It was the following morning, the sun had just barely broke through the canopy of trees and there was a prickle in the air that Clarke didn't quite like. She stood around the war table, her heart already beginning to race in her chest and she felt so very out of place.

Around her stood warriors. Anya, Indra, Gustus, others she didn't know, some she recognised, each one's face stern, serious, more deadly than she could imagine. Clarke's gaze moved from person to person slowly, each had black paint upon their faces, some streaked down their cheeks as if a beast of the dark had clawed at their flesh, others had it smudged around their eyes to make them seem demon-like, ghastly, ferocious.

Clarke swallowed the lump in her throat for she felt out of place, felt small, felt so very undeserving of whatever place she had somehow been set.

But it was her plan in some way. It was her idea to get the cure or the research for the ripas. It was her idea to show these people that her people could be trusted, could be helpful, wouldn't be yet another foreign entity that threatened to destroy those that called the ground home.

Clarke swallowed hard yet again as her gaze settled on Lorelei who stood opposite her, the woman's own face careful, stern, hard-edged and Clarke couldn't read her. Not entirely.

Words were being spoken, ones she couldn't understand but she could tell they were talking about Mount Weather, about the ripas, about any and all things related to whatever folly Clarke was about to throw them all into.

But for some reason Clarke found her gaze settling on Lexa. The woman stood at the head of the table, her back straight, a hand resting atop the hilt of her sword, the other pointing at one spot on the map before another and another as she spoke. Her voice was calm, careful. Though she spoke evenly her voice carried throughout the tent and Clarke took her in.

Clarke wondered not for the first time how Lexa had come to be the woman she was. She found herself wondering how Lexa had become the leader of her people, how she commanded the respect and the reverence from those so much larger than her.

There were customs, ways of life on the ground that Clarke still didn't know or understand but she would. She would need to learn more than she had ever learned in her life if she was to make a bridge between their people.

And perhaps, as Clarke watched, she realised Lexa spoke not at her people, but to them, with them, she paused, questions were asked, answered responded to and Clarke could tell Lexa was asking for guidance or asking for opinions or suggestions and she was willing to heed the advice or suggestions of those around her and—

"Clarke," her eyes focused in on Lexa who called her name.

She went to say something only to couch, her throat a little drier than she expected.

"Sorry," Clarke said. "I'm listening."

"We have decided," Lexa said and Clarke's gaze hardened, it focused and her mind seemed to slow and ready itself.

"I'm ready," Clarke said though she wasn't sure if she really knew what she was ready for.

Clarke watched as Lexa remained quiet for a brief moment before nodding as if to confirm something to herself.

"Anya will lead the distraction," Lexa's voice carried throughout the tent and Clarke watched her look around at everyone present. "As a group we will travel to the Mountain's main entrance," Lexa said. "Once there Anya will take her warriors to the nearest tunnel entrance and draw the ripas out."

Clarke took a moment to glance over at Anya who remained quiet, her gaze taking in the map and Clarke wondered what was going through this woman's head. Truthfully she wondered what was going through everyone's mind in that very moment. She didn't know them. Not very well at all and yet she knew they were all about to risk their lives because of her. Clarke suddenly felt guilty, something close to panic and she fought to stamp it out before it took hold.

"Once we are given the signal we will enter the Mountain with a small force," Lexa's voice once more broke into her thoughts. "We must move quickly. Quietly. Our advantage will be our silence. The ripas must not discover us within the Mountain," Lexa continued. "If they do we will leave," Lexa paused as she looked around at everyone before her gaze settled on Lorelei. "Lorelei will help guide us to her records," Lexa said and she reached down under the table and pulled out an old map of what Clarke assumed to be Mount Weather.

As she looked at it she found herself realising it was similar to what she had seen inside Mount Weather what seemed like years ago. Clarke wondered how much of the old world Lexa and her people still retained. The map contrasted so starkly with the large map draped across the table. Instead of hand drawn ink the map was printed, the colour faded yet the lines crisp, the writing still legible and the small images more precise, clinical, less warm than anything upon Lexa's map.

"We're entering here," Lorelei's voice added, Clarke looked at her as she pointed to what was marked as main entrance. "This it the ground floor," Lorelei continued. "The reapers aren't here. Or they shouldn't be. Most of them will be in the deeper parts and hopefully if Anya is successful there'll be none," she gave Anya a small, worried smile only to be met with a single stern nod.

