𝒊𝒊. 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆

𝒗𝒊.

The way Tantalus saw it, the Stymphalian birds— Annabeth had explained what they were to Noelle and they also made up— had simply been minding their own business in the woods and would not have attacked if Annabeth, Tyson, and Percy hadn't disturbed them with their bad chariot driving.

The trio had been sentenced to kitchen patrol— scrubbing pots and platters all afternoon in the underground kitchen with the cleaning harpies. Noelle ate lunch with the rest of the campers, but she still sat by her lonesome at the Artemis table.

Lunch wasn't as terrible as Noelle had expected. The Stymphalian birds tasted just like chicken, or so she was told. During her school year at home with her dad she'd learned all about the process of meats and other foods. Ever since she's been a vegetarian. She opted for eating the side dishes.

Noelle thought about Percy's dream as she ate. She decided he must've been telling the truth.

After lunch, Percy and Annabeth pulled Noelle aside to tell her about their conversation during their punishment. About Grover finding the Fleece, about the story of Cadmus and Europa, about their plan for tonight's campfire.

"If we tell Tantalus tonight at the campfire in front of everyone, the whole camp will hear. They'll pressure him. He won't be able to refuse," Percy finished.

Noelle looked between the two. "I had a dream last night too. It was about an island, maybe Polyphemus's? Anyway, I know for certain that we have to do this."

Annabeth nodded in agreement while Percy smiled.

The three of them were a "we" again.

~

That night at the campfire, Apollo's cabin led the sing-along. They tried to get everybody's spirits up, but it wasn't easy after that afternoon's bird attack. They all sat around a semicircle of stone steps, singing halfheartedly and watching the bonfire blaze while the Apollo guys strummed their guitars and picked their lyres.

Noelle and Percy's hands were intertwined, her head leaning on his shoulder. Tyson sat next to Percy. Annabeth sat with her siblings. Noelle sang softly while Percy hummed along. Percy loved Noelle's voice, he had wondered if she might've inherited singing from her uncle Apollo somehow.

They did all the standard camp numbers: "Down by the Aegean," "I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandpa," "This Land is Minos's Land." The bonfire was enchanted, so the louder you sang, the higher it rose, changing color and heat with the mood of the crowd. On a good night, it could be seen twenty feet high, bright purple, and so hot the whole front row's marshmallows burst into flames. Tonight, the fire was only five feet high, barely warm, and the flames were the color of lint.

Dionysus left early. After suffering through a few songs, he muttered something about how even pinochle with Chiron had been more exciting than this. Then he gave Tantalus a distasteful look and headed back toward the Big House.

When the last song was over, Tantalus said, "Well, that was lovely!"

He came forward with a toasted marshmallow on a stick and tried to pluck it off, real casual-like. But before he could touch it, the marshmallow flew off the stick. Tantalus made a wild grab, but the marshmallow committed suicide, diving into the flames.

Tantalus turned back toward the campers, smilingly coldly. "Now then! Some announcements about tomorrow's schedule."

"Sir," Percy said.

Tantalus's eye twitched. "Our kitchen boy has something to say?"

Some of the Ares campers snickered, but Percy wasn't going to let anybody embarrass him into silence. He stood, dragging Noelle with him, they both looked at Annabeth. Thank the gods, she stood up with them.