(Author: bellamysgirl)
They took Bellamy. My biological father kidnapped my boyfriend. Does that sound right to you? I didn't think so. I knelt by the stream, a ways away from camp, and splashed water on my face. It's late. The moon is fully up and the forest is dark. A string of glowing fungus splotches a few trees to my right. I dry off my face with my sleeve. The heat fogs in the chilling air as I let out a breath, quick and light. I drop to my knees and close my eyes. They took him. The reality of it all hits me like a ton of bricks and I nearly break down right there.
I try to hold it back at first. But, once I realize it's futile, I give up and let the tears burn down my cheeks. I'm sad and angry and confused all at the same time. I don't know which feeling to suppress and which one to express. They're ever present in my stomach. The pain stabs my heart like a thousand knives and I scream, loud and anger-filled. I grab my hair, my hands threatening to rip out the strands. I'm shaking now. Not cold shaking, but angry shaking. I scream again, longer this time. It makes me feel better on the anger side of things, but the sad and confused side of the pain is still there.
"Jade?" I heard a voice and turned away, wiping away the tears. "You okay?" I looked up and see it is Alex. My half-brother. I looked down at the stream and shrugged. "Am I supposed to be?" I asked.
"No," He said, sitting down beside me.
"Where were you, when all of this happened?" I asked, sounding a bit more accusatory than I wanted to. He looked like my words stung a bit but he shrugged it off. "Trying to stay alive," he said.
"Didn't you try to help at all?" I asked.
"Of course I did, Jade. But I'm not the reason you're out here," he said.
"You're right. You aren't the reason I'm out here," I said, standing. I started walking back towards camp. When i got back, everyone was moving to their tents to go to bed. I, on the other hand, went into the Ark. I went to Anya's cell. I needed a few things answered, and I needed them answered now. She sat up with an expression of pure shock. Then it twisted into a bit of amusement. "Well, well, well," she said. "Look what the cat dragged in."
"Shut up unless I tell you to speak, or I'll slit your throat. Right here, right now," I said. She stiffened and I sat opposite her a few feet. I crossed my legs in front of me. "I need to know…my mother…who was she?"
"My sister was hard to understand," she said.
"What was her name?" I asked.
"Mia Crystal," she said.
"Did she name Yachara and I before you killed her?" I asked.
"No. She did have a name in mind, though," she said.
"What was it?" I asked.
"Calypso. With a K instead of a C," she said.
"Who'd she name that?" I asked.
"You. You were born first and she was only expecting one child. Imagine both of our surprise when another one came," she said. I heard a sound from outside and stood. I left her there without another word. I exited the Ark, to find that Lincoln was back with warriors from the coast. I saw a familiar face among them. "Luna?" I asked, walking toward her. She noticed me and smiled brightly. "Jade!" She rushed to me and wrapped her arms around me in a hug. "It's so good to see you," she said. "How have you been?"
"I've been better," I replied, stepping back. I stayed with Luna when I went to the coast. She's always been a good friend to me. I met her when Lincoln took me on a trip to the coast, years ago. Her brown hair is braided down her back and a bow is in her hands. Her arrow feathers are visible over her left shoulder. She wore leathers, mostly, but she also wore a jacket made of cotton. I glanced around at the other warriors. I only recognized three. All men. Luna was the only female in the group. "You look saddened," Luna said, looking at me with a furrowed brow.
"Yeah…we were raided earlier this morning," I said. Lincoln walked over to me. "You okay?" he asked. I nodded and he walked toward the bulk of camp, along with the other warriors. There looked to be only about twelve men. Total. We'd need more people if we were to fight the Mountain Men, should they attack again. I led Luna to the group at camp and then called a meeting. The usual group gathered in the Ark. "We need more people. And I think I know how to get them," I said.
"How?" Yachara asked.
"I have friends in low places that could get us another dozen men," I said.
"From where? It's not like the Grounders want anything to do with us," Adonis said.
"You'll just have to trust me. And give twenty-four hours to get them," I said.
"What if we don't have twenty-four hours, Jade? Then what?" Adonis asked.
