Snow White- Percy Jackson¹

Chapter Four

A Surprising Claiming Ceremony. 

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It’s amazing that all it took was the school year for camp to become almost unrecognizable. Not really the physical aspects of camp. Everything on the outside was still the same, from the cabins, to the Blue House, the amphitheater, the arena, the climbing walls, the valley and so on. Snow had to admire the campers that were dealing with the Colchis bulls before. They managed to make sure they didn’t go near the camp, which left things with minimal damage. 

But it wasn’t so much of the look, as it was the feel. There was a heavy dread in the air, it didn’t seem as happy and carefree as Snow knew camp was. After knowing that Chiron and Argus were fired, along with the troubled look on Clarisse’s face when she relayed that information, and with the added dreaded news that Thalia’s tree is dying, it really placed a dark loom over camp. Instead of campers running around, playing or training, they looked weary and worried. 

The counselors and satyrs were stockpiling weapons in the tool shed. Dryads armed with bows and arrows talked nervously at the edge of the woods. The forest looked sickly, the grass in the meadow was pale yellow, and the fire marks on Half-Blood Hill stood out like ugly scars. It was in pain, almost as much as Thalia’s tree and it hurt Snow’s heart to see the once healthy, deep green grass look so sick. 

Snow, Annabeth and Percy walked up to the Big House. No one stopped to talk, not even a passing ‘hello’ or ‘welcome back’. They were all in their own, anxious space. Though Tyson did manage to make them stumble a bit and double take at his appearance here and there. No doubt they would have said more if they weren’t in some kind of a hurry. 

Luckily, Tyson wasn’t bothered, which Snow was thankful for. Despite being a monster, he seemed sweet and harmless. She didn’t want more of Annabeth’s animosity towards him to be multiplied by other campers. During the walk, the gentle giant was too busy being in awe of everything around him, often pointing to things and asking what they were (Percy was the only one willing to answer him. Snow was too tired and Annabeth surely wasn’t going to do it). His questions ranged from understandable, to the obvious, but his awe-struck face when he saw a toilet, along with Percy’s tone of response, made Snow giggle. 

“What’s that?” he asked for the third time. 

“The cabins for the campers. If they don’t know who your Olympian parent is, they put you in the Hermes cabin—that brown one over there—until you’re determined. Then, once they know, they put you in your dad or mom’s group.” Percy responded. 

Hearing the Hermes cabin reminded Snow of her friends. She made a mental note to check in on them once everything was done. 

Tyson looked at Percy in awe. “You…have a cabin?” 

“Number three,” he pointed to a low, gray building made of sea stone. 

“You live with friends in that cabin?” 

“No. No, just me,” Snow could see how uncomfortable and embarrassed he felt answering that question. Snow didn’t completely see the problem. Of course, being an only child, it can get a little lonely when you don’t have a full sibling to talk and play off of. But on the other hand, she has half-siblings that consider punching, kicking and swearing at one another as a form of greeting, so she saw the appeal of being alone too.

When they got to the Big House, they found Chiron in his apartment, listening to his favourite 1960s lounge music while he packed his saddlebags. Seeing his apartment empty and the fact she could see him packing just made her heart clench painfully. The words of Clarisse fully setting in. Chiron was really leaving. Snow couldn’t imagine camp without the friendly Centaur. It just didn’t feel right.