Half women half warrior
Delicate and
Strong
↠
"Hey". Valour looks towards the thin boy. He looks a little beaten and shaken up, as his eyes seem to move like an animals, waiting to be attacked.
"Hi". He smiles lightly, the torch illuminating his face.
"I'm Valour". She holds out her hand.
"Jasper". He takes it, his hands clammy. "Sorry". He apologizes wiping his hands onto his pants.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sort of nervous too". She shrugs.
"Really? You don't seem nervous". He looks her over.
Truth is, she feels as terrified as the boy looks. They don't know anything about the grounders, are they people that would open their arms to strangers? Or see them as nothing but enemies?
From what she's heard, they've shown no signs to try and make peace between the two groups.
"Trust me, I'm terrified". She laughs.
The boy seems less jumpy as they continue to talk. She learns how he was struck by a spear on the day they were sent down, while crossing a lake. How he was basically hung up as bait by the grounders. His fear now makes more sense to her, though as they go on, he seems to grow even more calm. She decides she likes him a few minutes into their conversation. He's nice, and calm, and doesn't seem to care that Markus Kane is her dad. And when she asks about Wells, he tells her what happened. He thankfully doesn't seem to notice the tears that have once again gathered in her eyes as he goes on. The girl was a child name Charlotte, who was quite and kept to herself. She was no older then thirteen, and seemed to have night terrors. Jasper was the one who found Wells fingers, which disgusted her. The girl had cut off a few before slaying the boy. And in the end, ended it herself.
Their conversation comes to a halt as one of tbe boys calls out. "Look, over here"!
The group gathers around him, the ground below dropping drastically. "Right there, you see it? Isn't that Octavia's"?
Valour looks more closely, and hanging off a bush is a piece of fabric, out of place amongst the Forrest.
"Rope"! Bellamy orders.
"What are you doing"? Finn asks, coming up from behind Jasper and Valour.
"We need the rope to get back up". He answers.
Bellamy takes the rope, which is secured to a nearby tree, and flashlight from one of the boys, and with that he cautiously moves downwards. He reaches the bottom, pulling the fabric from the Bush and looks it over.
"It's hers"! He announces. "I'm going all the way down"! He doesn't wait for a response and continues downwards.
With a shrug Valour sticks the handle of the knife into her mouth, taking the rope, and following Bellamy down. A few times her sweaty palms seem to loosen her grip on the rope, but she manages her way down without falling. Her body seems to shake with adrenaline, not knowing what's going to happen, and everything that's gone on in the last 24 hours. She finds Bellamy crouched down, and as she approaches she notices the dark liquid on his fingers from a rock that contains more of it. Bellamy looks upwards noticing her presence, his lips pursed. Jasper and Finn both follow behind them, Jasper almost slipping at the bottom.
"Someone else was here". Bellamy states.
Looking more closely Valour takes notice of the large footsteps in front of them. She wasn't alone.
"The prints are deeper going that way". Finn points out, the torch he holds making the area more brighter, there for they're able to see further.
"He was carrying her".
The prints only show one set of footsteps, proving Finns point. A few others join them landing with a thud behind them.
"If they took her she's alive". Jasper says with a hopeful tone. "Like when they took me".
Valour wonders if they could be using Octavia for bate too? Just like they did with Jasper.
Bellamy stands, and the group follows behind him, Valour on his heels. They continue with following the footsteps, but a gasp escapes Valours lips as she's the first to notice the human Skelton's decorating a ton of trees.
"I don't speak grounder, but I'm pretty sure that means keep out". Finn lets out.
"Man lets get out of here, that's crazy". A voice and mutters comes from the people behind them.
"I'm outta here".
"Yeah me too".
"I'm out".
Valour thinks it over in her head. She can return with the others to the safety of the camp, or stay and help Bellamy with his sister. Despite the fear that seems to cause her hands to shake, she makes up her mind. If she could help save this girl, she'd do everything she could to do so.
"Go back if you want. My sister, my responsibility". Bellamy says not taking a look at those retreating behind them.
Without hesitation he takes off towards the skeletons, and without seeing who's following, Valour does the same .
↠
They walk through the night in almost complete silence, that is until Valour can't take it anymore and jogs to catch up with Bellamy.
"Hey". She tries.
He looks over at her, a somewhat surprised expression on his face. "You stayed".
"Of course". She says, looking over the moss coloured trees around them. They tower hundreds of feet above them, and she can't help but feel fascinated. She'd read in a book that trees can live for thousands of years, which she had thought was mind blowing. All the things it had seen, people, storms, species, extinction.
"Why"? He asks moving his eyes to face forward.
"We can save her". She says simply.
"You think she's okay"? His voice is serious, as if his hope in finding her has grown dim since the search had started.
"A little banged up, but I think she's fine". She truly does. After all, the girl was hidden away for sixteen years. She was a badass, that was clear.
Bellamy's Eyes revert towards Valour, a flame ignited, and hope in finding his sister restored. As well as thankfulness for the hazel eyed girl, who unlike those around him didn't seem to be fuelled by hate towards him, despite his actions.
↠
"I got nothing". Finn sighs.
At this point they've been walking for hours aimlessly through the Forrest for hours, the sun having had risen hours ago, the torches and flashlights no longer needed.
"We lost the trail".
