Learning to Trust (A Leo Valdez Love Story)

Chapter 9

LEO'S POV

    When Leo saw how well Piper, Kyra, and Hedge were being treated, he was thoroughly offended. He expected them to be freezing their hindquarters off in the snow. The Hunter Phoebe had set up a tent pavilion thing right outside of the cave, how she had done this so quickly, Leo had no idea. But sure enough he walked in and saw Piper and Kyra back to normal, and wearing a parka and gloves, in fact Kyra had all new clothes, probably because hers were most likely stained with dirt and gods know what else for the rest of time. Coach Hedge and the girls were inside lounging on throw pillows and drinking hot cocoa. Kyra looked happy for once, Leo thought. She didn't seem so broken any more. She was sitting on the floor though, with a wolf curled up next to her, how, Leo didn't know, whenever Leo even tried to feed birds when he was younger they would fly away scared of the terrifying toddler.  Kyra always did have a way with animals however, Leo remembered to ask her how she scared the wolves away back in the cave. He didn't know why, but he thought it was awesome.

      "Oh, no way!" Leo said. "We've been freezing our behinds off in that cave, and you guys are sitting in here gabbing and drinking chocolate!"

      "Boys." Phoebe scoffed like it was the worst insult in the world.

      "It's alright Phoebe," Thalia said. "They'll need extra coats. And I think we can spare some chocolate."

      "I'd like some more!" Coach said.

      "Coach," Kyra groaned. "You've already had three and eaten all the cups!"

      Leo laughed. He was glad that Kyra trusted them enough to question Coach's ability to hold down Styrofoam.  Phoebe grumbled, but soon both Jason and Leo were also decked out in winter silvery clothes that were incredibly warm. And the hot chocolate was first rate!

      Thalia patted Piper and Kyra on the shoulders, "You up for moving?" Kyra flinched slightly at the contact, just barely noticeable, but Leo noticed. He was good at noticing these types of things.

      They nodded their heads, "Yeah, thanks to Phoebe. I feel like I can run ten miles. You guys are really good at this wilderness survival thing." Piper  said.

      "I like these girls," Thalia said. "You are a brave one standing up to Lycaon and his pack, even some of our hunters wouldn't do that," she said looking at Kyra who blushed. She was cute when she blushed, Leo thought. Wait, what? "And she's tough for a child of Aphrodite, that one," she said winking at Jason.

      "Hey, I could run ten miles too!" Leo volunteered. "Tough kid of Hephaestus here! Let's kick it!"

      Thalia ignored him, but Kyra slightly giggled, some snowflakes in her hair from the storm. Leo couldn't help but feel drawn to her somehow, it was weird. Normally he would go for the loud girls who were way out of his league. Kyra was different though. She was quiet for most of the time, and well about the out of his league part, yeah that still works, naturally all girls were out of his league.

      It took Phoebe exactly six seconds to break up camp. Leo was astonished and he wanted to ask for blueprints of the design, but they didn't have time. Thalia ran uphill in the snow, hugging a tiny little path on the side of the mountain, and soon Leo was regretting trying to look macho, because The Hunters had left him in the dust. Even frail Kyra seemed like a natural runner. Coach Hedge leaped around like a drunk mountain goat, coaxing him on like he used to do on track days at the Wilderness School. "Come on Valdez, pick up the pace! Let's chant! I've got a girl in Kalamazoo-"

      "Let's not." Thalia snapped. So they ran in silence. Leo fell in next to Jason at the back of the group. "How you doing man?"

      Jason's expression was enough of an answer not good.  "Thalia takes it so calmly," Jason said. "Like it's no big deal that I appeared. I don't know what I was expecting but she seems so much more, together."