The hours passed slowly. Bellamy insisted on waiting until there was barely any sun left to go out beyond the fence. Impatient as she felt about their situation, Clarke was inclined to agree with his plan. Leaving sooner increased the risk since they did not know if the natives were lying in wait. They should wait until the last minute, that way the natives might assume the pirates would not return for Craig's body and leave.
She had been sitting on a hard stump beside the bonfire for the past few hours, staring out at the fence. Waiting. She knew Bellamy would try to prevent her from going out with the scouts, but he wouldn't be able stop her no matter how hard he tried. Besides, she knew exactly where the attacked happened, and where Craig's poor body was still lying slumped against a tree. Unless the Grounder's decided to take his too.
"Hey, Clarke," Raven greeted, settling down on the ground next to the princess. Clarke looked over at the mechanic with a smile, glad to see that her friend was still okay. Over the past week, they hadn't seen much of each other since they both had different duties to carry out. From what she'd heard, Raven was one of the main engineers for the wall and most of the defenses.
"Hey Raven," Clarke smiled. The mechanic handed the blonde a handful of nuts to snack on, which she took gratefully. Her stomach growled at the first taste of the salty morsels, reminding Clarke that she hadn't eaten anything that day. She felt grateful for the fact that Raven didn't ask about the attack. Too many of her fellow pirates had approached her with questions she had no desire to answer. Thankfully, the crew got the message after she accidentally screamed at Phillip for probing too far and trying to touch her in an attempt at comfort.
"Thanks. How's the building going?" She asked. Raven groaned and tossed her head back and let out a quiet scream of frustration.
"Not so well then, I take it," Clarke chuckled. Raven over at the princess and sighed.
"Too much is happening. There's too much to do, and not enough of us to do it. Bellamy's got me trying to get our guns working again, since most of the gunpowder was ruined in the wreck. One of many impossible tasks I've been so graciously given," The engineer grumbled.
"Do we even have bullets?" Clarke asked, her curiosity piqued. If the pirates could have working guns, they stood a better chance against the grounders.
"Oh, not you too! I have enough on my plate already," Raven complained. Clarke smiled sympathetically, as Raven begrudgingly relayed the information on the state of their weapons stockpile:
"Basically, all our gunpowder is useless, and unless we can get more or if it rains from the sky, our guns are glorified sticks to hit people with. We managed to get a few cannonballs, but no cannons, from the wreckage, and they're just as useless as our guns without the powder. Plus, the fuses are hard to light after they've been dropped in the ocean. To top it all off, most of the crew's weapons are at the bottom of the sea, since nobody grabbed their swords or knives when they realized they had to abandon ship." Raven stated. Clarke cursed. She knew their supplies were low, but she didn't realize how low. Part of her thought that most of the crew had their swords, but apparently not even that was true.
"Wow, I didn't realize it was that bad," She uttered. Raven nodded, and tossed a handful of nuts into her mouth.
"If only we could get more gunpowder," She whispered to herself. Raven made a noise of agreement, dusting off her pants. Clarke shot up, startling the mechanic, who soon followed suit.
"Clarke, what is it?" She asked. Raven could see the gears whirling in the princess's blue eyes, and said "You have an idea,"
"I do, but it might not even be possible," Clarke responded, quickly pulling her friend in for an embrace before running off to go talk to the captain.
"And I thought I was crazy," Raven mumbled before sauntering off to her tent where piles of damp and useless gunpowder awaited her.
Clarke found Bellamy sitting in their tent, staring at the dirt in front of him. He had a small twig in one hand, and in the dirt, he had drawn what appeared to be their camp and the island chain they were now inhabiting.
"Bellamy, there you are," She said, carefully maneuvering around his haphazard map to sit beside him. Her fingers itched for her art supplies, but there were more important matters at hand.
"What's this?" She asked, grabbing the stick from his fingers to fix some of his map. She was in the middle of adjusting the proportions when he spoke, "I can't figure a way out of this, Clarke."
