Decisiveness & Terror// [Percy Jackson OC]//Book 4

{Chapter Seventeen}

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I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name/Like a fool at the top of my lungs
Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright/But it's never enough
- Echo (Jason Walker)
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LATE NIGHT DRIVING

CHARLES' PLAN WORKED, or at least it did for a couple days. Arya worked hard to get herself to meals, to keep herself distracted from both her giving up on Luke, and the fact that she had no way to know Percy was up too. She went back to training Quintes who was very happy to see that she was alive, even more happy to know that the only reason was because of the whistle he had given her.

Once everyone had heard Arya's story, one way or another, the tension in the air seemed to calm. Campers were able to talk to her with the same ease they were able to before the war started. It didn't really make things any better to her though, she could never forget the way the people she used to think were friends would look at her like she was a ticking bomb.

The nights were hard, when she was alone in her cabin, but she was able to sleep through most of those. She was sleeping consistently now, the nightmares she did get were short and normal nightmares. She didn't wake up to those, they were nothing compared to the Kronos ones.
When she asked Chiron why the nightmares had gone, he told her he figured that would happen. When she made her choice, mentally she grew much stronger and now she could block out Kronos' invasions, therefore, ending the nightmares.

The war council wasn't called until her third day back and Arya was almost excited for it. She had been helping them plan all along, but now that she was fully in the moment, fully ready to fight their war. She couldn't wait to dive head first into battle strategy.

She was doing good to keep herself up.

The little positivity she had was whipped away like a slap to her face when Annabeth Chase came barreling into the War Council. It was only a few minutes after it had started, the group had barely gotten through any formalities.

When Arya saw the girl, worn and tattered, she was quick to her feet, the sound of her chair sliding backwards loud against the floor.
Annabeth looked directly to her, an almost panicked look across her face, something was wrong.

"How'd you-?" Arya asked, but Annabeth was quick to know what she was going to ask.

"Hephestus sent me back here."

"Are you-?"

"Yes."

"Grover and Tyson?"