A/N: Thanks for the reviews on that last part. I can't say that this part is going to be any easier in terms of the emotional stuff. There may be another part up later today, I haven't started it yet, but I do have some general ideas. Read, review (important) and enjoy!
Chapter Eighteen
Clarke waited a few moments before following Lexa from the tent. She needed some time to compose herself before showing her face. As she did leave she saw Lexa walking down the hill and towards the entrance to the camp. Around her Grounders raised their weapons and chanted 'Heda'. Clarke saw her friends standing towards their tents. Raven motioned her over.
"What's going on Clarke?" she asked, noticing that Clarke was carrying Lexa's sword.
"Those guys with Kassius," Clarke said, motioning down the hill, "they're from the Ice Nation…"
"I take it they aren't here to surrender." Raven replied.
"Not exactly…" Clarke said quietly as she watched Lexa order her soldiers to let the Ice Nation soldiers and Kassius pass.
The horses were all left just inside the camp, Lexa turned and started walking back, Indra to her right, Kassius to her left, and 10 Ice Nation soldiers behind her, Grounders following on behind them. A steely look of determination was fixed on Lexa's face as she walked closer to where Clarke and the other Sky people were standing. Raven noticed that Clarke lowered her eyes as Lexa's passed, the Grounder Commander not looking at the blonde girl either. Once they had gone into Lexa's tent, Raven turned to Clarke.
"Start talking." She said.
Clarke didn't say a word, she couldn't take her eyes off the tent.
"Clarke," Raven said, waving her hand in front of Clarkes face, "Earth to the Sky Princess."
"She's sacrificing herself to save everyone." Octavia said quietly as she stood next to Raven, her eyes also fixed on Lexa's tent.
"So she gets herself into a situation she can't fight her way out of and she's just what… giving up?" Raven asked.
"It's not as simple as that," Octavia said, "Heda is doing what is best for our people."
"Are you one of them now?" Raven asked looking at Octavia, "they aren't your people, and she isn't your leader."
"Yes they are," Clarke said, finally talking, "and yes, she is."
x-x-x
As the meeting in the tent dragged on a little, Clarke and her friends were sitting near the tents, waiting. That's all anyone seemed to be doing, waiting. Clarke's attention was drawn to the tent when she saw Indra leave, the general not looking too happy, not that she ever really did. Indra walked over to them and Clarke, Octavia and Lincoln stood up.
"What's going on?" Clarke asked.
"All is going as planned," Indra replied, obviously not wanting to say too much, she looked at Octavia, "you and Lincoln slip out of the camp, I want you on the trail as they leave."
Octavia nodded and turned to walk into her tent and get her gear. Indra looked to Clarke.
"I really hope you're ready for this." She said, before turning and walking back to Lexa's tent.
"Ready for what?" Raven asked once Indra was out of ear shot.
"Are you armed?" Clarke asked Raven.
"No…" Raven answered, "Do I need to be?"
Clarke took her gun out of the waistband of her jeans, she handed it to Raven.
"Take this," she said, "you might need it."
"Clarke…" Raven said.
Indra walked from the tent, stopping just outside it she looked over at Clarke a little and nodded.
"It's about to get… tense." Clarke replied.
"What are you going to use if I have your gun?" the other girl asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I have what I need…" Clarke said, looking down at Lexa's sword which she still had in her hand.
One of the Ice Nation soldiers walked from Lexa's tent, with a horn. He stood on the hill and blew it, getting the attention of everyone in the camp.
"People of the Grounder Nation," he shouted, "your leader is weak, she has surrendered herself to us."
Clarke bowed her head a little as she heard calls go out around the camp.
"The terms of the surrender are as follows," he continued, "you have three days to leave this place. If any of you remain after that time, we will return and you will all share the same fate as your leader."
A few moments later Lexa walked from the tent, her hands bound behind her as she had suggested they would be. The look of determination was still on her face, and her eyes burned with a passion that always caused Clarke to take a deep breath. She had Ice Nation soldiers on either side of her, and Kassius behind her. As the group passed where Clarke was standing Lexa looked at her.
