This is Connor Stoll's and Andromeda Winchester's story. It is told in Connor's point of view. Enjoy:-)
My brother and I were robbing the camp store when I saw her. She was walking through the border with Percy and his awesome sister. She had flowing hair that reached past her waist. I was staring at her and I didn't see that my brother Travis had wandered off. Her bangs were covering her eyes but when she started talking to Chiron, she pulled 'em back and her eyes flashed. Literally, they flashed. I couldn't see the color of her eyes from where I stood, but I could see that she was probably the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen, and that's saying a lot. Chiron showed her to her cabin and around the camp. I caught Percy's eye and waved him over to where I stood. He jogged over and said,
"What?"
"What's her name?" I nodded to the girl.
Percy laughed. "She will kill you without mercy and laugh at you for being beaten by a girl."
"Just give me her name." I said.
"Andromeda Winchester, daughter of Hestia goddess of the hearth." He answered.
"Thanks." I said. He started to walk away. "Oh wait. Will she be in sword practice today?" He nodded and I headed over to the sword arena. I grabbed my sword from my cabin on the way there. It was a 4 foot celestial bronze sword with leather grip. I walked into the arena.
"Connor you're late." Chiron said.
"My bad." I said. I took my place at the back of the crowd.
"Half-bloods. This is Andromeda Winchester. She's new and a very good swordsman."
"Swords-woman." She corrected. Her moon-flower voice filled the room.
"Yes, sorry." Chiron apologized. "Does anyone care to challenge her?" Nobody spoke up. I raised my hand.
"I will."
The crowd parted to let me walk through. I walked to the front and raised my sword. Andromeda didn't have one and that put me off my guard. She walked slowly forward and leaned her head forward as if to kiss me. I leaned forward. Suddenly she grabbed my sword by the blade. She flipped it around and grabbed the hilt.
"First rule of battle strategy, never let your opponent distract you." She said. Chiron stood there laughing at me.
I held my hand out and she gave my sword back. She took a moon-shaped hair clip out of her hair, tapped it, and it turned into a 4 1/2 foot long sword. She lunged forward and I blocked. I staggered back surprised at her ferocity. I lunged, parried, and blocked for a half-hour. I was drenched in sweat when she finally pinned me against the wall. I stood, panting, as her sword rested on my neck. She pulled back and the crowd cheered. I held out my hand and she clasped it. We shook and the crowd cheered even more. She smiled and pulled her hand back. She tapped her blade and walked away. I poured a glass of water over my head and cooled off.
Percy walked over with Elena who was trying not to cut herself with the sword.
"I told you she'd clobber you. Yet you went ahead and did it anyway." I smiled at him and walked away.
"Hey," Elena said dropping her sword on Percy's foot and running after me. "How many stores have you looted since I've been gone?"
"About 400." I said.
"Cool!" She said. We fist-pounded and she ran back to Percy who was hopping on one foot yelling at her to be more careful. I hit the showers and filed into dinner with my cabin.
"Connor," Travis called. "You meet the new girl yet?" I nodded.
"Yeah she almost killed me in combat practice today."
Travis laughed at me and I punched him. "Ow!" He said rubbing his arm. I smirked and went over to the braziers to make my sacrifices.
"Hermes." I murmured.
"A great god." A voice said behind me. I turned to find Andromeda smiling.
I swallowed. "Um." She walked past me and made her sacrifices.
"Hermes." She repeated. "Why don't you make your sacrifices to your godly parent?" I asked. Her eyes narrowed.
"What's it to ya?" I shrugged.
"Nothing."
"Then you don't need to know."
"Um ok."
"You're Luke's half-brother aren't you?" I nodded. She winked at me. Or at least I think she did. It was hard to see her eyes under her bangs.
"See you at Campfire?" She didn't wait for an answer as she walked over to her table. I went back to mine and sat down. I leaned over to Travis.
"I call dibbs on the new girl."
"What? That's so not cool." He complained.
