For the second time in what seemed like too short a moment Clarke felt tired, exhausted and frayed. Her legs were weak, her thighs burned. Each step she took was an effort not to fall onto her knees as she walked back to Ton DC.

She was more than relieved to be back on solid ground and she wished not to ever climb a tree as high as that ever again. She had made the mistake of looking down, she had made the mistake of thinking about what would happen and that had done her no good. It had made her stomach twist and turn, it had made her lungs freeze and it had only sent her spiralling faster and faster. It was only Lexa's presence that had helped her, it was only her confidence and her guidance that had helped her get to the ground and Clarke was thankful.

It also didn't help that the exhaustion from the climb was emphasised by the nerves and uncertainties she now felt about her people crashing down to the ground. She knew there was nothing else she could do. She didn't know if they'd come down in the next few hours, or if it would be days or maybe even a week or two or more.

All Clarke could do was wait, all she could do was try to figure out what was going to happen next.

But she started thinking, started trying to juggle all the things in her mind and she knew she needed to give her people the best chance at survival. She wouldn't waste the struggles she had already lived and she wouldn't waste the pains she had already experienced.

Ripas were a threat. One her people would need to deal with. Their origins more uncertain than anything else on the ground. Clarke needed to know, in part to sate her own morbid curiosity, in part to make sure Ryder's sacrifice wasn't in vain.

And so—

Clarke walked into the back of someone, she let out a quiet oomph of surprise before she realised they had already made it back to Ton DC. The gates opened to them ajar and she followed those she was with through and into relative safety.

Clarke didn't consciously do it but she looked back over her shoulder as the gates closed behind her, and she wondered if there were warriors outside she hadn't noticed, if they were in the trees ever present, ever watchful lest something dangerous lurked in the shadows. Part of her was paranoid that the ripas in some way here watching her too. She didn't really think that the case but there was apprehension, fear, a little doubt as to how safe it truly was for her people and if she had simply brought them that much closer to a bloody end.

Clarke shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of the thoughts as the gates closed. She turned back to face those that had accompanied her. Some were in quiet conversation, others stood by, but most listen as Lexa said something, she gestured one way and then the other before she paused.

Clarke smiled tightly, the expression a little unsure. She didn't know what to make of whatever connection they both now shared. It was clear Lexa meant to keep her alive and out of harms way. Clarke wasn't a fool, she knew whatever purpose Lexa had for her was strategic. And yet some small hopeless part of Clarke still wondered if those moments they had shared before had revealed a different part of Lexa.

Whatever other thoughts Clarke was in the middle of having was interrupted by her name being called.

She found herself looking at Lexa who held a hand out as she gestured for Clarke to follow her. It only took a moment before Clarke had fallen into step behind her, a handful of others nearby too.

Eventually they made it to Lexa's tent, the flap pulled aside by a guard before the group moved inside.

Clarke felt like she was moving subconsciously with little choice as to where she moved and stood as those she was with filed into Lexa's tent. Part of her wanted to sit and close her eyes and just sleep for hours but another part of her was buzzing, perhaps at the fact that her people coming to the ground was real, that she had made contact with them and everything seemed to be going smoothly.

She didn't mean to reach out to the edge of the war table and rap her knuckles against it for luck until she saw Lexa eyeing her movements from where she stood on the other side of the table.

Clarke just shrugged a shoulder and remained quiet as she looked around her.

Indra, Gustus, Anya, a few others and Lexa stood around the table. Clarke's gaze moved from person to person slowly as she tried to figure out what was happening or what she was supposed to do. Silence settled around them, there was stillness in the air and as Clarke's eyes settled on Lexa she found the other woman peering down at the large map strewn across the table's surface.

Clarke followed her gaze and as she did she started looking for that clearing Lexa had said. It took her a moment to recognise the landmarks before her eyes landed on it. The clearing didn't seem far, perhaps a safe enough distance away from Mount Weather that her people wouldn't be at risk of ripa attack immediately, but it was too close for Clarke to call comfortable, too close for her to—

"Your things," Lexa said.

