Clarke stepped out of the bathhouse and into the afternoon sun. Rays of light dappled down onto ground in front of her. Clarke took in a steadying breath and she let her mind focus, she let her mind settle and she made sure her emotions were in check.

She would need to be clear headed, she would need to think about things that were to come and the problems, the scenarios, the challenges that would face each and every one of her people once they came to the ground.

Clarke knew she'd need to talk to them again, she knew she'd need to communicate in some way the dangers of the ground. If she didn't they'd suffer, they'd cause problems, make things worse than they already were. And Clarke thought about these ripa. She thought for a moment about Ryder, how he had saved her life and she promised herself that she wouldn't waste his sacrifice, wouldn't let his protection of her be hopeless. She hardly knew the man but she owed her life to him and she wouldn't forget it.

Clarke took in a steadying breath, she closed her eyes for a moment and she settled her beating heart. She'd need to speak to these survivors, too, the ones Lexa had told her about who lived somewhere else. Perhaps they could explain or shed more light on what had happened. Perhaps Clarke and her people could even help in some way to fix what was clearly broken.

"Clarke."

She turned to her left to find Lexa standing and waiting. Her back was straight, her hands clasped behind her back. A handful of warriors stood beside her. Anya to her left, Gustus on her right, a stern glint in his eyes and for a brief moment Clarke made sure their eyes met before she looked past him and to the others.

"Thank you," Clarke said. She didn't think she needed to elaborate.

"You are welcome, Clarke," Lexa answered her with a small incline of her own head.

Clarke looked away for a moment in thought. Her emotions were in check, her panic had subsided but still, there was sadness, a bit more than a hint of guilt within her heart and she wasn't entirely sure what to do or say.

"I'm sorry about Ryder," Clarke said eventually. She looked back at Lexa and she wondered what Lexa was thinking behind the facade.

Clarke was sure now, she was certain that everything she saw of Lexa was a mask, something she kept around herself. That person she had first met had been a facade, that person who had become commanding, had become a leader of sorts, was a mask. And Clarke could tell it was a familiar thing for Lexa to hide who she was, to hide who she wanted to be.

Clarke looked at her, she stared at her and she tried to see through something, anything. Perhaps she saw a glimpse of the person beneath if she imagined, if she looked hard enough. Or perhaps it was just hope that she could somehow find a way to connect with Lexa enough that her people would be safe.

"Ryder did his duty," Lexa said. Her tone was even, serious though there was a solemness to her words that Clarke could tell was as much as Lexa would let escape into the world.

"Did he have a family?" Clarke asked. "Children?"

"A sister," Lexa said. "She is in another village with her children."

Clarke nodded. She didn't know what to say. She didn't really know what to think, either. She didn't know how old Ryder had been. She didn't know anything about the man and that filled her with guilt.

"I'd like to meet her one day," Clarke said and she didn't even know if she would know what to say. She didn't even know if this was a custom that these people would understand, or if his sister would even want to meet her.

"I will arrange for her to come—"

"No," Clarke interrupted quickly. "No, she doesn't need to come here. I just—" Clarke looked away for a moment. "I'll make the trip to her. If she wants to see me," Clarke looked back at Lexa and nodded to herself. She wouldn't impose on Ryder's sister. But she wanted to tell her she was sorry, that Ryder had saved her life.

Lexa inclined her head a fraction before speaking, "as you wish."

Again Clarke thought Lexa seemed half detached, half hidden behind a mask that was built up around herself and that hid any sign of emotion and as Clarke looked at her, as she studied her, as she met her gaze Clarke found herself thinking that Lexa felt more than she wanted people to know, that she hurt more, suffered more, wished for things she didn't want to reveal.

Why else would she be cold? Why else would she lock herself behind this visage. Or Clarke was simply naive, hopeful, too wishful in thinking.

"I need to talk to my people," Clarke said eventually. "I need to—"

"No," Lexa's voice cut into her mind like iron and Clarke's eyes narrowed.

"I know it's dangerous," Clarke pushed, she stepped forward and she didn't care that Lexa was surrounded by her guards. "But my people need to be warned about how dangerous it is."

Clarke didn't miss the way Lexa's eyes narrowed at her response but Clarke wasn't going to back down.

"It is too dangerous to return to the Mountain, Clarke," Lexa said. Her chin lifted a fraction as if she was daring Clarke to argue with her further.

