CHAPTER SIX.
we don't know him.

━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━

It appeared as though the only thing Sage's life had come to was walking and trudging through forests. To say she was sick of it would be the understatement of the century. Especially with Murphy and Finn. Sage bonded with both boys individually. Finn had always known Sage as Raven's little sister and has taken a liking to the younger girl from a young age. Murphy had also grown up knowing the girl as they both attended the same school and had met a few times. Since then, they were proving to be an unlikely yet bonding pair.

However as soon as you put the two together. It went downhill.

Sage could not stand being with both boys, they were toxic when together. And Sage just happen to be literally and figuratively sitting between a war zone. Thankfully the group reached a region of the woods relatively close to the Grounder camp meaning they were forced to be quiet.

They soon found themselves crouched upon the forest floor which was dampening by the minute due to the heavy rainfall. Sage ignored the hair gluing to her back and shoulders because thankfully the rain was proving useful as it was somewhat cool. However it could hardly match the humidity of the woods.

Ignoring the climate, Sage followed Finn and Murphy's actions and peered through her gun lens in order to view the grounder camp.

"I count twenty six." Finn stated.

"Nah, twenty seven." Sage corrected.

"I got twenty eight." Murphy finally decided.

"These people don't look like warriors, Finn. Just kids, old people. There's nothing big enough to hold our friends." Murphy continued.

"That's because they're not here." Sage mused in a sing song voice, declaring what she had been repeating for a couple days now.

"Well until you can figure out where they are Sage, you're of no use and we have to assume the grounders have them." Finn snapped.

"Touchy." Sage mumbled. The boy's tone was highly unnecessary and he was talking down to her as if she was a child, like the first time they met.

"Besides, they could be underground." Finn suggested causing the other two to scoff.

"Highly unlikely." Sage muttered as Murphy shook his head and returned to glancing through his makeshift binoculars.

Sage did so also, and she felt a sense of deja vu when herself and Murphy shared a glance. His eyes rolled before landing on Finn who was clearly oblivious while Sage mouthed the words 'can you believe him?'. The boy shook his head yet again and looked back at the camp of 'warriors'.

Murphy was right and the longer Sage gazed through her rifle lens, the more trust she put in him. The villagers were mostly children and elderly however there were also a few middle aged persons. The camp seemed peaceful too, and they seemed to obtain a healthy lifestyle from what she could depict. They're food supply was mass and food was cooking as the minutes went by. Sage's observation of the village was interrupted by Finn who finally pulled away from his lens.

"We wait till dark." He instructed. "Then we go in."

"We go in? Finn, we don't even know if our people are here yet." Murphy interjected.

"They're not." Sage mumbled through a sarcastic cough.

The two boys shot her a look, shutting her up real quick, however one of the two still had faith and trusted her suggestion.

"They're here. Or they were when that Grounder took Clarke's watch." Finn objected.

"What if we're too late, huh?" Murphy proposed. Finn watched the boy yet shook his head and turned away. "I mean, they're probably already dead-" Murphy continued only to be cut off by Finn who harshly gripped his jacket and pulled him closer in threat.

"Take it easy." Murphy warned. Finn moved back to his original position and raised his gun once more.

"How much ammo do we have?" Finn randomly questioned. Sage's blood ran cold at the statement and the worries of what Finn was capable of raced through her mind.

Ignoring his question, Murphy instead responded with a statement, "You know, I think I liked you better as a peacemaker."

↯

Night fell quickly and soon enough Sage was following Finn with Murphy by her side as they trailed through the empty Grounder camp. Shivers ran down her spine as she studied her surroundings. The camp was silent and so dark even squinting provided her with little visibility. Sage's only source of guidance was from Finn who was infront of her and seemed awfully confident in his step.

Finn retracted a fire torch from a centre building within the camp, taking it for himself as he began to spin on his heel. Sage's eyebrows furrowed as she questioned the boy telepathically obviously receiving no reply.

"What are you doing? This isn't a part of your plan." Murphy asked.

"I'm changing the plan." Finn spoke firmly, now utilising the torch as a light source in which he could follow. He did so and began to stroll past the confused teenagers while they gazed around warily.

Finn sped up his pace and charged for a shelter on the far right side of the camp. Once they reached their destination, Finn held up his torch while Murphy and Sage analysed the situation.

