Chapter Seven
Disclaimer: I own nothing mentioned in this story.
Bellamy rolls over in his bed as he wakes. Pushing his hand through his hair he stands up. Soft fur presses against his leg as he pulls his boots on. He can hear Monroe's soft murmurs in her sleep, Jasper low snores and Raven's quiet breaths. Yawning he grabs his gun slinging it over his shoulder as he straps a sword to his side. He opens the door slowly. The darkness almost glows as the full moon pulses above the ocean. Soon the sun would rise. He stretches, popping his back as he feels a nose push against his leg. He sighs. "I'm going Gus." They walk to the mess hall, a large cabin near the smoke shack. Inside were tables and chairs and behind some doors in containers were some smoked meat and dried fruit.
He spots Finn and the cook, June , talking as she stirs a huge pot. Finn looks up with a grin, shaggy hair falling down his shoulders. Bellamy fingers his own locks, he needed a haircut. "Morning Sunshine." Finn's voice is teasing.
Bellamy grunts, adjusting the sword as it digs into his leg. "Got any food? I'm on patrol with Dami and Lincoln today." June smiles, handing Finn the ladle and moving around the room with ease. She had only the use of one arm, the other had been taken by a shark. She passes him a small cloth filled with food. Bellamy smiles. "Thank you June."
She smiles shaking her head before tossing a scrap of raw nasty looking meat to Augustus. "Warriors need to be fed. Kept strong." Her eyes sparkle. "Their companions to." Gus pushes forward licking the woman's knee before following Bellamy out the door as he says goodbye to the two cooks.
They meet up with Lincoln and Dami. The woman is small, under five foot three inches but she was a force to be reckoned with. Able to strike like the cobra's Bellamy had read about s a child. Bellamy hands the cloth to them and they all eat as they make their way to the gate. Jekyll comes trotting up and sniffs at Lincoln before the man speaks. "Octavia. Protect." The wolf snaps up the piece of dried meat Lincoln tosses him before the grey wolf is running to find its other owner.
Bellamy grunts as they leave the village. "O trained him well."
Lincoln almost smiles. "Yes, he is protective of her."
They continue to patrol the woods that almost creep up to the beaches. Dami is silent as they spend the morning patrolling their woods and beaches for enemies.
Back at the camp Raven wakes up, her brace squeaks as she adjusts it and leaves the cabin, Diesel on her heels. The black wolf trots happily to the mechanics workshop as Finn drops in. "Figured you'd be up right about now." He passes her a bowl of something.
"Thanks Spacewalker." She grins as she slurps down the soup, setting half of it down for Diesel who greedily eats the remains of it. The wolf flops down on her stomach and stares up at Finn as the man rolls his eyes and picks up the bowl.
"Any time mechanic." He grins. "I'll see you later." He cuffs the side of her head. "Fix your bed hair!" He leaves with a laugh as Raven shouts out after him.
Her door is moved open and Brooks comes in, baby in her arms and Trince at her side. The baby wails until the flap shuts behind them. Brooks and Trince sigh in relief, bags under their eyes. Raven laughs quietly as she creeps closer to have a look at the baby. Soft dark hair and baby blue eyes. "Told you she'd be a mechanic." Her voice is quiet, reverent and teasing.
Brooks smiles tiredly. "She wouldn't stop crying after she woke up. She liked it in her when she was in me I figured she'd like it in here." Her fingers lazily draw soothing circles on her daughter's stomach.
"Well she can stay all she wants." Raven grins, staring at the small child in wonder. "She's gonna learn to be as awesome as I am."
Trince chuckles as he places his chin on Brooks shoulder, arms wrapping around her stomach as he stares at their child in wonder. "Modest aren't you?"
Raven scoffs. "You don't need to be modest when you're as awesome as me."
Clarke throws her head back and laughs loudly. They were currently playing a grounder game where they tried to flip a small circular scrap of metal off the tip of a knife and into a cup. Murphy grumbles as he throws back his drink. They were celebrating. Anya and her men were celebrating tattooing Clarke and Murphy and five other warriors. Their shoulders burned from the kill marks and Clarke's forearm and left ribs burned from the blue ink. Murphy shirt is off as he mops the blood off of his shoulder. Frindle had just finished tattooing a mark across Murphy's chest. The black ink stands out against his skin. He grabs a shot of whatever alcohol one of the warriors offers him.
