CHAPTER 6

Lexa's sword felt unnaturally heavy in her hand as she swung it at the target tree. The sword hit at the proper diagonal angle and dug deeply into the wood. Lexa grunted with effort as she attempted to pull the sword from the tree.

"Your swing was slow." Anya said approaching her from behind. "And you shifted your weight too much on the release." Anya gripped Lexa's sword and pulled it from the tree with ease.

Lexa hissed in frustration; She was not accustomed to being so weak. The muscles in her arm had weakened significantly over the time she had been bedridden and she was now being forced to do training drills she had not performed since she was a second. It has been three days and Lexa felt little improvement in her body, apart from the ability to walk without Costia's support.

Anya returned her to sword and took a step back.

"Again." She commanded. Which frustrated Lexa even more. She was the Commander, she took orders from no one. She glared at her First.

Anya sensed the conflict. "Heda, you must regain your strength before we can return. You know this."

Lexa exhaled. Anya was correct of course; Lexa dared not even attempt the return journey to Polis without her sword skills being what they were. Surely they would come across another set of bounty hunters or worse. She needed her skills and strength.

"Here." Anya said drawing her own sword. "Fighting a tree is child's play. Spar with me."

Lexa huffed a sigh, she was reminded of how as a child her and Anya would spar for hours on end, Lexa would usually come off worst in the fight, until one day she had successfully subdued her teacher. One of her proudest moments.

Lexa tightened her grip on the sword and turned swiftly to her opponent swinging the sword intricately as she did so.

Anya blocked the blow and began to push Lexa back with excessive slashing.
Lexa cursed as she found herself backing up. She would not take another step back she decided and with that swung her sword wildly, a mistake. Anya sword hilt made contact with Lexa face and she felt her cheek split.

Lexa took a step back spitting out her black blood. Anya wiped sweat from her brow and regained her fighting stance.

Lexa gave a cry and lunged forward slashing and spinning. Her opponent was forced to step back and was doing everything she could to block the blows, some landed others didn't. Soon both women were panting and bleeding.

"Good." Anya said finally as she lay on her back, her sword kicked halfway across the clearing. Lexa nodded and removed her blade from Anya's throat. She had successfully beaten her First and was relishing in the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Lexa held out an arm and Anya took it gratefully. The two women clasped arms for a moment.

"Thank you." Lexa said quietly. Anya didn't respond with anything but a nod before breaking the embrace and fetching her sword.

"You should find your healer and have stitch you up." Anya added as Lexa wiped a hand across her bloody face.

"As should you." Lexa added sharply.

XXX


Lexa entered her tent with a sigh. Though she was no longer ill Nyko still granted her use of the tent as it was the largest and she had come to call it home. Lexa sat on the bed and stripped her armor off with a practiced ease, until she came to her left shoulder which was still slightly tender. She huffed in frustration for today had been a good day. She had felt such strength and power but now the tingling limb reminded her just how weak she still was.

"May I?"

Lexa hadn't heard Costia enter and she wondered how long she'd been present.

Lexa nodded and the girl approached with hesitance. Lexa held her arm our and the healer began to fumble with the many hooks and straps of the armor.

"This is something you should practice." Lexa said quietly. "No doubt you will need to remove armor from many soldiers in your time as a healer."

Costia said nothing. She placed the last of the armor on with the rest and fetched a bowl of warm water and a cloth. She dampened the cloth and began to clean Lexa's arms, which were covered in superficial cuts.

"This is so interesting." Costia said after a moment of silence.

"What is?" Lexa said momentarily concerned that perhaps she had ascertained a wound that could prove to be harmful.

"Your blood." Costia said entranced by the thick dark substance covering Lexa's body.

Lexa acknowledged the statement with a nod.

"In a way it makes you less human." Costia said examining the blood on her fingers. "Something more."

Lexa allowed a slight grin. "It is a sign of the Commander's line." Lexa said simply. "Though some believe that it is a ruse, that Commanders merely place a mixture of ash and water over their body."

"These people have clearly never seen a Commander return from sparring training." Costia said rinsing the cloth in the bowl, its contents were now a dark grey and the cloth stained.

Costia slowly and hesitantly began to wipe the cloth across Lexa's face. Lexa felt herself recoil at the healer's touch.

"Does that hurt?" Costia asked concerned.

The deeper cuts Anya had gifted her with did sting slightly but that was not why Lexa had recoiled. She found that the moment the healer began touching her face a fire began to kindle in the depths of her stomach.

"Pain is a part of life." Lexa said simply avoiding the healers searching eyes.

"I see." The girl said quietly and she slowly lowered her cloth.

