Please, please, I'm begging you- if you have not already REREAD the story, do so now! Many things were changed as I was unhappy with it the way it was.
Thanks to these people who reviewed:
Mystery Guest- That is by far the longest review I have ever received. And as for what time period this story is set in, whatever. It's supposed to be kinda medieval, with horses, wagons, swords, archery, an unfair monarchy- all those things. And I guess I was just assuming that they had wheelchairs and schools and stuff back then. So, please, go for the medieval assumption, but feel free to believe it's in whatever time period you want.
Codex
Frovey- When you put a review like that, you make me feel like a spoiled child, want want want. But, what author doesn't want reviews? Since I'm probably one of the youngest authors around here (most of yous seem to be in college, and I've only just turned thirteen) I guess my confidence levels are sagging. And, yes, this story does seem to be a big hit with reviews.
ButterflyFlyToMe- Haha, we all love a good cliffhanger, don't we? Is this update soon enough for you? I have no wish to be murdered in my sleep :)
Jojo
Amy's Mischievous Little Owl- Oh. My. Gods. You're the author of some of my favourite stories! It's an honour to have you visit, and review, on my stories! Thanks so much!
Lovepercy21- think what you want, you'll only find out if you keep reading! :)
Hermes' Little Girl- haha, that's what we all are secretly thinking. Thankyou for sharing your opinion with me.
Jade Night- Don't worry, I will keep on keeping on, as you put it!
Once again, thanks sooo much to all those who reviewed. I feel so happy :D coz people like my story :DD
Chapter 8:
So, What Now?
The crash echoed throughout the still valley. Annabeth had been hanging on so tightly to that intrusive Percy guy that her arms had gone white.
As soon as the group had stopped after riding hard for three minutes to escape the old crumbling dilapidated tower that was coming down fast, Annabeth had practically jumped off the horse, wiping her hands on her dress as if she were contaminated by male cooties just by hanging on to Percy for dear life.
Thalia was on the ground, clutching her stomach and sweat dripping from her temples. The fast paced ride with Rhoda and Koren had been bad enough. But on the back of a horse, clinging to another human being, with no safety equipment? Put that together with a tower that's about to fall on them, and the stress of seeing Annabeth closed off and out of character, then you have a very sickly Thalia.
Bile rose in her throat. She retched, her long black sticky hair hanging down, forming a kind of veil between her and the inquisitive group of men staring down at her. Thalia tried to pretend they weren't there, because she was feeling even more self conscious, and weak, and anxious than when they weren't watching.
She lifted her face to the curious gazes of the boys and snapped, "Have you never seen a girl get sick before? Shoo, go mind your own bloody business!"
The men scrambled to do as Thalia said.
She spat out a sticky, smelly yellow substance.
"So, where are Thalia and I going now?" Annabeth asked in a small, deflated voice.
Thalia paused in her spitting of vermin to listen.
Beckendorf scoffed. "You? Nowhere. Me and my crew are going home. Waste of a trip, this was. C'mon, men. Mount up. We're leaving. We wish you all the best in finding a hospitable place to stay, good ladies."
Beckendorf saluted. "Wait!" Thalia yelled, panicked. "You can't just leave us here, on the side of the road! There are bandits, rapists, murderers!"
Beckendorf shrugged. "Not my problem. Let's be going, lads."
"Beck," Percy said, hesitating. He glanced at Thalia and Annabeth. "Thalia's right. Please see sense when I say that these are dangerous times, and two young women all alone in the middle of nowhere, with no means of protection, and bandits and raiders at every twist in the road, definitely spells trouble. At least leave them a weapon."
Beckendorf growled. He knew Percy was right. It would be unmanly to leave two women stranded. "Alright, Killian. Leave your dagger. Then we can be off. You know how to fight, girl?" he asked of Thalia.
"How could I have learned to wield a weapon, locked in a tower for six years?" Thalia asked snarkily.
"Best kind of learning is on the job."
Killian dropped his dagger. Beckendorf nodded in assent, and the group was off. Percy looked back once. His expression was anything but glad to be deserting Annabeth and Thalia. But a minute later, all the girls could see of the group was a disturbed layer of settling dust.
Thalia keeled over, sprawling on the ground, hands behind head, eyes closed.
Annabeth rested her hands on her thighs, sweating severely in her choking, heavy dress. She grabbed the hem on her skirt, testing it. It was only gossamer silk over a couple of layers of dense cotton. Easy enough to rip.
She began to slowly tear away. After a couple of minutes of this activity, Annabeth inspected her work. She was halfway around the dress. It wasn't neat and tidy or even, but it would do. Her whole bodice was a couple of shades darker than its normal colour, courtesy of the sweat the material had soaked up.
She gave the skirt one last tear. The bottom came off, along with a huge chunk of the top layer of the bodice. Oh well. That's one less layer to hold in her heat.
They had now been sitting in that place for ten minutes. Thalia hadn't moved a muscle. Annabeth sat, staring, until she could take no more.
"Thalia." She said. Thalia grumbled something unintelligible. "What was that?" Annabeth asked in an unusually high pitch. She cleared her throat of the abnormality.
Thalia sat up and rubbed her slightly red face. "We probably should find a source of water. I'm about to die of thirst here."
Annabeth silently agreed.
The girls began walking. "We should walk downhill. That's where we're most likely to find a small oasis." Annabeth said. They walked in silence. Idle chatter filled a small portion of it.
"I should not have thrown my sandals into the fire. My feet are blistered and burning already."
"I'm starting to get unbearably thirsty. Are we nearly there?"
"Don't start that, please. I've read manuscripts about annoying children sitting in the back seat of wagons asking that question over and over again, when the family is going on a long trip."
