Lexa sat in her throne quietly as she watched the conversation unfold before her eyes. She didn't really know what she expected, she had hoped, of course, that Clarke and Lorelei would have an understanding between them, she had hoped Clarke would in some way be able to provide something more for her people.

And Lexa watched.

She studied.

She let both women talk.

The ripas had been a thorn in her side for years. They had threatened the destruction of almost all forest clans and it had taken miracles and countless lives lost to make the once peaceful forests safe. Or safe enough to travel through with an armed party.

And so Lexa had taken Clarke's appearance as a sign and an opportunity.

She had taken her thunderous crash to the forest floor as a gift that could be wielded.

She knew tech was the answer. She knew tech could in some way heal her people. At least the survivors of the Mountain had said as much and she believed them.

But until Clarke, whatever tech had been present was trapped so far underground and within the Mountain that it was of no use.

As Lexa continued to watch Clarke she found herself studying the woman more and more intently, too. Part of her felt a little guilty at having lied to Clarke but she needed to make sure Clarke and her people wouldn't be a threat. She couldn't risk more dangers, not after the Mountain.

But Lexa had come to understand Clarke in some way. She had come to understand her as defiant, scared, unsure of her place in the world but determined, perhaps a little too brash. But Clarke's spirit was sure, Clarke's spirit was confident and above all, Lexa found Clarke's spirit trustworthy and for the moment that was all that mattered.

Lexa felt the slightest twitching of her lip as she remembered Clarke's bravado falling away as she had climbed the tree, she remembered Clarke's fear, too and yet she also remembered the strength, the resilience and maybe Lexa could appreciate that much.

And so she shook those thoughts free as she focused her attention on Clarke and Lorelei completely.

"My people can help. There's got to be a cure, something," Clarke's voice was pleading, almost desperate. "Anything."

Lexa watched as Clarke seemed to reach out to Lorelei in spirit as if she could almost force her convictions upon the other woman.

"Whatever research I still have, whatever information I had is trapped deep down in Mount Weather."

The answer was exactly the same as ones Lorelei had told Lexa and the clans so many times before.

"No one is stupid enough to go down there," the laugh that slipped past Lorelei's lips wasn't kind or pleasant. "And even if they were, it's no use. You can't do anything with the research, you can't make a cure, you can't formulate a vaccine without the technology that doesn't exist anymore."

Lexa's mind was turning now. And even though she didn't fully grasp the meaning of all the words used she could tell whatever was being said wasn't good, wasn't what she wanted or needed to hear. She hoped beyond hope that Clarke's people could give her something, she hoped beyond hope they'd give her a fighting chance. Maybe the tech could be used to help fight the ripas at least—

"My people can do it," Clarke's words cut through Lexa's thoughts, they cut through the air and there was a different tone to them, something not quite desperate, something not quite sure. But there was weight to them, finality, acceptance and hope. "My people can do it," Clarke repeated and this time she turned to Lexa, her eyes ablaze with determination.

Lexa stood, her motion enough to break Clarke and Lorelei's conversation. Both women turned to face her as she stepped closer, her gaze careful, keen and sure as she stared at Clarke.

"Explain," Lexa said.

She watched Clarke swallow, perhaps to give herself the time to think, perhaps to rid herself of any nerves she felt or perhaps for some other reason.

"We have machines in space," Clarke said, she pointed up and as she spoke Lexa watched her eyes dart back and forth as if she was calculating, trying to figure out what to say. "They can make the medicine we need but we don't have much time," Clarke said and she appeared to almost half turn to leave before stopping herself. "I need to tell them to stop, to stop preparing to come down, to stop taking things apart until we've had a chance to find her research."

Lexa's mind was racing back and forth. She didn't know much, not anywhere near as much as she wanted to know about Clarke's people and their predicament but she knew enough to understand the urgency in Clarke's voice, the urgency in her eyes and Lexa wouldn't ignore her own instincts.

And so Lexa nodded her head as she moved to her tent's exit and called over her shoulder.

"Then we must act fast."

Clarke never intended to end up back atop one of the tallest trees she had ever seen yet here she was. Wind smacked against her face a little more cruelly than she liked as she held on for dear life. It buffeted her left and right and she really didn't like the feeling of the branches swaying beneath her.

It helped that Lexa was close by, the woman's face far more calm than Clarke felt. At least it told her that things were normal and to be expected but still, knowing was one thing, feeling it was another.

The radio held against her chest felt heavier than it ever had as she thumbed in the frequency before turning on the power.

She hoped the Ark still had enough time and resources to create the vaccine, she hoped beyond hope that there was a way to create a cure and she knew she'd do whatever it took. But most importantl—

"Hello? Clarke?"

She'd recognise her mother's voice anywhere.

"It's me," Clarke said and she wouldn't let herself think about the fact her mother must have been waiting by the radio ever since the last time they'd spoken.

