"But my Lady, we hate it there!"
"I know, I know," Artemis's smile was part placatory, part amusement. "But it's the best I can do. You know you can't stay out here by yourselves. It's not safe."
"Why not?" Lanesra crossed her arms stubbornly. She swept an arm out towards the hunters' camp. "Do you see anything unsafe?"
The half-dozen hunters in view gave a collective hiss as Artemis turned in their direction, raising an assortment of bladed weapons in clenched fists. Several wolves howled in unison.
"Quite the ensemble," Artemis glanced at her Second Lieutenant. "How long had you been planning that for?"
"Not at all," Lanesra replied. "It just comes naturally. We're your hunters."
"As does eavesdropping." Artemis gazed at her hunters affectionately, feeling like a mother who'd just witnessed her childrens' ridiculously funny performance.
"Nothing unsafe," Lanesra insisted. "We're perfectly fine on our own."
Artemis's smile widened as her eyes focused on something in the distance. "Oh, I can think of one thing."
Lanesra followed her gaze to see Thalia saunter out of a tent, grinning like the cat who'd got the cheese.
"Someone's in a good mood," Artemis said.
"That's how it always starts." Lanesra groaned.
"Thalia!" Artemis hailed her.
Thalia strolled over, rubbing her hands gleefully.
"What did you do this time?" Lanesra asked.
"You'll see," Thalia's smile widened. She turned to watch the tent she'd emerged from.
A moment later there was the loud CRACK of a firecracker. Someone screamed, then two hunters burst out of the tent, gasping, their hands over their chests.
"Thalia!" one screamed as she spotted her.
"What?" Thalia's face was a picture of innocence.
"I'll get you!" the second girl yelled, waving her fist in the air as she marched towards her.
Thalia darted behind Artemis, using the goddess as a human shield. "My Lady, save me!" she said in a scared voice.
Artemis vanished and reappeared several metres away, looking amused.
Thalia tried to cower behind Lanesra, but the Second Lieutenant was having none of it, grabbing Thalia and shoving her towards the fuming girl. "Get her, Cynthia!"
Thalia, having run out of options, dropped into a wrestling stance. "Come and get me."
Cynthia charged forward, aiming to get Thalia around the waist. Thalia spun out of the way, but Cynthia managed to grab a fistful of Thalia's shirt. Cynthia's momentum dragged them both off balance, but her lower center of gravity meant that she recovered faster. As Thalia tried to right herself, Cynthia spun around and grabbed Thalia around the neck.
But as soon as her hand connected with Thalia there was a loud fizzling POP. Cynthia screamed and recoiled like she'd been stung. Her eyeballs were shuddering in their sockets as she backed hastily away.
"What's the matter?" Thalia asked smugly. "I thought you wanted a piece of me."
"Not really," Cynthia shrugged, grinning. "I was just the distraction."
Hunters jumped as a bright pink paintball hit the back of Thalia's head with a powerful SPLAT. Thalia howled as a second and third shot hit her between her shoulderblades, collapsing to the ground as pink paint streamed down her face.
"Looooooser," Cynthia taunted as all the hunters busted out laughing. "Gotcha!"
Lanesra made a face as the paint fumes reached her nose, then frowned as she recognised the smell. "Isn't this Marking Paint?"
Marking Paint was the name of the ammunition they used when hunting elusive creatures. It was made from magical dye that couldn't be washed off or coloured.
Artemis stifled a laugh. "You didn't."
Thalia's eyes widened as she realised most of her entire body was now a fluorescent pink. She shoved herself off the ground. "I'll kill you!" she howled.
Two more paintballs smacked into her back. Even from a distance the shots could knock you down. At close range the rounds were powerful enough to leave bruises and Thalia screamed as she collapsed back onto the ground.
"Suck it up, lieutanent," Cynthia laughed and gave Lanesra a high five. "You messed with the wrong hunter."
"Stand up slowly if you value the rest of that tan," the shooter, Penny, stared her down behind the sight of her paintball gun.
Thalia stood slowly, groaning. Her back was killing her and she gestured feebly with her hands as she straightened. "Get me some nectar."
Lanesra pulled a vial from her pocket and handed it to her.
"Well," Artemis clapped her hands together. "That was so entertaining that I think we could use an all-night march. Now get ready to break camp. I want you in Camp Half-Blood by tomorrow morning."