❝ 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱,
𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲,
𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴
𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 ❞
- 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝘀

𝗔𝘃𝗮'𝘀 𝗣𝗢𝗩

As we're walking I feel as though we're being followed and I slyly take in my surroundings. I catch the sight of a figure running in the distance and I don't hesitate before chasing after it.

"Ava!" I hear Bellamy shout but I take off in the direction of the running figure.

I chase it through trees and over boulders until I finally lose it. My feet falter as I stop in my place to look around me but I see nothing at all.

"Shit" I curse.

"A, what the hell?!" Octavia snaps as I see the others walking towards me.

"We were being followed" I inform them.

"No, we weren't" Clarke says matter of factly.

I feel something hit the back of my head and I grab the aching spot as I spin around but still see nothing.

Another small rock hits my head and I let out a frustrated shriek, kicking the rock into the bushes.

Something hits me in the head once again and due to the childish nature of being pelted with small rocks I finally realise who the perpetrator is.

"Nova, get your sorry ass out here!" I holler.

The grounder girl steps out from behind a tree and smirks at me in amusement.

"You are a bitch" I state, walking towards her.

"I could say the same to you" She retorts.

She throws something at me and I catch it, looking down to see it's my bow.

"Where did you find this?" I ask, smiling happily.

"I went to your camp after the battle to find you. I knew there was no way in hell that you were dead, but I couldn't find you. I found that in the ashes of the warriors you burned to death" She states and I frown deeply.

"They were gonna kill us, Nova" I reply sheepishly.

"Why do you look guilty? Don't be sorry. You won! Be happy" She grins and I look at her questioningly.

"I'm proud of you, Eiva Kom Skaikru" She tells me sincerely, pushing my quiver to my chest.

I take the quiver and throw it over my head, lifting my head a little higher as her praise makes my heart swell in happiness.

"I also found this" Nova adds, holding up a silver chain.

"My necklace" I gasp, taking it from her grasp.

My thumb swipes the word 'squirt' and I smile softly at the gift Finn had given me when we were just kids.

"Thank you" I say sincerely and she nods.

"Hey, Nova" I hear Octavia greet the grounder.

"Octavia. It's good to see you again" Nova replies.

Bellamy and Clarke awkwardly stand watching us converse and I roll my eyes.

"Bell, blondie, this is Nova. Nova, this is Bellamy and Clarke" I introduce them as I slip my necklace over my head.

They all nod at each other and I share an amused grin with Octavia.

"Now, what the hell is your boy doing running around the forest with a gun?" Nova asks me and I glance at Bellamy.

"Not him. The cute one" Nova snaps and Bellamy looks slightly offended.

"Finn?" I guess and she nods.

"He's looking for me. He thinks that trikru took me and my friends, but they obviously didn't, so now we need to find him" I explain and she hums in understanding.

"I have to get back to Indra before she realises i've snuck away. You got it from here?" She questions curiously.

"I got this" I assure her in her native tongue, making her smile at me proudly.

She lays a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it affectionately before darting away into the forest and I turn to the others with a newfound burst of confidence.

"Let's go" Octavia huffs, trudging on through the forest.

Clarke follows blindly and Bellamy stays back a little to walk by me.

"You think Finn's cute?" I hear Bellamy scoff and I gasp, hitting his arm.

"Finn is adorable" I argue.

"He's about as adorable as acid fog" Bellamy retorts.

"You're just mad Nova didn't think you were cute" I tease him and he rolls his eyes.

"As if" He scoffs.

"I think you're cute" I tell him and he looks at me with a look I don't quite recognise.

"Of course you do" He says cockily.

"Don't make me take that back, Blake" I warn him, pointing my finger at him threateningly.

"You wouldn't" He challenges me.

"Watch me" I smirk.

He leans down and I wait until he gets really close to turn my face, making him kiss my cheek. He stops, looking at me in disbelief and I smirk widely at the stunned man.

I turn to him, walking backwards and blow him a kiss. I turn back to catch up with the girls but I'm suddenly swept off my feet. Bellamy holds me bridal style and I look at him questioningly.

He plants a kiss on my lips and I giggle, pushing him away. My feet hit the ground and we jog to catch up with Octavia and Clarke.

"You two are disgusting" Octavia comments, but a small smile pulls at her lips.

"Shut up" Bellamy and I say in unison, grinning at each other.

We walk for what feels like hours until gradually it starts to get darker and the moon replaces the sun in the star scattered sky. We find a spot to camp in, Bellamy quickly lighting a fire as I sit down next to Octavia and eventually my eyes flutter shut sleepily.

After a quick nap I wake up to see that it's still dark and when I turn my head I see Bellamy through the fire, watching me sleep. I smile at him and sit up from my place, curled up with Octavia.

"The last time I saw you, Clarke was closing the drop ship door" He says and I look down in sadness.

"Had to be done" He then tells me.

I pull myself to my feet and pad over to him, taking a seat next to him on the log as he looks down at me.

"Have you slept at all?" I ask curiously.

"It's okay. I'll sleep when we find Finn" Bellamy assures me, pulling me over to sit on his lap.

I cuddle into his side and he puts an arm around me, holding my thigh with his other hand.

"You haven't seen him, sunshine. Losing you and Clarke, the others, the war, it changed him" Bellamy explains to me and worry sets in my gut.

"He executed the grounder that drew us the map. Pulled the trigger without even blinking and walked away" Bellamy tells me.

