The next day
The Battle for Mount Weather Part 1
Clarke awoke with arms wrapped around her and the smell of earth and pine surrounding her. Her mind flashed back to the previous night and Lexa telling her to stay with her. She smiled and snuggled further into the embrace. She heard a slight giggle come from her love and she looked up and found green eyes full of amusement. She leaned up and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before setting back down to where she had slept, content to stay here the whole day.
She felt Lexa move and readjust to lay on her back. Her head was now resting on her chest while Lexa was playing with her hair. She let out a content sigh and contemplated whether she wanted to move or stay here as long as possible.
"Clarke as much as I would love to stay like this all day, It is already after sunrise and we have many things to do today." she felt Lexa give her a kiss on her head and she still didn't move.
"I know Lexa, I just am not sure if I am ready to lead my people into uncertainty." She sat up on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands trying to mentally prepare herself for today.
Lexa looked at her love and knew exactly what she was going through. It was hard to ask people that you are supposed to lead to go into something that they know will most likely wind up with their death. She had learned this very early after she had ascended to the throne and had to deal with an uprising in the south. It was her first major battle and she thankfully had Anya to talk to. She moved to sit next to Clarke and laid her head on her shoulder.
"I know that this is rough for you Clarke, It is something that you have never had to deal with before. I know deep down you know that you can do this but you are afraid because people may die?" She started to rub her back trying to offer support while talking her through her doubts.
"I know I can too but you are correct. It is not in my nature to let people die. I am a healer at heart but I know that to survive we have to fight and that is my conflict. How can I expect to help everyone if I can not save everyone?" She heard the sniffles and sobs start to form. Lexa's heart hurt for her.
"In times of war we must do our best to ensure the outcome is favorable. Will there be casualties? Yes there always is. Clarke, your people would not be willing to fight this battle if they did not believe that you can lead them to victory. Your people adore you Clarke. You give them hope and provide them the courage and strength to fight for a new life." She was kneeling in front of her and holding her hands trying to speak some of her own words of courage to her.
"The way they responded to your words yesterday showed me that you were born to lead. I am proud of everything you have accomplished since I first met you. You have done so much to help everyone while doing what was necessary. We both carry the burden so our people do not have to." Clarke was now looking into her eyes and searching for any doubt in her words.
"How did you know exactly what to say to shake my doubt?" she smirked at her stilling trying to believe everything.
"I have been where you are now Clarke. On the eve of a battle and doubting myself. I asked myself all of the things that are going on in your head and Anya pulled me out of my head and made me realize that I was doing the best I knew how. She showed me everything I needed to see and hear." She pulled Clarke up with her as she stood and pulled her close and hugged her.
"You don't talk about her enough. She obviously was more to you than just your mentor." Clarke was now smiling at her.
"I promise I will start telling you more about my past after we win this war. Anything you want to know I will tell you. I know you know bits and pieces but I have lived through so much I lose track of what I have told you." She smirked at her and let her go.
Clarke whimpered at the loss of her touch but started to find where her clothes had been moved to. She looked around at where she had left them and realized that they were nowhere to be found. She heard Lexa chuckle at her frantic searching and she looked at her standing in the middle of the room with a pile of clothes.
"I had them washed for you last night." She walked over to her and took the clothes from her and thanked her.
She walked over to where her gear had been stored and started to change. She pulled on her jeans and her shirt. She laced up her boots and made sure they were tied tight enough not to come undone. She looked at the armor stand that held her jacket and noticed a new one was in its place.
She stood up from her chair and looked over her new piece of gear. It was a black leather trench coat that had been sewn together with blue thread. It came with reinforced leather throughout the coat. It came with a black leather hood attached to the neck. She undid the buckles that were across the chest and took it off the stand. It was not too heavy and would allow her to move easily in combat. As she looked at the back of the coat she noticed that there were two angled sheathes sewn into the leather for two of her daggers to be put in. She smiled at the detail and thought that had gone into this.
She pulled the jacket on and it fit perfectly. She buckled the vest that was sewn into the inner part of the jacket. She held out her arms and noticed that there was a sheath sewn into each arm for a small dagger. She started to put the rest of her gear on starting with her thigh sheathes and their respective weapons. She then put two of the newer daggers she had requested into the sheath on the back of her coat and they slid in with ease. She took two of her smallest daggers and slid them, one each into the sheathes on her forearms.
She stood up and grabbed her sword from where it was laying on the table. She put her right arm through the sling and adjusted it till she was able to grab the hilt of the sword with her left hand with ease. She turned back to the corner of the room and saw a mirror was standing in the corner. She walked over to it and looked at the person starting back at her.
No longer was Clarke the girl that fell from the sky and was lost standing here. Now Skaiheda was front and center and she had changed. Her muscles had started to tone, her hair had gotten longer, and her face had started to harden. She was looking at herself for what felt like for every when she saw a familiar face appear in the mirror beside her.
She saw the piercing yet soft gaze of her love with her warpaint already in place. She saw the smile on her face that told her it was still Lexa standing here with her.
"I almost don't recognize myself Lexa. It is kinda strange but doesn't feel wrong." Lexa smiled at her and didn't move.
"I know how you feel but there is one thing you are missing. Come with me." Lexa led her by the hand to a table close by. She sat down in one of the chairs and looked at what was on the table.
In front of them were two jars of colored paint. One was blue and one was black and there were different size sponges and brushes as well.
"Every warrior has warpaint for when they go into battle. You are no exception Clarke. You have proven to be a warrior and it is time for you to have your own warpaint. If you trust me I have a design in mind." Clarke nodded at her and Lexa smiled.
"Close your eyes Ai hodnes." Clarke did as she was told and felt her nerves out excitement rush over her.
She felt the coolness of the paint as it was applied to her face. She felt the delicate touch that Lexa was using trying to make sure everything was right. She sat as still as possible not wanting to cause her any issues while she was doing this for her. She sat there for five minutes while Lexa donned her face in a chosen warpaint. She felt Lexa stand and pull her up with her.
"Keep your eyes shut till I tell you to open them." She felt her breath on her ear as she was being led somewhere. The anticipation was starting to get to her. She walked a few steps in a direction before she came to a halt.
