While Clarke didn't sleep through the night, she was surprised to find herself not being hurled from one atrocity to another. Instead, she simply woke up with a small jolt and looked around the tent where she and Lexa were sleeping across from each other. Sighing, Clarke stood and looked at Lexa. For some reason, just being around her was like a soothing balm on Clarke's soul. Lexa made her feel safe enough to lower her guard somewhat.

Dressing herself silently, she stepped outside, breathing deeply and stretching her muscles as she looked around the darkened village, the only light coming from the moon overhead and the dying coals of the guard fires. She continued to walk around the village, checking on the guards and smirking when they would startle at her sudden appearance. Many of them seemed shocked when she asked them if they needed anything, and shook their heads frantically reassuring her they were fine.

Continuing on her way, Clarke was surprised to see L swinging his sword through the air, soft grunts of effort drifting through the night.

"I take it you can't sleep either?" She asked as she drifted closer.

Spinning around, L swung his sword at her on instinct, and Clarke stepped lightly out of the way.

"Clarke!" L exclaimed as soon as he realised who she was. "I'm so sorry!"

"Don't worry about it," Clarke replied waving it off. "My friends and I like to try and sneak up on each other. It's a bit of a game to us, but I guess old habits die hard."

"I guess I've seen people do more foolish things in the search for entertainment," L said softly, a gentle smile on his lips. "Would you care to join me?"

"Do you have another sword?" Clarke asked.

"What's one with the one you carry?"

"It's only used for fighting and killing," Clarke explained. "Not practicing with friends."

"I see," he replied. "Unfortunately, I don't have another sword. I'm sorry."

"That's fine," Clarke said simply. "I guess I'll just go without."

"What –" before L could finishing asking her what she meant, Clarke sprang forward and delivered a swift punch to his side before bouncing away. L grunted and swung his blade at her, but Clarke simply danced around every strike. She felt like the wind, light and intangible as she avoided L's attacks. Her skills had grown alongside the other Keryon during her time in Polis – building upon the base Colste and Echo had provided for her. It still amazed her that in such a short time, she had gone from having no formal training to holding her own against a warrior she knew to be of significant skill. It almost seemed as if when she fought, time slowed, and her instincts took over, never letting her make the same mistake twice.

Dropping low, Clarke snapped a foot up into L's groin, causing him to double over in pain, before sliding between his legs and leaping over his back, grabbing the back of his neck on the way down and forcing onto his back. In the span of a breath, she had slithered around him once more and wrapped her legs around his sword arm, forcing it straight as she angled the blade back at his throat. L tapped her leg and she released him, springing to her feet as she belatedly realised that the sky had grown lighter and she must have woken later than she thought as the first of the villagers had already stepped outside and were watching their little sparring match.

"That kick to the groin was dirty," O said as she walked over to help L up. Her tone and the smile on her face took most of the severity out from the admonishment.

"That's the point," Clarke replied. "Do whatever you can to take the opponent down as quickly as possible." Looking around, she dropped her voice and leaned closer to O with a wicked grin on her face. "You have no idea how many times the other Keryon have punched me in the boob during our sparring matches."

O winced before laughing as she replaced Clarke in the sparring match while she went to make sure that they were prepared to continue on their journey later that day. Checking once more on their stores of food, Clarke grabbed a nice, large fish and brought it out with her to give to Juno who was dozing near her tent. Crouching down, she started to stroke Juno's snout, scratch behind her ears, and bury her hands in the soft, thick fur of her protector until those bright blue eyes opened and met Clarke's with more unbridled affection than she could remember ever receiving from anyone.

Except maybe Lexa.

"I brought you breakfast," Clarke murmured as she held up the massive fish. Juno yawned, startling a pair of villagers passing by as she revealed a set of powerful teeth designed by nature to pierce and crush nearly anything. With one grateful lick, Juno took the fish from her hands and got to work devouring it. Clarke smiled fondly and stood up. The soft whispers of movement on the other side of the tent told her that Lexa was already awake, and while Clarke wanted to go see her, she happened to catch sight of Raven hobbling out of the tent where her other friends had been staying.

With a deep, steadying breath, Clarke steeled herself and marched over. "Raven, can we talk?"

"Are you asking me?" Raven grumbled, the deep bags under her eyes telling Clarke that she wasn't the only one with trouble sleeping. "Or is mama bear over there going to eat my face if I say no?"

Clarke smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry, you're probably too stringy for her tastes. I just wanted to apologize. You were right to think that none of you had asked come with me and Lexa. We should have thought of you guys and properly explained what was going on."

Raven sighed and put her hands on her hips as she looked down. "I just… I don't know how you can trust her Clarke. After what she did, how do we know she's not just getting ready to treat our people like another threat?"

"Raven, our people are a threat," Clarke replied calmly. "From what you guys have told me, Pike would rather wipe out the entire Coalition than make peace, and I can't allow innocent people to get hurt if there's something I can do about it, regardless of where they were born. As for Lexa…" Clarke paused and took a deep breath. "She hasn't done anything that I wouldn't have done. We have more than a common enemy this time around."

Raven looked uncomfortable and readjusted herself on her good leg. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry too. I've been holding in all this pain and anger for so long, I just started taking it out on you."

"It hasn't been easy for any of us, Raven," Clarke replied as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Raven's shoulders.

The two of them separated with tentative smiles, and Clarke walked over to where Lexa was sitting astride her horse next to Juno.

"Is everything all right?" Lexa asked as Clarke jumped onto Juno's back.

"I think it will be," Clarke said. Lexa nodded and turned her head to the rest of their group, ordering them forth while she and Clarke brought up the rear.

