Rebuilding Ruin
Disclaimer: I don't own the 100 or its characters
Spoilers: All episodes of Season 1 and 2
Clarke woke to the sensation of fingers on her back, opening her eyes she found Lexa propped up beside her tracing the scars on her back. The hand paused it's motion as green eyes moved to meet blue. Clarke moved closer to her wife, burying her face in Lexa's neck as the leader placed her hand in soft blond curls. Calloused fingers resumed their tracing along healed scars as both lay silent in the early morning.
"How are your wounds?" Lexa spoke softly to avoid disturbing the warm and intimate environment they'd created.
"My mom said they've healed as much as they will." Clarke whispered and dug her hand into Lexa's tank top.
Lexa pressed her lips to Clarke's crown and paused her hands. "Then today Dara will meet her death."
"Death by a thousand cuts?"
"Without leniency, she will endure the full trial for her crimes against her people and our own. Most of all she will endure all because of her actions towards you as is punishment for breaking sacred laws."
Clarke pulled her head back and gazed into green eyes. "Do I have to take part?"
"It is expected that you take her life in the end for her crimes against you."
"Do you trust me?" Lexa gave a nod so Clarke sat up, not bothering with the furs that dropped to her lap. "She expects such a punishment but it is an easy death, one she will welcome and no doubt wants."
Lexa sat up and touched Clarke's arm, "there is no other punishment, she has broken sacred laws."
"Yes but the laws also state that mercy can be given if a kwin determines it justified." Clarke picked at the bear fur that covered her legs, "her crimes are horrible and actions without reason so she doesn't deserve mercy but giving it to her would be justified punishment. She's too proud to take her own life and no doubt wants death so she escapes the reality of her crimes. She isn't haunted by them but she knows if she dies then she doesn't have to face what she's done."
"You would pardon her?"
"In a way but I assure you her punishment will destroy her eventually."
Silence permeated the tent before Lexa rested a hand on Clarke's cheek and pulled her head close so their foreheads rested together. "She is not worth your mercy but if that is your wish, I shall stand beside you."
"I know how much you want to kill her for what she did to both Costia and I but what I have planned will bring more suffering than a quick death." Clarke pulled her head back and gently grabbed Lexa's hand, kissing her palm. "You will still get to inflict pain on her, death by a thousand cuts but without death."
"If she was to endure the entirety then she would find death quickly, the draw of blood too great."
Clarke nodded, "cuts only."
"If that is your wish then it shall be done."
Dawn found itself joined by Dara being placed against a pole in the middle of the camp, Lexa's order of cuts being the only wound allowed had many surprised but none objected. The cutting continued through the day until sunset arrived and Clarke made her way to the middle of the camp, dressed in the clothes of her title. She hadn't planned to wear it but Luna had suggested that she do so in order to put Dara in her place. Warriors parted as she moved toward Dara wearing her the sapphire blue dress that Nia had acquired for her when she'd gone before the council. Around her neck and down her back was a cloak made of thick cloth with a fur lining and her hair was held back by simple braids.
Everyone watched as Clarke stopped in front of Dara, the once strong woman looked weak and powerless. Blood seeped through her clothes as dirt covered them and she merely looked at Clarke as if she was begging for death. Turning to the warrior that stood nearby, Clarke held out her hand palm up in anticipation of the sword he held. He handed it over and she moved to the pole, swinging the sword till the ropes holding Dara up were cut and she fell to the ground.
The woman rested on her hands and knees, still bleeding. "Mochof ai kwin," Dara looked up at Clarke. "Your mercy will not be forgotten."
"My mercy comes at a price," Clarke saw the woman's eyes widen. "You will confess your crimes so all can hear what you have done."
"And after?"
Clarke merely looked down at her, "that will depend on what you have confessed. So speak true and tell all the crimes you have committed. You will start with the one you attempted to hide from everyone, the one about your sister."
"I ordered my sister to investigate Trikru lands alone, knowing she would be captured by the Mountain men and killed."
"Continue!" Clarke met dark eyes as the woman looked up at her.
"I personally inflicted pain and suffering on Kostia kom Trikru in order to harm Heda." She swallowed, "I then killed her and sent her body piece by piece."
Lexa arrived to see Clarke holding a sword as Dara remained on her hands and knees confessing loudly to crimes. The leader watched as Clarke kept reminding Dara of her place and ordering her to continue. The crimes were slowly becoming recent history, crimes that had occurred since Lexa took on the spirit of Heda. Making her way through the crowd, she stopped when she stood beside Clarke.
"My final crime was harming Klark kom Skaikru en Trikru, Kwin kom Kru."
Silence fell upon everyone and Dara looked up at Clarke in expectation of her punishment. The blond moved to the warrior that stood by the fire and picked up the brander that lay inside it. Walking back she nodded to Ryder and Indra as they stood nearby and both moved to hold Dara's arms and head as Clarke took a moment.