"Too late." I said. We finished dinner and went to the campfire arena. I sat down and felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find Andromeda.
"You have a knack for appearing in random places, don't you?" I asked. She shrugged.
"It's what kept me alive for 3 years." She stared at the person sitting next to me liked she was going to slaughter him or something. I mean like a seriously intent stare.
"Beat it." The kid got up and ran for dear life. Andromeda sat down next to me and smiled. "How old are you, kid?"
"21."
"I'm 19 and I guess that that means that I can't call you kid doesn't it Thief?"
"Yep. But it does mean that you can call me pretty damn gorgeous."
She laughed. "You're funny."
"I try. What about your power"
"Watch this." She faced the palm of her hand towards the campfire and it flared up, bright white and blazing hot. The whole front row's marshmallows burst into flame. I caught Chiron's eye and lowered Andromeda's hand. He smiled and winked at me.
"That is soo awesome" I said.
She shrugged. "I don't know. I've hurt people with this power."
"I think that it's a good power. It has dominance over things." I bumped her with my shoulder. "Things like marshmallows."
She bumped back. "Things like marshmallows indeed." She smiled at me and I blushed. The next day I was preparing for Capture-the-Flag, Andromeda, once again, appeared right next to me.
"Wassup?" she said punching me. It was supposed to be friendly, but she had on a black fingerless wristguard with a celestial bronze strap that wrapped around her knuckles.
"What's that?" I asked.
"My protecter." She answered. "I use this to keep from hurting my arm when I shoot an arrow. It keeps the arrow from slicing my skin."
"Ah. Wait, you're using a bow and arrow for this game?"
"And Tragoidia when I run out of arrows."
"Who's Tragoidia?"
"Not who, silly. What." She took out her hairpin and tapped it. It grew into the familliar sword that had almost killed me yesterday. "This is Tragoidia. Tragedy. This is the object that serves as my murderer's brand."
Andromeda grew quiet. Tears ran down her face. I akwardly pulled her into a hug. She threw her arms around my neck. I put my hands in spots that I hoped were high enough on her back that it was appropriate and squeezed her. She coughed. Then laughed. She pulled away and pulled on her helmet. I was relieved to see that she was on the blue team like me. Chiron pounded his hoof on the floor of the dining pavilion.
"Heroes!" He shouted. "The creek is the border, you know the rules. No maiming, no cheating, and no killing."
"Fudge." Andromeda cursed under her breath. I smiled. Annabeth, Percy, and Elena ran in with the flag. Clarisse and two of her siblings ran in with the enemy flag. "I used to love watching these games." Andromeda said.
"I used to watch the game with the dryads." I looked at her surprised. I vaguely remembered a girl peeking out of the underbrush when I first came here.
"Take your places!" Percy said.
"Border control, report to me!" Annabeth shouted. Percy walked over to us.
"Connor, Andromeda, I want you two to sneak in. Andromeda, use your gift of popping up in certain places. And Connor, follow her, but don't end up in the middle of the reds."
"Roger" I said. I followed Andromeda to the border. She quietly stepped across the border and snuck off into the woods.
She turned. "You stand out like a rose in a patch o' weeds. Here"
She put her warm hand in mine and kept going. I looked down at my skin and clothes and almost jumped. They had faded to grey. I looked with surprise at Andromeda, who smiled. We crept along the edge of the woods, heading towards the flag. When we got close enough to the flag that Andromeda could grab it, she let go of my hand. My clothes and skin returned to normal. All that was left was the trip back. Andromeda and I made a mad dash back to the border, jumping obstacles, dodging reds. I dashed across the border and Andromeda threw the flag to me. Our team cheered. Andromeda gave me a hug and smiled.
"Nice work, Thief." she said. I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. She reached up and touched the spot.
She smiled softly. "You shouldn't fall for me." She said.
"Too late." I replied.
She raised her eyebrows. "You'll live to regret it."
"Nothing would make me regret it. I love you and would never leave you or hurt you."
