"Come on Clarke wake up" Murphy poked her with his foot as she lay under the furs at the back of the cave that had been home for almost a week.
Clarke groaned and pulled the covers up to her chin and rolled towards the cave wall.
"Come on you wanted to wake up early not me."
She grumbled something incoherent as she peeked over the blankets toward the opening "it's barely day light" she said.
"You're the one who wanted to go hunt and then head out. I'm all for staying a few more days" Murphy picked up his pack and tossed Clarkes pack on top of her with a thump. "Get up woman I'm hungry." Murphy began putting things in his pack and continued talking as he moved around the cave "you know, I read an old book back on the ark about how the women used to do all the cooking and cleaning and taking care of the men in their lives so I was thinking…" he never finished his sentence as Clarkes pack found its way to the back of his head, with a thump. Murphy rubed his head and turned to see Clarke sitting up "I thought that'd get you up." He smirked.
"Fine, I'm up" she said as she crawled out form the furs and went to stand by the entrance "what'd ya think Murf, West?" she said stretching and rubbing her eyes.
"Don't matter ta me, but defiantly not north; everything I hear about Azgeda is unpleasant and you know it's cold there." Murphy stands with her looking out at the valley, surrounded by mountains, he looks at her out of the corner of his eye and watches her as she looks with sadness and longing at the pass a few miles East that leads to Polis, TonDC and Arkadia.
"You've been sleeping better that past few days. Not as many nightmares." Murphy said patting her shoulder. "I think that's a good sign, don't you."
Clarke nodded and knew he was right, the nightmares had become less frequent but the dreams were still there, every night and they were intense, overwhelming and most mornings she didn't want to awaken from them. They were almost all about him. A few were clear and seemed so real as if they were actually together; she swore she could still smell his essence on her skin in the mornings. But most were a collage of dark eyes, curly hair, freckles and a grin that set her heart on fire. Those nights were the hardest, because those nights she wanted to run home and for her home was Bellamy. But she knew she had burned that bridge, and that chasm was too wide and deep to ever cross. At least alone.
"You don't have to come you know that, right?" Clarke looked up at him "I'm healed up now the ribs are good, so if you want to head east and look for Emori I'd understand."
Murphy shrugged "I'm sure she heard about the commander and she has probably figured out that I am the unnamed male that Titus killed along with Wanheda, so I'm sure she has moved on." He dropped his arm over her shoulder "And anyway you couldn't survive without."
Clarke looked up at him and rolled her eyes. His grin was lopsided as he looked down at her "Ok maybe you'd survive, but you'd be bored."
Clarke chuckled and pushed his arm off "Let's just get going."
Clarke and Murphy both had their reasons for leaving but both wished they could stay.
They had heard many things from the villagers and the people in the trading posts about the Commanders death. Murphy could easily go incognito in the villages or even at the trading posts for supplies so he was able to pick up all kinds of information. Clarke couldn't risk being seen so she stayed close to whatever cave or shelter they were using. He had heard that he and Clarke were both dead and that Skaikru was still surrounded by the Trikru army and that Azgeda had been threatening retaliation against SkaiKru until there was proof that Clarke was dead. It wasn't long after that they heard that Titus had put the head of Wanheda on a stake in front if the capitol building.
"West it is." She said as she made her way in and started packing "But first we need to go a little north just up to Niylah's place and pick up supplies. If you want you can go in first, i'llll hang outside so I won't cramp your style." She elbowed him as she moved past him.
"Oh don't worry you can't cramp my style and I'm a guy so I have nothing against the ménage a trois action, but I'll admit I probably couldn't compete one on one with Wenheda, I saw the way she looked at you."
"Shut up Murphy." Clarke smiled as she filled her pack getting ready to spend the day hunting before moving on.
...
The sun was starting to set by the time they reached Niylah's post, they stayed in the tree line making sure that all was clear before Murphy made his way to the door and walked in. It was a few minutes later when he came out and motioned for Clarke to come in.