"You may open your eyes now Skaiheda, Ai hodnes."
Clarke slowly opened her eyes and gasped at the sight in front of her. On her face were two black wings that spread out from her nose to the edge of her face. Each feather reached upwards to the sky as if trying to show off. On each wing there were sky blue stars dotted across each feather. She was taken aback by how beautiful it was.
"You are the angel that fell from the night sky and changed my world. I wanted to express that while reminding you of where you came from." She was fighting back the tears at the thought Lexa put into turned around and faced her. She pulled her into a kiss trying to express just how much it meant to her. She pulled back and smiled at her.
"It is wonderful Lexa. Thank you." She turned back to the mirror and looked at it more. She pulled her hood up and realized that with her face shielded she looked intimidating. She loved the hood while keeping her Skaiheda face inplace and realized that it worked to perfection.
Skaiheda was now complete and here in full force. Beside her stood her love and Heda. They both stared at the mirror and studied the other. Lexa knew they were stronger like this. Underneath the pain and armor were their true selves. Looking in the mirror she saw two warriors and leaders standing side by side hand in hand and it made her feel stronger.
"I wonder how Skaikru will react to seeing me?" Clarke said never taking her eyes off Lexa's reflection.
"Why don't we find out. You are Skaiheda and you have some things to deal with if I remember correctly." She saw her smile and nod in agreement.
"I do Heda. Shall we go handle those matters at Camp Jaha?" Clarke turned and looked at her love.
"After we eat Ai hodnes. I had one of the guards bring in breakfast while you were changing." Clarke just shook her head and chuckled at her.
"Of course you did." They walked into the main room of her tent and sat at the table and started to eat. Clarke had told herself that this was the best part of being on the ground.
"What do we have to deal with today?" Lexa asked as she ate.
"Well I need to make sure that Raven is ready to go and has everything she needs. Then Kane and Abigail need to be filled in on the plan, well my mother does at least." she chuckled at the fact that her mother still had no clue what was going to happen today.
"I am still amazed that she hasn't tried to talk to you more at least when it comes to the plan."
"My mother is more worried about who is following her and trying to lead the way they did on the ark then come up with a plan. She has no ounce of fight in her when it comes to fighting a war. That's why I am going to have her stay back and tend to the wounded." Lexa watched as Clarke clinched her hand into a fist around her knife. She reached out and placed her hand on top of her arm.
"Clarke, you have done everything to try and make her see that she is not helping. I had Kane try to talk to her yesterday. Now if that did any good remains to be seen but if she steps out of line today you can not have any leniency. Today you have to separate Abigail the chancellor from Abby your mother." Clarke looked at her and saw the concern on her face even as she spoke.
Lexa was right, it was time for her to stop tolerating her mother's bullshit. Today would be different. Her mother would fall in line with her orders or be locked up and Jackson would be promoted to lead Healer.
"Thank you Lexa, you always know what to say." she smiled as she relaxed the death grip on her knife.
"I care about you Clarke. I don't want you to have to do anything drastic today but know that you have my support." Lexa moved her hand and continued to eat her meal.
"Thank you Lexa, your support means the world right now. I never thought I would be here today with someone I care for but I am glad we are here now." She smiled at her and continued to eat in a comfortable silence.
They finished their meal and made sure their warpaint was still in place as they made their way out of the tent for last time today. Lexa and her took a moment to look over the camp and both of them let out a breath. Everywhere they looked people were moving about at a faster pace. Everyone knew the importance of today and how they needed to be prepared for whatever came their way.
Clarke was following Lexa by her side and was surprised when everyone was giving her the same treatment that Lexa normally got. She turned her head slightly and raised an eyebrow at her and only received the slightest hint of a smirk in answer. She shook her head and kept walking in stride as they headed for the stables. Clarke didn't know how today would change her but she was honestly looking forward to putting this behind them so she could further her relationship with Lexa and continue to learn.
They reached the stables and each found their respective horses. Clarke had grown fond of her horse and found herself when she was not training or leading her people, taking her horse and going on rides with Octavia in the surrounding woods. She walked up to her horse and it recognized her immediately. In front of her stood a black and white appaloosa. She walked up to her and let her smell her scent by holding her hand up to her nose. It let out a pleased whinny and she smiled at her horse.
"Hey Starlight, we have a big day ahead of us." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple of apple slices and held them out for her to eat. She giggled at the tickling sensation that took over her hand.
"Yeah I know those are your favorite and I promise to try and get you some more okay?" Starlight nodded her head in what she took as an agreement.
She found her tack and started to put everything on her horse. She talked calmly to her as she saddled her. Once she was done she grabbed the reins and led her out of her stall. She stopped just outside of the stable and saw Lexa was already mounted on her horse. She smiled at her and proceeded to mount Starlight. Thankfully she had gotten used to doing this over the last few weeks. The first time she had tried to get on a horse it took her awhile.
"Skaiheda, are you ready to go?" she heard Octavia call to her as she exited the stable.
"Sha Okteivia." she replied as she saw the smirk form on Lexa's face. She knew that Lexa liked it when she talked in her native tongue.
Lexa and her left the gate of the stable at the same time followed by Indra and Octavia. They slowly made their way to the front gates of Camp Jaha. Their hoods were up but their faces were visible this time. Clarke looked up at the sun and saw it was halfway to its peak for the day. The day was already moving faster than she had realized. They would be in a fight for survival before they knew it.
She took a breath to calm her rising nerves as the gates of Camp Jaha came into view. She sat up straighter in her saddle and started to mentally go into Skaiheda mode. She looked over at Lexa and saw that she was doing the same thing. She was still amazed how normal this started to become for her. She had two different people inside her and it was normal now. She held the person Lexa and her were in private so close to her heart and it made her feel alive.
They arrived at the gates to the Camp and they slowly opened when one of the guards recognized her finally. Well the war paint made that more difficult but it made her feel different at the same time. They made their way inside once more and led their horses to the stables. They dismounted and Clarke made her way over to Lexa. She pulled her to a secluded spot real quick and pulled her into a quick kiss. Lexa stiffened at first, because this was the first time they had done this outside of her tent. She relaxed quickly and returned it in earnest. She pulled back and smiled at her love.
