A/N: hey guys pretty please check out the first paragraph in the note at the end thank you so much.
Chapter 3: Smart Cocky and Stupid Cocky
The young adults slumber was ended suddenly when a beam of light hit their faces. All cringed squinting their eyes shut desperate to keep the morning away. "Get up, we're going to eat, then your training begins." Cora didn't need to open her eyes to know Scarlett was looking at the blonde. Her muscles shuddered at the potential pain about to come and she simply groaned. She was the first to leave the room.
Her bare feet thud around the home rubbing her eyes. A yawn got her into the dining area. She sat down three more sets of foot steps following. Out came a plate of eggs and ham. The scent woke all of them up a bit more.
"Sitka, you take Kenai and Cora for a run. Athena and I need to run into the village pick up some things from the garden and the market." They all gave a small nod their faces stuffed with food. "Sitka you'll join us after a few training exercises." The boy nodded in return his mouth filled with a yellow delight.
—
Clarke slowly walked towards the group of 48, Monty was the first to see her sending him and Jasper in a race for hugs. Smiles and sighs in relief could be heard from the group. Stepping back the three exchanged looks, "Finn and Bellamy?" Her eyes desperate for an answer.
"Clarke they uh-um. They didn't make it," Jasper stuttered out.
"We don't know that," Clarke spoke hopeful. "What about Raven?" They both avoided eye contact seeing that the girl who was last seen on death's bed not in a place of medical care. "And Cora did they find her?"
"No Clarke, they didn't." The blonde avoided eye contact for a moment, swallowing a lump in her throat. They hadn't left each other on bad terms but they also weren't the best. She wished that she would've done things differently. Listen to the two instead of trying to leave. It was stupid, but it was also hope and the group needed that. Sadly the hope died as fast as the group started to fall to their death as well.
—
"I think we've ran enough," Kenai wheezed as he attempted to keep up with the blonde and his older brother.
"Really? I'm thinking another mile?" The blonde smiled as they reached a creek.
The three slowed, all taking a drink of the water. "Hey Cora let me check your wound," Sitka said taking one last drink. She obliged lifting up her shirt showing hardly any blood. "We'll have to reseal it when we get back." She nodded looking back. "Kenai do we need to go back?"
"No I can keep up," he wheezed out, bent over ready to lose his delightfully filling breakfast.
"I'm sure of it," He said patting his siblings back then turning to go the other way. "Come on let's go back, Cora and I will go for another run later tonight."
"Does that mean weapons training?" Cora chirped in capping her canteen.
"Yeah Cora I get to kick your ass."
"How is that considered weapons training?"
"It's not," she tilted her head looking at him, "But when you win you get to learn how to use the bow and arrow."
"Well come on lets get going!" She jumped excitedly starting to jog the three miles back.
"Why is she so jittery?" Kenai asked putting the water in his pouch.
"Why aren't you?" Sitka questioned starting to jog back.
—
It didn't take them as long to get back, Cora and Kenai kept racing here and there."Okay, you ready Miss I'm gonna kick your butt," Sitka chuckled cracking his neck.
"I mean you're just as cocky as I am."
"I'm smart cocky, you're just stupid cocky."
"My stupid cockiness kept me alive," she responded.
Cora and Sitka squared up. For once she felt she could actually use all her strength to not hold back at all. She felt a sudden calm run over her body before it began. One punch, two punch, miss. He attacked first, leaving her side with a small red patch covering her skin. She pushed forward one then blocked three.
Quickly realizing that she fought similar to himself, he began to change it up. Her injuries make her slower, use speed to beat her. So he did, as she went for a punch he dodged and went for her stomach. The blonde bent over sucking in air. As she turned around he stuck her back sending her to the mud. "You didn't see that coming?"
Spitting she pushed herself up again "No, but it was fun." She smirked her body looked and felt worn. The last time she fought someone as strong as Sitka was on the Ark. What felt like forever ago, fighting a man twice her size, three times the training. Against the odds she beat him.
It didn't take long for her to be face first in the mud. He began to walk away mumbling about how the needed to wait. When she stood, "Again." He smiled before turning the fight starting all over again.
Ten minutes later she was back down. Wheezing for air her head ached form the amount of times it had hit the ground. "Cora, wait till your strong. It's okay no shame in that," the brunette spoke turned cleaning off his muddy knuckles. He looked at her side seeing a small amount of blood seep through her shirt.
