I can't believe I'm actually updating instead of doing homework... though I probably shouldn't be too surprised :)

Dec. 25

Dear Diary,

First off, Merry Christmas! Second, Audrey woke up at around 12:30 last night and demanded that I got some sleep. I was happy to oblige, and fell asleep, planning on sending a dream-message to my brother, Percy. I tried. I really tried. But I couldn't get anything through. It makes me wonder if that one I sent- was it only four days ago?- had even been real. But I didn't have time to worry about it because at around six in the morning Audrey was shaking me, telling me to get up. I may or may not have hit her in the face by accident, and I may or may not have given her the finger on purpose when she dragged me out of the sleeping bag.

Anyways, we packed up, which involved me mumbling (very reluctantly) "Thalia is the best", pocketing the tent-cloth and putting out the smoldering remains of the fire with a snap of my fingers, with caused a ball of water to drop on it, which may or may not have soaked Audrey, though it was definitely not on purpose. *cough, yeah right, cough*

Audrey motioned me to step right next to her. I did so reluctantly, seeing that she was still wet. She grabbed my arm with a bit more force than necessary and twisted. With a small pop came the feeling of being squeezed through a rubber tube a little too small for us. With another pop, we landed in a grassy field. On my right was a busy highway, and on the left was Oakland.

I whistled. "Holy Zeus. I'd hate to admit it, but your apparating shenanigans are actually kinda impressive. We're already really near Camp Jupiter."

"Good to know," Audrey slurred before collapsing and starting to snore even louder than last night.

"What the Hades?" I muttered under my breath. "Couldn't you wait five more frickin' minutes to pass out?" I hauled her up and started carrying her to the general direction of Camp Jupiter, through Berkley Hills. Within ten minutes I was panting and sweating. Despite her diminutive size and slim form, Audrey was quite heavy.

I'm afraid I wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings. I had almost walked through the Lare before I realized he was there.

He muttered a curse in Latin that I understood enough to catch the gist of and the meaning of which I will definitely not share.

"Salve, Lare of Rome," I greeted him formally, though I really really wanted to swear back at him. But Lares are very formal people? Undead people? and they could hold grudges for millennia. And I didn't want this one to hate me since I desperately needed to get to Camp Jupiter, and Audrey definitely wasn't getting lighter.

"Salve, O stranger," he replied, somewhat grudgingly. "You speak Latin well, though your aura is not Roman."

"Thank you. I will tell you the truth. I am not a Roman. But this demigod here," I nudged Audrey, who was starting to stir, "is a Roman child of Trivia. She has recently helped me escape from the emperor Commodus and hating his household, she came with me."

That hit a nerve with the Lare. "Very well. Come with me." he led me through the hills and after a little, we met a large grey wolf. By this time, Audrey was well enough to walk by herself.

"Good luck, stranger," the Lare muttered to us before disappearing.

The wolf flicked its' ears expectantly. I could read enough of Wolf, from being in the Hunters of Artemis (Did I not tell you that we have wolves? Yeah, we do. In fact, Rachel has three) to figure out that it wasn't feeling very nice, and that if we didn't impress it, she would have us for dinner. (Yeah. It was a she.)

I cocked me head to one side, asking a question. In reply, the wolf turned and trotted off into the semi-darkness.

"That is freaky," Audrey whispered to me.

I shrugged. "It's quite the intricate language and society. Just one hint, when we meet Lupa, act strong. I don't care if you bluff, but act strong. Lupa doesn't tolerate weakness in her pack."

Audrey nodded, looking quite nervous. "How do you know so much though? I mean, it's not like you ever joined Camp Jupiter."

"Well, at Camp Half-Blood, there's quite a bit of gossip going around all the time, and if you can sort out the myth from the real stuff, you can get a lot of information."

We continued on in silence, following the soft smudge of grey that was the wolf. Finally, she stopped and let out a call, a long, mournful sound, echoing around the hills. More wolves appeared, grey smudges in a darker canvas of night. Last, came Lupa. The Alpha. The leader. She sniffed the air and stepped daintily into the clearing we were standing in.

Her body language indicated a challenge, a test. So when she looked at me, I caught her gaze and held it. A minute later, she gave a small, but slightly impressed, flick of her tail. Lupa turned, walking slowly, indicated we were to follow.

Suddenly, she turned, teeth bared. The other wolves in the pack did the same. Instantly, Audrey had her sword out, and I had my bow loaded. Honestly, if the wolves had decided to attack, I don't know what I would have done, seeing that Lupa was technically a goddess, and that rule all demigods learn; don't piss off any god in any shape form or size.

Fortunately, it seemed like it was just another test. "Don't lower your guard," I whispered to Audrey.

"Just figured that out?" she hissed back, though with a teasing tone.

"You know what? Just hope that Lupa doesn't deem us unworthy and either kick us out or kill us."

"Good idea."

So, that's the chappie! You know the drill. Like, comment, and subscribe for more reading material!

Good Hunting!

~Hunter of Artemis 01