"What was that for Clarke?" She smiled back at her enjoying the moment for what it was.
"I just needed to do that before we are not able to for a while."
"I am glad you did. I needed it as well, Ai hodnes. We will get through this day and afterwards we can move towards further securing Skaikru's place in the coalition." She beamed at her as they put their faces back on and walked out of the secluded area.
They were met by Octavia and Indra who just sent them a knowing look and they just nodded back at them. Lexa was glad they had filled them in on their relationship. It allowed them small moments to themselves. They all walked together to the center of town hoods situated back in place.
This whole process seemed all too familiar for Clarke. She was hoping this time everything went smoothly and her mother didn't cause any unnecessary problems today. They arrived in the center of everyone that had gathered when their arrival had been announced. Clarke looked eyes with her mother and could tell that she was trying to fight back any anger she had towards Lexa. That is an improvement already Clarke thought.
They came to a halt standing opposite Kane and Abby. Lexa and Clarke removed their hoods at the same time and a slow gasp came out from everyone once Clarke raised her head to look at all of them. Something unexpected happened next that took her by surprise. All of her people fell to one knee bowing their heads at her. The only person that was slow to fall to a knee was her mother. She gave her a pointed look and saw Kane drag her down.
"You may rise Skaikru" she said in an even level commanding tone. Lexa was shocked but not surprised by the display Skaikru showed. To her they had finally come to their senses after the last few weeks.
Clarke turned and looked at Lexa and saw a small smirk on her face but it quickly was replaced and she gave her a nod to continue. Together they approached Abby and Kane and greeted them. Kane greeted them the way he had seen the Trikru warriors greet each other and Lexa gave him a small smile in appreciation. Abby on the other hand still was apprehensive but said her greeting to the both of them.
"Abi, is there someplace we can talk so everyone can return to preparing for tonight?" Clarke stood beside her and watched the interaction ready to intervene if necessary.
"This way Commander. We can use my office." Abby turned and led them towards the entrance of the ark.
Clarke looked at Kane with a raised eyebrow and was met by a look of shock as well. She knew then that he was not expecting this as well. Lexa saw the interaction between them and realized neither of them had planned this outcome either. Maybe Abigail had realized the importance of today and decided to work with them. It would definitely make filling her in on the plan easier.
They followed Abby through the narrow halls of the Ark and Lexa for the first time felt uneasy. She was used to the open air and open spaces of her meeting halls. She felt caged and wondered if this is how Clarke had felt all the time. She felt Clarke squeeze her hand and she looked over at her. Clarke leaned over and whispered to her that she would be all right and that she was here for her. She was able to wrangle her nerves and the feelings of being caged just as they made it to Abby's office.
Once inside Abby made her way to her chair and sat down in it not waiting for anyone else to sit. She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible so she could continue doing her own research Into the best way to break Clarke away from the commander. She was determined to rescue her daughter from this tyrant that had held her daughter against her will. She was going to do whatever it took even if that meant taking out Lexa. She just needed the help from someone that was currently not available.
Clarke and Lexa took the two seats that were provided for them and set down together never breaking eye contact with Abby. Clarke was waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop and this all to go sideways. The silence in the room was unsettling for her as was the hatred radiating off her mother. She saw the stare down going on between the two and was happy when her mother looked away first and fixed her gaze on her.
"Clarke, I see you have taken more of their customs to heart. I must say that while I am still not fully behind you as our leader, your people seem to think otherwise. The display earlier was something they did on their own." Abby kept her tone flat and even as best as she could.
"They respect you and see that you are the reason for this alliance. While I still think that you are a child, Kane has brought it to my attention that without you and Bellamy most if not all of you would be dead. I hope that we can work together from now on and you will see that we can offer you more than what she can." She saw the slight tense in the commander's body and she was not expecting to see her daughter squeeze her hand. It was quick enough that if she hadn't been watching she would have missed it.
"Chancellor, so far you have done nothing but try to break up this alliance and now you want to work with us? Excuse me for wondering what caused the sudden change?" Lexa kept her tone even and flat. She knew why Abby had said what she did. It was to get a rise out of her and she hated the fact that it caused her to tense.
"I have come to the understanding that this battle will have casualties and I will be of use as a healer. That is where I will be best suited so, in short yes it would be beneficial to work with your healers today." Clarke was trying to get a read on her mother and saw the slight smirk and flicker of something on her face that told her that her mother was up to something.
"Well since you brought up being a healer Chancellor, that is part of what we needed to discuss. Skaiheda and I have decided that it is time to fill you in on the plan for the battle. You will need to know where every group is being sent so you will be able to provide adequate care for our wounded." Lexa watched as the brief shock crossed her face at the news that she was not being kept up to speed on everything. She knew based on this reaction that Kane and Raven had done their job in keeping her at bay.
"We can arrange to have a medical outpost set up for you if you would like, Chancellor?" Clarke spoke to her mother for the first time since coming into the office. She was intrigued by the back and forth Lexa was having with her mother.
"It would be easier to be closer to the front lines and between Jackson, your healers and I. We should be able to assist anyone that needs attention. It would be a great help to have that outpost." Lexa nodded at Kane and Clarke understanding that this was a start for them.
"Chancellor, you should know that Raven, Wick and a small team of Trikru warriors will be leaving for the dam at midday and they should arrive there just after nightfall. Once inside they will take out the generators and knock out the power to the complex. We are expecting them to have backup generators but those will not run the whole complex." Clarke spoke and watched her mother's face and body closely as she took in the news.
"Once Bellamy receives word from Raven that the power has been disabled he will disable the fog from the inside and we will be able to approach the mountain." She looked over at Lexa and nodded to her.
"Once he has completed his task, my army will march for the entrance to mount weather. Octavia, Lincoln, Indra and some Trikru will head for the tunnels. Once we are at the door Monty and Bellamy should be able to open the door and we will use some items Clarke found to knock the Maunden out." She kept her voice even and flat as she spoke. Lexa had been watching Abigail and was still unsure of how much she should believe her.
