As they exited the train and made their way out of the station Eirene took in the scene before her. It had been some time since she'd seen the clean country roadside and smelled the crisp air, void of any car fuel or corndog stands. The trees were tall and full, the same colour as the grass that seemed freshly cut. Andrew seemed immediately familiar with the landscape, because she started off in one direction immediately.

"So Andrew," Connor began, re-slinging his bag over his back. "How do you know this place?"

He shrugged. "I've been here a couple times…"

"Hmmm?" Connor smiled. "Perhaps to visit your country club buddies?" He teased.

Andrew gave him a look. "No."

Connor scoffed. "You never made any friends in the country club?"

"What makes you think I was ever a part of the country club?"

His eyebrows rose. "You weren't?" His tone was mocking, and Andrew felt his ears turn red.

He declined to answer. "That's none of your business." But of course he had. His father had taken him on several occasions, in an attempt to portray a buddy-buddy father and son relationship, but really had just been an excuse for him to ignore Andrew for hours on end.

Eirene scooted closer to Connor, whispering: "What's a country club?"

"It's a place where pretty rich people go and hang out with other pretty rich people."

"Is being rich a must?" She asked, and Connor wanted to hug her doe-eyed innocence.

He turned to Andrew, a smile still playing in his voice. "I don't know. Is it?"

Damn you, Stoll. Damn you to Hades.

He turned to scold them. "We really should be talking about the quest, rather than something trivial." After he spoke, he wondered if he'd breached his promise to Eirene, but Connor didn't seem fazed by his comment.

"When we reach the forest, we'll have to be careful. They are nymphs, centaurs, even satyrs that won't take kind to our intrusion."

The Panes, Eirene thought, thinking back to her conversation with Bia. Connor smiled, patting his sword affectionately. "Good, our morning was too quiet. I'm in need of a good fight right now."

Andrew started walking. "Fighting won't work. We'll need the power of persuasion on our hands…because if they see our weapons raised against them…we won't make it two steps into their land."

Connor gestured to Eirene. "Then we'll just send her in first. No matter how many bows or flaming arrows they throw at her, she won't be harmed." He was joking; of course, he would never send Eirene into enemy line alone. But she took him seriously.

"I'd rather not…face…them alone," Although, she admitted, it wasn't a terrible plan. Eirene just wasn't the kind to willing flaunt her powers. "But I will!" She perked up reluctantly. "If I have…to,"

"No one's being sent into the forest alone," Andrew objected. "Even if they didn't harm you, they'd kidnap you and claim you as one of their own."

Connor giggled. "Imagine that, Eirene wearing nothing but fig leaves and praising the all-mighty Pan," He paused. "Wait. Didn't Grover succeed Pan?"

Andrew nodded, while Eirene pretended to not know. "Grover? Who's Grover?"

"Satyr; friend of Percy; huge tree huger. He became the new Lord of the Wild when Pan died." Connor sighed dramatically. "Don't ask for details, they're too many." He remembered when Percy had told him the tale: the proud look on Grover's face and the sad goodbyes that came after. He wondered if he'd ever see that grittier satyr again.

Eirene nodded, feigning cluelessness. She'd never met Grover, but knew he was a good, honest person from Percy's memories. She hoped to she'd get to meet him once…but that was unlikely.

They continued one, with Andrew pointing to the forest that was within sight. "We'd have to take off our shoes, when we get there." He advised. "The Panes see it as a sign of respect."

"How is being barefoot respectful?"

"They're barefoot. If we are too, its shows we're here as their equals, not enemies. Also, shoes crush plants. If we crush any of their plants they might attack."

"Gee, they sure sound friendly."

Eirene had no problem with removing her shoes. She was actually more comfortable without them; while she was on the run, her feet had quickly gotten accustomed to the ground: the leaves, grass and dirt. It had helped her evade monsters more elusively, and even the traps they set.

When they reached the foot of the forest, they all paused to remove their shoes; stuffing them in their bags. Andrew and Connor hide their swords, and tentatively, they all entered the forest. Immediately, Eirene felt a difference.

It was like a spirit had entered them, one that made them aware of nature around them. She could hear them; hear the trees and the plants speaking to her in hushed whispers, welcoming her. She could feel the grass on her feet, in a much more intimate way than she ever had before. She could sense the butterflies and deer before she saw them, and felt an immense love swell inside her at the sight of them. All around her—the trees, the flowers, the animals, she felt them all, and she loved them. She wanted to be part of them, part of this forest.

She wanted to become one with them.

