Steel swirled through the air and crashed on steel, the sweep of Lexa's sword stopped by Clarke's own. The blonde laughed and danced away, keeping out of reach as her smile lit up the clearing. "Are you getting slow in your old age, my love?"
Her words were met with a snort and a lunge. Twisting gracefully, Lexa slipped her sword behind Clarke's guard and yanked, sending the other woman's blade flying. Dropping into a crouch, Lexa swept Clarke's feet out from under her, tumbling the blonde into the grass and following her down. Her sword was carefully tossed away from the two of them, leaving both hands free to mercilessly attack Clarke's sides.
"Old age? I do believe you have misspoken, domina." She kept her face purposefully blank as she spoke, pretending she didn't notice Clarke squirming and giggling or her own mischievous hands. "In fact, it appears that you have tired yourself far sooner than I. Can I be of any assistance, domina?"
Clarke laughed helplessly. "All right! I yield! I yield! Lexa!" She batted at Lexa's hands, trapping one in both of hers and tugging hard. The brunette was yanked down, full weight coming to rest on Clarke. She dropped a kiss on the blonde's lips, lingering for a long moment before shifting her weight to the side, tucking herself into Clarke's side.
The blonde curled one arm around her shoulders, tucking the other behind her own head. Moments like the one they were in were rare. It was hard to find peace with the life they lived. Lexa turned her head, examining Clarke's profile. The crease that was becoming more and more prominent between her brows had smoothed as she gazed up at the cloudless sky, and Lexa could tell she was moments from dozing off. It was good to see the other woman relaxing. She was under far too much pressure, not that there was any way to lessen it. Little moments like these were all she could give her.
A movement from the edge of the clearing caught her eye. Octavia gestured subtly, beckoning her over. Lexa kissed Clarke's cheek and gently extricated herself, taking care not to block the sun.
"Wha-?"
Lexa chuckled softly. "Don't worry, Clarke, I'm not going far. Enjoy the sun. You've earned the rest today." The blonde hummed sleepily, eyes sliding closed once more.
She crossed the clearing to join Octavia, the other woman leaning in the shadows under the same tree she had hidden in during their first lesson. Smiling softly, she mirrored the position, eyes sweeping over the younger Blake. "You look well, Octavia. Monty tells me you've been visiting Raven as she recovers. Have you come to a decision regarding her usefulness?"
The issue of Raven still plagued her. In the weeks since her injury and their subsequent adoption of her, she had done nothing suspicious whatsoever. The girl had sent no messages except to the blacksmith she apprenticed with, hadn't even tried to contact friends. She stayed in the servant's quarters, only asked for paper and pencils, and made almost no noise. She was, in fact, a model patient. It made Lexa itch.
No one was this perfect. She hadn't once asked when she would be fully healed. It was like she was perfectly willing to stay indefinitely at a strange noblewoman's house, surrounded by people she didn't know and still in mourning for her fiancee. It was too perfect. And yet she truly didn't feel the girl was a threat.
When Monty had mentioned that Octavia had taken to visiting the girl Lexa was almost relieved. Her thoughts had been going in circles for days, stuck in a looping pattern that was useless in every way. Clarke had been no help whatsoever. Octavia was a new set of eyes, a new perspective that might break her out of the rut she was stuck in.
Octavia looked faintly surprised. "I had no idea that Monty saw me. I never even saw him, what the hell?" She frowned. "How is he so sneaky? Whatever." She shook her head and refocused. "I've been asking around down in the lower city. Raven and Finn aren't famous, per se, but people know them. Sounds like they were pretty popular, or at least noticeable. Story I got pretty much fits what she's been saying - ran away from home young, met Finn, spent some time on the streets before they snuck into the smithy one winter to warm up. Smith comes in, sees her fiddling with the bellows, and takes her as his apprentice right there. Apparently she doubled its efficiency."
Lexa raised an eyebrow. "How old was she at that point? And should I assume she had no formal schooling?"
Nodding, Octavia pulled a sheaf of paper from a pouch at her waist. She flipped through it as she talked. "Yeah, street kids don't go to school. Here we go. She was- damn." She broke off with a whistle. "She was thirteen."
