The Legend of a Star

The New Kids

(Y/N POV)

Once Percy and I got over Chiron's 'unique' features, he gave us a nice tour around the camp. I made sure not to walk right behind Chiron, as I've had my fair share of horse hooves to the face to know better. Just a look at those legs, and I could tell they'd snap me in half.

Anyways, back to the tour.

We went past the volleyball pit. Several campers nudged each other. One pointed at the horn Percy was carrying and my sling. Another said, "That's them."

Most of the campers looked to be older than Percy and I. The other satyrs also seemed to be bigger than Grover, all of them trotting in orange CAMPHALF-BLOOD T-shirts, with nothing else to cover their goatly lower half. Percy seemed to be getting uncomfortable from the stares, so I did my best to cover him from the camper's gazes.

Percy took a glance back at the farmhouse, probably only now realizing how huge the house was. His eyes focused on one location and I followed his gaze to the attic.

Even from here, I could still feel the ominous air around it.

"What's up there?" Percy asked Chiron.

He also followed Percy's stare, and his smile faded, "Just the attic."

"Is there something in there?" When Percy was still asleep, I remember seeing the shadows move in there. I never asked though because in all honestly, I was not going to mess with whatever creepy shit was up there.

"No," Chiron responded, "Not a single living thing."

He seemed to be telling the truth, but I knew there was more to it.

"Come along boys," Chiron said, his lighthearted tone sounded forced. "Lots to see."

We decided to leave it for now and just followed along.

He took us through the camps strawberry fields. They were so much more beautiful up close, they where the juiciest and healthiest looking strawberries I've ever seen.  There were campers going around picking the fruit, while a satyr played a tune on a reed pipe.

Some sort of magic I suppose.

Chiron told us the camp crew a nice crop for export to New York restaurants and Mount Olympus. "It pays our expenses," He explained. "And the strawberries take almost no effort.

Mr D apparently had this effect on fruit bearing plants: they just went crazy when he was around. Obviously it worked best on grapes, but Mr D was restricted from growing thoes, so they grew strawberries instead.

I took another look at the satyr playing the reed, and his music made bugs march out of the fields in every direction, as if escaping from some disaster. I wondered if Grover and the other satyrs could do this as well, or it's something more unique to each individual satyr.

"Grover won't get in too much trouble will he?" Percy asked Chiron, "I mean... he was a good protector. Really."

Oh yeah, I nearly forgot that Grover was still in trouble. "His punishment isn't going to be something too severe is it?" Magic beings, Gods or not are known for being quite cruel and petty in Greek mythology. So Grovers punishment could be anything from a week doing community service to living out the rest of his life as a frog.

Chiron sighed, he took of his jacket and placed it onto his horses back like a makeshift saddle. "Grover has big dreams. Perhaps bigger than are reasonable. To reach his goal, he must first demonstrate great courage by succeeding as a keeper, finding a new camper and bringing him safely to Half-Blood Hill."

"But he did that!"

"Yeah, he even brough two of us back!"

"I might agree with you," Chiron said. "But it is not my place to judge. Dionysus and the Council of Cloven Elders must decide. I'm afraid they might not see this assignment as a success. After all, Grover lost Percy in New York. Then there's the unfortunate ... ah ... fate of your Percy's mother. And the fact that Grover was unconscious when Y/N dragged him and Percy over the property line. The council might question whether this shows any courage on Grover's part."