Clarke's eyes snapped up to find Lexa staring intently at her. It took her a second longer to realise someone had come to her, in their hands her pack of supplies and equipment she had left in the room she had been shown.

Clarke took hold of them before settling the pack on the table awkwardly. She was keenly aware of everyone's eyes on her now and once more she didn't know what was going to happen or what was expected of her.

"Show us the tech, Clarke," Lexa said, and her voice was somewhere between the commanding and the gentle. It seemed to linger between tones that made her want to obey and keep her steadied. "The map."

Clarke knew what Lexa spoke of and so she fished her tablet out of her pack, she smiled slightly as she checked the battery to find it still had enough charge for the day but she made a note to leave it out in the sun when she could.

"Here," Clarke said once she pulled up the map of the surrounding lands.

There wasn't exactly a gasp or voiced intrigue at the tablet, but Clarke felt a subtle shift in the air as everyone stared at it.

"There is not much tech left in the world," Lexa said eventually.

Clarke looked up from the tablet she had placed on the table and met Lexa's gaze.

"Why?" Clarke asked.

She sensed more than saw someone to her left bristle just a little at her question and perhaps Clarke didn't know the intricacies of politeness, what was expected of her. But she didn't think Lexa seemed to mind. At least not too much from the subtle lifting of a finger Clarke saw from across the table.

"I destroyed much of it during the Mountain's defeat," Lexa said. "What is left is protected. Kept secure, away from those that do not know how to use it lest they bring upon my people dangers unforeseen."

Clarke's eyes narrowed a fraction. She didn't entirely know what or why or how things had come to be in this world. But she could make small guesses, prod in the dark and figure out the general shape of how everything had come to pass.

"What about the survivors?" Clarke asked.

"The Mountain's survivors are not allowed to use tech," Lexa said. "It was their use that brought the disease upon our lands."

Clarke nodded her head slowly and it wasn't because she agreed with what Lexa said, but to give herself time to think, the let the information settle within her mind.

"I need to speak with them," Clarke said. She needed to know what this disease was, why it was created, how it came to be. If she could find that out, if she could somehow get more information then maybe she could make the lands safer for her people and give them a chance.

"I will send word for some to be brought to Ton DC," Lexa said with a simple incline of her head.

That half surprised Clarke, she didn't know why but she assumed Lexa would be less than willing to help her.

"Why can't you use technology?" Clarke asked. It'd solve her problems. She was sure Lexa and her people were smart enough to know how to use it if only because they were smart enough to understand it.

There was a narrowing of Lexa's eyes in response to her question and for a moment Clarke thought she had overstepped by asking so bluntly.

"Everyone leave us."

Clarke had overstepped.

She bit her lip and looked down as everyone filed out of the tent. Clarke probably should have been speaking with Lexa with more deference, she probably should have been more careful with what she said and how she spoke to Lexa. And yet she couldn't find it in herself to do that. Perhaps because some small part of her was stubborn and childish and she wanted to get back at Lexa in some way for the subterfuge. Or maybe it was because she in some way felt like that had a connection, however tentative, however thin. But it was one that Clarke wanted to hold on to, if not for herself, then for her people's sake.

And so Clarke looked up as the last of those in the tent left them behind. Lexa remained where she had stood opposite her on the table. Her gaze locked onto her and her face hard to read.

Clarke didn't look away, instead she met Lexa's gaze with her own, and she didn't try to make it iron, she didn't try to make it steady, she let her eyes take in everything she saw, she let her eyes move across every feature of Lexa's face as if she searched for whoever it was behind the mask.

She expected the first thing out of Lexa's mouth to be a reprimand of sorts but instead Lexa let out a very subtle sigh before she slowly started to walk around the table until she stood beside her.

Clarke watched her carefully, perhaps because she was worried that this was another ploy of Lexa's to get her to lower her guard or some other ploy she hadn't considered but instead Lexa remained quiet and almost pensive as she stood beside her, gaze focused down on the table. As Clarke continued to look at Lexa she found herself staring at the lines at the corners of her eyes, perhaps a wrinkle or two upon her forehead from stress and perhaps if she looked a little harder there were even hints of grey that just barely touched through the wild mane of deep brown that cascaded down Lexa's back.

