????? →percy jackson

The hunters set up their entire camping site in mere minutes. Seven large tents that looked to be made out of pure moonlight were curved into a crescent shape around a large bonfire. Oh, the Hephaestus kids back at camp would be jealous, Daphne chuckled to herself.

One of the girls blew a silver dog whistle and a dozen white wolves emerged from the woods. They circled the campsite like guard dogs. The raven that belonged to Kyrene flew onto one of the wolves' head, and it didn't seem to mind at all. Occasionally, the hunters would walk among the wolves and feed them treats, or gave them pets. Falcons circled above them or watched from the trees, eyeing them intently.

Percy didn't look too anxious to get close to the wolves, so he stuck around the tents. So did Daphne, she sat as close as she could to the fire, wanting nothing more than to warm up. She felt a lot more content once a hunter came over and treated minor injuries. With a few bites of ambrosia and some nectar, she was good as new, with the addition of a split ear. Totally cool.

Thalia's words must've stuck with Percy, he now looked more gloomy and miserable than ever. Not at all how he was when he first walked into Westover. He and Daphne watched silently as Thalia paced back and forth near the edge of camp, walking amongst the wolves like they weren't even there. She paused and turned to stare at Westover, which had gone completely dark, looming on the hillside beyond the woods.

She stood so still you could've thought she was a tree again. It was odd, she did that once in a while back at camp.

Daphne snuck a glance to a sulking Percy, who was staring at the bonfire quietly. She looked away, grew bored, and willed dandelions to grow from the snowy ground, carefully plucking and making a flower crown out of them. She overlapped the first two stems, looped the top flower over and around the second, and repeated the looping process to her desired length.

She examined her work, and placed it on her head.

By the time she nearly finished her second crown, some of the hunters returned from the school with their stuff. Kyrene dropped Daphne and Percy's packs at their feet, sending them a curt nod. It was good timing, because Grover and Nico came back from their walk, and Grover started helping Percy out with his cut.

"It's green!" Nico beamed, fascinated by it, somehow. Daphne laughed while placing the flower crown on his head. It was a little big, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Hold still," Grover instructed, "here, eat some ambrosia squares while I clean this out." Percy winced as Grover cleaned and dressed his wound, but within a few minutes he visibly seemed a lot more relaxed.

Nico rummaged through his own pack, which the hunters must've packed for him. He started to lay out his entire collection of figurines in the snow—little replicas of Greek gods and heroes. Some were easily recognizable—Zeus with his lightning bolt, Ares with his spear, Dionysus with his thyrsus, and Apollo with his sun chariot. The cards he left behind in the gym were also in his hand.

Percy eyed the figurines with half interest. "Big collection," he commented.

Nico grinned. "I've got almost all of them and their holographic cards too! Well, except for some really rare ones."

"You've been playing a long time?"

"Yeah! And before that I...i . . ." Nico faltered as he knit his eyebrows.

"You okay Nico?" Grover asked.

"Uh huh. That's weird, I forgot..." He looked unsettled, but it didn't last too long. He looked to Percy, "Hey, can I see that sword you were using?" Percy obliged, and showed him Riptide. He explained to Nico how it turned from a pen to a sword — by just taking off the pens cap.

"Cool!" Nico exclaimed, "Does it ever run out of ink?"

"Uh. I don't . . . actually write with it." Percy replied.

'Was there a way for him to write with Riptide?' Daphne pondered, on her third flower crown now. 'Surely the ink inside wasn't just for show. if it can turn into a sword . . . there must've been a way for it to turn back into a writable pen.'

"Are you really the son of Poseidon?" Nico inquired.

"Well, yeah."

"Can you surf really well then?"

Percy sent Grover an exasperated look, who was trying his hardest not to laugh. "Jeez, Nico. I've never tried." Nico, despite Percy's growing annoyance, kept bombarding him with questions. Did he fight a lot with Thalia, since she was a daughter of Zeus? (Percy didn't answer.) Okay... Could he talk to underwater animals? (Percy nodded.) If he could do that, could he breathe underwater? ( "Yeah. it was freaky at first, but i got used to it.") If Annabeth's mother was Athena, why didn't she know better than falling off the cliff? (Daphne discreetly sent him a warning look. Percy looked just about ready to strangle him.) Were him and Daphne like... a thing? ("No, Nico." Daphne sighed. Percy said nothing as he pursed his lips.)