Rebuilding Ruin
Disclaimer: I don't own the 100 or its characters
Spoilers: All episodes of Season 1 and 2
It had been two months since Lexa had tied their lives and people together. Clarke found herself outside Tomac, a small village made up of warriors and their families. It was also where Lexa held her camp as she went through each to oversee their progress and status. Sitting on her horse beside Lexa, Clarke watched some of the warriors spar and it was amazing to watch. They were swift on their feet and their weapons even swifter but they didn't harm one another as they would the enemy in battle.
"You are watching their steps." The words had Clarke turning to look at Lexa, "or do you watch them?"
While her face stayed stoic, Clarke saw the playfulness in her tone and eyes. "Jealous?" She grinned and looked back at the warriors. "I'd like to one day be able to wield a sword like that."
"Warriors protect you so you are not required to protect yourself." Lexa got down off her horse and handed it to one of the nearby men, he waited as she walked around and held her hand out to Clarke. "However I know your stubbornness will drive you to practice without guidance."
Clarke took Lexa's hand and slid from her horse, the warrior holding Lexa's horse took the reins of hers as well. "I'll take that as a compliment instead of an insult."
"Come ai kwin." Lexa dropped her hand and walked over to one of the generals that stood supervising the spars. "Your lightest sword Jarvin."
The man turned to look at Lexa before noticing Clarke a few feet away, "Kwin wishes to spar? Is that wise Heda?"
"Wise, perhaps not but it is what she wishes." Lexa took the sword that one of the warriors held out. "A young second who has not yet achieved full battle will come forward."
"I'm not going to spar with a kid."
Lexa turned to look at Clarke, "that kid would put his sword through you on the battlefield. I assure you that you will not harm him."
"Her!" A girl no older than fourteen stepped forward and nodded to both. "It would be an honor to spar with you, ai kwin."
Clarke took the sword from Lexa and entered the ring, others watching backed up to give them wide birth. The girl smile and raised her sword, watching Clarke finding her feet. Preparing her sword, Clarke lunged at the girl and she struck her sword at Clarke, the sky girl turning quickly to block the young warrior's strike with her own sword. Pushing back she watched the girl break away and swung her sword sharply in Clarke's direction, blue eyes trying to trace a pattern between moves before laying her sword horizontal in the air to stop the other metal weapon.
"You fight well for Skaikru." The girl spoke and Clarke pushed back while pulling the girl's heel with her own.
Looking down at the young warrior, Clarke held out her hand to take the girl's. Being helped from the ground, the girl nodded to Clarke. "What's your name?"
"Ellia."
"Whose second are you?"
The girl shook her head, "I am still training ai kwin, I am no second yet."
Clarke looked over at Lexa and the leader nodded as if confirming the silent request. Turning back to bright brown eyes, the sky leader held out her sword. "You'll train with me daily till we are both strong enough for battle."
"Sha ai kwin."
Placing a hand to the young warrior's shoulder, Clarke moved to Lexa and both walked through the camp to their tent. Ryder stayed a few paces behind but always within sight of Clarke so to protect her. He took up position by the tent door when the two when entered, one going to the basin of water and the other removing her armor.
"You fought well Clarke." Lexa states as she removed her armor, watching Clarke wipe her face with the water-soaked cloth. "You remembered well what I taught you."
Placing the cloth in the basin, Clarke crossed the tent and stood beside Lexa to help with the armor. "The way you teach, it'd be impossible to forget the lessons. I doubt my muscles forget the week-long vigorous training you put me through."
"Then I taught well." Lexa gave a soft smirk to which Clarke met with a soft smile.
Looking back down, Clarke removed the heavy shoulder guard and cape from the young shoulders. Placing it across one of the wooden posts, Clarke brushed off grass and other visible dirt from the red cloth. Her hands were pulled away from the cloth when Lexa took her hands in her own while pressing up against her back.
"What are you doing?" Clarke grinned and turned her head to see green eyes watching, a soft smile on the warrior's face.
"Enjoying my wife." Lexa kissed her neck before resting her chin against Clarke's shoulder.