"Our next destination should be TonDC," she said quietly. "No doubt your Keryon have already delivered the message to Indra, however I would like to speak with her myself about her defensive strategy."

"If that's all, we should meet her outside the village," Clarke replied. "If Skaikru hears that I or the others are here they'll more than likely react aggressively, especially if you're also there. If I sent Hudson, he could reach Indra and have her meet us on our way to the Rock Line."

"Why them?" Lexa asked.

"Because they're being attacked by Ice Nation mercenaries disguising themselves as bandits."

"How do you know?"

"When Grom was complaining to you about the frequent bandit attacks, he was constantly throwing dirty looks at the delegate," Clarke explained. "That was my first clue. The second was when they tried the same with me. Luckily, I have friends to watch my back."

"The Ice Nation tried to have you killed?" Lexa growled.

"And they failed," Clarke replied soothingly. "Now we need to make sure they continue to fail against the Rock Line clan."

Lexa grit her teeth and took a deep breath, controlling herself before nodding stiffly. "There are plenty of reasons for Grom to be scowling," she said slowly. "The man is known for his… abrasive personality."

"Then we'll be helping a village with a nasty bandit problem," Clarke reasoned. "Either way, this will be a good first step for you to win the respect of the Clans in person. Show them that their Heda cares enough to personally deal with their problems."

*(OoO)*

It took four days to meet up with Indra on the way to Boudalan. Each morning, Lexa awoke to find Clarke already awake, training herself. Usually this just amounted to her doing various exercises to strengthen her body; today, however, Lexa watched as Clarke sparred with Colste and Echo using wooden sticks and was amazed. Getting a first-hand glimpse at the skills Clarke had developed in the few months since Mount Weather, Lexa suddenly understood why the spirits had chosen this striking creature who came from the stars. Unbound by the typical rules of combat that even the Ice Nation adhered to, Clarke danced around her opponents, doing everything from throwing dirt in their eyes to stepping on their toes in order to destabilize them before going for the kill. It seemed without the restriction of fighting honourably, Clarke made use of whatever she could in order to expend the least amount of energy possible. More than once, she caused Colste and Echo to run into each other or trip over an indent in the soft dirt that she had made with her heel before swooping in. Lexa couldn't help but wonder what Clarke, and presumably her Keryon, had to do to develop that particular set of skills and disregard for their traditions.

"Not bad," a voice said from Lexa's shoulder. Lexa focussed herself and slipped back into the role of Heda as Indra joined her. "However, she'd still be killed within a minute in a proper fight."

"That's what we're here for," O countered as she and L joined them as well.

"I don't remember addressing you," Indra snarled, turning to her former second glancing at the brand on her forehead briefly in disgust.

"That's enough," Clarke said as she left Colste and Echo to join them as well. "O, L, why don't you go join the others. Heda, Indra, and I need to speak privately."

Lexa watched as both devotees nodded walking away without a word as Clarke smiled at them before schooling her features and turning back to address them.

"Your devotees need to learn their place," Indra spat.

"They do," Clarke replied calmly. "Now, what's going on with the Sky People?"

Indra looked like she was about to argue, but a stern look from Lexa was enough to get her on track. "Skaikru have been making frequent trips between the mountain and Arkadia. They seem to be trying to salvage anything they can from the Maunon and reinforcing their defences. They seem adamant in their insistence that they don't need the Coalition's help to survive and have reacted violently whenever one of my people gets near."

"We've just finished one war," Lexa said. "I am not willing to send more people to die against Skaikru's weapons so soon."

"You propose we let them take what they want?" Indra asked incredulously.

"I said nothing of the sort," Lexa growled.

"But that's exactly what we should do," Clarke interrupted.

"What?!" Indra shouted.

"What do you mean Clarke?" Lexa added, the smallest seed of fear planting itself in her chest.

"They think they can survive without the Coalition," Clarke explained. "So let them. Cut them off completely. Move as many people as you can away from them and announce an end of trades with them. Let them see how much harder survival is if they refuse to work together."

"That just might work," Lexa replied thoughtfully. "But it will only delay the inevitable. Eventually, Skaikru will simply spread out into Coalition territory in search of more resources."

"Maybe, but it should buy us time to settle things with the other clans. The Woods Clan is smart and powerful, they'll be able to adapt until we have the resources to find a more suitable solution. If not, there are two of my Keryon watching them and another pair with Indra's people. Between the four of them, it wouldn't take much to incapacitate them with some well-placed fruits in their food sources."

"You would propose something as cowardly as poisoning them?" Indra asked.

"What was it Anya told me after infecting myself and the other children with a painful disease?" Clarke wondered rhetorically before snapping her fingers. "That's right! It was a common tactic to soften the enemy before an attack."

Lexa cringed internally at the mention of her First, but couldn't deny that her people had resorted to some less-than-honourable tactics themselves during times of war. The only reason Indra questioned her was because Clarke wasn't the Commander ordering people to do, and was suggesting doing it herself. She didn't have the benefit of Lexa's station or the justification of war to excuse her actions, and she didn't ask for it either. One look in her eyes, and Lexa could tell that she knew exactly what she was suggesting, and the consequences that would come with it.

Indra however, fumed, and looked moments away from attacking Clarke.

"You're right, Clarke," Lexa said. "You don't propose anything that we, ourselves, have not done before. However, I would rather your Keryon be used as a last resort. For now, Indra, do as I say, and move your people away from the Skaikru. Halt any trading with them. Let them think that they can get by on their own, and see if they can be lured into a false sense of security."

Indra nodded stiffly, and mounted her horse. "It will be done, Heda."

Lexa sighed and watched her most loyal general ride off and sighed. Hopefully the ever-combative Boudalan people would at least be able to provide her with some entertainment, instead of this constant politicking.