"Wait, Finn. This is their food." Murphy realised.

"Finn, don't do this. Food takes so long to find and cook, trust me I know, can't we do something else?" Sage questioned after realising the boy's plan to burn down their nutrition supply.

Finn ignored her protests and threw his newfound torch into a small window. He held no sympathy for the situation and clearly wasn't keen to hear what his female counterpart had to say.

As the shelter began to erupt in a fiery mess, Sage's heart dropped to her stomach and her hand found its way to her mouth, disbelief prominent.

Murphy's hand clamped around the girl's forearm and tugged her away from the scene as they began to run away from the commotion they caused. The boy's fingers didn't release her arm even after they reached the sanctuary of the forest. Within the foliage, Sage gazed at the burning shed, anger and grief coursing within her.

Sure it was only a food supply and perhaps she shouldn't have cared as much as she did. But she couldn't help it. Back at the dropship site, Sage was in charge of two things, food and hygiene. Two of the most bit factors regarding human survival. Food was difficult to find and plants were in an adequate abundance. Whenever she spent a day hunting with Bellamy and his group they were lucky to return with one piece of meat. And that was on a good day. Therefore she knew how difficult it was to find let alone capture and still they had managed to gather such a large collection. Hence her anger when Finn put it to waste.

A grounder retreated from a different shelter, yelling a warning to her fellow community as any rational person would. Commotion erupted around the camp, shouting and bells sounded creating such a loud environment that it would be impossible to ignore. They began to throw buckets of water onto the shelter in hopes to put it out however Sage was certain that majority of the inventory had perished.

"Distraction? Not bad." Murphy acknowledged with a firm nod. Sage remained silent, refusing to acknowledge Finn's actions.

"Let's go." Murphy continued. With his hand still gripped on Sage's arm, Murphy led the girl away despite her disagreement with the boys.

Murphy pushed Sage in front of him, only releasing her when she tugged her arm away. They ran through the camp trying their hardest to remain hidden however it was proving difficult since Sage had to tug Murphy from out of sight multiple times. The three teens gazed around warily.

The secrecy did not last and a grounder soon discovered them then proceeded to shout out to his fellow camp members. The delinquents panicked and began to rush around, Sage and Murphy desperate to run away however Finn had other ideas.

Taking action, Murphy stepped forward instantly and punched the man square in the jaw before following with a frantic "We need to run!"

"Can't. They'll kill our people!" Finn objected.

"They'll kill us!" Murphy stated instead.

Ignoring Murphy's requests, as per usual, Finn took the grounder Murphy injured hostage and began heading into the centre of the camp despite the commotion taking place. Finn raised his rifle high in the air causing Sage to cringe at the sight. And as the gunshots followed, she couldn't help but flinch at each sound.

The grounders in the camp began to freak out and grow chaotic, rightfully so of course. However Finn showed no remorse.

"Who's in charge here?" Finn shouted over the panicking grounders. Murphy and Sage reluctantly followed in suit, not at all in agreement to the boy's violence.

No one in the camp responded, mostly because they were petrified out of their minds, rightfully so of course and Sage couldn't help but pity them. They crowded together and stared at Finn with horrified expressions as they did their best to not only protect themselves but also each other.

"I'll ask again. Who's in charge?" Finn repeated, growing frustrated with the group.

"Our leader isn't here. You can deal with me." A man stepped forward bravely. Sage was certain she had seen him before however she wasn't sure where exactly.

"Nobody has to get hurt. We just want our people back." Finn stated, eyeing the camp.

"We don't have your people." The grounder spoke.

"Look I hate to say I told you so but-" Sage began.

"Shut it, Noon." Finn dismissed.

"Well, if they're not here. You won't mind if we look around." He continued. Finn proceeded to walk away from the grounders and his partners in crime, who hesitatingly followed.

↯

After Finn, Murphy and Sage had completed their search for their missing friends they met up with the grounder Sage could now name as Nyko. He was a friend of Lincoln, another grounder whom had assisted the hundred and formed a close bond with Octavia.

