DISCLAIMER:

I do not own The 100, it's characters, or the show's plotline -- all rights go to JRoth and Kass Morgan. However, I do own the entire 'Stalker' plotline, Quinn's plotline, and any new characters added in. If i find anyone using/copying my ideas, i will yu gonplei ste odon your ass :)

WARNING: this was my first (and only) fanfic i've ever written, so please do not expect too much from it. I'm going to be going through and editing the ENTIRE book for you all, to make it a more enjoyable, realistic read. If there are any grammatical/spelling mistakes that I have missed, please let me know, and I'll be sure to go over it once again.

Otherwise, enjoy reading The Burning. Hope you enjoy Quinn's journey!

***

PROLOGUE:
10 years ago...

The beating of the drums sounded the air; people danced around the fire, singing along to their traditional song as the woods around held the feeling of absolute happiness and peace within the air. My eyes were alight, a smile covering my tanned, freckled face as I watched my brother and his fiance dance together. It was the night of my brother's wedding, and the night of the anniversary of the war that had taken place many moons ago. The war that had resulted in much tension and bloodshed between the clans, and the split of the now-named Stalkers and Trigedakru.

People cheered as my eldest brother, Kemp, twirled his fiance, Alexis. The people of my clan conversed with one another, their laughter echoing throughout the wood. Not a spark or look of worry on any of their faces.

"Quinn, c'mon. Get in and dance!" I was hauled to my feet as my best friend, Keegan, came to stand before me, grinning. Keegan and I let out small giggles as we danced around with other members of the tribe and sang along to the music.

Kemp caught my gaze as I danced with Keegan, throwing me a wink, accompanied by a massive smile on his face. His long brown hair fell just above his shoulders, curls forming at the tips. His hazel eyes that matched the bark of the trees he lived and breathed with, shone bright in the darkness, the light of the torches creating sparkles in his eyes. He whirled Alexis around, turning his gaze back on her. Kemp had fallen instantly for Alexis. From the moment he found her by the river picking for berries as he was out hunting, he swore to us all that he would make her his wife one day. And now, that day was here, and the both of them couldn't stop smiling.

She was truly beautiful; a heart shaped face, paired with a set of brown eyes and the voice blessed by the Gods above. Any man would have been lucky to marry her, but I knew that my brother wasn't just any man. He was the Commander's son, and he was the most handsome and warm-hearted man in the village who put the ones he loved before everything, even himself.

I drifted my gaze back onto Keegan's face, staring at the freckles that kissed his tanned face. His hand gripped mine as we hopped and jumped along to the music. I smiled at him, thankful that I was able to have someone who didn't treat me like a weak, useless girl. We danced around for a little longer till my father and leader of our village, Tate, silenced us all. Both of us came to a slow, taking a seat as our leader stood before us.

"Tonight we bring with us two very magnificent souls. Together shall they live forever and love one another till the end of time. May they choose the rights paths and lead them themselves to a better future."

Tate raised his glass and we cheered. The village smiled as one, looking back at my brother as he placed a kiss on Alexis's forehead. "For Alexis and Kemp!" A man yelled out. The crowd raised their glasses up, the smiles never faltering for even a second.

"Now, we--" Tate was cut short as a spear shot threw him.

Time seemed to come to a slow as his eyes slowly looked down to the weapon that protruded from his chest. Blood poured from his lips, his expression covered in complete and utter dismay and horror as his eyes met mine. He fell to his knees, my heart following his exact movement as the sound of war drums pounded the air, and the village erupted in chaos.

"Papa!" My feet picked themselves up as I rushed to my father.

A set of hands pulled my small figure back, taking a tight hold of my body as I let out a menacing cry. "Quinn, stop! You have to leave him and follow your brother." I heard my mothers fear-stricken voice behind me. I let her carry me away, my eyes never leaving my father's limp body. I wasn't sure how much time had passed until we made it to Kemp, but once we did, I felt my blood run cold as I noticed the missing body that had been beside me since my day of birth.

"You keep her safe, you hear me. Get them out of here! Now, Kemp." The woman yelled at Kemp as he grabbed tight onto my hand.