Her hand stilled and silence filled the tent. Is that what he had been doing all day? Trying to solve their shipwrecked issue all on his own?
"Don't say that. Besides, you've locked yourself away in here, so how can you hope to find a way out of this all on your own," She gazed up at the captain with worry. He wasn't one to give up, which made his current attitude very problematic. The pirate captain sighed, knowing that she was right but too stubborn to admit it. He should be consulting with his lieutenants, but instead he holed up in his tent alone. Part of him was afraid to admit he had no idea what to do. He had no luck in creating a plan to help them escape off this godforsaken patch of sand.
"Without a ship, there isn't a way to get off this island." He said solemnly. Clarke shook her head. She did not want to admit defeat or accept that she would never get off this island, and never fix her family's mistakes.
"How close are we to Arcadia? Or any port?" She asked. Bellamy hummed in thought, then expanded his map with a few quick lines to reveal that they were indeed far away from any real civilization.
"There's a reason we picked this place to drop Murphy and his merry band of mutineers," Bellamy explained. As Clarke stared at the makeshift map, an old memory rose in her mind. A memory of a very similar looking map- but on real paper and drawn to scale with tide and ship patterns.
"Wait a second, is this Port Lauderon?" She asked, pointing to the distant shores of her kingdom. Bellamy nodded, and gave her a curious look. Clarke snatched the stick from his grasp again, and started lightly drawing curved lines from the port across the sea between the islands and the mainland.
"If I remember correctly, these are the routes for the warships. They're pretty strictly followed, and ever since my father died regular patrols of the sea became mandatory." She explained as she sketched. When she was finished, she looked over the looping ship routes and smiled when she saw one that swooped dangerously close to the island chain they currently called home. She marked a point on the map she had drawn and smiled up at the captain, "I can get us off this island chain. If I'm right, I know exactly who captains the ship that patrols this area and he's a good friend of my family."
"Why didn't you say anything before?" He asked in disbelief.
"I didn't know where we were. If I had known that we were headed to Port Lauderon, and if I had seen a map before we crashed, I could have figured it out sooner," She stated. Bellamy nodded in understanding.
"So, who is this Captain of the Navy friend of yours that won't mind rescuing a bunch of rowdy pirates?" He asked. Clarke bit her lip, memories of her childhood friendship resurfacing.
"His name is Wells. Wells Jaha." She said. Recognition bloomed in Bellamy's eyes at the name.
"You mean the son of the current Royal Advisor, the most powerful man in Arcadia?" He asked with incredulity. She winced, but nodded, "He's one of my best friends from my childhood. I trust him to help us."
Bellamy took a deep breath and shook his head. He looked down at the sketch in the dirt, then into Clarke's honest blue eyes. He seemed to find the answer he was searching for in those ocean blue eyes, and nodded.
"I can't believe I'm about to put the safety of my crew in to the hands of a Captain of the Royal Navy," He muttered. Clarke laughed, not believing it entirely herself.
"Me neither, but it looks like we don't have a choice. I just hope the grounders don't kill more of us before we can escape," Clarke said with a frown. Her fingers fiddled nervously with the twig. Bellamy sensed the princess's anxiety, and he slowly leaned over so that their arms pressed together. He felt her muscles stiffen, and then slowly relax.
Clarke was still not used to affectionate body contact, but Bellamy was slowly helping her get through her painful past. She leaned her head against his shoulder, part of her laughing at how even seated he was still a good head taller than her. She felt her mind slow down and her body relax as Bellamy's warmth seeped through her skin. They sat there together in comfortable silence until Miller's voice echoed through the camp. The two leaders lifted their heads towards the noise, then simultaneously stood and rushed out of the tent.
"What's going on?" Bellamy bellowed. Clarke's hand rested on her sword as she followed Bellamy to the gate.
"It's almost dark," Miller said, nodding to the setting sun in the west. Bellamy's jaw clenched, and he looked down at Clarke.