It was Clarke's turn to narrow her eyes at Lexa. She ignored the subtle shift in warriors that stood around her and she cared not about decorum or any other kind of expectations. She was going to save her people, she was going to warn them, make sure they had a fighting chance on the ground regardless of what Lexa said.

"Fine," Clarke didn't really find herself planning ahead for she suddenly felt stubborn, felt more sure of her decision than before. Perhaps it was false bravado, perhaps it was the cleansing of mind and body, whatever it was though, it was real, it was sure. "I'll go myself."

Lexa's eyebrow lifted in response and for the briefest of moments Clarke saw a flash of surprise in Lexa's eyes before it was buried.

"Give me the radio. I'll go up there myself," Clarke said. She realised she was probably going to get herself into trouble, she realised she was more than unprepared but she didn't care.

She didn't care that she didn't know what ripas were, she didn't care that she didn't know how to fight, how to move through the forests quietly. She didn't care that she probably didn't even know when to tell if ripas were nearby. She was done being a passenger, done letting other people tell her what to do, waiting for her time to come, waiting for her life to end. She had spent more than enough time on the Ark not being in control of her own destiny, she had spent enough time on the ground not being in control of what was happening around her.

Clarke needed to do something. She needed to be the one making decisions, choosing when to face the dangers around her.

"I'll get my supplies, I'll get my weapon. None of you need to come with me. I'm doing this myself," she squared up in front of Lexa. She planted her feet firmly on the ground and she stared at her.

"You will die, Clarke," Lexa said. And though her voice was iron, though her face was harsh, there was something in her eyes that was subtle, softer, kinder, probably not seen by anyone else save for Clarke as she stared at her defiantly.

Clarke didn't care though. She didn't care if what Lexa said was a ploy, if the glimpse in her eyes was false or honest. Clarke just wanted to act.

She scoffed an annoyed sound, she looked up into the sky in the hopes that it would give herself time to think just a little before answering. She wasn't dumb. Despite her decision, despite her truly wanting and deciding she was going to act, she wasn't foolish enough to say something insulting to Lexa in front of everyone.

Clarke glared up at the forest, the trees that reached up into the sky overhead. She took in a steadying breath and she focused on the swaying branches, the structures of Ton DC that grew out from the mighty forest. She looked at the leaves, the way they danced in the wind, the way they seemed so high, too high above her and…

And Clarke had an idea. She had an idea that was foolish, that was far more dangerous than she should embrace. But perhaps it would solve all her problems.

Clarke looked back at Lexa who remained standing in front of her.

"Up," Clarke said.

Lexa's head tilted to the side, perhaps in confusion, perhaps in uncertainty as to what Clarke meant.

"I can climb up trees," Clarke said. "I'll take the radio up. It'll get me the signal I need."

From over Lexa's shoulder Clarke saw and heard Anya scoff, she saw Gustus raise an eyebrow in doubt but her gaze was focused on Lexa. It was focused on a narrowing of eyes and a subtle twitch at the corner of her mouth that Clarke couldn't quite tell whether it was a smirk, a frown, a pull of distaste or some other thought that she couldn't quite grasp in the moment.

"I'm going up there," Clarke said. "Whether you like it or not. But—"

"—Ok, Clarke."

Truthfully Lexa's acceptance of her plan surprised her. She thought Lexa would tell her it was dangerous, that she had no idea what she was doing. And though that was true, Clarke wouldn't admit it.

Adrenaline started surging again and Clarke tried not to let it control her, she tried to push it down, get control over her breathing and she remained quiet for a moment as she let her mind settle. She took in a steadying breath before nodding to herself.

"Ok," Clarke said. "Now what?"


Clarke stood at the base of a large tree. Its trunk was so wide that walking its circumference was more a conscious decision than subconscious act. Moss covered its trunk, the bark was a deep and rich brown and afternoon sunlight dappled against every green and earthy brown she saw.

A handful of warriors stood around her. Some close by, others in the further distance. Tied to her hip was her radio, its position secure but out of the way. They weren't too far from Ton DC and she didn't know if the tree she stood before was a special one or if it was just randomly selected from any of the thousand that sprung up around her.

Clarke chewed her lip as she looked down at her hands. She stared at her palms and she suddenly like a little nervous. Her mind was made up but despite that she felt the beat of her heart starting to race, she felt her breathing coming a little less controlled.

