Of The Sea : John Murphy

Vengeance

I found Murphy wiping his hands off as the drop ship began to clear out. I looked around the area, cautious of prying eyes before approaching him.

"Murphy..." I greeted softly.

He turned around with a wide smile and extended his arms around me. "I thought I lost you."

"So did I..." I whispered. I pulled away from him and looked him up and down. His face in worse shape that it had been when he was returned to me, with cuts down his face. "What happened to you? Why are you here? And alive?"

"Grounders beat me up real bad and tossed me outside the gates..." He glanced around the empty drop ship and looked back at me. "I realised telling them what actually happened would make them suspicious and probably come out to look for you and your people so I lied and said I was with the other clan the whole time."

I frowned and shrunk my shoulders. "You did that for my people?"

"I did that for you mostly." He smiled an empty smile then looked over my shoulder at something intently. "Then I got sick as soon as I got here and I got worried."

I nodded and tried following his gaze but he diverted it.

"Go on out and get some fresh air, I'll be right out."

I watched him cautiously at the change in his aura and narrowed my eyes. "Alright."

I stepped out into the morning and pulled my hair out of my face, smoothing it back and breathing in the cool air.

"How did you have us all fooled?" Clarke's voice almost startled me, almost.

I looked down at her from the top of the ramp and tilted my head. "Fooled?" I let out a short laugh. "It wasn't some elaborate trick to infiltrate you and undermine you." I crossed my arms and stepped down so I could lower my voice. "Just because your kind came from space and mine live like... some would say... savages, That does not mean that we aren't more intelligent than you."

She narrowed her eyes in annoyance and shifted her stance so that she blocked me from the front. "What was your plan when you came here, huh?"

I rolled my eyes and puffed out my chest, stepping closer. "I came to see if you people needed help. My people became sick and when I arrived, it seemed you had as well."

Her frown hardened and she scoped the bustling area.

"Let's speak somewhere a bit more private."

I nodded and followed her outside the wall to a spot which laid several fresh graves, something that was rarely seen amongst my people.

"These were your people?" I asked, looking them over, one which had the familiar name of 'Wells Jaha'.

She nodded and took a seat at a log and pulled out a small knife, sticking the point into the wood and spinning it, a small flash of silver catching the light at her wrist. A watch, and I wanted it dearly. "So start from the beginning, who are you and your people and how are the other grounders, us and especially Murphy all tied into this.

I spoke and explained, without missing a beat. Her eyes narrowed and widened every so often as she would think I would stop for a breath but I never did, only speaking on and on.

I drew my final breath after the lengthy story and smiled.

"Now it's your turn." I folded my arms and sat beside her, my legs on either side of the moss covered log.

She told me her part, though I could tell she was holding back some details, I didn't mind, any information was good information.

"So the sickness hit when Murphy arrived..." I furrowed my brows. "And the sickness hit when they took him from me..."

She nodded. "That's right."

There was a crunch of fallen leaves and the both of us jumped to face the noise, I pulled the knife I had concealed down my boot and gripped it tight in my hand.

"Finn!" Clarke exclaimed, her hand shooting to mine to hide the foreign knife from his sights.

His dark brown eyes grew larger as he laid eyes on me.

"I've met him." I muttered, putting the knife back down my shoe.

"What?" Clarke looked between us with utter confusion.

"She and that curly headed kid let him out."

I nodded. "Yes, I remember that."

"You knew it was the grounders but you didn't tell anyone? You didn't tell me?" Clarke almost screeched.

I raised both of my eyebrows and stared blankly. Well that's something.

"I think we have more important matters right now, Finn, if you please." I tried tearing her anger away from him.

"In a second, but Clarke, something's happened, another death."

She stood with urgency and followed after him quickly, who looked back at me before they turned back into camp.

I followed soon after and peeked into the drop ship, hearing the exchange within.

"I don't understand, he was getting better..."

I frowned and looked at where he laid compared to where I stood before. I sighed quietly and ducked my head, stepping back out.

I caught sight of Adrian and waved him over.

"Head back, I need you to tell everyone of my whereabouts and to ensure them that I'm safe and will return soon." I told him. "Make sure they're prepared for any attack, all attention on weapons, defence and new ships for evacuation."

"Is there going to be a war chief?" He asked.

I shook my head sadly. "I don't know, Adrian, but from what I've gathered, we might be coming close to something big."

He nodded at the sound of my urgency and quickly made his way out of the camp, not stopping for anything.

I then made a quick turn towards Clarke who was helping guide the dead body out.

"Clarke, I need to speak with you once again." I interrupted her instructions.

"In a minute, Sarah."

I clenched my jaw and gripped her arm. "I'm afraid this might be quite urgent."

She sighed lightly then expressed her instructions to the people before following me in to the drop ship.

"I was thinking about what you told me before." I told her.

"About what?"

"The sickness, you told me that Octavia made contact with the healer from Trigeda."

"Yeah, he told her that they infected us to weaken us in order to attack us this morning. Do you think they've attacked your people?"

I shook my head and frowned.

"That's the part I was most confused about. My crew was infected before your people, which means that we will have healed before you too." I explained. "They didn't attack you until the very end of your sickness so the whole timeline wouldn't have worked out if they wanted to attack us."

"What are you saying?" She tilted her head. "You're not making any sense."

"I'm saying that, because they took John Murphy from me, they knew I would strike them after everything else they had tried to take from me. So they sickened us so that we couldn't go after them or Murphy." I told her. "They knew our connections with your people, though not very strong, was stronger than of the one we both have with them. As the saying goes, The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"So Anya weakened us in order to attack us, but they also weakened you so that you couldn't help us in any way."

I nodded, "I think so."

"She doesn't want us collaborating does she..."

I shook my head with a devious smile. "Not one bit."

"Then maybe that's exactly what we should do."

"Now you're thinking like a member of the Sea." I smirked.