Aliana crouched among the brush, waiting for movement. She had seen a few of the Ares kids running towards the blue team's side of the field. Their red crowned helmets easy to spot among the green foliage.

A moving branch caught her eye.

She drew back an arrow to her cheek and watched as a boy with stark red horse-hair helmet stumbled out of the brush. She smirked as she released the string.

The arrow flew through the air and pinned the boy to the tree, stabbing through a weak spot on his shoulder.

He slammed hard against the tree trunk.

Aliana crept away from her hiding place, out into the open. She noticed 3 other Ares kids and a couple Hephaestus kids emerge from the underbrush. Pulling back an arrow, she pinned one of them to a tree.

Their scream alerted the others to her presence.

She grabbed two arrows and pulled them back at the same time. She released the string.

The arrows flew straight, catching an Ares kid on each side of the neck and slamming his head violently into a tree and knocking him unconscious.

Aliana spun and fired another arrow at one of the Hephaestus kids who was charging her.

It embedded itself deep in his shoulder and he dropped to the ground in pain.

An arrow glanced off of her armored back.

She dropped to one knee. In one fluid motion, she grabbed an arrow, knocked it, spun on her knee, and fired at the bow-wielding teen. It nailed him in the helmet, throwing him backwards, unconscious. She whirled on the last kid, who was trying to sneak up on her, a knife in her hand.

The blade pressed against the girl's throat. "You're not supposed to choose sides." She stuttered.

Aliana glared her down. "I may not be a team player, but I like to keep things fair." She pulled back the knife and punched the girl in the face, her nose cracking beneath the force of her knuckles.

Surveying her work, she turned and rushed through the woods towards the red team's side of the field. There was no way anyone else would get past Annabeth's defenses.
                                 *   *   *
Aliana knelt among the branches of a tall pine, waiting for someone to happen by. She caught a glimpse of a red flag moving quickly through the trees. "I don't think so." She raised her bow and fired.

The arrow struck the runner, but another boy grabbed it from the injured teen and kept going while one person stayed behind to help the wounded half-blood to the Big House.

Aliana dropped to the ground and rushed towards the flag. She lunged out of the underbrush and tackled the boy to the ground.

Unlike most of the Hermes kids, he had shaggy red hair and freckles. His piercing sky blue eyes glared up at her.

Aliana grabbed the flag as the two rolled across the mossy ground.

The red-head managed to kick her off of him - an impressive feat.

They both stood.

Aliana drew her venomous dagger. "I don't want to hurt you permanently. Just give me the flag."

He held her gaze, his eye determined. "I don't think so." He turned. "Luke!"

The councilor snatched the flag from the red-head's grasp and bolted towards the boundary.

Aliana  took a deep breath. "That was a mistake." She ducked behind him and sliced him across the wrist.

His blood immediately ran black and blue veins coursed up his arm.

Aliana dashed away after Luke. Just as she was about to reach him, he crossed the stream.

The flag fluttered and turned white, bearing the sign of Hermes.

The blue team crowded around him, patting him on the back and sharing congratulations.

Aliana shook her head. No wonder he could be so cocky. She walked forward. The crowd parted for her as she approached him. "Nice job, Feather Feet. You manage to escape with the flag and your life this time."

He faced her awkwardly. "You hardly made it easy."

She smirked. "I didn't realize you wanted me to."

He chuckled nervously. "If I asked, would you?"

She shrugged. "No."

Something howled.

Aliana flinched. "Hellhound." She muttered too softly to be heard.

An ugly wolffish creature leapt out of the shadows and tackled Percy to the ground.

Aliana's heart jumped into her throat. She raised her bow, arrow knocked. She released and the arrow lodged itself between the monster's eyes. A mane of arrows bristled around it's neck as well. It disintegrated into golden dust.

Percy stumbled to his feet, blood staining his shaking hands.

"Get to the water." Annabeth told him.

As soon as he set foot in the stream, his wounds closed and healed.

Everyone gawked at him.

Aliana's heart skipped a beat when a glowing trident appeared above his head. No. It couldn't be. Not already.

Chiron's strong, authoritative voice broke the silence. "All hail, Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon."

Aliana fought the tears welling in her eyes.

Everyone else knelt, but she turned and ran.
                                  *   *   *
Aliana slashed her sword in a viscous down swing and lodged it in the wooden training dummy with a loud crack.

"I thought I'd find you here." Percy appeared out of the darkness.

"You shouldn't be here." She wrenched her sword free. "I'm in a bad mood."

"I can see that." He pressed. "Why?"

Aliana sighed in frustration. "You're not going to let this go are you."

He shook his head.

"Fine." She walked towards him. "You want to know why I'm mad. Because of you." She pointed at him with her sword.

"Me?" Percy asked. "What did I do?"

She scoffed. "You don't even know." She pointed accusingly at his chest with her sword. "Very few campers are lucky enough to be claimed in their first month, let alone within the first two weeks." Hot angry tears rolled involuntarily down her cheeks. "No one is that lucky."

Percy furrowed his brow. "You're undetermined, aren't you."

She looked away so he couldn't see her tears.

He opened his mouth to speak a few times before finally saying. "I'm sorry." He stared at the sword in her hands.

She held it with a white-knuckled grip.

"How long have you been here?" He managed.

Aliana turned on him. "That's none of your business. Now, please, leave."

"Wow," he observed. "I didn't realize you had any manners."

"That's a luxury that I can't afford." She pressed the tip of her sword against his breastplate. "Go."

He raised his hands. "Fine. Sulk. Why should I care?"

"Exactly." She concurred.

Percy backed away and disappeared into the shadows.

As soon as he was gone, she collapsed to her knees and let the tears fall. Her shoulders shook. Her sword slipped from her grip. She fingered the leather string fastened around her neck with trembling hands. Tugging the thin worn strand, she revealed the seven colored beads laced onto it.

The first one was adorned with the silhouette of a dire wolf. It was her symbol - a sign of her strength and loneliness. Her arrival had been the most eventful thing to happen that year. A 7-year-old girl made it to camp, alone, traumatized, half-dead. 

She clutched the beads tightly in her fist and forced herself to stand. She took a long shaky breath, sheathed her sword, and walked into the night.