Chapter 54:

At some point during the afternoon Octavia had entered the tent. Lexa found her in a chair in the corner reading when she woke up. She seemed to be pouring over an old map. Lexa still had her arms securely holding on to the sleeping blonde in her arms. Octavia grinned at her and Clarke's sleeping form when she saw Lexa was awake. Lexa tightened her grip slightly and placed a kiss to Clarke's cheek. Lexa didn't care that Octavia was there, she trusted her, she could be affectionate to Clarke unbound by her title in her presence. She was pleasantly surprised that the touch woke Clarke and her mouth produced a sleepy smile before her eyes fluttered open.

As soon as she could see the blue of Clarke's eyes Lexa found herself getting lost within them once again. She leaned over and kissed Clarke softly on the mouth and Clarke responded by slipping her tongue in before Octavia cleared her throat snapping her out of it. She watched Clarke roll her eyes when she saw Octavia, "Don't you have somewhere else to be?" she said to her slightly annoyed.

LExa smiled and removed herself from around Clarke. She went for a glass of water before bringing one to Clarke as well.

"I am where I'm supposed to be. I'm your guard Clarke," she said proudly.

Clarke looked at the Blake girl, "My guard?"

Octavia nodded, "Indra's orders."

Lexa smiled at the information. It was smart of her to direct her second to watch Clarke's back. Lexa was grateful to both of them. Knowing how loyal Octavia is, Lexa felt better knowing that if something had separated her from Clarke that Octavia would do everything in her power to help her. She was quite good at her newfound role as a leader and warrior.

In the distance there was the beginning sounds of war drums.

Dusk was falling.

Lexa sighed.

It was time.

Lexa saw Clarke flash her a frightened look at the noise. "Octavia, inform my guard that we will be leaving shortly, please," Lexa requested.

Octavia nodded and skipped out of the tent. Lexa turned to face Clarke. Before she could speak the blonde was up and making her way into Lexa's arms. They held each other tight for some time before separating slightly. Lexa looked down on the blonde in her arms. She let her eyes linger on her face, committing each part of her to memory once again. Letting Clarke tattoo her heart with her image and stain it with her love.

Clarke must have been doing the same thing because Lexa could see her eyes roving around her face multiple times before settling on her green eyes a final time. They were locked in a stare; silently wishing that time would stand still just for a moment, just for them.

Lexa noticed tears begin to well up in Clarke's eyes. She saw the girl's chest begin to labour as her breathing picked up. She was getting worked up. She was panicking; Lexa could see it in her eyes. The sight broke her heart, she knew Clarke was afraid of the same thing she was: losing each other.

Lexa instinctively pulled Clarke close again in the tightest hug she's ever given her. She wanted to squeeze the fear out of her and absorb it. She wanted to remove Clarke's pains, fear and concerns. She'd gladly bear the weight of them for her. Clarke silently began to sob into Lexa's chest. Lexa peppered her head with kisses.

"I'm right here Clarke," she whispered trying to hide the cracking in her own voice due to her emotions.

She felt Clarke nod into her chest and lift her head slightly to plant a soft teary kiss on the bare skin of Lexa's neck. Lexa shifted and put her hand to Clarke's chin, raising it, tilting her head and leaning in, "I love you Clarke," she whispered. She captured Clarke's lips against her own, she felt Clarke clutch at her, as the kiss changed from bittersweet to urgent, from urgent to passionate.

Lexa felt Clarke pull away and look up at her, "I love you too…with every single part of me," the last part was a barely audible whisper.

Lexa couldn't find the words. She couldn't speak. She was afraid if she did she'd begin to cry. She had to be strong for Clarke. She had to help her through their new daunting task. Instead, she nodded and silently promised the same.

They walked together to the opening of the tent hand in hand. Before they left they took one last meaningful look at each other. Soaking in their last moment of peace before the hurricane hit. They took a deep breath as one and exited the tent, fingertips lingering ever so slightly before separating completely.

They walked to the sound of beating drums. They marched in pace with them out of the woods and towards Arkadia's clearing. They had their army split and into various positions to help curb any attacks. They had their mines planted, their bomb teams ready with smoke and grenades, gunners and archers in the trees and on the fence, and warriors lining the tree line waiting for the moment to attack. It was dark now.

Then they could see them off in the distance. Shadowy shapes silhouetted in the moonlight. Thousands of them.

A war horn made them pause. Lexa held and arm out making sure Clarke stopped. The two of them remained still, halting their warriors' progress as well. Lexa and Clarke in front, standing side-by-side staring into the storm.

A group of people exited the tree line a fair distance away, they carried torches so they were clearly visible, and they came out to the open and froze. She felt Clarke shift beside her, "What are they doing? Surrendering?"

Lexa shook her head slightly, "No," she said watching intently, anger beginning to boil up at the sight. She knew where this was going; she had seen it before. The man with the horn raised it to his lips again and blew two sharp blasts.

She watched as flaming arrows shot into the night. Screams erupted to their right, from the other side of Arkadia, another set of screams to the left and many in the far off distance. Lexa swore under her breath but she knew Clarke heard it. In the far distance she could see yellow smoke rising, she understood what had happened.

Broadleaf, Shallow Valley and Azgeda all had access to Shole trees. Their sap was acid. Ignite it and the smoke it produces is poison.

