"Octavia." Clarke breathes, relief flooding through her to see that her friend has made it back safely from Arkadia. She briefly takes her into her arms for a moment before stepping back with a curious expression. "You have news?"
Octavia nods, "Yes, but how's Lexa?"
"Healing well." Clarke states, touched by the concern, "She's already on her feet." At this, her mother cocks her head at her with interest and goes to leave the room. Surely it isn't healthy for the wounded Commander to be walking around so soon."
The two dismiss Abby's presence and turn to face each other more openly. Back to business, Clarke muses. She wishes that 'someday' could be today, that there is peace among the people. She is grateful to her mom and Octavia for allowing her a few more days of respite from this reality; they've been secretly convening with Kane while Clarke has been consumed by concern for Lexa. But, obligation has finally come knocking at her door and Clarke must answer.
"So, how much time do we have?"
"Not long." Octavia answers, worrying her bottom lip in thought. "The scouts found the blockade two days ago, and Pike's grown more paranoid since. Oh, and Kane says he can't cover for your mother much longer either." She says with a roll of her eyes.
"He may not have to." Clarke whispers, and her eyes are vacant as the gears turn inside her mind, revealing to Octavia the machinations being planned inside of that clever head.
"The kill order will go into effect soon. No doubt Pike believes he can defeat the blockade." Clarke explains, "Skaikru may have guns, but our numbers are nowhere near a match for the armies of the twelve clans. If we can make his supporters see that…"
"And if they don't?"
At the sound of another person's voice, Clarke and Octavia turn to see Abby and Lexa standing in the doorway.
Clarke swallows thickly, knowing that what she's about to say will be met with resistance from at least two of the other women. And she's right. Her mother lets out a scandalized "Clarke" and Octavia bores into her with a glare when she meets Lexa's gaze and says "March on them."
She hopes deeply that she can reason with her people, but she knows in her gut that this will be her final chance to do it peacefully and if she fails, she will not ask Lexa to risk her own life keeping that vow. So, she stares down the other two women and makes her case. "Five miles is more than enough distance. If this fails, we can work with Kane to get anyone who opposes Pike out."
"That's the problem." Abby points out. "Most of the camp opposes him, but he oppresses dissent."
"But mom, if we fail, then our people will continue on this path of destruction." Her eyes burn with determination and a desire to stop that very outcome; driven to fix everything for everyone. "Then the alliance crumbles, and war and bloodshed will continue to be everyone's reality. Victory stands on the back of sacrifice, but so does peace. If the worst comes to pass we can rebuild…just like we did when we came to Earth."
Lexa watches calmly as mother and daughter begin to bicker back and forth. She is prepared to back whichever option they deem the most reasonable and simply observes and listens as they hash it out, though she does find herself captivated by Clarke's impassioned words. Her eyes fall to Octavia, who looks as if she is debating stepping into the fray. Lexa can see the thoughts that swim around in her mind.
"What if there's another way?" She asks finally, drawing the attention of three pairs of eyes.
"What plan have you come up with, Oktaveia kom Skaikru?" Lexa asks with a keen interest, watching the girl with rapt attention.
"What if we don't just depose Pike? What if we incite a coup by exposing him?"
"And how will you do that?"
"Pike's regime is oppressive; he keeps any dissent from spreading, but he doesn't do that publicly. And he's able to make his decisions seem rational. His supporters don't see the monster he really is." Octavia's mind wanders to her brother and how Pike swooped in to take advantage of him in his depression. Truth be told, she would've kicked his ass ages ago if it wouldn't have drawn too much unwanted attention.
Her eyes flit over to Clarke. "Your skill is manipulation. What if you could lure him into a public debate and show him for who he really is?"
Lexa was unsure of that plan. It seemed extremely risky. If something were to go wrong…
"How do you know he would agree to such a thing?"
Octavia and Abby share a knowing smile at the question, and it's Clarke's mother who answers. "He hasn't exactly made a secret of his dislike for Clarke. He's been waiting to humiliate her for a while now."
Lexa nods sagely. She bows her head in thought as she considers the various points made in the course of this conversation. Suddenly, a lump forms in her throat as she realizes that Clarke might not come back and she swallows deeply in effort to stave off the tears.
"It is settled then. You will depart immediately and the kill order will be put in place upon your arrival to the blockade." She clears her throat and prepares to turn on her heel when Clarke's voice stops her.
