Chapter Text
It was turning dark when Abby saw Pike and his team walk back through the gates of Arkadia. They were covered from head to toe in blood, whose blood could that be? Abby’s eyes went wide at the realisation. The grounders. The group huddled in close and Pike said a few words. Abby was too far away to hear what was said but from her spot behind one of the family tents it looked like a congratulations of some sort.
Pike then split from the group and headed towards the wreckage of the Ark. Abby made sure to stay quiet and hidden, in case the man turned around. However he seemed out of it. That was until someone came from around the corner infront of him. Abby quickly hid behind a box that had yet to be moved to storage.
”Marcus.” She heard Pike greet.
“What have you done Charles?” Marcus said harshly.
“What needed to be done. When the commander or another clan finds those dead grounders, they will know not to mess with us! We would have always been inferior in their eyes, now we are equals.”
”No, you have just started a war. Honestly, you think the grounders are just going to sit back and take it? They’ll take this as a challenge, get that through your thick-“ Abby had heard enough. She was already on thin ice with Pike, she didn’t need that problem with Marcus too.
”Marcus there you are!” She walked around the box and towards the men, who both startled slightly at her call. Honestly, they were in the middle of the hallway, anyone could have come.
“Abby.” Marcus said with a frown. Pike just nodded at her, she just looked back at Marcus.
”I was looking all over for you!”
“Were you now?” Pike questions
”Mhm! I need to talk to you about something” The woman explained.
”Well you better talk about it in your quarters because curfew is almost in.” Pike said.
”Curfew?” Marcus said, brows furrowed in that way Abby adores.
”Yes, now that we may be a target, I’ve decided to put a curfew in place. For the good of the people. No exceptions for anyone except guards.”
”Well, we’ll be off then!” Abby said cheerily, taking Marcus’ hand and leading him towards their room.
“What was that?” Marcus asked the second they entered the room and the door was shut.
”Look he’s already weary of me, he doesn’t need to see you as a threat too okay! All that’s doing is putting a great big target on our backs okay? And we can’t do anything if we’re constantly being watched.” Abby explained.
”Abby he’s already weary of me! I’m friends with some of the most powerful grounders.”
“But you didn’t need to make it any worse.” Abby refused stubbornly.
“And you’re not supposed to be using your leg as much! You’re only going to be making it worse.”
“Well actually I spoke to Jackson and he thinks I’m going to be able to get the brace off sometime at the end of this week.” She said excitedly.
”That’s amazing! So your leg is going to heal?” He questioned.
”Well it will always be a weak spot for me, but it will look normal.” She grinned. Marcus came up and wrapped his arms around her.
”I’m glad for you baby.” He said and kissed the top of her head. Hands playing with the ends of her hair cascading down her back.
When Clarke and the grounders got back to polis, Lexa had refused to put her in a proper cell, instead opting for the room Clarke was originally put it when she had been caught a month ago. She remembered the hatred she had felt for the commander, and the mutual hatred she had back. To Lexa, Clarke was a woman from the sky, who managed to wipe out an entire civilisation that the grounders had feared for nearly a century. To Clarke, Lexa was a fierce warrior, one which she had never hoped to be on the bad side of. And since Lexa wasn’t putting her in the dungeons, she probably was still just about on her good side.
Clarke startled when the doors to the bedroom opened and the grounder woman walked in. She had a scowl on, one that didn’t suit her otherwise soft face. When their eyes met, Clarke swore she had that feeling she got whenever Finn had looked at her. It was probably nerves. “Clarke.” Lexa nodded.
”Commander” the blonde responded. She had been in the room for not even 24 hours and Lexa had come back. What for?
”I need to know Clarke,” the woman began, looking down. “Did you know?”
Clarke’s eyes widened in shock, and disappointment. “Lexa seriously? I thought we had an understanding now, we said we were allies!”
“Forgive me wanheda for thinking you might slaughter for the benefit of your own people.” Lexa spat.
