archenemy | clexa

forty two

Lin calls Lexa inside the tent with two knives ready to throw, which she lowers upon seeing the Heda. "Heda," she says and gives a little bow, nonchalantly putting down the knives. "Good night."

"Good night Lin, I'm truly sorry to interrupt your sleep."

Lin straightens her black sleeping shirt and brushes some of her black hair out of her face. "That's okay. What can I help you with?"

"You don't happen to have pumpkins, do you?"

"No, I don't anymore, they were quite heavy to carry and the season is passing," Lin says apologetically. "Did you want pumpkin soup?"

Slightly disappointed, Lexa nods. "Yes, that's why I came."

"Well," Lin smiles, which morphes into a yawn. "I did make quite a bit and froze it as soon as we got into Azgeda territory, did you know that works? I just have these little frozen cubes in those boxes Clarke gave me, you can melt them and then you have soup."

Lin lifts a part of the tent canvas up and retrieves a box from the snow outside. She takes two cubes from it, places it in a pot and puts it over the fireplace. "Only a moment now, Heda, it takes a few minutes. Why, do you have cramps? You shouldn't be out in the cold too long, sit down."

"I'm okay, thank you. Clarke isn't feeling well."

"Oh, but she isn't sick again, is she?"

"No."

"I should see her, don't you think? She has been so caring."

"Yeah, she has been. I can tell her your concern if you want."

"Oh, would you? Thank you," Lin's warm voice sounds in the tent. She looks much more dangerous than she actually acts- not that she can't be dangerous, she has had one of the most impressive careers from young trainee to warrior and no one is as quick and skillful with knives and trickery.

She reminds Lexa a little bit of Clarke. Maybe that's why the two women clicked so well from the start, because in a way, they're polar opposites, but on the other hand they have too much in common to hate each other.

Lin rushes to her nightstand and pulls out a pen and a paper, kneels on the hard floor and scribbles something on the paper using the nightstand as a table. Then, she folds it, picks a dried flower from another box in her nightstand and ties it to the short letter.

"Here, if you could bring this to her, I would be so grateful. Otherwise I'll stop by tomorrow."

"No problem."

"Thank you, Heda. I owe you. I mean, I generally do. It's not like there's not a favor I wouldn't do for you, but you know."

"That's the benefit of being Heda, huh?" Lexa asks with a smile, but Lin vehemently shakes her head.

"I dare to disagree, and don't tell this the teachers, but I would not do everything for just any Heda. My service is more to you than the throne."

Slightly caught off-guard, Lexa raises her brows. "Me? You don't know me well."

"I know of the many actions you take in kindness and grace. I know of your bravery. I know of your strength. Instead of letting Titus make you a slave-having, drunken asshole fighting anything in her wake, you stand above that. I admire that. Not to talk bad of Titus, of course, no disrespect to your teacher."

Lexa laughs and plops into the chair Lin offers her. "Oh, please have disrespect to my teacher, I give you all permission to talk bad of him. I prefer Anya to mentor me."

"I believe you should."

For a moment, it's quiet in the tent. "Is Clarke okay?" Lin asks, clearly still in concern for her friend.