— II. THALIA & ATALANTA: HUNTRESS(ES) —

Thalia knew fuck all where she was or what she was doing.

Artemis had sent her off on a hunt alone —which was fine, honestly, she'd done so several times before— but this time she hadn't been given any instruction about who she was supposed to be looking for. All she'd gotten was "You're looking for a friend."

Adore Lady Artemis as she did, that was the most useless bit of instruction Thalia had ever been given. No, instead of a direction, or a name, or —gods forbid!— a description, she'd been ditched in the middle of nowhere in some Canadian forest.

Thalia wasn't Canadian. Thalia did not know where anything was in Canada. Thalia had no fucking clue where to go from here. So she did what she could: hunted down food, made a fire, and sat to eat dinner while she figured out the best way to hunt for the "friend" Artemis requested.

Since she had nothing to go off of, she'd likely just have to hunt around for anyone else living in this forest. Actually, what were the chances that the "friend" was a hunter? A woman, too? Thalia was fairly certain she could bet on that confidently… which meant she was likely hunting for someone who knew how to hunt. Who might find her first. Well, Artemis had said "friend."

"I don't see many huntresses out this far." a voice called from the treeline.

Thalia reacted on instinct, smacking her bracelet to make Aegis appear, and triggering the mace canister that concealed her spear. She turned to face the source of the sound, shield ready and spear tucked close defensively.

The mystery voice laughed, and the speaker stepped forward, into the shadows at the edge of Thalia's campsite. They were —surprise, surprise— a woman, with a spear resting over one shoulder and a bow strapped at her waist. She hadn't pulled either, though she looked unconcerned as she watched Thalia.

"Who are you?" Thalia asked suspiciously.

"Atalanta," the woman offered, leaning against her spear with a relaxed grin.

"You mean, the bear chick?" Thalia asked unthinkingly, before backtracking, "I mean, you, uh, slew the Ca… ly…—" fuck what was it "—Calydonian! boar. And you were raised by bears. You had Lady Artemis' blessing!"

Atalanta laughed as she stepped into the ring of firelight, sitting when Thalia relaxed, resetting her weapons and sitting down herself, "Aye, I am the bear chick as you put it. What are you doing here, Huntress?" she asked. "So far from our Lady and the rest of her Hunt."

"Lady Artemis sent me to look for a friend," Thalia explained. "Though she didn't give me any other details. Given you've showed up…" she trailed off with a little shrug.

"Ah, Lady Artemis looking for me? After all this time?" Atalanta sounded unbothered and relaxed, accepting the meat Thalia offered her.

"Yeah," Thalia hesitated, "...do you want her to be looking for you? I don't actually know your story all that well. It wasn't one that I was taught."

Atalanta hummed thoughtfully, "Lady Artemis turned me and my husband into lions, back when it was believed lions could only mate with leopards," she grinned at Thalia, who looked somewhat pained, "'Jokes on her' I believe is the phrase. She was upset, I think, that I chose to leave her service. Hippomenes…" she sighed.

"Your husband?"

"Aye. When my father decided I was to marry, I demanded that my husband only be chosen by footrace. If I was the victor, I would slay the man. If the man was the victor, I would marry him." Atalanta had a fond smile, "Hippomenes was… terribly sweet. A terrible runner, though, he had to ask Lady Aphrodite for assistance and decided to throw golden apples at my feet to distract me."

Atalanta grinned again at Thalia, "I let him win."

Thalia blinked, "Why? He's a man—"

The older huntress laughed, "But a kind one. I didn't want to kill him. I… was never interested in marriage, and it was never the most fulfilling part of my life, but I do not regret my time spent with Hippomenes. He was kind, and he treated me justly. Perhaps, in another life, given choice, I would have spent that time only as friends." She shrugged, "but we married. Now, tell me, lady hunter, why did Artemis ask you to find me?"

"I have no idea," Thalia admitted, "she just said I was looking for a friend."

"Useful," Atalanta said drily, "come, sister, why don't we hunt together?"

Thalia thought for a moment before grinning, "I think I'd like that."

— next: III. NICO & ORPHEUS: DEATH —