In two days she'd conked out twice, and she could tell everyone was silently judging her. Because of this, Artemis began to realise that perhaps talking to Rachel, as Percy had suggested, wouldn't be too much of a bad idea. Artemis frowned: stupid, big brother who knew everything. Carefully she slipped out of the infirmary into the streaming sunlight bathing the sand, and fervently hoped it wouldn't start to rain again. She walked across the courtyard hesitantly, but then, no-one was paying her any attention, no heads turning, no muffled whispers, so, gaining confidence she began to stride. After two steps she realised that it looked kinda cocky and simply stopped.
She looked like an idiot. Sighing, she started towards the boardwalk (for the want of clearing her head), grateful that nobody saw her blunder. A slight, melodious giggle reached her ears - well, almost nobody. Noticing two figures already sat there she edged a little closer; it was Percy and Annabeth in what appeared to be a deep conversation. Not wanting to disturb them, Artemis halted and looked at her surroundings.
Her arm twinged and she told it to stop it. One advantage of her incapitation was that she was no longer able to complete her detention, in fact, that was the ONLY advantage. Yay for injuries! Resisting the urge to slap her arm knowing that that would just make it worse, Artemis idly wondered about the whereabouts of the beach. Maybe she could 'cleanse her soul' there whilst listening to the soothing slap of waves hitting the shore...
After wandering around the camp twice - avoiding the more crowded areas - she managed to discover an overgrown path that meandered down a slope. Skidding down the gravel it reminded her painfully of that wondrous day she'd spent with her mother.
Soon though the stones gave way to the fine, silky sand. Artemis whooped with joy feeling very much like a little child again and ran down to the surf. Instantly she was sprayed with foam, still dry, she plunged in up to her waist as the sea swirled around her. She hesitated before diving in - would he still be mad at her? Would her father really hold grudges for that long? Knowing it was dangerous to continue that train of thought whilst in his domain, she shrugged, threw caution to the winds and sank into the blue. Barely a splash was made.
It was glorious to be underwater again. Brine washed through her hair and it gleamed darker than ever. Her skin took on an eerie, green, otherworldly tinge, and her eyes glowed brightly as she started to explore. Swiming farther out she visited uninviting, glaring caves that held scores of bustling sealife. She could smell the greeness of fronds as they caressed her face: fresh, salty, yet clean and pure. Some of the odours were darker and boasted of deep purples and reds; they were sweet, sickly, and cloggy. The more delicate smells rose up in shades of pastel - lilac, pink, blue, and peach - they lived with the corals which swarmed across the coastal shelf. They carried an abundance of life as fish teemed through their bodies. Laughing, Artemis joined the fish in a game of hide and seek. She was upside down, horizontal, vertical, cramped, floating away, gripping on all at once as the day wore on.
Grinning, she was slicing her hands on some particularly nasty coral as the skittish Moorish Idol hunted her when she finally noticed the dolphins. Immediately, supporting herself with both arms, she straightened from behind the hard, red prongs and stared back at them. The Moorish Idol gleefully found her and tapped her lightly on the shoulder to indicate this. It then swam off and disappeared in the bustling throng of fish. Artemis didn't notice. The dolphins seemed to nod at her in recognition and, with an effortless flick of their tails, elegantly disappeared in the opposite direction. Artemis suddely felt uncertain and unsafe. Swimming up, she bobbed her head out of the water and reorientated her mental compass towards land. Ducking back under the sheening surface she swiftly began to swim back to the camp.
She was back in next to no time and crawled out of the sea feeling regenerated. She stretched out both arms and glanced up at the sun. It was high in the sky: only noon? She shielded her eyes so she could examine her broken arm to find it wasn't at her side. Realisation flashed across her face as she mutely pondered the condition of her arm that was now protecting her face from the glare of the sun. The bandage must have disintegrated in the water as there was no evidence as to it ever being there at all. In all the excitement of the day she hadn't noticed the burning sensation that had briefly flickered through it. Grateful she gazed at the sea as the tide took it.
"Thank you." She murmured to it's retreating back. Tonight she was determined to be the first to offer the gods her dinner.
~~~
Hey guys, sorry about the late update but a lot of personal stuff's been happening recently :'(
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Greeks, Gods & Other Problems
أدب الهواةArtemis is new to everything: country, home, people, life. She was alienated at home, so when she moves she feels she can make a brand new start on things. Uh uh, the gods don't like that - at all. Will Artemis regret coming to Camp Half-Blood?
