"I don't know about this, maybe I should stay here." Grover looked over the edge carefully.
"Hey, it's okay. You can stay here if you want." Percy assured.
"I think that's a good idea." Annabeth supplied. "If we don't get back in time, you will have to tell my mother what happened."
"I will?" Grover looked a bit more upset at that.
"We'll be back." Percy tried to sound positive.
"Okay." Grover looked like he was giving himself a pep talk.
They borrowed a rope from the barkeepers and climbed down to the gully. Percy was actually surprised at how well the princess was climbing. She must be receiving more training than sparring with him at night. Once they were in the gully, they waved up at Grover and began the climb out. By then it was fully dark. No soldiers were on the walls. He supposed that they were having enough trouble inside the walls. However they had other problem, they couldn't see anything in front of them and had no idea which way to go. Luckily, Princess Annabeth was prepared. She pulled out a couple of torches from her pack and lit them. They found the foot prints quickly after that.
"So princess, I wasn't aware that all royals train like soldiers." Percy eyed her as they followed the prints.
"Most royals don't. My mother has been a solo queen for most of my life. She believes in being able to defend yourself. Believe it or not, being a royal can be very dangerous."
"Huh, that's debatable." Percy mumbled.
The princess looked like she wanted to argue, but stopped walking and put out her torch. Percy saw what she was looking at and quickly followed suit. In the distance, a fire was blazing. It was hard to see who was around it or how many from this distance.
"The thieves?" Percy questioned.
"Don't know." She whispered back.
Percy peered around in the darkness. "Let's sneak up on them. Surround them."
"Don't attack yet! Let's watch and listen for a little bit. Get an idea of what we are dealing with."
So they crept forward. They stopped short of where a couple of horses stood munching on the grasses around them.
"When is he going to get here? We've hung around too long as it is." A deep voice said irritably.
"He said it would be a few days before he could get away. Besides he has some unfinished business to attend to."
"I don't like how long it's taking. We should be in Atlantis by now."
"I don't know why you're so worried. It's not like anyone can hurt us with this in our possession."
Percy saw a glint of a silver rod in the firelight. He instantly recognized it. He felt his muscles tense and wanted to spring at them right then, but he felt a hand restraining his arm. He looked over and could just make out Princess Annabeth's face. The message was clear. Wait. She was right. Percy realized that he needed to think smart on this one. They were twice their size. What chance could two kids stand against two large thieves with one holding the most dangerous weapon in the world.
"I'm turning in. Take first watch." One of the thieves laid down next to the fire. The other one turned his back on the fire and began to fiddle with the lightning rod. This gave Percy a very uneasy feeling, especially since the thief was now facing them.
"Now?" Percy found a stick nearby.
"Wait." Was Annebeth's barely audible answer.
"We can't wait forever. I've only got till sunrise, and their expecting company." Percy argued back as quietly as he could.
She only raised a finger either to silence him, being the royal that she was, or to tell him to wait. He couldn't tell which, but he didn't like either option.
So they waited. Percy became suddenly aware of how hungry he was and how tired he was. He tried to shove both thoughts to the side and look for any opportunities that might present themselves. He wasn't sure how much time passed, but before long he noticed the thief in front of him nodding. Percy knew that the thief would catch himself and change shifts with the other thief soon. Annabeth motioned for him to be ready. She didn't have to tell him twice, he was suddenly wide awake. He found the stick and held onto it. He wasn't entirely happy with the weapon, but it was better than nothing. As one they rushed the big guy. Percy wacked him over the head with the stick breaking in the process. Annabeth hit him soundlessly on the head with the pommel of her dagger. The thief crashed to the ground soundlessly. Percy immediately grabbed the lightning rod.
"Let's go." Annabeth motioned to leave. Annabeth turned to leave, but Percy stayed still. "We've got the rod. Let's go." She motioned again. Percy walked over and whapped the other thief over the head just to make sure he didn't wake up. "What are you doing?" Her voice escalated dangerously.
"I need to take them back. They're proof that I'm not the thief. Otherwise, Zeus will just kill me anyway." Percy grunted as he heft the thief up and began dragging him over to the horses.
"It doesn't work like that." Annabeth was practically screaming at him.
"Sure it does." Percy struggled to lift the large man up that was twice his size.
"Oh for crying out loud." She began to help lift the thief up and onto the horse. Lucky for Percy the horses were gentle and cooperated. They had to hit him over the head shortly after they got him up there, before they got to the next thief. Percy thought that an hour must have past just trying to load up the thieves.
Percy and Annabeth walked side by side as they lead the horses back toward Athens. "You don't have to bring them, you know." Percy couldn't be sure in the torchlight, but he thought she was smiling. Either that or she was sneering. It was hard to tell. "My mother knows that you didn't do it. Everyone knows you didn't do it."
"But I'm not dealing with your mother or everyone else. I'm dealing with Zeus, the high king. And after seeing him in person, I'll need all the evidence I can get."
Princess Annabeth didn't say anything after that. They just walked their quiet interupted with the occasional whack across the thieve's heads. A light indigo began to paint the sky when they first caught sight of the city, Athens.
"Zeus's soldiers are going to be at the gate." Percy looked at Annabeth pointedly.
"Are you going to be alright?" Annabeth looked worried.
"Don't worry, I'll get it to Zeus. It's just what happens after that that I'm worried about."
"I'll see what I can do about that." Annabeth put her hood on, handed the reigns of her horse to Percy and slipped into some trees.
By the time he reached the gates, the sky was a lovely red and orange. The gates were just being opened. Zeus's soldiers met him with malice in their eyes.
"Look what we got here." It was the same guard that beat up Percy and Tyson. Percy struggled to contain his anger. "The thief returns." He sneered.
"I'm not the thief. But lucky you, I did your work for you. Here are the real thieves." The soldiers eyed the two figures slumped over the horses behind him.
"Good job. Now if you will hand over the rod, I will make sure Zeus receives his stolen property." He reached for the rod, but Percy held it back.
"No thank you. Zeus specifically asked that 'I' return it. We wouldn't want me to disobey a direct order, now would we." Percy couldn't help but smirk at the soldier's sneer. He knickered at the horses and led them through the streets
He must have looked quite the sight as villagers lined the road as he passed. He wasn't sure what they thought of the boy guiding the two horses with full grown men slumped over them. But he couldn't be bothered by it either. Percy kept his eyes fixed on the palace ahead. He hoped he wasn't too late. He hoped Tyson was alright. He did notice Zeus's army trailing behind him, which made him nervous. As he neared the Athenian soldier's barracks, he heard a shout go out. All the recruits that were in Percy's barracks were racing toward him. He was afraid at first that they were going to rush him. But instead they surrounded him and the two thieves as a type of honor guard. That eased some of the tension he was feeling about Zeus's soldiers.
Once he was past the palace gates, he saw Zeus himself waiting for him on the steps. His eyes greedily took in the rod in Percy's hand. But what surprised Percy the most was that not only was Zeus on the steps, but Queen Athena, Prince Malcolm, and sure enough, Princess Annabeth, out of her brown trousers, hood and cloak, and wearing a regal white gown befitting a princess.