On the borders of Trikru and Trishanakru, were the unkept fields and run-down hut that the girl called home. Inside, the lanky 5 year old, wearing nothing but a torn shirt and dirty farming shorts, blinked herself awake. She fumbled through the clothes and cattle hide that lay on the bed to find the doll she cared about more than anything in her home. She let out a small squeak as she smiled and pressed its mucky face to her cheek before remembering that she was still tired from her long nap.
Rubbing the sleep from her vibrant eyes, she yawned, stretching her stumpy legs over the side of her bed and sitting up. She allowed them to hover, swinging back and forth and wiggling her toes in the cool air with a suppressed giggle. She shortly grew bored of the action though, and frowned when her stomach gave a loud growl.
She jumped the remaining distance between the bed and the floor, and wondered out of the single room of the hut and into the hallway.
"Nomon?" She hobbled towards the other side of her nearing abandoned home as she received no response from her mother. Seeing the tall brunette woman slumped forward on the table before the dying fire, she called out again.
"Nomon, I'm hungry!" She climbed up on the chair beside her mother and shook her shoulders "Mommy? Can you make me something to eat? My tummy hurts."
She shook her mother harder, hoping that in some way, if she shook harder she would pay more attention to her. Her lower lip wobbled as she sat back in defeat, arms crossed. But then she felt her empty stomach roll and she stood up on the chair again, putting a small hand on her mother's arm.
"Mommy, please open your eyes. I don't like it when you ignore me. You've ignored me for too long now, Nomon."
She gave her mother one last shake, but was quickly presented with the same result as last time: nothing. The girl realised that her mother felt colder than she had ever felt before, and she slid off the chair to run back to her room, returning with her thin and tattered blanket in tow. She then climbed up the legs of her mother's chair, clumsily slinging it over her mother's once broad shoulders.
"At least you won't be cold any more, Nomon" she said, pulling herself onto the table and laying next to her mother's head.
She lay for hours, the growls of her tummy growing louder and the hunger pains growing stronger. She whined and turned to lay on her back, lifting her doll over her head so she could concentrate on it. She tried to smile back at the roughly stitched grin that it sported on its face, and reciprocate its happy expression but she couldn't.
"Mommy I'm really hungry, now. It hurts. Please get up" she said, rolling back onto her stomach to face her mother "You can't stay still forever. You know the night lady is coming soon, you said it yourself. Mommy this game isn't fun any more."
She felt tears welling up in her eyes and she sniffed. Rolling from the table, she scurried to the food chest that sat in the corner. She lifted the heavy lid to reveal nothing but rotting berries and corn. She immediately slammed the chest closed and stumbled back as the smell hit her nose.
"Mommy that food is sick! We need more!" She started to sob, and she hit her mother's knee. Maybe if she misbehaved her mother would stop this game she was playing "you don't even make my favourite snacks any more, Nomon! Daddy would have helped make them! But daddy's gone and I want you to stop playing the game now!"
She kicked her mother's shin for good measure and stormed to sit in the corner of the room, staring at her mother and willing her to get up. She glared with all the intensity she could.
She sat for hours which turned to days, glaring, growing more and more hungry, and her tongue turning to sand at her dry throat. She felt herself growing better and better at her intimidating look. But it was still never enough to bring her mother from their game.
A knock on the wooden logs of her door finally caused her to break her glare, and it was instead replaced with a look of panic and fear. She darted from her spot in the corner to hug her mother's leg.
"Mommy they're here. You told me... you told me that I had to hide. But you didn't tell me where. Mommy you need to help me. Nomon!" She climbed onto the table and shook her mother's head "You're all smelly and sweaty! You told me you had to smell nice to meet the night people. You told me to hide!"
There was another knock at the door and another surge of panic washed over the 5 year old. She stumbled off of the table and darted towards the food chest.
"Ophen dau, cropcahn" (Open the door, farmer.) came the stern voice "or we will force it open."
Green eyes widened with fear as she opened the chest. She whimpered and held her nose. Shaking her head, she looked one last time at her unmoving mother before slinging one foot and then the other into the handcrafted storage unit. She let out a small cry as the rotten food crushed and sloshed below her bare feet. If there was anything in her stomach at all, she would have thrown up. But instead, she heaved dryly.
The door swung open and she clapped a hand over her mouth, her wild brown waves falling in front of her eyes. She peeked through the slit in the chest, watching as the tall and lithe woman hovered over her mother for a moment, observing her state. She tutted, turning on her heel with a shake of her head as she glanced at the man behind her.
