Hey! Here's chapter 6! Let me know what you think by leaving a review at the end of the chapter!
Disclaimer: Still don't own The 100!
Redemption
Chapter Six
It took a few days, but slowly, Arkadia had fallen back into a routine. Of course, there were a few changes. Abby had become slightly more relaxed about people leaving camp. She would send small groups each day for hunting. It usually consisted of people from the original 100, accompanied by a few guards and, usually, Octavia.
That particular day, Bellamy and Clarke stood at the wall, waiting for the rest of the day's hunting party.
"You sure you wanna go?" Bellamy asked, worry clear in his features.
"Yes, Bellamy," Clarke answered, pushing her bag up higher on her shoulder.
The two fell into a comfortable silence, watching the camp for the rest of their group. Soon enough, Octavia came sauntering down the path. Her brown locks were braided intricately away from her face and black paint was smeared around her blue eyes.
"You ready?" she chirped, strapping blades to her clothes.
"Yeah. Where to today, O?" Bellamy asked as the rest of the group gathered.
"Down to the border of Ice Nation. Lincoln says there's usually a lot of animals in the woods there," Octavia explained.
Clarke, who had been rummaging through her bag, snapped up to look at the brunette.
"Ice Nation?" the blonde asked.
"Problem?" one of the men from the guard asked.
"No," Clarke glared at him, putting up her strong front. "But we should be careful."
The guard didn't even seem to bat an eyelash at Clarke, pushing the group down the path. The blonde walked on, head held high, gun on her hip and pack bouncing familiarly against her back. Bellamy was beside her, silent as he periodically flicked his brown orbs to check on the girl to his right.
"What's wrong with Ice Nation?" he asked suddenly.
Clarke heaved a sigh.
"The Grounder, he said he was to deliver me to the Ice Queen. He said that the Ice Queen wants to power of Wanheda," Clarke explained.
"Don't worry," Bellamy assured her. "You're not going anywhere."
Clarke was silent, unsure of how to respond.
They walked on, twisting around towering trees and skipping over rocks and roots until Octavia, who had been leading the group, stopped.
"Octavia, what are you doing?" Bellamy asked.
"Nothing. I'm trying to listen."
"Listen for what?"
"Shut up for a second and maybe you'll find out," she snapped.
Bellamy's eyebrows shot up to his hairline, but he said nothing. There was nothing. There was nothing but the light whistle of the wind to fill the silence as the group watched Octavia. She was still, blue orbs scanning the trees for a moment. Clarke tried to listen, to figure out what the brunette was searching for. She could only hear the wind and the faint sound of water. Nothing unordinary.
Suddenly, Octavia pointed to her left.
"This way," she instructed.
The group started off in the direction Octavia ordered wordlessly; Bellamy looked around before turning to his sister.
"Where are we going?" he demanded.
Clarke's blue orbs flickered between the siblings.
"Where there is water, there are animals," Octavia responded before dashing forward to catch up with the group.
Bellamy seemed shocked at his sister's attitude, but followed her none the less, falling into step beside Clarke.
"She had a point," Clarke commented.
Bellamy hummed half heartedly in agreement.
The two walked in silence, keeping eyes on the trees, watching for any kind of disturbance as they neared the border to Ice Nation. Clarke kept jumping at the slightest noises, whipping her body around, hand resting on the handle of the gun. Bellamy would chuckle and assure the jumpy blonde that, even if they were going to be attacked, the Grounders wouldn't make any noise.
"Such a reassurance," Clarke grumbled.
By noon they had finally made it to the water, where they crouched in some bushes and waited.
"How long is this going to take?" one of the guards muttered.
Octavia shushed him before pointing out a large, relatively normal looking, deer.
Slowly and silently, Octavia pulled a knife from her belt, never taking her pale blue eyes off of the animal. With a flick of her wrist, almost too quickly for Clarke to see, the blade sailed from Octavia's fingers. Before the weapon sunk into the deer, the animal feel to the ground; an arrow, complete with white feathers, protruding from it's hide.
"We're not alone," Clarke whispered, blue eyes scanning the other side of the woods.
"What do we do?" one of the guards was shivering.
Clarke snapped her head around to glare at the inconsiderate man.
"Shut up," she hissed, blue eyes cold and narror.
The guard locked eyes with the teenager, challenging her. The blonde held her gaze, eyes boring into the guard as anger rolled off of her in waves. Bellamy hesitantly placed his hand on the girl's shoulder, trying to pull her attention from the guard.
There was a deafening silence, the group's eyes flashing between the staredown and the motionless deer. Octavia broke the silence with a huff, pushing herself from her crouched position; through the brush and ontk the rocky stretch of beach.
"Octavia!" Clarke hissed, eyes wide in fear.
"It's fine," Octavia turned to look at the blonde.
With her back turned, she didn't see the arrow into it was embedded in the brunette's shoulder, just shy of hitting anything too critial.
"Octavia!" Bellamy cried as she girl dropped to her knees, agony streaking aross her painted face.
Like flicking a switch, all hell broke loose. Arrows flew through the sky as Grounders, faces coated in white paint, charged through the trees, war cries on their lips. The girls retaliated, gunfire filling the air.
Clarke worked on autopilot, slipping the gun from the waistband of her worn jeans, standing in the midst of weapons and fired a single bullet. It sliced through the air, mingling in with the other bullets before finding it's mark. The large Grounder's hand fell to his chest, feeling the blood seeping from the wound before collapsing.
The rest froze, weapons fell from their hands as they caught sight of Clarke. They were silent for a moment before beginning to yell, frantically sprinting away into the trees. Clarke watched them flee, baby blues narrowed in confusion.
Her concern was short lived as Bellamy broke through the tree line, falling to his knees beside his writhing sister in the pebbles.
"Bell?" Octavia groaned.
"Shh, you're gonna be okay, O," he muttered.
Clarke was beside the siblings in a flash, taking inventory of the brunette's injuries. The blonde was careful not the touch the arrow protruding from the girl's shoulder. After a moment, she looked up at Bellamy.
"We need to get her back to camp," Clarke ordered.
Bellamy looked over his shoulder at the rest of the hunting party, nodding for them to come closer.
He looked at the two guards before saying, "You so much as make her wince, and you'll answer to me."
Between dragging the deer and cradling Octavia, it took the group almost twice as long to return to Arkadia. As soon as they crossed the threshold of the camp, they were met with Abby and Marcus's worried faces.
"What happened?" Abby asked, taking in the injured girl and the single animal.
"Ice Nation," Clarke said quickly. "I'll explain later."
"Get her to medical, now," Abby barked.
The girl groaned as the two guards started walking again. Bellamy shot them a warning glare.
"Octavia?!"
Clarke spun to see Lincoln tearing across the grass.
"Lincoln, stop," Clarke ordered before he could reach the injured girl as she disappeared inside the metal structure.
"What happened to her?"
"We were on a hunting trip by the water, and Ice Nation, well, a few warriors, they attacked. Octavia got hit with an arrow," Clarke explained.
"Why isn't anyone else injured?" Lincoln demanded.
"I shot one of them, and then... they just... ran."
Lincoln didn't respond as he craned his neck, trying to get a look through the covered doorway.
"Why would they do that?" Clarke asked suddenly.
Lincoln sighed.
"They fear you."
"Why?"
"For the same reason the Ice Queen wants to kill you. People believe that, after what happened on the mountain, that you command death."
Clarke nodded somberly before turning on her heel and marching into the medical bay.