A/N: Once again, thank you to all of you who review/follow/favorite the story. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying the story as much as I am writing it. Action starting to pick up with this chapter, hope you enjoy!
Steel clashed together, creating a deadly song that rang through the air. Advances and retreats, flurries and counters set the rhythm and grunts became the beat they danced to. Her opponent moved graciously, flowing between attacks like water through rocks. Clarke, however, was an entirely different element. She was always aggressive, constantly throwing attack after attack. Pure rage compensated for the lack of experience whenever she fought. Outside of the training field Clarke was weak, feeble, and depressed. Here, however, she could truly let herself go and give into every emotion she felt and channel it into her hands.
A wild overhead swing from Clarke was easily countered by Janos. Less than a second later a punch to her gut had her doubled over, gasping for air. She felt the harsh cold of the metal pressing against her neck and knew she had lost. She slammed her sword to the ground in frustration as she watched Janos walk away to go work with another trainee. Every match against Janos had the same result; she hadn't even come close to beating him yet.
In the first week of her training Clarke had been beaten to a pulp by Janos every time they sparred. Every one of her attacks had been met by an effortless counter and a swift smack to the cheek by his strong hands. She had been bruised, bloodied, and worn down to her last shred of willpower. The end of the first week saw her at a breaking point. She had been at the edge of the camp, ready to leave with nothing but the clothes that she wore and the sword strapped to her back. Were it not for Niylah, Clarke would have left then and there, never looking back. Niylah had called out her cowardice and got in Clarke's face about how dumb she was being. The fire in Niylah's voice when she spoke had struck a chord in Clarke. The survivors of Mount Weather were lucky to have her, Clarke had thought. In that moment Clarke had seen how much Niylah cared about all of the people she looked after. She returned to camp with Niylah and the next day she trained harder than she had done before.
Clarke sheathed her sword and looked in the direction of Janos and his new sparring partner. It had been several weeks since that night and her swordsmanship had improved greatly. She still wished that her abilities matched up against the others, but her lack of experience still was apparent. Many thought she used to be part of Luna's clan, and Clarke went with it. It was a convenient excuse for her poor skill with a sword and protected her true identity. Some days her fighting went better than others. Occasionally she would hear Samael's voice whispering in the background, guiding her hand and pushing her to give into the anger she bottled up inside. The power from her emotions always felt amazing, but during those times she got beat the hardest. 'Fighting with your heart and not your head' is what Janos called it. I know another Grounder who thinks like that, Clarke thought bitterly.
While many had left the camp in the time since Clarke arrived, a few still remained behind, still damaged from their experiences. Most of the healers were gone because not as many were needed with less people around,, though Niylah and one other had stayed. People had come and gone bringing whispers of news with them from their travels. It never amounted to much but Clarke had managed to pick up that tensions between the Sky People and Grounders were heating up again, though no reason was ever given. She tried to pay it no mind. Her only focus was eating and training. Everything else fell to the side.
The sound of crows cawing filled the air, combining their call with the sounds of combat. Clarke felt a familiar presence and didn't even need to turn to see who it was. "What do you want, Samael?" she asked in a low, hushed voice. While his help during training was appreciated, even welcomed, Clarke was still cautious about the man. Every time he was around she felt uneasy, and she always walked away from the conversation feeling worse than before.
"You've come a long way, Clarke," Samael commented. He sat down beside her and she subconsciously scooted a couple inches away from him. "Still much more work to be done, though. If you intend to go through with your plan, you'll need to do much better. I can only help so much."
Clarke furrowed her brows as she took out her sword and sharpening stone. "You mean your plan. I'm just going along with it," Clarke spat out. She poured some water from her canteen onto the stone and began scraping it across the blade.
"There, there," Samael said. "There's no need to engage in hostilities. We both want the same thing." He sat down next to her and waved his hand across the training field. "Watch all of them. Study their movements. When you're not using your sword, use your mind. You can always learn something new, even by watching."
