~ The Call to Aid ~
SAPHIRA
The frigid air races through her dark hair, whistling through the fine strands as her long braid flows behind her with her long, silver cloak. The landscape flies past her in a beautiful blur of color. The thawing grass of this wide open valley, already lush green; the sky bright blue with full, fluffy white clouds spread across the surface; the mighty pines that stand in force on the surrounding hillsides and mountaintops.
The leather grips of the harness in her hands are held tight to keep her on the back of the great Wolf who carries her swiftly across the landscape, his paws pounding against the earth. His fur whips and rustles with the force of the wind as he soars on, his head held high in confidence and pride. She can feel his heart beating quickly in sync with her own. Fowl are startled into flight from the grass by the pair charging through the flocks as he carries them to race alongside a ridge overlooking the valley.
She looks outwards left, taking it all in. It's beautiful. A great herd of elk stampede through the grounds right below them, their hooves making a thunderous racket. With a smile, she steers them to leap over the ridge, sliding down to run beside the large herbivores. She balances herself to crouch on the Wolf's back, keeping her center perfect despite the rigorous movements.
"Ready, Lykos?" she breathes.
The Wolf replies with an excited woof and picks up his pace, lowering his head as the signal for her to ready herself with him. Then, with a mighty heave of his shoulders, Lykos bucks her upwards just as she launches off his back to spring into the air, pulling a graceful, twirling flip and landing on her feet on the back of an elk. The beast doesn't even seem to notice due to how light her landing was. The adrenaline courses through her as the skips over the backs of the elk, getting through half a dozen of them before she leaps off to land back on Lykos.
Saphira cheers at her feat while Lykos prances for a few strides to show his own appreciation of her. They break away from the herd, heading across a wide, shallow creek. Saphira shields her face in laughter from the spray of the cold water, their disturbance causing some trout to leap out of the way. Upon reaching the other side, Lykos races up a hillside and finally skids to a halt at the softest tug of his harness.
Here, they catch their rasping breaths while they gaze out at the magnificent view of the valley. The elk have continued on to their feeding grounds. The creek shimmers wondrously from the light of the morning sun. Flocks of birds flutter overhead, and Saphira even spots an eagle soaring high in the skies above. The Hunt has been to many wild places during Saphira's time with them, from the majestic coastal cliffs of the Mediterranean, to the mighty redwoods of the Californian mountains, and the vast open plains of the American midwest… but it is here in the Northeast of the states that has been one of her favorite places.
The high, snow-capped mountains, the mass expanse of pine forest that constantly fills her nose with their pleasant scents, and the great valleys that are always so filled with light and life. This is what it is to be a Hunter, to be a part of the great wilderness, to be free. She knows that her companion feels the same as she does, ever since he was able to leave his former life behind. In the past year, they have been on so many adventures together, going farther and farther each day. They've conquered the mountains, battled icy rivers, and hunted the beasts of this region with prowess.
It's a familiar feeling to Saphira, to have such a friend in whom she had complete trust, a bond stronger than celestial bronze. In the past year, she and Lykos forged a friendship so strong that they had become almost inseparable. He accompanied her wherever she went, looked after her and her fellow Hunters all hours of the day. Lykos became utterly devoted to his role as the Guardian of the Hunt. He patrolled the regions, sometimes even going alone to ensure that no danger was anywhere near them. He slept in intervals during the night, and always right beside her tent so that he could watch over her and the camp.
It wasn't long before he became adored by her sisters. All the other Hunters have fully accepted him as one of the Hunt. Even Artemis herself has attained a special fondness for him as she is especially proud of his devotion to his duties. With her status as Saphira's other best friend, Chloe is the only other girl that Lykos truly shares a bond with, but nothing that any of the others have can compare to the friendship that he shares with Saphira, and everyone knows it.
Lykos restored her spirit, brought life back to her body and mind. He helped her to mend her shattered emotional state, put her pieces back together just by being here. She knows she did the same for him. The pair of them were two sides of the same coin. She healed him just as he healed her.
