Rick Riordan The Battle of the Labyrinth - 04
CENTAUR T-shirt . He ’ d trimmed his curly brown hair and beard for the summer , and his lower half , which was a white stallion , was flecked with mud and grass .
“ I see you ’ ve met our new instructor .” Chiron ’ s tone was light , but there was an uneasy look in his eyes . “ Quintus , do you mind if I borrow Percy ?” “ Not at all , Master Chiron .” “ No need to call me ‘ Master ’,” Chiron said , though he sounded sort of pleased . “ Come ,
Percy . We have much to discuss .” I took one more glance at Mrs . O ’ Leary , who was now chewing off the target dummy ’ s legs . “ Well , see you ,” I told Quintus . As we were walking away , I whispered to Chiron , “ Quintus seemed kind of —” “ Mysterious ?” Chiron suggested . “ Hard to read ?” “ Yeah .” Chiron nodded . “ A very qualified half-blood . Excellent swordsman , I just wish I understood …” Whatever he was going to say , he apparently changed his mind . “ First things first , Percy .
Annabeth told me you met some empousai .” “ Yeah .” I told him about the fight at Goode , and how Kelli had exploded into flames . “ Mm ,” Chiron said . “ The more powerful ones can do that . She did not die , Percy . She simply escaped . It is not good that the she-demons are stirring .” “ What were they doing there ?” I asked . “ Waiting for me ?” “ Possibly ,” Chiron frowned . “ It is amazing you survived . Their powers of deception … almost any male hero would ’ ve fallen under their spell and been devoured .” “ I would ’ ve been ,” I admitted . “ Except for Rachel .” Chiron nodded . “ Ironic to be saved by a mortal , yet we owe her a debt . What the empousa said about an attack on camp — we must speak of this further . But for now , come , we should get to the woods . Grover will want you there .” “ Where ?” “ At his formal hearing ,” Chiron said grimly . “ The Council of Cloven Elders is meeting now to decide his fate .” *** Chiron said we needed to hurry , so I let him give me a ride on his back . As we galloped past the cabins , I glanced at the dining hall — an open-air Greek pavilion on a hill overlooking the sea . It was the first time I ’ d seen the place since last summer , and it brought back bad memories .
Chiron plunged into the woods . Nymphs peeked out of the trees to watch us pass . Large shapes rustled in the shadows — monsters that were stocked in here as a challenge to the campers .
I thought I knew the forest pretty well after playing capture the flag here for two summers , but Chiron took me a way I didn ’ t recognize , through a tunnel of old willow trees , past a little waterfall , and into a glade blanketed with wildflowers .
A bunch of satyrs were sitting in a circle in the grass . Grover stood in the middle , facing three really old , really fat satyrs who sat on topiary thrones shaped out of rose bushes . I ’ d never seen the three old satyrs before , but I guessed they must be the Council of Cloven Elders .
Grover seemed to be telling them a story . He twisted the bottom of his T-shirt , shifting nervously on his goat hooves . He hadn ’ t changed much since last winter , maybe because satyrs age half as fast as humans . His acne had flared up . His horns had gotten a little bigger so they just stuck out over his curly hair . I realized with a start that I was taller than he was now .
Standing off to one side of the circle were Annabeth , another girl I ’ d never seen before , and Clarisse . Chiron dropped me next to them .
Clarisse ’ s stringy brown hair was tied back with a camouflage bandanna . If possible , she looked even buffer , like she ’ d been working out . She glared at me and muttered , “ Punk ,” which must ’ ve meant she was in a good mood . Usually she says hello by trying to kill me .
Annabeth had her arm around the other girl , who looked like she ’ d been crying . She was small — petite , I guess you ’ d call it — with wispy hair the color of amber and a pretty , elfish face . She wore a green chiton and laced sandals , and she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief . “ It ’ s going terribly ,” she sniffled . “ No , no ,” Annabeth patted her shoulders . “ He ’ ll be fine , Juniper .” Annabeth looked at me and mouthed the words Grover ’ s girlfriend .
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