If anyone told you that getting almost fourteen people up at the crack of dawn, getting supplies that is basically nonexistent, and getting permission from the council for a mid-winter mission was easy, they would be lying. But still, Bellamy managed to do it, which Alcon thought was impressive.
Alcon had followed the young man he knew so much about all night and day, which slightly intimidated Bellamy. Alcon knew almost everything about Bellamy, but Bellamy only knew that Clarke trusted him. For a while that had been enough, but having a 6'11 giant hovering over you was slightly frightening. Alcon must tower over Clarke's 5'7 frame.
"Are all of you this tall?" Bellamy asked.
"Ummm...yeah. I guess my clan is pretty tall. It pisses Clarke off. She always asks how the air is up here or if we can see the ocean.
"We can put the extra supplies on the other horse you have."
"Oh no," Alcon said, "We can all help carry it, but Clarke said the mule had a special purpose for the way back."
"And what's that?" Bellamy asked.
In reply, Alcon went over to Raven, picked her up and set her on the horse.
"Well," Raven said, "It's easier than Wick carrying me the whole way."
"Yes it is," Bellamy said, handing her up a big bag of supplies.
Alcon got up on the horse beside her, "We good? Everyone ready?"
"Yeah. Everyone take a bag of supplies on the way out."
"Bellamy!" Someone yelled, and he turned around to see Chancellor Griffin and Kane coming towards him.
The Chancellor came towards him and enveloped him in a hug he knew wasn't meant for him, "Tell her to come home. Tell her everything is okay."
Kane clapped him on the back, not saying a thing, and Bellamy wondered how many signs of affection he would get that weren't meant for him.
Raven and Alcon rode silently together with Octavia, who obviously didn't trust the Grounder, in between them.
Without Clarke, the two girls had become very close, taking from each other the comfort that Clarke used to give. Octavia putting herself in between the brunette and the Grounder showed that their relationship had grown. It made both sides of the Octavia Wall smile.
"Well. It's a long way away, so if we aren't going to talk to each other this is going to be a terrible ride."
The girls looked up at him and he continued, "The way Clarke talked about you two, you would have thought you two always had something to say."
"How much did she actually say about us?" Raven asked.
Alcon smiled, "About as much as she talked about the rest of you. She loves you all. It breaks her heart knowing that you might hate her. She has nightmares about it actually."
"Nightmares? About us?" Octavia asked.
"You all are and always will be her world. She might have expanded it to us, but you are still, very much, a part of her."
Everyone was quiet for a moment before Octavia shook her head, "That doesn't excuse her actions or her leaving."
Alcon swung his horse into the middle of the road, making Raven pull on the reins and everyone stop behind them. He glared down at the girl before him, "She did what she did to keep your brother safe, and then to keep you safe. You owe her the lives of both you and your brother. Then she left because she couldn't handle everything and they blamed her for everything. You blamed her for everything. She accepted that blame and now you are criticizing her for leaving the people that are blaming her."
Everyone was silent, but Octavia didn't shrink away.
Alcon had done something that Clarke would not have done. Openly trying to shame Octavia was dangerous, because it was sure to piss her off and make her stronger in her opinion.
"She loves you, but staying with you after what she did to protect you she would have killed herself."
Octavia took a step back, shocked at the Grounder's proclamation, and shocked at the confidence that he had made it with. For a second, she saw a flicker of herself in him.
Clarke had drawn someone who was just like the person who hated her the most closer to her. Octavia wondered what that meant for Clarke. Briefly, she even wondered if what Alcon was saying was true.
She looked up at him, the same look of protective determination that she knew was plastered on her face when someone threatened Bellamy played on Alcon's face, "Make sure you don't talk like that in front of her. If you do and she suffers for it, you will have a whole clan of people at your doorstep."
Octavia looked like she wanted to say something, but a hand fell on her shoulder, stopping her.
"She won't say anything," Bellamy said, and after a moment of silence Alcon went on. Octavia's brother turned towards her, "Be careful, okay? Clarke seems...indestructible now. Watch what you say."
"Well, you know me. Opinionated Octavia, here."
"Until we figure out just how much power Clarke has over these people keep a down low."
"You think Clarke would order my murder?"
"I don't think she would have to."