Chapter 4

Anya was leading Clarke towards TonDC. The two grounders accompanying them had left them while Clarke was freeing the reapers. The blonde ignored their abandonment since she had already said that they could leave.

Clarke knew one way or other she will have to see Finn again. But the thing she doesn't is that how her reaction would be seeing him again. Ever since she had plunged the knife straight into his heart, she had been thinking about her feelings for him. She had fallen for his charms and his support for her. When Raven came to Earth and Clarke found about his relationship with the other girl, she had been heartbroken just like any normal person would be. It had made her feel that he had sex with her only because he thought that there was no chance of his girlfriend coming on the ground. That image was shattered the very next day.

Sure, he might have said that he loved her but how much was it because of circumstances? One thing she knows that she has moved on from him. Even if she didn't have any feelings for Lexa, Clarke knew that she would not be with him.

Both Clarke and Anya had been walking for a couple of hours and sunlight was waning. Soon the night would come and it would be difficult to travel in forest. Clarke was paying attention to her surroundings for any signs of Finn and Murphy. They were walking in thick coverage of the forest. By a nonverbal agreement, they both decided against walking on the clear path, which Clarke recognized that directly led to TonDC.

She was glad that she was on alert and the three months she had spent in the forest. Those months had sharpened her instincts and it pleased her that they were passed on along with her memories to the past. Because, even though she was lost in her thoughts, she still managed spot someone at a distance moving towards the village.

Since there was rustling of leaves and noise of footsteps, Clarke discounted the possibility of Trikru tracking them. When Clarke glanced at Anya, she noticed that the grounder had tensed. It seemed that the other woman had also detected somebody's presence.

"I thought you said that by removing that thing from my arm, Maunon would not be able to follow us. If this is your plan to lead them to my village then I will kill you." Anya hissed angrily at Clarke.

The blonde simply motioned Anya to lay low and hide behind a tree. They waited for the being to come near. Clarke let out a gasp. She could recognize that brown hair anywhere. It has haunted her for quite a while and probably at times, it still does. She could not look away from him. No matter how much she was expecting to see him, the reality of seeing him was something else. She snapped out of her shock of seeing Finn alive when he and Murphy moving away from them.

"Isn't that your lover?" It appeared that Anya remembered Finn from the time Anya had kidnapped them.

Ignoring the question, Clarke turned towards the other woman and said, "They are not mountain men but stay here. I'll go and talk to them."

Anya looked annoyed at the command and was ready to protest that she did not take orders from the skaigada. However, before she could open her mouth to express her displeasure, Clarke cut her by saying, "They have guns. If they see you with me, they will think that you have captured me again and shoot you." Clarke placed the gun in the back of her pants. She then left their hiding place and ran after the retreating boys.

"Finn stop!" Clarke shouted.

Finn and Murphy were both startled and swiftly turned back at the shout. Both were looking at Clarke in surprise. They had not been expecting to hear from her at all. Clarke could tell that both of their jaws were hanging open slightly. Murphy snapped out of it first and murmured in confusion, "Clarke? How did you escape from the grounders?"

Finn stood still as if he couldn't believe at first but then ran towards Clarke and engulfed her in a tight hug. He was muttering, "I found you." Again and again.

Clarke did not return the hug but stayed still. After a minute, she pushed him back and said, "I am alright. But our people are being kept at Mount Weather." Finn was looking at her in such a desperation that seemed that if he moved his gaze away from her then she would disappear or that she wasn't really there. He had given her a similar expression when she had found him after he had killed those grounders. She doesn't know which expression unsettled her more. Clarke was glad for the distraction when Murphy decided to speak.

"Grounders took you there?" Murphy questioned disbelievingly.

"No. Mountain men did. They even told us that the Ark had fallen but everyone died." Clarke said. She looked at them for to confirm or to deny that.

"They lied to you then. There have been survivors." Murphy seemed to be doing all the talking. However, Finn chose that moment to talk. "Ya Clarke, your mom send us to find you."

Clarke knew that her mother was the chancellor but she needed to know whether Kane had already left for his peacekeeping talks or not. "Jaha allowed that?" Clarke needed to keep a tally of what she was supposed to know at this point of time and what she was not. She almost said Kane earlier before she remembered that she should not have known that Kane was in charge because Jaha stayed in space.

"They said that he stayed in space. Kane is in charge but I can't imagine he would be happy when he finds out though." Murphy snorted. So this either means that Kane has not yet departed from the camp or that he has but after Bellamy and others left to search for the 100. The most likely scenario would be latter than former.

"Listen, I need you both to go back to the camp and tell them to beware of the people in Mount Weather. They have locked hundreds of grounders in cages and our friends are also stuck inside there." Clarke then mentioned in detail the horrors committed in the mountain.