"It's been weeks, I'm doing the best I can," Clarke defended herself. "I come out here everyday and get my ass handed to me each time. They've all been training for years. I'm not going to make all that up in a matter of months."
Samael nodded in agreement. "This is true, but it does not matter. Even a master can be defeated by someone who's never wielded a sword before. It's all a matter of surprise." He reached out and grabbed Clarke's hand, forcing her attention to him. "You don't need to be the best, Clarke. You just needt o be good enough to have the element of surprise." Clarke yaned her hand away and resumed her task, causing Samael to stand up. "Just think about it, Clarke."
Clarke didn't lift her eyes as she felt him leave. Once some time had passed she put her sharpening stone away and put the sword in its sheath, adjusting the fit of her belt across her shoulder. Her eyes once again went to the training yard and she let out a long sigh. I'll never be as good as them. If she were being honest with herself, training and accomplishing her mission were the only things that she had. After all that was done, she didn't have a firm plan for what came next. I've learned a lot from the Grounders, Clarke thought. Maybe I'll go back to the woods, and this time I won't almost kill myself doing it. Camp Jaha would also be an option, but a heavy weight took hold of her heart each time she thought about everyone still there. She wasn't sure she would ever be ready to return.
Returning her focus to the action at hand, she watched Janos take on two attackers at once and tried to make note of his movements. When you're not using your sword, use your mind, Samael's words echoed. Instead of watching the movements of the blade, Clarke lowered her gaze downwards to their feet. His feet moved confidently, with a grace about them as well. Every movement, every strike was set up by subtly shifting his feet. Clarke knew before the final outcome that he would win. She sipped on her water as she watched the rest of the duels take place, taking in all that she could as she let the day slip away.
It was in the waning hours of the day before Clarke left the training area and headed for the center of camp. She felt like she learned a lot today from studying the others and couldn't wait to use it the next day. For now, he stomach growled and she couldn't wait for dinner. Normally she ate alone in her shack, though occasionally Niylah would join her. She enjoyed the company every now and again, but often she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts. Others heading to get their food began to head in the same direction and Clarke lowered her head and kept walking, always preferring not to have too much interaction with the others.
Murmurs around her caught her interest and Clarke began listening to what they were saying. Her knowledge of the Grounder dialect had grown in her time at camp and she could generally follow what was being said.
"The hunters are late," a man said, grumbling and clenching his fists.
The woman next to him grabbed his arm and tugged at it. "Calm down. The hunters are always on time. I'm sure they have their reasons for being late. They will just hand out the non-meats while we wait for their return."
The man merely grumbled and Clarke slowed her pace. If I'm going to be waiting for the full meal, no sense in walking faster, she thought. It's not like the hunters to be late. She couldn't shake this feeling of unease, but the others around her only seemed annoyed so she pushed it to the side for now.
As she made her way through the varoius tents to where the food was being handed out, Clarke noticed much of the remainder of camp were standing around the area. She saw Niylah from afar, passing out food to the various refugees, and made her way over. "Everything okay?" she asked.
Niylah shrugged and passed her a bowl of rice and diced potatoes. "We're not sure where the hunters are. Hopefully they get here soon, the others are starting to get restless."
Clarke took a quick glance around her and saw many of the refugees looking anxious. "I'll be in my shack when they come. No sense in adding to the masses," Clarke said, taking the bowl. Niylah gave her a nod and she turned and walked towards her shack. Perhaps they had to go farther than they thought for game. She shook her head and decided to forget about the possibilities and wait until they returned to get answers.
Rounding the corner to her shack, Clarke paused as she heard some shouting nearby. Passing by her dwelling, she spotted several Grounders making their way into camp. Her first reaction was that they were more travelers and that they were just being loud. After looking again she saw that most of them were heavily injured and were calling for help. Others must have heard the shouting too, as more people were crowding around. Once the newcomers understood what was going on, most of them rushed out to help and Clarke found herself racing after them.
Closer inspection showed that some of the hunters were amongst those injured, along with some Grounders who weren't from the camp. "What happened?" she asked one of the healthier hunters.
