When Enemy Hearts Collide

Skaikru

Lincoln and I stayed perched in the tree for several hours watching the invaders fight, dance, and yell. Several pairs would wander off and return a while later disheveled with reddened faces. I counted out the numbers and estimated about a hundred invaders had emerged from the metal ship. There was a mix of male and female invaders and they all looked to be within a specific age range. Why send children to fight? What did these people want? Were they working with ice nation? Eventually a small group gathers off to the side and begin heading in the direction of Mounon.. perhaps they were reinforcements. They had wiped out a while village. They needed to be followed... I looked at Lincoln and discovered he was already creeping off after them.. of course. Leaving me with the boring work, he could hunt and kill while I had to wait for commands and had the information needed to report back to Heda. I didn't want to let her down and I wanted to have the most accident information on the Skaikru. I pulled out my journal keeping track of everything around me. Sketching images of the ship and who appeared to be their leader, it was a tall fair skinned man with dark hair- he was almost handsome. But he seemed like an unwise leader, arguments broke out between his followers and it took a while for him to get them to settle. They started up a fire in front of their ship and started to set up a camp with makeshift huts, fighting over what looked like the only supplies they had. Interesting, how could they survive with so little? Were they planning to take from the nearby villages? 

Night falls before Lincoln and the group returns, I'm sharpening a knife when I hear a cry of pain and my attention is drawn away and towards the children of the skai. The leader is holding a girls arm over the fair and she's squirming in agony. Weakling. They can't handle pain so why send these warriors? Why send these children to fight? Eventually a band falls off of their girls wrist and she is congratulated? Two of males are standing in the middle near the fire when the group around them starts to chant in unison. What is this a battle cry? I move closer so i can hear what they are saying so I can write it down in my book. But a roar sounds and the sky opens up and rain begins to pour down, they scream it almost sounds excited? As they start to spin in circles throwing their heads back. I scooch back closer to the base of the tree to keep myself under the cover of the branches above.

It's early afternoon when I hear yells and the group from before is crashing back through the trees into the camp, one of the girls is being supported by a male and there seems to be one missing. Lincoln must have picked one off, whether it was for information or just to kill one off I wasn't sure. I listened in as they recounted their journey-how there was something in the lake that had got Octavia and attacked her but she was saved by the boy, Jasper, who later was speared by someone who I assumed was Lincoln and the children left him to die like cowards. There was a few of them who wanted to go back but the leader wasn't having it. The girl he appeared to care for wanted to go back but he refused her request and was forced to go in her place. Lincoln hadn't come back yet an I wasn't sure what this group was up to or where they were going so I guess that meant I got to follow. Perfect, maybe I could pick one or two off. I jumped down from my perch rolling onto my shoulder and up to my feet creeping along in the shadows behind the group.

I follow behind for a while before there is a confrontation which is ended by the arrival of another boy and then the group splits up, which to follow.... the smaller group is easier to pick off but the other leader could be key for information.. I decide to follow the group of three.  We were headed in the direction of the Mounon, why persist in this direction? They knew it was dangerous- they must be either stupid or desperate. The other group rejoins them and says they found blood and the missing boys goggles, they thought they were on the right track. The longer haired boy seemed to have actually picked up a trail as he inspected splatter, rocks, branches, and leaves. I hear a groan and I know we are getting closer but I wasn't sure what exactly we were getting closer to. This was also bis (beast) territory and few came out this far to the mounon for a reason. They run into a clearing and there up ahead as I edge to the left side of the group I can see there is a boy tied up into a tree, red blood dripping across his body, there was also a poultice on his wound. Someone put him here. This was a trap but I wasn't quite sure for who.

The girl moves forward towards the tree but the ground gives way and she falls the other leader catches her but doesn't pull her up. "Clarke!" One yells. So the female leader had a name.... Eventually she is pulled up as the others rush forward to 'help' but no help was needed the male could easily pull her out but he was unsure. Interesting- a conflict between them could be good. I hear a low growling to my right and hear some leaves rustle. A bis. I couldn't take one down myself it takes a hunting party to take one down. I draw my bow and pull an arrow taut, scanning my surroundings...come out come out- if I could j get a wounding shot I might have a chance. I hear the rustling grow closer and edge out from my spot a little, come on-there! I fire an arrow as it starts to run forward and let my arrow fly. It wedges into it's inky hind leg but it continues to rush forward as the skai people panic. Shit. A loud bang sounds and I whirl around, what the hell is that? I duck low. It sounds again. I move forward for  a better look and see the darker male holding something in his hand aiming at the bis. Bang. I see blood splatter and the bis veers off course disappearing back into the shadows. But it wasn't over, it wasn't weak enough it would still continue the hunt. He was only slowed down. I drew a knife and stayed crouched listening for sounds of movement around me. I could heart its growls and hear the rustling of the foliage but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. Then the sounds stop. It was going to pounce-where was it? I whipped around checking my blind spot come on-where are you. A roar echos and then another bang as the bis flies toward the male leader but it falls to the side, unmoving. Had they really killed it so easily? 

I watch as they examine the bis and I noticed my arrow sticking out, they yank it out and hold it up examining it, no. They whip around scanning the area and I step bac behind the shadow of my tree, staying unseen. They get the kid down and the group carries him and the bis as they head back towards their camp. Something wasn't right this was oddly easy and where was Lincoln? It was night by the time the group arrived back at their camp. I scaled up another tree slightly closer to the camp so I could listen and see more. There are chants and hands raised into the air as the leader offers up the kill for dinner. The skai people must take off their wristbands in order to receive the meat...what was the purpose of the odd bracelet? I wasn't sure but I opened up my sack and pulled out some dried meat to nibble on as the night went on.