Lexa was picking strawberries at dusk. She heard a noise. She drew out her spear, Silver Mist. It was a gift from her mother Athena. She walked slowly towards the noise.

''Whoever is there, come out!'' she yelled. Nothing happened. Was it just a squirrel or was it a monster? She considered going back for reinforcements. Suddenly, ivy shot out from the ground and caught her ankles. It was no normal ivy. The leaves were huge and the stems were thick. It was growing fast. Too fast.

''Stop it, son of Demeter,'' a voice said from behind her. A centaur was standing behind her.

''How do you know who I am?'' he asked defiantly.

''I don't know who you are. I can only see that you are a son of Demeter.'' the centaur said calmly, ''Now untangle Lexa. She's a camper here.'' The boy stepped out of the bushes. A pretty girl of about fourteen was cutting the vines as fast as he was making them grow.

''You!'' she yelled as she saw him. The vines vanished from her ankles. She then saw the centaur,

''Who is he, Chiron?'' she asked still pointing her sword at the boy.

''He is a son of Demeter. His name is-,'' Chiron started realizing that he didn't know the boy's name.

''My name is Victor. Victor Hawk.'' the boy said.

Liza paused, stepping quietly through the thick fern fronds. She had heard unusual noises coming from across the clearing. Her sharp sense kicking in, she slid smoothly through the bushes concealing her from sight.

"Psst! Liza! What are you doing?" Her right-hand knife, Letum asked. "Quiet!" She hissed back. He fell silent. She peered through the foliage, and was shocked. Chiron and the head counselor of Athena cabin, Lexa, were standing there talking to an unfamiliar boy. Ivy vines were loosely tangled around Lexa's legs.

"My name is Victor. Victor Hawk." The dark-haired boy said. Chiron nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, son of Demeter, you seem to have wandered into our camp. Would you like to stay? It is the only safe haven for demigods, you know." The boy, Victor, shrank back and hissed.

"I have no home! I wander free, just like my mother! She gave me a quest, and I won't give up on it! So, I'll pass, thank you very much!" He whipped around, and stormed towards my bush.

"Wait for it..." Letum said. As Victor crashed through, I slid smoothly out of thin shadows, and stepped behind him, pressing Letum to his throat. He went rigid. "Now," I said calmly and quietly, "Listen to me, or Letum here will slice your throat open. Follow me, don't escape, and tell me everything." I have that effect on people, I can make them go quiet with fear, just like my father. He nodded as best as he could, and we shadow-traveled away.

Lexa saw Liza run after the boy. Did she know him? She raced after her. Just when they came back into view, they shadow traveled away.

''Drat,'' Lexa sighed. She quickly ran back to camp. Chiron, Liza and Victor were already there. His green eye and brown eye blinked menacingly. Lexa glared at him.

''What were you thinking? Let's just attack a stranger with some ivy!'' Lexa growled. Her dart like eyes pierced Victor. He didn't cower under her angry gray gaze like most people. It took a lot to get Lexa angry, but when you crossed the line she would make you scared.

''It wasn't even poison ivy,'' Victor said smugly.

''Fine, Earthworm,'' Lexa said.

''Duel. At midnight. Or are you too scared?'' Victor said. Lexa smiled. She tried to hide the dread she was feeling.

''Alright. May the best demigod win,'' she said as she shook Victor's hand.

"May the best demigod win." Lexa said grimly, and shook hands with the traveler. He returned the gesture, glaring mockingly at her with his mis-matched eyes, like colors of the earth. Liza smiled to herself, and shadow-traveled into the deepest part of the forest in camp. Once she arrived, she drew her two knives. They were twelve inches long, made of stygian iron, and gleamed menacingly in the quickly fading sunlight. "Well, Letum, Mors, what do you think? Should we follow them to this midnight duel?" She dropped them both on the ground with fierce certainty. They shifted and formed, until two full-grown wolves stood in front of her. Both were a dark gray-silver, with shining golden eyes. They were about four feet tall, and reached nearly up to her chest. Pure white fangs shone from in their muzzles. They let out equal churuffs of wolf laughter.

"Yes, Liza, I think we should!" Mors said, snickering.

"Why not? We even might witness a fun, surprise!" Letum emphasized the word surprise, and Liza knew what he meant. She smiled. Her plan would go perfectly.

"Well, then, boys. Let's go put this surprise into action!" They transformed back into knife form, as Liza grabbed them, and shadow-traveled to where she knew the duel would be held. For some strange reason, shadow-travel didn't have much of an effect on her, it didn't drain much of her energy at all, so she could do it regularly. As for how she knew where the duel was going to be held?

Well, children of Hades know those things.

Lexa Granger was many things but she was not a coward. She didn't break promises. So she was standing in the forest at exactly midnight just as planned. Of course she was was scared. The traveler was scary. And nobody was in the forest to make sure he didn't do anything evil...just Victor and her.

So when Victor didn't arrive she was relieved. Just a bit. The out of the tree he came. He grinned.

''Didn't think I would come, Owl Face?'' he asked.

''I thought you were too chicken, Earthworm. So what I think of you has gone up microscopically,'' Lexa retorted, ''Now are we going to fight or not?'' She drew out Silver Mist.

''I didn't think you'd ask,'' Victor said. Suddenly, all of the leaves on the trees stayed still even though there was a gentle breeze. They all dropped and turned into people.

''You're getting leaves to fight your battles?'' Lexa sneered. Her heart dropped. She was very badly out numbered. It was time for the daughter of Athena to escape and bring reinforcements. There was no use trying to fight. But then they circled around her. She slashed through the leaves kicking and hitting as she went. She the summoned the Mist. But suddenly the leaves multiplied. She climbed back up the tree and threw the sword. It sliced through the leaves as she yelled.

"ATTACK IN THE FOREST! ATTACK IN THE FOREST! ATTACK IN THE FOREST!'' she yelled. She saw lights turn on in the cabins below and people come out as the sword hit the ground. Mist filled the air. The leaves and Victor were confused. She had bought herself time. The rest of the half bloods were marching up. There was going to be a battle.

And it was all her fault.

Liza paused mid-shadow, watching silently. Lexa was fighting bravely, but there were too many leaves. Lexa threw Silver Mist, and yelled for reinforcements. Soon enough, campers were swarming out, half dressed in battle armor, and half dressed in pajamas. Liza's heart sank. This battle wasn't what she had expected. She leaped out of the shadows, as the half-bloods charged over the hill. She immediately threw a Death Shield, and flew into the air with a flash.

"Stop!" She cried, "What would the Gods think of this? Fighting amongst yourselves?" The campers paused, warily.

"No! My father would approve of this battle! This stranger, this weakling son of Demeter has to go! He doesn't belong here!" Harry Green, son of Ares called out. And with that, the army charged forward. "STOP!" Liza screamed, but it was no use. They were headed towards Victor, and she could do nothing to stop them. Liza caught a glimpse of fear in his eyes, but just then, her concentration wavered, and the Death Shield vanished. She fell to the ground with a loud thump, and could only watch as the angry half-bloods ran towards a boy she thought was innocent.