Alright, so, I know I said every week, and on Saturdays... but c'mon! I get excited guys, and then I realize that, "Oh, it's only Monday, damn, I have to wait five more days to post." Then I had a thought. I'm gonna try and post at least once a week, but sometimes, you may get two or three, depending on how much more I've written ahead.
Just a note: If Bellamy seems a little OOC it's because I've chosen for him to be a little bit more rational than he seemed in the first few episodes. He was hyped up and jumpy, probably because he'd just shot the chancellor, and he didn't exactly listen much to reason. He was scared. But with how I'm playing this, with Clarke a bit more mature than she was at first too, he's a little more relaxed.
I hear you guys about staying mostly with Clarke, so I'm gonna do that, and only switch to someone else briefly if there's something you need to know.
Props to SynergyFox who referenced Game of Thrones in their review because that was great. Also, in answer to the same review, I don't know what Clarke's faith was before the ground, if she had one, but she's gonna most likely be swayed to the grounders' faith and beliefs. You'll see why when the time comes.
To the guest that reviewed, you sir and/or madam are a certified badass for thinking I'm one. Thanks for that. And I'm glad you're enjoying my silly musings.
(On that note, if you guys want less of these beginning author's notes just tell me and I'll try to keep 'em brief.)
Alrighty, here we go. Disclaimer: (See chapters one through three).
Edit: I don't know if this will show up as an alert for a new chapter four, but if it does, it's because I added some more to the chapter. Hope you enjoy.
Before:
The rules were different on the ground, and everyone was going to realize that sooner or later. More than likely it would be sooner.
...
Unlike the last time, Clarke kept to herself her notice of Finn trying to take off his wristband, not wanting Bellamy getting any ideas when they were away, before she had a chance to talk to him.
...
They were ready to head out after she handed a pack to Finn and one to Monty.
Now:
In the forest, the boys moved ahead leaving Octavia trailing behind with her and Clarke sighed mentally, knowing what Octavia was about to say.
"Before you get any ideas," she started, "Finn's mine." Clarke looked to Octavia and made sure the girl was really paying attention when she answered.
"And before you get any, I don't care, Octavia." She wanted the brunette as her friend again and Octavia was… well, she was Octavia, and Octavia Blake was complicated and individual and before what had happened in Ton DC, Clarke had come to think of the younger girl like a sister. She still did, after the smoke had cleared, but Octavia's view of her had changed radically.
Clarke wasn't entirely sure what to do though. What would happen if she changed everything from the get-go? She had already changed things in making sure that they all had weapons on this little excursion, and that they were definitely not headed to Mount Weather. Hopefully Bellamy would hold up on his end and take her plans into consideration, that way the camp would be fortified.
She had thought of what she could do, of what she had to do, while she had had nothing but time to think in her cell as she sketched on the walls.
She thought of going to Lexa and, right now, that seemed like her best option. Solidify a treaty of peace with The Commander of the tree people and the 100 would be just fine in that regard. No war, no needless deaths on either side. She didn't want Lexa losing any of her people that she didn't have to. Definitely not Anya.
And Anya's second would not die.
Clarke would go as soon as the camp looked like it was getting along. She knew Bellamy could take care of it, but she wanted to be around them for as long as she could. She needed to know the people she was fighting for better than she had last time. She needed to know the people that had died so the rest could live.
The people who had been taken so that the Mountain Men could have their immediate free time on the outside.
Clarke shook her head. That wouldn't happen again. And if she saw that bastard Cage, she would take pleasure in killing him a second time.
The blonde thought she would go to Ton DC first. Even though she knew the settlement was full of elders and children. She remembered – of course she remembered – Lexa asking her to go with her to Polis once the war was over and done with, and thought that maybe that was where The Commander spent her time of peace.
With the Skaikru falling to Earth though, Clarke thought that she had to be making the rounds, making sure that her people were okay. Clarke had smiled at that, but also she felt the pain of betrayal that had stung her heart before her death. Even though, now, Clarke wouldn't so much call it that, it still hurt. Even though she understood why she had done what she had.
