Who We Are [Bellamy Blake]

Chapter 11

                Athena looked at Lincoln and almost said something about how his face had healed nicely, but she didn’t want to give Anya any clues of what the Sky People had done to Lincoln. Her dark brown eyes, glimmering slightly orange in the torch-glow, studied Lincoln as he walked confidently down to the end of the tent, where Anya was perched on her chair, making her look as though she were commander, when she never would be. Lexa had been Anya’s second at one time, but she had overcome Anya’s abilities and leadership skills. Perhaps it was because Anya was too cold to be leader, Lexa had some flexibility.

                Lincoln stood beside Athena, glancing at her and holding a stern gaze, as if to tell her to cease her speaking. Athena almost flinched, but continued to look into his dark, cold eyes and saw that they were on the same side. She was unsure about how much Lincoln had heard, but he had heard enough to put his thoughts out in the open to be criticized, ridiculed and then ignored just as Athena’s had.

                “One of the Sky People came to me today.” Lincoln started, “Offering a peace negotiation.”

                Anya leaned back in her seat, seemingly interested now that there were two of her people siding with the Sky People. However, Athena could see in her eyes that her cold heart, icier than the top of the mountain on which Athena lived, was only toying with them. She would hear them out, perhaps even entertain them, but she was not going to change her mind on this matter.

                “Today is a special day for them, Unity Day, as he called it.” He explained, “He hoped that we could carry this tradition of theirs on to Earth, give them a chance.”

                “After they burned a village down?” She raised an eyebrow. Her bird-like features made her looks harsh. She was a predator. “Do you know how many people died?”

                “Not exact numbers.”

“Instead of respecting your own dead, you fornicate and make deals with these foreigners… these aliens?”

“Anya,” Lincoln’s voice was calm, but there was fire in his eyes. “We only go to war when it is the only option. Here it is not the case. They will bring their leader, and two others. I want Athena and I to go with you to meet with them. Be civil about this.”

Anya was thinking about it, surprising Athena. “I’ll think on it. For now, you do not leave the camp.”

Athena and Lincoln left the tent, and when Aslan approached them, Athena shook her head, brown hair falling over her muscular shoulders. “I need to speak with Lincoln.”

The day was young, the wing chill still nipping at Athena’s cheeks. It used to feel warm compared to the mountain, but Athena was getting used to the warmth of the woods, and even this wind caused her to shiver. Lingering in the air was the threat of war, the bitter taste of sacrifice and death. Over the years of training Athena had gotten used to that taste, but it was stronger now. Now that it seemed evadable, war no longer tasted sweet. There would be no victory.

Athena placed her hand on Lincoln’s shoulder and his walk slowed, then he turned to look at her. His facial features were very distinct, stern, strong. He had a well-developed persona to match his features, and would be seen to many as striking. She looked into those dark eyes of his as if they had been friends for years, when in reality they hardly knew each other.

“You think this will work?” Athena asked.

“It has to.”

“Because of Octavia?”

His face hardened.

“I apologize for the other night, I couldn’t see them as people when I was sent in to see them as threats.”

“What changed your mind?”

Athena almost said his name, but remembered how cold Bellamy had been towards her people, and figured he was probably one of the ones to unleash torture upon Lincoln. He might not approve of her choices, even though he had decided not to bring war upon the very people who tortured him. Though she had been pissed off by Bellamy’s reaction to Octavia and Lincoln, she had time to think about it and understood it now. He was simply acting as a sibling; no older brother wanted his little sister to be having sex, let alone with someone who was a threat.

So instead she compromised. “A run in with one of them, saved my life.”

Lincoln almost smiled. “I need to tell Finn, the boy who asked for this truce, that the deal is a go.”

“Anya has confirmed nothing.”

“She will.” Lincoln said. “If Lexa heard a truce was on the table and she didn’t take it, she would kill Anya herself.”

Lincoln was right, and so Athena nodded, “Be quick.”

When Athena arrived back at her own tent, not tall enough for Aslan to stand in, she ducked her head as she entered through the leather flap. Aslan was flopped down on the skins that were scattered on the floor of the tent from the night before; having been back with her mate after a few days without, they had not held back with their desires. The brunette joined her mate on the floor of the tent, the soft furs caressing her skin. Sighing, she looked up at the tight, beige fabric above her.

Instead of speaking, Aslan turned on his side and wrapped an arm around Athena’s waist, his hand resting on her hip. His eyes trailed over her body, but not in a hungry manner. He was curious about what had happened, but wasn’t going to pry into it. He was worried, but he wasn’t going to show that to her.

“We are going to attempt a truce with the Sky People.” Athena said after a few moments of silence.

“Are you sure about that decision?”

“Yes.” She stated, “They have not done wrong by me.”

“Then I stand behind you.” He rolled over onto her, his strong thighs outside of hers. He had no shirt on, and his muscles rippled as he moved. The light in the tent made his shadows dance, and the tattoos on his skin look as though they were alive. She reached up and pressed her finger to one of them; thick, bold, black lines that caressed his body like the hands of a loving woman. She realized that she would never be that for Aslan, and he would never love her. Their connection was different, more animalistic; it was just what seemed right for now.

With that, it allowed for changes, changes that Athena could not see down the road yet, but they were closer than she could ever imagine. The stars in the sky that she knew like the back of her hand and used as navigational tools were changing all around her, the way of life that she was so accustomed to was turning. Whether she could keep up with the changes or not would be proven as the Earth continued to test her. This truce was only the beginning.

Seriously, writing about skins and leather and fur makes me nauseous. I'm a vegan, so bear with me as I try to write things like animal skins and animals as meat. I'm avoiding it the best I can, but it is sort of a part of life for Grounders. Anyways, I want at least four comments before I post the next chapter! I'm on limited internet (40 GB's a month) and sadly, I've already racked up over 80%, so I may only be able to access the internet at work. When it comes to following the storyline, I can't afford to watch much Netflix, and so if it isn't perfect to the story, that is why. I'll try to watch as much as I can, and also use The 100 Wiki to make it perfect, but as for dialogue, it is costly.