Chapter 8: Hunting the Truth
Hunter encampment: Franconia Notch state Park; Vermont
"Percy you can't just . . ." Artemis' lieutenant said to the empty patch of air that had been Percy's face until a second ago. She fumed silently, Percy was right. She did know that Percy wouldn't have called her unless he was seriously worried. In some ways though that just made the situation worse. Percy was a friend, one of her closest, but he was also male. That caused two problems. Firstly was that if she didn't aid Percy and find out what was going on it could result, not only in the end of their friendship, but also in Annabeth's death assuming Percy wasn't exaggerating. On the other hand she had her own duties. She couldn't just abandon her sisters and rush off to help someone she shouldn't even be in contact with. Then she thought of the look in Percy's eyes.
Pure desperation.
"Phoebe you're in charge" she said getting to her feet and retrieving her quiver from next to the tent.
"What?" exclaimed the Hunter in question "you're not seriously going to help that . . . that boy are you?" An angry clamour of female voices suggested that the other Hunters were of the same opinion.
"Shut up!" Thalia yelled above the noise, instantly everyone was silent. Thalia snapped her fingers and her wolf, Midnight, immediately woke and sprinted to its place at her side. "That boy has saved my life more than once. If it weren't for him and Annabeth I'd still be a Pine tree at the top of Half-Blood Hill right now."
She dismantled her tent as she spoke "Don't question me sister! At least not in this matter, it is as much about honour as friendship."
Phoebe looked like she was about to argue but appeared to change her mind and dropped her gaze. "Yes Thalia." "Thank you. I shall return as soon as possible." Then she turned and raced away into the trees beyond the warm glow of the Hunter's campfire.
As she ran she considered everything that Percy had done since they had met; reviving her, saving Olympus twice, fighting and killing Giants and perhaps most impressive falling into the ancient abyss and escaping alive. The only other boy she knew that came even close to Percy in bravery and skill was her brother Jason. So what could possibly have happened that left him, not only asking for her help, but scared and desperate? She redoubled her speed, dashing straight for the state line. The only way she would find out was to get to camp Half-Blood as quickly as possible.
Camp Half-Blood: Evening
Thalia reached camp Half-Blood's boundary line as the Conch horn blew summoning the campers to the dining pavilion for dinner.
Perfect she thought that'll just make it easier for me to get to Percy's cabin unseen.
Turning to Midnight she said "Go now; wait for me at the edge of the forest. Hunt if you need to but stay out of sight and be ready to come when I call." The wolf flicked her ears in agreement then turned and dashed away into the trees. Thalia watched her go then turned her attention back to the camp below her as the last few campers in the valley below entered the dining pavilion. Quickly and silently, constantly aware of any potential latecomers that might spot her she made her way down onto the communal green. Luckily she met no-one and was soon outside cabin three. Thinking perhaps that Percy was still inside waiting she knocked lightly on the door but when there was no response she pushed it and it swung open without resistance. A quick search proved that the cabin was empty so she sat down on a bunk to wait.
The minutes snailed by as she sat waiting for dinner to end, she would have loved to get some food herself having travelled from Vermont to Long island without pausing to rest but Percy had asked her to stay hidden. She unslung her quiver and set it next to her. Absently she began fiddling with Aegis around her wrist, she didn't realise what she was doing until she accidentally caused it to spring to full form nearly whacking her in the chest. After that she just sat staring out of the window at the Long Island Sound not far off. About ten minutes later the cabin door banged open again and Percy rushed in slamming and bolting it behind him. He glanced around the room before running around the cabin shutting every window and drawing every blind.
Wow she thought as he did so he really doesn't want to give the game away. This must be bad.
"Thalia" Percy said whilst still moving around the cabin "I'm glad you're here so early it'll give me a chance to explain what I couldn't earlier".
"You had better" Thalia keep her voice calm, she was tired and irritable but for Percy's sake she tried not to sound it "I left my sisters in the middle of a forest in Vermont to rush here".
Percy had already sat down opposite her on the bunk. He told her about everything that occurred over the course of the past few days. As he talked pulled Riptide from pocket, he didn't uncap it but he waved the pen around, gesturing with it as he spoke. She learned everything from Jacob's arrival at camp to Annabeth's sudden strange behaviour, lying to his face and shirking her camp duties. This in particular shocked Thalia, Annabeth was likely the most responsible and dependable Demigod in the world. She would never let her camp duties slip unless whatever she was mixed up in was so monumental it consumed all her time. Finally Percy told of how he had tried to follow Annabeth when she had been sneaking out of camp only to lose her in the darkness. He barely paused for breath throughout the entire tale and when he finally finished he was panting as if he'd just run for his life from a swarm of angry Cyclopes. Thalia still couldn't believe what she was hearing.
After a long pause and several deep, shuddering breaths Percy said "And that's why I'm asking for you help because I can't do this without your Hunter's ability to track."
She didn't respond for a long time, her brain considering the information and trying to think what could cause such turmoil between her two best friends.
