A Different Landing

Chapter-26

Clarke could hear the wind whistling in her ears as she pushed her horse as fast as he could go. Their hearts were beating as one as they flew across the ground heading for the Azgeda line. She didn't have time, she must look a fright wearing only what clothes she could grab off the floor of Lexa's room, her shirt on backwards, her hair wild and flying about her. None of that mattered though, what mattered was the time, and they had so little of it if they were to save the lives of those in TonDC. It was a part of war that Clarke had not missed, the long monotonous waiting before adrenaline fueled blur that was the actual fighting. The blood was pounding in her ears and she let herself fall into the rhythm of movement, letting her endless list of plans fall away as she focused on moving with her horse.

She was brought out of her almost focused trance when she came charging into her camp. Flinging herself out of the saddle as she brought her horse to a stop, she threw the reins at a warrior who had come running to see what was happening. "Bring Anya to the command tent now!" She ordered as she moved to the trough set out for the horses and dunked her head straight into the water.

"General?" Laslow asked, running up to her, clearly having been summoned while she was getting the berries out of her hair.

She stood straight, deciding a brief dunk in a trough was all she had time for to get the blasted red out. "Wake everyone, our brawl with the Trikru starts as soon as we can get our men up and moving."

His eyes widened before he was off shouting orders.

Clarke breathed a sigh that he didn't question why they were moving out days earlier than planned. She just knew he'd have their army marshalled in under an hour. After all, she'd trained these men to be ready to move out as quickly as possible. They were a well-oiled machine. Entering the command tent, she didn't even bother waking Lisa, who was sleeping in what was normally her bed. She was in her trunk and pulling on her uniform in moments. She was fastening her jacket when Anya came in without announcing herself.

"What's happened?" The Trikru captain asked urgently.

"The radio is working, the mountain is preparing to bomb TonDC, if we move now there is a chance they'll delay to allow us to destroy ourselves." Clarke tightly braided her hair out of the way, some red still showing through, but mostly it was back to its usual gold.

Anya straightened, "I'll leave for TonDC immediately."

"Change of plans." Clarke said, halting the captain's movement. "You and a team of your choosing are to find and kill the spotter from the mountain to further prevent the launch of a missile. You are to make it look like an accident due to the spreading chaos and not a targeted hit." Clarke tossed her a radio. "Gustus is taking command of TonDC and the brawl in your stead, his place on Lexa's guard has been filled by Dax."

Clarke sheathed several of her knives, ignoring the startled and clearly terrified form of her medical apprentice, who had woken up at some point in the last few minutes.

"Are the men even ready for the attack?" Anya asked in confusion holding the radio clearly not knowing what to do with it.

"They don't have the choice not to be." Clarke replied, sheathing a short sword along her back with her bow and pulling on her pauldron. "Give that radio to Charlotte, she should be able to help you find the spotter using it."

Anya finally gave a nod of assent. "It'll be done."

"Good hunting captain." Clarke said as the woman turned to leave. She saw the serious look on Anya's face but also the slight approval.