She looked down at her waist and double checked that her radio was tied securely. She didn't have another radio and she knew if it fell to the forest floor on her ascent she'd never be able to make contact again. On her waist she also had another rope, this one with a sturdy metal hook on its end. She knew it was there to help her tie onto whatever she could on her journey up and she hoped beyond hope that it was strong enough to hold her weight if she fell.

"Are you ready?"

Clarke looked up at the sound of Lexa's voice to find her standing beside her. The woman had removed her armour, the clothes she wore lighter, more free in movement. She had a rope tied around her own waist with the same metal hook and Clarke wondered if climbing trees was some innate thing for those who called the forest home or if they started climbing, started training for it when they were young.

From those she had seen scaling the trees already she knew they were at home amongst the branches as much as they were at home treading through the forest in silence.

"I'm ready," Clarke said.

She'd consider the fact that it was Lexa going with her up the tree at a later date. At the moment she was focused on making sure she'd make it up and down in one piece.

Lexa looked her up and down as if she was inspecting one of her warriors. Clarke couldn't tell what Lexa was thinking but she saw a momentary pause in Lexa's gaze before it turned to the tree.

"Follow me," Lexa said. "Move slowly. Think about where you are moving and where you will put your hands and feet before you move," Lexa said. "Do not panic," Lexa moved towards the tree. "There are already many handholds to use."

Clarke nodded her head as she followed Lexa. She watched as Lexa reached up and then as if it was magic pulled a sturdy rope from the tree that Clarke had hardly noticed. It must have been wedged into a crook of bark and covered by the moss. The rope had large knots tied into it that Clarke assumed were used as climbing aids.

And then Lexa began to climb.

Clarke watched as Lexa pulled herself up, her hands were strong and steady as she pulled. Her feet found purchase against the bark and moss and Clarke waited until Lexa had reached the first branch that was only just above jumping distance.

She watched Lexa turn and sit on the branch, a leg deftly wrapped around it in a way Clarke knew to be deceptively simple.

She took a moment to study how Lexa had pulled herself up, she took a moment to study the tree, the moss, the way Lexa's feet had pushed off the bark and then she stepped forward.

There was no going back.

Clarke reached out for the rope, she gripped it, her knuckles white, her heart racing in her chest as she slowly started climbing.

She moved, her hands reached for each knot, fist over fist. She pressed her foot against the bark, she pressed her boot into the tree as surely as she could while pulling on the rope. And though it was simple, though it was straightforward in action, Clarke found it hard, harder than she expected.

But she found herself recalling Lexa's words and she made sure to slow her breathing, slow her thought and think.

Clarke lifted off the ground one step, two, three, more and more and she grit her teeth and she felt the subtle strain in her shoulders, her forearms, her back. Her body wasn't used to the exertion, her muscles weren't used to working in the ways they were working but she pushed those thoughts aside, pushed them deeper, locked them into the depths of her—

Strong hands gripped her shoulders and before Clarke knew it she was sitting on the same branch as Lexa. She blinked back the surprise, she glanced down and she realised she had already made it to the first branch. And though it was only a bit more than a body's length she felt victorious, more confident, more sure.

She looked back at Lexa to find her staring at her carefully as if she searched for fear or uncertainty or regret.

"I'm good," Clarke said.

Lexa just nodded to her before she reached up and out for another rope that somehow appeared out of nothing.

"I will move first," Lexa said, she held the rope up to Clarke as if to indicate its importance. "I will tie this to my hook. Watch," Lexa said.

Clarke watched as Lexa tied it, her hands were strong, sure, deliberate as she moved and then she untied it and held the rope out to Clarke.

"Do it," Lexa said.

Clarke took the rope into her own hands and started tying it the exact same way Lexa had. She was thankful the knot was simple, elegant and she knew that by design. But Clarke wouldn't get too confident. She knew that would be the only thing saving her from a fall to her death.

Once she finished tying it Lexa nodded her head in something close to approval before she untied the knot from Clarke's hook and tied it onto her own hook again.

"These sections are longer," Lexa said. "Do not fall."

