Chapter 4: I take a cross country hound trip.
Rachel's school is this big red brick mansion that was turned into an academy by some tycoon in the 60s. The south grounds had tennis courts and a swimming pool, the east and west, forests and the north a huge stable and riding paddock. Rachel did not fit in here. I left Mrs O'Leary in the woods on the east of the main building and wandered through the gardens looking for a fountain or even better, our oracle.
My eyes landed on a small, but beautiful marble water feature surrounded by colourful flowerbeds. A girl with long black hair sat with her back towards me. I put on my hopeful face and walked up to her slowly.
"Excuse me," she turned around. "Do you know Rachel Elizabeth Dare?" Her warm brown eyes curiously looked me up and down.
"She's in my art class."
"Can you take me to her please?" She stood and motioned for me to follow. We walked back to the building in silence, as we passed the stables a flood of voices entered my head. I looked over to see the row of horses with their head bowed. I nodded back. The girl looking quizzically at me.
"What, I like horses." The girl sniggered. "I'm Percy." I held my hand out for her to shake.
"Lily." She didn't take my hand. We walked through a large wooden door leading into the main building, the high ceiling making me feel like I was in some sort of pit. "Art room's this way. Rachel's always hanging out in there."
She led the way through another door and into a small hallway and stopped. "It's last on the left." She nodded good bye and exited. They sure are friendly here. I continued down the hall and walked into the studio.
Large canvases filled the room. All four of the walls were covered in student work. Rachel was hunched over a table splattering paint over a piece of paper.
"Rachel." I tried to sound as cheery as I could. Her red head popped up revealing her freckly face and piercing green eyes, very fitting for the oracle I'd always thought.
"Percy!" I was tackled and almost hit the floor.
"Ughh… Nice to see you too." I groaned. She let go of my waist and placed her hands on my shoulders.
"You're not here to just say hi are you?" Her grin turned into a disappointed pout. I sat on the table and told her about the past two days. She was genuinely smiling as I told her about my date with Annabeth, maybe she really was happy for us.
"So I've got to go to camp and give a prophecy, why can't I just do it here?"
"Chiron's worried about you. I mean, it'll be you second prophecy. And the other oracle got well over 60 years to get used to it. He just wants you to be where he can help if anything goes wrong." She hesitated, obviously trying to figure out how she was supposed to get out of school. "We'll get you back in no more than a few days. Why don't you just call your dad..?" Rachel's face was void of any emotions.
"My dad, he doesn't know a thing, he still thinks that the only reason that I wanted to go home during the war was to see you." Her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink. "I can't just ring him up asking for a few days off school to deliver a prophecy so that my friend can go on another quest and risk his life again." Her breathing was heavy. She sat on a chair in front of me and put her head in her hands.
"It's okay. I'll IM Chiron; maybe he'll be able to pull some strings." I stood and pulled her up from her seat. "Let's go find a fountain."
Rachel took off her apron and hung it up on a hook as we left the room. The halls were filled with girls in uniforms the same as Rachel. The teachers eyed us quizzically with raised eyebrows.
Soon we were out in the gardens and at the same fountain where I'd met that Lily girl. I didn't bother looking round when I threw my Golden Drachma into the mist.
"O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow. Please accept my offering." I chanted into shimmering water. "Show me Chiron at Camp Half Blood." The image changed to show the veranda of the big house back at camp. Chiron and Mr. D were playing pinochle against two invisible players that Mr. D had conjured up. Annabeth and Nico stood against the railing chatting. My heart leapt into my throat when I saw her hair blowing in the gentle breeze. Gods, she's turned me into a sap. I must've made an audible gasp or something because Rachel looked over at me critically. Mr.D noticed the iris message and sighed.
"Oh look, Pierre's checked in with that little red headed friend of his." Chiron looked over his shoulder and grinned.
"Mr. D, I would expect you to be more respectful. Rachel is the first live oracle we've had at camp in 50 years. What is it my dear?" I figured that question was aimed at Rachel.
"Hello Chiron, Mr. D. It's just that my school won't just let me go for a few days, and well, Dad doesn't know about all this," she used her hands a lot as she talked, "so he can't exactly help. I was wondering if you could do something." Chiron scratched his chin.
