─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
THE BODY OF FINN COLLINS RESTED ON THE DEWY GRASS JUST A FEW FEET AWAY FROM JUNE'S BOOTS. She can still hear Raven's sobs from where she stands, resting her deceased loved one's head in her lap as she grieved. June's cheeks are stained with her past tears, sad brown eyes locked on Finn. She knew she could have been more decent to him before this. She only regretted punching him in the jaw now, but it wouldn't change anything. Finn was dead, and at last, they were granted their truce at the cost. But it didn't leave June comforted.
"Raven," June whispered sadly. "I'm so... I'm so sorry..." Raven doesn't answer, only letting out another choked sob.
Soft footsteps approach from behind June, causing her to turn her head sharply. She knew that they were surrounded by grounders, in their territory, and was on guard until she saw it was only Clarke. June had expected her to be shaking, be in a state of sorrow like Raven, but instead, she's holding her chin high with her blood stained hands dangling at her sides. "Raven, June," she greeted. The tone gives away to June what Clarke is really feeling. She's known her since they were young, having heard her trying to cover up her emotions one too many times.
"Go away." Raven finally speaks, warning Clarke lowly.
"Raven," Clarke repeats. "I'm - "
Before she can finish, Raven is suddenly jumping to her feet and storming towards her. "I said, go away!" She frantically screeched.
"I know how hard this must be for you, but I'm leaving with the grounders, and I need you to work on the radio," Clarke replied calmly.
Taken by surprise, June looks to her with her forehead creased. "Now, Clarke?" She asked, knowing now couldn't be the best time.
But Clarke nods. "Now."
From behind Raven, two grounders appear, one hoisting up Finn's legs and the other grabbing under his arms. She whips around, shouting. "What are you doing?!"
"We need to take him - " Clarke begins as Raven tried to pry their hands off.
"Like hell you do! Get off!" Raven demanded.
"Give us a minute!" Clarke exclaimed over her to the grounders. They don't seem pleased, but they reluctantly drop Finn's body and steps to the side much to June's astonishment that they complied to her command. "Please, Raven."
Moving away from the grounders again, Raven scowled to Clarke through the tears. "You agreed to this?"
"We're taking him back to the village where the massacre took place, there's a death ritual," Clarke explains softly. "It's the only way to get our people out of Mount Weather."
It made sense. June just hates that Finn can't be buried with his people. Raven does too, but she understands and nods angrily. "Then I'm coming too."
"So am I," June cuts in, eyes flickering from Raven to Clarke, who neither object.
"And don't worry. I'll bring your damn radio," Raven finished in a snarl. She shoves her way past the both of them, marching back to camp.
Once she's gone, June turns to Clarke who had watched Raven leave, seizing the minute they had to spare. "Clarke, I know it's a stupid question but..." She pauses before asking. "Are you okay?"
"I killed him," Clarke whispered in reply like she was still processing what she did. Her hands, that had been at her side, are lifted to her chest as she stares at them. "God, what did I do?"
Tearfully, June slowly nods, swallowing the lump in her throat as she gently rested her hands on Clarke's shoulders to make her look at her. "You did what you had to do," she said. "I know you didn't want to, Clarke. I'm so sorry." A shuddered sob comes from Clarke's trembling lips as she stumbled forward. June catches her, arms wrapped around her and cradling the back of her head to keep her in a tight embrace, doing her best to keep her eyes of Finn as the grounders resumed lifting him.
Clarke's chest rises and falls as she heaves a few deep breaths and slowly pulls away. As her blue eyes land on Finn, they suddenly widen into saucers, watching in silent horror as he's carried away. June frowns, assuming Clarke's in despair, unknowing her best friend was drowning in so much more sorrow.
━━━━━━━━
Twigs snap and dry leaves crunch under June's boots as she strolls through the woods with a mix of her people and the grounders. Her gun is propped in her hands, heart heavy walking with Clarke in between her and Bellamy, as she glanced around dully. Finn was a few people behind them, being carried on a long wood that Raven sat on due to her leg. June remembered the time she would be on guard every second walking through the woods, even in the dropship camp behind their walls. Now, although uneasy, she didn't fear for her life. June had Finn to thank for that.
Clarke's head is turned, seemingly in a trance, when Bellamy speaks up. "Hey, you doing alright?"
"Yeah," Clarke mumbled thinly, looking away from the trees. June knows she doesn't mean it, but doesn't press on it. None of them were alright.
After a pause, Bellamy tries again. "You did the right thing."
"Now I get to live with it," Clarke responded coldly. She shook her head before questioning; "You still think this truce is a bad idea, don't you?"
"I think we're wasting our time on politics while our friends are in trouble," Bellamy replied honestly.
"We need their army to get to Mount Weather Bellamy, and you know it," Clarke says, a warning behind her tone.
Although she knows Clarke is right, June cautiously scans the army around her. "There are still other options to look at, Clarke," she points out, remembering their conversation from days before.
"I agree," Bellamy inputted. "Their army has been getting their ass kicked by Mount Weather forever. What we need is an inside man. Someone to be our eyes and ears."
At the word man, June cocked her head in Bellamy's direction. "Thought we settled this, it'll be an inside woman," she corrected.
Before Bellamy can retort anything, Clarke cuts in. "Forget it," she instructed dismissively. "It's too dangerous."
"Clarke, if you can make it out, we can make it in," Bellamy argued. "We need a guard and someone to get ahold of their technology."