Cheers ring out through the camp. Children run around with a leather ball and wooden swords. Raid shoves Murphy as he sits down next to him. Murphy rolls his eyes as Raid jeers at the warrior going against Murphy in an arm-wrestling contest. One of the mothers of a child she had helped smiles at her, offering her a cup of alcohol. Clarke grins in thanks before downing it, eyes looking around camp to see Anya staring at her. Clarke knows the woman is watching her. Her eyes move back to the chaos as someone brushes against her bare arm. Her tanks top shows the tattoo and kill marks as Murphy slams a grounders hand into the table. He jumps up with a shout and downs another shot.
Clarke shakes her head, her stomach warm and head light. She feels amazing. Somewhere in the range of not yet tipsy but good. She heads to her tent as she bids goodnight to Raid and Murphy. She can feel Anya's gaze on her as the woman orders the sober warriors to watch the gate and defend the camp. She collapses on her bed, fur soft against her fingertips as she toes off her boots and snuggles into the pile of furs. Slowly her eyes drift shut until sleep takes over. Hours later as the celebration dies down Anya comes into the tent. Brown eyes look over the smaller blonde. Watching her sides rise and fall in a slow rhythm.
Anya tilts her head to the side in confusion before shaking her waves of blonde and brown as she grabs a blanket, pulling it over the healer. Anya sighs as she falls into her own bed. Fingers slip a knife under her pillow and she slips her boots off quietly before falling into oblivion. Mind and dreams full of alcohol, blood and blue eyes.
Murphy groans as he wakes up. His head is pounding and shoulder burns. He rolls up out of his cot, clutching his stomach as it roll. God he never wanted to drink again. Raid snores loudly beside him and Murphy grunts as he rummages around to find a shirt. Raid groans as he opens brown eyes. "You have the wall talkative one?" The warrior sits up slowly, hand brushing stray hairs from his face.
Murphy grunts as he finally finds a shirt. He pulls it over his head, grabbing a leather cord an tying his hair back, face full of annoyance. It needed to be cut. "Yeah. Where's my sword?" He limps around until he finds it buried under leather jackets before leaving the tent. The sun has yet to rise and the cool air lets his stomach stop rolling as he nods to one of the other guards. The woman claps him on the back and hands him some food before she's off to her tent to sleep.
He winces but munches on the food quietly. Soon the sun would rise. Soon the camp would be alive with activity. The night is quiet. Eerily so. He listens for the noisy songbirds. The ones he curses when they wake him. Tilting his head he turns to Talic. "Do you hear that?"
The woman tilts her head. Listening before furrowing her brows, eyes wary as her stomach twists. "Nothing." She looks from him to the forest then back to him.
"I've only hear things this quiet before." He tilts his head, crouching behind the low wall that offers defense. She does the same, chest heaving as he sees a glint of metal in the forest. "UNDER ATTACK!" The words rip from his throat and an arrow flies by his head.
Shouts ring through out the camp and he turns, watching as Talic draws back arrow after arrow. Raid throws himself out of his tent. Shirtless as he grabs two swords. Eyes finding Murphy.
Clarke wakes with a start, Murphy scream tearing through her sleep. She jumps up. Grabbing a sword as she stuffs her feet in her shoes. Anya rips a quiver over her shoulder, eyes catching Clarke's. They nod to each other and rush into the fray. "Don't let them past the fence!" Anya's voice carries and warriors do as they're told. Jumping over the fence to the outside and landing in the fray to defend their home.
Clarke grabs children, shoving them into the metallic building in the middle of camp. They pant in fear and some grip swords. "Stay in there! If anyone enters that is not your tribe kill them." They stares at her and nod, the boy who brought the plague grips a sword, ducking his head in respect and clutching a young girls hand. His fingers are stained with berry juice. He had been her apprentice. Learning healing. She shuts the door with a loud clank as the last mother enters with a baby.
Clarke watches in horror as the gate goes down. Five horses dragging it away. Warriors flood into the hole and she watches as they head straight to the metallic building. Heading for the children. She grabs a torch. "Archer on the building now!" Two archers clamber up onto the building, shooting anyone who gets to close as she takes the flame and the fuel for the fire. Fire licks at her as she finishes. Around the building is a ring of fire. Enough to protect the children as dozens of warriors flood their village.
Anya slices into another warrior. Feels a knife brush past her cheek as she ducks and slams her bow into her face. Sword following half a second later. Killing the warrior. These weren't just some Woods Clan fighting for land. These were nomads. When had nomads banded together for land? Who could even bring Nomads together? Her thoughts race and she pushes against a mountain of a warrior, sword fighting for purchase, she always like bow and arrows better. Her eyes search until she find who see is looking for. Sword slipping and cutting through her opponents chest as she yells. "Get the Commander Jean!" The slim warrior nods, ducking under sword after sword as he rushes to the horse stable. He rips the door open and jumps on one bareback, it stomps its feet at the nervous energy around him. It floods off the man sitting on top of him. The warrior kicks the horses side as it plows through warriors. As he tears through the camp an arrow flies from the cover of the trees and pierces his chest. Anya screams out in anger as he falls down, breaths coming in gurgled pants. Blood coating his lips. "KILL THE ARCHERS!"
