The Third Camp Trilogy: The Final War?

Chapter twenty two: Neptuna

19 days until the war.

1:25 in the afternoon was the time as I sat down at the fire. Before I came I heard Max and Natalie talking about something, I couldn't make out the words but I knew it had something to do with Carrie.

"We're going back to camp after we pack up." Natalie informed me.

"Okay." I nodded. I hoped to gods that Carrie would be there... I missed him.

"Hurry up and get packing then." Natalie gestured to my tent. I nodded and began to tear it down, my mind miles away at Camp Half Blood.

I was thinking of ways I might be able to show Percy and the others that I was okay, that I wasn't worth dying for. But if I accidentally showed anyone at Camp Ops that I was had even the slightest connection to Camp Half Blood... then I... Well, I would be killed, would I not? Any connection to the enemy in a war... Even I knew that was against the rules.

"Are you okay?" Alivia eyed me as she tore down her own tent. "You look pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine." I shook my head and continued to pack up my tent.

"You know, you've said that a lot, but it doesn't seem to be true." Alivia frowned.

"I'm fine." I repeated, not looking at her.

"Are you?" Alivia turned me around so I would look at her.

"I'm okay, Alivia." I sighed. "Can I finish packing up now?"

"...Sure." Alivia still sounded suspicious as I turned back to my half-taken-down tent.

I quickly finished taking it down and rolled it up, then looked around at the others. Natalie was tying her stuff to her pegasus's saddle, Alivia was rolling up her tent, and Max—

Max was all finished. He was sitting near Alivia, talking to her with a smile. I looked between the two and knew that they would end up a couple, one way or another.

"It feels strange, doesn't it?" Natalie suddenly appeared next to me.

"What?" I questioned, redirecting my gaze to her.

"Going back, we've gotten so close but now we have to go back to being just instructors or just regular campers."

Just a regular camper, I snorted mentally. Yeah right, a war has just been claimed in my name.

"Yeah." I laughed.

"Well, I guess soon we'll be right back together, fighting side by side."

"Right." I nodded. Then I stood and began strapping my stuff to the saddle on Jeff's back.

"Time to go?" He neighed.

"No, not yet." Natalie stroked his mane.

"Wait, you speak horse?" I gaped at her.

"Yep, when you live in the wild you have to speak to someone, right?"

"...I thought only children of Poseidon and Neptune could understand horses."

"Nope, you shouldn't classify people like that, everyone's full of surprises."

"Hmph..." I frowned.

Now I didn't feel so special for knowing how to communicate with horses.

"But only pegasi, horses don't seem to like me much." Natalie frowned.

"Are you two ready?" Max eyed us.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I harnessed my tent to Jeff

"Since you've never come to camp during war times you need to remember one thing," He came over and started to explain, "Make small movements and whatever you do, don't bring out your sword. Okay, you have to remember that or we're all dead."