Winwolfa (A Roan x Female OC Fanfic)

Chapter 4

Astrid found herself wandering the next morning, as she always had. She told Bellamy she was searching for food, but in reality, Astrid needed a break from the dropship. With the lingering threat of the Grounders around every corner, everybody was on high alert and the tensions were growing rapidly between members. So, she strayed far enough to where the camp commotion was just a light murmur. The silence of the forest didn't make her jittery like it had in the past. No creeping fear that somebody was watching her, no unsettling shaking branches. Just the serene sounds of birds chirping and the wind dancing in the trees.

Her fingers fiddled with a plant on the ground. It was nearly identical to the ferns she read about from a hundred years ago, but the phenotype looked warped. As if the radiation from the ground changed it. How much of life on Earth was altered with the radiation?

Her soul resonated with the Earth. Both forcefully mutated. They overcame, adapting, leaving them with physical reminders of what they endured. Earth, on the other hand, thrived, while Astrid was merely surviving. If she could call it that. In reality, she felt like she was free-loading off the work of the other members while she investigated the mysterious woods around them. But to return to the forest felt like an endless itch was getting scratched.

A twig snapped, forcing her to whirl her head in the direction. Trees rustled in the distance. Her curiosity got the better of her. Astrid followed the noise on slow feet. Heel-toe, heel-toe, just like the books had taught her. Breathing became difficult, heavy against her chest as fear crept through her bones. Heart thundering against her ribcage.

"Winwolfa..." Again, the raspiness in the wind called to her.

Another shifting of the branches beside her had her frozen in her steps. Astrid kept her eyes keen, scanning the land around for any sign of animals. Or people. The latter would be the worst case scenario, especially if it was the Grounders. But if it were, she was shocked they haven't killed her by now.

"Astrid!" A voice echoed from camp: Octavia's. She spun around, bolting towards camp and away from the lurking being hiding in the forest.

Her voice called for Astrid again, but closer. Her feet carried fast as she ran towards camp. Wind caressed her face, whispering faint calls of that unfamiliar name in Astrid's ears. A beckoning perhaps. The sudden speed was a surprise, but then again, there weren't many opportunities for frolicking in a cramped cell on the Ark.

"Astrid! Jesus, where were you?" Octavia let loose a tensed breath in her chest as Astrid peered behind branches with racing lungs.

"Just-" Another heavy pant, "just looking for food. Might have some-"

"Have you seen Charlotte? The little girl with braids?" Astrid shook her slowly with a confused face. Octavia cursed under her breath in frustration.

"Why? What happened?" The question caused Octavia to halt her pacing.

"Wells is dead." Astrids jaw hung loose. Not at his death, because it was bound to happen, but at what Octavia was insinuating. "We all thought it was Murphy, because of his knife. She... Charlotte confessed when Bellamy hanged him."

Astrid's gut twisted at the description. She was only gone for a few hours, at most, but so much had happened so quickly. And as usual, Bellamy was instigating problems.

"Is Murphy alive? What happened to Charolette?" Astrid began listing the start of her endless questions.

"Clark and Finn took off with her. But Murphy has a war party out for her." Astrid blinked at the news. It almost sounded like a warning more than an explanation. One that told Astrid not to cross paths with him unless she wanted to face trouble.

"Do you have any idea where she went?" Astrid asked in a hushed tone as they walked through camp. It was already growing dark again.

"No. I haven't seen Bellamy either." They walked into the dropship, taking their usual talking space at the upper level. Anxiety held firmly in Octavia's shoulders, dragging it down with her as she slumped against the wall.

"Look, Clarke and Finn will take care of it. Bellamy will handle Murphy. Just like they always do. If they're not back by the morning, we can go out looking for them."

"Are you sure? You don't seem like one that would take a trek through the wilderness lightly?" Astrid barely tilted her lips upward at her attempt to lighten the mood. Even if it was a crappy dig at her own physique.

"I'm not. So you better pray they come back soon." Astrid casually shrugged her shoulders.

"I never thought we would actually make it on the ground. It's all so new. So big and vast. Definitely better than under the floor." Octavia marveled at her own experiences.

"It's like a drug. I just... can't get enough. It feels like it... calls to me.." Astrid sighed in awe just thinking about it.

"Well, whatever drug you're taking, I want some." Octavia burst out laughing, and finally Astrid let her defenses long enough to snicker a bit.

"Whatever." Astrid muttered as she bumped shoulders with Octavia. The girls, mainly Octavia, swapped their favorite things about Earth until they finally fell asleep against each other.

They awoke an hour or so later to Monty's call that Bellamy, Finn and Clarke were back. He had been working on that damned wristband like a dog throughout the night. Octavia and Astrid sat close to each other by the bonfire, listening to Clark and Bellamy explain everything that had happened with Charlotte and Murphy's banishment. It was heavy news, and Astrid was stunned that the girl opted to take her own life.

When the group got back inside, Monty guided the group to the wristband. When he wasn't with Jasper, he was plopped in front of his work station and worked endlessly on establishing communications with the Ark. Wires and cables flowing out of it into other technology. Astrid's brain whirled at the mess, trying to comprehend it all. Unlike most kids, she was never taught basic survival skills. Anything she knew was from the limited supply of books on the Ark.

"I think I got it." He took a seat with a pin and began probing it.

"Will we be able to talk to them?" Clarke asked with an arched brow of curiosity.

"No. More like morse code." He pointed his pen at Jasper, with a black eye from the Murphy situation, Astrid gathered. "You want to do the honors?"

Jasper slithered in between Astrid and Clarke, grabbing the wire and gently, oh so gently, he clipped it to the wristband. Like playing a surgeon. But it crackled, then faded dark.

"What happened?" Clarke asked frantically as she observed the darkened bands.

"It didn't work." Monty sighed, "I think we fried all the wristbands."

They all swapped a disappointed glance between each other. Finn walked out first, disappointed, followed by Clarke. Jasper was in disarray. Octavia went to comfort him, leaving Astrid with Monty. He cursed and mumbled gibberish as he tinkered with it. Out of the corner of her eye, Astrid saw Octavia lean in to kiss Jasper. Not so subtly, she smacked Monty on the arm, pointing towards the interaction.

Both of them gave a thumbs up at him after Octavia left. Blushed cheeks and a small smirk spread on Jasper's face. Astrid waltzed after her, finding her sitting beside a large pine. She was grinning with a coy smirk.

"Snuggling up with 'goggles', huh?" Astrid teased her, plopping down next to her.

"He needed a little cheering up." She giggled. In a single breath, they bursted out laughing.

"You should have seen his face when you left." Astrid managed to get out after in between giggles. Octavia was getting a giddy smile on her face, which only worsened every time Astrid probed her on the situation.

"Alright, let's drop it. Tomorrow we have to figure out what to do without communications the Ark." They laid against each other as they watched the stars in silence. A shooting star graced the sky above them. In that moment, Astrid wished upon a star. To have this moment, all the pointless banter and teasing with her dearest friend, to last forever.