The Lost Grounder

Chapter 9

     The first problem they encountered back at Camp Jaha was a fight between the Grounders and the Sky People but Kane sorted it out quickly and got everything under control again. The second problem was Thelonious who left with a group to find the City of Light.

"We can't just let them go" Kane exasperated.

"What can we do?" Abby asked desperately. "We can't send anyone to retrieve them"

"I can go" Artemis said appearing from the corner where she had been eavesdropping the conversation.

"You?" Abby questioned. "You're just a child."

"So I'm a child now?" Artemis asked, "I thought I was a dangerous Grounder." She added. She saw the exchange of guilty looks between Abby and Kane and smiled. "Look I can go after them and bring back as many as I can-I doubt I'll be able to convince Thelonious to come back but the others I may."

"How do you know of the City of Light?" Kane asked curiously.

"Because we invented it to keep defenceless people away from the Grounders and Mountain men so they had a chance of living-we had no idea that it would become so much of an obsession."

"But you know how to get there?" Abby asked not caring about what the City of Light was. Artemis looked to her and nodded,

"I can find the group and bring them back-as many of them that are willing that is."

"Do it." Abby said firmly. Artemis nodded and went to leave but Kane stopped her.

"Wait!" He called. She turned to look at him, "are we really sending the only person Clarke trusts to find a group of people who are somewhere in the desert?" He asked Abby.

"Clarke trusts me" she said strongly. Kane sighed and glanced to Artemis.

"Abby we can't send her on her own."

"Then go with her" she replied plainly.

"The alliance will fall if I go."

"Then it appears you've made your decision." She said to him before looking to Artemis, "bring back as many as you can." She commanded. Artemis bowed her head to her,

"yes Chancellor." She said before racing out of the building.

     "She's only going because she wants you to accept her as one of our own. You're exploiting her desire to belong somewhere."

"Then maybe she shouldn't want to fit in so much." Abby replied coldly.

"Abby what's happened to you? There was a time you wouldn't have hesitated in denying her offer."

"Things are different on the ground Kane, it's about time you realised that." She said before walking off.

     Artemis grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows before leaving the camp.

"Hey!" A voice called from within Camp Jaha. Artemis skidded to a halt and turned around to see Raven. "Where are you going?" She asked. Artemis headed towards her as she spoke.

"I'm going after Thelonious who took a group of people to the City of Light. I need to bring them back." Raven's lips tugged into a small smile,

"let me guess, Abby sent you."

"I offered" she replied.

"Come here" she said opening her arms and pulling Artemis into them. "Be careful."

"I'm always careful" Artemis smiled as Raven ruffled her hair. "Will you tell Clarke when she gets back?" Raven nodded,

"of course" she replied honestly. "You better return soon" she said, "I don't want to have to tell your boyfriend that you're missing" she added with a big smile.

"Boyfriend?" Artemis questioned.

"Bellamy" she laughed. "Don't think I haven't seen the two of you together when you think no one's around. The occasional hand holding and chaste kisses he gives you when he thinks no one's looking." Artemis' cheeks turned a deep shade of red. "Aww don't be embarrassed." She giggled, "now go and drag them back here. And if you're not back when Bellamy returns he's going to come looking and we both know he'll get lost so get back before then will ya?" Artemis nodded with a big grin on her face, "off you go" she encouraged. Artemis gave a small nod before racing down the track towards the forest. "Good luck!" Raven called, her voice carrying on the wind to Artemis' ears as she delved into the thick alcove of trees.

     She slowed to a halt when she reached the fringe of the forest, she hadn't gone this far before, she'd never left the protection of the trees. She could see their footprints in the soft sand,

"if they can do it. I can do it." She said firmly. Taking a deep breath she stepped onto the sand and out of the trees. After one step she took another and before she knew it she was running again. She stumbled slightly under uneven footing, the sand slipping from underneath her feet occasionally throwing her off balance.

     The sun began to set for the second time since she had left Camp Jaha. Under normal circumstances she would have stopped for the night, just for a few hours when it was at its darkest, but she couldn't afford to stop. Thelonious had left a day before her and she still had a lot of distance to make up-sleep would just have to wait.

     Artemis had no idea what Clarke would have said or done when she returned to Camp Jaha to find that she had left or what she would had said to Bellamy, most likely a lie so he didn't get distracted. She wasn't sure if she had done the right thing in leaving, in probably wasn't what Clarke would have wanted her to do but it was what Abby wanted and that was worth something. After all Abby was the one she had to impress if she didn't want to be thrown out. She hoped that this would be enough to secure her future within the Sky People, she wasn't sure what else she could do if it wasn't-beg? Plead? Neither of those were particularly appealing to her but if that's what she had to do, she would.

     Sweat ran down her face and soaked through her clothes as she clambered over a sand dune in the blazing heat of midday on her third day in the desert. The sun stood directly above her, focusing all its energy on the area she inhibited. She wished she had brought some water with her now or food, she hadn't realised how far they had gotten in such a short amount of time. It didn't help that she thought the forest went further than it actually did, she thought she would be able to collect food and water as she went through the forest and that Thelonious had only just made it into the desert-but this! This was ridiculous. She understood why the Grounders stayed in the forest, it was hell out here.

     As she reached the top of the sand dune she saw a group of around ten people slowly trudging towards her. She sighed with relief, they had had the good sense to give up and return home. She skidded down the sand dune in a crouched position, sand flying up on either side of her. It was quite fun for her, not for anyone if they were beside her as they would have become coated in sand.

"Where's Thelonious?" She asked when she reached the group having realised that he and Murphy weren't among them.

"He and some other wackos thought they could make it. We were the only ones with enough sense to give up." She smiled at them,

"good. This decision will save your lives."

"You don't look well equipped for a rescue mission." He remarked looking at her small form lacking any water canteens or food or supplies of any kind for that matter.

"I didn't realise I would need to rescue you. I was sent to convince you to come back."

"Looks like we've done your job for you." He replied with a weak smile, "you don't happen to know the way back do you?" She nodded causing the group to sigh with relief. It was then she realised that they were aimlessly wandering hoping to stumble upon the forest again. They would have been able to make it if the sandstorm yesterday hadn't taken away all footprints. They happily trudged beside their leader towards their home, Artemis the happiest of them all-for once someone other than the one hundred had accepted her and were happy to follow her without questioning her. They trusted her, and that was the best feeling in the world for her.