𝒊𝒊𝒊. 𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒

𝒗.

Percy had never seen Camp Half-Blood in winter before, and the snow surprised him. 

See, the camp has the ultimate magic climate control. Nothing gets inside the borders unless the director, Mr. D, wants it to. He thought it would be warm and sunny, but instead the snow had been allowed to fall lightly. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights, like Christmas lights, except they seemed to be balls of real fire. More lights glowed in the woods, and weirdest of all, a fire flickered in the attic window of the Big House, where the Oracle dwelt, imprisoned in an old mummified body. Percy wondered if the spirit of Delphi was roasting marshmallows up there or something. 

"Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?" 

"Yeah," Percy said. 

"Why is there lava pouring down it?" 

"Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoë, have you met—" 

"I know Chiron," Zoë said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me." 

Noelle's eyes widened upon realizing the Hunters would be seeing all of her personal items while they stayed with her. She wasn't sure if she wanted their silent looks of disapproval to be more enhanced upon seeing her belongings. Especially the photos of her boyfriend and her dad, who had deflowered the maiden goddess.

"Let me go on ahead of you and make sure everything is clean and tidy," Noelle rushed out before jogging away towards Cabin Eight.

Noelle almost tripped entering the cabin because she was in such a rush. She quickly took all photos with Percy or her dad off the wall, shoving them in the drawer beside her bunk. She quickly scanned everywhere else in the cabin for any sign of the male species, relaxing onto her bunk when she found none.

She didn't sit for long because the Hunters entered moments later, led by Zoë. Noelle smiled nervously at the apparent leader.

"I know this isn't your usual setting, but let me know if I can help make it a little more comfortable," Noelle said unusually shy. It was just something about the Hunters that made Noelle's confident demeanor crumble. Possibly because they're the closest thing to her mother that she has at the moment, or because they simply radiated power.

Noelle chose to blame it on the latter.

"That's okay, Noelle," Zoë said, looking around the remotely empty cabin before making eye contact with the girl in front of her. "I have faith Artemis with kill this beast quickly and us Hunters won't have to stay long. But I thank you for thy hospitality."

Noelle nodded. "Of course."

Zoë must have picked up on how Noelle wanted to say more simply by the way she was stood. "Did thou have something else to say?"

"Uh, it's really nothing too important." Noelle fumbled with her hands. "I just feel the need to apologize for... Well, for being born I guess."

"Why would you need to apologize for that?" Zoë asked almost bewilderedly.

"I'm basically a symbol of how Artemis broke her oath," Noelle said like it was obvious. "Don't you blame me even a little?"

Zoë frowned slightly. "Maybe I did at first, but I was more disappointed with Artemis. And if someone is to blame it would be thy father."

"Oh, right." Noelle ran a hand through her hair. "So we can be friends? All of us?"

Zoë seemed to ponder that for a moment. "Well, us Hunters don't approve of thy relationship with the son of Poseidon. So, maybe acquaintances for now, but we'll gladly have thee on our team for capture the flag."