Lexa began to move. She was purposeful, her feet planted into nooks and crannies that Clarke hadn't noticed and she could tell Lexa moved slower than she would normally and for that Clarke was thankful as she watched. And Lexa continued to rise, too, she moved higher and higher, two, three, four, almost five body lengths before she came to a stop. She had passed large branches, small branches, ones that would support her weight, ones that couldn't and though Clarke couldn't see so clearly what Lexa sat upon she could tell it was sturdy and sure beneath her.

There was a rustle, a scraping and then the rope fell back to its place. Clarke reached out and grabbed the rope, she frowned in concentration as she started tying it onto her hook and she made sure each and every movement was exactly the same as what Lexa had shown her and what she had done just moments before.

Clarke gave it a small tug, she made sure she was confident it would hold and then she started to ascend once more.

She moved slowly, purposefully. Each handhold, each foot placed, each bite of the rope into her palm was careful. She tried not to think about anything other than the tree bark and the moss in front of her lest she lose focus. She tried not thinking about why she was climbing lest that somehow distract her and she tried not thinking about why she was doing this, why she was determined to make it as high as she could.

Clarke wouldn't think, wouldn't question, wouldn't back down. She couldn't.

She needed to succeed, needed to get as high as possible, make contact, tell everyone on the Ark what needed to happen, what they needed to do and what they needed to prepare for and—

And Clarke felt strong hands on her again. She felt Lexa pull her onto a sturdy branch and Clarke felt relief, she felt tired, her hands were already beginning to ache, already beginning to cramp, already beginning to—

She pushed those thoughts aside, she looked at Lexa briefly and smiled, the expression tight lipped and hopeful before Lexa nodded at her.

Clarke started untying the rope from her hook before Lexa's hand closed around hers. "Stop," Lexa said and Clarke looked up at her. "Sit. Carefully. Wait," Lexa said before she started the next ascent and Clarke realised Lexa had already tied herself to the next rope.

Clarke looked down at her hook again and shook her head. That single action of instinctively going to untie her only tether to the tree was just another example of how her people needed Lexa's help. She hadn't realised what she had been doing, hadn't considered that, hadn't even let it be something she needed to consider and she cursed herself quietly before making a pointed decision to look up and not down.

Clarke watched as Lexa disappeared higher up the tree, she watched as Lexa moved, as she scaled as she came to sit on one of the many branches before the rope was dropped down to her.

And so Clarke followed Lexa' lead. They scaled, paused, scaled and paused. Each time they got higher and higher and Clarke felt her body getting more and more tired but she refused to let that sway her as much as she refused to think about how high she must have been, how high she must have scaled.

The wind seemed different, the tree seemed different. Perhaps it was her imagination, perhaps it was real life, perhaps it was some combination of both but Clarke knew she was higher, she knew she was where she shouldn't be. Her heart was starting to pound in her ears as strongly as her muscles were beginning to ache. The radio on her hip was beginning to feel just that little bit heavier, just that little bit more unwieldily.

But she needed to ignore, needed to push that thought back, away, clear from her mind and— and?

And Clarke stopped.

She stopped and she blinked and she realised.

Clarke hadn't let herself hope, hadn't let herself dare register how high she was until that very moment.

Clarke was breathing hard. She was breathing heavily. But most importantly?

Clarke was looking out through a break in the canopy.

Clarke sat on a mess of branches. Rope seemed to be woven into them as if someone had made a nest of sorts, strong and sturdy and purposeful and Clarke realised what she stared upon.

Clarke had made it almost to the top of the tree. She stared out through a break in the canopy and looked out over the undulating sea of green leaves that stretched out as far as the eye could see. Clarke was high, so high in fact that it took her a second to realise that her place in the forest in that very moment must have been on a hill of sorts, part of the land that sat a little higher than the surrounding land for what she saw rolled down and away from her and she stared out over a vantage point that let her see far, that let her see wide, that let her gaze upon the lands and she knew this place must have been a look out, something scouts used to study the land around them. In the distance she could see distant mountains, she could see sunlight glinting off bodies of water and rivers and lakes. Even the few birds that drifted on the wind seemed closer now. She could smell the air, the leaves, the wind. Clouds drifted so close that it felt like she could reach out and touch them and Clarke smiled.

She smiled. She stared out in wonder and she laughed.

For the briefest of moments she forgot where she was. For the briefest of seconds she could embrace the beauty of the world and the forest, the sun and the light and she wished beyond wish that she had a camera to help her remember what she stared upon.

