Several lifes

When time is of the essence...

"We can't change who we are, no matter how much we might wish we could." It was more of a sigh than clear words, but it didn't lose any of its meaning. Whereupon the brunette laughed mirthlessly for a moment before replying. "Somehow that sounds familiar."

Again, Clarke didn't say what she was thinking, as if she were still a prisoner with a chain around her heart that she wasn't yet able to break. "I... Please be careful and let Nyko examine you again before you leave." Blue joined green almost pleadingly. "I beg you." The brunette nodded hesitantly for a moment before disappearing with one last glance at Clarke.

Lexa followed her request and made her way to the infirmary, where the healer was already waiting for her and greeted her with a bow. The corners of her mouth twisted into an implied smile, which became a genuine one once they were inside. "How did you know I was coming?"

"They said you were already leaving again today, and I know Clarke enough to know that she would insist you come back to see me first." The lines around his kind eyes deepened.

"How did you know I would honor her request?" He gave her a definite look, which made her feel embarrassed, and if not for her years of training to hide her emotions, her cheeks would have turned pink. "I take it she's not too thrilled about you leaving already?"

The brunette nodded. "She wanted to accompany me, but I refused. If Nia is looking for her, the last place she should be is the Azgeda region." This time it was Nyko's turn to nod, as if he knew more than he was willing to admit. "Polis is the safest place for her. It's where Ryder can watch over them, just like Titus and I..." She faltered. How could she admit that she couldn't concentrate on her actual task because she was so worried about Clarke? That she couldn't separate her head from her heart? To openly admit that she was as weak as her mentor kept accusing her of being?

The healer turned his back to her, bracing his weight against the table with his hands for a few seconds before he began to mix some herbs and make a salve. "Whether you accept the truth or not, it remains the same."

"How can I accept it as truth if I don't even know it yet? Or at least not in its entirety?" Despair and the desire for certainty spread through Lexa. She wanted more and yet this more seemed to contain a secret that Clarke was not yet ready to reveal. Would she ever be? Would she ever be able to trust her enough to do so?

"We both know that deep down you have known her for a long time. You're just afraid of discovery. Everything unknown triggers fear until we can assess the risks." Perplexed, Lexa hurriedly ran her fingers through her hair. Nyko was one of the few who would ever see such an emotion and he was well aware of it, so he tried to soften the blow. "Can I tell you a story?" She nodded and sat down cross-legged on the floor, only a few moments later he followed her. "There are various stories about the origin of man. I'll tell you my favorite one now."

Nyko spread out her arms and instantly the sounds around her seemed to fall silent. "In the beginning of all time, there was only the sky and the earth. The day and the night, the sun and the moon, and sand, as many stars as there are in the firmament. The tides created life, which was nevertheless filled with loneliness. The sun longed for darkness and the moon longed to see everything in its most beautiful splendor. To experience colors, shadows, the warmth itself. Until that day when the moon covered the sun for the first time. Those few moments were enough to change everything." Sighing softly, he smiled. "It was a love full of longing and devotion, waiting to come closer again and blossom anew. It was a constant longing. Heaven and earth observed the two celestial bodies and when they met on the horizon, they decided that love was too precious to be experienced only once every few years. For they saw that since then the sun's rays shone stronger, the flowers grew more steadily and there were more colors than they had thought possible. The moon created the seasons, spring with all its vitality and splendor, summer with its warmth, autumn with its mild temperatures and many shades of orange, and winter, which provided relaxation in nature. Through their love, the two of them grew beyond themselves and so heaven and earth wanted to carry this feeling out into the world. They took two stars from the sky and buried them in the ground. These two stars became two beautiful young women with kindness in their hearts and undying love for each other. Their love eventually formed man, created the animals and the cycle of life." He interrupted his story, looked at Lexa and wrinkles formed around his eyes. "It is said that these children of heaven and earth are born again and again, and whenever they meet again, their love will bring forth an age of peace and hope."