Lexa paced nervously in her room, her feet tapping out an awkward cadence on the worn rugs as she pivoted too and fro. She growled under her breath. Damn Octavia for being late. She strode to the window overlooking the busy lanes in Polis. People bustled about in the early morning, heading to the docks and markets. Children were playing in the freshly fallen snow, and mothers and fathers alike scolded them as they tried to hurry them along.
She shook her head amusedly as one brave boy hurled a snowball at his mother, only for his mother to turn on him in an instant. She chuckled as the mother playfully dunked him into a snowdrift and then kissed his red, rosy cheeks. She set him back on his feet and grabbed his hand, leading him down the winding lane to the market.
She felt warmth flutter in her chest. It had been three years since the Mountain, and their peace had been hard fought and hard won. But children played in the streets with abandon, people raised their voices in cheer, and there was food enough for all.
Her betrayal of the Skaikru hadn’t been without its consequences, and it had been many months before Clarke would look at her without loathing. It had been two years before Clarke had found her way to her furs one night, not saying anything, just sliding in beside her, pressing her naked body against Lexa. And Lexa hadn’t been strong enough to say no, even though she probably should have. She had craved Clarke, had burned for her for so long, and she gave in to the warmth of her body, the breathless moans that Clarke uttered against her sweaty skin. It was five months after that before they even talked about the fact that every night, Clarke made her way to Lexa’s furs.
It was another month of Clarke’s cold silence for her to finally break down her walls and convince Clarke that she belonged with Lexa, and she her; which brought her to now six months later on the eve of Yuletide. She had been informed by a not so gracious Raven that the Skaikru celebrated Yuletide differently than the Trikru. They called it Christmas, and one of its most important traditions was gift giving between parents and children, but also between lovers. And gifts between lovers were expected to hold significance.
She groaned as she leaned her forehead against the cold window. Gift giving was not a widely accepted tradition among her people, except when a Seken became a Fos, their Fos gifted them with their first weapon, made specifically for them by a master craftsman, but also with the help of the Fos. Gifts of treats were given to children on Yuletide, but by the time they reached their 13th birth season, the tradition stopped.
Somehow she doubted that a gift of honey cakes, as were given to the children, would be good enough for the expected gift, and this is why she needed Octavia. She glanced up quickly when she heard the knock on the door.
“Come in.” She turned to face Octavia, straightening her back and clasping her hands behind her. She didn’t want to appear to intimidating, just enough to stop any jokes from the younger brunette. She was a fierce gona, and greatly respected; but she still had a mischievous smirk that graced her mouth a little too often for Lexa’s tastes.
“Heda.” Octavia nodded and came to stand in front of Lexa. She mimicked Lexa’s pose, her face giving away nothing, but she saw the flash if irritation in Lexa’s eyes, but then it was quickly covered. She noted that Lexa made a conscious effort to relax, and she slowly loosened her arms letting them swing down to her sides. Interesting.
“Octavia.” She opened her mouth and then closed it abruptly. She wasn’t entirely sure how to proceed, so instead she turned on her heel and went to stand in front of the window again. She jerked her head slightly and was relieved when Octavia understood enough to come and stand next to her.
“Yuletide is almost here,” she murmured quietly.
“Sha, Heda,” Octavia sassed back, clearly enjoying Lexa’s discomfort. She knew Lexa needed something from her, and she wasn’t above making the Commander sweat a bit over it.
Lexa grit her teeth. It was obvious Octavia was going to make her work for it. She ground her teeth, fighting back the snarl building in her chest. She could almost feel Octavia’s amusement.
“How would you like to take the Northern most patrol for the next three days?” She bit out, and was instantly rewarded by Octavia shifting and dropping her head.
“I am yours to command, Heda.”
Lexa snorted at that. The instant contrition from the younger girl was not doubt sincere, but there was an edge to her soft words.
“Shof op, Octavia.” She rolled her eyes and turned to face the girl. “I have a problem,” she admitted.
Octavia straightened. Now they were finally getting somewhere.
“How can I help, Heda?”
Lexa gestured towards the window, “Do you see them? They are happy,” she stressed the last word, letting a little disbelief leak through. Truth was, she hadn’t believed she would see the day the mountain would fall and her people would be free from its terror.
“Sha, Heda. They have reason to be. The mountain has fallen, there is plenty of food to go around, and there have been many babies born lately,” Octavia smirked.
“Are you happy?”
Octavia was more than a little startled at the question. She licked her lips, gazing questioningly at Lexa who had turned back to the window again. She decided to be truthful.
“I have never been so happy,” she hesitated briefly but plunged on ahead. She took a deep breath, hoping it wouldn’t be her last, “Lexa, why don’t you say what you really want to ask me.” She saw Lexa stiffen, and hoped she hadn’t misjudged Lexa’s indulgences of late. She had never addressed her by name, and she wondered if she should have now.
Lexa contemplated the gentle falling snow, letting the younger girl sweat a bit. She could feel the apprehension rolling off the girl. She idly fingered the dagger at her waist, smirking when she felt the girl stiffen next to her. She finally decided to put her out of her misery.
“I am glad, Octavia. Your happiness…” she trailed off and decided to try again, “your happiness is…important to me. You are a trusted gona, and one of Clarke’s truest friends.”
She figured she might as well push on ahead since Lexa seemed to be in a benevolent mood, “And Clarke’s? Is Clarke’s happiness important to you?”
“Sha,” she whispered, her throat suddenly aching, “more than anything, Octavia.”
Octavia smiled and nodded, “Then how can I be of service, Heda?”
Lexa nodded firmly and then turned back to Octavia, “This tradition…of the gift giving?”
Octavia nodded, suddenly realizing what had Lexa so worried. She tried to hide her smile, it was rather endearing that Lexa was so obviously distressed about giving Clarke a gift. She waited patiently for Lexa to continue, but Lexa was looking out the window again, lost in fault. Octavia rolled her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. At this rate, Christmas would come and go before Lexa admitted her problem. She decided to take pity on the Commander.