"No."
Lexa cranes her head toward Clarke and offers a questioning gaze.
"My mother stays."
"Clarke." Abby hisses sharply. These are her people just as much as her daughters, and she's one of the Sky People's best doctors. She will not be forced to sit this one out on the sidelines. Clarke isn't having any of her arguments though and silences her mother with one well-placed point.
"Mom, I can't have Pike using family against me." Abby's shoulders slump in defeat and she sighs.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
As Clarke and Octavia leave the room to go make their travel preparations, Abby stays behind. She places a hand on the door and shuts it as Lexa attempts to leave the room as well. The commander's widened eyes meet hers with an expression that prompts her to explain and she simply stares back with the eyes of a mother worried for her child. Lexa knows what this is. This is protection.
"Look, I've seen a glimpse of how you and Clarke are with each other. I know you care for her, and I know she cares for you. But don't hurt her again." Abby speaks, allowing her lingering distrust of the Commander to rise to the surface. But as she stands in front of her now, it's hard to believe that this is the same youthful woman who betrayed them at the mountain.
"Never." Lexa says with such utter sincerity that it leaves Abby reeling. Clarke's mother doesn't know of the vow, but she wants to make her feel the vow in her words and her actions. She compels the older woman to understand the depth of her devotion to Clarke with that single sentence; to understand the meaning of her stalled action against Skaikru.
She believes, as Abby nods and takes a step away from her personal space, that she does understand.
"I just don't want another Mt. Weather for Clarke…or my people." She breathes out the confession, wondering why she feels so comfortable being this open with the Commander of the clans who is a hair away from laying siege to her people.
"On that, we can agree." Lexa smiles.
The sun has dipped low into the sky by the time Octavia and Clarke prepare to leave and the light of dusk creates a beautifully eerie orange glow in the sky around them. The horses have been brought to the tower and they've just finished loading what little they plan to take in the saddlebags. Clarke pats herself once to check that she's remembered the pistol Titus used earlier. Octavia says a few quick words to Abby and Lexa and hands over a small radio to the former before walking away to mount her horse.
Clarke steps up to her mother, both women looking very conflicted. Clarke knows how difficult this is for her mom; watching her only daughter ride off into some unknown. It is in the Griffin blood to fight for what is right and to stand up for those who deserve justice. She knows the ache that eats away at the older woman's stomach is more than just maternal concern. It's the pain of forced passivity.
Clarke wraps her arms around her mother with a resigned sigh, clinging tightly around her neck just as she did when she was a child. Abby savors this moment with her child; commits it to memory and prays to the stars that Clarke comes back safely.
"May we meet again." Abby says solemnly, stepping back and running a loving hand down her daughter's face. Clarke gives a nod as her mother steps back and Lexa takes her place. In an instant, Clarke's stoic features begin to show signs of crumbling as the reality of what she's about to attempt crashes into her like a wave.
Lexa is there before her, holding her face between her warriors palms and acting as a bouy in the sea of Clarke's emotions. She doesn't know as she rests her forehead against Lexa's that she's having the same effect on the Commander's own doubts. She doesn't dare close her eyes; doesn't want to miss a moment of the time she has left to commit the exact shade of Lexa's eyes to memory, or the exact curve of her lips. Words not yet spoken are on each of their lips, but they don't say them. Neither wants to promise something they might not get a chance to keep right now.
They don't part from each other until Octavia whistles from where she sits atop her horse. Clarke nods her head and gathers the willpower to pull herself away from her Heda, who is looking unabashedly at her with a watery smile. It's almost too much.
Lexa offers her hand much as she had just days before as Clarke steps back to put some space between them.
"Safe passage on your travels." She murmers as they grasp eachothers' forearms. Clarke blinks rapidly in response as she tries to recall a time when Lexa might have come to learn the Sky People's prayer. A smile makes its way to her lips despite their circumstances.
"May we meet again."
She backs away from Lexa for several steps in effort to keep their eyes locked as long as possible before she finally turns. She has almost made it to her horse before she stops short and Lexa has just enough time to register confusion as Clarke runs at her and a moment later her arms are full with her lover. She grabs Lexa's face between her hands and kisses her vigorously enough to cause her mother to turn away from the sight. Like the last one, this moment is over too soon and both of them are undone now. The tears run silently down their faces as they part and take each other in one more time. Lexa grins.
