❝i don't want tea. i want to find my mother.❞

-clary fray, the mortal instruments

♛

MY HEART RACES AS the sprint through the forest continues. I run at top-speed with the Grounder's sword secured in my hand, several paces in front of Bellamy. One sharp turn into the thicker trees leads me to a small crater in the ground. I use a fallen log to propel myself into it and land hard on my feet, grimacing at the spikes of pain that shoot up to my brain.

My eyes dart around the open areas, scanning carefully for any Scouts in the treetops. Nothing catches my eye as of now. I think we've lost them.

"See anything?" Bellamy questions from beside me, even though he knows that if he can't, neither can I. His face is smeared with grime and blood. I wish I could say I look any better, but I hardly notice the mud on my cheeks anymore.

"Guys!"

We both spin on our heels to face the source of the voice, weapons raised in defense. I sigh in relief when I see Monroe and a blond boy standing by a different log, just yards behind us. The sword relaxes in my grip.

"Get back down," Bellamy orders in a whisper with his spear still raised. I find his command amusing considering he had just spoken to me only moments ago.

I'm grateful to see another face after so long of just Finn and Bellamy. The fear that we are the only ones left has been eating at me ever since that night we disappeared from camp, and the fact that Monroe's alive is both alarming and calming. I wonder how she made it out with the boy.

I duck down beside them and peek above the log, which is mostly covered in a thick accumulation of bright green moss. Blood still rushes in my ears from the thudding of my heart and my veins buzz with energy.

"You were followed?" Monroe questions quietly with alarm in her voice as Bellamy joins my side. He stays much less hidden by the fallen wood as he refuses to let his guard down. He is definitely the antsier out of the two of us, always on his toes.

"Quiet," he hisses in an annoyed tone. Once he notes that the coast is clear, he crouches down and asks what we've both been wondering. "Have you seen Finn?"

"Finn's alive?" the boy inquires, eyes widening. Monroe subtly shakes her head in response to Bellamy's question.

"As long as he hasn't died since we were separated," I reply lowly, still breathing raggedly. I would never have admitted I was worried about Finn Collins a few days ago, but ever since he risked his life to save Bellamy and I, there's been an unspoken sense of respect between us. I dislike him less than I used to. However, I'm not about to jump at the chance to be best friends, either.

"We knew the fire was coming, so we ran," Bellamy further explains with a glance in my direction. "But one of them followed." He pauses, giving Monroe and her friend a once-over with his eyebrows pinched in confusion. They look almost pristine compared to us; their faces are relatively clean except for a few smudges and their hair is only a little bit frizzy. "How'd you guys get out?"

"We, uh, we saw the Ark come down and thought we'd come get help," the boy answers with a nervous swallow. I can't help but wonder if he's intimidated by us at all, and the possibility is amusing. "Piece of it came down this way. Monroe thinks it's Mecha, but personally I thi--"

He cuts himself off at the sound of chatter in the distance. My head instantly whips around in the direction it came from as my nerves spike on high alert. I can't see anything from the low ground, but I know that whoever it is can't be far.

"Come on," I whisper, beckoning the two new companions with us. "Stay low and keep quiet."

Since Bellamy is closest, he is the first to get out of the ditch. A two-second pause as he climbs up is just enough for him to survey our surroundings. Then, as quickly as I can take in a breath, he pulls himself up and starts to run again.

I stay true to my own commands and keep silent, my feet not making a single noise on the ground. My back stays hunched. I keep the sword out in front of me so I won't accidentally stab myself if I fall.

I stop behind a thick tree that'll easily conceal me and peer around the trunk. A Grounder on a large, black horse walks slowly on a dirt trail, two ropes tied to the saddle with two boys on the ends. I recognize one immediately as Finn. The other, however, I don't know. They both appear fatigued and bloody, faces smeared with dirt and dried rivers of crimson. The two obviously haven't rested in a while- they stumble along with heavy steps and panting all the while.

"I can't...I can't go anymore," the nameless boy gasps through pained breaths. He bends over in exhaustion, and when that doesn't provide any relief, he collapses to the dirt onto his side.

"On your feet!" the Grounder on the horse commands sharply without turning around. It may be because of my poor position, but it looks like he has burned flesh coating most of his face, and even on his shining bald head. They make him look even more fierce and threatening combined with his long war clothing and furs draped over his shoulders. His almond-colored skin is slick with sweat on the parts that aren't charred.

"I can't," the boy groans from the dirt. Finn tries desperately to help him up, but his hands are bound as well and there isn't much he can do except beg earnestly.

