The Fates' Trusted

Lost

Ambling through a forest known to be the home of numerous demi-god-eating monsters is not something I'd recommend. However, being in a group is much better than going at it alone. Annabeth and I followed Grover as he led the way through Camp Half-Blood's forest. We were headed to the secret location where the Council of Clovin Elders was being held. Last summer, after the defeat of Kronos and his army, Mr. D appointed Grover as a member of the council. Annabeth and I, being the great friends we are, offered to accompany him to the meeting. An offer that he had graciously taken.

Only springing one trap that almost got us killed by a dozen arrows (Did I mention the deadly traps the campers set up for Capture the Flag and pranks?), our trek through the woods was actually quite comfortable. You see, only members of the council can find the location of the meeting. Some magical instinct leads them all to a certain place.

"What in Hades?"

Then again, you should never trust the situation when a demi-god feels comfortable.

"What is it, Grover?" Annabeth asked.

"The trail is gone!"

"What do you mean gone?" I asked. "We're already here?"

"No! The trail! It—It's just disappeared!" Grover wrung his shirt in his fists.

Annabeth pulled out her cell phone. "I wonder if the other members are having this same problem. I don't have any signal."

I checked mine. "Me neither."

Annabeth frowned. "Since when have you had that?"

I waved it in her face. It was by far a newer model than hers. "Jealous? My mom thought I should have one."

"Really?" Annabeth quirked an eyebrow. "She does know that these things will lead to more monsters coming at you, right? She allows you to go to school with that thing?"

"Considering my record for attracting monsters at my school without it, I don't think it'll change much."

"Guys! Can we focus here?" Grover cried, gnawing on his shirt. "This is horrible! Like, I-could-be-kicked-off-the-council horrible! The Fates hate me! I'm not good enough for the council!"

"Now, hold on," I started, trying to comfort him and save his shirt, "Considering you were placed there by a god, I'm sure—"

Behind us, crows blasted through the trees. A tremendous roar shook the forest. We jammed our fingers in our ears. It went on and on until it finally stopped. We unplugged our ears.

"What the—" I was cut off again by another ear-splitting roar. Whatever it was, it was not in the greatest of moods.

"What was that?" I asked when it finally quieted.

"Bear... I think," Grover mumbled. He was frozen, eyes wide.

"That's some monster bear," Annabeth said. "There aren't any wild grizzlies in Long Island.

"No, you're right. Something is definitely off about the bear." Grover unfroze and started sniffing.

"What is it, G-man?" I asked.

"We came from that way, right?"

I looked where he was looking and responded even though it didn't seem as if he was really asking.

"This doesn't make sense," he mumbled to himself, brushing his hand through the grass and dirt.

I shot a look at Annabeth. She had one hand on her dagger and was casting wary looks around.

Grover stood up and started moving. "This way!"

Annabeth and I shared a questioning look before following the sniffing satyr. The thick trees blocked most of our view, but it did allow some patches of sky to be seen. Thunder rumbled where the sky was covered in grey. Odd. Didn't seem like it was going to rain when we set off. Up ahead, the trees opened up to a clearing, and the stench of rottenness wafted over.

"Holy Poseidon..." Annabeth whispered. A whole herd of horses was strewn across the clearing, dead.

I tore my gaze from away. "Grover," I said, "Where are we?"

Grover bent down to slide his hands over a dead foal's neck. "We're not in camp anymore."

"What?" I said.

"So," Annabeth said, "where are we, then?"

Grover stood up and turned to look at us. "I don't know."

"Wait," I said. "What do you mean we're not in camp?"

"This place smells different, feels different, even looks different," he said, " I don't smell any pollution, and the trees...."

"What about the trees?" I asked.

"The trees, the air, all the plants feel differently. They act differently. The trees are saying something about an evil in the forest, some sort of demon, but I am having trouble understanding them. Everything just feels, not wrong, just totally different. Well, wrong in the sense that it's not any forest I know."

"Are you saying we—what—got teleported somewhere?"

"It's crazy, but..."

"Let's just keep moving. There's not much we can do here," Annabeth put a hand on Grover's shoulder. "We need to figure out what's going on here. Hopefully, we can find someone who can help us."

Yeah, as long as they don't try to kill us or something. Maybe this was all just a fluke, that Grover just made a mistake, and we were still in Camp Half-Blood's forest full of monsters and booby traps. But I knew better. We never get the easy path.