Chasing the Wind

Chapter Six

When I woke up, my back had mostly calmed down. I looked at it in a small mirror.

I had tattooed a panther up my back, claws out, teeth bared. I guessed if I kept losing people, or my own mind, I'd eventually run out of room.

Walking outside, I ran into Clarke, "Was my mom really helping them?"

"I think she just wanted to save Kane-"

"She brought Kane with her," Clarke growled, "She put herself into that situation, and I'm not helping her out of it."

That's harsh, even for Clarke, but it was true. She stormed away.

"Octavia!" I shouted. I got yelled at for not bowing and scraping before her, calling her 'Blodreina', the red queen, but I shoved them out of my way.

"Morning, Sky," she mumbled as she walked out of her tent.

I smiled sweetly, "Where's training?"

"You think you can keep up with them?" she raised an eyebrow. I shrugged, "Fine. That way."

Gaia, who I learned was Indra's daughter, was overseeing the training of the children. I walked past them to the adults. I had left my bow and quiver in my tent, along with the daggers, the sedative sticks, one of my swords, and the scalpel.

So I trained with the Azgeda sword.

"Why are you training with us?" Someone asked, "You aren't Wonkru."

"She's stronger than most of you," A woman named Cooper pushed forwards.

The others refused to train with me, so I fought Cooper. She was strong and fast, and I supposed she had to be if she survived in that bunker. No one would talk about it, but I had heard rumors of a fighting arena.

Neither of us could get an advantage, and we were interrupted by Octavia yelling, "We march now!"

Great. Marching across an unfamiliar desert against someone with more firepower than us. What could go wrong?

"Remind me why going to war on the one survivable valley on Earth is a good idea?" Clarke asked.

"It isn't," I sighed.

She shrugged, "Well, if we don't die in battle, we'll see how much of shadow valley survives."

"Where are the others?"

"I don't know," Clarke answered, "By the way, thanks."

I frowned, "For what?"

"I heard what happened with Emerson," Clarke said, "Thanks for not letting Bellamy die. And thanks for not dying. I like having you as a friend."

She walked further forward, leaving me stunned.

We made camp that night, and Octavia sent a bunch of people on patrol. There were screams, and they all came back, carrying one of them.

"What is this?" Clarke pushed forwards and tried to see what was wrong.

No one could figure it out. Maybe there was something in the rations, maybe there was something in the desert. Miller claimed the boy had been shouting, "They're everywhere!" But there was nothing there.

He twisted and screamed, until he was unconscious. Then, something moved inside him. His stomach burst open, and a worm flew out.

We all avoided them, but Octavia was stood too close. A worm bit her and was sliding up her arm.

Clarke tied a bandage around the top of her arm. It wouldn't hold the worm for long, but it wasn't for the worm.

She then sliced Octavia's arm and pulled the worm out, stuffing it into a small jar.