Night flowed into day and day flowed into night without incident. The only events worthy of note were the visit of a mortal officer stopping by for tea with papā and when a very lost harpy landed in the training field to ask for directions. Kaia showed us her training gear and her supply of bronze weapons to pass the empty hours, though she herself faught with a steel blade edged in a dark jade she called 'pounamu'.

Nothing exciting happened.

---

Before I knew it, it was Friday night. It had been a full week since I had left Camp Half-Blood and I missed it with a painful yearning.

When I ran away I never expected - never wanted - to miss it. I wanted to be rid of the pain and loss of being an outcast and be happy to be away from it. Though I never expected to find myself this far away from it - the other side of the world. The homesickness clung to me like a bad smell I couldn't get rid of.

I was sitting outside on the Moana's deck with a mug of steaming hot chocolate warming my hands, gazing upwards at the shimmering expanse of stars. But I wasn't enraptured by their beauty the way I normally was.

I clutched my knees to my chest like maybe I could compress the grief that plagued me. Maybe I could rid myself of that terrible feeling. But the harder I clutched my knees the more the pang of homesickness strengthened.

I sighed and lay back against the weather boards of the house, gulping down my hot drink in a single breath before the chill air could get to it.

"Cordy!" Chris yelled - he was the only one who I wouldn't pummel for calling me by the ridiculous nickname. "We're locking up!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and sucked in a huge breath of night air before glancing up at the moon. It was still the same moon, no matter where I was.

"Coming!" I called back, my voice carrying on the desert breeze. I wrung my hands and muttered a prayer to the gods before turning back into the warmth of the Den, glad that I wasn't the type to cry.

Notes

If it wasn't obvious to you already, I hit a bit of writer's block but I think I've just about gotten past it.

I hope you're all having a fabulous day and remember to smile! :)

-Phoebe :)