"He can't keep up!" Finn exclaims in his defense once he realizes he can't help. He sounds just as tired as the other boy, and his face looks pretty much the same as mine and Bellamy's. I wonder what happened to him and how he got here.

The Grounder dismounts and lands firmly on the grass. "I said, get on your feet."

Finn urges the boy to get up, pleading with him to stand. He even tries to yank him up by his jacket, but it doesn't seem to be working and the Grounder knows that. A whip is coiled in his hand. It darts out more quickly than I can blink and sends the boy sprawling to the ground in front of him with a sickening thwack. He unsheathes a glimmering sword, making my breath catch in my throat and.

"No," Finn protests in a gasp. The whites of his widened eyes stand prominently against the dirt covering his face. The Grounder pays him no attention as he yanks the boy up by his hair and holds him firmly against his chest. "No!"

It's too late. The blade glides across his neck, killing the boy instantly. His body thumps forward with a lifeless choke and stays completely still. I feel sick to my stomach at the sight of his blood pooling around him in a puddle of red, seeping into the dry dirt.

"That's one," the Grounder hisses without remorse. "I lost 300."

Finn doubles over and glances weakly at the blood coating the sword with a faintly nauseous expression. As his captivator steps forward, he tries to lunge backward, but ends up tripping due to the exhaustion and the rocks. I take one step out of my hiding place to help him, but Bellamy grabs onto my arm before I can.

"Not without a plan," he warns me, shaking his head. I sigh; I know he's right. But if it comes down to me watching Finn die and knowing that I could have saved him, I won't have it. I will go out there.

Finn continues to back up until he's almost at the base of a feeble tree. I'm bouncing on my heels, almost about to run out and physically fight the Grounder until he pulls out a canteen and holds it out to Finn. I freeze in surprise.

"Drink," he orders in his raspy voice. "You're lucky." He hands the water to Finn unkindly. "I need to keep one of you alive to talk to the commander." As soon as his captive takes a gulp from the canteen, he grabs him by his shirt and lifts him onto his feet. "Get up."

The Grounder mounts his horse again and continues riding down the trail at a pace just slow enough for Finn to keep up with. I'm the first to follow along quickly in the trees, running with my head down until the lighting changes to a golden haze from the leaves blocking the sun. We always stay at least ten yards behind to avoid either of them spotting us.

We pause in the bushes near a series of winding trails. I'm breathless, but I've learned how to pace myself so it's not as bad as before. I can't say the same for Monroe and the boy.

"Look, I know you're scared," Bellamy says quietly to them. "But we are warriors. We can do this."

"How?" the boy asks in a whisper; I can tell just by his tone that he doesn't believe Bellamy.

"We attack as a team," he replies. "When he goes for me, Monroe and Fallon go for Finn. Once he's free, it's five on one."

"What do I do?" the boy questions.

I sigh and pat his shoulder. "Just try not to die."

"Ready?" Bellamy asks rhetorically, his eyes on Finn. "One, two, three!"

He shoots to his feet and leaps across the trail to the trees on the opposite side. I follow silently behind Monroe as Bellamy sprints to cut the Grounder off. My sword stays steady in my hand, ready to cut the rope tying Finn.

"Wait!" I exclaim suddenly, darting in front of Monroe and sticking an arm out to stop her. She slams hard into my back instead, making me choke. "Hold on. I know what he's doing. Stay back for a second and wait."

Sure enough, Bellamy's voice shouts, "Hey!" from in front of us somewhere. He appears alone to Finn and his captivator, which is exactly what we need.

"Bellamy, get out of here!" Finn shouts in alarm. My ears pick up a loud neigh from the horse and a harsh grunt, making my heart jolt in my ribcage.

I quickly move to an area by the bushes at the edge of the trail where we can see what's going on. Both Finn and Bellamy are on the ground, writhing in pain. I feel sick upon noticing that more blood is trickling down Bellamy's face than before. The Grounder dismounts from his horse and turns toward Bellamy, sending a hard kick to his gut.

"We need to help him!" the boy whisper-shouts. I put a hand over his mouth as gently as I can and turn to meet his frightened eyes.

"If we go now, he'll kill us," I shoot back quietly, removing my hand once I finish the sentence. "Believe me, it's killing me not to throw my sword at him right now."

"So why don't you do it?" Monroe asks.

I chuckle and return my gaze back to the scene in front of us. "My aim isn't that good."

The three of us watch in silence as the Grounder uses the previous boy's bounds to tie up Bellamy's wrists. My fingers instinctively brush over the scars around my wrist from where the seatbelt had dug into the skin. A shiver runs down my spine.

