Chapter 5
Apparently Abby's warnings that the Ice Nation queen had paid for the blood shed and that any more violent act would be taken as a direct offense to the Commander and a declaration of war had not stopped their new leader from going forward with his plan, as Lexa and Clarke's contingent was met some way away from Arkadia by Indra's scouts who led them to the small army. The two men were definitely on edge, and Lexa had to refrain from asking questions and followed them silently instead, leaving her own forces behind with orders to circle around the camp to check on the nearby villages and enforce a distant blockade.
Everything around them was forest, but even so, Clarke soon recognized her surroundings, and they finally reached the dropship, which Indra must have considered a better defensible position than most, considering a bunch of kids survived there against the best Trikru warriors. Or maybe it was just that it offered shelter where people wouldn't look for them, as by now Arkadia must be wondering what happened to their men, and would start sending search parties soon enough.
There were much fewer warriors in sight than Clarke had expected, but she knew from experience that a lot of them would be hiding in the trees, standing guard. Even so, it seemed that a lot were wounded in the attacks, as she could see Nyko rushing between people lying down in the protection of the dropship. Lexa had noticed too, and Clarke could see her search the crowd for a familiar face. Clarke too worried for Costia, who was nowhere in sight, but seeing the wounded she couldn't help thinking what would have happened had they not been warned in time, and she was too overwhelmed by the thought for any other emotion to take over.
When Indra came to them, she too saw the tension in her Commander, as she reassured her directly that Costia barely had a scratch, and was helping with the wounded at the back of the ship, as she refused to just wait idly. Indra did not, however, address the flagrant relief that washed over both Heda and Wanheda, and went directly to the more pressing political matters at hand.
She explained that they were keeping the prisoners on the top tier of the ship, taking inspiration from Clarke and her band. They seemed to have the leader, one man named Pike, and, to Clarke's greater surprise, Bellamy. With Clarke and Lexa's warning, they had managed to ambush them, and only a few of Indra's warrior were wounded by their guns before they captured the Arkers, but she suspected that, if he had so many loyal men that he could get elected, someone was bound to come and look for them, with reinforcements. And there was the question of what to do with the prisoners. If Clarke protested that all Arkers should not be held accountable for the acts of a few, they did elect Pike, as Lexa pointed out, and there would have to be an example. If their new rulers had no qualms exterminating their allies, they'd have to be considered the enemies of the Coalition.
Eventually, to avoid a lengthy argument in front of her men, Lexa promised to discuss this once they had a better plan of defense and made contact with the Ark for parlays, since Clarke could clearly no longer represent them. Clarke did suggest going herself, but since there was no emergency, the Commander refused to put her in harm's way. I've already done it with Costia more times than I wished, she thought, and was surprised by her own comparison.
Clarke made a face, and she could tell there would be an argument later, but since Indra was to the point, she seemed to let it go. For now. Marching briefly through the re-fortified camp, Indra walked them through the new defenses, and they discussed a plan to make the blockade more efficient. They also had to account for the fact that Lincoln – kill order or no – was still inside, along with sick Grounders who might be used against them. Accordingly, Lexa ordered instead that everyone who tried to go through the blockade should be taken prisoner and brought to her, not killed. She would not lose any more of her people, for stupid mistakes at that.
Thankfully, Indra was a competent general, and so there really was not much to say about her plan so long as they stayed in a defensive position; they were soon done. Which was a relief for Lexa, who wondered if she was doing such a good job as she thought of hiding her impatience to see Costia: when she suggested they go see the wounded, Clarke chided her with something of the vein of “do you want me to give a hand or are you just really in a hurry to see her?” But there was a playful smile on her lips, so Lexa refrained from saying anything, and smiled back instead. Yes, of course, she could not wait! Was there any point in hiding it? If this was her weakness, as some would say, then so be it. Costia was safe, her people was safe for now, why would she hide her happiness? She surprised herself yet again, as Costia was more bound to tell her that, than she to think it. Maybe it was just her proximity that made her all optimistic again, after their time apart had allowed her dark thoughts to settle in again. Maybe it was the words she'd said the night before she left, her thinking that Clarke was starting to forgive her – of which Lexa was more and more sure every passing day now – and the promise that they'd figure things out when she got back. She had doubted since the first time Costia suggested it that such a thing would ever happen – that the two of them and Clarke could find happiness together – and even more so after Mount Weather, but Costia's faith was enough to make her think it possible.
When she entered the dropship and saw her, though, there was no place for anything but Costia in her mind.
Costia had locks of hair clinging to her forehead, sweaty and bloody from running around helping people, and yet she was still incredibly beautiful. That was what Clarke first thought, how this woman could be in such a state and be so gorgeous at the same time, but then she and Lexa were hugging, and kissing, and Clarke suddenly felt very self-conscious, and didn't know what to do with herself.
She shook herself, and decided to give a hand with the wounded, so as not to intrude on their privacy, but before she could really do anything, Costia came to her and pulled her into a hug too.
“You kept her safe,” she whispered, before kissing her cheek as she had done before she left, and Clarke felt something stuck in her throat. She did not do much to keep Lexa safe, and Costia's gratitude was more than she could handle, but she was also incredibly glad that she was still alive too, and she did not want this hug to end. And it wasn't just that she was starved for contact after months living alone in the forest, she admitted to herself. She felt safe here, as she rarely did.
Looking over Costia's shoulder, she saw Lexa standing mere feet away, a benevolent smile on her face. She'd have beckoned her to join them, but she suspected that the Great Commander would object to something so silly in front of her men.
Eventually, they pulled away, Costia going back to Lexa's side and taking her hand. Clarke tried to ignore the pinch of jealousy in her stomach. She had no right to be jealous of them, and whatever had happened between her and Lexa in that tent before Mount Weather, whatever she took for flirting on Costia's part, whatever she felt – she'd have to suck it up and ignore it, because clearly they were happy together, and she had no place with them.
But then they smiled back at her, and Costia asked her to help her with the wounded while Lexa went back to her warriors and tried to set up a war council of sorts, and as she busied herself Clarke forgot about her anxieties for the time being.