Rebuilding Ruin

Disclaimer: I don't own the 100 or its characters

Spoilers: All episodes of Season 1 and 2

Standing in front of the clan elders made Clarke feel as if she was once again standing before the Ark Council. Thrones place in a semi-circle with the flags of their specific clan resting over the thrones to signify who they belonged to. Clarke stood silently, allowing them to silently observe her as she expected they were doing. Nia had told her to wait until they spoke so she waited as she had for years upon the Ark in solitary.

After what seemed like hours, the elder of the River Clan motioned with his fingers to step towards him. Clarke did and stopped when she was only a few feet away, "I have never met one from the sky before. Are they all as beautiful as you?"

"I believe," Clarke met his eyes, "that beauty lies in that of the viewer. I maybe beautiful to you but another may think me plain or ugly."

He chuckled and pointed his index finger at her. "You are wise as you are beautiful, a dangerous combination for any man or woman. Tell me, they call you Skai Prisa why?"

"It was a name given to me by my people, a term of mockery because my parents were the lead healer and engineer on our home in the sky. Those of the ground discovered this and not realizing it was a term of mockery bestowed the title on me. I am no princess but as your people call me it out of respect I do not object."

"She is humble as well as wise and beautiful!" One of the women spoke sharply and Clarke took a moment to look above her throne to see she was of the Boat People, Luna's clan. "Tell me Klark kom Skaikru…"

Clarke put up her hand and the woman stopped her words. "Klark kom Skaikru en Trikru, Heda kom Skaikru en Kwin kom Trikru. If you are going to call me by my name, pronounce it properly not the name you last heard of me by. I am queen of the Trikru clan and Heda to the Skairkru."

The elder of the Desert clan chuckled and leaned forward, "you command a rule that should command you. You are indeed Kwin kom Trikru, for only a queen would command a room of elders as you do. Tell me ai kwin, why do you come before us when you are only of us through your Heda?"

Clarke pulled the bag from her waist and opened it before taking a step back, dumping the contents on the floor of the room. The ice snake fell onto the stone and Clarke threw the bag aside. "My queen, my Heda lays recovering from this creature's bite due to the Azkru Kwin. I humbly request the clans' allegiance as I ride into war with Dara kom Azkru." She looked around the room. "By ancient laws an attack on a queen calls for retaliation against the clan by all clans. If Skaikru is not part of this coalition and cannot call upon the clans, I call upon them as Kwin kom Trikru, my houmon and your Heda kom Trikru lays recovering after an attack. Either way, Azkru attacked a queen or leader, both calling for retaliation according to ancient laws."

Silence reigned over the room before one of the women stood up. "Lies, you come here quoting ancient laws but you are nothing more than a Skaikru child. Bring me a real leader with real evidence instead of bringing a dead creature claiming it harmed Heda kom Trikru. She waits in her home, expecting us to bend to you instead of the other way."

"With all due respect," Clarke looked at the woman, the elder of the Ice Nation. "Lexa is not aware I am here and trust me, when she finds out I will face a fury few have ever seen. She protects me above herself and will be quite, "Clarke looked to the side as her eyes got wise, "livid when she finds out I came without her."

The woman from the Boat People sighed and stood up. "You show great courage coming before us Clarke but we cannot rally the clans for you. Skaikru are not part of our coalition and you provide only the creature, we cannot say for certain if the animal was meant for either of you. While we will pray to the gods that Heda kom Trikru has a swift recovery, we cannot allow you our armies based upon assumptions." She gave a soft smile, "when you become part of the coalition you may call upon us as Heda but not until that day."

Clarke nodded, "what happens when Azkru decimate our villages and harm our people? Where does it stop?"

"Azkru and Trikru have always been at war," the elder of the Trikru spoke. "It will always be so and cannot be undone. I suggest you remember this when you return to your Heda and people."

"We welcome you one day again, go ai kwin and see to your people." One of the elders who had remained unspoken finally spoke.