"Pauna," the man replied. "We were out hunting for food when it came and attacked us." He shifted his gaze to some of the others being carried and had a sad expression on his face. "Trikru found us. It attacked them too. A little girl was with them."
Pauna... the giant gorilla?! Clarke wondered if it was the same one. She vividly remembered when she and the Commander had encountered the beast. I saved her life, even when she told me to leave, she thought bitterly. Why was it so easy for her to leave me? She thought of the moment when she had grabbed the Commander's sword and locked them in the cage together, temporarily keeping the Pauna out. The sword... she remembered. It's probably still there. How poetic would it be to kill her with her own sword? Clarke knew she would have to go back there at one point to get it, but now was not the time.
Thte chaos all around snapped her out of her thoughts. .She spun in every direction, looking at all the Grounders that had been brought to the camp. So many people hurt, so much screaming. It was starting to overwhelm Clarke. "H-How did they escape? Where is the girl?" she asked, trying to avert her eyes from the suffering Grounders.
"We were lucky," the hunter replied. "It took some of the injured and ran off." The man pointed to a smaller group alongside him. "The girl is over there. She's bad."
Clarke nodded and hurried her way over to the small group. She instantly saw the girl and her heart dropped. The girl was covered with blood and looked extremely weak and those with her didn't look much better. Everyone around her started to help with what they could and Clarke spotted Niylah and the other healer sprinting towards them. "Niylah, over here!" she called out. "There's a girl, she's bad!"
"Niylah, get the girl! I've got these over here," Clarke heard the other healer shouted from across the way.
Niylah cursed and ran towards Clarke. She tried to tune out the suffering around her, focusing only on Niylah. "What happene... never mind. Tell me later." Niylah looked over the girl's injuries and looked towards the other healer. "I need your help on this one!"
"I can't, this one is bad too!" the other healer called out, frantically working over his patient.
Niylah cursed and looked up at Clarke. "Helen, I need you to help me on this," she said, her hands working to stop bleeding in several areas on the young girl.
"I... I can't..." Clarke muttered. So much suffering... all the blood. She looked down at the child's face and all that she could think about were the children she killed at Mount Weather. Once again she was being asked to put another person's life in her hands. She couldn't risk failure, not again. I couldn't even save Tris.
Niylah muttered something in Trigedasleng that Clarke didn't recognize and her gaze shifted back to Clarke. "This child is going to die if you don't help me," Niylah pleaded. Clarke didn't budge and she could see the frustration and desperation building in Niylah's face. "Damnit!" Niylah exclaimed, looking down and letting out a deep sigh. "Clarke, I need you!"
Clarke froze in place and the blood drained from her face. She knows who I am, Clarke realized. "What?" she asked, still in shock.
"I will explain later. This child is dying, Clarke. Your people helped cure the Reapers and your mother knows how to heal. I'm hope you picked up on some of it," Niylah explained, her blood covered hands working quickly to help out the dying child. "I know how you must feel right now but please help me save her."
Clarke forced herself to look down at the child and she saw the pain painted across the little girl's face. Something in her broke, or perhaps snapped back into place, and she surged into action. She knelt down next to the girl and looked over the extent of the injuries. Her side had a couple of deep lacerations that would need stitches and it looked like she had a dislocated shoulder as well. Several more cuts and bruises were evident and Clarke knew that without her help this girl would die. "Niylah, give her something to knock her out. She needs stitches and her shoulder popped back into the socket."
Niylah nodded and tossed Clarke some supplies from her bag while she worked on creating a mixture. She pulled out some cloth and used it to soak up some of the blood and to stop her from losing more. Niylah made quick work of the sedative and soon the little girl was passed out. She and Niylah wasted no time in getting to work on fixing up the poor girl. I'm not going to let another girl die on my watch, she thought defiantly. Determined, Clarke narrowed in her focus and began the process of saving a life for a change.