"Once we are inside the mountain we are going to head for the cells and rescue our people. This will be a fight and both Skaiheda and I are expecting there to be casualties for both sides. We have come to the conclusion that to take down the mountain it may come at a cost and we both have agreed this is the only way." Lexa looked over at Clarke as she finished giving the overview of the plan they had been working on for weeks.
Clarke was still amazed at how in a short amount of time they were able to pick up where the other left off. She nodded in agreement to her and turned back to her mother. So far her mother had not said a whole lot since they started to brush over the plan. They had decided to give her the basic details in order to gauge how she would take it. She was watching her face waiting for a reaction when Kane cleared his throat. All three of the women turned and looked at him.
"It sounds to me that you both have thought this through as much as you can. Is there anything else we can do to help?" Leave it to Kane to ease the tension in the room.
"As of the moment just continue to prepare our people. We will need the ones trained to fight ready to leave when we do. The ones that cannot fight will assist Abby and Jackson where they can. Anyone who wants to stay here is welcome to." She knew that some of her people were not fighters and that they would be more of a detriment than a help.
"They will be ready to leave when you are Skaiheda." Kane knew using the name the commander had given Clarke would further enforce to Abby that Clarke was in fact the defacto leader of their people no matter how much Abby hated it.
Abby saw now that even Kane was firmly behind Clarke as their leader. She was realizing that she had no allies here at Camp and it was starting to irritate her. Her daughter had somehow already reigned control over their people without her knowing. The more she thought about it the more pieces started to fall into place. She had been duped into thinking she was still in control. Her title was just that, a title now. It no longer held any weight behind it. Her only saving grace was Bellamy and how he had told her that he wanted to be with her daughter. She would be able to use that later for her own gain.
"Clarke, how long have you been going behind my back and making decisions for our people?" All three heads snapped toward her and the look of panic, that briefly flashed on her face told her all she needed to know.
"I have been making the decisions necessary in order to secure our place here on the ground. I was making the sacrifices before you came down here Abigail. You have no idea what we went through before you landed here. You don't know the battle we were already in before the remaining 100 were captured by the mountain. You know nothing of what you sentenced us to when you shot us down here." Clarke was starting to shift between Skaiheda and Wanheda. She could feel her anger rising and her senses itching for a fight.
"Skaiheda." Clarke turned toward where she heard her name coming from and saw the green eyes of Lexa. Slowly she started to even out.
"Abigail, we are down here for now. If anything else comes up that is deemed pertinent for you to know, you will be informed. Kane, will you walk with us?" He nodded and stood up as they did and followed them out the door.
Abby sat there taking in what just happened. She felt the anger start to radiate off of Clarke. She saw the change in her face and the way her voice started to change. What had happened here to change her daughter so drastically? She turned around in her chair and reached for a drawer in the cabinet behind her. She opened the drawer and inside was rolled up paper, a necklace, pictures of when her family was still together and happy, underneath all of that was a hidden compartment that held her plans.
She opened the compartment and pulled a notebook. It was leather bound and clasped together with a leather strap. She undid the clasp and opened it to the first page and started to reread through her notes on everything she had seen or heard since she landed on the ground. She got to the last page she had written and looked at the title of this entry. "Chemicals". Abby had been studying anything she was able when it came to chemicals and how to use them to better suit her in her medical practice. It wasn't until she got here on the ground that she started to think of different ways to use these chemicals for warfare. If she was able to harness them in this way it would give them a step up on the grounders.
She had seen the devastation the fog had caused to those who had been caught in it. She had grabbed one of the gas grenades from the box Clarke had brought back from a bunker they had found. She had begun to try and figure out how it worked, what the chemical compound used was and every little detail she could. He scanned through her notes that she had made over the last couple days and decided that turning this into a bigger version would allow her and Bellamy to gas the commander's camp and rescue her daughter. Now all she had to do was get past the battle and talk with Bellamy.
Raven's workshop
Raven watched the monitor closely as the meeting between Clarke, Lexa, Kane and Abby played out. Kane had requested her to modify the security cameras stationed around the ark the best she could so they had audio capabilities. It was not the easiest thing to do and she had only been able to get two of the cameras to record audio. One of those cameras was located in the chancellor's office.
Raven was able to tell Abby was getting under Clarke and Lexa's skin just by her choice in words. She was playing it cool and peppering her doubt in between her half-hearted attempt at understanding. Her ears perked up when she heard Abby ask about how long Clarke had been running things behind her back. She stiffened, trying to recall anyway Abby had been tipped off to what was really going on. She was not expecting the change in Clarke's voice as her anger rose and it startled her to her core.
She watched as Lexa reached over and pulled Clarke out of the state she was in. If she wasn't sure there was something going on between them she had her answer now. She had come to the realization that Clarke didn't care for Finn like she had and it caused her to look at her differently. Clarke had done what was necessary at the time to ease the tension that had been brewing over what he had done. She shook herself out of her memories and watched as the three of them left Abby by herself.
She saw her turn around and pull a book out of a compartment in the cabinet behind her. She couldn't see what it said but she knew if it was being hidden then Abby wanted no one to find it. She made a note of where the drawer was located and how she would be able to access it later and make copies. She had been given clear instruction from Kane to watch everything Abby was up to. He knew that she would push too far one day and that they would need proof of her actions.
She watched for five more minutes until she heard a knock on her workshop door. She turned the monitor around and headed to answer the door. She pulled open the door and was met by a furious Commander and Clarke, with Kane following behind them. She turned to the side and extended her arm in a motion to allow them inside.
They made their way to the table in the middle of her shop and Clarke immediately gripped the edge of the table turning her knuckles white. Raven knew something was wrong but from the look of both Lexa and Clarke's face she kept to herself.
Revion, lock the door please and don't speak of anything you are about to see." Lexa commander her and she immediately did as she was told. Lexa scared her right now and didn't want to try anything.
Once the door was locked she turned around and nodded at Lexa and watched as Lexa moved closer to Clarke and wrapped her arms around the girl. She tried to keep her surprise in check as she moved to stand by Kane. She watched as Lexa rubbed small circles on Clarke's lower back and talked to her softly calming her down from whatever was going on. She watched as her face softened and the hardness and fury left her eyes.
