Chapter 14
Blades bared and ready to be bloodied, Anya waited in the bushes beside the entry to the stone mine. Raven twitching and jittery beside her. Lincoln had been gone for all of thirty seconds and the girl was already ready to implode. “If you do not sit still and relax, the ripa will find us.”
“Gee sorry I’m not a fan of running into rabid, highly trained, cannibal assassins!”
“They are not assassins.” Anya rolled her eyes. “They cannot be organized or controlled well enough to become assassins.”
“That’s not the point.” Raven hissed back.
“I told you not to come.”
“I’m going.”
“Then stop complaining and sit still.”
“How can I?” Raven grumbled. “How are you so calm?”
“A majority of these missions are waiting.” Anya murmured. “Fights rarely last very long at all. It’s waiting for the prime opportunity. Look, he’s back.”
Lincoln emerged from the entrance to the tunnel and nodded for them to follow. “It is clear for a few turns. I can’t guarantee anything past the fifth turn.”
“Brilliant.” Raven drawled. “Let’s go.”
Corpses.
Clarke was lying in a pile of corpses.
Holy shit.
“Don’t move.” A voice whispered in her ear, shifting just slightly. Lexa had landed somewhat on top of her, and she could already feel the bruise forming across her thighs. “Ripa,”
“What?”
A hand covered her mouth, the only thing distinguishing Lexa’s hand from that of a corpse was her body warmth. “Warriors, taken by the Mountain and turned into monsters. They are cannibals.” She breathed. As Clarke’s eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see the outline of Lexa on her stomach, almost entirely atop Clarke. Her hand clenched tightly over Clarke’s mouth to keep her silent. “The alarm is agitating them.”
Lexa’s hands smelled like decomposing flesh. Clarke tapped her wrist and Lexa moved her hand. “How will we get past them if they’re just going to eat us?” She hissed.
“They prefer fresh bodies.”
Clarke’s heart dropped and her stomach clenched as the cart of bodies wrenched out of place. A bulky figure in the corner of Clarke’s eye rolled them down the tracks, navigating the twisting tunnels easily.
After a few minutes they stopped, the flickers of flames on the tunnel walls danced across the stone above them. Lexa slowly shifted, wincing at the shifting of the fabric between them and the bodies around them. Slowly, Lexa lifted herself and peeked over the edge of the cart. “They are arguing over who gets the red. Whatever that is. They’re distracted, but as soon as we run, they will give chase.” Lexa whispered, moving to the other side of the cart carefully. “We must be prepared to run. I cannot fight more than one or two without a weapon.”
More than Clarke could, but she wouldn’t mention that. Slowly, rubbing the ache out of her thighs where Lexa had landed, earning an awkward grimace from the other girl, Clarke moved to crouch beside the Commander. “On three?”
Lexa nodded. “One,” They positioned themselves to jump. Clarke frowned down at Lexa’s bare feet. “Two,” Clarke looked back over her shoulder towards the Ripa. Their argument was starting to get violent. “Three, go.”
Lexa hopped over the edge rather gracefully, but Clarke barely made it over the edge without killing herself. They made quite a bit of noise, which effectively ended the Ripas argument.
Clarke sprinted. Lexa stumbled and hissed frequently, and Clarke could feel the prickling in her feet. Clearly the tunnel was not free of sharp rocks and debris. “Clarke, keep going!” Lexa yelped as they rounded a corner. They had reached a fork and ripa were spilling from one end. “Go, I will distract them.”
Clarke stumbled to a stop. “No, come on Lexa, let’s go. I’ll be killed by your scouts surrounding the Mountain if I don’t have you with me.”
“Clarke, go.” Lexa growled, conjuring one of her scalpels from her pocket.
“No!”
Lexa whirled around, flinging the scalpel towards the ripa in the front of the rushing crowd. It hit its target, or so Clarke assumed, because the ripa tripped over himself. The scalpel protruded from his eye, and the ripa behind him tripped over him, some even kneeled to tear into his face.
