Four plane tickets bought in a small town called Naples were all that it took to get them back to New York. It was surreal, considering the Black Pearl and all the trouble they had taken to make sure it didn't, you know, sink; they could just call Will's mom and have her pay for tickets and viola! four seats on a northbound plane.
Everyone else on the flight looked like tourists who seemed disgruntled about leaving the hot climes and sandy beaches behind. Oenone didn't seem to know, care, or even acknowledge the plane. She had fallen into a silent, blank look and her eyes seemed darker than usual. The naiad had gotten her hands on Star-shooter and the quiver and would not let them go. Perseus's wallet had disappeared with Robin since it had been in his pocket at the time. Will had taken charge of the Palladium.
The only time Oenone demonstrated her godly powers were when she helped them get through security with all their weapons. After that - well, it was like she shut down. She did not speak unless spoken to and gazed out the window morosely. One time, Andy thought she could hear the nymph humming something and when she listened closely, she recognized Robin's little minuet.
Their trip back to camp was so uneventful, it seemed like something of the world - the most dangerous part that made monsters (the workings of poets) real - had died with Robin. Only, he isn't dead, Andy kept telling herself.
When they walked into camp at last, it was strange to see people who smiled to see them. No, it was just strange to see people smiling.
"Will! Will's back!" one of Will's half-sisters ran up and gave him a huge, tackling hug. He struggled to return the hug and protect the Palladium from getting crushed.
"Where were you?" Annabeth demanded, running up. She still looked terrible, so Andy guessed that Percy wasn't back yet. Jason, Piper, and Leo were, though, and they came up after Annabeth. Andy could see Chiron galloping across the strawberry fields.
"Will! By the gods, we were worried," the centaur smiled, clapping Will on the back.
"I've been in Florida," Will told him. "I think my dad sent me there to help out." He held up his arm and showed them the bracelet. Annabeth looked at it and then looked at Andy and Nasim.
"Where's - ?" she began but two girls flew between them. Literally flew.
"Nasim! How'd it go?" Sabrina asked, touching down with a little bump. Lou landed flawlessly and hugged Nasim, ruffling his hair.
"I don't think we've been introduced," Chiron told Oenone politely as the siblings reunited. "I'm Chiron."
"Oenone, of Ida," the naiad said. "Robin told me the world had changed since I knew it, but I never guessed how much. How long has your camp been here?"
"Over one hundred years," Chiron said. "But - "
"Where's Robin?" Leo asked.
Everyone fell silent at once and turned towards the four of them - Andy and Nasim, Will and Oenone.
"He's gone," Oenone answered. "The Earth took him."
The shock registered with nearly everyone, which was pretty amazing considering that Robin had spent about two days at camp. The Palladium was taken up to the Big House by Will and Chiron, Oenone said she wanted to be left alone and headed off toward the lake, Sabrina and Lou took charge of Nasim, and Andy was pretty much left in a rapidly dispersing crowd.
"We shouldn't let her go off by herself," Annabeth told Andy.
"Why?" Andy asked, feeling numb. Her head was filled with a strange buzzing noise that she was pretty sure sleep would eliminate, but she wasn't sure she could sleep.
"Robin said something about... naiads drowning themselves," Annabeth said. "Plus, I kind of know how she feels."
Andy guessed that Annabeth did know, because she'd lost Luke and then Percy. Oenone had lost Paris and now Robin. The two girls headed off toward the lake.
Oenone was sitting on the dock and the naiads from the lake had risen to the surface. One of them had extended a mottled-green hand out of the water and taken Oenone's hand.
"The water is so dirty now," the water nymph sniffed. "My fountain was as blue as a robin's egg. At it's source it ran clear and pure. This water is green, or brown, or grey."
Annabeth knelt by the naiad's side and put an arm around her. The girl leant into her side, bright silvery hair falling over Annabeth's shoulder. She met Andy's brown eyes with her dark blue ones.
"I'm afraid the green wood might die if Robin isn't there," Oenone said. "Ida is gone; if the forest is gone too, I have no home."
"You can live here," Annabeth offered immediately.
"That is very kind," the naiad said, her thumb rubbing along the back of the other water nymph's hand. "But I think I want to go back and see. It's... Robin's mother said it was the only safe place left in the world."