CHAPTER 3: THE UNDERTAKING

Monty:

I feel the sun burning into my back, I feel the sweat pouring out of me, on my face, my arms, everywhere. The trees of the forest cutting into me as we walk and walk and walk.

"How much further?" I whined, bringing my arms into view to exam them, and pouting at the small cuts that covered them. "Not much further. We just have to make it past these trees up here." Bellamy stated as he pointed to a group of tall bushy trees. "would the ark still be standing?" Raven asked, "I wouldn't be surprised." I heard Murphy mutter from behind me, "even though we have planned so much, a lot of things still seem unclear to me. Foggy, or blurry. Sure we can stay at the ark, but what if we can't?, sure we can find a river of non polluted water, but what if we can't? What if there's no food, no way for us to survive. What then? We just roll over and do nothing?" I asked, I couldn't stop the worry from forming an edge in my voice, but I had to get it out. If I hadn't it felt as if I would have gone insane.

"there's nothing we can do until we know for sure, Monty. What matters right now is finding the others, if Arkadia isn't safe than we'lł just have to find something, or somewhere else. Keep in mind we can always build a base, just like we did when we first landed here." Bellamy took a breath to continue but I cut him off quickly, "we built that camp for one hundred people, down in that bunker there are much, much more than a hundred." Bellamy thought for a second, than said "I know. But we have to try, don't we? Like you said, we can't just roll over and do nothing, Monty."

"Bellamy is right, but I also get were you are coming from Monty. You are not going unheard." Raven stated, she had a sad note in her voice, full of hurt, and sympthany.

Than at that moment there was a loud screeching scream of steel as a gate opened by murphy's hand, Emori looked from standing by Murphy's side and said, "welcome to camp Jaha."

Murphy:

Could my life get any better? I walk in side by side with Emori. Harper, Echo, Monty, and Bellamy are all following behind us, this is the last thing I want to be doing, Walking back to the places i once lived, only to relive the memories that they hold. Great...

But I must admit, in a way, I'm happy. I have a beautiful and kind woman by my side, and friends all around me. We may have been 'enemies' once upon a time, and even though we're not very close now, we are closer than what we once were. Being stuck alone together for a year on a small space ship will do that to you.

"Bellamy, take a look at this." I wave him over as I squat down beside a piece of stale and rotten bread. Once I hear him pull up beside me I state, "they wouldn't leave food lying around like this." "You're right." Bellamy agreed, "they'd gotten rid of anything that could harm or kill people, especially something like this were a little kid could mistake it for good food." I snorted after he finished his little 'speech' he could have stuck with the 'you're right' I don't need a whole monologue. "I know Bellamy, you don't have to give me a step by step of the things that I already know. So please, save me of your 'speeches.'" Bellamy rolled his eyes clenching his jaw and fisting his hands, whoops. He walked off towards the others not saying another word, why can't I stop with this attitude? I guess so many years of getting into it is going to take some time to get out of.

"There's nothing here, let's go!" Bellamy shouted to everyone, Monty was the first one to follow Bellamy's order, than, Harper, Echo, and Emori. "Murphy! Come on!" Emori shouted from the steel gate her hand at the ready to pull it shut, I stood staring at the broken ark that we once called home. Ha, what a broken home. "I'm coming!" I called back and started to go over, once I got there I gave Emori a quick kiss, pulled her into my side and together we walked at the back of the pack, I heard Monty slam the gate closed and Echo mutter, "finally, we didn't have all day." Straight after that Harper asks to no one in particular, "where are we going now?" I kept my gaze on the road ahead, I didn't even glance in her direction, but still, before anyone else even had the chance to I answered with a steady and clear voice, "the dropship's camp. Our original home."

Harper:

Oh man, my legs are sore, so sore, but I will not complain. I'm a soldier after all. My gaze flickered between Raven walking by herself, Murphy and Emori holding hands in the middle, Bellamy ahead, leading the pack. Echo behind, covering our backs, and finally rested on Monty, standing by my side so close our hips bump, his left arm around my shoulder and holding my left hand. His right hand rests near his gun, mine rests at my side. I don't believe that we are in any danger of being attacked by anything, we do have an alliance with the grounders and with everything else being dead I don't see anything to worry about, but knowing us and the earth, something will come up. Just... Not now. "Monty. You can rest, we're safe now." I whispered, "we don't know that, the grounders could be up in the trees. Or a panther could come from behind." Monty whispered back, I sighed "Monty, there are probably no animals left, and if there are they'll be toxic wouldn't they? And we have an alliance with the grounders, remember?" He shook his head at my words, "when we first came down they attacked us through the trees, they could think we are something or someone else and accidentally kill us." "Oh, Monty..-" "and as for the animals, some survived last time, why wouldn't they this time." Monty whispered frustratedly, I my unhooked my right hand from Monty and firmly placed them both on his chest, I kissed him on the forehead and whispered. "Because this time is different Monty. And I know, trust me I know that you want to protect me but we've got a group of people with us who are all doing the same thing, so please, think of yourself, if only for a minute." Monty smiled and chuckled softly, "I don't think that's how it works." He said, no longer whispering, "what?" I asked confused, "the whole animals being toxic if they survive, I don't think that's how it works." Monty smiled, "hey, lovebirds! Hurry up!" Murphy shouted, we both laughed happily and his arm went back around my shoulder, my left hands fingers slowly intertwining with his once more.

