𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙇𝘼𝙈𝙀𝘿; heroes of olympus

water the stones

ERITH JAY
ERITH WAS RATHER SAD, which wasn't something she should've felt in the moment.

The ship had docked at the harbor in Piraeus, on the outskirts of Athena. Somewhere nearby, past the rows of cruise ships and hills crowded with buildings, they would find the Acropolis. Today, one way or another, their journey would end.

And Erith was sad about it.

As everyone else geared up for battle, Erith sat fiddling with the armor over her wrists. It wasn't that she was going to miss the constant danger and battles and stress. It wasn't that she was going to miss dreading the end of the world.

What she was going to miss was her team.

They might all die today. Or, and Erith found this more likely, they would survive. They would return to camp and then go their separate ways. 

Hazel and Frank would return to Camp Jupiter. Percy and Annabeth were thinking about starting up their college career in New Rome. Piper and Leo had agreed to finish up their senior years at the same school in New York while Jason went back and forth between the camps, waiting for them.

And Erith? Well, aside from Hazel, Erith was the youngest person on the crew. She still had an entire senior year to start. She couldn't ask Piper and Leo and Jason to wait for her, even though they had offered.

Plus, she wasn't even sure what to do with her family back in New Jersey. She wasn't sure she wanted to abandon her friends at camp again.

She wasn't really sure of anything except for the fact that she would miss the late nights sailing across the sky. She'd grown used to sleeping with the rocking of the ship.

"Annabeth?" Piper called from the stairwell. Annabeth sighed, tightening the laces on her boots, then stood and followed the sound of Piper's voice, Percy in tow.

"You look terrible," Leo commented as he ran a hand through his hair. He looked rather pale himself, but Erith decided not to comment.

"I feel terrible," she admitted. Jason, Hazel, and Frank were doing a final count on their backup weapons, armor, and Greek fire, so her and Leo were alone for the moment.

He sighed, coming to sit next to her on the floor. "What's wrong?"

"I just―this is going to sound stupid and selfish."

Leo gave her a wry smile. "Baby, I know all about stupid and selfish."

She grinned in spite of herself. "You very much do. I don't know, Leo. I'll just―I miss it. I love you guys. I love you guys a lot. And I love this ship. It was hard to say goodbye to camp, but I think it might be harder going back." She risked a glance at him. "Does that make sense?"

He frowned, his fingers tracing her armguard to her bare palm. "It makes sense," he said, speaking quietly. "Honestly, I don't think I'll be able to sleep at camp. The engine here is, like, the love of my life. Aside from you, of course." His nose nudged hers. "But that's not what you're really afraid of, are you? You're afraid of being left behind."

Erith swallowed. "You know me too well."

"Yeah," he said, "maybe. But if that's the case, then you know us too little. Piper and Jason and I aren't going to leave you, bozo. You're our family. In fact, Piper and I were considering just doing our senior year over with you. We offered to let Jason do it too, but he said he'd be too busy with his pastor shit." Leo's lips tugged upward. "Which is fair, because I doubt college will let us rest. Anyway, we're thinking about getting an apartment in New York, just the four of us. I'm sure the two camps will fund us for saving the world, so."