Not a lot in this chapter just some introductions.
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin or Divergent
Gwaine looked up at the sky from the roof of the amity station house that the dauntless guarding the cargo were routinely placed. Normally, they'd be on their way back to the Dauntless Faction by now but with the fire from Erudite, the train had been delayed so that those who had been treated at Amity could return to the Dauntless facility with them.
Gwaine chewed on a stalk of sweet grass as he thought about the fire. Growing up in Erudite has left him with a keen knowledge of all the safe guards placed in Erudite testing facilities. Most normal places were equipped to deal with fire in the event that the electronic grid had a sudden failure. As far as Gwaine was concerned, that fire shouldn't have happened.
Of course, it was possible. Safeguards couldn't cover everything sometimes, no matter how cleverly designed they'd been. Which then left the question, what it was that Erudite had been testing that was big enough to get out of hand?
Gwaine rubbed his thumb over the wrist band on his left hand as that covered the Dauntless symbol tattooed there. He didn't like the existence of the fire, not with the veiled whispers from his friends among the factionless. He didn't like it one bit.
It was a chilly morning and Lancelot pulled his gray over shirt more tightly closed over him as he hurried with the rest of his group through the streets of the city.
The screens around the city were calmly announcing the latest news on the fire that had occurred yesterday. Two of the dauntless rescuers had died and there were over fifty causalities, the worst with second degree burns.
The fire was determined to have been an electrical fire which had innocuously enough started in the broom cupboard of the sixth floor. Unfortunately, the cleaning liquids left in said broom cupboard had escalated the fire, the fuel load allowing the fire to get out of hand.
Lancelot was thankful that there had been only two fatalities and that those rescued hadn't been badly injured. He could see on the faces of the rest of his Abnegation brethren that they too were relived if saddened by the death of the rescuers.
In a few moments more, his group reached their destination, one of the spots where the factionless gathered and lived. They quickly set up a small station area where they unloaded all the food. The factionless came towards them, used by now to the routine. Lancelot however picked up several packages of food and carried them to the older persons there so they wouldn't have to get up. The day was cold to him, he didn't want to know how it would feel to someone in their sixties and stick thin.
Most of the persons accepted the food with murmured thanks but one old man stopped him.
"There was a fire?"
"Yes," he said, "In Erudite."
"Any dead?"
"Two of the dauntless who went into rescue."
"Good!" the old man spat.
Lancelot was startled and the old man saw it. "It was Dauntless I was chosen for. And it was Dauntless that made me factionless. I'm glad if they're dead! I don't care a damn about them."
"They saved lives," Lancelot reminded him gently.
"Fat lot it does me," he said, "They save lives but kick others out to starve. What's the justice in that?" He made a waving motion and Lancelot moved away, troubled by the encounter.
Dauntless funerals were not solemn things. One of their leaders, Arthur's father, Uther, made a speech about the bravery of their two fallen and then drinking commences. Merlin sips from a bottle but really, he doesn't care to drink. He talks when he's drunk and he has far too many secrets to keep hidden.
Besides, all the drinking and laughter doesn't cover the heaviness of death. Death is sadly commonplace in Dauntless but that doesn't make it easier, in fact it makes it worse. It just gets more bitter. They're the most courageous of people but doesn't mean they like death. But courage means living when the dead go on. It's pride that makes them pretend like it's nothing. But Merlin doesn't grudge them this bit of pride. It's the only shield they have against the loss.
Tori isn't drinking. She's sipping peppermint tea. Merlin wishes he could too but his membership is too new.
"Hiding away in here Magic?" Arthur's voice is sarcastic as it always it when he uses Merlin's nickname.
"I'm leaning against the wall, Arthur. That hardly constitutes as hiding," Merlin says, taking another sip of his beer.
Arthur leans against the wall next to him, sipping from a bottle as well. Merlin raises an eyebrow when he notices that it's root beer.
"Not one for drinking?" he asks.
"Not today," says Arthur. "Someone has to keep sober to ensure we don't have any more funerals anytime soon. I don't know what's brave about tripping and falling into the chasm when drunk and I'm willing to bet my father doesn't either. Which means, he'll give the speeches to me."
"So…you're hiding from work by doing work?" Merlin asks.
Arthur pauses and then says, "Shut up Magic."
"Sure Sire," Merlin says, "Conversation with you rots my brain."
"Are you insulting one of your leaders?" Arthur says ominously.
"Just stating facts Sire," Merlin adds cheekily and gets a face full of root beer.
"How's that fact?" Arthur says conversationally.
"I forgot from training, how much you like to throw things," Merlin coughs out. He pulls off his black neck kerchief and wipes his face and then stuffs it into his pocket in disgust.
"How's the tattoo coming along?"
"Healing," says Arthur shortly, his eyes roaming the crowd. After a moment he stiffens, shoves the empty bottle at Merlin and takes off in the direction of the chasm. Merlin sighs and looks around for a bin to dump the bottle while Arthur saves an idiot from falling in.
"Gwen?" calls Elyan, "Do we have anymore bandaids?"
"In the second cupboard in the bathroom," Gwen calls back.
Elyan fetches the bandaids but Gwen comes in and says, "Careful Eylan, that's all we've got left. If we take anymore, people will notice."
"I'm only taking half," he says, "Better not get cut at all for the rest of the month eh?"
Gwen laughs but sobers quickly, "And be careful out there. They can be dangerous."
"I know," Elyan says. "But they think I'm only Amity."
"Dauntless courage doesn't substitute for Dauntless training," Gwen whispers, "Be careful. You're all I've got left."
"I will be," Elyan told her. He kissed her on the forehead and then left the house, taking a roundabout path to his workgroup.
He passed through several orchards when the two men appeared from around trees.
"You have 'em?" one demanded.
"Not so much this time," Elyan admits, "Or they'll notice. But I thought you'd prefer less on a continuous basis rather than have this route cut off."
The other factionless man grunted but held out his hand for the bandaids. Elyan dropped them into his hand and then watched as they disappeared back into the trees. Then he set off running in the direction of his work group.
He slowed before he reached them and got his breathing under control and then strolled out and hopped onto the transport truck.
"I thought you weren't coming today Elyan!" One of his friends called out.
"Gwen made breakfast. A man can miss that much good food!" Elyan said setting off a round of laughter. A few moments later the truck started up, carrying Elyan off to his shift in the fields.
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