The front lines of clan wars were bloodier than Clarke had ever seen before, not even the battle with Mount Weather could prepare her at seeing the injuries entering the healer's tent. More so each day, while slaying the Plains warriors, blood seemed to stain the grass of a once untouched field and forest. The Boat People had to wait till after they had finished the fishing expeditions to arrive, not out of carelessness but because the fish were only in season at certain times and the approaching weather made it a priority. The Ice Nation had sent a rider stating that they'd be arriving a week into battle, which was two days before.
Clarke arrived in the tent she shared with Lexa to find it empty. She poured water into a bowl from the jug that sat beside it and began scrubbing her hands free of the blood that covered them. The sound of rustling made her pause and she dried her hands before moving into the main area of the tent. She found Indra waiting with Alanna, the Ice Queen seemed to look around for something before settling on Clarke.
"Klark kom Skaikru, I did not realize you were going to be present when I speak to Heda."
Indra's hand went to sword and Clarke gave her a subtle shake her head. "She is in battle, if you wish to speak to her you'll have to wait till it is finished or night has fallen. I can't tell you which will come first." Clarke moved to Indra, "I have to get back to the healing tent, I assume the Ice Nation has tents prepared among our own?"
"Sha Heda."
"Let me know if they find themselves in need of anything specific."
Midway into the evening, Clarke found herself walking back from the healing tent. She'd had to open up a warrior to remove the broken knife tip that had been left in him from a battle. Surgery covered her hands in blood just as much as Mount Weather had, except the warrior would live and the blood could be washed away. On the way she heard Kane's voice as well as Bellamy and Lincoln's. They were all walking through the middle of the tents with serious looks on their faces while talking about something that seemed to anger them.
"When Clarke said she was psychopathic I didn't think she was serious." Bellamy shook his head and paused a few feet away from Clarke, the sky leader making her way over to them.
"Ella did something?" Clarke looked between them, they were covered in blood and cuts, clearly having been in a physical battle with Lincoln and the others instead of just in the trees with weapons. "What happened?"
Kane shook his head, "she sent children to the front lines, we tried to back off but they attacked us with weapons. We had no choice but to..."
"What was done was to survive." Lincoln looked between them all, "the innocent blood that lays on the ground is on the hands of the Graunkru Heda, not our own." He turned his attention to Clarke. "You should speak with Heda, she has been silent since the battle."
"She doesn't talk half the time, how do you know something is wrong?"
Clarke put a hand on Lincoln's arm, "Octavia is healing, I just saw her and she is already trying to escape to get back on the battlefield. You should go talk to her, convince her to heal before going into battle again." She looked at Kane and Bellamy, "go get cleaned up, Syda will stitch you up."
The tent was cool as the eastern breeze wasn't pushed back by forest, allowing it to hit everything it came across. Lexa stood washing away her war paint but paused and Clarke watched the rag being thrown in the water as Lexa braced the table. The girl's knuckles were white and she seemed about ready to combust as if something inside her was overflowing.
"A child no older than nine took Talia's life from her." Lexa didn't turn but Clarke knew she was aware of her presence. "At dawn tomorrow we shall burn her body and release her spirit."
