Sorry this has taken so long! I'm trying to incorporate some of the new season into this story along with my own ideas. I hope it reads well.
Clarke needs to focus. The mission they're on has to be executed perfectly or all hell will break loose and she doesn't need to add more people to her death count. But Bellamy stands beside her and she can feel his gaze like a burn on her skin. Without looking at him, she can tell that his has his gun raised, ready to protect her at a moment's notice. And even though they're walking into hostile and unknown territory, Clarke can't help but feel safe.
"I can see the entrance," Bellamy tells her, motioning to a breach in the forest's foliage. Clarke assesses it for a moment, glancing around with the expectation that there will be guards protecting the place. There aren't, which leave Clarke with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Something's not right," she says, turning to Bellamy. "It shouldn't be this easy."
"It was this easy for Monty and Harper," he responds. "This is part of how they trap people. The difference is that we know about it. If we're careful, we can avoid it." Clarke stops and turns to him, a thought pushing its way into her mind.
"Yeah, except Harper made it back to us," she says. Bellamy gives her a confused look, and she can tell that he's unsure of what she means. "If they just wanted to kill or capture them, why take only Monty?"
"I don't know," Bellamy admits. "But we have to find out, and this is the only way to do it." His deep voice vibrates within her, and suddenly she is inexplicably sure that everything will be alright.
She breathes a sigh, letting go of the worry holding her back, and nods to Bellamy. They head into the entrance, cautiously watching their steps. Clarke crushes a bit loudly on a leaf and winces but nothing happens, unless you count a squirrel running away, which she doesn't. She breathes a sigh of relief, looking over at Bellamy's worried face and nodding to let him know that she's alright. His eyes melt, their fierce darkness becoming warm chocolate rings. She has to avoid his gaze in order to stay focused.
They continue on for a few minutes, both of them watching out for each other. All seems to be going well until a sudden rush of figures comes upon them. Before they can react, one of them has Clarke trapped, her hands behind her back, her knife kicked out of her reach. Bellamy raises his gun, but it's knocked down by a sword. Then one of the figures swipes his knees out from beneath him, putting a dagger to his throat and a boot on his chest.
"Stop!" Clarke shouts. "We're not here to fight." The figures all look to a masked figure, who Clarke guesses is their leader. Clarke watches as the leader assesses them, then nods and takes off the cloth covering her mouth and nose.
"State your name and purpose," she demands.
"We're Bellamy and Clarke of Skaikru, and we are looking for our friend," Clarke declares in a calm, clear voice.
"Skaikru," the figure holding Bellamy whispers harshly, pushing his knife towards Bellamy's throat. Clarke's body lunges towards him unconsciously, but the figure that holds her won't budge.
"We mean no harm!" she shouts, desperate to make them see that they aren't the enemy. She turns to the leader and pleads, "Don't hurt him, please." After a moment of consideration, the woman motions for the man holding Bellamy to stand down and he pulls his dagger further away from Bellamy's throat, but his rigged stance doesn't soften.
"You'll have to forgive my men," the leader says. "We've all heard the stories of Skaikru, of their leader Wanheda and the destruction they bring." Clarke and Bellamy exchange a look, and Clarke decides that it's best not to tell them who she is.
"Well we're only here to bring our friend back," Bellamy tells them. The leader nods and the man drags Bellamy from the ground, still holding onto him tightly.
"My name is Lilith," the leader says. "Commander of Leifkru, people of wind and storm." She grits her teeth and pulls out her sword, admiring it as if it were her most precious possession. "And we will show you to your friend." She pauses, but Clarke knows there is something more to be said. "But only if you do something for us in return."
"What could you want from us?" Clarke asks, perplexed.
"We've heard that Skaikru has medicine and healers that can do things beyond the capabilities our own," Lilith says.
"Wait, you need a doctor?" Bellamy asks. "Why didn't you just start with that? We've got one right here." Smiles and gazes at Clarke. Lilith looks her up and down.
"It's true, I'm a Skaikru healer," Clarke declares. "What can I do for your people?" Lilith motions to some of her men, and they disappear into the trees for a while before coming back with more people. But the new ones are covered in boils and rashes, some convulsing and others barely able to stand. Clarke knows what is wrong with them almost instantly.
"We need you to heal them," Lilith says. Clarke begins to shake her head, but she knows that she will have to say it aloud, though it pains her immensely.
"I can't."