Lexa and Clark sat against the wall to talk while Aden kept the Natblida at bay.
"Are you injured?"
"Not even scratched."
"Good." Lexa squeezed Clarke's hand. "I do not like this. I prefer to fight."
"I know." Clarke put her head on Lexa's shoulder.
Lexa laid her head on Clarke's. "How is Roan?"
"Mad. He was defying a healer so I threatened him with my mother to make him get down from the wall. I left Murphy and a healer to get him to his bed."
"I hope he will stay there."
Clarke rolled her eyes. "He won't. He doesn't want anyone to see him as weak, you know that. Hopefully, the healer will knock him out."
"I hope so."
Clarke was still and tried her best to rest. After several minutes she sighed. "Not gonna work," she muttered.
"We can just sit here," Lexa said.
After a few seconds, Clarke acquiesced. There were a million things she could do, but none of them were important enough to make her give up time with Lexa.
Murphy came in an hour later, and Clarke told Lexa, "I have to go."
"You have to come back," Lexa ordered. She got up with Clarke and didn't let go of Clarke's hand.
"I'll do my best."
Lexa nodded, pulled Clarke close, and kissed her. "Ai hod yu in."
"Love you, too," Clarke replied answered, walking backward toward the door. Murphy laughed as he caught her when she tripped on the step.
100 – 100 – 100
In Heda's suite, Ontari was fussing over Raven's wound. Raven removed her shirt, then the bandage, and showed Ontari her arm. "All better."
"Good."
Raven went into her trunk and pulled an old shirt that was once part of her under suit for the spacesuit. She put it on. "Extra protection," she told Ontari, who looked at her doubtfully. Silk and skin tight and would keep her comfortable. It might stop an uninspired knife attack, but Ontari didn't need to know that.
"I'm not gonna be able to nap."
"I know." Ontari looked Raven up and down. The silk shirt looked good on her, but it wouldn't protect Raven from Ontari.
Raven recognize the look and smirked back. Sex was fun again. She could move as she wished, and there wasn't any pain. Neither of them were into that, and Raven stopped thinking when Ontari kissed her. Ontari was the only person that ever happened with, and it was how Raven knew Ontari was the one.
Two hours later, they were sated. Ontari had stayed away from the tea and fell asleep. Raven watched her sleep for a while before getting up and dressed. She went down to her workshop. There wasn't much left, tools and odd pieces they were saving for other projects. Restocking would be a big job. Raven tidied up and wondered whether she should ask Ontari to send scrappers to the Ark this time. It would be the most efficient way to resupply.
Raven went to the south walls for the first time since the battle began. She checked the barrels, the last ones, unneeded until the final push. She had one last nasty surprise planted in the road near the approach to the door. Any squad running toward the gate with a battering ram would be blown apart, ram and all, thanks to a shaped charge on a pressure switch. The road was the only bit of land not covered by dead, so that had to be their play. If it was, it would be costly. She asked to speak with whoever was in charge there now, and was glad Clarke, Murphy, and Kemp were at least away for a while.
"Sha, Tekheda," the warrior answered.
"Do you like my toys?" she asked while following him.
He nodded vigorously. "They keep the wall safe. And us."
"Good. That's what they're for." Raven nearly walked into his back when he stopped.
The warrior felt it and stepped aside to present Raven to Bec, Kemp's second, and went back to his post.
"Everything OK here?" Raven asked.
"Sha," Bec answered. "They will come and we will stop them."
Raven grinned and nodded. "I approve this message."
Bec looked at her with confusion, but let it slide. She had heard that this particular Skaikru talked more than the others, and all of them talked too much, even Wanheda.
"I'm gonna go, then," Raven said, and walked to the ladder closest to the gate, ignoring the whispers in her wake as Ontari instructed. She returned to the north side, to the place they were earlier. The commander there loaned Raven a spyglass and Raven tried unsuccessfully to see through the trees. She gave up and returned it, then joined the watch.
100 – 100 – 100
Murphy and Clarke made the rounds. Roan first, because he was in the Tower, too. Then Skaikru, followed by walking the walls. They skipped the hospital because it was busy and Clarke didn't want to be drafted. They walked north to south, answering greetings and stopping to talk for a moment with whoever asked. By the time they got back to their spot, the horizon was beginning to glow. Clarke thought she saw a sailing ship, blinked to clear her vision, and looked again.
It wasn't one, but four, all flying Floukru and Coalition flags. "The cavalry," Murphy said after Clarke poked him to look.
"They'll be here later," Clarke answered happily.
He looked at her.
"Plains riders," she clarified.
"No shit. That's a long ride."
"No shit. Their chief said they were on the way. If my math is right, they'll be here in time to spoil Lander's supper."
"Nobody deserves a last supper more."
100 – 100 – 100
Floukru used the dim dawn to unload. Ontari and Raven watched for a few minutes before Ontari realized she should send orders. The messenger repeated them until they were correct. He was so skilled they couldn't follow his progress, but he returned within two hours with acknowledgment from Luna that she would flank the northern end of the army when they attacked.
100 – 100 – 100
Clarke pulled out her flask and took a healthy hit.
"You OK?"
"Nerves."
"At least this time you don't have to use your words."
Clarke barked a laugh that drew attention up and down their line. "You are such an asshole."
Murphy just smirked. Fortunately, he turned to look, and pulled Clarke down as archers began to attack.
100 – 100 – 100
As Raven suspected, the attack was a ruse to cover the approach of an enormous ram. Ten men were on each side of it. Raven counted their steps and pulled Ontari down before they reached the pressure plate. The fighters around her began to do the same. Fortunately, the soldiers on the ram weren't able to look up.
