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SHOT CALLS
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RIDING A HORSE was actually harder than it looked, though Jinny had gotten the basics down. Her legs weren't still used to the galloping motion and she could feel the ache radiating through her inner thighs as she worked her muscles to keep upright. Still, she would never admit to that nor allow it to show as their group drew to a sharp halt in the middle of the narrow path. Jinny frowned in agitation as Abby stopped in front of them and dismounted her horse, forcing their entire troop to stop for her. She exhaled an annoyed breath, nudging her horse forwards as Clarke climbed down from her own mount.
"Mom, why are we stopping?" the blonde demanded, striding up towards Abby who was collecting water from a puddle by the side of the road.
"You need to drink, the both of you," Abby told them, thrusting canteens to Clarke and Jinny.
"I need to get back home, that's what I need to do," Jinny retorted, ignoring the water and looking around warily at the open terrain around them. She tugged lightly at her reins as the horse started to shift uneasily.
"Jinny's right, we're fine," Clarke said, brushing her mother off. She turned back to the Grounders that followed them. "Our scouts patrol these woods. Be careful where you shoot."
"Yes, ma'am." The rider captain nodded in acknowledgement.
"The Grounders listen to you too," Abby noted.
Clarke lowered her voice slightly. "Lexa told them to... we shouldn't have stopped." She started to her horse. "Mount up!"
"Clarke!" Abby called worriedly.
The girl walked back to her with impatient energy. "We need to get back to that radio to see if Bellamy has made contact."
Jinny tightened her grip on the leather strap as she stared down at them with obvious irritation marked across her fair features. Too much time had passed, and there was still no word or sighting of Lincoln. He should have been back by now, telling them that Bellamy had made it through the intake door safely. Her insides twisted with worry, a cold sensation that filled the pit of her stomach with callous acid.
"Let's move out!" Abby finally called, making her way back to her horse.
A gunshot suddenly rang through the air, and one of the Grounders grunted loudly in pain as he fell off the side of his horse. Jinny turned around sharply to pinpoint the bullet's direction. It had come from the east, where Octavia was last seen scouting with Indra.
"Mountain Men!" Clarke exclaimed before spurring her horse forwards.
Jinny went after her quickly, Abby shouting for someone to follow them. They galloped past the prolific vegetation and over the mud packed ground that was heavily littered with fall leaves. Frenzied shouts erupted from beyond the bend of the road, and they pulled up in front of Octavia with her knife to the throat of a man in a green hazmat suit.
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DISCORDIA
Fanfiction⸻ ( Bellamy Blake ) Jinny Shumway was the epitome of brilliance, the brightest star in their galaxy. But even stars can fall -- burning, crashing, incandescent. ( the 100 ) • 2020 ( editing in progress )