Octavia had never felt more isolated despite being in a throng of people. They crowded around Lincoln, wave after wave of them greeting him and his mother, welcoming them back to the village. Nobody seemed to notice his new bride, standing awkwardly off to the side, unsure of what to do. Two men were shoved out of the crowd, one of them bumping into Octavia. Octavia fell flat on her but and the one that had knocked into her looked at her with fear and stammers out, he and his friend interrupting eachother

"So, so sorry we were just" "And then I don't know what happened" "Pushed out" "Fell into you" "Again so sorry."

They kept stammering out apologies. Both of them were skinny and gangly with unruly hair. They stood apart from the rest of the villagers in looks, while others were covered in tattoos and scars, these two had none and instead looked like, well, nerds. Octavia finally took pity on them.

"It's ok, really. What are your names? Mine is Octavia."

They perked up instantly.

"Well, I'm Jasper and this is Monty, and you must be Lincoln's new wife.'

She took a step back.

"I was not aware that anyone knew my name."

They laughed in embarrassment and Jasper rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, we didn't, we just kind of figured that you were the only person we didn't know so you must be his new wife. You are, right? Cause this might be embarrassing otherwise."

She smiled. They were kind of funny, in a dorky way. As people meandered off back to their normal business she realized she no longer saw Lincoln, Luna, or any of the other delegates. She panicked for a brief moment before she realized that this would mean she would get to explore the village unhindered.

She walked over to Jasper and Monty and linked arms with them.

"Well I guess my escorts left me, so that leaves you two. Why don't you show me around?"

Arm in arm they walked around the edge of the village and as Jasper and Monty told her the history of each of the ruins they came across, she marveled at them. These structures were amazing, even while falling apart. They had no ruins like this back at her village, they were all destroyed in the Cataclysm. Soon they reached a sandy beach, slightly off the path on the way back to the village. Octavia quickly pulled them along to the beach. Shucking of her clothes, she was left in her bra and underwear. She waded into the water. As she looked over her shoulder at them she realized they looked a little uneasy.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea." Monty shouted.

"Oh come on- I've never been swimming in the ocean before, now seems like the perfect time to do it."

She begged with them.

"Please?"

Jasper quickly succumbed to her puppy dog eyes but Monty still looked hesitant.

She floated on her back in the water, letting the waves sooth her troubled soul.

She felt something against her leg and suddenly Jasper was there, getting her out of the water.

They collapsed on the beach and Monty quickly ran over to them. She felt a stinging pain in her leg and looking down she saw red. Her leg was bleeding. Jasper cursed.

"Shit- we have to get this bandaged. Sorry, but I think it's time we take you back to Lincoln."

Octavia was too tired to argue. Her head nodded slowly and her limbs felt numb. Why was she so tired all of a sudden?

Monty ran to get her clothes and they helped her put them back on. Slowly with Monty and Jasper holding her up, they limped back into town. They quickly reached the main hut and Jasper kicked open the door. Lincoln had been pacing inside restlessly and looked up when they barged in. He narrowed his sight on Octavia and ran over to help them with her.

"Where was she? We've been looking all over for her."

He looked down at her leg and noticed the blood seeping through her pants and looked back up at them. He could barely hold in his anger and spat his words out at Jasper and Monty.

"What. happened. to. her."

The last thing Octavia heard was Jasper and Monty stammering out apologies as she collapsed into the safety of Lincoln's arms.