Hunters of The Stars

Two: ☽ I get a pep talk from Artemis ☾ [UNEDITED]

Two: ☽ I get a pep talk from Artemis ☾ 

. . .

Marissa and I followed Artemis through the cluster of tents where the base was held. The tents were in a circle around the bonfire, which was blazing with orange sparks, crackling slightly every few seconds. Whenever a cracking noise came, the fire blazed just a little bit more. The tents had girls milling in and out of them, each wearing the same clothes and silver headbands as Marissa and I. They were all staring at us as we followed Artemis.

My boots crunched against the gravel near our tent, which was very close to Artemis' very over-the-top tent. She had recently redecorated the normal, gray tent. The ones that the Hunters slept in was a gray triangle shape, with a tarp type of material and little screen windows on the sides that you could zip up. There was also a little portable lantern in each tent that gave a yellow glow. We usually had little sleeping bags in there with packs full of different things we liked to keep, but nothing heavy. We had to keep light.

Artemis' tent looked the same size as the others, but as we walked in, I was wrong. I didn't know how she did it, but there was an almost throne with little golden moons encrusted on it, symbolizing Artemis. Her bed had claw feet and looked around to be a queen size, which normally wouldn't fit in the other tents. There was a little silvery chandelier in there, too, which amazed me. The floor was cover in a plush, golden rug.

It was all very Olympian.

"What took thy so long?" Artemis asked us once we were securely inside, where no one could hear us. She sat on her throne, which was weird for me. She looked around twelve, but that was just how she wanted to appear.

Olympians had the power to appear in whatever form they had, might it be an animal or an elderly woman.

Artemis motioned for us to sit in plush, golden armchairs that had the same claw feet as her bed. They were there before Artemis had motioned them to be. A

"Well," I started, suddenly forgetting that I always had to address Artemis before speaking, "My lady."

"My lady, Clara and I," Marissa paused, sinking into the chair. "Fought a Cyclops." I bit my nails, hoping that Marissa wouldn't tell Artemis about what happened to me.

I leaned back in my own chair as Artemis lifted up a brow. I hadn't noticed before that Artemis was petting a large, white wolf. It looked happy as she stroked its head slowly. The wolf opened its eye lids, showing its striking blue eyes that glowed at me.

I shifted in my chair uncomfortably.

"Yes, Marissa, but you shot it," I whispered.

I looked at my feet, noticing that they were hanging off the ground. I hadn't realized how big those chairs were compared to me, even though I'm 5'3''. I looked over at Marissa and noticed she was barely making it, her feet dangling slightly off the ground. I wasn't going to lie, I was jealous that she was taller than me.

I took a deep breath before saying, "My lady, it was my fault. I know how much Poseidon loves his Cyclops, but Marissa had to do it." I made eye contact with Marissa, hoping I was giving her a silent message.

"Thee act as though no feelings are attached," Artemis said, still stroking her wolf. Her silvery yellow eyes staring straight at me.

"Because there aren't," I replied, knowing that I was lying. There were feelings, but I couldn't just tell her that. I had made an oath a long, long time ago to forget everything before the Hunters, but this was different.