Ashes of the FutureChapter 3 – Fire in the Blood
Kira stood at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed, her eyes scanning the camp like a hawk circling over prey. The kids were more subdued today. Yesterday's encounter with the Grounders had left them shaken, and for once, even Bellamy seemed more focused on logistics than power games. Good. Fear was useful. Fear kept people cautious.
She rolled her shoulders and turned back to her tent. The inventory shimmered into view with a thought.
[Inventory Accessed] [Contents: Tactical knife, medkit, protein bars (9), water filter, rope, compact tent, solar charger, sleeping bag, spare boots, map tools, wire snare kit, makeshift smoke bombs (2)]
She grabbed a snare kit and disappeared into the forest.
Hunting alone gave her time to think. About the series. About how events might diverge from what she remembered. They already had. No Jasper on a pike. No capture. No war drum echoing from the trees.
Good.
But that meant the timeline was unstable. Unpredictable. She'd changed things. Which meant she couldn't rely on future knowledge alone.
She caught two squirrels and a rabbit before returning. Along the way, she laid down additional snares and marked their positions with simple notches in the trees—low-tech, but effective. She even found time to gather some edible mushrooms and a bundle of herbs she remembered Clarke identifying as medicinal in Season 2.
When she got back, Clarke was waiting by her tent.
"Morning," Clarke said, arms folded.
"You're not bleeding. That's a good sign."
Clarke gave a small smile. "I wanted to ask you something."
Kira raised an eyebrow. "Shoot."
"I want to set up a medical tent. A real one. With organization. Supplies. Clean tools. People are getting hurt, and it's only going to get worse."
Kira nodded slowly. "You'll need security for it. Guard shifts. Rotations."
"Exactly."
"You have Monty and Jasper helping with meds?"
"They're already working on antiseptic from algae. But I need someone who knows how to keep people out when they get stupid."
Kira smirked. "Murphy's gonna love this."
They spent the day clearing a space beside the dropship. Kira ran drills with volunteers, teaching basic defensive stances and perimeter checks. Most were hopeless, but one or two had potential. Harper was quiet but fast. Miller was calm under pressure. Even Octavia showed interest, though she mostly rolled her eyes at Kira's strict routines.
Still, it was progress.
The med tent took shape slowly. Clarke organized donated supplies—salvaged bandages, fire-cleaned knives, moss poultices, and Monty's slowly brewing antiseptic. Kira stood back, quietly impressed by Clarke's persistence.
By late afternoon, sweat soaked through Kira's shirt. She took a break and returned to her tent to hydrate. She pulled a cool bottle of water from her inventory and downed it in one go.
When she emerged, Murphy strutted over. "So, what, we're a hospital now?"
Kira didn't even look at him. "We're a battlefield triage. Get used to it."
Murphy rolled his eyes but helped anyway, surprisingly efficient once given direct orders. She made a mental note of that.
That night, Bellamy called a meeting.
He stood atop a crate like a general. "We need more weapons. More food. We need to expand our territory."
A murmur ran through the crowd.
Clarke stepped forward. "We also need to stop acting like this is a power game. People are scared. Let's not make it worse."
Bellamy scoffed. "You think being nice is gonna keep us alive?"
Kira stepped between them. "We do both. We prepare, and we protect. No more stupid fights over dominance. We get ready, or we die."
Silence.
Then someone clapped.
Monty.
Then others joined.
Clarke looked at Kira, surprised.
Kira just shrugged. "Someone had to say it."
Later that night, while the others slept, Kira sat outside her tent cleaning her blade. The stars above felt closer than ever.
She heard soft footsteps.
Clarke.
"Couldn't sleep?" Kira asked.
"No. Mind won't shut up."
"Yeah. That doesn't go away."
Clarke sat beside her. "You know, for someone who keeps to herself, you're surprisingly good at working with people."
Kira chuckled. "I prefer working with women."
Clarke blinked, then smiled. "Duly noted."
They sat in companionable silence. Kira handed her a protein bar.
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
They watched the stars until sleep finally claimed them.
The next few days were a blur.
Kira taught Harper how to trap small game. Clarke treated an infection in a young boy's leg. Bellamy led a small raid on a nearby structure and found canned food. Octavia continued sneaking off into the forest, but now Kira quietly followed her trails, just in case. The younger girl was fast, and clever, and Kira knew she would play a bigger role later on.
One morning, Raven landed.
The drop pod came screaming through the sky like a meteor. Everyone ran to it. Kira stood behind the crowd, eyes narrowed. This changed things. Raven was supposed to come later. Her early arrival hinted at more timeline deviation.
Clarke ran to help open the hatch. Out came Raven, bruised but alive, dragging supplies and fury in equal measure.
"Where the hell is Finn?" she demanded.
Kira stayed silent. She watched the interaction unfold exactly as she remembered, and felt the knot in her gut tighten.
That night, the camp celebrated. They had new tools, new hope.
But Kira didn't join the dancing.
She sat at the edge of the camp, watching the forest. Watching the dark. Her instincts told her something was coming. Something big.
And deep in the forest, a young warrior knelt before a woman cloaked in armor and wisdom.
"They killed our scouts," she reported.
The woman's green eyes narrowed. Lexa.
"Then we will test them," she said.
End of Chapter 3
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