Lieutenant

Chapter 2

Artemis awoke but not as a hawk. Instead, she was very clearly human, lying curled on the floor. Zoë was nowhere to be found, and Artemis couldn't help but wonder what the girl could possibly be up to.

Shaking her head, she sat up with a wince, both arms flaring with an angry pain. "My Gods."

It was a pain Artemis had never felt before. She'd heard of such things, but such physical injury had never been inflicted on her before. Golden blood had seeped through the folds of the bandage and hardened.

Artemis glanced up slightly, startled at the sound of incoming footsteps. She had no time at all to shift back into a hawk as Zoë entered the tent. The look on the girl's face was one of pure shock and surprise. What she'd been holding in her hand, a bow, fell to the floor with a quiet thud.

Artemis had no idea what to say, what could you say? She paused for a moment, trying to think of something witty, something Athena would come up with to get out of an odd situation. However, Zoë beat her to speaking first.

"Who are you?" Her tone was immediately on edge.

"Well, it's difficult to explain," Artemis said, desperately searching for words.

"Not so difficult if you phrase it simply. Such as, there is a strange girl in my tent." Zoë glared at Artemis, a fierceness to her eyes, similar to that of an animal.

"Yes well, that works," Artemis said, stammering.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" Zoë questioned, kneeling down and examining the very young goddess with a curious stare. "Golden blood. Tell me, what's your domain?"

"I-it's not specific." Artemis shook her head, still not entirely sure what her powers contained.

"Are you what I've been hearing about so much? The entire woods have been rejoicing lately. The animals long for your return. Their protector." Zoë tilted her head and sat down, crossing her legs. "You're the girl with the twin brother, gods of night and day."

"Yes. Yes, I suppose that's correct. But why would...why would the animals be asking for me?" Artemis questioned, relaxing a bit and finally being able to find her words, no longer iced under the other girl's intimidating gaze.

"You're the goddess of the hunt. Didn't you know?" Zoë let the smallest ounce of surprise and genuine curiosity drip into her voice.

"No idea, actually. I've hardly been to Olympus more than a month or two," Artemis admitted. "But it's small in comparison to the vastness of the world. It's why I flew away yesterday. I wanted to feel free again."

"Nothing like feeling like a caged animal." Zoë shook her head, feeling a small amount of contempt. "Maybe they should have thought of that before placing my sister on an island."

"Calypso the witch?" Artemis questioned.

"My sister is no witch!" Zoë snapped, causing the goddess to flinch. "Just misguided at times. It's a horrible thing to be lonely, you know."

"I wouldn't. I shared even the womb with my brother," Artemis replied.

"Right. How is Olympus anyways?" Zoë picked up her bow and ran her fingers over its frame. Artemis could tell, simply by looking at the girl's hands, her fingers were lithe and nimble, made for the use of a bow.

"Why would you want to know?" Artemis asked, not meaning to sound as brash as she did.

"My father may be a Titan, but I assure you I am not him. I did take care of you, after all," Zoë reminded rather harshly in reply.

"My apologies. I've been reading as much as possible to try and fit in better." Artemis shrugged only to wince again as her wound flared in pain. "I never banked you for standing up to those ghastly men for me."