"I'm so gonna hate it when we leave this region," Saphira breathes, sinking down to lay on her stomach along Lykos' back. At almost four feet at the shoulder and two hundred-fifty pounds, the Wolf is just large enough for her to do this.
Lykos replies with a gruff huff. The two have learned to communicate so well that she can understand his meanings just by his tone and sound alone. Saphira only wishes that he could speak in words just so she could know more about him. She uncovered some of his past through his gestures, but there's still so much she doesn't know about him. Yet, he knows basically everything about her.
Since his official joining of the Hunt, he's gotten quite the new look. An easily slipped on-off leather harness to aid him in carrying any of the Hunters, fitted with a black leather padding along his back. A silver-dyed bandana-style banner clipped to the harness to hang down on his right shoulder, marked with the silhouette of a wolf howling before a crescent moon; a signal of his loyalty to the moon goddess and the hunt. Finally, a silver-painted circlet on his forehead, engraved with a wolf's head. Saphira shares the same circlet, albeit a smaller version for herself.
Of course, the metal circlet is only painted silver rather than forged of it, as to not harm him.
Saphira slides off his back to sit on the grass and he lies down beside her.
"Maybe one day, we can make this region our home," she muses. "Set up a permanent camp here, a safe and secure place for the Hunt during peacetimes. What do you think?"
Lykos rumbles in reply.
"Or would you rather we travel, see more of the world? Actually, on second thought, you and I have probably seen the entire world by this point, haven't we? We are very old after all," she adds.
The Wolf looks at her with his jaws parted and lips curled; his version of a smile, a very wolfish grin. His expression changes into a frown for a moment as he furrows his brow, then regains his grin when he nods upwards at her. Saphira raises a brow, pondering to think over what he could be trying to say? He furrowed his brow, made his face a little scrunched up and then gestured at her… oh this little-
"I do not have wrinkles, Wolf Boy!" Saphira gasps. "I'm frozen in time, and you are even older than I am!"
To that statement, Lykos responds with a series of mumbles and groans, and she has seen and heard this enough times to know that he's mocking her. She can almost imagine him clearly speaking with a true voice and doing an unflattering impersonation of her.
"You-"
Saphira doesn't even finish the retort before she playfully pushes on his shoulder and in retaliation, he gently swings his head into her side, nearly knocking her over. She grunts, clinging to his furry scruff to keep herself righted, but instead he just continues with is flow of motion and rolls onto his side, pinning her beneath his head. Saphira cries out in laughter, wrapping her arms around his muzzle to keep him locked there, but to no avail. He easily wriggles free and rolls to sit upright, with her coming up after him to try and tackle him down. The Wolf doesn't even budge and with a single forelimb, pushes her back down onto her back.
"Agh! The feud rekindled! Wolves and Hunters at war again, forever cursed to fight each other!" Saphira jokes as she tries to defend herself from his playful pawing.
Despite their games, there is no question about who would win if this was real. As strong as she may be, Saphira knows that if they were both to go at it with nothing held back, he would overpower her in no time. When they first met, she had a taste of the kind of strength he packed, and he is smaller than other Wolves of Lycaon's line.
As if to prove this thought, Lykos promptly drops his upper body right across her's, forcing a grunt from her throat.
"Ugh! Lykos!" she wheezes, struggling to push him off. He doesn't let her off that easy, rolling over his back across her stomach to squeeze out one last groan before she's free of his weight. She sits up, glaring at him while he emits a series of soft rumbles with amusement in his eyes; his way of laughing.
Before she can make a witty retort, the cry of a falcon befalls of their ears, and they turn their noses up to the skies to see the small gray and white bird cruising on the wind down towards them. When it gets only a few meters above the ground, the falcon is engulfed is a small silver flare of light, its formed replaced by a beautiful young maiden landing lightly on the grass before them; the goddess of the Hunt herself.