"There are members of the coalition, Clarke," Lexa began and Clarke found herself recalling what Lexa had told her earlier. "That wished to destroy tech, destroy the Mountain and its people entirely," Lexa said.

Clarke nodded her head in understanding.

"They feared what they didn't understand," it was half a guess and half a inference.

"Yes," Lexa said. "Tech almost brought our people to its knees. These ripa and the Mountain Men," she said. "There was war, a misunderstanding. Many people died."

"But you stopped it," Clarke asked, she turned and leant a hip against the table's edge and crossed her arms over her chest.

"My people suffered much," Lexa said. "Tech in the wrong hands can be used for bad, even if unintended," she paused and looked up at her.

Clarke stared at her, she stared and she peered into a sure gaze and Clarke tried to read the thoughts, she tried to read the warnings and the memories Lexa must have been recalling.

"You don't think technology is all bad," Clarke said. It was more a statement than anything else.

Lexa met her gaze for a moment before she nodded.

"The coalition would not have it. Members of it, at least," she said.

Clarke slowly started thinking, slowly started understanding.

"My people," she said and she looked up as if she could peer through the tent overhead and up into the heavens at the Ark somewhere far up above. "You're worried some people will want to destroy us."

"Yes, Clarke," Lexa said.

Clarke shook her head, she tried thinking, planning, coming up with plans that she hadn't thought of yet.

"We can help," Clarke said. She wasn't entirely thinking, the thoughts in her mind were simply coming to her one after the other. "We have medicines, farming, we can build things, use electricity. Anything that could help your people, your villages."

Lexa shook her head for a brief moment.

"These are all things the Mountain once had, that was offered and rejected."

Clarke frowned and cursed quietly as she turned back to the map and stared at it as if she could force the ink markings into an answer.

"You have to give us a chance," Clarke said. She didn't know why she suddenly felt like she was pleading for her people's future, but she did. It wasn't an immediate threat, it wasn't something urgent and overbearing. But it was there, it had settled in the space between them and Clarke knew that if she couldn't convince Lexa then she most certainly wouldn't be able to convince the less open clans.

Lexa seemed to soften a fraction as she turned to face her. For a moment Clarke could even see understanding in her eyes.

"You do not think I have tried in my own ways to open my people to the use of tech, Clarke?" Lexa asked eventually. "You think I have not tried every opportunity afforded to me to give my people a better life?"

Clarke didn't say anything for a moment as she let Lexa's words settle. And perhaps she thought about what Lexa said, about the intricacies of what this coalition must have been like and she realised that Lexa can't have been a dictator, can't have been the one to control everything despite her stature, her status, her role and title.

"How delicate is the coalition?" Clarke asked.

There was a curious pause in the way Lexa looked at her before she answered.

"Some clans have aligned themselves with Trikru and the others through shared traditions, values, a brotherhood forged in history," Lexa said. "Others joined because I demanded it, and some because they saw a benefit of becoming one."

Clarke nodded her head as she thought over what Lexa said once more.

"You can't risk angering some of the clans," she said. "If you do they can break this coalition," she wasn't trying to be interrogative, she wasn't trying to insult, only to understand.

Lexa seemed to understand thankfully.

"Conflict would soon follow, Clarke," Lexa said slowly. "With the ripas amongst us and conflict to our north it would cause havoc upon my people, upon every clan that calls these forests home."

Clarke chewed her lip as she looked back at the map, she looked at the small wood carvings atop it, she followed the inked lines, the drawings, the written words she couldn't understand and she found herself staring at the drawing and the carving of Mount Weather, she found herself staring at where she thought she had first seen that ripa and she looked at everything before her.

"You can't use technology or do anything to anger the clans," Clarke said quietly. She found her resolve hardening, she found her purpose solidifying and she found herself looking upon one path forward for her people that she knew would cement there rightful place on the ground amongst a world of politics, danger and relations that they were in no way ready for. "But I can."

Clarke looked up at Lexa, she met the woman's gaze and she straightened her back and square her shoulders before speaking again.

"I'll cure the ripas."