"Where is her child?" He questioned
"Shh!" She hushed him.
The small girl shuffled to get a look at her face, curiosity getting the better of her as she saw the sword she held on her right hip. The woman scanned the room, brown eyes calculating as the man walked away to search the bedroom. The dim light cast shadows over her high cheekbones, darkening her war painted eyes.
The girl didn't like that at all. And she whimpered.
The woman's head almost snapped towards her at such speed, it had her shrinking further back into the mouldy and disgusting food. She much preferred the food the to woman that had most likely found her. She squeezed her eyes closed as footsteps approached.
She kept her eyes firmly shut as light flooded into her hiding spot, and she curled up into a ball, clinging to her doll as tightly as she could with her weak body. She waited. And she waited. Until finally, the woman spoke.
"Hey" she whispered softly. The little girl almost opened her eyes with a smile on her face, but she remember what her mother had told her. The night people were scary people.
"We're not going to hurt you, goufa." She heard another gentle whisper. She jumped in fright as her stomach gave a loud groan "How long have you gone without food? I have some here for you, if you'd like some."
At the thought of eating, she allowed one curious eye to open. She expected it to be a trick, like her mother had warned her would happen, but to her surprise, the woman stood crouched with a small piece of bread held out in her palm. The girl slowly sat up, watching the woman wearily before reaching out and snatching it from her hand. Her slender fingers curled back in surprise.
"You're fast aren't you?" She said, offering a small smile.
The girl could tell that the woman didn't smile often, as her smile seemed unpracticed. She felt a little warm burst in her hungry tummy as she stared back at her, happy that this woman was smiling for her in particular. She felt special.
"Would you like a drink?" Came another soft question as the five year old munched on her bread.
She gave an eager nod. She watched with a mouth stuffed with crumbs as the nice lady poured some water into the lid of her flask and handed it to her. Short fingers wrapped around the metal cap and brought it to her lips. She slurped loudly as the woman watched her.
"My name is Anya" she said gently as she held out a hand "What's your name?"
"L-Lexa" she said, eying the woman's hand suspiciously
"Well, Lexa. I'm going to take you somewhere safe. Is that okay?"
Lexa slowly slid her hand into Anya's palm and whispered a quite "okay" before she was lifted from the chest and into warm arms. She felt comfortable there, and she peered over Anya's shoulder and through her hair at her cold mother who still lay against the table unmoving. It was a sharp contrast between laying on a table next to her mother for hours on end.
"What about my mommy?" She said as Anya carried her towards the door. She saw the big man behind them lift her mother's limp body from her chair.
"Your Nomon's spirit is at rest now" Anya said softly "Gustus is going to look after your mommy now, okay?"
"Okay" Lexa said with a hint of confusion in her expression. She turned in Anya's arms, twisting to get more comfortable. Even as Anya settled on her horse, she remained in her arms, and she hid her face in Anya's shoulder.
"I'm tired, Anya" she commented, feeling a yawn sneak it's way from her lips.
"Then rest, Lexa. The world awaits when you wake up."
Lexa felt the tug of sleep, and her body drooped, the grip on her doll loosening. Anya's hand snapped out to grab it before it fell to be sandwiched between mud and the horses hooves. She gently tucked it between Lexa's arms again, and the little girl fell asleep against her shoulder.
"Lexa?" Clarke whispered softly for what mustn't have been the first time. Lexa turned to her, snapped from her daze "Are you okay? I didn't mean to mention it. I-"
"My father passed in the second battle between Azgeda and Trikru. He had left my mother to look after both myself and the farm that we lived in." Lexa explained, cutting Clarke off from whatever reasoning she was going to come up with.
The blonde shifted, directing all of her attention to her words.
"She died at her table beside the fire whilst I slept. When I woke up, I thought she was ignoring me. That she was playing some sort of game of which she had came up with during the night." Lexa shook her head
"I waited days for her to wake up, hungry and thirsty. I'm lucky that my mother was due a visit from Anya, who was in search of nightbloods across Trikru territory. She came in, and took me to Polis where I became who I am today. She saved me, Clarke."
The blonde woman laced her fingers with her own, watching Lexa "and what happened to your mother? After you left?"
"Gustus disposed of her body with a true Trikru funeral. She was cremated beside the wildflowers behind our home. After Anya found me she took me to stay with her for almost three years until I was old enough to start training."
