Part 4

I was beginning to regain consciousness.

My neck was aching like all hell.

My legs felt like lead.

I had cuts and bruises all over my body.

I cracked my eyes open.

I was in a makeshift cot made out of a cotton sheet stretched over a wood frame.

I looked around. I found myself in a cabin that had cotton curtains instead of walls. Cots just like mine were lined up along the two longest side of the cabin.

" 'Bout time you wake up."

The loud voice made my head spin.

I lulled my head to the side to see the owner of the voice; a hefty man with a round face that was framed with dark blackish-purplish hair. His red face and his miss matching clothes (tiger-print hawaiian shirt, kahki shorts and purple shoes) clued me in that he had been drinking and that he was drunk or hungover.

He lowered a goblet down to me.

I struggled to sit up and the man didn't bother to give me a hand.

Once I was up right, I took the goblet in my shaky hands and brought it to my lips.

It tasted like… like root beer milk. My favorite drink.

Once I had a sip, I look into the goblet to find a milky-yellow liquid. It didn't look like root beer milk at all.

I smell it and the root beer milk smell was there.

I looked at the goblet, perplexed.

"Good Gods, it's nectar, you brat."

I looked at the man, shocked that he would call me a brat without knowing single thing about me.

After he scowled at me, I shrugged him off and started to bring the goblet to my lips again when I heard a new voice say, "Careful, young one; too much of anything has great consequences, especially when it comes to nectar."

I looked to ward the door of the cabin and saw something that made my jaw drop.

It had come from a man with brown hair and eyes…. And from the waist down, he had the body of a white stallion.

I was so shocked, the goblet slipped from my hand.

Tiger-print man caught the goblet before it hit the ground and spilled everywhere. He mumbled something about clumsy brats.

The horse-man clopped up to the end of my bed.

"I apologize for him. He's really not as bad as he seems; he's just a little cranky about his probation."

Tiger-print shot the horse man a glare but returned to sipping his Coke.

The horse-man went down onto his front knees and held his hand out to me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, young one. I am Chiron."

I, hesitantly, took his hand. He pressed the back of my hand to his forehead before kissing it.

I let my hand fall to my side as Chiron stood back up. He gestured to tiger-print and said, "You may call him Mr. D. And who might you be, young one?"

"Um… Paramore…. Kasumi…."

"Paramore. A beautiful name."

I could feel the blush rising to my cheeks.

"Cut the crap horse-man." Mr. D glared me and asked, "What's you're business here?"

"Uh… well… er…" I started looking around for my hoodie. I found under my cot and pulled it out. I slipped my dad's letter from my pocket and handed it to Chiron. "This might give you a better explanation than I will."

Chiron took the letter, quiet confused, and opened it up. Mr. D rolled his eyes and went to Chiron's side, reading over his shoulder.

There were both silent as they read. And remind silent for many moments after they finished.

Mr. D returned to his seat and Coke, apparently not caring. But Chiron just looked at me sympathetically. I knew he meant well but it was still irritating.

"How did you get here?"

"Any way possible. I took a ferry to cross the lake and then I took buses, taxi's, trains, and, when I couldn't reach those, I walked. I even hitch hiked."

"But how did you get so badly injured without anyone seeing."

"I got a ride from the wrong person. Lamia."

"Lamia?"

"Yeah. She picked my up and took me the rest of the way until I was positive that I could , when I got out, she started chasing me. I was almost positive that I was done for but, then… something distracted her…. And I found a sword in the ground so… I managed to stab her but she still bit me." I started rubbing my neck where the bite marks were. Bandages were wrapped over the wounds but, some how, I could still feel the bite marks through the bandages.

Suddenly, Mr. D broke in. "You're saying you 'found' a sword? Where did it come from?"

"I don't know."

"What distracted her?"

"I don't know."

"Well, why was she after you?"

"I… don't-"

"You are useless!"

"Mr. D! Go easy on the poor child! After all she's been through? I'm sure that the situation was confusing for her. Perhaps she will remember these things later. For now, we shoulder get her settled in and comfortable."

Mr. D didn't say a word. He just marched off, angrily.

"I'm very sorry Paramore."

" 's fine."

He sighed and said, "Well, can you stand."

"… Yeah, but I can't walk… at least, not far…"

"Very well."

He knelt down onto his knees and said, "Get on."

"… Are you sure?"

"Of course." His smile was sweet.

I, shakily, stood up and wobbled over to Chiron. I sat on his back sideways with both my feet hanging off his left side.

"Ready."

I nodded.

He slowly and careful stood up and clopped out of the cabin.

Chiron started showing me around the camp. He showed me that main cabin, where he and Mr. D stayed. He showed me the stables, the fighting, ground, everything. And, while he was showing me these things, I noticed that the camp was… empty.

"Excuse me… but… where is everyone?"

"A majority of the campers only stay here for the summer. There are a few who stay here throughout the year but their on errands right now. You'll have the whole camp to yourself for about a month. Then, things will get very eventful. Do you think you can survive with out too much company until then?"

"Yes. In fact, I prefer solitude."

He light chuckled and said, "You are your mother's daughter."

I couldn't help but think; 'What does that mean?'

He took me through the rest of the camp and then started taking me deeper into the woods, quiet a ways from the residential cabins that he had pointed out to me.

Finally, he said, "Here we are."

Where we were was a huge cabin. The wood was shining and black and, while there were supports for the roof, the walls were replaced by black curtains.

"What is this place?"

Chiron looked back at me and said, "Your mother built this for you."

Chiron lowered himself down so that I could get back on my feet.

I wobbled into my cabin. I expected it to be pitch black inside but, in truth, it was bright golden from the setting sun. The roof was made entirely of glass, giving me a perfect view of the sky. The kind size bed was in the of the room and had black silk sheets.

It was my perfect room.

I turned back Chiron, silently asking if it was, really, all mine. And he, kindly, nodded. Then, he said, "For now, I will leave you to get rested. Your belongings will be brought to you as soon as possible."

With that, he clopped away.

I, heavily walked into my cabin and fell right onto the bed, still exhausted from my journey and the drama.

I looked up through my glass starlight, wondering the same thing I had wondered all the time since this whole thing began; 'What am I doing here?'

I lulled my head to the side and looked at my night stand, ready to close my eyes and returned to sleep.

But, then, I noticed a black, folded up piece of paper.

'What?'

I pushed myself up and grabbed the paper, slowly unfolding.

And there it was, written in white out. The message that, ultimately, made things go from bad to worse.

At 11:00 tonight, canoe your way over to the small island. I'll be waiting.