"My people are your people," she said, her voice not betraying any of the emotions that Clarke knew she felt, "their lives are in your hands now, Clarke kom Skaikru."
"I have faith in you…" Clarke said quietly.
She wasn't sure anyone had heard her until she saw the ghost of a smile on Lexa's lips as the Grounder Commander walked down the hill, her head held high. Lexa may have been, at that moment, being marched from her own camp, in front of her own army, with her hands bound behind her, but in that one action she was letting her people know that she was not defeated. Chants of 'Heda' rang out around the camp once more.
As Clarke and the Sky people followed behind the little procession which was now nearing the gates, she caught sight of Donovan, who was in deep discussion with one of his men. The look on his face wasn't one which Clarke could read easily, but she knew she didn't like it. Her eyes remained fixed on him as Lexa was put on a horse.
"You have three days." The Ice Nation soldier said as the horses started moving.
Clarke saw that Kassius hadn't gone with them.
"I thought you…" Clarke started to say.
"They wouldn't agree to that," Kassius replied, "they said they would need another assurance from Heda if that were to happen."
"What did they want?" Clarke asked.
"You." He said.
"Why me?" Clarke asked, "why not Indra, surely she would pose more of a threat to them in the long run."
"They know that Heda is more likely to give them the information they want if she is witnessing you being tortured." Kassius replied firmly, "such is war."
"I need you to tell me everything you can from the camp," Clarke said, "anything that we need to be aware of…"
She motioned for him to follow her, as she thought of somewhere they could talk, Lexa's tent being the only place she could think of. As they started the walk back to the tent Clarke noticed some movement which she didn't like. A tension was settling over the camp. She looked to Indra, who had her hand firmly on the handle of her sword, the older woman nodding a little. Clarke then looked to Kassius, who also nodded, both of them letting her know that she should follow those feelings.
"Now!" Donovan yelled.
Clarke turned, bringing the sword she held up above her head, stopping the blade of a Grounder she didn't recognise.
"Give up now Clarke," she heard Donovan said, "Your people will have a swift death if you surrender now."
"Go to hell." Clarke responded as she thrust the blade of the sword through the heart of the man in front of her.
Pulling the sword back she used her foot to push the body to the floor as she blocked another incoming attack. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the Sky people fighting. Grounders were fighting Grounders, the whole place was falling into chaos. Clarke lost focus for a matter of seconds and she felt a blade cut through her jacket, slashing at her skin, she could instantly feel a warm wetness running down the length of her arm. She heard Lexa's voice in her head 'defend yourself'. Lifting her elbow she caught her attacker square under the chin, his head going back as Clarke turned and ran the blade through him.
It felt like hours had passed when Clarke stopped, she knew it was only a matter of minutes, but it felt so much longer than that. There, on his knees in front of her, she saw Donovan. He was bleeding from his leg.
"How long have you been spying for the Ice Nation?" Clarke asked him as everyone was looking at her.
"They know everything." He replied smugly, "your plan isn't going to work, she is going to die."
Indra moved forward, her weapon drawn. Clarke held her arm out, stopping her.
"She doesn't have it in her to kill me." Donovan said to Indra, "Heda was weak to leave her in charge."
"Teik em set raun ona tri." Clarke said, her eyes fixed on Donovan.
As two Grounder soldiers pulled Donovan to his feet, Clarke looked at Indra. The older woman nodded a little. Donovan was dragged by his arms up the hill towards the tree that stood there. Clarke walked calmly behind him, Indra to her right, Kassius to her left.
Abby watched as her daughter walked with the Grounders, she had blood running from the arm of her jacket, there was blood on her face as well, which Abby wasn't sure if it was Clarke's or not. That thought alone terrified her. She had no idea what Clarke had said, but she did remember Lexa saying something similar back in Tondc before Gustus met his fate. As they stood and watched as Donovan was tied to the tree, Abby made her way over to her daughter.
"You don't have to do this Clarke," she said, "this isn't you."
