𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇, Clarisse la Rue

𝐱. sneaking sheepishly into the cyclops' lair

STRENGTH
━━ act two, chapter ten.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

"LOOK, UP AHEAD," PERCY SAID, "WE'VE REACHED POLYPHEMUS' ISLAND."

Nabi didn't have to have Percy's nautical senses to realise that he was right — she expected the island to be super dreary and dark, but it was far from it. Well, apart from a rope bridge across a scary chasm. But except for that, the place had pretty, green fields, tropical fruit trees and white beaches.

   "The Fleece," Nabi murmured, inhaling the sweet air, "that's its power, right?"

   The other two nodded. Just the raw aura from the island alone had been enough to convince Nabi that the Golden Fleece could save the camp; it was so powerful. Percy asked, "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."

   Nabi felt a little guilty about ruining the paradise, but she had to remind herself that they had no choice. Camp Half-Blood was in trouble.

   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, and near the edge of the canyon was a massive oak tree.

Something gold glittered in its branches.

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

   Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "There's supposed be a guardian, maybe 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 all bleated at once and rushed towards the animal. It happened so fast that the deer stumbled, 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. Those sheep were so fast that Nabi was afraid that they would be able to rip her to shreds mid-flight, if she tried. The Fleece was on a branch that might have been too low.

Too risky. They all exchanged looks. Annabeth muttered, "They're like piranhas."

"Piranhas with wool." Percy nodded.

"Piranhas with wool that could kill us." Nabi added on, nodding too, "How are we—"

"Guys!" Annabeth gasped, "Look."

She pointed down the beach, to just below the sheep meadow, where a small boat had been washed ashore... it was the other lifeboat from the CSS Birmingham.

"Clarisse..." Nabi tried not to be too hopeful, but still, she murmured, "She's here. She has to be."

They decided there was no way they'd be able to get past the evil sheep herd. Annabeth wanted to sneak up the path invisibly and grab the Fleece, but in the end, both Percy and Nabi convinced her that it wasn't worth the risk — the sheep would smell her; another guardian would appear. If it all went wrong, they'd be too far to rescue her.

Besides, their first job was to find their friends.

   They moored the Queen Anne's Revenge on the back side of the island, where the cliffs rose straight up around two hundred feet. Then, they rowed a lifeboat to the edge of the rocks and made their way up, very slowly.