"Milady!" Saphira greets her with a smile, rising up to attack her mistress with a fierce embrace. Artemis chuckles and returns the affection with warmth, only pulling away after a moment to beset Saphira with a smile.
"Warms my heart to see your smile, Saphira," the goddess says. She extends a hand to the approaching Wolf, giving his muzzle a couple soft strokes. "Hello, my courageous Guardian."
"Have you come to join us on our adventure?" Saphira asks with a playful tone.
"Child, your energies combined would wear out even this old goddess," Artemis replies.
"You are not so old!" Saphira giggles. "Right, Lykos?"
Lykos tilts his head questioningly, and both fems know that he means to disagree with that statement, something that earns him a raised brow from Artemis. Lykos huffs in amusement, pinning back his ears in surrender.
"I would expect my first ever Guardian of the Hunt to be a little more respectful, Lykos," Artemis warns him, though she too has amusement in her eyes.
"So, what brings you all the way out here to find us? Are we needed back at camp?" Saphira questions.
Artemis shakes her head. "Not at our camp, no."
"What does that mean?"
"Do you remember Chiron?"
"The centaur, director of the demigod camp, yes. What about him?" Saphira is attentive now, curious as to where this conversation is headed.
"Well, he contacted me earlier this morning," Artemis begins to explain. "He has requested aid in tracking down a particularly elusive demigod child, a little girl. She has been somehow evading the satyrs for some time now, and it sounds like she may be the offspring of a powerful god as well. You know monsters are attracted to powerful demigods."
"Of course. I take it you heeded Chiron's call for aid then?" Saphira asks.
The goddess nods her head. "I have. You are one of my finest, Saphira. You have one of the best chances of finding this child quickly. That is, if you are willing."
"Anything you request of me, milady, I will not hesitate to do. I am your servant to command," Saphira declares.
Artemis smiles warmly at her, and Saphira can feel the love in her gaze. "I do not deserve your loyalty, my beautiful Hunter."
"You are my mistress, who saved me, gave me a home, gave me a family," Saphira says. "It is I who does not deserve you."
"Nonsense, and say no more of it. That is an order," Artemis sniffles, pulling her back in for another brief embrace.
"Your wish is my command," Saphira says. "When am I to depart to Camp Half-blood?"
"Immediately. I took the liberty of packing your things to save us some time. It'll appear with us when I flash us there."
A soft whine interrupts them, and they both turn towards Lykos. His ears are pinned and he's glancing back and forth between them. He emits a low grunt and gestures with his head towards Saphira while maintaining eye contact with Artemis. She knows what he's asking.
"Is he not coming with me?" she asks. Lykos is the Guardian of the Hunt, not just her Guardian. However, wherever she went, he would follow… but that was for shorter trips like this one, not full-on quests. This would be her first real quest in a long time, but now that she's thinking about it, she doesn't know if she can handle going long without her companion. She's healed a lot the past year, but she's not perfect yet and most of the credit of keeping herself together goes to Lykos. It's no secret that it's the same for him. She knows that he'll spend every second of however long it takes, worrying about her and vice versa.
Fortunately, her worries are for nothing this time.
"Well, I very well am not about to send you out by yourself with no support," Artemis assures her with a grin. "I am also not blind to what you do for each other."
With that, she turns to Lykos. "I'm certain I don't need to tell you this, but look after her."
Lykos nods, the light returning to his icy yellow eyes in relief that they wouldn't be separated.
"Come now, both of you. Take my hands and do not let go."
Saphira and Lykos do as they're told, with Artemis placing her hand on his scruff. The next second feels more like ten, with all of Saphira's molecules feeling as if they are being sucked through a giant vortex. It's not so much as painful as it is nauseating, though it's very short-lived. Suddenly, Saphira finds herself in a very different place; a grassy hilltop overlooking what looks like a lovely strawberry farm. Beside them, is a tall pine tree decorated with what she recognizes to be the Golden Fleece of legend. Around the base of the tree, nestled amongst the roots, is a large, young dragon; she knows him as Peleus from the stories Thalia had told her.
