Annabeth Chase and the Sea of Monsters

Chapter 8 - Chiron the pony leaves

I was in a daze as we walked down to camp. It seemed impossible that anyone would do such a thing. But if I needed help believing it, I only had to look around the camp.

It was like everyone was preparing for war. Weapons were stockpiled everywhere. Armed campers walked around, faces set and grim, not smiling or laughing like usual. No one was playing or even hanging out. It looked like everyone had a purpose as they walked past us. It was like a military school.

Even the dryads and other nature spirits were preparing for battle. They were carrying bows and had armour made of bark and leaves on. Probably not the best protection, but they looked stern and dangerous with their stick weapons.

The camp itself looked awful too. The grass was withering away, the sky was dark and overcast and all of nature looked sickly. It was as if the poison had spread its way all through the camp, and into my heart.

Percy was silent as he walked beside me. He seemed to realise how I didn't want to fill the silence with pointless chatter and I was grateful for that. Unfortunately, Tyson didn't get the memo.

"Whasthat!" he gasped, gazing open-mouthed in amazement at everything he saw.

Percy had to explain everything out to him, even the toilets and the volley court, making me grind my teeth in anger. Didn't Tyson realise what was happening? This wasn't the time for cheerfulness. Thalia was dying! Again!

I could barely force myself into the Big House when I reached it, fearing what I would see. When Percy looked at me quizzically as I hesitated outside, but I managed to step in and felt tears instantly spring to my eyes.

Chiron was in centaur form as he packed his saddlebags, listening to his favourite 1960s music. His scraggly beard and curly brown hair was just like I remembered, but his eyes were sorrowful and he moved with lethargic slowness. I'd been hoping that Clarisse had been lying, but seeing him put away all his belongings, I knew that she hadn't been.

"Pony!" Tyson suddenly cried, staring at Chiron in fascination and rapture.

"I beg your pardon?" Chiron said, offended.

I couldn't stop myself from running up to him and throwing my arms around his neck. He had to bend down slightly for me to do so, hugging my back comfortingly as I sobbed into his shoulder. Chiron had always been more of a father to me than Frederick Chase ever had been.

"Chiron, what's happening?" I asked, struggling to control my voice. "You're not . . . leaving?"

He pulled away from me and ruffled my hair, pulling out a leaf that was stuck in it from my nights of sleeping rough. He smiled kindly at us all, even Tyson.

"Hello, child. And Percy, my goodness. You've grown over the year!"

Percy looked pained. He hadn't known Chiron as long as me, but the centaur and the son of Poseidon had been close also. "Clarisse said you were . . . you were . . ."

"Fired," Chiron confirmed, his eyes revealing his pain. "Ah, well, someone had to take the blame. Lord Zeus was most upset. The tree he'd created from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned! Mr D had to punish someone."

"Besides himself, you mean," Percy growled. His eyes flashed with anger. I felt just as mad.

"But this is crazy!" I exclaimed. "Chiron, you couldn't have had anything to do with poisoning Thalia's tree!"

"Nevertheless," he replied softly, "some in Olympus do not trust me now, under the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" Percy asked.