The explosion was bigger than Raven thought it would be. Blood, body parts and huge splinters flew everywhere, but the arrows kept coming. Ontari stood up, thinking it was clear, and was knocked off the wall by three arrows. Raven pinpointed the direction they came and fired as fast as she could. She kept firing like it was the only thing that mattered, and shot into the trees as they fled. She fired until Clarke and Murphy came to get her.
Raven didn't see Azgeda soldiers carry Ontari from the battlefield.
"Raven," Clarke said again.
"I'm going to kill him with my bare hands," Raven said in a flat tone.
"Once they heal," Clarke said while Murphy took the bow from her. When Raven finally looked at her, Clarke could tell she knew Ontari was dead. "I'm so sorry."
"I'm going to find him and kill him."
"And we'll help," Murphy said, put his arm around her and got Raven to take her hardest first step since Abby handed her a crutch.
They walked to the Tower slowly. This time, no one impeded their progress. Clarke put them on the elevator. "I'll tell Lexa."
Murphy nodded, his focus on Raven. He wanted her to react somehow, but she didn't. He took her to Heda's suite.
Ontari's body was on the bed. Even though it was bright in there, he still flashed back to the night that started all of this, another young woman's body leaking black blood into the bedding. Raven pushed him away and walked to the bed, still silent. That worried him. In all the time he knew her, Raven was never quiet.
It took longer than he thought it would for Clarke, Lexa, and Fair to arrive. Clarke had stopped to wash her face, and the other two were in formal robes. They stood near the doorway and watched. Murphy went to them.
"Raven needs to let me do what I must."
"I don't think she'll leave voluntarily."
Clarke stood, lost in her own memories although Lexa held her hand. Murphy sighed, and went to try to talk Raven away from Ontari's corpse.
He did, somehow. Although she wouldn't leave the room, she huddled with Clarke, both of them looking forlorn. When Lexa began to undress Ontari, Raven put her forehead on Clarke's shoulder and refused to watch. Lexa was quick. When Ontari was undressed above the waist, she stood between them and the bed and turned to summon Murphy.
"What?"
"You need to either hold her still or push the arrows through. One person cannot do both."
He hadn't thought the day could get worse. "I'll hold her still."
"Here," Lexa pointed. "Do not let me stab you with them."
It didn't take long, and Murphy helped Lexa dress Ontari again when they finished. The things she had to do to Heda's body would be done in the Fleimkepa's sanctuary with Fair's help. Fair observed as she began to wrap Ontari in a sheet. She stopped, stood, and watched Raven and Clarke for a few seconds before walking to them.
"Raven," she said quietly, "I am sorry but this is the only time you will have to say goodbye."
Raven convulsed against Clarke. Murphy stood opposite Lexa so they could catch her or both of them if needed. Raven wept for a few more minutes before pushing away from Clarke. "Alone," Raven demanded.
Clarke and Murphy ushered a protesting Lexa into the hall while Fair followed Lexa like a shadow. "I didn't get to say goodbye to you." Clarke's volume and tone were both low so only Lexa would hear. "I won't do that to her."
"If she takes the Flame," Lexa began.
"She won't. That's the last thing she gives a damn about now."
Ten minutes later, the door opened. "I'm bunking with you," Raven told Clarke.
"Of course," Clarke answered, and pulled her out of the way.
Lexa and Murphy entered the room. Murphy closed the door and stayed beside it. He didn't need to see that particular ritual again up close again, the cloud of filaments disappearing as the chip changed color.
Lexa put the chip in its tin, and returned it to her robe. She wrapped Ontari in the sheet, this time covering all of the young warrior. Spots of dark blood showed through where she laid after the arrows were removed.
"I can't carry her alone," Lexa told him.
"I'll get somebody," he said.
She cut him off. "You will help."
"Are you sure?"
"Sha."
"I can carry her," he offered.
"It is a long way."
"I know."
"If you are sure."
He nodded and walked toward the bed.
When the door opened, Clarke turned Raven so she couldn't see.
100 – 100 – 100
It was late before Lexa returned to their rooms, but Clarke wasn't there. There were too many places to search for her; so Lexa asked a guard to find her.
The guard returned half an hour later to report that Clarke, Raven, and Murphy were in the Azgeda suite. Lexa debated going down there, and decided against it. She didn't think Raven wanted to see her again. Clarke would return when she was ready, and Lexa was grateful for the time to prepare herself.
100 – 100 – 100
Lander and what remained of the armies of he and his allies didn't see the flame atop the Tower go out. It was the last thing Lexa did that night before going to her rooms. She sent Fair to bed and performed this task alone.
Lexa was gutted. Ontari was young, healthy, and strong. She was still learning what Nia denied her. Her instincts were good. She should have been heda at least long enough for Aden to ascend, if not the younger ones.
Instead, they had no Heda. Lexa could take the Flame again, but there was no one to be Fleimkepa. Fair was too young and knew very little about all of Lexa's duties. That left Clarke and Raven. The people wouldn't accept Raven, but Wanheda could rule. Many had wanted that before Lexa died, at least until Skaikru lost its collective mind.
Clarke would fight back and insist that she could not take on the role, especially because the first thing the new heda had to do was hunt down the traitors. She would say her responsibilities to Skaikru and Azgeda could not be handed over to another. Lexa knew it would be a terrible fight, one that she had to win, and one that would change everything between them.
Lexa feared that more than anything.