Annabeth looked up at the sky. The stars were glimmering brightly. Even after a hundred years, the Huntress constellation was bright in the sky. She never knew the Huntress, Zoe Nightshade. She heard stories of her though. How she and four others went on a quest to rescue Artemis.

And her. Sort of. Percy. Even after so long, she teared up at the slight mention of him. The gods and the demigods had won the Giant War. But Percy had died. To save her.

Annabeth wiped her tears. That was a hundred years ago. She focused on the task on hand. Thalia said that they would rendezvous at this point. Two other Hunters, Marie and Leona, were with her. They had tracked a minotaur here. A minotaur. Annabeth thought bitterly on how many things were related to Percy today. She pushed that thought away. Annabeth was a senior Hunter and she didn't want Marie and Leona, who were new, to see her cry.

It was cold. Annabeth's breath could be seen in the air. Luckily, the Hunters were wearing their thick silver parkas. She fingered her camp necklace.

Suddenly, there was rustling sound in the bushes nearby.

"Careful, stand your ground," Annabeth told the two girls. They nodded.

The big minotaur came out of nowhere, steam blowing from his nostrils. Its horns were big and twisted. The Hunters took out their bows and started shooting. The arrows were precise, and pierced the monster's thick hide. The minotaur, enraged, spotted the three girls and raced toward them.

Marie and Leona ducked out of the way, but Annabeth was paralyzed with a memory. Percy holding his minotaur horn. His first kill.

After a split second, Annabeth realized her mistake. But it was too late. The minotaur grabbed her, and lifted her into the air. She fumbled, and lost her bow. She cursed. As a last resort, she took out her ivory dragon bone sword.

"Take that you filthy monster," she yelled and plunged the sword into the minotaur's face. It disintegrated, leaving one of its horns. Great, now Percy and Annabeth would have been buddies.

Annabeth took the spoil of war, and tucked it into her weapons belt. Then she walked over to Marie and Leona, who were staring at her with amazement.

Annabeth arched her eyebrow, and then came the catcalls. Thalia and the others were finally here. And they were fashionably late.

o.O.o

Camp was set, and the Hunters were eating their meals. Delicious meat stew, topped with mash potatoes and a cup of hot cocoa.

Thalia and Annabeth sat down talking.

"I heard you singlehandedly took down that minotaur," Thalia said sipping the cocoa.

"We shot arrows at it," Annabeth replied modestly.

"Not what I heard," Thalia said, gesturing at Marie and Leona. "You killed it."

"Whatever," Annabeth said, patting the minotaur horn on her belt.

Thalia's eyes softened. "You also had one of you memory attacks, didn't you?"

Annabeth choked on her potatoes. She quickly chugged down the cocoa. "So what if I did?"

"Annabeth," Thalia said sternly. "You were in battle. What would happen if that occurred again, in the midst of fighting a more lethal monster?"

"I can control it."

"No you can't," Thalia stopped, then asked tentatively, "You were thinking of him, weren't you?"

Annabeth's eyes clouded with tears, but it quickly turned into a cold expression.

Thalia sighed.

After the dinner was finished, all the Hunters gathered around the campfire to say their prayers to Artemis and other gods if wished.

Annabeth's hair curled in the heat, as she said a quick prayer to Artemis. She was still grateful that Artemis had let her join. After that, she headed toward the tent she shared with Thalia. As she was about to sleep, Thalia muttered something.

"Ya know Annabeth," she said delirious with sleep. "I think you should take time off and go explore. Like the U.S."

Annabeth snorted. "Thals, we are in the U.S."

"Wha?"

"Whatever," Annabeth said giggling.

"Annabeth, I'm serious. Go explore. Maybe go visit Camp Half-Blood. Chiron would love to see you."

Annabeth considered this. "Should I?"

"Yup. Now stop bothering me." She started to snore.

"You're the one who started it," Annabeth said to no avail.

o.O.o

Annabeth stood on the hill overlooking Camp Half Blood. She arrived in less than three days. The familiar strawberry scents were flowing toward her, and she recalled the old days. She sighed.

"Here we go," she grumbled.