Raven was stunned into silence. She knew that she had just seen the commander be human and that she was trusted enough to not say anything. She stood up straighter and vowed to do whatever was necessary to protect this life for the both of them. She saw Clarke nod and say something to the commander as she was led to a chair next to the table. Lexa motioned for them to join them and they looked at each other and just shrugged to the other not knowing really what just happened but had a good guess.
"I would like to apologize for storming in her Revion, I need to get Clarke someplace quiet and away from her mother." Lexa was still rubbing small circles on Clarke's back as she spoke.
"No need to apologize Commander, if I may ask what caused this?" Raven already knew but wanted to know more.
"Raven, anytime I have to deal with my mother I have to be careful or I start to lose control of my anger and just want to fight. I don't know exactly when this started happening but I have an idea." She looked up at the mechanic and she was able to see her eyes had returned to normal.
"Well anytime you need my shop you are welcome to it." She looked over at Kane and raised an eyebrow at him asking a question without saying anything. He just nodded at her.
"Clarke, there is something you should know. I wanted to wait till after today but tomorrow is not guaranteed right now." Raven felt a chill go down her spine knowing she would be leaving for the dam soon.
"What is it Raven?"
"I have rewired the cameras and upgraded two of them to have audio capabilities. One such camera is in the Chancellor's office. After you left I watched you mother turn around and pull out a notebook from a hidden drawer. She was looking through it as you came in here." Raven relayed her newest discovery and waited for her response.
"Well if it is being hidden that could be bad. I got the feeling that she was hiding something and she kept trying to get a rise out of both of us." she looked over at Lexa and saw her nod in agreement.
"Who knows about this?"
"Just Raven and I. I had her do it because I wanted to keep an eye on your mother. My talk I had with her had no effect and I caught her experimenting on one of the gas grenades. She played it off as preparing a way to counteract the side effects of it but I don't buy it." Kane was looking directly at Clarke as he spoke. He knew Abby was reaching levels he would not be able to pull her back from.
"I have been trying to gather as much information on her intentions as I can so that when the time comes we will have an easier time in putting your plan in place Skaiheda." Clarke really was not surprised but she knew that what her mother was doing would not end.
"You will have to deal with her later Clarke. I fear that she is starting to affect you in a way that I had not accounted for. I know you have no idea what is going on right now but I will be able to help you tonight and further down the road. Tonight will be your first taste of war and you will lose some of your people."
Clarke stiffened as she heard the voice start talking to her again. Lexa must have noticed something going on because she started talking to Kane and Raven about what else they had discovered.
"So if I am going to be hearing you more, shouldn't I know who you are?"
"I am Wanheda. I have been wandering alone for a very long time waiting for you. I know you have many questions but I assure you that you are strong enough to face this world. You and Lexa are fated to bring either an everlasting peace to our land or plunge it into further warfare. Which of those outcomes that come true is up to you two together."
"So let me get this straight, You are the woman that I saw in my dream. The same one that made all of those other people scared shitless and I am supposed to believe that you are here to help me and cause me more pain than I already have?" Clarke was simmering with anger at this news.
"Sha Skaiheda. I would not have chosen you if I did not believe we would be able to work together. You will be tested more after tonight and it is all to ensure you can control my power. You have felt some of the effects of my power already." Wanheda materialized in front of her and she had to keep her emotions in check. She was still not sure how she felt about seeing a potential version of herself.
"What exactly does your name mean? I know what Lexa's means." Clarke saw the hardening of Wanheda's face.
"I can't not tell you at this time. After tonight you will know more." Clarke watched as Wanheda sagged her shoulders.
"I am not going to lie to you Clarke. Your life will not be easy and it will not be the most ideal life but you will survive and have a family that you care for." Clarke was taken aback by her words.
"How do you know this but do not know which outcome will come true?"
"I am an alternate version of your future Clarke. In my life you suffered many losses and killed many people. You did not enjoy much happiness in this future. I have learned from my mistakes in helping you the first time."
"Well I hope that you have because I fully plan on making a life for myself down here. If you fuck up my life this time I will find a way to kill you myself." Wanheda watched as the fury took over Clarke and she erupted with a battle cry that made even the Commander of Death shake. She had tried to control Clarke in her timeline. She realized that this version of Clarke was stronger and a fighter compared to the healer that she tried to help before.
Clarke pulled herself out of her mind and tried to control her breathing. She had no idea how to process what had just happened but she was now determined to prove any of her doubters wrong. She was going to slay the mountain and live her life.
"Clarke are you okay?" She heard Raven ask and when she locked eyes with her she saw the fear on her face. She looked next to her and saw Kane with the same expression. She felt pressure being applied to her arm and turned her head and locked eyes with Lexa.
"Skaiheda yu need kom control yourself. Focus ona Ai."(Skaiheda you need to control yourself. Focus on me.) Clarke had no idea how she had just understood what Lexa was saying to her.
"Ai laik trying Leksa. Ai had an unexpected visitor en em pissed me off."(I am trying Lexa. I had an unexpected visitor and she pissed me off.) Lexa needed to keep this going as she noticed the more Clarke talked in her language the more she calmed down.
"Chon was disha visitor?"( Who was this visitor?)
"Wanheda." Lexa stiffened at the name. Clarke had been chosen and she could feel Becca trying to force her way into her mind but she blocked it for now.
"Oso na deal kom Disha later. Bilaik friends are worried."(We will deal with this later. Your friends are worried.) Clarke nodded at her, still perplexed by her understanding of Lexa's language.
"I am sorry Raven and Kane. I know you have many questions but they will have to wait. I believe it is time for Raven to depart." Clarke stood and instinctively pulled Lexa with her and she hadn't let go of her hand still trying to center herself.
"I will ask you again, are you okay?" Raven was now standing in front of her with concern written all over her face.
"I will be Raven. I am sorry if I scared you." She pulled her into the last hug she would be able to give her friend for a while.
