The 100 - Just one life more!

38: Preparing Clarke for combat

The next morning Clarke woke up from the sunlight entering the tent and a rustling beside her. She blinked her eyes open and looked to the noise. She saw that Kasia was up and had her back turned to Clarke. Right now she put her shoes on.

Clarke decided to get up as well. She untangled herself from the fur blanket and grabbed her shirt. After Kasia put her shoes on she turned around and said, "Monin, Klark."

"Good morning, Kasia," Clarke answered. Putting on her shoes she asked, "Why are you up so early."

"I like to take a walk before eating in the morning. It clears the head for the coming day. Maybe it can help you stay focused today for your training. Do you want to join me?" Kasia told Clarke.

Clarke just nodded for an answer and they went outside.

At the beginning Clarke and Kasia just talked about this and that, but soon their talk focused on the mountain. Kaisa told Clarke about the people that she lost to the Maunon and Clarke told Kasia about her time in the mountain. That seemed to impress her and so she asked about how Clarke got out and soon their talk turned to strategy and how they could destroy the mountain.

After some time walking and talking they heard the sound of a bell.

"Ah, time to eat," Kasia remarked and they started to walk towards the centre of the village.

People like Lexa, Anya or Indra were already there and Kasia and Clarke joined the small, but growing group.

Indra and Lexa nodded for a greeting and Anya spoke, "Are you ready for training. Heda and I will have a lot to do to bring you up to pace." Anya smiled at the thought. She liked training sessions. Especially with her former sekon. And if she also could beat Clarke's ass, that was just making the day better.

"I would say yes," Clarke said, "but I don't like your smile. So let's go with no, but yes."

Indra snorted and the corners of Lexa's mouth twitched up slightly.

"Well," Anya smirked and gave Clarke a plate with food, "in that case, eat up. You will need all your strength today."

After the breakfast, Indra, Octavia, who had joined them during breakfast, Lexa, Anya and Clarke headed to the pits at TonDC's outskirts.

Since Clarke already had a weapon and knew how to use gun, but didn't know anything about fist fights, Lexa decided to start with that. Octavia and Indra headed off to train with other sekens and fos and Anya and Lexa got ready to show her basic moves. Clarke watched intently and then had to train the new moves against Lexa or Anya.

Right now she tried her best to throw a punch, but Anya easily blocked and Clarke tumbled. "Hod up," Lexa intervened and went over to Clarke to correct her stance. After that Clarke tired again, but Anya still blocked. However Clarke didn't tumble this time. For a split second Anya's eyes found Lexa's and a smile spread across Anya's face. "Come on," she taunted, "even a fife year old could do that better." Clarke tried again, Anya blocked.

"She's right, Klork," Lexa joined the taunting. "Even with fife I did a better job."

Clarke turned around and glared at her. That, however, turned out to be a mistake. Before she knew it she was on the ground and Anya pinned her down. "Eyes on your opponent," she mockingly advised. "Maybe Klorke wants to fight me again for a change," Lexa mused. Without missing a beat Anya muttered under her breath, "O mebi em gaf jok yu."

Lexa spun around and glared at her, "Not appropriate, Anya." But her face was slightly red.

Clarke wanted to ask Anya, what she said, but Lexa didn't give her time. She just attacked.

At noon, they took a short lunch break. Clarke could feel every muscle in her body and she still hadn't even come close to landing a hit. But she had used her time to study her opponents. And now she thought about how to use her newfound knowledge against them.

After lunch they continued with the training, and now Clarke could hold herself a little longer against her opponent. When she saw an opening in Lexa's guard, that Lexa left on purpose, but Clarke didn't need to know that, Clarke landed her first hit. And immediately was knocked to the ground by Lexa. "Very good, Klork," she said. "Just don't let your own guard down when you use an opening. Now, I think you are ready to fight two opponents." She nodded to Anya and before Clarke knew it, she had to fight two opponents at once.

Lexa would have never chosen this pacing, if they had more than two days, but now she had to get Clarke ready as soon as possible. And for that she would have to sacrifice the finesse she usually put into fighting and training. Clarke didn't need to fight gracefully right now, just survive long enough.

For a moments Lexa was distracted by this thoughts and Clarke used that against her to tackle her down. Lexa struggled to stay on her feet for a second, then they fell. But Lexa still managed to turn herself in the fall and so she landed on top of Clarke. Both girls panted heavily. Lexa's eyes flickered down to Clarke's lips. And for a moment Clarke's eyes flickered to Lexa's lips. They came closer to each other, but than Anya broke the moment by clearing her throat. Lexa got up and looked at Anya, who looked at her and than to the crowed that had formed around them to see their Heda and the Skaigirl fight.

Lexa nodded in thanks. As Heda she couldn't show affection. Not right now. Right now she had to focus on the war against the mountain.

Clarke stood up from the ground and brushed herself off. She was confused by her own feelings. But she just pushed them aside. She had to fight a war with little combat trining. She had to fight for her people. Too much was at stake that she could let herself be distracted right now.

Lexa looked at the sky. The sun already began setting, soon the sky would shine in beautiful colours. "We have time for one last fight," Lexa decided. She looked to the crowed and saw Octavia. "Oktavia kom Skaikru, come closer." Lexa turned to Clarke, "It's time to show, what you have learnt today."

And so Clarke and Octavia started to fight. Octavia had a little more training, but Clarke could still hold herself against her fiercness and study her movements. They both attacked, they both landed hits, put the other on the ground and got up again, but in the end, the fight ended in a tie, no girl being able to win this fight. That was better than Clarke expected and she was a little proud of herself. She might not be anywhere near the level of a warrior, but she had to start somewhere.

Dinner was very peaceful and quiet. Most people were tired from training or hunting and so they just sat around the fire and listen to it's crackling.And after dinner they didn't stay long to be social. They had to rest, for tomorrow training would continue and then the war would come.

The next day consisted of more fist fighting and later in the evening Lexa started to show Clarke how to fight with a sword, or in Clarke's case for safety reasons, a short staff.

The day had been tiresome, but productive. Clarke could still not win against Octavia, but she was able to hold herself. That in combination with her gun and the knowledge to not be alone in this gave her hope. Hope, that they would be able to safe her people and the clans.

This evening almost all the war chiefs were gathered and they all shared stories of their clans. Of their homes. And on this evening Clarke started to see the people not as the grounders anymore, but as different clans with different cultures and traditions. And now she was a part of all this. After Kasia finished talking, she asked Clarke to tell them more about her people and the life in the sky. And while Clarke told her story and the story of the delinquents, everyone listened. Yes, Clarke's culture was still strange to them, but with Clarke they had a human face they associated with Skaikru and it help to distance Skaikru from the Maunon in their unnatural hazmat suits.