"Thirteen?" That was incredible. Even more so without any kind of education.
Octavia snorted. "I know, right? Look at this." She pulled a short stick from her sleeve. Lexa cocked her head curiously.
"It's a stick." Her voice was dry. "Fascinating."
Rolling her eyes, Octavia flicked her thumb and spun. A high whistle filled the clearing before cutting off with a thud. Both of Lexa's eyebrows rose as she saw the small bolt halfway stuck in a tree across the clearing. Looking back at the stick, she saw that it had changed shape, unfolding into a miniature crossbow. It folded back into itself before her eyes, and Octavia fed another tiny bolt into it before returning it to her sleeve.
She waggled her eyebrows at Lexa. "See something you like, gladiator girl?"
Lexa didn't rise to the bait. "Raven made that." It wasn't a question, and Octavia merely nodded. "When? How? The only things I or the slaves have brought her is food and paper."
Octavia winced slightly. "Yeah, that was me." Lexa's eyes narrowed, but Octavia rushed onward before she could interrupt. "It was all totally harmless! Just wood and glue, no metal. I've dealt with prisoners before, I do know what I'm doing."
Nodding, Lexa acknowledged that point. "Where did the string come from, then?"
A quirk of the mouth accompanied Octavia's words. "I strung it myself. She handed it to me without it, seemed to get that we wouldn't give her stuff like that."
"Wait." A thought occurred to Lexa. "Why did she give it to you?" Waving her hand, she cut off the beginning of Octavia's confused response. "What I mean is, how did she know you would appreciate a weapon as opposed to, say, a toy? You must admit, it's not exactly a standard gift."
Octavia sighed. "I told her. We've been talking, and not just about her. She knows I work for the guard, although I haven't told her just what I do for them, and I was complaining a few days ago about the terrible quality of the guard's crossbows and how they were all built for giant assholes. I come back yesterday and she hands this over, gives me a the most shit-eating grin you've ever seen, and tells me to come see her if this one is too big for me."
Lexa blinked once, twice, then burst out laughing. Oh, she liked this girl.
Twisting her mouth wryly, Octavia punched her on the shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Did you want me to finish my report or not?"
It took Lexa a few moments to regain her composure, little giggles welling up and breaking through. She finally managed it and gestured wordlessly for Octavia to continue, afraid that if she opened her mouth she would break down again.
Scowling, Octavia flipped through the papers she still held. "I lost my train of thought. Oh, right, here it is." She paused, face darkening. Lexa frowned, but before she could ask if Octavia was alright the other woman had continued.
"She's worked for the blacksmith for six years. Finn bounced between jobs for a while before becoming a courier. That stuck. Neighbors say he moved into the room next to the smithy after a year. No doubt she helped him save the money. Things went smoothly for five years; no gang ties, no real crimes, just the usual silly shit that no one cares about. Then about a month ago they start acting weird. Finn ditches his job, she stops leaving the smithy, and customers say she looked like she wasn't sleeping. A week after that, the guards come. There's a scuffle in the smithy but no one else besides them and the guards are inside. Finn gets dragged away by the guards. Four days later he's executed for the murder of a guard, name of Myles. Raven goes to recover his body the next day, and you know the rest."
She rolled the papers between her hands and looked up, meeting Lexa's gaze. "Official story is that Finn was drunk and angry, met the guard in an alley, and stabbed him when the guard said something he didn't like. Neighbors didn't buy it, they all said that he was a total pacifist."
Pursing her lips, Lexa asked, "Unofficially?"
Octavia sighed. "Unofficially, Bellamy knows one of the guards who arrested Finn. His name's Murphy. Slimy prick, but useful. Murphy was with Myles the night he died. According to Murphy, they had been at a bar for most of the night. Murphy left at the same time he did, but went a different way. Before he got too far, he heard noises, said it sounded like a fight, so he turned back. Saw Myles in the alley with a girl. Short, dark, long brown hair. He says she didn't look like she wanted Myles anywhere near her, was struggling to get him off of her. Scumbag didn't do anything, though, just left them alone. Next day Myles is dead and Raven is catatonic."