Andromeda led me to a small isolated clearing. She wrapped her arms around my neck. "If you only knew how many people I've-" She stopped short as I kissed her full on the lips. She reached up and pulled my hair out of my eyes. I pushed her bangs back and my eyes widened. Her eyes were the most beautiful that I have ever seen. They were a violent shade of lavander, with silver pupils.
"You'll never lose me." I whispered.
She smiled. I leaned in again, but she pulled away.
"They used to be green." She said.
"What?" I asked, confused. She looked at me. "My eyes. They used to be green. Luke turned them this color. With the help of Hecate."
I clanched my fists. "Luke did a lot of bad things."
"But I let him." Andromeda replied. She sighed. "I fell for him, he was...charming, and things got out of control" She looked towards me. She was crying. I pulled her into another hug and held tight. She leaned her head against my chest and closed her eyes.
"I promise I will never hurt you." I said softly. It just made her cry all the more. I took her hand and led her to the victory feast. We sat with Percy and Annabeth, and Elena and Nico. Andromeda sat snuggled up against me. Andromeda started an architecture conversation with Annabeth that Elena joined in soon enough.
Us guys went down to the sword arena for some unarmored, three-way combat. Percy took out Riptide and his wristwatch unraveled into his shield, Nico took out his creepy stygian iron sword and I took out my sword and my Gemini Blade. We faced each other... and started fighting. I faced Percy and struck. Then I turned and parried off Nico's attack. We blacked, parried, and weaved around each other for at least 45 minutes. Suddenly, a lapis lazuli, barbed arrow sprouted from Nico's shirt sleeve. Annabeth took off her Yankees Cap and pressed her knife against Percy's throat. Andromeda slowly appeared from the shadows. I laughed.
"How long have you girls been watcing us?" I asked.
It was Elena who replied. "Long enough-"
"To learn every weakness, every strength, and every move that you tend to make in a battle." Annabeth interupted.
"Stategists" Percy muttered. Annabeth pressed her blade closer to his throat. "With the powers of Athena."
"Poseidon." Elena said,
"and Hestia." Andromeda said. "We will beat you."
Then Travis walked in with his Gemini blade and his sword drawn. "How about 4 against 3." He said.
Andromeda looked at her companions.
"I'll take the brothers." She drew Tragoidia and moved in on Travis and I. We separated and weaved around her. Her eyes flickered back and forth between us and suddenly, she charged. It didn't happen the way I thought it would. She turned towards me and then suddenly, swiftly, she turned towards Travis who was totally caught off guard and barely had time to block much less strike back. Then she turned to me and slashed out with her sword. I raised my sword and blocked. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nico dodging Elena's arrows and Percy blocking Annabeth's knife. Both were getting their butt's kicked. I gritted my teeth and slashed outwards. Andromeda laughed and stepped aside. She grabbed my shirt from behind and placed her blade against my neck. She kissed me on the cheek.
"Told you."
I smiled. "Yes you did."
I spun around quickly and was about to kiss her when she swiveled her head around and I got a mouthful of hair.
"Someone's coming!" She whispered frantically.
"C'mon." I led the gang into the woods. Andromeda faded and Annabeth put her Yankee's cap on. Andromeda grabbed my hand suddenly making me jump. She pressed closer to me. I led the way for about 4 miles before I realized that we were lost.
"Are you lost?" Elena asked.
"No." I replied.
"I think you are." She went on. "How could the son of the God of Travelers get lost?"
"Travelers get lost too." Travis interjected, offended.
"I'm just saying maybe we should ask for directions." She said.
"How can we ask for directions in the middle of the night? Oh hello, I know that it's so terribly late but can you direct us to a summer camp that can only be seen by the children of the Greek Gods?" Percy said sarcastically.
"Well excuse your sister for for being practical." Andromeda cried.
"SHHHHHH!" Annabeth whispered. "There's something following us."
I turned around. Sure enough there was a rustle in the bushes.