Yes, Clarke thought, continuing their trek into the forest, somehow having made her way to the front of the group and was leading them through the trees in search of prey. I'll leave once I'm sure my people will be safe and taken care of.
They all passed through the patches of Poison Sumac again, and Clarke made sure that they were headed the right way, in the direction that they had seen the mutant buck the last time. Nothing had changed drastically enough that Clarke thought would change the buck's day, so hopefully it would be there or, at least, close. Luckily, the way that they were headed was upwind of the buck so it couldn't smell them coming.
Clarke stayed closer to the group this time and heard Finn asking Monty and Jasper how they'd gotten busted and then how the latter asked Octavia what she was in for. Clarke winced, feeling for the younger Blake sibling, and was about to say something to Jasper when she heard it. She held up a hand, signalling for the others to be quiet, and dropped into a slight crouch, moving forward as silently as she could. A smile lit her face as she moved closer.
Clarke grabbed the makeshift knife from inside of her jacket and held it between her fingers. She shook the blade slightly, testing the balance as she hadn't had a chance to sharpen a stick or her sword yet, and nodded to herself before she threw the blade.
Her heart caught for a moment in pride as the metal sunk into its target, dropping the buck. It wasn't dead, and for that she was sorry, but it definitely wouldn't be running off. Clarke walked forward, not hearing the others speaking to her, focusing only on the task in front of her. She knelt next to the buck that was looking at her in fright and put her hand on his flank, using her other hand to tug her knife from where it had embedded itself. She whispered, "yu gonplei ste odon. Gouthru klir," and, as she did, she pulled the knife across the beast's throat, effectively killing it and ending its suffering.
It felt right, the words that she had spoken, even though she wasn't entirely sure where they had come from. But from what she had picked up of the language, the… blessing? It felt right on her tongue, and in her heart, to speak it to the animal as he died.
The language and the buck both belonged to the forest.
Clarke turned and stood, wiping her knife with only slight hesitation along the sleeve of her jacket, cleaning it before returning it to its pocket. She looked at the four that she was travelling with and was surprised by a couple of their expressions. Octavia's primarily, as what she could see was an expression of slight awe; her eyebrows were raised as she surveyed what had just happened. Jasper and Monty looked the same, but Finn's was the other expression that she was worried about.
He looked angry.
"What the hell did you do that for?" Clarke narrowed her eyes.
"I did that for dinner, you know, so we could eat. Unless… you were planning to pick berries with that knife that you brought? What is your problem, Finn?" The brunette just shook his head and turned on his heel, marching back into the forest. Clarke sighed and turned to the other three. "Want to help me make a litter to carry this back on?"
The three, thankfully, agreed to help and Clarke put Finn from her mind, focusing on telling the others what they needed to find to build a sturdy enough frame to support the weight of the buck and pull it back to the dropship. They all set to work and Clarke was on the receiving end of a few questions such as, "how did you do that on the first try?"
"Luck, I guess."
"Do you think that you could do it again?"
"Maybe, with enough practice."
"Can you teach me?" That one was Octavia. Clarke smiled at the brunette and nodded.
"We can learn together." Hopefully the blonde could make good on that promise and not be killed by the first group of grounders she met. Maybe, she thought, speaking in their own tongue would at least garner her enough mystery and attention for them to be curious of her and bring her to Lexa.
Soon, the group had built a pretty sturdy litter and had the deer loaded onto it, ready to be taken back to the dropship. Clarke went to pull the frame, but Jasper and Monty each took a pole and gave her a grin, saying that she'd done enough.
"Thanks you guys, really."
The blonde sighed to herself as they made their way back the way that they'd come, her thoughts turning back to Finn. She wondered if he'd gone back to the dropship or what he'd done if he hadn't. Hopefully, if he hadn't, he wouldn't get himself into too much trouble. Maybe he'd actually pick some berries with that knife he'd brought.
"Hey Clarke," Octavia said, bringing the girl in question from her thoughts. "Didn't we need to get water, too?" Clarke cursed under her breath and looked to Octavia nodding. She called up ahead of them where Monty and Jasper were.
