Author's Note:

French translations will be at the A/N after the chapter!

Cheers!

justapercyjacksonfan

Chapter 4

Thalia and Jess ducked out of the tent, leaving Ian and the Lynks with Reyna. She stood up, sighing.

"Alright. Follow me, I'm finding someone to take care of you."

She exited, followed closely by Jo, who began speaking to her just quietly enough that Caleb couldn't quite hear. Reyna's eyes flickered with understanding, and the two started conversing, over what, Caleb didn't know. He fell into step with Ian, giving the girls enough space that it wouldn't seem as though they were trying to eavesdrop.

"So what do you think of the Hunters?" the son of Dionysus asked

"They're...confrontational I guess. Abrasive? I don't have a great feeling about them, Ian, but it's not like we can do anything about it."

He nodded. "Same." they shuffled along in silence for a few seconds. Caleb felt like he should get along with Ian; that this was someone he would be good friends with. But there was a very obvious barrier between them. Between all of them, really. They were supposed to save the world, and they couldn't make it a day without bickering. He was snapped away from his wonderings when Ian began speaking again.

"Caleb, what did you do?"

"What?"

"Like, when Bri was leaving and you told her to wait? What was that? She called it ice in your words or something."

"I have no idea."

"Well….if you do find out, you can tell me, you know that right?"

Caleb wasn't sure what to make of that. If he found out what it was, of course he would share it with the group. The thought slapped him into a thousand more. Would he have though? He barely knew these people, why would he need to tell them anything? What he did was none of their business - except for maybe his sister. Did he trust them? No. He didn't. Maybe Jo, but not with a big secret, she wasn't very good about not blabbing. And he wouldn't ever tell Bri, or Ian, or...Jess something like that. But why not? If it helped them save the world, wasn't the risk worth the - this time he was shaken out of his thoughts when he ran into someone. Namely, Reyna.

"Gah!" she turned around, quick as a cat, and steadied him as he stumbled, without even losing her balance. "Careful!"

Jo's smirked at him, "Une fille à la fois, Caleb."

He felt his cheeks burning at the slight, even if no one else understood it. "Je te tuerai plus tard, Josephine."

The smirk didn't disappear from her face, even if she did pink slightly at her full name. "Low blow, frére."

Reyna huffed. "I don't know what that was about, but this is Peggy and Lottie. They'll be supplying you with some camping gear, seeing as it's clear that none of you have any idea what you're doing. Lottie, would you give Jo a hand with Apollo stuff? And sorry Peggy, but that leaves you with these two. Just don't kill or maim. Diana wants them to get the information they need, and then we can get rid of them."

The two girls shrugged. Both were dressed in typical hunter fashion, but one had golden hair of the exact same shade as Jo's tied back in a ponytail, while the other had her raven locks twisted into a crown braid. The first shrugged, and yawned. "Yeah sure, Reyna. What're you doing?"

"Keeping Thalia in line. And maybe helping her brainstorm where the...nevermind. Point is, I gotta run."

To prove her point, she jogged away, and toward the other end of camp where Jess and Thalia were clearing arguing over something.

"Right. I'm Margaret, and this is Charlotte, but I wouldn't recommend calling us that unless you want to see what some Victorian ladies can do." The dark haired girl said.

"Ian, and this is Caleb and Jo."

"Charmed." Lottie waved her hand dismissively. "Apollo stuff?"

"Oh..um, yeah, Reyna said you could help me learn how to use them - my Apollo abilities, I mean."

She shrugged. "Makes you my little sister then. What's the problem?"

Caleb saw his sister's eyes brighten as she began asking Lottie about the best way to heal people, and for tips on archery. Not for the first time, he started getting angry. Angry that she might actually choose the Hunters over him. And for that, he would wring the neck of every single immortal maiden if it stopped her from leaving him. Starting with the one glaring at him right now.

Apparently, Peggy's stare was making Ian uncomfortable too. "What?" he asked

She stiffened. "What do you mean? I haven't done anything."

"What are you glaring at us for?"

Lottie leaned away from Jo, and into the conversation for a moment. "My cousin has never quite forgiven your gender for the standards they held in Victorian era England. You'll have to excuse her. Zeus knows I haven't been able to change her ways in a century and a half."

"Right. Well, if you'll excuse us, I'm going to take a walk. Caleb, want to come?"

Caleb nodded. "Uh...yeah. Sure."

They began walking into the woods, trying to ignore the hundred and fifty year-old girl in a thirteen year old body that followed them. Ian tried to make small talk, but it quickly fell apart from the cold chill in the air. Maybe he was just nervous, but Caleb felt as though there were a noise that he couldn't quite detect. Like it was just on the edge of his consciousness. It felt like a growl that was a hair too low to actually hear.

"Do you hear that?" he muttered to Ian, but at the same moment, Ian turned around to address the hunter.

"Okay, I left so you wouldn't have to deal with us, why are you following?"

"Reyna asked me to watch you." The disgust was clear in her tone. "And if Reyna asks me to do something, I do it. I owe her a favor."

"We can take care of ourselves, for Hade's sake-"

Ian sputtered to a stop. He clearly heard the sound too, as it became louder. "Is that a-"

Peggy froze. "Oh, that's not good. Get back to camp, now. We need Artemis to take care of it, if it's what I think it is."

"She left for Olympus." Caleb blurted out.

"Oh gods. Run back to camp, and tell Thalia that-"

The growl suddenly pierced the air as it turned into a roar, and an enormous lion burst into sight, tackling the huntress.

As she grappled for her life against the beast, trying to avoid it's maw, she managed to yell. "Tell Thalia it's Nemean Lion! Go!"

Author's Note:

Une fille à la fois = One girl at a time

Je te tuerai plus tard = I'll kill you later

Frére = brother

To Guest (commented on Part 2: Chapter 3) Thank you! I had to make the OGs old for two reasons - 1 . Because it makes them more impressive to have survived so long, and 2 . Because if they were younger, they could help way more. And I just really like making things difficult for my OCs. I'm mean like that.

That's all from me! See y'all next week

justapercyjacksonfan