The Dragon's Daughter

ii. the council of old goats

"So this is what you've been doing?"

"Yes," Clarisse answered.

"Dangerous."

Clarisse snorted. "Everything's dangerous."

"Not as dangerous as this," Elora said. "This is a whole new level. No guidance, no map, no anything. Anyone going there would be going pretty much blind."

"Guys, it's time," Annabeth said.

"For what?"

"Grover's formal hearing," Clarisse answered. "The Council of old goats is meeting to decide his fate."

They ran into the woods. Nymphs peeked out of the trees to watch them pass. Large shapes rustled in the shadows - monsters that were stocked in here as a challenge to the campers.

They passed through a tunnel of old willow trees, past a little waterfall, and into a glade blanketed with wildflowers.

☼︎☼︎❁☼︎☼︎

A bunch of satyrs were sitting in a circle in the grass. Grover stood in the middle, facing three old, really fat satyrs who sat on topiary thrones shaped out of rose bushes.

"They're the Council of Clover?" Elora asked.

Annabeth nodded.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said. "Oh, hey June."

Grover started to tell them his story. He twisted the bottom of his T-shirt, shifting nervously on his goat hooves. He hadn't changed much since last winter, maybe because satyrs age half as fast as humans.

His acne had flared up. His horns had gotten a little bigger so they just stuck out over his curly hair.

"It's going terribly," Juniper sniffled.

"No, no," Annabeth patted her shoulders. "He'll be fine, Juniper."

You guessed it. Juniper is Grover's girlfriend.

☼︎☼︎❁☼︎☼︎

"Master Underwood!" the council member on the right shouted, cutting off whatever Grover was trying to say. "Do you seriously expect us to believe this?"

"B-but Silenus," Grover stammered. "It's the truth!"

The Council guy, Silenus, turned to his colleagues and muttered something. Chiron cantered up to the front and stood next to them.

The elders didn't look very impressive. They reminded her of the goats in a petting zoo - huge bellies, sleepy expressions, and glazed eyes that couldn't see past the next handful of goat chow. She wasn't sure why Grover seemed so nervous.

Silenus tugged his yellow polo shirt over his belly and adjusted himself on his rosebush throne. "Master Underwood, for six months - six months - we have been hearing these scandalous claims that you heard the wild god Pan speak."

"But I did!"

"Impudence!" said the elder on the left.

"Now, Maron," Chiron said. "Patience."

"Patience, indeed!" Maron said. "I've had it up to my horns with this nonsense. As if the wild god would speak to him."

Juniper looked like she wanted to charge the old satyr and beat him up, but Elora, Annabeth, and Clarisse held her back. "Wrong fight, girlie," Clarisse muttered. "Wait."

"For six months," Silenus continued, "we have indulged you, Master Underwood. We let you travel. We allowed you to keep your searcher's license. We waited for you to bring proof of your preposterous claim. And what have you found in six months of travel?"

"I just need more time," Grover pleaded.

"Nothing!" the elder in the middle chimed in. "You have found nothing."

"But, Leneus-"

Silenus raised his hand. Chiron leaned in and said something to the satyrs. The satyrs didn't look happy. They muttered and argued among themselves, but Chiron said something else, and Silenus sighed. He nodded reluctantly.

"Master Underwood," Silenus announced, "we will give you one more chance."

Grover brightened. "Thank you!"

"One more week."

This goat's senile.

"What? But sir! That's impossible!"

"One more week, Master Underwood. And then, if you cannot prove your claims, it will be time for you to pursue another career. Something to suit your dramatic talents. Puppet theatre, perhaps. Or tap dancing."

"But sir, I-I can't lose my searcher's license. My whole life--"

"This meeting of the council is adjourned," Silenus said. "And now let us enjoy our noonday meal!"

The old satyr clapped his hands, and a bunch of nymphs melted out of the trees with platters of vegetables, fruits, tin cans, and other goat delicacies. The circle of satyrs broke and charged the food. Grover walked dejectedly. His faded blue T-shirt had a picture of a satyr on it. It read Got Hooves?

"Hi, Percy," he said, sounding so depressed. "That went well, huh?"

"Those old goats!" Juniper said. "Oh, Grover, they don't know how hard you've tried!"

"I can threaten them if you want me to," Elora said. "Tell me who and when and it's done."

"And how are you going to do that?" Juniper asked.

"Depends on how badly they wronged you or how much you hate them. Might range from giving Cerberus a new chew toy, Fields of Punishment, fun for the Furies, or dangles above Tartarus," she answered. "Maybe a quick visit to Nyx?"

"For the old goats?"

"For them goats, I'll dangle them above the pit but my hands might slip. I may accidentally slip in some information to Nyx. Just tell me when."

"No," Percy said. "That'd be murder!"

"So?" Elora said not seeing any reason. "They pissed me off."

"You can't just toss them over to death just because they pissed you off."

"Watch me." She stomped over in the direction of the old goats. Or rather, she tried.

"No no no." Percy pulled her back after a few steps.

"Why not? No one's going to miss them old goats."

"Percy's right in this one," Annabeth said. "But really, your option's tempting."

"Alright. If anyone pisses you off, tell me and I'll do it."

"I might have one in my mind."

"Good." Elora clapped her hands. "When?"

"Later."

☼︎☼︎❁☼︎☼︎

"There is another option," Clarisse said darkly.

"No. No." Juniper shook her head. "Grover, I won't let you. Let's just do it Elora's way."

His face was ashen. "I'll have to think about it. Clarisse's option. But we don't even know where to look." He looked at Elora. "You're idea's a bit too dark."

"What are you talking about?" Percy asked.

In the distance, a conch horn sounded.

Annabeth pursed her lips. "We'll fill you in later, Percy. We'd better get back to our cabins. Inspection is starting."

Sucks for you.

When the others dispersed, she called out to Percy. "Need some help with your cabin?"

☼︎☼︎❁☼︎☼︎

𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 • 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 • 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠!