Why is Everything so Loud?! (Fem. Percy)

It's what I wanted, right?

Camp was empty. Everyone was in the woods, aside from those too injured to participate. And me. I kept my head down and my shoulders hunched as I walked along the path. The clothes and items in my bag weighed heavy. 

Leaving Camp was dumb. Leaving it on foot, even worse. But I- I couldn't stay. Not when the offer was there. Not when I could turn against Camp and had oh so many reasons to. I couldn't do that. Even if everyone hates me, getting them killed, making them suffer...No. I shook my head. Shut up, stop thinking. I just had to leave. Go home, go curl against Mom, and never let her find out. 

Soon I passed through the barrier, with no one not even Peleus standing in my way. It felt wrong. There was just something so off about the entire situation. I sighed and shoved my hands into my pockets. There wasn't really. This was what I wanted. To be away from everyone so I wouldn't get them hurt. 

I walked through the woods, feet carrying me at a lazy pace. I wasn't in a hurry. They hadn't missed me before, why would they now? The thought made my heart clench. They wouldn't notice, would they?

Leaves crunched under the soles of my shoes. A soft wind breezed through branches. Wood creaked and things fell. Bugs made noises, squirrels chattered. Things here, they'd keep going. Nothing I did would change it. Even if I razed the place to the ground, it would come back. Nature is as persistent as the ocean is wild. Mud squelched. 

Must've rained at some point, I thought absently. My gaze swept through the trees. I had Riptide, the pen was safely in my pocket. Still, doubt ran through me. It was oh so easy for me to get captured. Too easy. Power cancelling cuffs were rare, the enchantments and the godly metals used in them meant a single pair could take years, even decades, to craft. There were a few in Camp, but how did the monsters get their hands on a set?

I grimaced and paused, shifting my weight to my right foot. The sharp pain abated, if only for a minute. Every injury I'd sustained, they were still there, hidden under my clothes. Out of sight, out of mind didn't work. 

...

What was I doing?

I'm never going to make this work. I should just turn back, deal with dish duty and continue on as if nothing's changed. Maybe if I tried to tell Chiron, he'd believe me. And yet, the voice in my head said he wouldn't. None of my injuries were severe enough to warrant attention, and I'd made it back to Camp. A weapon back in the arsenal. And if I went back, what would I tell him?

Tell him that I ran away right after being kidnapped and tortured? Right after I got back safely?

I started walking again. The noise of the forest soothed some nerves, brought others back. And then my foot splashed in a puddle. 

In an instant, Dad was in front of me, arms crossed, scowl on his face. I didn't say anything. He was a pillar standing there in the middle of my vision. Purple. He had a purple button up on. Just a regular one, not a Hawaiian shirt. A blink; I didn't move. 

"So when I left you to let you calm down, you took that as permission to leave?" he said, a steel edge to his voice. I winced, and looked down, fiddling with my shirt hem. Dying sunlight trickled down. Dad sighed and took a step forward. He placed a hand on my shoulder. I kept staring at my old worn shoes. "Where are you hurt?" His voice was low, soft, the hushed murmur of waves over sand. Wordlessly, I offered him my right arm. The fabric pulled at the dried blood as he rolled the sleeve back. Strong fingers dug hard into my skin. A hand pressed against my head, tilting it to the side. Dad inhaled. "That's from a monster. Why- Why haven't you had these treated? When did you get attacked?"

"Uh, I think the bite's from about a week ago. Or maybe a few days? The poison really screwed with time for me." 

"Poison?"

"Some monsters-- I--"

"Let go of your arms."

"Do you want to know or not?" I bit. "Some monsters jumped me when I was running an errand for Chiron. And I- They took me. Tortured me." I didn't know how I wasn't shaking. Admitting weakness to a god was a big deal. Something we're taught to never do, much less to our parents. Standing in the middle of the forest, disobeying him, telling him this, I couldn't lift my gaze. My heart beat in my throat, my lungs seized. I swallowed. No. Break down later. I'm not out of the woods yet, quite literally. 

The ground rumbled, and I fell half a step back. Dad took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. Piercing green eyes stared at me. "Why wasn't I told of this?"

"Nobody noticed." I shrugged as if that's all there was to it. As if I was talking about a plant dying and not me being tortured. 

"Nobody-- " Dad cut off. "Okay, we'll deal with that later. For now, we're going back to my palace. If it's been a week and you haven't had those treated, I at least want to get them looked at by one of my healers."

"Why do you have healers?"

"For things like this," he said. "Would you rather hold onto me or I can- I can give you a piggyback if you want." His eyes flicked to my leg and I had to resist the urge to check if blood was seeping through the fabric. I rocked on my heels. I didn't care. I really, really didn't. But why did the thought of a piggy back ride sound so nice? "Here." He moved in front of me and crouched. 

I climbed on, looping my arms around his neck and burying my face against his shoulder. Half-mumbled thanks left my lips. We vanished. 

Ocean water pressed against me for the briefest of moments. Then it was gone. My butt hit a cushion, and I stared at the wall. Vision blurred and unfocused, I was only half aware of the things occurring around me. The healer came and went, conversation and chatter going in one ear and out the other. Dad left then, leaving me alone. He left. He left. But he came back.

 "Here," said Dad and he handed me a mug. I sipped at it, keeping my eyes on the wall, ignoring the way his hands held my arms. Ignoring his fingers pressing against the cuts. Ignoring the tingling as they healed. Ignoring everything.  He left again. I kept staring at the wall, counting bricks. 

Blankets draped over my shoulders. A hand smoothed my hair. "I'll be in the council chamber. "

Well, please enjoy this chapter, i spent an hour staring at the last few paragraphs

Anyway

See yah