Chapter Ten: Dealing With a God's Bidding.
— All that I've been taught and every word I've
got, is foreign to me !
The next afternoon, June 14th, seven days before the solstice, the train rolled into Denver.
The quartet hadn't eaten since the night before the dining car, somewhere in Kansas. They hadn't taken a shower since Half-Blood Hill, and Colette Victoire was sure they reeked. They were covered in dirt, grime, and she had blood smeared on her arm from the lightning strike she took to the arm. As they walked, they had to keep their heads down and their faces covered. Percy kept his head facing the ground, his shaggy hair covering his eyes slightly. Gover had a cap to cover his face. Annabeth had one of her best friend's hoodie's and her cap on to cover her face. Colette pulled out another hoodie, an old gray one that belonged to her mother. It was loose and baggy, comfortable and good for hiding her identity. She wasn't opposed to being a fugitive, she had no one to reprimand her for it and she knew she'd survive in juvie. Even if she ended up there, her father would find a way to get her out. He'd get her out of anything if she needed it.
"Let's try to contact Chiron," Annabeth suggested, adjusting her hat slightly. "I want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit."
"We can't use phones, right?"
"I'm not talking about phones."
The four wandered through downtown for about half an hour, Colette knew exactly what Annabeth was looking for, but Percy seemed to grow restless with the vague answers that were continuously given to him. She gave him a look of reassurance, and it seemed enough to placate him for the moment. The air was dry and hot, which was a completely different feeling compared to the humidity of St. Louis. While her quest mates tugged at their clothes due to them sticking and sweating due to the sun, the blonde relished in heat. It was the weather she flourished the best in. Everywhere the group turned, the Rocky Mountains seemed to be staring back at them, like a tidal wave about to crash into a city. That saying, 'The Hills Have Eyes,' resonated then. Finally, the four found an empty do-it-yourself car wash. They veered towards the stall farthest from the street, keeping their eyes out for patrol cars. They were four adolescents hanging out in a car wash without a car; any cop worth his doughnuts would figure that they were up to no good.
"What exactly are we doin'?" Percy questioned as Grover grabbed the spray gun.
"It's seventy-five cents," the satyr grumbled. "I've only got two quarters left. Annabeth?"
"Don't look at me," she replied. "The dining car wiped me out."
Percy went to fish out change from his pockets, but Colette was way ahead of him. "Keep your change, Grover, Percy, you don't know when you'll need it. And we probably will." She handed him the change he needed with a nod.
Grover smiled widely at her kindness. "Excellent," he said. "We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connection isn't as good and my arm gets tired of pumping."
"What're you talkin' about it?"
The satyr fed in quarters and set the knob to FINE MIST. "I-M'ing."
"Instant messaging?"
"Iris-messaging," Colette told him. "The rainbow goddess, Iris, carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask, if she's not too busy, she'll do the same thing for half-bloods." She was tired, so exhausted. She rested her head on Annabeth's shoulder for a second, closing her eyes and smiling when she felt the brunette put her head on hers. She missed days like this: Days where she could relax with her best friend without worry of monsters or anything else like that.