His copper skills reflect the light of the sun, giving him quite a pretty glow. The gust of wind from their arrival though, stirs him from his slumber. His eyes open to reveal a pair of yellow orbs, but unlike Lykos, Peleus' gaze is closer to resembling fire than iciness. Upon noticing them, he lifts his head, taking a whiff of the air in their direction. It seems he's wise enough to recognize the goddess as a welcome presence, since he doesn't react much more than that. However, when his gaze drifts to the Wolf, his fiery gaze narrows, and he begins to slowly rise with steam billowing from his nostrils.
Saphira glances to Lykos, who has also begun to react with tension. His hackles are slightly raised and his eyes are narrowed, with a soft rumble coming from his throat. The dragon responds with a much greater rumble of its own, and Saphira begins to fear that the two might get into a fight.
"Stand down-" Artemis begins, but before she can finish that sentence, Saphira gets in between Lykos and Peleus, facing the dragon with her hands raised.
"Saphira?" the goddess questions, but Saphira only casts her a quick, pleading glance before returning her attention to the dragon.
"It is alright, Peleus. He is with us. A friend, not an enemy," she says, taking a cautious step to the dragon. Peleus ceases his rumbling and steam-billowing, now focused on her. He seems much calmer already, so she reaches out to him, placing a hand on his snout and continuing to soothe him. "No danger here. The Fleece and the camp are safe."
Peleus heaves a deep sigh in contentment as she makes contact with his snout, and lowers his body to the ground. That gives Saphira the assurance she needs, and with a brief look over her shoulder, gestures for Lykos to approach. He frowns at her, but doesn't protest and slowly comes closer until he's right beside her. Peleus' serpentine pupils flick towards him, however he doesn't react aggressively this time. Instead, he raises his head, sniffs the Wolf once, then lowers it again.
Saphira smiles, satisfied with herself that she was able to keep things from escalating. Thank goodness that Peleus is as intelligent as he is, unlike his wild, savage brethren. It reminds her of Lykos, in a way.
"Saphira, that was dangerous putting yourself between them like that," Artemis chides her as they move away towards the camp border. Then, with a softer tone and impressed look she adds; "but well done. It seems that you may just have a way with beasts. No offense, my Guardian."
Lykos huffs in acknowledgment.
"Perhaps I do," Saphira muses. She's no fool, and makes no mistake that not all creatures are like Lykos and Peleus. More than plenty would not hesitate to kill her.
"Well, let us continue," Artemis declares before turning to adjust the straps of Saphira's pack. She hadn't even noticed that her things had indeed appeared with them after flashing here. The goddess then turns to Lykos and simply says, "you may enter."
For a moment, Saphira is confused until she sees the Wolf tentatively step through the invisible magic barrier and into the camp borders. Of course. Despite his good nature, the magical wards around the camp do not let anything that is not a demigod or known ally. Mortals and monsters have to be granted by permission by a higher-up being, be it a camp counselor, the directors, or one of the gods.
"This way," Artemis says, guiding Saphira and Lykos down the grassy hill, towards the building she knows as the Big House; the headquarters of Camp Half-blood. She's been here before, almost a decade ago, and several times before that. She's seen many a time, the rivalry between the hunters and the campers explode in force… though she never quite shared the resentment towards the campers that her sisters held. Many of the girls in the Hunt, including their lieutenant, came from this place, and a few campers here hold her deepest respects for events that occurred nearly five years ago.
Upon drawing near the Big House, passing by the volleyball courts, Saphira notes that they are starting to become noticed. Several campers, ranging from about the age of ten to sixteen, populate the courts. The campers stop their game to watch her, Artemis, and Lykos make their way to the Big House. Some of them murmur and whisper things to each other, things she cannot hear. One of the older boys is staring at her, and with a nudge to his friend, he points to her and says something to the other boy, a crude sneer overcoming his face. She's not certain what he said.
Judging by his reaction, it's not the case for Lykos.
