The trees whispered secrets to one another, their leaves stirring in the breeze like cautious voices. You crouched low in the underbrush, your breath shallow, eyes locked on the shadowed clearing ahead. Beside you, Clarke shifted quietly, her bowstring pulled tight. Just behind her, Lexa stood like a ghost among the trees—silent, deadly, patient. This was your first hunt with both of them. You weren’t a warrior, not really. You’d trained, yes. You could hold your own. But this? This was different. The bond between Clarke and Lexa was unspoken but electric, like flint and steel, always close to sparking. And now, somehow, you’d found yourself between them—an ally, a lover to Clarke, and, strangely, someone Lexa didn’t mind being around.

“They’re close,” Lexa murmured. Her voice was quiet but sharp as flint. “A mother and two fawns. The mother is the priority. We’ll need her for food.”

You nodded, gripping the spear Lexa had given you. Handmade. Balanced. Dangerous.

Clarke glanced at you, blue eyes full of intensity. “Stay low. We’ll drive her toward you.”

Before you could answer, they moved like wolves—silent, coordinated, fluid. You could see how their time together had turned them into something more than just warriors. They trusted each other with every breath, every step. You took your position near a fallen log, crouching behind it, heart hammering. A rustle. Then a blur of brown fur. The deer burst into the clearing, panicked, fast. You rose. Spear in hand. Threw. It struck—hard—just behind the shoulder. Not perfect, but enough. The deer stumbled. Then Clarke’s arrow sang through the air, finding its mark. The forest fell silent.

Lexa approached first, kneeling by the fallen animal. She ran a hand over its fur, murmuring something in Trigedasleng—something soft, almost like a prayer.

Clarke came to your side, a small smile tugging at her lips “Nice throw,” she said, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear.

You exhaled “Thanks. I was kind of hoping I wouldn’t miss and embarrass myself in front of both of you.”

Lexa looked over her shoulder “You did not miss. You listened. You struck. You hunted.” A pause “That is strength.”