"Are you ok?" Abby's voice came through, the sound just a little distorted.

"I'm ok," Clarke said and she winced as the branch wobbled slightly beneath her. "I need to explain something," Clarke continued before Abby could start asking questions.

To her credit Abby also seemed to sense the tone in Clarke's voice. There was a few seconds of silence, perhaps Clarke heard other people gather around before Abby spoke.

"Ok, Clarke. What is it?"

There was a touch of worry in Abby's voice that Clarke realised must have been fuelled by the unknown, by the fear that the Earth wasn't safe or wasn't ready for them or any other fears she knew they'd have.

"You can't come down yet," Clarke said and she winced at her wording. "I mean, you can but not yet. I need the Ark," she said.

"What do you mean?" It was Kane's voice that answered her this time.

"Kane," Clarke said—

"Jaha's here, too," Abby added.

"Look," Clarke said and she looked over to Lexa to once more find the other woman quietly watching the conversation unfold from where she remained perched upon the treetop. "You remember the disease I told you about? I think I know how to get a cure," she nodded to herself. "I know where to find it. The only problem is there's no way to make a cure down here on Earth."

There was yet another moment's silence before her mother answered her.

"You think the Ark can create a cure?" she asked.

"Yes," Clarke was thankful her mother understood and caught on as fast as she did. "We need to make a sure work," Clarke said and she didn't even bother trying to hide the importance of her words through tone as she spoke. Her gaze met Lexa's yet again and she once more found Lexa staring at her intently.

"How do you even know there's a cure?" Abby asked.

"Let me worry about that," Clarke said. "The only thing is you can't come down yet. Not until the cure's made. The Ark has everything we need."

There was more silence, perhaps hushed conversations and then Jaha spoke.

"Clarke," he said.

Clarke hummed a response.

"We've already started shutting down the Ark's systems," he said. "Some of our—"

"—How long do you have?" Clarke didn't need to hear any more.

A pause. Too long for her to feel comfortable with.

"Two weeks," Abby answered her.

Clarke almost swore. Two weeks wasn't long. She knew that. But it needed to work, there was no other option.

"You can't come down," Clarke said instead of whatever else she wanted to. "Not until a cure is created. Whatever you need to do to keep the Ark functioning as long as possible. You need to do it."

"We can stretch it," Kane added quickly. "We can start rationing more. We can make this work."

Clarke heard a murmur of dissent from someone she didn't recognise but she ignored it as she looked out over the forest in an attempt to clear her mind.

"Clarke," Abby's voice cut through the voices.

"I'm still here," Clarke said.

"Listen to me," Abby said, and Clarke had heard the tone in her mother's voice so many times before when she had been shadowing her in the Ark's medbay as her mother took care of the Ark's inhabitants. "Once you get whatever research you're looking for you need to send it to us as soon as possible. The tablet, take photos of whatever you find. Or download it and get it to us. Once you've done that I'll look at it," there was a pause. "I won't know what to start preparing until you get us what we need."

"I understand," Clarke said. "I—" she looked out and towards the silhouette of Mount Weather in the near distance. "I'll make contact two days from now with the cure," she said. She'd made up her mind. She was committed. Perhaps more committed to her course of action than any other before. "You just need to get this done," Clarke finished.

Clarke would consider the fact she was currently telling— if not ordering— her people's leaders what to do. But she had no other choice.

Clarke swallowed hard as she looked back at Lexa to find her staring at her even more intently and there was something in her gaze, something sharp, something wicked, something a little less recognisable and Clarke knew her people's survival was on the line.

"Don't come down until you have a cure."

The walk back to Ton DC was tense. There was an odd intensity in the air that Clarke didn't know what to make of. The few warriors she could see around her moved as silently as ever, each one's gaze moving outward as they searched for any sign of threat. At times she caught a glimpse of a warrior moving through the trees, too, and she marvelled at the way they moved from branch to branch with little more than a rustle of a leaf.

Each time she stepped on a twig, each time a dry leaf crunched underfoot just highlighted how unprepared her people were and how much she was throwing behind her belief that she'd find a cure.

It needed to work, she needed to prove to these people that they could help. She wasn't an idiot, she wasn't naive. She could tell things had gone down terribly with Mount Weather and she knew not many were left because of their differences.

Clarke was determined to make sure her people's fate was different.

She'd need Lorelei's help. She'd need as much help as she could get and she didn't even know truly what she had gotten herself into. All she knew was that she was committed and there was no backing out.

And so Clarke came to a quiet stop before the gates of Ton DC. The adrenaline of the climb up and down the tree and the frayed nerves she had had made the return trip go by faster than she anticipated.

Clarke didn't realise she had been tensing up until she stepped through the gates before hearing them close behind her. As she glanced over her shoulder she caught a flash of a warrior or two still perched up high in the trees before the gates took them from her sight.

