Chapter 10
Clarke came to consciousness slowly, the cacophony of crickets and birds and buzzing filled her ears first, before the feeling of grass beneath her registered in her mind. She snuffled quietly, wrinkling her nose at the scent invading her nose. It was simultaneously sweet and acrid, and she couldn’t tell if that was her or something else, but frankly, she was comfortable and tired and she wasn’t quite ready to open her eyes. She was warm and even if the smell left a lot to be desired, she would be quite content dozing right here for a little longer.
And then a huff of breath sounded in her ear.
She startled awake, turning her head to see Lexa, curled in on herself, nose resting against the back of Clarke’s neck. Her hands were kept close to her face, knees up as if to protect her body. She slept peacefully, though every fifth breath she let out a quiet huff through her nose. Clarke didn’t really remember how they came to be in this position. She remembered curling up next to Lexa the previous night, but their positions had been reversed.
Clarke sighed and turned over to face her, smiling slightly at Lexa’s face, every now and then her nose wrinkled as if she smelled something awful, and Clarke could relate. Between the two of them, they smelled worse than the men’s locker room at her old high school.
Don’t ask her how she knew that.
“Lexa,” She whispered, reaching a hand up to grab Lexa’s hand. “Lexa, wake up, you smell.”
Lexa grunted, her eyebrows knitting together as she balanced between sleep and consciousness. “So do you.” She grumbled, her words almost too slurred for Clarke to understand.
“That’s rude.”
“So are you.” Lexa mumbled, unfurling herself and stretching, eyes still closed. A soft sigh, and her eyes blinked open, squinting at the sunlight stretching across the sky from its source at the horizon. “Good morning.”
Clarke grinned. “Good morning. Feeling rested?”
Lexa grunted, throwing her arm over her eyes. “No.”
“Well, another long day ahead.”
“We’ll get food today, that’ll help. I’m sure weight has started to melt off of us by now. But food is not going to be at a surplus. After today we need to switch to breakfasts rather than dinners.” Lexa explained quietly.
“I know,” Clarke’s smile slid from her face. “With so much physical exertion during the days, we need to take in calories to burn off rather than allow our bodies to burn the fat we have now. It’ll just deteriorate and we won’t last long out here at all.”
“You’ll have to stay here and keep everyone in line and working.” Lexa warned.
Clarke punched her shoulder playfully. “I know, I’ve got patients to work with right now. Anya and Octavia both have burn wounds now that can get infected. I’ll have Monroe work on physical therapy with Harper. But it’s been awhile since anyone has cleaned and changed everyone’s bandages. The salt water could do some serious damage to some of the lacerations on the other three so I’m going to need to thoroughly rinse everyone with fresh water.”
“I’ll have Indra, Emori, and Murphy help you with that. It’ll keep Murphy away from Bellamy, and maybe you can get some information out of him about what Bellamy did before the crash.”
Clarke nodded and pulled herself to her feet, stretching with a groan. She looked towards Octavia, she was still pale, and Bellamy sat like a hulking statue at her side. “We need to talk to Indra about what happened to her and Octavia. She said something about guns mounted to the drones.”
Lexa followed Clarke as she approached the siblings. “Hey Bellamy,” Clarke gave a hesitant smile. Bellamy didn’t respond. “I assume nothing happened over night? Nothing to be concerned with? I’m just going to check on her wound and make sure everything is okay. We all kind of crashed last night.”
Clarke approached slowly, Bellamy hadn’t moved since she last saw him, and she wasn’t sure if he would respond violently to anyone touching his sister. Lexa passed them quietly, approaching Indra where she dozed, sitting upright, face propped against her fist.
Clarke reached Octavia’s side and peeled the bandage away, immediately wincing at the fluids leaking from the wound. “Well, no blood, that’s good.” Clarke attempted to be cheerful.
Bellamy finally reacted to her faux hopefulness. “But?” He snapped, clearly on edge. “What’s wrong with her?”
“Well, nothing unexpected.” Clarke shrugged one of her shoulders. “The bullet only grazed her side, don’t get me wrong it’s a nasty wound, but it’s minor compared to what it could have been. Half an inch to the left and she would have never made it out of the jungle. Luckily it hit her where it did. But she lost a lot of blood. We can’t be certain how much she lost before she got to us, but I’m sure it was plenty to knock her off her feet for a few days. She’s small you know?” Clarke explained. “That kind of blood loss is dangerous. She’s going to be highly anemic for a few days, she’s going to need to eat a lot of meat and rest plenty for the next few days. She’s going to be very tired, so don’t be concerned if she sleeps a lot.”
Bellamy took a shaky breath. “Will she be okay?”
Clarke smiled reassuringly. “As long as we keep infection at bay, she’ll recover. She’s strong, she’ll make it. Just have to keep this clean.”
Bellamy nodded, running his hand through his filthy locks of curly hair, shaking his head. “I shouldn’t have let her go.”
“Clarke,” Lexa called from a few feet over. “This isn’t good.”
Bellamy shook his head. “You’re the reason she’s like this. You did this.” He growled at Lexa, his brown eyes bloodshot and wide. His whole figure tensed like a bow string ready to snap. “You’ve killed my sister!”
