I Couldn't Stop Caring

Chapter 19

To say that Lexa had been furious was an extreme understatement.

With each passing second, Lexa's grip tightened more and more on the reigns of her horse, eyes fixated ahead as they awaited for Gustus to return. The commander's army waited impatiently with their teeth bared and swords unsheathed, ready for battle.

Once Lexa had heard that mount weather was once again running, this time by farm station, she ordered her entire army to march past Luna's previous route to search for survivors before advancing on their enemy. Indra was mounted on her own horse along with Octavia, flanking the commander's right. To her left... well, Clarke was there. However, her pathetic excuse of being there was to ensure she could help those in the front line of the army if they should need a healer. Octavia wasn't one to judge as her special brown-eyed boy, Lincoln, was not far behind her.

The heavy drops of rain bounced off Lexa's armour, every so often a droplet or two would roll down her face, consuming the smallest amount of her warpaint into the droplet as it rolled down her face. Her jaw clenched and unclenched, causing the muscle to jump below the skin. A few stray hairs that had been tugged from Lexa's braids clung to the soft skin of her neck, and Clarke had to resist leaning over to smooth it back.

"Gustus should have returned by now, Heda" Indra stated, staring into the woods. In the distance, she could see the swell of yellow cloud amongst the trees. That colour had became Clarke's most hated colour. Her favourite colour however...

"We must await news of Luna, Indra. I am aware we cannot stall for much longer or our plan will fail. We give Gustus a window of two minutes to return to us then we leave. Understood?" Lexa said. Her voice was commanding and full of bubbling rage, bouncing and echoing passed every warrior who awaited an order.

It had been so long since Clarke had seen the commander in war paint, and she had to admit to herself. It was refreshing. The newly applied black paint as usual made Lexa's eyes appear even more bold and focused than before. She looked fierce. A rather large juxtaposition to the gentle girl underneath the armour and red sash.

"Lexa if we wait any longer we could be putting Raven and Jayden's lives at risk" Octavia said "We have to leave. Now."

"Octavia, we address our leader as Heda or commander." Indra corrected her second "do not doubt her decisions. You may forget she is the greatest to ever serve as comma-"

"Indra" Lexa interrupted her subject, silencing her with her name "be quiet"

"Yes, Heda" Indra said, eying Octavia.

Clarke's horse shuffled below her, swaying slightly from side to side as it stared ahead at the acid. Clearly the young horse was afraid of the acid fog. Who wouldn't? Even Clarke was growing nervous at the meandering smoke. The grey armoured horse sidestepped into Lexa's, trapping their legs between the two large mammals. The brunette clenched her jaw and looked down at her trapped foot. She sighed and pulled the reigns on her horse, creating the distance between them once again.

"I thought you trained that horse well, Indra" Lexa commented. Clarke caught them green orbs slowly drifting from the horse. They crawled up her legs, until they flicked to Clarke's eyes. When Lexa redirected her guilty gaze, the blonde felt a rush of... something. Whatever it was, it was white hot and burning. A burn from a flame Clarke wouldn't mind kindling for a while longer.

"Every horse has been taken and used, Commander. We even had to take work horses from villages and farms to increase the numbers." Indra said "it was either a young pony from an abandoned yujileda farm or this hors-"

Gustus's angered shouts demanded the attention of Lexa. Her head snapped in his direction, her damp braids falling over her shoulders with the sudden movement. "Heda!" He panted, reaching the commander. He rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath "they're dead, heda. They're all gone."