Hunters

Fresh Linen, Saltwater, and Cedar

When I awoke, I did not immediately open my eyes. Instead I kept them shut, taking in my surroundings with my remaining senses. I felt my arms wrapped around something soft, presumably a pillow. I had a dreadful habit of refusing to sleep unless my arms were encircling an object; be it a pillow or a person. I heard the wood above me creak, along with some loud laughter. 'Ah, it must be the neighbors,' I sleepily thought. 'They must be throwing another one of their parties. I'll have to have a word with them." I buried my face deeper into the pillow and took a deep breath when I smelled something peculiar. 'Fresh linen? Saltwater?' I inhaled even deeper. 'Cedar?' For some strange reason, all three of these scents evoked a strong memory of a warm embrace gone too soon. I exhaled and opened my eyes to see a room that was too lavish to be mine. The bed I inhabited had a silk canopy on top, to my left was a nightstand with a silver candleholder placed on top, an elaborately carved dresser, and a door that presumably led to the main hall of the ship. I attempted to sit up to better assess my surroundings, but was quickly plagued by a spell of dizziness, causing me to lay back down. After my head made contact with the pillow, I heard a rapid rapping at the door in front of me.
"Come in," I croaked, still processing the events from last night. I remembered meeting Hazel, and stepping on board the ship. And I could vaguely recall falling. 'But what happened in between?'

The door opened, and Hazel stepped into the room carrying a tray with a bowl of soup, a bell, and a glass of water.  "Good morning, Miss Thalia!" Hazel sounded more cheerful than anyone should ever be. "Reyna figured you might be hungry, considering you passed out last night, so she had our chef, Nico, make you some soup! He didn't know what you'd like, so I just suggested that he make chicken noodle." She placed the tray upon the nightstand and looked at me thoughtfully, as if she were trying to comprehend a complex joke. She shook her head and continued to speak. "Can you sit up, or do you need some help?"
"I think I'll need some help sitting up." My mind kept racing back and forth; 'Why did she look at me like that? Does it have something to do with Reyna? Who is Reyna? Is it the 'hundred pound bounty' Reyna, or someone else?'
Hazel, who was remarkably strong for someone so short and thin, propped me up against the headboard and relocated the tray onto my lap. "Well, if you need anything, just ring that bell and someone will come running!"
"Thank you, Hazel."

A/N: Yikes! I forgot to update yesterday! I'm sorry! I had a bad stomach from eating too much lasagna, and a boatload of homework to do, so I believe my absence was justified! Anyways, I'll post another chapter when I get home, as an apology for my tardiness! Bye! ~ Nicole