chapter thirty | forgiveness & strength
↠ ↠ ↠

↠ ↠ ↠

Hunter and Clarke returned to camp, their journey marked by heavy silence. Hunter's mind raced as she desperately sought a solution to their predicament — a way to save Finn and preserve the fragile alliance with the Grounders. But her thoughts yielded no answers.

"Cease fire! They're back!" Bellamy's urgent call echoed as Hunter and Clarke reached the gate. "Open the gate!"

The gate was opened, and Clarke wasted no time in giving the command. "Shut the gate."

Finn hurried to Hunter's side, concern etching his face. "Are you okay?"

Hunter pulled him aside, Clarke following suit, as they moved closer to the Ark. "You can't be out here," Hunter whispered urgently.

Hunter, Clarke, and Finn approached the group where Abby, Bellamy, and Raven awaited them. Abby embraced Clarke, her concern evident. Bellamy and Raven joined the group, eager for news. "What did she say?" Abby inquired.

Hunter remained distant, dissociating herself from her surroundings. "Is there a chance for a truce?" Abby asked.

Clarke met her mother's gaze solemnly. "Yes."

Finn, growing increasingly worried, looked at Hunter. She snapped out of her trance and locked eyes with him. "What's wrong?" he furrowed his brows.

A solitary tear escaped Hunter's eye. "They want you," she whispered, her gaze shifting between Clarke and Abby. "To secure the truce, we have to give them Finn."

The Ark residents began to react, their anxiety palpable. Raven confronted the situation head-on. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"That's their offer," Hunter confirmed.

"It's not a offer" Raven snapped.

"It's a punishment," Finn added. "For what happened in the village, blood for blood."

"That's insane," Bellamy interjected.

Abby sought alternatives. "What if we refuse?"

Clarke's voice was heavy with the gravity of the situation. "They'll attack."

Chaos erupted among the Arkers as they clamored for Finn to be handed over to the grounders. The tension in the air was palpable, and some of the crowd began attempting to seize Finn to appease the grounders' demands.

Raven, fiery and unyielding, fiercely defended her friend, shoving anyone who dared to approach Finn. Hunter, not willing to let go, firmly gripped Finn's hand, their fingers intertwined in a show of solidarity amidst the turmoil.

Clarke, desperate to maintain control of the situation, rushed to Raven's side and tried to reason with her. "Raven, please, listen to me. I promise, nothing is going to happen to him, okay?" Raven nodded, but her resolve remained unbroken.

Amid the chaos, one particularly vocal Arker voiced their frustration. "I'm not dying for him. Spacewalker burned three months of oxygen from the Ark. He should've floated a long time ago. Throw him out!" The crowd's anger escalated, leading to a violent push that sent Finn stumbling. In response, Raven shoved the aggressor, and the situation quickly escalated.

Major Bryne attempted to intervene, but Raven's emotions got the best of her, and she resorted to violence. Instead of calming the situation, she punched Major Bryne, escalating the tension even further. As a result, the Arkers decided to take Raven into custody, and she was led away to the stockade, her protests echoing in the background.

Amidst this turmoil, Hunter maintained her unwavering grip on Finn's hand, her presence a source of solace for him in the midst of the chaos.

↠ ↠ ↠

Hunter, Clarke, and Finn quickly approached Finn and Murphy, who were seated together. Bellamy informed them of their increased defenses. "We're reinforcing all our defenses, doubled on the perimeter. No one's getting past that wire."

Finn stood up, ready to take action. "I'll see where they're thin."

Bellamy, Clarke, and Hunter had other plans for Finn's safety. "No, you should head inside. B corridor will be easier to defend, if it comes to that," Bellamy advised, with Clarke nodding in agreement. Finn was not inclined to hide. 

Hunter stepped in, emphasizing their priority. "Right now, we have to think about keeping you safe. We're going to talk to Lincoln," she said, casting a meaningful glance at Clarke.

"Come on, Finn," Bellamy urged him to follow, and reluctantly, Finn complied.

Clarke moved to join them but was intercepted by Murphy, who inquired about her orders. "Any orders for me, Princess?" he asked.