Clarke manipulated her hands till she captured Lexa's own, wrapping them around her waist before leaning back. "We should go for a hunt, just the two of us and escape the pressures of leadership if only for a few hours. We need time to ourselves, to be just Clarke and Lexa."
"Agreed ai kwin," Lexa kissed the nape of her neck before pulling away and moving to pour herself a cup of water.
Allowing herself to be lost in the maps at the table, Clarke ignored Lexa's movements around the tent as she normally did. Planning war when your enemy retreated without a notice of if and when they'd return was something she had no experience with. A hiss made Clarke turn to see Lexa holding her hand while a basket on the ground, a snake slowly moving away. Taking Lexa's sword from the table, Clarke cut into the animal and turned to find her wife swaying where she stood.
"Lexa?" Clarke caught her as she fell. Lexa's head rolled back against her arm and she was unresponsive. "Oh god." Turning she yelled out to Ryder, "fis! Fis!"
The man stuck his head in and saw them before yelling out for someone to get a healer. Ryder picked Lexa up from where Clarke held her and placed her on the bed. "What happened?"
"I don't know, I mean she was holding her hand and when I looked over there was that on the ground." She pointed to the snake and Ryder walked over to the animal as it lay cut in half.
"The snake only is known to exist in Azkru territory. The basket would only protect from it if unopened and Heda opened it." He looked over at Clarke as she sat by Lexa's bedside. "This is an attack on Heda…"
Pushing back strands of brunette hair, Clarke schooled her features as she gazed upon Lexa's face. "Once she's awake I'll ride for Polis and demand the clans rally against Dara. She attacked my queen so I will strike against her."
Nyko arrived at the doorway of the tent and was quickly ushered in with Ryder explaining what was occurring, Clarke moved as the man sat down to examine Lexa. He examined her hand and arm before leaning down to suck on the wound, Clarke's face showed disgust but immediately Nyko spit liquid out and dug through his bag. He poured liquid into the wound and wrapped it before standing.
"How long before she recovers?"
"The snake does not contain the poison of some, it does not kill but it does cause one to feel immense pain. The body cannot understand the pain so you fall asleep. In time Heda will wake and be herself again."
Clarke nodded, "thank you Nyko, you may go."
"Of course ai kwin." He nodded his head and left, Clarke taking her previous place again.
"Ryder send for Indra immediately." Clarke looked up at her guard. "I need someone capable of leading for a few days while I ride to Polis. I gave Dara her life and instead of staying in her territory she harms my wife."
Indra arrived as night fell and immediately looked between Clarke and Lexa's prone body, the leader still unconscious from pain and the effects of medication Nyko had given her. She also looked at the remains of the snake as it lay in a bowl on the table. All occurred before she spoke and finally she let her eyes rest on Clarke.
"What do you require?"
"I am riding to Polis to raise the clans against Dara, I need you here leading until I return. I suspect Dara believes that striking Lexa would not cause retaliation as she is not queen but that bitch was unaware of Skaikru customs. Our houmons are equals, they share what we do in both wars and peace. Lexa is my queen as I am hers, striking her allows for retaliation."
Indra quirked a slight smirk, "ride ai kwin and when you return with the armies of the clans I shall stand beside you in battle. Azkru think you weak but they mistake the protection Heda provides as weakness, not knowing your true strength."
Clarke gave a small smile, "careful Indra, it sounds like you're beginning to like me."
"You are Kwin, I respect you and listen to your orders." Indra put a hand to her sword, "I like nothing about you."
"If you say so. I leave at dawn tomorrow with Ryder, Axel and Ellia."
"Ellia is a child, she has not become a second…" Clarke's hand stopped her word and the blond nodded.
"I'm aware but Ellia is to become my personal guard, she would benefit from being around me and see how I command those under me. My decision stands Indra, would you contradict me on this?"
The woman bowed her head, "no ai kwin."
"Indra I command only one thing of you besides protecting my wife and our people." She met the warrior's hardened eyes. "Speak true with me, don't hold back because while at times I do want to strangle you, your words are welcomed." She looked to the side at Ryder, "unlike some who think keeping silent is the best idea in the world." Ryder shrugged and gripped his sword, as if her words were nothing new.