Clarke chewed her lip as she continued to watch and take everything in.

"The first level's the old carpark and staging ground," Lorelei said. "Vehicles, large building machinery, anything that could have been used for rebuilding our cities is up there," she said. "Things haven't had human care for years so watch where you step," Lorelei looked out at everyone again. "Don't lean on anything, don't push or touch anything. It could break and draw too much attention," Clarke hadn't even thought about the fact that there could be machinery and other things in Mount Weather that could work against them but it made sense.

"My people," Clarke added quickly though. "When we can cure the ripas. We might be able to help salvage some of these vehicles," she made a point to talk as if her people would be able to help, in part because she wanted this to work, in part because she wanted to keep proving to Lexa and to everyone else that they'd continue to help.

Lorelei smiled at her, the expression small, perhaps tinged with a slight amount of hope before she continued speaking again.

"We need to go down two levels," Lorelei continued. She pointed to what was marked a stairwell. "The elevators don't work. No power goes to Mount Weather anymore," she paused. "We need to be careful here," she continued. "If we get attacked its easy to get stuck in the stairwells past the ground floor. Reapers could be above or below us if we're unlucky."

Clarke didn't like the sound of that, and from the way someone near her murmured something under his breath she knew he felt the same.

"Level one's our agriculture, storage and warehousing level," Lorelei continued. "Large open spaces, easy to move through quickly but nowhere to hide if we run into trouble."

"We should leave lookouts at the stairwell," Clarke said. "They'd help give us warning if ripas start coming up once we're past the main floor."

Clarke looked up at Lexa as she felt the woman's eyes on her and she saw a small something in her eyes before she nodded her head.

"A wise course of action," Lexa answered her.

Lorelei also nodded her head in agreement before continuing, "level two is where we need to be," she said and pointed to it on her map. "The science labs. My old research and where my office is," she sighed as if memories threatened to take hold. "Thankfully we always kept hard copies of everything," Lorelei continued. "We just need to grab everything we can and get out of there."

Clarke didn't need to voice it but she could tell the people of Mount Weather kept hard copies for exactly the same reason her people did, too. If so some reason their power went out for extended periods of time or if it went out permanently they'd still have access to the knowledge they needed to survive.

Part of Clarke hurt for the simple fact that lessons had to be learned by both their people without knowing that there were others out there who could have helped. But Clarke shook those thoughts as she focused on the here and now once more. She needed to focus. She needed to make sure they'd succeed.

"Once we've got everything," Clarke said as she realised the conversation had quietened. "We get out. I can take pictures with my tablet," she looked around at everyone. "And I can send it up to the Ark. They'll be able to make use of your research, Lorelei."

"And make a cure," Lorelei answered her with a hopeful nod.

Clarke stared at the map in front of them though. She stared and she felt as though Mount Weather was taunting them in some way. It seemed too easy, too simple. The plan was easy to understand and she feared there was something they were missing.

"What if we get separated?" Clarke asked. Perhaps talking things out would help soothe her thoughts.

Clarke looked up to Lorelei to find her chewing her lip in thought.

"There's maintenance hallways," she said. "Each one is painted orange," Lorelei looked around and Clarke did so too.

She could see confusion upon most faces as they waited for an explanation to the things Lorelei said.

"If we get separated," Lorelei continued. "Get into one of the maintenance hallways through the orange doors," she looked around once more. "There's ladders that lead up and down to each level so if the stairwell is blocked for whatever reason you can still get up to the ground level but it's tight," she said. "Or if reapers get between us then we can split up and hide behind the orange doors," Lorelei paused in thought for a brief moment. "I don't think the reapers will know how or what to do with the maintenance hallways."

Clarke nodded her head in understanding. The Ark had similar maintenance hallways that would let them move between decks if the power went out. They were cramped, mostly full of wires, access ports to their systems and whatever else needed to be shoved out of the way. But they were simple, easy to understand and more than useful at times.

"Ok," Clarke said, she smiled at Lorelei, the expression small but perhaps a little more confident now that an escape route was planned.

"Then it is settled," Lexa said, her voice hardening. "Everyone prepare. We leave at midday."

Clarke looked around at everyone as they all started to move. She watched as Anya gestured for Lorelei to follow her out of the tent before others followed suit and swallowed them from view. Clarke was about to move with the throng of people before she heard her name called.

"Clarke. Remain, please."