“You don’t know what to give, Clarke.”
Lexa growled lightly under her breath and then turned back to look at Octavia again. She leaned against the window, letting her bottom slide down until it hit the window sill. She braced her feet on the floor, and her hands gripped the edge.
“Ugh. We don’t give gifts like this, Octavia, but I don’t want her to think that I don’t care…” she huffed under her breath, as she continued to stare at the floor, noting the circular patterns in the faded rugs. How they had survived the bombs, she had no idea.
“Clarke doesn’t need a gift to know that you care.”
“I know!” groaned Lexa, irritated that Octavia didn’t seem to understand what she was trying to say. But she snapped her mouth shut abruptly when Octavia lifted her hand. Her eyes narrowed. No one silenced the Heda.
“Sha, you know. And Clarke knows. But this is about showing that you understand her traditions, that you understand her. The perfect gift will tell her that you listen to her, and you know her enough to know what she would like.” Octavia nodded sagely, smiling a little when Lexa’s shoulders slumped in defeat. But her triumph quickly turned sour in her mouth, when she realized Lexa’s shoulders were truly slumped, as if she was upset. Very upset.
“Heda?”
“That’s just it, Octavia, I don’t know what to get her.” Octavia had to lean forward to hear the small voice. She sounded so pitiful, that it made Octavia smile a little. Damn, but Heda had it bad for Clarke.
“Yes, you do, Lexa. You don’t need me to tell you what Clarke would want. You know her better than anyone, even if you don’t realize it yet. You just need me to tell you to buck up, get off your butt, and go get your girl something that will show her your heart.”
The younger brunette wasn’t even phased by the warning growl that rumbled from Heda’s chest, and she simply beamed at her once Lexa finally looked up at her. She nodded her head eagerly, and stepped aside.
“Go get her, Tiger!”
“You are very…unusual, Octavia kom Trikru, but thank you.”
Octavia smiled again and made her way out the door, chuckling under her breath. She wondered how Lincoln was fairing with Clarke. She knew for a fact that Lincoln had received a message from the blonde requesting his presence immediately. It was only a few minutes later that she was summoned by Lexa. Somehow she figured Clarke had called upon Lincoln for the same reasons.
*********************************8
“But, Lincoln, she has everything! She is the friggen Heda! She doesn’t need anything! Aaaaargh!” Clarke drove her hands through her wild main of hair as she stamped around her room. Lincoln wisely kept his mouth shut, knowing that his words would not be appreciated at this moment. So he waited patiently for her to calm down.
“I…I don’t have anything to give her, Lincoln, and I don’t have any bits anyway with which to buy anything. At least not enough bits to buy something important.” She growled again as she unfolded her fist and stared at the rectangular metal bits resting snugly in her moist palm. It was all she had left from the last sketch she had sold. It was enough to buy food for a couple of days, but not enough to buy Lexa anything of value.
She groaned and threw herself into her chair. She rested her arms on her knees, her head hanging low. Why couldn’t anything go right? She had given most of the bits she’d saved to Marie and her young son Jago. Marie ran the children’s home in Polis. These were the war orphans, and she knew that the extra bits would help Marie make their Yuletide more special. They deserved it, and she had never been able to resist any of the children or Jago anyway.
She thought she had saved enough to buy something in the market for Lexa, but she hadn’t counted on accidentally breaking Kaiden’s bow. He had told her not to worry about it, but she had felt so bad; and had spent her remaining bits on new yew wood, and had given it to Cam to fashion a new bow for Kaiden.
Thankfully, she had sold a couple of sketches to Jay, who hung them in her Emporium. She said they brightened up the place. She wasn’t sure how that was possible since Jay’s store was filled with colorful and bright oddities, not to mention the sketches had been done in charcoal. She shook her head, smiling a little. She wasn’t stupid. She was sure Kaiden had told Aiden about the broken bow, and Aiden in turn had told Jay about it. Of course that meant that Cam would have told Jay that Clarke also gave her the last of her bits to fashion a new boy. And Jay…well, Jay being Jay had bought sketches she didn’t need.
Lincoln crouched down in front Clarke. “Clarke, the bits don’t matter. What matters is that the gift is from your heart.” He smiled and wrapped his big hands around her slender ones, “Clarke, what about drawing her a gift?”
“You mean like I did for her birthday?”
“Oh.”
“Aye, I’ve already done that. She has more than a few of my sketches and even a couple of paintings.” She blushed and smiled softly, “they hang in her bedroom and in her War Room.”
He nodded. He had seen a few that hung in the War Room. The sketches had raised a few eyebrows at first from the other members of the council, but Lexa had steadfastly ignored their surprised looks, and nothing was said of it.
“Clarke, you don’t need bits. You just need heart.” He tapped her lightly on her sternum, “You will figure it out. Remember, this is Polis. Anything is possible here. Remember? Wasn’t it Polis that changed how you thought about us? About how you thought about Lexa?”
“No, Lexa changed the way I thought about the Trikru, about how I thought about her.”
He nodded and smiled. He had already know that, but he had wanted her to say it, so she would remember. “Aye, Lexa changed how you thought about the world, but it was in Polis that you finally admitted that you loved her.”
She jerked her head up and stared at him wildly, “I…I don’t…I mean…” she sputtered indignantly. She rolled her eyes at Lincoln’s knowing smile. “Fine,” she huffed, “maybe I care…strongly for her.” She rolled her eyes again and shoved his arm.
“Yes, because you are a wreck over a present simply because you care strongly for her,” he gently mocked. And he laughed when she shoved him in the chest, and he fell on his rump. She fell on her knees next to him, and they laughed together. She threw an arm around his shoulders and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
“Thank you, Lincoln.”
He smiled, “Always, Clarke.” He heaved himself to his feet and reached out a hand for her, pulling her to her feet once she grabbed it. “The market awaits, Clarke. You will find what you are looking for.”