Clarke fights with a warrior twice her size. He punches her hard across the face and she can see stars as she stumbles before righting herself and bringing the sword up out of instinct. Metal against metal resounds in her ears and her arms struggle to hold the man back as he pushes her backwards. Her feet dig into the ground as the sword tip gets closer and closer to her face. She can feel the fire licking at her back and she pants harshly as she does the only thing she can think of. She moves slightly to the left, dropping her guard and pulling her sword down. She feels his sword dig into the side of he right arm as she brings up her left, cleaving it into his throat. He stares at her in shock as he falls to the ground, blood tricking from the wound. She kicks his sword away and buries her own into his chest before ripping it out and stopping another sword from piercing her flesh.
The new warrior is smaller, slimmer and more agile. They are neck and neck as she barely manages to trade him blow for blow. Swords clash and she catches sight of the archer trying to get a sight on him. She sees the knife coming at her and barely has time to duck out of the way, knees digging into the dirt as she rolls away. She can hear the sound of an arrow digging into flesh. What she sees is not what she had hoped. The archer, Jinx, was on her side, bleeding out from an arrow to her chest, on top of the metal building. The warrior Clarke had been fighting grins and rushes to her, his long legs swift against the dirt. She can't find Murphy, Anya or Raid and her heart aches as she manages to block another one of his hits. Muscles scream in pain as she matches him move for move until pain is splicing across her rib. She can feel the stickiness of it against her shirt.
Fist flying forward she hears it crack against his nose. It aches but she fights for her life. For the life of the villagers. He grunts and she takes the chance to thrust her sword forward. It clangs against his and pain blossoms across her face as he hits her. Stumble her head swims and blood falls from her face as the grounder grins above her, sword ready to strike.
Murphy feels the knife dig into his side and he screams out in anger, slapping the woman's hand away and hitting her sword away, using brute strength as he shoves against her, teeth barred. He can hear the fight going on all around him. The clang of swords. The release of arrows. The fire burning around the safe hut. Screams of pain and death. Sweat beads down his back as he pushes against the woman's defenses until finally she grows tired of it and slams her knee into his side. He grunts as the air escapes his lungs and twists her leg away as he catches it. Throwing her to the ground and driving his sword through her throat. He rips it out and blood sprays him as he spins around and rushes to another warriors aid. The man grunts as they slam through the giant man's defenses together. Murphy's green eyes search for Clarke, finding her stabbing another warrior through the chest. His eyes sweep until he spots Raid breaking through another's defenses, coated in blood.
He and the warrior nod to each other as they rush into the new wave of warriors coming through. He could see the fire flickering out of the corner of his eye. Prayed it kept the others away from the kids. He could see the way they were gunning for the children's hiding spot. Could see how Clarke was defending it with her life. He ducks under a swing, slamming his fist into the woman's ribs. He hears the crack and holds back his wince as he slices across her throat. Watching the blood spill across the ground. He feels someone's back brush against his and he tilts his head, catching the other warriors eyes. They nod. They had each other's backs.
Raid feels the arrow pierce his shoulder and grunts before he rips it out, stabbing it through a running warrior's eye before spinning and clashing swords with another warrior. She is bigger than most warriors he had seen. A true opponent. They both smirk as they match each other swing for swing. Fire burns around the camp and blood coats the dirt. He knows it will take many rains to get the blood gone. To not smell the death all around them. His eyes catch Clarke against a brute of a warrior. HE sees her sword fly from her hands, watches as the warrior grips her throat and slams her into the ground. "CLARKE!" His scream rings throughout the camp and he struggles against two warriors to get to her. He sees Murphy doing the same. Desperation in his eyes as Clarke slams her fist into the warrior. It does nothing. He searches for Anya but the woman is outside, fighting a group of warriors. They can't get to Clarke. The fighting to thick. He stabs another warrior through the chest and feels a blade slice into his leg as he looks back at the blonde. He can see her face changing color, grip slackening as her attempts to free herself grow feeble and the warriors grin is bright against the smoke and blood.
Monty chokes on blood, knife sticking out of his stomach as he stumbles through the forest. His skin is unusually pale and teeth bloodied. He falls to his knees hands reaching out. Jasper stands in front of him, heart aching and hands trebling. "Monty?" The words are soft, worried. Scared.
