As always, these characters do not belong to me.

Readers be advised: Sexual references

Chapter Twenty-One

Their horses were saddled and laden with supplies, their weapons cleaned and sharpened. Annabeth stood with Percy, Piper and Silena at the entrance gate, saying their goodbyes. Annabeth kept gripping at her wrist, alternating between threading her fingers around her token and the crinkled cryptic note she received the previous morning. She closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds, hoping the sender was still hidden precariously amongst their enemy.

"How long do you think it'll take you to get there?" Thalia asked Percy.

"Hard to say," he replied, glancing to his companions. "We'll get there as soon as we can, but we might be stretching it thin. You still enacting those defensive plans?"

Thalia nodded. "Let's hope they work."

"Two Athenians designed it for you, it'll work," Percy pointed out, then smiled, grasping her forearm.

"It's the numbers I'm more concerned about," she muttered.

"I've sent word to some of my contacts," said Reyna, coming across to say goodbye to Percy. "If they come, we'll have some promising numbers."

"If," Thalia repeated grumpily. "I hate not knowing." She faced Annabeth. "How does the armour fit?"

"Really well," Annabeth said in surprise, testing her movement for the dozenth time and still yet to find a flaw. "It's feels so light," she commented.

"Has to be," Thalia confirmed. "But don't let its weight deceive you. It will still protect your skin as well as any heavy armour."

"That may be," Silena started, gazing at her own armour with a wrinkled nose. "But does it really need to be so, constricting?"

"Don't mind her," Piper butted in, grinning. "She's just not used to wearing armour. Why didn't you bring yours?" she asked, rounding to Silena.

"I don't have armour," she grunted. "I'm a lover, not a fighter," she added primly.

Piper snorted with a shake of her head, getting up onto her horse. Silena and Annabeth followed suit, Percy murmuring something to Thalia before he too, leapt up and they departed the Hunter's compound. Despite a debated discussion on what route to take, they needed pace and efficiency, and as much as they wanted to remain anonymous, they knew that racing along the woven trails between towns was their best way at freeing Lady Artemis.

It had been several days of a constant, nagging worry for Annabeth before Malcolm had managed to get word back to them. The message, left for the scouts to find, had been coded and it took Annabeth an hour before she was able to decipher his warning. The number of cultist and bandits heading to the village had been staggering, so much so that Thalia ordered it to remain between them to keep the morale for dropping any further. However, she conceded they had been fortunate that the two Athenians had countered for that, so their set plan didn't need too much tweaking.

As for their missing friends, Malcolm confirmed they had been captured. He hadn't been able to get close enough to see their condition, but he assured them they were all still alive. Lady Artemis hadn't been with them and he hadn't found her location yet, but that didn't matter, not when Annabeth knew where she could be found. Maps had been poured over, memories had been plucked clean and finally a location had been deduced. With an inside man and allies waiting to be freed, the final key was to reach her before she was moved, before it was too late to thwart Octavian's plan.

Even by travelling through backroads frequented by the Hunters and close-knit villages for trading goods back and forth, the party tried to avoid passing through and stopping in the villages. Time was of the essence and they couldn't waste it finding places to stay and answering questions from curious villagers. That didn't stop most of the passers-by on the road from stopping and watching the party fly past, especially when they believed two Hunters were travelling with armoured strangers.

By the third day of hard travelling, they needed to stop and rest. It was Silena who suggested it, who believed that taking fatigued horses into thick forest was going to result in an injury causing misstep. They wanted to be swift, she understood that, but being swift had to also mean efficiency and running their mounts into the ground wasn't 'efficient'. Percy agreed with a sigh, signalling to Piper who was scouting ahead to find some sort of lodgings.

Annabeth was hurting. Her lack of recovery time was wearing hard on her body, but she kept it to herself, even if Piper and Percy kept eyeing her furtively from their saddles. And Percy wasn't fooling anyone by his decision that the horses were the only ones that needed rest. Silena too, for that matter, but Annabeth was grateful. Piper re-joined them, spotting a farmhouse not too far from their current position but off the road enough not to raise questions or easily ambushed. They approached at a cautious walk, Annabeth and Silena taking the lead in the hopes their armour would dispel any idea of bandits or rogue soldiers. It was clear to Annabeth once they were on the property that the house was empty.