"Yes I do." Clarke replied simply, "and this is who I have to be."
Clarke stood and watched as one by one the Grounders approached Donovan, cutting him with their blades. As much as Clarke could figure there was an order to the cutting, it seemed to go by rank. Indra turned to her, the look was a questioning one, it was like she was asking Clarke if she wanted to end it or if Indra should do it herself. Clarke took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Dison laik ain." Clarke said calmly as she walked toward Donovan.
"You will lose everything." Donovan said to her as she held the sword in the way she had witnessed Lexa do previously when the Grounder Commander had completed this very same action with Gustus, "you cannot win this fight."
"Yu gonplei ste odon." Clarke replied as she stepped forward and pushed the sword through Donovan's heart.
x-x-x
The sun had started to set as Clarke sat on the hill, looking out over the camp. The last time she had done this Lexa had been with her. Clarke kept running over in her head what Donovan had said, about the Ice Nation knowing everything. She knew that they couldn't know everything, she didn't know everything herself as she had yet to look at the small book that Lexa had given her, so there was no way they could know everything. Indra had suggested changing the plan and marching the army to the Ice Nation camp as soon as possible, but Clarke refused, saying they had to stick to the plan Lexa had put in place. They had to believe it would work, as Lexa herself had to believe.
Taking a deep breath she took the book out of her pocket, running her hand over the roughly bound leather surface she looked over at the fire. She knew her people were down there with the Grounders, apparently fighting together worked as a bonding exercise, she knew the irony of that wouldn't have been lost on Lexa. As she opened the book a scrap of loose paper fell out. She picked it up and looked at the writing, she didn't know what she expected when it came to the commanders writing, but it wasn't this. It was written in perfect English, something that she shouldn't have been surprised at. From her time in Polis, Clarke knew that Lexa could read, there were books in her room. Clarke assumed as leader of her people she had been educated to read and write, and she had been right. She read the letter.
Clarke, I would not have trusted you with this if I did not believe that you could do it, please remember that. Take strength in those around you, you will need it in the coming days. Trust Indra, she has your best interests at heart, though she rarely shows it. Victory comes on the back of sacrifice. Chit nou frag yu op na teik yu ste mou yuj. Hodnes laik kwelnes Clarke, Ai sonraun laik yu sonraun.
As she sat looking at the note, trying to work out what Lexa had written at the end of it as her Grounder was still more than a little rusty, she heard movement behind her. Turning her head she saw Kassius.
"What you did today…" he said.
"Was what I had to do." Clarke replied.
"Lexa would be proud of the strength you showed, Clarke." He said, "may I sit?"
"You don't have to ask," Clarke said with a laugh, "everyone else seems to be avoiding me."
"They are not avoiding you," he replied as he sat down next to her, "they are worried about you. Your mother mentioned something about you being in a hyper-emotional state. I do not understand the meaning of that…"
"Basically it means she thinks that I'm like a bomb, one little spark will set me off." Clarke said with a laugh.
"Is she right?" Kassius asked, turning his head a little to look at Clarke.
"I don't know…" Clarke replied with a sigh, "maybe. What am I supposed to feel, Kassius?"
"Each person is different," Kassius said, looking back over the camp, "some would crumble, others would run."
"And me?" Clarke asked.
"You fight." Kassius replied.
"She left me a note," Clarke said, hoping he could translate whatever it was which Lexa had written, "most of it is in English…"
"Whatever Heda left for you is for you alone." He said.
"Can you translate the Grounder for me?" Clarke asked, "I don't understand it."
"You certainly understood what you were saying earlier." Kassius said with a small laugh.
"I've heard Lexa say it before…" Clarke replied with a little laugh of her own, "she would tell me what things meant if I didn't understand, I guess some of it stuck."
"Heda's words were meant for you alone." He repeated again.
"But how am I supposed to figure out what it says, it could be really important." Clarke said, "please, Kassius…"
He sighed and nodded his head a little.
"Thank you…" Clarke said, handing him the small scrap of paper.
She watched as his eyes scanned over the words on the page, as he reached the last part Clarke could see him tense up a little.
