The chariot reached the camp around 2 hours later, which was a lot faster than driving would have been. Most of Long Island was sleeping, and the lights down below were dimmed except for a few bigger towns. Camp Half Blood was further away from the cities, past a big forest that laid by the sea. The pegasi landed by an area that Charlotte presumed was the stables, judging by the smell. Everyone piled out of the chariot and Loretta went to put the creatures away for the night. Toni escorted Charlotte to a long line of cabins on the other side of the camp.

"First, we're going to take you to the Big House and talk to Chiron. Don't worry, he's a nice guy. Then we'll set you up in a cabin and make you feel at home here," He reassured her, leading her up the stairs of a weathered barn.

He knocked on the door a few times and a man groggily answered after a few minutes.

Scratch that. Not a man.

A horse-man with curlers in his tail.

"T-Toni? What are you doing up at this hour? Why do you-" he stopped short when he saw Charlotte standing timidly behind the boy "Oh"

"Chiron, this is Charlotte. An old friend of mine who was attacked by a hellhound today,"

"Hi," she managed to squeak out

"Well, that has to be quite a scare, any damage?" the centaur asked, examining the tiny girl.

"Nothing some nectar couldn't fix, she's just still a little dazed about what happened is all," Toni said, putting his hand on her shoulder supportively.

"Has she been claimed?"

"See, thats the problem, she hasn't," Chiron's face fell at these words, Charlotte wondered what that could have meant but before she could ask, Toni spoke again. "I'm taking her to the Hermes cabin with the others, and maybe we'll find out in a few days or so,"

"Very well. Charlotte, you're in goods hands here. You'll be safe as long as you stay in camp boundaries. You'll have to excuse me I'm quite exhausted, I'll leave Toni to explain things to you, he's one of our top campers, goodnight". He shut the door, leaving a beaming Toni and a confused Charlotte.

"You hear that? I'm top camper!" Toni grinned, making Charlotte smile back at seeing him to happy. "Now lets take you to a cabin so you can get some rest, i'll tell you all about this place on the way,"

". . .And thats basically how demigods are created," Toni explained to Charlotte "Gods and Goddesses and unfaithful and bored and cure it by getting busy with mortals like our moms," Charlotte made a face at him, not wanting to think about her mom 'getting busy' with anyone.

They were walking to the row of cabins Toni had showed her before, which were quite interesting. Two rows of five with two at the end that faced towards the others. Every cabin was decorated differently, with some looking well lived in and some looking like they had been vacant for years.

"These are where we all sleep, each cabin belongs to a different god or goddess, with all of their children inside," Toni motioned to a rather angry-looking cabin that was painted a bloody red and had a boar's head mounted on the doorway. "Thats the Ares cabin, where I live, it looks pretty beat up, but it's home"

"And that one over there is the Aphrodite cabin, and over there is Athena's, and the ones at the end belong to Zeus and Hera but neither have had any children since World War II, they kinda swore on it. Poseidon did the same," Charlotte was about to question how gods and World War II had anything to do with one another but she decided against it.

"And here is your new home for the time being, the Hermes cabin!" Toni showed her a beat-up looking cabin with peeling white paint and a caduceus above the door.

"Wait, before I go Toni," Charlotte stopped her friend before he could walk her any closer to it. He turned around and she looked up at him. "What does being claimed mean?"

"When you're claimed it means that your godly- parent recognizes you as their child. Sometimes it happens within an instant and sometimes not at all," He looked over to the Hermes cabin sadly. "Since Hermes is the god of travelers, his cabin shelters all of the kids that haven't been claimed so there will be loads like you- but i'm sure you'll be claimed any day now!" he added, seeing her grow sad at the thought of not being claimed.

"Maybe," she said quietly.

Toni swept her up into a big bear hug, picking her up off the ground and spun her around, earning a little laugh out of her.

"Well everyone here will love you no matter if you're claimed or not Char," she smiled a little more and gave her old friend a hug.

The porch light flickered on at the Hermes cabin and a tall blonde boy wandered out into the brisk night, trying to see who was making noise.

"Toni, go to bed man, the harpies are going to find you and peck at you," The boy said sleepily.

"I will soon, just bringing you a new camper. Meet Charlotte," Charlotte gave a shy wave at the boy, who cracked a smile.

"Hey there, welcome in! The more the merrier, I'm Luke by the way,"

"Hi," she said quietly, he had a scar over one of his yes but was still quite attractive. Charlotte was easily intimidated by cute boys.

"Take good care of her, she's an old friend of mine," Toni said, as the two walked up the porch of the cabin.

"Anything for Toni here," Luke said, as the two did a quick bro-hug "Now go to bed, we've got to show Charlotte here the ropes tomorrow,"

"Alight then, goodnight baby Char!" Toni called, hurrying back to his own cabin.

Luke escorted her into the cabin, motioning for her to be silent and to not wake anyone up. The bunk beds were full as was the floor. Kids everywhere! It really was a refugee cabin for unclaimed demigods, either that or Hermes was a busy guy.

"Watch your step, here you can take my bed tonight you look like you need a good rest," Luke whispered, hoisting her up to a top bunk with ease (making her face turn bright red). "Keep that backpack of yours close too, Hermes is also the god of thieves, I'll wake you up in the morning and will help you around tomorrow,"

"Thank you so much," She whispered to the blonde boy, he just smiled and ruffled her hair a little.

"Anything for a friend of Toni's, now get some rest," He said, moving to another spot in the room that Charlotte couldn't make out in the darkness. She settled down in the bed, which was surprisingly comfy and started to drift off to sleep.

Days like this reminded her of how ones life could change in an instant, and hers was bound to keep changing from now on.