We spent the morning in silence walking and watching for signs of anyone following us.
"So, what's a reaper and who are the mountain men", I ask Alec.
"Well reapers were grounders but something changed them. They live in the mines around Mount Weather and capture us though we're not really for sure why. The mountain men live inside the mountain and they rarely come out but they have better weapons than us. They also capture us when they can and we never see anyone they take again".
"They sound terrible. What do you mean they live in the mountain", I ask.
"There's a door in the side of the mountain they go through", he answers.
"They told us about Mount Weather as we were heading down from The Ark. It was supposed to be a military base but they told us no one had made it there. I guess they were wrong about a lot", I comment.
"Why did we change direction", Alec suddenly asks.
I look towards Lincoln and notice his shoulders tense.
"You're worried about her aren't you", I ask.
He stops walking and turns to us, "I don't think I can just leave her".
"Well, what are we doing then", Alec asks.
"I have to know she's okay", Lincoln says.
I sigh, "Then we make sure she's okay".
Alec smirks, "You just want to check on your boyfriend don't you"?
I blush, "He's not my boyfriend".
"That's why you wanted to leave because you broke up", Alec says.
"I don't know what we were but he's not the only reason I needed to leave", I respond.
"We need to keep going", Lincoln says turning to head towards the camp.
"So, are you gonna share your reason for leaving", Alec asks as we follow.
"Does it matter", I ask him.
"Not really just curious", he shrugs.
I sigh, "The Ark is coming down soon and with it my guardian".
"You're leaving because your parents are coming down", Lincoln said and stopped turning toward us.
"My parents are dead; Chris is just my guardian", I tell him.
"Why leave though? What did he do take away your favorite toy when you got in trouble", Alec said laughing.
I got angry then, "No he preferred to hit me", I say and shove past Lincoln to continue walking away from them.
I almost scream when I'm suddenly grabbed but a hand is over my mouth as I'm pulled behind a tree. I turn my head to see Alec and he holds a finger his lips as he takes his hand off my mouth. I follow his eyes to see Clarke, Finn, and another boy from camp.
Clarke and Finn are kneeling looking at something. They suddenly look up and around when an arrow suddenly flies toward them hitting the other boy who was standing behind them.
"Myles", I hear Clarke say.
Finn and Clarke move to run when the grounders attack and after knocking them out the grounders take them away.
"We have to help them", I say.
Lincoln suddenly appears at our side and nods, "You need to change if we're heading back into our territory. Let me check your arm first".
He pulls the sling and the bandages off and begins feeling my arm putting pressure on some spots, "Does that hurt at all"?
"No", I respond as I move my arm and wiggle my fingers.
"Good it was probably just sprained instead of broken", he says.
I nod and move behind one of the trees. I pull out the clothes that Alec had given me and start to change. I was right about the pants as I pull them on they cling to my legs and tuck into the top of my boots. I pull the top on and it leaves about an inch of skin on my lower stomach showing and a lot of cleavage. I have some trouble with the top finding that the back laces up to close. I sigh when I can't get it closed.
I step out from behind the tree, "I need some help".
Alec comes over and steps behind me and I close my eyes as I feel him freeze.
"I apologize for my thoughtless comments earlier", he says.
Lincoln looks confused as he moves behind me and I hear his intake of breath, "Why"?
"Because he wanted to", I whisper.
"You're safe now, we won't allow that man near you", Alec growls.
Alec gets the top closed and I pull the jacket on. We stay quiet as we head in the direction the other grounders took Finn and Clarke. We come up outside a camp and take up spots watching for any signs of Clarke and Finn.
It was after dark when a grounder comes out with Finn and they enter the woods. Alec moves quickly and silently following them. Lincoln moves towards me and we follow the others. When we find them Alec had already taken care of the other grounder and Finn was trying to edge away from Alec.
"What happened", I ask coming into view.
Finn jumps looking my way, "Whitaker, are you okay", he asks as his eyes shift between the three of us.
"I'm fine", I respond and mover forward grabbing the knife Alec had out and cut the ropes that were wrapped around Finn's wrists.
Once he's free he moves to go back the way he came, "We have to save Clarke".
There's suddenly a commotion and we all look in the direction to see Clarke running. Lincoln grabs Finn as he starts to follow as we see grounders not far behind her. We follow and watch as they recapture her. We stay out of sight as we make our way behind them until they get to a small clearing.
"Alec you know where the other signal fire is take them there and light it. I'll get Clarke and meet you there", Lincoln tells him.
"I want to stay", Finn says.
"You need to go I'm going to go in as the man who had you he's their executioner so I'll have access to Clarke that way", Lincoln explains.
We separate then. Finn and I follow Alec until we come out of the trees and there's a cement circle with wood piled onto it. Alec works quickly to get a fire started while Finn and I watch.