"I said no," Clarke said more firm.
"Since I don't take orders from you, I'm gonna need a better reason," Bellamy demands.
The broken look Clarke had twisted into a more fond one as she looked from June to Bellamy, this time, pleading. "I can't lose you. Either of you. Okay?"
June is hit with a wave of adoration, but she shakes her head. She wasn't about to let this go, but for now, Clarke was clear that she wasn't going to cave in. "You never would," she promised, deciding to leave it there.
When night falls, June realizes just how much they don't truly trust each other yet. She is one of the only ones to join Clarke in sleeping in the middle of the two separate camp despite so, hoping they could start from somewhere. When the sun rose over the woods, the tension was still clearly there, but they set off to the village to start Finn's funeral. There's a gate that guards it, the doors swinging open when Commander Lexa and her assistant approach.
The male assistant, Gustus, walks to the back where June and her people were with a bucket in his hand. "Weapons," he ordered simply. June had a hunch as to why.
A deep voice spoke up from behind them. "We need to disarm before we enter." It was Lincoln, looking much cleaner than from when June had last seen him. He pulls a dagger out and lays it in the bucket as a demonstration.
Knowing it was the only way to get in, June reluctantly pulls the strap of her gun off her shoulder. She passes it over, dropping the rifle into the bucket's hole. She grabbed the handle of a knife tucked in her belt, pulling it out and putting it in the bucket as well with a clang. Gustus moves on, the bucket being filled further with firearms and different daggers, even Bellamy, who doesn't seem too pleased to do so. He comes to a stop at Raven who doesn't move, only glare darkly. So Gustus has to disarm her himself, plucking a knife one by one before taking her gun.
"Heda," Gustus calls to his leader. "Em klir." (Commander. All clear.)
The Commander nods, entering the open gate and wandering into the village. June takes a deep breath with her eyes shut before following the rest, hearing excited words greeting Lexa. "Heda! Heda, Monin hou!" (Commander! Commander, welcome back!) It changed when the crowd sees who is also there.
"Hakom op yu lid in emo hir?!" A call shouts over the crowd. (Why have you brought them here?!)
"Wamplei gon Skaikru! Ripa gyon au hou!" Another one chimes in. (Death to Sky People! Murderers go home!)
Even though June couldn't understand their language, she knew they weren't happy. There was deathly cold looks in their beady eyes as they surrounded the new people in their home. June head turns away from them when she sees a tall man blocking their path, standing in front of the Commander unafraid. "Skaikru ban jak ething op kom ai," he spat. "Ain houmon, ain yongon!" (Sky people took everything from me. My wife, my child!)
Gustus stood in front of Lexa. "Step of," he ordered. (Step aside.)
"Ripa op nou monin hir," the man in their way snarls back. (Murderers are not welcome here.)
Lexa gives Gustus a simple nod. June sees it's a signal when he straightened his back, stepping forward and punches the man with his fist so hard he's sent sprawling on the ground. June is sick as she watches, boots glued to the ground, as Gustus stands above him and continues to beat him cruelly. The grounder he's attacking is groaning in pain, blood splattering into the dirt, but the Commander does nothing. Lexa stays put still, only observing closely without any emotion on her face.
Shaking her head, Clarke pushes her way through the crowd and puts her hand on Lexa's shoulder. "Commander, stop him, please," she begged. "They'll blame us for this too."
It's quiet as the Commander thinks it over, only filled with more painful groans and skin meeting skin, before she complies in a simple call. "Teik in em raun." (Let him live.) Gustus immediately stops at her words, rising once more and backing off. June is stunned at how much power that Lexa has over her people. A female rushes to help the one hurt, helping him stand after the beating while Lexa whirls, her cape flying behind her. "The Sky People march with us now," she announced. "Anyone who tries to stop that will pay with their life."
The message is made loud and clear, bringing shock to the people inside the village. June can still feel them watching as they walk further inside, Bellamy letting out a mutter. "Warm welcome." She snorts, staying close to him, prepared to ignore the welcome that they received so she could say a proper goodbye to Finn.
They come together as one for the funeral. Finn's body is wrapped in cloth, resting on top of a fire pit with stacks of logs on one another to hold him up. Circling Finn below was the bodies of the innocents he killed, wrapped in a cloth as well. The figures ranged from tall to much shorter, causing June to realize she was right when she screamed at Finn, that he had killed defenseless children. She feels a cold shiver crawl up her spine.
"Kru kom Tondc," Lexa calls loudly. "Raun faya, oso woda klin laudnes de kom foutaim."
"People of Tondc," Lincoln whispered from beside Octavia, translating their language. "In fire, we cleanse the pain of the past."
A torch lit with a large flame is handed to Lexa. The Commander holds in towards the sky briefly before her arm is outstretched to the blonde on her side. "Clarke." Quiet mumbles fill the crowd, but June ignores them, watching as her friend accepts it silently.
Clarke takes a step to the pit, holding lit torch high. She glances to the air on her right, sucking in a deep breath before her hand lowers. The flames flicker, hissing as they swallow up Finn's body first. "Yu gonplei ste odon," Clarke announced. (Your fight is over.) She steps back, throwing the torch into the pit, so the fire blazes over the rest of the deceased. June has no choice but to look in sorrow, fighting back tears so her vision won't blur as Finn's is put to rest when his body burns, putting a final stamp on their peace treaty.