She nodded and smiled as he made his way out the door. She turned back to the chest at the foot of her bed, and grabbed her dagger and sheath resting on the top. She strapped it to her waist, and then slid thin blades up her sleeve, settling them in the sheathes.
She gently picked up her father’s watch, running her thumb over the surface. She smiled sadly, wishing he was still with her, but knowing he was floating among the stars. She traced the ratty, broken band with her fingers. She had been meaning to buy a new strap so she could wear it again. She had had her eye on a beautiful linked metal band that was perfect, but she didn’t have enough bits.
She rubbed the face of the watch on her shirt, until it shone. She smiled and tucked it into the inside of her leather coat. She patted it gently and stared ruefully at the few bits in her palm. She shrugged and tucked them into her pant’s pocket.
********************************
The market was crowded and Lexa ambled among the stalls. She had lost track of how many items she had picked up, only to put back down again: paper, honey cakes, charcoal, fabrics, leather satchels, and spices, but she still couldn’t find what she was looking for. Nothing seemed to speak to her, to demand her attention.
She sighed and set the wooden carving down on the table. She waved off the vendor as he tried to offer her more trinkets. She kept going, her fingers idly running along the scarred wooden tables as she continued to weave her way through the stalls. But something glinted and caught her eye. She stepped up to the table, her eyes searching for what had glinted.
She let her fingers slide over the daggers, over small metal tools, and then her fingers hesitated on a bracelet. She picked it up gently, noting the finely crafted links. She turned it over in her hands, feeling the delicate weight of it. She pulled on the links testing their strength. She smiled and nodded.
“Heda.”
She glanced up and smiled at the young man with warm golden skin and dark eyes, “Logan, I should have known this was your work.” She gestured with the bracelet she still held. “Do you think that this could be fashioned for a watch?”
Logan furrowed his brow for a moment, trying to place the word, and then he smiled. “Sha, Heda, you mean to wear?”
Lexa nodded and pulled lightly on the bracelet, “Can you break the links, so that a watch face could be fit here? And then do you think you could etch some designs on the links?”
Logan nodded as he reached for the bracelet. He turned it carefully in his hands, rubbing the pieces with his thumb. “Sha, Heda, I can remove one of the links and put rods on the end, so that the watch face can be snapped into place.”
He grabbed a few tools, in within a moment had one of the links removed. “Now, Heda, what would you like etched on the links?” He handed her a scrap of paper and piece of charcoal, and she carefully drew a couple of simple designs.
“When will it be ready?”
“I will do it now, I will have Patric take over the stall for now.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully, “Hmmm…two hours, Heda. It will be ready.”
“Mochof, Logan, I will be back then.”
“Patric!”
“Sha, Logan, no need to roar at me. I’m right here.” Logan turned and eyed his younger cousin, rolling his eyes. “I need you to watch the stall. I need to customize this bracelet for the Heda.”
“The Heda!” Patric grabbed the bracelet from Logan’s hand, easily ducking the swing Logan took at his head.
“Branwada! Give it back. If you damage it….!” He couldn’t help but chuckle though at Patric stuck his tongue out him. He shook his head in amusement when Patric carefully gave handed it back.
“Logan?”
“Hmmmmm?” Logan picked up his tools and started to remove the links one by one. He set the slender pliers down, and got up to stoke the small fire. “Well?” He asked without turning back around. He needed to make the fire as hot as possible so he could solder the rods on the ends.
Patric walked over, idly rubbing the side of his head. His light brown hair was swept all the way back from his forehead, and his head was shaved on all sides. The new hair was growing in, and he would need to cut the sides again soon.
“So…it’s kind of unusual for the Heda to want to purchase something like this.” He picked up the pliers and started picking at the rough table with the end. “Do you think it is a Yuletide gift for the Skai Heda?”
Logan grunted hoping Patric would lose interest in this particular line of questioning. He should have known better.
“I mean, I heard that the Skaikru call it Christmas, and they give gifts to each other.” He set the pliers down and jumped up on the table, swinging his legs. “I think the Heda is happier when she is with the Skai Heda. And I think we are all happier when the Skai Heda is here.”
Logan finally stopped and set his tools down and glanced up at his cousin. “I think that this line of questioning could get you tied to a tree. Now get off your butt and get back out there and sell some stuff.”
Patric jumped off and meandered back out front, closing the heavy flap behind him. Logan smiled to himself. Yes, indeed. Everyone was happier when the Skai Heda was here. Happy Heda, happy people.
***********************************
Clarke continued touring the market. She had bumped into Marie and Jago and the three were now meandering through the stalls, a delighted Jago running back and forth between them. Clarke laughed at his antics, and chased him down the lane, scooping him up and tickling him. She finally put him back on his feet, and grasped his hand in hers, and they made their way back to his mother.
“He is full of energy! How do you keep up with him?” She exhaled sharply, slightly bewildered that she was a little bit winded just from chasing the boy. She reached over and mussed his short dark blond hair. He grinned unrepentantly at her, and she swatted him lightly on the back of the head.
Marie playfully rolled her eyes, and tucked her long black hair behind her ears. She chuckled, “Perhaps, Heda would be interested in using him in her training sessions?”
Clarke barked out a sharp laugh, “Can you imagine a bunch of hardened warriors chasing him around, trying to corral him? He’d run them into the ground!” She chuckled and shook her head again.
Marie laughed with her and reached out and hugged the blonde. “Thank you for the bits, Clarke. Jago and I are going to go buy honey cakes for all of the children.” She pressed a light kiss to Clarke’s cheek, amused at the red bloom on the girl’s cheeks.
“Ah…sha…well it was nothing.” Clarke shrugged, more than a little embarrassed. She shuffled her feet and looked everywhere but in Marie’s laughing eyes.
“No wonder the Heda is head over heels for you!” Marie laughed again and scooped up Jago and waived to Clarke at they walked away.
Clarke shook her head smiling a little. She bit her lip and frowned, looking around. She hadn’t been very successful so far in finding the perfect gift for Lexa. She glanced up at the sky, noting how quickly the sun had seemed to move across the horizon. She groaned and pulled her watch out of her pocket, wincing at the time. She needed to meet Lexa at the feast in an hour.
