"Nadine.  Nadine!"  There was no answer, not that the satyress had really been expecting one.  Even after seven months at the camp, Hecate's daughter was a quiet child.  Surprisingly obedient for a demigod, but very quiet as well.  Too quiet, she'd heard some of the other campers gossip, considering the girl still didn't have any friends. Many of the winter residents got along well with each other: with so few for company and so little to do, the options were pretty much become friends or become a hermit.<br/><br/>In retrospect, Alise<span style="font-style: italic">really</span>shouldn't have been surprised that Hecate's daughter had chosen the latter.  The girl had been yanked out of a non-life and dropped into one filled with people.  The satyress couldn't say that she was surprised that Nadine had ended up withdrawing back into herself, though she'd really hoped Nadine would get along well with at least<span style="font-style: italic">one</span>of the summer campers.  But of course, no such luck.  (<span style="font-style: italic">Yet</span>, Alise desperately hoped.)<br/><br/>Brown eyes scanned the horizon, catching sight of a familiar set of boulders.  It was, Alise sincerely hoped, also the end of her journey.  In the springtime, she'd often found Nadine sitting on them staring at the sea, seemingly lost in thought.  Now that the summer campers had arrived, and occasionally swarmed the beach, the young teenager had taken to sitting in front of the boulder, hidden mostly from sight by the other rocks.<br/><br/>"Nadine. There you are."  When she peeked over the boulder, she found a quiet redhead staring at the ocean, seemingly mesmerized by the blue waves.  "Nadine.  Let's go back now," Alise urged as she placed a tan hand on the girl's bare shoulder.  Nadine turned in her direction, blinked in recognition, and then obediently got to her feet.<br/><br/>The walk back was filled with Alise's chatter as she tried to get Hecate's daughter to respond.  On some days, the girl would contribute to the conversation; more often than not, the satyress had to be content with the girl not zoning out on her.  At the very least, Alise could be proud with herself that she even had the breath to speak the entire way now.  For someone who had been practically comatose for a few years, Nadine had been ridiculously able-bodied.  The younger girl never seemed to be out of breath, even after showing up in the most random places.  (And how in the Pan's name had she ended up in front of the labyrinth that one time? Alise had never figured that out.)<br/><br/>By the time they got back, it was just about time for the campfire to start.  There were probably only five or so minutes before the singing really began and the place was mostly filled.  Alise scanned the campers already sitting around, trying to find a good open spot to put Nadine.  Apollo's contingent was out en masse, already practicing a few scales to get their voices limber.  Though not cliquey, she could easily imagine them accidentally ignoring her charge given how boisterous they could be and how..<span style="font-style: italic">not</span>Nadine was.  Demeter's girls and boy were also chatting on one side of the campfire but she'd already put Nadine there ten times to no avail.  In fact, Alise noted with a touch of desperation, she'd already sat Nadine at almost every established group around the campfire and none of them had gotten the teenager to open up.  Finally, she spied curly black hair.  That was.. that was.. she knew him! somehow.  Not  Hephaestus's new one.. It was.. Finn!  He was one of Hermes' kids.  The other counselors had gossiped about him being kind of a loner but maybe someone quiet would get along better with Nadine?<br/><br/>"Nadine, you see that boy over there with the curly hair?"  The satyress pointed a finger at Finn, waiting until she saw Nadine focus on the right camper.  "You see how he has a spot open by him? I want you to go sit over there, okay? Right, yes, right at that spot."  Alise caught her charge's eyes drifting to the side and she shook her head, the movement catching Nadine's attention once more.  "No, nowhere else but over there. That exact seat right next to the curly haired boy.  His name is Finn. Okay?"<br/><br/>Nadine looked back at the dark skinned person, looked at the seat Alise wanted her to sit in, and then looked back at Alise.  Her caretaker smiled brightly and nodded her head encouragingly, brown ringlets bouncing with the action.<br/><br/>"Go on then." The hand that had been holding hers released her and then something pushed her the first few steps towards the open seat.  "I'll come by to pick you up afterwards, okay?"  The red-haired child nodded obediently and started walking towards the bench, her focus entirely on the seat Alise had picked out for her.<span style="font-style: italic">'Curly haired boy. Curly haired boy.  Sit by the curly haired boy.'</span>So intent was she on getting to her seat, she didn't realize she had stopped midway.<br/><br/>One of the incoming campers frowned at the girl frozen in the middle of the path.  "Uh, can you move?"  He asked irritably, reach one hand out to shake the kid out of the way, "we're trying to get--" His words came to an abrupt halt when the redhead turned her head to face him.  Green eyes, glowing with some inner light, assessed him critically before dismissing him with a casual turn of her head, this time raking her judgmental gaze over all the halfbloods assembled by the campfire.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: springgreen">"A group of half-bloods will travel as one."</span></div><br/>The voice that spilled from pink lips was like no child's voice.  It sounded older, wearier, and more ominous, despite its quiet nature.  The boy who had tried to move her stepped back in unease.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: springgreen">"For a higher task must be done."</span></div><br/>The people closest to her started to fall quiet as some sixth sense suggested that something was happening.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: springgreen">"A child of love, thievery, war.<br/>Offspring of a king, his brothers, and one more;"</span></div><br/>Alise looked up from her conversation with one of the campers to check on Nadine and felt herself blanching.  The girl was about four steps from the seat she'd told her to sit in but was now staring out over the amphitheater with familiar glowing eyes.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: springgreen">"The child who speaks this will help lead the way.<br/>Follow my path to prevent dismay."</span></div><br/>The entire area had fallen silent by now, all captivated by the young girl who spoke with an elder's voice.  They didn't have to be children of Athena to realize something was amiss.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: springgreen">"The Athens of America is where you shall go.<br/>Seek a library, but be wary of a powerful foe."</span></div><br/>The last words fell into the silence like stones into a still lake, spreading ripples throughout the air.  With one last look at the crowd, the girl pivoted on her heel and started walking.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"> 'Curly haired boy. Sit in the seat by the curly haired boy. Sit by the..'</span>Her mantra came to an abrupt halt as she realized there were two boys with curly hair!  Nadine looked at the one closest to her. Dark clothes, dark hair, lots and lots of curls.  She turned her gaze to the other one: red clothes, dark hair, less curls.  Both had an empty seat by them, albeit the one by the red-garbed boy was on the smaller side.  She'd be able to fit in it though and she knew Alise liked putting her in cramped spaces.  The darker-clothed boy had a lot of open space next to him and she could put a lot of space between him and her.  She'd rather not be cramped up, but Alise had been very specific about which seat she should take.<span style="font-style: italic">'Which curly haired boy was it...?'</span>