"Can't we find an easier way up?" Connor complained as we climbed up the gorge wall. "I mean we this thing is half a mile. Couldn't we find a way around?"
"Oh, stop complaining, we all hate it." Will said.
"But..." Connor said.
"Shut up and climb." I yelled down moving over on the ledge and bending down holding out my hand for Will to grab. He looked at me almost confused, but he grabbed my hand and I yanked him up on the ledge with me. "We're almost there, look." I said bending down grabbing Connor's hand. "I think I can fly us up the rest of the way."
"No!" Will said forcefully. "No more using your wind power for the rest of the day. You need to get your energy back. We can climb the rest of the way." I just rolled my eyes.
It took us another half an hour to climb the rest of the way, and once we reached the top we collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. "Let's camp for the night." I said. "It's almost night time, and we are all super exhausted."
"I agree." Will and Connor said together.
"I'll set up the tent." I said getting up, but Connor pulled me back down. "What? We need to set up the tent."
"Let us do it. You did enough today." Will said getting up with Connor.
"We'll put it up together. I'm not the only one who just climbed nearly a mile up a ledge." I said getting up and pulling out the poles from the backpack. We were all silent as we put up the three person tent, but when it was finally set up I started putting the sleeping bags in while Connor and Will went to look for wood.
At sat along the edge of the cliff looking as the sun started setting. The colors that danced across the sky were so amazing that I didn't even realize that someone sat down next to me. "My dad's showing off again." Will said looking at the sunset too.
"Well, I feel like my dad is a little responsible too." I mumbled. "I'm just surprised we can see the sky, in the last couple of weeks my father has been furious making storm clouds everywhere he must be in a better mood."
We sat in silence listening to Connor behind us swearing in Greek as he tried to start the fire. "I'm sure someone will find the bolt. It's not our job, our job is to find the staff."
"You mean my job, you guys are just here because I asked for help because I'm to weak to find it myself." I sighed.
"Even the most powerful demigods need help. Besides you may be the leader of this quest but this is just as much our quest as it is yours." Will said harshly.
"Curse this fire wood!" Connor yelled behind us.
I just sighed and stood up and grabbed the matches from Connor. Striking the match and lighting the dried grass below it, and I quickly started blowing on it to make the fire grow until the fire was self going. Standing up I gave Connor an exasperated look. "They didn't teach how to light a fire at Camp?" I asked.
"They did, but Travis and I were always stealing others people survival stuff." He said rubbing the back of his neck. "How do you know how to start a fire."
"I was a girl scout for five years. Hestia insisted I was one for some god forsaken reason. I guess she knew I would need it when I knew I was demigod. Good thing too because if not we would be fireless." I smirked. "You would think a son of the sun would know how to make a fire."
"My father is the god of the sun, not the god of fire." Will protedfdsted, which in turn just made me roll my eyes.
"Well, whose father gave them the ability to cook because I'm hungry." I mumbled riffling through one of the salvaged packs. "We have some dried fruit, granola, beef jerky, and m&m's."
"You don't really cook those things." Connor muttered grabbing the m&m's making me whack Connor over the head with the dried fruit. "What was that for?"
"We share," I hissed. "And the m&m's are dessert, you can't have any until you eat some dried fruit."
"Yes, mom." Connor rolled his eyes and picking the dried fruit from my hands and opening the package and pulling some out. He pulled out a dried banana and he stared at it looking confused. "Is this a hockey puck?"
"It's a dried banana, now shut up and eat, you need your energy." I mumbled pulling out a dried apple slice and throwing it over to Will who was across from us. "I'll take first watch."
"You sure, I mean you should really sleep the whole night." Connor stated.
"I'm fine. Now you two finish eating and get some sleep, I'll wake you up at 1." I said looking to Will, "And Connor you can take the morning watch."
