Fallen

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Cave

Indra stares Bellamy down with a mix of disgust and anger on her face. She arm is in a sling and she is holding a sword with her good hand. Ash stares at the fire, twirling a stick in her hand. The three are hidden in a cave with Bellamy tied up.

"Let me help," he begs. "I want to save them."

Ash's jaw clenches as she chucks the stick at him. He flinches in time to avoid being hit.

"You're the reason they're in this situation," she snaps at him. "You could have prevented this."

"You really think others would have not followed Pike if I sided with you in the beginning?"

She stalks over towards him, crouching down. She looks him in the eyes, almost daring him to look away.

"You are the same asshole everyone followed when we landed," she reminds him. "The same asshole who convinced everyone, including me, to remove the bands. And the same fucking asshole who led us into a war we weren't ready for. And yet you really think no one would have followed your fucking lead when it came to Pike?" She stands up towering over him. "So forgive us for not trusting you when you say you want to help."

Indra had watch the entire scene unfold before her. She can recall the first time she had seen Ash. A scared girl who was captured by the Mountain Men. Now here she stands, a strong warrior not as scared as she was. She had seen her when they were looking for Clarke, but now she can see her on her own. The Commander, Lexa, had made the right decision in having her trained.

"What was I supposed to do?" Bellamy asks. He looks between Ash and Indra, though neither have pity for him. His eyes settle on the young warrior towering over him. "They killed Drew. John. Diggs. Roma." His voice lowers. "They killed Gina."

"And we killed plenty of theirs," she reminds him. "Jus nou drien jus daun."

"For now," Indra pipes up. Ash glances at her before back at Bellamy.

"You fought along side them against Mount Weather."

"They abandoned us!" Bellamy snaps.

"To protect their people!" She yells back. Ash takes a moment to collect herself. "And there is a chance ours would have done the same."

Bellamy doesn't respond, so Ash huffs before walking away. She picks up an bow and quiver laying next to Indra. Indra had brought it, even though she can't use it. Figured either Ash or Octavia would.

"I'm going to check the perimeter," Ash tells the former Trikru . "Don't kill him. Yet."

She leaves the cave and Indra goes back to staring Bellamy down.

"He still trusts me," Bellamy states. "Anything goes wrong, we can use that."

"You saw where you earned that trust," she snarls. "On the battlefield where you massacred my brothers and sisters."

"Should I have let Pike kill you?"

"Why didn't you?"

His eyes glance to the weapon beside her.

"Same reason you haven't used that sword on me."

"Octavia," she mutters. 

"We are running out of time. Cut me loose. She could die in there."

"Then Okteivia kom Skaikru will earn the warrior's death you denied me."

A horn echoes through the cave and woods as Ash hurries back in. Indra stands up quickly.

"What was that?" Bellamy asks.

"New Commander," Indra states.

"I overheard some Grounders," Ash pipes up. Bellamy looks at her in concern. "I was hidden. They didn't see me." She turns towards Indra. "Lexa was apparently killed."

"I need to go," Indra tells her. "All chiefs need to be at Polis soon."

"What about Octavia?" Bellamy asks. Indra ignores his question, so Ash asks a different one.

"How likely is it that Heda will ignore Lexa's previous orders?"

"Depends on which one her spirit chose," Indra grasps Ash's arm to show alliance with her. "I will speak on behalf of those who oppose Pike. But I can't guarantee anything."

"Thank you. For everything."

Indra ducks out of the cave, leaving Ash and Bellamy alone. The silence is almost suffocating. Ash sets down the bow and arrows before sitting down herself. As far from Bellamy as possible. His eyes following her and roaming over her body. 

"You must hate me now," he concludes, breaking the silence. He lost her too. And this time it's his fault. She shifts a bit.

"I hate what you became," she quietly responds, rubbing her forehead. She turns and looks him in the eyes. Instead of the anger he saw earlier, he sees the pain she was hiding. "What happened to us?"

"You left for months with no explanation."

Her eyes quickly go back to the flames in the center of the cave. He can just barely make out the tears welling in her eyes, like she is trying not to cry.

"It wouldn't have been fair if I stayed," she responds. "You didn't need to deal with it."

"You didn't give me a choice," he snaps. "I would have-"

"Would have what?" she practically yells, looking up at him. "Hunted down those who survived? Because I shot Cage and Emerson would have been hunted down by now."

"I don't only respond with violence."

"Really? Because every situation we have been in for the past six months you have respond with fighting instead of talking." She leans back against the cave wall, chuckling a bit. "Shit. Look the past few days if you need an example."

Before he could respond, a group of people enter the cave. Kane, Sinclair, Harper, Miller, Bryan, and Octavia. They are short a person. Bellamy can see the pain in his sister's eyes.

"Where's Lincoln?" he asks.

"Dead," Octavia spats. "Pike put a bullet into his head."

Saying this, rage seems to over take her. She quickly lunges at her brother, attacking him. Ash goes to pull her off, but her father stops her. Octavia's fists connect with Bellamy's face over and over again while she cries out in pain. A metallic taste fills his mouth as blood does. She keeps going and he doesn't even move away or block. He lets her take her rage out on him. Better him than her hurting herself. Once he falls to the ground, she kicks him in the side for good measure. Tears streaking her face.

"You're dead to me," she cries out. The radio Kane is holding goes off and he answers it. Ash walks over to Octavia to comfort her, but the younger warrior pushes her away. So Ash kneels by Bellamy, helping him sit up.

"You really did it this time," she mutters. He did. He is the reason the person his sister loves is dead.

"Monty is in trouble," Kane states. "We are going to meet him at the dropship."

"It could be a trap," Ash points out.

"Then we'll bring him," Octavia states, nodding her head towards her brother. "Have a hostage to trade Monty for."

But if Pike is there, he would still probably kill them, Bellamy realizes. He can't lose the last people he cares about, no matter what. Kane agrees and Ash yanks him up off the ground. Sinclair, Kane, Ash, Octavia, and Bellamy leave the others in the cave; heading once again back to the dropship.