There was some sort of issue when I posted the last chapter, not sure what! It's working now though! ^_^


"What do you think it is?"

"Bird."

"That big?"

"I don't know." Louisa shrugged. "But those are bird feet."

"Those aren't though." Arnie pointed. They had found a series of tracks in the mud, after last night's sleet. Some of them were bird-like, with three toes at the front and one at the back. The others were unmistakably hoofprints. The only thing that confused them was how they were set out- this was clearly one creature. "It's a bird-horse?"

"I've met a mermaid-horse."

"See, that's a hippocampus. I know that one. The only bird-horse I know are pegasi, and they don't have bird feet." He poked one of the bird prints, frowning. "Maybe a hippogriff?" Louisa shrugged again- he kept coming out with names and words she didn't know and, if it carried on, he was going to end up buried in the mud. "Hippogriffs tend to be a bit smaller though. And I've not heard of any around these parts, they're normally up north."

"How come you know so many?"

"Mom taught me." He half-smiled. "My bedtime stories were myths, gods and monsters."

"Stephanie used to read the Gingerbread Man. We liked that one."

"At the home?"

"Yeah." Arnie nodded. Louisa appreciated that. Talking about the home just made her miss it all that much more. "Should we follow them?"

"And get eaten?"

"Well, if it's part-horse, I can talk to it."

"And what if it tells you it wants to eat us?"

"Um… I'll ask it not to?" She hunched her shoulders.

"Don't see anything wrong with that." Arnie nodded, putting his hands on his knees to stand. "Alright, let's go find a bird-horse."

The tracks led them across a field, around the base of a hill, over a partially-frozen river and into yet another field ringed with trees and shrubs. In the middle of the muddy, otherwise empty field, the tracks just stopped. They became erratic towards the end, stomping over each other, slipping through the mud and criss-crossing in haste. And there were more tracks here too- two lines side by side, that wriggled and weaved around, zeroing in the bird-horse's tracks from seven different directions.

Arnie leaned down to inspect the madness. "Weird." He remarked. "Any ideas, horse girl?"

"No."

"Surprising." He smirked. Louisa kicked him in the butt and he fell face-first into the mud. He spat out a gobbet, plonking his chin in the sodden dirt. "Rude."

A whinny came from their left, distant at first but then taking on clarity. Arnie had to pry himself free from the mud, making sure to wipe some on Louisa's face as payback. The whinny came again. "Where is it?" He asked, looking across the field. Louisa turned her gaze skyward- bird-horse- and there it was.

The front half was a tan horse with a red-brown mane. The rest of it was the reds and yellows of a chicken- hind legs, wings and tail. "I thought chickens couldn't fly?" Arnie breathed. Louisa gave an 'I-don't-know' noise, watching the creature's descent. It landed a short distance away, trotting to meet them. The blend from fur to feathers was seamless, and all the autumn hues of its chicken traits were oddly mesmerising.

It huffed air into Louisa's face, snuffling at her hair. You! It brightened. You can help me! You are a child of the sea!

"I am." Louisa confirmed miserably. "What's wrong?"

They took my eggs! Horrid she-demons, they took my eggs!

"She-demons?"

"You are talking to the horse-chicken, right?" Arnie interjected. The horse-chicken snorted at him, her eyes blazing with fury.

I am a hippalectryon! She protested. And my eggs are in danger!

"She's a- hippo- hippa- say it again?" Louisa requested. The mare obliged, albeit impatiently. It took Louisa a few (a dozen) attempts to get it right. "I'm gonna call you Cluck." She decided. "Who took your eggs? And where?"

They went that way. Cluck snorted in the direction of the treelines she had flown over. I tried to fight them, but they outmatched me. Her ears lay flat, bowing her head. Louisa petted her snout. I sensed you were nearby and I came for your help. Will you help me? Please?

"Course. Arnie?"

"I'm only hearing half of this conversation, but I'm in, whatever it is." He grinned. Cluck huffed at them gratefully, a hopeful smile lighting her eyes. She stooped so they could climb on her back. "Is this safe?" Arnie whispered. Cluck snorted.

"Yes." Louisa smirked. "But she says if you doubt her again, she can and will tip you off."

"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am."


Flying on a chicken-horse was… an experience. It wasn't the most comfortable experience, but it did beat being eaten by a giant snake or swarmed by gorilla-stinky Cyclopes.

Cluck soared over the field, beating her wings. Louisa held onto her mane. Arnie held onto Louisa.

"I take it back, please tip me off." He whimpered. Louisa glanced over her shoulder, seeing his eyes squeezed shut.

"Are… are you scared?"

"I like being on the ground."

Not far, Cluck promised, waiting for Louisa to translate, just hang on.

The treeline extended into an orchard and then fell away to more farmland. Cluck looked to her left, sniffing the air. A terrified ripple passed through her body, feathers bristling in alarm. She careened to the left- Arnie yelped and squashed Louisa's internal organs- and dived. She was heading for a barn, or behind it where a large pile of broken wood and a beaten up old tractor sat.

A hole had been made in the middle of the dumping pile, about fifteen feet in diameter. A fire danced away in the centre. Louisa saw the eggs, sitting to one side. She recognised the seven creatures swarming the fire, licking their lips and rubbing their hands together, eagerly awaiting their dinner.

