"Hey," Murphy tried to get his guard's attention. "Hey."
The guard stopped and turned around.
"Who's the best smith? I want to get my friend a knife."
The guard didn't answer, but turned around and began walking again. Murphy muttered, "asshole," under his breath, and took it back when he led them past the market to a smithy. All three Skaikru admired the weapons on display. They picked them up, testing their balance and weight. Miller checked out swords, too. He'd been learning to use one when Pike hijacked Arkadia.
Murphy's guard tapped Miller on the shoulder and pointed at a different sword. Miller picked it up and immediately noticed the difference. He turned his head and thanked the guard. "Mochof."
One of the smith's apprentices realized then that they weren't just window shopping. Bryan, Miller, and Murphy showed their knife selections to the guard. He pointed to another for Bryan and Miller, and nodded his approval at Murphy's selection.
Murphy started trying to find out how much all this would cost. He got the apprentice down to 300 coins and pulled out the pouch Clarke gave him, but his guard stepped up again to tell the apprentice to give him the bill. "Azhefa Roan will send payment no later than tomorrow."
The apprentice went to get approval from the smith, who came to the front of the shop. He talked to the guard and smacked his apprentice in the back of the head for not providing scabbards for the weapons. The smith wrote out the sum expected for each and gave the paper to the guard.
They went back to the market tried to ignore the constant calls for Skaikru to shop at different stalls. Bryan stopped at a few, and all three bought new shirts at one. Murphy found another pair of cargo pants at another. His guard tapped his shoulder again and pointed at lined pants. "Azgeda is cold."
"Thanks. Mochof."
The guard nodded and Bryan helped Murphy pick out pants, shirts, and sweaters. Murphy found a lined leather coat and gloves, and Bryan added a hood. After all that, the pouch was still half full. They grabbed a snack before walking toward the tower. Along the way, they met Harper and Monroe. Bryan went ahead with Murphy to give them a minute to talk with Miller.
Miller gave them Clarke's message and conveyed Murphy's urgency. They agreed to begin checking rooms that evening when the others went out. He suggested that they, too, get weapons. Harper smiled grimly and tapped the scabbard at her side, and Monroe showed him two knives. He smiled at them. "I knew I picked the right people," he told them, and winked before hurrying to catch his boyfriend.
100 – 100 – 100
Marcus came in while Clarke fought against stress-induced nausea to eat. Ontari kept his attention from Clarke while she explained who they were meeting and why. He patiently walked through strategy: Listen to the ambassador until he had nothing to say, address his concerns, finish with the reasons the coalition was the best idea. He coached Ontari while Clarke listened.
Ontari looked at her occasionally, and Clarke nodded encouragement. Lexa wasn't speaking to Clarke, which made it easier for her to concentrate on what Marcus was saying. Clarke hoped Lexa was being quiet for Ontari, too, to give her a chance to understand what Marcus was teaching her.
They went to another room on the next floor up. It was Marcus' suggestion; the throne room was a demonstration of power, and that wasn't the message they needed to give Floukru. Luna knew the strength of the armies; they needed the ambassador to understand, by word and deed, that Ontari had no interest in using them now that the Skaikru rebellion was defeated.
When the Floukru ambassador left, Clarke and Marcus were convinced that Luna's issues had been adequately addressed. They talked together for a few minutes after, and Marcus praised Ontari. She was young, and had much to learn, but she was a quick study. When he left them, Ontari asked Clarke's opinion.
"You did great," Clarke smiled. "You answered all his questions. You didn't raise your voice or lose your patience, and you made your points."
"Thank you for helping. Can you stay for supper?"
"I can't. Roan wants me to meet some people."
"After."
"I can't, Ontari."
"You will come to my bed tonight, Klark."
"No, I won't. You can't do this. You can't," Clarke insisted as Ontari moved close. "I don't want you to die, and the quickest way to get a no confidence vote is for the other clans to think that I'm influencing you."
"You are. If Skaikru remains as the 13th clan, a no confidence vote will fail, will it not?"
"In a year, it might not matter. Right now, I don't know. Give me some time to work out everything that might happen."
"Klark, look at me." Clarke reluctantly did as Ontari asked and saw brown eyes. "I am speaking, not her."
"It doesn't make a difference, not right now."
"I will see you tonight, Klark." Ontari left the meeting room. Seconds later, she heard the door again, and turned to see Titus.
"Wanheda, we must talk."
"No. Leave me alone or I will scream loud enough to wake the dead."
"You are playing a dangerous game."
"Three. Two."
Titus backed away. At one, he put his hand on the door handle. "You will not take another Heda from me." He opened the door and left.
Clarke waited a few seconds. The hall was empty. She didn't know where her guards were, but knew Roan would be pissed off when she told him what happened.
100 – 100 – 100
The suite was empty when Clarke got back there, but she knew it wouldn't be for long. She went into her room and closed the door. She looked at Lexa's trunks and took a deep breath. She opened the one she'd opened earlier.
Despite her trembling hands, Clarke searched the trunk. She didn't find what she was looking for, and closed it. In the second, she found several of Lexa's daggers in a leather roll. Under them were the scabbards, including the one she wore on her thigh nearly every day.
She unrolled the bundle on the floor, and picked a knife with a nearly pristine handle, showing that Lexa didn't use it often. She touched the one she immediately recognized. Be safe, Klark. You are strong. Clarke rolled the bundle again and tied it closed. She went through the scabbards, chose the one that looked newest, and checked to make certain the knife fit in it.
While she was putting everything back in order, she saw a small tin like the one Titus put the A.I. in after removing it from Lexa's neck. This one had the infinity symbol on it instead of the skull on Titus'. Clarke's hands shook even more, and it took her several tries to slide the lid off.
Inside was a place for another A.I. chip. More questions screamed through her brain while she closed the tin and returned it to the trunk. She closed the lid quietly, put the dagger in the scabbard, and put both on top of the trunk.
She heard someone enter the suite and got up from the floor. She opened her door and saw Murphy heading to his room with an armload of clothes and followed him.
"You suck at sneaking, Griffin."
"Because I'm not sneaking, Murphy."
"Bryan helped me pick out some clothes. My guard was surprisingly helpful, too."
"Huh."
"Close the door."
Clarke did while Murphy dropped his purchases on his bed. He showed her the knife and she nodded her approval. "Miller got one and a sword, and his boyfriend got one, too. The guard told the smith to send the bill to Roan. That's why I had enough to get clothes." He pulled the pouch from his pocket and offered it to Clarke.
"Keep it. Did Roan say anything to you about supper?"
"No. He told me to pack because we're leaving tomorrow."
"I want you to have dinner with my mom. Tell her about the City of Light. She'll ask about Lexa, but don't tell her." She looked around Murphy's room and saw paper and a pencil on the dresser. She walked over and wrote a note to her mother. "Give this to my mom so she'll talk to you."
"She talked to me plenty."
Clarke rolled her eyes. "Just come and tell me what she said after you talk."
"This cloak and dagger shit worries me."
"It should. Titus threatened me today. I'm pretty sure Roan's gonna execute some guards. Keep your weapon on you all the time, Murphy."
"Sha, Heda," he smirked, and realized a moment later it was a monumental mistake.
Clarke grabbed his dagger from the bed on her way to pinning him to the floor. She held the blade to his throat. Unlike when she threatened Lexa, the honed edge pressed right under his Adam's apple. "This isn't a game, Murphy. I'm nobody's heda."
"Commander of Death," he smirked again, unable to help himself.
Clarke punched him in the mouth. "You are such an asshole," she said, and stood up. She tossed his dagger on the bed and left him on the floor.