Sunburn- phoebus apollo

--xi. they meet the sheep of doom

MONSTER ISLAND'S ARE WHAT ONE would think to have craggy rocks and bones scattered on the beach. Makes sense right?

The Cyclops's island was nothing like that. Okay, it had a rope bridge across a chasm, which was not a good sign. It's like putting up a billboard that said, "SOMETHING EVIL LIVES HERE." But except for that, the place looked like a Caribbean postcard. It had green fields and tropical fruit trees and white beaches. As they sailed toward the shore, Annabeth breathed in the sweet air. "The Fleece," she said.

Rhea nodded. She couldn't see the Fleece yet, but could feel its power. Rhea couldn't believe it would heal anything, even Thalia's poisoned tree. "If we take it away, will the island die?"

Annabeth shook her head. "It'll fade. Go back to what it would be normally, whatever that is."

"Guys, remove the Cyclops and I would totally move in here." Rhea whistled. 

Rhea felt a little guilty about ruining this paradise, but reminded herself that they had no choice. Camp Half-Blood was in trouble. And Tyson...Tyson would still be with them if it weren't for this stupid quest.

In the meadow at the base of the ravine, several dozen sheep were milling around. They looked peaceful enough, but they were huge--the size of hippos. Just past them was a path that led up into the hills. At the top of the path, near the edge of the canyon, was the massive oak tree that Percy had described in his dreams. Something gold glittered in its branches.

"This is too easy," Rhea said uneasily. "We could just hike up there and take it?"

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "There's supposed to be a guardian. A dragon or..."

That's when a deer emerged from the bushes. It trotted into the meadow, probably looking for grass to eat, when the sheep bleated at once and rushed the animal. It happened so fast that the deer stumbled and was lost in a sea of wool and trampling hooves.

Grass and tufts of fur flew into the air.

A second later the sheep all moved away, back to their regular peaceful wanderings. Where the deer had been was a pile of clean white bones.

The trio exchanged looks.

"They're like piranhas," Annabeth said.

"Piranhas with wool." Percy said dumbly. "How will we--"

"Percy!" Annabeth gasped, grabbing his arm. "Look."

Annabeth pointed down the beach, to just below the sheep meadow, where a small boat had been run aground...the other life boat from the CSS Birmingham.

******

They decided there was no way they could get past the man-eating sheep. Annabeth wanted to sneak up the path invisibly and grab the Fleece, Rhea agreeing with her, but in the end Percy convinced them that something would go wrong. The sheep would smell them. Another guardian would appear. Something. And if that happened, Percy would be too far away to help.

Also, their first job was to find Grover and whoever had come ashore in that lifeboat--assuming they'd gotten past the sheep. Rhea was too nervous to say what she was secretly hoping... that Tyson might still be alive.

They moored the Queen Anne's Revenge on the back side of the island where the cliffs rose straight up a good two hundred feet. Rhea and Percy figured the ship was less likely to be seen there. The cliffs looked climbable, but barely--about as difficult as the lava wall back at camp. At least it was free of sheep. Rhea hoped that Polyphemus did not also keep carnivorous mountain goats.