The sounds of soft movement woke Clarke, she picked up her head and looked around the tent. She sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed as shadows danced along the outline of the tent, looking over she saw Lexa still unconscious in her own bed. It had been a heavy battle and she'd returned with a side wound that would prevent her from going into battle till it healed. Nyko had given Lexa an herb and medicinal cocktail of some type that would aid with healing but leave the woman unconscious till the following day.
Trigedasleng fell in whispers and Clarke stood from the bed, grabbing Lexa's sword from where it lay tilted against the bed. Quietly unsheathing it she moved without sound to the solid portion of the divider and hid from view. The fact that Lexa was unable to defend herself made it an opportune time for enemies to strike. The guards had been doubled since one of the healers was found to be selling information to the Plains.
The cloth moved and Clarke pulled her arms back while holding the sword level, just as Lexa had shown her. She waited even when one man entered the small living area, making his way to Lexa. She noted he paused at seeing the second bed empty and turned only to find Clarke holding the sword. Before he could say anything she rammed it into him and he went limp instantly as she withdrew, his body falling to the floor. The sound of scuffles and Trigedasleng made Clarke push back the divider to find Lincoln holding a second man, a knife to his throat as Indra held her sword at his belly.
"Skai Heda?" Indra gave her an inquired look and Clarke followed her eyes to the bloody sword in her hand.
"His fight is over." She picked up a cloth from where it sat on a nearby table and cleaned the blade. "Heda rests, safe and unharmed."
Indra looked at the man Lincoln held a knife to. "What do you want done with this one?"
"Tie him to the post, I'll question him myself." She advanced on the man and Indra moved out of the way. "If you don't give me the answers I want, you'll find yourself wishing you had."
A smirk filled the man's face. "You are a healer, you cannot harm me. You will not harm me."
Before Indra or Lincoln could speak the man had a knife in his leg and Clarke twisted it slightly till he groaned in pain. "That was before you attacked your Heda, you strike at Trikru and you strike at Skaikru. Jomp em op en yu jomp ai op." She narrowed her eyes, "and I will fight for my people." She motioned towards the tent's doorway, "Teik em set raun ona tri."
Lincoln pulled the man towards the entrance of the tent and two other guards assisted in removing him. Another moved past Clarke and was back seconds later with the man she'd killed. Indra moved to Clarke and looked at her, "four guards require their spirits released at dawn."
"Have the pyre prepared." Clarke looked up at the woman. "He'll give us answers then he'll be subjected to the death of a thousand cuts."
"It is not my place to say but Heda would not want the blood on your hands."
Clarke nodded, "for now blood rests on my hands until she is once again able to stand in battle. With Lexa unable to command, it falls to me to do so. Unless Trikru traditions require a general to step forward."
"If it were so you would find my challenge laid before you yet no knife lays at your feet." She nodded her head and turned away before pausing at the doorway. "The people follow you not because they are commanded to but because they respect you." She turned to look at Clarke, "they respect you not because Heda has claimed you but because you fight for them. If Heda cannot lead them, they would then only follow you."
The woman disappeared and Clarke moved back into the living area, ignoring the blood stain on the ground and sheathed Lexa's sword once again. She neglected her bed in favor of lying beside the wounded Grounder leader. Brushing a finger against Lexa's cheek, she kissed her forehead before laying back and closed her eyes. "Osir gonplei nou ste odon." She breathed slightly, "our fight is not over."
