GRIM REAPER¹, bellamy blake

004 ━━ courage isn't justice

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"AND WHAT do we do if they don't comply?" Iona asks Lexa, holding her katana to the woman's throat as Lexa's blade presses into the skin of Iona's stomach.

"You get to do what you wanted to do," Lexa says, grunting as Iona roughly shoves her to the ground.

"War?" She questions in response. Holding her hand out, she pulls Lexa up and onto her feet. "Do I get to slaughter every last one of the Sky People in the name of love for my sister?"

Lexa chuckles, shaking her head.

She tosses the rusty old blade back against the wooden board, watching in satisfaction as it sticks into the surface.

"Impressive," Iona notes, "but I think I could do better."

With a firm toss, she slings the katana across the room, getting it half-way jammed into the area.

"You always cheat," Lexa murmurs, gesturing to her katana that's in perfect condition. Then, she glances over at the rusty blade sticking out of the board, and sighs.

"I use my resources," Iona shrugs, walking over and tugging her blade from the wood.

"In other words, you cheat."

Iona just sends her a smile.

"Abby has called for a meeting," Lexa then says, all playfulness fading from her voice. "She requests some Trikru voices to hear her out; she has a proposition."

"Am I supposed to care?"

Iona puts on her coat, buckling across the several strands of leather fabric that act as belts. She fixes her hair from her training with Lexa, sparing no glance over at the woman.

"I will not be attending," Lexa declares, turning away, "but I told her that you and Indra will hear her out."

Iona sighs, "And why would you do that?"

"Perhaps to work on your social skills," Lexa jests, tossing a canteen of water over at Iona. "Besides, this is just as much your decision as it is mine."

Iona shakes her head, taking a sip of water, "You say that Lex, but we both know it isn't."

Lexa shares a look with Iona, shaking her head sadly- but deep down, she knows that Iona is right.

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"WHY HAVE you come... leader of the Sky People?" Indra demands, stepping forward towards Abby.

Iona stands beside her, eyes scanning the grass. If an ambush would happen, this certainly would be a good opportunity.

"To talk, leader to leader," Abby says. "We've both seen too many of our people die."

Indra shakes her head, pulling a knife from her side and grabbing Abby roughly. She pulls her by her hair, pressing the blade to Abby's throat, and Iona smiles- finally, some action.

"You came to lie," Indra accuses. "We have seen your killer in the forest. You ordered him to run, and you came here to distract us."

"I'm just trying to keep my people alive. Same as you."

"You're doing a great job," Iona says, shrugging, "aside from the fact that you're willing to get all of them killed for the life of one boy."

Abby shakes her head, "His life... his life isn't worth nothing!"

Iona takes a daunting step forward, eyes meeting Abby's as she stands before her menacingly, "Is that what you believe? That the lives of our people are worth nothing? That they don't deserve justice, and that their deaths will be forgotten- be forgiven?"

Abby's mouth flops open and closed like a fish, speechless.

"You said you were ready to right," Indra pressures. "If you don't find the boy soon, you will prove that."

"You kill one of ours, we kill two of yours," Abby threatens.

At once, the woman is instead in Iona's arms, the sharp blade of a katana pressing against her throat.

"You kill one of ours," Iona says, pressing her blade harder. Enough to make the woman feel like she's choking, but not enough to draw blood yet, "and I will slaughter every last one of your people."

Iona's threat is much stronger, much more dedicated, and far more truthful than Abby's, and the woman feels her blood run cold.

Iona then pushes her from her grasp, making the woman gasp for air and clutch tightly at her throat.

"So what, we just let the Mountain Men win?" Abby says, "We kill each others tribes until there's no one left but them? There has to be a way to end all this bloodshed without more bloodshed."

Indra shakes her head, taking a step back.

"You have courage, but courage isn't justice."

"We've given you the best deal we can," Iona says strongly. "We will receive judgment for this deal, no doubt. It makes us weak. But this is our only offer: let the boy pay for his crimes, or all of you will, including the boy."

Abby's face falls as the two Grounder women turn on their heels, disappearing into the forest.

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