Because of You // Bellamy Blake

s i x

We had walked and walked. I never realized just how hard it was to carry dead weight.
Ash was getting weaker by the second. His pants were no longer white, blood had almost completely covered them from his leg.

"We're almost there Ash, don't give up on me now" I groaned as I continued walking, basically carrying him. He didn't say anything, all I could hear was his heavy breathing.

Then I smelt something, almost like meat being cooked. I saw a cloud of smoke in the distance and smiled. My hope was restored.

It was Azgeda.

"Look Ash!" I pointed farther in front of us. "We're almost there"

•

We kept walking, when we finally got to the camp, people flooded toward us, with hostile expressions.

I don't blame them. We didn't exactly look earth born with our Mount Weather clothes.

"Who are you" A big man demanded. His beard was long and braided and he towered over me by 2 feet.
"My name is River, I'm from the Woods Clan. We need help" I tried to yell. Nobody looked as though they believed me.

I pulled down my shirt just enough for them to see all of the marks on my chest that I was awarded each time I had a successful kill.
Everyone's hard expressions turned softer.
"Please, my friend and I escaped mount weather, but barely. He has been shot and is in need of immediate medical attention" I said louder.

"Let me see him" The big man said, he leaned down and lifted Ash up. He started carrying him towards a larger building. I tried to follow him but a woman pushed me backwards.

"I'm sure the commander would want a word with you. You're from Mount Weather you say?" She asked. Eyeing me up and down, making me slightly uncomfortable.
"Yes, we were being held hostage. Just as hundreds of other earth borns are. Ash and I were the only ones to escape" I said.

"Interesting" She said and grabbed my arm, and dragged me through the camp until we reached the largest building of them all. I had only heard about this, never actually been to it. I had never seen the commander either, just heard of her. My father would never let me go to other clans.

I had never really traveled to other clans. My mother would only tell me stories of Azgeda; the clan she grew up in. But seeing it in person, makes me wonder how different I would've turned out if I had been raised here instead of with Trikru.

The woman kept looking back at me, making sure I hadn't somehow escaped her grasp. She pulled me down numerous hallways and corridors until we reached a big room. Before I could see what was happening, she shoved me in the room and shut the door behind her. Then it was just me and the commander, and her guards of course.

She turned around and her face was stone cold. Although she was extremely beautiful. I wasn't sure of how to greet her.

"I was informed you would like a word with me, Commander" I looked at her. She also scanned me up and down. Probably because of the little to no clothes I was wearing.

"Where did you say you came from again?" She sat down on a wooden chair and motioned me to come forward.
"My friend Ash and I came from Mount Weather, where we escaped their torture. We weren't the only ones though, they had hundreds of other earthborns. I hadn't seen any from any other clan, just Trikru."

The commander sat up straighter.
"So the people from Mount Weather kidnapped Trikru. Is that what you're telling me?"

"Yes, if not all, then most of Trikru"

"What do they want with all of you?" Her voice rising.

"I was told they want to become immune to the radiation like us, so they are draining us of our blood and taking our bone marrow"

"We're getting them out then" Her voice was stern. She stood up and paced around the room.
Mid-way through her thoughts she stopped and looked back at me.

"We need to start preparing" She whispered to herself and then looked back to me.

"You look awfully familiar" She said.

"I was Anya's second; the leader of Trikru" I said.

"That's why" She whispered. Then continued pacing. "You are not her second anymore?" She asked.
I looked at the ground then looked back at her. "No, I was accused of treason to my clan" I sighed. Though I regretted none of what happened.

"So now you are on your own? Belonging to no one?"

"No, technically I belong to the sky peop-" I stopped myself mid sentence. Since Bellamy is gone, I'm not sure if I still belong there. "Yes, I'm just on my own"

"I see" She nods. "Well, you are welcome here. I'm leaving to go back to Polis tomorrow to find a way to get our people out of the mountain. You can stay here if that is what you wish. Any person who was strong enough to be Anya's second belongs here" She said and with that she motioned for me to leave.

I turned to leave before I felt her grab my arm. "Put these on also" She said and gave me clothes.
"Thank you"

I walked out and tried to find the way out. Azgeda camp was much bigger than the camp I grew up in.

The same man who helped Ash stood in front of me. His arms were crossed and he was blocking my way to leave the hall.
"Your friend is going to be alright" He said. A weight lifted off my shoulders.
"Thank you."

"He must care for you an awful lot. The whole time he wanted to know where you were"

I forced a small laugh. "That's Ash. Where is he by the way?"

"He's in the small tent behind the building. You can't miss it"

When I got to the tent I could hear Ash groaning. I walked in and there he was, laying on the cot. He face beating with sweat and he was shaking slightly.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Better. I should be able to walk in a few days, they said. All they did was take the bullet out and wrap my leg so it could be more"

"At least you're okay" I yawned.

"Are you tired?" He asked. I nodded a little bit. He scooted over and slightly patted the spot next to him.

I laid down beside him, careful not to roll over and hurt his leg more.

Then I fell asleep.