Percy POV

I didn't like how close Orion was to Artemis.

It might seem unfair for me to judge him when I had only just met the man but something about him made my skin crawl. Not even a full week ago my group passed through a small town in the hunt had been to a few days earlier. One of the men had had a brawl with Orion and was discovered dead in his fields the next day mere hours after the hunt had left. Months before that in a different village a woman that had insulted him died when her house was swept away by the river in a rainstorm.

The pattern continued over and over by there was no proof that Orion was responsible for any of them. It was entirely possible that it was nothing at all but over twenty people all killed within a day or two following an altercation with the demigod just felt like too much of a coincidence. I shook my head and focused on Don who was talking to one of the hunters by the fire. They seemed to be really interested in whatever it was but I couldn't hear them from where I sat.

Looking around I saw Zoe standing off to the side of the camp only interacting with one or two hunters at a time. I let out a disappointed sigh, I brought her here to join the hunt and it defeated the purpose if she didn't like the hunt. "Maybe Artemis will know what to do."

Standing up, I walked over to my sister and plopped down next to her. The moment I did I could feel various levels of discontent focused on me, mostly from the younger hunters. I just ignored it as this had happened many times before and within a few days they would probably cool off. Then I caught Orion flat out glaring at me, so naturally I gave him my biggest grin and wiggled my eyebrows before turning to my sister.

"Please don't start a fight Percy." Artemis sighed giving my a tired look.

"If he can't stand me sitting next to you for a few minutes I feel like you have other problems ahead than a simple fight." I replied taking a drink from my cantine. "But enough about that I wanted to talk to you about Zoe."

"Oh I've been meaning to ask about her." my dear sister said grinning far to wide for my liking "Is she your girlfriend?"

"No!" I snapped "I brought her here to join the hunt."

Artemis sighed and hung her head for a moment "You know I'm always glad to have a new hunter, but I worried about you. I haven't seen you express interest in a woman in the entire time I've known you."

"I'm sorry are you the goddess of maidens, miss I'll never fall in love, lecturing me about the fact that I'm single?" I laughed poking her side.

A giggle escaped her lips before she swatted at my hand "Stop that!" she snapped but her grin never faded.

"Is everything okay Milady?" One of the newer hunters asked.

"I'm fine." Artemis said waving her off. Reasonably assured the hunter sat back down "So what about your friend?" She asked. "I can offer her a place here but if she doesn't want to stay I can't force her."

"I know that but I need you to try and make her feel at home here." I said. "This is just about you gaining another hunter if she leaves here I don't think she'll last very long."

That got her attention. "What do you mean? Is she cursed to die at a certain age or something?"

I shook my head "No nothing like that. If circumstances were different, she would probably have a very long life ahead of her." I said rubbing my temples "Her father is Atlas, she was one of the Hesperides."

"The Hesperides? Then why isn't she in the garden with her sisters?"

"Hercules." I said calmly "You are aware that he was there recently."

"Yes of course he was sent to retrieve a golden apple." She replied before her eyes widened in realization "He had something to do with this!"

I nodded "He tried to make it passed Ladon and when he couldn't he convinced Zoe to help him.

"But he was supposed to complete his tasks alone!"

"Indeed He was but she didn't know that. He was the first male she'd ever met aside from her father and convinced her that a simple crush was love. She gave him a sword filled with the immortality granted to her by her mother and when that failed, she helped him to trick her father. Zoe knew she would be banished so made Hercules promise to take her with him. She didn't think to make it a binding Oath. And when he got his apple he left her alone at the base of the mountain, then he took her sword as a trophy."

"That's-that's-I can't even think of a word strong enough to describe what he is! When Hera finds out what he's done she's going to skin him alive!" Artemis growled growled practically seething.

"Except she can't, Hercules "completed" his trials over a month ago and what did Zues do?" I asked looking up at the sky.

"He declared that none could pursue Hercules further for the death of his family or events that happened during his quest." She answered slumping in her seat.

I looked at her with a solemn nod "Exactly. Now if Zoe were to oust him Hercules would lose all respect. Even if no one can punish him Zoe can still rob him of his dignity and once he realises that I'm willing to bet he'll come looking so he can silence her. He's done it before and I have no doubt that he'll do it again."

"But he wouldn't dare attack one of my hunters." Artemis said in understanding.

Artemis POV

Right after our talk Percy stood up to leave but before he did he turned to Fang and said "If Orion tries anything feel free to eat him." Fang barely reacted giving him only a slight nod in acknowledgement.

"The two of you are unbelievable." I huffed.

"Aww you know you love me." Percy teased walking away.

Shortly after Percy left Orion came by with food fresh from the fire "Hungry?" He asked holding out a bowl of meat and cooked veggies.

"Yes, thank you." I said taking the bowl from him.

He sat down just as close as Percy had which annoyed me somewhat as we were not nearly as familiar as this closeness suggested. I was debating whether I should move or tell Orion to move when Fang rose from where he was laying on the ground to the right of me. He walked over to Orion, grabbed the demigods belt between his teeth, and dragged his about two feet away from me. "What the Hades!" Orion snapped attempting to shoo Fang away without actually hitting him.

"Guess he doesn't like you sitting too close." I laughed "You probably shouldn't get too close just in case."