Chapter One

Skye Lemerle

Skye was having nightmares again.

It wasn't your average nightmare about your grandmother chasing you with a butcher's knife though; Skye's nightmares were every Half-Blood's worse dream. Dreams filled with bloodshed, monsters running around and in the midst of them all, you holding a sword, looking bewildered and then dying.

The thirteen-year-old girl woke up sweating. She was in a branch-weaved hammock whatcha-m'-call-it hanging from a strong point of a tall oak tree. Carefully removing herself from the tangle of leaves that she had twisted and turned in during her nightmare, Skye held out a hand to the thick branch protruding from the heavy oak and using that as a handhold, she swung herself up unto a wide foothold she'd carved weeks ago.

Carefully placing her slender but strong and calloused hands on the bark, Skye wrapped her feet around the trunk and let herself free fall. When she was just about three feet from the ground, Skye let go and planted her feet in a landing position. When she touched the ground, a shaking of shivers went through her body but she had landed safely, just like her father had told her. Standing up from the kneeling position she'd been in, Skye retrieved her quiver of arrows from the tiny fist-sized knothole in the oak tree.

As she looked up and around at the forest, something told Skye that something wasn't right. The forest didn't seem like its normal quiet side that it had always been. When the monsters would smell her in the forest, they'd come, but Skye had always been ready with the traps she'd create and the arrows she'd send flying from her spot in the canopy. The forest had been her home for what-the last two months?

Skye didn't like to think of her past before that. In fact, being on the run, she'd lost track of time and days and even her age. It was just that day. The day when they took her father away and her mother had disappeared without a trace. The government official people wanted to take her into custody claiming it was just till they could drop her off at a foster home but she knew what they wanted. They blamed her for her father's death and her mother's disappearance. Skye had no idea about what had happened to them but the government people weren't convinced. They needed an answer other then 'I don't know.'

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Skye turned as she peered through the foliage in the forest. Something isn't right, she told herself. Staying completely still for one moment, the youth closed her eyes and concentrated.

Skye knew the woods inside out. They were like a home to her for the past month and a half. She'd hunted easily in her territory and found fresh water when needed. Life had been easy here and no government people ever came this way. The forest was her home, and the fact that something seemed to have changed in the atmosphere. Skye could sense it and she forced her concentration to the area around her.

A minute later, she opened her eyes and swallowed, she'd found what she'd wanted through thinking.

"Who'se there?" Skye said in a strong and bold voice. There was no sound except for the slight rustling of leaves at the occasional breeze.

"I said whose there?" Skye narrowed her eyes, as her voice got stronger.

This time, there was a tiny cracking of twig; so natural sounding that any normal person wouldn't have heard it, ignored it, or think it was an animal.

"I know you're there," Skye called, hearing the twig and interpreting its meaning almost the split second the sound had reached her ears.

"Callie! I told you to be quiet!" A young girl's voice flooded the forest with the gentle and sweet tone.

"Yeah, but Hannah was the one who nudged me," a smaller voice grumbled.

"Whatever, it's both your fault for all I care," a slightly older voice said.

"Hush." The single word blew all traces of human speech away. A young woman, slightly taller then Skye and who looked of the age 15, stepped out. A radiant glow shone from her and she looked young and beautiful. Her auburn hair with what looked to be natural golden-colored highlights was in a messy bun but when she undid it, it fell past her shoulders and reached her waist; same length as Skye's. The woman's eyes were a weird green-amber color and Skye couldn't decide which.

"Hello, Skye Lemerle." The woman smiled and it made Skye relax for the first time in her months of survival in the forest. It wasn't the evil smile the monsters would give her when they avoided her traps and came after her, it was a pleasant smile, one Skye hadn't seen in years. Skye's shoulders unstiffened and her whole body relaxed. "Hello, my lady," it seemed like the right thing to address the woman because something inside of Skye stirred. It also seemed right to call the woman a woman because although she looked young, she had wisdom pouring out of her like a fountain overflowing.

From behind pines and cinders and all sorts of trees stepped out about two dozen young girls, all with that special glow and dressed in silver satin and leather garments.

Then suddenly, and very mysteriously, white and silver colored wolves stepped out from behind a few spindly trees that Skye had used to climb. Skye inhaled deeply. The canine race were her passion although she was never allowed one when her she lived with her maniac of a father.

