THE FALSE KNIGHT | Percabeth AU

4: Just Three Days

    Annabeth knew running away was the only option.
    If she told her parents, they would most likely try to stop her. If she told her brothers, they would tell their friends, which would probably alert an adult.
    She could tell Luke.
    Luke was very supportive on this sort of thing. He was also very impulsive, and since he was Annabeth's trainer, he did deserve to know. She couldn't just disappear anyway; someone had to know.
    But she couldn't risk it.
    Annabeth usually woke up at 5 in the morning, thanks to her morning chores. But this morning, she woke up at 3. Two hours earlier would give her a chance to get a head start on everyone.
    3 days.
    It wasn't too hard. The bells came up at 5 am, but Annabeth had a really good internal clock. She didn't know how she managed it, but she was up and ready at 3:15 in the morning; thanks to the grandfather clock on the side of the house.
    She knew she couldn't grab too much food, so she went outside and snuck some berries from the noble's garden she and Luke's family worked at. Thankfully, Athena had told Annabeth which ones were healthy and which ones were poisonous.
    Annabeth knew she could get caught and thrown into prison if she were, but she also knew that no noble woke up before the sun rose. After gathering some blueberries, washing them at the well, and eating them, she went back to the small cabin and grabbed her few belongings.
    Athena had also taught Annabeth how to sew when she was really young. Annabeth's favorite thing was a bag she had sewn a few years ago. It was made with faded grey thread, since they couldn't afford anything better.
    Annabeth quickly packed some more berries, a chunk of bread, and some pottage. She packed an extra pair of her brother's clothing, which was about her size, but clutched the flier safe in her hands. She really wanted to take some honey with her, but it was rare, and she could get some when she was traveling.
    She also disguised herself. People may follow her if she went as a girl, so she disguised herself by changing into a shorter tunic and old boots. It was weird to leave her hair uncovered, but it was easy enough, using her dagger to chop it off, leaving a curly blonde mess right above her shoulders. But still, even though it was shorter, it was a lot weirder.
    Once she was finally ready, she looked at the sleeping figures of her dad and brothers. She pressed a kiss to her mom's cheek. "I'll miss you, Mommy." She whispered, then quickly headed out. She opened the door and left, not noticing Athena's eyes, which were wide open. Yet she didn't make a sound.
    When Annabeth walked a few steps away, clutching her bag, she looked back at the small cabin. She would miss her family, but she knew that she had to leave. She had no choice. With a sigh, she turned around and started walking.
    The kingdom was five days away by walk, which Annabeth found out from a nearby man. Even though she was a fast walker, she definitely couldn't do it. Nobody was offering a free carriage ride either. Really, it was a stroke of luck if she managed to make it.
She was looking around. The map had shown her the way, and with her good memory, she had remembered the directions. You will pass three town centers before reaching the palace. The man had told her. Annabeth's goal was to reach one each day. The first one was miles away, so Annabeth was able to jog around a quarter of it before the sun came up. People were starting to mill around, walking, doing their work, no matter what their stature was.
    She walked the rest of the way, until about noon, when she stopped to take a rest. She looked at the nearby clock, realizing that she could get there before sunset if she started soon. She quickly grabbed a piece of bread, stuffing it into her mouth, trying to not eat too much, even though she was aching with hunger. After sitting down for a few more minutes, she continued on her way.
    It was really hard to walk for that long, but Annabeth was able to jog for around 10 minutes before she had to slow down for a walk. She continued walking, walking all day, until the sun fell. It was a lot more comfortable walking around in a tunic, and her short hair without the covering helped with the heat. It was also a good idea to dress as a boy. Girls either got no attention or lots of it, and dressed as a male all she got was polite nods and a few questions or people asking for directions.
    Annabeth was about to collapse and take out her porridge when she saw a small lantern light. It was the first town center! Suddenly, she felt like she could jog, light as a feather, as she rushed over to the center and collapsed at the border, quickly curling up into a ball as she fell into darkness.