"Guys, are you okay pulling the buck until we find a source of water? I kind of got… distracted. Or, you guys could head back to the dropship without us. I'm sure we can handle getting the water on our own?" She looked to Octavia who nodded and then turned back to the boys. The dynamic duo looked at each other before looking back at Clarke and nodding.
"We'll head back to the ship and get started on this big guy." Jasper said, motioning to the buck and smiling.
"You two be careful, okay?" Clarke smiled at Monty's concern and nodded.
"Anyone working when you get back is free to the meat, but please ask Bellamy to make sure anyone slacking off gets nothing. I warned them, and I keep my word." She looked the boys in the eyes and made sure they understood. They both stood slightly straighter and nodded at her before taking off.
Soon enough, it was just Clarke and Octavia standing in the forest. Clarke turned to look at the brunette and smiled, getting one in return before they set off in the other direction, moving further into the forest.
They walked together silently which gave Clarke more time to think. What would the camp need before she could head off in search of The Commander? They would need axes; easily enough fashioned. Steel and hard rock, or glass; again, easily scavenged from the dropship and the forest. They could get vines and rope for tying things together. She could get those from the forest, the art bunker and the arms bunker. That would take care of defenses too. Bellamy had done well enough last time, getting everyone together to build and to hunt and to scavenge.
That, of course, had been with the promptness that Jasper's disappearance and subsequent injury when brought back into camp had scared into them. But surely survival would push them to the same…
Out of the corner of her eye, Clarke looked at Octavia and smiled as she watched the girl take in the sights that the forest had to offer, cataloguing what she saw. Even without the experiences she had had before Clarke was forced back here, Octavia had certainly had that spark of knowledge, of wanting to learn what she could.
Down here, Octavia figured out that she belonged, and could start fresh. She had sought a home and had found one.
Clarke looked around, noting the sun descending, and looked at some of the larger rocks on the ground, the ones high enough that the natural dew from the ground wouldn't mislead them with the false-directional, proximity moss. When she saw the green substance coating the way they were headed in she smiled and pointed it out to Octavia. "That's how we know that we're going in the right direction, and that we're close."
"How do you know that?" The brunette asked, head tilted slightly to the side.
"Earth skills." Clarke shrugged. She caught Octavia's brow furrowing but dismissed it. They continued walking where the moss was pointing and, sure enough, soon they were coming up on the river that marked the end of the Acid Fog's range.
Only, Clarke noticed quickly, that they weren't the only ones there. The blonde's eyes widened as she saw the silhouette of one Finn Collins standing on one of the higher up ledges with a familiar vine in his hands.
"Finn, no!" She cried, running forwards. But it was too late, and she knew it. Clarke stopped and turned, moving back to Octavia and pulling the younger girl into the brush, away from the openness of the path. She made sure Octavia was looking at her when she put a finger to her lips and crouched down, shielding herself further, and motioned for Octavia to do the same.
Octavia frowned slightly but did as she was beckoned, crouching and following Clarke as the blonde moved forwards until they were just behind where the tree line broke. Clarke looked around, up in the tree branches and along the forest floor, but knew that whoever had thrown the spear wouldn't be seen unless they wanted to be.
Octavia was looking at the darkening figure of Finn.
Clarke looked back at him as well, and saw that he had landed on the other side and was now looking back at the side that they were on, frowning.
"Clarke?" Clarke heard him, right before she heard – more than saw – the spear being released, flying right towards Finn with a deadly accuracy that came with being raised as a warrior. Clarke thanked whoever was listening that the throw was not aimed to kill.
Even though they had been faster getting across the river this time, with Finn's impulsive actions, someone was still going to be taken as bait for that stupid jaguar.
And this time, because it hadn't been Jasper to cross, Finn was the one taking a spear to the chest.
And we're done. Clarke and Octavia just witnessed one of their own get speared and food is being brought back to the dropship. Are the Delinquents working or will only a handful have listened to Clarke and Bellamy. Who knows?
Well... I do, but you guys have to wait and see. I'd love to hear what you think, I always do. And if you don't like reviewing because of personal reasons (which I get), feel free to leave me a PM. No reviews are unwanted.
You guys can also message me on tumblr at commander-smolder dot tumblr dot com
Until next time, have a great week.
-Bad Wolf