Since The Beginning

Chapter Six

"I'm tired of waiting." Orion grumbled pacing back and forth as he had been for the past three hours wearing a line in the grass.

"Patience." I sighed trying to let my irritation subside. His pacing was only getting more annoying. "She is close I can sense it."

"Then usher her to go faster." Orion growled.

"Your attitude is grating on my nerves." I snapped eyeing him dangerously. He paused temporarily in his tracks. "Fix it."

"Are you my mother?" Orion questioned horribly raising his eyebrows. Or what remained of them. The other hunters had given him a wide birth. They wanted nothing to do with him. Rightfully so.

The sound of crunching earth greeted my ears and I perked up turning towards the noise.

"Finally. Took you long enough." Orion's deep gravelly voice boomed throughout the camp. Thalia froze mid step and in a second she had her shield and spear on hand.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" She asked eyes darting around wildly.

"That's a nice greeting." Orion huffed crossing his muscular arms.

"The last time you were around you tried to kill me." Thalia frowned giving him a pointed look not letting her guard down even the slightest amount.

"Shame. You're rather annoying." Orion glanced at his nails looking bored out of his mind.

"He's only here due to complicated circumstances. I assure you once this is handled I will gladly send him off." Thalia very hesitantly lowered her weapon and shield eyeing the giant cautiously.

"Right. Okay." She didn't take her eyes off of him for even a moment.

"Thank you for coming so quickly but I needed your assistance. Someone must look after things while I am away." Thalia nodded in understanding. "Please don't do anything...ridiculous."

"When have I ever done that?" She asked a smirk twitching at the corner of her mouth.

"If I recall correctly the last time I left you alone here you and the girls took it upon yourselves to decorate my tent to look like a Barbie house for Valentine's Day." It was absolutely horrible. There wasn't an inch of it that wasn't pink. It made me nauseous just thinking about it.

"That was funny." Thalia snickered. "The look on your face was priceless!"

"Well if it happens again there will be retaliation. You've been warned." This seemed to surprise Thalia but she held up her hands in defense.

"Point taken." Orion cleared his threat interrupting the conversation.

"Well if you ladies are done conversing I believe we are on a rather rushed schedule so let's get going." Thalia rolled her eyes at him her upper lip curling up in disgust. I'd taught her well.

I'd already prepared all that was needed, which wasn't much, and collected it. Orion tapped his foot impatiently which only made me move slower. Just to pointedly irritate him.

"I can't believe you're trusting him." Zoë grumbled once I'd had her situated on my back.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. But I have your company to distract myself with. Lead on Orion." It want a graceful send off but it didn't have to be. He simply turned curtly on his heel and trudged off into the tree line hunching his large shoulders.

"We must go east." His voice rumbled through the trees like thunder.

"Understood." Was my simple reply. Long silence stretched out before us as we walked swiftly through the landscape. I had nothing to say to him, which was fine, his voice grated on my nerves. It hadn't always been so deep and gravelly.