But then a gust of wind jostled her and Clarke gasped.

She grabbed onto the closest branch and she swore under her breath as the tree swayed and made her heart jump in her chest.

But then it subsided, it settled and her breathing returned to normal, or as normal as it could.

Clarke took in a steadying breath as she turned to face Lexa who had remained quiet beside her and she suddenly realised she had forgotten all about her and that she must have been watching her childish moment and Clarke cursed herself, cursed her wonder and her naivety and she tried not to let that put her too far on the back foot.

But Lexa didn't appear to mind. Instead she seemed to settle a little more comfortably into a spot before she pointed outwards and into the far distance.

"Look, Clarke," Lexa said, her voice was quiet and for a moment she almost lost it on the wind that danced around them.

Clarke followed Lexa's outstretched finger and she stared into the far distance. It took her a moment to search for what Lexa seemed to point at but then she saw the feint, hazy, fuzzy shapes in the distance.

"Polis," Lexa said. "On the clearest days you can just see it," Lexa said. "Once, a long time ago you could see Polis from the top of the Mountain."

Clarke continued to stare out into the distance and she realised she was imagining what this place, this city, must be like. She wondered if it was bustling and full of people, she wondered if there were markets, things she couldn't even begin to imagine and she wondered if it was calm, quiet, full of life.

"Make contact with your people, Clarke," Lexa said after a moment. "It will be dark soon."

Clarke shook those thoughts from her mind as she reached for her radio. She knew exactly what she needed to do and she didn't waste any time. It took her only a second to turn the radio on before she spoke.

"This is Clarke," she said. "Can anyone hear me?"

She paused. There was static, something constant and she hoped beyond hope that she was high enough, that the signal could make it, that she hadn't climbed the tree for nothing—

"Clarke?"

She'd recognise her mother's voice anywhere.

"I'm here," Clarke said quickly.

She already heard the relief, the franticness in her mother's voice and she knew Abby was about to start spiralling.

"I'm ok," Clarke continued. "I'm safe," she said.

"Clarke, where did you go? What happened, who is with—"

"Stop," Clarke said and knew she needed to be stern, needed to be strong.

"Abby," Clarke heard Kane's voice whisper quietly.

"Kane," and Clarke was relieved that more people were there.

"Clarke, It's Jaha," she recognised his voice too. "What's going on, Clarke?"

She looked up at Lexa to find her staring at the radio with much more scrutiny then Clarke would have expected and it took her a moment to realise that Lexa was figuring out the hierarchy and the structure of her people.

And Clarke wondered if Lexa would speak, she wondered if she'd cut her off if she started saying something Lexa didn't want her to say.

"There's survivors," Clarke said. She was looking at Lexa now. "There's villages, societies. People have lived down here for generations," Clarke continued.

She heard muffled voices through the radio before she continued.

"Mount Weather's gone," she said. "I don't know why or how. Not fully. There's survivors from Mount Weather though, they're not with me yet," she looked at Lexa pointedly. "I think I can make contact with them though," she half expected Lexa to pull the radio from her hands but she simply remained quiet.

"And what happened?" Jaha said. "Before?"

"There's dangers down here, too," Clarke answered. She frowned, she tried not to let emotions take control. "Something happened to some of the people down here and," she paused, she tried to find the right word to describe what she had seen. "They're sick. Like they're drugged, crazy," she shivered and she tried to make sense of everything. "I think there's a disease or something, it's dangerous. You can't let them get to you."

"Are you safe? Are you hurt? Is everything ok," Abby asked frantically.

"I'm ok. I promise it," Clarke answered. "The people here. They helped me. Saved me," she smiled a small thing at Lexa who remained ever quiet. "You just need to be careful when you come down and you can't do it anywhere near Mount Weather. It's not safe."

There was silence for a very long moment and Clarke knew the other side had been muted and they must have been talking, maybe arguing. She didn't care. She didn't expect things to go smoothly. She didn't expect things to be easy. That would have been too good to be true.

"Clarke?" Jaha's voice sounded through the radio eventually.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"What do you suggest?"

She paused, she looked out at the surrounding forest and she tried to think of what she needed to do. What she needed to make sure happened.

"There is a clearing," Lexa said. Her voice was soft, gentle, kinder than it had been moments ago.