She paused and turned around mid step. Lexa remained standing by the war table, her gaze pinning her to the spot. Clarke worried her lip as she moved back to the table.

Eventually the last of the people left them in silence and Clarke felt her stomach beginning to twist itself into small knots as the finality of their plan started sinking in.

She wasn't prepared for this. She had never expected to be doing anything like this at all and though it wasn't a war, though it wasn't some bloody engagement over battlefields, it felt large, grander in scale than what had been discussed and she knew it because so many things hinged on their success, so many things she still didn't know or understand or comprehend and—

"Clarke."

Her name broke through her thoughts and Clarke's gaze focused on Lexa who had come to stand in front of her.

"Sorry," Clarke said. "I'm…" she trailed off though. Perhaps suddenly more unsure about her role in all of this. Part of her wondered if she had made a mistake in over-promising. Part of her wondered how she had convinced Lexa to trust in her and part of her still wondered who Lexa truly was under the masks she had put on ever since they had first met in that small bunker hiding from the horrors of the ground.

"It is normal to feel apprehension, Clarke," Lexa said quietly and Clarke realised Lexa had come to stand in front of her.

"Yeah," Clarke said before exhaling in a long shaky breath. "I guess so," she felt smaller than she had if only because things were starting to become more real than they had moments ago.

It was strange, too. There was a building of something, she could feel it. The fact that she was going into the depths of Mount Weather, the fact that she was throwing her people into the unknown when even she had no answers yet and the fact that the world felt so small yet so large and… and?

And decisions were being made in a tent, decisions were being made in a small village somewhere in the depths of the forests that could dictate the lives of thousands of people that Clarke had never met. She thought it deserved more fanfare, she thought it deserved more of something that wasn't present.

A voice sounded from outside the tent. Lexa said something before a woman stepped through. In his arms was a parcel, Clarke watched him place it on the table before bowing his head and walking out.

"For you, Clarke," Lexa said, a hand deliberate as she reached out and started unwrapping it. "Armour."

Clarke didn't say anything for a moment as she looked at the armour that Lexa had unwrapped. Upon the table lay a leather vest of sorts. Gauntlets of plated leather and other armours she couldn't quite place lay before her.

It was simple armour. Not entirely ornate, but she could tell it was well made, durable, something perhaps a little more carefully constructed than not.

Of course Clarke already wore clothes that had the hints of protective layers but this was different. She could tell that much.

"You have volunteered to enter the most dangerous of places, Clarke," Lexa's voice was calm as she stared at her. "Do you understand?"

Clarke nodded her head as she stared at Lexa and she knew. She knew things were dangerous, she knew things had happened in the world that she didn't understand and she knew she needed to do this for her sake and for her people's.

Both women stood face to face now and as Clarke stared at her she realised she was searching for something lost, something she thought had existed and for the briefest of moments she thought herself so foolish, so stupid.

Of course whoever Clarke had met in Lexa that first time hadn't been real. Of course that person had been a mask, something Lexa had put on to learn more about her. Clarke could understand Lexa's need. She was sure Lexa had feared Clarke's appearance was just another harbinger of death of sorts.

But Clarke realised she didn't know these people. Not like she wanted to. She realised she hadn't really spoken to anyone in any kind of familial way. She had no friends on the ground, she had no one she could consider a companion, she had no one. Not on the ground at least.

Maybe that was reason enough to succeed, at least she'd have someone to speak with, to open up to, to—

"You surprised me, Clarke," Lexa said quietly.

That made Clarke's mind snap back to the present, that made her mind focus on the woman who stood in front of her and she stared, quiet, ready for whatever was to come next.

"I…" Clarke trailed off. She didn't know how to respond. She didn't know if this was another test or something else. But as she looked at Lexa she found herself thinking the face a little less stern, a little less hard.

"Your people were wise to send you to the ground first," Lexa said she stepped back and she nodded her head once. "Now we must hurry," Lexa gestured to the armour, she reached for it and Clarke didn't have time to think before Lexa's hands started pulling it onto her.

And with that Clarke's mind refocused, steadied, embraced whatever dangers were to come.

The sun was hot. It sat rightly overhead in the sky and barely a cloud drifted by. Warriors stood around Clarke. Each one armed and armoured. Most had shields in one hand, swords in the other. Some held bows and arrows and a few held spears. Clarke could tell this was a practiced thing, a known thing, a dreaded thing.

