[aminus certus in re incerta / sure friend, unsure matter]

Tessa was thankful for the general havoc at breakfast. She sat alone at table three, eating her meal silently, but the other nineteen tables made for lots of noise and laughter and chatter. Normally, Tessa would have despised such chaos early in the morning but what with her eerily silent nightmares, she would have been perfectly calm at a heavy metal concert.

She lifted her golden goblet to her lips, taking a sip of the orange juice within it. She surveyed the pavilion casually, listening in on the louder conversations and trying to spot some of her friends when two bodies sat across from her at the stone table.

Tessa's sea green eyes widened in sudden surprise, but she relaxed upon seeing her two best friends, Dale and Mark. "You both do realize that if Chiron sees you both sitting here, you'll be on the night guard for about a month."

Mark snorted. "Silly Tessa. Chiron loves us too much to actually punish us." His dark almond eyes glinted impishly, like he had a secret artillery of comebacks just waiting to be used. Which of course, he did.

Tessa set down her goblet. "Ah, yes, how could I forget?" she said, a laugh laced in her voice. She glanced at Dale, who had her vision set somewhere away from Tessa and Mark.

"Hello, earth to Dale, come in Dale." Tessa waved her hand in front of her best friend's face. The daughter of Demeter flinched, her golden eyes losing the dreamy haze that had just occupied them.

"What?" Dale asked, looking from Tessa to Mark and back.

"What's got you all dreamy-eyed?" Tessa smirked, trying to follow Dale's previous line of vision. She couldn't pinpoint anyone or thing in particular, meeting Dale's gaze quizzically.

Dale's cheeks turned pink. "No one."

"She never clarified 'what' being a 'who', Dale. Tell us." Mark grinned devilishly.

Dale's gaze flicked between Tessa and Mark when her vision locked on someone behind Tessa. "Kaden!"

Tessa jolted, Dale's outburst ringing in her ears. "Jeez, Dale, chill," she grumbled.

Dale had already shot up and was dragging the son of Aphrodite over to table three, a confused visage on his otherwise handsome face. "Hey Kaden, how are you today?"

Kaden blinked, slowly sitting down beside Tessa. "I'm good," he said cautiously, gauging the situation at the table. "Am I in trouble?"

Tessa's lips quirked up into a sly smile. "No, Dale's just using you as a pawn to get out of a sticky situation."

"Ah, that explains it." Kaden nodded. He ran a hand through his tousled brown hair. "What kind of sticky situation?"

"A romantic sticky situation." Mark wiggled his eyebrows.

Dale groaned, burying her face in her hands. "You guys are the worst friends ever," she said from behind her makeshift vail.

Tessa laughed, reaching across the table and pulling Dale's hands from her face. "You pronounced 'best friends in the entire world' wrong." She grinned.

Dale fought a smile. "You suck most of all, Tessa Brennan."

Tessa shook her head slightly, laughing. She ran a hand through her dark hair, leaning back. She glanced at Kaden on her left. "Did Mr. D take back the laurel wreath so soon?" She arched an eyebrow pointedly.

"Ha-ha, funny," Kaden deadpanned. "No, I thought it would be too much of an insult to you to wear it to breakfast."

"How considerate of you, Mr. Gray."

"Why, thank you, Ms. Brennan."

 "Get a room." Mark coughed from across the table. He pounded a fist against his chest, feigning a deep cough. "Man, something's in my throat."

Tessa shot a glare at Mark, scowling. "I hope it stays there," she hissed.

Mark grinned. For a son of Iris, the kid was too much like a Hermes kid, what with his mischievous looks and snarky remarks.

Thankfully, Mark's attempt to iniatiate awkward tension had failed because Tessa felt Kaden tap her shoulder. "Actually, Tessa, we should get going," he said.

Tessa knit her eyebrows, turning to face him. "Where?"

"Your room?" Mark interjected.

Kaden ignored him. "The arena, remember? Might be a free day for the older campers but the younger kids still have their lessons. We're in charge of swordplay for today."

Tessa blinked, running through a mental agenda of what she had to do. Naturally, there it was—swordplay w/Kaden—hidden in a part of her brain that was still clouded with fear from last night's nightmares. "Oh," she managed to say. "Right."

"I've gotta grab my sword but I'll meet you in the arena in five?" Kaden asked, standing from the table. His green eyes glinted with something Tessa couldn't place.

Tessa nodded. "See you there."

Kaden grinned his dazzling smile and headed off, capturing the momentary attention of nearly half the girls—and a few guys—attention as he passed them. He passed a column and jogged down the hill, and then he was out of sight.

"Well, I'll see you guys later." Tessa sighed, standing up. She readjusted the scabbard around her waist, resting her hand on the hilt of her sword, Tempest. Most campers didn't bring their weapons to meals but Tempest had become a comforting object for Tessa. Besides, after her nightmare, she wanted as much protection as she could get.

