I awoke the next morning to a cold, wet nose nuzzling me awake. I opened my eyes and Philana was nudging my face. We must get moving. Said a voice in my head.
"Philana?" I asked, "Was that you?"
Yes. Her voice filled my mind; We share an empathy link now.
"Like Percy Jackson and Grover?" I asked, citing the most famous (and only) pair I knew of.
Hmm… No, more like Percy Jackson and his flying horse. She said. I vaguely remembered seeing the only black Pegasus in the stables.
"Right." I said, "I'll get the others up." I walked over to where the boys were sleeping, but there was only one lump. I kicked it.
He snapped up. "Woah!" Orion said, "Don't do that!"
"Sorry, but we have to move. Where's Will?"
Orion looked around. "I don't know…"
"We have to look for him!" I exclaimed.
No, said Philana, It's no use. He's been abducted.
"By who? And how do you know?" I asked.
I don't know. One of the gods, I know that for sure. Her scent is everywhere.
"Who are you talking to?" Orion asked.
"Philana." I answered.
"Philana?"
"That's The Hind's name. I named her. It means friend."
"So you're talking to the animal." He said. Philana stamped the ground.
"I can talk to her. We formed an empathy-link type thing." I explained, "And I named her Philana, because she was so friendly."
"Right. I'm sorry, Philana."
Apology accepted. I translated.
"Right. Well, we had better get moving. Philana, if you would please lead the way." I proposed.
Of course. And she started on her way.
"So how do you know where the Amazons are?" I asked.
It's an internal censor. I can feel their presence getting closer or further, like a game of Hot or Cold. She told me.
"That's really cool. So how are we going to get the belt from them? If it's such a sacred object, I doubt they're just going to hand it over." I said.
On the contrary, young adventurer, she said, they aren't stupid. They will give you the belt if you say that the gods have sent you. You could point out the heat, too.
"Hmm… it seems really easy. There's gotta be a catch." I said, wary of any schemes.
Yes, it seems there always is some kind of inconvenience you adventurers have a knack for getting yourselves into.
I laughed. "Are we getting close?" I asked.
Very, she replied, in fact-
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Screamed a chorus of women. My feet were soon ensnared and hoisted up above my head, and Orion and I were dangling upside-down from our feet 5 feet above the earth.
"Who goes there?!" Shouted an angry woman, coming out of the bushes. A horde of other women followed, bows at the ready.