Chapter III REYNA

Reyna woke up to the sounding of trumpets. She scrambled out of her cot, flinging on her armor and grabbing her sword. Running out of her tent, she prepared for another attack. She whirled around in a circle, looking for the attackers.

But what she saw was even stranger. A centaur was standing in middle of the clearing, a white flag of truce raised over his head. He wasn't even carrying a weapon. He was either stupidly courageous, intensely insane, or both.

"I come in peace." he said quietly.

Reyna slowly lowered her sword, and the other demigods gasped. They were ready to attack, but Reyna held them back. She swallowed and then said strongly,

"Why have you come here?"

"To talk to you." the centaur said simply.

Reyna nodded and said,

"Come into the tent where we can speak in private."

Now the legion thought she must have gone crazy. This centaur would probably kill her as soon as they were alone. But Reyna knew it was a risk she would have to take, if they wanted to get any negotiation done. So she allowed the centaur to walk ahead of her, and she shut the curtains behind them, blocking everyone else out.

The centaur was so tall, the top of his head brushed the felt ceiling of the tent. He tried to hunch over and then said,

"I want to tell you that i did not authorize the attack yesterday. It was lead by a few of my more- valiant campers. They shall feel the consequences, I promise." he said grimly.

"You're Chiron, correct?" Reyna said,

"Ancient trainer of heroes and all that?"

He gave an elegant nod of his head,

"The very same. And you are Reyna, daughter of Bellona, Praetor of the Twelfth Legion."

Reyna nodded nervously. His knowledge of her was unnerving. She straightened her back resolutely and said,

"I assume you know why I brought the legion here?"

"To attack us." Chiron replied, without batting an eye.

"But I have seen a lot of leaders in my time, Reyna; Hercules, Jason, Perseus, Percy Jackson, they're endless. And i can tell when they believe in what they are fighting for. And you don't, do you?"

Reyna blinked, wondering how he could possibly know that. But Chiron's timeless eyes seemed to bore right into her's, drawing the answer out of her.

"No, I don't agree with this attack at all." Reyna said at last.

"I wished for our camps to work together."

Chiron smiled and then said,

"We are one and the same in that wish, Reyna."

"But how? Our camps already despise each other, how can we possibly get them to cooperate?"

"We can only try." the wise centaur said.

He stood up straighter and then said,

"Come with me."

"Where to?"

"To see camp, of course."

He clopped out of the tent, a surprised Reyna following him hurriedly. The demigods just seemed relieved to see her alive. Well, besides Octavian. Everyone knew he hated all praetors. Reyna nodded to the members of the legion, silently letting them know that it would be okay. They looked ready to charge up the hill into battle again, but Reyna gave them on of her famous death glares and they stopped in their tracks.

Chiron and Reyna walked up the hill together and she saw a gigantic pine tree with a dragon curled around it. She wondered what that could be about, but kept the question for another time. The centaur gazed around him fondly, before looking down at the daughter of Bellona. He gestured for her to walk forward. Reyna took a deep breath and stepped over the boundary line, into the proverbial enemy territory.

"Reyna, welcome to Camp Halfblood."

As she walked forward, Reyna tried to shake off a growing sense of dread. She couldn't help but feel like she was about to be brutally murdered. They hadn't gone ten steps before she heard a shout. Turning around, she saw a girl about her age running towards them, her fiery red hair streaming out behind her.