Sharing a glance with Silena, the two of them slid from their saddles, Annabeth almost falling from shaky legs. Percy and Piper grabbed their reins, eyes searching the surrounding field, hands on weapons. Annabeth and Silena walked up the three steps to the front veranda, noting the once meticulous garden beds overgrown with weeds, overripe and rotting vegetables, and wild herbs. The door creaked as it was opened, a layer of dust wafting up to go with the dank smell that met their nostrils.

The house was a mess. Furniture was upturned, pillows destroyed with feathers coating the living room. Back windows had been smashed in with rocks, the few remaining shards left in the pane looking rather shaky. A drawing of what Annabeth thought was a couple was still hanging on the wall, but the picture had been slashed, making faces undiscernible. Silena signalled to the other two the house with a shrill whistle as Annabeth walked around the island bench, stomach dropping when she noticed the small pool of what she suspected was blood. Silena joined her there.

"What happened to them?" Silena asked in a hushed whisper.

"Bandits," Annabeth answered grimly, before stepping into what used to be the kitchen, towards the stain.

"Do you think they, the woman …"

Annabeth's expression gave Silena her answer, and she paled at the thought, looking slightly ill. Annabeth didn't enjoy thinking about the fate of the woman in the hands of bandits, but there was nothing they could do for her or whoever else she was living with. A quick inspection of the house revealed more damaged rooms and strewn items deemed useless to thieving eyes; but it was empty and would serve their needs for the night.

Silena, unable to stand the thought of the fate of the previous owners, began tidying up the once quaint home. Piper and Percy entered as Silena finished placing pots and the remaining whole plates and cups onto the intact shelves. They watched her clean and she stared at them, her expression was one of teary defiance, almost daring them to say what was on their mind. Instead they helped, Percy grabbing the remaining cutlery and handing them to her, while Piper found the broom and swept up the broken shards. Annabeth watched the family work silently together before she too, helped to tidy up their night lodgings.

With the threat of bandits roaming the area under the protection of Octavian's army, they decided to have a watcher on the outskirts of the property throughout the night. Annabeth volunteered for the first shift, if only to get out from the watchful eyes of her companions to stretch and massage out the knots in her muscles in solitude. The afternoon sun kept the chill at bay, and she basked in its falling rays as the surrounding forest and roads remained silent and empty.

She was relieved later in the night by Percy, who reached out and brushed his fingers against her arm, travelling them down to her hand as they passed each other. Annabeth glanced back, a frown of confusion on her face but he was already looking towards the road, the moment of affection passing. She continued to glance back to his moonlit, silhouetted outline, the grumbling of her stomach the only reason she did not return to his side. The girls had left Annabeth some broth to eat, already settled around the recently cleaned fireplace. The mood was sombre, each occupant lost in their thoughts. While their campfires were always marred by their task, the death of the household owners made their own deaths seem more probable.

Annabeth felt it. She wasn't as strong as she used to be. She was tiring quicker and that wasn't even when she was fighting for her life. She had been grappling with that self-doubt since the beginning of their journey, which was only fuelled by her companion's sidelong glances. Doubt killed soldiers. Arrows, swords and spears were mere tools; it was the soldier's doubt in their abilities that provided the opportunities to strike. If Annabeth were to survive, she needed to regain her confidence.

Having no desire to seep further into the darkened mood in the living room, Annabeth claimed the small spare room, quickly using the wash basin to clear some of the dirt and grime of hard travelling from her skin. She glanced down at her scar, tracing its smooth edges with her fingers. Could Arachne had foreseen this? If she couldn't execute death, then she would cripple an Athenian with their own self-doubt?

No, Annabeth was overthinking it. No one had survived Arachne's blade; none but her. And she would likely be the only one unless some other sadistic person had retrieved the foul knife from the Elite compound. She had to stop seeing herself as weakened. Sure, they were side-effects, but she would handle them, could handle them, and she would be better for it. She threw a shirt on, covering the scar from view, resolve settling in to dispel her doubt.

