Nico and Reyna's quest with the Athena Parthenos

I think Nico and Hedge hated shadow traveling as much as I did, as soon as it was over Nico nearly collapsed and I quickly caught him and laid him down against a tree and his head lulled to the side a bit but he quickly woke up a few seconds later and looked around "I hate shadow traveling" he said to me I smiled and knew he could barely move so I gently held water his lips so he could drink. When he finished drinking he could still barely move so I let him or rest as I found some wood for a fire. I guess it drained a lot for some reason because he could barely talk or move without wincing. I held some nectar to his lips so he could have some more energy and he nodded to me "th-thanks"he stuttered and glanced at the fire and I helped him get up and move closer, I felt how bad he was shivering from not moving out of one place for so long and also being in the wind which was gone now so I could get the fire started "sleep" I told him and he nodded taking his aviator jacket off and laying down, pulling it over himself like a blanket and I smiled seeing his expression soften not seeing the silent person who always stayed out of sight most of the time. I sat there watching the fire pretty much alone with everyone asleep and I looked at Nico seeing him shivering from the night air getting colder for so I pulled the jacket up to his chin trying to not wake him up, I noticed something I almost never saw... a small smile appear on the corner of his lips as he slept soundly for the night and I couldn't help but smile at his smile as he slept. I smile at him when he woke up and I guess he hasn't really seen me smile before "good morning Ghost Boy" I said to him, he flinched at the nickname I just said to him and I realized he hasn't even had a nickname until told him before either but he had a smile tugging at the corner of his lips and I helped him up "lets wake up Hedge and head into the small town nearby and get some food" he nodded and got up with a smirk on his and I looked at him curiously "I'm going to give him a little friend watching him sleep" then I saw a small paw claw its way out of the ground until there was a skeleton dog staring at coach Hedge and I chuckled lightly as we both sat down by each other and waited for him to wake up. When Hedge woke up a couple minutes later and saw the skeleton dog...well it got smashed to pieces by a wooden cudgel which made Nico and I bust out laughing but Hedge just glared at us "come on goat" we both said at the same time to Hedge as we got up and walked to a the town and going into a diner but Hedge didn't want to go so it was just the two of us. I sat down by Nico when we got in there. I decided to break the silence while we waited "we need to get payback on that old goat for always calling us cupcakes" he smiled and the waitress brought us our food and we both wolfed it down. When we were done we made our way back to Hedge and we took hands and he shadow traveled us to a forest in Virginia and I laid him down so he could sleep and I pulled his aviator jacket over him, made a fire, and curled up by him and fell asleep as Hedge kept watch.

Notes

this is my second chapter in one day... I'm going to be trying to put on at least 1 to 2 chapters a day. sorry that it is short like I said first story ive ever wrote and im trying my best, hope you guys like to read this, cuz I want to know that it isn't a crappy story. I will update more I just want to know if people want to read more so I would be happy to know your opinion from a comment it would make me smile :)