After an intense few hours of being touch and go with the little girl, Clarke had finally succeeded in keeping her alive. Niylah had been extremely helpful and together they were able to just barely keep the girl in this world. She would need a good while to recover, but she would never heal just right. Clarke felt extremely thankful that the girl was alive. Her fight is not over.
As she washed her hands in a basin of water, Clarke reflected on the last few hours. Niylah had revealed that she knew about Clarke from the very beginning. Some anger still flowed through her at the revelation. With everything that had happened in the last several weeks, however, she was willing to give Niylah a chance to explain. She has some apologizing to do, Clarke thought to herself.
Even though her help had been tremendous with the little girl, there had been a point where she was about to give into despair. Things had taken a turn for the worse and Clarke had feared that it would be a repeat of Tris. Oddly, Raven had popped into her mind at that point. She rememered the strength the woman held and tried to channel it and managed to pull through in the end. Part of her missed the fiery mechanic whom she considered one of her closest friends, even though their relationship started out rocky.
Images of Raven laying on that table deep within Mount Weather still haunted her mind. Watching her lay there, completely helpless and in pain had made Clarke furious. She felt her heart beating faster, breathing becoming more laborous and Clarke began to clamp down on her feelings before she had a full blown panic attack. I'm not anywhere near ready to see them again, she realized.
A familiar hand placed itself upon her shoulder and Clarke turned to see Niylah standing before her. Little embers of anger flared up inside of her, though she managed to keep her cool. "Niylah," she said cooly. There had better be a good reason for what she did. "I don't like being lied to."
Niylah lowered her head as she talked. "I didn't want you to find out like this," she explained. "I was going to tell you eventually."
"But why did you do it?" Clarke had to know the answers to all the questions that had been floating inside her head since Niylah's admission. "Why help me? Why pretend you didn't know who I was?"
"You were not ready," Niylah answered. Clarke noticed Niylah shift slightly as she spoke. Is she nervous? "When I found you in the Mountain you were curled up on the ground and your face covered in tears. I knew right away who you were and I couldn't leave you there." She lifted her head to meet Clarke's eyes. Clarke could see the honesty coming from Niylah. "I have never done anything with the intent to hurt you."
Clarke thought back to when she first saw Niylah and remembered the way she initially acted. "You smacked me," Clarke replied.
"Your body was present but your mind was elsewhere," Niylah explained. "I was trying to join them back together." Clarke watched as the woman in front of her began to pace back and forth in front of her. "I have seen the burden you place upon yourself, how you carry the pain of what you did at the Mountain. I wanted to help."
"Why?" Clarke pressed, wanting to know the woman's motivations. "Your Commander ordered you to retreat and Grounders want nothing to do with the Mountain."
"I told you before I was looking for supplies for my patients," Niylah retorted. "My brother was taken by the Mountain Men when I was younger. I swore that I would get revenge someday, but as I grew I knew that dream would not become reality." Niylah stopped her pacing and she faced toward Clarke. "I helped you because you avenged my brother, and because Ice Nation was against retreating that night."
Now that's interesting, Clarke thought to herself. "I'm so sorry about your brother, Niylah," she said. "I thought Grounders never questioned their precious Heda." Clarke knew she shouldn't be so spiteful of the Commander in front of other Grounders, but her anger towards the woman had only grown over the weeks.
"We obey her word," Niylah explained. "That is what the Coalition is. We may disagree behind her back, but her commands must be followed." Clarke detected some spite in Niylah's tone and became curious about it. "Our Queen was not pleased at the decision to retreat. Hunting parties in the past had to go much further than usual when preparing for harsh winters, much closer to the Mountain that we normally like. Several had been captured by Mountain Men and turned into Reapers or used for their blood."
Queen Nia, Clarke thought to Commander had briefly mentioned her and held her responsible for Costia's death. Still, it felt good to know there were others out there that were angered by the Commander's decision. "What can you tell me about your Queen?" Commotion didn't allow her an immediate answer as there were rallying cries from across the camp. "What's going on?"
"I will have to tell you about my Queen later," Niylah said, making her way towards the voices. "Let's find out what is going on."