Knowing it was a dismissal, Clarke turned and left with the ice snake still on the floor. Once out the door she leaned against the wall and shut her eyes. She'd attempted to rally the clans and had failed, there would be war with dozens of deaths on each side because the clans wouldn't stand with them. After what seemed like a while, she left and headed towards the house that had become a home.

Nia took her cloak from her and handed her a cup of warm tea before allowing her time to herself. Clarke sat on her bed looking out the window, not bothering to get undressed or usher Shadow from the bed like she normally would have.

"I failed Shadow." She ran her hand through the wolf's fur and a soft muzzle rested on her leg. Looking down at the wolf, she sighed. "I can lead an army but requesting the clans to join in a war is unlikely. I have to go home empty-handed to a very pissed off Lexa, I'm not going to enjoy that."

A knock on the door made her looking up to see Nia in the doorway. "Do you require anything ai kwin?"

"The clans rallying together to help." Clarke shook her head, "which isn't going to happen. Instead we have to look forward to massacres and an angry wife for me."

"I will leave you then ai kwin, only call if you require something."

Upon waking two mornings later, Clarke started gathering her gear but was stopped by a knock to the door by Ryder. The man looked at her with a stoic face, "ai kwin you need to come with me."

She pulled on her cloak and followed Ryder out of the house. "What's going on Ryder?"

"Come ai kwin." He motioned ahead of him and Clarke followed as if waiting to see what he had to show her.

Upon arrival at the center square, Clarke found dozens and dozens of warriors in all clan colors waiting. When they saw her all dropped to their knee and bowed their heads. It was a sea of warriors Clarke saw, the only color absent was Azkru but that was no surprise.

"Ai Kwin!" The warrior in the front stood and moved to her. "The warriors have discussed the decision reached by the elders and do not support it. Most of us have consulted our Heda or generals and it has been decided that we will follow you into war with Azkru."

Clarke looked up at him, "what is your name?"

"Jami, ai kwin."

"Jami I appreciate this," she looked at them all. "I do but you cannot go against your leaders and clans by following me."

One of the generals of the River Clan stepped forward. "Once Azkru takes your lands they will come for ours and Boat territory as well as Desert. We must stop them once and for all, we ride with Skaikru as you have proven yourselves worthy allies. The clan elders are not on the ground, they do not see the mounting tensions or current war. We go as ourselves, a single warriors devoted to peace. We do not follow in the name of our clans so we are allowed to follow you."

Clarke looked to Ryder, "can they follow me without facing exile?"

"Sha ai kwin, if they follow as self-proclaimed warriors not of their clans."

"Then we ride at noon, be ready and prepared!" She nodded, "and stand up all of you before you embarrass yourselves."

Lexa found herself pacing despite the sharp stab of her hand wound that still recovered from the ice snake's bite. It had been two days since she'd woken and found her wife gone, having ridden to Polis to rally the clans against Azkru. She doubted anyone told her that Skaikru were not yet part of the coalition so her request would be turned down from the elders. The wait for Clarke's return was full of concern as she didn't know if Azkru would attack or not and she would rally the clans if Clarke was touched.

The sound of footsteps made her pause and look to the tent entrance. Indra stood with a look of importance on her face. "Heda you must come at once."

"Now is not the time to settle petty disputes Indra."

"It is Clarke."

The words had Lexa following Indra out of the tent where a messenger stood. "What news do you bring?"

"They come Heda, they come riding behind Kwin."

She grabbed the man by his shirt, "who rides behind Kwin?"

He turned his head as shouts were heard and blinked as everyone saw Clarke emerge from the woods on her horse with Shadow by the horse's hooves. Behind her rode her guard but on foot were dozens of warriors, all prepared for war. "The clans Heda, the clans ride behind her."

"I don't believe it." Indra spoke as Lexa let the man go, watching in awe as her wife led dozens upon dozens of warriors from various clans. "The elders would have never agreed, how did she rally them?"

Lexa let a soft smile go, "she is Skai Prisa and Kwin kom Trikru, beloved of the clans."

Approaching Lexa, Clarke swung herself off the horse and took its reins as Shadow moved to walk beside her. Handing the horse off to waiting warrior, she moved to her wife with a soft smile. "It's good to see you're awake and moving around."