Lexa still had so many questions as well but knew they would figure it out. She was trying to wrap her mind around how her and Clarke had been able to hold a full conversation in her language when Clarke was still learning it. She knew that Clarke being chosen was going to be something they both would have to learn to deal with. She could feel that Becca was not happy with being ignored right now but she needed to focus on Clarke and the upcoming battle.
"Raven, it is time to gather your team and start our plan." Clarke said as Lexa was pulled out of her thoughts.
"Give me five minutes and I'll meet you back here." Clarke nodded and watched as she left to gather her team.
Kane was watching the two remaining women and how they naturally were gravitating towards each other. He knew something had developed between the two leaders and he knew that they were doing everything they can to make sure their people survive. Lexa was the commander of twelve clans but still was able to help Skaikru and Clarke even though they really had not had a whole lot to offer them in return. Clarke had been sent down to the ground to die and had managed to make sure the 100 survived and somehow had managed to secure a tentative alliance to keep them alive.
"Clarke, when do we start sending out people to set up the outpost?" Clarke turned and faced him.
"In the next couple of hours. It will take raven a few hours to get to the damn. We have to be careful as we do not want to alert mount weather to anything." She looked over at Lexa to fill in the next part.
"There is a small village halfway between here and The mountain. I have sent word to this village to be expecting our healers to arrive soon. This village is well hidden and should not have been discovered by the mountain. This would provide the best place for our medical outpost." Kane nodded at them not even surprised that they had already prepared for this even before they knew if Abby would be on board.
"I am afraid to ask how much you two have actually planned for this battle." Kane got his answer when they both just smirked at him.
Raven walked back through the door with Wick and a couple of the older engineers that had come down from the ark. Clarke could tell the older Arkers were slightly intimidated by her. She looked at the four people gathered and she was happy with the people Raven had chosen.
"Thank you all for coming. I know this will not be the easiest task to carry out. Your mission is to knock out the power at the dam." She turned to the big screen in Raven's shop that had a map of the area. Thankfully some of the satellites were still in orbit.
"You will leave here with some of the Trikru and head here." Clarke pointed to a location on the map that had been discovered on one of their scouting missions.
"This is an underground entrance that leads to a parking garage that will let you into the damn. We do not know if this is guarded by Mount Weather. You will need to travel quickly and stay as hidden as possible. We know that Mount Weather has scouts that roam their area around Tondisi and Camp Jaha." She turned and looked back at the people in the room.
"We are planning on catching them by surprise and knocking out the generators before they know you are even there." she looked directly at Raven.
"Once you have the generators knocked out you are to radio Bellamy and get out of there. If you have to fight your way out do so. I know that you all are not known for fighting but if it comes to it you will have to do what you can to get out of there alive." She looked at Raven and Wick and knew they could hold their own. Both of them had been involved in the fighting ring that happened on the ark and were both pretty damn scrappy.
"Heda, had been gracious and offered each of you horses to make the journey quicker. Raven if you are not able to ride by yourself then you can ride with one of the Trikru." She knew that with her leg it could be difficult for her.
"I should be fine Skaiheda, the ride there should be no problem. I came up with a way to make riding in a saddle easier. I figured that we needed to learn to ride at some point to get from place to place." Raven was smiling the biggest grin at her.
"That is good to hear. Now are there any questions?" All of the people gathered shook their head no at her.
"Then take your leave and may we meet again." They all bowed to her and left to go meet with the Trikru that would be showing them the safest way there.
Clarke let out the breath she had been holding. Her plan was now set in motion and there was no turning back. Lexa must have sensed her nerves rising because she was met by green eyes that had an eyebrow raised. She smiled at her trying to let her know she was okay.
"How far away is that village Lexa?" she asked trying to get an idea of when to have her mother leave with the healers.
"It is about two hours from here. With the supplies they are taking with them it would take three to arrive. They should probably leave soon, Klark." She nodded at her.
Clarke knew things were going to move quickly now. She felt like she was running out of time. She sighed as she realized that she was about to have her mother leave the Camp. The thought terrified her because she didn't know if she could fully trust her not to pull anything. She was hoping that her mother would realize that she needed to actually work with the other healers and maybe learn something in the process.
In the few weeks that she had spoken with Nyko, she had learned that they would use the herbs and anything they could find natural to heal their wounds. She first hand had learned this after one one her training sessions with Lexa wound up giving her a nasty cut across her side. She instinctively put her hand on the scar that had formed as a reminder to always be on guard.
"Is Nyko and his healers ready to leave?" She looked at Lexa and she saw that she was being watched by her.
"Sha Klark. He is waiting on my word to leave." Lexa had watched her move her hand to the scar on her left side. Lexa still felt bad about doing that to her but it had made Clarke more aware.
"Then let's go tell my mother that she is leaving. This should go well." She rolled her eyes and let out a breath.
Lexa knew what Clarke was going through right now and the toll it was going to take on her. She was hoping they could get through this night and move past this shadow that is blocking a possible future for them. She fell in step beside her as they walked to Abby's office to break the news.
Village halfway to the Mountain
They had arrived in the village less than twenty minutes ago. Clarke and Lexa were the first to arrive and greeted the people that lived there. Everyone was happy to see their Heda even though they knew why she was there. The smaller villages that we spread out through Trikru lands held a special part in her heart. She herself was born in a smaller village before it was discovered that she was a Natblida.
This particular village was known for its healers and it was the main reason they both decided this would be the best place for the out post. Lexa and Clarke met with the leader of this village and went over how things would go. At first the woman in charge was hesitant around Clarke. She only spoke in Trigedasleng and Clarke just listened, able to understand most of what she was saying. They had decided that it would be best to keep her understanding of their language a secret for now. It would allow her to relay any information that is being said when Lexa wasn't around.
Eventually the leader relaxed in her presence once Lexa vouched for Clarke. She was asked about the Skaikru healing methods and how they could work together. She gave her as much knowledge as she could and Lexa translated when the leader looked confused. Together they were able to convince her that Skaikru would be an asset in assisting them with healing the wounded that would come from the battle.
They walked around the village and Lexa showed them a place where they could train while they were awaiting the arrival of Abigail and Nyko. Her mind went back to the meeting with her mother. It went better than expected and she was pleasantly surprised at the fear displayed on her mother's face. She could tell that it was finally settling in for her.
