Remember when I said that walking through the forest gives me a sense of peace? Yeah, that definitely has changed.
First off, I was with my brother when I said that, and second, everyone was on high alert, including myself. It's not a new feeling either; I had been on high alert since we landed.
Bellamy and I were in the middle of the group, walking alongside Clarke, who seemed to be lost in her thoughts. Bellamy still had his arm around me, with a gun hanging off his shoulder. I was trying to keep at the same pace as everyone, but after walking for a while, I could feel myself getting tired.
Clarke must've noticed this too. "You shouldn't be walking, Jo."
I clenched my teeth as I took another step forward. "I'm fine, Clarke. It's nothing I can't handle."
She gave me a disapproving look as we came to a stop.
"Why are we stopping?" I asked, trying to get a clear view of the front of the group. Kids started shuffling around in front of me, so there was now a clear line of sight from where we were to the front of the group. I could see Octavia, who had her hand in the air, as she stared out into the forest.
Bellamy shook his head beside me. "I don't know." He started to let go of me and make his way to the front of the group when something came flying through the air.
In a blink and you'll miss it moment, a blade came hurtling towards us and stuck right in one kid's face. Drew, I think his name was, fell to the ground dead. I let out a gasp in shock as Jasper yelled out one word, indicating the start of this war.
"GROUNDERS!"
Bellamy immediately turned around, grabbed my arm, and put it around his shoulders. He basically started dragging me along. I knew I wouldn't have been able to keep up, and Bellamy knew that too. I could tell he was searching for Octavia. Every five seconds, Bellamy turned his head back, looking for her. But we didn't stop; we kept moving forward.
Octavia did catch up with us; she came up beside me and grabbed my arm. She didn't say anything; she just gave a quick nod. We could move at a much faster pace now with Octavia's help.
Once we entered camp walls, Bellamy let go of me and started ushering panicked kids into camp. Octavia pulled me off to the side, and I leaned my back against the camp wall, trying to catch my breath. Through the midst of the chaos, I lost my walking stick, so I was limited to people helping me.
"Are you okay?!" Octavia shouted over the commotion.
Taking in deep breaths, I nodded at her. Truth be told, no, I wasn't okay. The Grounders are about to attack, and I'm defenseless because of the condition I'm in.
Bellamy, all of a sudden, appeared beside us; he gave me a worried look before climbing onto one of the platforms that overlooked the wall. I watched as he lifted his gun; looking through the scope, he scanned the forest for any sign of Grounders.
Clarke came and did the same thing; she popped up right next to him. Her eyes scanned the forest as well.
"Where are they?" Bellamy asked Clarke. I could hear the panic in his voice. "Why aren't they attacking?"
Clarke seemed to have made a realization. "Because we're doing exactly what they wanted us to do."
I didn't hear Bellamy's response because Finn came up to me and started looking me over. He didn't say anything; he just motioned for me to lean against him, and I did so willingly; pushing my back off of the camp wall, I leaned into Finn.
All of a sudden, Clarke spun around from where she was standing. "Lincoln said the scouts would be the first to arrive."
"Well if it's just scouts we can fight our way out." Octavia said, looking up to Clarke. "That's what Lincoln would do."
"We're done doing what that Grounder would do." Bellamy announced as he jumped down from the platform. "We tried it and now Drew is dead. You want to be next?"
"That Grounder saved our lives." Finn argued from beside me. "I agree with Octavia. For all we know there's one scout out there."
"One scout with insanely good aim." Jasper piped up from his post.
"If we go out there, we're an open target. There's nothing that's gonna stop them from attacking again when we leave." I added, adjusting my grip on Finn. I got what both Finn and Octavia are trying to say, but I didn't necessarily agree with them.
"Clarke, we can still do this." Octavia let out one last plea.
There was a pause before Bellamy spoke up. "Looking to you, Princess. What's it gonna be? Run and get picked off our in the open, or stand and fight back?"
