Cora: We Play Capture The Flag
Last night I had stormed out of the Big House. Yeah, real mature, but I knew in my heart there was no other camp! So I was angry. I was veering towards to woods – again. But the horn for dinner sounded. I didn't feel like facing everyone. Instead I noticed an old, nearly dead tree with limbs bending to nearly touch the earth. I jogged over to it, and hoisted myself up onto one of the thick lower branches.
I curled up in a ball there, letting tears fall from my eyes. I was absolutely miserable. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts leave me. For most of the night I heard music, voices, and laughter. Eventually it fell silently. I opened my eyes, the moon was nearly overhead. The creamy, silvery light bathed my face; it made me feel like I was almost glowing myself.
I dropped down from the tree and ran as silently as I could back to cabin 11. I slipped inside quietly and kneeled by my borrowed sleeping bag; I found a plate of food. There was a note next to it, it read:
Cora, Percy explained you were upset. We got some food for you so you don't go hungry. Hope you feel better soon. Conner & Travis.
Gods, what had Percy told them? I sighed; quickly and quietly I ate the food they left for me. Then I climbed into the sleeping bag. Sleep came slowly, but eventually it did.
The next day, no one asked me where I had been. Thankfully, everyone treated me like any other camper. Hunter tried coming up to me but I ignored him and kept away. I didn't want to talk to him.
Chiron still believed that I was from another camp. So he had me do more 'specialized' activities. Such as metalwork, art, and so forth. I guess I did okay, for the most part, but my heart or mind wasn't really in it. I was spaced out most of the time.
Right after dinner Chiron announced: "Campers! Tonight is Capture the Flag! Cabin 3 currently holds the laurel!" Every camper but the Ares cabin cheered. Percy was grinning like a maniac. I realized that his cabin was cabin 3.
Chiron continued. "The Athena and Poseidon cabins are leading the blue team. Ares is leading the red team! Blue team in the west woods, red team in the east woods! The creek is the boundary line! I will serve as referee and battle field medic! Please no maiming and killing! Now, Heroes, arm yourselves!" He raised his hands and the tables were covered in armour and weapons.
Everyone started suiting up. I didn't bother; I had my own shield and sword. I'd be fine on my own.
Turning to Conner and Travis I asked. "Uh, which team are we on?"
"Blue team of course," Conner said.
"We always go with Percy and Annabeth," Travis added.
When everyone was ready we split up and followed Percy and Annabeth into the woods. The red team didn't look so easy, with the Ares and Hephaestus cabins; as well that Jason guy, that kind of worried me, he seemed like he could rival Percy in a fight. As we entered the woods I noticed the Hebe cabin was with us. Oh gods, I'd have to talk and get along with those four now. I really wasn't ready to deal with them yet.
We all stopped somewhat close to a giant pile of rocks . . . and I think poop . . .. When we got there Annabeth and Percy started giving orders. They sent about half of the campers on border patrol. Including the Hermes cabin. I was about to follow when Annabeth called me back.
"Cora wait, I have a special task for you," She told me. I groaned inwardly. I walked over, and stood silently while they finished instructing everyone else. About thirty or forty campers were left with me, Annabeth, and Percy.
"Okay guys, this is the plan," Annabeth said. "All of you except for Marise and Alex will be splitting into two main groups. These groups are our main strike forces. One group will head around the right flank, the other the left. You'll distract as many red's as you can. Go, and wait for our signal."
Everyone went off, except the two Annabeth had named. I realized that one was the Alex girl I had met yesterday.
"You two are going to guard the flag," Percy told the guards.
"Where are you putting the flag?" Alex asked looking around and smiling a little too much.
"We're just about to figure that out," Percy replied. "We have to place it somewhere they wouldn't expect it; they have Jason and Leo working together." I didn't get how that would make things too different.
"Ever think of sticking it up in a tree?" I muttered to myself, blurting out the first thing that popped into my mind.
"What?" Annabeth asked staring at me.
"Nothing."
"You said something, what was it?"
I sighed, "I was just thinking out loud. I wondered why you don't just hang it in a tree where no one can get to it easily and it's partly concealed." Annabeth considered the idea.
"That's actually a good idea. But how do we get it in a tree? We can't fly," she mused. I got an idea.
"Pass it to me," I said. Everyone looked at me strangely for a moment. Then Percy handed it to me. I took it and looked at the surrounding trees.
When I saw one with high branched yet sturdy and reachable and visible limbs, I backed up a few paces from it. I sprinted forward and at the last second jump onto the side of the tree. I walked up the side a few steps then grabbed a branch and pulled myself onto it. Using the other branches I climbed up a little higher. I draped the flag over a solid branch and scrambled back down. When on the lowest branch I dropped to the ground, landing in a crouch.
