The 12 Days of Christmas - The Great Holiday Mystery

The Third Day of Christmas

~The Mess Hall~

'So, who is still here?'

Annabeth shook her head, 'You know, it's bad luck to talk like that, Seaweed Brain.'

He shrugged, 'I'm just being straight forward.'

'For once,' Thalia said, 'Kelp Head is right. We need to know who's still here.'

Leo did a head count, 'Hey guys, where's Nico, Piper and Jason?'

'Oh no,' Hazel covered her face. 'Don't tell me we lost three!'

'We didn't lose three,' Piper said sadly as she entered the Mess Hall, Nico on her tail. 'Just Jason. He was gone when I looked in the Zeus cabin this morning. And Nico's found the next note.'

The son of Hades held up a crinkled piece of parchment, 'Another riddle. It says, "On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three volar reindeer, two wrapped up presents, and mistletoe up a pine tree." We found the mistletoe and the presents-'

'And now we have to find three volar reindeer,' Travis said.

'Which would be great,' Connor admitted, 'if we knew what volar meant.'

Everyone looked to Annabeth who stiffened and crossed her arms.

'I am dyslexic too, you know?' she snapped.

'So, you don't know?' Percy asked carefully.

She sighed resignedly, 'No, I don't.'

Thalia bit her lip, 'But if we don't know what it means, how can find the next key? We have to get them back. Before everyone else disappears as well.'

'Well that was an encouraging confidence booster,' Nico said sarcastically.

Annabeth shook her head, 'Come on, guys. Let's head to the Athena cabin. Maybe we can find something there.'

The demigods murmured their agreement and headed out of the Mess Hall.

~The Athena Cabin~

'Keep looking, guys.'

'We are looking,' Thalia grumbled. 'And, what is it we're looking for again?'

'Anything that could help us,' Annabeth's voice echoed as her head was stuck deep in a barrel filled with scrolls. 'A dictionary, thesaurus-

'An instruction manual on crazy friend kidnapping riddles?' Leo muttered.

Annabeth scowled, 'Just look.'

Percy looked in a cupboard, 'What does the word volar mean?'

Hazel sighed, 'That's what we're trying to find out. Why else would we be in the Athena cabin?'

'To bore ourselves to death?' Leo suggested with a grin. 'Ow!'

Piper smirked while Leo rubbed his head, 'Next time, you'll get worse than a paper back.'

'Guys!' Annabeth shouted as Leo made to retort. 'Now's not the time.'

Nico snapped a Greek dictionary closed, 'Volar isn't in here. There's no translation to Greek.'

The room was silent as the demigods all contemplated what to do next. A soft breeze blew though the open window, causing the girls hair to fly around their faces.

'Latin?' Hazel suggested. 'Maybe it's not Greek at all?'

'Not Greek at all,' Annabeth muttered. 'Of course!'

She ran to the bookshelf and started pulling books off, discarding them carelessly.

'What is it, Wise Girl?' Percy asked. 'What has your brilliant mind come to?'

She smiled, 'Funny. But I realized, we've been looking at this all wrong. We've been trying to translate the word into Greek or Latin, but maybe it doesn't need to be translated at all!'

Connor frowned, 'I don't get it.'

'No,' Annabeth muttered, throwing another book behind her. 'No, no, no, no, yes!'

She pulled out a dust layered volume and blew on the cover. The faded words imprinted on the brown cover were impossible to read. The once bright golden designs were now dull yellow.

'Great!' Piper said cheerfully. 'Uh, what is it?'

'An English dictionary,' Annabeth announced. 'We've been trying to translate volar, but maybe it's an English word to begin with.'

'Annabeth,' Percy kissed her forehead. 'You're a genius.'

She laughed, 'Tell me something I don't know, Seaweed Brain.'

The daughter of Athena opened the book and began flicking through the discoloured pages, coughing every time a cloud of dust flew up into the air. Finally, she snapped her hand down on a page a carefully read the curling text.

'Here it is,' she pointed to a spot on the page. 'Volar ... it can be used as another word for flying!'

'So, instead of three volar reindeer,' Travis said slowly, 'it's three flying reindeer.'

'But how does that help?' Hazel cried. 'Reindeer are supposed to fly!'

'Maybe,' Thalia muttered thoughtfully. 'But there has to be a clue in that.'

Percy snapped his fingers, 'I think I got it! Okay, what are reindeer?'

Piper frowned, 'Uh, they're what pull Santa's sleigh?'

'Yeah,' Percy said impatiently. 'But what are they?'

'They're like horses!' Nico said, catching on.

'Right!" the Prince of Ponies, agreed. 'And volar means-'

'Flying,' Annabeth gasped. 'Flying horses!'

Travis and Connor spoke in unison, 'The Pegasus stables!'

Percy nodded, 'And that will be where the next key is.'

'Well, come on!' Thalia yelled. 'We've got reindeer to find!'

~The Stables~

'I found them!' Leo shouted almost an hour later. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack! Well, more like reindeer in a haystack ...

'Where?' Piper asked as she tried to locate the sound of Leo's voice.

'Here!' he called back. 'In Blackjack's stall.'

'Blackjack!' Percy cried disbelievingly as they all joined Leo at the back of the stables. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

The horse whined and stomped his hoof. Percy shook his head and facepalmed, sighing heavily.

'I wouldn't have given you donuts either way,' he said to the horse. 'You do remember what happened last time, don't you?'

He glared at Leo who smiled guiltily, 'Sorry 'bout that.'

Annabeth sighed, 'What's done is done. Where are they?'

Leo held out his hand where three little ceramic reindeers sat, their little heads tossed in exultation. Leo poured them into Annabeth's palm and she tipped them inside her magic pouch where it shimmered and glowed silver.

'Three days down,' she said with false cheerfulness. 'Only nine more to go.'

As the demigods headed back out of the stables, Percy murmured to himself, 'That's just nine too many.'