Jasper reaches out only to have Monty scramble away from him. Angry dark eyes glare at him. "You left me." The words are harsh. Blood trickles down his mouth. "You left without looking back." Monty coughs and blood splatters all over Jasper's face.
Jasper wipes it away with shaky hands. "No, Monty I didn't. We we're going to die. You." He stares at Monty with broken eyes. "They said the grounders got you. I'm sorry. Please."
"They tortured me for days! You left me." He shoves Jasper back, eyes hardened in blame and hatred.
Jasper falls to his knees eyes watering and chin trembling. "I'm sorry." The words are broken
"That isn't enough! I'm dead." Monty's dull angry eyes bore into Jasper, blood trickling down the dead boys chin.
"No! Stop!" Jasper clutches his hair, eyes watering.
"They tortured me and your living with them!"
"They're different!" Jasper looks up at Monty, begging him to understand.
"Your bunking with the enemy." Monty throws his arms wide, just like he used to when they argued as kids. "People who killed me!"
"That was the Woods Clan!" Jasper's eyes are desperate and filled with guilt. "These are the Ocean. They're different. Please Monty. I'm sorry." He reaches out hand stretching, begging for forgiveness.
"All grounders are the same. And you became one of them." Disgust twists Monty's face into a monstrous look.
Jasper shakes his head valiantly, hair whipping around his eyes. "I didn't. We had no choice Monty. They were going to kill us all we had to leave."
"So its okay for them to kill me?! To kill Roma and the others. To kill Clarke?!" His people slowly show up behind Monty. Roma, spear sticking out of her chest. Myles, arrows embedded in him. The others blood dripping down their eyes and mouth and then Clarke. Her face is busted open. Throat gaping as blood rips from it. "They killed us and you're living with them." Monty walks forward until Jasper can smell his blood, smell the death. "You're one of them. You killed me. Left me to die."
"NO!" Jasper sits up with a start, heart racing. Sweat coating his back.
There's a hand on his shoulder and Jasper leans into it. Bellamy looks at him, eyes worried. "You okay Jasper?" His voice is full of concern and Jasper trembles under his hand.
Bellamy looks over the trembling man. Broken eyes look up at him. "We're forgetting about them. We left them to die without looking back. We forgot. We're grounders." His eyes water and Bellamy swallows as his throat dries.
The older man runs his hands through his long hair. "We did all we could there. Clarke would have wanted us to leave." His voice breaks as he says her name. "You know that. She would have wanted us to live. Monty would have wanted you to live."
"But we live with grounders now." Jasper's voice rises with panic. Guilt. "We became grounders."
"Jasper." His name is a long sigh from Bellamy's lips, dark eyes full of turmoil. "We were grounders the second we decided to live. The second we began to fight back we became grounders."
"We fell from the sky though." His eyes beg Bellamy to agree. To ease his guilt and pain. "They called us Sky-people."
"We never really belonged in the sky Jasper." Bellamy swallows. "We belonged down here."
"But we left them." His voice cracks, broken with emotion.
Bellamy clenches his jaw to hold off the tear threatening to fill his eyes. He swallows, throat dry. "They're gone. We have to accept that."
"There were no bodies!" Jasper stands up with the word, hands waving wildly.
"You think I don't know that?!" Bellamy shouts out, heart aching. "You think I don't think about that every day? How we left them. They're my people too Jasper. Clarke and Monty, they're my people too. I made the decision to leave. I left them because it was the best choice. You don't think I feel that? That I don't know that? I feel everyone of the hundred's deaths Jasper!" He falls to the bed, sitting down, cradling his head in his hands. "It was my decision to leave and I have to live with the fact that there were no bodies. We don't know what they did to them but we need to accept that there is nothing we can do now."
Jasper falls into Bellamy's side, pulling him into a hug. Bellamy tenses and slowly wraps his arm around the younger man. "I'm sorry Bellamy. I just. I didn't think you cared. It didn't seem to bother you and I felt like I was the only one breaking."
"We're all breaking. We lost them. All of us and we live with the ache everyday Jasper. You're not alone."
Raven stretches from her work bench, eyes aching. She rubs them fitfully, she had been in here since late last night, they had found some components in a nearby underground system. Ink had brought it back to her. The warrior woman looks at her curiously. She was maybe twenty, a year older than Raven. She had black hair and grey eyes, and a scar across her left cheek, digging into her bottom lip. "So what is it?"
Raven grunts. "I think it's a very old i-pod or radio. I can tweak it to get us another radio. Have it as a home base." She runs fingers through her hair. "But I want to see if it plays music or not. I haven't heard music in forever." Her smile is soft. Full of memories.
"Music?" The woman tilts her head to the side, grey eyes confused. The new ones had such strange words. More English oddities than they could understand.