Emori:

"How much longer do we have to go?" I whined, "the journey to the dropship still has another days worth of walking before we get there." Bellamy stated, "maybe we should look for a cave then? Get some rest?" Raven suggested, even I could hear the hope in her voice. "That sounds nice" Harper said sighing, after a moments hesitation we all agreed to stay the night in a cave, after what seemed like an hour of searching we finally found it.

The day had darkened and there is very little light left, we are crawling into the cave hoping it welcomes us warmly, to heat us up from the freezing cold that will await us in the morning once we leave.

"This place looks cosy, right murphy?" I asked sarcastically trying to lighten our now gloomy moods.

"Yeah." murphy chuckled "what do you think Bellamy?" Murphy asked sarcastically.

But Bellamy wasn't answering, I turn around thinking maybe he didn't follow, but than I saw him. His expression Is blank but if you look close enough you can see something else. It's written in his eyes, longing, but not only that, love and worry aswell. If you could manage to show them all in one expression, than Bellamy did it well.

Raven walked up to him, and waved her hand in front of his eyes, "Bellamy?" Raven asked softly.

Bellamy:

I crawl into the cave my sword drawn, my eyes are darting around frantically as my fear builds up inside me, than my gaze lands near the bottom of a beam, I see hands, ones that are tied together with wire.

My heart skips a beat and all I can think is... Please be alive Clarke, please be alive.

Once I reach her I make immediate eye contact with her, the relief floods me and my hand moves on its own to brush hair from her face. She mummers something but the cloth is in the way, I pull it down and am greeted with three words. Three words that made me think of all the things I didn't consider before entering the cave. "Bellamy, watch out!" I am immediately taken down to the ground, tackled by a grounder.

I look to find that a dagger is pressed against my chest. My heads dizzy from hitting the concrete but I can still hear Clarke's words. "Please, just let him go. I won't struggle anymore, I'll stop fighting, just please... Don't hurt him." The grounder releases his pressure on my chest but just as quickly as he was on me I feel the dagger in his hand cut into my skin. As I let out sounds and cries of pain I see through blurry vision, the grounder taking Clarke away. Again.

"Bellamy!" Echo's voice cuts through to me, as I slowly come through from the vision. "What?" I ask feeling slightly lightheaded. I feel someone smack me on the shoulder and turn quickly to see Raven with tears stirring in her eyes. "You had us all worried." She admits, I can hear the anger in her voice but I can hear the relief too. "Why?" She asks quietly, "What's up with you?" I turn to look murphy in the eyes after he asked his question. I look around quickly to see that everyone, Raven, Monty, Harper, Echo, Emori, and even Murphy all have worry in their eyes. "It's just that I... I've been here before. And for me it holds a memory, That's all." I replied looking at the wall to the far left. "What do you mean you've been here before?" Monty asked confused. "I don't remember ever coming here with you." He stated.

"that's because I came here on my own!" I shouted, finally snapping. Everyone quietened as we listened to my words echo around the cave, I started to explain, "remember when we found out Clarke had been kidnapped but we had to wait for the grounders to leave for it to be safe, Monty? But I didn't want to wait..." "Yeah, I do." Monty replied cautiously with a deep breath, the conversation immediately upsetting at the sound of Clarke's name.

"well I dressed up as a grounder and crossed the field. I followed their tracks and came across this cave, I found her here and.. He got away, and he-he took Clarke with him." I sighed breathing heavily as I watched everyone's eyes go sad as they filled with understanding. The only sound now audible was the sounds of our breathing and the occasional gusts of wind.

Echo:

I'm sitting on the floor of the rock hard cave watching intently as the fire flickers and burns the wood that Monty had gathered earlier. We've all done everything wordlessly since Bellamy told his story. I guess it hit everyone, but it didn't really hit me. Sure, I knew Clarke. And I knew Bellamy's sister too. Hell, I tried to kill them both. And from the look in Bellamy's eyes when he makes eye contact with me he hasn't forgiven. And he definitely hasn't forgotten. But the point is.. I didn't know them. They weren't my friends. They weren't my family. But for some reason, one that I don't even know why, I get sad whenever their names are spoken. I have this-this feeling wash over me. It's sickening. Guilt? Is this what guilt feels like?

"So..." Monty breathes.

"How long are we planning on staying here?" Raven asks looking around, waiting for her answer.

"Until sunrise." Bellamy speaks. "When the sun comes up we grab our stuff and go. So we should all get some sleep while we can." There was a moments hesitation than Bellamy got up and said "I'll be on watch first." Than he stored out of the cave before anyone can even think of an argument against him. "What's wrong with him?" Murphy muttered, "he's not taking it too well as to being in here, is he?" I asked. Harper looked at me with a sad look in her eyes and shook her head slightly.

"Should someone go check on him?" Emori asked.

"Nah." Murphy sighed, waving a hand at us, "Murphy.." Raven started. "No, Raven. Trust me right now Bellamy just needs to be alone. Wether you like it or not you have to realise that constantly checking on him isn't always the best thing for him! Sometimes people just need to be alone and handle things one their own." Murphy stated, "but.. Clarke helped him. Every time." Raven sighed,

"Clarke was different." Monty replied, "She could help Bellamy in a way that none of us can, or ever will. He loved her. And...she loved him." Monty stated, "if you're trying to replace Clarke it's not going to work Raven." Murphy muttered, "I-I'm not.." Raven hesitated, and I could only guess that she was thinking about everything she's done since we've left the ground.

The next look on her face made me think that in all the searching she didn't find one thing that proves her right. "Alright everyone, let's get some sleep." Harper muttered. "We have a long day tomorrow and no time for all this." Harper took a deep breath an than sat down, deciding she needs to say no more.