The two of them walked up to the group and listened in to the conversation that was taking place.
"This beast has plagued the land for too long!" one of the Grounders shouted, his voice booming over the others. "We've all seen what it can do. A child is now broken because of it. It's time to end this. Jus drein, jus daun!"
Roars erupted from those gathered around and another man stepped forward. "We will slay this beast and I can return home, strong and well. Ge smak daun, gyon op nodotaim." Several others nodded in agreement and stepped forward.
"I want in," Clarke said with no hesitation to Niylah. Now's my chance to get that sword. It wasn't her only motivation, though. She needed revenge for the harm that beast had caused the little girl. "I want my gun and knife back, though. I'm going to need them."
Niylah paused and studied Clarke. "Are you sure?" When Clarke nodded yes Niylah pulled out the items out of the bag she carried with her and handed them over. "You don't have to go," Niylah explained.
Clarke picked up on a slight nervousness in Niylah's voice. "I will be fine, I've faced this Pauna before," Clarke said. "The stakes were much higher last time as well." Memories of her being trapped in the cage with the Commander flooded to the front of her mind. She did her best to shut the woman out, but could only do so much with her mind not obeying her commands. "Besides, I left something there last time. I'd love to give it back to its owner someday."
"Then you will join us," Niylah said, running after the now departing hunting party.
The two of them fell into rank and steadied themselves for the fight to come. Clarke felt in control for the first time in a while, and now had an outlet to vent her anger and frustration. She tucked her pistol into the waistband of her pants and attached her knife to an edge loop of her pants. This Pauna isn't going to hurt anyone else. Clarke fell into rhythm and sped off with the group to find their giant foe and put a stop to it, once and for all.
It wasn't until the whole group stopped just outside of the Pauna's layer that Clarke realized just how many Grounders had gone out on the hunt. From looking at their numbers, it looked like the rest of the refugees came with them. "There are so many," she commented to Niylah, who stood by her side.
"They view it as their final test," Niylah explained. "The Pauna is one of the most fearsome opponents. None are going to miss the chance for revenge, and the chance to prove they are strong."
"What will you do, once this is over?" With most of the refugees potentially leaving, she didn't know what Niylah would do with so few patients. She didn't even know herself where to go if Niylah and the rest of the refugees had left. The camp had become her safe haven to escape who she was, and she knew that she wasn't ready to fully assume her role amongst her people quite yet.
"I will return to my Queen," Niylah said, a hint of hope in her voice. "I have been away for far too long." The look on Niylah's face made her think there was more to it than that, but she decided to let it slide for the moment. They had bigger things to worry about right in front of them. "You are welcome to join me, Clarke."
Clarke was caught off guard by the offer, but it did have some appeals. Going to the Ice Nation would put her far away from the Commander, Skaikru, and all of her problems. Still, Clarke knew she didn't have to make a decision at that particular moment. "I'll think about it," Clarke stated. Before Niylah could respond, a giant roar let them know the Pauna was aware of their presence. The pure terror that Clarke had felt the first time she had heard that scream with the Commander returned, only heightened. Instead of running from it, they would be fighting it.
"Stick to the plan, you all know what to do," the Grounder who had rallied everyone at the camp said. He had been reluctant to let Clarke come along. He knew from the training yard she wasn't an experienced fighter, but she wanted revenge for the girl all the same so he relented. "Try not to get yourself killed," he said, looking directly at Clarke.
"Stay close, Clarke," Niylah said, moving behind the cover of trees while the others climbed their branches.
The roars of the gorilla were matched by the Grounders once the animal showed itself. The hulking beast pounded its chest as it emerged from its dwelling. Those who were on the ground threw their spears at the beast to draw its attention. Most missed their mark, and the few that did land seemed to have minimal impact on their foe. This isn't going to be easy, Clarke thought to herself. The Commander and I barely escaped last time, and that cage won't be useful this time.