Lexa tracked the movement with her eyes and suddenly found herself staring into Costia's deep green eyes.
Costia placed the cloth in the bowl and gently placed her hand on Lexa's chest, where her heart was beating fiercely.

"Does this hurt?"

Lexa's breath shuddered.

"It is a good pain." She said feeling her heart race faster and faster.
Costia's eyes searched Lexa's face. Lexa calmly raised her own hound and placed it on Costia's cheek holding her soft delicate face.

"Does this hurt?" She asked gently.

The girl shut her eyes and relaxed her face into Lexa's hand. There were small tears forming from her eyes.

"More than you could ever know." She said breathlessly. Lexa swallowed. The two were very close now. Close enough that they were breathing the same air and could feel the heat of one another's body. Lexa could almost swear she could hear Costia's own heart racing.
Costia opened her eyes and gazed up at her Commander.

"Forgive me Heda." She said softly leaning in and capturing Lexa's lips. Lexa felt herself melt into the kiss. She knew this was unwise but could not resist Costia. The bond the two had formed this past moon seemed unbreakable. Since Anya arrival they had tried to distance themselves from one another, their bubble of solitude in the tent had been popped. But still Lexa found herself lying awake thinking of the girl. Wondering how her day was, wanting to speak with her. Be close to her. Evidently Costia had too been feeling this irrational pull towards herself.

The two explored one another's lips. Costia's were so soft and she tasted of mint. Lexa held Costia tighter pulling the other girl in closer. Costia's hands found their way to Lexa's waist and back. Lexa ran her hand through Costia's gorgeous hair. Lexa felt Costia's tongue flick against her own lips. Lexa willing opened her mouth, letting the other girl's tongue explore her mouth further.

Costia moaned as her tongue touched Lexa's. The sound only encouraged Lexa and she found herself biting the girl's bottom lip. Costia pulled away from Lexa breathing heavily. Her cheeks were red and her freckles seemed twice as bright as normal. Costia looked up into Lexa's eyes and suddenly flashed with a hint of regret. Lexa sensed the girl pulling away but only tightened her grip on her. She needed Costia. Costia made her feel more alive than any battle she had ever fought, yes she had saved her life. But she also made Lexa feel that she was the reason to keep on living.

"You are forgiven Costia." Lexa whispered. The other girl stopped pulling away and instead looked up at the Commander.

Costia seemed to ponder this statement for a moment before nodding slowly. Lexa sighed in relief and let a smile cross her face. Costia gave a slight grin before reaching for the other girl's hand. Lexa let Costia take her hand, in silence Costia delicately placed Lexa's hand on her chest. At her touch Costia closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
Lexa took a moment to feel the pleasure brought on by Costia's gesture, and what it did to stoke the fire that seemed to only be growing within her. She found her hand gripping at Costia's chest almost vigorously. Suddenly she was kissing the girl with such intensity that Costia was forced to lay backwards. Lexa hovered over her examining the minute details of the girl's face. She kissed the girl's slight cheekbones, her smooth forehead, she tried to kiss each freckle as well but there were simply too many. Costia ran her fingers through Lexa's dark braided hair and pulled her down on top of her. The closeness was too much for Lexa and she found herself aggressively kissing the girl, almost with a primal instinct.
She slowly moved from Costia's lips to her neck. She smiled as Costia gasped in pleasure as Lexa suck her neck and earlobe.

The feeling of Costia's hot breath in Lexa's ear sent shivers down her spine and she found herself having the need to touch the girl's body. Costia once more took Lexa's hand and placed it on her chest. Lexa proceeded to kiss Costia's neck and collar bone while kneading the girl's breasts over her clothing.

Costia moaned in pleasure and the tips of her fingers began to fiddle with the tails of Lexa's shirt. After a particularly rough kiss on her collarbone Costia seemed to be under able to control her urges and ripped Lexa's shirt off over her head. Lexa gasped as her bare skin brushed against Costia.

Lexa immediately sat the girl up and removed her shirt, she found herself removing Costia's binding as well. Once shirtless Costia pulled her lover down on top of her once again. The feeling of their skin on skin was so intense that Lexa found herself losing rational thought. Nothing mattered anymore, not the Ice Nation, not her Command, not Anya. Just her and Costia now in this moment.

Lexa began kissing down Costia's chest pausing at the places where Costia let out particularly large gasps or moans.

"Lexa." Costia whispered. Lexa paused and looked down at Costia's half closed eyes. The girl swallowed before speaking.

"Please." Was all she said. Lexa smiled, kissed her, and obliged. It was like nothing she had ever felt before.