Only The Beginning
Then
That day three years ago started out like any other. I was playing football with some of the kids from the Athena, Apollo, Hermes, and Ares cabins. My own siblings despised the game choosing instead to focus on their hair and make up to look even more ridiculously glamorous. They said I didn't deserve to be a daughter of Aphrodite or head counselor to which I always responded that I never asked for her to be my mother or to have been at camp longest.
But anyway, I was running around trying my best not to get tackled by Clarisse La Rue. She was only 10 but she was big and mean for her age, the perfect example if an Ares child. I'd just managed to reach the endzone when a loud roar broke through the serenity of the forest. Everyone froze for the span of one heartbeat before our warriors jumped into action. The Apollo archers grabbed their bows and quivers and raced to the top of Half-Blood Hill. The rest of us drew swords, daggers, and spears before racing off.
Lee Fletcher, head of Apollo cabin, was doing a bang up job of keeping the monsters at bay. The kids without bows fought back any monsters that got close to the safety borders that surrounded Camp Half-Blood. Four kids- a little girl no more than 7, two teens, and one of our satyrs, Grover- were running frantically toward the hill. The Cyclopes were right behind them.
"Lee, aim for the eye," I instructed. I was no warrior or strategist but I'd spent my life learning about monsters. A Cyclops's eye was its most vulnerable.
"Got it," he replied as he notched another arrow.
I ran down the hill, which was a bad idea since the monsters were gaining fast. The little girl looked so exhausted and her companions didn't seem to be in any better shape. "Come on, you're almost there," I encouraged. I scooped up the girl and the boy let her hand go as I sprinted back up the hill with her in my arms. I didn't stop when I reached the safety of the border. I wasn't being a coward but it was clear this child had been through a lot and I wanted to get her far away from anymore danger. I headed toward the Big House but stopped in my tracks at a massive roar. I turned back just in time to see the older girl, a teen in black punk clothes and choppy black hair, raise her shield and try to fend off the attack on her own. I gasped as she fell and clutched the little blonde tighter to my chest. The next thing I knew, a tree was growing in her place.
The child wiggled against me and twisted just enough to see the damage. The Cyclopes couldn't get into camp but the older girl wouldn't be coming in either. "Thalia," the little girl sobbed.
"Shh," I cooed. "Come on, sweetie. Let's get you to the infirmary. You'll be safe here."
I turned back towards camp but didn't make it far. "Annabeth? Annabeth!" a boy's frantic voice shouted.
The girl, Annabeth, started wiggling again and I let her down. The boy that ran up and hugged her was pretty cute. He was tall and lean with sandy blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. He looked exhausted but smiled gently at Annabeth. He scooped her up into a hug. "You okay?"
She nodded but her lower lip quivered.
"You were amazing," he continued. "We wouldn't have made it without you."
"Thalia didn't," she croaked.
I winced. "Come with me. You should meet our activities director Chiron. If anyone knows how to get your friend back, it's him. Plus, you should probably see a medic and get some food."
The guy smiled appreciatively at me but the girl looked a little wary. "Thanks," he said.
"Of course. I'm Stefanie, by the way."
"Luke."
I smiled back. "Nice to meet you both. Follow me and we can stop at the infirmary first. You guys look life you've been put through the ringer."
I led the way to the to the medical tent. A couple of Apollo girls were there and giggled when Luke walked in. I rolled my eyes. I got that he was good-looking but weren't these girls supposed to be professional? And that's coming from an Aphrodite girl.
"They'll heal you right up. I'll get Chiron for you."
"Don't worry about hurrying," one of the girls said as she sashayed up to Luke.
I rolled my eyes again and headed out the door. I didn't have far to go before I ran into Chiron on his way from the Big House. "I heard you took our newest campers to the infirmary. Very good. Are they all doing okay?"
I hesitated. "Two of them are. The third didn't make it."
Chiron frowned up at me. Usually he was taller but that morning he was in his magical wheelchair that hid his horse half- probably he figured the new kids had been through enough without adding a Centaur to it. I followed silently and stood in the doorway when we got back to the infirmary.