She continued walking through the stalls, growing more and more despondent as she realized that she didn’t have enough bits to buy much of anything. She stopped at a smaller stall that she hadn’t seen before. It looked fairly new. Her nose twitched at the smell of something brewing. It smelled…different, and she couldn’t quite place it.
She stepped up to the long table, eyeing the heavy mugs that were scattered about. She picked one up, idly turning it over in her hands. She wondered how much it was, not that Lexa actually needed another mug.
“It’s not for sale.” Clarke jumped slightly and dropped the mug, wincing as it hit with a heavy thump. She scooped it up and gingerly set it back on the rough-hewn table. She smiled a little at the woman who stood in front of her. She was shorter than Clarke and a couple years older, with medium brown hair down to her shoulders. She had a round face and a mischievous smirk on her face.
“It’s not for sale, but this is.” She handed Clarke another heavy mug, and Clarke gingerly took it, noting the steam coming off the top. She leaned in and inhaled deeply, smiling as the rich scent hit her nose. She had never smelled anything quite like it, and she was eager to taste it. She blew lightly across the top, hoping to cool it down.
“What is it?”
“I call it WokaWada. Because it keeps you awake,” the woman replied leaning forward, eager to see how the blonde liked it. “Go on, try it. Not too much, or you will burn your tongue.”
Clarke leaned in and took a small sip, scrunching her nose a little as the hot liquid hit her tongue. She couldn’t really taste it, so she blew across the top again, thinking she needed to take a bigger drink. She took a bigger sip this time and her face immediately twisted, and she quickly set the mug down. She coughed and scraped her tongue on the bottom of her teeth, desperate to erase the bitter taste.
“Th-that…was…I mean…”she stuttered and grimaced again. She shook her head abruptly, and backed up a step. “I don’t think that is quite the drink for me…um…?” She glanced questioningly at the woman who was staring at the mug of Wokawada with a confused look on her face.
“Why doesn’t anyone like it. Maybe I should call it something else,” she muttered to herself, drumming her fingers on the table in irritation. She glanced up quickly when she realized the blonde had spoken.
“Oh, um. Yes, Lux. I’m Lux.” She smiled and stuck out her arm, and Clarke smiled as she grasped it and squeezed lightly in typical Trikru fashion.
“I am…”
“Oh, I know who you are. Everyone knows the Skai Heda.” The woman smiled cheerily at her, but then quickly turned her attention back to the abandoned mug of wokawada. “Do you think it is too hot?”
Clarke didn’t quite have the heart to tell her that it wasn’t the heat that made the drink unbearable. But before she could answer, another voice interrupted.
“No, it isn’t the heat, Lux. It’s the fact that it takes like snake venom.”
Clarke whirled around quickly, her face breaking into a smile as she stared at the twins Kaiden and Aiden. Kaiden smacked Aiden lightly, “Don’t be rude to Lux.”
Clarke laughed as they respectfully nodded to her, and as was typical, they fanned out to keep an eye on the crowd. She put both hands on her hip, glaring at them a little. “I don’t suppose you two were following me?”
Neither bothered to answer, and she simply rolled her eyes. But her attention was quickly captured by two more figures gingerly making their way to Lux’s stall. She smiled when she saw Aiden’s Seken, Gabrielas, walking alongside Camille, the bow-maker.
She chuckled at her friends, “What brings you two here, and what…wait. What the hell are you doing with a block of ice?”
Gabrielas grunted as she dropped the large cube of ice on the table. “This is for Lux. Apparently she thinks if she adds azwada to the wokawada, that it will somehow make it more…um…” she hesitated and glanced at Lux who had crossed her arms over her chest and was tapping her foot. “Um…I mean…more…um…” her words died down, and she gulped nervously and looked at Camille, who wisely backed away with arms raised.
“Don’t bring me in to this.” Camille pulled a small chisel and hammer out of her satchel and started chipping away at the ice, letting the small flakes fall on to a piece of leather she had laid next to the azwada. Lux came out and handed her a fresh mug of wokawada, but she had added cow’s milk to it.
Camille scooped up the ice flakes and dumped them into the fresh mug, only to jump and drop her chisel on her foot when Lux yelled, “Light ice! Light ice, Camille! That’s too much!” The woman growled and stomped over and grabbed the mug, balefully eyeing the young bow-maker who was now hopping around on one foot, and clutching her other foot.
“Chit, Lux! I think I broke my toe,” moaned Camille as she plunked down and tore her soft boot off to check her injured toes. Lux snorted and took a healthy gulp from her mug. “Mine,” she muttered. She glanced over her table and sighed. She grabbed another mug of wokawada and dumped more azwoda in it, and picked her way around to crouch down next to Camille. “Here. This will make it better.”
Camille gingerly took the mug staring at it confusedly, “what am I supposed to do with this? I’m not drinking this,” she muttered. Gabrielas grabbed the mug and stared at it for a moment and then at Camille’s toes.
“Maybe this will help,” And then without any warning, she poured the mug of wokawada over Camille’s toes.
“Chit, Gabrielas! What are you doing?!” screeched Camille as she scrambled to her feet. Clarke laughed and backed up as Camille hopped around on one foot, trying to chase Gabrielas who was laughing and trying to stay out of reach of Cam. It worked until Gabrielas bumped into the table knocking over a pot of wokawada, much to Lux’s horror.
Clarke shook her head and slipped away from the chaos as Lux was trying to salvage some of her wokawada and Aiden was roundly scolding Gabrielas who was attempting to blame Camille, who was still crying over her toes. Kaiden simply rolled his eyes, and slipped after Clarke, determined to keep her in his sight.
It was four stalls down that Clarke finally found what she was looking for. The stall was covered in beautiful leather and metal working. She traced the items lightly with her fingers, but her fingers lingered on one particular item. It was a beautiful leather sheath edged in metal. The leather had been stained to a dark walnut, but a tree had been carefully etched in the leather and stained a deep red, the same red as Heda’s sash. She picked it up, turning it over and over in her hands. It was the perfect size for the dagger that Lexa always wore tucked into her belt.
