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As the Hephaestus cabin quickly whips up a table for cabin 2 -- Hera's -- I notice every whispering quietly and looking at me. I sidle up to Chiron and ask what's going on. He motions me to a side trail where we could talk privately. I have to look up at him, because he's in Centaur form. He holds his hands behind him, and look at me with kindness in his eyes before speaking. I know he has bad news. "Haley, Hera has a - reputation, of sorts, here. She once wiped Percy Jackson's memory and he disappeared for months, as Annabeth went crazy looking for him. Even on her Roman side, Juno, she's done the same to another boy. Hera was never meant to have children. As the goddess of marriage, she was supposed to have none besides her offspring with Zeus."
"So I'm a mistake. A fluke." I cross my arms and stare at the night sky; filled with smoke and sparks from the campfire. "No, you're not a mistake Haley. The Fates meant you here for a reason." "The Fates? The Fates!? All I've heard is that I'm to suffer, live my entire life alone in the woods! How is that not a mistake?!" His faces turns to mask one of pain. "Who told you these things?" I can't bear to think of it. I clench my fists and pace away from him, then back, trying to regain some nerve. "When I was in the airport bathroom in Colorado, a lady walks in in a silver dress and black hair. She had a little accent. She called me 'Daughter' and said quoted something." "Hmm... that would be Hera alright." He puts his hand under his chin as if pondering something. His face becomes a silent conversation within himself. No, no that couldn't be. Oh yes it could've. But what about...? No... no.
I huff in consternation at his silence. I leave him to think and walk back over to my brand-new, lonely old table. "Something old and something new, something borrowed, something blue." Why that saying popped in my head I don't know. Maybe it's like my prophecy of my grade.

"Hi," someone says, as I jerk awake. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep on my table. "Hi yourself," I say, as I rub my sore neck. "You were only asleep for about an hour. It's almost 11 o'clock. Figured you'd wanna hit the hay so to speak." I can't see her face because she's standing with her back to the fire. "Mind if I sit down?" I rub my eyes and motion for her to sit. Not like I'm gonna have company anyway. "I'm Nyssa, Daughter of Hephaestus. You're... Haley, right?" "Yeah." "People around here aren't too fond of Hera. As I've never really had a problem with her, I'm cool with you being her daughter." "Ha, 'cool.' I get it. Daughter of the god of fire, saying 'cool.' Nice play on words." "Uh huh, yeah sure." Neither of us say anything for a new minutes.
"I'm from Detroit. It's kinda funny because that's where all the cars were made, in the factories. Not so different from forges, really." "Hey, Nyssa!" Someone calls. "Tell that girl her bunk is ready!" "Yeah, Leo! Will do!" Nyssa looks back at me and smiles. "Sorry about that. I guess you heard." "Mhmm." She stands and says, "Let's go see your new cabin."

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Obviously my cabin was never meant to actually be inhabited. The outside was pretty; the overall architecture smaller, but almost an exact copy of Cabin 1 -- Zeus. The doors were carved with peacock feather designs, shimmering in different colors.
A few windows were hurriedly installed, what looked like a AC stuck out of one, and a brand-new welcome mat was on the front steps. "Since Hera was never supposed to have kids, this cabin was just honorary." Nyssa glaces be from the side and climbs the steps. "As soon as we heard that you were a daughter of Hera, me, Leo, and a few other of us Hephaestus kids started some blueprints for a bed and stuff. I hope you like it." Nyssa pushed open the doors and lead me into the cabin.

I was immediately struck by the lifelike stature of Hera. About 10 feet tall, sitting on a throne in flowing golden robes, a stone hawk on her shoulder, and a staff topped with a lotus blossom in the other. Here eyes were almost piercing, they were painted so real. At the goddess' feet, a constant fire burned. White columns surrounding it all.

In the back right corner was a bunk. My bunk. I walk the few yards and look it over. A regular twin-size bed, dresser, table, mirror. "Bathroom's over there." She points to the other corner.
"Some of the Aphrodite kids donated some clothes for you. They figured you liked a more black-and-white style, so they scrounged up some stuff. Tomorrow I'll let you look through the weapons shack; see what you like. Anyway, I gotta go 'cause lights out is soon. See ya!" She looks a little torn between waving and hugging me goodbye, but she sticks with waving, thank goodness. I'm not really a hugger. I turn off the few lights and blast the AC, then search the drawers for a t-shirt and shorts I can crash in. I'm so tired I don't even brush my teeth.
I lay on top of the bed, trying to sort out what the heck happened to me today. But of course my mind doesn't cooperate and I drift to sleep.

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