The 100 IV Trials Of Contrast

Chapter 18 Clarke

Clarke held tight to the warriors waistline, as she was perched on the back of a saddle on a horse, riding through the delicate forest, bands of Grounders following, while Lexa rode a separate Stallion on Clarke's left side. They were riding slowly, beautiful dotted leaves hanging above them, sending streaks of sunlight beaming on the ground, forming miniature golden pools. Clarke didn't know how long they were riding, she say about an hour, the Dropship probably is about two more hours away. She sighed in boredom. 

"So, are you satisfied?" Lexa asked, raising her right brow. Clarke shrugged, honestly not to crazy over the idea, thinking that some way some how something will happen. Clarke was more excited over actually being on a real life horse then this whole treaty thing, the horses down here were beautiful, the only issue was that the one Lexa was on, it had two heads, one face majestically keeping its stride, while the other face was a mess, missing an eyeball, its busted lip, it made Clarke cringe. 

"I'm pretty satisfied..Just happy our people don't have to go more days with violence..and killing..I only have one kill, and that's all I want, no more, Killing one person in  a lifetime is alright with me." Clarke admitted, squeezing tighter on the mans waistline, assuring herself not to fall off, as the horses crossed over muddy sections. 

"Who was your First kill? Was it Cassius.." Lexa said in her average tone, pulling back on the horse, avoiding the large log ahead. 

"Who's that?" Clarke asked confusingly, swiping a strand of hair out from her eyesight. 

"He was Ajax's second. We found him dead in the woods about a month ago, bullet wounds in him...We assumed it was your people...Was it you that killed Cassius?" Lexa's tone went dark and deep, as she eyed Clarke with a sense of hatred. Clarke felt a pang of guilt. It wasn't her, but she did know who it was. When she first ran into Wells a while back, Wells was holding a funeral for some kid named 'Linq,' at the funeral, he told Clarke that Eugene shot a Grounder out of a tree. It was probably Cassius. 

"Well, I'm sorry for your loss..for all we know, it could have been another group of people.." Clarke lied, knowing exactly who the culprit was. 

"The only others that use guns in these areas, are the Mountain Men, and the Deadzoners. No tribe that I'm affiliated with uses Firearms...But I guess I am now, because there is a bound peace between us." Lexa half smiled, shifting her vision back towards the center view. Clarke felt like something here wasn't quite right, some peculiar feeling. 

"I have a question Lexa." Clarke asked, crossing her arms. "Why are you showing mercy on my people and I, you seemed pretty ruthless back when you were willing to tie us up to those wooden stakes...what made you change your mind?" 

"I realized where I came from...My mother is from the sky, like you, Her sky blood is in me...for all i know, My mother could've been your grandmother, or someone your mother knew...there are many lines of connections in this life, and I don't plan on spoiling any." Lexa spoke gracefully, returning her gaze to her center view, holding the ropy lead, pulling it back a bit. Clarke stared off, seeing the beautiful trees stretch out towards the sky, their delicate leaves hanging lowly. 

"What if our connections are already spoiled?" Clarke asked innocently. 

"Then we will review and make our connections better..I'm not a commander of death and fear, I'm a commander of understanding..cross over me, then I will cause Death and Fear..Just remember that." She said all at once without turning her head an inch. Clarke replied with a loud sigh, understanding what she meant. 

"Heda! Stedaunon Kru Op!"One of the Grounders ahead yelled, jumping in the air with a sphere in his right hand. Lexa rode ahead quickly, and so did the owner of the horse Clarke was on, they came to a halt once they passed through a treeline, Lexa's jaw dropping. Dead bodies everywhere, blood staining everywhere. 

"What the hell happened here!?" Clarke asked, her eyes widening. 

"War." Ajax spoke, rising from the following crowd in the back, he rubbed his chin, the place his beard use to be, and then placed both of his hands on his side. "Commander, this is what i was telling you about, these were the people I was with when we were going to invade the Sky peoples camp, they stopped us on the way, that's why I retreated!" Ajax snarled. Lexa's face looked disgusted, as her lips jerked into a large frown, and her brows crossed. She looked like she was going to kill Clarke on the spot, but she breathed in and a sincere expression took over. 

"This happened days before the peace with sky people...Forget the past, and plant the future." Lexa spoke, avoiding the corpses, some having bullet wounds, while others having slashes down their faces. Clarke couldn't believe that the same Commander who was willing to execute them days before this is the same one who is forgiving them for killing an army of hers, Clarke couldn't believe her generousness, her Loyalty to her word, her confidence in this treaty. All Clarke could do was smile, avoiding her sight from the dead bodies. "So Clarke, you didn't tell me...who was your first kill?" Lexa asked, glancing back at Clarke. Clarke smiled back, shrugging. 

"A Reaper...I needed a diversion, so I made killing someone one, you just need to use the environment to execute the enemy." Clarke said, surprised that she actually learned a fighting strategy. Perhaps this is only the beginning, maybe the Grounders and sky people will expand their treaty, and learn to live together as one. She just hopes that when or if the Ark comes down, they don't start any problems. For Clarke and Lexa are on their way to the Dropship, to alarm everyone of the new found peace.