𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 , pjo

♛ Road Back

"Are you sure? Camp Half-Blood could use a sword instructor."

"Thank you, Lin Kogane, but Laelaps and I deserve a few decades of rest," Amphitryon smiled sincerely, scratching at the mentioned dog's stomach. He had decided that since he had his best friend back, and the two were technically immortal, he would begin a new life. A quiet one. Amphitryon claimed he was going to build a cabin in the convenient clearing Pallas had created, and settle down after all the years of searching.

Instead of scouring the skies for Canis Major, he would now just look to Laelaps.

Lin nodded kindly, joining her other friends. "I'll visit, I swear on the River Styx."

Lin, Romá, Grover, Annabeth, and Percy left on a boat. It was nothing fancy, just a simple rowboat they had acquired from a rental shop. After learning that Percy could control the lake to make them move at a fast pace, Romá and Lin gladly accepted the foreign form of travel.

The water of Lake Huron slapped against the boat's passengers, but it was nothing like what they had just experienced.

Percy stood at the bow of the boat, while everyone else sat more towards the stern. At the halfway point of the large lake, Lin stood from her spot to join the son of Poseidon. Romá and Annabeth were exchanging stories about Grover, though Annabeth could provide many more than Romá.

"I haven't properly thanked you yet. So, thank you," Percy said. Lin was amazed he could concentrate on the water and her at the same time.

"You know, I wasn't going to come at first," Lin blurted, guilt overcoming her.

"Really?" Percy didn't sound as surprised as he acted, as if he had been in the position before.

"Uh, yeah. Kind of hard to do something like this when your parent hasn't exactly claimed you," Lin tried explaining.

"Why's that?" Percy pushed.

"Well... um- I don't have an answer."

"Lin, your mom or dad or whatever doesn't define who you are. You do that yourself."

"Right," Lin sighed inaudibly. She then pointed to the water he was controlling. "Anyway, should you be doing this after all that chaos?"

"Should I be doing this?" Percy scoffed, mimicking her with a grin.

"Okay, tough guy," Lin raised her hands in a playful surrender, "but as soon as we hit the mainland we need to catch a bus. Can't drive a boat over land."

"Greyhound?" Percy asked.

"Greyhound."