Octavia locked eyes with Lexa. "I also have three witnesses who swear that Finn was on a job that night. He didn't get back to the lower city until about six hours after Myles was killed." She paused. "Myles is getting a posthumous commendation. Perished in valiant defense of the city and her people."
Lexa growled. "Myles raped her. He raped her and she protected herself and they would have killed her for that?" She shut her eyes tightly, memories of Costia's death flashing through her mind and agitating her even further. "Finn confessed in her place?" Her voice was rough.
Octavia nodded silently.
Gritting her teeth, Lexa started pacing. This changed… It changed everything. If Raven had told them this herself it would have been one thing, but they had to find out from other people… Other people.
"Where is Murphy now?"
Octavia's eyes widened at the look on her face. "I-"
Lexa shook her head sharply. "Is he still on active duty? Did he tell anyone about what he saw that night?"
Grimacing, Octavia shook her head. "He didn't say a word."
Lexa stopped. "Then how did your brother acquire this information so easily?"
The other girl shrugged. "Got him shitfaced."
Lexa paced back and forth, thoughts spinning wildly. There were so many variables in play, it was slightly overwhelming. But if he told no one… "Kill him."
"What?" Octavia sounded shocked, but Lexa was beyond caring.
"He saw his friend with an obviously unwilling woman and did nothing. He actually aided in the arrest and execution of a man who he, if not knew, at least suspected to be innocent and did absolutely nothing. Kill him. I'd do it myself, but a slave alone near the barracks is suspicious and I need not to be incriminated in anything just yet."
Octavia nodded grimly. "When?"
Lexa thought for a moment before answering. "As soon as possible without drawing suspicion to yourself." She grabbed Octavia's arm, locking eyes with her. "And make it painful."
Holding her gaze, Octavia bowed her head. "As you say."
"No."
Both women startled at the unexpected voice. Clarke had woken up without either of them noticing.
"You won't kill him." She held up a hand to forestall both of their objections. "You won't kill him yet. I have a better idea."
The sun beat down on her face gently, sending Clarke into an easy doze. It was so nice to be able to relax for once, to not have to worry about coups or traitors or slaves. She could just lay in the sun and be warm.
Lexa's voice washed over her softly, soon joined faintly by Octavia's and only soothing her further. She loved Lexa's voice. It was so smooth, velvety but strong, like steel covered in velvet.
She loved Lexa.
It was still so nice to think that.
Octavia's voice was nice too, but she liked Lexa's better, and besides, Octavia's voice wasn't as nice when it got all angry like that.
Now Lexa's pretty voice was getting angry, lowering and getting tighter until it sounded like crushed stone. She had only heard it that tense a few times before. Why was Lexa's pretty voice so angry?
She swam towards consciousness slowly, drawn by the tension in Lexa's voice and getting more worried as she got more aware. Hearing Raven's name was enough to shake off the last of the fog and start really listening.
Propping herself up on her elbows, she stayed quiet. What she heard made her burn with rage, but also peaked her interest. She had heard of the guard, Murphy. It wasn't common knowledge, but he was one of Jaha's pet projects. The man loved to 'rehabilitate' criminals; he felt it was his way of giving back to the little people.
Unfortunately for the little people, Jaha was an idiot.
Hearing Lexa give the kill order made her heart sing with pride. Octavia accepted it readily, and Clarke felt a fierce surge of love for her whirlwind. She had come so far since the arena. Hearing her, seeing her in action, it made Clarke realize just how lucky she was to have won her heart for her own.
She wished she could just lay there all day and watch Lexa work, but sadly there were things to do.
"No."
When this is over, she swore to herself, I am going to take her away for at least a month. Just the two of us, by ourselves, with no silly distractions.
"You won't kill him. You won't kill him yet. I have a better idea."
Lexa's bloodlust was so cute.
"O, tell Bell to grab Murphy. We need to have a little chat with him."
Two hours later, Lexa was banging her head against a marble column in the atrium.
I am in love with a madwoman. We're all going to die because Clarke is insane.
"Heda? Are you all right?"
