Weight of Living // Bellamy Blake

Journey

I walk steadily through the forest, making careful placements with each step. Clarke and I had been walking for hours. It is obvious that she is tiring, and fast. The poor girl has never had to walk this far in her life. Ton DC is a 5 hour walk away from her 'Drop ship' as she calls it, we've been walking for around 3 hours. She tells me all the details to do with mount weather, shows me her map of the prison; her plan for infiltrating. She's definitely a leader. She'd easily put her people's needs before her own. After all, that's why she's here. She's risking her life for her people. She is brave.
I begin to think I underestimated, if not misunderstood, this girl. The commander may just listen to her. Our values lay with bravery and strength and Clarke easily shows both of these. Her ability to lead is quite impressive. Her people seem to hang on her every word. She is one to be followed.

I stop by the lake, allowing Clarke to rest. She couldn't have been more than 18 years old. It's hard to believe that her loved ones would send her down to earth, with no knowledge of whether it was habitable or not.

"You must drink, Clarke." I speak softly, sharpening my dagger on a rock, "We have a while yet before we approach Tondc."

The poor girl sighs, she was struggling to carry on this long trip. Honestly, I couldn't really blame her. She wasn't built or prepared for such long journeys. I guess none of the sky people would be. All they could do was roam around their Ark, which wouldn't take that long. Definitely not as long as this journey.

I can tell by the sharp breaths that she is exhausted. Could we really afford to rest? My people were trapped with the monsters controlling Mount Weather. Our people were trapped. Was it really worth forcing an exhausted girl to drag her feet for a few more hours? There was no guarantee the Commander would see her. This could be a wasted trip. Having the girl resent me wasn't quite worth it. "Okay," I exhale, "You need to rest. You're much too tired to push on."
Clarke looks up at me, attempting to find a way to fight me on this decision. Realising she wouldn't win, she lays back on her rucksack, closing her eyes.
Clarke had a softness to her as she drifted to sleep. This was not the fierce and brave Clarke that accompanied me on this journey. She was vulnerable; childlike. No, she was a child. No more than 18 years of age and had been sent to her death. What kind of civilisation would agree to that? What kind of civilisation would send 100 children to their death? Yet somehow, we were the savage ones. The Sky People's way of life sickened me.

I give Clarke half an hour to nap, anymore than that and we are losing sunlight. When she awakens, she seems startled. As if she hadn't expected to wake up next to a savage grounder. Especially one that isn't going to kill her, yet at least. No, not yet, I could never kill a person so similar to myself. When I looked at Clarke, I saw a slightly younger, slightly weaker version of myself. Of course, we were very opposite in looks. Where her hair fell blonde and wavy, mine fell dark and straight. Her eyes echoed the colour of the crystal lake, whilst mine mixed with the mossy trees. Clarke was paler than I, my olive skin was much darker than hers.
"What's wrong?" She half yawns.
"We need to leave, Clarke." I attempt to sound affirmative, but leading wasn't my strong point, "If we leave now, we should get there before sundown."
Clarke nods, shrugging her rucksack onto her shoulders as she stumbles to her feet. She takes a gulp of her water, as if that would prepare her for the next two hours of walking.
I so desperately wanted to head back to my village now. It wasn't too far away. With every step closer to the commander, I begin to feel more and more on edge.

"Trimani?" Clarke repeats me, "and that means?"
"What your people would call a forrest." I smile, she seemed amused by our language. Eager to understand.
I stand still to face her, making a small gesture between us "Lukot."
A large smile creeps upon her face as she attempts to work out what it meant. Again her childlike essence gleamed. "Friend," she states, "lukot means friend."

Nodding, I carry on walking. We would be arriving at Tondc in a few minutes. Clarke stumbles a few steps behind me. Obviously on edge. Clarke wasn't stupid, she was aware that not every grounder was as willing to listen as I. She was still much calmer than I would be. We approach the 'no weapons' sign and Clarke's worry seemed to triple.
"Don't worry, Clarke." I take her make-shift daggers from her, "I assure you, I will allow for no harm to come to you." She nods, putting on a brave face. "You should wait in my quarters."

"They have our people." I declare. "They're dying, Heda. The maunon are draining our people of blood. Clarke-"
"Clarke?" The commander cuts me off.
"Skaikru. She escaped Mount Weather, Heda."
"Branwoda." Indra hisses at me.
"I am not foolish," I retort, "I have been to their camp. I have seen things you deemed impossible, Indra. Lincoln-"
"Lincoln is dead, Shei." Indra spits like venom.
"Branwoda," I echo her previous statement, "He is with the skaikru," I turn my attention from the bitterness of Indra, to the commander. "Heda, they know how to bring reapers back. I've seen it."
The commander looks down on me, twisting her dagger between her seemingly dainty fingers. She seemed to be deep in thought. After all, any wrong decision could end with her death. "Shei," she addresses me, "bring me the one they call Clarke."
A sense of relief washes over me.

My pacing was beginning to irritate everyone, including myself. The commander would not allow me to witness the exchange between herself and Clarke. Though Indra, the one that would rather kill than listen, was able to remain present. Surely, I should be present considering I am-
"Shei." I snap back from my frustrated thoughts, Gorra stands before me. Shit. She's definitely not impressed with me, "How can you be so foolish as to let Skaikru capture you?" She lectures me with her sharp tongue, "I pray you are right about them, Shei. The commander demands to see if what you claim is true," I exhale in slight relief. The meeting went well, "If you are right, there is to be a truce between Trigedakru and Skaikru. If you are wrong..." Gorra trails off.
No matter how hard on me she was, Gorra cared for me. As you would for your second, you train them to be the best they can be and see them grow not only in strength, but as a person. She'd always told me my strong will would cause trouble. Gorra feared that she would be right.
She sighs heavily. "Gather supplies, we leave at dawn."