The Daughter of Hecate (Percy Jackson/Harry Potter)

Polyphemus' Island

"The Fleece!" Annabeth breathed as they neared the shore.

"I can see it too." Luke nodded, a smile pulling at his lips.

In the meadow at the base of the ravine, several dozen sheep were milling around. They looked peaceful enough, but they were huge-the size of hippos.

Just up the past them was a path that led up into the hills. At the top of the path, near the edge of the canyon, was a massive oak tree with something gold glittering on its branches.

"This is too easy." Percy said, biting his lip.

"It seems like we could just hike up there and take it." Luke said, agreeing with him.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "There's supposed to be a guardian. A dragon or..."

Annabeth stopped talking when the three of them saw a deer emerge from the bushes. It trotted near the meadows, most likely looking for grass to eat, when all the sheep bleated at once and rushed the animal. It had happened so fast that the deer stumbled and was lost in a sea of wool and trampling hooves.

Grass and tufts of fur flew into the air. Barely a second later, all the sheep moved away, back to their regular peaceful wanderings. Where the deer had been was a pile of white clean bones.

"They're like piranhas." Annabeth said, exchanging looks with her two companions.

"Piranhas with wool you mean." Luke said dryly.

"How will we-" Percy was cut off by Annabeth, who grabbed his and Luke's arms.

"Percy! Luke!" Annabeth gasped. "Look!"

Annabeth pointed down the beach, to just below the sheep meadow, where a small boat had been run aground ... the other lifeboat from the CSS Birmingham.

"Could it be?" Luke asked, Percy and Annabeth could practically see the hope filling the elder demigod. It wasn't surprising, they could tell how much he was in love with Vitani, anyone with half a brain and a eyes could, and they weren't about to ruin his hopes of finding her.

The three decided that there was no way they could get past the man-eating sheep. Annabeth wanted to sneak up the path invisibly and grab the Fleece, but in the end Luke and Percy convinced her that something would go wrong. The sheep would smell her. Another guardian would appear. Something. And if that happened, they'd be too far away to help.

Besides, their first job was to find Grover and whoever had come ashore in the lifeboat-assuming they had gotten past the sheep.

Annabeth logically thought it was Clarisse while Luke and Percy were hoping that it was either Vitani or Tyson respectively.

They moored the Queen Anne's Revenge on the back side of the island where the cliffs rose straight up a good two hundred feet. Luke figured the ship was less likely to be seen there. The cliffs looked climbable, barely-about as difficult as the lava wall back at camp. At least it was free of sheep. Percy hoped that Polyphemus did not also keep carnivorous mountain goats.

They rowed a lifeboat to the edge of the rocks and made their way up, very slowly. Luke went first because he was the best climber of the three, Annabeth went second and Percy brought up the rear in last.

"Damn. I wish I had my flying shoes, but Vitani has them in her bag." Luke cursed.

The three slowly made their way up, only coming close to falling to their death about six or seven times. The rocks were slippery, and some were covered with moss.

Just a moment later, Annabeth hit a slippery patch of moss and her foot slipped. Fortunately, she found something else to put it against, unfortunately, that something was Percy's face.