A web of fates | Percy Jackson and the Olympians

XVII| Daphne makes a decision

They arrived in Long Island just after Oliver and Clarisse, thanks to the centaurs' travel powers. Daphne and Percy rode on Chiron's back, but they didn't talk much, especially not about Kronos.

Daphne knew it had been difficult for Chiron to tell them. She didn't want to push him with more questions.

When they got to camp, the centaurs were anxious to meet Dionysus. They'd heard he threw some really wild parties, but they were disappointed.

The wine god was in no mood to celebrate as the whole camp gathered at the top of Half-Blood Hill.

The camp had been through a hard two weeks. The arts and crafts cabin had burned to the ground from an attack by a Draco Aionius (which as near as Daphne could figure was Latin for "really-big-lizard-with-breath-that-blows-stuff-up").

The Big House's rooms were overflowing with wounded. The kids in the Apollo cabin, who were the best healers, had been working overtime performing first aid.

Everybody looked weary and battered as they crowded around Thalia's tree.

The moment Clarisse draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest bough, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from gray to liquid silver.

A cool breeze rustled in the branches and rippled through the grass, all the way into the valley.

Everything came into sharper focus-the glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the strawberry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach.

Gradually, the needles on the pine tree started turning from brown to green.

Everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but there could be no doubt-the Fleece's magic was seeping into the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison.

Chiron ordered a twenty-four/seven guard duty on the hilltop, at least until he could find an appropriate monster to protect the Fleece. He said he'd place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away.

In the meantime, Oliver and Clarisse were carried on their cabin mates' shoulders down to the amphitheater, where Clarisse was honored with a laurel wreath and a lot of celebrating around the campfire.

Nobody gave Percy, Annabeth or Daphne a second look. It was as if they had never left. In a way, Daphne guessed that was the best thank-you anyone could give them, because if they admitted they had snuck out of camp to do the quest, they'd have to expel the group.

And really, she didn't want any more attention. It felt good to be just one of the campers for once.

Later that night, as they were roasting s'mores and listening to the Stoll brothers tell them a ghost story about an evil king who was eaten alive by demonic breakfast pastries, Ellis leant down and whispered in her ear, "you're cheery for somebody who's been on a quest for two weeks."

Daphne grinned at him. "I love this place."

*•*

The next morning, after the party ponies headed back to Florida, Chiron made a surprise
announcement: the chariot races would go ahead as scheduled.

The whole Camp figured they were history now that Tantalus was gone, but completing them did feel like the right thing to do, especially now that Chiron was back and the camp was safe.