"I overheard Octavia telling Bellamy you left camp but she didn't say why", Finn says.
"I had a few reasons for leaving", I say.
"Bellamy one of those reasons", he asks and when I don't answer he continues, "I was in the drop ship when you brought him in and I watched you sit with him until he woke. You care about him a lot".
"I shouldn't though", I say softly watching as the fire burns brighter.
"No one can control who they fall for", he says and I can see the sadness in his eyes.
"It shouldn't be long now", Alec says and I notice a fire burning in the distance.
It's not a long wait until we hear a horse running. When it enters the clearing Clarke and Lincoln climb off. Lincoln cuts her hands free and she turns, "Finn". She runs to him and hugs him, "I don't understand".
Alec and I moved beside Lincoln when Clarke turns toward us and Lincoln removes the mask he had on.
"They saved my life and killed one of their own to do it", Finn tells her.
"What are you doing here", Clarke asks when she sees me.
"I was already with them when we saw you both get taken. This is Alec", I say gesturing to Alec.
"Why though", she asked.
I shrug, "I needed to get away".
She turns to Lincoln, "The signal fire that was your idea"?
"We needed a distraction", Lincoln tells her.
"I'd say it worked", Finn says but just after we watch as the other fire goes out.
"Not well enough", Lincoln says.
"We need to go", Alec adds.
"What does it mean", Finn asks.
"It means Anya knows Clarke is not dead", Lincoln replies. "We need to hurry", he says as he sends the horse off. "Let's hope they follow the horse" he says starting to walk with Alec and I following.
"Hey, what do we do now", Finn asks.
"Now we run", Lincoln replies and we all begin running following him.
We had been running for what felt like hours and the sun was finally beginning to come out when Lincoln says, "Come on it's right up here".
"What is", Finn asks.
"Someplace they won't follow", Lincoln replies.
"Are we really going in there", Alec asks.
"Yes", is all Lincoln replies as we stop in front of an opening in the side of the hill.
"Wait, where does it lead", Clarke asks.
"Everywhere; there's a tunnel to your camp", Lincoln tells her. "If we make it through we'll get there before Tristan". We see lights and can hear horses getting closer, "Go. Go"!
We head into the tunnel and are surrounded by complete darkness.
"Lincoln", we hear echo through the tunnel.
Alec keeps a hand on my back as we walk through the blackness of the tunnel. Let's stop here Lincoln says and I can hear him rustling around in his pack. After a few minutes Lincoln gets a torch lit.
"You were right. They didn't follow us", Finn says.
"Reapers use these tunnels. Tristan wouldn't risk running into them", Lincoln explains.
"What the hell's a reaper", Finn asks.
"Pray you never find out", Lincoln says.
I felt a shiver of terror run down my spine as we being to walk through the tunnels.
However Finn stops us, "Lincoln you've been hit".
I turn to see there is in fact an arrow in his lower back.
"Let me take a look", Clarke says moving towards him as Finn takes the torch.
"I've fought battles with worse wounds than this", Lincoln says and Alec snorts.
"We're not in a battle right now", Clarke says.
"Yes we are", Lincoln replies.
"Why are you helping us", she asks.
"This can't just be about Octavia", Finn says.
He doesn't answer and Clarke takes his blade handing it to Finn to heat up, "You might want something to bite down on".
"You people are so soft", Lincoln says and I smile as Clarke shoves the arrow through cutting off what he was gonna say after.
Lincoln breaks the tip of the arrow off, "What my people are doing to yours is wrong".
Clarke pulls the arrow back out and uses the heated blade to cauterize the wound.
We get moving through the tunnels quickly after that. We pause after a while and Lincoln pulls his journal out and opening it to a page that looks like a map.
"Wait. If you were never down here, how'd you map it", Finn asks.
"Spoils of war", Lincoln answers.
I notice Clarke moving forward and I notice a light coming our way along with people shouting. I nudge Alec gesturing to the light.
"We need to move", he whispers to Lincoln.
Lincoln looks up as Finn asks, "What is that"?
"Reapers", he answers and grabs the torch putting it out.
We move towards the light and come into an opening, "This can't be the only way. Check the map", I hear Finn whisper.
"If you want to get home before Tristan slaughters your people this is the only way", Lincoln responds.
We stop and peaking around a boulder we see a group of people down a tunnel fighting and talking.
"Clarke", Finn whispers, "the carts".
I look away from the people towards the carts on the side and I see a leg hanging out of one.
"The tunnel on the right will take you to your camp. Alec I want you to go with them to make sure they make it". Lincoln hands Finn his journal, "Take this".
"What are you gonna do", Finn asks.
"I'm gonna lead them away", he responds and my eyes widen.
"Wait a second. If they catch you they'll kill you", Clarke says.
