Highlander

Chapter Twenty-Nine | They Could Already Be Dead

Chapter Twenty-Nine | They Could Already Be Dead

"Did Bellamy leave already?" Clarke asked as she walked up to Finn.

The boy turned to give her a blank look. "No, he's putting together the hunting party now."

Clarke didn't offer Finn an answer as she let her feet take her to the crowd of kids, pushing through to the front. Bellamy was standing there before the group, looking more like a leader than he ever had. "Each group takes someone with a gun, and there for killing Grounder's, not food. We don't have the amno use the spears for hunting. Get what you can. Be back by nightfall. No one stays out after dark."

The kids all nodded in agreement, moving to form their own separate hunting parties.

"Hey, Clarke." Myles approached, smiling warmly. "You alone? Maybe want to go together?"

Clarke smiled back. "Sure, I'll get some gear."

Finn appeared before Clarke had the time to leave. "You ready to go?"

"I don't think so." Clarke snapped, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Come on. I'm a good tracker." Finn tried to reason, pleading with his eyes. "Your lousy with a spear but your sneaky. We make a good team."

"Hey partner, we're wasting daylight." Myles chimed in, turning his eyes to Finn. "Oh Finn.... Your joining the band?"

"Sure." Finn sighed.

"Awesome, haven't really got a chance to hang with you guys much. Hey, do you even know how I got arrested on the Ark?"

"I'm dying to hear about it." Finn chirped, smirking evilly at Clarke.

Clarke and Finn were both silent for most of the walk, considering that Myles was very talkative. He never shut up, and at this point Finn and Clarke were less than pleased. It had only been a half hour but the constant noise seemed to give them a headache.

Clarke was leading the group, hands in her pocket and a gun hanging off her shoulder. Finn too held a gun, leaving Myles carrying the spear. They hadn't seen much animals yet.

"One of those scaly panther things?" Myles was asking.

Finn groaned internally. "Boar."

"Good, because the panther meat is nasty, but I could eat a whole boar by myself, no joke." Myles shuddered at the thought of panther meat. He perked up quickly. "You know what the best part is of the boar? It's gonna sound gross."

"Um, Clarke?" Finn glanced around, frowning. "Where are we going?"

"To the river." Clarke supplied. "Aurora wasn't in camp. She went to get water a few hours ago."

Myles frowned. "Aurora's missing?"

"I don't know." Clarke answered honestly. "But she isn't back and I'm worried."

"This the route she took?" Finn asked, scanning the path ahead of them.

"Yeah." Clarke nodded, rubbing her eyes. "I have a bad feeling."

"Clarke, stop." Finn snapped suddenly, the blonde freezing in place.

"What is it?" Clarke asked, swallowing as Finn moved to her side.

Finn crouched down, staring right where Clarke had been about to step. "These tracks..."

Clarke swallowed as she focused on the animal tracks before her. There was something off about the imprints in the dirt. It was odd. "They're perfect."