Who We Are [Bellamy Blake]

Chapter 40

                “As…” Athena looked at the man that had been there for her through thick and thin.

                He offered a glance, but not a smile. He was giving nothing into what he was thinking, and Athena found she could never read him unless he wanted to be read. The darkness of his eyes in the light made him seem ominous, like a ghost from her past lingering in the corner that no one else could see. She knew he was there, but she did not know the reasons as to why. Why would he take the long hike back down from the mountain to another war after the result of the previous one.

                “I’ve asked Aslan to stand in today.” Lexa leaned forward in her chair, “To testify, and to confirm whether you are lying or not.”

                “Lying?” Athena raised an eyebrow, though her eyes were still on Aslan. Did he come here willingly?

                “I don’t know if Clarke is willing to give up Finn, and I will need as much insight on the Sky People that you can give me. She has until tomorrow to make the choice. If she withholds Finn, we bring them down. I need to know how many people, fighters, weapons. How much food, protection, everything.”

                Athena nodded, unsure if she wanted to give this information. “Aslan being here is useless; he does not know what they have in there, and cannot tell you if I am lying.”

                “I brought him in because no one knows you better, he will see through any lies whether or not he knows the information.” Lexa was smart, she knew so much about the other clans even without ever meeting them. Athena and Aslan had only encountered Lexa twice, three times as of now. Once when the clans came together, and leaders were appointed. Second when the Sky People came down. And now, for the third time.

                “What do you want to know.”

                Lexa smiled at Athena’s cooperation. Athena herself didn’t show that she was unhappy to give these answers, she did not want Lexa to know about Bellamy. Though Lexa herself had a painful run in with a love one, Athena didn’t think she would care that others had feelings. Like Athena, she blocked them out and did not allow them to inflict on her judgement anymore. Though, unlike Lexa, Athena went from neglecting her emotions to letting them stir up trouble and conflict. So far, it had done her little good.

                “What are their numbers?” She asked.

                Athena wanted to ask what Lexa intended to do with her after the questions were done, but knew that this was why she came to Lexa; to face her consequences. “A few hundred, most of them civilians with no training, no skills whatsoever. Their guards, however, a little under a hundred, are well trained and they are cruel.”

                “These civilians have no training, and yet a hundred children killed three hundred of my warriors. Were they trained? Were they prepared to fight a war? No. And they killed three times their numbers.”

                “These people are ready to flee.” Athena explained, “They knew this deal was likely to fail, and they are packing up to leave. They do not want a war if they can avoid it; the hundred were unable to avoid it.”

                Lexa pondered that for a while, and then nodded, “Alright.”

                “That’s it?”

                “If Clarke delivers Finn, we can join with them to stop the Mountain Men, to free our people.” She said, “I want to know how many they can offer, to fight with us.”

                “At least two hundred.” Athena pieced together, “But even those who cannot fight, they have the same knowledge as the Mountain Men; their technology is similar.”

                “Good.” Lexa nodded, “I can only hope that Clarke does what needs to be done.”

                “Blood must have blood.” Athena had no issues with Finn being killed for what he had done. He was a youth, but he was aware of the decisions he did.

                Lexa repeated the words, and looked down for a moment. She studied the silver blade in her hands and then made eye contact with Athena once again. “Now for you.”

                That was what Aslan stepped up; he had not said that Athena was lying, because she never was. “She gave you what you wanted.”

                “What do you suppose I do for her treason?” Lexa turned to look as Aslan, two other guards had stepped beside him, ready to grab him if he made any sudden movements. It would take at least two of them to stop Aslan; he himself was like a lion.

                “You’ve made poor decisions before.” Aslan’s accent was always stronger when he spoke their native tongue, his anger flowing through.

                Lexa nodded, “My decisions that have led to good, to change, have outweighed any others.”

                “Athena saw the Sky People were not a threat, it was an unfair battle and those were Anya’s decisions.” Aslan said, though Athena wasn’t sure if he even believed what he was saying.

               

                “If Clarke surrenders Finn, I will spare Athena.” Lexa spoke to Aslan as if Athena wasn’t even in the room. “If it comes to war, Athena will be strung up for them to see what is coming for them.”

                Aslan growled, and both guards blocked his way to Lexa. Lexa herself raised her hand, “That is final.”

                Athena nodded her head, willing to accept her punishment. It was on the table, her death or her life, and it was all balanced on the decision the Arkers would make. The people in power were Abby, Kane, Clarke, and some of the guards had their input. She knew that Abby would never give up a child, but wouldn’t put it past Kane. Clarke would never want to give Finn up, not when she loved him the way she did. The other guards might argue about it, but Athena knew that they would probably flee, to save as many people as possible. With so many kids in Mount Weather, it would be a huge sacrifice, but Athena knew it was survival of the fittest out here.

                Her life was in Clarke’s hands, and Athena didn’t have much hope left.

So, to all of you who read Wounds and are scared for Aslan's life after Bjorn, I'm just gonna say that anything could happen :) Also, shout out to fellow reader and writer Shutthefrontdoor99 for using Athena and a few other Ice Clan members of my creation in her story "Of the Sea". Check it out.