The Adventures of Thalia and Reyna: A Hunters of Artemis Tale

Chapter 17

Hello readers!  Hope you enjoy this chapter.  We are almost to the end!  Thanks for sticking with the story so far, you guys are awesome.

-Karazorel257

Reyna's POV

Reyna had slept on Thalia's shoulder for a good hour, to her humiliation.  She would have slept longer too, but Thalia had to wake her so they could get a move-on to Camp Jupiter.  

Apparently, Artemis did know about Reyna's condition, and stalled the other huntresses while they were gone.  Artemis didn't say anything about it though, she just gave her a knowing smile.  Reyna didn't know how Artemis felt about it, but she wasn't forcing her to leave, so that was something.  

It made Reyna realize something.  She had decided to stay, but was she slowing the hunters down with her decision?  They waited, unknowingly, a whole hour for her.  Was she being selfish by staying, even though she thought she was helping?  She hadn't thought about that.  

Reyna whistled for her dogs as they started the hike towards Camp Jupiter.  Thalia looped her arm through Reyna's and stayed at the back of the pack with her while Zoe took the lead.  Reyna found that Thalia was letting Zoe lead the way with Artemis a lot lately.  Did she doubt her abilities as lieutenant, or was she just worried that Reyna would have another episode?  She couldn't tell.  

Usually, the hunters would run through the woods with the wolf pack, but they were just walking now.  The girls chatted amongst each other and Zoe and Artemis walked in total silence, just comfortable around each other.  The golden California sun shined through the trees, and the dry grass crunched underfoot.  Usually demigods went through the city to reach camp, but the hunters knew a back way through Lupa's territory.  

As they neared the edge of the forest, Reyna heard so many familiar sounds that it almost overwhelmed her with happiness.  She heard the shouting of the centurions training their cohorts, the laughter of the children playing at the park in New Rome, the trumpets of Hannibal the elephant, and the braying of the unicorns running with their herd.  They were the most beautiful sounds she'd ever heard, and Reyna would never admit this to anyone, but she almost cried with homesickness.  

She just couldn't help herself.  Reyna released Thalia's arm and burst through the brush, running past the huntresses toward her home.  She knew she risked an episode occurring, but she was too happy to care.  

"Reyna, wait!  Thou cannot just-"  Zoe attempted to stop her, but Reyna was ecstatic.  

Finally out of the trees, Reyna breathed in the scent of the grapes in the garden of Bacchus, the hot chocolate from her favorite coffee shop, and the fresh air of the training fields.  She was home.  

The cohorts training on the field looked at her in surprise at first, but then exploded into cheers.  

"Praetor- I mean, Reyna!  Your home!"

"Hey, Reyna!"

"It's great to see you!"

"How is being a huntress?"

This was the fifth cohort, from what Reyna could tell.  They crowded around her shouting greetings.  

"Guys come on!  Give the poor woman some space!"  Lavinia Asimov, centurion of the fifth cohort and daughter of Terpsichore, smiled at Reyna, her pink hair trying to escape its ponytail.  

"Lavinia Asimov, still causing trouble I see."  Reyna gestured to the fifth cohort's choice in foot wear.  They were all wearing tap shoes.  

"Hey, I promised to teach them tap, didn't I?  A Roman always keeps her word."  Lavinia quoted her, smirking.