"She was like your second mother" Clarke pointed out
Lexa nodded "When you told me she was dead, I... Clarke I'm so sorry about Finn. I was angry, and I demanded some sort of justice. I cared for her."
"Hey, no. Lexa, you were doing what anyone else would have done." Clarke ensured her "I'm sorry I couldn't save her"
Lexa looked down at her hands "Don't say that. It was her time. She died a warrior, and I'm proud to have called her my mentor."
She could feel the tears bubbling, and she turned to Clarke to see her eyes growing glassy "Alright, hey. No. That's enough of that now. I should have minded my own business. Let's go get cleaned up."
As they stood back up, Lexa's hand held firmly in her palm, she leant over to press a tender kiss to her jaw. The brunette regained her flawless posture, seeming to grow in height as her back straightened. Clarke had to tilt her head and stand on the tips of her toes to add a peck to Lexa's lips.
Clarke led Lexa down to the water, turning to face her once their grew nearer, walking backwards to keep eye contact with her. She stopped when she felt the heel of her shoe flood with water, and raised a brow.
"You really are just covered from head to toe in... I don't even want to know what that is." Clarke turned up her nose at both herself and Lexa when she noticed just how dirty and war-ridden they were.
"I know, Clarke." Lexa said "I'm still in disbelief that you were capable of sleeping next to me."
"I spent years sleeping without you Lexa, I think I can put up with a little blood" she glanced at the apologetic smile on Lexa's lips before returning it with a larger one "Anyways, come closer. I need to untangle all that hair."
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The two women had settled into a calmed routine. Lexa sat on the rocks in her underwear, cleaning both her own and Clarke's clothes, and laying them in the sun to dry. Clarke sat behind her, legs sprawled out around Lexa as she carefully unknotted the wild mane that was Lexa's hair.
"You even managed to get mud on your scalp, Lexa. How did that even happen? Did you dip your head in a puddle and let it soak or something? You need to be honest with me here Lexa" Clarke complained as she ran her fingers through Lexa's hair for the millionth time.
"I did suggest that I just bathe and untangle it in the water, but you insisted on this, Clarke" Lexa informed Clarke as she scrubbed out a large patch of mud with her knuckles in the shallow water. The vigorous movements caused the muscles in her upper back to jump, where Clarke had just rested her hand in defeat.
"Fine. I'll go in the water" Clarke relented "but you better not let me drown commander"
Lexa turned her head to the blonde with a quirked eyebrow and a smirk "Would I ever, Wanheda?"
Clarke caught a glint of mischief in Lexa's eye, and spoke up about it instantly "What are you thinking about?"
"Me?"
"Yes, you"
"Nothing, Clarke"
"Really Lexa? Come on I can see you're going to do some-"
Lexa scooped Clarke up in her arms, and Clarke shrieked at the sudden movement. She didn't complain though. Lexa was warm, and the breeze was growing chilly as it got further into the day. The commander trodded into the water, seeming unfazed by it until it finally began to reach Clarke's back.
"Oh my god, Lexa it's cold! Go back! I swear, Lexa go back!" Clarke complained arching her back away from the offending liquid and clinging tighter to Lexa's neck. When she looked up, she almost regretted it instantly. Lexa grinned a heart shattering grin, watching her reaction carefully as she realised what was about to happen.
"Wait... Lexa... don't you dare." She felt Lexa's grip alter "Lexa..." suddenly, the brunette's arms weren't there, and Clarke went cascading towards the cold water "Lexa!"
She was entirely submerged under water, her yells of distress muted by the mass amount of water she struggled, attempting to correct herself below the surface until she finally managed to stand up in the water, face burning with rage- rage that rapidly burned out at the sight of Lexa's wide smile and bubbling laughter.
Two could play that game.
"That's how you're going to be with me today, is it?" Clarke slicked back her hair from her eyes "Alright, I see"
Clarke splashed Lexa with the water, sending as much as she could in one swoop of her arm. The water collided with the girl's face, drenching her in the contents of the lake. Clarke grinned proudly as drops of dirty water rolled from Lexa's face.
"Look at that Lex, you're cleaner already" She smiled.
Lexa quickly splashed back at her, covering her in the freezing water. Again.
"Okay that's it." Clarke lunged towards the tall brunette, arms looping over her shoulders. She tried wrestling Lexa into the water, and perhaps get her under the water like she did to her.
