DISCORDIA

[ 58 ] signal fire

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       SIGNAL FIRE

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       DAWN CAME EARLY as Jinny sat next to Octavia on a log, sharpening their knives with excruciating deliberateness, with Raulf standing guard over them like a silent sentry. He'd heard all about the assassination attempt on their lives after Jinny had stormed out of the Commander's tent, and now took it upon himself to keep a lookout for them. Though as they were in the middle of the entire Grounder encampment, with a group of the Ark's Guard nearby holding guns and explosives, safety certainly came in numbers.

       Just as Jinny looked up to the sky, she saw a red flare shoot up high into the clouds from the direction of Camp Jaha. She stood up excitedly just as a few Grounders started clamouring for their Commander. Octavia got up and sheathed her sword with sheer exhilaration painted on her face. "Bellamy did it!" she exclaimed breathlessly.

       "He did," Jinny replied, looking towards her with the tips of her lips curved upwards triumphantly. "The time is now."

       "I will rally the soldiers," Raulf informed before dashing away to the overhang of the hill they had set up camp on. His voice turned harsh and feral as he addressed the warriors awaiting on the lower ground. "Teik yo ogud na brol!"

       Jinny watched with fascination as the Grounders moved as one singular unit to strike their weapons in acknowledgement to his order. "Lieutenant Commander!" David called, coming up to Jinny with his guard detail. "Orders, ma'am?"

       "Pack your gear, Sergeant," she ordered with a nod. "We move out with the army."

       "Yes, ma'am!" they shouted before darting back to gather their things.

       Jinny looked to the side where Lexa had ran up towards the edge of the hillside to join Raulf overlooking the army below with Clarke by her side. She pointed towards the side with a bark of Trigedasleng and her bodyguards sounded the war horn. "Kom wor!" she declared loudly and raucous battle cries filled the cool morning air. Jinny smiled with a renewed sense of invigoration flowing through her bloodstream, the heady rush of adrenaline causing her heart to thump in accordance to the sound of war drums.

         Once the army was ready, they marched out of the encampment towards Mount Weather with the beat of their heavy footsteps against the hardened ground. Jinny walked alongside David and Octavia in the midst of the large force, lugging her rifle between her hands. Octavia had refused a firearm, choosing to stay true to her choice as Indra's Second. That didn't stop Jinny from keeping a close eye on her though. She was eager, excited at the prospect that they were finally going to lay waste to the mountain.

       Bellamy and their friends were waiting.

       Jinny felt anxious as they neared the border that led to the mountain, as if expecting some new danger from the Mountain Men to be thrown at them. But their excursion continued unhindered and when they had passed the boundary leading to Mount Weather, Clarke fell back from her position at the front lines with Lexa to walk alongside them. "Hey," she greeted.

       Jinny ignored her but Octavia replied, "What do you want?"

       "I'm changing your mission," the blonde instructed. "You're not going to the mines with Indra. I'm placing you in the rear guard, where you'll be safe."

       "Like hell you are," Octavia retorted. "I don't take orders from you. I take orders from Indra."

       "I'm trying to protect you, Octavia," Clarke told her gently, hazarding a glance towards Jinny who stared back impassively.