"Hello. I hope our medics are taking good care of you."
"Of course we are, Chiron," they giggled.
"So what is this place, exactly?" Luke asked. "Grover didn't get to explain it all. This is a safe place for demigods?"
The old horse nodded. "You know about the gods."
That was odd; most kids showed up not knowing what was actually going on with them.
"Yeah," Luke answered. "My father is Hermes. Thalia's dad is-was- Zeus. We're not sure who Annabeth's mom is."
"Well I think you two should rest. Stephanie can take you to the Hermes cabin."
Annabeth jumped off the bed and hurried to the door. I think she was anxious to get away from the girls flirting with Luke. He got up more slowly and the girls groaned.
I took then to Cabin 11. Megan Herman, the cabin's counselor, got them situated but, because there were so many kids stuffed in her cabin, the most she could spare was one bed between the two. Luke didn't seem to mind and let Annabeth crawl in for some sleep. The kid was out like a light by the time Megan shut the door on her way out.
"Well I'll leave you two alone."
"Thank you," he said as I got up to leave. "That was really brave of you to run out for Annabeth."
I blinked. I'd never been called brave before. "Well I had to do something. I've been here my whole life just watching others be the heroes. I figured 14 years was enough waiting." I tried to play myself down but I could see from Luke's expression that I'd said something a little too strange.
"Your whole life."
I bit my bottom lip. Most people at Camp Half-Blood knew my story but I didn't like talking about it. But for some reason I wanted to share my past with Luke. "My mom, Aphrodite, fell in love with a handsome cop. They hooked up and 9 months later I came along. Then he died on duty when I was a week old. Gods don't raise their kids so I ended up here. The rest is history."
Luke opened his mouth to say something but Annabeth sat up screaming "Spiders!" she cried. "Get them off of me!"
"You're afraid of spiders?” She’d survived a Cyclops attack with barely a scream and here she was freaked out about bugs. “Hmm, I might have an idea who your mother is. I'll bet she claims you soon. If I'm right, she'd be proud to have such a brave daughter. Go back to sleep. This is a safe place and I'll make sure you and Luke are okay."
I smiled at the hot blonde boy and my stomach did flips when he smiled back.
But anyway, I was running around trying my best not to get tackled by Clarisse La Rue. She was only 10 but she was big and mean for her age, the perfect example if an Ares child. I'd just managed to reach the endzone when a loud roar broke through the serenity of the forest. Everyone froze for the span of one heartbeat before our warriors jumped into action. The Apollo archers grabbed their bows and quivers and raced to the top of Half-Blood Hill. The rest of us drew swords, daggers, and spears before racing off.
Lee Fletcher, head of Apollo cabin, was doing a bang up job of keeping the monsters at bay. The kids without bows fought back any monsters that got close to the safety borders that surrounded Camp Half-Blood. Four kids- a little girl no more than 7, two teens, and one of our satyrs, Grover- were running frantically toward the hill. The Cyclopes were right behind them.
"Lee, aim for the eye," I instructed. I was no warrior or strategist but I'd spent my life learning about monsters. A Cyclops's eye was its most vulnerable.
"Got it," he replied as he notched another arrow.
I ran down the hill, which was a bad idea since the monsters were gaining fast. The little girl looked so exhausted and her companions didn't seem to be in any better shape. "Come on, you're almost there," I encouraged. I scooped up the girl and the boy let her hand go as I sprinted back up the hill with her in my arms. I didn't stop when I reached the safety of the border. I wasn't being a coward but it was clear this child had been through a lot and I wanted to get her far away from anymore danger. I headed toward the Big House but stopped in my tracks at a massive roar. I turned back just in time to see the older girl, a teen in black punk clothes and choppy black hair, raise her shield and try to fend off the attack on her own. I gasped as she fell and clutched the little blonde tighter to my chest. The next thing I knew, a tree was growing in her place.
The child wiggled against me and twisted just enough to see the damage. The Cyclopes couldn't get into camp but the older girl wouldn't be coming in either. "Thalia," the little girl sobbed.
