It had been four days since they had arrived and three days since they had started hunting. Each day Nia and Alec brought back their killings and the group from the dropship would be the ones to dry the meat. They pantry was beginning to fill the more they went out. If they were lucky they were able to make two or three trips out.
With them hunting Lincoln had taken it upon himself to oversee the girl's training. But they had yet to train in combat, just the use of their knives and sword. They would train before Nia return so that when she did they could help prepare the meat.
Fox was beginning to speak with her friends from before again which left Jade to herself. But every time she was alone Bellamy would come out of nowhere and take with her about Greek mythology. Each story fascinated Jade as she sat and listened intently.
One day, Nia and Alec had returned back early from a hunt. Alec had left with their deer while Nia went to find Jade.
She looked all over for the girl and was beginning to panic when she hear laughter. She could tell it was Jade but she couldn't place the other's. The sound of it had sent goosebumps up her arms. It was deeper which indicated male and she made her way to the source.
A door was opened a jar as the sounds came from inside. Nia stood beside it as she listened. She could hear Jade's voice but her breath hitched as she heard who she was speaking with. It was Bellamy.
Silently, Nia peered inside. Jade sat on the bed as Bellamy was standing but making gesture as if acting out a story. Now and then Jade would laugh at a moment he had. A smile on her face as she watched them interact. It warmed her heart.
Deciding to leave the girl be she left and went to her room. She took out her arrows and began clean them. It had been days since they left and they had heard of whispers in the trees. What was Lexa doing? By now there should've been word about whether they were branded traitors or not.
To lost in thought she didn't notice all the time that had passed. She had skipped dinner and the evening had begun. A knock on the door made Nia grab a knife before she made her way over.
Carefully, she opened the door and peeked out. Bellamy stood in the doorway with a sleeping Jade in his arms.
Nia tucked the blade in the back of her pants before opening the door wider. He entered the room and question where he should place her. Nia made her way to her bed and pushed the covers aside. Jade had been sleeping by her mostly and Nia didn't mind.
He placed her down and Nia proceeded to take off her boots. Bellamy had managed to carry both Jade and her sword while she had slept. So when the girl was all tucked in he held it out to Nia.
"Thank you." She said unsure of what she was thanking him for. Whether it be bring Jade back or watching over the girl when Nia wasn't there.
Bellamy nodded his head and once again they found themselves in silence. All the words that she had told him before flooded into his mind. He hadn't spoke with her since that day and in fact he missed her presence.
"I'm sorry." He admitted quietly for just the two to hear. "I shouldn't have believed that you would abandon us. You've done nothing but help us. Thank you."
She sucked in a breath before she looked at him. He had been standing closer than she had thought. She took in his appearance and saw the sorriness in his eyes.
The two simply stared at one another. No awkwardness or tension among them and it felt like for a moment they were back in the woods. Before he had left for Mount Weather and they had begun to come to terms with their feelings.
But before either one could do anything the door opened and Fox entered. She looked at them in shock. Her presence made them part and Bellamy left without another word.
Fox wanted to question what had just happened but decided otherwise. By the look on Nia's face she wasn't too sure herself.
The next day Nia and Alec didn't go hunting. Instead Nia had chosen to spend the day seeing how the girls were a adjusting to their surroundings. She only wanted to be sure they were comfortable.
So she set out to locate one of them. She found Fox training with her brother and took the time to watch. She had excelled all she could with her knives so Lincoln had taken it upon him to help her with a sword.
As she watched them train, she could tell where the girl was struggling and where she had improved since the first time they had tried. The first time Fox hadn't been able to hold the sword for long. But now she was able to hold it with a good grip. She just needed to improve on how she swung her sword. Some swings were too forceful and some were hesitant.
When they finished their session, Nia emerged and made her presence known. She clapped her hands and walked toward them. Both seemed equally surprised to see her there overlooking their training.
"Nia, what are you doing here?" Fox asked as she made her way over.
"I was hoping to get a chance to talk." She admitted as she stood beside them. "I see Lincoln is doing a great job at training you."
"She's a quick learner." He commented about the girl.
"You should've seen her when we first started. She could hardly hold up the blade." Nia added in with a laugh. This caused Lincoln to chuckle and Fox to grow red.