"Who's there?" I asked.
"Noone you don't know about. And some of you have met me before." A voice purred. A large catlike shape emerged from the dark. A sphinx.
Percy shifted uneasially. "You should be in the Labyrinth dead."
"I escaped." She replied slowly. I let go of Andromeda's hand and we reapeared. The Sphinx looked with intrest at her.
"You look familliar. Do I know you?"
Andromeda shook her head. "No."
"Yes I do. You're the one that took the unfortunate spill into my classroom. You answered all but one of the test questions. But you escaped before I could rip you to shreds."
Andromeda shook her head. "No that can't be you. Whatever helped me tore you apart."
The Spinx laughed. "No my darling. That did not happen. It was I who ripped him to pieces."
"No, I heard you scream." Fear crept into Andromeda's voice. The Monster looked amused.
"I didn't get to eat you then, but I WILL EAT YOU NOW!" She lunged. I pushed Andromeda out of the way and kicked at the Sphinx. She growled and faced me pulling up her muscles so she could pounce. I whipped out my Gemini Blade. The monster lunged and Landed on me. As I fell, I stabbed the monster and it eveporated. Andromeda rushed to my side. she placed her hand on my side and I groaned. Three very deep claw marks decorated my side.
"He's lost and is losing a lot of blood." Nico said. "His life is fading. Andromeda, He may not make it through the night."
I groaned again. "Connor, don't give up on me, yet." Andromeda cried.
I smiled, despite the pain. I placed my hand on her cheek.
"Connor, please." She whispered. Suddenly there was a flash of light and a male voice said,
"Sleep." I woke up in my room. Well, it wasn't my room, it was a replica. Andromeda walked in with a bowl of water and some rags to pat my forehead with. Her hair was loose and it reached down to the middle of her upper leg. She saw my eyes open and she dropped the platter making everything break.
She shrieked, "Connor!" and rushed over to me. She slid to a stop by my side and placed her hand on my forehead. "Your fever has gone down. It's a miracle." She kissed me on the cheek. I pulled myself up and immediatly felt a wave of naseau.
"Well, maybe not all healed." She corrected herself. I took a breath and started again.
"Oh no, you should not get up." Andromeda stopped me.
"Andromeda." I looked at her with feigned dissapointment. "Andromeda, don't hold me back."
She laughed and grabbed my hand. With her help I pulled myself up. She draped my arm across her shoulder and led me into the next room. Everyone was sitting at a table eating eggs. Eggs. I wondered how long I had been out.
"5 days." A familliar voice said. I turned. Leaning against the doorpost was my father.
"Hermes." I said and bowed almost falling down. Andromeda steadied me and sat me down at the table.
"Clear the room." Hermes ordered. Everybody filed out so that it was just me and my dad.
"Connor, It was really brave when you saved Andromeda." He started. "I was being stupid. I shouldn't have let go of her hand. The Sphinx wouldn't have tried to kill her if I hadn't."
"Yet you saved her. Why?" My father asked.
"I like her. She beautiful and funny and she's so down-to-earth.-"
"But do you love her?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
I took a breath. "No."
"I see," Hermes said. "Does she love you?"
"I think."
"She can't keep going on thinking that you love her. She has to be told."
"I'll tell her right now"
"Good." I walked into the other room only to have Andromeda slap me in the face.
"You promised." She said. "You promised you would never leave me."
She turned and walked away. "Andromeda-" I sarted after her.
"Don't touch me." She said as she turned and smacked the back of her hand against my wound. I doubled over in pain. She leaned down next to me and whispered, "You will never touch me again."
She stood and turned, her long hair swirling around her head and torso.
"Andromeda." Elena and Annabeth followed her. She walked out the door, leaving it wide open. She faded and the other girls stopped, unable to see her.