Clarke knew the story of the dagger, knew that Anya had gifted it to her when Lexa had been her Seken. It wasn’t just any dagger though. Anya had made it herself. Her father had been a master craftsman, and Anya had learned at his side before she became a Seken and then a Fos. Instead of hiring a craftsman to make it, she had scrounged for the blue steel that was so rare but made the best blades. She had traded for scraps and then melted it down and pounded it into a new blade, a blade that had saved Lexa’s life countless times.
Yes, this was the sheath. It was perfect. But she knew it wasn’t going to be cheap. She sighed and set it back down and then looked up determinedly at the vendor who had waited patiently the entire time.
“How much?”
The vendor, about Clarke’s age, tilted her head, her medium-brown hair falling into her face. She casually flicked it back with an irritated sigh to reveal large hazel eyes.
“This is how you start a barter?” The woman tsked in reprimand but then smiled. “What do you have to offer?”
Clarke sighed. “I’m sorry, I am Clarke. And you are…?”
“I know who you are Skai Heda, but I am Ardemosthenes.” She reached out and clasped Clarke’s arm before letting it go and rocking back on her heels. She studied the blonde for a moment taking in the sheath strapped to her waist. It was a good sheath, fairly new.
“This…sheath,” and she tapped the one Clarke had been holding, “it is not for you, sha?” She smiled a little already knowing the answer.
“No, it isn’t for me. It is for…I mean…it is for someone I care about.”
The vendor nodded in understand. “This is a very good sheath. The inside is lined in raw silk. Very strong, and it won’t scratch the blade.” She picked it up and looked at it thoughtfully.
“This will cost you twenty bits.” She held it out to Clarke expectantly.
Clarke’s shoulders fell, and she was surprised that she suddenly wanted to cry. She was tired and all she had wanted was to find something for Lexa that would show her she loved her, that would please her. The dagger was her most prized possession, and this sheath was perfect.
“I don’t have twenty bits,” she muttered biting her lips. She had four bits. Enough to buy some food, not enough for this.
“It’s beautiful, but I only have four bits. It’s not enough.”
Ardemosthenes looked at the other girl, noting the sadness that lined her face. She didn’t like to think she was particularly sentimental, although she was, but she at least hoped it was a well-kept secret.
“What else do you have?”
Clarke shoved her hands in her pocket, balling her fists trying to blink back tears. “Nothing. I don’t have anything.” She pushed her fists deeper into her pockets and her knuckles scraped something hard. She hesitated for a moment, but then her fingers curled around the object, of their own accord. She carefully pulled it out and stared at it.
It was warm in her palm, and her eyes filled with tears, as she ran her thumb lightly across the face of the watch. She took a deep breath, willing the tears not to fall. She felt the sadness bloom in her heart at the thought of her father, but then she closed her eyes briefly and imagined the look on Lexa’s face when she gave her the sheath. And she felt the sadness slowly dissipate to be replaced by a sense of peace, of belonging. He would approve.
She opened her eyes and held out her hand, “This. I have this. It is from the old world.” She gestured with her hand for Ardemosthenes to take it.
The vendor took it carefully in her hand, turning it over and checking the faded band. She had read stories of such things. Watches. “Where did you get this?”
“It was my father’s.”
Ardemosthenes barely suppressed the wince. She had heard tales of the girl’s father. How he never made it to earth. How he was killed for trying to save his people. She sighed, and held it back out to the blonde. “No.”
“But…beja! This is important!” Clarke dug in her pocket and pulled out the four bits. “Here take these too, or I can sketch you something. But I have to have the sheath!” She pleaded as she held out the bits.
The other girl stared at the bits and the watch and then back at the blonde. “This sheath is that important? More important than the gift your father gave you?”
Clarke nodded slowly, her lips trembling into a smile. “He would want me to do this. He would understand how much I lo-I mean…” she gulped, “he would want me to do this. Beja.”
The other girl looked at her carefully and then slowly nodded. She cupped her hand around Clarke’s and pushed it back, “I don’t need the bits. The watch is enough.” She studied the other and smiled a little, “You must love her very much to give up your most prized possession.”
Clarke’s mouth dropped open a little and then she smiled. “Sha. She is worth it. She is worth so much more. She…she is everything.” Clarke picked up the sheath again, the joy blooming in her chest, and she wanted to laugh. So she did, and she was surprised when the other girl chuckled along with her.
“Tell her then. Give her this sheath and let your heart speak.”
Clarke clasped the other girl’s arm and then quickly turned and made her way back through the market, excited to get ready for the feast. She finally had the perfect gift, and tonight, she would give it to Lexa and tell her how she felt.
**********************************
Hours later…
Lexa huffed in irritation as she quickly made her way to Logan’s stall. She had been called away by the council and now the market was shutting down. She had very little time left before the feast, and she hoped Logan was still around. She had just enough time to pick up the new band and meet Clarke at the feast. She wouldn’t even have time to change. Not that it mattered. Nothing mattered but the band.
She hurried quickly, pushing her way through the dregs of the crowd until she arrived at Logan’s stall.
“Ah, Heda. You made it. I was about to send Patric to the feast with your band.”
Lexa nodded and gave Logan a small smile, “Mochof, Logan. I was called away, but I am here now.” She eagerly took the band he held out, and she turned it over in her hands admiring the beautiful workmanship.
“Sha, Logan. This is perfect.” She smiled as she lightly traced the symbols on the links. Each link had an alternating tree and star. She carefully slipped it into the inside pocket of her coat. “How much, Logan?”
“For you, Heda? Nothing.” He waved away her protestations. “No, it is an honor to make something for the Heda.” He smiled and bowed.
She huffed in irritation, “No, Logan. That is generous of you, but it isn’t for me.” She gestured briefly, she was running out of time. She could already hear noisy laughter and the steady thump of the drums in the courtyard.