"I'm guessing there's no way in hell I can convince you to stay here?" He asked, to which she smiled and nodded. Bellamy groaned, but turned to face the gathering crew and announced, "I'm going out with a few scouts and Clarke to get our fallen brethren's body so we can put his soul to rest. We will be back before dark, and while I'm gone Miller is in charge. Keep your eyes sharp,"
Clarke saw Miller's annoyance at being ordered to stay put while his captain ventured out into dangerous territory, yet he stayed silent. The princess wondered if one day she would earn that level of trust with someone. As she mused about the future of her kingdom's court, Bellamy picked out about four more scouts to go with them into the forest, and together they drew their swords and exited the safety of the camp.
"Stay close, keep your eyes peeled," Bellamy ordered. He and Clarke made up the head of the group with the rest of their party fanning out behind them in a pyramid. The light from the setting sun glinted off Clarke's sword, the reflection casting eerie shadows as they slowly moved deeper and deeper into the forest. As they trekked through the trees the canopy above them thickened until there was only small spots of light filtering through the thick branches. Despite the adrenaline pumping through her veins and the sickening fear dripping down her spine, the artist in Clarke couldn't help but appreciate the beauty surrounding them.
Soon, the scouting group had reached the ground where Clarke had been so suddenly attacked. Luckily, the natives hadn't taken Craig's body like they did with Jasper. She turned away as the others approached the corpse, each paying their respects before lifting his body to carry back to camp. Bellamy came up behind the princess and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She reached up and gripped his calloused fingers with her own, her thumb absentmindedly stroking his palm. Clarke could not remember when she became so comfortable with the captain, but that didn't mean she wasn't happy about how close the two leaders were becoming.
"Let's head back, quickly. I don't want anyone out past sundown," Bellamy commanded. The princess glanced up at the branches hanging above them, noting how what little light shone through was tinted with the oranges and reds of the setting sun. The pirates nodded, a heavy silence weighing down their voices. They had lost yet another good friend to this island.
Clarke was lost in thought as they headed back. Her mind buzzed with thoughts on their potential rescue, and on her childhood memories. The pirates too, were occupied by their grief and many were realizing that there was a good chance they would die on this island, feeding the dirt with their blood and nourishing the soil with their decaying flesh buried deep in the ground. The mood as they trekked back to their newfound home was grim, to say the least.
Bellamy, trying not to let his worry get the best of him, was focused on the princess walking beside him. Now that he knew her identity, and had finally processed properly that the girl who had spat in his face during their first meeting was actual royalty, he noticed her refined and regal posture. She carried herself as straight and tall as she could, and he could almost see her younger self practicing walking with stacks of books atop her blonde locks. How he hadn't made the connection before was astounding. While her fingers were almost just as calloused as his own, he could tell she had once had skin unmarred by tragedy or hard work.
The pirate Captain found that with each day he learned more about her, the more he felt his feelings deepen. What had started as simple physical attraction had morphed into something more…something with meaning. What, he would never admit, but the pirate knew he was travelling down a path without a light at the end of the tunnel. Despite her violent nature and past, and how easily she adopted a pirate's identity, Clarke was still a princess. Still the future Queen of his country. And even though he knew he was developing deep feelings for her, he knew that she could never reciprocate them. She was destined for greater things than slumming around with a lowly pirate with nothing but shame to his name. His heart, however, held out hope that one day she might love him in return. Even if for only one minute, or one second, it would be worth it. She was worth it. He would follow her to Arcadia, and to her throne because he knew who she was deep in her soul, and she was good. She was what the world needed. She held enough love for her people to mend a little piece of this broken society they lived in.