*****
I leaned against the rock that was next to the tent looking up at the sky above me. The stars glistened and danced across the sky making me wonder if my father was keeping the skies clear for me. I wasn't sure if he could hear me, but it was worth a shot.
"Hey dad, it is okay if I call you dad, or would like the more regal, father. Anyway,thanks for the clear sky, it would be a real pain if it were raining right now. Oh, and thanks for helping me conjure up the winds to help save my friends, I doubt I could have that much power to fly me and my friends. And tell Hestia I said thanks for putting me in girl scouts for five years, it did and will still come in handy. I hope someone is out there looking for your lightning bolt, I'm sorry I couldn't go fetch it for you, but you know with the whole Hera ordeal." I sighed and poked at the fire with a stick to keep the flames going. "Anyway, thanks again, and please stay with us on our journey."
As I finished I heard a soft screech of a bird above me, and I looked up to see a eagle circle around me, and give another caw before soaring off towards the moon. A smile crept onto my face because I knew it was a sign from my father.
Two more boring hours passed before I could no longer keep my eyes open and I crawled into the tent poking Will. "You're up." I said sleepily.
He gave a slight chuckle. "Get some sleep Jamie." He said before walking out, and before my head could even hit the pillow I was fast asleep.
*****
Even though it was almost summer, I'll have you know it gets really cold at night time. I awoke a couple of times shivering because Connor stole the blankets off me, and even after I got them back I and wrapped them around me, I still felt like I was sleeping in a freezer. Thankfully I must have found some warmth because I didn't wake up until I heard the familiar snickers of Connor.
I swatted the air hoping to get him to shut up and let me sleep in peace a little while longer, but there was no such luck. "Connor, why the Hades are you waking us up!" I yelled angrily sitting up, but when I sat up I realized why he was laughing, and why I was so warm. Looking down to where I was sleeping In the sleeping bag right next to me was Will with half his body out of it in a cradling position where he must have been holding me.
I let out a small scream and I pushed myself away from Will who was groggily waking up, while the whole time Connor was breaking down in laughter. "What's happening?" Will asked running his hand through his hair messing it up even more, but in a cute kinda way.
"You two were cuddling." Connor was able to say through his fits.
"No we weren't." Will protested wrinkling his nose at me like the thought of it was disgusting.
"You totally were, I have picture too." He pulled out digital camera.
"Where did you get that?" I asked trying to grab the camera from him, but he just giggled manically, and then showing Will a picture of me sleeping on his chest and he had arm wrapped around me. "Why would you take a picture?!"
"Blackmail." He said smiling menacingly.
"Why were you sleeping next to me?!" Will asked looking at me like it was all my fault.
"You are just as much to blame too. You had your arm wrapped around me." I defended. "And how are you so warm?" I asked remembering back to pleasant warm sleep.
"I'm a son of the sun god," He said in duh voice. "And next time we sleep, you stay on your side of the tent."
"What you both seemed to be enjoying it." Connor said still snickering.
"Shut up Connor." Will and I both said.
*****
Once the tent was completely torn down, and I had force Connor to eat some dried pears, we started following the train tracks in hopes to find a station where Connor swore he could steal us a car.
"Do either of you know how to drive?" I asked miserably. I was miserable because I was still tired, and hungry, I was wearing Connors shorts, which were too big for me, and Will's shirt which pleasantly smelled like him, but I knew I looked totally tomboyish. And I was still mad about this morning.
"We'll figure it out." Connor said smiling. "Will looks like a good driver, and he's the only one who looks old enough to drive."
"Well, if I am driving, please don't steal a stick shift." Will said.
I looked up and saw the station ahead. "Oh, thank the gods." I sighed. "Connor you are in charge of supplies such as food and blankets, and stuff like that, anything you think we might need. Will, you get us some food for lunch there should be a diner in there. And I'll go see if I can get some clothes." Reaching into my pack I handed Will 30 dollars, and I took 50, and I gave Connor the rest, and once we reached the station we split up.