We got back to camp later that day. I walked to Andromeda's cabin and stepped inside hoping to find her. All I found was an empty cabin with the bed made and the Hearth embers still burning. The only things that had proved that Andromeda had been there was a picture frame on the desk and her cell phone. I picked them up and carried them to my cabin which also was deserted. I ploped them onto the table I had aquired after all the unclaimed kids had filed out and sat on my bed. I placed my head in my hands. "Oh Andromeda, I'm so, so sorry." I whispered.
Suddenly, the phone rang. I looked at the caller ID. It said, Hearth. I flipped the phone open and said, "Hello?"
The person on the phone hung up. "Arrrrrgggggggggggg!" I yelled.
Days passed. I ended up making my offerings To Hestia instead of my father and started praying to her to keep Andromeda safe. Then one day I was sitting on the porch in front of my cabin, Elena walked by with several letters tucked into her back pocket. Using my talent as a theif, I walked over and nicked them. I walked to my cabin, went inside, and sat on my bed. I opened the first letter and read:
Dear Elena,
It's been so long since I've lived at the Hearth. So long, I can no longer call it home. I've managed to rebuild the parts that were destroyed and I am now open for business. However, I miss Camp Half-Blood. I only miss certain things though, Sword-fighting, Capture-the-Flag, lunch. I also miss my cabin and the warmth of the hearth fire. I remember dipping my feet into the flames and having it feel just like a hot tub only I didn't get wet. I miss you and Annabeth and Percy and Nico and Travis. But most of all, I miss just being there and the feeling of having a home that I could actually call home. But I lost that when Connor made that stupid promise. You know, deep down, I knew that something like that was going to happen. It always does. It happened with Luke and now it happened with Connor. I don't know why, but I'm always attracted to Hermes children and they always break the promises they make. I guess that's why they're sons of the God of theives. Because they steal people's hearts and break them.
Love,
Andromeda
I looked, shocked at all the hurt and sadness in the letter. I had to do something. I looked at the next letter. It said:
Dear Elena,
I can't do it any more. I have sold the Hearth and am now living in the house of my mother. Yes, my mother. I have always talked about her like she was the worst thing to have ever happened to me. She doesn't blame me though. After all, wouldn't you be angry too if you were suddenly englfed in fire but you weren't burning? That's how I was claimed. I was walking home from school on my 16 birthday, (I'm a Gemini) and suddenly I was engulfed in a mass of golden flames. I was so scared. Then the word HESTIA flashed across my mind and the only thing that I could say was,
"I'm screwed."
The guy walking behind me turned into a satyr and took my hand. "Were going somewhere safe." he said. I followed him to a small cave in Central Park. In the cave was a young satyr around the age of 13. I looked at the older satyr and said,
"Who are you?"
"The name's Underwood. This is my son, Grover. We've come to help you Andromeda. It has been a long time since a daughter of the Fire Goddess has been born. Actually you are her first child. We are going to take you to a camp. A camp for Demigods which is what you are. A Half-blood. A child of Hestia, Goddess of the hearth."
"Wait, I'm a demigod? Like Perseus and Theseus and all those guys?"
He nodded. "We have to go."
We gathered a few belongings and Left. Immediately, out of the cave, we were attacked. By a Dracnae. Mr. Underwood threw Grover at me and yelled,
"RUN!" I took Grover's hand and we ran to cover. We watched as Mr. Underwood killed the Dracnae. I walked back over to him.
"What was that thing?" I asked.
He stared hard at me. "The new Reality. Start living in it."
He silently led the way to the bus stop. We stood there in the cold. When the bus came, we silently got on. We rode to the Camp Borders. We got off the bus. Grover ran ahead. Me and were ten feet from the border when the arrow hit him. He gasped and fell to the ground. I knelt by him and whispered.
"Mr Underwood are you going to be okay?"
"Take Grover, get to the borders." "No. I'm not leaving you." I took Mr. Underwood's sword and turned, ready to take on the attacker. A young man, covered in dust, walked out of the woods. I faced him, my green eyes shining with hatred.
"You killed Mr. Underwood."