Clarke, however, was blind to her partner's growing fondness. As Miller welcomed them back into the safety of the camp, her mind was still distracted. The horizon swallowed up the sun, and darkness settled on the small island. Clarke found herself seated on the cold ground in front of one of the many fires littered throughout the camp, her gaze fixed on the dancing flames. She had claimed a spot at the edge of the camp, underneath one of the few trees left within the walls of the camp. She heard most of the survivors gathering for Craig's funeral service, but she stayed rooted to her spot on the ground. She looked up at the night sky, where the stars glittered against inky black without a care in the world. The stars did not care who lived or who died down here on earth. The heavens were far from reach along with the calm they brought. Oh, how Clarke wished she could fly up and join the moon in its twirling dance with the stars around the earth she was stuck on.
The sound of Bellamy's voice cut through her reverie, reminding her of the pain she shared with the rest of the pirates she now called family. She heard his speech praising Craig until his untimely end, but still she remained seated by the fire. She was tired of funerals. She was tired of getting stabbed and cut and attacked. The nick on her leg was a reminder of the danger they all faced, in addition to the light in the small tent where Jasper remained confined to bedrest. Hot molten anger stirred within her. Why did they have to stay in this small meadow and wait for the possibility of rescue, from soldiers that might very well decide to let them die on this wretched island? Clarke wanted to fight. She wanted to show these Grounders what her pirates were capable of. She was reminded of Raven's rant over their lack of supplies.
People started to walk past her with whispers of sorrow and grief, and Clarke focused on the present. She looked over to see Bellamy walking towards her, the other pirates scattering throughout the camp to try and forget their sorrows. Some lifted flasks containing the last of their rum, others went off to sleep off the tragedy. Octavia, along with a few others, was one of the former.
"Hey," Bellamy greeted as he sank down next to her. She smiled at the captain and asked, "how are you doing?"
"The crew is doing okay, grieving but okay. A lot are starting to lose hope for returning to the sea though," He replied. Clarke tucked her idea of fighting the natives back for a later time, instead choosing to focus on the man beside her.
"I asked how you were doing," She said. Bellamy let out a heaving breath and shook his head. Clarke cautiously set her hand atop his and linked her fingers with his. Bellamy's hand shifted below hers and turned so that their fingers were interlocked. Clarke's thumb stroked the back of his hand, and she felt her heart pulse erratically when Bellamy moved so that their shoulders and legs touched. The princess bit the inside of her cheek as a pleasant warmth fluttered across her skin at his proximity.
"I'm not doing so hot," Bellamy finally admitted, keeping his gaze locked on the fire. Clarke hummed in agreement, leaning into his warm body almost unconsciously. She knew in her mind that she had no business letting these feelings of hers develop or affect how she treated the pirate captain, but her heart had other plans. Just this once she indulged her desires. She would give in to her heart's longing only for tonight.
Clarke set her golden head against his shoulder and tucked her nose in the crook of his neck. She felt Bellamy's muscles tense, then slowly relax as the two let their bodies comfort their lamenting hearts. The final vestiges of adrenaline from their eventful day finally trickled out of their bloodstream, and exhaustion took its place.
"We should probably go to bed soon," She mumbled. After another near-death experience, Clarke felt safer and more comfortable with Bellamy than ever. Just having him beside her to lean on was becoming an addictive habit.
"Probably," He whispered. He shifted against the tree at their backs, and Clarke's head fell onto his chest. She grunted, and felt his rumbling chuckle against her cheek. With a small smile, she moved so that she was almost sitting in his lap, her arms wrapping around his torso. Just tonight, she thought, just for now she would indulge her temptations. Bellamy slung one of his arms over her shoulder and pulled her closer. Her tired mind let their behavior slide, since they had basically been sharing a bed for the past week. Together the couple slipped into a peaceful sleep cuddled in each other's arms.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I know, I made some ridiculous promises about frequent updates, but it's hard being a biology major! Anyways, I love seeing reviews and messages for this fic! It gives me the motivation to write more...
If anyone is inclined to draw some art of the last scene...it is definitely encouraged...I'd love to see some fanart for this scene. I loved writing the last half of this chapter tbh.
SO review! Favorite! And I hope this short chapter was good enough for you guys!