Kane stood with his hand cupping his jaw thoughtfully and his brows were so tightly pulled together that I could practically sense the tension in him. The atmosphere was heavy in the meeting room, as all the other attendees sat around the large table, staring at me with riveted interest following my report and I fought to ensure that I maintained a calm demeanour. A deep sigh escaped Kane's lips and his hands fell to his hips as he addressed me.
"This sounds troubling for the Commander's coalition." He finally remarked with an evident poignancy in his voice and I nodded slowly in return. "Perhaps we could offer our support in dealing with these traitors?" He suggested and I crossed my arms defensively. I wasn't sure why he asked for my opinion, especially in front of the entire leadership of Arcadia but I knew that he wouldn't back down until I answered.
"Honestly, I think that would be a mistake." I revealed in a blunt manner and Kane raised a brow at me in interest, encouraging me to explain my viewpoint. "From my understanding, the ice nation's issue with the Commander stems from her cooperation with us. They consider her willingness to become allies as a weakness, instead believing that she should have wiped us out. They are not the only grounders who feel this way either. There are hints of discontent in most clans and Azgeda is exploiting that to their advantage. If we were to offer the Commander our aid, or even begin to barter for an alliance at this time, it would only demonstrate a lack of awareness on our part. We need to tread carefully, now more than ever." I elaborated, surprising myself at how well I managed to present my points. I knew that I could thank Arlo for my newfound diplomacy and I noticed a slight smile spread across Kane's expression at my sensible description. My eyes were drawn to Abby, who sat beside him comfortably and viewed me with a sense of pride sparkling in her eyes. She leaned forward to place her elbows on the table and her gaze focused on me with intensity.
"What would you suggest we do, Indigo?" She asked in an even voice that was laced with a well established trust and I smiled at her appreciatively. Although I'd been reluctant to accept this role at first, I'd grown confident in sharing my insight and together Kane and Abby had proven that they respected anything that I chose to share with them. Inwardly, I remained cautious of their intentions, especially Kane, but he'd demonstrated a wisdom and consistency in my time observing him that was entirely unexpected. I cleared my throat as I glanced around the table at the faces, feeling hesitant until I found Bellamy standing at the back and I felt myself relax.
"I would continue as we are, respecting the Commanders wishes for all outings and review the situation when Arlo returns." I advised, noticing that Kane and Abby were calmly accepting of the statement compared to the displeased reception of a majority of the other attendees. Several groans erupted from around the table between hushed conversations and one of the men seated nearest to me tuned to face Kane.
"This is ridiculous. With all due respect Vice Chancellor, I cannot understand how you expect us to sit and do nothing whilst the grounders wage war on each other. This Commander might be our only chance to secure peace for our people and yet we risk her being overturned whilst we wait for a single woman, an outsider who has no loyalty to us, on the orders of a little girl who wants to play grounder?" He spat, glancing back at me with disdain and I felt my face contort into a fierce scowl.
I recognised this man from lockup on the Ark. He was an officer in the guard who possessed a god complex and made our already melancholy days unnecessarily worse. I suspected that his opinion was influenced by not only his complete absence of any knowledge on the grounders, but also his absolute disapproval for a delinquent like myself to be granted an important position on the council.
"Perhaps Kane realises the sense in defecting to someone with more valuable insight into the people who possess the power to annihilate us if they so desire." I drawled with a heavy distaste and the guard returned his attention to me in surprise. "It's true that our plan relies on a single woman, but considering that this task also requires stealth and a delicate touch, I fail to see how that is a questionable decision. This is not a problem that can be managed with brute force and a condescending attitude, so I think you'll find that your input is irrelevant in this matter, Officer Davies." I added coldly, before placing my hands on the table and stared down at him with a glare that communicated my fury at his disrespect with an undeniable clarity. "And in case it wasn't clear, my name isn't little girl. It's Indigo and you'll address me by it."