Holding the hot brander, Clarke moved to Dara and pressed it into the side of the soft cheek. Screams emitted from the woman as Clarke pulled it back, handing the metal off to the warrior who had held it before. "For your crimes you shall not get the punishment of a quick death but instead be banished from the lands held by the clans, a traitor and without the help of others. When all see the brand you hold they will know who you are and what you have done. They will abandon you as your abandoned your people, leave you without food or shelter as you did your people and make attempts to harm you in order to prove themselves worthy of returning to our lands, as you did to our people. This punishment will leave you with thoughts of what you have done until your life is no more. This is my mercy to you, your life but you shall live it alone trying to survive." Clarke looked at both warriors who held the woman down, "take her to the Dead Lands."
Indra pulled the woman up and quickly restrained her, pushing her towards the direction of the Dead Lands. Ryder followed with a sword held to the woman's back so she was unable to run without dying in the process. Lexa looked around to see all watching in confusion.
"The punishment can be altered according to ancient law but only when a kwin does so. Your kwin has spoken and delivered the punishment equal to the crimes but greater than death. War between Azkru and Trikru is no more, rest well knowing a generational war has finally ended."
Everyone dispersed and Clarke turned to look at Lexa. "Tell me I did the right thing."
"You did Clarke, if it was not the right choice I would not have allowed it to continue." Lexa held out her hand palm up, "come, let us rest while our people celebrate."
Once inside the tent, Clarke placed the dress away while donning a tank top and leggings. Lexa leaned against the pole that secured their privacy curtain to watch the change, a smile slipped across her face as she watched Clarke undo the braids in her hair. Turning Clarke found her wife smiling at her.
"What?"
"I am admiring the beauty that is my wife, the goddess that fell from the stars to guide my way." Lexa moved over to Clarke and pulled the blond close. "Peace is upon us for the first time in generations, we are free to live without fear ruling our lives."
Clarke was about to speak when yells were heard outside. "Heda! Kwin!"
Both moved outside and saw the bright light in the sky as a missile flew overhead, Clarke grabbed Lexa's arm as they watched the missile land dozens of miles away. "That was the direction of Camp Jaha." As soon as the words left the blond's mouth, Lexa was yelling orders in Trigedasleng. "Lexa what are you doing?"
"Sending my warriors to visit the camp, to assure it's safety."
Clarke shook her head, "I should go with them."
"No!" Lexa twisted around sharply and caught Clarke's arm as she started to head towards the horses. "You will stay where you belong Clarke, safe from the dangerous of war. This is not a war I can predict movements in so your safety is priority."
"No my people are a priority!"
Lexa caught Clarke's chin with her fingers, "our people and the warriors will arrive with information. We must prepare for war, whoever sent this missile is not of the mountain and that makes them dangerous."
"I'm going Lexa!" Clarke pulled away and started towards the horses.
"Forgive me." Lexa stated and Clarke was about to turn to find out why her wife was requesting forgiveness. Instead of finding Lexa's eyes, she found herself encased in darkness as something hit her head.
One of Luna's men walked over and gently took Clarke from the ground, carrying her towards the tent with a nod from Lexa. The leader followed and watched him lay Clarke on their bed of soft furs, her hair spreading out behind her head and her body limp as if it had no life. Lexa sat on the bed once the warrior left and combed back Clarke's hair from her face. She felt no choice but to keep Clarke from leaving, her safety was paramount to both their people.
"Heda?" Leaving Clarke, Lexa found Luna waiting in the doorway. "What has occurred? I thought the Mountain men were all destroyed."
"They are Luna, I am unaware of any who have the knowledge to launch a missile. If the Skaikru settlement has been destroyed then our people must take them to Polis. Their safety is a priority as they will be part of the clans in the coming weeks."
A young boy moved into the tent and held up the radio that Octavia had been using to communicate with her brother at Camp Jaha. "Chancellor."
She took the radio and used it exactly how Clarke instructed her to. "This is Lexa."
"Lexa this is Abby, we need help. The missile barely missed us but we have a lot of damage and wounded."
"Warriors have already been sent, they will arrive within two days." Lexa saw Luna's eyes and knew what the woman wanted for information. "Abby do you have an idea of who did this?"
The radio was silent before blaring to life, "there was a short radio burst before the missile arrived. It was from Jaha and he asked forgiveness for he only wanted what was best for our people."
"How is attacking you with a missile doing what is best for your people?"
"He doesn't know we won against Mount Weather and formed an alliance with you. He still assumes we're at war and to bomb us would be to blame Mount Weather. We know he went to the City of Light or was headed there."
"The City of Light is a myth, it is nothing but glass mirrors on poles. There is no city and to cross the Dead Lands without preparation is a death sentence." She paused the radio conversation and looked back to the curtain where Clarke rested behind. "He has harmed my people so he has declared war on us. We will meet at the ruins of Tondc once you have recovered successfully, there we will meet to prepare a journey across the Dead Lands. Jaha wished to harm our people so we will show we are stronger than a missile. Lexa out." She turned the radio off and handed it to the boy, who left immediately.
Luna held out her arm and Lexa embraced it with her own. "I stand beside you and Clarke."
"Lexa!" Clarke's voice radiated from behind the curtain.
"I shall leave to allow you the punishment you will receive to be handed to you in private." The woman smirked before leaving the tent.
A/N: Jaha targeted Camp Jaha and Lexa did something she shouldn't have to protect Clarke.
Next: War begins yet again and the journey to the Dead Lands begins.
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