Sage stood awfully still as she gazed down at the grounders pitifully. The three had rounded the grounder community into a small pen and despite the rain falling, they were forced to kneel on the ground in the mud where they looked anything but pleased. Sage turned away from the prison unable to tolerate the sight. And as she stared out into the misty woods the dripping down her cheeks was caused by both the rainfall and her tears of frustration. It was irritating and a bad habit but Sage found herself crying frequently, even when she wasn't upset or angry, tears were simply her way of expressing herself.

Murphy watched with sorrowful eyes, melancholy radiated off the girl and he was certain she was defeated with the situation, no longer able to withstand the ignorance nor the brutality derived from Finn and his determination to locate the teens. Murphy partially agreed with the girl and was growing paranoid of Finn's capabilities however part of him also believed the grounders could play a part in the capture of the teens. And besides, when did Murphy ever say no to a bit of violence?

"I told you. We don't have your people." Nyko deadpanned.

"How many times do I have to say it." Sage muttered. Murphy glanced at the girl for a moment before looking back up at Finn.

"Stop talking." Murphy stated, addressing Nyko and receiving a dirty glance from Sage who disagreed completely with his dismissal of the grounder. It was clear the camp wasn't holding the delinquents captive or else there would have been evident signs. And the only signs they were receiving was in opposition to this. Sage knew they weren't there, and Nyko was telling them they weren't.

"Find something? Finn!" Murphy continued. However the older boy wasn't responding.

"Finn, answer me! Are you alright?" Murphy proceeded, beginning to panic when the boy didn't reply.

From within the pen, a grounder in close proximity jumped to their feet and attempt to escape the makeshift prison. They were quickly shut down however by Murphy who yelled "Hey! On your knees! On your knees! On your knees!"

Sage shot the boy a disapproving look yet none the less allowed it and made no efforts to interfere. Murphy quickly noticed this and instead looked back to the shed where a furious Finn emerged, jacket in hand and ready to yell at whoever was closest in sight.

"Finn! Slow down." Murphy spoke as Finn charged past him clearly uninterested in speaking to either Murphy or Sage.

"What have you done with them?" Finn exclaimed, threatening the grounder and inching closer to his face.

"Hey, Finn. Come on." Murphy interfered, pulling Finn away from Nyko.

"Their clothes are here. They were here!" Finn shouted, holding a jacket once belonging to someone of the hundred so Murphy and Sage could view it.

"Finn!" Murphy interjected yet again, attempting to calm the boy down.

"You killed them!" Finn fired. Sage unknowingly took a step closer to Murphy as Finn continued to grow furious. His rage had proven to be quite hazardous over the past couple of days and while Sage wasn't scared of the boy being angry she wasn't awfully fond of what followed. She could only hope he would contain his rage however she didn't feel confident he would.

"Your friends were not here. I saw one. Octavia. She was alone." Nyko responded. Sage's blood ran cold at the mention of Octavia. She was alone. That couldn't be good. Sage had assumed she was safe and within the security of Lincoln however she clearly was not.

"Finn, they weren't here!" Sage stepped in, hoping to drive him away from attacking Nyko.

"These people are scavengers, Finn. They could've just found that stuff." Murphy supported.

Finn began to stroll over to a woman in the pen, he harshly pushed her into the mud despite the protests of both Murphy and Sage.

"Hey! Finn! Stop!" Murphy started.

Finn pressed the mouth of his gun to the side of the woman's head harshly. Sage's heart dropped into her stomach before her mouth took over and yelled in protest.

"Finn! Stop! What are you doing!?" She exclaimed.

Murphy quickly took action and stepped forward, gripping his hand onto the boy's shoulder. "Look at me!" Murphy directed.

"Get off me!" Finn objected shoving off Murphy's grasp.

"Finn. Don't do this. Let's just walk out of here while we still can." Murphy pleaded, his voice desperate and almost heartbreaking for Sage to hear. She agreed with him completely and was all for the idea, feeling just as passionately as her male counterpart for the predicament.

"Finn. Please." Sage agreed, voicing her thoughts with a tone just as desperate.

↯

"Look, just because their clothes are here, doesn't mean anything." Murphy stated, turning to Finn as the group stood outside the pen.

"He told us our friends were here. Why would he do that?" Finn objected.

"The guy with one eye? Maybe because you had a gun to his head, Finn." Murphy spoke, his voice increasing in loudness.

