Of Everything That Could've Been - Bellamy Blake [2]

Chapter 14 - Bodyguard of Lies

The restless energy pumping through Myles' veins itches away at her anxious mind, keeping her left arm shaking and her limbs jittery as she stands inside of a tent. It's noisy around her, the few still awake chattering carelessly throughout the army's camp. Hundreds of fire-lit torches and fire pits weave around the closely standing tents, but the redheads hazel eyes are stuck on the maps and papers in front of her.

Slightly crumpled, large tan coloured sheets of paper with the delicate lines and talented scribblings of both Clarke and Myles sits spread out on a table almost as wide as the paper. Scraps of metal and rocks rest on top of the paper, transforming it into a crudely made three-dimensional map with their shadows flickering in the candle light. Hazel eyes jump nervously from the three small chunks of thin metal leant together in a pyramid to signify Mount Weather, to the short sticks representing the dam and then to the cluster of stones that show the army waiting directly under the crushed, dead, winter leaves that line where the acid fog reaches.

Uneasy thoughts ripple through Myles' mind, shifting around the miscellaneous bits of junk in her head as she fights with her tired and stressed brain to consider all of their options. Red eyebrows furrow together as her imagination runs wild, sucking in her bottom lip to bite down gently on the rosy flesh. Her head aches, a physical manifestation of her distress or a result of her lack of sleep, the redhead isn't sure, but it makes the feeling of frustration grow within her.

Several steps crunch over the ground outside, but it's not the aimless wanderings of the army around her. Flicking her hazel eyes up to the tent flap across the table from her, Myles can't help the hot flush of shock that courses through her body or the subconscious pause in the shaking of her bad arm at the sight of Ryder pulling the woven material aside to poke his head inside. Plans and scenarios continue to play through Myles' curious mind unceasingly, not allowing her to be too distracted by the warriors appearance. Red eyebrows don't move or twitch at all when the warrior straightens and holds the material up to unveil the dark night sky. Lexa walks in, her posture as faultless as always and her sharp eyes quickly take in the stressing red haired teen.

Looking back down at the maps, the commander nods at Ryder in the corner of Myles' eyes but the redheads attention is fully on the soft lines and letters across the overlapping papers.

"Myles," the young woman greets simply, taking a slow step towards the table. "You should be resting."

"I can't," the redhead mumbles, not even looking up at the commander. "I need to know the mountain, it's not sitting well in my gut."

"You know the mountain," Lexa assures, turning to sink down into a chair with a fur-skin blanket thrown over it in the corner of the tent. "We have been over the maps a dozen times since last night. You know all there is to know about the mountain."

It's true, since leaving Tondc, they've only become more vigilant in understanding the terrain, but so much is still unknown. Unknown isn't good; unknown means unpredictable. Mount weather having hostages and being unpredictable means they still have the upper-hand. Nothing good ever comes from the enemy having the upper-hand.

"No," Myles refuses distractedly, trying to replay through their plans and options over the lively sounds of the army outside. "There's always more to know."

Lexa tilts her chin up and leans back in her chair, "where's Clarke?"

"Sleeping," the red haired teen answers, flicking her hazel gaze around their maps.

"You should be, too," the commander urges in her dull, authoritative tone. Myles doesn't answer, seeing no point in going back and forth when they won't agree. "Have you eaten?"

Hazel eyes jut up fleetingly to meet her brown gaze as she shakes her head, "what if we're wrong?" Lexa raises a brown eyebrow tiredly, a silent encouragement to explain. "What if cutting the power doesn't disengage the locks?"