The Pauna began its charge when one of the spears grazed its face. With a roar it leaped from its perched spot and barreled straight ahead towards the group on the ground. "Wait until its close enough!" Clarke heard the leader shouting. Several intense moments passed, waiting while the Pauna approached the treeline. The second it passed the first tree the leader let out a yell. "Now!"
The Grounders in the trees jumped downwards, stabbing into the Pauna as they fell. The beast howled in pain as many of their blows connected. Furious, the animal swung its giant arms around, knocking into several of those attacking it. Those that did get hit were sent flying, most not moving once they hit the ground again.
Clarke felt Niylah surge forward as the rest of the Grounders joined in on the fight, encircling the monster and striking when opportunities presented themselves. Fear started to take grip of her when she went to go follow Niylah and found herself planted in place. The chaos of the fight and the roars from the Pauna sent a massive spike of adrenaline to her. While the Grounders were doing their share of damage, the Pauna showed no signs of slowing down.
Too many people are getting hurt, Clarke thought. They didn't get rescued from the Mountain to die like this. She knew she ahd to do something and once again thought of Raven's fire as she prepared for her next move. If I can distract it, the rest of them might have a chance to finally put it down. A spear struck the leg of the beast and it faltered for just a moment and that was all that she needed. Clarke sprung from her cover and pulled her gun out. She brought weapon to eye level and fired off a single shot. The bullet hit the gorilla in the shoulder and an infuriating yell erupted from her foe. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins at the power of the gun. It had been a while since she had shot one.
The Pauna turned heel and ran directly for Clarke. She pulled the trigger and the gun erupted. Hit.It wasn't enough as the beast kept charging. The distance between them was rapidly closin, and another squeeze of the trigger sent her next attack out. Miss. Her hands were shaking and Clarke was pissed that her aim was off and pulled the trigger again. Another miss. Panic started to overcome Clarke as she unloaded the rest of the clip at the charging beast. Several of her shots missed in her frenzied state, but a few had managed to find their mark. I'm going to die, Clarke thought as she realized that she had nothing to stop the incoming hulk.
Clarke dove to the side just as the beast reached her and felt a searing pain erupting from her left shoulder. She heard the roaring of the Pauna and the yells of Grounders surrounding her and for a moment she wondered whether she was alive or not. When she opened her eyes she saw the rest of the Grounders surrounding the beast, slicing and stabbing when they could. The wounded cries from the animal let Clarke know it was dying, and she felt a sense of relief. I did it, she thought, happy that her distraction had worked. The Pauna let out one last cry before collapsing to the ground with a hulking thud. They had won.
Harsh pain in her shoulder let her know that she was indeed alive. She felt some hands grabbing her and she rolled over and saw Niylah kneeling over her. Her heart still beat rapidly as she moved to push herself into a sitting position. "Are you hurt?" Clarke asked. From the pain in her shoulder Clarke figured the gorilla had managed to catch her as she fell to the ground. She hoped that Niylah had not been hurt as well.
Niylah shook her head. "I am fine, though you are not," she said in a severely disapproving tone, moving to inspect Clarke's shoulder. "There is some bleeding, but I think you will be okay. You're lucky that you are alive. You almost got yourself killed. You had no business trying to fight the Pauna on your own."
"They were going to get killed and I couldn't stand there and do nothing," she replied hotly. Clarke looked around to see all the Grounders staring at her. She looked down to the gun in her hands and realized what they were staring at. Shit, she thought. "Niylah, they know who I am."
"They will not do anything to you," Niylah explained as she rose to her feet. "You saved most of them from the Mountain and killed their captors." Niylah stuck out her hand and Clarke grabbed it with her good arm and pulled herself up. "You are a legend to them, and you have been living with them this whole time. I would stare too, if I hadn't already known."
Clarke's stomach twisted. Her skin crawled knowing that her most heinous act made her a legend to some people, but let it go for now. Anything she did at the moment wasn''t going to change the opinions of the Grounders in front of her. "I trust you," Clarke explained. " I need to get something from in there," she stated, pointing towards the Pauna's lair.