"She's not here." Murphy said as Clarke entered the building "Somethings wrong."
"Did you look in her quarters" Clarke asked as she looked through the door into the back.
Frowning Murphy nodded "I'm going to look out back" and headed towards the door just as it opened.
Not expecting anyone to be there Niylah was startled by their presence and pulled her knife.
"Oh Jok!" She exclaims and then runs to them putting her hand on Murphys arm "I cannot believe you are here I was praying to the gods you would show up." She pulls him towards the back room "Quick hurry."
She leads them through the living quarters, out the back door to into a shed. She lights a candle and Clarke Gasps.
"Bellamy!"
...
Lying on a makeshift bed is the man who haunts her dreams and that she thought she would never see again. Clarke looks at Niylah as Murphy's kneels down looking for signs of life in his former boss, his adversary, his sworn enemy and he sighed….. his friend.
"I found him last evening about half a mile south, he was unconscious when I found him, an arrow through his chest and a bad wound on his head. I recognized him Clarke; he came looking for you after you had been taken by Roan. This is your man isn't he? The one you've told be about?"
Clarke nodded and she knelt beside him as Murphy moved away, she pulled back the blankets and looked at the arrow still in his chest. "I am not a healer Clarke, not like you, I was hoping my father would be back today and be able to help him. Tell me what do you need?"
Clark, with the help of Murphy, spent the next several hours working to repair the damage done to Bellamy's upper chest. The arrow hit just below the collar bone, breaking some of the upper ribs and possibly hitting the lung, but it missed the heart and so far his breathing was stable, so most likely the lung would heal. She spent most of the time digging out the bone fragments and except for a few moans Bellamy never woke up. She knew the chest wound would heal with time, it was the head wound that worried her the most. He was still unconscious.
She washed the blood from her hands and using a damp cloth she began to clean him up. She washed the blood from his hands, and then washed his arms, his chest and neck. She was tender in a way she had never been with anyone else. When she was done and she had cleaned all the blood away and covered him in warm furs, only then did she let the tears fall.
Time seemed to stand still until she felt a hand on her shoulder; she looked up and smiled weakly at Murphy, who held out a cup of water.
"You should get some rest Clarke; you've done all you can, now we wait."
Clarke drank the water and put her hand on top of Murphy's, she took a deep breath "I think I'll get some air, I won't be long."
She stood up and moved to leave as Murphy sat in the chair "Thank you, Murphy"
He nodded "For you Strisis"
Clarke went back to the shed an hour or so later and found Murphy still there but sleeping, she had cried herself to sleep wrapped in her friend's Niylah's arms. She shook his shoulder gently "Murf, Murf wake up it's late, you go in, Niylah is still sleeping, you should join her. I'll sit with him."
Murphy rubbed his eyes and stood up "He'll be fine Clarke, he's too damn stubborn to die." He patted her shoulder and walked out.
Clarke sat down next to her partner, co-leader, friend and the owner of her heart and reached her hand out to gently touch his cheek and she softly push the hair from his brow as a single tear fell leaving a trail on her cheek. She looked at his face and heard him, all the things he'd said, and all the times he was right there at her side. All the times he didn't take her shit. All of it, all at once in her head, his voice….
Going for a walk Princess 'I need to hear you call me Princess again'
Who we are and who we need to be to survive are two very different things. 'I understand now'
If I'm going to take orders from you, I need a better reason. ' I've lost you haven't I'
If you need forgiveness, I'll give that to you. You're forgiven. 'Can you still forgive me?'
You left me. You left everyone. 'I'm so sorry'
All I've done so far is not get killed. 'Keep doing that'
Please come inside'please wake up'
*She sobs …I Hate it when my muse makes me cry! Let me know what you think…Chap 9 Coming Soon.. Bellamy and raw emotion….does it get any better than that! Yea I don't think so either!
Thank you to all who have read and enjoyed and commented and PM'ed – You give the muse reasons to keep me up at night! Namaste!
