The Troubled Guardian ON HOLD

Chapter 14: Camp Olympian

Heads up this is a long one!

Artemis POV

The first thing I comprehended when I woke up was the warmth, even using all the furs and blankets in my possession, I knew I could reach this level of warmth, it wasn't an uncomfortable heat, no, it was a surrounding force of safety. It radiated peace and made me feel calm. 

The second thing I realized was that I was in my wolf form, I rarely used this form, as it could cause issues with other deities. I recently have been using it to tease Percy, so very childish of me. 

'but you enjoy it'  I thought. 'what no!'  But I knew arguing with myself would yield nothing, even if I was right. Percy just drew me in. It was as if I was supposed to be his friend, companion, maybe even love. I stopped myself there, I shouldn't be thinking these thoughts, I have an oath, one that is strict and must be obeyed.

I snuggled into whatever I was sleeping on. 

Then I realized one more important detail...

Whatever I was sleeping on was breathing. 

Opening my eyes and straining my neck I could observe my living pillow. It was a wolf as well, black fur with white whisps, a white teardrop shape under one eye. 

wait.

That was Percy!

I immediately stood up and changed back to my usual form. 'ya know, you've been using a 20-year-old form for some time now, has it anything to do with your 'pillows' physical age?'  though it was my own thoughts I once again agreed, ever since the council meeting, and finding Percy again, I had been using a form that was his age. Maybe I did it unconsciously? Percy physically looked twenty, and I changed to match?

Returning to my current predicament. 

Percy had woken up and changed form. He was groggily rubbing his eyes, which to my delight had started to show some of his usual sea green, his eyes almost always shown a blood-red, but recently, I have seen some sea green just barely peek through. Though it was usually in my presence, strange.

When he finally registered what happened he immediately jumped up and started Rampling, ah well, he's becoming more and more like his old self, Alciviadis never rambled.

"Artemis! What were we sleeping together?! Wait not like that! ugh!" 

I chuckled at him "It's alright Percy, I know you didn't mean to" why did that make me sad? "Come, on change to Darius, we need to rouse the hunters, we are just outside the city walls. 

3rd Person

Artemis and Percy in wolf form began rousing the hunters, Starting with the oldest so that they could rouse the younger ones. Percy himself went to get Lily, but he couldn't bring himself to wake her up so he just made her secure on his back and walked out with her still sleeping, just on him this time. 

Artemis sent him a questioning look but smiled. 

The hunters packed up camp within the hour and they started the remainder of the walk to Camp Olympian, which only took thirty minutes. 

Reaching the gates of the city/camp was hard for Percy, well not hard even with a five-year-old on his back he was fine. But the memories and guilt began to surface in his mind. Artemis saw this and walked over to pat him on the head, and whisper "It'll be alright Percy". 

When the group arrived at the gates there was no-one to greet them. Artemis had been expecting this as the security had been tightened, and no patrols were out due to the lack of troops (they were all assigned elsewhere.