"Worry about yourselves. Most of Tristan's rangers will be at your gate by nightfall, but he'll send riders ahead, scouts. All of you have to be gone before they arrive".
"One of them is coming", Finn says.
"Where are we supposed to go", Clarke asks.
"In my book, there's a map. Chart course to the eastern sea. There's a clan there, led by a woman called Luna, a friend. Tell her I sent you", with that he turned to leave when Finn stopped him.
"Thank you".
"Just get Octavia out of there", he says to Finn then turns to Alec and me, "I'll meet you two back at the cave after you get them back to their camp", he then runs out as the reaper had turned away and cut his throat getting the other's attention he ran and they followed.
"Let's go", Finn says .
We head down the tunnel and past the carts when Clarke stops, "Oh my god. Did you see that"?
"Clarke, we gotta go", Finn urges.
She moves a piece of fabric from the cart and a man is lying there alive.
"Clarke, look out", Finn says shoving her out of the way of the reaper who just swung at her. Alec shoved me back before moving forward as the reaper hits Finn and begins choking him but Finn grabbed a rock hitting the reaper over the head repeatedly.
We hear shouts in the distance, "They're coming back. Finn, come on", Clarke says helping him up.
Alec leads the way as we run and it doesn't take long until we finally exit the tunnels into the light. We continue to run for a while trying to get as far away as possible before stopping to get our breaths back.
I bend at the waist breathing as deeply as I can to get my breath back, "You okay", Alec asks coming to my side.
"Yeah it's just hard to run in this top", I say.
He laughed, "I never understood how our woman wore such tight clothes but they make it work".
"This doesn't look right," Finn says.
"What the hell was that back there", Clarke asks. "Why, why would they keep them alive"?
"They were eating them", Alec tells her. "We're going in the right direction".
I feel my stomach churn at the thought of the reapers eating people.
Finn suddenly drops to his knees by some water and washes his hands to get the blood off.
"Hey, hey, hey", Clarke says getting him to stop washing by taking his hand. "He would've killed us. You did what you had to do. We all have".
I turn away when their conversation turned more personal, "Are we going into the camp", I ask Alec. I feel worried that seeing Bellamy would make me want to stay. A part of me wants to go back to camp and be with Bellamy but being in camp leads me to Chris and I don't want that either.
"You care for him a lot don't you", Alec asks.
"For some insane reason", I answer.
"You should be with him then. Happiness usually doesn't last long here".
"I thought you said love is a weakness"?
"It is if you lose the one you love but it can also make you stronger. You always fight the hardest for the ones you love", he says softly.
"You've lost someone", I ask.
"My wife was taken by an enemy clan and we found her body torn apart a few days later".
"I'm sorry", I say just before an explosion sounds.
"It came from the camp", Finn says.
"We're too late", Clarke says and they rush off.
I move to follow but Alec stops me, "I know a shorter way. Come on".
A few minutes later we're outside the camp and I can see a hole in the side of the drop ship. I can see Jasper and Bellamy looking out of it. I move towards the gate and Alec follows. Apparently no one was watching because of the explosion and weren't at the gate when we go in.
Octavia noticed us first, "What are you two doing here? Is Lincoln here"?
Before I can answer one boy with a gun turns it toward Alec and I quickly step between the two, "Put the gun down".
"No, he's a grounder", he says.
"Yeah well this grounder helped save Clarke and Finn so back off", I tell him moving closer until the barrel of the gun is pressed against my chest, "or you can shoot through me".
"If he saved Clarke and Finn where are they", a girl asked also with a gun pointed at us.
"They took off to get here when they heard the explosion", I say.
"Someone's coming", a boy who was back at his post yelled, "get ready".
The gun stays pressed against me as the others move toward the gate and Bellamy and Jasper come out of the drop ship.
"Wait", Miller says, "hold your fire! It's Clarke and Finn. Open the gate".
I smirked at the boy and shoved the gun away from me.
"How'd you two get here so fast", Finn asked almost as soon as they came through the gate.
"If you wouldn't have rushed off you could've taken Alec's short-cut too", I reply.
"What happened? We heard an explosion", Clarke asked Bellamy.
"Murphy happened", Bellamy told her but his eyes are on me and Alec.
I didn't hear much of what was said since I couldn't stop staring at Bellamy. It had only really been little more than a day but I had missed him. Looking him over I notice the cuts and the bruises around his neck.
"Help me", I see Raven coming around the drop ship holding her stomach.
"Raven", Bellamy calls.
"What happened", Clarke asks.
"Murphy shot her", Bellamy answers.
Finn picks her up and moves her into the drop ship. I watch Bellamy stop Clarke and say something but I couldn't hear. Clarke says something and goes into the drop ship. Suddenly everyone splits off and Bellamy looks my way he takes a step towards me and stops. I can tell he's looking at Alec and he turns walking away.