Logan felt nervous, perhaps for the first time since he'd first entered the House of Wolves. He'd come out like most of Camp Jupiter did; confident, strong, and ready to take on the challenge. Now, he felt that sense of doubt and unease that had plagued him since his last quest. This feeling had put him on the journey to Camp Half-Blood, but he was still unsure how he'd be received. Sure, the camps had been cooperative with each other, but the relationships were still brand new.
He clenched and relaxed his hands repeatedly, trying to work some of the anxiousness out. He thought that maybe this was the hardest part, the wait. The suspense was doing murder on his nerves, which were already frayed. Last night had been nothing but nightmares, seeing the look on Ashley's face as they fell...
The young man shook his head, his close cut hair barely moving as he tried to dislodge the dark thoughts. He did himself no favors thinking like that on his very first day here. Maybe he needed to walk instead? There was only a mile or so left to the trip until he began his hike up Half-blood Hill. Licking his lips, for Logan's mouth was suddenly bone dry, he addressed his cab driver, "Uh, excuse me. Right here's fine."
The older man with a newspaper boy's cap looked back at him in surprise. They were after all in the middle of nowhere. "You look like you can handle yourself, son, but are you sure?" Logan smiled broadly, feeling warm at the old man's worry. "It's something as small as that that makes living worthwhile," the son of Jupiter reminded himself. He'd had to tell himself with growing frequency that there were indeed reasons to go on. This old man had restored his good spirits and Logan knew a good 'vibe' when he felt it. He was certain.
"Yes sir, I'll be fine. Where I'm headed isn't too far now, besides, exercise is good for the soul." Glancing at the fare meter, Logan took out the amount and some, giving the driver a generous tip. The driver slowly pulled to the side of the road and placed his gearshift into park. "Thank you for everything, sir. Gods bless you." The driver looked at him a bit funny for his choice of words, but Logan pretended not to notice.
He grabbed his rucksack from the back seat, packed tight with all the clothes he thought were necessary and some personal effects. Logan preferred to travel light. The only items that might have raised an eyebrow was stored away in the trunk of the cab. He grabbed his buckler, hanging it onto a customized hook on the rucksack. Next he slipped on his sword belt, Semper Acer hanging on his left and his small dagger, a puggio, on his right. He took his two pilum as well, which were about the size of a police baton at this moment. He was glad they shrank, for they would not have fit in the trunk otherwise!
Outfitted so, Logan wasn't sure what the driver saw when he walked around to the window, but the man's eyes seemed to widen slightly. "Well, I'll be seeing you sir. It was good to meet you." The driver gave him a nod and a smile, tipped his cap, and drove off fairly quickly. Chuckling to himself, Logan covered his eyes as he looked up to the sky and smiled. "Father, if you're listening, watch over me, will ya? Not too sure how I feel about switching like this, but I feel like it's the right choice for me... I know, I'll be staying in Zeus's cabin, but don't hesitate to give me a few words here and there when I'm sleeping?" All was still in the sky however and Logan felt only the slightest of disappointments. He hadn't expected much, but he'd be lying if he wouldn't welcome a sign.
On his first step towards Camp Half-blood, an eagle's cry broke the silence, bringing a broad and heartfelt grin to Logan's face. He spotted the noble bird high in the sky, circling around his head.
"Thank you father. I'll do my best to honor you at my new home!" With a a joyous ha-!, he started at a standard jog. The former camper of Camp Jupiter had gone through much worse, such as dead man sprints in full legionnaire armor, a comprehensive wilderness survival kit, and of course your weaponry. This was a pleasure walk in comparison. He found the place very peaceful and infinitely beautiful. The flowers were deeper shades of color and the grass so green he couldn't believe it. The birds were joyous with the warmth of summer and he saw small woodland creatures frequently staring at him from the roadside.
The Golden Fleece brought remarkable prosperity to the area around camp. It impressed Logan like nothing had in his years as a demigod.
Soon he slowed as a large hill rose from the land on his right, trees cutting off the view of the very top. He knew however, the Fleece hung from a tree at the very top, a tree born from the sacrifice of a daughter of Zeus. This camp had such a history, Logan didn't know what he'd ask of the greeting camper first! Hopefully they'd suffer his curiosity and not be pestered by that many questions. A bad vibe came over Logan when he thought of this... He'd keep his host of questions to himself, it seemed the safer of choices. He walked to the base of the hill, then began his hike up its slope. Once he'd entered the treeline, Logan's eyes could make out a few figures at the very top. The trees made it hard to be sure, until nearly a quarter of the trek was left.
The tallest and widest tree on the hill was pine and the light of the Golden Fleece was quite noticeable in its needled reaches. Retrieving his canteen mid-stride, Logan took a healthy gulp before recapping and replacing it. He finally reached the summit! Waiting there was a man, for he was clearly an adult because of his impressive sideburns, clad in a leather jacket, dark shirt, and similar pants. To his right were two girls, who looked closer to his own age. One had on black denim shorts, had wavy brunette hair, and eyes that said she had a fierce spirit. He reminded her of someone briefly, but he brushed that aside before it could hurt. The other girl looked much more delicate, with bubblegum pink hair and matching shorts. Around her eyes was a blue band of fabric and Logan wondered why for only a brief moment.
"She must be blind..." came the realization. However, her face said that she was not a morose person at all. Logan felt a kindred spirit in the girl, who seemed to hold a positive air, much like his own. Since the wind faced Logan he caught the end of a question, the name 'Grif' reaching his ears. "Sounds like a man's name, it must be him," the young demigod concluded.
"Hello there!" Logan exuberantly greeted those on the hill as he finally reached its top. The son of Jupiter's smile could have been seen from Olympus itself. Grif seemed to be a bit set apart and watchful, as if he was looking for one person in particular. He picked up his pace, his long legs quickly bringing him to the top to stand a few feet in front of the girls. "Are you two the campers that are supposed to give me a tour, perhaps? I'm Logan, from Camp Jupiter, son of Jupiter. 'Pleased to meet you!"
