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chapter thirty-one, I told you
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CLARKE AND NOVA LIE AT THE EDGE OF THE LAKE, hand in hand, gasping for breath after escaping Mount Weather. Anya drags them both to the shore, her strength unwavering despite their struggles. Nova coughs up water, releasing Clarke's hand to clutch her chest, her breath ragged. She glances at Clarke, who is also catching her breath, then turns her gaze to Anya, who sits on a nearby rock.
Nova struggles to her feet, pushing her drenched hair behind her ear. "Thank you," she says to Anya, her voice strained but sincere.
"Thank you," Clarke echoes, attempting to stand. "I think we should go back to the dropship first. So I can see if my-" Her sentence is cut short as Anya suddenly strikes her with a rock, knocking her out cold.
"Hey!" Nova screams, rushing toward Anya. She ducks under another swing of the rock and punches Anya in the face, sending her sprawling. Anya retaliates swiftly, sweeping Nova's legs out from under her and sending her crashing to the ground.
Groaning in pain, Nova feels Anya twist her arms behind her back, binding her hands tightly. Anya does the same to Clarke, tying their hands together.
"We're not going back to your dropship," Anya declares coldly. "You burned 300 of my warriors. I can't show my face without a prize." She forces Nova to her feet and drags a half-conscious Clarke behind her, marching them both into an uncertain and perilous future.
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CLARKE, NOVA, AND ANYA ARE WALKING THROUGH THE WOODS. Anya has Clarke tied up to her and Nova's arms tied behind her back as she walks in front of them.
"Anya, we've been walking for hours. Where are we going?" Clarke begs as she follows Anya and watches her push Nova every now and then. "Why not just kill us and get it over with?" Nova asks as she starts to feel her wrist start to hurt.
"You two can tell the commander what the mountain men are doing to us in there" Anya answers still walking and dragging Clarke along. "So, let's work together. We don't have to be enemies" Clarke suggest and Anya scoffs back in disbelief as if that's not an option.
"And unite with someone as weak as you? I don't think so" Anya states as Nova stops in place.
"Hey, move it" Anya demands and Nova turns to Anya. "Untie me!" Nova begged softly.
Anya shook her head until she heard a sound in the distance. "Mountain men" Nova stated quietly enough so Clarke and Anya could hear her. Anya then looked to Nova before pushing her and Clarke behind a tree.
"They found us" Anya stating the obvious while looking around. "Run" Anya orders as she and Clarke run.
Nova lets out a sigh trying to untie the rope on her wrist behind her back but is unsuccessful and makes a run for it following Anya and Clarke.
While Clarke, Nova and Anya continue through the woods they stop in their tracks and take a breather. "Quiet. You can't even walk in the woods" Anya says in annoyance making Nova roll her eyes. "Then untie me I can run better when my arms are in front of me" Nova says and Anya shakes her head.
"No, because I know you'll never leave her side" Anya states pointing to Clarke. Nova looks over at Clarke sighs while gazing into her eyes and she knew Anya was right. No matter what was going on Nova wouldn't leave Clarke behind. Never.
Anya looks down at a puddle in front of her before Clarke and Nova kneel down next to her. Anya grabs mud from the puddle and puts it on Nova's face making her press her lips together in disgust as the mud is spread on her face.
"What the hell?" Nova questions as mud drips down onto her clothes.
"You reek. Cover yourself in it" Anya states as Clarke is a little taken back but she does it anyway and covers herself in mud.
After a while Nova, Anya and Clarke are still traveling through the woods still being pursued by the Mountain Men. "How are they still following us?" Nova asked leaning up against the tree as the mud dries up on her face.
"It's because of her. Time to end this" Anya says referring to Clarke as she tries to give her away to the mountain men. Clarke pulls Anya closer to her.
"Anya, I am stepping where you step. I'm covered in mud. We're not leaving a trail" Clarke says as Nova leans her shoulder against the tree and her arm feels weird it feels bumpy.
"Wait, Anya untie me-- Please" Nova begs and look at Anya seriously before turning around and having Anya untie her with one hand. After she's untied Nova takes off the jacket and feels her arm. "Feel" Nova says talking to Clarke who feels Nova's upper arm then feels Anya's.
"Tracker. Take off your jacket" Clarke says as Anya slips on sleeve off.
"I could remove it, but you need to untie my hands. I just need something sharp and sterile" Clarke says before Anya bites her arm and spits out the tracking chip. Nova looks at Anya and the blood dripping from her mouth.
Anya sighed, her eyes flickering with reluctance as she watched Nova. She scanned the ground and found a sharp stick. Steeling herself, she used it to cut into Nova's arm and extract the chip.
"Ah!" Nova cried out in pain as Anya tossed the chip onto the ground. Clarke immediately tore a strip from her shirt and wrapped it around Nova's bleeding arm. Nova groaned, slipping her jacket back on to cover the makeshift bandage. Once Anya and Clarke stood back up, Anya shoved Nova against a tree, her face scraping painfully against the rough bark.
