“Alex, wait up!” Ciana called to her friend Alex, son of Ares. He was extremely gentle with her, and never attacked her during capture the flag.
“Well, Ciana, if you didn’t need to check your reflection in the river every time we pass it, you might be a little faster!” Alex called back jokingly.
“Hey, I need to make sure my mascara isn’t running from sweating,” Ciana sprinted to catch up with Alex, who had found a pond by the sound of the excessive splashing. When she caught up, she saw him floating peacefully on the water.
He opened one eye and said, “So like a daughter of Aphrodite to be late for an afternoon swim. You gonna come in, or are you afraid of getting your precious hairdo wet?”
Ciana laughed but suddenly froze. Alex sensed something and stood up, drawing his spear from his back. Ciana backed up onto the rocks and drew her small knife. “Where is it? I haven’t fought a monster for days. I need to keep my skill shar-,” He stopped short, seeing Ciana frozen on the rocks, her eyes darting around, trying to find the thing that had rustled the leaves behind her.
A leaf fell to her right, and she jumped. She called out tentatively, “Who’s there?” Her voice cracked, and as she struggled to steady it, another patch of leaves rustled behind her, and she turned sharply and threw a rock at the noisemaker. She heard a thud, and she knew she had missed. “Stop playing with us, we know you’re there,” as she picked up another rock, she heard a girl’s voice right above her.
“Tell your friend I won’t come out until he puts his spear down.”
Ciana screamed and threw her rock at the empty tree branches. “Alex, lowers your spear, but be ready to throw it. We need to know who this girl is,” Alex looked at her like she was crazy, but obediently lowered her spear. “Alright, will you come out now?” she called into the leaves.
The leaves stirred to her right, and the girl said, "Of course.”
“Well, Ciana, if you didn’t need to check your reflection in the river every time we pass it, you might be a little faster!” Alex called back jokingly.
“Hey, I need to make sure my mascara isn’t running from sweating,” Ciana sprinted to catch up with Alex, who had found a pond by the sound of the excessive splashing. When she caught up, she saw him floating peacefully on the water.
He opened one eye and said, “So like a daughter of Aphrodite to be late for an afternoon swim. You gonna come in, or are you afraid of getting your precious hairdo wet?”
Ciana laughed but suddenly froze. Alex sensed something and stood up, drawing his spear from his back. Ciana backed up onto the rocks and drew her small knife. “Where is it? I haven’t fought a monster for days. I need to keep my skill shar-,” He stopped short, seeing Ciana frozen on the rocks, her eyes darting around, trying to find the thing that had rustled the leaves behind her.
A leaf fell to her right, and she jumped. She called out tentatively, “Who’s there?” Her voice cracked, and as she struggled to steady it, another patch of leaves rustled behind her, and she turned sharply and threw a rock at the noisemaker. She heard a thud, and she knew she had missed. “Stop playing with us, we know you’re there,” as she picked up another rock, she heard a girl’s voice right above her.
“Tell your friend I won’t come out until he puts his spear down.”
Ciana screamed and threw her rock at the empty tree branches. “Alex, lowers your spear, but be ready to throw it. We need to know who this girl is,” Alex looked at her like she was crazy, but obediently lowered her spear. “Alright, will you come out now?” she called into the leaves.
The leaves stirred to her right, and the girl said, "Of course.”
“Who are you?” Alex asked when the strange girl stepped out of the trees. She was wearing cameo and had a full quiver of silver arrows strapped to her back. Her silver bow was in on hand, and she looked ready to fire at the slightest movement.
“Who, who are you?” Alex muttered, gritting his teeth so hard Ciana thought that they would shatter, and gripping his spear so tightly that it looked ready to snap in half. He sounded angry that he didn’t run into a fight.
Ciana moved slowly over to him and massaged his shoulders, whispering to him, “She might be dangerous. Let’s talk to Chiron, he’ll know who she is,”
The girl stared at them, and said, “No use whispering, I know what you’re saying. I want to speak to Chiron, so take me to him,” Alex glared at her, and the corners of her mouth twitched into something close to a smile. “If you take me to Chiron, I’ll tell you who I am while we walk,” she compromised. That won him over, and Ciana found herself walking next to Alex, who was starting to warm up to this new girl, who revealed her name to be Luna. “My friends prefer to call me Star, for some reason. I’m a Hunter,” she told him, and he gasped. Hunters have a dislike to Camp Half-Blood, so they rarely show themselves. Before Alex could say anything, Luna added in a sad tone, “or, at least, I was a Hunter until Artemis thought I fell in love, and I had to leave. I never did such a thing! I’ve never had a good feeling about boys, and I never will. No offense,” she said as she saw Alex trying to tell her off. Ciana felt a bit better. Alex wasn’t her boyfriend, but he was strong and handsome, and she wanted to be with him. She was afraid that this new girl would win his heart if she stayed. But this made her feel better.