The mechanic bites her lip before speaking, eyebrows furrowed as she thinks of how to explain it. "Y'know, a beat like the drums only words overlap it."
"Ah, we call that the Songs of The Past. Legends are told using it." She leans forward, elbows on her knees as she stares at the younger woman. The one who had slowly made their hunts more prosperous. These radios were useful.
"Just give me a day to tweak this and i'll have it running." Raven's grins is all bravado and pride.
The woman nods her head. "Keep it."
Raven looks up, teeth digging into her lip. "What do I owe you?"
"Nothing. Not if you find this music, I want to listen to it. It sounds interesting." The woman's lips twitch before she is standing and leaving, door flapping shut quietly behind her.
Diesel grunts and rolls over, dark eyes boring into Raven's. "Yeah yeah. Let's go eat." The wolf jumps up, tail twitching as she noses Raven's knee. The mechanic stands, back popping as she stretches. "Wanna go for a swim after this?" The wolf just stares at her and Raven rolls her eyes. "I'm talking to a wolf like it'll understand me. I'm going crazy." She pets Diesel's head. "Been stuck in here to long with you Diesel."
"You know talking to yourself is the first sign of being crazy?" Finn jumps up beside her, floppy hair wild.
"I was talking to the wolf Aladdin." She rolls her eyes at the man, cuffing him on the side of the head for jumping up out of nowhere.
Finn rolls his eyes. "I swear I never should have shown you Disney movies."
"Hey maybe if you cut your hair street-rat." She smirks as they head to get food. Raven bumps into him. Grin teasing. "So you and June?"
Finn rolls his eyes. "We're friends."
"Uh uh. And i'm a fisherman." The tone is sarcastic as her left eyebrow rises.
"Shut up." He rolls his eyes. His heart aches some days as he remembers leaving Clarke behind, it had been eight months and he felt the loss of his friend. But he almost could move on. He felt guilt, just like he felt guilt for cheating on Raven.
"Whatever Spacewalker, we're starving so take us to your girlfriend so she can feed us." Her stomach rumbles in agreement.
"Keep talking like that and i'll tell her to not." His lips quirk in an annoyingly teasing way that Raven knows to well.
"Please, all I gotta do is throw her some puppy dog eyes." She smirks. "No one can resist them."
"I heard Bellamy did." Finn grins, hands shoved into his pants pocket.
Raven rolls her eyes, lips tugging down in annoyance. "That's only cuz he dealt with Octavia's. She can throw some pretty damn good ones." Her lips quirk into a grin at the thought of the warrior girl.
They make it to the food area and June smiles at them, setting food down as before she turns, handing another bowl to Brooks. Raven quickens her steps and Brooks rolls her eyes before handing her the baby swaddled in furs. "Hello my little apprentice. Cause you dad some trouble today?"
Brooks laughs as the baby gurgles at Raven. "Yes. She woke us up a few time in the night."
"Good." Raven fingers brush along Nadiya's soft cheek. "You need to keep your dad in his toes hes getting lazy."
"Who you calling lazy Reyes?" Trince drops down beside them as he kisses Brooks cheek. "I was up at dawn this morning. You look like you just got up." His grin is teasing as he hands Brooks a cup of water.
Raven smirks. "Unlike your useless butt I was working all night. I look like I just got up because I didn't sleep." She grins wider as he sighs, conceding defeat of the argument as Raven fiddles with Nadiya's fingers. Watching as the baby grips them tightly.
Finn sighs in that way of his. Dark eyes worried. "Raven you need to sleep."
She waves her hand in a non-commental manner. "I'll sleep tonight, Ink found a component I needed to look at."
Finn rolls his eyes and sighs. "It's always need to look at it Raven, you need to take care of yourself."
"Hey, i'm doing a fine damn job of looking after myself. Drop it Finn." She glares at him, pride flaring.
He sighs again, eyes soft. "Sorry. I just worry, you're my best friend."
Raven barely contains her eye roll but her lips twitch. "I know. But I don't need you to mother hen me."
Luna comes into the cafeteria like building, eyes blazing, muscles taunt. "Warriors, there is a forest fire near Alti. We will evacuate and put it out. We ride now."
Raven gets up, handing the baby to Brooks before following after the leader. Finn grips her shoulder. "You're not a warrior."
She shrugs him off, eyes bright with something. "Duh, but I need to get them radios."
She runs after Luna, knee brace jingling annoyingly as Diesel trots after her. "Hey!" Luna stops as warriors load up horse She spots Bellamy tacking up a horse, Lincoln and Octavia beside him. "Okay let me come with you."
"You are not a warrior." Luna stares at her, eyebrows risen in challenge.
