Bloodied Water

•Chapter 8• Deer Season

Artemis POV

When I arrived at the camp archery I expected to find my hunters sparring, shooting arrows, practicing. However, that was not the case. I was met with all of my hunters gathered in a circle laughing and chatting. Some began to count drachmas while others pointed fingers at each other while smiling. It was a cute little sight but not what they were told to do.
"Girls? I thought you'd be practicing by now." I asked. None took a moment to acknowledge my question other than my lieutenant who jogged over to me.
"Sorry milady, me and the hunters are making bets on who can catch a new deer we saw!" Thalia answered.
"A deer?"
"Ya! It was pitch black and it had the largest antlers I've ever seen! It was the best thing to catch and put up on a wall! When you see it you'll be just as amazed I bet!" Phoebe answered from the circle of hunters.
I didn't need to see it and I was not happy to put it on a wall.
While it would look VERY good on our wall I'd rather them alive.
Same here.
"Look!" A younger hunter named April cried, pointing to the woods where said deer stood with eyes that screamed 'oh shit'.
"Get him!" Thalia ordered with glee. The hunters promptly sprung up and made chase. The 'deer of the day' made a break for the woods where my hunters easily pursued with haste. I joined in the chase hoping to save Percy from being skinned over a fire while screaming 'I TOLD YOU!' Over and over in my head.
The novice deer got quite far considering it's new body and escaped my hunt when it jumped over a crevice that my hunters needed time to cross where I just simply jumped over. The hunters cheered me on and wished me luck in my chase and began making bets on how long it would take. I knew better than to believe that any of their bets would favor them.
The chase happened for a while until we were on a beach, the very end of Long Island.
Artemis leave me alone!
"Percy I am here to save you. Do not be worried I have a new idea!" I added hopefully.
I don't want to be apart of anymore ideas! I don't want to be hunter anymore! I don't want to be in this camp anymore!
Percy then slumped to the ground still in deer form and began to weep...as I could guess since he was a deer.
It's like they don't remember what I did to help. It's like I was always hated by them. Why would they hunt me?
I could tell he was no longer talking about the hunters.
"Percy, I'm not happy with the position your in and I especially don't like those posters, but we need to push on." I tried my best to comfort while I was sitting his head was now on my leg.
.....thanks Arty....it means a lot.
I blushed at the nickname but hide it well...I think.
What's your idea?
I smiled at his new determination. "I was thinking since my previous plan didn't let me keep an eye on you while you and I clearly made you irresistible from my hunters to put you on their walls, I thought, what if you were always with me instead of hiding in the woods?"
Okay...?
"Ok so...bare with my here, got it?"
Yep
I poked his forehead and immediately he began to change back to normal. However, when his fur started to disappear, I remembered what I told him I would remember and began to franticly search for his clothes. Before I could actually grab them and turn around to hand them said person was already in his normal for and....naked. He looked down and imminently covered himself with wide eyes. I closed my eyes and through him his clothes.
Woah, he's huge.
Ya, it kinda embarrassing that he's a whole inch and a half taller than me.
That's not what I meant, but sure.
"*Ahem*....milady I'm all set." Percy called.
I opened my eyes and there he was standing there beet red. "Sorry.."
"No, no it's fine. I was supposed to remember." I assured. "Anyways, I'm gonna need you to stand still for the next step ok?"
"Ok..."
I touched his forehead and he then began to shrink, and shrink, and shrink until he was around the size of a mortal iPhone. I then placed him in the palm of my hand. Luckily, his clothes shrank with him.
"Again with the transformations?! What am I supposed to do now?!" A smaller sounding Perseus spoke from my palm.
"Nothing! You just need to stay in my pocket until we can figure something out!" I added where I then placed him in my pants pocket.
"I hate being small." He pouted.
"I can tell." I laughed. As I began to walk, I could feel him tumbling around in my pocket like he was in a washing machine. To fix this, he grabbed on to the only thing he could, my thigh. He held on for dear life forgetting he was holding onto the maiden goddess's leg. I didn't mind, I rather enjoyed his company.

(Time skip back to camp)

"Milady! Milady! Did you catch it?!" April called.
"No, it got away. It seemed to disappear into thin air." It wasn't a total lie.
"Ha! The first 'the one that got away' story for the hunting goddess!" Thalia teased.
"Ha ha, very funny Thalia." I said sarcastically with a smirk. The conch horn then sounded signaling dinner for the campers and hunters. It was to be my first dinner with a mini Percy...just great.