Startled, Lexa jerked around and stumbled slightly. A hand caught her around the elbow, steadying her as she oriented herself. When she looked up, she found herself staring into the face of Clarke's healer.
"Monty, yes?"
A nod.
"Why did you call me that?"
The man – boy, really, he couldn't have been more than fifteen – gazed calmly at her. "Because that's who you are, isn't it? You're Clarke's Heda."
Lexa blinked, incredibly off-balance. "I'm a slave, Monty, just like you."
He shook his head. "You're not. We both know it." He paused, glancing down to where Lexa's hand had slipped behind her back. "You don't have to worry. Clarke trusts me. Do you really think I can't tell a sword wound from the scratch of a fence post?" He grimaced. "Honestly, I wish I could fight like you do. This whole thing would be over that much sooner."
Sighing hard, Lexa brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose. She wished Clarke would remember to tell her minor details like who knew about their extremely illegal plot to commit high treason. It would make her job much less stressful.
"You know what? I can't deal with this right now. How do you even know what the title Heda means?" Her head was beginning to ache fiercely.
Monty smiled. "I spent a few years in Lignum when I was first enslaved. I was young enough that learning the language was a breeze." He bowed in the fashion of Lignii warriors, clapping a fist over his heart as a salute to the Heda.
In spite of herself Lexa found her heart racing. Every child in Lignum had dreamed of receiving that salute; a Heda was one of the most revered figures in the entire culture. To see it now aimed at her, after so long spent away from her home…
She smiled. "You are more than you seem, Monty."
The boy laughed, rising from his bow. "I take that as a compliment, Heda Lexa. Tell Clarke that her order's in when you see her next, please?" At her nod he spun on his heel and darted through a side passage, leaving her alone in the atrium.
Heda Lexa. She rather liked the sound of that.
A scuffle from her left snapped her out of her drifting thoughts. Whipping around, she only managed to catch a glimpse of white fabric before it flew around a corner and vanished. Lexa broke into a dead run after it. If whoever that was had overheard any of her conversation with Monty, she and Clarke would be dead before sundown.
Sprinting through the halls of the villa, Lexa saw her quarry come into view. It was a girl, one slightly shorter than her, with light brown hair that whipped behind her as she ran. The girl suddenly ducked through a door to her right, Lexa scrambling to follow without slamming into the doorframe.
Cursing furiously, Lexa pushed herself to speed up even more. The girl was fast, so fast, but Lexa had to be faster.
She followed the girl around another corner blindly. Just a few more seconds…
Something slammed into her, sending her staggering back. Shaking her head, she looked forward to see what had hit her and froze.
Abby Griffin lay on the floor, seemingly dazed.
"What… Lexa?"
The girl in white slipped through a door at the end of the hallway and was gone with a glance back over her shoulder and a smirk. Lexa started forward then stopped, her head warring with her heart over what to do.
With a sigh she knelt down, common sense winning out. "Domina I am so sorry. Are you injured? Should I call for a healer?"
Abby blinked twice at her, confusion fading rapidly from her face to be replaced by fury. Lexa winced internally. The lecture she was surely about to get would be painful, doubly so with the knowledge that the girl in white had escaped her.
The girl in white. She had been good, excellent even, but she had made a mistake. She had looked back. She had looked back, and Lexa had seen her face.
Fox.
Fifteen minutes later, Lexa rushed into Clarke's chambers. The blonde was at her table, Octavia beside her, both of them bent over a sketch. Octavia had one hand outstretched, pointing to a spot on the paper. "-forest here, minimal guards except- Lexa? Is everything okay?" Clarke's head shot up, obviously worried.
Lexa dragged a chair out and collapsed unceremoniously into it. "No. No, everything isn't. Clarke, when was Fox sold to Jaha?"
Clarke cocked her head curiously. "This morning. She left a few hours ago. Why?"
Lexa groaned. "If she left a few hours ago, why was she here twenty minutes ago?"
"Maybe she was just delivering messages?" Lexa cocked an eyebrow silently and Clarke sighed. "I know, I know. O, I'm gonna need you to grab her for me too. We need to talk."