Laying on the mattress, Annabeth found herself staring up at the ceiling, too many thoughts preventing her from sleeping. Even with his assurances, she was desperately worried about Malcolm. She wanted him at her side, if only to distract her mind with strategy games or long-winded discussions she couldn't have with anyone else. She wasn't sure how long she had been lying there when a soft knock came upon her door, Percy entering when she answered.

"Is it my turn for watch?" she asked sleepily. She stifled a yawn as she rose to her feet.

"No," he said gruffly. Annabeth noticed a difference in his tone. "Piper's just gone out and then Silena is taking the graveyard shift so you can have some rest."

"Oh, okay good." Annabeth scrunched up her nose at how she sounded. His presence was disarming. She thought of their earlier interaction. What if it was his way of saying he was worried about her? "I'm fine, you know?" she told him "You and Piper don't need to keep tabs on me. Or check on me if that's what you're doing."

One side of his lips quirked. "What if I want to check on you?"

"Is that why you're here?" Annabeth asked. For some reason, her heartbeat quickened.

"It's one reason," he answered softly. He blew out a nervous breath, looking around the small room as if he were trying to steel himself to say his next words.

Why was her stomach fluttering? They hadn't really been together since the evening Silena had interrupted them. With everything that had been going on, it hadn't really been in the forefront of her mind; she definitely wasn't counting her dreams, even if they painted another, vivid, picture. Sure, there had been light kisses and the occasional hug, but they hadn't actively sort each other out to be alone together. Until now.

"I was thinking about the people that lived here while I was on watch. They were a young couple. I saw a photo of them in their room." He smiled wistfully at the wall near her face, before casting his eyes down. "I realised I want this. The house, the horses, the fields, all of it." He looked at her then, his beautiful green eyes full of intent. "I want this with you." Had Annabeth fallen asleep?

"I, I wasn't expecting it," he continued. "No, that's not it. I wasn't expecting you. I had thought I knew what love was, what it felt like and then I met you and, I realised, I had no idea."

It was not a dream. Annabeth was frozen, unable to do anything but stare at him. At the person that had changed her life so completely, that continued to change her life, just by being with her. He had shown her what true feelings could be like, what true loyalty and friendship was. He had shown her what it was to truly give your heart to someone and have it accepted and nurtured and healed. He did all that for her. She couldn't recall the moment when she had given her heart to him, only that she had. That scared her; scared and enlivened her.

He smiled nervously, running a hand through his hair. "This was, I, uh, this was silly, I'm sorry." He started rambling as he made his way sheepishly towards the door. "I'll leave you to get some rest. I don't know what I was thinking, forget I came in."

"Wait," Annabeth called out softly.

Percy paused, turning back to face her, their gazes meeting as she walked towards him. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but at the same time, she knew exactly what she was doing. With slow but steady movements, she brought her hands up to his face, feeling the contours under her fingertips, tracing every inch of his face. She focused on her hands, of the feeling of him as his eyes closed with her. Her hands drifted down, tugging his shirt up and over his head.

She had seen him bare chested plenty of times before, but this was different because she was the one to pull his shirt over his broad shoulders. She was the one to touch his bare skin. She was the one to see every scar and trace it. She was the one to drift her hands up his strong arms, across his back, his ribs, taking her time to trace his body before resting her hand on his chest, feeling the erratic thumping of his heart. She met his gaze through her eyelashes, his expression taking her breath away. She managed a soft, fluttery gulp of air before she grabbed Percy's wrist, guiding his hand to the hem of her shirt.

Her skin tingled as Percy finger's glided across her body, memorising everything about her. Annabeth found herself trying to control her breathing from his touch, her heart already fluttering wildly in her chest. His fingers traced the scar at her stomach and his eyes crumpled ever so slightly. She placed a hand on his cheek, letting him know it was okay, she was okay. He cupped her face in gentle hands, the tenderness returning. He dipped his head, placing his lips against her collarbone. Annabeth sighed, encouraging him to explore her body with his lips. His kisses moved to her neck, his hands floating up her back, which she mimicked with light caresses, causing his skin to erupt in small goose bumps with each caress. His kisses rose to her jawline, her head turning to accommodate his lingering kisses before he eventually found her lips.