Lexa tripped again as she turned around to follow Clarke. But in the few seconds it took for them to argue, the ripa coming from the other direction had rounded behind them. “Jok.” Lexa snarled.
“You should have left while you had the chance.”
“Shut up.”
Lexa was absolutely affronted by Clarke’s gall. And with a wince, Clarke remembered that she was, in fact, speaking to the Commander of the Grounders, evidently multiple clans of them. Lexa grabbed Clarke’s shoulder and shoved her to the side, straight into the tunnel wall. “Do not let them get behind me.” She ordered, handing Clarke a scalpel and wrenching her bat from her hand.
Lexa whirled back around, baring her final scalpel and the makeshift club in either hand.
The ripa approached like starving panthers, stalking their cornered prey. In a way, they were. The first ripa lunged at Lexa, only to be kicked away, at the same time that two ripa from either side grabbed Clarke.
True to Lexa’s orders, she kicked one ripa in the groin, getting just enough of a pause for her to reach up and wrench the tiny blade through his carotid artery. Clarke was drenched in his blood before the other ripa yanked her away again. Just as Clarke ran the blade down his face from his eye to his chin, she heard a much louder battle cry than the incoherent snarls and growls of the ripa surrounding them.
Two heads detached themselves from their respective shoulders with sickening thumps and there stood their savior, Anya. “Lexa?”
“Anya, with me.” Lexa snapped, she had somehow disarmed a ripa in the time Clarke had been struggling, and now she wielded a dagger the length of her forearm. “Lincoln, hold the rear.”
“Raven, down the other tunnel.” Anya barked, following Lexa’s battle orders without another thought.
Clarke sighed in relief as another ripa was ripped entirely from her body by Lincoln. The ripa fell still when his skull hit a rock with a dull crack. Clarke noticed Anya toss Lexa a sword, before she was swept into battle once more, shielded heavily by Lincoln.
“Hold position, Lincoln, clear to Raven.”
“Sha, Heda.”
“Heda, Maunon incoming.”
“Jok!” Lexa screamed. “Just go! Run!”
Clarke cut another ripa’s hand and made a run for it. “Damn, Clarke, been awhile yeah?” Raven huffed as Clarke reached her at the corner of the next twist of the tunnel. “Where’s Anya?” Clarke turned to watch the two grounders fight, side by side. They weaved between each other and beside each other as if they had been fighting side by side all their lives. Though, Clarke supposed, that was more than likely. A ripa managed to land a blow just across Anya’s face, but the woman quickly recovered and gutted the ripa with a single thrust of her sword. “Shit fuck.” Raven murmured. “Holy fuck I felt that, shit. That really fucking hurt.”
Clarke furrowed her brows. “Worry about it later.”
“Easy for you to say!”
Finally, the three grounder warriors tore themselves from the battle, turned tail, and ran. Raven and Clarke didn’t hesitate to turn and sprint with them.
Lexa was soundless as they ran, but Clarke could feel a few new aches and pains, which meant she had not made it unscathed from their scuffle with a dozen or so ripa. And Anya, evidently Raven’s soulmate, thumped along evenly, keeping pace with her Commander.
Lincoln struggled just behind them. One of the ripa seemed to have hurt his leg, and Lincoln was tackled from behind by one of the fastest ripa. Lincoln let out an animalistic scream and thrashed with his blades, but soon enough he had disappeared entirely. Clarke slowed enough to call his name, but Lexa nearly tripped over her. “Go, Clarke, just go. He fought bravely.”
They turned another corner just to find daylight staring back at them several yards ahead. “Fuck! Dam!” Raven yelped, skidding to a halt just at the edge of the tunnel.
“Jump.” Anya growled, a tight grip on the mechanic’s bicep.
“We can’t swim!” Clarke huffed between breaths.
