Clarke had been prepared to have someone's life in her hands her entire life. She had grown up with the idea that someone, someday, could be counting on her to save their life. That at any given moment, she could hold someone's future in her hands. She was the ultimate judge... deciding if someone lived or died. Because at some point, she knew a call had to be made. How was she qualified to do that? The only noteworthy thing she had ever done in her life was commit treason against the remaining human race. Did that give her the right to conclude or continue a human being's beating heart? To hold a life force in the palm of her hand, and let it drop?
As she patched and pooled, stitched and sewed, she honestly didn't know. She wasn't sure if she knew anything for that hands were shaking and her vision periodically blurred. She had blood smeared all over her forearms, and even some on her rose up in her throat regularly when she looked above the neck.
But she kept working. She worked until there was nothing left to sew,nothing left to see or clean. Even though she didn't know if she was given the right to hold someone's life in her hands...she was going to take the right to hold it.
Earth be damned if she didn't hold it tight until the last breath.
Clarke trudged out of the dropship, exhausted. A lightening in the sky to her left let her know dawn was approaching as flecks of sunlight peeked over the tall surgery took longer than Clarke expected.
The grounder girl, Olive, was the first to see the blonde girls approaching figure. She stood quickly in anticipation of news. Her face was a mask of indifference, but it slipped into worry when the two girls made eye contact.
"Hes stable." Clarke finally said. "I did what I could."
"Will he make it?" She asked. Her eyes were wide with worry, and Clarke could tell that Lincoln meant a lot to the little grounder.
"I hope so." Clarke muttered. She was so tired. She pushed past Olive and made her way to the fire to warm up. Miller was there with Bellamy who took her under his arm and rubbed her shoulder.
"Are you gonna be okay?' He whispered to her ear.
"You mean is lincoln gonna be okay."
"No," He said gruffly." I mean you."
Clarke looked up at him. His brown eyes were worried and the crease between his eyebrows were back. She kissed his lips softly. "I will be."
Bellamy nodded, satisfied that she gave an answer at all.
"It a few hours until dawn. You get some sleep."Miller aid.
"Im awake now." Clarke said."Let's talk about rations."
"Well," Miller rubbed the back of his neck. "With Finn causing an uproar, some campers have refused to rations and supplies are low."
"They don't eat, they don't work." Bellamy growled.
"I've tried to get some of them to go on hunting expeditions with me but-"
"Hey." A voice sounded behind stood back a ways looking fidgety. "I have something to say."
Bellamy stood up with Clarke, almost supporting her weight. "Alright. Im listening."
"We've made a mistake. My clan. We thought you were killers and thieves who came down to steal our land and enslave us all. But you're not. Your good people. I'm sorry."
Bellamy nodded. "Thankyou."
"When Lincoln was attacked, he was running here to warn you. There is an army coming. Soon. You all must leave." She forced out. "Im committing reason by even telling you this."
"What?" Miller yelled, standing up and paying attention now.
"What do you mean?" Clarke asked, panicked.
"There are clans by the sea. They are peaceful and will take you in." She reached into her pack while Bellamy and Clarke traded worried glances. "Take this. It's a map to the water."
Clarke reached out and grabbed it while Bellamy rubbed his neck worriedly. "We just can't catch a break"he muttered.
"Do you really expect us to leave? The entire camp? Can't you just say something to your clan to change their mind?" Miller asked, slightly panicking now.
"There is no changing tri kru once battle plans have been made."
"What do you think?" Clarke asked quietly. Bellamy's face was stormy and tight. She couldn't read him.
He looked down on her and studied her face for a moment. "I think that I can't live without seeing your blue eyes everyday for the rest of my life."
Clarke gasped.
"If Olive says that there is an army coming, we have to leave. We aren't warriors, and I can't train an entire camp in four hours to take them on. If there is a chance that the sea will be safe, we need to try." He said, staring into her eyes honestly.
Clarke had tear well up in her eyes. The dropship was home. This was where her friends were buried. This was where the Ark would look for them. This was were she fell in love.
Clarke knew Bellamy was right. The sea was their only hope for survival. "Okay." she said. "Lets wake up the kids."
Waking up the news that a grounder army was coming to slaughter the entire camp did not make for a happy morning. Kids were running around crying and confused. Bellamy would simply stop and talk to them for a moment before telling them to pack what they could carry and to help Clarke with the medical supplies. There was no time for tears.
It wasn't like Bellamy wanted to leave. Leaving and walking away from a fight went against every instinct he knew he had. But he also knew when to count his blessings. So he went along with the plan he and Clarke and Miller had laid out. Hopefully by the time the sun was up the camp would be ready to leave.
"Bellamy!"
He turned around. Finn stood behind him with a small group of campers. They had makeshift spears in their hands, looking ready to fight.
"Will you join us?" He cried. "I've never known Bellamy Blake to back down from a fight."
"I've never known you to actually finish one Finn." He called.
Finn sneered. "We'll see. I'm not about to walk away from everything that we've built like it was nothing like you and Clarke. You can all run like cowards. Im staying."
A few campers had stopped to listen. Some were nodding their heads in agreement. Others frowned.
"It's not about that." Bellamy called out, addressing the entire camp now."It's about surviving. The Ark put us down here to survive. That's all I've ever wanted from this camp.I don't want to leave any more than you do. But there're too few of us to take on an entire grounder army. There is no way that we would make it out alive. This was never our home. This is someone else's land.
But there is promise and safety by the ocean. Thats where we're headed. We can start a life there."
"We can make peace with grounders if we stay and negotiate!" Finn called out."Don't give up so soon."
"No." A voice called out loudly. Bellamy turned his head. Lincoln was emerging from the dropship, pale and weak with Clarke by his side. "There is no peace with my people. If you stay, you will die. The war party is already coming. Listen."
The camp stopped. Softly, in the distance, war drums beat out a steady rhythm. They were far away, but only for now. Finn heard them and his face paled.
"If that is the future you want, then stay. But if you want to live, come with us." Bellamy called out, and got back to work. They needed to leave soon, and there was still so much to be done.
And so they went. A small group stayed behind, lead by Finn. They were left with meager supplies and rations. Clarke pleaded with them to follow the group and leave, but they wouldn't.
Bellamy and Clarke heard the screams as they walked.
They marched with the beat of war drums at their backs for days. The road was long and hard. Some were lost along the way to sickness or injury. Clarke took every loss personal.
Lincoln and Olive did their best to make sure that they stayed on course. Most nights were moonless so they blindly hoped they were going the right direction. Some nights they turned themselves around and walked in circles.
Eventually, they do make it. The kids and all rush to the ocean when it comes into view, splashing and trying to swim in the salty waves. There is genuine happiness in the air for the first time in a long time.
Weary and tired, Bellamy and Clarke make it to the shore and meet a tall girl with kind eyes.
"Hello. My name is luna. Welcome to the sea."
I just wanna thank everyone for sticking with me and continuing to like and follow me and this story. It really does mean a lot. You all are the best and deserved to have an ending to this story. I'm sorry if it wasn't what you imagined or hoped for. I'm not entirely happy with it either but I really just needed it to be done and over with. I really appreciate all the kind words and reviews that everyone has given me over the course of this story, each one means so much to me!
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