CHAPTER ONE:

"TRY TO KEEP UP."

The sun was high up in the sky as the sound of happy chatters could be heard all around the, once, Camp Jaha that was now known as Arkadia. The civilians could be seen walking around outside as they did their jobs, happily chattering with one another while doing so. A group of kids could be seen playing with a soccer play, their shoe covered feet kicking the ball around as they had made makeshift nets, a few on one team and another on the other team as they tried to dodge the balls from the opposing team they had made.

The birds and crickets chirping were loud as they flew or hopped by, not bothering to notice about the people all around them. The insects flying through the air buzzed past their ears, occasionally startling them since the insects were so small they couldn't see them unless they squinted their eyes to look closely.

In the garage-like area of Arkadia, the sound of machines whirring all around could be heard as the mechanics and people inside continued doing their work like the people outside were doing. A jeep, as well, could be seen parked with a group of people inside.

Some of the citizens outside glanced over when the sound of the garage doors opening could be heard, the jeep now right in front. The group of people inside watched as two familiar faces on two horses stopped in front of them, their hair and outfits making them look even more grounder than they had looked before. Octavia Blake took a glance at the girl beside her, sharing a smile.

Y/n Griffin looked back at her group of friends inside the jeep. About three months had gone by since they saved their friends from Mount Weather and as time went on, Octavia Blake and Y/n Griffin had grown closer and closer. As of now, they claimed themselves as best friends. Octavia would be there whenever Y/n would wake up from the nightmares she'd have and ever since they had came back from Mount Weather, the Blake girl had made it her mission to cheer her best friend up after her sister had left.

"Try to keep up." Octavia calls to the driver.

Shaking her head with a smile, Raven Reyes let herself rev up the engine of the jeep as the girls on the horses turned around and rode off with them following right behind the two girls. The civilians watched them go, the group of kids stopping their soccer game as they watched them leave, wishing that they could be like them and go on missions like them when they're older. The group rode and drove out of the opened gates and at the top of the gates, a sign could be seen with the word 'Arkadia' showing proudly.

The two best friends found themselves riding side by side as the jeep trailed behind them. As she rode on her horse, Y/n found herself glancing around at the nature around her with a small smile on her face.

Taking a glance at the Griffin girl, Octavia smiles, happy to see her smile. Ever since her sister had left, Y/n had tried to be there for her mother as much as she could while also training to be a better warrior like their grounder friend taught her to be. She was surprised when her and Octavia had grew a best friend relationship, considering what she did those months ago.

But she had made friends with many other grounders. Even if she had cheered her up like she wanted, Octavia Blake wouldn't quit and would continue to make Y/n Griffin smile whenever she was feeling down.

The sound of whoops and cheers made them both look over as the jeep had soon been driving right beside them, seeing their friend was cheering. Jasper Jordan had popped out from the opened sun roof at the top of the jeep as he had been singing to a song with the others inside the vehicle, his arms raised up as he continued cheering.

Jasper had been one of the most to change over the past three months. After losing the girl he loved so dearly, he had gone into a fit of depression, something that Y/n would go through occasionally when she thought about her mother, sister or him.

A beard now laid on Jasper's face, his usual messy brown hair now shaved off. Y/n couldn't help but smile a bit, brows raised up as he took a glance at them, another whoop escaping past his lips. Just then, the jeep soon came to a stop in the open field they had been riding through.

Quickly, both girls on the horses followed as they got the animals to stop, sharing a confused glance with one another. Y/n was the first to hop off, followed by Octavia as they grabbed the ropes of the saddles, making their way to the back of the jeep. Y/n reached out and opened the door, revealing their friends inside.

Following Raven's lead as he looked over his shoulder, Monty Green held a small keyboard in his hand as he had been looking at a machine in front of him. Bellamy Blake's head had snapped to the sound of the door opening, glancing between a girl that had became such a close friend to him and his little sister. Sitting right across from him, Nathan Miller had found himself leaning his elbows against his knees as his leg bounced up and down frantically.

"Don't tell us we missed the party." Octavia jokes with a sigh.

"Sector eight." Monty speaks up.

Miller sighs. "That's Ice Nation."

"What about it?" Y/n asks.

"Protocol says we go home, let the chancellor decide what to do next." Raven tells them.