"No, wait!" I cried. "Keegan, where's Keegan?!" My eyes scaled across the camp, no freckled by popping up. Men with masks and deadly looking weapons ran into the camp, killing anyone, and everyone in their way. Death masked their every move; the air around me reeking of burnt bodies and smoke. Screams pierced the air as people were tackled to the ground, their lives being clawed from them as the army of scary men and women plagued the village like a disease.

"Quinn, he's gone. We have to leave, now." Kemp gripped my shoulder, squeezing it in a sad gesture as his voice filled with anguish. I held on tight to my brothers hand as he led myself, Alexis and our two other sisters away -- my mother following close behind.

My heart slammed up against my chest, my little feet patting against the dense ground. The simple of act of breathing was becoming hard to do as I felt everything burn around me. Sweat beaded my forehead. Keegan had been by my side the entire time; right before I had leapt for my father. Had he been killed? Had he been taken? Were they going to hurt him--

A scream came from beside the group as a man snatched Alexis away from Kemp's grip. "No!" Kemp screamed as he tried reaching for the girl, but was too late.

The man drove the knife into Alexis's chest. Her eyes widened before her body crumpled to the ground. My sisters clung to each other, letting out cries as the masked man lunged for Kemp. My mother drew her axe from her side and sliced the mans head clean off, sending it falling down beside Alexis.

Kemp let out a whimper of despair as he brought Alexis' bleeding body closer to his. Red stained her wedding dress, her eyes daring the flutter shut as her body went into a fit. Tears fell rapidly from Kemp's eyes as he hushed Alexis. His hands were shaking as he brushed stray hairs from her face and smiled, sadly, down at his wife.

"It's okay, Lex." Kemp whispered to her. "I love you, okay? I love you so damn much. You can let go... You can let go..." He trailed off as she smiled up at him, a tear slipping from her eye. "You can let go."

And then, her eyes closed shut for good.

***

The sun rose from it's slumber, awakening the wood and all the creatures that called it home. My throat was dry, my head spinning and my body feeling like goo as we trekked through the forest. The further we got from our village, the more homesick I felt. I glanced a look back every second to see smoke in the air from where we had run from. Our village had been burnt to a crisp, including everyone we loved.

Kemp came to a slow, his hand rising up to brush his hair back from his face. His wedding clothes were stained with the blood of Alexis. I had caught him staring down at it every second as we bid our goodbyes to our home. "We should have stayed and fought." Kemp turned on his heels, staring at our mother. "Alexis would have probably still been alive." He yelled, his voice shaking as I took in his tear-stained eyes.

"You watch your tone, Kemp. Alexis was a lost cause. How could we have fought? Your father was speared and the camp was set alight!" My mother quietly spoke back to Kemp. He stared at the ground, pissed off and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "I know what you're thinking. Don't do it. They'll be on our trail soon."

"So? We can fight!" He took a step forward and my mother raised her head.

"Fight? We are in no shape to fight. One man alone wouldn't be able to survive a fight with them. They're ruthless, dangerous and are out to kill every single last one of us, Kemp."

My eyes started to water, my head turning from side to side as I watched the two of them fight. "Papa's gone, isn't he?" I sobbed out.

All eyes turned on me. A hiccup escaped my lips as I fell to my knees, gripping the grass below me. My mother walked over to me, taking a tight hold of my shoulders and grabbing my attention. "Yes he is, but we have to be strong." She cupped my face and placed a kiss on my forehead. "We have to keep moving."

"Or what? Those animals will gut us?" Kemp spoke back sarcastically.

"Yes, that's exactly what they'll do." My mother replied back and with that she walked off, my sisters and I following close behind.

***

Days had passed since we last fled our village. So far, we were clear of any unwelcome visitors and hadn't come across a single sign that the masked men were on our trail. There had also been no sign of any survivors. A part of me wished Keegan would pop up from the bushes and tackle me in one of his tight hugs, but deep down I knew he wasn't ever coming back.

It had been tough finding food but our mother did what she could. My two elder sisters helped out with picking berries and other sorts of fruits from the bushes we past. We were left to use deer skin for warmth, as all our clothing was back at the village and burned. The nights were cold and windy, so we stuck to sleeping inside caves and the-like. Fortunately, we hadn't run into any acid fog, but I was sure that we couldn't keep going the way we were for much longer. We were either bound to die from starvation or the masked people. Reapers and Mountain men were a possibility, but mother was sure to steer clear from the Dark Mountain.

