Divide and Conquer

An Unknown Threat

Clarke watched with admiration as Aden blocked each and every stroke of the blade that came his way, making it look almost effortless. It was an interesting match but finally he found a weakness in his opponent's stance and with a swift motion his own blade was lightly pressing into the material over the man's chest, a sure kill had it been a real fight.

The boy lowered the sword and clasped the forearm of the older man before crossing the training ground to deposit the blade amongst the others in a wooden rack. He turned to Clarke and approached with a hesitant smile, adopting a formal pose as he stood before her.

For many days he had been insisting that she accompany him to the training ground and watch him in action. It seemed he was eager to impress her just as he was his beloved Heda. It could do no harm to do as he proposed but Lexa had taken her aside for a few moments before they had left.

"Don't be too kind to Aden, criticism can be just as useful as praise," she advised, believing that if Clarke were to be someone who the boy looked up to then it wouldn't hurt to keep him working hard to impress. It would not do if he became lax in his training if he believed himself to be a warrior in all but name.

Remembering her words, the blonde kept her features neutral and nodded slowly as if deep in thought.

"You fought well Aden, but your stance could have been better at times and there was a moment when you could have ended the fight sooner. It is better to end the attack quickly so as to conserve energy in battle."

She had received the same comments from Lexa many a time during their own training sessions and it was something that she could now recognise easily in others from her own mistakes. There was no better teacher than his own trainer as well as the Commander, but Clarke would give feedback whenever possible.

He inclined his head in acknowledgement of the criticism, making a mental note of each point in which he could improve. A few years ago Clarke would have had no idea what criticisms to give in this situation but after some intense training of her own it was now almost natural to pick up on the small slips.

"Your counter attacks were strong and the enemy was pressed hard to defend them. You're doing well."

"Thank you Wanheda," he said with a small bow and went to ready himself for the next mock fight. Despite his formal tone, Clarke could detect the faint glimmer of excitement in his face and hid a smile as he settled into a defensive position.

The clashing of blades was soon ringing out across the open space once more and, after a number of fights in which she smiled encouragingly at the young boy, Clarke turned to look out over the expanse of land that stretched into the horizon. The only thing separating her from a sheer drop down to ground level was a low stone wall of which she was careful not to lean over. Her gaze fell on the largest building of the city, the towering structure in which Lexa was currently attending matters with her ambassadors.

There was much to attend with the upcoming wedding and political disputes within the city, but Lexa had pointedly told her lover to relax and enjoy her time before truly experiencing the overwhelming prospect of command within the city.

The period of relative peace had been a blessing, yet it was imperative to remember that it could shatter at any time.

Clarke was suddenly overcome with a restless feeling, eager to go and explore the reaches of the city as she had not done for many weeks. Clarke turned her gaze back to where Aden had just bested another of his fellow Natblida and gestured for him to approach. He trotted over immediately with a curious gaze, the eyes of the other children flashing towards them before resuming their training obediently.