She struggled against her, forgetting just how strong Lexa really was. It took her a moment to realise that Lexa was holding back, and almost grinned at a thought.
"Ow!" She yelped, jumping away from her. The brunettes face instantly grew concerned, and she edged closer.
"Clarke, are you okay? Did I hurt you?" She frowned. She reached a soft hand out to rest on Clarke's shoulder, showing her concern. It almost felt evil when Clarke let Lexa fall into her trap. Almost.
She grabbed Lexa's arm and flipped her into the water. She stood with pride, hands on her hips and chin tilted upwards. Lexa resurfaced with a shoked look on her face.
"Impressive, Clarke"
"I know I am" she grinned
"Overconfidence can lead to severe flaws" Lexa said, head bobbing just above the water.
"Did Anya tell you that?" Clarke smiled "because it sounds like something she would say"
Lexa paused in thought "I believe it was Indra who said it."
"Yeah?"
"Yes"
Lexa gripped Clarke's hands under the water. She tugged the blonde closer, pulling her to her own height in the water and resting her forehead against hers. She suddenly grew serious.
"You know I'd never hurt you. Right?" She said in a quite, gently voice, as if anything else would scare Clarke away "I love you"
"I know" Clarke whispered, caressing Lexa's cheek gently "I love you too"
"And... I know that sometimes people think I'm heartless. And that I wouldn't hesitate to hurt you but that's not true. I'd never hurt you intentionally-"
"Shh" Clarke pressed a finger to Lexa's lips "You're ruining our moment, Lexa."
Lexa frowned cluelessly "What moment?"
Rolling her eyes, Clarke wrapped her arms around Lexa's neck and brought her lips to hers.
This moment, idiot...
...My idiot.
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Luna sat against the rocks, Raven pressed against her side trading body heat between them. Yes, the stone below her was uncomfortable, but she wouldn't want to be anywhere else but there in that moment with Raven Reyes. Her eyes followed the careless and youthful nature of Lexa's actions in the water.
"Is this what she used to be like?" Raven asked, tilting he head to look up at Luna from her shoulder "before she became commander, is this who she used to be?"
"Almost" Luna whispered, watching as Clarke and Lexa exchanged large splashes of water "She's still afraid."
"Of what?"
"She's still the commander. There's still a war to be won, and there aren't many people trusting her at the moment. She's afraid that those people are right."
"Right about what?"
"That she will hurt Clarke again."
Raven looked between Luna and Lexa then shuffled closer "How do you know that?"
"Watch her. Carefully."
Clarke lunged towards Lexa in a playful fight. It seemed fair enough, but it was obvious that something wasn't right when Lexa constantly let Clarke have the upper hand, or was almost too careful around touching the blonde at all.
"Maybe she just cares about her a lot"
Then Clarke jumped back in false pain, and the panic in Lexa's eyes was instant. The way she hesitantly reached for her, that was her give away.
"Maybe you're right."
"I know I am. I've known her for too long now." Luna paused "It happened to Costia for a while too."
Then was a pregnant pause, where both women just lounged in the sun watching the couple play in the water. They both cringed when they kissed.
"Do you see them in the future? As in, together?" Raven asked, looking away as if she was giving the couple some privacy.
"Raven, I see these women thousands of years into the future. They've already defied many things: death, leadership, tradition... what else can stop them? They're already historical and they're only young."
"People will remember you too, Luna."
"And you" Luna smiled down at Raven "Once this war is over, we are all free to continue into the future in whichever way we see fit."
The mechanic pressed her forehead to Luna's jaw, hiding her face in her neck with a smile.
"I can't wait"
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Sooo if you don't know already, I'm a HUGE fan of Halsey. I was listening to her since she released her first EP. But now... I have a theory that her new album is coming out VERY soon and I am sooo excited.
Also thank you for reading. I decided to add in a little of Lexa's parents because I've realised that not many writers like to go into detail about Lexa's parents.... I tried.
If you spot any mistakes let me know... vote... comment... and all that... let me know what you think
I know this took longer than I said it would, but I really wasn't happy with what I had written and I tried to make it better in whatever way I can. I thought I'd rather take a little longer making it better than post it straight away. I've also started making chapters as long as two chapters would have been earlier on in the book. I don't know why, I just think it's a lot more sufficient when it comes to writing in detail.
Ok that's me finished for the day. I hope every has a good day/night, and I'll see you next chapter!