𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, bellamy blake ¹

06; to the ark and back

"Brave cubs become fierce lions."

― Matshona Dhliwayo

➳ ➳ ➳

"HOW DO WE KNOW WE'RE GOING THE RIGHT WAY?" MURPHY ASKED. Naomi ignored him completely, dragging her feet along the pebbles and keeping a watchful eye out.

"We don't," Bellamy replied. "Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker."

"It's called cutting sign. Fourth year Earth Skills. He's good," Wells said.

Naomi spun around. "Better than both of you, I'm guessing," she said.

"You want to keep it down, or should I paint a target on your backs?" Finn said. He leant over and touched a small branch where it had been snapped in the middle. Then he crouched to the ground, examining a spot of blood lying on the rocks.

A distance moan sounded out and Naomi tilted her head up, placing a hand on her blade. She exchanged looks with Bellamy. "Now would be a good time to take out that gun."

Naomi drew her weapon and jogged forward, keeping her head down behind the bushes as she followed Finn. The moaning continued as Bellamy pulled out the pistol. She pushed out into a small clearing. "Jasper."

He was hanging like a piece of meat, arms tied to branches as he rested in a tree. He was crying out, barely conscious.

"Oh my God." Clarke ran forward, pushing through the leaves.

"Clarke, be careful."

Bellamy looked around. "What the hell is this?"

Naomi jolted as the ground beneath Clarke disappeared and she fell through a hole in the ground. Bellamy's arm caught her. Naomi moved forward on light feet and grabbed a hold of Clarke's wrist, knocking Bellamy out of the way. Somehow, she didn't trust him with Clarke's life.

She groaned with the weight of Clarke, keeping her suspended above the wooden spikes that rose behind the trap. Then Finn and Wells were next to her, helping to pull Clarke up. Even Murphy grasped at her, holding onto Naomi's shoulder as he raised her out of the pit. Naomi didn't let go of Clarke till she was sprawled well away from that trap.

"Shit," was all Naomi said.

"Yeah," Clarke agreed.

Naomi moved to look up at Jasper. "We need to get him down."

"I'll climb up there," Finn said. "Murphy, let's go." He moved carefully as to not trigger any more traps.

"There's a poultice on his wound," Clarke said.

Naomi crossed her arms. "Why would they want to save his life just to string him up as bait?"

Bellamy stepped next to her. "Maybe what they're trying to catch likes its dinner breathing."

Finn turned around from where he was at the base of the tree. "Maybe what they're trying to catch is us."

Naomi tilted her head, pulling her bottom lip into her teeth. "Yep."

Finn and Murphy made their way up the dead tree, sitting on either side of Jasper's body. They tugged at the vines binding him to the tree, and all Naomi could hope was that they wouldn't drop him. "Hurry up, Murphy," Finn said, cutting away the vines wrapped around Jasper's torso.

"Be careful," Naomi said. Jasper groaned again, lolling his head to the side. She breathed in through her nose.

There was a distance growl from the edge of the clearing, a low, rumbling noise that sent a chill across Naomi's arms. Gooseflesh rose on her skin and she looked around slowly.