"One thing, about us sky people," she paused standing, "we don't give up." This time she ran towards him with a war cry sound. He perked an eyebrow before she shoved her shoulder into his chest taking them both to the ground. One steady breath and she pinned him quickly. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she felt his hand tap against her own. She let go as he rolled over catching his breath.
"You fight good."
"I know."
The both let out a laugh their breathing still heavy. Shortly Sitka stood up giving a hand to the blonde. She took it, exaggerating a moan as she got to her feet. "Come on your wound reopened." Cora looked down her eyes widening.
"Hey look at that. I'm bleeding." He shook his head as she grabbed her side, both heading back inside. She took off the dirty jacket. It didn't feel like her jacket. No, her jacket was one the shoulders of a red head. It was then she realized the likely hood of Lucy being alive was little to none. "I need to go back to the drop ship."
"The what?" He asked as she slid lied down lifting up her shirt.
"The place where three hundred of your people burned." She spoke laying on her back as he examined the wound. She could hear the sound of his breath changing. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have s-"
"We'll go tonight. I'll tell my mom were going for a jog or something."
"Thanks," she gave a soft nod as he patched her wound.
Cora waited outside for a good two hours, the sounds of foot steps approaching caused her to look up. "Hey Cora," The youngest plopped down next to her as she whittled a stake.
"Hey," she smiled.
"Where's Sitka?"
"He went into your village with your mom and sister. Getting things to make a bow and arrow or something. Did you miss this mornings' conversation?" She asked with a giggle.
"Wow, they're gonna make you a full set." She looked puzzled by the statement. "Few months back they left me at a friends house for what seemed to long to just be going to the garden to get vegetables. Instead they got me my own sword. That was the coolest thing. Taught me how to fight with it, how to use it for survival. Everything."
Cora smiled, "Did they teach you to throw knifes?"
"Well..."
"Well? Don't bullshit me," the blonde laughed. "Come on show me your skills," the boy laughed standing up running inside grabbing his set of throwing knifes. Running back outside he giggled showing her his knifes. "Wow these are really cool."
"My dad made them for me," his smile faded as he held the knife. "He died when I was five. My mom told me that he thought I would have the biggest muscles unlike Sitka. You know he's not really even that good with a bow. Athena though, she's amazing."
"Hm, maybe I'll ask her for help," the blonde responded in a joking manner.
"She knows its not your fault she just needs someone to blame." They walked over to a tree with a target.
"I know," the girl paused with a grin. "Before everything went bad I had a um, a friend and basically he said whenever I was angry I was to take it out on him instead of a tree or anyone else."
"Sounds like a cool guy."
She nodded, "He was." Was, a deadly word in the meaning. She didn't actually know. Maybe she should know. No. That conversation was just as bad.
"So I haven't practiced in a while but it shouldn't be to bad." She gave him a nod to go on. Holding the first knife with a sharp throw the knife hit the tree and stuck. Kenai smiled seeing his accomplishment. "Here you try."
He handed her a knife and his words drifted through her mind. "Stay relaxed, don't be to tense." Breathing in through her nose, out her lips the knife was in the air and hit the outside of the target.
"Wow. You got it to stick." Se bowed her head with a smile, "Little Scout gets help from the king and suddenly she's the best student." Murphy's voice echoed as a fading memory was reopened.
"I had a good teacher." They went back and forth both throwing their two knifes. Time continued to float on a Cora questioned what was taking so long but didn't wan't to worry the boy.As the un began to set they had finally shown back up. Athena went straight into the cottage putting bags of food away.
"Cora, good to see my son kept you entertained. How 'bout I make us some soup then you and Sitka can go for another jog I believe that is what he told me." The girl nodded.
"Scarlett," the woman stopped in the doorway. "Could I help?"
With a smile the woman nodded, "Of course."
—
The late meal was simple vegetable soup. Cora had diced all the veggies as Scarlett worked on the broth. The three siblings labored in the back room working on a project Cora had no idea what it was about. She didn't really care.
The food was consumed quickly by Sitka and he was overly encouraging when it came time for Cora to finish up. She knew they were going to go back she just didn't know he wanted to go this bad. "Sitka, I'm almost finished just like-"
"Quit talking and finish eating." She shook her head consuming the last spoonful of carrots. Soon. They were out the door with a huff of laughter and began moving forward.
