The King's Storm [Bellamy Blake]

14: Self Sacrifice for Hope

After everyone left, and I was given peace with Lincoln, I knelt beside him as he sat on the floor. Checking over him for any injury. "You must leave me Gona, they will return and I would say your leader is not happy with your presence here" I shook my head and Lincoln took my hand in his, meeting my eyes.

"Go, find John and get away from here, or go back to your people. But living here will only get you killed" He ordered, letting go and pressing his forehead to mine, something I had often seen other grounders do to family and friends who were leaving for an extended period. I blinked back the water in my eyes, no-one had ever seen me cry and it won't be Lincoln that does. "My people will use you Gona, and when they know you will not tell them how to kill the skai kru, they will destroy you" He combed his fingers through my hair and sighed gently.

"Lincoln, I will protect you from them. I will always remember what you have done for me" I knew his order was true, and he was concerned by the look on his face. Clearly things in the village had changed, and he knew I was becoming useless in their eyes. He smiled proudly as I stood up, pulling on John's jacket and taking my sheath of weapons from the floor. I did it up around my waist before placing my hand in the bowl of ash he kept by the exit. Tracing lines across my face I pressed my left hand to my heart before bowing my head and leaving the cave.

"I am rooting for you. Find the man you love, whichever one it may be" He called as I walked away, a laugh escaped my lips before fixing itself as a smile. I proudly walked through the forest, knowing that any grounder around would still view me as their own. Knowing I was safe, for now. I made my way back towards the cliff face, the same time as I did every day, hoping he would be there, he was back. But once again I was left with open space, and a log bench which I had made.

"John, where are you?" I asked into the wind, sitting on my bench and looking out to the ocean in front. My calm was distracted when I felt a rough edge on the seat, I got a splinter. Holding my finger up I stared in amazement, I had smoothened the entire seat. Quickly I looked down to see my name engraved into it, alongside John's initials. A smile formed on my face knowing he had been here. I quickly picked the knife from my pocket and hunched over. I quickly carved three graphics into the bench "OK?" before standing up and in the opposite direction to where I had come from. My pace grew from a casual walk to jogging and soon I was running as fast as I possibly could towards the camp. Watching as the exterior wall came into sight, I looked out for who was on watch, who would be the first to aim for me. Bellamy stood at the post by the main gate, of course. What better way to end than shot by your ex. How bittersweet.

"Grounders" I hear someone on my east call, quickly turning, I duck down just in time for the spear to be thrown over the top of my head. I quickly rolled to the side and dove behind the tree, climbing up into the branches to watch as the Skai Kru ran from the walls out to attack. I held my breath and watched as they ran past my tree. They continue running into the distance and I dropped down, quietly making my way to the south wall, where Jasper was perched with a bow and arrow. His eyes widened when he noticed me, quickly aiming in my direction, I held up my hands, but he had released the string before noticing. I jumped to the right only to feel a shooting pain through my left thigh. Falling to the ground I bit into my lip, spilling blood into my own mouth as my hands clasped around my thigh.

I could hear Jasper swearing to himself then a crash on the floor by the wall. Grass rustled as he got closer and suddenly crouched beside me. "Storm, oh my gosh I am so sorry!" He looked down to my leg and brought a hand to his mouth, shaking violently. I shook my head and smiled lightly. "I didn't kno- you look like a grounder..." I nodded then took his hand in mine.

"You're getting better with your aim Jas" he laughed and I sat up, looking down to the arrow in my thigh. I snapped off the most of it and then forced myself onto my right knee, left leg sticking out awkwardly. Jasper got the hint and quickly climbed up, gripping my hands in his before pulling me up and ducking down so I could swing my arm around his shoulders. He helped me limp in through the route he was supposed to be guarding, we made it inside the dropship before he shouted out.

"Someone take over, I think I've hit something" he called before we disappeared inside, unbeknownst to the rest of the Skai Kru. Jasper helped me up to the third level of the drop ship before settling me on a camp bed and looking down to my thigh. "I'll get Clarke" He muttered but I gripped his wrist tightly, shaking my head.

"No Jas, I don't want them to know I'm here. I'll just bandage myself up and get myself together before going. This was a mistake. I didn't know what to do, and I chose wrong" I quickly spilt, not really making much sense but Jasper nodded nonetheless, taking my hand in his and sitting beside me.

"Why did you need to make a choice? Why is this wrong? Are you in trouble?" He asked and I sighed, shaking my head before sitting up and ripping a part of the sheet over the camp bed before tying it above the arrow.

"Lincoln warned me, the grounders I had set up camp with. They knew I wouldn't give you guys up, they were growing impatient and once I had been deemed useless, they were going to kill me. He knew also that you guys would hunt him down when you knew I was with him, Lincoln knew he would be accused of holding me hostage. He didn't want me to be in danger, and I just hope that me leaving him behind will mean he is safe too" Jasper looked at me sadly and I took a deep breath then gripped the arrow. "I can't stay here though, not with both out there" with that I ripped the arrow from my thigh before continuing "... in danger"

"You're going back for Murphy and a grounder, when you can barely walk?" He asked, shocked. I forced myself from the bed and put slight weight on my leg, wincing in pain but finally resting my foot flat and partially supporting my weight. "You're going to get yourself killed, and then what good are you for either of them?" He argued, crossing his arms. I looked to the hath, hoping no-one would notice his raised tone.

"I would go out there for them even if I was fatally wounded, Jasper, you know me. I can't let them go unprotected. Not when Lincoln is now being hunted from both sides because of me, and John... I promised him, I'm going to find him. He left me a message this morning" Jasper's eyes widened and I heard commotion outside, limping to the window I peered out to see Bellamy walking in, two of the criminals behind him, dragging in a grounder, I squinted, recognising the head that hung low. The hairstyle not frequently chosen. "Lincoln" I gasped, Jasper ran up to the window and watched as the man was dragged across the ground.

"That's the man that saved you?" He asked and I nodded, gripping his hand tightly. "Why has Bellamy got him?" I felt my lip quiver, which once again reminded me of the pain I was in.

"Because he was with me. Bellamy found Octavia with us, Lincoln saved her and then let her go. But I stayed with him, I protected him from Bellamy..." I looked to Jasper who nodded then made his way to the hatch.

"Block it up, this is mine and Monty's space now anyway, to operate" he winked and disappeared with one last comment. "Ill knock three times, and then twice"