𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 ➳ 𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦

viii. accomplice

It took Octavia by surprise at first, but she didn't pull away and soon she started reciprocating it.

Kota didn't know why she had kissed her. It just felt right in that moment.

She was truly grateful for all that Octavia had done for her and even if their time together was short, she found more of a friend in her than she did with anyone else in Trikru's village her whole life.

Their moment was short-lived and after a few seconds, she slowly pulled away and looked into Octavia's green eyes once more.

"Thank you." She spoke, before turning and rushing out the door.

______

Dakota hurried out of the Sky People's camp and ran through the forest as fast as she could.

She kept running and running until she had passed her cave. All she could think about was how she craved to be in her brother's embrace. After what she had endured, she wanted to feel his protective arms around her once again.

➳ ➳ ➳

"She's gone! The grounder's gone!" Miller shouted, gathering everyone's attention outside the dropship.

"What if she brings other grounders back?" Jasper asked, making everyone start to worry.

"Let the grounders come," Bellamy replied, entering the camp with Clarke.

"We've been afraid of them for far too long, and why? Because of their knives and spears. Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being afraid." He finished by placing a pile of guns in front of the crowd.

Seeing the new weapons sent grins and shouts of praise throughout the camp.

"These are weapons, not toys. And we have to be prepared to give them up to the guard when the drop ships come. But until then, they're gonna help keep us safe." Clarke said.

"And there are plenty more where these came from," Bellamy adds. "Tomorrow, we start training. And if the grounders come, we're gonna be ready to fight."

➳ ➳ ➳

Later on in the night, Bellamy saw Octavia sitting at the edge of the wall, staring out into the distance of the forest.

Seeing her shivering, he decided to walk up to her and place a warm blanket on her shoulders.

She was startled by his act of kindness but within a second, she directed her attention back to the trees, thinking of someone.

"I don't expect you to forgive me," Bellamy said, getting her attention. "But, you'll have to find a way to live with me. Cause I'm not going anywhere."

"Bellamy, it's time." Clarke interrupted.

He walked away to meet her but paused to look back at Octavia.

"That grounder escaping, was that you?" He questioned her.

"I had nothing to do with it." She lied in response.

She then thanked him for the blanket, before he walked away and left with Clarke to do whatever business they had planned.

➳ ➳ ➳

Kota had just reached the gates of her village when she stopped dead in her tracks. She had let her emotions overwhelm her in deciding to return. However, after a few hours of being alone in her thoughts as she ran through the forest, multiple questions flooded her mind.

Was she really about to do this?

What did she think was going to happen if she entered with the various cuts and bruises evident on her body?

Surely, Lincoln would see them and wonder what happened. He would instantly guess that she had been tortured and then he would take her to Commander Lexa so that she could tell her what they did to her.

And then what?

Was she assuming that they would just let it go and proceed with their daily lives? Because that couldn't be further from the truth.

If she were to show her face without anything but wounds, their first thoughts would be that she couldn't fulfill her mission.

She knew they would still view her as weak. Only they'd add disappointment to the list as well.

And once they uncovered the reason behind her wounds, they wouldn't hesitate to get revenge.

They'd sound for a war. She knew they would.

And she couldn't let that happen.

Yes, they caused her great pain. But what about all the pain her people put them through since they landed? Her days being held hostage there had shown her a lot of things about them.

Things she didn't know. Trikru didn't know.

If she returned to Tondc without any useful information, she'd be made a fool in front of the eyes of Heda.

But, if she chose to stay within the forest and gain more information on them, then maybe she could find out their true purpose for being here, if they were a threat, and see what they had planned for the future.

Maybe they weren't as bad as they seemed. She could bring the new knowledge back and inform her people and maybe they could decide on a peace treaty of some sort.

Dakota knew just the person to help her too.

It was the only person that seemed to want the same things she did.

Peace between the clans.

The girl who fought to end the violence directed toward Kota, and who challenged the assumptions being made against the Grounders.

The same girl who made her heart stop and filled her with emotions that she had never felt before.

The one she had kissed when the brunette went out of her way to make sure she escaped safely.

Octavia.

➳ ➳ ➳