Lexa levelled an unflinching glare at him. “I did nothing. It could have been all of us had they not run into the drones. We could be dead on the beach down there. But we’re not. Your sister was strong and brave. She’s a hero.”
Bellamy’s lip quivered, his head shaking faster. “It shouldn’t have been her.”
Lexa’s glare softened. “Clarke says she will recover. It was unfortunate, but it does not reflect badly on you as her brother and protector. You should stay at her side. It will comfort her to see a familiar face when she wakes up.”
Bellamy clenched his fists, rubbing his jaw, tears leaking down his face. “I’m sorry.” He whimpered, moving to brush the hair from his sister’s face. Clarke couldn’t tell who he was talking to, but she figured it would be best to leave him alone.
“Try to get some rest, Bellamy.” Clarke sighed, patting his shoulder as she stood to join Lexa and Indra’s conversation. “So it’s true?”
“The guns are automatic rifles.” Lexa reported. “They’re mounted to the drones. Luckily, they only fire accurately when they can see, and the broadleaves provide decent coverage from the camera.”
“The drones stopped following us a good distance from the shore line. I think their range ends just short of the forest edge.” Indra explained tiredly.
“You’ll have to be very careful hunting, Lexa.” Clarke warned, looking to the brunette crouched next to her. “If they find you and kill you, we’re all fucked. You’re kind of running this whole thing.”
Lexa waved her off. “I’m replaceable, anybody can take charge, and in fact they’ll probably look to you if I were to die.”
Clarke gaped down at the girl. “Are you serious?”
Lexa shrugged. “My spirit will go on. I’ll just be reborn. I’m not worried about any of that, but we do need to get food. Tris and I are going to be setting up various traps and snares for the boar around here, and Anya is going to be working on putting together a couple of bows and some arrows.”
Indra leaned forward. “What do we do about the drones if we do run into them? We can’t necessarily outrun them and if we hide then they can just spray the foliage with bullets. A broadleaf can block a camera but not a gun.”
Lexa furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. “A rock does enough damage to the blades that it’ll knock them out of the air. But that gun can still fire. We’ll work on it when we can, but for now we should focus on the necessities. We’re out of range here, otherwise that drone would have come out here and showered us, but we won’t be alive for very long if we don’t eat something. Clarke, nobody goes into the forest for any reason while I’m gone. We have enough water for today, but we’ll worry about that when we need to. Indra, you need rest, you’ve been up all night so get some sleep.” Lexa ordered, rubbing her temples with a frustrated sigh. “I’ll get Tris and a couple of the girls. I know they can run and run fast if need be.”
“Lexa!” Bellamy called from where he sat.
Clarke braced herself for trouble. “Yes, Bellamy?” Lexa asked patiently.
Bellamy pulled his gun from its holster and held the handle to her. “Five bullets left, pull the safety, squeeze, don’t pull.”
Lexa hesitated. “Bellamy-“
“It’s safer with you.” He whispered darkly. “Take it, shoot those things back. We won’t have to worry about me doing anything stupid, and-“ Bellamy sighed. “And you can protect yourself and the others. Octavia is going to need meat. It’s best if you come back alive.”
Clarke gaped. This new Bellamy, the desperately trying to redeem himself Bellamy, simply caught her off guard. Lexa reached forward, taking the gun and grasping Bellamy’s hand with her other hand. “Thank you. We’ll take care of her. We’re all on the same team.”
Bellamy nodded, laying on his side and watching his sister sleep.
Lexa turned to Clarke. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry.”
The second day in the forest was the hardest. Raven swore the mosquitos were the size of hummingbirds, and Kane’s arms were too sore and tired to carry her the second day, so instead she was carried piggyback style on Rashid’s back.
Raven hated these men. They had left Maya to die, had been willing to let her fall behind and die as well. Abby and Kane spent the second day arguing with Pike as they walked, the three of them vying for leadership while Rashid silently followed Pike’s every move.
It was hot and muggy in the forest. Raven spent most of the time dozing against Rashid’s shoulder, until she noticed the noise. “Hey, do you hear that?”
“What?”
“Voices, there are voices.” Raven slurred. But by the others had quieted, the voices stopped.
“She’s getting delirious we need to get more water, we’re almost out-“
A woman seemed to materialize out of the leaves, crashing a gun handle into the base of Pike’s skull, immediately dropping him unconscious. She dropped to a crouch and swept a leg in an attempt to catch Kane off balance, but it didn’t quite work, she hooked her shin around the back of his knee and yanked, dropping him backwards and sprawling into the foliage of the forest floor. She sprung up again, pointing the gun in her hand straight between Abby’s eyes. All before Raven could even register what was happening.
“Don’t move.” She ordered, her voice made of iron. This girl was used to command.
And she was a fucking ninja.
“Surround them.” She snapped to no one in particular.
Then others stepped through the leaves, brandishing knives and spears made of shards of scrap metal, one had a full bow and arrow set, tipped with folded aluminum. Wouldn’t do much against a hard surface, her arrow tips wouldn’t survive hitting a tree, the aluminum would crumple, but in the soft flesh of her throat? Raven wouldn’t take the chance.