"I think you've quite made your point, Indigo." Kane announced, breaking us apart with an authoritative tone and I stepped back from the guard who seethed with anger. "For the time being, we increase our numbers on patrol. Any sightings of Azgeda are to be properly documented so that we can inform the Commander and you are to follow the rules of engagement in all circumstances. We will await the return of Indigo's mentor, at least until our next meeting. If there is no further information by that time, we can discuss alternative options. This meeting is adjourned."
I filtered out of the room amongst the other members and paused in the hall to wait for Bellamy. The moment that I came into his view, his eyes filled with amusement and a sly smile spread across his lips. He strolled over to me with a confident bounce in his step and I crossed my arms, raising a brow at him.
"You really gave Davies an earful in there." He remarked as he examined me from above and I shrugged carelessly, revealing my lack of remorse. "You know, it's kinda sexy when you get all bossy. Gives me a reason to be glad that I have to sit through those meetings, even if it does make it hard to concentrate." He drawled as he stepped closer, biting his lip and I struggled to stifle a laugh.
"Bel, are you suggesting that watching me behave aggressively turns you on?" I enquired with a smirk and he cracked into a wide smile.
He opened his mouth to defend himself, but before he could manage any words he was called over by another member of the guard. He glanced back at me apologetically and I nodded to encourage him to go ahead. Though I'd been back in camp for a week, we hadn't managed to spend much time together as Bellamy was constantly busy and even when I had seen him, his behaviour seemed erratic. There was nothing in particular that I could raise as suspicious, more simply it was a feeling that something was different. Though I tried to quash my doubts, I had never been incorrect in my intuitions with Bellamy in the past and this fact continued to haunt me.
"Indigo." A deep voice pulled me from my thoughts and I turned my attention away from watching Bellamy to find Davies regarding me, his disapproval barely masked in his expression.
"Davies." I replied coldly, a nervous sense of anticipation filling my stomach as I prepared myself for a rematch of our previous disagreement that could not be as well controlled as it was under Kane's watchful eye. Though I had no qualms with fighting a guard if the situation called for it, I was not particularly enthused by the consequences of this idea and hoped that I might be able to reach a more peaceful outcome.
"That was quite a performance in there. You must be immensely confident in Kane's backing to publicly disagree with his and the Chancellors intentions like that. You should be careful that your attitude doesn't cost you the support of your fellow council members." He stated in a condescending manner and I felt myself clench my jaw instinctively. A slight sneer hid in the corner of his lips at my reaction and I acknowledged that he was purposely attempting to bait me into rash action. I took a deep breath to steady myself and met his eyes with a forced confidence that seemed to catch him off guard.
"My, my officer. Is that a threat?" I remarked, amusement coating my words and he bristled at my self control. He glanced around momentarily to ensure that he would not be overheard, before leaning in closer in an attempt to intimidate me.
"Believe me, if I wanted to threaten you it would be abundantly clear. You would not have to question it. I'm just giving you some friendly advice, from one experienced council advisor to a youthful new member. These positions come with a great deal of scrutiny. It would be wise to tread carefully." He lowered his voice to a deep grumble and the air between us grew heavy with tension. Though my temper boiled under the surface, I pushed it away and once again was thankful that I had grown to be able to control it far better than I had before.
"That's awfully considerate of you." I answered, an insincere smile filling my face that caused him to shift in discomfort. "But what makes you think that I need your advice?" I suggested with an unimpressed smirk and he huffed in annoyance. As he stared down at me, his eyes grew dark and I began to expect trouble from the unbridled anger that threatened to burst through his facade at any moment.
"Come on, Sloan. We both know what you're like. Even in lockup, you were unpredictable and reckless. Having a criminal like you on the council is both an embarrassment and a serious risk. You're a loose canon, it's only a matter of time before you fire upon the wrong target." He explained, an arrogant tone in his words as he viewed me with a familiarity that was not earned and I bit my tongue in an effort to prevent myself from launching all of my thoughts at him in a vile tirade. Instead, I concentrated on a response that would be less likely to get me arrested again.
