𝒊𝒊. 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆

𝒊𝒊𝒊.

As Percy ran up the hill, Noelle heard a familiar voice shout, "Border patrol, to me!" A girl's voice— gruff and authoritative.

Noelle remembered her brief Iris-message with Annabeth, explaining how the borders were failing just like in her dreams.

At the sound of the voice Noelle instinctively took Tyson's hand and ran to catch up to Percy. Why she grabbed Tyson? Noelle didn't know. Maybe her brain registered something before the rest of her body.

Then she recognized the bulls on the hill as she came up next to Percy, who was almost to the top of the hill. Percy had uncapped his ballpoint pen that changed into the shimmering sword Anaklusmos in his hand.

Percy glanced at his girlfriend tugging Tyson along. "Why did you bring Tyson up here? He could get hurt."

"No!" Noelle said. "I told you, we'll need him."

He stared at her. "He's mortal. He got lucky with the dodge balls but he can't—"

"Percy, do you know what those are up there? The Colchis bulls, made by Hephaestus himself. We can't fight them without Medea's Sunscreen SPF 50,000. We'll get burnt to a crisp."

"Medea's what?"

Noelle pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "I knew I should've gotten some with those coupons. Gods, I am so stupid."

Percy gave Noelle a confused look, but decided against questioning his girlfriend. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm not going to let Tyson get fried."

"And you think I'm letting you get fried?" she shot back. "He's our best chance, Percy."

"Tyson, stay back." Percy raised his sword. "I'm going in."

"Perseus Jackson!" Noelle hissed.

Percy pretended not to hear her. He knew he was either in for a lecture or the silent treatment later. Noelle never said his full name unless she was serious.

Noelle let out a frustrated sigh and turned to Tyson. "Stand by, please. I'll holler if we need you, okay?" She spoke carefully as to not worry him.

"Percy in trouble?" he whimpered.

Noelle looked at the field. "If he isn't now, he will be later."

Noelle dashed off, plucking her hair clip from her hair and transforming it to bow and arrow form. She climbed up a tree stealthily and surveyed the battlefield.

Percy dropped Clarisse in a heap next to Thalia's pine tree. Noelle's best friend of five years, Annabeth, shouted orders to the other heroes, telling them to spread out and keep the bulls distracted.

Noelle willed her quiver of arrows to give her a freeze arrow. When the arrow makes contact with anything it freezes everything within a radius of five feet, but doesn't kill it.

Both bulls were facing Percy, and Noelle took aim at the one closest to him. She fired the arrow and it hit right after blowing fire at him. The bull froze, covered with a thick coat of ice, the grass around it coated in frost.

Percy still had rolled away to avoid the flames from the bull. His foot snagged on a tree root and pain shot up his ankle. He swung at the bull that had been charging him, but his blade hit nothing.

Percy noticed the bull covered in ice, a frozen arrow sticking out like a unicorn horn. A scowl planted on his face realizing Noelle had saved his life yet again. Not that he didn't like a powerful and badass girlfriend, but he hated her saving him all the time. He felt like it made him look weak.