This is my first ever story so I hope you guys like it and just bear with me the Bellarke stuff will happen in the next few chapters. P.s Sorry for the random tense switch during the chapter, the rest of the story will be in present tense and sorry for any spelling mistakes or typos.
I dabbed another infected cut with salt water for the third time that morning. The woman whose arm was stretched out for me to tend too was jiggling her leg impatiently. "It's taking too long" the woman hissed through gritted teeth. I briefly glanced up from my work to see the irritated look on the woman's face. The woman had tanned skin that was wrinkly and scuffed like a pair of old leather boots. She was a warrior that much was obvious from the bad attitude and resistance to stay still for a long time. I put down the wet fabric and wiped the cut dry with a cloth before bandaging it up. "Nugmi tend to the next hour of injuries, the Chief's second has requested my presence at noon" I called out to the small but rather bulky, spikey haired man who had been my apprentice for the past few months. Though clever, Nugmi never seemed to say much, he just observed my work and took over for me when I was away. I discharged the woman and gathered my stuff into a small yet useful leather pouch before heading out the rickety wooden hut. As i wrapped my fingers around the rough door handle a beam of light reflected of the mirror on the wall and caught my eye. I released my grip from the door handle and raised my fingers in and arc above my forehead to rid my eyes of the light. The mirror on the wall was dark and had a blue tinge and wasn't really a mirror at all but it showed my reflection well enough to see how much I had changed in the last 6 months. My hair that was once shoulder-length and wavy and curled at the tip was now scrapped back into several tight braids on my head and the bottoms just touched the small of my back. My once clear, smooth skin was now marked and cut and I had a variety of little scars the seemed to have gathered on the side of my left cheek. Suddenly almost like a hallucination, a vision of myself 6 months ago appeared in the mirror, I wore my old blue jacket and I had an out stretched arm holding a small black pistol, finger pressing on the trigger. My eyes swam in shallow water and my barely steady voice said "I never wanted this" before pulling on the trigger and releasing a short but deafening bang. I stumbled backwards and turned away from the mirror. My breathing was heavy and quick and my brain was rapidly trying to calm down and bring me back to reality. A large hand, bigger than my shoulder blade, rested on my back reassuringly and I looked up to see Nugmi with a comforting and sympathetic smile on his round face. I remembered that moment well, the moment I shot Dante. A man who had once helped me; a man who I shot in the heart. Nugmi's round pale eyes were laced with concern but I just brushed his hand of my back and stumbled out of the little hut, still slightly dazed from the vision.
The sun shone a bright white in the sky yet a chill breeze made the thin fabric of my shirt flap as I walked through the bustling city of grounders towards the Chicha building. I hurried through the enormous crowds of dark-cloaked warriors, messengers, scouts, seconds and even the occasional child, whilst clutching my pouch tightly to my side so as not to lose it on a busy day like that. Stalls selling weapons, armour and animal skins lined the street and several large horses had been tied to a horizontal tree trunk just ahead of me. The hard, frosted dirt crunched satisfyingly under my leather boots and the cold mid-winter air nipped at my finger tips and nose. The grounders of Polis slowly started to recognise me as one of their own, though it took a while. The people in the city came from all 12 of the clans but very few actually lived here. Polis was a place of work, a meeting place for the leaders of the clans. Despite the fact that all my hair was braided securely onto my scalp, a tiny wisp of blonde hair touched my eyebrow rather irritatingly so I made an attempt to flick it back onto my head but it was no use, whatever I did it kept coming out again. Though Polis didn't feel like home, I'd gotten used to everything that goes on here.
When I finally reached the large tent held up with huge logs known as the Chicha builder, the chief's second was already outside waiting for me. Her greying brown hair was tied into a curious knot on her head and her eyes were circled with dark war paint that made her look menacing. The icy, white sun kissed her bronze skin as she turned to approach me when she saw me coming. "Your late Clarke" she announced in her typical gravely morning voice. I inclined my head at her in respect and then answer "I am sorry Zelda, I had a patient to tend to". She glared at me with her almost black eyes for a second and then resumed her usual emotionless facial expression. "Very well. Follow me in side, I have a task for you" Zelda pivots on her heal and disappears through the animal hide flap of tent so I obey and follow her. The room has a musty smell that is not unfamiliar to me but I remember when I first came here I found the sent quite odd and unpleasing. In the centre of the room is a huge circular table that the clan leaders use to plan or talk or do whatever it is that clan leaders do when they meet, however today the room is empty apart from me and Zelda. "The commander has requested a population count of the eastern tribes and seeing as both the other two messengers are away, we need you to do it. That includes TonDC and the Sky people" Zelda states matter of factly. Many thoughts rush into my head all at once but the first one I articulate come out more shocked than I mean it to "Lexa is back?" Zelda looks me in the eye suspiciously "She is commander to you" she says correcting me and I suddenly realise how odd it must of seemed for me to say that "and yes the commander is here in Polis, she returned from the ice nation some weeks ago" the thought of Lexa being in the same city as me for weeks and me not realising it makes me feel queasy. I should hate her with every bone in my body but that is not the case. All I feel is a pang of hurt in my heart because of what she made me do. All the hatred in me for her is long gone, worn away by time. Then I remember what Zelda is asking me to do. I can't return to camp Jaha, six months may have been just long enough to rid me of the disturbing nightmares of what happened but I'm still not sure if I'm ready to go back there or if I ever will be ready. Seeing my mum again…reminding me of what I did to save her... I can't go back. "Zelda I'm sorry to go against you orders but I can't go back there" my voice is somewhat shaky as I speak. Zelda's chocolaty eyes turn colder and harder that they already are and every muscle in her body tenses. "If you refuse to do this you would not be going against my orders, you would be going against the commanders" she says between gritted teeth. Everything about Zelda is intimidating and I immediately want to take back what I said but I can't and I wouldn't anyway. "And if you against the commander's orders then I have no choice but to punish you" she takes a step closer towards me so that I can feel her warm breath on my face. "I'm sorry" I say "I can't do it" my voice is harder now as I become more determined to go against her authority even though I know it will lead to me getting into trouble. Suddenly without warning I see a shiny glint of metal as Zelda whips her knife from it's sheath and the blade is swiftly pressed to my neck. I instantly lift my chin up and grit my teeth, not feeling particularly comfortable with a knife being pressed to my jugular. Then I gulp, shocked by the unexpectedness of Zelda's actions. The blade's smooth edge is beginning to make a tiny tear in the soft skin on my neck like scissors cutting through cloth. It stings a bit but not enough to make me react. "You will do as I say" he voice is stern and threatening. I can't go against her orders. Zelda retracts the knife and I breathe out loudly not realising that I was holding my breath.