“Are you kidding?” Lexa snarled. “Now is not the time for jokes, Clarke.” Lexa ripped the sleeve from her lab coat and wrapped one end of it around her wrist and hand. “Skaikru,” Lexa grumbled. She grabbed Clarke’s wrist and began wrapping. Anya opted to push Raven off of the cliff, pausing to give Lexa a warning glance before following her down. After a second, Lexa was finished. “I will swim for you, now jump.”
Clarke didn’t have much choice, because Lexa dragged her from the cliff with her.
Raven felt like a drowned rat. By pure dumb luck, she had managed to wash, coughing and spitting, on one of the banks of the river. She shivered uncontrollably, dripping water everywhere. “You’re lucky I haven’t rigged handheld radios yet.” She snapped as Anya trudged from the water distractedly.
Anya nodded towards the other bank, where Clarke and Lexa were gathering themselves after their fall. “Heda!”
Lexa perked up, shoulders sagging as soon as she saw them on the other side of the river. “Circle around! TonDC. The maunon will follow me so keep your distance!”
“Take your time!” Anya shouted back. “They are expecting the Skaikru! Keep them distracted!” Lexa nodded once and nudged Clarke into the underbrush. “We will wait until the Maunon reach the river. We want them to follow us as well. Split the group.”
“All of you are fucking crazy.” Raven responded, hunching over against the breeze.
“There, I’m surprised they haven’t camouflaged their suits. They are arrogant.” Anya jogged away, expecting Raven to follow.
“You should wrap that ankle when we get back.” Raven quipped, following her into the underbrush.
“So you’ve figured it out?”
“You knew?”
“You Skaikru are not very observant, remember?” Anya snickered.
“You’ve known long enough to come to terms. Fuck you.”
Anya smirked, turning her head just to let Raven know of her amusement. “Come along, you’re noisy. The Maunon are following us.”
Raven grunted, breaking into a jog for a few feet to catch up with her. They travelled in silence for several minutes before Raven couldn’t take it anymore. “I heard some of the warriors in TonDC mention that you were the Commander’s mentor. Is that true?”
“Sha.”
“How does that work? She outranks you.”
“A student can very easily surpass their teacher if they are talented enough.” Anya shrugged. “Why?”
“Well, we’re stuck with each other. Might as well get to know you.” Raven feigned disinterest.
Anya raised an eyebrow, glancing towards Raven as she stepped over a fallen tree. “What do you care to know?”
“How did you manage to train the Commander? What was it like? How does the mentorship thing work?”
Anya sighed. “Lexa is a Natblida. I was selected to train one and she happened to be assigned to me.”
“What?” Raven scoffed. “Pretend I’m an alien.” At Anya’s glare Raven grinned. “Okay, treat me like the alien I am. What?”
“Lexa’s blood is dark, like a shadow at night. Natblida. Night Blood. Natblida are the only people capable of accepting the Flame. Eh, Heda’s spirit. When Heda dies the Flame is transferred from the previous Heda to the Natblida to survive the ascension.” Anya explained. “It is a great honor to mentor a Natblida. Circumstances caught the previous Heda’s attention, when I was younger.”
“What happened?”
“My Fos died, and so I took his place. There was a battle against the Broadleaf clan. They were withholding rightfully Trikru material in a tunnel system. When I took over, I found a way to win an unwinnable battle. Heda was impressed and I was honored with a Seken of my own. Lexa was the troublesome child of the litter. I was fresh from battle and new to Heda’s good graces, so I was given the difficult one. There were at least three more children that were predicted to perform best in the Ascension over Lexa. But I took her on and I forced her to behave.” Pride leaked into Anya’s voice, and Raven had to admit it was endearing. “Lexa was never trained to be a warrior, but a strategist, a Commander. She makes sacrifices, she isn’t one of them.”
“Aw, you love her!” Raven needled. “That’s sweet.”
Anya shrugged. “Of course I do.”
“Well, hopefully they get to TonDC without any problems.”