"Help tie her arms. Now," Anya ordered Clarke. Clarke sighed, her hesitation clear, but she obeyed and helped secure Nova's arms behind her back.
"I should have known," Nova muttered, her voice tinged with bitterness, as she walked ahead of Anya, her arm throbbing with pain.
The three continued their march through the dense forest. "Anya, you're still bleeding. At least let me bandage it before it gets infected," Clarke suggested. Nova leaned against a tree, watching warily as Anya considered Clarke's offer.
Just as Anya was about to free Clarke's hands, Clarke quickly stabbed a tranquilizer dart into Anya's neck. Nova's eyes widened in shock as Anya crumpled to the ground. Clarke rushed over to Nova and untied her hands.
"Where'd you get that?" Nova asked, rubbing her sore wrists.
"Found it. We can find our way home from here. She's our prisoner now," Clarke replied, her voice steady. She hoisted Anya up, and Nova, shaking off her shock, took Anya's other side. Together, they began their trek back, the weight of their ordeal heavy on their shoulders.
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CLARKE AND NOVA STRUGGLED TO DRAG THE UNCONSCIOUS ANYA back to the dropship, setting her down carefully as they caught their breath. Clarke spotted a faded note left by her mother, her heart leaping with hope. Nova's excitement mirrored Clarke's, thinking that if Clarke's mom was alive, maybe her own mother was too. Suddenly, Anya sprang to life and attacked Nova, knocking her to the ground.
"What the hell! I didn't even knock you out!" Nova screamed, pushing Anya off her.
"You were closer," Anya spat, delivering a swift kick to Nova's stomach. Nova groaned in pain as Clarke rushed forward, engaging Anya in a fierce fight. Clarke seemed to have the upper hand.
"Anya, wait. Hey... I don't want to kill you, Anya," Clarke panted, straddling Anya and trying to reason with her. Nova, spotting a sturdy tree branch, grabbed it and approached the two.
"Yeah, well, I do!" Nova shouted, swinging the branch at Anya. Anya kicked Clarke aside and caught the branch mid-swing, grunting as she stood up. They struggled, pushing the branch back and forth. As they neared the dropship, Nova sidestepped, letting the branch slam into the metal structure. Both women paused, glaring at each other.
"I told you. Anger builds up, and you grab the sharpest tool next to you," Anya said, recalling their conversation in the chambers.
"I am nothing like you!" Nova shouted back, her voice trembling with rage. Anya threw the branch aside, smirking.
"So you say, but you were ready to bash my head in," Anya replied, the two of them circling each other like predators.
"Nova! Nova, hey!" Clarke called out, trying to break through Nova's anger. Nova ignored her, consumed by fury. Anya charged, knocking Nova to the ground and pummeling her with blows, ready to deliver the final strike. Clarke grabbed Anya's arm, pulling her off Nova and pointing to the sky.
"Look! My people are out there! We can help get your people back, but not if you're trying to kill mine," Clarke pleaded, her voice desperate. Anya looked up at the beacon in the sky, hesitating. Nova groaned, pushing herself to her feet and wiping the blood from her nose.
"You fought well," Anya muttered, glancing at Nova. Nova stared back, her expression hard and unforgiving. There was no acknowledgment, no nod, just a silent, burning determination in her eyes.
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THE THREE WOMEN APPROACHED OUTSIDE THE NEW CAMP SITE. No ropes tying them together. They were untied. "How many are there?" Anya asks as they stop and look at the camp that's shining bright as they get closer.
"I don't know. A lot, I hope. I'm letting you go. I'm not weak, but I'm not like you. Our only chance against Mount Weather is if we fight together. To beat them" Clarke says trying to join forces with Anya and make her feel welcome.
"But to beat them, we'll need our technology and your knowledge of this world. I know my people will help. The question is, will yours?" Nova asks looks to Anya for an answer.
"The commander was my second. I can get an audience" Anya says, nodding her head and shaking hands with Clarke making the deal official.
Anya walks off but stops and turns to Nova. "You're a warrior. I see it but it's time for you to see it." Anya declares to Nova who nods hesitantly. Anya then walks off again but a gunshot is heard this time. Nova turns around and sees blood pour out of Anya's shirt.
"Anya!" Nova shouts as she and Clarke rush over to catch her trying to put pressure on her wound to save her. "Hey. Hey, hey, hey. No, no, no, no. No, no. Hey. It's ok" Clarke reassures looking to Anya as Nova applies pressure. Anya puts her hand over Nova's pushes them off.
"My fight is over." Anya whispers.
Nova and Clarke look to each other as they heard that before. Then suddenly, guards arrive and knock Clarke and Nova out from behind and bring them into camp.
EDITED 07/23/2024