"No." Raven smirks. "But I can help get an easy water hose going to put out fire. You need my designs." She tilts her chin up at the leader.
Luna looks her over, lips twitching in amusement. "Very well. Get any supplies you need here and i'll get you a horse."
"Awesome." Raven grins running to her work shop after grabbing a warrior. "You get these on a horse got it?" He nods. "And don't break anything!" The warrior nods again face slack and he rushes as Raven continues to grab some things. Hooking a pack to Diesel she places some tools in it. "Well D let's get outta here." Her eyes are bright, it felt good to be leaving camp.
Monty wakes to screaming. He blinks his eyes blearily as he sits up before he moves across the floor and picks up Daijon. The baby screams and Monty can hear Delieh moving to get up. "I'll bring him to you." He smiles as the light flicks on. As she stares at Daijon with a loving yet exhausted look as Monty carries the baby to her. He grunt and squeals until Monty sets him in his mother's arm.
He sits in his chair by the bed as he can hear Daijon eating very noisily. "Thanks Monty." He can hear the exhaustion in her voice. "You didn't have to stay."
"Of course I stayed. You're my friend and I need to make a genius out of your son." He grins crookedly to calm her and he sees the trembling one cross her lips.
He can see the sorrow yet love in her eyes. "Jonah was suppose to be here." She sighs lowly as she brushes her fingers along Daijon's soft hair. She looks up, eyes startled. "Not that I don't like having you here Monty. I love it. It's just." She stops words fighting in her throat.
He smiles understandingly, eyes sad. "It just you want Jonah here to see his son. To be here with you and that is perfectly fine. It's alright to miss him. It isn't anything bad."
"But the pain is still there Monty." Tears drip down her cheeks. "He was so exited to be a dad."
Monty swallows, standing and stepping forward, hand resting on her shoulder. "Daijon will know his dad Del. You won't forget him."
Delieh laughs wetly. "God. We're a pair."
Monty smirks, eyes bright. "Now we're a trio." He brushes fingers along the baby's hair. Marveling at the softness as Delieh smiles at him.
Behind them in the other room Doctor Tsing stares at Monty through the glass, eyes crazed and longing. How long could President Wallace keep Monty under protection. Monty was the key to the ground. He had to be but she couldn't touch him. She clenches her jaw before moving to the grounder's cages. Some beat against the metal doors other stare at her as if in a void. They needed a better alternative than getting treatments all the time. They needed a final stage. They needed Monty's blood. And a lot of it.
Clarke can feel the black spot covering her vision. Her chest aches and her throat burns. Head swims and she fights. Kicking against the huge warrior, punching him but her hits become weaker and weaker. He was too big. Too strong. The grin that is on his face is terrifying and Clarke can feel the edges of her vision going blurry. The fight is leaving her and she fights against the darkness. She did not want the last thing she saw to be his stupid grin. Her fingers scramble for something as she fights off the blackness. She knows she will pass out in a few seconds. After that will be death but she wants to survive. She didn't want to die!
Her fingers find a something on the ground and she brings it up. Distinctly she can hear the crunch of something but all she can do is feel the sweet relief and pain of blood rushing into her head and air into her lung as she rolls away, gasping for air. The blackness fades and she rolls onto her knees and the warrior that had her pinned and chocking has a rock buried into his skull. Blood drips from it and she struggles to stand, legs weak as she grabs her fallen sword. Everything swims as her brain fights to get the oxygen and blood it was deprived of. Blue eyes meet brown and she cans see the pride and relief in them. She nods her head to the Tribes leader and turns around, eyes finding John's green relieved eyes and she sees the warrior coming after her.
Muscle memory is the only thing that saves her. Her arm brings the sword up on pure instinct and before she knows it she is back in the fray again. Fighting for her people. As she drives the sword through her opponents stomach she sees Murphy get pinned down. There is a sword driving into his shoulder and she can hear his scream of pain. "JOHN!" She rushes past other warriors fighting and tackles the man off of Murphy. She feels the metal of armor dig into her shoulder as they go rolling across the dirt covered in blood. She briefly catches sight of a pale faced John pinned to the ground by a sword.
She can feel a bruise forming across her shoulder as she and the warrior scramble off one another. She sees his face. "Golden Haired Warrior." He sneers. "I will take pleasure in killing you and the one you call John."
It was the one who wanted her and Murphy. Tristen. The one who had tackled her at the meeting. One of the Generals, leader of tribe. "You're behind all the attacks?"
He growls and swings his sword at her. "Anya does not deserve these land!"