"Keep looking". Bellamy pushes.
"Wandering around aimlessly isn't going to find your sister, we should turn back". Finn replies.
"I'm not going back"! Bellamy retorts, turning to face him.
"Hey, Where's John"? A girl named Roma asks.
In total only only eight of them stayed, including the boy-John, Finn, Bellamy, Jasper, Monroe, a boy who's name she hadn't learned, Roma, and Valour.
They all stop, looking around for the boy who seems to have vanished completely.
"I just saw him a second ago". Jaspers eyes dart around.
"Couldn't have gotten that far". Bellamy spins around.
Suddenly, almost hitting Valour, Johns body falls to the ground from above. Startling Valour she lets out a scream she didn't mean too, all eyes on her, and the body. His eyes are still open, and a thin line of blood spills from his neck. Rushing to the body, Finn and Bellamy both look upwards.
"They use the Trees". Finn realizes.
"We shouldn't have crossed the boundary". One of the boys says with a shaky voice.
"Now can we go"? The girl questions fearfully.
"Holy shit". Valours eyes are on a figure a few yards away.
"Another one"! The boy points out.
Around them figures appear, sending shivers down Valours back. "We should run". Finn practically whispers.
Bellamy is the first to take off, pushing the others to do the same. Valours feet pick up like they've never done in her life before, she's surprised at how quickly she moves. Daring to look back, the people grow closer, chasing after them like a sick game of tag.
Get tagged you die, run fast enough, and you live.
The people grow closer, just feet beside them. On either side. The sickest game of tag ever.
"What are we gonna do they keep running us off"?
"Just keep running". A voice answers.
They jump over fallen logs, through trees, but each time they seem to get cut off. Like animals being herded.
"I can't run much longer". Valour turns seeing Jasper falling behind the group, where as she is more towards the front with Finn and Bellamy.
"I'm not stopping for him"! A voice says back harshly.
Valour comes to a halt, meeting Jasper half way as the rest of group soon stops too.
"I'm sick of running anyway". Bellamy stops.
"Hey what are you doing"? Finn asks.
"They know where she is". Bellamy snaps angrily.
Valour gulps in breaths of air, holding onto Jaspers arm, in case they're forced to once again run. A person, their face hidden in an outfit that's makes them appear monstrous runs at them, alone.
"Diggs where are you"?! The girl who had noticed John was missing takes off for a boy that's no longer in sight.
"Roma"!
And with that they're running again. Valours chest seems tight, and her throat drying with each passing minute. But somehow she's still able to continue. A scream erupts as they go after the girl, Bellamy calling after her.
"Could be more stop"!
They once again come to a halt, as suddenly the boy, Diggs comes into sight. A contraption comes out from the tree, large and holding the boy in place, as blood runs from his mouth. Valour tries her best to hold down the little bit of food she has in her stomach, having seen more death in the last twelve hours then she's had in her entire life.
"They're leading us here. It's the only direction we could run". Jasper looks around skittishly.
They were herding them.
Looking around fearfully, Valour notices the lack of movement beyond them. The grounders gone, and no where in sight. "Where are they"?She questions confused.
"After Roma". Bellamy answers, taking off once again.
Roma's screams echo throughout the Forrest once again, helping to lead them in the direction she went in. Her feet seem to kill her, yet she runs alongside Bellamy almost seemingly effortlessly.
"Shit". Valour mutters, at the figure she notices almost directly in front of them.
With her knife in hand, she inches closer, the spear obvious sticking out of the body.
They got Roma too.
Bellamy jogs infront of her, the first to see the girls corpse. Blood drips from her nose and mouth, her eyes lifeless, unlike they were just minutes ago. All this death, and yet she thought helping find Octavia would stop the plague of death that seems to corrupt the planet ..
"They're playing with us". Finns sighs, though Valour barley hears him.
Her eyes are on Roma's body, the girl younger then she is, her life stripped away in an instant. She watches as Bellamy closes her eyes, his eyes too on the young girl.
"she only came because of me". His voice is barley higher then a whisper, and only loud enough for her to hear.
"It's not your fault". Valour shakes her head, her voice low, and soft.
"Then they should get it over with then"! Jasper screams before Bellamy can reply.
Her head snaps in his direction, the fear stricken boy from last night no where in sight.
As he continues scream, both Bellamy, and Jasper run at him, though Valour cant bring herself to move. It's as if the fear paralyzes her in place, and her breathing becomes more laboured.
"They're coming! Bellamy"! Monroe screams.
From the corner of her eye Valour spots movement, her hands beginning to shake once again, her feet ready to move. What's left of the group stands in a somewhat circular shape, weapons drawn ready to defend themselves if need be. The people appear like monsters, dressed in clothing that makes them look far from human. Her hands grip Jaspers, tightly they hold onto each other. Suddenly a horn blows, sounding as if its coming from every direction. The grounders come to a sudden stop, looking around, before retreating and leaving the teens alone.
"They're leaving". Bellamy thinks out loud.
"That horn, what does it mean"? Jasper questions breathlessly beside her.
"Acid fog".
"We have to run". Monroe's eyes are filled with worry.
Finn shakes his head. "there's no time". He pulls a tarp from his bag, with She's that seem wild. She'd heard of the fog, how it had claimed the lives of three of the hundred already.
A fog so acidic it kills.