”Lexa, you were the one who left my people in mount weather for your own! You left us to fend for ourselves, those deaths are on you too. And no, I didn’t know. And I doubt half of Skaikru did aswell, they would have stopped it.”
”If you’re talking about your mother and friends, then if I need to take action, they won’t be pardoned. I cant’t have my people thinking I’m weak Clarke, you know that.”
”Well why would you spare me then? And not just now, when I was truly wanheda. You didn’t kill me then either.”
”Because I’m not weak but I have weaknesses Clarke. And unfortunately it seems you are one of them.” Clarke’s jaw dropped at the confession. At the same time her heart sped up.
”I believe you didnt’t know about this, but Skairkru will be punished. We have word on who did this, who runs them now. And until we have him, the whole of Skaikru will suffer. Including your mother, so I suggest you go back and help them give him up.”
Who was it? Clarke’s first thought was Kane, but he would never condemn this. Not since the culling on the ark. And she prayed to god it wasn’t him, she could never convince her mother to give him up. Not now.
As if reading her thoughts Lexa chipped in. “His name is Charles Pike, and from my informant from inside of ‘Arkadia’ there are few against him, but some nonetheless.”
How was Pike of all people in charge? He wasn’t even on the council on the ark. He’s never had to deal with anything similar, who would vote such an inexperienced man as their leader? What had happened to Kane?
A million questions ran through Clarke’s head, but one stood out among the sea, “Lexa!” She shouted, seeing that the grounder had turned to leave.
Lexa looked back over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow, a silent tell to go on. “Who is telling you this?”
”Indra’s second, Octavia Blake. However, I think it’s best that you don’t tell her about Indra when you go back. I think the anger is what she needs to help us.”
”You can’t just play with her like that! Indra is like her mother-“
”Am I correct when I say that you thought your own mother was dead for a while, yes?” Lexa asked.
”what?” At the look the commander gave her she answered with a simple “yes.”
”And what did you do?”
”I ran.” Clarke muttered, still ashamed that she hadn’t actually seen her mother since mount weather. Too guilty at how close the older woman had been to death. She didn’t want to know if she had killed her. So she fled. Hope was better than nothing.
”You did. But you learned to fight, to survive on your own. And without that knowledge you wouldn’t be here. Sometimes it is for the best that bad things happen. And when Octavia is ready, and we have Pike, we will tell her that Indra is okay.”
”But Octavia already knows how to survive, she’s been doing it since she found Lincoln.”
”Yes but she’s emotional, not strategic. Indra’s own words.” Lexa said when she saw Clarke’s face harden at the slight insult. “She needs to learn to not let emotion guide her, but fuel her. And only then will she be able to reach a full potential.”
Clarke just nodded, still not too pleased with the situation she was put, actually more like forced, into.
“I have a horse ready for you. You are to leave now and come back only when you think it is best.” Lexa instructed before leaving, pausing at the doorframe. “Goodluck Clarke, I have faith you won’t let me down.” And she was gone.
Clarke stared after her, this was impossible, what was she supposed to do? Encourage a movement in Skaikru to hand over Pike? What had Lexa set as a punishment for Skaikru? How did it affect everyone in Arkadia?
When she had calmed down, although only slightly, she grabbed a backpack and shoved some necessities inside of it. Just weapons and a first aid kit. She wouldn’t need anything else on her journey. And anything else she needed, Arkadia would have ready and waiting for her. With Pike’s permission or not.
She slung the bag over her shoulder and made her way down to the city centre, where a grounder man stood with a horse. When she took the reins from him and thanked him, the man just sneered before leaving.
‘Great,’ Clarke thought, ‘it’s now public knowledge.’
She quickly mounted the chesnut animal and started on, at a fast walk. She wanted out of Polis as quick as possible. All the grounders were glaring at her as she left, and she made sure to look back to make sure nobody was following, grounders are sneaky and should always be expected.
She was nervous to see everyone again, what if they all hated her for leaving? What if her mum couldn’t look at her for what she had done to her. Th thoughts consumed her, and she could only hope the journey was quick.