Lightning Only Strikes Once - Clexa

Chapter 80: It Takes A Village

"So your normal route is between here and the Rock Line clan?" The village leader leans forward, steepling his fingers, and surveys Zion with interest.

"Sha," Zion says pleasantly, wares spread before him. All of Lexa's coaching has paid off – he truly looks like a merchant, now, and is managing to talk like one too. "Everyone knows the Rock Line make the best steel weapons. Just look at these – and these ones are just what has been left over. We were headed back to resupply when the borders were closed and we became trapped here."

The leader looks the rest of them over. "So you are Azgeda, clearly. From further north?"

"Further west, originally, but I have been travelling so long I barely recall," Zion says. He gestures at Octavia and Lexa, who are seated to his right. "My daughters grew up on the road – they are as used to the Rock Line caves as they are to our snow. But I like to think their strength is all Ice Nation."

With their similar colourings to each other and to Zion, and their facial scars (fake in Lexa's case), it's not hard for them to pretend to be Azgeda. Zion is a merchant, and they are his daughters. Anya, Linkon and John all appear tall and threatening enough that it is easy to claim that they were hired as protection. Lexa decided that Raven is to be a Rock Line weaponry expert, here to keep the stock in good condition for sale – that neatly excuses any oddities, as Rock Line is far enough from here for their ways to be strange to the Azgeda. Of course, they need not say most of this story to anyone. The leader of this village accepted without question that they were a merchant group, since merchant groups are typically filled with oddities and people of different clans, the better to make contacts with many places. But it is best that they have all the answers in case someone does pry further.

"Do you plan to camp outside the village?" the leader asks, a little absently, distracted by the stock Zion has laid out. He's examining the wavy line down the centre of a sword, a sign it is one of the Rock Line's most exclusive work. Few of their best weapons are sold outside of their territory. "Or do you have somewhere to stay?" He pulls a strand of his long hair loose, picks up one of the clever little knives in front of him, and tests the knife's sharpness by sliding the hair lightly against it. It cuts through it without him having to pull the hair down, and he raises his eyebrows, impressed.

"We are looking for an old friend, actually," Lexa says, flushing as she speaks up and glancing at the leader nervously. "We hired her for a while down south, and I thought she might let us sleep in her home. I do not know if you know her. Very tall, dark skin, a feisripa tattoo down her arm and back -"

"Keyza!" the village leader says, looking up from the knife, which he has been continuing to inspect. "Sha, I know Keyza, we all do. I did not realise she worked when she went south to visit her cousin."

"Yes, Keyza," Lexa says, a little relieved. This is the name she went by the last time Lexa saw her. "She did not work a great deal, but we struck up a friendship. Could you let us know where she is?"

"I can do better than that." He turns to look at his small, skinny Seken behind him, ignoring the gona to each side. "Fetch Keyza here. Tell her that old friends have come to visit."

"Actually, tell her that her former boss has come to visit," Lexa says, stuttering a little. "It is an old joke between us, that I was her boss for a time." She flushes even brighter, the joke of her ever commanding so strong a person as Keyza an obvious one for everyone here.

He raises his eyebrows again, clearly reaching a conclusion as to the nature of their relationship, but he gives a nod to his Seken and the boy runs off. "This is an excellent knife," he says, switching his attention back to Zion. "I would be interested in considering a trade. You must need food for your journey."