn't look away.
Slowly, Lexa pulled an ornate dagger from her belt and took it by the blade to hold it out to Clarke.
The blonde shook her head. "I – I can't," she started. She swallowed. "I will do the oath with you, Lexa, but I can't make another bleed."
Lexa let out a silent breath in relief, and without a word Marie walked over to them and took the knife from her. The woman pressed the blade into the meat of the Commander's palm and pulled away as blood started breaking the surface. Marie turned to Bellamy and held out the knife to him, but Lexa did not look away from Clarke.
"You should take this, son," suggested Marie, gesturing at Bellamy to take the knife. "She is your Princess."
Bellamy swallowed and nodded, following Marie's lead and slicing into the skin of Clarke's palm. Like Lexa, she did not look at the knife.
"She has weakened her sword hand," Indra told Marcus who watched the girls with doubtful eyes. "You do not need to worry about the Commander's intentions."
The Commander reached for Clarke's hand and pressed their two palms together in a strong, confident grip. It wasn't the same hold the Grounders normally used where they clasped elbows. This was softer and much more vulnerable.
Clarke didn't believe in reincarnation, or spirits for that matter, but even she could appreciate the power of the oath. The clearing, with the exception of only nature itself, fell into a watching silence – the leaders of the Sky People and the Commander's most senior warriors alike. There was power in the air and it hummed beneath the moon.
"Here child," said Marie, offering a small bottle to Clarke, "for your hand."
"I'll do it," spoke Abby, walking to Clarke. Lexa rose from her knew and walked away from the fire.
There was a still calmness in the air but the Commander was tense. "Indra will lead you to your tents when you are ready, we will talk of details in the morning," she informed Marcus and Bellamy, before nodding at her guards and walking away from the clearing.
Clarke watched her leave, her throat drying. "Did I do this too fast?" she asked her mother as Abby wrapped her hand expertly in a bandage.
"You followed your instinct Clarke," her mother replied. She pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "I'm proud of you."
"You did the right thing Princess," said Bellamy.
Clarke looked at him. "Yeah. I hope so."