What does it matter? She asked herself Annabeth's in trouble and the only male you are even close to liking needs your help. Less thinking more action!
She picked up her quiver and slung it across her back.
"Ok Percy where are we going?"
Percy seemed to relax; he heaved a sigh of relief "for the moment nowhere. The campfire just started and that's set to last at least two hours. You should probably catch a nap before then, you look like crap. "
"Oh thanks a lot Jackson" she growled but she unslung her quiver for the second time and sank back gratefully on one of several bunks in the cabin that were never occupied. The moment she closed her eyes she passed out, sliding into a black and dreamless sleep.
Then Percy shook her awake "The campfire's over, Chiron just dismissed everyone. We need to move soon."
Thalia got up and shouldered her quiver moving with Percy to the door of Cabin 3. They waited there until the last of the campers had entered their cabins then Percy turned to her again.
"Ok she usually leaves about an hour after lights out. If she follows the same pattern she'll cross into the woods opposite the Demeter cabin. You should probably wait there for her, but don't let her see you."
She scowled at him "Are you telling me how to do my job Jackson?"
Percy raised his hands "No, no I just . . ."
She punched him in the shoulder; a slight electrical current caused the son of the sea's hair to stand up on end.
"Relax Percy I know you're only trying to help. Don't worry, I'll find out what Annabeth's problem is and then we'll sort it out ok?"
He didn't answer with words. Instead he nodded and pushed open the door. Casually he stepped forward and leant against the door frame but he did so leaving just enough room for Thalia to squeeze past him and vault onto the low roof of the cabin where she could watch for movement. She heard the door below her shut as Percy went back inside.
A few more seconds passed, when she didn't spot any curfew patrols or slow campers she jumped from the roof of the Poseidon cabin and wrapped her arms around one of the marble columns that adorned her father's cabin. She shimmied up onto the roof and from there it was easy to hop to cabin two and then four where she took cover in a small patch of sunflowers that for some reason were sprouting on the cabin's roof. There she waited for Annabeth to appear. If she were a normal demigod this would have been murder on her ADHD brain but she had learned the when hunting, patience was just as much a valuable tool as speed or skill with a bow. The call for lights out came and went, so did the curfew patrol but Thalia didn't move a muscle even though her legs began to cramp. The last thing she wanted was for the plants to move at the wrong moment and give her position away before the hunt even began.
Then at last Annabeth appeared from cabin six moving fast and keeping low to avoid being seen.
Had circumstances been different Thalia thought briefly she would have made a great Huntress.
Just as Percy had said Annabeth moved to almost directly below where Thalia hid and peered around before moving into the trees flicking on a torch as she went. Thalia waited until the distance between them was great enough then vaulted down from the roof of cabin four and sprinted across the grass to the tree line. Instead of following from ground level as Percy had done she took a flying leap at about ten feet and caught hold of one of the tree's lower hanging branches. She began to leap from tree to tree following Annabeth's light from almost directly above with feline grace and a speed that no mortal and few animals could match. Eventually they reached the limestone cliff where Annabeth stopped apparently to catch her breath and Thalia dropped silently to the ground where crouched waiting to see where Annabeth would go next.
"Come on" she muttered to herself "Where are you going?"
As if in answer Annabeth turned and began to walk Parallel with the cliff. Thalia remembered that it was here where Percy had lost her so she took out a small crystal whistle and blew on it. It didn't make a sound audible to mortals or demigod but it would bring midnight running the moment she heard it. Sure enough as Thalia continued on after the Blonde a silver wolf slipped silently out of the undergrowth and fell into step next to her.
They didn't stop again until Annabeth swept her torch over a pile of fallen boulders that had formed a ramp. Thalia's knew before she even started to ascend that Annabeth had been using this as a means to secretly enter and leave camp.
Whatever's going on is not innocent. Otherwise who ever has a hold over Annabeth wouldn't need her to leave unnoticed.
She waited for her friend to ascend to the top of the slope then followed. When she reached the top she was looking out over the summit of a rise, in front of her trees and undergrowth ran down the hill to a road winding off into the distance. Annabeth was picking her way down the slope making her way towards the road.
Uh-oh, if she gets in a car we're going to be hard pressed to keep up.
As if her thoughts was some sort of mental cue a pair of headlights cut through the darkness illuminating all before them. Thalia stopped moving and pressed herself as low to the ground as she could whilst still being able to see all that was happening. As she watched Annabeth turned her head toward the light, unconcerned, and smiled as an odd violet Lamborghini roared up the road and screeched to a halt right in front of her. The Aventador's driver door slid up and a figure emerged. This must be the creep who had Annabeth! Thalia drew her weapon and was about to put some silver between the bastard's eyes when he stepped around the bonnet into the illumination of the headlights, and Thalia froze.
There, his Roman cloak rippling in the breeze, stood Luke Castellan.
Now we're getting to the good part! I'll try to get the rest of the chapters up as quickly as I can but working around inordinate amounts of A2 coursework isn't easy.
Please comment and review. I want to know if you like it and feedback is always helpful!
Hope you enjoyed it!
