Lightning Only Strikes Once - Clexa

Chapter 101: When The Music Stops

"How did you find this place?" Lexa wonders, looking around the little cave.

"Gustus and I stayed here on the way to Assan's," Clarke says just as she did earlier to Raven, swallowing the piece of meat she'd been chewing. They have enough food to last them a couple of weeks if they're careful – when Gustus and Zion briefly split from the rest of them earlier after a murmured conversation with Lexa, she suspects they went to the nearest village and stole whatever they could find. They're guarding the cave entrance right now, as loyal and professional as both of them always are. "We were travelling with some hunters. They use this cave regularly." She smiles to herself.

Lexa looks up, apparently recognising the note in Clarke's voice. "Ai hodnes," she says, sounding a little suspicious. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing," Clarke says, slightly defensive. "Well, nothing really. It probably won't work out."

"What won't work out?" Raven asks, plopping down next to her. "Ooh, nice drawings. That's a good one of Indra. Really portrays that air of 'I'll beat you to death with your own dismembered arm' that she gives off." She flips through the sketchbook without asking and lands on one of Anya. Raven inhales sharply, which causes her to fall into a coughing fit, and then puts the sketchbook down again and says croakily, "Right. That one's – that one's good too."

"You seem much better," Clarke comments.

"Well, this cave is pretty warm, that helps," Raven says. "There were a few times today in the snow when I felt pretty bad but I think I'm finally over the worst." She looks around the cave. "So you and Gustus stayed here, right?"

"Sha," Gustus appears, face stern. His hand is clamped on the upper arm of a slight, pretty young hunter, who rolls his dark eyes at the rough treatment. "A little over a week ago." Gustus looks at Clarke, his expression not accusing but definitely concerned. "Was this an accident?"

He releases the hunter, who rubs his arm and glares at him. "On my part, certainly," Orion snaps at Gustus, then gestures towards Clarke. "On yours, I doubt it. You told me a week would be long enough, and now I find you here! The rest of the hunters will come soon, I pretended I had seen a wolf and sent them after it but that cannot distract them for long."

"How did you know to distract them at all?" Gustus asks, sounding frustrated.

Clarke clears her throat. "I stuck one of his arrows on a tree nearby. I knew if they came back here at the right time he'd see it."

Assan and Linkon have come from the back of the cave now to see what's happening, while Zion stays on guard at the front just in case. "For what purpose?" Assan says, face reddening with annoyance. He goes to draw his sword but stops at a look from Lexa. "Just so we would have to leave the warmth and find somewhere else to sleep to avoid these hunters? Or do you wish us to kill them all?"

"I need to talk to Orion in private," Clarke snaps. "Everyone but Lexa and Gustus, go over there, I don't want you overhearing." Raven raises her eyebrows at that one but still goes. Assan pauses but another glance from Lexa makes him decide to obey.

"Well, Clarke?" Lexa asks softly. "What is it?"

"He's trustworthy," Clarke tells her, then looks at Orion. "I need you to take this south," she says bluntly, and pulls out Titus's book and hands it to him.

He looks at it in total confusion. "What is it?"

"Congratulations, you're the Fleimkepa now," Clarke says. "Until you get to Polis and hand it off to one of these people, anyway." She passes him the sketchbook as well. "I'm sure you can figure out a way to hide both in your hunting supplies somehow, or pass them off as something else if they are found."