They all looked at me; hey, I'm agile. I gave a half glare.
"Great job. Now, you are going to get the red teams flag," Annabeth said. I stared at her.
"What?" I asked. She had to be joking.
"You are getting their flag. You're going to go through the trees," she explained.
"What do you mean? – Did Chiron tell you about yesterday?"
Annabeth smiled secretly and gave a slight nodded. "Okay, you go in the trees and get to the flag by climbing through them. Me and Percy will be nearby in them too; probably going a little slower. That way we can distract them if they spot you. You then return to our side of the creek with the flag. Got it?"
I nodded, glad the Demeter cabin was on our team. She had come up with this plan with me in mind.
We climbed into the trees. I was in front. Annabeth was behind to my right. Percy was on the other side. Chiron sounded the call and the game began. Percy gave our team the signal; a high shrill bird call. I darted forward.
I stepped from branch to branch as quietly as I could. I heard cries and the clash of metal below me. After a minute of running (if you can call it that) I crossed the border. I saw the cabin patrol fight off some reds. Thankfully they didn't notice me.
I kept going. The forest was silent beneath me, not even a monster. A few minutes later I found the red teams flag. It was on a tall rotting tree stump. The guards weren't looking. Carefully I lowered myself so I was sitting on a low-hanging branch.
Hooking my legs on the branch, I lowered myself upside down. Within a moment I was hanging upside down directly above the flag. I hoped they didn't notice my hair, it was falling around my head like a bright cloud. I stretched out my hand. Slowly I grasped the flag and started inching it upwards into my hands. Once I had it I curled myself upright.
Balancing carefully I swung my legs onto the branch, stood up, and started walking back towards my team's side. I was only a few yards away when I heard shouts on the ground behind me. I knew that they found their flag stolen.
I started running as fast as I could while keeping quiet. A yell from the ground and campers were swarming underneath me, which meant they had seen me. Or the trees moving . . .
I kept going, the flag squished into a bundle in my left hand to keep it out of the way. A TWANG! sound came from somewhere. I felt an arrow whizz behind me right by my face; just missing me. The close momentum from the arrow threw me off balance. I teetered for a moment on the branch, and then fell forward.
Immediately I reached out and grabbed a smaller branch. Using my momentum I swung forward, one-handed, and landed on the ground. How did I do that? I didn't have time to figure it out. A couple campers looking for me were startled, and then they charged me.
Quick as lightning I whipped out my dagger and parried their swords. I heard more coming; I had to get out of here! Dodging the campers attacking me and slipping my dagger away, I sprinted towards the nearest tree. I jumped onto the trunk, and then bounced right off to another. Landing higher I pulled myself onto another branch like a monkey. Still running towards the creek I noticed almost the entire red team was trying to get me down. Thankfully one of the people not there was Jason - because I had heard he could fly.
Campers shot arrows, threw javelins, and basically did everything they could to get back their flag. I avoided them all with ease. I felt great, this was so much fun! I was running at top speed, for being in trees. I glanced down, I saw some blue team campers holding back the red team.
I saw the creek up ahead of me. But a majority Ares cabin was down there; including Clarisse with her electric spear. I saw that the span between the trees on this side were too far from the trees on the other side. There was a free fall straight into the creek and Ares cabin. Not something I liked the sound of.
When I got to the edge of the trees, I don't know what came over me.
Without thinking, I leapt. I felt a tug in my gut. Very faint, but at that moment, the water in the creek surged up; creating a giant mountain of water, halfway across the creek. I was falling, but not into the creek or Ares cabin, onto the water. The water felt solid. I balanced on the ball of my foot for a second; then jumped off and landed on my team's side in a crouch.
The team exploded into cheers. Percy and Annabeth - as well as Jason who I guess they had been fighting - dropped down beside me, they looked confused. Everyone else was grinning and cheering. The flag in my hands burst into colour.
It was no longer the gaudy red flag; but a bright patchwork of colour. Small squares of different colours with symbols. Chiron appeared in front of me, with a curious expression. Then suddenly everyone gasped. All of them were staring at me like I had dropped from space. I didn't understand what they were looking at.
I felt a tingling above my scalp, and unless I was hallucinating, a green glow. Looking up, I saw a shimmering green trident, swirling with energy. I gaped open mouth at it. The entire camp was speechless. Slowly it faded away. Chiron folded his front legs and knelt. Everyone followed his cue.
"Hail Cora, Daughter of Poseidon."
I was in shock that it meant my father had claimed me. In shock that I knew who he was. It also meant I would be moving into a cabin . . . with Percy. I had found my father.