“Ah. I see.” He stared at her for a moment, wondering who she could be buying such a gift for when he felt the nudge at his back. He turned around slightly and stared at Patric who was grinning wildly.
“See, Logan. I told you.” And he nodded at the Heda who was grasping the handle of her dagger a little too tightly for his tastes. He smiled. Now he understood.
He bowed slightly again and held out his hands in a slightly pleading gesture, “Heda, you pay me what you feel it is worth. How important is this band to you?” He smiled knowingly at her, and Lexa narrowed her eyes slightly.
He knew. Of course he knew. This was Logan and Patric. Whatever managed to get by Logan, Patric was sure to pounce upon. The boy never missed a glance or a movement. He would make an excellent Listener in her court.
She reached into her pocket and drew out a handful of bits, but she hesitated as she looked down at them, Octavia’s words ringing in her ears. Sha, you know. And Clarke knows. But this is about showing that you understand her traditions, that you understand her. The perfect gift will tell her that you listen to her, and you know her enough to know what she would like.
She jiggled the bits in her palm, contemplating their weight. Her other hand rested on her dagger, her fingers restlessly tapping the end of the pommel. And then she knew. She slowly dropped the bits back into her pocket, and pulled her dagger out. She cradled it in both her hands, admiring the worn wood, and the shine of the blue blade. It had saved her countless times. It was invaluable because it was made out of blue steel, and was Heda’s blade. Logan would be able to sell it for more bits then he had made all year. But to her, it was a promise a commitment from Anya to her and vice versa. The first blood the blade had ever tasted had been her’s and Anya’s when they had bound their promises to each other in blood. But now, she was ready to make a new commitment.
She held out the dagger with both hands. “This. It is worth this and more to me.” She held it up higher to Logan even as he backed up with both hands raised.
“No, Heda. The band is not worth so much. This…this is too much.” He shook his head, his hands still in the air, refusing.
“No, Logan. This for the band. I need the band.” Her fingers tightened momentarily around the dagger. She ignored the drops of blood that she knew were coating the blade. “I need the band, so she will understand. So I will know.” she whispered.
Logan sighed and dropped his hands. “She means this much?”
“More.”
He reached out gingerly and took the dagger. He carefully set it on a soft piece of leather and carefully wrapped it before tucking it inside his jerkin. He held out his arm, and smiled when Lexa clasped it eagerly.
“Good trade, Logan. Mochof.” She spun on her heel and left him standing there with a grinning Patric.
*********************************
The courtyard was crowded, almost overflowing with people as they shuffled and bumped against each other, talking loudly and laughing even louder. A massive bonfire roared in the pit in the center, and people danced around the fire, while others sat on logs and benches eating the wild game the hunters had brought in earlier that day.
Lexa scanned the courtyard looking for Clarke. She craned her neck, trying to see over the crowd. She was hoping she didn’t appear too eager, but she saw Kaiden duck his head quickly when she glanced at him. She could have sworn he was grinning.
“Shof op, Kaiden.”
“I didn’t say anything, Heda.”
“Aye, well you were thinking about it.”
Kaiden decided the better part of valor was to concede, and he nodded his head, “Sha, Heda.”
Lexa glanced at him again, happy to see his normal impassive face, but she could still see just the barest twitch at the corners of his lips.
“Fine. Do you know where Klark is?”
Kaiden nodded and pointed through the crowd, “Sha, Heda. She and Aiden are coming now.”
Clarke hurried across the courtyard, finally having spotted Lexa. She was almost breathless as she pushed through the crowd, nodding haphazardly in people’s direction as they called out to her and slapped her on the back. She almost fell on her face when a particularly large and muscular member of the Boat Clan slapped her hard on the back as Clarke attempted to squeeze past him. She stumbled headlong into a tall, slim woman, face planting right into her stomach.
She looked up and rolled her eyes, “Sorry, Master Raven Blades. Completely not my fault.” The Master of the Blades simply arched an eyebrow and helped her regain her feet. “You must look where you are going, Heda Clarke.” Clarke’s mouth dropped open a little as she sputtered.
“B-but it wasn’t my fault. Th-that behemoth slapped me on the back. It’s a miracle I’m not dead,” she pouted. She straightened, trying to see around Raven, who looked amused at this point. But the behemoth in question had turned and was now staring hard at Clarke and lumbering quickly towards her.
Clarke turned, her eyes widening comically, and she backed up a step her hands coming up in apology, but before she could start to apologize, another figure entered the fray.
“Baltus, how good to see you again.” A woman with warm hazel eyes cut Baltus off with a small hand on his chest. She beamed at him and patted his chest. “Baltus, I heard that you built a new boat, why don’t you tell me about it?” And she carefully steered him away from Clarke as he immediately launched into a long monologue about wood and sails and ropes. The woman turned back over her shoulder and winked at Clarke.
Clarke mouthed a silent, “Thank you, Meagan,” and waved as the woman walked away with her hand in the crook of Baltus’ arm; all the while nodding her head as Baltus continued to wax on eloquently.
Clarke chuckled and shook her head, “I swear that woman has a gift for getting me out of hot water.”
Aiden cocked his head, “Hot water? You are in hot water?” He glanced down at Clarke anxiously at her, his eyes quickly roving over her form. “Are you hurt, Heda Clarke?” He stepped closer, worried that he had somehow failed to notice she might have been hurt. He suppressed a shudder at the thought of what Lexa would do to him.
“You had better have a good reason for staring at the Skai Heda in such a manner, Aiden.”
Aiden winced and froze, squeezing his eyes tightly. Maybe if he couldn’t see her, then she couldn’t see him either! He heard her move behind him, and his shoulders slumped a little. He peeked one eye open cautiously and was met with amused blue eyes.
“Ste yuj,” murmured Clarke to him, as he straightened and slowly turned around standing straight and tall before his Heda.
“I’m waiting, Aiden,” hissed Lexa as she stood in front of him hands on her hips, glaring with all the ferocity of a pissed of raccoon. He shivered and darted a glance at his twin, Kaiden, who minutely shook his head. He wasn’t foolish enough to get between Aiden and Heda’s wrath.