"The man with one eye." Nyko interjected. Finn instantly turned to the man with his gun ready to aim and fire.

"You saw Delano. A snake. A thief. He and his men were cast out. You are his revenge." Nyko explained as he rose to his feet and towered over the shorter teens. From the corner of her eye, Sage noticed Murphy glance at her causing her to match his gaze. They shared a wary glance as if to ask each other whether or not they believed Nyko. After their shared moment, Sage turned to Finn and spoke up.

"Look it makes sense." She started, glancing at Finn who looked so unsure of the situation he was ready to give up.

"Okay, we need to go. Now." Murphy interjected, grasping Sage's forearm and beginning to walk until he used his other hand to latch onto Finn's shoulder in hopes of guiding him out of the camp. "Now! We need to go now!" He continued.

And just as Finn was about to conform, an elderly man from within the prison leapt to his feet and over the gate in attempt to escape. It all seemed to occur in a slow motion and one thing led to another before Sage screamed at the sound of gunshots firing through the upper back of the man. Sage's gaze drifted to Finn who as the culprit of the shooting, held the responsible rifle firmly in his hands.

Both the grounders in the pen and the teens outside stepped back in astonishment. And a negative one for that matter. Sage's hand unknowingly found her mouth as she gasped inaudibly.

"No! He was just trying to get away!" Nyko exclaimed, now on his feet with his hands resting on the top of the fence surrounding the grounders.

"Come on." Murphy muttered, tapping Finn's shoulder and grasping Sage's forearm directing them both that he was ready to depart from the village.

Yet despite Murphy's guidance Finn remained still. That was until a younger grounder who seemed to be around the same age as Sage suddenly leapt over the boundary encasing the prisoners. He swiftly made a run for it only to be shot multiple times by a chaotic Finn. The gunshots rang through Sage's eardrums as she watched the scene unfold, utterly bewildered by the sights.

And even when she trusted that the horror was finally over, it continued. Numerous grounders fell to the ground as Finn shot them down, uncontrollably killing them at such a high speed, Sage couldn't keep up. Murphy and herself yelled in protest as the scene transpired. Countless villagers splattered into the mud as the yelling of both her own voice mixed with Murphy's rang through her ears as Sage attempted to even comprehend what she was seeing.

Nyko began to yell at his village and beg them to stay inside, scared to lose anymore victims to the barrel of Finn's impulsive gun. Murphy and Sage latched onto Finn's shoulders in hopes of dragging him away and finally leaving the camp however nothing could break the determined boy.

"Finn! We need to go! Look at me!"

"Finn! Come on, stop this! Finn!" Sage joined.

And then it was over, and Sage stood horrified as her eyes trailed over the unmoving grounders, some completely dead and alone within the mud while others lay limp in the arms of their loved ones. The gunshots finally ceased and Sage looked up to see the three figures of Bellamy, Octavia and Clarke.

Nyko swiftly jumped the fence while Finn was distracted and rushed over to the young grounder Finn had shot. Octavia soon joined and skidded around the pen before over to the grounder pair. Bellamy and Clarke slowly trailed through the camp as they took in all that had occurred. They both appeared terrorised and confused, rightfully so of course.

The surviving grounders began to weep at the loss of their fellow villagers while others remained silent and shocked. Sage couldn't take it any longer and unknowingly allowed a few tears to slip from the corners of her eyes. Noticing her condition, Murphy quickly wrapped her arms over the girl's shoulders and held her tightly, allowing her to sob into his chest. He had ditched his gun and was solely focused on the girl within his arms. They were both impacted deeply by the situation, the only difference being how they showed it.

Clarke and Bellamy forwarded towards their fellow arkers causing Finn to breathe out a sigh of relief. Sage pulled away from her embrace with Murphy, still within his arms however as she watched the interaction between the former couple.

"I found you." Finn whispered, utterly relieved and astounded to see the blonde standing before him.

But Clarke didn't seem to look at the boy the way he watched her. No, she simply shook her head, remaining silent as she studied the foreign boy she thought she knew.

another update!

considering this book is getting more popular and im in the mood to give y'all a little more sage n murphy im updating! so here you go enjoy the precious couple. this chapters kinda sad but they can't all be cute n lovey.

lotta love!

— clovdy