"Perhaps I was once, but a lot has changed since you knew what is arguably only an insignificant trifle about who I am. I'm not the same person that I was on the Ark." I argued, gritting my teeth to keep the spite from escaping my mind and Davies scoffed at my diplomatic response. It was obvious that he saw through my measured demeanour and I gulped down my temper.
"Yes, of course. You've had plenty of time to grow on Earth, without any rules or guards to hold you accountable. From what I've heard, you've honed your skills and become a far more accomplished killer than you were whilst locked away. How high exactly is your kill count now? It must be getting impossible to wash that amount of blood from your hands. I'm sure your mother would be proud. You've grown up to be the perfect heir to your lunatic father." He sneered with a viscous attitude and I felt any remaining shred of patience melt away into nothing. I stepped into his space with anger ringing in my ears, but before I could strike him, something large blocked my path.
"Officer Davies, is there a problem here?" A gruff voice interrupted us and I slowly realised that Bellamy had stepped in front of me protectively. There was a powerful anger simmering just under the surface of his calm expression and his reaction had stunned me from my outrage. Davies stuttered in an effort to find words, clearly shocked by my defences arrival and Bellamy maintained his intense stare. "Because if you were to have an issue with Indigo, I can tell you that it would be a mistake to attempt to cause her even the slightest upset. Anything you have to say to her, you can bring to me. So, got anything you wanna say?" He added, his eyes bearing into the smaller man with a familiar seriousness that I'd witnessed whenever he felt that Octavia needed his protection and Davies practically shrunk under his scrutiny.
"No problem here, Blake. Simply passing on some friendly advice. She's all yours." He forced the words out with an obvious nervousness and moved to step away with urgency, but before he could get far Bellamy moved into his path again.
"Yes, she is." He stated poignantly, allowing his severe expression to carry the implication of what would happen if he were to attempt such a conversation again and he nodded back fervently, before scampering out of sight. Bellamy watched him in a predatory manner until he could no longer see him, then turned to view me with concern. "You alright? That seemed like a pretty unpleasant conversation?" He breathed as his eyes scanned me for any harm and I nodded.
"I'm fine. Just glad I didn't have my knife on me, or I'd be looking at another charge of murdering a guard." I muttered and Bellamy furrowed his brows at me. "I'm kidding. I wouldn't have killed him. Probably." I added, but he remained unmoved as he awaited details. "He mentioned my parents...both of them." I grumbled, frustration creeping back into my voice and his eyes widened with shock.
"That asshole-" He spat with an outrage that rivalled even my own as he whipped around to stalk after him but I caught his arm to hold him in place.
"Hey!" I hissed as I forced his attention back to me with substantial strain and he buzzed with uncontrolled energy. "He's not worth the trouble. You'd just be giving him what he wants." I revealed, surprised at my own self restraint as I turned down the chance to watch Bellamy pound him into the ground and he cursed under his breath. I reached up to take his face in my hands and gazed at him with a fondness that made my heart swell. "You already saved me. You've done enough. Thank you." I asserted with a genuine appreciation and he finally broke into a smile. "Whatever can I do to repay you, my hero?" I whispered, a playful tone filling my words and his smile grew sly at my implication. He leaned into my space until he was so close that his nose bumped mine and I felt my pulse quicken with exhilaration.
"I can think of a few ideas." He crooned and I giggled lightly before I was interrupted by his lips on mine.
Instinctively, my hands slid back into his hair, my fingers entwining in his thick curls and I leaned into the kiss keenly. Our contact had been sparse recently and I craved him more than I was willing to admit. Though he never failed to take my breath away, I couldn't help feeling that he was reserved in the way that he kissed me and it only furthered my suspicions that something was wrong with him. As the moments passed, I noticed that he didn't reach for my hips as he normally would, or seem to attempt to press himself against me. As I felt myself becoming lost in passion, I naturally attempted to part his lips to deepen the kiss, but he quickly pulled away from me, breaking the kiss early enough to leave me immensely unsatisfied.
