Chapter Text
The hunters and I had been following its scent for three days now, and yet it still eluded us.
The night was foggy as we walked through the trees, the scent getting stronger with every step we took, and then I heard it, a muffled crying cutting through the silence like a warm knife through butter. I glanced at Zoe and she returned my surprised glance, we had been following the Minotaur, not a small child I thought. I sniffed the air but was surprised to smell something new, a fresh ocean breeze.
I whispered to Zoe, "Can you smell that?" she sniffed then nodded, "It smells like Lord Poseidon", but why would Poseidon be here? Sure, it was next to the beach, but why?
I decided it was best we followed the new scent first, for if it was Poseidon he would have good reason for being here. I glanced back at my hunters and gave them a silent message, "Follow the new scent" they all nodded in understanding, and we shifted our focus to the smell of the ocean. But so did the Minotaur, as the scent of the ocean got stronger the scent of the Minotaur also strengthened. We exited the woods at the edge of the beach and saw the Minotaur it was peering over a small wooden box.
Zoe whispered to me, "Permission to kill, my lady?" I nodded and whispered back, "Permission granted" the hunters and I silently took aim at the Minotaur and fired. A wall of silver arrows hit the Minotaur, and it dissolved into dust.
I glanced back at my hunters and said, "Well done, hunters, but our work here is not yet complete" they looked at me curiously most likely wondering what other monsters were in the area. "Zoe, follow me, the rest of you, set up camp." They all nodded and we walked down to the small wooden box the Minotaur had seemed so interested in. As we neared, I noticed a piece of paper attached to the top of the box, "Stand ready, Zoe" she nodded and drew her bow. I reached the box and read the paper, then read it again for confirmation and glanced back at Zoe. "Put down your bow," I said. She looked at me confused and I pointed at the piece of paper. I could see her eyes widening in realisation as she read the note, what the note said was: "Hello Poseidon, I can't keep looking after our child. He was just recently attacked by a snake in his crib and kicked out of his school. I can't keep caring for him. Please take him to Atlantis. – Sally."
I was still in shock but decided to lift the lid of the small wooden box and saw a small child with messy jet-black hair and sea-green eyes. I looked at Zoe; she was staring at it in shock. I looked back at the child that could be no older than four years old and it asked, "Mama?"
I wasn't entirely sure what to do but decided to bring him with us, "Zoe, we have to bring him with us, if we leave him here, monsters will eat him," I said shakily. She just nodded and lifted the box with him inside it. When we returned to the camp the hunters had set up, I explained that we had found him with a note and that he was a son of Poseidon and that it was a secret since he was born against an oath.
We fed him some berries and venison, and I decided to visit my brother. "Hunters, give me the child, I must visit my twin to make sure this child is not wounded." The hunters nodded and placed the child in my hands, "Close your eyes, hunters." They all shut their eyes, and I revealed my true form, and I decided to go to Apollo’s palace since it was the place he was most likely to be. Sure, enough when I appeared in my little brother’s palace, I turned around to see a very surprised Apollo playing his lyre.
When he realised it was me his face broke out into a grin and said, “little sister!” even though I was very clearly older than him!
“I am not your little sister Apollo!” I said and as I said it his face turned into a pout “but I do have a reason for coming here, little brother” I added and his expression turned curious after all it wasn’t often, I visited.
“I’m assuming it’s something to do with the box you’re carrying” Apollo said with a raised eyebrow.
I nodded “I found this on the beach while following the minotaur with my hunters” I said while opening the box.
“it’s a demigod” Apollo said and then added “a male at that”.
I nodded “but not just any demigod” I said and Apollo’s expression turned curious “it’s a son of Poseidon” and Apollo paled.
“Oh” Apollo said quietly.
“And he came with a note” I showed him the piece of paper and Apollo winced.
“What are you going to do with it” Apollo asked as his expression turned thoughtful.
“I don’t know that’s why I came here to ask if you knew” I asked “Father will kill him if he finds out” I added
Apollo nodded “you could always hide him” he said “I could bless him and you could pretend he is one of mine” Apollo said “but he has to stay with the hunters”
I froze, I knew it was true but to keep a male in the hunt could cause unwelcome memories. Also the child was a son of Poseidon he could put the entire hunt in danger.
“He can’t stay at camp they’d find out eventually “ Apollo said trying to reason with me “and since he is pretending to be my child it would make some sense for him to grow up in the hunt” Apollo stated “we can continue to talk about this whilst I check him for injuries I assume that is part of why you brought him here”
I nodded and gave him the child, and he placed it on his chair, and his hands started to glow. “He hasn’t got any severe injuries but he’s under-weight so if you do keep him then make sure he has enough food to grow “Apollo said
I nodded and asked “how old is he”
Apollo touched his forehead and said, “He turns three in ten days, so his birthday is the eighteenth” I winced internally, poor child he doesn’t deserve something like that even if he was a boy “well are you going to take him?” Apollo asked
I sighed then nodded “alright give him your blessing I’ll take him” Apollo grinned and his hands started glowing brightly a sudden bright flash happened and then Apollo brought his hands down, and I approached.
Looking at the child now I was surprised by how obvious the change was, his once jet-black hair now was to the likes of a dirty blonde, and his former sea-green eyes now gleamed a warm mint.” Mama!” the child exclaimed looking straight at me.
Apollo started laughing and picked up the small boy then placed him into my arms “he’s your son now Arti” Apollo said between his laughs “Good luck with the little one and call me if you need any archery advice” and with that he disappeared with a flash .
“Arti?” the child asked with a tilt of his head.
“No, Ar-te-mis” I said slowly so that he could understand.
“Ar-te-mis” he repeated slowly.
“Well done” I said whilst summoning a blanket to wrap around him.
Once I had him well wrapped in the blanket I decided I should return to the hunters “Close your eyes little one” I said, he didn’t respond. Glancing down I saw he had indeed closed his eyes however a quarter of a second later he started snoring very loudly. My last thought before travelling back to the camp was, how do you raise a child?