"Who is that?" Jaha's voice sounded surprised.

"I am Lexa," Lexa answered and it took Clarke a second to realise that Lexa wasn't Heda in that moment.

"Lexa?" Jaha's asked. "I—"

"Lexa helped me," Clarke said and she looked into Lexa's eyes as she spoke. "She—" she paused in thought. "She's the only reason I'm alive," Clarke said and it was true. Despite the subterfuge, despite the lying and how hurt Clarke had felt it was the truth.

"There is a large rocky clearing between a river and a lake north of the Mountain," Lexa continued. "Do you have access to a map?" Lexa asked.

There was a pause and the sounds of people moving, perhaps a chair scraping against metal flooring and then she heard muffled voices.

"Yes, we see it, I think," Jaha said quickly.

"It is safe to land there," Lexa pointed out in a direction and Clarke followed her arm and though she couldn't see what she spoke of she trusted that Lexa pointed the right direction.

"Thank you, Lexa," Jaha said. "Clarke…"

He trailed off and Clarke could hear shock in his voice, wonderment, bewilderment, so many emotions and she didn't blame him.

"When you come down," Clarke said. "I'll meet you there. Just be careful. There's people who live here, people whose lives are going to be affected by us."

Clarke hoped beyond hope that her people coming down to the ground wouldn't somehow cause more destruction than intended, she hoped beyond hope that her people would be able to build a home for themselves.

"I can't stay much longer," Clarke said and she felt a sudden sadness beginning to fill her heart at having to say goodbye.

But she'd see everyone soon, she was sure of it.

And so Clarke spent the next few moments in rapid conversation with Jaha, Kane at times and then with her mother. It wasn't lost on her that Wells wasn't mentioned. It wasn't lost on her the awkwardness of her situation and why she was where she was wasn't touched on. Maybe once everyone was back on the ground she'd have time to come to terms with the fact that she had all but been sent down as a guinea pig and that she had people she had once thought of as friend betray her. But for now she could put those aside.

And so Clarke stared at the radio as it clicked off.

Clarke took in a deep breath. She spent a moment organising her thoughts, making sure her mind was clear and that her emotions were in check.

Lexa was ever silent through it all and Clarke didn't care that she had realised Lexa was studying her, that Lexa studied her people and that she was making judgement calls about them. She was on her own and she had nothing to hide. She had nothing to give and nothing to offer in that moment other than honesty and her own desire for her people to be safe.

She hoped Lexa would see that.

"I'm ready," Clarke said.

Lexa nodded to her.

"Ok."


The descent down was perhaps a little clumsier than the ascent. Clarke hadn't quite realised that climbing up would actually be the easier part of the journey but perhaps that was just a part of the way of life now.

The branches were so dense and clustered together this high up that it helped hold her weight a little. She could almost scramble down, the safety of the rope tied to her hook more comforting than she had expected.

She started thinking about the conversation though, she started thinking about her people coming down, her people crashing through the atmosphere. She hoped they'd adjust to life on the ground, she hoped they'd learn to live and be accepted by Lexa's people. She even hoped they'd somehow find a way to deal with the ripas or at least get answers from the survivors of Mount Weather.

Theories started swirling in her mind about what happened. She wondered if Lexa knew but didn't have the words or the understanding of technology to be able to communicate, she wondered how Lexa and the people living in Mount Weather had even made contact, she wondered what would happen if—

Clarke slipped. Her foot lost its purchase and Clarke swore, she cursed, her heart leapt into her throat and she fell, she didn't know how far, how much she dropped before she caught herself. Her palm burnt against the rope, her forehead hit a branch and Clarke saw stars and she tasted blood on her lip.

Clarke stared down at the branch that broke underfoot, she watched as it fell down, bounced off branch after branch as it echoed down to the forest floor. And Clarke froze.

Her body seized, her mind screamed at her and she couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't do anything.

The branches were larger now, the mess overhead had lessened and she could see clearly down to the forest floor that seemed so far below and Clarke couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, couldn't blink as her entire body started to sweat, started to panic. She didn't know why she stared at the ground, she didn't know why she watched as the branch that had broken continued to bounce and spin and tumble before falling into the shadows but Clarke could see it. She could feel the height, the fall, the impact and she was scared.