"Sorry, Indie. I have to get ready for patrol." He excused as he retreated and the air felt cold around me as he moved away. I could hardly find any words to answer him through my confusion and simply remained rooted to the spot as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'd better head off. I'll catch up with you later, okay." He added hurriedly before he rushed from the room, leaving me with a knot in my stomach.
I wandered outside with anxiety crushing in my chest and barely paid any notice to my surroundings. All of the interactions replayed in my mind, contrasting against each other and I struggled to analyse them. Each conversation provided a piece of the puzzle, but I was unable to organise them into a complete picture that made any kind of sense. Something barged into my shoulder, startling me into the present and I glanced up to find Monty staring at me with wide eyes.
"Indie! Sorry, I wasn't paying attention, in a bit of a hurry. Have you seen Bellamy this morning?" He asked in a fluster and I felt my stomach flip at his question. Part of me wanted to crumble into Monty's arms, to confide in him about my concerns and relieve myself of the stress that I carried around, but I could recognise that there was a more pressing matter on his mind at the moment, so I buried my own feelings to address later.
"Umm, yeah I saw him a few minutes ago. He just left to get things sorted for patrol." I infomed evenly and Monty cursed under his breath. I furrowed my brows and examined him closely with worry blooming in my chest. "Is everything okay, hun? You seem panicky?" I enquired warmly, attempting to pass my calm attitude on to him, but he continued to bounce on the spot in aggravation.
"It's Jasper. He's not going to be ready for patrol without intervention and he's not responding to my efforts." He revealed, frustration evident in his gestures and I sighed in disappointment. Sometimes, it felt like the problems in this camp were constant and I wondered if we would ever reach a time where we could lead a simple existence. "Actually, he's pretty much non responsive in general, but that's the norm for him lately." He mumbled to himself and I grimaced involuntarily.
"Alright. Where is he?" I investigated, a fierce determination presenting itself as my patience with this ongoing behaviour grew thin. Monty viewed me with surprise, as if he was unused to being offered assistance with this responsibility and I couldn't help feeling sorry that he had to face this burden alone most of the time.
"He's sprawled out on the floor of our dorm." He answered and without hesitation, I began marching towards the destination. Monty appeared conflicted for a moment, glancing rapidly between the warehouse where the guards met and my departing back, before he quickly fell into step beside me. "Indie, please don't think that I don't appreciate your help, but he's seriously out of it. I don't think you and I have the strength to carry him between us, no offence." He blurted with a sense of alarm as I continued on my war path, unperturbed by his comments.
"I'm not going to carry him." I stated with finality and Monty glanced at me with confusion, but remained by my side nonetheless. "We've enabled him for long enough. It's time to try another approach." I elaborated in a stern voice and his brows shot up at my words. Though he seemed uncertain about my intentions, he made no effort to stop me and I was pleased to find that he trusted me enough to allow me to act without question.
When we reached the door, I allowed Monty to enter first whilst I stooped to collect a bucket from the hallway. I filled it in the bathroom and wasted no time in launching the contents over Jasper. He startled awake with a gasp, his limbs lashing out in every direction and the movement allowed a flask to drop to the floor at his side. I seized the opportunity to remove this temptation and kicked it forcefully over to Monty.
"Get rid of that, will you." I instructed and he nodded back as he snatched it up. Turning back to Jasper, I steeled my expression to ensure that there was no friendliness remaining and channelled Arlo in an effort to seem as authoritative as possible. "You have patrol." I announced in a cold tone and Jasper stared up at me with disbelief.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" He snarled, a slur still evident in the way that he spoke and I rolled my eyes at him. "Great, you're back. Welcome home! Couldn't you just say hi like a normal person?" He grumbled aggressively and I crouched down to his level. My stern eyes met his unfocused set and I spoke with as much power as I could manage.