Clarke wiped her palms against her pants in an attempt to rid herself of how clammy they felt as she turned to find Lexa standing a little ways from her. The woman was in hushed conversation with Anya and Gustus, Clarke even spied Indra standing off to the side as if she waited for orders and Clarke was content to wait, at least for the time being.

Clarke felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and as she looked up she found Lexa staring at her intently. She swallowed and gave her a small, tight smile but as she did Clarke suddenly felt herself far smaller than she had ever felt before.

She looked around to find herself surrounded by people. Some looked at her ever cautiously. Some ignored her. Warriors, armoured and carrying weapons stood around. Some in conversation, others doing whatever it was they did. She saw villagers, people going about their day and each and every person had a life, had an existence that Clarke had rudely interrupted.

She felt small. Small for she was somehow in the position to negotiate for her people's fate amongst those who were so very different, small for she was trying to understand things she didn't understand and she was still trying to come to terms with the fact that her people weren't the last of the human race.

And Clarke wasn't prepared for this. She had never been prepared for this yet here she was, alone amongst friend and foe and—

"Clarke."

She looked back to find Lexa standing before her.

"Come," Lexa said simply before she turned and started walking.

In didn't take them long before they returned back to Lexa's tent. As she entered she found no trace of Lorelei either and Clarke made a mental note to look for her as soon as she could.

But before Clarke could really make any other decisions she felt Lexa guide her towards the war table and the map.

Clarke pushed aside any other thoughts as she focused on the map and as she stared, as she took everything in a little more keenly she couldn't help but to almost laugh at the absurdity of it all.

She wasn't a warrior. She wasn't a general. She had never been trained to read a war map, to understand where to put troops, how to fight, how to create ambushes and battle plans. Yet here she was. Staring at a map. Figures, carvings of things she recognised as villages, perhaps groups of warriors or camps spread out across the map. Maybe even markings that indicated ripa movements all lay before her and Clarke knew she didn't know enough. She knew she didn't know a single thing about any of this and—

"What is your plan, Clarke?"

Lexa's voice was calm. It was quiet and sure as it broke through her racing thoughts.

Clarke's gaze snapped up to her. She paused and she found herself staring into pale green eyes that held her gaze with such intensity it made part of her want to shrink away and part of her want to embrace.

Clarke didn't dare break eye contact though. She found herself trying to understand the woman in front of her. She found herself trying to understand why Lexa had let her speak as much as she had. Perhaps Clarke had assumed Lexa would take the lead in any kind of discussions, perhaps she thought Lexa would demand her people's immediate subjugation.

But none of that was the case and Clarke couldn't understand.

"The plan, Clarke," Lexa's voice asked more quietly.

She blinked in response, the movement slow, perhaps a little unsure as she slowly started to frown and stare at the map.

Clarke forced her mind to settle, she forced her eyes to take in every little thing she saw as she stared at the markings of Mount Weather.

She swallowed thickly. Clarke suddenly felt nervous. She suddenly felt put on the spot and even though there was just her and Lexa alone in the tent she felt herself watched by thousands of eyes, she felt the weight of countless lives on her shoulders and she didn't know why.

"The ripas," she began slowly. "They live inside Mount Weather?"

"Yes, Clarke," Lexa answered her quietly.

"Lorelei's research is in there somewhere," Clarke said. She swallowed and she stared a little harder. She found herself looking at wood carvings that dotted the area around Mount Weather and she slowly started to see the ripas in their carvings, in the shape, the way the wood seemed angry, furious and savage. "Ripas?" she pointed.

"Yes, Clarke," Lexa said.

"These are recent sightings?" and Clarke slowly started coming up with a plan.

"Ripa hives," Lexa answered her. "They live together, fight together, exist together."

Clarke nodded her head.

"Some live in Mount Weather," Clarke found herself saying. "Some live outside of it," she paused in thought briefly. "I need a distraction. Get as many ripas out of Mount Weather and the surrounding forest," she knew it was easier said than done. She knew she was probably talking about people putting themselves in danger. But she couldn't see another way.

"It would give you the chance to find this cure," Lexa prodded. "It would provide you the chance to find the cure and escape and return with a future for all my people."

"It would," Clarke said. But she started thinking about the attack, about Ryder dying and how violent and vicious that one attack had been. "I'm asking people to sacrifice their lives, aren't I?"

Clarke stared at Lexa then, she stared and she refused to break eye contact as she realised what she had talked herself into.

Lexa smiled at her, the expression small, confident, so sure and a stark contrast to the words Clarke had whispered. But for some reason she found the expression reassuring in some small, odd way.

"Rest, Clarke," Lexa answered her quietly, "for the rest of the day," she paused for a moment. "Tomorrow we will visit the dead."