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[PREVIOUSLY: Octavia, Raven and Bryce sift through their available gunpowder, only to find out that most of it is acidic and unusable. In the meanwhile, Jasper, Bellamy and Finn return to camp with a message from the grounders: "We Will Arrange a Meeting". Octavia becomes suspicious of their response].

Unfortunately, no one else, besides me, seemed very bothered by the grounders' sudden willingness to meet up with us.

After everyone had gathered in a group just outside of the drop-ship, Bellamy showed them all the sign that he and Finn had tacked to a tree near the river at the bottom of the mountain.

"Earlier this morning, Finn and I wrote a message on this board," he shouted out. "We asked the grounders if they'd be willing to make a treaty with us or at least give us the assurance that they would not attack us. Just now, we have returned with their response: they are willing to negotiate with us and have arranged a meeting at a one hundred year old bridge that is a few miles east from here!"

A loud chorus of cheers rose up at the announcement.

Bellamy smirked as he glanced furtively around the camp. Lowering his voice, he said, "This is just the beginning. Once we receive the back-up that we need from the Ark stations, we can launch a full-scale attack that will wipe out the grounders for good."

I bit my lip and swallowed hard as I heard the news. What if I wasn't able to convince Bellamy that we pertain to the treaty conditions once the rest of the people from the Ark arrived? It was something I didn't want to even think about.

"Alright!" Bellamy called out, his strong, authoritative voice silencing the excited, energetic crowd. "Only a few of us are going to meet with them, so I need the rest of you to keep at your posts and contact us if anything drastic happens while we're gone, understood? Dustin, I'm leaving you in charge. You'll have one of Raven's walkie-talkies. I'll have the other one. Notify me if anything goes wrong, okay? Harper, you're second-in-command, keep the others in check. C'mon, move out."

Raven, who was standing next to me, nudged me in the side and smirked, "Your brother has a real effect on everyone, doesn't he?"

I nodded. "That's because people listen to him."

As soon as everyone had dispersed to go about their different duties, Bellamy headed over towards me and Raven. "Get ready," he told us as he loaded his gun. "We're leaving in ten."

When Finn, Clarke and I exited the camp by way of the front gate a few minutes later, my heart was hammering hard in my chest and my senses were on high-alert.

If anything went wrong today ... it'd be my fault.

The three of us, making as much noise as possible, followed a map that Bellamy had drawn up directing us towards the bridge. We were to divert the attention of any grounder scouts that might be lurking nearby so Raven, Monty, Jasper and Bellamy, who were all armed with guns, could slip out of the camp unnoticed. They were to trail behind us in the trees. They were to keep their distance, but be within shooting range.

The air was very strained between Finn, Clarke and I. Our entire recited conversation was uncomfortable to say the least.

Sooner than I had expected, we broke through a clearing lining the edge of the woods and stumbled forward into full view of a large, vine-covered bridge that arched its way across a deep bubbling stream. It must've been an off-shoot from the large river that wound it's way around the mountain; the river that nearly claimed my life.

As we stood, uncertain and unsure, before the bridge, my ears picked up on a faint, but rapidly approaching sound - an unfamiliar clicking noise.

"Hey," I whispered, nudging Finn with my elbow. "Do - do you hear that?"

Finn furrowed his brow. "Yeah, I can ... w-what is it?"

"Well, if she knew she wouldn't be asking you, would she?" Clarke countered as she rolled her eyes. Placing her arm out in front of Finn and I, she ordered, "Stand back."

We walked back a couple of paces, allowing Clarke to take the lead. As the clicking, scraping sounds grew louder and louder, Finn reached down and enveloped one of my hands in his.

I stiffened in surprise, casting a quick downward glance towards our intertwined fingers. Slowly, I pulled away from his grasp and he turned to look at me, eyebrows raised.

"Raven," was all I said as I inched away from him.

The sharp whinny of a horse cut through the air, taking all three of us by surprise.

"Is - is that a horse?" Clarke gasped, shielding her eyes from the bright glare of the noonday sun. "Oh my god. I can't believe it."

Three horses, clad with soft furs and saddles, trotted out into the open on the opposite side of the bridge. Three fierce looking warriors were atop each of them. Two grounders, their faces covered by hideous-looking masks, rode astride the middle horse upon which sat ...

"Heda," I whispered to myself. My eyes glanced from the large, muscular steeds to the bows, arrows and swords tucked within each grounder's grasp. I frowned.

"Hey, I thought we told them to bring no weapons?" Finn hissed in a low tone. "T-that was one of the terms of our meeting."

"Since when do the grounders stoop to terms?" I scoffed, crossing my arms and shaking my head.

"It's too late to do anything about it now," Clarke told us before lowering her voice and stating, "But it's a good thing we brought back-up."

Finn nodded in approval, his eyes fixated on the grounders' every move.

