fragile | clexa

chapter seventy six

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Lexa and Clarke were on their way South only after long goodbyes and stay-safes. One part of their package were clothes, the other part food from Clarke's parents.

Their journey was marked by wet and cold days at first. They left the bustling, lively streets of Polis to travel through the large forests reaching far into the South on the first day. Grey fog was settled between the trees like a thick, neverending cloud and the damp air had a cool breeze to it.

Nature was beautiful nonetheless.

Calmly rocked back and forth on their horse, Lexa and Clarke enjoyed the fresh air, the chirping of birds and the golden, colorful leaves of autumn. The rough bark of the trees was soaked full with rain, a rich brown, and the muddy path was covered in wrinkled, red and brown leaves.

It smelled of exactly that, too- rainy fall forests, fresh air, lavender. (Lavender because Clarke spent most her time with her face tucked into the crook of Lexa's neck)

They spent their first night in a small cabin in the woods and both the hosteler and Clarke were equally surprised to see each other; Niylah, the girl who had baked and cooked at Berta's, too, welcomed them into the small and homey hut. There were four bedrooms for guests, two of which were occupied, and the young woman led them to the third room.

Riding horses all day didn't sound tiring, but it was, even though Clarke didn't even have to do anything but sit behind Lexa. She changed, showered and settled into bed for a single moment 'just to take a short break' but it was hopeless; before Lexa had come back from her shower, she was already deep asleep.

Lexa only woke Clarke for dinner. As soon as they returned to their bedroom afterwards, Clarke snuggled into the wooden bed with what she claimed must have been the cloudiest and warmest blanket again, though, breath evening out after mere minutes.

The next morning, they continued their journey further down South. By afternoon, the mixed forest had transformed into a pine forest with cool but not so damp weather. The next day, it was already much warmer and on the fourth day, they were out of the forest riding through endless fields and meadows with an air of summer around them.

Clarke, who had sat behind Lexa on the horse the entire journey, promised herself to learn how to ride on her own as soon as possible. Maybe then, Lexa could cling to her for a change and enjoy the scenery and the calm of doing nothing all day and Clarke could worry about the horse.

Lexa on the other hand was merely concerned if Clarke wasn't bored all the time. They talked about all kinds of topics, the kind that you only stumble upon if you have four days to think of nothing else, and Clarke regularly came up with new games to play to keep them entertained too. Sometimes, they would ride for hours in silence, only the murmur of the nature around them to be heard, sometimes Clarke took a nap and as soon as it wasn't so damp anymore, Clarke also tried sticking a piece of paper on Lexa's back and drawing on it.

In advance, Lexa had worried that the long trip would lessen Clarke's excitement or that they might get irritated only sitting on that one horse all day, but she should've known from the start that these fears were entirely irrational. Clarke only looked more forward to the sea every day that passed and they co-existed perfectly well on the horse.

Clarke smelled it before she heard it and heard it before she saw it.

"The ocean!" she exclaimed as soon as her nose had caught on the warm, salty breeze. From her relaxed position leaned against Lexa, she sat up straighter and held her face into the wind. "Go faster Lexa, that's the sea!"

Laughing, Lexa quickened the pace of the horse and the faster they got, the more Clarke's laughter grew too. "Can you hear it? I can hear the waves!"

But Lexa could only hear Clarke's laughter, and she was convinced it was much more beautiful anyway.