"I am not starting anything. I really am thirsty. Oh, look, is that_"
"No, I saw it too. It's just something called a mirage, formed when sunlight hits a surface and the heat waves are reflected, therefore creating a hallucination."
"I knew that, Thalia. I'm not an idiot. Wait_" Annabeth stopped abruptly. "Did you hear that?"
Thalia kept on, bouncing from foot to foot to minimise the burn on each bare sole. "I didn't hear anything, Annabeth. Here come the hallucinations…"
Annabeth frowned, but resumed her steady pace.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
She stopped again, sure she'd heard correctly this time. "Thalia, I'm sure I heard a suspicious_"
That's when an iron- like arm closed around her throat, cutting off her air supply. She crumpled to the ground, her vision going black.
Thalia, hearing the crunch of Annabeth's steps falter, twisted slightly, still bouncing from foot to foot. Seeing Annabeth curled on the ground, she raised her eyebrows.
"Hey, I know it's hot, and you're thirsty, but so am I, and that's no reason to_" Just then a hard fist came into contact with her nose and she let out a short scream. "What the_"
She was brutally kicked in the side. "Hey!" she shrieked. "Who the frigging hell do you think you are to_" That's when an iron- tipped boot hit her temple with the force of Percy's steel tipped arrow once flung from the taught bow string, hard enough to bury itself in a brick window sill.
Thalia didn't stand a chance. She was unconscious immediately.
Percy knew that Beckendorf was wrong. Just because he had a grudge, didn't mean he had to take it out on Annabeth. It was not directly her fault that the war had started, and Beckendorf's loved one was killed.
But still, Beckendorf was the leader, and Percy had to follow his instructions, even if he didn't like them. His loyalties didn't lie with two girls he had barely known for an hour.
As Percy and the group thundered back into the village, their horses dripping and slippery with sweat, foaming at the mouths, a mob of villagers tried to wheedle information (more like gossip, Percy thought) out of Beckendorf.
One of those people was Rachel Elizabeth Dare. "Rachel!" he called. Rachel, who was tailing on the back of the band of girls, made a point of putting up her nose, turning away from him and stalking off.
Percy mentally groaned. He should have known that she would be mad at his leaving without telling her.
Percy guided Blackjack into a stall, quickly brushed him down and returned all the gear into the right places, then practically tripped over himself trying to run to find Rachel before she hated him forever.
He glimpsed a flash of red in the crowd. His eyes strained to see further than the monstrous crowds that swarmed the markets.
He took off, ducking beneath tents, and pushing past people. He had to catch Rachel.
He didn't find her in the market square.
Percy slumped glumly. He made his way home, defeated.
"Hey, mum." He said dejectedly, slumping at the small granite table.
Sally Jackson wasn't too forgiving either. "I heard you took off with Beck and the group to put out a fire. Without telling me, nor any of your friends where you were going," Sally said calmly, placing her hands flat, palms down, on the table, her pretty face expressionless. Percy knew she meant business.
He didn't want any of it right now. "Not now, mum," Percy groaned, putting his head in his hands. "I'll listen to you later, but now, I really need to find Rachel. She's mad at me, and I have to apologise to her for leaving without permission, and I don't want to lose her friendship over something so silly_"
"That's all I needed to hear, idiot," and suddenly somebody was kissing Percy. He sat, frozen in his seat, before pushing the person away and saying, "MUM?"
Then he saw the red hair.
Of course. Of course Rachel would find refuge in his place. In the attic, where all the old crayons and charcoal sticks and papyrus papers were. Rachel would draw when she was upset, and the Jacksons' attic was the perfect place for a budding artist.
"Oh, Rachel," Percy said, fidgeting uncomfortably. He glanced around nervously for his mum. "Um, what are you doing?"
Rachel pulled back, a hurt expression in her emerald eyes. "Oh, I must have gotten the wrong impression. Do you not actually like me?"
Percy stared at her, his mouth agape. "Of course I like you. Of course I do. I like you." Percy mentally smacked himself. This was supposed to be the best moment of his life, and he was ruining it by being- oh, right. Himself.
"Then kiss me," Rachel said, staring at him. Silence. The two could hear Percy's mum bustling around in the kitchen, preparing lunch.
Percy blinked, then leaned forward. Their foreheads bumped, then their noses, and Percy partly fell off his chair, and Rachel's hair got tangled up in her mouth, and she had to spit it out, but eventually, their mouths touched and they both pulled away, smiling nervously.
"Um…" Percy said, still staring into Rachel's eyes. A faint pink came to his cheeks. Nothing like her flaming cherry red, though.
"Oh, um, am I interrupting anything?" Sally asked from the doorway. Both Percy and Rachel whirled towards the sound. Sally was holding a tray of cookies and three cups of non alcoholic apple cider. Their expressions were both so guilty and mortified that Sally laughed. "Why don't you stay for tea, Rachel?"
Percy and Rachel looked at each other. Percy cracked a smile and said, "Can she have a sleep over, too?"
"I think that will be absolutely fine. I'll leave you two alone, now." Sally winked once at Percy before exiting the room.
"So…" Rachel started. "What should we do now?"
Percy took her hand in his. "I have a pretty good idea…"
Please don't hate me. A cliffhanger with Annabeth and Thalia, a bit… okay, a lot of Prachel… honestly, this must be the worst chapter ever for you guys.
But, this is an important part of the story. Please continue to show your support and do not hesitate to share your opinion with me!
Don't forget to check out my stories, and I'm always open to receiving reviews!
Thanks for reading,
MashPotatoeSquishBanana