I followed his example, watching as Heda alighted from her horse and hopped to the ground. Her eyes were painted a watery black and a crescent-shaped symbol was plastered on her forehead. Her thick, brown hair was plaited into tiny braids decorated with feathers and beads. A bow and a quiver of arrows were slung across her back. Her eyes were sharp and determined as she left the protection of her bodyguards and began walking across the bridge towards us.

Upon seeing that Heda came alone, Clarke motioned for Finn and I to stay behind as she proceeded forward.

With baited breath, we watched as Clarke and Heda drew nearer and nearer until they met in the middle of the bridge. For a moment, neither of them said anything. They just eyed each other warily.

Then, Heda's strong, gravelly voice broke the stillness, "Your name is Clarke?"

Clarke swallowed as she nodded, "Y-yes."

Heda smirked as she replied, "I'm Anya, Heda of Triku."

Clarke put out her hand to shake Anya's but when she didn't respond to the motion, Clarke's arm slowly dropped to her side.

"That's not a good sign," Finn whispered in my ear.

I licked my lips and hummed in agreement, my gaze focused intently on the two women.

"I - I think we got off to a rough start ..." Clarke began again. "But we want to find a way to live together - in peace."

"I understand," Anya snapped back. "You've started a war that you don't know how to end."

"What? No. We didn't start anything," Clarke shook her head vigourously. "You - you started attacking us first for no reason!"

"No reason?" Anya repeated, raising her voice incredulously. "You burned a village to the ground!"

"B-but that was after ..."

"You're invaders!" Anya growled. "Your ship landed in our territory!"

"We didn't know anyone was here," Clarke persisted. "We thought the ground was uninhabited."

"You knew we were here when you sent an armed raiding party into one of our villages," Anya sneered. "You knew we were here when you set up a trap to capture two of us and torture them!"

Clarke lowered her gaze and her shoulders sagged.

"These are all acts of war," Anya threatened in a low tone.

"I - I see your point," Clarke offered hesitantly. "T-that's why we need to put an end to all of this."

"Lincoln said there are more of you coming down ..."

Clarke jerked her head up and stared at Anya in horror. "W-what ...?"

Finn and I exchanged worried glances. Had such things been discussed in the hostages' presences when they were in the drop-ship? Had Lincoln and Aidan overheard some of our earlier plans and relayed them to the rest of the grounders?

Oh crap.

"And they are warriors," Anya finished with a suspicious, angry look flashing across her face.

Clarke fumbled for words. I knew that if she messed this up, we'd have no chance of making an alliance with the grounders. Aidan and Lincoln could die.

"That's right. They are guards," I spoke up from behind Clarke as I started forward.

"Octavia, what are you doing?" Finn hissed as he grabbed my arm.

"Clarke's gonna give us away," I spat through gritted teeth, wrenching myself away from him. "I know these people better than she does. They'll listen to me!"

"Just like they did the last time you tried to speak to them?" Finn scoffed. "C'mon."

I didn't reply, however, I just turned my back on him and strode over towards Clarke. As I made eye contact with Anya, a flicker of recognition passed over her face.

"Octavia," she spoke as I neared them. "You have an explanation for all of this?"

I nodded, brushing past Clarke as I answered, "As I said, there are warriors coming down but there are also farmers, engineers, and doctors. We can help each other if we are not at war."

Anya paused for a moment as she considered my words. Then, she crossed her arms and glared pointedly at me as she said, "Can you promise that these new arrivals won't attack us? That they'll respect the terms that you and I agree on?"

"I promise that I'll do everything I can to convince them to honour the terms that we set," I replied as I heaved a deep breath.

Anya shook her head. "Why would I agree to an alliance that your people can break the moment they get here?"

"If you fire the first shot, those people coming down won't bother negotiating," I told her pointedly. "They will wipe you out."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Clarke gaping at me, but I ignored her.

Anya smirked, an air of superior confidence surrounding her. "They wouldn't be the first to try."

I narrowed my eyes at her. Anya was confident ... too confident.

My gaze flittered from Anya's war-painted face to the grounders behind her. Suddenly, I glimpsed a movement in the trees. Swallowing hard, I turned my attention towards the woods, scanning the whole lot in a matter of seconds.

Then ... I saw them. Grounders. Archers. They were in the trees. They were signalling to each other. They - they were going to shoot ... at us.

I glanced over towards Anya who had backed away from us. I shook my head. I couldn't believe it. I had been right. It was a trap!

"Clarke," I breathed softly. "There's grounders in the trees. We have to run ... now!"

Before either of us could make a move, however, we heard a strangled cry sound from right behind us.

Clarke, Anya and I all whirled around. We were just in time to see Jasper leap out from behind a clump of bushes nearby.

"Run, Octavia, run!" he screamed as he raised his rifle.

"Jasper! Don't!" I shrieked, but it was too late.

The ear-splitting sound of a bullet being released from a gun burst through the air.

BANG.

Gif: Octavia as she waits at the bridge. [sorry that this chapter was so long]

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