The Brother of the Hunt

1

Artemis PoV

I was sharpening my arrows when two of my youngest hunters came running in.

"Artemis, help we found a baby wrapped in blankets on his own in the forest." They reported. I had already put my arrows down.

"Show me where." We ran out of the tent and into the woods. After a few minutes of sprinting we arrived to a small clearing.
My hunters were gathered in a small circle around a crying bundle. The wolves positioned around the clearing for protection. The huntresses formed a path for me to get to the bundle and I saw that it was indeed a baby.
It was pale and shivering. It's sea green eyes had no light in them. The thing had scraps all over its face and arms. The poor baby was also too thin to be healthy. It stopped crying the second I picked it up.

"Lady Artemis, what are you doing?" Zoe asked me, disgusted.

"Let's get back to camp. Maybe we can find out who it is." We split into two groups. The hunters who had originally stumbled upon it were to continue hunting and the rest were to follow me back to our camp.

The baby remained calm in my arms the whole way back to the camp.

I took it to my tent and Zoe stayed with me while the others continued their chores.

I placed it on my bed and it started to cry again.

"Ugh." I unwrapped the blankets and took off its baby grow. Zoe looked at me like I was crazy.

"Like you don't want to know if it's a girl or not." I sighed at her.

"I guess I do." She replied. I continued to take off the diaper. This is so gross.

"And it's a boy, congratulations. I hope you raise him well." Zoe joked and left the room. I got some cloth and wrapped it around it's bottom. I put his baby grow back on and picked him up. I carried him back to the armoury and thought of a name. He surely has a name already but what was it? And why was he in the woods just outside new York on his own? Once I reached the Armoury I realised that I didn't know how to care for him.

Maybe I could ask Hera, no. She'd get the wrong impression. Anyway I'm only thirteen. That's a bad rep.
I could ask Hecate, no.
I know I will take the hunt to camp half blood and get the help I need from a trusted campers mortal parent. Simple.

~1 hour later~

I finished sharpening the arrows while holding the baby boy on my hip. He started crying a minute ago but I don't know what it means.
Walking back to my tent I bumped into Zoe.
"Milady, let me take him. Give your self a break."
"Zoe, what are you planning to do?" I replied.
"Why do you assume I'm planning something? I simply think you need a break."
"Okay and if you could somehow get him to stop crying I'd appreciate it."
"He's hungry, that's all." I passed him over to Zoe and smiled at him. His green eyes looked up at me with confusion written all over them.
"Thank you Zoe. Bring him to my tent once he's eaten something."
"He won't eat, he's too young. He'll just have some milk."
"How do you know so much about babies?"
"I read a book."
"Of course you did." I smiled and went back to my tent.
I sat tidying up the blankets we'd found the boy in and found a note in messy writing with some kind of stain on it. Probably Alcohol.
The note read :
Dear whoever finds this boy,
His name is Percy. He likes the colour blue and throwing sharp objects as hard as he can.
When he was a little younger he strangled a snake so be careful.
I feel sorry for you having to raise such a vile creature.
Gabe.

That answers some questions. Well at least it's a male.

Zoe walked back in carrying Percy, whose face was covered in milk.

"Milady, he didn't eat much. And when I raised my hand to get the milk he started screaming. Milady I think he was beaten before he was left in the forest. What shall we do with him?"

"Zoe, we will care for the boy until we know who his real mother is. Do you understand? He is to be part of this hunt we will raise him to be different than the rest of the males. He will be loyal, kind, caring, everything that we know males not to be. He will be different."

"Yes Milady. Here he likes you best." She past the baby over and he held his hands out towards me. "Awww." Zoe smiled and walked out of my tent.

Once I knew no one was near by I started rocking Percy gently and singing in a soft voice to him. Hoping he would fall asleep in my arms. He looked at me with his bright green eyes.

"Hush little baby don't you cry
Imma sing you a lullaby

Hush little baby don't say a word Imma buy you a humming bird,
and if that humming bird won't sing
Imma buy you a golden ring,
and if that golden ring turns to brass
Imma buy you a looking glass,
and if that looking glass is broke
Imma buy you a velvet cloak,
and if that velvet cloak is coarse
Imma buy you a rocking horse
and if that rocking horse won't rock
Imma buy you a coo-coo clock,
and if that coo-coo clock don't tick
Imma buy you a walking stick
and if that walking stick falls down
You'll still be the cutest baby in town."

He fell asleep in my arms. I lay him in my bed and covered him in blankets. I climbed in next to him and fell asleep.