"Then suck it up before I cut you open," I hissed. Everyone kind of glanced at Yachara, expecting her to say something to me, calm me down. The truth of the matter is that we need more people and I'm the one who can get them. If they want to be pansies, then fine, let them be pansies. But I'm going to get things done with or without them. "I'm going. I'll be back tomorrow," I said, walking out the door. I walk to the open clearing and pull out my whistle. "Jade, wait," I sighed and rolled my eyes. Dakota galloped into the clearing and skidded to a stop near me. "Where are you going?"
I swung myself up onto Dakota's saddle. Jasper stood a few feet away, waiting for an answer. "To get more reinforcements," I said. I urged Dakota on and we headed into the trees, all the way across the clearing. We ran most of the way so it didn't take long to get to the cache of Tree Houses. I pulled Dakota to a stop near the watch tree and quickly slid off. Gazelle walked over from some berry bushels. "Jade? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?" all of her questions flooded out in less than a minute.
"Everything is…sort of fine. Look, I need some muscle. As many guys as possible. Can you help me?" She thought about it a minute. Most likely only thinking of how to get the guys, not if to agree to it or not. "I think so," she said. "Enzo!" She walked to the base of the watch tree and shouted up it. "Enzo! We have a customer!" A second later, Enzo came sliding down the tree. He saw me and smiled. "Let me guess…you're starting another war with the Western Clans? Am I right?" he said, walking over. He stopped a few feet from me. "No," I said. "The Mountain Men."
He swallowed hard and looked and Gazelle. "You don't say," he said, looking back at me nervously. "What do you need?"
"Men. And a lot of them," I said.
"I'll see what I can do. But I'm not promising any miracles," he said.
"Thank you," I said. He nodded and hurried back up to the Tree Houses. Then both Enzo and Yanis came down to the ground, both wearing satchels, and used whistles to signal for their horses. Two brown horses came running out of the trees and stopped at Enzo and Yanis. They mounted their horses and a waved a goodbye. Then they trotted off into the distant trees. I sat with Dakota at the base of the watch tree until morning. Then, finally, Enzo and Yanis came back. They walked their horses toward the tree, followed by a large group of men.
I quickly stood and met them half way. "Jade, this is Nahmen. He's the leader," Enzo said, gesturing to a tall, burly man a few feet from him. Nahmen. The name sounds familiar. Nahmen must be at least six and a half feet tall, with brood shoulders and a long beard to act as an opposite to his bald head. He reminds me of my adoptive father, Zortehn, leader of the Reapers. He walks forward to stand in front of me. He dips his chin briefly, a sign of greeting in most South-Western Clans. "You have grown since our last meeting," he said.
"We've met?" I asked.
"Yes. Many years ago. As I understand it, you're having some issues with the Mountain Men," he said.
"It's a little bit more than an issue. It's a war," I said.
"My men and I are ready and at your disposal," he said.
"Thank you. Our camp is just that way," I said, pointing in the direction of camp. He nodded and I mounted Dakota. I waved thanks to Gazelle, Enzo, and Yanis. They smiled and waved back. "Kick their a-" Gazelle elbowed Yanis and he winced. "Butts." I sighed and shook my head. I urged Dakota on and we started heading back to camp. On the way back, my mind wondered.
It wondered many miles away to Bellamy. I wondered what they were doing to him. Was he okay? Were they brainwashing him? Were they beating him to get at me? A part of me wished Yachara would've turned herself over. I'm probably a horrible person for saying so, but the thought did flash across my mind. I shook my head at myself and tried not to think about it. We finally arrived back at camp, just after sunset. They must have put the finishing touches on the wall while I was gone. There's now a gate as tall as the fence.
I slid off of Dakota and led him to the gate. Two kids were standing just inside, watching. They recognized me and opened the gate. I walked in, with a large number of men following. The gate closed behind us all. Yachara and Caleb walked up to me and looked at the people I'd brought with me. "I think they'll do," Caleb said.
The words weren't much but they made me think of back when I hated Bellamy. Finn had said some of the same words, only about me. If only someone could invent a time machine. Then I could go back in time and change it. But, until then, I can't. I just have to go along with this and somehow figure out a way to get Bellamy back. Whether he'll be in one piece or not, I have no idea.