Woah. Two updates in one day? 0_o I'm more bored than I think. Oh well...here it is! Yay, Ryan gets claimed in this one! Won't tell you who it is, 'till you read it and find out. I love you all, followers! THANKS A MILLION for the reviews, they are my main staple ^.^

Disclaimer: Not married. Not forty-something. Not Rick Riordan.


Chapter 4- Big (screeching) news

I shoveled bacon into my mouth at breakfast the next day, watching the other tables. Ours, the unclaimed table, was very empty compared to the others.

Every table had it's own characteristics. The Ares table, for example, was full of big sour-looking brawny kids. The Aphrodite table had a lingering smell of designer perfume, and everyone there was perfectly dressed and gorgeous. Percy's table, the Poseidon table, was empty except for him and a satyr named Grover he mentioned was his best friend. I tried to match myself with some other table, but just couldn't. I was way to pale and skinny for the Athena table, and I didn't sing or play instruments, so I wouldn't fit in with the Apollo kids.

I sure wished someone would pop out and say "Oh! There was a mistake! You're not a half-blood, you can go back home now!" No such luck. Yet.

I ate more than usual, thinking I really needed the energy for today. Annabeth said she would train with me. Like, sword fighting. Best-case scenario- I would get accidently stabbed and have to be sent home because of injury. But there was a lingering feeling demigods had a special way of healing.


"Time for your lesson, then." Annabeth said. So there it was.

Annabeth helped me pick out a sword that was more or less balanced. Then she showed me technique. Let me tell you- if you think a girl with a knife isn't a threat, you better run. Annabeth was the best sword fighter I had ever met. I almost collapsed after she said I could take a break.

"You…are….killing me." I said, putting my hands on my knees and breathing hard. She just turned her blade a few times.

"You should fight Percy then." Her face turned dreamy for a second, but she dropped it. "He's faced better than I have, and he's the best swordsmen in the history of camp except maybe…." She trailed off. I didn't question it.

"I officially hate fighting." I said, standing up straight. She smirked.

"Funny. A half-blood afraid of fighting. Please."

"Give me some credit, okay? Before this I was a computer geek who never left the house. That trip to the museum? That was like, super rare for me." I picked up my blade.

"Well," she got into fighting stance. "We're going to kick the geek out of you, aren't we?" I sighed and got ready. More like Annabeth was single handedly going to do it.

About an hour later, we sat on the ground, drinking water out of cups.

"I think I'm getting a sunburn." I grumbled, looking at my arm. Annabeth glugged water.

"The camp store sells sunscreen." She said, wiping her mouth. "You're a California native, like me. Where's your tan?"

"I'm more of a 'Go-inside-stay-inside' kind of person."

"Good trait for a demigod."

"That's the first thing I thought." I concluded, stating the obvious. Annabeth chuckled. We both stood.

"Okay, I gotta go to Chiron. You're on your own." She winked, and left, pocketing her knife. I groaned, feeling my aching shoulders. What a day. What great, fantastic, amazing, out of this world day.


Dinner was okay, I guess. I still felt gloomy about missing Mona and Dad. And okay, maybe I did miss Michelle and her cheeriness a little. Make that a molecule-esque amount. Chiron got up and clapped his hooves together at the end of dinner.

"I would just like to announce the next Capture the Flag is scheduled for Friday. The Athena cabin currently holds the laurels." There was a bunch of cheers from the Athena table, some polite clapping, but mostly boo's from other tables, especially the Ares table.

"There is no sing along tonight, so it is free time until lights out. Remember-" he looked pointedly at the Ares table. "Lights out at 10:00pm sharp! Dismissed!"

Everyone stormed from the mess hall, chattering probably excited about his or her free time. I heard the Apollo cabin was having a hunt. Count me out. I kicked the ground a few times, then sat down on the marble corner of the mess hall, sighing at the sky. I felt so out of place here. So out of place. I pulled a switchblade out of my pocket and began to whittle the nearest stick I saw, out of utter boredom.

After a while, I decided to take a walk around the dark woods. So I began to walk on the skirts of the trees, which were huge and towered over me. Living in California, I had almost never seen a woodland forest like this one. It would be scary, the tall trees and bushes looking like they all hid some monster behind them. But it felt serene. Nice.

Then, there was a sound I had not heard in the wild before. Sort of like a series of low hoots. I recognized it from hearing it in clips online. Owl call. I looked up into the trees. There it was, the glow of huge eyes. It was an owl. A small one, maybe the size of a small football. It was reddish and brown. I think it was a screech owl.

It flew down to a lower branch. I swear, I swear it looked exactly at me. It turned its head and hooted again.

This was a crazy notion, but I was willing to believe it.

"You'll stay there, right?" I told it, feeling sort of stupid but firm on my idea. The owl turned its head. Did that mean yes? I gave it a final look and ran off.

"I swear! It wants to tell me something!" I said, running towards the spot I saw it first. Percy and his satyr friend Grover were at my heels.

"Highly possible." Grover puffed, his little curls shaking everywhere. I pulled my zipper higher. It was hot in the day here, but pretty chilly at night. I stopped at the spot, scanning the trees. Surely, it was still there.

"There!" I said, pointing. The owl took off and flew down, and without notice, landed on my outstretched arm. I held it still, feeling the birds weight and its claws digging into my sweater. It looked at us and hooted again.

"Oh!" Grover exclaimed. The owl nipped my fingers, and with an "Ow!" from me, it flew off, into the dark trees.

"Well?" Percy looked at him expectantly. I rubbed my fingers. Grover looked at me curiously.

"That owl was a courier from Athena." He looked into the trees, than back at me. "It said this exactly: 'Prepare, my son.'" He smiled at me.

I just stood there mouth slightly agape.

"I've been claimed..." I murmured.

"Annabeth'll be pleased." Percy concluded, grinning.