Though Alex might fall in love with her, she would never love him back.”Unless,” said that voice in her head, unless she refuses to become a Hunter again. Then she wouldn’t be bound to those rules anymore. Ciana was able to push that thought away by hearing Luna talk about how so many boys liked her, but she never liked one of them back. Suddenly, she was aware of how late it was. “If we want to talk to Chiron before dinner, we better hurry,” she told the others. So they started running up to the Big house. She was amazed at how smoothly Luna could run. With the grace of a deer, the little voice told her. Not like Ciana, running with flats instead of tennis shoes, afraid to run in case it ruins her makeup. She made a show of sprinting to the Big house to finish first, but the other girl still beat her without effort.
Alex came up behind Ciana. “Let’s go talk to Chiron quickly, dinner can’t be more than 10 minutes away,” he said. Ciana nodded and pushed open the doors of the house. They run-walked up to Chiron’s room and pushed the door open.
“Chiron?” Ciana asked, not seeing her teacher in immediate sight. Then she saw a movement in the corner of the room, and Chiron stepped into view.
“What is it, Cia--- Oh!” he gasped as Luna walked into the room.
“Chiron, we need to speak,” she glared at the other two. “Privately.” She muttered with gritted teeth. Alex and Ciana walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Alex whispered, “Air vent?” to Ciana and she nodded. They had an amazing way to listen in on private conversations in the big house. There was a vent entrance on the outside of the house, in the back. They were never seen and they could remove the cover and crawl in easily.
“Alex, we are going to need to be careful. She has ears like a hawk. We nearly got caught by Chiron last time when you stifled my sneeze. I think only one of us should go in,” Alex started to complain, then saw the reasoning behind Ciana’s proposal.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. You should go, you’re tinier that me and much more nimble,” Ciana nodded.
”If you want me to, sure. Stay guard for me, I might have to come out quickly,” Alex nodded and pulled off the cover of the vent, and Ciana slipped inside.
“Who, who are you?” Alex muttered, gritting his teeth so hard Ciana thought that they would shatter, and gripping his spear so tightly that it looked ready to snap in half. He sounded angry that he didn’t run into a fight.
Ciana moved slowly over to him and massaged his shoulders, whispering to him, “She might be dangerous. Let’s talk to Chiron, he’ll know who she is,”
The girl stared at them, and said, “No use whispering, I know what you’re saying. I want to speak to Chiron, so take me to him,” Alex glared at her, and the corners of her mouth twitched into something close to a smile. “If you take me to Chiron, I’ll tell you who I am while we walk,” she compromised. That won him over, and Ciana found herself walking next to Alex, who was starting to warm up to this new girl, who revealed her name to be Luna. “My friends prefer to call me Star, for some reason. I’m a Hunter,” she told him, and he gasped. Hunters have a dislike to Camp Half-Blood, so they rarely show themselves. Before Alex could say anything, Luna added in a sad tone, “or, at least, I was a Hunter until Artemis thought I fell in love, and I had to leave. I never did such a thing! I’ve never had a good feeling about boys, and I never will. No offense,” she said as she saw Alex trying to tell her off. Ciana felt a bit better. Alex wasn’t her boyfriend, but he was strong and handsome, and she wanted to be with him. She was afraid that this new girl would win his heart if she stayed. But this made her feel better.
Though Alex might fall in love with her, she would never love him back.”Unless,” said that voice in her head, unless she refuses to become a Hunter again. Then she wouldn’t be bound to those rules anymore. Ciana was able to push that thought away by hearing Luna talk about how so many boys liked her, but she never liked one of them back. Suddenly, she was aware of how late it was. “If we want to talk to Chiron before dinner, we better hurry,” she told the others. So they started running up to the Big house. She was amazed at how smoothly Luna could run. With the grace of a deer, the little voice told her. Not like Ciana, running with flats instead of tennis shoes, afraid to run in case it ruins her makeup. She made a show of sprinting to the Big house to finish first, but the other girl still beat her without effort.
Alex came up behind Ciana. “Let’s go talk to Chiron quickly, dinner can’t be more than 10 minutes away,” he said. Ciana nodded and pushed open the doors of the house. They run-walked up to Chiron’s room and pushed the door open.
“Chiron?” Ciana asked, not seeing her teacher in immediate sight. Then she saw a movement in the corner of the room, and Chiron stepped into view.
“What is it, Cia--- Oh!” he gasped as Luna walked into the room.
“Chiron, we need to speak,” she glared at the other two. “Privately.” She muttered with gritted teeth. Alex and Ciana walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Alex whispered, “Air vent?” to Ciana and she nodded. They had an amazing way to listen in on private conversations in the big house. There was a vent entrance on the outside of the house, in the back. They were never seen and they could remove the cover and crawl in easily.
“Alex, we are going to need to be careful. She has ears like a hawk. We nearly got caught by Chiron last time when you stifled my sneeze. I think only one of us should go in,” Alex started to complain, then saw the reasoning behind Ciana’s proposal.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. You should go, you’re tinier that me and much more nimble,” Ciana nodded.
”If you want me to, sure. Stay guard for me, I might have to come out quickly,” Alex nodded and pulled off the cover of the vent, and Ciana slipped inside.
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