Heroes of Olympus: Ragnarok Prophecy - Book I: The Blizzard of Discord

VII - Canada

Hazel POV

We were on our third day of travelling. We had been attacked by some monsters during the last day.

But still... Alex has just appeared for lunch, dinner and when we were being attacked.

We were all in the main room except her and Leo.

"Guys!" Leo appeared from the deck "We've just entered in Canada, in your home, Frank"

"Yeah" He said

"We are one day on delay" Leo said "Because of yesterday's attack"

"Is the Argo in good status after yesterday?" Annabeth asked

"More or less. I think so. We'll may need some Celestial Bronze, but that's not for sure" Leo said, scratching his hair. He looked around "Where's Alex?"

"Don't know" Piper said "In her room, I suppose"

"I'm not sure about her" I said "Really she's on our side?"

Everyone looked at me.

"Hazel, what do you mean?" Piper asked

"She's hiding lots of things and I am not sure if she's telling the truth" I said "We have to be careful"

"I trust my sister" Jason said "And she trusts Alex. Apart..."

"I'm on Jason's side. Doesn't seem a bad girl, though" Percy said, not noticing he had just interrupted Jason. Suddenly, he realized it "Okay, man, follow"

Jason sighed "Apart, it's like there's something that... I don't really know why or what it's, but it's like I should trust her"

"That's strange" Annabeth said

"Hazel, you know" Leo said "this sounds like deja vu"

I remembered. During the quest to Rome, Jason and Leo didn't trust Nico while I got mad at them. Now, it was me who didn't trust and Jason did.

"Okay" I said "It's better if we leave this topic" I smiled.

We decided to finish this improvised meeting. I really think I should talk to Alex. Just to know her. I was really glad she wasn't at the meeting.

I knocked at the door of Alex's room. No sound. I opened.

"Alex?" I asked. There wasn't anybody.

I found a school book on the bed. Latin? Inside there were some papers, school notes. And those were Greek characters? She studies Latin and Greek?

"Wait up! I shouldn't be doing this" I thought and left the room.

I heard some noises in the first training room: the one for swords, spears and one-to-one battles weapons, in general. I entered and saw... Alex?

She had one of the Celestial Bronze training swords and was fighting with one of Leo's fighting bots.

"Hi, Alex" I said. She turned.

"Hi, Hazel" She said "You come to train?"

"Nope, I was looking for you, your room was empty, I heard noises here and well... " I smiled

"Ah, you wanted to talk with me?" She asked

I nodded.

"What about?" She asked

"Well, you usually don't come to the main room unless lunch, dinner or urgent meeting... " I said

"Yeah, it's because I'm still a bit uncomfortable" She said "I don't get used to new people that soon"

"We barely know you. You barely know us" I said "That's why you feel uncomfortable"

"Not only that. You don't trust me because you barely know me and I'm also hiding things from you" She said "I understand. I'd do the same if I were you"

"Oh" I said "Sorry if we made you feel like that"

"No need to apologize" She smiled

"Well, I need to apologize about another thing" I said "When I went to your room, I saw a book and well... decided to see what it was about. Sorry, I shouldn't have done that"

"Also, don't need to apologize" She said "Which was?"

"A school book. Latin" I said

"Ah, that one" She said "I study Latin and Ancient Greek at school. But I really don't know what made me decide to bring it to the camp" She smiled

"Well, you can return to train. Sorry for the interruption" I said

"For the third time, don't apologize. There's no need to" She said "Hey, do you wanna train with me? With a bot, it's boring"

"Okay" I said and took my spatha.

"That's a spatha?" She asked

"Yeah. Have you ever seen one?" I asked

"Not, I saw the name in the Latin book. It's a Roman cavalry sword, isn't it?" She asked

"Yeah" I said "We start?"

"When you want" She said

"Okay" I said and we put our swords, nearlt colliding "On garde"

"Allez!" She said

She was a good fighter. I really couldn't surprise her, actually. Suddenly, I stepped badly and nearly fell. Nearly because Alex held my wrist.

"You alright?" She asked

"Yeah" I said "You shouldn't do that in a real battle"

"I know. Not with an enemy. But you're not an enemy" She said and lifted me.

"Thanks" I said "It's nearly dinner time. You come?"

"Sure" She said

We headed off to the main room. She decided to start dinner before the others.

"So, what's the battle result?" I asked

"A draw?" She asked

"Fair for me" I answered

"For me too" She said and, as she had finished, left.

"Whoa, you and Alex being friends? Didn't you say you didn't trust her?" Leo asked

I turned and saw all the others.

"I was trying to be friendly" I said "You're right, Percy. She doesn't seem a bad girl" I paused "She just is a bit uncomfortable with us"

"Why is that?" Piper asked

"She noticed that we don't really trust her" I said

"Oh, Styx" Annabeth said

"But she said that if she were us, she'd do the same. She understood that's difficult to fully trust someone that's hiding things" I said

"That's good" Jason said  "I think that's how we all are about her"

"Apart, she's a good fighter. We had a training battle" I said

Everyone looked at me surprised.

"And... How did it end?" Leo asked "Who won?"

"We left it as a draw" I said "I stepped badly and nearly fell. She held my wrist to not let me fall. Even though, she was still holding her sword tightly just in case I was about to attack her" I smiled

The others sat down and we had dinner.

I still had my doubts about her. But it sure will be better with her as an ally rather that as an enemy.

Spatha = It's explained in the story

On garde/Allez! = On guard/Go! (French) (this is said before starting a fencing battle)

Hazel and the others having doubts with trusting Alex. And Alex is uncomfortable because she notices it xd.