Shards

Meet the Grounders

Octavia never imagined she would anticipate Shard's arrival, but she is. She grows impatient for the food and water she knows he will have with him. He might also bring news on the negotiations. She hopes her ransom or others' have been paid or will be paid soon. Her anxiousness makes her fidgety and distracts her from her aching and jittering body.

"She'll be comin' round the mountain when she comes!" Shard sings.

Hatchette expresses the irritation Octavia feels.

Shard comes with the covered platter. "Somebody wants some food?" He moves the tray up and down.

Octavia doesn't say a thing but glues her eyes to the tray. They follow every movement of the tray.

"If those ain't puppy eyes, I don't know what is," Hatchette says.

Octavia doesn't have the will power to retort or react despite the sting she feels under her skin from the comment.

Shard chuckles. "Indeed-y. But before we get to the main course: an appetizer!"

Shard uncovers a bottle of water. Its plastic is tinted, but Octavia has a surprising lack of care. When Shard presents it through the bars, she hurries to the bottle and takes it from his hand. The water has the same, slight earthy taste the water she'd been drinking here has, but she did not mind it. As she drank, the water brought life back to the desert in her mouth. Sores and scratches smooth away. Some of the upset in her stomach settles. She continuously drinks, barely pausing for breaths. The bottle quickly empties.

"I thought you were gonna drown there for a minute," Shard says with a laugh as he reaches his hand through the bars to take the bottle back.

"Shame she didn't," Tam says.

Octavia jumps at the sound of her voice. She didn't notice Tam came with Shard. Being in the same vicinity of two people who terrify her rises tension in her muscles.

"Yup. Tam's back," Shard says.

Relief is visible in Marque's eyes.

"And I'll be taking Hatchette with me to go get you some food," Shard says. He pulls a couple bottles of water from somewhere in his jacket and hands one to Marque and another to Tam. "Don't let her drown herself, and don't contaminate the water." His last order is obviously directed at Tam.

"Come, come, Hatchette," Shard says as he walks away. She walks beside him.

Octavia wonders for a split second how Shard holds what he holds in his jacket but gets distracted with eyeing the water in the guards' possession and wonders when she'll get it and some food.

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"Don't ya think it's a little soon to let Tam be on Rhinehart, again?" Hatchette says to Shard as they walk.

"I do, but we need you," Shard says.

Hatchette puts her hands on her hips. "Negotiations kickin' asses now?"

"Yeah," Shard tells her without looking at her.

"I told y'all before that this venture was gonna be more than bargained for, but y'all out-voted me and said get all them brats, not just a few."

"Because once we figure this out, the pay will be greater. Our asses will come out sorer but better paid."

"And how's that figurin' workin' out?" Hatchette crosses her arms.

Shard scoffs. "You gotta always be right, don't you?"

"Yeah. 'Cuz I'm one of the closest minds to Dae-jun y'all got left."