“I apologize, Heda. I was staring intently because I was worried that the Skai Heda had been burned. She said she was in hot water.” He held his breath hoping she wouldn’t simply lop his head off.
Clarke giggled and stepped around Aiden. “It’s my fault, Lexa. I told him that Meagan had a gift for getting me out of hot water, and he thought I had actually been hurt.” She brushed against Lexa, her hand lightly skimming across the older girl’s hip. “It was my fault, Leska, please let him be,” she husked quietly; pleased when Lexa barely managed to suppress a shudder.
Lexa turned and glared at Aiden, and then gestured him away. “Go. You too, Kaiden. We will be fine here.” They both nodded and melted into the crowd, Aiden more than a little relieved that he still had all of his body parts, and Kaiden merely amused at his brash brother’s narrow escape.
“Hi.”
“Hello, Klark.”
Lexa licked her lips and let her gaze slip across the younger girl’s face, drinking in her sparkling blue eyes, flushed cheeks, and plump lips. She stepped closer, wanting to simply cup the girl’s face and press soft kisses on her eyelashes, her cheeks, her nose, her mouth.
She glanced up and noticed a group of people moving determinedly towards them. She suppressed a groan and grabbed Clarke’s hand, quickly pulling her to the edge of the courtyard and around a corner. They hurried down a small alley, laughing together until they slipped through the wrought iron gate into one of the Heda’s private gardens.
They stumbled along the grassy pathways edged with snow, slipping between frozen rose bushes until Lexa finally stopped under a weeping willow. It drooped so far below that they were closed off from the rest of the world. Lexa looked up and pointed, “Look, Klark.”
Clarke tilted her head up, and her mouth dropped open. Hundreds of fireflies had settled on the inside of the limbs to keep warm. They fluttered their wings to create warmth, and so it looked like a thousand flickering stars hung in the air.
“Did you know?” she murmured as she continued to look up at the flickering canopy. She couldn’t bring herself to tear her gaze away, and she felt warm tears pool in her eyes. For a brief moment she was back among the stars, but instead of cold, dead space; the air buzzed and twinkled with warmth.
“Sha, I found them last week.” Lexa reached up and caught the lone tear on her finger that dripped down Clarke’s cheek. “I was waiting to bring you here,” she whispered as Clarke finally looked at her, her face lit up with a smile that rivaled all of the lights that flickered in their warm haven.
Clarke choked back a sob and threw herself into Lexa’s arms, gratified at the feel of the strong arms encircling her, holding her, loving her. She pressed warm kisses to Lexa’s neck, enjoying the way the girl shivered against her.
“I love you, Leska. Always.” She whispered it against the other girl’s warm, salty skin. She tightened her arms around her, molding herself to the strong body pressed against herself. She breathed her in and held her in her chest, silently vowing to never let her go.
Lexa let the younger girl’s words flow over her, around her, inside her. She didn’t bother to stop the few tears that dripped down her face. It might have been unbecoming of Heda, but for Lexa, it was what was necessary. She cupped the back of Clarke’s head, cradling her to her chest.
“I love you, Klark,” she whispered as she pressed her lips to the wet cheek. She pulled back, rubbing her nose against the blonde’s, and when Clarke looked at her with shining eyes, she pressed her lips tenderly against Clarke’s.
Clarke really didn’t want to sniff while Lexa was moving her mouth so deliciously against her own, she really didn’t want to think about the snot she knew was about to make an appearance. But she reluctantly pulled back and pressed a quick kiss to Lexa’s chin. She wrinkled her nose and then leaned forward and rubbed her nose on Lexa’s coat.
“Did…did you just wipe your nose on me, Klark?” Lexa stared down into guilty blue eyes, more amused than annoyed, although she did feel her stomach clench slightly and not in a good way at the thought of the snot smeared on her coat.
“Um…maybe?” Clarke bit her lip and then leaned up again and kissed Lexa, hoping to distract her. It worked. She pulled back, pleased that Lexa looked a little dazed from the kiss. “I have something for you.”
Lexa straightened, her eyes gleaming wickedly. She licked her lips and grabbed Clarke by the hips, pulling her tightly against her pelvis. Clarke laughed and swatted lightly at her chest, “Not that, baby. But if you play your cards, right…Later.” She winked at Lexa, pleased to see the little pout gracing her plump lips. She couldn’t help it, and she reached up and nipped at the older girl’s lips, earning herself a groan and tightened fingers on her hips.
Clarke carefully extricated herself from Lexa’s embrace, rolling her eyes playfully at the pouting brunette. “I got you something for Christmas, Leska.” She bit her lower lip nervously. “I uh…I hope you like it.”
She pulled a package out from under her coat, surprised when Lexa so visibly brightened and reached under her own coat as if to grasp something, but didn’t bring her hand back out from under her coat. “I have something for you too, Klark. But first…” and Lexa smiled and nodded toward Clarke’s pocket, “what time is it?”
“Wh-what time is it?” Clarke stuttered as she stared at Lexa who was smiling at her, and who nodded again towards the pocket where she knew Clarke kept her watch. “Oh…um…I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. Here open this.” Clarke held out her gift, wrapped in heavy paper and tied with twine.
“The twine is heavy, so you should probably cut it with your dagger.” She smiled and wiggled the gift at Lexa, who slowly took it with her left hand, and pulled her right hand out from under her coat. She was holding a small wrapped package in her hand. She held it out to Clarke who carefully took it.
“Wait, where is your dagger, Leska? The dagger Anya gave you?” Clarke gestured towards Lexa’s empty belt, her brow knit in confusion.
“Um…I don’t have it right now. Never mind.” Lexa smiled and held up the gift, “perhaps we should open these then?” Clarke nodded, and they both carefully opened the packages with eager fingers, letting the paper and twine fall to the frosted grass.
Neither said a word. The only sound was the soft humming of the fireflies as they fluttered their wings, their lights twinkling in the darkness.
