The Lost Grounder

Chapter 2

     It had only been a couple of days since they had let Artemis go and Grounders had already been spotted in the distance. Everyone hurried to their positions, guns in hand.

"Don't fire until you can see them" Clarke called. "We don't want to waste ammunition." It was only a few moments before a gun fired.

"I'm sorry I panicked" Jasper said hurriedly. Clarke sighed and nodded to him before looking around to make sure everyone was in position before she took up her own.

The Grounders moved quickly through the trees, so quickly that they only caught a glimpse of them for a matter of seconds. But there was one that moved slower than the rest, like they wanted to be seen. Clarke watched as they raised their bow and fired an arrow which landed in the wooden beam beside Clarke. She looked to it and saw a note attached to it. She hastily ripped it from the arrow and read it before the gun fire started. She looked down her scope and watched as the Grounders advanced to a hundred metres from their camp before retreating. When she finally looked away from her scope she saw seven bodies on the ground, each struck with a deadly shot from an archer. A handful of others had been injured and Clarke tended to them before seeking out Bellamy to show him the note.

"So she is going to help us" he said once he'd read the note. "Maybe she's not as loyal as we thought." Clarke shook her head,

"she is loyal she's just not a killer-like us."

"What are we going to do? Are we going to trust her or not?" He asked.

"I trust her." Clarke said confidently. "I believe her when she says she's going to help us."

"What if it's a trap?"

"I'm willing to take that chance." She answered. "We leave to meet her in an hour. Be ready." He nodded. "I'll meet you here." She added before leaving his tent.

As they were about to leave people started collapsing stirring fear within everyone. Clarke rushed to help.

"Bellamy meet Artemis" she called to him. He went to refuse but she had already gone to help. He nodded to himself and left the camp and headed towards the place she said she would meet the two of them.

"Where's Clarke?" Artemis asked hastily.

"She had to stay behind to help our people."

"What's happened?" Bellamy shrugged, he had no idea what had happened to them.

"They just collapsed."

"Oh no." She exclaimed, "I was hoping it wouldn't have started so soon."

"Hoping what wouldn't have started?" He asked firmly.

"Today they didn't attack to kill they attacked to weaken you. No one will die from this but you won't be strong enough to fight when they come at first light. They're going to kill all of you."

"We have to get back to warn everyone." Artemis nodded and ran back to the dropship with Bellamy.

"They're going to attack at first light, we have to move out while we still can." Artemis shook her head,

"To get anywhere you have to cross a bridge, they're already moving towards it. You wouldn't make it across in time. They wouldn't be far enough away."

"A bridge?" Raven questioned. Artemis nodded. "Is that the only way?"

"Yes but it's irrelevant now."

"What if we blow it up, slow them down until everyone's able to fight."

"That could work." Clarke agreed.