Arrow | Bellamy Blake | disc.

Prologue

Prologue

The deer was beautiful. Arden had seen many wildlife, as she is apart of the hunting crew, but she still is amazed by it every day. It was early morning, the sun just starting to rise, and the mist was swirling around her muddy boots. Arden swayed on her feet while trying to keep balance so she wouldn't fall loudly into the bushes and scare the animal away. After gripping onto her fathers bow she drew an arrow, the red feather on the end tickling her cheek.

Before she let the weapon fly into the deers chest she glanced at her good friend Lincoln. He wasn't too far, crouching in the same way as Arden was. He was a couple years older than her, always protective and was like a brother she never had.

Arden had a sister, Lexa. She was favourited throughout the camp, always helping chief  Anya of TriKru in anyway she could. Both sisters were seconds for the commander, it was a competitive game. But Arden already knew that Lexa would never become Chief, but someday Heda; The Commander of the twelve clans. With nightblood running through her veins, Lexa could fight the world with loyalty of the grounder clans behind her. Of course, this made Arden jealous of all that power, but she knew she would never like the attention. That's why she kept to herself and her secrets.

She blinked out of her thoughts and looked away from Lincoln back to the deer. The animal had moved, its muzzle nibbling at the short dead grass. Taking a deep breath she repositioned her shot and let the arrow out of her fingers.

The red feather was the only thing visible as the arrow soared through the air gracefully. The deer made a funny sound before falling to its side, no longer breathing. Lincoln gave a short whistle, meaning to move out, and Arden got up from her crouched position.

She slung the bow over her shoulder and pushed a large stick hanging from a tree out of her way so it wouldn't scratch her face. She walked out into the open patch of land and she could see in the tree lines that other deer grazed too. Lincoln cleared his throat so he could wake Arden out from her daze.

(This is yours)"Disha ste yu." He mumbled, Lincoln handed her the bloody arrow.

Arden gave him a hesitant smile and glanced at the arrow. It was sleek and black, she painted the wood like a craft she would do when she was younger with her mother. Wiping the bloody arrow tip on her pants, Arden reached her arm over her shoulder to place the single arrow back into her quiver. With a grunt Lincoln threw the dead deer over his shoulders and gripped onto the legs so it wouldn't fall.

Without a word Arden and Lincoln walked back to the hunting crew meet up spot. They did this once a week, pick a partner and go get some meat, the meet back at the large willow tree before sunrise. As they trekked through the forest Arden kept her eyes low to see any medical herbs growing. In the pale morning light she saw the familiar plant called Polemonium Reptans, or Abscess Root.

In Arden's spare time she would have lessons on medicinal plants from Lincoln, who was also a skilled healer. We only had two in our camp, Lincoln and his friend. She forgets his name constantly, as he was always looking for new things to help a healing process so she never sees him. She stopped in her tracks and carefully plucked the plant from the ground. Lincoln smiled at her, happy that Arden had remembered that this was a useful plant when it came to a high fever or inflammation.

She took another bunch of it as it wasn't too far away. After collecting a handful they began back to the meeting spot, the sun rising behind their backs.

Arden passed through a tall, prickly bush and jumped off of a small rock. In front of her was her fellow hunting mates; Harvey, Eve, Luna, Knox, Atticus and Axel. They were all archers, just like the two of them. By everyone's sides was a dead animal, either a dead deer, a large radiation mutant cat or a net of fish and vegetables. The group rotated gathering each full moon, or as the people before the radiation attack called it every month. Last month Lincoln and Arden spent most of their mornings by the river, she fishing and he gathering.