Their kisses were unhurried, solidifying what they both knew to be true but never voiced. Gently tugging at his hips, Annabeth pulled him towards the bed, never breaking their kiss as their pants joined their shirts. Percy paused in his kisses once they found the mattress, his eyes taking everything in as he hovered above her. She reached up, tracing his cheek with her fingers. She memorised his face in that moment, the tender look in his eyes, the way his lips parted just that tiny bit; she had never seen something so beautiful that she could claim as hers. For he was hers, and she was his. He dipped his head, and a searing kiss had both of them falling.

Moonlight streamed through the broken window where the second half of the curtain would have been, bathing the lovers in its light. Percy and Annabeth faced each other, their bodies close but not touching, simply staring at each other. Annabeth had never felt so relaxed, so safe with another person. She had never given in to the simple pleasure of touching someone else, to feel the sparks of their life against the palm of her hand or the pads of her fingertips, to feel something missing if she wasn't touching them.

"Do the burn scars bother you?" he asked her softly.

"Hmm?" Annabeth hadn't realised where her fingers were swirling lazily was on the shoulder blade that held the scar. "No, they don't," she said, smiling softly. "And I would be a hypocrite if I was to say scars bothered me." Percy grinned. "I am curious though. Just how heroic and selfless were you when you got them?"

Percy scoffed but tilted his head up to stare thoughtfully at the ceiling. "There was a village," he began, his fingers gently running up and down her arm. "Small. Probably not worth the time to visit for most travellers. They were being terrorised by their own town guard. They would take most of their supplies, hoarding it for themselves or to sell for a profit in an abandoned mansion overlooking the ocean. The townsfolk were on their last rations when I came across them.

"They had no way to pay me, but I couldn't let them starve. So, I snuck up to that mansion and began to smuggle the hoarded supplies out. Some of the food had already gone off, but that didn't matter to the soldiers, not when they had other commodities they could sell for a profit elsewhere. I managed to smuggle most of the unspoilt food out when I was caught.

"A scuffle ensued," he said quietly, his voice slightly strained. "One of the guards ran in to help his friends, but he dropped the torch he was holding next to a leaking barrel of ale." Percy's jaw clenched. "We all stopped and watched as the flames hit the ale, racing towards the other barrels and then there was this wave of heat, followed by the noise.

"I was standing next to one of the windows when everything exploded. The force knocked me out of the house and tumbling over the cliff into the water. I had flinched from it, you see, and my shoulder copped the brunt of the explosion. As soon as I hit the water, it doused the flames, but I was already burnt and injured. I must have made my way onto some debris and floated with the current: that part is a bit hazy," he added.

"I wound up at an even smaller fishing village, who thankfully had a woman who used to be a healer in one of the major cities. She patched me up as best she could, but the burn was already too blistered and scarred when they found me."

"And the townspeople?"

Percy smiled at her tone. "The few patrolmen that had seen me died in the explosion, so many of the others thought it had been a drunken freak accident by the others. They lost interest in hoarding after that and their people had their livelihoods again. Though they never did see the mercenary again. He's just a tale they tell their children from what I hear."

Annabeth laughed, her fingers tracing the scar again. "Percy the Selfless, that's what they should call you," she said jokingly.

His lips quirked briefly before becoming serious. "I'm selfish," he said quietly. "When it comes to you." Annabeth's smile dropped from her face. "No matter what happens, I will always choose you," he admitted.

Dangerous. Those were dangerous words, but Percy knew that. He knew tying himself emotionally to one person, especially when they were about to fight for their lives, was both a strength and a weakness. Annabeth placed her hand against his cheek, feeling the exact same. She loved all her friends dearly, but she loved him, this impossible, often irritating man, more. He kissed her, shifting to fuse their bodies together once more as their kiss deepened.

Annabeth woke in a daze. Taking a few seconds to register why, she glanced around the room, settling on Percy's sleeping figure at her side. She couldn't help the smile that came to her face as she watched him, his back rising and falling, his face turned in her direction with his arm outstretched and nestled across her ribs. She didn't know if sleeping on his stomach was altogether comfortable, but he appeared to be content. He looked younger, strands of his fringe falling over his eyes. She brushed them away, smiling as he sighed happily at her touch.

