Chapter 9: Through the Ashes

                                    

                                          
"I just don't understand why you can't tell me," Elita whined taking a seat beside me, in front of a fire.
I sighed, shaking my head. "Because there's nothing to tell," I explained adding some wood to the dying flames. 
"I don't believe you," she said crossing her arms, "how is there nothing to tell about your first love?"  
"See that's where you're wrong, Macallan wasn't my first love. I loved him, yes. But he wasn't my first."
"Then who was?" she questioned. 
I bit my bottom lip thinking about him, debating if I should keep the memories to myself since that's all I had left of him.  "Uh no one," I lied. 
The truth was my first love wasn't Macallan or Caleb, it was Jace Rydder. A boy with blonde shaggy hair and icy blue eyes, who's smile could light up a whole room. He was the first boy I ever fell in love with. We were six when we met for the first time and from that moment on we were inseparable until the day he died. After catching a sickness, there wasn't enough medicine to save him and the sickness ultimately ended up taking his life when we were 10. He was my world at the time, he made me forget about my mother and my life, the first boy I ever told I love you, my first kiss and my first best friend. I hadn't talked about him in a while, it was always to painful. 
"Clarke! Clarke, help!" Harper's screams pulled me back to reality. I looked over my shoulder to see her and a grounder I'd never seen before running through Arkadia carrying an unconscious Octavia in his arms.   
"What the hell is going on?" Elita asked.
"I don't know but we're going to find out," I assured, grabbing her wrist and pulling her in the direction Harper went. 
Inside Clarke was talking to Monty and Niylah when they were interrupted. "Octavia?" Clarke gasped seeing her limp body in the young mans arms.
"What happened?" I asked running in behind them. 
"She just stopped breathing." Harper stuttered.  
"Okay get her on the table now." Clarke ordered, pushing random things off the table top.
"There's a stab wound in her belly, she's soaked in blood." Harper was frantic and shaking as she explained Octavia's injures to Clarke. A crowed now began to form, watching as Clarke started performing SPR. 
"Who are you? How did this happen?" she asked the young man who carried Octavia here. 
He hesitated before speaking. "Ilian kom Trishanakru. I was on my way home from Polis when I found her."  After another attempt, Clarke was able to succeed in bringing Octavia back. 
"Okay, get her to medical now!" she yelled before turning to the grounder known as Ilian, "getting her here saved her life. Thank you." Octavia tried to speak, but it only came out in broken words. "Hey its okay. You're okay." Clarke tried to calm her. You're home now." Monty came running over with a stretcher to carry Octavia it med bay. 
Octavia whispered something non of us could make out. "Whats she talking about?" I asked. 
"I don't know." 
Again she tried to speak, but this time louder, "Azgeda is coming. Army... marching."
"Octavia hey, hey stay with me." Clarke tried to keep her awake. 
Her eyes fluttered shut after saying three words that frightened us all, "War is here."  
Clarke's face went pale. "Take her. Go." Monty and Harper lifted her down onto a stretcher. "Start an I.V., blood and fluids and--and get a suture kit ready." She began giving order's, making sure to keep things calm. "Ari come with me." I did as told and followed her, leaving the grounder alone in Arkadia.