Chapter 40:
Lexa and company rode straight through only stopping to water the horses. The group they were tracking was easy to follow. Not being grounders they had left obvious signs of their travels everywhere. She group rarely slowed to a walk to find the trail. The terrain was beginning to get rougher the farther they went. It had been two days already with no sign of the group. By the time they would catch up the group would be in the Azgeda camp.
Lexa tried not to think about what could be happening there. She tried to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. They had hoped they would catch them before entering the camp. Now they were getting dangerously close. They would have to abandon their steeds and go the rest of the way on foot. The archers were already off their mounts. The group had passed them a few hundred yards back.
It was dusk, and night was quickly falling in around them as they continued on. They un-mounted when they saw the first archer their men had downed. They tied their steeds and headed further in, silently making their way forwards. Octavia and Lincoln led the way with Lexa not far behind them. They kept their eyes peeled for any signs of Azgeda.
They kept walking for over an hour before they finally saw the camp. Lincoln downed two watchmen silently before Octavia took out a third. Lexa signalled to her men to split up, the others making their way to the back side of the camp. Their plan was to cause a distraction and then attack. They had orders to kill anyone resisting. To leave no one alive until Clarke was safe. Lexa wanted blood. She refused to let Nia have her way again. She refused to let the woman steal Lexa's happiness again. One way or another one of them would die today, she had admitted it to herself a long ways back. Before she had even left her horse. Jus drein jus daun.
Lexa followed Lincoln and Octavia to the left. They kept their eyes peeled for Clarke or any members of Skaikru. They silently went to the first fire and the three of them took out the three warriors by it. They hid their bodies in the shadows. Two more men and then another two were killed as they moved like the night. They made their way farther left before Lexa saw what she knew to be Nia's tent. It was covered in the white handprints of the nation.
Lexa tapped Octavia on the shoulder and pointed directing the girls attention to the tent. They saw Skaikru and grounders near the fire beside it, along with guns laying outside the tent. Lexa looked around for any other threats before they made their move. Lincoln had two knives out felling the men closest to him. Lexa and Octavia silently went in and quickly ended the lives of the 3 Skaikru members by the fire. They dragged the bodies into the shadows again and hid themselves. Lexa itched to move to the tent. She couldn't though. She knew she had to wait.
And then it happened, "Fire! Fire!" Shouts began to erupt from the far side of the camp. The signal from the second group Lexa had sent to the backside of the camp. They had been successful and started the distraction. In the furry of movement people went every direction never noticing the invaders. Lexa took a few deep breaths watching the chaos ensue. "Come on…Come on" she whispered watching the queen's tent.
Finally movement from the tent, three of Nia's men ran out before one popped back into the tent. Lexa grabbed Octavia and shook her head, "Not yet."
They waited a few more moments before Bellemy was shoved out of the tent, followed by the grounder, Nia and another man who was dragging Clarke.
Lexa's breath caught in her throat. She swallowed a dry hollow sound that came from her mouth. Clarke was limp, she wasn't moving. Lexa felt fury rise in her as Nia spoke out into the night freezing her in the boots. Then she heard gunshots and explosions that drowned Nia's words. It was the grounders from the other side of the camp. They had resorted to the sky people's weapons, something wasn't right. Octavia swore quietly beside her.
Lexa looked back at Nia as the woman went to speak again. "I know you're here Natblida!" she shouted loud and bitter.
Lexa swallowed. Nia was addressing her. This meant only on thing…
Nia knew. Lexa paused trying to regain herself as panic coursed through her body. She knew why Nia knew she was there. Nia had learned who Clarke was to her. Nia had learned of Lexa's second chance…
Lexa stared in disbelief from Clarke to Nia as a evil grin came across the woman's face.
"She's very much alive! I haven't killed her…not yet." She shouted out, looking back at Clarke the evil grin still playing on her face.
Lexa swallowed at the hollow tone in her voice. She sucked for air. She barely registered Octavia's hand gently lay on her thigh attempting to comfort her, attempting to pass on her own strength and hope. Lexa couldn't take her eyes off of Clarke. She couldn't see any movement, she saw her head hanging limp, her blond hair blocking the view of her face.
Nia signalled to the man and he dragged Clarke back inside the tent the other punching Bellamy in the face when he resisted and then forcing him into the tent behind her.
Lexa felt her heart stop as soon as Clarke vanished. She turned and glared in Nia's direction.
"I tell you what. I won't send this one's head to you!" Nia called out into the night letting her reminder of Lexa's first love ring clear through the night, Lexa swallowed at the memory of receiving the box. "Instead, I trade you: your life for hers."