A Different Landing

Chapter-22

Clarke woke surrounded by warmth and completely content. The room was dark save for the light the flickering candles gave off and she knew she had been here far too long. However, her arms were around Lexa's warm body, their skin touching, the gentle rise and fall of her chest a siren's call luring her to stay in bed. Kissing her lover's shoulder blade, she began to extract herself, careful not to wake her. Lexa's eyes flickered open, locked onto Clarke's and then closed again. Clarke hummed under her breath. "Sleep Lexa."

Leaning back down, she trailed several kisses over Lexa's shoulder and neck before pulling back, enjoying the half smile on the woman's face. With a sigh of regret, she slipped out from under the furs and began to pull her clothing back on so that she could be ready to start the day. Glancing in the mirror, she realized her hair was a lost cause. She threw it into a sloppy braid and made sure her collar was fastened all the way up. The bruising was still just visible without her hair down though. With a final check that she was as together as she was going to get, she looked back over her shoulder at Lexa who had fallen back to sleep.

It felt wrong to leave like this, letting Lexa wake up to a cold bed as if she was ashamed of her. She pried some of the blue cloth that was sewn into her jacket off and held it in her hand. Approaching the bed on soft feet, she bent over and tied it around her wrist. Pressing a last kiss to her hair, she turned knowing she would never leave if she didn't. Slipping out of the window proved easy and she made her way between the shadows to her people's tent.

She saw Flora splayed on the wooden frame and cringed internally. Knowing that returning to her tent would have to wait, she turned and walked towards the training area. No longer having to slip between shadows, she made good time and came to the hard packed ground quickly. There was a lone figure going over their stances in the dark. Clarke felt her heart drop and a mess of twisted up emotions almost choked her.

"Charlotte." She called softly while approaching.

The girl just kept on going over her forms, ignoring Clarke's presence.

Clarke grimaced and stepped into Charlotte's space and blocked a high strike. Charlotte's eyes were burning and they quickly began to spar. It was fast and without weapons. The fought each other purely with strikes and blocks as they pushed each other across the training area. Clarke could tell her sister was tiring though and just kept pace with her, waiting for her to slow enough to talk it out. She could feel sweat dripping down her back when Charlotte finally slumped and stopped coming at her. Reaching out, she grabbed Charlotte's shoulder and hauled her into a hug and began to rub the girl's back as she began to shake with silent sobs.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I wish you didn't have to do these things." Clarke said quietly.

Charlotte burrowed her nose into Clarke's shoulder. "I'm a monster, I know that."

"But it never stops hurting." Clarke finished understanding exactly what Charlotte felt. The weight of their sins weighed heavily on them and in order to continue to draw breath they had to add to that weight.

"I'm the best at pain. I know that is my job, but I…" Charlottes body shuddered.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there today." Clarke gripped Charlotte tighter to her. "You keep us all safe, never forget that."

"Through fear." She spat. "The people love you, and Bell. You're hero's! I'm the monster parents warn their children about."