Pertemis A Wolf's Tale

Chapter XVI: Tale Around Dinner

Percy struggled, trying to skin the deer on the table. He never knew how to cook, not that he was useless, he could make cereal and fried eggs himself, but making a proper meal was beyond his ability.

He had learnt that the hunt only consumed a quarter of a deer or a small animal a day, so they could keep the balance in nature. The deer was big, covered the entire table as it groaned under the deer 's weight. He could see there were plenty of meet at the time, but he wasn't sure how much left he could gain after the cooking process, which he expected the deer would be burnt to ashes.

He stabbed a knife at its side in frustrated, clicked his tongue and cursed. He would do anything but to cook. He slashed a chunk of meat but accidentally cut his finger. Percy yelped as he jumped and squeezed on the  wound. He checked to see a deep cut as Ichor was pouring out from it.

Percy had come to notice his wound had started to heal less quickly ever since he left the island. Perhaps it was Leto power that protected him, or just because he had spent too many of his own power while living in the hunt.

He kicked the table, hard enough to rattle the cups, rumbling the plates.

"Is there any god that knows how to cook!?" He screamed to the fire that he was about to chuck his deer in.

So far he had not done a single job Artemis had appointed him. Much less to the hunters dislikes, now they would even hate him more without food to serve. iIt wasn't that he cared about the hunters or to seek any acceptance from them, he knew that was impossible. But he couldn't disappoint Artemis since she had made a guarantee for his stay.

Suddenly, the fire behind him grew hotter as the back of his shirt steamed.

"I guess I would be suitable for that"

A voice came and Percy nearly jumped up to the ceiling. He turned back to the fire, expected to see Annabeth since she was the only person in camp that would bother to help and visit him. But to the view wasn't the person he thought.

There was a girl, small about ten years old sitting by the hearth. She had a young and beautiful face with bright brown hair tucked in a brown linen shawl. Her brown dress matched the colour of her hair and part of the fire. Although with that youthful appearance, her light red eyes still shown the intelligence and maturity that was usually not obtained by any of her age or even beyond. She radiated a delicious scent of wood smoke and toasted marshmallows, also with the power that made Percy's leg turned Jell-O. It was so ancient, yet not mysterious or dangerous. Also in her presence, all of those bad feelings and frustrated thoughts just floated away, as Percy came to miss his mother even more. By the first glance of Percy at her, his instinct told him he could trust her with everything. Although he had to make sure of it.

"Uh, who are you?" he asked. He wasn't surprised much by now or concerned that she could be hurt by the fire because he knew she wasn't any hunter, nor mortals. Though that thought made him anxious.