—
Bellamy and Finn bolted from the guards, using the knowledge of the ground to their advantage. The poked their heads out of the fox hole
"Where is everyone?" Freckles question as they looked at the empty camp.
Bellamy's eyes found Murphy clinging onto Kane as they walked down the ramp, "It was awful. It was awful. There were hundreds them, if it wasn't for Raven...I don't know what would've happened." Bellamy glanced at his hand seeing knife that he recognized. Engraved on the blade was a very fancy C. "Bellamy, you're alive." He spoke disappointed, also realizing his so to be fate.
"Cora." The faint words left his lips not wasting another moment before attacking. "You murderer! You son of a bitch! Where is she?" He shouted as Murphy helplessly took the beating.
"Bellamy, stop!" Finn shouted as the boy took out all his anger, all his fear. The thought of her being gone. A surge of electricity went through his body as he shot back falling over gasping for air.
"Place him under arrest," Kane spoke with authority.
"Wait, you don't understand. Murphy murdered two of our people," Finn spoke up on Bellamy's behalf. "He shot two more and tried to hang Bellamy."
"I don't care, you are not animals." Kane fired back, "There are rules, laws. You are not in control here any more.
"I don't know where she is Bellamy," Murphy defended recovering.
"You're a liar," the boy with freckles wheezed.
"I swear, I don't know where she is. If I did, I'd tell you," Murphy said reluctantly. In truth he cared about Cora. She had multiple reasons to kill him. Yet he never did, she always forgave him in some sort of way.
—
Yet again they stopped both taking a swing of their water. "Tried yet?" He asked sounding worn out. She shook her head wiping her forehead before hearing a screeching that drew both of their attention. She went to investigate before feeling an arm stop her. She looked up at him questioning his actions. "Its the hunters, they come out once every two weeks to get food. I didn't think they'd be out tonight."
"You should go back I'll be fine," Cora whispered watching as the light of the fire headed their way.
"I'm not going to leave you here." She looked at him then back at the group. Finally taking action he removed his jacket handing it to her getting a handful of dirt as she slid on the jacket.
"What are we going to do-" her words were silenced as the dirt was smear across her face. she closed an eye as he did so the other holding a glare.
"For someone who is as radiated as us, you're pale. you need to not look like the sky crew." She nodded smearing the dirt around. "Take out your hair." She rolled her eyes removing the braid when he covered it with mud as well.
The fire was coming closer, the blonde anxious muttered out his name. "Stay close to me, don't say anything." She nodded as a man approached them in the dark.
"Sitka," the words became foreign to her ears. They continued a conversation for a short period. Suddenly the brunette nodded taking the girls hand walking to the back of the group of twenty.
"We stay with the group, I told him you don't talk, vow of silence after your father burned in the war. I, I have to help teach the younger children in the back. They merely asked for us to stay back her make sure they were doing it right." He spoke in a hushed whisper so the children couldn't hear.
She only nodded keeping her head down seeing how young the "young ones" were. They were about the age when Cora was first asked by Alex if she wanted to learn to fight. She felt nerves shoot through her body that day, then they settled into the thought of getting stronger, faster, more powerful.
Her mind raced back to hat first day. "Have you ever killed anyone?" The blonde guard was taken back by the young girls question. Not answering fast enough she continued, "they said I coulda killed my dad." She paused playing with her fingers, "I wanted him to die."
The guard sat down on the floor with an ancient look arrow in his hands. "Cora, do you know what this is?"
"I'm almost ten of course I know what that is you boob." The guard looked as if he had been slapped with insult.
"Okay, okay, cool your beans. You wa-"
"Cool my beans? I'm locked up, what about that says I should cool my beans." Her her nose and cheeks flushed red in frustration."Sorry."
"It's fine, red hot chilly pepper."
The little girl snapped, "What?
"When you get angry you turn red like a chilly pepper."
"Well, you have a big nose."
"You're a chilly pepper," he repeated emphasizing 'chilly pepper.' She pouted as he continued. "Now you wanna know how to make an arrow or...?"
Cora looked up at Sitka watching how stern he kept his face around his people. It had always seemed so gentle. His jaw was tightened. His eyes a narrow, staring into the darkness. The crack of thunder accompanied by a flash of light caused the blonde to look up.
