Learning to Trust (A Leo Valdez Love Story)

Chapter 8

KYRA'S POV

      For a minute Jason and Thalia just faced one another, to stunned to move. Then Thalia rushed forward and hugged him.

      "My gods! She told me you were dead!" She gripped Jason's face and seemed to be examining every little thing about it. "Thank Artemis, it is you. That little scar on your lip- you tried to eat a stapler when you were two!"

      Kyra giggled and Leo laughed. "Seriously?"

      "W-wait," Jason stammered. "Who told you I was dead? What happened?"

      One of the other wolves barked at the cave entrance. Kyra looked back at it. "Tell Thalia we don't have much time." 

      "Thalia," Kyra said. "Your wolf says that you don't have much time." Kyra said.

      Thalia nodded. "She's right, but we have to talk. Sit."

      Kyra did better than that, she collapsed. Leo caught her, again. "What's wrong with her?" Thalia asked. She saw the blood that was seeping through her clothes. "Alright take her and the other girl to the front entrance, Phoebe's an excellent healer. Don't you know nature healing?" Thalia asked Coach accusingly.

       "Why do you think she looks this good?" he asked pointing to Piper. "And that one refused to rest when the wolves came." Thalia looked at Kyra with a look of approval on her face.

      "Okay, just get her to Phoebe." Leo helped Kyra up and started walking her over to Phoebe.

      "Wait, Leo can you stay?" Leo looked back at Jason. He was scared and needed support. Kyra could see it in his eyes.

      "Sticking around is my specialty." Leo said grinning. He gently handed Kyra over to Coach Hedge.

      Coach helped her and Piper over to Phoebe. She was younger than them both, or she seemed like it.  Kyra knew that The Hunters were immortal unless they broke the vow to stay clear from boys, or if they died in battle. "Hey," Kyra said. "Um Thalia said you could heal us."

      "Of course," Phoebe said. "Please, sit."  Coach helped both of the girls sit on the ground. In under a minute Phoebe had set up a pavilion right outside. "Come over here, it'll make you heal faster."  Kyra, Piper, and Coach Hedge walked into the tent, it had a space heater and a bunch of throw pillows that Kyra totally wanted to take a nap on. "You're the one that got scratched, right?" Phoebe asked Kyra.

      "Yeah, but I'm fine."

      "And how do you know that?" Phoebe questioned, gods this girl was good.

      "Honestly I don't know, I just have this feeling." The wolf from earlier nudged Kyra's arm. "Don't worry you will be fine. You are immune from the scratch, I don't know why though."   "Thanks,"  Kyra said to the wolf. "What's your name?" she questioned.

       "I don't have one until I have picked a master." she responded. "I am waiting for the right one, for I am just a pup and am new to the pack." "Oh, sorry to hear that." Kyra spoke to her. "And this wolf says I will be fine," she added.

      "Here go change," Phoebe spoke. Piper was already changed and had a new silver parka, gloves, and camo pants.

      After Kyra put her clothes on, she saw herself in the mirror and gasped. She almost didn't recognize herself. Wearing these silver clothing felt right to her, yet wrong at the same time. She wasn't as thin anymore, but was still tiny. Years of not eating enough could do that to a person. Kyra knew she was not going to get any bigger. She had been deprived of food for to long, looks like Kyra would be the smallest demigod in existence. Having her hair brushed out made it return to it's full length. It was down well below her waist and had waves in it. Kyra realized that maybe she wasn't a freak, right now she looked pretty normal.

      When she walked out Piper gasped at her. "Oh, Kyra you're so pretty!" she squealed.  Kyra had never been called pretty before, disgusting yes, but pretty that was a first.

      "Um, thanks," she mumbled and picked up a glass of cocoa. The wolf from earlier was still there. "Hello," Kyra greeted her. 

      "Hello. Would you mind me asking a question?" she asked. "Of coarse not. What can I help you with?"  The wolf looked nervous and her tail was between her legs. "Hey, what's wrong?"  "Nothing, it's just, will you be my master?"  The wolf spit out. 

      "What?" Kyra asked. "Sorry!" the wolf howled. "No it's fine, just why me?" 

      "Well why not you? You are very talented and I can actually talk to you." Kyra was shocked, she didn't know how to handle a wolf. "I mean I guess so." Kyra said.

      Kyra was suddenly bathed in a bright silver light. When the light faded Kyra now had a new silver whistle and the wolf was much taller, still not as tall as the others, but almost as big as Kyra.

      "What just happened?" Piper asked.

      "It appears that wolf has just claimed Kyra as it's master." Phoebe said, looking slightly amused. "I'm not surprised, Lady Artemis did say that one of the new pups would leave the pack."

      Kyra looked down at the wolf in shock. "You left the pack for me?" she asked dumbstruck. The wolf nodded her head happily. "Well," Kyra said. "I guess that means it's time for you to have a name, isn't it?" The wolf nodded her head happily and stuck her tongue out. Kyra laughed.

      "Luna," she said out loud. 

      "What?" Coach Hedge asked.

      "Her name is Luna," Kyra responded and put the whistle in a pack the hunters had given her.

      "So let me get this straight," Piper began. "You can talk to animals inside their minds or outside, but if you do it outside you have to growl?"

      "Almost," Kyra said. "I can talk to animals inside their minds pretty easily, but I only talk outside to get a point across. It makes me sound more terrifying."

      "Like you did with the wolves." Piper said. "It was almost like you were charm speaking them."

      "No, I don't know who my godly parent is, but I'm pretty sure that it's not Aphrodite."  Piper nodded her head and seemed to be thinking. All this time Coach was eating his mug that once contained cocoa.

      "Luna," Phoebe mused. "It fits her. I should have known that she was going to leave the pack, all the other wolves have gold eyes, she has blue."

      "Now please, everyone sit, you still need to give the ambrosia time to work."