The Huntress Descent

The Storm: Chapter Fifteen

My eyes searched the crowd. Desperate to find the one face I was looking for. Some were familiar, some were not. But finally my eyes came to rest upon the person I sought for most. My heart swelled when I made eye contact. The excitement couldn't be contained any much longer. I rushed down the stairs and crashed into him, wrapping my arms as tightly as I could around him so that I would never loose him again.

He kissed the top of my head.

We were reunited, finally. This time for a long time. I was to make sure of it.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean what I said back then," I blurted out to him. The remorse flooded over me. I had waited so long to tell him this. And relief followed soon after, the relief of being able to see him to tell him this. Newt looked healthy, his hair brushed to one side, his clothes cleaner, his smile brighter.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have lashed out at you the way I did. I see that now." Newt flustered. "I thought you were going to die on that berg. The way that they dragged you in barely conscious. You were practically grey. What happened?"

I debated telling him everything. The whole complete story when Minho emerged and interrupted the moment. "Is that the ever-surprising Clarke I see?"

I drew back from Newt, untangling myself from his arms, and embraced Minho, my friend. "It's good to see you again friend."

"You tell me," he laughed. "The last time we saw you they were trying to get you to breathe again." Minho smiled then he leaned in closer and pulled me into another hug. "Which hasn't helped him. He's far grumpier than before. I dunno if it's because he wasn't allowed to see you, but something isn't right."

Minho released me and glanced past my shoulder, possibly watching Newt. "Anyways," he spoke louder, the grin returning. "I'm glad they've fixed you up. Nothing seems to want you dead." He slapped my hard on the shoulder and went to sit back down next to Frypan. I noticed that a hard glint in his eye, hinting that even though he acted happy, he too had been through an awful time. That he wasn't quite himself yet, just trying his hardest to act like it.

Weren't we all?

The others had joined me down the front of the auditorium. Maggie and Poe hanging back from the crowd, unsure on who to approach first. Maya, on the other hand, was determined to make new friends for herself. She took the free seat next to Minho and immediately started to talk to him. He was shocked at first at the sudden appearance of the girl, but he seemed to soften up to her when she casually started talking about topics that interested him. Bored me. I overheard my name a few times, but I chose to ignore the conversation. That did not interest me, I had other engagements.

"Come sit and tell me what happened." Newt guided me away from the bustle of the crowd at the front and led me to two empty seats on the second row. I sat down and noticed Poe and Maggie engaged in a light conversation with a few girls from the Group B. And far away, the very furthest corners sat Leo and Trixie, talking to no one. Not even themselves. Their faces grumpy and miserable.

What they deserve.

I turned to Newt, taking in his dark eyes. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"That's a pretty vague place to start," I retorted with a laugh.

He paused for a second. "Well, what was Group C like?"

"Dunno," I answered honestly. "WICKED wiped them memories from me before I entered the Glade. All I know is that I was second-in-command, and that I protected Eden."

"Really, protected how?"

"Ran the Maze, killed a few Grievers. You know runner stuff but extra cool."