❝ 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲,
𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺
𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀❞
- 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝘀

𝗔𝘃𝗮'𝘀 𝗣𝗢𝗩

My eyes flutter open and I feel myself moving but I know I'm not walking. I look up to see the face of a grounder who is currently carrying me in his arms.

My wrists are tied together and I look over to see Finn and Clarke walking behind another grounder who has them tied to a rope.

"Did I miss anything?" I croak and the duo turn their heads to me.

"Ava!" They sigh in relief and I grin.

"Awe, you care" I coo and they shake their heads at me.

I turn to the grounder carrying me and pat his shoulder.

"Thanks for the lift, buddy" I say gratefully and he lets out a grunt.

Suddenly we enter what I think is a cave and it gets awfully dark. The grounder in front stops and pushes Finn and Clarke to their knees roughly.

The grounder carrying me puts me down lightly and pushes me forward in a much gentler way.

what a gentleman

I shoot him a smile before kneeling down next to Finn who gives me a look of disbelief. I roll my eyes at my best friend and he elbows me. The grounders disappear and Finn turns to Clarke.

"We walked for about three miles after crossing that creek. Another two or so before we got to the road" Finn whispers to the blonde and I huff, not knowing anything due to being knocked out.

"I don't think it matters, Finn. They didn't blind fold us which means they don't care what we saw. They're probably gonna kill us" Clarke replies.

"Blondie's right" I hum in agreement.

The grounders appear and grab us, pulling us to our feet. We're taken into a room and Clarke and Finn are thrown to their knees while i'm pushed down in between them.

Someone walks between Clarke and I causing me to jump a little in fright. I look up and see Anya staring down at us.

She pulls out her sword and my heartbeat quickens in fear. She makes a move towards Clarke and I don't hesitate before trying to grab Clarke but I'm held back by a grounder.

Anya cuts Clarke's restraints and I stop struggling, looking at the scene before me in confusion.

"What do you want from us?" Clarke asks and the grounders pull back a curtain to reveal a younger girl laying down.

The girl gasps and shivers making me frown softly in sympathy. Clarke is yanked to her feet and Anya moves her gaze from the young girl to Clarke.

"Help her" The woman demands.

"If she dies, he dies" Anya adds, pointing her sword at Finn.

Finn and I share a look of fear and he grabs my hands in his.

"It's gonna be okay" Finn whispers to me.

"I hope to God you're right" I mumble back.

Clarke walks towards the girl and Anya watches carefully.

"Her name is Tris" Anya announces.

"I can't do this. I don't have any equipment" Clarke argues.

"We'll provide you with what we can" Anya replies.

"Why do you think I can save her?" Clarke asks in confusion.

"Lincoln told her" Finn elaborates.

"Yes. Our healer is gone. There's nothing we can do for her. For his sake, I hope you can" Anya states before walking away.

"Clarke, you can do this" Finn encourages her.

"He's right, blondie. Do your thing" I smile weakly.

"Wait. What happened to her?" Clarke asks Anya.

"She was on the bridge when your bomb exploded" Anya replies "You did this to her"

Anya disappears and Clarke looks at the girl before looking at us. One of the grounders cut Finn and I loose and I walk over to Tris.

A grounder brings in a load of tools and Clarke crouches down to look at them. Tris wheezes and splutters making my heart hurt for the young girl.

"She's getting worse" Finn states.

"Help me lift her up" Clarke demands and Finn gets to work.

They sit her up and I take over Clarke's side so she can do her thing.

"Oh, my God. Here we go" Clarke mumbles.

She leans down and presses her ear to the girls back.

"She's not moving any air on the left. There's fluid pressing on her lungs" Clarke tells us.

"I don't see an entry wound" Finn replies.

"No. It wasn't shrapnel. It was trauma" I explain, laying the girl down.

"The force of the explosion, it hit her in the chest. She's drowning in her own blood" Clarke explains further.

"She can't breathe" I tell Clarke who nods.

"I have to relieve the pressure" The blonde tells me, picking up a small scalpel like knife and holding it over the flame on a candle.