Trying not to disturb him, she shuffled under his hold, almost getting out before his arm tightened, pulling her back down.

"Stay," he grunted sleepily. His eyes were still closed but she knew he was very aware of where she was.

She smiled, leaning back over and kissed his cheek. "You can sleep for a few more minutes. I didn't mean to wake you."

She ran her fingers through his hair affectionally, and he hummed lightly in response. She turned to leave, again, but Percy was quicker, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her back against him. She smiled again, this time a little wearily though he couldn't see it.

"Perce …" she said, her tone a little exasperated.

"They won't notice," he murmured against her ear. "Only a few more minutes."

He kissed her ear lobe, trailing little kisses down her neck. He held her securely against his chest and she couldn't help but tilt her head, giving him better access to place his kisses. She knew she should be leaving, but he was very good at being distracting. His lips made their way across the back of her shoulder, sending shivers down her body. While he continued to kiss her, his fingers tracing across her ribs was lightly making circles on her skin, before they started to drift down her body, past her stomach, reaching her bellybutton, continuing their downward path.

Her heart started to beat faster, her breath catching. He was too good at this, she thought distantly. And she was too vulnerable to his seduction.

"I have to go. Percy… Perce … I need to … bathroom," she admitted quickly and breathlessly. "I need the bathroom."

His kisses paused, as did his roaming fingers. She almost whimpered when he released her, his breath escaping in a huff as he laid back down on the mattress. She took a couple of breaths before turning back to give him an apologetic smile. He looked a little dispirited but they both knew he couldn't really stay mad at her. He looked at her, a tender smile hovering on his lips. She leant back over, brushing his hair away from his face (she really needed to control that urge!), leaving her hand on his cheek.

It was just too tempting, she thought as she brought her lips to his. He was just too kissable. Or maybe she was just lovesick. She had planned on it being just a peck, a sort of, 'sorry I need to attend to physical needs' type of kiss but again, he had other intentions, and she allowed him to deepen it. His fingers brushed her cheekbones, threading their way through her hair as their kisses grew in passion. She pulled away before he could intoxicate her, her heart hammering against her chest.

"Nice try," she said, glad to hear her voice was steady. He grinned but said nothing.

She felt his eyes watch her intently from his position on the bed as she gathered her clothes and moved across the room. As she closed the door behind her, she blew out a deep breath, debating where she needed to take a cool bath as well to douse her raging hormones. The best she could do was splash her face several times, taking her time to fix her armour before joining the Piper and Silena, trying to keep nonchalant.

Percy entered the living room a few minutes later, appearing as if nothing had happened, yawning and scratching at the back of his head as he casually took a seat beside Annabeth. She was very keenly aware of his presence, and the space between them. Even though he sat closer than he normally did, it felt like a mile. She sighed lightly into her bowl, needing to stop being so blinded by him. They didn't linger long, leaving the abandoned house behind as they entered the forest, Percy scouting ahead; maybe he needed space to re-focus as well.

"How was your night on watch?" Silena asked Piper an hour or two into their slow trek through the trees. Her tone was too light and cheery, causing Annabeth's suspicions to rise. She had also deliberately dropped back with Piper so they were walking next to each other.

"It was fine, but I heard this strange moaning all night," Piper answered. She turned to Annabeth, a sly grin fluttering on her face. "Did you hear anything Annabeth? It was near your bedroom."

Annabeth felt her face heat as she tried desperately to keep her face expressionless. "No, I didn't."

"Huh? How odd," she commented, looking confused.

"You know, I thought I heard something too," Silena added, not bothering to hide her smirk. "It was almost like, I don't know, thumping. You wouldn't know about that, would you Annabeth?"

"What's it going to take to make you stop?" Annabeth asked, knowing her face was aflame. The two girls laughed.

"Don't take it the wrong way, we're happy for you and Percy," Piper assured her, smiling.

"Yeah," Silena agreed. "I mean, it took you two long enough. I was getting tired of pushing you two together. You're both as stubborn as rocks."