"Klark, are we going to train or just stand here?" Lexa asked, giving her a questioning gaze with one eyebrow cocked.
She locked around and saw no one was there which was nice. They wouldn't have to worry about using their title and it relaxed her.
"Sha Leksa." She looked over at her and saw she was still in full gear. Clarke knew how this was going to go.
She drew her sword and rolled her shoulders. It had been a couple days since they had trained and she was honestly itching for a fight. She could not pinpoint when she started craving the thrill of being in a fight but she had started to get a rush out of her training sessions with Lexa.
She saw Lexa nod at her letting her know she was ready. She started walking to her right going in a circle trying to watch Lexa's body for any sign of what she would do first. One of the first lessons Lexa taught her was to react and not think too much. Once she started to react more she started to pick up on how Lexa moved and where any potential openings were. She watched as Lexa copied what she was doing. All of the previous training sessions came into her mind as she tried to figure out where she would strike first. She mentally ran through all of the strengths and weaknesses she had picked up on and quickly realized that she had not found many weaknesses when it came to her fighting. Lexa had years of training on her and she knew that the one time she had planted Lexa she had gotten lucky.
Clarke didn't know how long they had for this training session before the rest of the party arrived at the village. She mentally prepared herself for any wounds she would come away from this session with and she advanced toward Lexa. She saw the smile in her face and that only made her want to try harder. She picked up her speed and went on the attack. She closed the distance between them quickly and started to raise her sword above her head to land the first blow. Her sword came down aiming for Lexa's shoulder and it was easily met by her sword. Clarke followed through with her right fist aiming to land a punch in her gut.
Lexa saw it coming and spun away from her and used her other fist to land a punch in between her shoulder blades. Clarke felt the blow and it made her stumble forward a couple of steps. She turned around and had to quickly parry the sword swing the Lexa was giving her. She went on the defensive now and felt herself being pushed back with every incoming blow and swing. She met eyes with Lexa and saw they were starting to darken and she seemed to be moving faster. Clarke knew she was going to have to kick herself in another gear to keep up.
"I can lend you some assistance if you would like?" Wanheda decided now was the perfect time to show up.
"How is she moving like this?" Clarke was trying to split her mind into two it felt like. She was blocking every blow she could but she was starting to tire. Her stamina was still shit compared to Lexa.
"It is part of her being linked with the commander spirit. The spirit attuned her senses for battle and helped her fight. I can do the same for you if you are willing." Clarke pondered this as she felt a punch land in her gut that knocked the wind out of and she went to a knee.
"Clarke, you are distracted. You need to focus." She heard Lexa voice speak to her as she heard her footsteps walking back away from her.
"Screw it. What is the worst that could happen?" She was curious about what it meant to get help from this spirit no one knew anything about.
"So be it. This will only be a sampling of how my aid can help you in battle. You are not strong enough yet for us to fully be one." She felt her mind and senses being thrown into overdrive.
Slowly she felt a fire spread through her body. Every nerve and muscle in her body seem to come alive with renewed energy. Her eyes adjusted to the light coming through the trees. She could hear every sound that was around her. Her mind felt attuned for more now. She rose from her knee and locked eyes with Lexa and gave her a wicked smile.
Lexa watched as Clarke rose from her kneeling position. She locked eyes with her and saw her eyes were alive with a fire she hadn't seen before. This was a different fire compared to the one she had seen spawn from the rage and anger she held for Abigail. She saw the smirk that splayed across her face as she rolled her shoulders. She knew something had come alive in Clarke and she was excited to see where this went. She connected with the commander's spirit once more and went on the attack once again.
Clarke waited till Lexa was right on her before her body moved. She sidestepped the swing from Lexa and brought her left knee up to connect with Lexa's stomach. She heard the audible groan come from her love.
Lexa was wondering how in the hell she had moved so quickly. She snapped her head back around at Clarke and sent her a wicked look. It was a look that made most men shake in their boots but Clarke just smiled at her. This made her fury kick into overdrive. She was on the attack again and her mind melded with the commanders and she went into full battle mode. She threw swing after swing at Clarke and followed up every miss with a punch. If she missed with her sword she landed a blow with her fist. The only downside to this was Clarke was able to do the same thing. She felt the blows connect every time and each time it made her more angry. Clarke should not be able to keep up with her yet, they had not trained for very long.
Octavia had come back from patrol around the village when she heard two screams that sounded like someone was in pain. She looked at two of the guards and told them to follow her. They took off running toward the sound as quickly as their legs could carry them. She skidded to a halt when she came upon the area it came from. She could not believe what she was seeing. In front of her were Clarke and Lexa going at each other. They were moving faster than she had ever seen anyone move before. Clarke was surrounded in a white glow while Lexa was surrounded in a red glow that hovered just above their skin.
Indra arrived in the area just as Octavia did and was in a stunned silence as well. In front of her were Heda and Skaiheda, fighting each other and no slowing down from the looks of it. She watched as each of them traded blow for blow neither of them tiring. Indra was aware of Lexa's fighting prowess that came with Heda, but what surprised her the most was how Clarke was keeping up with her. She knew Clarke had started to train with Lexa more but she had no idea that Clarke had learned enough to keep up with Heda. She looked over at where Octavia was standing and shot her questioning look and was met by a shrug of her shoulders.
Octavia knew that they would need to keep this new development under wraps as much as possible. She knew the ramifications of anyone finding out about this could cause ripples throughout the coalition and would cause Lexa major problems. She was brought back to the action when she heard a wail come from Clarke. She saw Lexa pause and look at Clarke's arm. There was a gash on her arm where her sword had broken through the leather and cut her. She saw the look of shock on Lexa's face as well as Clarke's.
Lexa was enjoying herself more than she had ever during a training session. Whatever had been unlocked in Clarke had caused her to become a worthy opponent for her. They were trading blows with each other and neither of them seemed to be slowing down. She went for a slash with her sword as Clarke went for a counter punch. She watched as Clarke deflected the blade of her sword with her forearm and she felt the blade cut through the leather. Clarke let out a wail at the sharp pain and stopped what she was doing. Lexa rushed over to her to look at the wound as it was never her attention to injure her love.