"Grab protection," Mark called.

"Grab a towel," Tessa called back.

"Wait, what—"

As Tessa walked away from the table, she flicked her hand towards Mark. She didn't need to look back to see that the water in his goblet had burst towards his face, dousing his dark hair and camp t-shirt.

She turned on her heel, seeing Mark watch her like a shunned puppy. "Tessa," he whined.

However, Tessa raised a few fingers in a mock salute, turned back on her heel, and headed for the arena.

~~

Tessa liked to think she was a pretty focused person. However, as she passed into the central green of the cabins headed towards the arena, she noticed a flicker out of the corner of her eye and all hopes of concentration flew out the metaphorical window.

She gripped Tempest's leather hilt, looking around carefully. Everything seemed normal, but at the same time something felt horribly wrong. Tessa turned in a complete circle and when she glanced at the woods behind her own cabin, she froze.

A shrouded figure was shuffling through the treeline. It looked to be made of mist, an inky blackness engulfing the early morning shadows into one being. It was too far away to look like anything specific, but it was enough to make Tessa petrified with a sudden fear.

"Tessa?" A soft voice called.

Kaden's voice shook her out of her reverie. She glanced in the direction of Cabin Ten behind her, finding Kaden sauntering towards her, his golden sword in hand. "You okay?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

For a moment, Tessa couldn't find her voice. She was afraid that if she spoke, her voice would crack from fear. She glanced back at the woods where the shroud had been, but whatever it was, it had disappeared.

"Yeah," Tessa said after a pause, her mouth numb. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just...thought I saw something."

Kaden frowned. He stepped closer, peering into Tessa's line of vision. "I don't see anything." He must have noted her distraught disposition, because his eyes glittered with a genuine concern and sympathy. "Hey, don't stress. It was probably nothing."

"Right," Tessa's voice was clearer now. She met Kaden's gaze, feigning a smile. "We have kids to teach, don't we?"

Kaden was clearly not buying her act but he sighed, running a hand through his hair like he always did. "Yes, we do." He waved a hand in the direction of the arena. "After you, miss."

"Why, thank you." Tessa laughed softly.

She and Kaden fell into step, walking towards the arena. The silence between them was a tad uncomfortable, so Tessa struck up a conversation on the first thing she noticed—Kaden's glittering sword.

"Why's it gold?" She asked.

Kaden knit his eyebrows together. "What?"

"Your sword," Tessa motioned towards the weapon. "It's gold, not bronze. Manufacturing error or...?" She teased, a playful glint in her eyes.

Thankfully, Kaden laughed. "No, not a manufacturing error. At least, I don't think so." His hand curled around the sword's hilt. "I'm not entirely sure. I've always had this sword."

"You've always had it? But you've been at camp longer than I have," Tessa noted.

At that, Kaden smiled. "How do you know that?"

"I'm perceptive that way." Tessa shrugged simply. "Besides, you were the first kid that actually treated me like a human being rather than some super-dangerous weapon."

Kaden's smile grew. "I remember that day."

Tessa's cheeks flushed. It wasn't her brightest moment. She had marched onto the dock, trying to escape the masses of campers who stared at her like she was some sort of bad omen after being claimed by Poseidon, when her shoelaces got caught on a piece of wood. She tripped and fell flat on her face, and would have died from utter humiliation if it weren't for Kaden, rushing to her rescue to ask if she was alright. From that point on, Kaden became her first good friend.

"Dark times," Tessa said gravely. She met Kaden's gaze and together, burst into laughter.

They arrived at the arena, seeing the pod of fifth grade kids with practice swords in their hands. As Kaden and Tessa headed towards them, the kids watched, blinking, without saying a word.

"This should be fun," Tessa mumbled.

~~

Turns out Kaden had more fun. The kids loved him, sticking to him like glue. His group had picked up the skills easily, whereas Tessa's group had done the same, but without saying more than a few words.

After time was up and the kids jogged out of the arena, suddenly finding their voices, Tessa sat on the nearest bench. She tied her hair back into a ponytail, rolling the sleeves of her camp shirt up.

"That went well." Kaden smiled amicably.

Tessa snorted. "Easy for you to say. They loved you."

Kaden shrugged. "Can't help it. I've just always been good with kids, I guess."

Tessa smiled softly, but her face fell when she looked up, spotting a centaur trotting into the arena. Chiron.

She shot to her feet, her nerves suddenly racing. She couldn't place it, but that feeling that she felt in the central green had returned if only for a moment, and it was evident in Chiron's eyes.

"Kaden, Tessa, I trust that your lessons went well." Chiron nodded at the two of them, his hands crossed behind his back.

"Is something wrong, Chiron?" Tessa asked carefully.

At first, she thought the old centaur would scold her for making assumptions so quickly but Chiron only sighed. "Come with me, my dear. You as well, please, Kaden. I'm afraid I have something to discuss with you both."