He is fast and merciless as he strikes her hard and true with the sword. She barely manages to keep up with his swings, never on the offence due to his ferocity. Her body aches with every injury she had received in the battle. Her throat feels raw. She feels the tip of his sword cut into her leg and she clenches her jaw as the swords clash again. Teeth bared as they shove against one another. He brings his knee up to hit her and she jumps back, slipping away quickly. This only angers him more and he chases after her. Eyes full of contempt and hatred. "Tell me your name so I can curse it to the Gods sky-girl." He slams the butt of his sword into her wrist and she yells out in pain, bring her fist to strike his temple. "Dirty Skaikru!" He bellows out in rage.
Her body aches as she ducks under a swing, aiming her sword for his legs. He jumps up and strikes her across the jaw. Her face throbs and then he swings at her again, viciously. She stabs her sword forward as she dodges his strike. Feels her sword dig into his leg as he screams out in anger. The hilt of his sword hits her wrist again as his knee slams into her elbow. The sword goes flying form her hands and Clarke is suddenly pressed into the ground. Knife at her throat, sword resting just out of her reach. Heavy body on top of her own. "Tell me your name."
She spits blood in his face. "No."
He takes his knife, grinning as it gleams against the sun, coating in purple and silver. "I take pleasure in this Sky-girl." He drives the knife into her side. She screams out as red hot pain greets her. He bends his face down until it is level with her. "Killing you will make Anya sloppy. Her sky pets dead. Children slaughtered." Clarke slams her head into his. Can feel his nose break as her own forehead splits open. She struggles to get out of his reach when he slams the hilt of his knife into her ribs. "Bitch." Everything throbs and Clarke looks around, head ringing.
She can see the final warriors falling, she grins teeth bloodied. "You lost."
"What do you speak of sky scum?" He looks up only to be met with the heel of a boot. Anya glares at him as she stalks toward the downed man.
She slams her foot into the back of his head again and he goes limp. She turns to Clarke and the blonde dips her head. "Thank you."
"You are fine?" Anya looks around at the battlefield. Her warriors put out the fire and begin to wrap their own wounds.
Clarke nods slowly as she looks up at the General. The Tribe's Leader. "Yes. John?"
"Raid tied rope around his shoulder." Anya clenches her jaw. "It does not look good for is arm."
Clarke sits up, fingers pressing into her stomach as her head swims. She can feel sweat beading down her face and back. She stumbles to her feet Anya catching her, face twisted in confusion. "Giti, run to tell the Commander the news." The woman nods grabbing a stray horse and taking off. The forest is empty once again, enemies taken care of. Anya swings Clarke's arm around her shoulder when Clarke feels something rise in her throat. Her head swims and then her eyes roll in the back of her head as her body shakes. Anya lays her on the ground, turning Clarke on her side as her body seizes, "Hunter nearest village! Get a healer swiftly!" The boy scrambles on his own horse and tears through the forest. Mud and blood flying into the air at the force of the horses hooves across the ground.
Clarke comes to slowly. Mind numb and tongue thick in her mouth. She must make a sound because Anya is by her soon. "Clarke what is wrong?" Blue eyes move to a blade covered in purple, red and silver as it lies in the mud. Anya picks it up, sniffing it before glowering. "Poisoned! That coward!" She presses down on Clarke's wound. "You will live Clarke. Your fight is not over."
Shouts ring out throughout the camp and Kane shoves his way through people until finally her makes it into the middle of the crowd. Two men roll across the ground, blood dripping from their noses. "ENOUGH!" His words carry across the camp. Suddenly it is silent and the two men are ripped away from one another by guards. "What is going on?"
The man with black hair spits blood into the dirt. "He took the material I was using for my house."
"I have a child you are alone. I need it more than you!" The man with light brown hair sneers at him. Wedding ring glinting in the sunlight.
"You stole it from me!" The black haired man steps forward and the guards pull him back.
Kane swallows clenching his jaw. "On the Arc we floated one for the simple of crimes." Both men swallow. "Stealing. Assault." The tremble in fear. "But we are not in space any more. I can't float you for petty crimes." They both sigh as he crosses his arms and Kane swallows knowing what he must do. "But that doesn't mean crimes will go unpunished. We are not barbarians! We have order. We have rules for a reason." He searches every-ones eyes. "We are on Earth. A place for second chances. Don't ruin that by reverting to law-breakers. To criminals." His eyes find the guards. "Twenty lashing for both of them." Both men are pulled too the bars. Faces ashen in fear. "I will not tolerate law-breaking!" The civilians swallow and nods under his gaze as they watch the two men receive their punishment.