The streets are still busy and full of people but I don't notice it as much. What am I going to do? How will everyone in camp Jaha react when I return? Will they be happy? Angry? Do they hate me for what I did? My head is a hurricane of questions as I stumble my way through the town back to my hut to gather my things. I leave in a few hours; Zelda had already prepared me a horse that is waiting for me by the gates. I press a hand to my temple in an attempt to ease my brain from the pain of all this over-thinking. Just as I make I turn around the weapons supply stall I see a man about my age with pale skin, shaggy brown hair and a distinctive hooked nose. It takes me a minute to realise who the man is but then it hits me. I haven't seen Murphy since he left camp Jaha to find the city of light, what is he doing here? He doesn't see me at first because he is turned to the side, standing behind a warrior man in a cue at the horse rank. I know I disliked Murphy for what happened to Charlotte but the shock of seeing him again and here of all places courses me to shout to him. "Murphy?" he doesn't hear me at first; he is too far away. So I jog towards him and yell at the same time "Murphy!" He turns his head to look at me and at first I can see that his face is riddled with confusion but then slowly his eyes widen as he starts to recognise me. "Clarke?" his jaw hangs open in surprise and that's when I realise how different I must look to him. It's weird seeing him again. after he left camp I assumed that he was gone out of my life forever but standing in front of him now I'm almost glad that he's not. "You-you look different" he stutters as he speaks, clearly still in shock. "What are you doing here Murphy?" it's a fare question that I can't help but ask. "I could ask you the same question" he says "Why aren't you in camp Jaha?" Suddenly I remember hat Murphy has no idea of what happened. No Idea of what we did to free our people from mount weather. No Idea what I did and I don't really want to tell him so I just say "it's a long story. I left six months ago and haven't seen anyone since" he raises his eyebrows but doesn't push. "So what brings you here?" I ask. He takes a deep breath in before beginning his story "The city of light turned out to be a load of bullshit so I tried to make my way back to camp Jaha when a girl from one of the boat tribes kidnapped me and used me as a slave for her family, they only released me a week ago and I had heard of the great capital so I thought I'd come here see if I can make a living. As much as I hate the grounder scum I didn't really have any other options so here I am" he throws his hands out to his side and turns in a circle to show what he means by a 'here'. There's an awkward silence as neither of us really know what to say. I still don't know how I feel about Murphy but he's the only person I've seen from the ark in over six months so that deffinatly makes me feel something. Murphy breaks the awkward silence by saying "So what do you do here?" he asks and the he looks me up and down while saying "You look like a full-time grounder so I'm guessing you do something here"
"I'm one of their healers and when I'm not busy I deliver messages from clan to clan for the chief" I reply. He looks almost impressed. "I'm actually on my way to my hut to grab my things and then I'm heading out to do a population count of the eastern tribes" his impressed look vanishes and is replaced with an odd half-smile "So you're going back to camp Jaha then" I look down at my shoes wanting to avoid his eyes "After you haven't seen them for months?" he says. A bubble of anger finds its way into my brain and I snap "Unfortunately yes what's it to you?"
"Well won't it be kinda awkward, I mean how did you leave things with Bellamy?"
Bellamy. I hadn't thought of Bellamy, I had been so wrapped up in my own worries that it hadn't occurred to me what it would do to Bellamy if I return. He'll be fine I tell myself. Why would Murphy even ask that question?
"Why does it matter how I left things with Bellamy?" I say. He rolls his eyes "Well It just always seemed like there was something going on between you two" I draw my eyebrows together in a line and look at him like he's crazy. Murphy raises his hands in the air as if surrendering "Okay apparently not"
"Anyway I have to go and get my things so I guess I'll see you around" I say as I slowly start to walk away. "Clarke wait!" he yells and I turn around to see him jog a few steps to catch up with me. "Can I come with you?" he says.
"What? To camp Jaha?"
"I hate the grounders and the way I figure it, I'd much rather be with the ark people than these grounder scum"
The way he talks about the grounders annoys me, like they are the enemy or something. "They're not scum Murphy"
"Whatever, can I come with you?"
It wouldn't be that bad having a companion to come with me I guess, even if it is Murphy. "Fine, wait here I'll be back in half with my things and then we can get going" I say. A broad smile spreads across his face and then I walk away in the direction of my hut.