With a swivel of his ear, followed by a whirl-around and a snarling snap sent their way, Lykos has the campers stumbling back a few steps, including both boys. Whatever they said, the Wolf must have deemed it inappropriate and let them know their boundaries.
Artemis chuckles at this, gesturing for them to move on. "Just like that, all my worries about you being surrounded by hormonal males are gone. Thank you, Lykos."
Lykos replies with a gruff grunt, shaking his head and obeying her lead. Saphira really has never thought about it before, but now that Artemis mentioned it, she is a little concerned. She hopes that was the last of any… thoughts, a boy will be having about her.
As they finally reach the Big House, they are stopped by a nasally, crude-sounding voice; one that Saphira and apparently Artemis, recognize instantly.
"Ugh, I can't believe this. As if seeing you once every few moons wasn't bad enough already."
The goddess stiffens, before she, Saphira and Lykos turn to see a character that Saphira is honestly not too fond of herself. One of the camp directors, son of Zeus, god of wine himself.
"Dionysus," Artemis acknowledges him through clenched teeth.
"Artemis," Dionysus replies as he waddles past them up the steps of the porch to the front door. "And…"
He squints at Saphira for a moment. "Some random girl."
"My name is Saphira."
"I really don't care what your name is, Sabrina," Dionysus says.
"Saphira," she states again, already feeling annoyed with the wine god.
"I said I don't care. Whatever. What are you doing here, Moonshine?" he demands, directing the question to her mistress.
"I called her, Mr. D."
Yet another voice draws their attention. A more pleasant face of a kind, older gentleman with the lower half of a white stallion.
"Ugh, Chiron. We talked about this. You can't replace me as co-director with another god. I'm stuck here until Dad says otherwise or until I finish serving out my time," Dionysus complains.
"Ah, this isn't about that. I called Lady Artemis for aid in locating the missing child," Chiron replies calmly.
"What missing child?"
Chiron blinks as if in confusion. Saphira feels for the poor old centaur. She can't imagine an eternity of being stuck with Dionysus.
"The demigod child, the one who has been eluding the satyrs for weeks and is said to be quite powerful. Were you not listening during any of the meetings we have had about this for the past month?" the centaur asks with a tone of incredulousness.
"Not really," Dionysus admits with absolutely no shame in his tone or expression.
Chiron heaves a great sigh, pinching his brow. "Nevermind. Lady Artemis, welcome to Camp Half-blood, and your hunter as well. You must be Saphira, yes?"
Saphira steps forward and bows her head out of respect and in greeting to the old centaur. "Yes, I am. And this is Lykos. He will be accompanying me for this mission," she says, gesturing to her Guardian. The Wolf throws a nod at Chiron, and the centaur regards him with curiosity.
"I see… I mean no rudeness, but your companion is indeed a Wolf of Lycaon, correct? The size is certainly close, but those eyes seem to be the wrong color," he notes.
Saphira shakes her head. "It is his brethren who have the wrong eye color. Lykos does not run with Lycaon or his ilk. He is the Guardian of the Hunt, and one of my closest friends. I can promise you that he will pose no threat to the campers here… so long as they don't do anything stupid."
"Of course. I apologize for my comment about his eye color. I only meant to note that they are indeed different from what I have seen," Chiron says.
"No apology necessary, Chiron," Artemis chimes in. "Just know that if any of these boys so much as cast their eyes at my hunter the wrong way, my Guardian of the Hunt is authorized to defend her honor and her being."
The centaur sighs again and nods his head. "Understood, milady, though I would ask that your Guardian to at least turn to frightening them off first before resorting to eat them, or better yet, that Saphira report any misbehaviors to me or Mr. D. so that we may discipline them."
"Yes, discipline. Not only is that less messy than having your Wolf eat them, but it's also more fun for me. Punishing the brats is like the only fun thing to do around here," Dionysus says.
Artemis glares at the wine god with contempt. "Even if for the wrong reasons, at least you do something good here."