When the Grounder climbs back onto his horse, Finn mutters a few things to his new companion. My mouth has gone dry.

"Okay, guys," I whisper to Monroe and the boy. "I'm quick and silent. I'll go up there and cut their ropes with my sword before he can even notice they're gone."

Monroe shakes her head furiously, urgency in her blue-green eyes. "No way we're letting you go by yourself. We are warriors. We are warriors, and we stick together."

I give her a nod, about to suggest a new plan, when suddenly they both run out of the bushes screaming at the top of their lungs. I slap my hand to my face and dart around the other way, circling around the Grounder to get to the other side of his horse. But as soon as I step foot on the trail, a gun fires and a bullet lands in the middle of the Grounder's chest. Monroe and the boy immediately stumble back in shock, their cries cutting off as their jaws drop. Another shot lands right in the center of his forehead. The Grounder pitches forward lifelessly.

Without pausing, I quickly slash my sword out and cut both of the ropes in one fluid motion. Bellamy and Finn hold their hands apart as much as they can so I can slice open their bonds. Once I do, they both gasp in relief, especially Finn.

"Who the hell..." Finn trails off, eyes widening to the size of small planets as he turns and faces the source of the gunfire. I follow his line of vision and almost rub my eyes to make sure I'm not seeing things. Marcus Kane steps out from the green thicket of bushes, rifle raised and pointed at the five of us. An entire team of guards from the Ark follow after him.

Kane steps closer, surveying the expressions of surprise and disbelief on our faces. He lowers the barrel of his gun to the ground and gives us a small, reassuring smile. His shoulder-length brunet hair is still perfect as ever, even for a middle-aged man. "We're here now. Everything's going to be okay."

All of us are in too much shock to respond, so he gets down on one knee and turns the Grounder over onto his back. The bullet hole in his forehead is trickling blood down his face and neck in a thick river. Once Kane checks that he's positively dead, he whistles and waves his arm at the bushes he came out of.

My jaw actually does drop at the sight of members of the Ark spilling out onto the trail. At first I recognize no one, and my heart sinks. But then Bellamy's hand latches tightly onto mine and he points at someone, breathing, "Fallon, look."

My eyes follow his finger to find Abby Griffin at the end of it. Her long, light brown hair is a mess and I notice a small gash on her forehead, but she is alive and I can't keep the gasp from coming out. She's alive. She's alive.

And if she's alive, then is my mom?

Abby spots me, too. Her mouth starts to form my name. I'm already running towards her anyway, embracing her like I would my own parents. It's so strange that I'm actually taller than her now - I have her by a few inches - and I'm smacked in the face with the realization of how much things have truly changed.

"Fallon," Abby whispers, hugging me back just as tightly. She pulls back and brushes a flyaway strand of dark hair from my face. I can see the worry filling her eyes when she scans over the litter of cuts and grime on my cheeks. "What--"

"I'm okay," I convince her, smiling when I haven't smiled in so long, filled with the hope that soon I'll see my mom, too, and everything will be okay. "Where's my mom?"

"Now is not the time," she manages to say gently, a hand in my ponytail and a small frown pulling down her pink lips. "In private, alright?"

I nod in disappointment. She slides her hand down to my arm and leads me toward where Finn is helping Bellamy stand. I hadn't realized how bad his state really is, but now he's clutching his gut and wobbling on his feet. The Grounder must have been ruthless as he hit him.

"Don't stand," she tells him immediately as she passes her bag to a woman beside her. Her hand falls from my arm as she moves to check Bellamy's injuries.

"I'm fine," Bellamy says weakly, even though one look at him can tell you that isn't true. I step closer to him and use my thumb to gently wipe away some of the blood trickling from the cuts on his face. He flinches and grasps my hands, lowering them and saying to Abby, "We need to get back to the dropship."

"Where's Clarke?" Abby asks, turning Finn around as he starts to walk away. "Is she alright?"

"She was when we left," Finn replies with a sigh. "We'll take you to her."

"Wait," Marcus says, holding out a hand to stop us. "Slow down." He walks to a man I recognize from working with my mom, but his name doesn't come to mind until Kane says it. "Sinclair, we're splitting up."

I don't hear anything he says after that, but all I know is that I'm impatient. All I want to do is go back to the dropship and see the others, clean my face off, and not be on the run for once. My legs are sore from constantly being on the move.

Kane points to some of the guards around him before turning to us. "You six with me. You three, lead the way."

--------

FALLON IS BACK BABY.

i'm actually so excited for this season!! i can't wait to develop fallon more and get more in depth with her character

-kristyn