"You should try and fight her now." Lincoln tossed Nia the blade he was using before leaving them alone. He could sense in Nia's tone that she wanted to discuss something among them.
"Show me what he has taught you." Nia told Fox as they began to circle one another.
Nia decided to strike first as Fox was quick to block. They smiled at one another as they began to spar. They sent swings and blocked what they could. But whenever Nia was close to hitting the girl she would do a light tap to indicate a hit. After a few more minutes the girls backed off and shared a smile.
"I'm glad you've improved in another skill. The more he trains you the better you will become." Nia said as they tried to catch their breath.
"Lincoln's a good teacher." Fox input and Nia couldn't help but agree. He was the one to help her when she was struggling with her training.
"Are you grateful to be home?" Nia questioned wanting to see where she stood about them living with Skaikru.
It took Fox a moment to answer as she thought of an answer. Sure she had lived among these people on the Ark but had she considered this home.
"I'm not sure I would call it home." She answered truthfully after a moment. "It is nice to be among my friends again though."
Nia nodded her head understanding her reasoning. Sometimes home might not be a place but rather a person.
"Do you regret coming here?" Fox was the one to ask this time. She knew what a change it was for them to come and to be the only ones allowed outside hunting might've become difficult.
It didn't take long for Nia to answer as she thought it might. "No." She stated simply before adding in more. "When I think about it, I don't think of it as betraying my clan but as helping another. Who knows maybe one day we would be allies."
It was quiet before Fox's name was called. A group of kids stood a distance away as they waved the girl over. Nia had sent her a nod as she stood up. Fox sent her a smile before she left to her friends.
On her way to find Jade, Nia had stopped by Lincoln's quarters to give him his blade and praise his teachings. He thanked her before she left to complete her task.
She had just about gone around the whole camp when she thought of something. Lexa had mentioned once before, that Jade had some similarities with her and if that were true, then she would most likely be where Nia might go.
With that in mind she went outside. Evening was upon them as the sun began to set, painting the sky in soft glows of pink and purple. She made her way over to the spot where it would be the easiest to look up into the sky.
When she got there she noticed the girl standing by the fences watching the sky above. Her hair blowing gently in the breeze. Before her the land seemed to stretch before it reached the treeline.
Nia didn't say a word instead she stood behind her and simply watched the girl. In that moment she truly seemed like a child. She didn't have a worry about fighting or wanting to train, she was taking in her surroundings.
"Do you like it here?" Nia finally asked pulling the girl from her view.
Jade turned and looked at her with a smile. "Yes. I like how Bellamy tells me stories about Greek mythology. He says his mom use to read it to them all the time." She admitted aloud.
At her words she thought about how many times Jade had begun to tell her stories of what Bellamy told her. Nia enjoyed having the girl relay the stories back to her. But she was even more glad that Bellamy had taken it upon himself to speak with her.
After the first day there Jade had cried herself to sleep as Nia tried her best to comfort her. The young girl didn't like the attention or the whispers that would go around.
"Do you miss the clan?" Nia wondered how she'd answer. The clan was the only thing the girl had known until she had met Nia on the battlefield.
Then it seemed like she was thrust into the life of a warrior. The constant attacks, the movements, and not to mention, Nia's position in the clan allowed her to see the working of a leader.
So instead of answering with words, she shrugged. She was unsure on whether she missed the clan. Since she had met Nia she had stuck by her. The older girl was a big part of her life and she wouldn't be leaving her any time soon.
"You know you can talk to me right? You can tell me anything you want and I promise, I will do anything I can to make sure you're okay and happy." Nia told her. She didn't want the girl to feel pressure or uncomfortable because of a decision Nia made. "If you ever want to leave, you let me know and I will take you back. You can live your life however you want little one."
Not saying a word, Jade made her way to Nia and wrapped her arms around her waist. The two took their time as they savored that moment.
"I don't want to be anywhere else than beside you." Jade admitted softly as Nia placed a kiss on her head.
As they focused on that moment, neither one noticed the person who had stood a few feet away. He had only caught what Nia had said and watched as they embraced each other. As he thought of Jade and the time they had spent together, he realized he had cared for her too without realizing. She had reminded him of when Octavia was little and still fascinated in the world. He knew then that he would make sure the girls had always felt welcomed among them. After all they may have just given up their clans for them.