Guiltless Sin || John Murphy

22

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Byrd stood silent, listening to Clarke sob as she scrubbed her hand that was covered in blood. She could hear the fabric scratching at her skin, looking up when the tent door opened. Abby walked in slowly, her eyes set on her daughter, Kane walking in behind her. He silently questioned her with his eyes and she nodded in reply, lying to the man. But she wasn't showing her emotions to anyone, except Murphy. 

Clarke continued to sob as she tried to speak to her mother, the woman a little unnerved that Byrd wasn't making some smart comment. Abby spoke softly to her daughter, listening to her sob as she tried to calm her down and pulling her in close; pausing when the tent door opened. Clarke wiped quickly at her eyes, composing herself as she looked up at the man.

'The commander is ready to talk,' He stated.

The blonde stood and the Delani girl stayed off to the side, watching as the commander strode in; Indra behind her with another man. The woman sat in the throne, staring at them with her piercing gaze.

'Blood has answered blood,' She stated sternly; 'Some on my side say that's not enough. They wanted the murderer to suffer as our tradition demands... But they do not know that your suffering will be worse. What you did tonight will haunt you until the end of your days... Still, there will be restitution. The body will be given to the people of Tondc, murderer and murder joined by fire. Only then can we have peace.'

'No,' Clarke whispered.

'No. We've done enough,' Kane stepped forward; 'The boy should be buried by his own people.'

'Enough?' Indra sneered as she stepped toward them; 'We were owed the pain of eighteen deaths. We were owed our righteous kill. My village deserves justice.'

'You don't want justice,' Abby chimed; 'You want vengeance.'

'You have not seen my vengeance.'

'Nor have you seen mine,' Byrd drawled as she pushed herself up to stand properly.

'We'll do it,' Clarke stated; 'But when it's over, we talk about how to get our people out of Mount Weather, all of our people.'

'We want the same things, Clarke,' The commander agreed.

'Good. When do we leave?'

'Now. Choose your attendants.'

The woman stood and strode out of the room with confidence, Indra and her other followers sticking close behind her.

'Clarke, you don't have to do this,' Abby grabbed her daughter's arm as she went to move.

'Yes, I do,' Clarke croaked; 'If this truce doesn't hold, Byrd killed Finn for nothing.'

Abby's eyes moved to the blank face of the Delani girl, nodding as she let both of them leave. Byrd lead the blonde out of the tent, eyeing off Finn's body as it laid on the ground with Raven at his head. Clarke slowly walked toward the grieving girl, Raven's face morphing into a glare.