Bellamy shakes his head. "Screw protocol. The chancellor's not from Farm Station. Monty is. So is Miller's boyfriend. It's your call."

Monty gives a nod to Miller. "Let's do this."

"You have to ask?" Miller fires back with raised brows.

"Try to keep up." Bellamy repeats his sister's previous words, looking between her and his friend.

Tilting her head at him a bit as their eyes meeting, Y/n grabs ahold of the door, slamming it closed before her and Octavia were walking a bit back, mounting on their horses again as Raven drove off with them following right behind with slight yells to get their horses going.

It took a bit for the group to get to their destination, but after a while, Raven was soon parking the jeep while Y/n and Octavia were climbing off their horses, tying the saddles around a tree so the animals wouldn't run away. The others all exited the jeep, all of them except for Jasper having a gun in their hands.

"These woods must be the border." Bellamy comments.

Jasper sighs. "So where's all the ice?"

"Much further north." Y/n replies. "Azgeda stretches for a thousand miles."

"Good thing we only have to go two hundred meters." Monty states, walking forward.

Bellamy puts his arm out in front of him, stopping him. "Slow down. Remember, rules of engagement are nonlethal force. Tight formation on my command. Raven, you stay in the rover."

"We need every gun we've got." Octavia insists.

Monty was quick to announce that the people were coming towards them, distant voices soon filling their ears, as well as the neighs of horses, making them raise their guns a bit. Miller and Raven moved to the sides, Bellamy and Monty standing side by side with Jasper standing behind them, no gun in his hand.
Sharing a glance, Octavia and Y/n unsheathed their swords as they stood in front of them.

They were quick to realize the men making their way to them were Ice Nation with the white war paint on their faces. Both girls with the swords step forward, side by side, since they were the only ones who knew fluent Trig, the language the grounders speak, unlike the rest of the group. Both raised their arms when the man came to a stop in front of them on their horses.

"Who are you?" One of the men questions in Trig.

"Skaikru. Looking for our people." Y/n tells them.

"Looking for Wanheda." Another man informs.

"They think we're looking for Wanheda." Octavia calls to her friends, watching the grounder mounts off his horse.

"Who's that?" Bellamy asks, receiving shrugs.

"The light. That's the beacon." Monty observes, gesturing to the device the grounder had with him.

Gaze trained forward, Jasper found himself walking forward and past his friends, ignoring their protests, not caring that the grounders were now aiming their bows and arrows at him. Y/n stepped forward, grabbing ahold of his vest but he was able to shrug her hand off of him. Octavia was quick to tell the grounders that they observe the commander's truce when Bellamy ordered her to do so. However, Jasper soon stopped in front of the grounder, grabbing ahold of the device and claiming it belonged to them.

Just as he turned around to head back to his group, the grounder grabbed ahold of him and held him in a headlock, knife pressed against his throat, demanding to know where Wanheda was. Shouts could be heard all around as Octavia claimed they didn't know who that was. They all stopped when a slight chuckle escaped Jasper, a slight smile on his face that only angered the grounder holding him even more as he pressed the blade of the knife against his throat more, drawing blood.

Bellamy was the first to do something as he pulled the trigger of his gun, nailing the grounder right in the shoulder, making him let go of Jasper while the others followed his lead, shooting the other grounders before stopping when Bellamy shouted them to. Following Octavia's demand to get down, Jasper fell to his knees as the girl threw her sword forward, the blade nailing the grounder who had been holding the teenage boy right in the chest area, causing him to freeze.

Soon enough, the grounder fell to the ground, now laying lifeless. Hearing a voice through the radio, Bellamy rushed to it to answer while Octavia rushed to grab her sword, helping Jasper, who was clutching his bleeding neck, up and leading him to the jeep where Y/n started wrapping a bandage around his neck. Bellamy had soon finished speaking to the man on the other end and began putting orders around, getting Monty to join him while the others went back to Arkadia to take Jasper back.

And with that, they were soon dispersing from one another as Monty and Bellamy drove off in the jeep while Y/n helped Raven up on the horse behind her, the Reyes girl having a bit of trouble with the brace wrapped around her leg. After that, they were off and back to Arkadia to get Jasper to medical.