Won't Say I'm in Love [Pertemis]

12- I Become Hellhound Chow

My head is screaming "get a grip, girl"
Unless you're dying to cry your heart out

Percy

I woke up to the conch horn and quickly packed my belongings and walked to Cabin Eight. Artemis and the hunters were already packed up and ready to go, but Chiron came down to the cabins and insisted that they stay for breakfast.

"Morning Percy!" They all greeted me cheerfully.

"Good morning," I said in return.

"Good morning, Guardian," Artemis said. Her tone was cold.

"Good morning, milady," I said. I kept my distance.

We sat down and ate a cheerful breakfast, but Artemis barely spoke to me. I wasn't sure what had happened last night at the creek, but clearly she hadn't forgiven me for it. The cold shoulder of the goddess of the hunt was very cold.

We gathered up our things after breakfast and headed north, leaving Camp Half-Blood in the dust. We spread out in a hunter formation, tracking the manticore through the woods. Artemis knelt ever so often, observing signs of it's path, and changing our course of direction.

After a while, we stopped for lunch. Artemis sat down a little bit out of the way, speaking in low tones with Thalia. I wasn't hungry, so I volunteered to take border patrol, and began circling the camp.

The hunters finished up quickly, and we got back on the manticores trail.

Thalia and I had become a tracking team. It felt nice to be with her again. It was like getting the old dynamic duo back together.

Over the last few days, I had noticed I felt stronger. Happier, even. Maybe I could finally put myself back together.

"Halt!" Artemis called from somewhere up ahead. "I sense a presence. Fan out."

The hunters drew their bows and quickly spread out, slowly walking through the woods in opposite directions, trying to pen down their opponent.

A twig snapped behind me, and I turned around. Nothing.

I hesitantly continued walking straight. I was almost positive we weren't going to find anything when there was a nasty snarl and the sound of a girls scream slicing through the air.

Without stopping to think, I ran towards the direction of the sound. I would not let one of my hunters get hurt.

In the distance, I saw a humongous rhino sound hellhound surrounded by a semicircle of hunters. As I got closer, I realized he was on top of one of them. The beast had his humongous paw on her chest, and looked ready to attack.

"No!" I yelled. With a newfound strength, I jumped and tackled him, knocking him off of her, and freeing the girl.

The hellhound snarled, and threw me off of his back. I slammed into the ground, and drew Riptide. He recoiled at the sight of the blade, growling.

"Come on, big boy," I said. "Let's see what you got."

The hellhound pounced, and I rolled under him, burying Riptide to the hilt in the monsters underbelly on my way out. The hellhound disintegrated.

The hunters gathered around me.

"Thank you," breathed the girl.

"Don't mention it," I said, wiping the monster dust off of me.

Artemis charged through the woods, her bow drone. "What happened?"

"Hellhound, milady," Thalia said. "We took care of it."

Artemis looked at me. I capped riptide. "No worries, Lady Artemis."

She raised an eyebrow. "Keep moving." She decided. I shouldered my pack, and joined Thalia, putting Riptide in my pocket.

We stayed on the manticores trail until sundown when Artemis announced to stop and set up camp.

While everybody else ate dinner, I scouted the area. I could sense the ocean not far from where we were camping. While everybody wrapped up and headed to bed, I announced that I'd take over guard duty for tonight.

A ring of wolves and falcons normally surrounded our camp, but usually at least one hunter was also stationed outside.

I sat down on a log near the simmering coals and stared off into the night.

"Thank you," said a voice from behind me. "For what you did with the hellhound. It was brave."

Artemis sat down on the log beside me, careful to keep a few inches in between us.

"I was just doing my duty, milady," I said.

"You saved her life," Artemis continued. "I owe you."

"You owe me nothing," I assured her.

"I would have never made it in time," she continued.

"It's really nothing," I said. "Is there something you need?"

Artemis pursed her lips. After a while she said, "No."

"You should get some rest," I told her.

She frowned. "Goodnight, Perseus."

"Goodnight, milady." I said. She disappeared into her tent, leaving me alone with the night.