"Here, can I have the reins? It helps the both of us if I keep ahold of them." I remained calm on the outside, but internally I was grimacing. One wrong move, one slip up, and he'd know.
He eyed me skeptically but shrugged his shoulders and handed me the reins, and took a step back. Thankfully far enough away that I could turn and he wouldn't be able to see my face. I checked the sheaths on my belt to give me some more time as I focused on how to make this look as natural as possible. I'd have to do a safety dismount and try to land more on my right than both feet equally.
I bit my lip and moved into the dismount. Not letting myself freeze or take a break at any point. Standing on both feet I swiftly swung my left leg over, set my stomach in the saddle, kicked my right foot free of the stirrup, grabbed ahold of the pummel and the back of the saddle before sliding onto the ground lightly.
"That was new." I sent a small smirk over my shoulder as I began to pull Erebus into his stall.
"It's called a safety dismount. Something I'm going to have you do next time instead of your wonky hop." Thankfully I didn't have to pull much as Erebus was already walking into his stall, ready for me to untack him.
"Hey Bellamy. Where's Lincoln?" I asked as I started with my easiest task first, getting the bridle off.
"He's in with the Chancellor. Why?" Damnit.
"Just curious. Normally he meets me at the gate." And helps me untack. I knew he was giving me a suspicious look as he watched me carefully but I shrugged it off and got ready to pull Erebus's saddle of his back. My leg already groaning in protest as I stood on it.
With another deep breath I yanked the saddle off, leaning most of my weight on my right leg as I lifted up and turned setting it all down on the rack. Surprised that my leg wasn't screaming, I triumphantly set it back down lightly before swaying to stand on my right with a quiet yelp.
"Persphyni?" My eyes shot over to Bellamy as he unfolded his arms, worry clear on his face as he scanned me up and down. His goal was to find some injury, but my cloak and the way I was standing helped hide the crude bandaging.
"I think I did something to my ankle," I admitted, picking some body part that would make sense, "I think I should go to medical first." I slowly strode past Bellamy as he watched me carefully. His hand reaching out and grabbed my arm to pull me to him. My left leg crying out as I nearly tripped over myself.
"I'm not that stupid." I rose an eyebrow at his remark. "You didn't have a sled like when you usually go hunting, and you never wear your guard jacket when you do go hunting. Not to mention, No one knew where you were. Normally you tell Raven, Monty, Lincoln, your dad, or even me." I calmly pulled my arm from his hand and squared up to him.
"You want the truth?" He crossed his arms signaling me to go ahead. "I was scouting, trying to see how close Azgeda was. After traveling for half of the day yesterday, I came back thinking they were still at least a day out. If not more. And on the way back I ran into some trouble, hurt my leg and now I'm here instead of at Medical where Abby could be helping me." With the way he was delaying me, I'm glad the bullet went straight through. If it had lingered I would have been screwed. This makes two times I'm hiding a bullet wound from him.
He nodded but didn't speak. Clearly he was too lost in his own head, giving me the chance to turn around and start walking to Medical. Thankfully no one stopped me on the way.
_______•*•*•*•_______
"Abby?" I called in as I stumbled through the doorway to Medical. "Abby, I need you to find my fa-never mind." I kept walking until I was able to sit on one of the open examination tables.
"What happened?"
"Where have you been?" I looked at the two as they managed to make it to the table.
"I saw the three hundred," I whispered, pulling the crude wrap from my lower thigh, "and I got shot." Abby took a deep breath in as my father stared at me with wide eyes.
"You, you saw the three hundred. What happened? How?" I put a hand up for my dad to get quiet. As I turned to Abby.
"I don't think I can get my pant leg off so you're going to have to cut it." She nodded grabbing tools as she left my father and I to discuss what happened.
"After the little fiasco at the gates, I took of early yesterday morning with Erebus. Dad, I watched them kill everyone. Everyone but Indra." I whispered, my voice cracking as I tried to keep it quiet. "They went for the archers first, then shot to kill. Those that weren't dead, were executed promptly. It wasn't just a battlefield, it was a massacre." My dad grabbed my hand as Abby came back with the scissors and began to take care of the bullet wound.
"Okay. I sent Octavia to Indra shortly before you arrived. She had contacted me." He began, talking to distract me as Abby checked the wound over and began to clean it. "When Octavia comes back we will figure out how to tell the Commander."
"Lexa already knows." I interrupted, seething as Abby brought some sort of antiseptic wipe on my wound. "Lexa was riding out to meet the Trikru force, she's already there. Indra specifically told me to leave before they thought Wanlida was the cause of the massacre. And it would have been believable as I already did it once." I whispered as I clutched my dad's hand. Abby had begun to stitch up the wound unfortunately without numbing cream as that exploded in Mount Weather as well.
"Then that's one less thing to worry about." Abby finally spoke up as she continued to stitch. "The commander knows so now we just wait for the retaliation." I shook my head, biting down on my lip as she stabbed through the fragile skin.
"They'll want Pike and if we don't deliver, the grounders will wage war. And with the strength of all twelve clans, they will have no trouble laying siege on Skaikru. And with the help of Wanlida, Arkadia will be eradicated." I informed them cryptically where I stood.
"Then we bring them Pike." My father whispered to the point I could barely hear him. Abby and I nodding in agreement.
When Abby finished wrapping the freshly stitched wound, I gently hopped off the bed and began to head out of Medical.
"If Bellamy comes to ask where I am, tell him I was sick and had a fever. And to stay away, I don't think I can look at him without telling him everything on my mind."
I didn't wait for the response, just hobbled my way through deserted corridors until I snuck into my room and shut the door quietly. Once I turned around I took a running leap which looked more like a hop onto my bed and drifted off to sleep after I peeled my cloak and guard jacket off setting them on my chair.
I'll be avoiding life for as long as possible. Which we all know isn't long at all.