"I woke to find you gone on an impossible task yet once again you deliver impossibility as if it were merely the simplest task assigned to a lowly warrior." Lexa looked past her at the warriors as they filed into the camp. "How many?"

"Five hundred from all ten clans." Clarke looked back at the warriors. "All prepared to battle Azkru as self-proclaimed warriors, not of their clans."

"Self-proclaimed?" Lexa asked in monotone surprise. "Never has an army been brought as self-proclaimed, they must always be ordered by their Heda."

Clarke met green eyes, "they came to me not the other way around, they demanded to fight."

Indra took a step towards her and nodded. "well done ai kwin, you do what none before you has done. You are the first Kwin kom Trikru and you defeated the mountain when none others could and now you come with an army of self-proclaimed. Is there anything you don't seek to do that has not been done before?"

"Make you my friend?" Clarke smiled at her and the woman huffed before leaving. Pointing with her thumb over her shoulder, Clarke met her wife's eyes. "I think she's starting to like me a little bit."

"One would have to be dead or cold to not like you." Lexa stated and looked at Ryder as the warrior made his way over. "Ryder, see to the army and give them what they require. I will be discussing war plans with Clarke."

He nodded to her and started towards the army, allowing Clarke and Lexa to slip inside the tent. Clarke poured herself a glass of water and watched as Lexa surveyed her softly. "You're angry with me, I know you are."

"What you did was reckless but not many would have done so." Lexa moved to her and pulled the glass from her hands, placing it aside before cupping Clarke's face in her hands. "You continue to deliver the impossible ai kwin."

Leaning in, Clarke met Lexa halfway and gripped the leader's shirt with her fingers. Her free hand went to brunette strands, entangling in them while her mouth fought for dominance in a war she was losing. Lexa pushed her into a table and she pulled herself up on it until she was sitting on the wood with Lexa between her legs.

Air became a necessity and Clarke pulled back. "I caught you in my arms after the snake bit you and I worried that you wouldn't wake up again. That the thing had bitten and killed you, taking you from me."

"Near death has you telling me all you feel, I should attempt it more often." It was a teasing tone and one Clarke put a stop to as she reclaimed Lexa's lips. The brunette pulled back when air was once again required. "I want you Clarke, in my bed at this moment."

"I thought you'd never ask!" She slid off the table and began moving Lexa back towards their small alcove that was solely theirs. Lexa's hands drifted under her shirt as she was being backed up towards the bed. Clarke caught the soft yet calloused hands and stopped her movements. "You need to know, I'm all for a little bit of exploring but nothing more. I'm not ready for that yet."

Lexa gave a nod and leaned in, gently kissing her wife. "Whatever you desire ai kwin, nothing more than that." She led a trail of kisses down the pale throat and used her hands to push up Clarke's shirt. "Tell me what you desire Clarke."

"How about I just show you instead?" She smirked mischievously and pushed Lexa back onto their fur-covered be. "That way you know exactly what I'm looking for."

As Clarke crawled over her, Lexa looked up at blue eyes. "Ai hod yu in Clarke, I must tell you now as I realize I may not have been able to if it had been more than an ice snake that harmed me."

"I'm still learning to love you. However you are my best friend." Clarke whispered as she nuzzled Lexa's nose with her own.

"We have as long as the gods see fit to give us time know one another." Lexa's hands ran down Clarke's sides. "Take the time you need to do so, I cherish each moment we have together."

Clarke smiled at her, "so you're not pissed I went to Polis?"

"You could not imagine my anger at your actions." Lexa squeezed Clarke's sides and flipped them till she was on top. "Your actions hold my anger not you ai kwin, never at you." She leaned down and kissed Clarke. "I believe you were attempting to apologize however."

Clarke pulled her down and kissed her again, "you're an ass but you're my ass!"

A/N: Okay so Clarke rallied the clans and managed to get home in time to makeout a bit with her wife. Good chapter over all!

Next...Dara makes an unexpected visit.

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