Dionysus rolls his eyes at her. "Hey, I'm here on punishment, not because I want to be. You best believe I'm going to do as few responsibilities as possible while this lasts. Now, since we all got our greetings and whatever out of the way, you can go ahead and leave Sofia here and beat it so I don't have to acknowledge you anymore."
"It's Saphira," Saphira reminds him while the goddess beside her fumes.
"Whatever."
"Why did Father ever see fit to make you an immortal, of all the other children he had sired," Artemis growls.
"Because I make some bomb-ass wine and throw bomb-ass parties. Now go on and get out of here, and don't let the door hit your ass on the way out," he replies, then turns to the door of the Big House to place his hand on the knob. Saphira wants to remind him that they had never even stepped through the door to begin with, but before she can say anything, a single silver arrow suddenly materializes in the doorframe, having shot right past Dionysus' head. The wine god freezes, standing still for a few moments before he casts a glance over his shoulder at them.
"You missed."
"It was intentional," Artemis growls, reaching over her shoulder to grasp a second arrow from her quiver.
"Ah, Lady Artemis. If I may be so bold as to ask you to kindly refrain from shooting at Mr. D?" Chiron interjects.
The moon goddess huffs and lets the arrow slip back into the quiver.
"Very well. I must rejoin my girls anyway. Saphira, good luck on your mission. Lykos, look after her. Chiron will IM me when you are ready to return home," she says.
"Okay. Thank you, milady," Saphira says, bowing her head.
"Be safe, you two." With that, Artemis disappears, leaving only a gust of wind to signify her flashing away.
"Thank the heavens she's gone. I'll be in the living room catching up on some memes," Dionysus says with a yawn. He turns and disappears into the Big House, leaving Saphira, Lykos and Chiron outside.
"You'll have to forgive his behavior. I know he can be, ah, difficult, but in time you learn to put up with it. Mostly," the centaur tries to assure her. Saphira exchanges a look of doubt with Lykos. The Wolf shakes his fur with a toss of his head, showing his disagreement. Chiron only chuckles and continues. "Let's get you settled in. Would you prefer a room here in the Big House or stay in Artemis' cabin?"
"Cabin, please. I believe it would offer more privacy." Saphira gestures to Lykos. "He will be staying there with me as well."
"As you wish. Please, follow me." Chiron canters around, and motions for them to follow him towards the cabin wing.
The walk is a short one through a grassy field, keeping to the path that leads away from the Big House towards the wing of cabins that Saphira can see lying ahead of them. Beside the wing is a small building that holds showers and bathrooms, she finds odd as she knows the cabins also contain such things for the inhabitants. On the other side of the field is what she knows to be the arena where the campers go to train and hone their skills in hand-to-hand and weapons. That has her curiosity sparked. No insult to the campers, but she believes she can probably take on most if not all them in a fight pretty easily.
The training that the hunt endures is generally more rigorous. Their lifestyle in general is more physically and mentally demanding than that the of the campers. Hunters live pretty much their whole lives in the wilderness, living off the land and battling the elements. They hunt not just the wildlife, but monsters too, to a far greater extent than the campers. Not to mention her couple millennia of experience would very much give her a powerful edge over any camper.
Perhaps she'll get a chance to take a few spars before she leaves.
As they near the cabin wing, she realizes that they are once again, getting noticed by the population. Boys and girls of various ages are all around them, pausing in their activities to observe them pass by. Some cast whispers and point, though Saphira notices most of these actions seemed to be directed towards Lykos. He seems to be making a point of trying to ignore them, but his ears betray his attentions as they swivel this way and that. Saphira wonders if perhaps he's uncomfortable being around this many people. A year with the Hunt doesn't make an eternity of solitude and distrust just go away, even if he does love running with the hunters. This is likely Lykos' first time being around this many strangers since joining the Hunt.
"Don't worry about them. They're just curious about us," Saphira murmurs to him, hoping to ease him. "It's not every day they see a hunter, let alone a Wolf."
