Who We Are [Bellamy Blake]

Chapter 1

                Snow drifted over the bridge of her nose, chilling the metal that pierced through. No sunlight was able to break through the clouds that hung around the mountain top. The brunette stood still as the mountain itself, the shroud of flurries hiding her from the imminent threat, but also preventing her from seeing them clearly. The soft powdery snow silenced the footsteps that were coming at her from every angle. She grimaced, bearing her teeth and crouched down, the large spear in her tightened grip. Without sight, she closed her eyes as it was painful to have them open in the flurries. Tuning into her instincts, she awaited the threats to come closer.

                Their eyes were locked on her, they were close enough to see her now. She heard the ice and snow crunch under their boots and breathed through her nose. The chill ran down her spine, her heart beat in her chest, pressing against her ribs. Cracking her neck, she rose from her crouch position, spinning on her booted heel. The snow allowed for much movement with little effort, as long as you knew to handle it. She stuck out her foot and tripped the first one, completely clad in black. He slipped, falling on his back. She flipped the spear in her hand so that the rounded end was in attack mode, and bashed his cheek with it. Blood splattered the pure white snow, tainting it.

                She pressed her heavy boot on his chest and brought the blunt end of her spear down once again, and then swiftly spun, the sharp end of the spear nicking another attacker. The second attacker stepped back, her long brown hair blowing in the wind. A blackness was painted around her eyes, making her look more menacing, but she couldn’t have been more than thirteen. Athena growled and lunged at her, checking the first attacker to ensure that he was not going to get up.

                Athena spun back to the young girl, flipping her spear again to the blunt end. As she kicked her foot out, aiming for her solar plexus, the young girl rolled away, snow caking her back and hair. She rose to her feet and looked at Athena, who was nearly a foot taller than her. She didn’t have the strength to take Athena down, but she might have the skill to wear her down. But Athena was brutal, and she had yet to be taken down. As they began a dance, no one getting close enough to attack nor be attacked, Athena heard another coming from behind.

                She growled as she brought her spear back behind her, the man approaching her forced to back off. She had two of them around her, and she knew that there was another one out there. None of them had her strength, but three of them combined could take her down if they worked as a team. Their lack of communication suggested that they either had a plan already, or they thought they could take her without one. A scoff echoed through the mountain pass ever so slightly, and Athena dropped her spear, sliding her morning star off of her back.

                The heavy, thick wood sat in her hand, the chain tinkled ironically, as if signalling that it was friendly. But the heavy black spiked ball at the end of the chain caused everyone to stop and study her. Was she really going to use such a deadly weapon on them? The man behind her thought not, and rushed towards her, his sword at his side, looking deadly, and his shield in the other. Athena went for the shield to show that she was willing to use this. He backed up at the blow, but foolishly went after her again. Athena swung the Morningstar down low, hitting his upper thigh. One of the spikes lodged in his fleshy thigh, and without mercy, Athena pulled.

                The kid was no more than fifteen, and he collapsed to the ground, groaning and reaching for his leg. Athena stared him down for a second, and then turned back to the female. She was hesitating. Athena grinned; was she going to give up the fight? Two of the men were down, two women remained. But by now they had time to assess her actions, and were making smarter choices than simply attacking. The girl grabbed her dagger, and threw it. The blade skimmed Athena’s arm, but her thick clothing preventing any damage to her actual being.

                “Fool.” She muttered in her native tongue.

                “Wrong.” She growled back, pulling another dagger to distract Athena, but by then she caught on.

                She swung her Morningstar as if she were going for the young girl in front of her, but it was the girl sneaking up behind her that she intended to hit. She knew she would have a shield, and so she swung without looking. The blow shuttered through her bones, but she held her form steady as the Morningstar shattered the shield, splinters flying everywhere and the remaining wood bashing into the older girls chest. She fell to the ground, winded, and surely to be bruised tomorrow.

                Athena looked at the last opponent and grinned maliciously. “You’re alone. The last one standing. You’re going to die.”

                “No.” She shook her head, pulling her sword from her hip.

                Athena grimaced, putting the Morningstar on her back and then picking up her previously discarded spear. This was a more even playing field, though they would have to learn that it didn’t always happen that way in real battle. Well, it never happened that way. The girl held the sword in two hands, even though it was only a one handed sword. She was too tiny to hold it up with one arm. She swung, and Athena tossed her spear to the ground, dove under the swing of the sword, and tackled the girl to the snow. The slid along the mountain, leading dangerously close to the ledge and Athena pulled a dagger from her hip, holding it to her throat.

                “You’re dead.” She growled, leaning down beside her ear.

                “Fuck.” She cursed.

                “Athena.” Aslan’s deep voice could make icebergs melt, and mountains move.

                The woman got off of the young girl, reaching a hand down to help her up. The young girl, Tia, sighed and walked over to tend to the other wounded. No one was significantly injured except the boy who had gotten the Morningstar in his leg.

                Athena walked up to Aslan and looked up into his large brown eyes. “What are you doing here?”

                “The commander has summoned you.” He said, then looked at the kids scattered around the mountain top, blood all over the snow. “You went easy on them today.”

                “They are foolish.” Athena explained, picking up her spear and holding it tight in her hand. “Do you know how long the commander needs me?”

                “A while.”

                “Can you train them while I am gone?” Athena knew that these youths would need a lot more training before they were combat ready.

                “No, I am going with you.”

                Athena lowered her eyes, “This is about the falling star, isn’t it?”

                He nodded, a darkness in his eyes suggested that it was not looking good.

I'm so excited about this story! I've been doing a lot of one shots lately, and I haven't been getting anything in return, so as of now, I am closed to all one shot trades (aside from the ones I have already agreed to). I have opened my Once Upon a Time Reader Insert one shots again, but they are by request and I will be doing them as I have time. Please comment and vote!