A/N: I realize I have been gone a long time. I finally have some time (Whole week) to do nothing but what I want to do and I'm gonna be spending a lot of my down time catching up on stories. This is just a quick taste for what I got coming. Chapter 6 is roughly 3/4 done and is gonna be a nice long one with a lot of plot development.

Ryan knocked lightly on the Poseidon cabin door. He turned away and waited patiently for Percy to come out. Camp was disturbingly quiet compared to the activities from yesterday. Not a single soul stirred in the early hours.

When Ryan heard the door knob jiggle and turn he looked over his shoulder. Percy quietly slid out the door then silently closed it behind him. It seemed odd to Ryan as most cabins seemed to keep their doors open. But the faint residue of a familiar perfume on Percy and the sleeping bare back blond Ryan noticed in his bed signified as to why it was to remain shut.

"Ready?" Percy asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Percy then led them off toward the forest. Ryan always enjoyed the feeling of being in the wilderness so early in the morning, today was no different. The sun was just peaking over the horizon. The cool air left little beads of dew on the forest floor. Crisp leaves crunched under foot as they charged through the wilderness. Percy led them up a large group of boulders.

"Ok this is Zeus' Fist, from up here you'll be guarding our left flank. The enemy team will be attacking from there" Percy instructed.

"Where will our flag be?"

Percy pointed north, "Straight that way through the trees. Everyone will start there and move south.

"So, who's all on our side?"

"We have an alliance with Hermes, and Hephaestus."

"Kind of light on numbers, aren't we?"

"Not as much as you might think. Athena cabin always has alliances with Dimeter and Dionysus so no surprises there. Ares has a professional feud with me, so they were never going to be with us. Fortunately, most of their numbers haven't arrived for the summer. Annabeth pulled some strings and swung Aphrodite to their side. While they got the most people of any single cabin right now, they've never been too strong in a fight. They prefer make-up over battle. The one wild card is Apollo cabin. I thought they were sure to be with us but they've yet to declare a side."

"Are they good?"

"Very, until you, they were the only archers at camp. They present an advantage to any team they're on."

"I hope you can get them then. I'm a skilled archer but I've never had anyone shooting back at me." Ryan admitted.

Percy clapped him on the shoulder, "Oh I have faith in you, the way you took on the monster and handled yourself before, I wouldn't doubt you."

Percy and Ryan spent the rest of the morning scouting the woods. When they emerged, the camp was bustling with life. Swords were clashing and banging in the distance. Campers paddled out on the lake. Three Pegasi swooped overhead, their riders whooping and hollering.

"Holy Cow!" Ryan exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me you had those?"

Percy smiled at Ryan's enthusiasm. Together they made their way to the camp forge. The sounds of hammers on anvils and power tools filled the atmosphere. Campers, mostly Hephaestus kids, worked on various projects. One girl was working on an elaborately beautiful wood bird house. Another kid was hammering out what looked like a double headed ax head. Percy and Ryan walked up to one guy working on building a '48 Panhead. As Ryan would describe him he was a mountain range of muscles smothered in grease. The boys quickly made their introductions.

"Ryan, this is Harry Stevens," Percy introduced.

Harry extended his hand, "Only my mother calls me Harry. Everyone else calls me Harley."

Ryan took his hand and Harley squeezed it tightly and it felt like a vice. Harley appeared a big tough brute but after meeting him Ryan could tell in the first few minutes Harley was a kind-hearted individual.

"So how can I help you? Given what tomorrow is, I'm gonna guess it has something to do with capture the flag."

"Please set our new friend and ally up with a set of armor," Percy said with a smile.

Harley smiled in return, "Let's see what I can find."

For the next hour and a half, they spent trying out different sets of armor of varying styles and sizes. Nothing seemed to fit well enough. Most of the armor was bronze and clunky prohibiting Ryan from really using his bow. Either he couldn't flex enough to retrieve his arrows, or he would twist, and the metal would rub, chafe, and pinch. Ryan had given up finding a decent enough set when Harley suggested something custom. Now the burly man stood at Ryan's side taking measurements of his arms and chest. Harley took a sharpie from behind his ear and jotted the measurements on his forearm.

Harley started talking, more to himself than the boys, "Ok, so you defiantly prefer agility and speed. I'm thinking leather. 10 oz. ox hide. Give me on sec to mock something up."

Harley went and grabbed a big piece of scrap leather and brought it over to his bench. Percy and Ryan waited patiently as they watched the master at work measuring and cutting. In about fifteen minutes Harley held up a leather vest.

"Here try this on," He said passing it off to Ryan. Ryan threw the makeshift vest on and started to twist his body and move his arms. "Ok where does it need adjustments?"

"Hmm," Ryan started think, "It's a little high into my armpits. I'd say bring it down an in inch. And if you could cut about another half inch back around my right arm, that'll free me up completely." Harley made notes and marked the vest. He took it off Ryan and laid it out on his bench.

"Well that's all I need," Harley said, "I'll have it finished and ready for you before the game tomorrow."

The duo left the forge to go about their day. Percy had offered to work with Ryan on sword again, but the young archer was quick to dismiss the offer. He recognized a lost cause when he saw one. Instead he decided he should go and get some practice at the range. Percy went off to sort out "business".

The archery field was quiet when Ryan arrived. Rows of straw targets were set up at different distances. Some were simple standard bullseye targets while others were life-size figures in armor. Finding theses ones an interesting challenge Ryan elected to test himself against them. Yet tried and true to his father's teachings, and likely some genetic advantage, Ryan's skill proved more than enough to consistently put arrow after arrow around a shield, through a visor, or between a breastplate. Thoroughly pleased, Ryan started to pick up is pace and fire on the move.

He had done these kinds of drills before when he was younger but had neglected them over the years. As a result, his accuracy was starting to falter. When his quiver was out of arrows he paused and looked at his accomplishments. When he had to fire on the move he found he would sacrifice the precise "kill" shot for something open like a leg or arm left exposed. That was something he'd have to train to correct.

He strolled out to retrieve his arrows when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He got that feeling again that he was being watched. He did not react, but he did subtly look around to try and spot who, or what, it might be. There were dozens of campers around, but he could not make out who might be spying on him.

The hour was late, and Ryan felt dirty and grimy, so he put it out of his mind and went to clean out and relax for the rest of the day. He spent the hours until dinner reading, repairing the fletching on a few damaged arrows, and keeping up on his daily ritual of honing the edge on his knife.

When dinner was over the camp once again adjourned to the bon fire for sing along and stories. Percy made his way through the crowd and sat behind him, looking rather pleased with himself. He leaned forward and whispered in Ryan's ear one thing.

"We got Apollo."