A Son Love & Doves

Chapter 4 (20) Clarisse Ask for My Help

Y/n POV

The way Tantalus saw it, the Stymphalian birds had simply been minding their own business in the woods and would not have attacked if Annabeth, Tyson and Percy hadn’t disturbed them with their bad chariot driving.

This was so completely unfair, Percy told Tantalus to go chase a doughnut, which didn’t help his mood. He sentenced them to kitchen patrol – scrubbing pots and platters all afternoon in the underground kitchen with the cleaning harpies. The harpies washed with lava instead of water, to get that extra-clean sparkle and kill ninety-nine point nine percent of all germs.

'I want the border to be back up.' I signed.

"Yeah, we all do dove boy." Clarisse said sharpening her spear.

She had gotten it fixed after Percy had broken it last year. Whenever we spared she used it. Most of the time it was dagger against spear, other times it was spear against spear. That was if we were using weapons and not just wrestling training.

'Eleanor is in danger!' I signed.

"That's what you're worried about?" Clarisse asked with a raised brow.

'No it's the tipping point.' I signed. 'Chiron knew of a way that could heal the tree, some sort of powerful healing magic.'

Clarisse finally started paying full attention to me and leaned her spear against her shoulder. "What were his words exactly?"

'A foolish thought. The whole valley is feeling the shock of the poison. The magical borders are deteriorating. The camp itself is dying. Only one source of magic would be strong enough to reverse the poison, and it was lost centuries ago.' I signed recalling exactly what he said.

"So it's a strong scource of magic that could reverse the poison." Clarisse said thinking.

'So it must be a item right?' I signed trying to help her think.

Clarisse nodded as I started to sharpen my dagger. Clarisse went back to sharpening her spear but I could tell she was thinking about what the item could be, though I was in the same boat.

But at some point I hear Clarisse huff and look up to her. "This is annoying."

'The answer will come eventually.' I signed trying to ease her annoyance.

She didn't respond and just started to sharpen a sword.

"Y/n you might want to keep Eleanor close Tantalus has been looking at her weird." Clarisse said and I looked up at her suprised. "I'm not lying."

I nodded knowing she wouldn't lie about something like this.

'I swear if he lays one hand on her I'll show him I inherited my mothers wrath.' I signed and the tips of my hair were slightly tinted red at the mere thought.

"I'd hate to be the one who makes you legitimately angry." Clarisse said shaking her head.

That night at the campfire, Apollo’s cabin led the sing-along. They tried to get everybody’s spirits up, but it wasn’t easy after that afternoons bird attack. We all sat around a semicircle of stone steps, singing half-heartedly and watching the bonfire blaze while the Apollo guys strummed their guitars and picked their lyres.

All the standard camp numbers weres sung: ‘Down by the Aegean’, ‘I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandpa’, ‘This Land is Minos’s Land’. The bonfire was enchanted, so the louder you sang, the higher it rose, changing colour and heat with the mood of the crowd. On a good night, I’d seen it six metres high, bright purple, and so hot the whole front row’s marshmallows burst into flames. Tonight, the fire was only a metre high, barely warm, and the flames were the colour of lint.