One of the 100th

The missile

I am spending most of my time with Grounders. I befriended their healer, Nyko, who is also Lincoln's friend. We are still searching for Lincoln and Octavia is growing restless but hopeful. I admire her strength. Especially now that her brother is inside of Mount Weather posing as a guard and he could get caught at any moment.

"Focus!" Lexa reminds me.

I shake my head, regaining my thoughts. Something is giving me a hard time today and I can't quite explain it why. "Sorry," I mutter my apology. I take a deep breath and shift my concentration into my training. In the past few days I've gotten quite good. Must be because the commander herself is taking the time to train me. But today is only for a short time before the ambassadors from other clans will visit the village and discuss Mount Weather. Clarke will come too.

"What is troubling you, Talia?" Lexa asks, once she notices how unfocused I am. "You have been doing well until today. Is it the mountain?"

"Yes and no. I'm worried about Clarke. I just... Have a bad feeling in my gut," I confess.

Lexa's lips show a hint of smile. "Your intestines have feelings?"

I snort. "It's an expression. Like, something is going to go wrong today and I can't explain why I feel that way but I just do."

But then Lexa nods, a serious expression on her war paint free face. "I understand that feeling. I had it once before. It was awful and I did not understand why. But when I returned to my quarters in my home, there was a head, cut off from my lover, waiting for me. That was the last time I had such a feeling."

I gulp. Lexa radiates strength and power even when she's vulnerable. "I'm sorry about what happened to her."

"It was not your fault," Lexa says and I know that the conversation is over. At least that part of it. Lexa puts her sword away. "With the ambassadors here we will need plenty of food. Our next part of the training is hunting."

I've been hunting before. Well, twice honestly. Both times with Octavia and both times I missed any sort of prey. "Oh okay. Do I need a bow?"

"What is your favorite weapon?" Lexa asks.

I have only been using my sword and knives or daggers. "Dagger. I'm clumsy with a bow."

"Bow has always been my favorite," Lexa admits softly. "I have wanted to be an archer but the duty to lead my people forbids me to carry a bow. A sword is more practical in combat and faster too. Daggers are powerful but you can only throw as many before you run out of them."

"And guns waste bullets and are too loud," I chime in. We walk towards the woods and I can tell that there are a few Grounders following us but they're keeping their distance. Probably moving around in the trees.

"What is it like to shoot with a gun?" Lexa asks curiously.

I shrug, trying to remember the feeling. "You have to hold your breath when you aim. And the target has to stand still or there's a big chance you'll miss. When you press the trigger your arm kind of bulges backwards from the force and your ears ring from the sound. It's not a pleasant feeling. We didn't use guns on the Ark."

"So they are not very reliable," Lexa points out.

"Not really. But they do more damage than your close range weapons," I breathe out. 

We go deeper into the forest, Lexa walking behind me and she's quiet and stealthy, while my heavy booths snap twigs and crunch leaves. A hand on my forearm makes me jump and I exhale shakily when my eyes meet Lexa's. She stares at me for a moment before pointing in front of us. A wild boar is nosily poking through the fallen apples on the ground. I nod, letting her know that I see it.