Clarke's tone was cold as she remembered his involvement in the village massacre. "Stay away from me."

Murphy attempted to explain himself. "Just trying to be helpful."

Clarke confronted him with a harsh accusation. "You were with him in the village."

Hunter couldn't help but be surprised by Clarke's revelation and the tension it caused. Clarke's response was cutting. "I tried to stop him."

"Not hard enough," Clarke accused Murphy.

Murphy countered her accusation, stepping closer to Hunter. Clarke's judgment was unwavering. "Not hard enough."

Hunter couldn't bear to see Clarke's coldness and reached out to defend Murphy. "You want someone to blame? Blame me," she declared, locking eyes with Clarke, grabbing her arm as she went to move. "Murphy did all he could. It's not his fault."

Clarke's gaze lingered on Hunter, and then she pulled her arm away and walked away.

Hunter watched her leave, then turned to Murphy, offering reassurance. "Don't listen to her, alright?"

Murphy nodded and then noticed the worry in Hunter's expression. "Finn's gonna be okay. We'll make sure of that," he assured her.

Hunter held back her tears and composed herself. "I know."

Murphy took a step closer and held her hand, offering his support. "You don't have to be strong all the time, Rylee."

Hunter nodded shakily and took a deep breath. "Right now, I have to be."

Hunter appreciated Murphy's understanding and released her hand, ready to head off to talk to Lincoln. However, Murphy, with a hint of vulnerability in his eyes, gently grasped her wrist, halting her departure.

"Let Clarke and Bellamy handle it, just... sit with me a while, please," he implored, his voice carrying a rare sincerity.

Hunter met his gaze, her initial urgency replaced by a genuine smile. It had been too long since they had a moment together, long before the chaos of the Ark's descent to Earth. She decided to stay and offered a comforting presence to Murphy. They settled down, side by side, with Hunter leaning against the wall and Murphy's head resting on hers, creating a quiet and serene connection between them. For that brief period, they found solace and comfort in each other's company, away from the chaos that surrounded them.

↠ ↠ ↠

Hunter entered a tent, searching for Finn. She rounded a corner and found him packing his bag. "Bellamy told me you were here," she said as she approached him. "What are you doing?"

Finn looked up at her, his expression heavy with resolve. "I have to go."

Hunter knelt down to be on eye level with him. "Where? There's nowhere to go."

"I'm putting everyone in this camp in danger," Finn explained.

"There are Grounders everywhere, Finn. They'll kill you," Hunter argued.

Finn's gaze never wavered. "Maybe that's what I deserve, for what I've done."

Hunter stood up, and they both faced each other. "You wouldn't have done that if it wasn't for me," she admitted, her voice filled with guilt.

"Stop blaming yourself, Lee. I made a decision, and I have to deal with the consequences," Finn insisted, stepping closer to her. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't do all I could to stop you from becoming a monster."

Hunter's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at Finn. "Finn."

He continued, his voice filled with sincerity. "I'm in love with you. Everything that's happened, everything I've done - All that matters is that you're okay, and I nearly took that away." Hunter stared into Finn's eyes, her heart heavy with emotion. "When I saw you in Murphy's arms, it killed me. Seeing you like that, knowing that I did that to you." Finn shook his head and looked at her. "I just want you to forgive me,"

Hunter's voice trembled as she forgave him. "I forgive you, Finn. Don't leave," she implored, her eyes filled with concern. "Please,"

Finn's expression fell, but before either of them could say more, distant chanting reached their ears from outside the gates.

"Jus drein! Jus daun!" The Grounder army chanted.

Hunter and Finn rushed out of the tent, their attention drawn to the unfolding events.

"This is it," Hunter said urgently. "We have to get you inside." She grabbed Finn's hand and hurriedly led him toward the Ark.

↠ ↠ ↠

- I know this has been long awaited, and I wanted to release the whole episode in one chapter, but a lot has happened since I've wrote this, so this is part one as a thank you for 50K reads. I'm so goddamn proud of this book and Rylee. I hope you've enjoyed her story as much as I have, I promise I'll try my best to release part two as soon as possible.

Love you all xo