"Stay away from the smoke! It's poison!" Lexa barked out knowing the Skaikru wouldn't know what it is. She heard her command being repeated through the ranks mingling with the screams of those being poisoned in the distance.

Suddenly there was movement. Warriors came running from all sides, their shapes barely visible in the night but Lexa saw them.

"They're attacking!" Clarke barked attempting to ready those around her.

"Watch their arrows!" Lexa shouted out after, she knew they were coming their way she just didn't know when. As of right now they were out of range. "Spread out, when you hear the mines the second wave will come out and we can surround them!"

Lexa looked briefly at Clarke, locking eyes. The blonde gave her a nod with her head, indicating that she was ready; Lexa returned it, indicating that they were in this together. She smiled at Clarke, when she found the girl returned it Lexa felt it make her heart soar. Clarke's smile gave her the courage to move forward, she took a step, another and another before stopping. She drew her sword. She found Clarke move into position beside her, the two of them alone in front of their surging foe with their army behind them.

Lexa raised her free hand and lazily flicked her wrist forward; the slight motion from their Heda sparked the army forward. She felt them rush past them into the night. War cries erupting from every one of them.

She chanced another look at Clarke as gunshots rang out and they followed the army. They moved quickly, not taking long to start running into the enemy. Lexa dodged an attacker rolling to the ground and popping up spinning and removing the man's head from his shoulders with her sword. She adjusted and struck another straight through the chest. She chanced a look at Clarke who had taken out two of her own attackers.

Clarke was pulling her sword out of a third when Lexa saw the arrows begin to fly. They had unknowingly crossed into the archers range. "Clarke move!"

Clarke didn't need to be told a second time, she zigged and zagged dodging the arrows landing around her. She took out two more men in her motions. She was handling herself very well. Beside her was Octavia, hacking and rolling at anything that dared come into their vicinity.

Lexa killed another three men as she made her way closer to Clarke. She watched as Clarke was shoved Octavia to the ground landing on top of her then grabbing the girl and rolling to her right. As she rolled the two of them Lexa heard and saw bullets pepper the ground where they had just been. Panic coursed through her veins, guns?

"Lexa, look out!" Clarke screamed from her knees and Lexa turned just as she saw a man and his axe raised she saw her dagger she had given to Clarke land in his throat. He stopped with a surprised look; Lexa reached out and grabbed the dagger from his neck before he fell to the ground at her feet. With that Lexa turned to head to Clarke. That was too close.

Clarke regained her footing, "They have guns?"

"The ones that were left in Ice Nation when we escaped!" Octavia said parrying an arrow that had been shot their way, saving Clarke from being struck.

Clarke stood and killed the man that was charging Octavia's back. Lexa twirled and killed two warriors trying to blind-side her. She heard Clarke swear and put her sword away. She then reached around and pulled her bow off her back. Lexa watched her notch the arrow and let it fly, hitting the man with the gun in the leg as she notched another and struck him in the chest.

"Clarke!" Lexa screamed as she saw a man aiming his bow at Clarke, as she did Clarke had risen and was already running full tilt towards her. Lexa panicked, she hadn't heard her warning, Clarke didn't see the man lining her up in his sights.

Lexa started bolting towards Clarke just as she heard Clarke scream her name they collided in mid air chest hitting chest knocking the wind from them as they twisted in the air together and went flying to the ground. Their bodies separated as they landed.

Lexa felt a burning in her right arm and she knew she had been hit. Clarke and her had both saved the other from taking more than one arrow it seemed. She bounced up and held a hand to Clarke who took it and rose, just as she did Lexa felt a pang in her leg as an arrow struck her. She fell to one knee at the impact before gritting her teeth, snapping the shaft and wrenching the arrow from her leg. She growled in pain as she did and Clarke laid a hand on her thigh briefly to try and help soothe the pain. Then the hand was gone again, ferocity took over her features and war cry came out of her mouth. She launched herself over Lexa and at the man; she slid as she got close whipping out her sword and taking out his legs. She swiftly rose and stabbed him through the back into his heart.

Then Lexa heard the minefield begin to blow. One after the other a deafening explosion rang out with howls of pain. Lexa stood wincing at the pain before she felt another arrow strike her in the back. She fell to the ground gasping for air. She could feel the blood begin to seep from the wound with force. The arrow's poison was travelling quickly. She felt the burning of her hit arm spreading down to her fingers. Then she felt it spreading up her arm, into her chest meeting up with the poison from the one in her back. Lexa was now facedown on her stomache, gasping for air through the pain, air that wouldn't come properly. She felt her head begin to swim; she turned her head trying to focus on those around her. She had to find Clarke. She had to know she was okay. She felt a body land at her side, Lexa looked to find an enemy dead in front of her before another landed with a sick thud on top of him. Octavia was grabbing a third body attempting to create a sort of wall to help block Lexa.

"Clarke!" she heard her scream trying to get the blonds attention and grabbing another body for her wall. Lexa could see men and women running everywhere, the sounds of the battle slowly shrinking in her ears, she could feel her body becoming weaker by the second, she struggled to breathe and stay conscious. She kept her mind on Clarke, searching out as best she could to find the blonde. She was trying to ignore the pain and twist her body trying to expand her range of view. Then she saw her. Clarke was stumbling but running forward. Her movements were off - Lexa knew something was wrong. Clarke looked weak.