Murphy grits his teeth as the healer dumps alcohol on his shoulder before ripping the sword out. He bites into the wood in his mouth as the healer sticks a hot iron into his wound and then outside of it. It aches and burns and he shivers as the sweat cools against his brow. They then dump more alcohol on it before adding salve and wrapping it. His head swims and he looks over to Clarke's cot. The blonde is unconscious still. They had given her the antidote to the poison and cleansed her wounds and fixed them but she wouldn't wake up.
He can hear the grunts from other warriors as they are fixed. Murphy sits up slowly and his feet touch the ground as he sees the Commander come in. Warriors, wounded and not stand tall and bow their heads in respect. Anya walks over to her. "Commander."
"Anya. What happened here?" Blue green eyes survey the room. Many warriors are wrapped in dressing. dried blood on some of them. The Commander's eyes are on Clarke before finding him. He lifts his head up, his own light eyes meeting hers.
Anya clenches her jaw. "Tristen attacked with many nomads and some warriors. We defended our village as best we could until their numbers were depleted."
"Nomads? You are sure of this?" The Commander's face betrays nothing but Murphy can see the tick in her jaw. Everyone had a tell. "Where is he now?"
His Leader's face is full of rage as he eyes blaze in fire. "In the pit."
The Commander's face again betrays nothing and Murphy stares at her, Clarke would be able to read her quickly. Tell what she was thinking. She had a way of knowing how people worked in and out. "You will get the information form him."
He watches Anya's face tighten, lips drawn back into an almost snarl yet grin. "I will take pleasure in it."
"Good." Dark braid shift as the Commander nods. "I will be there. I have brought a few healers to help." Two warriors walk in one man and one woman and they begin to work on the other. "How did your sky warriors fight?"
Anya's eyes find Clarke's body and she clenches her jaw. "They fought well. Defeated many warriors."
The Commander nods her head. "Good. I am pleased to see you've chosen well."
Anya's eyes meet Murphy's and she nods in respect. He dips his own head as she speaks to the Commander. "I never choose weaklings. I know strength when I see it."
The Commander smirks, lips twitching in a barely there moment. "OF course my first. After all you did train the Commander."
Anya's left side of her lip twitches. "She was scrawny to begin with but became a great fighter."
The night is upon them and Kane stands by the Medical bay's door, eyes on the sky. He hears the soft footsteps against the metal. Doesn't look up from the stars. "Do you miss it?" Kane's voice is low.
The Doctor's face twitches as she comes to stand by him. "I don' know." She can feel his warmth. "I think I miss what we had up there." He turns to look at her, curious. "I miss being a family. I miss Clarke and Jake. I miss the memories being in space had. I miss watching Wells and Clarke argue. I miss Thelonius' quietness during those moments. Jake's presence. I miss what we used to have."
Kane swallows, eyes looking up at the bright stars again. Taking comfort in the familiar. "I miss my mother. I miss going to her services until I grew out of them. I miss the hope she used to bring everyone." His eyes find Abby's face. "I miss everything but that's what memories are about. They help us remember."
Abby snort and then sniffs. "I'd rather have no memories and have them here."
"But we can't. We all want things that can never be. But we have a second chance. We should take it." His eyes are swimming with something as he stares at her.
"You did the right thing today Marcus." She leans into his side, sighing as his arm wraps around her shoulders.
"I don't want our lose to be in vain." He stares back up at the sky, memories tripping through his head. "This is our new beginning. We owe it to everyone to do it correctly this time. To not mess it up."
Clarke groans as she wakes up head swimming. Blue eyes filter around the room. She sees familiar furs. Groaning as she sits up she clutches her aching stomach. "You should not be moving." Blue eyes dart to find Anya's deep brown. The woman creeps closer bending down and moving Clarke hand to look over the wound. "It is not bleeding again. That is good."
Clarke grunts as she looks down at the wound. Her face aches and her ribs throb but her stomach feels worse. Throat burns. "How is everyone?"
Clarke moves to get up and Anya clenches her jaw as she helps the stubborn healer up. "We have words passed down from our elders. Healers make the worst patients. You are holding that to be true. You must rest."
Clarke waves her off, knowing it to be true. "How is everyone?"
Anya clenches her jaw at the stubborn woman. Why was she always stuck with the stubborn ones? "Murphy is healing. Raid is fine. We lost ten warriors but that is nothing compared to how many we killed."
Clarke swallows. throat aching as Anya passes her a flask of water. She gulps it down slowly, holding back her winces. "The children?"
"Are safe." Brown eyes look over her. "Try not to die again." She pauses, scrunching her eyes. "It would not make me happy." Her words are stilted and forced out of her mouth.
Clarke almost laughs but holds it in, knowing it would only cause her stomach to ache. "I'll try."
"Good." The Warrior grunts at her before they exit the tent.
