athena jade griffin.

           “they keep calling princess of death --- why?”   nose wrinkles at the nickname, small blue eyes blinking up at harry. for the most part, athena had kept to herself during the visit to polis. she’d had guards following her at every turn, but it was inevitable for people to get close enough to talk to her. the nickname they had given her, though, hadn’t been a fun one. at least, she didn’t think so.

          “put me down!”   there’s a moment where her world tilts, blood rushing to her head, little hands immediately pounding against the man’s back. she had absolutely no interest of going back inside, or being upside down. she didn’t care what he said.   “let me go, yu skrish melon!”   realizing that the hands against back weren’t going to work, athena stops and narrows her eyes, before reaching for the sensitive flesh of his sides, digging tiny fingers in and not letting go.

          little eyes stare at letha quietly, lips pressed down into a frown that seemed to take over her entire face. athena had no reason to distrust the other woman, everything she had told her so far had been true. but this..  “you have to come back, letha.”   she blinks, and the tears appear that she had been trying to ignore, hand reaching up to gently touch the older woman’s cheek where she had bent down to talk to her.   “you can’t break a promise.”   a few more moments of quiet staring, before she launches herself at letha, arms winding around her neck without pause, little face tucking into her neck as tiny body shakes.

           “if this is another knife, mom’s gonna yell again.”   probably not as much as she had the first time, but she was still going to pitch a fit. at least a little bit. mostly because letha probably didn’t ask for permission this time either. but athena does as told, closing her eyes and holding out her hands, standing their patiently. just because clarke wasn’t going to like whatever was given to her, didn’t mean that she didn’t want it.

          laugh falls from her lips, loud and free, as she leans back against the tree. there’s blood on her hands, spattering her shirt, and athena knows that her mother is going to freak out when she finally makes it back to camp. two dead bodies lay at their feet, the younger woman’s shoulder bumping against costia’s for a moment before she clears her throat.   “next time,  we shouldn’t get spotted.”   head shakes after a long moment, finally moving to unravel the bindings that had been placed around the other woman’s wrists, tossing it aside.   “mom’s gonna kill me.”   it’s more of a laugh than anything else, finally standing, offering out her arm to help costia up.

           “you’re s’pose to tell me a story.”   little eyes flutter open, not quite ready to be alone yet. it takes a moment to adjust to the dark, but then they land on letha. hand snakes up, little fingers catching the ones that had just brushed hair out of her face.   “beja?  i’m not tired yet.”   the yawn that immediately follows her words say otherwise, but athena is determined to keep the older woman there in the room with her just a little while longer.

           “you can’t keep giving me your food, mamma.”   lips press tightly together, even as her stomach begs her to take the offered extras. athena shakes her head, licking her lips as she glances down at her feet.   “mom said they were going to try hunting again tomorrow, see what they can find.”   it was getting too cold to stay out long, too cold for animals to be out and about. they all knew that the fire had set them back in the food department, and they were trying to adjust as needed.   “you need to eat it.”   they both knew that athena was as stubborn as clarke and harry combined, a deadly combination when it came down to it.

          “i’m pretty sure you’re like 96% obligated to tell me that.”  soft huff falls from her lips, even as she pushes hair back behind her ears. athena’s not really that dressed up, just a nice shirt and a pair of pants that hugged her in all the right places.   “it’s like in the parent guide book or some sh  ---  something.”   fingers push curled hair out of her face, bright blue eyes blinking up at the other woman with a tiny smile on her lips.   “thanks, momma.  i’ll see you later?  ‘lyssa promised to have me back by ten.”   there’s a quick kiss to the older woman’s cheek, a wave of her hand, and then she’s out the door with her bag.

           “i know, momma, i know.”   eyes roll as she pushes her hair back, pulling the tobbagon over her head to keep her ears warm. it’s not overwhelmingly cold out, but just enough to let a chill seep into the bones of anyone who didn’t cover up well enough. athena’s got a warm fur coat wrapped around her shoulders, and she knows to keep an eye out on all of the younger kids that she agreed to take for the day.   “i’ll make sure they’re okay. we won’t go near the water. i’ll have them back before dark.”  a pause, going through the list of things that harry had been rattling off at her for days now.   “i have extra food for all of them, the medical kit mom packed for me, and everything else i might need.”   the knife that letha had given her was also tucked into the waist of her pants, ready to be used at any given moment.   “we’ll be fine. stop worrying. it’ll give you wrinkles.”

           “i can’t.”   tired words fall from chapped pink lips, eyes closing as she rubs a hand over her face. while she appreciates letha’s suggestion, athena knows that she can’t just back out of her plans.   “i promised some of the younger kids i’d show them how to shoot a bow. mom said i could, as long as their parents know where they are.”   they all knew that athena wasn’t going to go around and ask all the parents. that was just work that she didn’t have the patience to do, really.   “i just ate some bad meat, i think.  i’m fine.”   head tips to look up at the older woman, lopsided smile on her lips.   “you could always help me.”

          “i’m not hungry!”   little lips press tight together, arms over her chest as she glances up at harry. athena knows that she needs to eat, but after a long night of tossing and turning, she’s just not up for it. today was the day that her mother should be getting back from polis, and that was all she was really focused on.   “can i eat later, momma?   i promise to eat lunch.”   well, she would try to eat lunch. but that was all she could really promise the older woman. at the moment, she’s just going to crawl into the brunette’s lap and lean against her with a sigh.   “mommy’s supposed to be home today.”   it’s a soft murmur against harry’s neck, where athena has tucked her face against warm skin in an attempt to calm herself.

          “your face looks like a butt.”  the words are blunt, even though a smile plays at her lips and she gives a tip of her head. the drawing that she had been playing with for the last half hour was now sitting on his lap, letting him get a good look at it. she couldn’t help but reach for it, nose wrinkling.  “i think i’ll leave the real drawing to my mom.”

           “it’s not like i had much of a choice.”  hand swipes the blood away from her nose, making a face at the streak she knows it leave behind. if she goes back to camp with a bloody nose, her mom’s gonna pitch a fit. eyes glance down at the warrior that she had knocked unconscious, huff leaving her lips. in all honesty, he had startled her more than anything, and she had just wanted to get him to back off so she could run. now, though, she’d have to explain this. especially if someone was waiting for him.  “------help me get him out of the pathway? last thing i want is for some horse to stomp his head in.”  eyes roll, bending to grab at his hands, eyes flickering briefly back up to winter.