"I need a small tube" She tells the grounders "Something rigid, the size of my finger"

They look around and one of them finds something.

"Here" He says in a gruff voice and I take it from him.

"Thanks" I breathe out.

I see it's a pen so I take it apart, leaving me with the empty plastic tube.

"Fifth intercostal space" Clarke mumbles and Tris lets out pained sounds.

"This better work" The blonde sighs, cutting into the girl's side.

"It has to" I reply, handing her the tube.

She pushes the tube into the Tris' side and liquid starts pouring out the tube.

"You're okay" Clarke tells her.

"Attagirl" I smile, sweeping the hair off the girl's face.

"Breathe" Clarke instructs.

"What have you done?!" I hear Anya shout and I look up to see the woman glaring at Clarke.

"No! You don't understand. She couldn't breathe" Clarke objects but Anya throws the blonde to the ground.

"Hey!" I snap, rounding the table.

"Back off!" Finn shouts.

Finn is flipped onto the floor by a grounder and I'm grabbed by another. I try to fight the man off but I'm held back tightly with no chance of wriggling free.

"Let her go" Anya demands and I drop to the floor next to Finn.

I check him over to make sure he's okay and help him to his feet. Clarke comes over to Finn and I as I wipe the blood off his head with a cloth.

"She's breathing a little better, but even if we can save her, what happens then?" Clarke asks in a low voice.

"Then maybe we don't die today" Finn replies.

"Maybe they'll let us go" I say hopefully.

"She's hot!" Anya barks.

Clarke walks over to the girl and then glances back at me.

"Her heart rate is way up. She's probably septic" Clarke states.

"What does that mean?" Anya asks.

"It means her blood is poisoned" Clarke tells the woman.

Finn starts looking through vials and I walk over to Clarke's side.

"What about this stuff?" Finn asks, holding up a vial.

"That slows bleeding" A grounder replies.

"Coagulant. No" Clarke states "Lincoln had that same stuff at the drop ship"

"I don't see any antibiotics" Finn says.

"Maybe that nasty lake seaweed?" I suggest.

"She doesn't need seaweed. She needs real medicine" Clarke snaps.

"How could you send a little girl into battle? What is wrong with you people?!" She shrieks at Anya.

"She was with me. She was my second. It's how we train them to be warriors!" Anya retorts.

"Oh, so the killing can just go on and on?" Clarke asks rhetorically.

"Hey, blondie, I think that's enough" I announce.

"You put the bomb on the bridge! You did this to her!" Anya shouts, rounding the table and getting in Clarke's face.

Tris starts gasping for air and I look down at the girl in concern.

"She needs clean blood" I hear Clarke say.

"Transfusion?" Finn asks.

"Okay. There's no tubing so we need a syringe, the biggest one you can find and I need a cannula, it's like a hollow needle" Clarke demands.

"You heard the girl" I holler and they start searching.

They find as close to what the blonde is looking for as they can get and Finn tries to sharpen the needle.

"It's as sharp as it's gonna get" He tells her.

"All right. Thanks" Clarke replies, attaching the cannula to the syringe.

"Bleach" Finn says, spraying the needle with the bleach to sterilise it.

"Guess there's no moonshine" Clarke says.

"Where's Monty when you need him" I mumble jokingly and she shoots me a smile.

"Okay. I'm gonna need your blood" Clarke tells Anya but the grounder next to her pushes Clarke back.

"No" He protests.

"You're from the same tribe. It's the best match we're gonna get" Clarke explains.

"Clarke, if you're gonna do something, you have to do it now" Finn tells the blonde as Tris starts choking and spluttering.

"Hurry!" I rush them.

"Just use mine" I hear Finn say and I turn around in disbelief.

I watch as Clarke pushes the needle into Finn's arm, extracting a large amount of blood from my best friend.

"Find a vein" Clarke tells me and I nod, turning back to Tris.

I hold out the girl's arm and feel around for a vein but when I can't feel anything I start getting frustrated.

"I can't find one" I tell Clarke who looks at me in frustration.