"I'm sure I could do something. Why don't you go up to your dorm room and get some things for your short stay? I'll IM you when we get things straightened up with school." He smiled kindly as Annabeth turned around. I caught a lasting glimpse of her grin as Mr. D wiped away the iris message.
Rachel, perceptive as always, noticed my dreamy gaze.
"You're in way over your head." She teased in a sing song tone. She skipped a little ways of and waited for me. "So how are those driving lessons coming?" She asked me when I'd caught up with her.
"Meh. So-so." So up until we got an IM from Chiron saything that everything was cool with her school, Rachel and I talked about whatever came into our heads. Mainly how things were going with Annabeth. But it was still nice, like how it was before the war. It helped me relax a bit.
But not too much.
Soon enough Rachel and I were walking back to Mrs O'Leary. The trees scratched at our arms and faces. But we got back to the clearing where I'd left my hellhound fine.
Rachel walked upto Mrs O'Leary and gave her a scratch behind the ear. The hell hound's massive tail pounded on trees knocking down branches and making a mess around us. I jumped aboard our tank sized ride and lifted Rachel on behind me. Her thin arms wound around my waist for safety. I didn't feel anything towards the gesture other than my usual ache for Annabeth.
"Ready?" I asked over my shoulder.
"Ready." Rachel replied with uncertainty in her voice as she squeezed my waist harder.
We shot into the shadows and were covered in complete darkness. I felt the cold wind tearing at my skin. There was a sudden sunlight and we burst into the sword fighting arena in the middle of a lesson. A few of the new campers that hadn't really gotten used to mrs O'Leary yet dropped their weapons and hid behind the camp counsellors. They were so young, since the new oath for the gods to claim their kids before they turned 13 the gods had been claiming their younger kids too. Rachel slid off and went to stand by Chiron, who had trotted over to us. Annabeth stood on Chiron's other side with Nico. Her warm smile grew when she saw Rachel. I ran over to her and grabbed her hand. Placing my other arm around Nico's shoulder. He shrugged me off, the fun sponge. But I couldn't help but laugh, quietly to myself, at the look of mock disgust on his face.
I pulled Annabeth to the beach where we sat in the same spot that we had over three years ago watching the fireworks. Annabeth's head rested on my shoulder, her hair swept across my chest. I sat playing with a ringlet and talking with her until we heard the bell for dinner. Looking up at the sky I saw that that day had gone quicker than I'd hoped for. Sure, I was bound to go off on another quest, and sure Annabeth was most likely to be with me, but I wanted to spend as much time with her and my friends without the added pressure of monsters aattacking us every five minutes.
Back in the dining pavilion Annabeth went to sit with her brothers and sisters at the Athena table. While I went to mine on my own. Rachel sat at the main table with the camp directors Mr. D and Chiron. Our eyes met and she smiled at me gratefully. She always wanted to be part of my world, and now she was, she'd never let it go. I scraped a portion of my meal into the sacrificial flame in the centre of the dining area. I prayed to Dad for some help with the whole Ares dilemma.
After we finished eating Chironpounded his hoof against the marble floor and gained the attention of every camper.
"I'm very glad so say that we once again have the company of our dear oracle Rachel Elizabeth Dare." He gestured to Rachel, who's face was turning as red as her hair. "And that she will be staying with us for a few days. I am also glad to say that there will be a special sword fighting tournament tomorrow evening after dinner. If you wish to sign up there are rosters in the training arena and at the big house." He smiled down at us all like he always did in the way most teachers did and cantered back to his spot next to Mr. D at the main table.
The crowd filtered away to their evening activities while Annabeth and I sat at the directors table with Rachel.
"So what's happening next?" Annabeth turned to me.
"Ares said I would need to ask you what I'm supposed to do." I stood. "I guess I'll have to fetch Chrion if we're going to get a prophecy." The two girls nodded at me and continued with their conversation. I jogged off to find Chiron.
A/N: I thought I'd get this done before Christmas so I'd have a new chapter by the time I get back to school. Hope you've enjoyed the story so far. 3