Clarke gulped as she held the beautifully crafted band in her hands, she traced the symbols of the trees and stars on the links, and tears filled her eyes again. It was beautiful, strong, and perfect for her watch. The watch she had traded for Lexa’s gift.
She looked up with the tears swimming in her eyes. “It is beautiful, Leska. Perfect. S-so…I…thank you,” she whispered as she wrapped her arm around Lexa, clutching the band in one hand that was now trapped between their chests.
Lexa swallowed hard as she looked down at the beautiful leather and metal sheath. It was the perfect size for her dagger. She smiled as her thumb lightly traced the A on the guard of the sheath. She could see Heda’s symbol, a tree, and a star. She chuckled wetly at the thought that they had both had trees and stars engraved on each other’s gifts. It was perfect and the woman in her arms was perfect.
“Thank you, Klark,” she murmured as she pressed her forehead against Clarke’s. She chuckled again and kissed Clarke. “What is wrong, Klark? Is it not to your liking?”
“No,” sniffed Clarke, “it is so beautiful, almost as beautiful as you,” she sniffed again, “It’s just that…I-I traded my watch for the sheath. I didn’t have enough bits, and I had nothing of worth to trade.” She looked up anxiously at Lexa, basking in the tender warmth of jade eyes. “I knew that this was perfect. The dagger means everything to you, and you didn’t have a proper sheath, and this one…well, it is you, and it’s Anya, and it’s me,” she finished in a whisper.
“Oh Klark,” and Lexa smiled, “I traded the dagger for the band.” She tightened her arm around Clarke when the younger girl gasped and tried to pull back. “You mean more to me than any amount of bits or any dagger. You are all I want,” she pressed kisses against Clarke’s wet cheeks, pulling the girl into her more securely.
Clarke pulled back slightly so she could see Lexa better, “But you’re Heda. Didn’t you have enough bits?”
“Sha, I did,” Lexa shuffled her feet a little, suddenly feeling shy. “It was never about the bits, Klark, it was about you. My new commitment, and a dagger wasn’t representative of it.”
“Your new commitment?” Clarke drew in a shaky breath, not quite believing what she was hearing. She felt her heart pound against her ribs, and she could hear it in her ears.
“Sha, Klark. You. I will always hold you in my heart, I will always carry you wherever I go.”
Clarke felt such intense relief sweep through her, and she sagged slightly against Lexa, but before she could say anything, Lexa continued.
“But Klark, your watch. It was all you had left of him.” Lexa glanced down worriedly at the blonde, knowing how much it had meant to the girl.
Clarke placed a finger across Lexa’s lips, smiling when the older girl kissed it. “No, Leska, I have him here,” and she tapped her chest with one finger, “he is right here, next to you. I don’t need the watch, Leska. You are all I need.” She smiled again and leaned up and rubbed her nose against the brunette’s, “he would have approved of you. He would have approved of the trade. It was a good trade.” She kissed the tip of the girl’s nose and laid her head on her chest.
Lexa chuckled softly, tucking the sheath into her belt. She wrapped both arms around Clarke and they swayed quietly in darkness under a shimmering canopy.
They stayed that way for a few minutes more, until Clarke finally sighed. “We have to go back to the feast.” She kissed away the brunette’s disgruntled look, and slid the band inside her pocket. She patted it gently. She grabbed Lexa’s hand and tugged her along back towards the courtyard.
*************************
They were seated on a log near the end of the courtyard around a smaller fire that had been lit for Heda’s party. The twins sat on a log across from Lexa and Clarke pushing at each other, Meagan and Marie sat on a log talking quietly together, holding their slumbering sons in their arms. Raven and Bellamy were straddling another log, laughing and playing a ridiculous drinking game. Octavia sat on a stump leaning forward with her arms wrapped around Lincoln who sat on the ground between her legs. Both looked a little pleased with themselves, and Octavia would occasionally lean forward and places kisses on his shaved head.
Clarke looked up when she saw more people approach the fire, she waved them to the remaining logs, smiling as Logan and Patric plopped down on the ground near Raven and Bellamy. Lux perched on a log next to Patric, holding a mug with a suspicious liquid in it that Clarke vowed to give a wide berth.
Jay and Gabrielas soon joined them carrying plates of food and passing them around. Master Raven of the Blades was helping along a hobbling Camille. They sat down next to each other talking about the finer points of weapon forging.
Ardemosthenes soon wondered over and sat next to the twins, not entirely sure what to make of them. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to laugh or swat them as they joked and poked at each other. Linus stood at the edge of the pit, carefully keeping an eye out, but every once in a while tuning in to the conversation around him, chuckling to himself.
Clarke smiled as she looked around the fire. These were some of her oldest and newest friends. She raised her mug and toasted them each, draining the contents quickly. Lexa smiled and shuffled a little bit closer, pressing her thigh against Clarke’s. She glared at Raven, when she looked as though she wanted to comment.
Soon the conversation turned to Christmas and Yuletide traditions, more specifically presents, and soon the entire story spilled forth of how both Lexa and Clarke had traded their most valuable and meaningful possession to give each other a gift of the heart. Their friends exclaimed over what they had, and they all laughed quietly.
“So…wait a minute. Lexa, you traded your dagger that Anya made for you to get Clarke a band for her watch. And Clarke you traded your father’s watch to get a sheath for Lexa’s dagger?” She laughed and shook her head when they nodded. “This is some Gift of the Magi shit right here,” and she laughed even harder when Bellamy bopped her on the arm, and Clarke threw a snowball at her.
“Oh my gai! That’s it!” crowed Patric as he turned eagerly towards Lux, “I know what to call that foul concoction!” He gestured excitedly at Lux’s mug, “You should call it Bittawada!”
Lux smacked him upside the head.
And there you have it. The Gift of the Magi, Clexa style. Good night and Merry Christmas, my friends.
P.S. Wokawada= Awake Water, which is coffee, Bittawada=bitter water, which is coffee.