"Clarke are you okay?" She grabbed her arm and moved the leather away from the wound to get a better look at it.
"Yeah that just stings like a bitch." Clarke chuckled as she watched her look at her wound.
Lexa moved the leather away and gasped as what she was met with. Black blood was now mixed with her normal red. Her eyes snapped up to Clarke and saw the look of confusion written all over her face. She immediately grabbed her and headed for the hut that had been given to them, while she was trying to cover the wound with her hands.
Lexa spotted Indra and Octavia hot on their trail along with two of her guards. She was glad that no one else had showed up during their training. She walked quickly but not too fast to alert anyone in the village to them. They quickly made their way to the hut and were followed inside by Indra and Octavia. The two guards stood watch on her orders to not allow anyone in. She led Clarke to the table and had her sit down and shed her jacket that she was wearing. She quickly grabbed some of the cloth that had been brought to her tent by one of the healers when they arrived.
Clarke watched as Lexa cleaned the blood away and was amazed as more blackish red blood slowly seeped its way out of her wound. Lexa quickly cleaned the wound and wrapped it in clean cloth. Clarke was stunned because her blood had never been that dark before. She looked around the room and saw it was just Indra and Octavia in there with them. She softly grabbed Lexa's chin and tilted her head upwards so she could look at her. She was met by green eyes that were full of unanswered questions.
"Lexa, what is going on in your head?" she asked softly, searching her eyes for any answer.
"Clarke, has your blood normally been that dark?" Clarke shook her head no in response.
"I thought so. It wasn't like that when I got you on your side but how is it now?" Clarke could tell Lexa was confused just as she was.
"Octavia and Indra could you leave us for a moment?" Clarke asked hoping they would catch that she needed to talk to Lexa alone. Indra looked at Lexa before she moved. Octavia nodded and stepped outside.
"Indra please leave us for a moment." Lexa asked and for the first time it was not coming as an order. Lexa was shaken up by this.
"Sha Heda." Indra said as she turned around and joined Octavia outside.
"Lexa, I think this may have to do with me being connected to Wanheda." Lexa looked up at her again and raised an eyebrow at her.
"While we were training she started talking to me again and offered me assistance so I could keep up with you. I agreed and started to feel a fire spread through my body. Everyone of my senses came alive and the next thing I knew I was matching you." Lexa pondered this as she sat next to Clarke.
"That would explain a lot of things Clarke. What else did she say to you?" Lexa grabbed her hand and leaned her head on her shoulder.
"That I was not strong enough yet to become one with her." Clarke turned her head away from Lexa trying to hide the doubt that had started to creep into her mind.
Lexa felt Clarke turn her head and she immediately turned it back to her. She could see the doubt behind her eyes. Clarke didn't know how strong she already was and it hurt Lexa to see her like this. She pulled her in for a kiss trying to convey how much she believed in her.
"Ai hodnes, you are strong already. You survived landing here on Earth when you were sent to die. You survived an attack from us that should have killed you. You survived being captured by Maunde. You fought my mentor and survived. You are strong because of this." Lexa saw the blush and tears start to form in her blue eyes.
"Clarke, you are strong because you do not give up on anyone. You are strong because you care for everyone even if they do not deserve you care. I have not met anyone that is as strong as you are , Ai hodnes." Lexa pulled her close and kissed her again as if to put a statement on her words.
"We will face whatever Wanheda, meant by her words together but first we need to take down Maunde. Together." She squeezed her hand trying to instill more confidence into her.
"Mochaf Leksa." Clarke kissed her and then rested her head on her shoulder.
"So I am guessing we should keep my changing blood to ourselves?" She asked listening to Lexa's breathing as a way to calm herself.
"Sha, It would cause issues if that were to get out. I know it will be difficult to hide it but we need to do our best." Lexa knew Wanheda had caused this and she just hoped that Clarke wouldn't suffer any setbacks because of this.
She felt Clarke's breathing even out and she looked over and saw her eyes closed. Lexa smiled knowing that she most likely was worn out from the extra adrenaline. She sat there for a while just enjoying the quiet before the storm.
Clarke awoke from her nap and found that her head was on Lexa's lap. She rolled over and looked up and was met by the soft, loving gaze of Lexa. She smiled at her and let out a content sigh.
"Clarke, your mother will be arriving in the next ten minutes. We need to be out there to greet them." Clarke sighed and sat up. She was pleasantly surprised when her muscles didn't feel stiff or sore.
"Do we need to reapply our warpaint?" She asked standing up and locating the supplies that Lexa had put in her bag.
"Sha, we do. I'll do it for you." she motioned for her to sit in the chair.
Clarke did as she was told and just relaxed in the chair mentally preparing herself for the next part of their day. Once their warpaint was done, they put on their gear and made sure everything was in place. Clarke still was getting used to how everything fit together and had to have Lexa help her which earned a chuckle from her.
Indra announced her presence and Lexa called her inside. She looked over Clarke and Lexa at the same time. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have been able to tell Clarke had been injured. Lexa had restitched the cut on her jacket sleeve and you could barely see the new stitching.
"Heda. Skaiheda. Abigail and Nyko just arrived at the outskirts of the village."
"Mochaf Indra, Shall we go meet them." Clarke nodded at her.
Indra bowed at them both and went outside. Clarke looked at Lexa and smiled at her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that the sun was still shining but was starting to set for the day. Clarke knew the battle was fast approaching and drawing near. Everything they had talked about came flooding back to the front of her mind. She closed her eyes and took a breath. She opened her eyes and put on the stoic Skaiheda face that she tried to adopt from Lexa.
She met the gaze of Heda and nodded at her letting her know she was ready.
"After you Skaiheda." Lexa motioned toward the door with her arm.
Clarke smiled at her and gave her a squeeze on her arm. She knew this was going to be difficult introducing her mother to the leader of the village. She just hoped that her mother would not say anything to make her look like she had lied about how helpful Skaikru would be. They left the hut leaving any doubt behind them for the moment and went to greet Abby and Nyko.