Indigo Eyes

Chapter 20

Percy and company had been sentenced to kitchen duty, having to scrub every dish and platter that was used after Clarisse's special chariot victory luncheon banquet. And even though she was mad at them, both Percy and Annabeth noticed the way Cressida didn't eat anything at the luncheon.

But by the time the campfire rolled around, she knew that their friendship was over.

Dionysus was in a foul mood after the races that Tantalus reinstated got his daughter injured, and he left only after a couple songs, muttering about how even Pinochle with Chiron had been more exciting. He had left, his daughter giving him a quick hug goodnight before he vanished and Percy stood.

He'd blurted out a dream he had, about Grover, Polyphemus's island in the Sea of Monsters and the Golden Fleece. An artefact that would have the ability to heal Thalia's tree and restore the barrier. Annabeth had been the one to remind everybody about what the Fleece could do.

Cressida had disappeared from the pavilion soon after the entire camp started chanting that they needed a quest. She liked Grover. Grover was still her friend and he was in trouble but they didn't tell her.

She knew that she was the one that cut them off first but still, it hurt.

Though that night, she got an unexpected visitor that knocked on her door.

"You got the wrong cabin? Yours is down that way," Cressida pointed as Clarisse rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, Lynn. I need to ask you something."

"Oh, Tantalus' champion needs something? Fascinating," she remarked as she leaned on her doorframe and crossed her arms over her chest. She hadn't been surprised when the news reached her that Clarisse had been chosen to find the Fleece. "What can I do for you?"

"You've been on a quest before-"

"Obviously."

"Just shut up and let me finish," Clarisse snapped. "You're the only person from that quest I can tolerate and I just wanted to ask...can you give me any advice?"

Cressida was surprised, to say the least. Clarisse asking for help. It was a rare sight...rarer still that she was asking her.

"Well, the biggest thing I can tell you is that nothing goes according to plan," she said. "There are monsters and temptations at every turn. Don't go anywhere unarmed. Don't..."

She stopped herself from that last one because she hadn't realised what she'd been about to say until she almost said it.

"What? Don't what?" Clarisse pressed and Cressida sighed as she stood straight, her arms still crossed over her chest.

"Don't...don't be afraid to let your quest mates help you," she finished. "This quest, any quest, is bigger than you think. It's scarier than you think. Don't take that lightly because you're in a rush to prove yourself."

"I'm not trying to prove myself," she defended, and Cressida held up her hands.

"I never said you were. And you asked me for advice, I can only tell you what I went through and whether or not you want to listen to it is your choice."

Clarisse nodded, her angry demeanour fading before she furrowed her brows and regarded the daughter of wine. "You helped me. You helped me and didn't ask anything in return after everything I've done to you. Why?"

Cressida shrugged. "Because I'm not like you? I'm not like the rumours you used to spread about me. And as much of a bully as you and this camp were, it's my home, and you are the best chance at saving it."

She couldn't read the emotions in Clarisse's expression before both girls flinched at the sound of a bird squawk. A bird with speckled brown feathers sat on the stair railing of her cabin, staring at them with electric blue eyes.