Snowfall

Dog Biscuit

"You want it, girl?" Mrs O'Leary wagged her tail, crouching low against the ground with her tongue lolling out of her mouth. She watched Percy excitedly as he held a hunk of meat in his hand. "You want it?"

The hellhound barked, the sound echoing around camp. Percy tossed the chunk as far as he could, watching Mrs O'Leary turn and sprint after it. She leapt to catch it in her mouth but missed as she flew under it, scrambling to reverse herself and get her treat.

"Is it really a good idea to play fetch with a giant dog?" A feminine voice said from behind him. Percy turned to see Thalia, decked out in her hunters gear, as usual, walking towards him.

"Do you have anything on you that you want to keep dry?" Percy asked out of nowhere, watching his hellhound run back towards them.

Thalia frowned. "It's all waterproof. Why?"

Mrs O'Leary chose that time to leap onto Thalia, knocking the huntress down and licking her. Thalia spluttered as the giant tongue dragged up her body, somersaulting out from her position under the domestic monster and climbing to her feet, wiping slobber from her body. "Gross."

Percy was laughing his head off, stroking Mrs O'Leary's head as she sat down. "That was great!" He gasped between breaths.

"Did you tell her to do this?" Thalia demanded.

"No! She did that all on her own!" Mrs O'Leary barked in agreement, nudging Percy with her large nose. He grinned, pulling another piece of meat from his bag and throwing it across camp. The demigods scattered as she charged through, watching the not-so-graceful hellhound stumble around after her treat as if she was just some normal dog and not a huge monster that could devour you in one gulp.

"You know, at first I hate her for doing this to me but I can't hold up when I see this fearsome creature going crazy over her makeshift frisbee," Thalia commented as the hellhound trotted happily back to them. "She's the most unusual monster I've ever met, and probably will ever meet."

"She's an odd one, that's for sure," Percy acquiesced. He popped open his old shield, the one Tyson had made for him all those years ago, and threw it to Mrs O'Leary. She caught that one, settling down to happily chew on the equipment.

Percy slung an arm around Thalia's shoulder, leaning in close to her. "Shall we go somewhere more . . . private?" He suggested, dragging his teeth over her ear.

Thalia smirked, turning her head to peck him on the lips before sprinting away. Percy shouted, bolting after her as she left him in the dust.

And Thalia was complaining about Mrs O'Leary doing the same earlier.