Percy and Annabeth Ch. 6

Percy's PoV. Chapter 6.
Quest start: ARTEMIS' BOW. *Super Mario Bros theme song*


I carried Annabeth across the surface of the water until we reached the sand shore and she jumped off and took my hand. I turned red, which she apparently saw because touched my cheek and giggled, which made me turn redder.
"You're funny when you're nervous." She said as she patted my hair. I groaned at that then looked around; nobody was outside and it was dark. Crap, I missed dinner.
"You missed dinner." Annabeth said, swinging my arm with hers as we walked along the beach.
"Oh really?" I replied sarcastically. I really think she can read minds, so I asked her if she could, and she said, "No, I can just read you really easy."

We walked in silence through the dark forest- I was thinking about how she 'reads me really easy'.
"Do you hear that?" Annabeth asked suddenly.
"What?" I didn't hear anything except us walking.
"Be quiet." And she made me stand still. Then I heard it. Rustling leaves and scratching noises. I took out Riptide from my pocket and uncapped it.

There were footsteps, getting louder and louder; whatever it was, it was coming closer. I looked around, and saw something behind a tree.
"Come out, come out where ever you are..." I mumbled.
"Shut up, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth nudged me.
And an arrow came out of nowhere and pierced Riptide's hilt, just above where my finger held it. I flinched back into Annabeth and looked around for who did it; then it hit me. Very few people can shoot an arrow that precisely.

"Artemis." Annabeth whispered.

And Artemis and her hunters came out of the trees, all wearing Ancient Greek leather armor. One of them looked familiar, with short spiky dark hair.
"Thalia!" Annabeth greeted. They both hugged and said hi.
"Hi Percy," Thalia said blankly when she saw me.
"Uh, hi," I said back. I felt odd, talking to any of Artemis' huntresses or even Artemis herself, since they've all sworn off male company.

Artemis stepped forward from the crowd and announced, "Percy Jackson, speak with me."
She didn't even ask, she just... announced.
"Um, yes? Lady Artemis." I knelt down in front of her awkwardly. It was even weirder because she was in her 12 year old girl form.
"First off, where is your shirt?" She asked glaring at me. I looked down at myself and noticed I still didn't have a shirt, since I threw it at Annabeth after that prank. I felt myself turn red, as I've been doing a lot lately, apparently.
"I um.. I.." I couldn't think of a reason, and turned redder when her hunters stared at me like they were about the kill me.
Artemis hovered her hand over my chest and a leather jerkin appeared as a shirt. I guess it was like clothing for her hunters.
"Listen." She boomed. "I accidentally shot an arrow at one of your father's sea creatures when it attacked one of my apprentices-" She shot a look at Thalia, and Thalia looked down. Of course it was her... "So he took my bow and threw it somewhere in the North Atlantic Ocean. I rarely come to men for help but since you are one of Poseidon's sons, I was thinking maybe... You... Can..." She was having trouble saying something.

"I'll help you, Lady Artemis." I told her. She nodded once and flicked her hand at her hunters- they ran to the edge of Camp, making almost no noise at all. Thalia stayed back for a few seconds and waved goodbye at Annabeth and I then followed the others.

Artemis handed me a silver arrow with blue vines running along the shaft. I took it and she said, "When you find my bow, shoot my arrow out of it, into the sky and I will come to you. Do not shoot elsewhere, Perseus, once the arrow is shot, it will shatter into a thousand pieces."

"Yes ma'am. But how will I find your bow? The North Atlantic is huge! I'll never be able to find it!" I imagined walking the whole floor of the ocean; I couldn't within a lifetime!
"It illuminates brightly, you will find it. Do not fail me, boy." And she disappeared in a flash of bright light.

I thought I was a man by now...