True Blue ✷ Leo Valdez.

17: A Bridge.

AS BLAIRE EXPECTED, the Hunters of Artemis had set up temporary camp just outside the cave's entrance. Phoebe, one of the Hunters, had managed to construct a small silver tent pavilion during the short amount of time Thalia had been in the cave.

Inside of it was a kerosene heater keeping Piper, Hedge, and Phoebe toasty warm and a bunch of comfy throw pillows. Piper looked back to normal, decked out in a new parka, gloves, and camo pants like a Hunter. They were all kicked back, drinking hot chocolate and telling jokes. Blaire envied them— she was freezing and her joints were sore with exhaustion.

"Oh, no way," Leo whined, childishly stamping his foot. "We've been sitting in a cave and you get the luxury tent? Somebody give me hypothermia. I want hot chocolate and a parka!"

Phoebe sniffed. "Boys," she said like it was the worst insult she could think of. And it probably was.

"It's all right, Phoebe," Thalia reassured her comrade. "They'll need extra coats. And I think we can spare some chocolate."

Phoebe groaned as if against this idea, but pretty soon Leo, Jason, and Blaire were also garnished in thick silvery winter gear and sipping from warm mugs of hot chocolate. The clothes were lightweight yet shielded Blaire perfectly from the harsh temperatures of the outdoors.

  "Cheers!" bellowed Coach Hedge happily. He crunched down his plastic thermos cup. Blaire cringed as he swallowed a mouthful of straight plastic without even bothering to chew it.

"That cannot be good for your intestines," Leo murmured, watching Hedge in disgusted awe, just like Blaire.

Thalia patted Piper on the back. "You up for moving?"

Piper nodded. "Thanks to Phoebe, yeah. You guys are really good at this wilderness survival thing. I feel like I could run ten miles."

Thalia turned and winked at her little brother. "She's tough for a child of Aphrodite. I like this one."

"Hey, I could run ten miles too," Leo volunteered, as if anyone cared. "Tough Hephaestus kid here. Let's hit it."

Naturally, everyone ignored him.

It took Phoebe no more than six seconds to break camp, which Blaire wasn't at all surprised by. She knew the Hunters' whole thing was nature survival skills, so really, this was nothing out of the normal for them. The tent self-collapsed into a square the size of a pack of chewing gum, and for a second, Blaire honestly regretted cursing out the Hunters when they'd invited her to join them all those years ago.

Then, the newly established group took off, Thalia leading the way. She ran uphill through the thick snow, somehow not even breaking a singular sweat, while Blaire was panting and heaving for air, overheated despite the temperature.

Only Blaire and Leo seemed to be struggling with the extremities of the hike, for everyone else was getting along just fine.

Blaire didn't ever run. Unless it was from dangerous forces threatening her life. Even then, she wasn't very partial to it.

Coach Hedge leaped around like a happy mountain goat, coaxing them on with his stupid sing-songy voice. "Come on, Valdez! Pick up the pace! Let's chant. I've got a girl in Kalamazoo—"

The idea of having to listen to him singing while also trying to keep a steady pace alongside the group made Blaire want to fall off the cliff and plummet a thousand feet into a mound of frigid snow.

"Let's not," Thalia snapped.

So, they marched in silence. Blaire could hear the faint murmurings of Leo and Jason behind her, but she didn't care much to listen.