Clarke turned back to look at the forest. Conflict covered her entire face. I knew this couldn't be an easy decision; there are losses either way.
After a moment of internal debating, she turned back around and got down from the platform. When she walked past Finn and me, he took his free arm to stop her. "Clarke. If we're still here when Tristian gets here—"
I didn't know who Tristan was, but I could assume he was a Grounder that Clarke and Finn had encountered, and by the look on Finn's face, I could tell he's nothing like Lincoln.
Clarke shook her head. "Lincoln said 'scouts'. More than one. He said, 'get home before the scouts arrive'. Finn, they're already here!"
She turned to Bellamy, who was standing in front of us. "Looks like you've got your fight."
Bellamy didn't hesitate to start barking orders immediately. "Okay, then. This is what we've been preparing for." Bellamy continued yelling orders through camp. "Kill them before they kill us! Gunners, to your post! Use the tunnels to get in and out, from now on the gate stays closed!" Everyone starts scrambling to get into position.
Finn let out a frustrated sigh as he ran his free hand through his hair."Come on." Finn started; his voice has frustration in it. He started pulling me along, "Let's get you into the Dropship."
❣︎
Not long after Finn brought me into the Dropship, Bellamy and Clarke entered. We were now all standing — well, Raven and I were sitting around the layout of our camp trying to strategize.
"We've got twenty-five rifles with twenty rounds each, give or take. Roughly five hundred rounds of ammo." Bellamy explained as his eyes were fixated on the table. "While you two were gone, we made some improvements. Thanks to Raven, the Gully's mined."
Clarke stood up from where she was crouched down next to Raven. She was checking her wound; Clarke did the same thing for me a few minutes ago.
"Partially mined." Raven corrected Bellamy from where she sat in one of the Dropship seats.
"Thanks to my brother." I piped up from next to her, where I was sitting in my own seat.
Bellamy gave me a solemn look, "Still, it's the main route in. If the Grounders use it we'll know." Bellamy picked up one of the grenades Raven made. "She also built grenades."
Clarke looked at the grenades with worry. "It's not many."
I shook my head. "Again, thanks to my brother."
"We'll make them count." Bellamy assureed as he put the grenade back down. He started pointing at the layout with his radio. "If the Grounders make it through the front gate guns and grenades should force them back."
"And then?" Clarke asked, her voice revealed that she was skeptical about that plan.
"And then we close the door and pray." Raven answered.
"And pray what?" Clarke asked, turning to her. "That the ship keeps them out because it won't."
I let out a grunt. "What else are we supposed to do, Clarke?"
She ignored my question and looked at Bellamy. "We're not gonna let them get through the gate." Bellamy brought the radio in his hand up to his mouth. "All foxholes listen up. Keep you're eyes and ears open. Inflict casualties, as many as possible. You can hold them off long enough to make them turn back. That's the plan."
Finn let out a scoff, "That's always your plan. Just like the bomb at the bridge."
"Damn right. You got a better idea?" Bellamy challenged.
Clarke, who was just staring at the layout of camp, muttered, "It can't be that simple." This stopped Bellamy and Finns bickering and causes all of us to look at her.
Clarke then turned to Raven and me. "You guys said there's fuel in those rockets, right? Enough to build a hundred bombs."
"I also said we got no gunpowder left." I reminded her, shifting in my spot.
I could practically see the gears turning in Clarke's head. "I don't want to build a bomb... I wanna blast off."
My face turned puzzled. I'm not sure what Clarke is getting at, but Raven seems to get it. A smirk comes on Raven's face. "Draw them in close. Fire the rockets. A ring of fire."
A look of realization came across my face, knowing what Clarke was thinking.
Bellamy must've realized as well because he added, "Barbecued Grounders. I like it."
Finn didn't seem to be totally on board with the idea because he looked to Raven and asked, "Will it work?"
"The wiring's a mess down there, but yeah." Her gaze shifted back to Clarke. "You give me enough time, I'll cook 'em real good."
❣︎
A/N
here we go!!