"Shh," I cooed. "Come on, sweetie. Let's get you to the infirmary. You'll be safe here."
I turned back towards camp but didn't make it far. "Annabeth? Annabeth!" a boy's frantic voice shouted.
The girl, Annabeth, started wiggling again and I let her down. The boy that ran up and hugged her was pretty cute. He was tall and lean with sandy blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. He looked exhausted but smiled gently at Annabeth. He scooped her up into a hug. "You okay?"
She nodded but her lower lip quivered.
"You were amazing," he continued. "We wouldn't have made it without you."
"Thalia didn't," she croaked.
I winced. "Come with me. You should meet our activities director Chiron. If anyone knows how to get your friend back, it's him. Plus, you should probably see a medic and get some food."
The guy smiled appreciatively at me but the girl looked a little wary. "Thanks," he said.
"Of course. I'm Stefanie, by the way."
"Luke."
I smiled back. "Nice to meet you both. Follow me and we can stop at the infirmary first. You guys look life you've been put through the ringer."
I led the way to the to the medical tent. A couple of Apollo girls were there and giggled when Luke walked in. I rolled my eyes. I got that he was good-looking but weren't these girls supposed to be professional? And that's coming from an Aphrodite girl.
"They'll heal you right up. I'll get Chiron for you."
"Don't worry about hurrying," one of the girls said as she sashayed up to Luke.
I rolled my eyes again and headed out the door. I didn't have far to go before I ran into Chiron on his way from the Big House. "I heard you took our newest campers to the infirmary. Very good. Are they all doing okay?"
I hesitated. "Two of them are. The third didn't make it."
Chiron frowned up at me. Usually he was taller but that morning he was in his magical wheelchair that hid his horse half- probably he figured the new kids had been through enough without adding a Centaur to it. I followed silently and stood in the doorway when we got back to the infirmary.
"Hello. I hope our medics are taking good care of you."
"Of course we are, Chiron," they giggled.
"So what is this place, exactly?" Luke asked. "Grover didn't get to explain it all. This is a safe place for demigods?"
The old horse nodded. "You know about the gods."
That was odd; most kids showed up not knowing what was actually going on with them.
"Yeah," Luke answered. "My father is Hermes. Thalia's dad is-was- Zeus. We're not sure who Annabeth's mom is."
"Well I think you two should rest. Stephanie can take you to the Hermes cabin."
Annabeth jumped off the bed and hurried to the door. I think she was anxious to get away from the girls flirting with Luke. He got up more slowly and the girls groaned.
I took then to Cabin 11. Megan Herman, the cabin's counselor, got them situated but, because there were so many kids stuffed in her cabin, the most she could spare was one bed between the two. Luke didn't seem to mind and let Annabeth crawl in for some sleep. The kid was out like a light by the time Megan shut the door on her way out.
"Well I'll leave you two alone."
"Thank you," he said as I got up to leave. "That was really brave of you to run out for Annabeth."
I blinked. I'd never been called brave before. "Well I had to do something. I've been here my whole life just watching others be the heroes. I figured 14 years was enough waiting." I tried to play myself down but I could see from Luke's expression that I'd said something a little too strange.
"Your whole life."
I bit my bottom lip. Most people at Camp Half-Blood knew my story but I didn't like talking about it. But for some reason I wanted to share my past with Luke. "My mom, Aphrodite, fell in love with a handsome cop. They hooked up and 9 months later I came along. Then he died on duty when I was a week old. Gods don't raise their kids so I ended up here. The rest is history."
Luke opened his mouth to say something but Annabeth sat up screaming "Spiders!" she cried. "Get them off of me!"
"You're afraid of spiders?” She’d survived a Cyclops attack with barely a scream and here she was freaked out about bugs. “Hmm, I might have an idea who your mother is. I'll bet she claims you soon. If I'm right, she'd be proud to have such a brave daughter. Go back to sleep. This is a safe place and I'll make sure you and Luke are okay."
I smiled at the hot blonde boy and my stomach did flips when he smiled back.
10/27/13