"Of course," Niylah said. She turned to the Grounders who were gathered around them and rose her voice. "Return to camp and tell those still there the beast is dead." She looked around to the Grounders who had died in the assault with a sadness. "We will come back for the dead later. Help the wounded back to the camp and offer whatever assistance you can to care for them. I will return later," she said. She was met with some cheers and hollers. Those still relatively healthy carried the injured and in a few moments later the group had gathered up what they needed and began heading back towards camp.
Once most had left, Clarke began walking towards the cage that she and the Commander and had used to escape. She could feel the pain growing in her shoulder but chose to ignore it. She would get it taken care of later, for now her focus was on what laid inside the cage. A short walk placed her right in front of the doors to the large metallic structure. Stepping inside, she laid eyes upon the item she wanted.
"That is the Heda's sword," Niylah gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.
Clarke nodded as she picked up the sword and sheath from the ground. The blade was severely bent, but it didn't matter to her. "Yes, it is," she said, looking at the ornate, wavy carvings on the hilt of the sword. "I used it to save our lives the last time we were here," Clarke said, mostly to herself. "I'm sure she misses it and I'd love to give it back to her." Clarke shoved the memories out of the forefront of her mind and turned to exit the cage. "I got what we came for, we can leave."
Niylah paused and gave Clarke a worried look, but to Clarke's relief she didn't question anything and simply nodded. "I will look at your shoulder when we are back in camp," Niylah said. Clarke stepped past the woman on the way out, Commander's sword in hand and nodded. Clarke tried her best to keep her emotions bottled up as they walked, though she found that to be difficult. The whole rest of the way was spent in silence, the two women walking in tandem away from the carnage they had just been in and towards their peaceful camp.
Clarke entered her shack and went to sit on the floor while Niylah lit candles and soaked a cloth in water. As the candles lit up the room, Clarke stared at the glow reflecting off of the Commander's sword. The blade was in rough shape, yet still shone brightly in the candlelight. The workmanship on this sword greatly overshadowed her own. Why did you have to betray me, Clarke thought. I saved you when I didn't have to. Why leave me for dead?
Niylah came and sat behind Clarke and wrung out the cloth in a bowl of steaming water. Clarke shrugged her shoulder out of her shirt to expose the wound. Niylah placed the cloth up against her skin and he warmth of it relaxed Clarke, though she winced as it scraped against her wound. "How bad is it?" she asked, hoping for the best.
"It will heal," Niylah replied, gingerly cleaning off the area. "I think the Pauna got the worst of it."
Clarke would have smiled if she hadn't been so wrapped up in her emotions. The anger and pain from the Commander's betrayal replayed fresh in her mind as she thought of everything she had done to help the Grounder leader. I saved her life, twice, Clarke thought, also remembering the bombing of Ton DC. Our people helped her cure the Reapers and bring down the Mountain's defenses from the inside. We even freed her people from the Mountain and she turns around and leaves us for dead. She gripped the sword's hilt tightly in her hands and tensed up.
"You are still troubled by the Mountain," Niylah murmured as she brushed the cloth gently over Clarke's wound. "Would you like to discuss it?"
"No!" Clarke shot back, much more forcefully than she intended. She felt Niylah pull her hand back and Clarke reached out to grab her hand. "I'm sorry," she said. Clarke turned to face Niylah, still holding her hand, and looked her straight in the eyes. "Can we not talk... please? I just want to forget everything. Just for a while."
Niylah remained frozen for several moments and Clarke began to wonder if she had overstepped her bounds when Niylah surged forward and captured her lips. The feeling was so soothing and Clarke drew in a deep breath. She found herself reciprocating with a great need and pushed into Niylah. Each kiss melted away more and more of Clarke's thoughts and worries, and soon she became focused on only the present. Clothes started coming off and Clarke allowed herself to be guided down on top of some nearby blankets. She shuddered at the sight of Niylah and drew her closer, letting go of everything in her mind. As more skin was bared to her touch Clarke felt more and more at ease, and just for a while allowed herself to get lost in something other than her own despair.