Met Through Stars

Ch.2 Natblida

—the next morning—
Clarke's POV
"Can you just talk to me pleeeeease. I know you speak English. And I really want to talk to someone.. it's been awhile." I say climbing down the bunk bed and sitting at the end of hers. She looks at me confused and I say "They don't like to speak to their prisoners." She still looks confused before looking around the room cautiously. I look back at her with confusion until she gets closer and whispers "Cameras?" "Ohhh no there's no cameras. Don't worry you can speak no ones going to find out.. I promise." I say placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. It makes her tense up and she looks at me suspiciously again before saying "Prisoners? What'd you do." I look away before speaking again as the question makes me uncomfortable. "Don't really want to talk about it." Trying to change the subject I say "So what's it like on Earth? From what I've heard it's.. amazing" as I look up to look at the Earth again. She thinks before answering "I don't have much to compare it to but it's alright I guess. I mean compared to this metal box in the sky it's amazing, yeah." I can see she has something else weighing on her and I say "But..?" She looks hesitant to open up but she does anyway "But it gets kind of lonely sometimes. Yes we have families but.. it's different. Well for me at least.." she says. I can finally see emotion in her eyes and I wonder what she means. "Why just for you?" I ask. She looks slightly offended that I asked that as she says "I'm the commander." When I look at her still confused she looks surprised until she seems she remembers something. "Oh yeah. Forgot it's like you guys are a different species. The commander is the leader of the 12 clans... we are chosen by the spirits of the past commanders." She explains like it's no big deal. "You're the leader?!" I said. She looks offended and I remember that it's different down there. "No it's just.. I don't know you're so young! It's so weird how you guys have been down there all this time and your lifestyle is so different from ours. Wait so.. the spirits of the past commanders? How's that work?" I say.

We speak for hours upon hours as the time gets away from us. The conversation seems to just flow with Lexa and I don't know how. She told me what the 12 clans are and that she is part of what they call "Trikru." She also said the language they speak is called Trigedasleng and she offered to teach me a bit of it. It's so amazing to talk to someone that has such a different life from yours.. someone with a much more interesting and eventful life that yours. We talked about my life a bit but hers has so much more layers too it. Mine is just a girl sitting in a metal box in space, wondering if she'll die the next day or not.

Before we know it it's time for dinner as the guard brings in food for us. I act like I haven't just had a conversation with the girl sitting next to me and accepted the food. "Has she spoken?" He asks. I nod "No. I think it's a lost cause. They don't speak English." I say lying through my teeth. He nods and leaves and I wait before continuing our conversation. "Wait so you guys think love is weakness?! What kind of rule is that?! I believe love can make you stronger.. if you have the right person." I say handing her a plate. She looks hesitant to eat until I take a bite. After she takes a bite and ensures she's not going to die she says "Our ways may be harsh but it's how we survive. It's a dangerous world down there, Clarke." I look into her eyes, smiling, and say "Well I believe life should be about more that just surviving, Lexa." We stare at each other not saying anything for a bit until Lexa breaks her gaze to take a bite. The rest of the meal is silent.

Lexa's POV
Love is weakness, love is weakness, love is weakness. Or so the commanders in my head tell me. I repeat it in my mind, although I'm not sure I believe it. My people would kill me if they thought I showed signs of weakness. I must not get caught up in this thing called 'emotions.' The pull I feel toward this girl I've barely met is something I've never felt before. I feel like I've opened up to her more than I have to anyone in my clan. It just seems easy.. it all flows out like nothing. The commanders in my head, almost screaming at this point, seem like a distant whisper compared to Clarke's voice.

Again the voice calls, taking over the spirits "You done?" Clarke says, as it is now silent in the room again. A little shaken up still, I stutter a bit "Y-yeah." I say before smiling, which is still a new reaction for me. She takes my plate and sets it by the door with hers and then begins heading up to her bed. "You alright?" She asks. The question almost startles me, no one has ever cared enough to ask that. "Yeah.. I just." I say before sitting up in the bed. "What is it?"

She asks, seeming like she truly cared. I smiled at her before saying "I've never.. this is all new to me.. I was never allowed to feel my.. emotions. Never allowed to open up. I was always expected to be strong.. the natblida with the most promise... the best second. And then the strong commander.. shows no weakness. And then you guys here.. you celebrate love and happiness. It just seems like we've been doing it all wrong." As a tear rolled down my cheek I quickly wiped it away. Clarke sat beside me and wrapped her arm around me. She squeezed me tight and as I turned my head to look at her she smiled. "I just have 1 question." She says before I look at her with a confused look. "What's a natblida?" I giggle at her before explaining "It's a night blood. All commanders all have to be a night blood." She nods but her confused face doesn't change "And what's a night blood?" I look at her with a surprised face and say "What?! You don't have night bloods here?!" She grins at my surprised face and nods no. I look around before saying "Do you have something sharp?" She looked concerned and then said "Why do you need something sharp?!" I looked back at her and grabbed her shoulders and said "You'll see. Do you trust me?" She slowly smiled and pulls a pocket knife out of her boot "Weirdly.. yes." I take it from her and begin slicing my palm "Woah woah woah! What the hell Lexa?!" She says, grabbing the knife back from me. I giggle as she grabs my palm forcefully and then examines my hand amazingly once she sees what I meant. "Wow. How the hell..?" She says amazed. Once she's over the amaze factor she says "Alright but seriously Lexa.. you could have just told me. You didn't have to go all warrior and slit your palm open." She begins looking for something to bandage me up as she laughs at me. "Hodnes laik kwelnes." I say, not meaning to say it out loud. "Huh?" Clarke says. I look over at her and say "Oh! Nothing just something my people say." She nods suspiciously and gets a piece of an old shirt to tie it up. "Not the most sanitary thing but that's what we get when we cut ourselves unexpectedly!" Clarke said, seeming like she was trying to teach me a lesson.