"I'm done holding your hand. Get off your drunk ass, sober up and get to patrol. Bellamy is waiting for you." I ordered, straightening up before he could argue and sweeping from the room with Monty close behind me. Once in the hall, I handed him the empty bucket and smiled in a manner that I hoped seemed authentic. "Hopefully that should straighten him out for a few hours at least. Let me know if he gives you any more trouble." I offered and Monty nodded in a dazed way.
"Thanks. I will." He muttered and I began to walk away. "Wait, Indie. That was really intense. Are you...are you okay?" He called after me and I took a deep breath before glancing back over my shoulder.
"I'm fine. You know where to find me if you need help." I smiled and strode away without another word.
- O - O - O - O - O -
Whilst most of the camp was surging with activity around the patrol, I attended medical for a brief check-up and medication refill from Jackson. I was thankful that he'd respected our agreement to keep my condition private and despite the fact that I was not taking it easy by any stretch of the imagination, I was recovering well enough that he didn't feel the need to bring anyone else in. I caught up with Octavia and Lincoln briefly, before taking the hint that they were keen for some alone time and busied myself with some other tasks where needed. In order to occupy my frantic mind, I visited Raven's workshop and was relieved to find that she hadn't been drafted to support the guard duty.
"I thought you'd be out ensuring your baby didn't come to any harm." I remarked as I entered, referencing the Rover and she glanced up from her work disinterestedly, before quickly resuming her task.
"I didn't stay behind by any choice of my own, believe me." She grumbled sulkily and I took a seat by her workspace to investigate. Her face was smeared with oil and from the state of her surroundings, I suspected that she had been working non stop for some time.
"Looks like they're keeping you plenty busy here. Anything I can help with?" I asked light-heartedly and Raven scoffed quietly.
"Not unless you became a capable engineer since I saw you last. Otherwise, you'll just slow me down." She snapped coldly and I shifted in discomfort at her closed attitude. She sighed deeply and placed down the item she was fiddling with to look up at me. There were deep dark circles under her usually bright eyes that were instead dulled with exhaustion and it was immediately obvious that she hadn't been taking care of herself. "I'm sorry. I've just got a lot going on at the moment. Plenty that needs fixing, or issues that need solutions in camp. Turns out that building a community from scratch takes a lot of work." She explained in an apologetic voice and I nodded in understanding.
"It's okay. I can tell that you're busy. Honestly, you look exhausted. Has no one been taking care of you?" I enquired with my brows furrowed in concern and she snorted in disbelief.
"Yeah right, like who? You're the only one who comes down to my dirty old office." She revealed in a vulnerable tone and I was disappointed to find that none of the others had thought to check on her whilst I was away.
"Well, what about Gina? You guys seemed to be getting along pretty well last I remember." I suggested and she became tense at my implication. In a need to occupy her hands, she began fiddling with her tools again and I crooked a brow at her in interest. "She seemed to be really quite fond of you now that I think about it. Would you have anything you want to tell me about her?" I pried playfully in the hope that I could encourage her devious personality to emerge, but she simply shrugged.
"I don't know. I wouldn't really know how to describe us. Nothing has actually happened between us if that's what you're asking, but...it feels like we're more than just friends, you know?" She hesitantly revealed and I smiled with a blatant excitement. She cleared her throat loudly and turned to face me. "Look, I'm really swamped right now. Can we talk about this another time?" She blurted, rapidly closing me out and I got to my feet.
"Umm, sure. No problem." I stuttered, pushing my hurt away as I strained to appear normal. "We'll catch up later. Get some rest, Raven." I added fondly, but she was already engrossed in her work again and I backed out of her workshop with a pang in my chest.
- O - O - O - O - O -
Hours passed until the patrol finally returned and the sun had already almost completely set. Though I remained busy, my mind swirled with thoughts and I could feel myself beginning to spiral. Above everything else was my fear for Arlo, with every passing day that we did not receive word from her causing a deeper feeling of unease. I had faith in her ability, but remembered her words about the brutality of Azgeda and couldn't help wondering what fate she would suffer if she were caught. Despite her insistence that I was not up to joining her, it felt wrong not to be at her side in the face of such odds, whilst at the same time I could not imagine leaving Arkadia when all of my loved ones seemed to be dangling on the edge of breakdowns.
