The next few hours were utterly slow.
Sure, we had finally decided that we had drawn nearer to Enceladus and were fueled with a completely new energy, but that didn't stop us from lagging. I think it was because we were tired. So tired from the recent events that we were crawling on our knees.
I was able to hunt down a clearing in the forest where we walked. "We'll make camp overnight here," I stated. Everyone sighed in relief, and literally fell over.
"I'll start the fire," Leo volunteered.
"I'll gather the firewood," Nico said, which surprised me. Don't fall for it, I thought. He's just looking for a chance to get away.
"I'm coming, too," I barged in.
Percy huffed, standing up from where he sat. "Me, too."
I rolled my eyes at him, and set off into the woods to gather logs, Nico at my side. At least, he was, until Percy broke through the middle of us. "Space. Personal space." He muttered, glaring at Nico then flashing me a grin.
I rolled my eyes once again, and gave him a light shove, causing him to bump against Nico and nearly send him stumbling. "Alright, enough fooling around," I ordered. "We're here to gather firewood, not push on each other."
"Right." Percy looked around, still keeping a space between me and Nico, and picked up a few pinecones. "Do you think that - ow - these will work?"
"Close enough," I replied, gathering a few wide sticks that were most likely branches from old trees. Nico managed to pull out half of a stump, and nearly put it back down before I told him that it would work, to which he gave a nod.
We pranced back with our sticks, pinecones and half stumps tucked under our arms, rather proud of ourselves, especially Percy, even though he winced because of being pricked by the pinecones every once in a while. We piled them down in a heap on the ground, and let Leo set the ablaze.
"Those fire powers are cool, Leo," I stated, sitting myself down. "I almost wish I had them."
Percy cast me a side-glance, while Leo looked proud.
Seeing Percy's glance, I quickly added more onto it. "But I wouldn't trade my water powers for anything in the world."
Leo didn't look as proud, while Percy smiled with satisfaction.
"I'm the brains of the group, though." Sophia butted. "If it weren't for my strategies, we'd be nowhere on this quest."
"I still don't see how brains is better than powers over water, though," Percy muttered. Sophia fixed him with her trademark Athena glare. Honestly, the Athena glare gave me chills. She was scary in her own unique way. Especially when she'd point her finger directly at my face as if I'd done something terribly wrong. It made me feel rather uncomfortable.
"Sophia, I think brains are awesome," Leo responded, with a grin. He was trying so hard to be flirty. Sophia grinned as if she'd just been given a book on Doctor Who, which is a big grin.
"Water is better than both fire and brains," Percy commented, raising his head.
"Is not." Leo objected.
"Is, too."
"Is not."
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is!"
"Shut it!" I demanded. They both closed their yaps. "We have long days ahead of us. I'd be getting some sleep if you don't want to wake up not being able to fight." I cuddled into my bedroll.
It wasn't long until most of them were soundly asleep. Nico and I were the only ones who were still awake. I just couldn't lull myself to sleep. The night sounds, the fire, being a demigod.. it was all so crazy. I hadn't been at camp but for two days and I was already being sent on a quest that could have killed me with ease.
A voice interrupted my racing thoughts. "Crazy, huh?"
It was Nico. I sat up. "What is?"
"Everything. This demigod life. It's messed up. Never easy. Barely fortunate."
I was silent for a moment. "Yeah."
He nodded, his dark eyes casting off to the side. There was a kind of comfortable silence between us, until he broke in again. ".. so. On a quest to find your mom."
"Basically." I replied, looking down and then up at him again. "What's yours like?"
"My mom.. uhh.." Nico looked around awkwardly. "She's, uhh.. dead."
I winced, mentally smacking myself. Wrong question.
"I am soooo sorr-"
"No, it's fine." He held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. "You don't have to apologize. It's fine."
I smiled slightly. "Good. I'm not good at apologies, or goodbyes."
He nodded again. Looking at him closely, I saw a small smile tugging at his mouth. That was a rare sight, him actually smiling a little.
"Got any other family?" I inquired.
"I have a sister. Hazel. She's nice." He replied.
I nodded. "I haven't known Percy for long at all, but he feels like my brother by full blood. I don't know what I'd do without any of these guys." I looked down at the rest of the group.
"I guess we're just a bit off an odd bunch," Nico responded.
"Basically," I laughed a little. "We're a teacher, a fireman, a sassmaster and two Ringers."
Nico smiled a bit wider. "Mae govannen." (Well met)
"Mae govannen." I repeated.
He looked down, and squirmed into his bedroll once again, and I did the same. Tomorrow would hold many more events, more surprising than one would think.
