The One Who's Fallen

Chapter 115

Lexa and I put on our armor quickly and eat the breakfast that Anya brings to us. We pack everything up and then head outside to make sure everything's going okay.

Most people are packing up the tents, while the rest either sharpen their weapons or are finishing eating. It's another hour before everyone's ready to go and gets in their marching positions.

Once again, Lexa and I are in the front on foot. Raven is slightly behind us on the horse with Luna and Anya on either side of her. I don't have to turn around to know that she's giving us concerned looks.

Lexa silently starts marching and people begin moving behind us, the sound of hundreds of feet hitting the ground starting not long after we start moving.

Lexa stands on my left side and looks around on the left side of our marching path while I look on the right. It's even quieter than before, with not many people talking behind us, and no one talking louder than a hushed whisper. Well, we did warn them that Maunon may be in the trees to attack and tell them to keep an eye out. That might put a damper on things.

Lexa's finger twitches in my hand and I keep looking, giving no indication that I noticed. Lexa taps her thumb on the left side of the back of my hand once. Alright, one Maunon spotted to the left side. Lexa makes a silent signal back to Anya and Luna with her other hand without looking behind her.

I hear Anya murmuring to someone and the sound of someone breaking formation to go talk to either a Skaikru shooter or a Grounder bow person. I look harder on my side, knowing that Maunon rarely ever travel alone. It's not long before I notice a few abnormalities in the trees. I don't let myself stare at the places, not wanting to give away that I know where they are. I tap Lexa's hand in a few different places on the right side. Lexa nods discretely and signals again.

"We're headed for either an ambush or a sneak attack." I murmur to Lexa. "They're so outnumbered, they must know we'll win in a fight. So this is probably a stealth mission to kill off someone important. Probably us or Anya or Raven or someone else we've put a red band on."

"Then let us show them we are not to be underestimated." Lexa whispers back, a fire in her eyes.

"Should we let them make the first move? Or should we attack so we have the element of surprise?"

Before Lexa can respond, a shot rings out. A sudden pain in my arm makes me hiss and flinch back. I turn around at the sound of a distressed horse's whinny to make sure no one else got hurt. Raven's horse has reared up, the whites of its eyes showing. The ground in front of it has a bullet hole. No wonder it's spooked.

Luna is trying to calm it down, speaking softly in Trigedasleng though her eyes show the same fear the horse's does. Anya is standing on one side of the horse while another large warrior is on the other, arms outstretched to catch Raven if she falls.

Knowing I can't do anything, I turn back around and look for where it sounded like the shot came from. I pull out my bow, noticing absentmindedly that everyone has stopped and has their weapons out, including Lexa. Another shot rings out and a grunt behind me and surprised exclaims tell me this one hit true. This time I know where it came from and pull an arrow from my quiver and shoot.

I hear a shocked yelp and the now familiar thud of a body hitting the ground after falling from a tree. Lexa and I draw closer together, knowing that now they'll most likely attack now that they have lost the element of surprise.

My eyes move around rapidly but the Maunon snipers aren't where they were a few moments ago. I grit my teeth and hear a shot ring out to the left. I turn and aim, trying to figure out where it came from. Lexa has her swords raised beside me and I wish that she would move away out of danger, especially since she's bringing a sword to a gun/bow fight, but I know she won't.

Another shot rings out and Lexa's hands move up to cross her swords in front of her face. I'm confused for a millisecond as to why she would do that until I hear the unmistakable sound of a bullet hitting metal. Right in front of me. A bullet bounced off of Lexa's swords. If they weren't there...

With renewed determination and anger, I aim and shoot at anything in the trees that doesn't look like it's part of a tree. A few dead large squirrels fall, as well as a few dead Maunon with sniper guns. A few Skaikru in the crowd join in on the shooting and manage to get a couple Maunon. We wait there for another five or so minutes to make sure they're all gone.

I turn to the gathered army. "If you're a Skaikru sharpshooter and don't have a sniper rifle, go up there and get the Maunon's."

A few people come forward and claim the fallen sniper rifles while I turn to Lexa. She's frowning down at her sword now, looking at the new dent in it where the bullet ricocheted off it. I put my bow on my back again and touch her hand gently.

"Are you okay?" I ask worriedly.

Lexa blinks and looks up at me, more fearful than I have ever seen her. "Me? Clarke, are you okay? You got shot!"

Oh, right. I forgot about that. That explains the burning in my right arm. I lift it up to inspect it. The bullet ripped through my sleeve but just grazed me. I look carefully to satisfy Lexa, pulling out a spare white cloth I keep with me to wipe some of the blood away.

I look back at Lexa when I'm done. "I'm okay, I don't even need stitches. It was a graze."

Lexa lets out a shaky breath of relief and sheathes her swords before stepping toward me. She rests her forehead against mine, not seeming to mind that there's an army behind us.

"Thank the gods," Lexa breathes out. "I am okay too, Clarke. Do not scare me like that again, beja (please)."

"No promises, our lives are pretty dangerous." I murmur in response. "But I'll be careful, Lexa."

Lexa nods jerkily. "That is all I ask for."

She leans in and kisses me softly. I easily lose myself in it.

Aww... There was kind of angst and then fluff because I can never resist concerned girlfriend Lexa! Next chapter, these adorable nerds continue on their journey! Thank you all for reading and for your lovely comments! Stay awesome!