The girl nodded her head to Raven. “Why is she being carried? Who are you all and what are you doing out here?” She demanded. Raven caught just the slightest hint of an accent, maybe she was bilingual, but the way she moved? Not normal.
“I’m Dr. Abby Griffin, my daughter is at the beach, Clarke?” The girl tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. Abby continued. “We’re survivors of the plane crash, looking for the other group. We’re all that’s left. This is Kane, the copilot, and this is Raven, Rashid, and that right there is Pike. Please, I just want to get to my daughter.”
The girl lowered her gun. “My name is Lexa. Camp has been moved away from the beach. We went to the cliffs. The forests are filled with drones mounted with assault rifles. This is a hunting party. Clarke is back at camp, keeping everything in line.”
Abby sighed in relief. “She’s not hurt?”
Lexa shook her head. “No.” She turned to the others surrounding Raven and her group, nodded once, and all of the weapons dropped from their faces. “Tris, take them back to camp, I’ll take over the bow. You take the gun and keep them safe. Clarke has some visitors. We’re not coming back without that boar.”
The girl with the bow, Tris, immediately stepped forward, exchanged weapons, and silently gestured for them to follow her. “Ah, Heda?”
Lexa turned. “Sha?”
“Chit osir dula du disha op?” Tris nudged Pike’s ribs with her toe.
Lexa looked down at him and sighed. “Abby, Kane, Monroe, carry him.”
Abby looked taken aback at suddenly being told what to do with her own people, but then again, Lexa held the weapons in her hands. Raven wouldn’t question it, and if Abby were half as smart as her, she’d submit too.
So they began their trek through the forest once again. Raven was sweating even without exerting herself and she could feel the sweat pooling between her front and Rashid’s back. It made her gag.
They could smell the ocean now. Raven had never loved the smell of salt water more. For the first time since the plane fell from the sky, Raven felt alive.
Tris huffed, tugging the gun she held tightly in her hand into the belt at her waist. “We should be out of range by now.”
Monroe grunted. “If that’s so, we should take a break. The guy’s heavy.”
Tris nodded once. “As good a place as any to stop and rest. Though we need to get those two to Clarke. Lex probably gave that one a concussion.”
Abby straightened. “I’m a doctor. Raven’s injury isn’t new. But we’ll see if we can wake Pike up now that we’re not in immediate danger.”
Monroe looked to Tris, raised an eyebrow, and with the slightest tilt of her head, bent to help Abby tend to Pike. Abby was no longer in charge here, and Raven wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
Rashid slowly crouched to let Raven slide off his back. Despite the fact that he had helped hurt Maya, Raven was grateful he was willing to carry her all day. She could have been left for dead just like Maya, but instead Rashid volunteered himself. She didn’t forgive him, but Raven would tolerate him.
Pike, on the other hand, should have died back at the compound.
Pike slowly regained consciousness, complaining of a headache, nausea, and blurry vision. Even Raven knew those were the classic symptoms of a concussion, but before he could struggle to his feet, the telltale popping of a gun firing nearby filled them all with adrenaline.
Pike sprung to his feet, stumbling into Tris, who shoved him roughly to the side, and Rashid rushed to scoop Raven up into his arms. “Let’s get going it’s only another half mile or so.” Tris barked, grabbing the back of Monroe’s collar and hauling her upright. Abby scrambled to follow them as Kane ushered Pike in the right direction, catching him when he tripped and groaning every time he had to lift up Pike’s weight.
The gunshots only got louder, and there were a series of shrieks that abruptly ended after another round of bullets. Raven’s heart pounded as she clung to Rashid and prayed they’d make it to the beach.
It felt like an eternity before they burst through the tree line and into tall grass growing out of the sand and rocks littering the beach before the ground dropped off into a steep cliff that met the water at a nearly vertical angle.
They were met with a flurry of movement. Two blonde women rushed to them, one limping and the other clutching her arm close to her chest. The one with the bad arm clutched Tris and spoke harshly in another language. Tris nodded and shook her head in time to her questions before responding in rapid fire harsh syllables and short vowels. The girl with the limp, after a moment, Raven recognized as Clarke.
She was filthy and covered in blood and her expression was stern, though her fear was evident. “R-Raven? Mom?” She covered her mouth with a blood-crusted, muddy hand. “You’re alive? How-“
“It’s a long story.” Abby murmured, bringing her daughter into her arms and squeezing tight. Rashid stumbled towards a group of injured people and set Raven down next to them before wandering off to Pike’s side again.
Clarke, as soon as she left her mother’s arms, rushed to Raven, dropping to her knees in the sand and flinging her arms around Raven’s neck. “I thought you guys were dead. I can’t believe you’re okay!”
Clarke leaned back, smiling brightly at Raven, before her smile dimmed again. “Where’s Lexa? What happened? Why does Tris have the gun?”
Raven opened her mouth and then snapped it shut again. “I don’t know. They found us, and then we split off to come here, we were resting when the gun fired-“
“We heard it out here.” Clarke nodded. “But it’s stopped now. Maybe they managed to get away?”
Raven shrugged. “Maybe.”