"She intended those words for you, Clarke…" he said handing it back to her.
"I get that, but she knows that I wouldn't have understood it," Clarke replied, "and she knows I would've asked someone, and I would've asked Lincoln if he was here…"
Kassius stood up and moved to leave.
"Kassius, please." Clarke said, standing up and walking over to him, "I need to know what she said."
"The last words on that paper say…" he started to say before stopping and taking a breath, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Love is weakness Clarke, my life is your life."
Clarke stood in silence and watched as Kassius walked away. She understood why he didn't want to read it, Lexa was his leader, and in those words she had opened her heart. She put the note back in her pocket with the book and walked into the tent, she had questioned Indra as to where she should stay now, the older woman had looked at her as if she had asked the most stupid question Indra had ever heard.
As Clarke walked back into the tent she saw Lexa's weapons on the floor where she had left them, everything was as Lexa had left it. She walked over to the weapons and picked them up, taking them over to the table she laid them out. It never failed to surprise her how intricate some of the designs on the handles of the blades were, a lot of effort had gone into them. Clarke knew that there was a pattern under the wrapping on the handle of the sword which Lexa had always carried with her. She picked up one of the smaller knives and looked at the wooden handle. She didn't hear Indra walk into the tent.
"That one was a gift." Indra said, "from a grateful villager after Heda saved his daughter."
Clarke looked up as Indra put a plate on the table.
"Eat." She said.
"I'm actually not…" Clarke started to say, stopping herself when Indra looked at her, "thank you…"
She picked up another of the weapons as she took a piece of the meat from the plate.
"What about this one?" Clarke asked before she started to eat.
"Also a gift," Indra said, "that one Heda received the day she became leader."
"A gift from who?" Clarke asked again, hoping that Indra wasn't going to tell her she talked too much again.
"Costia," Indra replied, as she took the knife from Clarke, "she spent many nights sitting and carving this, it was supposed to be a surprise, but Heda already knew as Costia had asked Anya if she could get her the blade from the weapons maker."
"I bet she still acted surprised though didn't she…" Clarke said with a little smile.
"You would have thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen…" Indra replied with a small smile of her own.
A silence settled over them as Indra put the knife back on the table.
"You should take some of these with you when we march tomorrow." Indra said, breaking the silence.
"I don't have anywhere to put them," Clarke said with a laugh, "don't have any holsters to carry them in."
"I will arrange something." Indra replied, glancing at Clarke, "though Heda may have left some for you."
"Not that I've seen…" Clarke said looking around the main part of the tent.
"Maybe in the sleeping area." Indra said, a small knowing look on her face.
A knock on the wooden beam let Clarke know that someone else was wanting to talk to her.
"I shall leave you." Indra said with a small nod.
"Indra…" Clarke said as the other woman was leaving, stopping her, "thank you…"
With another small nod, Indra left, letting Raven in as she did so.
"So this is the Commanders tent huh…" she said looking around as she walked in, stopping as she caught sight of Lexa's chair, "check that thing out…"
Clarke watched as Raven walked over to the chair.
"This thing is huge," Raven said, "and they carry this with them wherever they go?"
Clarke nodded in reply as she watched Raven run her hands over the wood.
"If I'm being honest I partly expected Lexa's throne to be made out of bones," Raven said with a smirk, "the bones of those who pissed her off."
Clarke laughed a little, knowing that Raven wasn't entirely serious.
"So, how are you doing?" Raven asked as she walked over to the table and sat down.
"I'm okay," Clarke replied with a nod, "I don't think it's all sunk in yet, you know."
"It's a lot for anyone to take in," the other girl said, reaching over and taking a piece of the meat from Clarke's plate, "I mean, you had to stand and watch as they took her away, without knowing what was going to happen to her."
"She said they'll torture her for information." Clarke said quietly.
"Well I wish them luck with that," Raven replied with a laugh, "Lexa isn't going to easily give up any information. They'll have to do her some serious damage first."
"That's what worries me…" Clarke said.