"Woah," Connor stumbled, and sat on the floor, running his hands over the grass. "I feel trippy." He ran his hands over the grass again, feeling the silk plush of it. "It's…so…so…"

"Beautiful," Eirene reached towards a flower on the ground, stroking its soft petals. She felt it react in her hand, sending out endorphins that made her happy. "Everything is so beautiful." She looked towards Andrew, to see if he too was being affected by the forest.

She couldn't tell. His brows were furrowed, and he looked confused. His expression showed a fight was going on in his head; he knew the effect the forest was having on him, and he was trying to fight it. He was scared it could be used as a way for the Panes to subdue and capture them.

"Guys," He breathed, shaking his head. It was like a spell; drowsiness came over him and tried to lock him in, but he had to fight it. "Guys, we have to get out of here."

But Eirene didn't want to leave. She was playing with a few tree and flower nymphs, who were tiny in size but still managed to braid her hair and play around her fingers. "But I've made new friends,"

Connor was rolling around on the grass, laughing like a maniac. "I never want to leave. I've fallen in love."

With the grass? Andrew huffed, and rubbed his eyes fiercely. His vision was starting to get blurry, and he was feeling a pull towards nature…

Andrew turned to Eirene and Connor, who had graduated to doing even more frightening things. Connor had climbed a tree and was swinging from the branch, while Eirene's nymph friends had made her a leaf-dress, and she was twirling in it right now. Dear Zeus. What am I supposed to do?

Eirene snapped him out of it when she attack-hugged him from behind; wrapping her arms around his neck. He stumbled, but kept his footing. "Eirene, get off me." He didn't need distractions right now, and with her pressing her body against him, he was feeling very distracted.

"You need to come with me," She whispered, causing chills to rise on his neck. "The trees, the flowers, they're calling to you. To all of us,"

They need to shut up, he thought, still trying to clear his head. Her eyes were dreamy and her voice sounded girly and high-pitched, the heat of her body making his face redder by the minute. Though when she raised her feet off the ground, and momentarily, her voice changed. It sounded normal. She wasn't asking him to dance with the nymphs but instead leaped off of him in embarrassment. And then, once her feet touched the ground again, it was back to the girly pitch.

Andrew looked around, trying to figure out why there was a cause to this. Why was he the only one who was able to fight the forest's spell?

Suddenly, everything clicked. She was barefoot. Connor was barefoot. He, on the other hand, was wearing socks. Shoes! They need their shoes! The forest only affected you if your skin was touching some part of it. He took out his bag, took out Eirene's shoes, and tossed them to her. "Shoes. On. Now."

She just stared at him, giggling.

That's it. He'd lost his patience. He dropped to the ground and grabbed her feet himself, ignoring her squeals and kicking. He forced her shoes on, put his on, and then searched for Connor, who was lost somewhere in the trees.

When Eirene stood up she was back to normal. A bit disoriented, but normal. "What…what happened?" She recalled vaguely how she acted, and then stared at the shoes on her feet. "Ugh. Never mind. Where's Connor?"

"He's become one with the trees," A voice called. Both Andrew and Eirene turned towards it, to find a satyr with curly black hair and even curlier beard. He was wearing a sash made of leaves and was holding a homemade bow.

"Welcome to The forest of Euthane, demigods." He smiled, showcasing his pearly whites. "I see the forest is already having its effect on you." He smiled at Eirene's braided hair, and at Connor's blissful swinging through the trees. His gaze landed on Andrew, and his smile turned into a smirk. "Well, most of you."

"What did you do to them?"

The satyr smiled, raising his hands to the forest. "I have done nothing. It's the forest; it makes sure those who inhabitant it have no malice intentions."

Eirene stepped forward. "We didn't come here with malice intentions! We were just looking for someone." From deep in the forest, an arrow struck the area near her feet.

"Looking for someone?" Another voice spoke, and when Andrew glanced he saw another satyr, blonde this time, with long hair and a bit of stubble. "For whom do you seek?"

"For Elon; Elon the Satyr,"

"You wish to disturb Elon during his visit?" The blonde satyr sounded threatening. He too was holding a bow. "For what cause?"

"Please…" He begged. "Just…stop whatever you're doing to him." He didn't have Connor's power of persuasion, so all he could do was plea.

"What is your business with Elon?" He demanded.

"We need him. The matter is…urgent."

"Urgent." The curly-haired satyr laughed. "We cannot give him to you if you do not give us your reason." He frowned at their feet. "Shoes. You're wearing shoes."

"We can't take them off." He accused. "You're forest hypnotizes us."

"You dare criticize the forest?" The blonde sounded outraged, and raised his arrow. But the curly-haired raised his hand for him to lower it.

"State why you came. Why do you search for Elon?"

"It's a rather private matter," She said. "It's about his charge, Matthew."