Papa and Keegan -- two of the most important people in my life -- were dead. Mother was always so busy in keeping us all fed and protected; my sisters stuck to each other like glue, not speaking a word unless they were spoken to; and Kemp was completely broken. I had all these people around me, and yet I still felt so lonely.

"Quinn, would you go help Kemp with getting some water, please?" My mother asked, staring at me softly as I rose to my feet. We may have all been family, but Kemp was known to always take a greater liking to me then my other two sisters. It wasn't that he didn't love them, or that he wouldn't die protecting them; it's simply that he liked my company most because we were more alike then what we seemed.

"Yes, Mama." I said, giving her a sleepy smile as she placed a kiss on my forehead before I exited the cave we were housed in.

I hummed lightly to myself, watching my fur boots pat against the ground as I made my way over to the riverbed. Kemp stood in the water, his pants pulled up around his shins so as to not soak them. His bare, tanned back was covered in sweat and scars, glistening under the sunlight as he dove for a fish.

I noticed then that his hair had begun to curl more at the ends, just as our mothers did. All my siblings had grown just the same hair as my mother -- dark brown, curly and soft. Except myself. I hadn't been blessed with any of my mother's beautiful features. I took more after my father, especially when it came to my stubbornness and will to protect anything I cared about. I felt my heart clench in my chest as I thought back to my father. I shook my head, clearing away the sorrowful thoughts and focusing on getting Kemp to speak -- he hadn't spoken a word to any of us in days.

I came to a slow, standing in the middle of the hill and peered down at my feet. A gleaming, brown nut caught my attention. I bent down, taking the nut into my hand and letting it go. It hit Kemp precisely in the middle of his head, exactly where I wanted it to. He jumped and turned around, glaring at me. I let out a giggle, as he straightened up and turned his attention back to the river, trying to hide the smile forming on his face, but failing in doing so.

Not even several seconds afterwards, he splashed his way out of the water and sprinted up the hill. "I'm gonna get you, you little rascal." He held his hands outward, laughing as I let out a squeal and ran back the way I had come, sticks and dirt flying up from the impact of my fur boots on the ground.

Laughter escaped my mouth as I ran through the trees, Kemp following close behind. Kemp's feet stomped against the dirt, his breathing heavy as he ran after me. "Try and catch me if you can!" I yelled out. It didn't bother me if he did end up catching me, for the smile that crept its way on his face was the only thing I cared about.

I glanced back, hoping to see Kemp still running after me when suddenly, everything fell silent. I heard a whooft sound and stopped in my tracks. The sound of a twig snapping was heard from my side, causing my head to whip around as my heartbeat quickened in my chest.

"Kemp?" I called out his name. "Kemp, come out. Okay, you win." I peered behind trees and up, searching for him.

The noise of oncoming, quiet footsteps made my skin crawl. The people, they must have found us. Even if I screamed, mother or my sisters wouldn't hear me, I was too far out for that. I was left vulnerable, and alone, with no one to help me--

I was picked up and spun around. I let out a gasp before Kemps' face came into view, a smile covering his face."I got you!" He exclaimed. I felt my heartbeat slow as his voice cleared the tense air. I hit him playfully on the chest, laughing. He popped me up on his shoulders as I rested my head on his.

"Quinn, Kemp?" My mothers voice was heard and I yelled out, "Over here, Mama!" She ran out from behind a tree, her breathing quick. She pushed a hand through her hair and sighed from relief, a small smile forming on her face as we made our way to her. Kemp gave her a smile before informing her that we were headed back to the river.

We walked in a comfortable silence for a majority of the way there, till Kemp plopped me down and took a hold of my shoulder. "You okay, Quinn?" He asked, his gaze softening. I nodded in response, though inside I knew I was nowhere near from fine. "It's okay if you're not. You don't always have to be fine -- I sure as hell am not, and I'm six years older then you."

I smiled, sadly, "I have to be okay for everyone else."