I sat outside to wait for Bellamy to emerge from the debrief, when something in the distance caught my eye. A line of smoke slowly made its way through the trees, rising high into the sky and contrasting sharply against the last fading colours of the sunset. The plume of smoke gradually grew thicker and I couldn't deny the instinct that it was there for me. I watched it for a while, with the pull from my chest only becoming stronger until I could not continue to ignore it. I stomped inside, directing myself to the meeting room with an overwhelming feeling of urgency and threw the door open haphazardly. Many confused faces glanced up at me, mid conversation and I wasted no time in awaiting an opportunity to speak.
"There's a signal. She's back." I announced firmly and Kane immediately rushed to his feet, tearing from the room with me hot on his heels. I could hear the footsteps of the rest of the patrol group following us into the open air and Kane paused near the gates to view the clouds that rose into the sky.
"And you're sure it's her?" He asked in a controlled manner that brinked on excitement and I nodded back insistently. "What do you want to do?" He asked and I was relieved that he still offered me control of the situation.
"I need to go to her, find out what happened." I stated immediately, struggling to refrain from sprinting out there immediately and Kane appeared to be considering the options. I waited with baited breath, watching the signal out of the corner of my eye with a pit forming in my stomach. Regardless of Kane's opinion on how we should manage the situation, I needed to see her, to confirm with my own eyes that she had made it home safely. "Okay." Kane's sudden answer caught me off guard and as he opened his mouth to speak again, he was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"You can't be serious." Bellamy broke apart from the rest of the group to approach us and stared at Kane in disbelief. "It's basically dark already. You can't let her just wander off into the woods on her own!" He argued as he addressed Kane and I crossed my arms defensively.
"I'm not god damn Red Riding Hood, Bellamy! I can take care of myself." I commented bitterly, my earlier annoyance with him seeping into my words and he turned to me with a frustrated expression. "Besides, I don't need permission. I'm not a prisoner in this camp." I added and he thinned his eyes at me.
"How do you even know it's her? Unless you didn't tell us everything, all she said was that she would signal you." He interrogated and I shifted slightly on the spot as he stared me down. I peered between him and Kane with uncertainty and Kane waited expectantly for an answer.
"I just know." I insisted and Bellamy scoffed in exasperation. I clenched my jaw at his reaction, unappreciative of his lack of trust but he simply returned to Kane, who seemed to be struggling to choose a side.
"Kane, we have no proof that this is Arlo returning. For all we know, she could be walking into a trap, or an ice nation camp." Bellamy advised, causing Kane to view him with a hint of consideration and I tutted in annoyance. "Look, if you want to investigate, I understand. But she's not going out there alone. If we do this, we do it properly, with a patrol to back her up if things go wrong." He suggested protectively and I stepped forward to protest.
"Arlo trusts me, approaching her with an armed force may compromise that. Things are tense enough already without pointing a bunch of guns at her!" I exclaimed, refusing to even look at Bellamy as I spoke directly to Kane and ignored the hole that his gaze was burning into the side of my head. Kane remained silent for several moments, his arms crossed over his chest as he attempted to formulate a plan and I pleaded with my eyes for him to trust me.
"I'm sorry Indigo, but we can't be certain that this is your ally and I cannot ask you to risk your life." Kane finally declared and I cursed under my breath. "Bellamy, choose your team to accompany her. If it is Azgeda, you are not to engage them, is that clear?" He commanded with a calm air of authority and Bellamy nodded back gratefully. He turned to order the group to prepare for another outing and I remained rooted to the spot, staring at the group as I attempted to think of a way around this plan. As the others spurred into action, Bellamy placed a hand on my arm and I immediately pulled away from him sharply.
"You're ridiculous." I spat as I glared up at him and he seemed shocked by my reaction. Without another word, I turned on my heel and marched to the armoury to prepare for the journey, leaving him alone in the dark.