Lykos huffs and moves closer to her, matching his silent, elegant strides with her own. At last, they reach the Artemis cabin, with Chiron leaning down to turn the knob and open the door for her. He stands aside to let her and Lykos pass through first, and Saphira takes a glance around the familiar space. She has been here before, and while it's not at all like her cozy tent back at the Hunt's encampment, it is at least comfortable.
"I had the cleaning harpies come by to sweep things up for your arrival. Normally we expect the children to keep their cabins clean, but as you obviously know, Lady Artemis has no children so the cabin can get dusty. I hope it's clean enough for you," Chiron says.
"It'll do. Thank you, Chiron," Saphira replies, glancing over her shoulder at him.
"Very well. I shall leave you to get settled. I will be sending one of our satyrs to come speak to you about the missing child. He was one of the last we sent, and the closest to getting her. You may want him to join you, as he can show you the last spot they came close to getting her. Good luck!"
The centaur closes the door, removing himself from view. Saphira takes a deep breath and turns back to her inspection of the cabin. It is not as flashy as the other cabins, especially not those of the Big Three, but that is so it remains true to Artemis' beliefs. They live simply. However, it is rather pretty still, with paintings and carvings of wild animals here and there. Not only that, but it seems the harpies were kind enough to add some pine-scented candles. The familiar scent makes it feel that much more like home. Pine-needle wreaths hang on either side of the wide windows, and a large bear-rug is stretched out before a fireplace in the den of the cabin.
"Well, this is actually kind of nicer than I remember," Saphira admits. Her companion is too busy investigating for himself to reply, sniffing every nook and cranny of the cabin. He comes to a door in the right wing of the cabin, behind the sofas and pushes it open with his head. Knowing where it leads, Saphira follows him. This is where bunks are located; simple but cozy cots mounted to the walls.
"You want a top or bottom bunk?" she asks Lykos. The Hunt's Guardian glances at her, shaking his head before returning to move past her back into the living room. Here, he moves right onto the bear rug and flops down.
"Can't imagine how you figure that's more comfortable than a bed," Saphira muses.
She rejoins him in the living room, tossing her pack onto the sofa before dropping on the cushions. She releases a sigh as she leans back, stretching out over the sofa. She wonders when the satyr Chiron mentioned will show up. She hopes he's not one of the snobby 'Cloven Elders.' Ugh. She's met them in the past on previous visits to Camp Half-blood, and the resentment between them and the Hunters was worse than between them and the campers. They always got blamed for certain incidents happening; explosions, fires, and one particular day where they had someone get swallowed alive by a giant snake in the woods… not that they weren't able to cut them free from the beast's belly after it was slain, but that was blamed on the Hunters too.
Turning her head, Saphira reaches out to run her fingertips along Lykos' spinal fur. He heaves a heavy breath, showing his appreciation. They'll just wait here until the satyr arrives to speak to them.
Then, she notices something that catches her breath in her throat.
Above the fireplace, hanging on the stone wall of the chimney shaft, is a plaque of silver. On this plaque, is a name that brings a giant wave of emotion onto her.
Zoe Nightshade.
Saphira snaps upright, swinging her legs off the sofa and flying off so fast that she might as well have teleported herself in front of the plaque. What… what is this? She continues reading.
Zoe Nightshade. A Beautiful Huntress. An Amazing Warrior. An Incredible Friend.
It's a memorial plaque, made of silver. A silhouette of a girl with a long braid and a bow and arrow, sprinting through the woods, carved into the surface. Stars are engraved around the border of the plaque. Someone… someone made this for her, for her memory. Saphira feels her eyes begin to sting as the tears threaten to come forth. She reaches up to the plaque, tracing her fingertips over the silver.
Despite the pain in her heart, she manages to smile.
"Even beyond the Hunt, your memory and your spirit lives on," she whispers.
