Adapting to the Ground (a The 100 fanfiction)

Traveling

Earth: One Month After Descension (sometime in October), 2148

Natalie has spent her time fixing tek and learning everything she could. She could hold a basic conversation in Trigedasleng now, and could defend herself decently. All the training her new friends had put her through had her aching, but she was enjoying all the distraction it gave her. She didn't want to think about the Ark, her friends, her father. So she threw herself into life on the Ground, doing what she could to contribute to the village. Which apparently included making sure Noa kom Trikru ate and stayed out from under Drane, Dex, Kay and Laina's feet.

The ten year old girl had been following them around since the third day they had arrived in Dalecit. She'd tried to challenge them all to a fight, even Natalie herself, and had been practically ignored. The four Grounders (Seg had made himself scarce, warming the bed of a woman on the other side of the village) had allowed the child to follow them, as long as she stayed out of their way. Which was a trying task, as the girl was adamant about learning from them.

One evening, while the hunters hunted in the forest nearby, Natalie sat with Noah and made sure she ate her dinner.

"Weron oyu nomon en nontu?" Natalie had asked, inquiring about the girl's parents.

The girl had looked at her with hazel eyes filled with pain and irritation. "Emo stedaun." She had replied, speaking of their deaths with a flat voice.

Natalie had stayed quiet after that, then pushed over the last sweet roll Laina had given her. In English, she said: "Mine too." She didn't bother to explain, and she felt nothing as she lied about her father. He was dead to her, at any rate, and she would rather pretend he was no longer living.

Most conversations between the two were like this, Natalie asked a question and Noah answered in short, curt replies.

After a couple weeks, Noah gave up following the hunters and attached herself to the redhead to learn what she could. Luckily for her, Natalie was still being trained every morning by Drane and Dex. In the afternoons, Laina and Kay taught her hunting skills and more Trigedasleng. They let Noah join in and learn as well, becoming somewhat attached to the girl.

The hunters stayed in Dalecit for another month before moving on to Tondisi. Seg stayed behind, and Noah was brought with them. The child rode with Drane on the cart that carried a pile of furs and some handcrafted tools they were bringing to trade, the other four on horses surrounding them. The trek was uneventful for the first day, and ended at an outpost ran by a sweet couple. Coover and Ander had a nice sized wooden house, their own room in the back. They allowed the hunters to sleep in the bigger room in front where they stored all of their trading goods. Natalie and Laina caught dinner, and Kay cooked it. The fisa traded a few pelts of fur for their stay and some seasoning for their meal, making enough to include the men they stayed with.

They continued on the next morning, packing up quickly and heading out just after the sun rose. They ate a light breakfast before leaving, and Natalie made sure Noah had her coat with her if not on. There was a certain chill in the air, and white puffs floated in the air as breaths were pushed between lips. Drane predicted snow by nightfall, if not by midmorning. Noah had clambered up onto Natalie's horse with her, a great brown steed with a streak of white across his nose. The child said it was because the cart hurt to sit on, but Natalie suspected she just wanted to be near her. This is proven when, half an hour into their ride, the girl leans back and practically snuggles into Natalie's front, sighing quietly. Natalie smiled and covered Noah with her coat, putting her arm around her young charge to keep her close.