The Farland Files

Hellena Island, Aegean Sea

A voice drifted into her ear as if a whisper in the wind, a soft taunt. 'And how do you know I will allow the medic into my temple?'

"Miss?"

"Lena, darling?"

Twitching, she blinked at the man. "Sorry, I spaced out, can you repeat that for me?"

Sorry, love, I'm just a bit tired. I'm fine.

"...if you say so."

With a glance over her face, the man then led her into the temple, explaining how the temple worked and then setting her up at a station with the instructions to make something no one else had made before her.

Lena worked quickly, still feeling as if eyes were staring at her.

And when she stepped back into the silence of the Ares Temple, relaxing at the weight that seemed to disappear off her shoulders, she sighed in relief.

"What's bothering you? And please don't say it's nothing, I know you better than that darling."

It seems... that the Gods of this island are far more active than either of us thought. At least I will not have to go back to the Apollo temple- that god, in my opinion, is far too unpredictable for my tastes.

Riddle pulsed with discomfort. "Be careful please, love... I don't like this."

She nodded silently in agreement though she smiled excitedly when she got to the buck room, giving Kadir the good news.

And if her smile tilted up into something real and amused when Julius cheered and jumped on Sam's back, the woman and him ending up wrestling on the floor much to Monty's amusement and Kadir's worry, then that was because she was relieved for too many things to verbalize.

"Do you always do this?" Sam- the American Auror with the short blonde hair- sat down next to her on the cold stone steps of the temple. "Weigh your importance to people by how much you can do for them?"

Lena looked over, a slight frown curling her lips. "That's not-"

"We would have warmed up to you eventually even if you hadn't come in making battle plans and helping Julius fix himself up."

"Even Kira and Hanna?" The bitter words showed her hand a bit but they came out before she could stop them.

Sam smiled a bit sheepishly. "Well, maybe not them, but they both have their own issues and-"

"Not everyone has to like me. I know." Her gaze drifted to where she'd been watching the sun's gaze creep over the hill behind her, bathing the island slowly in warm gold light. "I think it's just... easier to accept me this way."

With a snort, the woman bumped her shoulder against Lena's. "You know, you don't have to make yourself easier to accept for other people. Either they'll accept you or they don't." She didn't respond, but the woman didn't seem to mind all that much. "Tahmid went out the other day and got some eggs from the main temple because Phoebe likes his jokes, so we're cooking when you want some food- if you're hungry."

With just a wave of her hand, she shook her head. "I said I'd go down to Demeter and help them bake for a while." The temple leader, who was good friends with Phoebe, promised her some fresh bread and food for the others if she helped out and she'd agreed easily.

Sam just started to walk away. "You're a strange kid, but whatever floats your boat I guess."

With a gentle brush against her mental barrier, Riddle spoke up softly. "Are you alright, love? You seem oddly melancholy this morning."