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[ 002. Light of this World ]
Mornings at Camp Half-blood transition from quiet and serene to rackety and crowded in a matter of minutes. Dark blue bleeds into a colourless light grey and then the sun rises. The Apollo cabin children are always the first to wake up, forming a scattered line in their night suits, rubbing their eyes and ears and heading straight to the bathroom. At this time, Lian is usually perched on her windowsill, watching the harpies disappear and the camp come to life.
Nothing out of sorts happens until Lian returns to her room after a quick shower. The way there is through the main living room of the Big House, where most of the camp council meetings are held. It's a blend of decor: ornate frames and paintings to a ping-pong table and the head of a lion mounted on one of the walls. Chiron is sitting (or something, Lian does not fully understand how he operates as a centaur) on a smaller wooden table, cards splayed on it, along with a tea set.
He smiles at her — a tired gesture. "Lian. There you are. Join me for tea."
Lian pulls a face halfway between a frown and a scowl. She isn't very fond of Chiron.
"I just want to ask how your time at camp has been so far," he adds, noting her hesitation.
"That doesn't take very long," Lian says. No need to prolong it with tea, right?
"Amongst other things."
Summer is almost at an end. A few days later most of the campers will be returning to their homes for the school year. Lian knows Thalia plans on joining Annabeth's school; they asked Lian if she wished to join, too, but the topic of concern is that Lian's never had the type of education they've had. Another is that she's much too old for school, but perhaps the most impactful in her decision to say no is that she thinks of the winter as a break.
If half the camp is absent, surely they won't waste time with their usual regulations.
That means she could search for Ma freely, without them tying her down.
Lian sits, resting her hands on her lap. "Well, I don't exactly have family in the mortal world. There's no place for me to go, unless, of course, you'd like me to return to Aiaia."
"That's not . . ." Chiron bristles. He understands the relationship between Olympus and the witches of Aiaia better than most. "You're welcome to stay here for the rest of the year, as you know. But you can't sit idle."
"You say I'm welcome here, but no one has quite been welcoming."
Lian hasn't brought this up before. For the most part, she doesn't find it troublesome. If anything it has been convenient for her. But she's not fond of the explanation Chiron will give:
"I'm aware that they haven't been the most . . . friendly. I know you understand why — witches aren't exactly known for their warmth. And Circe is still a name that invokes—"