"No. I just killed what killed Mr. Underwood."
The boy stepped forward and held out his hand. "My name is Luke. Son of Hermes. I've come to help you."
I placed my hand in his and he led me to the Big House. I met Chiron, Mr. D., and the Oracle. I trained hard, eventually, becoming a greater swordsperson than Luke. Then, one day, I was walking in the woods with Luke and he stopped. That was when he turned my eyes. There was a bright light and I felt a searing pain in my eyes. I screamed. When I finally opened my eyes again, I was seeing differently. I grabbed my pocket mirror and looked in it. My eyes were so different. I was scared. I ran away that night. Became a Hunter of Artemis. Then I was let go. I got in a huge fight with Artemis. Told her that love might not be so bad. I lost my immortality but she let me keep my life. I wandered for a long time. Made myself a life in New Hampshire, a home. I grew my bangs out. I got my Murderer's Brandwhen I killed my brother. Then went on that quest with you. Grover was told that his dad was out looking for Pan. He doesn't know that some monster killed him trying to save me, and it's going to stay like that till I get back because I want to be the one to tell him.
Love,
Andromeda
P.S. I was thinking about what Chiron said, you know, when we walked through the borders, he said. "It's been a long time since I've seen that face. That face that so easy to love and was so easy to read" I miss him.
I got up and walked over to the Poseidon cabin. Elena was outside reading Gone With the Wind in Ancient Greek. I walked up and said,
"Elena, I know you blame me for Andromeda's dissapearance, but I need to know where she is so I can Apologize. Will you tell me where she is?"
Elena stayed stock-still. "Well, then I'll just look at the letters."
Her head shot up. "You stole them!"
I nodded. "And unless you tell me where she is, I'm going to keep them."
She sighed. I can give you the address, but you're going alone."
I took the address from her, borrowed a Pegasus, and flew to New Hampshire. I went to the address. It was a grey house with Greek letters on the door frame. It said: Those who tend the fire are worshipped among men. I grunted, not very impressed. I walked up to the door and knocked. Andromeda opened it, smiling, but her smile faded when she saw me.
"How did you get this address?" I told her. She didn't look surprised.
"Andromeda, I'm soooo soooo sorry." I said. "I was wrong and my father was manipulating me and he blinded me from you and I was lost."
I looked at her, waiting for a response. She stepped out on the porch. Suddenly, she came forward and kissed me.
"Your lucky that I forgive easily."
I smiled and wrapped my arms around her. She put her arms around my neck and I put my forehead against hers. We stood there for a while. I closed my eyes, relishing the feeling of the love of my life back in my arms. I opened my eyes and stepped back as Hestia appeared in the door way. She looked like a mother, wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I bowed.
"Lady Hestia." She came forward. "If my daughter forgives you, then I guess I can too." She embraced me. Then invited me inside. Andromeda came up next to me and slipped her hand into mine. I looked at her, smiled, and squeezed her hand. She sqeezed back.
"You know how I always fade, right?" She asked. I nodded.
"Well, it's called Smoking. I materialize into kind of a living smoke. Only Children of Hestia can do it, but any other person can get Smoked if they're touching a part of the Smoker's body." I nodded again then asked.
"Will you come back to camp?"
"I don't know."
"At least come back to tell Grover about his father."
She stared at me, eyes narrowed. "Where did you hear about that?" I confessed about reading her letters.
She sighed. "You can't keep anything from a Theif, can you?" I shook my head.
"Well then, maybe I will come back to camp with you to tell him, but there's no garantee that I'll stay."
"Uh-huh."
She came forward and kissed me right on the lips so passionately I think even she was surprised. I pulled her into my arms and closed my eyes. Knowing that she would never leave me again, I relaxed. We got back to camp that day. The first thing that Andromeda did was take Grover off to the side and tell him about his father. He didn't look surprised. We had dinner and campfire. After dinner, we snuck off to Zeus's Fist. I pulled her close, finally realizing what true love was.
The end.