Then the rain. She felt a smile wash over her fading back to the first time she felt water hit her face. It was so powerful, feeling nature at it's finest. The dancing, the cheering. They were alive, happy. "Cora," he caught her attention.
"You should take your jacket ba-"
"It's fine. They're going off in a separate direction so we can keep going." She nodded moving drenched hair out of her eyes.
"We're about an hour from your camp. You okay?"
"Of course," she trekked forward.
—
The hour felt like three and the rain settled about 15 minutes from the camp. Her heart sank not seeing any fire or smoke rise above the walls. "You should wait out here," she paused taking off his jacket. "They're trigger happy and a grounder is not something they want to see."
"I'm still a grounder huh?" He smirked putting his jacket back on.
"Shut up and stay low."
He nodded, "Be careful Cora, they're trigger happy."
She shook her head walking over to the open gate. Keeping her hands out she carefully walked in seeing a dark plane full of ash and bones. On the wall of the drop ship was a white markings that had been smeared. At the top a faint CLARKE could be seen. Cora found herself wiping her eyes. "They're alive."
"Cora," she turned hopeful to see a familiar face, that wasn't the case.
"Someone's alive," she wiped her eyes again. Quickly she turned racing up the ramp into the dark metal coffin. Continuing all the way up the ladder finding all of their supplies that hadn't been damaged in the blast. Her hands scramble acting eyes finally finding a light. She hung it on the preset hook illuminating the room.
The sound of someone entering the room didn't phase her. "What are you looking for?"
"There was blueprints, for a radio. If I could just find their shitty blueprints I could put it back together, hopefully, and call out." She continued to look before stopping with a loud sigh. "They weren't in here. They burned in that stupid fire." She wiped the desk clean in frustration.
"Okay-hey, why don't we just look for your people?"
"No," she responded quickly. "If I went back to the camp they'd keep me there I'd lose all the freedom I had. The old people are a bunch of farts who don't understand shit about the ground. Hell we thought no one lived here." She bent down and picked up the items off the floor. "Just a bunch of narcissistic backstabbing lying wankers."
"Wankers? What is a um 'wanker'"
"Someone who," she thought about sugar coating it, "masturbates. I use it as and insult but I guess if your doing the do you must be having fu-"
"Cora."
"Yeah?"
"No."
She huffed a airy laugh as he picked up the few things she couldn't grab. "We can go back if you want. I just, needed to know they weren't here."
He nodded and headed back down the ladder. Cora grabbed a bullet out of the bin holding it in between her fingers. So much destruction with one bullet. Clink. The girl turned off the light and climbed the ladder no trace of the sky people on her body.
"Sitka, the hell were you thinking. You said you were going for a jog it's been hours," Athena's voice shifted to a foreign tongue as the blonde walked out.
"That was my fault," Cora came face to face with a grey spotted horse and another chestnut horse with a black mane. "I had to look. I had to know." Athena clenched her jaw with a nod.
"Come on, we should be getting back." The brunette spoke as her brother hopped onto the chestnut. The blonde walked towards Sitka stopping suddenly. "No, you're riding with me. He's an awful teacher and conversationalist."
The boy nodded sending Cora over to Athena. Taking her hand the blonde swung a foot over easily, "Thank you."
Sitka took the lead, as the horses raced back Athena spoke up. "You're going to fall off just grab my waist. I won't bite."
"Past experiences have told me otherwise." The blonde hesitantly wrapped her arms around the woman.
"It wasn't your fault, it was war. That doesn't mean I'm your best friend, but I won't try to kill you anymore."
The blonde's lips arched with a nod, "Okay."
• • •
Hey guys so this is SUPER IMPORTANT. Basically I need to know if I made an Instagram account and posted video and edits would that be something your interested in?
Also I plan on getting on a set schedule so that I update weekly cause suddenly a whole bunch of time disappeared and I was like "whaaaa?"
Anyways I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, I mean Athena and Cora are starting to bond and the Brotp between Sitka and Cora is so great.
The video is mine I hope you guys like it. One (soo much Bellamy) and two the song is just (get ready for the pun) gold. Also note the quality was so much better before YouTube had to go be a jackass.
Song for the chapter is..
Gold- Imagine Dragons// idk man it's just cool.
Ah! As always let me know what ya think. Or if you're feeling a rough day you can always talk to me. Thank you guys so much for voting and commenting, adding to reading lists and even just reading it. It means so much to me thank you guys I love you so so so much.