"That's not Finn. It doesn't even sound like him" I protest, shaking my head.

"No, it doesn't" He agrees, gazing at the crackling sparks of fire.

"I saw what he was capable of, and still let him go with Murphy and two automatic rifles" Bellamy says, clearly blaming himself for this situation.

"Bell, I'm sure they will be just fine. They're survivors" I assure him.

"When we got back to the drop ship and no one was there, we assumed it was the grounders" He admits, looking down at me softly.

"Makes sense. How where you supposed to know it was the mountain men? We didn't even know they existed" I shrug.

"How long until chocolate cake turns into being hung upside down and drained for their blood?" He questions, looking back at the fire.

"I have no idea, but let's hope that it's not soon" I sigh out worriedly.

"Yeah. First we find Finn, then our people in Mount Weather" He declares.

"And Lincoln" I hear Octavia speak up and I turn my head to see both the blonde and dark haired girl are now awake.

"I think we've slept long enough" Octavia adds, getting up.

I look up at Bellamy who kisses my cheek and pats my thigh gently. With a deep breath I swing my legs off him and a pain erupts through my thigh. I grit my teeth in agony and Bellamy grabs me in concern.

"Are you okay?" He asks me worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I lie, waving him off.

I drag myself to my feet and force myself to walk over to Octavia who hands me my quiver and bow.

"Thanks" I smile weakly and she nods back.

I swing my quiver over my head and shove my bow in it, immediately walking away so that i'm not forced to answer their concerned questions.

We trek for miles until daylight seeps in and I watch all three of my fellow trekkers walk ahead of me. I've gradually slowed down due to the ache in my leg but played it off as being tired of walking.

Octavia turns and I plaster on a huge smile, not wanting anyone to worry about me or make me turn back. She slows down slightly and falls back next to me.

"What's going on with your leg, A?" She demands in a hushed voice.

"Nothing" I shrug, looking straight forward to Bellamy who is far ahead with Clarke.

"Come on. You can tell me anything" She assures me.

My leg cramps with a zip of pain and I grit my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Tell me what's wrong" Octavia snaps, grabbing my arm.

I force my eyes open and pull my arm out of the girl's hold as I try to push through the pain.

"I got shot" I huff and she rolls her eyes.

"I know, but you said you were good to go" She counters.

"I lied, Octavia" I retort and she scowls at me in realisation.

"You're in pain and still putting pressure on that damn leg" She states in frustration.

"Yeah, I am" I admit with a defeated breath.

"Why? You're just making the pain worse" Octavia asks in confusion, sounding concerned.

"Do you think Finn would stay behind at camp if it was me out here?" I answer her question with my own "The fact we're even having to look for him right now proves he wouldn't because that's what he's doing right now, looking for me"

"You don't always have to do everything for everyone else, Ava. Do yourself a favour every once in a while and look after yourself...before all this pain kills you" Octavia advises me before speeding up to catch up with Bellamy and Clarke.

I shake my head softly, allowing her words to sink in and take a deep breath, trudging on to keep up with the others.

"This is it" I hear Bellamy mutter as I catch up to them and I look up to see a large statue of a man sitting in a chair.

"Which way to the village?" He asks his sister.

"O?" He presses and I look at her to see the pained expression on her face.

"The reapers came from there" She tells us, pointing with her sword.

Her eyes well up and her bottom lip trembles as she tries not to cry. Bellamy spins her around to face him and she lets out a sob.

"I couldn't save him, Bell" She cries and he pulls her into a hug.

"I couldn't save him" She whimpers once more and my heart breaks for the girl.

I let the siblings have their moment before slipping my hand into Octavia's for moral support and she smiles at me weakly through her tears.

We begin walking to the village and as we near I hear the sickening sound of gunshots coming from a rifle.

My eyes widen in concern and we all take off in a sprint, the gunshots continuing and getting louder as we approach the village. The village comes into view and we all stop at a small hill.

My gaze meets with Finn's and I smile widely but as my eyes drift down wards it fades into a horrified expression.

Bodies bleed out on the ground around him and I notice the rifle in Finn's hands, I add those to the frightened look on Murphy's face and I'm left startled.

oh, my God

I hesitantly walk into the village with Clarke and Bellamy behind me and Octavia runs forward to kneel by a young boy she must know.

I stop by one of the bodies and peer down at it in sadness. I can't help but notice how young the girl is and I kneel down, gently closing her scared eyes.

"Your fight is over" I mumble in respect.

I look up just in time to see Finn walk towards Clarke but she takes steps back in what I think is fear. His eyes meet mine and relief washes over his features.

"I found you" He says and my gut twists as Clarke shakes her head.

"What the hell have you done?" I spit out.

He tries to walk up to me and I hit his chest angrily, dumbfounded at his sudden stupidity and lack of sanity.

"Do you realise what you've done?! They're going to kill you for this!" I choke out in a panic and he looks at me guiltily.

"We have to go" I demand and everyone looks at me wearily.

"Now!" I order sternly and no one argues.

I grab the rifle out Finn's hand roughly and throw it to Murphy before grabbing my best friend's hand and yanking on it harshly.

I drag him out of the village with the others on my tail as we weave our way through the forest in complete silence. Finn opens his mouth to speak but I beat him to it.

"Don't" I warn him.

"Everything's gonna be okay, squirt" He tells me, intertwining our fingers together and giving my hand a comforting squeeze.

"I hope you're right, Finn" I breathe out.