"The real question is," Piper added slyly, after a minute or two of silence. "What did he say to finally convince you to sleep with him?"

"Maybe he didn't say anything," Silena suggested. "He does have that strange habit of whipping his shirt off whenever he feels like it. Maybe he just stripped off?" Annabeth wanted to know how this conversation could end and quickly.

"True," Piper agreed. "He isn't the most eloquent with words. "Maybe he just said, 'let's get to it'?" Annabeth really wanted to find a hole to crawl in.

"Annabeth wouldn't settle for that, surely," Silena tsked. "He would've had to been dashing. Doesn't really sound like him, does it?" Annabeth decided that she didn't need friends. Being alone was so much better.

"What about a smouldering look?" Piper said with a snap of her fingers. "I bet that was it!"

Annabeth whistled to Percy, urging her horse forward to meet him as Silena and Piper giggled loudly. Percy hurried back, noting the crimson blush on her cheeks as she moved in front of him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, half concern, half wary.

"My turn to scout," was all she said as hurried to avoid any further suggestive remarks.

"What did you say to her?" he demanded to Piper and Silena as they continued to chuckle.

Annabeth remained ahead for the rest of the day. The further along they trekked, she began to notice slight traces of disturbances in the otherwise wild forest, dashing any further thoughts of embarrassment and relationships. Scuffs of mud, a broken branch and even an old fire pit. She followed the trail, her hand resting on her knife hilt, eyes always searching … and then she found it. The place in her dream that led her to the whereabouts of Lady Artemis, potentially giving them a chance to stop the war before it even started.

And it was empty. She waited for the others to catch up and while Silena held the reins of their horses, the three inspected the campsite. The signs of a recent occupancy were obvious, and it appeared they had been camped there for a long time. Annabeth tried not to start the 'what if's' in her mind, instead thinking ahead to what they could do next.

"They can't have left too long ago," Piper remarked, crouched by the coals of a fire. "A few hours at most. The tracks lead off in that direction."

"A direct route to the Hunter's village," Silena confirmed, moving in with the horses in tow. "Do you think if we had decided to do the same, we could've intercepted them?"

Percy shook his head. "We couldn't risk colliding with the entire army and being captured," Percy commented, gazing first at the tracks, then in the direction they were leading. "We have to catch up," he told the others, his eyes going to each of them. "We could wait for next light, but …"

"I'll track," Piper offered, moving ahead into the trees.

Annabeth shared a look with Percy before nodding, heading towards Silena for her horse. Piper was a shadow in front of them as she moved swiftly ahead, her footfalls light and silent. Annabeth marvelled at her speed on foot, while the others tried to keep the movements of their mounts as quiet as possible. Darkness fell, but Piper continued on, able to see the tracks with only the moonlight to guide her. It made Annabeth a little envious. She was good, but even she had her limits.

The moon was high in the sky when they caught the first sight of flames. They slowed, slipping from their saddles as quietly as they could, creeping forward to join Piper behind a large tree. Annabeth surveyed the camp, counting the bandits that were drunkenly stumbling along ahead of them, every few steps aiming lewd gestures towards a heavily secured prisoner that was being carted along. Piper indicted there was a dozen in the prisoner escort, with two scouting at the head of the party. Percy gestured his plan and the two women nodded, getting into position behind the moving party as he scurried ahead.

Annabeth was itching for a fight but even with the advantage of skill, stealth was the key. Her and Piper crept to the back of the party, to the stragglers who were supposed to be defending the backs of their comrades but were merely struggling to keep up with the escort. Annabeth pulled the knife from her boot, silencing the one on the left while Piper took the one of the right. They left them lying on the ground, sneaking forward to the next two and executing them in a similar fashion.

Despite their silent footfalls and careful avoidance of the torch bearers, they were discovered, a surprise and rallying cry echoing around the escort. Percy exploded from the shadows, taking the two in front when they turned. Annabeth drew her knife, Piper her sword and they weaved around the bandits, who struggled under the ambush and were soon overrun.