Clarke found herself back in Polis after a two day journey in the cold. Her guards and Ellia hyper-vigilant the entire ride and Clarke knew the likelihood of Azkru being in their territory in unknown locations was high. However, arriving at the gates she felt a weight lift off her shoulders and quickly made her way to the house that was Lexa's when the woman resided in Polis. The door flung open as she got down off her hose, Ryder taking it from her without a word.
"Skai Prisa!" Nia moved down the stairs and smiled at Clarke, accepting the hug the sky girl gave her. "I mean, ai kwin. Apologies for my disrespect, is Heda with you?"
"No, she is back at our camp and I came. Let's get inside and I'll tell you about it."
Within minutes of being inside Nia had them all hot tea and warmer than they had been minutes before in the cold. Shadow lay at Clarke's feet as she accepted the hot cup from Nia. The girl sat at the table after everyone had their warm drinks. "Is Heda well?"
"She was attacked by Azkru, an ice snake was placed in a basket and left among the goods we gathered during our visits to the various villages." Clarke shook her head, "I'm here to gather the clans. At least I'm hoping to as I don't know if the elders will see me."
Nia smiled, "none would turn you away. You are Kwin kom Trikru, our queen and all the clans will respect you. The last kwin was two generations ago and it was Azkru who declared, none have been declared since and you are the first since the wars that divided the clans generations ago. They will respect you ai kwin, no matter what their decision." The girl stood and looked at them all, "I must go to the market and acquire clothing but will prepare the evening meal when I return."
"I shall prepare the meal." Ellia nodded to her, "do you have rabbit?"
"Of course." Nia smiled at the warrior, "I acquired fowl and rabbits this morning from the meat stalls."
"Then I will prepare rabbit for us." Ellia quickly removed her sword and outer armor, placing it in the chair before moving to the kitchen worktable to start preparing the food.
As the night wore on, Clarke found herself in her room once again and she looked upon the mural that sat upon the wall. Running her hands over the charcoals, she quickly reprimanded herself that it was not a visit of leisure but one of duty. A knock on her door revealed Nia with a cloth package in her hand.
"Come in Nia." She stepped away from the mural and watched the girl move into the room, closing the door behind herself. "What's that?"
"It is for you when you address the clan elders." She placed the package on the bed and motioned to it. Clarke started to unwrap the twine and paused at seeing the cloth inside, "it is customary that each clan leader wear their assigned colors. Your people were assigned blue as their color so I acquired a blue dress for you."
Clarke lifted the blue dress from the package and held it up. "Nia it's beautiful."
"I thought so as well when the cloth maker showed me her work." Nia held her hands to her chest. "It is a pity you wear it without Heda to compliment you as well, I believe it would have pleased her."
"I'll have to take it with me and show her." Clarke gently folded the dress up. "They'll be meeting with me tomorrow at midday."
"They would be foolish to ignore your rally and the fact that Heda was injured by an ice snake is proof enough of the treachery that the Azkru bring." Nia put her hand on Clarke's arm, "you will leave with an army and when return to camp you will be welcomed by Heda."
"And her fury."
Nia laughed softly, "Heda has fury but not to you. Her anger lies in keeping you from harm, you are her queen and she would not have declared such if you did not mean everything to her."
"She's my queen too." Clarke sighed and sat on the bed. "We're still finding ourselves right now. We're friends learning to be lovers and it's hard to be with Lexa when all we are able to be all the time is our titles."
"A union of convenience?"
"For now." Clarke looked up at the girl that had become her friend. "Lexa loves me and I love her, but there has been major betrayal and it is hard to overcome."
Nia looked down at the floor, "your love is strong, the betrayal you suffered could have made Heda your enemy but your heart is content only with her as you are with hers."
"You get to sleep so you can get up and feed the hungry bunch I came with today." Clarke stood up and held out her arms, Nia hugged her before pulling back.
"Rest well ai kwin."
Clarke sat on the bed as Nia left, closing the door behind her. Shadow looked up from her spot on the floor as her mistress sighed and fell back against the bed. "First night I've slept alone since this war began full force, hopefully I won't wake up lonely."
A/N: The War is officially ON! Also, find a picture of Clarke's dress on the link located in my profile.
Next...Clarke addresses the elders of the clans.
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