Heart was racing in her chest, her body wasn't moving, she couldn't even begin to think clearly. Clarke was gripping onto the rope with one hand, the other gripped into the moss covered bark. Her legs were wrapped around a branch and she started feeling the adrenaline surging through her veins.

She was so high up that she knew the fall would kill her. She was so high up that she felt the tree swaying in the wind.

Clarke didn't know what to do. The radio on the hip felt heavier than it had ever felt before. Her feet felt as though someone had tied boulders to them and she dared not move, dared not begin to move lest she fall, lest she lose her footing and tumble and break against each and every branch that saw fit to crash against her body.

Clarke swallowed, she tried to tear her eyes off the forest floor below her. She blinked once, twice, a third time as if she could will the ground to reach out and gentle her down without pain but it didn't.

All it did was laugh at her, taunt her, make her more than aware that she was higher up in the air than any person ought to be and Clarke didn't want it, didn't like it, didn't ever want to feel the swaying, the wind, the tree beneath—

"Clarke," Lexa's voice was quiet and she didn't think she heard it, not really. "Clarke," she felt it against her ear and Clarke swallowed hard.

She turned her head cautiously, slowly, fearfully and she saw Lexa perched on a branch beside her.

Clarke couldn't say anything in that moment. She couldn't think clearly, couldn't think at all. Emotion had taken hold of her, it had frozen her to the spot. All she could think about was her mother, her father, everyone counting on her and the fact that she was alone so high up in a tree and that if she fell, if she tumbled to her death she'd have let all her people down, that they'd die, not ever make it to the ground and it would all be because of her, her failure, her weakness, her—

Lexa's hand closed around hers and it was warm, soft and gentle.

"Look at me, Clarke," Lexa said it quietly and Clarke forced her head to turn more, she forced herself to look at Lexa in the eyes.

Clarke tried to say something but her mouth was dry, her throat seized, tight. She didn't think she knew if she had the ability to speak anymore.

"It is ok, Clarke," Lexa said as her hand slowly squeezed Clarke's.

"I—" Clarke's voice choked in her throat. She blinked back the tears that suddenly started forming and she didn't want to cry, she refused to cry, refused to show weakness, refused to let herself break down.

But it would be so easy, it would be too easy.

Everything she was experiencing had been a nightmare. She hadn't been prepared for any of this. Hadn't been prepared for one single sliver of the life she was currently living.

Clarke suddenly felt Lexa's arms wrap around her, she felt her body press against her, push her a little more surely against the tree and Clarke couldn't move. Could barely even feel her own body. She was too tense, too tight, too wound up to trust her limbs to move without slipping, without falling, without taking her down to the ground without a care for her life.

"Here, Clarke," Lexa said quietly.

Clarke watched as Lexa's hand slowly reached out and pressed against a part of the tree, against a weathered branch that was sturdy, strong, that would hold a person's weight.

"Put your hand here, Clarke," Lexa kept her hand where it was and Clarke stared at the spot, she stared at it as if she could will her hand to move.

And yet her hand didn't move. It seemed not to listen to her mind as if her body had decided to betray her.

"I can't," Clarke whispered. "I can't," she didn't know what had come over her.

"Look at me, Clarke," Lexa said.

She turned her head, she looked at Lexa who was now half hovering over her, half pressing her against the tree. Their faces were close together. She could feel Lexa's breath agaisnt her neck, she could feel Lexa's warmth against her back and she could see calm in her eyes.

Clarke swallowed the lump in her throat. She blinked back the tears and she stared at Lexa, stared into her eyes and she searched for the strength that Lexa was offering to her.

"I—" Clarke bit her lip.

"Your hand, Clarke," Lexa said and this time Clarke felt her hand begin to move, she felt it begin to reach down to where Lexa had shown her.

Lexa smiled at her, the expression soft, small, perhaps more honest than Clarke had seen before. And Clarke didn't care that Lexa could have been doing it to make her feel more at ease, Clarke didn't care that Lexa could have only been doing it to keep her alive because she needed her and that she was useful to her people. All that mattered in that moment was that Clarke felt safer, felt more secure and protected. She swallowed. She blinked and she nodded her head as Lexa slowly started moving with her.

And so, as they descended, as they moved as one, Clarke leant into the warmth of Lexa's presence, she leant into the quiet safety that had settled around her for if she didn't Clarke was sure she'd fall to her death.