Lightning Only Strikes Once - Clexa

Chapter 98: By The Book

"It is not," Lexa replies. "An army is coming north. We have been staying ahead of them only because of how thoroughly they are searching each village and forest – probably for you and Gustus." Clarke blinks, Assan inhales sharply and Gustus growls. The others, already aware of this information, don't react at all.

Clarke pauses, just breathing and thinking for several minutes, looking at all the angles. "So we'll hide in the basement here, then when they've gone past -"

"They would find us," Lexa tells her. "We have been listening on the radio. They have measured homes to see if the walls and floors are correct, they have interrogated and sometimes tortured anyone who has ever been south of the border like Assan has, they have set places on fire when they thought the owner seemed dishonest, they even have some trained wolves using their noses and ears to find human prey in empty houses. Whatever you did to escape, you have certainly given Nia a great deal of respect for you." She smiles wryly. "Or a great deal of fear."

"Aww, don't be jealous," Raven interjects hoarsely, "I'm sure she's scared of you too."

Lexa forces herself not to smile. She has gotten used to Raven's sense of humour as they have travelled together, and although she does not always understand it, when she does it is hard not to show her amusement. Jokes have not been common in her life. "In any case, I do not know how we can get south. But Gustus tells me you know Nia's location, so I think we should go north."

Gustus blinks in surprise. "I thought we could take the information south, send assassins against the Azplana," he protests. "A small gonakru, perhaps, striking -"

"We are already here," Lexa says firmly.

Clarke looks at her. "Yeah, we are," she says thoughtfully. "Would they really give in and let us through if we killed Nia, though?"

"Perhaps if we had Roan," Lexa proposes. "Do you know where he is?"

Clarke shakes her head. "He was busy laying a false trail for Nia the last time I saw him," she says regretfully. "He could be anywhere by now, but I'm betting he went as far as possible, and Nia is much more likely to find him than we are."

"Maybe we could just blow a hole in their army and run through it," Raven suggests weakly from her spot on the floor. "I'm not sure I have enough bombs for that though. Maybe if we gathered them all in one place, like a village or something. It would have to be a small village though."

"Gus and I could lure them there?" Clarke says doubtfully. Lexa can see she knows that would be unlikely to get enough of them.

Zion shakes his head. "You did not see them, Raven kom Skaikru. They would not all fit in a small village even if they were standing on top of each other." He smiles humourlessly. "If that is all the bombs you have, you could not remove enough of them for us to head south again without being chased and caught."

"I'll have a look at the arsenal," Raven decides. "See what I can do, if I can MacGyver us something better, or join them all together, or... something. I'll come up with something. Grab my pack, will you, Link?" Linkon obediently goes to the other side of the room and fetches it.

"How far behind us are they?" Clarke asks.

"We have been using Raven's device to listen in to theirs," Lexa tells her. "They report to Nia twice every day, at sunrise and sunset. Zion has been estimating their speed based on that, and believes we have perhaps two days, and that only because they are moving slowly."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Clarke frowns. "You told me it's possible to track unauthorised people on your channel sometimes, Raven. Couldn't Prison Station -"