CHAPTER TWO

Helena decided to accompany them as Chiron led them around the camp and as they passed the volleyball pit, people nudged each other and made comments about the two boys. "What's up there?" Percy asked Chiron, pointing to the attic of the Big House.

"Just the attic."

"Somebody lives there?" Mateo wondered, looking at Helena.

She shook her head. "No, nothing living there."

"Come along, Percy, Mateo. Lots to see." Chiron gestured for them to follow and they walked through the strawberry fields where several people, probably Demeter's children, were picking berries. He explained to the two boys about the crops, and how they export them. "It pays our expenses, and the strawberries take almost no effort."

"Children of Dionysus have an effect on fruit-bearing plants, they grow crazy around us. Our powers work best with wine grapes, but Dad isn't allowed to grow those, so we do strawberries." Helena explained, extending a hand towards a bushel and stroking it with her fingers. The small strawberries on it grew larger and more appeared on the bush.

"Grover won't get in too much trouble, will he?" Percy asked. "I mean… he was a good protector. Really."

Helena lost her concentration on that conversation when Mateo cleared his throat beside her. She turned to face him and raised her eyebrows. "So, you come here much?"

The corners of her lips quirked up and a glimmer appeared in her eyes. "I live here, newbie."

"That's cool! So, you just get to spend all your time here? Do you ever visit your mother?"

"Sometimes." Came the quiet response. "She's a busy woman. So, yes, I do spend all my time here."

"So, you know how to fight and all that, yeah?" Mateo questioned.

"I'd like to think so, yes. I have been training since I got here."

"Which was how long ago exactly?"

"Long enough." She replied before they started moving out of the strawberry fields and towards the forest.

"The woods are stocked, if you care to try your luck, but go armed, isn't that right, Helena?" Chiron asked the girl.

"Mhm. Never forget your weapon." She nodded, remembering the first time she ventured in there weaponless. The only reason she got away is because she managed to somehow use her powers.

"What are the woods stocked with?" Mateo asked.

"Armed with what, exactly?" Percy added.

"You'll see. Capture the flag is Friday night. Do you have your own swords and shields?" He paused. "No, I don't suppose you do. I think a size five will do. I'll visit the armoury later."

Then, they continued, and walked by the archery range, the canoeing lake, the stables, the javelin range, the amphitheater, and Helena's favourite place, the arena, which Chiron explained held sword and spear fights.

"Sword and spear fights?" Percy asked.

"Cabin challenges and all that."

"Usually not lethal." Helena added.

"Oh yes, and there's the mess hall." Chiron pointed to an outdoor pavilion framed with white Grecian columns on a hill that overlooked the sea. There were a bunch of stone picnic tables, but no roof and no walls.

Then came the cabins. Twelve of them, in the woods by the lake, arranged in a U, with two at the base and five on either side. There were large brass numbers on above the doors and the odds were on the left and the even on the right. None of them looked alike.

Helena's cabin was 12. The last one at the end of the right side. The roof and walls were lined with grape vines and the sweet smell of wine was constantly surrounding it. all the cabins faced an area the size of a football field that had Greek statues, fountains, flower beds and several basketball hoops.

In the centre of the field was a huge firepit and a girl of about nine was tending to the flames. Hestia. Helena met her during her earlier years, when she was crying because someone said something mean to her. She must have been around 7 then.

She went to seek comfort beside the fire. No one was around as it was dark. The only person there was Hestia. And she helped her that night. Helena would never forget that. "Zeus and Hera?" Mateo asked, his eyes lingering on the two largest cabins.

"Correct." Chiron nodded.

"Their cabins look empty." Percy commented.

"Several of the cabins are. That's true. No one ever stays in one or two."

Percy moved to cabin three, and Helena exchanged a worried look with Chiron. The younger boy went to look inside but Chiron called out to him and reached over to pull him away. "Come along, Percy."

They walked by the other cabins on their way to cabin eleven, and passed cabin five, the Ares cabin. It was bright red and the roof was lined with barbed wire. There was a stuffed boar's head over the doorway. As they passed, Helena nodded to Clarisse as a greeting.

"We haven't seen any other centaurs." Percy commented as they continued walking.

"No. My kinsman are a wild and barbaric folk, I'm afraid. You might encounter them in the wilderness, or at major sporting events. But you won't see any here."

"You said your name was Chiron. As in – " Mateo began.

"The Chiron from the stories? Trained of Hercules and all that? Yes, indeed I am."

"Wouldn't that make you dead?" Percy looked confused.

"I honestly don't know about should be. The truth is, I can't be dead. You see, aeons ago the gods granted my wish. I could continue the work I loved. I could be a teacher of heroes as long as humanity needed me. I gained much from that wish… and I gave up much. But I'm still here, so I can only assume I'm still needed." Then he looked to Helena. "Helena, I have a masters archery class, could you take over for me?"

"Of course, Chiron." Helena nodded and watched as the centaur walked away. "Right, well, let's continue then."

Percy walked on one side of her and Mateo on the other. "Which cabin do you stay in?" Percy asked.

She stopped and pointed at the cabin on the other side of the field. "Cabin twelve. The opposite side of where you're going, which is cabin eleven." They continued walking. "Speaking of, were either of you claimed?"

"Claimed?" Percy asked.

"I was." Mateo muttered. "Grover said it was Hermes."

"Mhm, yeah, cabin eleven, Hermes." She nodded. "Oh, look, there's Beth." Annabeth was stood in front of the cabin with a book in her hand. "Cabin eleven." Helena gestured to the cabin.

It was the cabin that looked most normal. The brown paint was peeling off and on the doorway was the symbol of a caduceus. Inside it was packed. "Go on." Annabeth said impatiently.

Percy went first and tripped over something. Mateo went after him and stepped over the pulled back plank that Percy tripped over. "Meet cabin eleven." Helena said.

"Regular or undetermined?" Someone asked.

"Regular." Helena pointed to Mateo. "Undetermined."

Cue the groans from everyone, but Luke came forward. "Now, now, campers. That's what we're here for." He gestured to spots they could take. Luke wore an orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals and the same leather necklace that everyone else at camp wore.

"This is Luke." Helena introduced. "He's your counselor. Yours, officially, and yours for now." She said to Percy.

"For now?"

"You're undetermined." Luke explained. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."

"Well, Beth, Luke, I will leave you both to it. Have fun. I'll be in the arena. Come find me if you need weapons help." Helena waved and left. She stopped by the Dionysus cabin to grab her swords before she headed to the arena to practice. She made sure to grab her blindfold and kept it around her neck.

Helena was mostly alone in the arena. There was maybe one other person, but she wasn't paying attention. She moved to an area by herself and took her swords out, focusing on her footwork and movement.

Today was an interesting day to say the least.