Rosalyn's year was much more eventful than Percy's. Chiron sent her on six separate trips across the country, all of which she had to keep a secret.
But it's still a secret if you tell your best friend, right?
"You have a black eye."
Rosalyn sighed and faced Clarisse, who stood with her arms crossed at the bottom of Cabin Ten's stairs.
"I'm fine. I just ran out of ambrosia," Rosalyn smiled tiredly.
Clarisse rolled her eyes and yanked the duffel bag off of Rosalyn's shoulder, pushing past her to get into the cabin.
None of Rosalyn's siblings weren't due back at camp for another few hours, so the two girls were alone. Clarisse was angrily putting things away that were previously in the duffle while Rosalyn gently lowered herself onto her bed.
"You're going to get yourself killed."
Closing her eyes, the red haired girl said nothing. She'd been told something similar every time she returned to camp, albeit the other five were over the phone. Clarisse always came back to Camp Half-Blood early to keep her company, and Rosalyn was grateful for it.
"So?"
Popping one eye open, she saw her best friend with her arms crossed again. The look on her face clearly said, what in Hades happened to you?
Rolling her sore shoulders, Rosalyn said, "It was all going fine. I was just checking in on Lee Fletcher and his mom... but then I found a lead on Luke."
"By the goddess—"
"I know," Rosalyn interrupted. "I should've left it alone."
"You're right, you should've!" Clarisse yelled. "You had no backup. No one but Chiron and me even knew why you weren't at camp. Did you even think about that?"
The brunette girl was breathing heavily and pacing. The frustration in her voice was leaking into the air, and her eyes developed a dull red glow. Anger was a big part of her power as a child of Ares.
"No, I didn't. I'm sorry."
"Who hit you in the face? Luke?"
A bitter laugh burst from Rosalyn's mouth as she said, "As if Luke could get the drop on me. He's got these stupid bear monsters with him."
Clarisse walked over and dropped down onto Rosalyn's bed, glaring at the dark bruise around her left eye. Rosalyn could only offer a sheepish smile in response.
She knew it was stupid to go looking for Luke when he'd joined Kronos, but she couldn't stop herself. She'd known Luke forever, it felt like. Luke was one of the few year-round campers that she spent her days with in the off season.
He was family.
"You're lucky I'm such a good friend," Clarisse grumbled, reaching into the pocket of her leather jacket and pulling out a wrapped square of ambrosia. "Your brothers would freak if they saw that."
"I love you," Rosalyn sighed dreamily, popping the square into her mouth and settling back against her pillows. Clarisse leaned back and did the same.
-
They must've called asleep at some point, because they were woken up to the sound of the cabin door slamming open.
"Rise and shine, sleeping beauties!" Felix's throaty voice called out.
"I'm going to decapitate you," Clarisse growled, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
Laughing off the threat, Felix ambled over to Rosalyn's side of the bed and pulled the girl straight out of it. Wrapping her in a tight hug, he kissed the top of her head.
"Okay?" He asked.
"I'm perfect. Are Grant and Silena back yet?" Rosalyn yawned.
Another voice chimed in, "They are."
Grant pulled his sister from Felix's arms and gave her an equally tight hug. Silena wedged her way between them to get a turn after a moment.
"I'm leaving this love fest," Clarisse announced, her nose wrinkled in distaste.
Before she could get to the cabin door, a loud rumble came from outside. A high pitched whistling sound followed, and then there were screams.
"What was that?" Rosalyn asked, suddenly alert. Her and Clarisse exchanged a solemn look before running out of Cabin Ten.
Two bronze bulls the size of elephants were unleashing breaths of fire all over the hill.
"The armory!" Clarisse ordered, and Rosalyn followed wordlessly.
The girls made it there quickly, putting on their armor at record speed. Eight other campers, most from the Ares cabin, were waiting for them.
"How did it get into camp?" Clarisse demanded as she pulled out her large sword.
"We were patrolling the border when they just charged straight past. We couldn't stop them."
Rosalyn's hand pulled the hairpin from her curls and spun it into Conquerer. Gripping the sword tightly in her hands, she looked to Clarisse
"Call it," Rosalyn breathed out, her heart pounding.
"Ros!" Grant shouted, jogging toward them. Silena and Felix stood behind him, both wearing their fear on their faces. "What's going on?"
"We're under attack. Put on your armor or take cover," Rosalyn grunted. "Clarisse, call it."
"Get them out of camp. By whatever means," Clarisse barked. "Charge!"
The ten of them ran for the Cholchis bulls, made by Hephaestus.
The bulls were raining fire upon the grass of Half-Blood Hill. Rosalyn surged forward and met one of them head-on. Her sword made a clanging sound as it hit the hard bronze, and the vibrations went all the way up her arm.
The angry beast let out a roar, and she barely had time to duck out of the way of its flames. From what she could see around her out of her periphery, several of the others were on fire.
"Border patrol, to me!" Clarisse commanded, her voice carrying over the sound of chaos.
"Clarisse?" Rosalyn called, seeking instructions. Her attempts to incapacitate the bull were failing. She could feel sweat dripping from her body in the heat.
"Keep it busy as long as you can!"
Roger that, Rosalyn thought. She lowered her sword and tried to lure the bull further from camp.
Rosalyn didn't move out of the way quick enough to dodge the next stream of fire, and it slammed right into her chest plate. The heat was unbearable, but she wasn't sure if her skin was burned at all.
She could hear Clarisse shouting at the others somewhere behind her to get them into formation.
Panting, Rosalyn swung her sword again. She hit one of the joints of the metal monster, but it did nothing to slow it down.
"Psst!" A voice cut through the air beside her. Rosalyn's head whipped to the side, but she saw no one.
Annabeth.
"Keep it busy," Rosalyn said, turning and heading for Clarisse.
"Hold the line!" Clarisse ordered just as Rosalyn came up beside her. She raised her shield in phalanx formation with the other six campers.
Staring down the monster, Rosalyn tensed her body. There was no way they'd stand a chance against the bull's charge.
They were going to die.
"Look out! Behind you!"
Percy's voice came from behind them. It startled them all, distracting them.
Bull Number One crashed into their shields, and the phalanx broke. Clarisse went flying backward and landed in a smoldering patch of grass, while Rosalyn was thrown hard to the side. She felt the breath leave her lungs, and the shield she'd been holding was nothing but molten metal.
The other campers dropped their weapons and ran as Bull Number Two closed in on Clarisse for the kill.
"Gods almighty," Rosalyn wheezed, pushing herself off of the ground as fast as she could.
Percy lunged forward and grabbed Clarisse by the straps of her armor, dragging her out of the way just as Rosalyn threw herself in its path.
She got in a good swipe with Conquerer, but the monster just creaked and groaned and kept on going.
"Let me go!" Clarisse pummeled his hand. "Percy, curse you!"
The bull hit Rosalyn at full force and everything went black.