"I know them." She said.

"Know who?" Arnie squeaked, eyes still closed.

The seven snake-ladies looked up as Cluck came in for a hard landing. Louisa shoved Arnie's arms away, jumping from her back before she landed, sword in hand. Arnie was not so fortunate, panicking that she had disappeared. When Cluck landed with a solid thump, he was dislodged and fell backwards off the chicken end. "Ow." He groaned.

"You hold that ssssword much better now." Two smiled. She held her own weapon, her sisters drawing theirs too.

"No." Louisa said as they inched forward for a fight. "I said I was sorry the last time. We just came for the eggs."

"That'sssss our dinner." Number Four hissed. "You can't have it."

Those are my babies! Cluck stomped her hoof, spreading her wings defiantly.

"You want thesssse eggsssss sssso badly, daughter of Neptune, you musssst fight ussss for them." That was Six. She leered at them. Arnie finally picked himself up, spitting out a clump of tail feathers. He was even muddier now.

"What's going on?" He asked belatedly. "Oh. Snake-women. Hello." He dusted himself down fruitlessly, retrieving his dagger.

"I said I was sorry." Louisa insisted.

"Apologiessss mean nothing from a demigod." Seven spat. "You tricked our ssssissster into helping you? You killed all of ussss? You will pay."

"I'm sorry, you did what now?" Arnie quizzed, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. Louisa didn't get a chance to answer- Cluck had thrown herself into the fray, stomping Number Three into dust.

My babies, my babies! She protested, kicking Five in the stomach. Arnie charged in. Louisa startled, running forward instinctively- she couldn't let them fight alone. Arnie ducked and spun under Four's blade, stabbing his own in the gap between her helmet and breastplate. Louisa tackled Six, slamming her into the mud. The snake-woman's armour helped Louisa more than it did its owner, weighing her down. Six hissed and struggled to free herself, but her sword arm swung wildly. Louisa twisted her sword, deflecting the frantic weapon and swinging downward. Yellow ashes soaked into the mud.

A scream behind her, Louisa dodged to the right. Number One rushed past her, the edge of her blade cutting the air where Louisa's head had been. The snake-woman gaped at her. Louisa swung her sword upwards and One's arm came off. Her grip tightened on the hilt as One screeched in agony, clutching the stump. Arnie sprinted past them, Numbers Two and Seven hot on his heels, hissing threateningly, brandishing their weapons. He had lost his dagger.

Louisa cut One down without thinking and hopped through the burst of monster dust. Seven turned around too late, Louisa's sword ramming into her face.

"NO!" Two screamed. She rounded on her old pupil, but too slowly. Louisa had her at sword point.

"I didn't want to do this." Louisa told her quietly, voice trembling. "But you can't have those eggs." She glanced past Two, Arnie a few yards behind her. He had doubled over, hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"Apologiesss from demigodssss mean nothing." Two spat. "You did not hesssitate to kill ussss again." Cluck was fussing over her eggs, snuffling the shells, checking for damages. She whinnied to Louisa, tossing her mane. Two yelled, a knife jumping into her hand. Louisa lurched backwards, narrowly avoiding a blade up her nose. She parried, sword-on-knife. Two snarled and strained against her. "All demigodssss are the ssssame."

"You started this by stealin' them eggs." Louisa countered. Two lashed out with her free hand. Louisa's jaw throbbed in pain, bright spots dancing through her vision as she reeled. She raised her sword blindly, deflecting the knife at the last second. "'N' I'm not letting you hurt my friends." Two bared her fangs, shoving her weight against the crossed blades. Louisa staggered backwards, her foot slipping on something on the floor. She landed on her back, lucky not to cut herself with her own sword. A flash of gold beneath her sneaker, Arnie inhaled sharply.

"Your father will not sssave you thissss time." Two sneered, raising her knife overhead. Louisa grit her teeth. She drew back her knee, sliding the golden dagger towards her. Arnie hopped into view, grabbing at the air- gimme gimme. Two didn't notice, eyes blazing with fury.

Louisa kicked the dagger away, right past Two. Arnie shot forward, snatching it up from the ground as he ran. With a shout, he swung his arm round, plunging the dagger into the side of Two's neck.

Her eyes widened in shock. Her knife fell from her grip, landing between Louisa's feet. She could not speak, her lips forming a silent 'no'. Arnie yanked his weapon free and Two crumbled.

Louisa stared at the pile of ashes, hands shaking. Her sword slipped from her grasp, she curled her hands to her chest, not bearing to see their state.

"Lou?" Arnie crouched beside her, gripping her shoulder. "It's OK. We got the eggs back. Lou?" Cluck ventured over, pushing her snout into Louisa's face in inspection. Louisa wheezed, blinking hard as her eyes burned. "Whoa, what-? What's wrong? Lou? Cluck, we have to-" Louisa didn't hear the rest of the sentence, a high pitched ringing swallowing all other sounds. She was distantly aware of Cluck picking her up by the scruff of her jacket, saw Arnie nestling an egg in his backpack and then cradling the other two in his arms. She closed her eyes, the world blurring around her as she began to cry.