She sweated, too. Her skin prickled in the heat and her heart was racing just as much as it had when she had been blasted down to the ground int he drop pod.

Lorelei knelt close by her side, too. The woman wore similar clothes to her and as Clarke glanced down at her fidgeting hands she winced as she watched the other woman continue to pick at the skin around her nails.

The group of twenty stood in the shadows of the tree line. In front of them was the same clearing that led to the open entrance of Mount Weather and Clarke couldn't help but to find what she felt now so very different to what she had felt the first time she had laid eyes on Mount Weather. Then she had been filled with dread and fear and anger. But it had been a different kind. A kind that was fuelled by the unknown of the world, by not knowing how much danger she truly had been in and she winced, shivered at the memories, at the peace she had sought in Mount Weather's entrance.

And—

And a low horn echoed out through the forest. It was distant, far, deep, it shook the air and Clarke knew the distraction was falling into place.

Clarke hoped Anya would be able to draw as many of these ripas out as possible, she hoped the woman would be safe, and those with her, only because Clarke didn't want people to suffer more than they had and she hoped beyond hope that they could find Lorelei's research.

Clarke reached back and ran her hand over her backpack again, perhaps to sooth her worries and perhaps to remind herself she had everything she needed. Part of her wished she had her rifle but she knew she wasn't good enough to fire it around the others and she knew it would only draw too much attention to them than they needed.

"We move," Lexa's voice was quiet, calm, firm.

And with that they all stood and began to run.

Clarke somehow managed to keep pace with the warriors. One, a woman she half recognised grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her forward. She spied Indra glancing behind them as if to check they weren't being followed. She watched as another warrior she had first noticed accompanying Lorelei stayed close to her and she knew there was no turning back.

As they ran some warriors lit torches, the flames jumping to life far faster than Clarke anticipated they would. The heat burnt against her skin and prickled her eyes but only for a moment.

And then, just as quickly as they had run through the open, so too did they just as quickly descend into the dark.

The open entrance of Mount Weather swallowed the group whole. The heat of the day disappeared and was replaced by shadow, by coolness. That ever present moss that had snaked its way as far as it could into Mount Weather remained underfoot as the warriors slowed their run and started to walk cautiously forward.

Clarke didn't know what they were thinking, she didn't know what they must have felt, but she was nervous. Nervous about what she knew now lay in wait.

Last time she had been in Mount Weather she had had her torch. The light had been crisp and though it danced shadows around her they had been steady and sure. This time the light was warm, it was hot, it danced and flickered and the shadows moved in time, perhaps to tease or to torment.

She looked at that same main entranceway. She looked at the discarded things, the dust that settled over the surfaces, and the dark, the quiet, the chill of the shadows.

It was quiet. Each warrior moved forward silently, their steps measured and sure. Lexa stood in front, her sword poised, tip glinting in the shadows as she slowly stepped one foot before the other. Clarke and Lorelei were pressed into the centre of the group and she knew it was to protect them as much as possible.

"Over there," Lorelei whispered and she pointed forward to a far corner. "That's the main stairwell. That way," she pointed to one of the large doors Clarke had seen her first time inside Mount Weather. "That's our carpark, where we stored a lot of transport," she pointed another direction. "The lifts. Access hallways and other things are there."

Lexa glanced over her shoulder as she paused.

"We will move quickly," Lexa said. "We do not risk anything," Lexa continued. "If you believe we are at risk sound the alarm."

Everyone around her whispered a quiet word of acknowledgment before they continued. Clarke felt the hair on the back of her neck beginning to prickle and stand up too. Her heart was beginning to race more and more.

They walked forward as a group.

And it was quiet. Her heart echoed in her ears.

The flames from the burning torches scattered and spat light in every direction. The crackle of the flame filled the space and though it was quiet, though it was barely heard, it seemed to exist so very loudly around them.

It took them only a few more moments before they made it to the stairwell. In the distance was the pathway Clarke had first walked down, the one she had had the offices, the chair she had spoken to. She thought she could even see the map in the distance and she wondered what would have happened to her if she had explored further. She wondered how short her life probably would have been and she shivered, tried to push away those thoughts and she tried so very hard to focus on the present.

Two warriors broke off from the main group and stood by the open entrance to the stairwell. Before they started to leave though Lorelei paused, she took hold of one of the torches and turned it outwards.

"Over there," she said quietly. "Can you see it?" she whispered to the two warriors.

