Survive for Another Time

Chapter 42

Survive for Another Time

Chapter 42

Clarke woke up with a start. Her back was aching from sleeping on the ground, her toes were cold as they had been outside the blanket's cover and her hair had pine needles stuck in them.

She went to the water jerrycans and washed over her mouth then chewed on mint leaves she had gotten from the forest. Better be presentable tomorrow too, she thought as she remembered that tomorrow Anya would be back with Lexa's decision as to the statute of the Arkers.

She truly hoped that Lexa would decide to welcome them on her lands instead of declaring war on them as she had no intention of burning the Commander's warriors again. Plus it might help to introduce her people not as a threat to the Kongeda but as allies of the Twelve Clans. Even Azgeda if needed.

Clarke walked inside the drop ship to check on Finn and found Charlotte asleep on a chair, her head resting on his arm.

"She's been looking over him the whole night" said Atom who was sitting on the floor on the other side of the room. "I don't know if I should find it cute that she blushed at Finn's first smile or feel insulted that she has already forgotten me" he laughed.

"Hum" smiled Clarke. "She is a bit young so don't feel too slighted. How is the leg?"

Clarke looked at Atom's leg in question, remembering that he had been viciously attacked by the river serpent only yesterday. If her calculations were correct then he wouldn't be able to stand on it for another two days.

"Better" he assured her.

"Admit it, it hurts" teased Clarke.

"Yeah but I'm too tough to say it" he joked. "Say, is it true that we're still missing someone?" he suddenly asked.

"Unfortunately, yes we are" Clarke said. "We have no idea where or who the last person is. We just know that one person is missing."

"Must have been someone really shy then if nobody remembers them" Atom muttered. "So, what are you gonna do with Bellamy and Murphy?"

For a moment Clarke did not understand what he meant then she remembered. She had the two of them locked above because they had created a disturbance and risked ruining the first encounter with the grounders and the subsequent negotiations.

To tell the truth she had forgotten about them. She hoped someone had fed them. She knew she didn't but Octavia probably did.

"I... forgot" admitted Clarke. "To tell the truth I have no clue what to do with them. We can't banish them, they would do something stupid and deadly, we can't lock them up indefinitely because I don't want to become like the Chancellor and we don't have the resources and we can't do nothing either as they would just try to rule over by force again. We need to find a punishment that fits and will frighten people enough for them not to act stupidly."

Clarke had told Atom exactly what she had said Harper and Monroe when they had been discussing this very issue the day before yesterday. She wanted her thoughts to spread between the 101, 98 now, Arkers in the camp and force them to find a solution on their own so that they wouldn't be able to deny or retract on it.

"I see your problem..." Atom said thoughtful. "If I can provide any help tell me, in the meantime I will drag myself to breakfast before nothing is left and I die of starvation."

"Starvation..." muttered Clarke, an idea coming to her. "That would be a solution."

"Starving them to death? I don't think that's a good idea, Clarke."

Now Atom was worried. He certainly didn't want to be the one who had given her the idea of killing them by starving the two trouble seekers.

"What? No! Not to death. For two days, as a lesson."

And with this Clarke went to find Miller and Octavia as one was her right hand man and the other her friend and the only family of one of the detained.

Kongeda = Coalition

Azgeda = Ice Nation