ATARAXIA • BELLAMY BLAKE

[ 5 3 ]

We begin our journey into the woods, where a heavy silence quickly envelops the group. Pike and Indra maintain their distance, the tension between them palpable. Pike's hostility only deepens Indra's already wary attitude toward us. Monty and Hannah walk together, trying to make up for lost time. Monty asks about his father, who had made it to the ground with the rest of Farm Station but died shortly after, but Hannah remains tight-lipped, saying it's not the right moment to discuss it.

As we move deeper, the dense trees thin out until we reach the edge of the forest, where field stretches before us. To find Clarke, we have no choice but to risk exposure and step out, though the tall grass—reaching up to my neck—offers us some cover.

A bird soars overhead as Pike pauses, waiting for Bellamy and me, who have been guarding the rear. "Got a question," he starts. "The last report we received on the Ark said you were under attack by Grounders. What changed?"

I respond before Bellamy can, despite the question being directed at him. "We found a common enemy."

"What happened to them?" Pike presses.

I glance at Bellamy, adjusting my grip on my gun, trying to find the right words, when Bellamy speaks up. "We won."

"Stop," Indra suddenly commands, raising her hand to halt us. "Listen."

I focus, hearing the wind rustle the leaves and a few distant chirps, but then, faintly, the sound of drumming reaches my ears.

"War drums," Kane identifies, looking to Indra for confirmation.

"Azgeda," she affirms.

"You can tell it's Ice Nation from the sound?" Monty asks.

"No," Indra replies, her tone firm. "From them."

We follow her gaze to where two Ice Nation soldiers lie dead in the grass. I drop on one knee, aiming my rifle toward the direction of the drumming.

"We need to move those bodies," Pike tells Kane. "Unless you want them to think we're responsible."

"Go help," Kane orders.

"Wait," Bellamy suddenly says. "Two people at twelve o'clock."

I quickly adjust my scope in the given direction, trying to see through the tall grass. A man is walking ahead of a woman, who briefly turns her head, and—

The shock of recognition makes me lower my gun. "It's Clarke," I whisper to Bellamy.

Her hair has red streaks, and a cloth is tied around the lower part of her face like a gag, but it's unmistakably her.

Without hesitation, Bellamy charges forward, and I'm right behind him, but Pike blocks our path. "Hey, hey, hey!"

"Get out of my way," Bellamy demands.

"You'll never make it in time," Pike argues.

"He's right," Monty adds, stepping beside us. "Look."

I tear my eyes away from Clarke to see the source of the increasing noise—the Ice Nation army emerging from the trees, some of them carrying banners.

"We won't get across without being seen," Monty says.

Bellamy and I exchange a look before glancing back at Clarke. "We should lay low, let the army pass," Pike advises. "Then we find Clarke."

"And what if she's gone by then?" I protest. "She's clearly that man's prisoner."

"Guys, there's a cave," Monty interrupts.

"We just got lucky," Pike says, tugging at Bellamy's sleeve. "Let's go."

Reluctantly, Bellamy helps Pike lift one of the dead soldiers while Monty and Kane take the other.