"I can see you want one," the young woman said. Skye's eyebrows moved around as her facial expression changed from surprise, to desire and then to pure joy. "You may have one later. But I know you are wondering why we are here." Skye's expression turned back to serious. She nodded, "I am, miss." "My name is Catherine Chalson. Most call me CC for my initials, though." Skye nodded.

"Violet." CC gestured to a young girl who looked to be about the age of 13. Skye recognized her voice as she said, "hello", as the one who had told the two younger girls off previously.

"Violet is my assistant deputy. She is my right-hand-huntress and keeps us in order under my guidance. Hannah and Callie as you saw before were the two that gave away our position. Your mother, and our patron, Artemis, sent us to find you when she realized her only daughter was in trouble.

"My mother," Skye said softly. She'd never met her mother but the name sounded familiar. Like something she'd hear in her Social Studies class. Then it clicked. All those stories her teacher had told them when they were learning about Ancient Greece made sense. The monsters that were chasing her were the ones described in the tales. Artemis, the woman the girls were telling her was her mother, was the twin goddess in the stories who ruled the night, the moon, the hunt.

"Who are you, then?" Skye asked, only then realizing how rude she must sound.

"Skylar Lemerle, you have much to learn. We are the huntresses of Artemis, her ladies in waiting and the ones who do her bid. We are immortal in terms of aging and we do not die unless we fall in battle. We have the blessing of the hunt and go around killing monsters with the sacred oath of Artemis, not to have relationships with men. But now we see she has broken hers."

Skye frowned, not liking the sound of this. The whole concept didn't seem quite good now. She was the forbidden child of Artemis. Flashbacks of when she was young now were quite visible. The time when she had been thrown into a furnace, the incident where she'd been left behind till her father had come back for her. Now it all made sense. Artemis had been trying to get rid of her and at the same time her father had been mean and cruel to her but still looked after her. All to make sure she survived with Artemis as her mother.

Now it didn't seem so great and exciting anymore. The sudden flashbacks and strong emotions had come at Skye too quickly. Shock began to fill her body and she tensed up. Unable to deal with it anymore, a tiny tear made its way from Skye's eye to her cheek.

"I know what you must be thinking," CC said gently.

"Yeah," Skye didn't believe CC but she agreed just so that the kind lady wouldn't be offended.

"We're going to bring you to Camp Half-Blood," Violet spoke up.

"Yeah! You can sit with me!" Callie ran up to hold Skye's hand.

There were so many questions Skye was pondering. They all came rushing but she was able to hold them back. Skye smiled at the younger girl, brushed a tear away and took a deep breath, "So do all huntresses stay the same age?"

"Well, I'm six, and I was abandoned when I was four. So was Callie, who's my cousin. CC took us in and we're going to learn to be archers when we grow up, just like them!" Hannah cried excitedly.

"I'm seventeen and Violet is thirteen, the majority of our hunters are between the age of fourteen. They'll stay that age and appearance for the rest of their lives -however long that may be- unless they take a fall in battle or break their sacred oath. Now, if you'll excuse us, we must be on our way to Camp Half-Blood," CC said, pointing to a giant Mercedes jeep waiting for them. Skye winced,

"I'm sorry, remind me again what Camp Half-Blood is."

((Hey guys...Firstly, I'm making up these characters and throwing them into the life of half bloods. Okay, so this is my first fan fiction for camp half blood I've ever written. I wrote it ages ago as in like a year ago but never had the chance to finish it or post it online. With the start of my new fan account I decided I'd give publishing it as a post online a try. Check back for the chapters! I promise to post them fast but I also request comments and feedback! It may be confusing at first but you'll get the hang of alternative chapters. If you've read the Lost Hero or Son of Neptune then you'll know what I mean by alternative chapters. It means like the first chapter is about Skye Lemerle, the second is about Alec Hawkins, the third is about Jayson Wynters and the fourth is about Skye Lemerle, fifth Alec, sixth Jayson, seventh Skye...You get the point. But they all are in the same story, same quests, same half blood life. Get it? Sort of...Trust me, you'll get it at the fourth chapter probably. It's an interesting twist to writing forms.

Can't wait for your responses and comments!

~over and out.))