"You are talking as if you will not come with us." Observed Murphy.

"Thats exactly what I am doing." Replied Clarke.

At that, Finn grabbed hold of Clarke by shoulders and looked at her in alarm. "What! Why would you do that?"

"I am going to talk with the grounders to form an alliance with us. To get our friends out of the mountain, we will need their help."

"You are insane." Murphy snarked.

Both the boys could see that there was no way of swaying her from the decision. "I'll not let you go alone. I will come with you." Finn said determinately.

Clarke did not want them, especially Finn, to come with her to TonDC. There is no way she was going to risk that happening. "No! You and Murphy need to go back to our people and warn them about the mountain men." But Finn still looked unconvinced.

So Clarke tried a different approach, "Do you want to fight a war against two fronts? This is our only way to save our friends and I have to do this alone." She tried to persuade them. Their previous attempts at peacemaking on the Unity day were disastrous. Having another trigger-happy reaction would be catastrophic.

"We are wasting time." Anya emerged from the bushes and stood a few steps behind Clarke but facing Finn. This caused both Finn and Murphy to jump and hastily draw guns at her. Clarke let a sigh out in exasperation. She should have known that there was no way Anya would have stayed put. Clarke quickly pushed the gun in Finn's hand downwards and snatched the one from Murphy's hands while they had been distracted.

Murphy exclaimed, "Hey!" when the gun was snatched off from him.

"Relax. She is with me." Clarke was holding Murphy's gun in one hand and discreetly pulled the hidden dart with the other. She stuck the tranquilizer dart into Finn's neck when he was eying Anya wearily. Clarke said remorsefully, "I'm sorry Finn but I can't let you come with me."

The effect of the sedative was fast and Finn lost his consciousness in under a minute. Clarke took the gun from Finn before anyone could realize what was happening. She was thankful that not one bullet had been fired while she had pulled this stunt.

"What the hell Clarke!" Murphy exclaimed.

Clarke looked him and explained, "He wouldn't have gone with you easily. Now take him back to the Ark, Murphy. Make sure that nobody else goes looking for me. I'll come back once I get what I want."

Murphy looked as if he wanted to protest, but one look at Clarke, he kept his mouth shut. He hauled Finn by his shoulders and pulled him near the trees to build a makeshift stretcher. Anya had been silent at the whole exchange.

Clarke turned to leave but Murphy called her back, "Hey wait! At least leave me a gun."

Clarke steadily gazed at him and replied, "Your hands are going to be full taking him back. You don't need it. It may take a while for me to get back. So tell my mother to gather as much Intel as she could on the Mount Weather." With that, she left. Murphy's muttered curses could be heard as he got back to make stretcher for Finn.

Anya looked warily at the guns in Clarke's hands but didn't say anything.

After walking for a while in the direction of Tondc, "You will not be able to get an audience if you insist to bring them with us. In fact, it would get us both killed." Anya stated looking pointedly at the guns, which Clarke was carrying.

Clarke just smirked, "I know that." She was feeling pleased. Happiness seemed to bubble inside her. She had managed to stop Finn from coming with her. She knew he would be angry once he wakes up but without a gun, he would not be able to do that much damage.

Anya looked at her as if she had grown two heads and muttered something that sounded like branwada. Clarke ignored her mutterings. She knew that leaving the guns with those two would be more foolish.

It was dark before they saw the Lincoln statue few meters away. They stopped when they reached it. Both were looking around for any threats.

"I am going inside and will see if I can get you audience. You stay here." Anya said stoically in a detached way. Clarke raised an eyebrow at that. That seemed helpful. Too helpful.

"Alright. But if you are not back in ten minutes then I'll come inside." Replied Clarke. Anya just smirked in return and left her standing there before going inside the village.

Clarke waited for Anya to leave her sight. She then discreetly hid one of the guns, tone generator, and the plastic bag containing the map, sleeping dart gun, and radio near the Lincoln statue while keeping a watch for Anya or any other grounder to turn up.

Lincoln had been walking for a while since he parted ways with Clarke and Anya. Nevertheless, he reached the ship the 100 had landed in from the sky just as the sun was setting. The place was deserted. He searched the area for any clue where Octavia or any other skaikru would be. But there was nothing.

He was leaving the area when he saw an unusual contraption flying in the sky. Lincoln assumed that contraption belonged to skaikru because he had never seen them used by his clan or Maunon for that matter. He decided to move in the direction it came from. He was cautious though as he remembered the warning Clarke had given.

After a while, someone brought the device down. Still he moved roughly in that direction. Lincoln found that he was right in his assumption when he reached the place where the device came from. The device belonged to skaikru.

Lincoln was standing at a distance away from the camp. It was already dark out. He decided to scout the area around the camp before approaching anybody. As he moved a bit near, a shot rang out.