She nudges me out the way and holds Tris' arm, feeling for a vein.

"I can't find a vein" Clarke states in disbelief and I give her an 'I told you so' look.

"She's clamping down. She's lost too much blood" She says.

"Clarke" Finn mumbles.

"Oh, come on" Clarke huffs in frustration, trying to find a vein.

"Clarke!" I snap in worry.

"She's not breathing" Finn says and the blonde looks up in shock.

We all take a step back as Anya walks over to look at Tris. I hear a knife being removed from Anya's belt and share a worried look with Clarke.

I then see Anya cut off one of Tris' braids, holding the hair with unshed tears in her eyes as she walks away from the young girl. One of the grounders steps forward and picks up the girl, carrying her away.

"Take him away and kill him" Anya tells one of the grounders.

"No! No! No!" Clarke shouts.

"No, Anya! Wait!" I yell.

"Take me instead" I beg the grounder.

"I can't" The woman tells me as Clarke and I are held back.

"Why the fuck not?!" I shriek.

"I swore to Nova I would spare your life. Don't make me regret it, sky girl" Anya reveals and I feel tears run down my face.

Anya leaves and one of the grounders grabs Finn, causing Clarke and I to fight against our captors.

"I did everything I could!" Clarke screeches.

"Let him go!" I scream desperately.

"Ava! Clarke! Stop! They'll hurt you!" Finn snaps at us, struggling against the grounder pulling him away.

"No!" I cry out.

"Get off!" Clarke shouts.

The grounders eventually let us go and I slump against the table in tears. Clarke pulls me into her arms and I sob at the mere thought of Finn dying.

My sobs slowly fade into whimpers and Clarke lets me go, giving me a little space. I clutch my necklace tightly in my fist, bringing my knees up to my chest and resting my head on my knees.

"Anya will take no pleasure in your friend's death" I hear one of the grounders tell Clarke.

"Prove your worth, and you'll be welcomed here" He says.

"I couldn't save Tris. Why would you want me?" Clarke asks, sounding fed up.

"We told you. Our healer is gone" The man replies.

"Will I be able to go back to see them. My friends? My home?" Clarke questions the man.

"Tomorrow there'll be nothing to go back to" He tells her.

I pull myself to my feet shakily and look at him in rage.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I snap but he ignores me.

"Those marks on her shoulder. What were they?" Clarke asks curiously.

"Lincoln and Nova have them too" I add.

"Each scar marks a kill in combat" He explains.

"Five kills? She was a little girl" Clarke states in shock.

"She was brave" He corrects her.

"How many do you have?" Clarke asks him and I see where she's going with this.

He pulls his armour off and pulls down his shirt neck to reveal many scars.

"That's a lot" Clarke comments.

"And half were after I hurt my knee" He says proudly.

"Yikes" I mumble.

Suddenly Clarke kicks the man in the knee and swipes at him with a scalpel, slitting his throat. He tries to get up but I move quickly, covering his mouth with my hand and holding him down as he bleeds out.

I look up at Clarke and we share a look of mutual respect before she grabs all the tools which are wrapped up.

We head straight out into the forest and start running for our lives. Clarke stays close to my side as we race through the trees, trying to stay as quiet as possible.

A loud signal sounds through the air and I duck into a bush, pulling Clarke with me. Clarke slips slightly, making a noise and I cover her mouth, mentally cursing the blonde.

shit

She looks at me with a look that screams 'let me go' and I shoot her a glare, dropping my hand to my boot and pulling out my knife. She also grabs a knife from the tools and we get ready to be attacked.

"Go" I whisper and we jump out the bush making a dash through the woods.

As we're running I hear a scream behind me and turn to see Clarke being dragged up. She dangles from the trap she's caught in and I look around in panic.

"Run" She chokes out.

"I can't just leave you!" I hiss.

"Go" She demands.

I turn to do as she says but I'm pulled onto my ass and yanked up into the trees with her.

I dangle next to the blonde by my ankle and quickly I start to feel woozy, all my blood rushing to my head.

"Clarke" I mumble softly before my vision blacks out.