The Third Camp

Chapter fifty one: Carrie

I rode into the woods not knowing where I was going.

"Hello Carrie." A woman's voice spoke to me.

I looked over and slid off of my horse. A woman sat in a chair, it looked extremely strange. She had a glass of golden liquid in her hand and her feet were propped on a table.

"I have heard so much about you."

"You have?" I asked, slowly walking over to her in the grove full of horses.

"Of course. You are very popular among the gods."

"I would not think so."

"Why not, child?"

"Due to my presence on Mount Olympus last year, after the war against the Earth Mother."

"Ah, yes, that. Well, some gods have chosen to forgive and forget."

"But some still want to kill me for embarrassing them."

"True though some are extremely impressed by your bravery by throwing Athena off her high throne."

"Did you want to speak to me just to tell me this?" I asked.

"No, no, of course not, please sit child." She motioned toward a chair across from her.

I sat down only because I was always taught not to disobey the gods. I had no idea what she wanted to speak to me about.

"You are on a quest, yes?"

"Yes."

"And do you know where you are to go?"

"No."

"I'll give you a hint. Sand."

Then, I was back on my horse and she disappeared. So did all the other horses. It was like the whole thing was just a vision. I shook my head and began to ride off in the direction I knew Neptuna, Natalie, Alivia and Max would be.

I finally rode up to the group. Natalie was having trouble with her horse, Max was off his horse and trying to help Natalie, and Alivia was trying to talk to them both. Where is Neptuna?

"...Find her!" Alivia was saying.

"I can't get my horse to run after her!"

"She's been gone for more than ten minutes!" Alivia hissed.

"She'll come back, mates! She wouldn't just leave—"

"What are you all talking about? And where is Neptuna?" I interrupted them.

Alivia's horse bucked and Alivia had to wrap her arm around the horse's neck.

"Carrie! You scared me!" Alivia kept holding on, her horse was going haywire.

"Where is Neptuna?" I repeated my question, then touched the horse's head to calm it down.

"She ran off, mate!" Max pointed down the path. "She was going fast, too!"

"Why did she run away?" I did my best not to let my panic overwhelm me.

"We don't know, mate! All I did was ask her how you and her had ended up together, then she told us it was a long story, and she started crying, and I asked her why, and she ran off!"

"I think I can find her." I sighed. Then I jabbed my horse in the barrel and it ran off down the path.

I followed the deep hoofprints of the black stallion that Neptuna had been riding. As my horse sped off down the trail, I began to think of what may have made Neptuna run away.