Annabeth faced off against one of the remaining bandits, who screamed as she swung wildly at her. Annabeth backpedalled with each swing, avoiding the arc of the spear, waiting for her opening. Then she stumbled, having to dart to the side as the bandit lunged forward for the kill. The bandit wedged her spear into the soft ground and Annabeth pounced, finishing her quickly.

As the bandit slumped, Annabeth took a step away and her leg gave way, causing her to collapse to her knees. She grunted as she hit the ground, rolling back on her haunches in surprise. She was panting, her hands fluttering oddly. She had assumed the sensation was from the adrenaline, but she was stunned to realise it was fatigue.

"You okay?" Piper asked, helping her to her feet.

"Yeah," Annabeth said distractedly. "Yeah, I'm fine," she repeated.

Piper's gaze dropped, taking note of Annabeth's shaking hands, which she clenched into fists and dropped to her side. The two didn't speak of it further as they joined Percy, who had met up with Silena at the cart. Annabeth could feel Piper watching her as Lady Artemis was cut free, but she tried to ignore it, clenching and unclenching her fists until they felt normal.

Lady Artemis, at first glance, appeared to be a child. Her statue was small, but it was clear the way she held herself that she was no child. Her auburn hair had come loose and framed her pixie-like features, her silver silk-like shirt torn and dirtied in several places, as was her pants and boots. It was clear she did not get captured easily, with several bruises in varying stages of healing that covered her face attesting to that fact.

Lady Artemis golden eyes were wary as she took in her rescuers. "You wear my Hunter's armour, and yet, you are not one of them," she stated.

Annabeth shifted ever so slightly, readying herself in case she needed to defend her and Silena. This action did not go unnoticed by the Huntress. Suspicion flared in her eyes, unsure if she could trust her rescuers or if it was an elaborate ruse.

"Your eyes," she said to Annabeth, her suspicion shifting to contemplation. "Athenian?" Annabeth nodded. "Daughter?" Annabeth nodded again. Lady Artemis relaxed a little. "He's after you. That fanatical heretic who enslaved me here."

"We know," Annabeth confessed. "I'm the one he thinks has the Crystal."

Lady Artemis' eyes widened, but Percy stepped in before she could reply. "My Lady, we were sent by Thalia. We need your help if we are to defeat Octavian and his army and save your people that he marches upon. We had hoped by freeing you, we may prevent the oncoming battle."

"He's a fool if thinks he can breach our walls," she stated vehemently. "You are the son of the pirate," she deduced when she focused on him. Percy shifted uncomfortably. "This fight is inevitable. Has been since the moment he declared himself a false God."

The four of them looked at each other, knowing she was right even if it was hard to hear. Freeing Lady Artemis was an advantage to them but once the marching began, the battle was going to happen. They needed to hope the defensive plans had been set in time.

"You said Thalia sent you," Lady Artemis continued. "Where's Zoë?"

"We aren't entirely sure, but we know she was captured in search for you," he replied. "You haven't seen any other prisoners?"

Lady Artemis' nostrils flared in anger. "He kept me locked away from all but the handful you have slain. Wretched, drunken fools. They were most aggrieved by the fanatic's orders to leave me untouched. They believed they should enjoy the spoils." Her expression soured further. "They compromised with vulgar taunts and gestures. I only wish you had freed me earlier so I could exact my own vengeance upon them."

"Did they say why you were captured?" Piper asked.

"There were planning on bringing me to some ritual," Lady Artemis answered. "I was to be the centre piece. We were about a day behind the army if what I overheard was correct."

"Is there any chance we could get around them?" Silena asked, though she didn't sound hopeful.

"Not if their number are as big as Malcolm described," Piper answered. "And going through them isn't an option."

"Unless …" Annabeth murmured to herself, ignoring the others as they discussed other plans. She glanced towards Lady Artemis, then to the strewn bodies around them. Malcolm came to mind, as did the other prisoners they still needed to rescue.

"You have my help, mercenary," Annabeth heard Lady Artemis answer Percy's question. "But I am afraid I have no means of fighting. They took my bow," she added, almost as angrily as she was when discussing her captors.

"You can have mine," Silena offered. "I'm not a very good shot."

"No," Annabeth stated, causing them all to pause. "At least, not yet. I have an idea."