Percy Jackson protector of the hunt

Chapter 4

Percy POV

I woke up from a dreamless sleep to find Artemis curled up next to me. I shifted slightly, and she woke with a start instantly pulling out her bow. I laughed slightly. She looked at me and smiled. "Thanks Percy." I asked. "For what?" She laughed and said, "For being you." That didn't exactly answer my question, but I bowed my head, accepting her thanks. She stood stretching out her muscles. I turned human again and did the same thing. After we were both all stretched out we started to pack up when a look of horror crossed Artemis' face. I shot a questioning look at her. "The hunters are going to kill me." Was all she said. A thought came across my mind and suddenly I understood what she meant. The hunters weren't going to be too pleased when they figured out they had to go to Camp Half-Blood. "I'll tell them." I said. Artemis' expression turned into relief. "Thank you Percy. It would also help if you tell them that you are going back too." I nodded and packed up the few belongings I had. Artemis headed back to her tent to pack up her belongings as well. I went around camp knocking on the center polls waking up the girls. As they came out I asked each of them how they slept, but only a few deigned to speak. I smiled. They acted a lot like me in the mornings. Soon they were all enjoying breakfast, when one of them asked, "So where are we going today Lady Artemis?" I could see the blood drain from her face when she looked at me. "That is a good question." I said. "Finish your breakfast and then I'll tell you." They all nodded, but Thalia looked at me, and I could tell that she saw on my face, that we would not be going somewhere I liked. There were only a few places that that was true, but when she mouthed, Camp Half-Blood, I nodded just enough that she could see. Suddenly she went ghostly white. Luckily the girls didn't notice. After breakfast we all cleaned up and got packed. "Where too?" asked the girls. I looked at them and said, "Camp Half-Blood." All the girls groaned, and turned to Artemis. "Why do we have to go there? They are all a bunch of pigs." A couple of them asked. Artemis looked at me, and I cleared my throat. The girls turned back toward me, and suddenly their looks were angry. "And what about Percy?" They shouted. Again I cleared my throat. "We are going, because there is a war brewing. And don't worry about me I was given the choice to go or not, but I'm going so that I can still watch over my family." This calmed some of them down a little, well all except for Thalia. She had blue lightning dancing across her skin. She walked up to me and said in a deathly calm voice. "Are you serious? After all they have done to you, and you still consider them family?" I backed away slightly. "Yes I consider them family, but I wasn't referring to them." She stopped and looked at me. "Oh." She whispered. Then smiled. "So who were you referring to?" asked Jenna from the middle of the group. I walked up to her and kneeled down in front of her. "I was talking about you hunters. You are my family now." The smile that spread across her face almost reached her ears. She jumped forward and hugged me tight. I stood up changing into my wolf form and called out. "Ok let's move." And I started walking forward. Once we started Artemis caught up to me and said, "Thank you Percy. I wouldn't have been able to say it quite like that. I know why you were the leader at camp." I looked at her and growled slightly. She raised her hand. "Ok sore subject. Sorry." We continued in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company. Suddenly one of the hunters came up, and started rubbing her hand down my back. I looked back wondering who it was, when I saw that it was Phobie, Thalia's second in command. I smiled a toothy grin and said. "Hello Phobie." She smiled and scratched my back. "How'd you sleep?" She asked. I glanced at Artemis and said, "Very well." Phobie nodded and said. "I expected as much, but would you like a tent? I know it is hard sleeping on the ground night after night." I smiled. "So you do care." I said with a wink. Luckily, she saw it and laughed. "Actually I am quite comfortable on the ground. Besides I wouldn't want to deprive any of the hunters of a tent." I continued. "Oh you need not worry about that. We wouldn't be scrounging for tents, but I offered because at the camp it may be easier for you to sleep if you can get away from the campers for a little while. We can even enchant it so that no one can enter that isn't a hunter, or without your permission." I looked at her and said in a serious voice. "I appreciate it. And yes I would like a tent. Especially since I refuse to stay in a cabin with all girls. It's nothing against you ladies, but I will give you the privacy you deserve, and hey maybe me sleeping outside will keep the campers away from you." The look on her face shocked me. "You mean you would respect us? No other male has ever offered that." I nodded. "Of course I will respect your privacy. You are my sisters, and I will treat you as such." She gave me a hug and quickly fell back to be with her fellow hunters. Artemis looked at me. "You never cease to prove that I made the right choice." I smiled. "Well I'm flattered you think I'm the right choice. I just do what I think is right." She smiled and said, "That is enough." With that we trekked onward.