Warpaint | Clexa (Completed)

Chapter 27: Her Shield And Sword

"I don't believe you."

"Ah well, then we fight." Nia said sadly. "It'd be a shame to see that pretty young thing ripped into smithereens. What a waste. And all for you too, Alexandra. Have you noticed how the people around you die? Your parents, your mentor Anya, and now Clarke. I hope your new bride can forgive yourself for all the monstrosity."

Lexa stood up, looking defeated. "You will not touch Clarke, Nia. I'll do anything you want, in return. But no harm should come to Clarke."

Nia's face crinkled into a monstrous smile."Anything I want? That's the spirit, love."

"Lexa what are you doing?"

Lexa looked at Costia who had recovered from the blast and was sitting up.

"You have to fight Lexa! What are you doing?"

Lexa lowered her head.

"Ah, young love!" Nia gave out a squeal. "Would break my heart, if I had one. You there, dearie," she looked at Costia, "how long will it take for you to realise who our Alexandra is actually in love with? Are you that blind, really?"

"I'm sorry, Costia" Lexa said softly, unable to meet her eyes.

"Good girl. Now that all the sorry and sadness is over, can we go?"

"How do I know you won't hurt Clarke? Or anyone else for that matter?"

"I have no reason to. Pike could have blown this whole place up, if he wanted to. You see, all I want is that flame from you, and then I don't want to hurt you either. As soon as Ontari takes the flame, you'll be free to come back and lead your ragtag band of followers and your dear sweet Clarke, and of course your bride here. You'll be waiting for her, won't you?" she asked Costia.

"What's the flame? What do you want? Please don't hurt Lexa... I'll help you get it... Please dont hurt her..." Costia struggled to get free from the debris.

"Look at her, pleading for your life, even when she knows you love another...and I thought I was the Ice Queen, Alexandra." Nia shook her head. "I kill people, and you destroy them. Which do you think is worse?"

Lexa stood motionless. She looked like someone whose whole world had slipped from under her feet. She looked defeated. Two soldiers came up and held Lexa from two sides. One of them stabbed a syringe to her neck.

Lexa felt the world swim before her eyes.

"I did what you wanted. Disarm the bomb." Lexa said. "Please."

"Now, disarm that bomb, will you Pike? Nasty things, those." Nia said.

Lexa sighed a little in relief. "Don't hurt Clarke. .. I..." she felt her words slurring and her world become darker.

***

Now

Costia finished her narration, and looked up at Clarke. Clarke read the look in her eyes as one of desperation, accusation, anxiety, and immense sadness, all mixed together. She felt the guilt settle heavily at the pit of her stomach.

She looked up. All eyes were on her. Some disbelieving. Some furious. Some knowing. Some plain sad. She wondered whether to bolt from the room or stay there.

To her relief, it was her friends again, who came to her rescue.

"Okay so now that our daily quota of glaring at Clarke and blaming Clarke for everything is complete, can we make a plan as to how to rescue Heda?" Octavia asked, looking impatient.

Octavia's little quip seemed to bring everyone out of their shocked states and they began discussing strategy for the rescue party.

"So by my calculations, given an average horse's speed, they will be camping out by the end of the north west mountains tonight." Raven said, pointing at a map. "They will move out at first light obviously."

"Then we attack tonight. We leave in an hour and reach the ridges by sundown. As night falls, we attack them." Indra said impatiently.

"It's not that easy, Indra," Bellamy said. "I went there last month for foraging, and there are barely any hiding spots there. It's an open land. We can March them over with the whole army, though."

"That'd only alert them, and they'd kill Heda as soon as they know we are there, Bell," Octavia argued.

"There has to be a way!" Indra exclaimed. "We are wasting time here."

"Distraction." Clarke suddenly said from behind the crowd poring over the map.

Everyone turned to look at her. "What?"

"There has to be a distraction." Clarke explained. "If Nia has a hundred men in her camp there, there has to be a distraction strong enough to lure most of them out. We can go extract Lex..Heda in that confusion."

Everyone fell silent and pondered over this."Good," Indra nodded. "That could work."

Bellamy and Octavia nodded.

"But whoever is the distraction will get killed if there is no backup. There will have to be an extraction team for the distractor as well." Bellamy said.

"No," Clarke said.

"What?"

"There's no need for any team. I'll be the distractor. I'll go in, set fire to a few tents, draw them out, giving space for you guys to go get Heda out." Clarke said in a matter-of-fact manner.

"But no...you can't do that!" Abby exclaimed.

"It's suicide Clarke!" Raven said.

"I have failed my duty once," Clarke said. "I took her oath. I pledged to be her sword and shield. It's time I live upto the pledge."

"She speaks true," Titus said. "As the warrior chief, she should lead this attack."

"What if something happens to her?" Abby said desperately. "She's my baby girl."

"She laik gona, Abigail" Indra said. "Your daughter shows the spirit of a true warrior. She must do as her duty commands!"

"If she goes, I go" Costia said from the corner of the room. "I want to be of any help I can."

Clarke groaned inwardly.

"We cannot put you in danger too, Costia," Kane said.

"If something happens to Lexa, everyone is in danger, Marcus. I'm a trained tracker. I'm sure I can be of help."

Indra shrugged her shoulder and muttered something which vaguely sounded like "Stupid skai child."

***

As Clarke got up on the horse, Abby held onto her fingers tightly." Come back, Clarke. You have to come back to your mother. You are all I have."

"I will try, mom," Clarke said, and removed her father's watch from her wrist. "Keep this safe for me, ok?"

Raven handed her her sword and guns, and fitted Clarke's utility belts with a few bottles of molotov cocktails to light the fire.

"Ray.."

"Yea?"

She took out a small dagger from her pocket. The one that Lexa had given her when they had first met. "If I don't come back, give this to Lexa, ok?"

Raven nodded and took the dagger. "You have to come back, ok? Lexa sacrificed everything for you. Don't let that go to waste."

Clarke nodded.

Clarke trotted her horse upto the front where Thelonius was trying to change Costia's mind about going long with the rescue team.

"I still don't understand why do you have to go, Cos" Jaha said desperately.

"I have to fight for her, father. I love her. I am going to fight."

"And I am going to a magazine photoshoot" Clarke muttered under her breath to Costia.

The sun rose high in the horizon, and they were off. They would not come back empty handed.

---

A/n:
So they are off, and all secrets are revealed for everyone. Last few chapters to go. Hope you are enjoying reading this as much I am enjoying writing it. Just a few days for season 4 to air, and I'm excited against my will. Hope they atleast do Clarke, Raven and Octavia justice.