"Now go." She says, gently nudging Clarke away. "Your people need you, Clarke."
"Our people." Clarke corrects, remembering their earlier conversation.
Lexa stands and watches the horses ride further and further from sight until they're out of view and have surely made it through the Polis gates. Suddenly, the dulling, yet ever present pain in her gut is a heavy reminder of their shared burdens. So to, is the chip that sits passively by in her pocket, waiting to come upon someone else who may use it as they should not. Her right hand curls around the chip and she glances down at it, studying the Sacred Symbol it bears.
Her troubled expression finds the path toward the gates one last time before she goes to follow Clarke's mother back into the walls of the palace.
It's late in Arkadia and many of its residents have begun turning in for the night. While the bustle of activity within the camp can still be heard, it grows more quiet as the moon rises higher into the sky. Pike stands in his war room and pours over a map as if he is staring at a chess board. In a way, he believes he is. He has to anticipate every move the grounders make and be three steps ahead. The problem is that he didn't anticipate a blockade from all sides. It can't be long before they march on Arkadia; that can be the only reason. But their commander forgets that the Sky People have guns.
He's interrupted from his silent brooding when he senses a presence standing in the doorway. The Chancellor raises his head to look at his predecessor.
"Marcus?" Curiosity and maybe even a little suspicion seep into his voice. "What brings you here at this hour?"
The man unfolds his arms and walks more fully into the room with a deceptively friendly smile on his face. "I could ask you the same, Pike." His eyes flit down to the map spread out across the table and his hand makes a sweeping motion as he asks a question he already knows—fears—the answer to. "What's all this?"
"The Grounders are boxing us in—you know that; no doubt they intend to steadily move closer until they get close enough to invade. I plan on breaking this siege before it goes too far."
"It's not really a siege if no shots have been fired yet." Kane mutters, just loud enough for statement to be heard and Pike seems visibly affronted for a moment.
"Inside these walls, our people become sitting ducks against their numbers. I'm taking the fight out there." He sharply points a finger at the door to emphasize his point and bores into Kane, who stares right back.
"And our soldiers will be sitting ducks out there against twelve armies. You don't know the power you're up against here."
Of course, Pike wasn't really up against Lexa's armies anywhere but inside his own head yet, but Kane had something of a stake in this matter, so he played along as if that were a truth.
"I know that we have heavy weapons on our side. They're swords can't compete with our bullets." Pike argued stubbornly and Marcus shook his head in disbelief at this ignorance.
"Our bullets won't compete with their sheer numbers, training, and superior battle tactics."
"Save it, Kane. I will find a way to break through that blockade." At this, Kane clenches a fist and his jaw tightens in his frustration. This can't go on much longer and he knows it, but he's powerless to stop it.
"It appears we've reached an impasse, Chancellor." Kane says, deflated.
"It appears we have." Pike takes a seat, leaning his elbows on the table and folding his hands in front of his face. "What do you suggest we do about that?"
Kane studies the tile on the floor in thought. That's the question of the day, he muses. He remembers Clarke mentioning a grounder tradition used in challenges against leader ship and an idea comes to mind as his head snaps up to lock eyes with Pike.
"I challenge you for the Chancellorship."
Pike's eyebrows shoot to the top of his head and his face is a mixture of surprise and amusement. "What's the challenge?" He chuckles, though the mockery is tinged with genuine interest. He's taking the bait, Kane can sense it.
"One on one combat."
Pike makes a clicking sound with his teeth and nods agreeably. "Alright. Since you issued the challenge; name your terms."
Kane speaks quickly, but not so quick as to give away the notion that he's been thinking of Pike's removal for as long as he has.
"Winner gets the Chancellorship; loser is jailed to await trial. We fight at dawn."
Pike extends his hand and Kane takes it in his own.
"Alright then, it's agreed." The smile on his face turns foul and Kane gets a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach at the next words.
"For now, you'll understand if your sleeping arrangements tonight are a bit…different."
Pike calls for a guard and before Marcus has time to process the turn this has taken he finds himself being shackled as he's yanked back toward the door. He glares daggers at the Chancellor who in turn offers a half smirk to his challenger.
"See you at dawn, Marcus."
There's four! I hope y'all like it as much as I enjoy writing it. More action to come in the next chapter.