"Yes," one of them said and as Clarke followed where Lorelei looked she found a small hatch, orange, and nestled into the wall.

"That's one of the escapes." Lorelei said. "Hopefully you won't need it but it's there just in case."

The warrior nodded his head and whispered a quiet thank you.

And so they stepped through the threshold and into the stairwell.

It was large. That was the first thing Clarke noticed. She knew the stairwell was designed to accommodate multiple people in an emergency so perhaps it gave them the ability to run, fight on the stairs if needed. But what she didn't like was that it echoed.

The flame spat their light out in every direction just as much as their steps echoed around them. The first warrior, a woman, paused as her foot landed on the first metal step that lead downwards. She seemed to test her weight before nodding her head at Lexa.

The group started to descend, the air around them was stuffy. Each step picked up dust that settled in the air and Clarke fought not to sneeze or cough. She looked over the railing and downwards. The stairwell seemed to stretch as far down as the eye could see. With each passing second Clarke half expected an explosion of noise, a ripa to jump out of the shadows or for the stairwell to give way and send them careening down to their deaths.

But none of that happened. The stairwell remained sturdy and sure underfoot but that shouldn't have surprised her. It had been designed to withstand the nuclear apocalypse.

They came to the next landing then, the open entrance to level 1 marked by large writing on the wall, faded by the years. Clarke could just barely see through the opening, she could just barely make out hallways and objects and spaces through the darkness and she knew if anyone had been looking at the stairwell through the distance they'd have noticed.

"Level 1," Lorelei whispered. "Main hallway opens up to large warehouses and spaces we used to use for farming."

Clarke stared into the dark ahead of them and she could swear she could hear the faintest drip of water somewhere in the distance. Perhaps a pipe had long since burst, perhaps water was seeping in from the outside, perhaps a beast or a ripa or an animal somehow existed somewhere in the depths.

She shivered for the atmosphere was heavy, the air was cold, stale, musky. It sat heavy on her tongue and it almost seemed a haze as it lingered around her. Clarke didn't like the feeling, didn't like the way the pressure seemed to press down on her shoulders.

"We should make sure there's no ripas," Clarke whispered quietly. "We could get trapped if we don't check," she didn't know why she suggested it. She didn't know why she even thought about it. But she did.

Clarke swallowed hard as she continued to stare into the dark as if she was daring anything to jump out at her. Whatever fear she had felt was somehow slowly being replaced by determination and perhaps a healthy dose of wariness. But she was determined. Determined to succeed. Determined to find that cure. Determined to find a way forward for her people.

"Is this the only way up or down?" Clarke added quietly.

"Yes," Lorelei answered her. "Other than the lifts of the maintenance corridors."

Clarke looked over at Lexa to find the other woman's eyes staring into the dark as well and Clarke could see her analysing the situation, she could see her thinking, guessing, making assumptions and plans and considering each and every option available to them.

"We search," Lexa said eventually. "Finding the cure is of no use if we are trapped in here with it."

Clarke smiled at her, the expression small and she didn't know if she did it to reassure herself or to reassure Lexa. She didn't even think Lexa needed reassuring. She looked calm, measured, so very poised.

"Tal, Jor," Lexa whispered. "Remain here."

Two warriors nodded and took up positions by the stairwell just as the other two had, and as Clarke looked up the way they had come she could see the light of the torches held by both of them in the high distance.

"Jast, Indra," Lexa continued. "Ensure Lorelei and Clarke are protected."

Clarke eyed Lorelei's warrior companion nod his head and stand a little closer. She smiled a small expression at Indra and for some reason Clarke felt a little less worried as Indra stepped closer to her.

As a group they started walking forward and out from the stairwell. The space they moved through slowly was a wide corridor. There was writing on the walls Clarke couldn't quite make out. In the near distance she was pretty sure she could see large roller doors that must have opened up to reveal the large spaces Lorelei had told them about but for now they were closed. That at least gave Clarke some form of relief simply because it meant nothing could get through to them yet.

"Up ahead," Lorelei whispered. "This hallway opens up into a large staging area," even though she was trying to keep her voice down it carried further than any of them wished. "It—"

Every single one of them heard the sound at the same time.

Clarke didn't know what it was. None of them did but they froze.

The hair on Clarke's body prickled, her mind thundered to a stop and each warrior who held a torch somehow, someway killed the flame immediately.

And with that the entire group was swallowed by the dark.