Kemp laughed lightly. "You sound just like Pa, you know that? I love you, Quinn. Don't ever forget it." He patted my head before pulling me into a hug. His arms wrapped around my small frame, my nose digging into the crease of his neck as he squeezed me tighter.

"I love you too, Kemp."

He pulled away from the hug, his eyes clouded in a mix of emotions as he took ahold of my small hand and helped me down the hill. We reached the river and started to collect more water, working in silence as we filled the buckets that Celia had made from wood, sticks and all sorts of other stuff.

After minutes of sitting in comfortable silence, a scream sounded the air. Kemp's head whipped around. He glanced at me, dropping his bucket as he rushed out of the water. He took a tight hold of my hand as he did so, dragging me up the hill.

"W-Who was that?" I spoke, my nerves growing. "Was that Mama?!"

"I don't know," Kemp replied as we raced up the hill and to the cave.

The sound of horses hooves got clearer as we neared. That, and the native tongue of the Trigedakru clan. I felt my blood run cold, the air around me turning icy, too, as the woods fell in complete silence. Within seconds, Kemp was before our cave, halting in his steps as two of the Masked Men caught our attention.

My mother was shaking, my two sisters lay bleeding on the ground next to her. I felt a cry escape my lips. Kemp's shoulders rose, then fell, his body going completely rigid. He slowly turned his eyes onto the two men who towered over him like the trees above. He let out a cry, and ran forward, tackling one of them to the ground.

"Quinn, run!" My mother screamed.

I obeyed her order almost immediately, hesitating only for a second to find Kemp beating the life out of the man he had tackled. I stopped in my tracks as I heard another scream. Turning around, I glanced back to find the man Kemp had tackled holding his blade to my brother's throat. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. I wanted to rush forward and kill every last one of them but some invisible force glued my feet to the ground. My mother yelled for them to stop, but they were just as she had described them: ruthless and merciless. From what the masks revealed, tattoos covered their faces. Their eyes were blinking, yet unmoving. They held a lethal aura to them; everything seeming to smell of death.

I hid behind a tree, my head peeking out the side. A woman appeared from behind a tree wearing a long black dress and dark eye-makeup usually worn in times of war. Her gaze was cold and deadly, her entire appearance screaming: Death. As she approached, the two masked men beside her stood up straighter.

"Don't hurt him, please. You have already taken so much away from us!" My mother begged, and the woman did nothing but glare at her.

I turned back around so that my back was facing the gruesome scene behind me. I squeezed my eyes shut, digging my nails into my palms. Muffling the sounds of the voices, almost to complete inaudibility, my heart beat within my ears.

"You took everything away from me," said a voice"

A tear dripped down my cheek, fear sending my blood cold.

"Kill them both."

Not baring the thought of hearing the sound of another family member's body hitting the earth again, with all my energy left, I got to my feet and ran.

The slight whimper from my mother and the last cry from my brother echoed throughout the wood, until — silence.

"There's a child--"

I stopped running, ducking behind a tree and silencing my cries by placing a hand over my mouth.

The female's voice cut him off, "Let her go."

Before they could find me and hand me the same fate they had handed to the rest of my family, I ran as fast as I could. Tears fell down my cheeks instantly, every part of me aching as I thought back, minutes ago, to when Kemp and I were running through the wood. It had been so peaceful, so calm. And suddenly, everything had changed. My world had been turned upside down, my entire family, dead. Just like that. The day had turned cold, the sun was setting but it wasn't as beautiful as it once was. The air reeked of death, and blood. I had no one left; nowhere left to go.

I stumbled over my own feet, landing on the ground with a hard thud. Papa's gone isn't he? My voice replayed in my head. Yes, he is, but we have to be strong. I sat up and tugged tight onto my knees, slowing rocking myself as I hummed the lullaby Papa used to sing me to sleep with.

"O' when the sun sets and the moon comes out to play, may the Gods look down among us, and let us pray. Let us pray for peace; for happiness; for joy. Let us live and sing in harmony, as yet another day leaves us behind."

And with that, I laid down on the ground and shut my eyes, listening to the sound of the waterfall and the trees around me as I slowly fell asleep.

AUTHORS NOTE:
chapter one — edited.