Wounds [Bellamy Blake]

Disputes [Chapter 4]

                The morning sunrise brought everyone to their feet, all in a good mood despite sleeping on the ground; the ground was something new to us, so sleeping on it wasn't half bad, and it was almost more comfortable than the old cots in the prison back on the Arc. I cracked my neck from side to side, and then stretched out my shoulders and back. Some people were up and looking for something to eat, while others were up building tables, chairs, tents, and other necessities.

                Everyone seemed intact, which meant that there was nothing dangerous lurking in the night; or at least nothing that would risk hurting anyone when there were ninety-five others, most of which would be happy to kill anyone who interfered.

                On that note, I noticed John Murphy stalk by, looking around for something to do. He spotted me and grinned, walking over.

                I slipped my jacket off of my arms and tied it around my waist; if I left it on the ground someone would surely take it. Though the days were hot, the nights weren't as pleasant.

                "Avarice Dasheill, the girl who-" He started.

                "Woman; I've hit puberty, unlike some of you." I retorted, swift as a fox.

                "Woman." Murphy repeated without understanding the offence I had intended for him, "I'll be sure not to piss you off."

                "Good idea." I growled back. I wasn't getting cozy with anyone I didn't trust, and I didn't trust people all that easily.

                "Shouldn't Clarke be back yet?"

                "You realize that we have no idea what is on Earth, right?" I scoffed, then softened up, "IF they are still alive, I think their journey was going to be longer than a day trip."

                "Well, they better get here soon, I'm starving."

                "Ever heard of gathering?"

                "Gathering is for women." He said.

                I twitched slightly at this deluded comment, "I thought you didn't want to piss me off."

                He laughed, mockingly. "I think it is the other way around; you should probably go looking for berries."

                I turned and clenched my slender fingers into a fist, bringing my arm back at lightning speed. Before he even had a chance to see what I was doing, I landed a blow to his jaw; it was not full strength, but I had intended it to be a warning shot. He gripped his jaw and looked at me with wide eyes, backing up a bit. Then his eyes darkened, and he took a step towards me, only to be stopped by Bellamy.

                "Leave her alone." Bellamy demanded of Murphy.

                "Don't think I can take him?" I asked Bellamy testily.

                "I don't think HE can take it." Bellamy confirmed.

                I smirked, but the satisfaction of proving my worth and strength was quickly shattered as a panicked Octavia came hobbling into the camp; slowly behind her was Clarke, Finn, and Monty. Jasper was nowhere to be seen.

                "Where is Jasper?" Someone asked.

                "Jasper was hit..." Clarke began to explain how a spear had come out of nowhere, and Jasper had been hit. But they had heard a scream and Clarke came to the conclusion that he was still alive and that they needed to go back out there and rescue him.

                "So there are people..." I said to myself, not minding who might hear.

                "We need to build walls." Bellamy suggested.

                "We need to save Jasper." Clarke argued.

                 I waited to see how this was going to play out; both these two were head-strong.

                "Maybe you do, but I'd like to keep this area safe from whatever killed Jasper."

                "He's not dead!" Octavia joined in, though she was limping badly.

                I took a seat on a fallen tree, the large trunk providing a rather comfortable and supportive seat. Straddling it, I awaited the decision, contemplating if I should go with them. Though I was good when it came to protecting myself from people, I had no idea how I was going to keep myself safe from whatever was out there; whatever hit Jasper. Whatever it, or they, were, they clearly saw us as a target or threat. To them, we were just an invasive species.

                Clarke had convinced Bellamy to go, and in turn Murphy, but Finn backed out in the process. Monty was told to stay back, something about contacting the Arc. Octavia was told to stay, and I knew that three people was not enough. As I spoke up, agreeing to come with, though no one had asked me, Wells did the same thing. I glanced at Clarke to see her reaction, but she remained calm, as if it meant nothing to her that he was coming. Made me wonder what he had done to her.

                "I'll come." I said, grabbing my jacket from my waist and slipping it over my inked arms.

                A few eyes fell on me, but no was said anything.

                Then Clarke thanked me, and we were off.

                "You need a weapon." Bellamy said as we were out of earshot of the camp.

                "I doubt I'll find my weapon of choice out here." I said bitterly.

                "No, but a knife will help you." Bellamy handed me a shard of metal from the drop ship; it had been bent and shaped into a blade, handle and all.

                I took it from his hand and felt it in my hands; it sat awkwardly, but it would do in a pinch. "Thank you." I said.

                I was surprised when Bellamy began to threaten Clarke to take of her wristband. He hadn't asked me to take mine off, and yet there he was; gun in hand, demanding that she remove hers.

                Wells was defending her, of course, I could see the way he looked at her that he cared about her more than anyone. As a small fight broke out, it was ended nearly as quick as it started when Finn walked up to us. He changed his mind after all.

                "You call this a search party? We should split up; we'll cover more ground." Finn suggested, and I found myself alone with Murphy. Clarke with Finn and Bellamy with Wells. Perhaps it was divvied up so that each threatening person was with someone calm or relatively level headed. Though, in my situation I wasn't sure who was supposed to be the calm one; both Murphy and I had tempers, and had already revealed them to one another.

                "Sorry for insulting you." Murphy said after a moment, when no one else could hear us. I wondered what was running through that thick skull of his, and hoped that it wasn't what I thought it might be. If he was thinking I would go anywhere close to him, he was sadly mistaken. Not only was he not my type, I had my eyes on Bellamy. He was an unlikely match, and probably didn't have eyes for me, but that made it all the more obvious to me that I wanted him.

                "I'm not sorry for hitting you." I told Murphy outright, "Better keep your sexist comments to yourself; I'm armed this time."

                Murphy said nothing more.