Ai Hod Yu In
Chapter 9
AN: Hey guys. I'm finally back with another update. This one is really short. Sorry about that. I've really been struggling to write it. I'm gonna try and get them out faster, but the outline I do have has disappeared so I'm kind of winging it here.
Clarke woke up with a gasp. Turning to her side, she saw Niylah lying fast asleep. She looked peaceful. Meanwhile, Clarke knew she herself was a mess. She couldn't actually remember the last time she'd bathed. She'd found that the dirt and grime separated her even more from the old Clarke, the one who had always had to act perfect.
Clarke knew Madi would begin to fuss soon, and supposed it would be best that they be long gone before the little girl demanded her next meal. Clarke had never before felt so grateful that she had been a medical intern on the Ark than when she first had to feed Madi without Nala by her side. There had been some women who simply couldn't breastfeed, and Clarke had always been there when they stimulated the breasts to produce milk.
"Come, little one," she whispered to Madi as she started to gather their things. She was hoping to get through another mile or so before she actually had to nurse the baby. She was trying to speed up their journey as much as possible. It was dangerous in the forest. The incident with the panther had only proven that.
Finally, the baby and everything else were finally packed up. Clarke barely spared the sleeping form of Niylah a glance before she started to the door. The air was soothing on her skin, and she took a moment to savor the feeling. Madi slept on in her homemade sling, completely oblivious as always to the dangers they were constantly facing. If Clarke herself were caught by the bounty hunters earlier, her life would not be the only one lost. She had to make it back to Arkadia safely for Madi. She had to get back safely for her child.
Gustus would have been so excited to be going to Arkadia, Clarke realized. He had always wanted to find new things to draw. He'd even asked her where she was from a few times, and she had answered as best as she could. Still, the little boy had already had so many secrets he had to hide. She hadn't wanted to burden him with any more than she had to. She'd told him about her first home on the ground with as many safe details as possible, and he'd loved her descriptions of the land surrounding the dropship. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she remembered that she would never be able to take him to see that land that had meant so much to her.
"It's time to get as far away from here as possible, darling. Still, your Nomon will protect you." It still felt weird to call herself this child's mother. She was only doing it so often as it was so that she would not hesitate when it was finally time for her to rejoin society and she would have to convince them that this child was hers by blood.
Clarke finally began to walk away from the trading post. She had only gotten a few steps when she felt an arm pull her. She felt something sharp press against her throat, and a pit of dread filled her. She could not see who was holding her, but she knew it had to be one of the bounty hunters from earlier. Perhaps she would have a chance if it was just the one. Perhaps he had ditched his friends in the hopes of keeping the reward for himself.
"Hello, Wanheda," a gravelly voice growled in her ear, and Clarke closed her eyes for a second. She was really and truly screwed. She had to get them out of this somehow.
