It rained overnight, and the training ring was muddy. Clarke was managing for most of the session, but toward the end she slipped while trying to avoid Alba's lunge. Instead of blocking his sword, he opened a deep wound on her side. Clarke landed on her ass in the mud, but that was nothing new, so it took several seconds for her to realize that she was hurt. She looked at her shirt, torn open, darkening with her blood. "Son of a bitch," she said softly, and got up.
It was deeper than she thought, and Clarke was losing blood quickly due to her accelerated heartbeat. She stumbled again while trying to get back into position, and dropped to her knee, a stunned look on her face.
Alba caught her before she landed face first in the mud. He turned her so he could easily carry her and started for the tower as quickly as he could. Along the way, he encountered a guard and sent her ahead.
Ontari met Alba at the tower door. "Turn her," she ordered, and he moved Clarke enough for Ontari to see her wound. Ontari pulled out her dagger and cut Clarke's shirt away. Then she sliced her palm open and squeezed her blood into Clarke's wound, opening and closing her hand as needed to keep her natblid dripping into Clarke's side.
She watched Clarke's wound carefully. The bleeding slowed, and finally stopped. Ontari took Clarke from Alba and carried her to the lift. He followed her.
"How did this happen?" Ontari demanded while the lift slowly rose. Abby should be waiting in Ontari's quarters.
"Wanheda slipped in the mud."
"Why is she training in the mud, Alba?"
"She may have to fight in it, Heda. She got up, and then fell again."
"Stubborn," Ontari muttered. In her head, Lexa had a few choice words for both Clarke and her trainer.
Abby waited at the lift. "What happened?"
"She was injured training."
"Where? How?"
"She is cut on her side." The guards opened the doors to Ontari's suite, and she carried Clarke toward the bed.
"On the table," Abby said. "Move it into the light first. I need towels and hot water."
Alba hurried around the women to drag the table into the light, then ran for the door to send guards to get what Abby wanted.
Clarke's legs hung off the table. Ontari pulled Clarke's shirt away from the wound, which was closed. A fresh pink scar went across her side, showing plainly through her drying blood and traces of black blood. Abby looked, not believing what she was seeing. "I thought you said she was hurt."
"She is," Ontari said. "There was too much blood so I put mine in the wound. I did not think it would heal it completely."
Alba returned with a pail of hot water in one hand and a fistful of cloth in the other. He put both where Abby could reach them and fled. Abby moistened a cloth and gently began wiping away the dirt and mixed drying black and red blood. There was a small part still open at the top of the wound, but it was scabbed over.
"Where did you get your blood?"
Ontari showed Abby her healed palm.
"We need to talk about that," Abby said.
"Why is Clarke not waking up?"
Abby saw how pale Clarke's face was. She felt her forehead. Clarke was clammy. "She needs to get warm."
Ontari removed Clarke's boots, crossed to her bed, and threw back the furs. She picked Clarke up and carried her to the bed, covered her, and sat on the bed beside her.
"All we can do is wait," Abby told her. She got a fresh cloth and wiped the table clean, then dragged a chair to the bed. "Do you always heal so quickly?" she asked Ontari, partly because she was curious and partly to distract the commander.
"Sha. Natblida heal quickly. It is necessary for heda to be strong."
"Would you mind if I drew some of your blood to examine it?"
"I will ask Clarke." Ontari looked at Abby. "Will she wake soon?"
"Yes. She'll probably be tired for a few days, and she'll probably tell you she isn't. She needs a bit more than usual to make sure her body replenishes her blood supply. She will make a complete recovery. Thank you."
"Klark is always our priority," Ontari said. She looked at Abby again, Lexa's green eyes focusing on Abby. "We always try to keep her safe. She makes it difficult."
"Lexa?"
"Sha, Chancellor."
"Is there anything you can tell me about the other chips?"
"The lesser chips are inferior. They are not meant for control but have been subverted."
"Can they be removed safely?"
"I do not know."
Clarke groaned, and both women looked at her.
"Klark, speak to me."
She opened her eyes and first saw Lexa's looking back. "I'm fine," she tried to reassure her.
"You were injured. Ontari gave you our blood."
"Thanks."
"You will rest for the remainder of the day."
"No, I'm good." Clarke sat up. "Hey, Mom."
"Clarke, you should rest."
"I feel fine. I'll get a bath and we'll go over the dispatches with breakfast."
"No, Klark."
Clarke threw the covers aside and rolled out of the bed on the side opposite her mother and Onari. "I'm fine. Really."
Ontari scrambled across the bed and caught Clarke's arm. "Klark."
She sighed and looked into Lexa's green eyes. "I promise you I am well," she said gently. "I'm sorry I scared you."
"I am not ready for your fight to end, Klark." Strong arms wrapped around Clarke.
A few seconds later, Clarke gave in and returned the embrace. "Neither am I."
Abby watched. The intimacy between her daughter and the commanders made her uneasy. She had no doubt now that Ontari had feelings for Clarke, or that Clarke and Lexa shared something more than a working relationship. What was happening had to be difficult for all of them, but Abby's concern was for Clarke.
She saw Ontari's lips move, but couldn't hear what she told Clarke. Clarke nodded and backed out of their embrace. She went around the bed and found her boots, shoved her feet into them but didn't bother with the laces. Clarke stopped in front of her mother. "I feel fine. If I don't, I promise I'll come and see you."
"Clarke, you really should rest. You were stabbed, you lost a lot of blood."
"Mom, please just trust me. Ontari and Marcus will be with me most of the day."
"I don't want to lose you, too," Abby said softly and stood. She wrapped her arms around Clarke and they shared a long hug.
"I'm not going anywhere," Clarke promised.
100 – 100 – 100
Lexa spoke to Clarke during her walk to her rooms. You are strong, Klark. But you must rest. You are not natblida. You are not invincible. No one will think less of you if you take a day to recover. Marcus can help Ontari at the meetings.
Clarke ignored her, walked into her suite and went directly to the bathroom. She stripped out of her muddy clothes, including the ruined shirt, and sank into the hot water. Lexa continued to talk, and Clarke swore she felt Lexa's hands following her own while she bathed. Meizen, Klark, hodness. I miss this. I miss you, Klark, ai niron. You will find the way. Jus daun jus drein.
Lexa continued to speak while Clarke finished bathing, and while she dressed and pulled her hair back. She stopped when Clarke entered the main room, where Ontari waited with breakfast.
Meizen = beautiful
hodness = love
ai niron = my love