Beside her, Lykos has come. He leans upwards, rising up some onto his hindlegs with his forepaws braced against the wall. He cocks his head to one side, examining the plaque for a moment before he turns to Saphira with a soft grunt. He gestures with his head at the plaque. Right. Lykos spent the last few centuries stuck in his wolf form, cut off from any form of a society. While he may understand modern languages verbally, he never learned how to read or write it. He wants her to read what is on the plaque for him.
She recites the writings, and Lykos blinks in surprise. He knows of her history, her connection to Zoe, though she supposes that seeing this is much more impactful for him.
Saphira wipes her eyes and shares her smile with him, brushing a hand over his fur when there is a knock on the cabin door. She uses part of her cloak to remove any evidence of her tears.
"Come on. Let's see who it is," she says and they both head to the door. Saphira turns the knob and pulls it open to reveal a scraggly-haired boy wearing an orange camp T-shirt and… nothing below the waist, which normally might have had her reacting in a bit of a zealous-Hunter manner if a male ever approached her like this. However, his lower half is covered in shaggy fur.
"Hi! You must be Saphira!" the satyr says. "I'm Terry. Terry Oakleaf. I'm here to help you out on- WHAT IS THAT?!"
Terry stumbles away from the door with eyes the size of dinner plates when he notices the Wolf standing behind Saphira. She raises a brow at his lack of a nerve. Well, it's not like satyrs are particularly known for their courage.
"He's with me. Don't worry, he won't eat you without a really good reason," Saphira says. "Right, Lykos?"
She definitely shouldn't have asked that, given the sense of humor her companion has sometimes.
As a response, Lykos lunges forth as a blur of shadow and fang, snarling and snapping his jaws at the satyr only to stop short. Terry shrieks and falls back on his furry goat rump with the Wolf standing over him. A soft rumbling escapes Lykos'; his laughter at his own joke. He moves back off of Terry and looks back at Saphira with his wolfish grin. Saphira bites her lip to hold in her own giggles and shakes her head at him.
"Lykos, your humor isn't shared by everyone," she chides him gently.
Lykos rolls his eyes and grumbles at her.
"Sorry about that. He was only joking around," Saphira tells the satyr. Terry is still rasping for breath, but he accepts her offered hand to pull himself up onto his hooves.
"I- I- I-" he stammers, still trembling. Saphira folds her arms and prompts him to continue.
"So, you were saying something about helping us?"
"Oh, uh, right! Sorry!" Terry clears his throat, casting a few nervous looks at Lykos. "I'm here to help you on your quest. I was the last satyr to come close to almost finding the girl. I can show you exactly where it was, if you think you can track her down from there!"
Saphira nods. "Alright. Give me a second to grab my things. We'll leave immediately."
Terry looks at Lykos, who hasn't taken his piercing gaze off of him for a second. Saphira is certain that he's only doing it because he finds Terry's obvious fear amusing.
"Um… is your uh, wolf, coming with us?" Terry asks. It's obvious the answer he's hoping for is 'no.'
"Yes. Of course he is. He is my Guardian. His job is to protect me and the Hunt," she replies. "You don't need to be afraid of him, Terry."
"S-sorry! It's just that… well, we satyrs are prey to a lot of monsters. Plenty like how we taste," he explains. "Cyclopes love eating us, hellhounds, the Nemean Lion… and Wolves of Lycaon."
"Well, he is no Wolf of Lycaon," Saphira declares. "Well, species-wise, he is. But he isn't like them."
"Okay… if you say he doesn't like the taste of goat, I'll take your word for it," Terry says, breathing a sigh of relief.
"I didn't say he doesn't like goat."
"What?"
Saphira shrugs her shoulders. "I said that I never said anything about him not liking goat."
As if to punctuate this, Lykos licks his lips. Saphira continues.
"Goat is one of his favorite meals. Once he snuck away to devour some from a flock owned by a rancher in the north." All the blood seems to drain from Terry's face at this revelation and Saphira stifles a giggle. "Relax, satyr. They were regular goats, not goats with top-half human bodies. Lykos doesn't eat satyr."
"I… nevermind. Shall we go?"
Saphira nods. "Yeah. Let's go."