Following Your Passions | Dru

[Ashley Bates]

Ash supposed he probably shouldn’t be out this late. It was after curfew and he knew that the rules were strictly enforced but frankly he didn’t care. He had a passion and it was calling to him. He supposed it was the same thing that musicians, painters and millions of other creative minds felt for their craft. He knew that just like an idea for a new song or a new picture might wake someone up in the middle of the night our talents and passions don’t keep set hours. Sometimes our talents and passions don’t conform to the rules society tries to place on them and when those times come you have to make a choice, either follow your heart and do what you love or let someone else force you into a box.

Ash was not a box kind of guy and even though his passion was not for art or even creation its call was no less compelling. The son of Apollo had a passion for hunting. He always had. It was a passion that was in his blood and it wasn’t something that fit into the camp’s perfectly scheduled days. He supposed that shouldn’t matter. He was his father’s son after all and though he may have lacked in other areas he was no slouch when it came to archery and tracking his prey be it monsters or animals for food. He was good at it and as such he needed more than shooting at stuffed dummies on a training field to hone his skills. That’s why he was out here tonight sneaking around in the forest.

It wasn’t really an act of defiance, at least not in Ash’s mind, and if the councilors, Chiron or even the gods thought any differently then they were welcome to stop him. Right now if he could get a little excitement out of staying out a few hours after curfew then it was more than worth the risk no matter how this hunting trip ended up.

Before he could think about it any more a rustle of leaves along the path ahead brought the hunter to a stop. He paused for a moment listening and then nodded as his ears confirmed what he had heard. Something was coming towards him on the path and with any luck that meant that he wouldn’t be going back empty handed. Ash drew his bow and went into a crouch as the sound drew closer. Training had taught him not to fire until he could see his target but he tightened his hold on his bow string nonetheless. Whatever was coming his way was practically on top of him.Dru Alberts

[Dru Alberts]

No one ever said Dru was a clever person. She knew the footage she wanted for her short film, bed rest or not. Granted yes she fell out of a tree, but now all she had left was a cast on her right leg, not even one she couldn't walk with. She she hobbled threw the woods after her shot. Minutes turned to hours and she realized she was gonna be slow to get out of the woods. Even with shadow traveling she was still weak from the cast and couldn't go far. Her last travel had put her not far from the camp boards but she rested against a tree for a minute before pushing on through the bushes and plants.

Okay call Dru paranoid, but she swore something was watching her. She made her way into a clearing and did a three-sixty. It was much more than a gut feeling. Dru knew to trust her instincts when it came to things like this, the woods weren't exactly the safest place for demigods. And the daughter of a big three? Ever so lovely. She couldn't run, she was still too drained to shadow travel. Her hand traveled down to her tight holster and gripped one of the magically reappearing daggers. "Is someone there?" That's it Dru, greet the monster politely before it mams you. Her grandmother would be Oh so proud. Regardless she was ready.

[Ashley Bates]

Ash couldn’t be sure but as the approaching sound got closer he thought he could make out an uneven cadence marking his target as wounded. That was unfortunate as his sense of accomplishment, the very reason he was out here, wouldn’t really be fulfilled if he ended up attacking some wounded animal. If that was the case he would likely move on and leave the animal to its healing but for the moment at least he waited to see what was up.

What he saw coming into the clearing however was not what he expected. No wild nocturnal animal but a blonde girl walking with a cast on her leg and looking very nervous in the shadowy surroundings. Ash blinked in surprise before realizing he still had the unsuspecting girl in the sights of his bow and then slowly lowered the weapon.

What was she doing out here? Ash hadn’t seen her around camp before but that didn’t necessarily mean anything as he was still fairly new here. Still, the girl was obviously a half blood as she had sensed him from the moment she had entered the clearing even though she couldn’t have known where he was.

Ash decided to put her fears to rest and stood slowly from his hiding place. “I wasn’t expecting to see anyone else out this late.” He said as he stepped from the shadows and into the light so that she could see him clearly. Keeping a respectable distance he gave a nod to indicate the blades she was holding on to and continued. “You won’t need those. I’m not out here to hurt you.”

[Dru Alberts]

Okay, Dru wasn't expecting the monster to be a boy. Or to respond to her for that matter. She loosened the grip on her dagger but rolled her eyes at his comment. "Who said you could hurt me." Granted she was weak but she could always do one more shadow travel, she'd pass out as soon as she did it though. She slipped the blade back into her holster and looked at the boy. "Yeah I could say the same for you. What are you doing out here anyways?" She looked around the clearing and look back at the boy. It was clear he meant to be out her unlike herself, but why in the world he would want to do that was beyond her understanding. "Do you happen to know which way is back to camp?" she asked looking around the clearing. She wasn't completely sure where her last shadow travel had landed her and she wanted to know how far she was. She leaned against a tree to catch her breath and readjust her case as she waited for a answer. Damn tree, damn wind, damn gravity.

[Ashley Bates]

Ash shrugged unconcernedly as the girl shot back her comment at him. In his opinion she looked close to done up but he wasn’t going to argue the point with her. Instead he simply said “Nobody did” when she asked who had said he could hurt her. If he had spoken with any condescension one might have been able to accuse him of being a smart ass but his calm, almost distracted tone of voice didn't sound like the condescending type. More likely he was just answering her question whether she had wanted him to or not. He hadn't said that he could hurt her, just that he wasn't here to try.

“I was hunting.” He offered as if that should provide all the explanation she needed. He supposed that the girl probably could go back to camp and hold that information against him but then again she was out past curfew as well and any trouble he got in for being here would probably be shared if she talked. As for the girl's own reasons for being out late she didn’t seem to be very forthcoming and Ash figured that made it none of his business. Still, she did look like she could use some help and he didn't mind giving it. “It’s not far but we’re kind of off the beaten path. I can show you the way back if you want.”

[Dru Alberts]

Dru wanted to shrug off his offer for help. Wanted to not ruin his evening that he had planned to help her. Honestly though she knew that she wouldn't make it back to camp at this rate. At least not before doing out of exhaustion. Apparently her last shadow travel had thrown her off course with they were off the beaten path. She was aiming for the path back towards the cabins, but maybe his presence made her think that she was closer than she actually was. Shaadow traveling was strange and she didn't enjoy using it, it made everything weird around her. She could feel like life force of all the living things around her and it made her skin crawl.

"That would be great." she said before slumping to the ground, propping her leg straight in order to not hurt it even more. "Just give me a second to get over the woozy spell." she said leaning her back against the tree, closing her eyes for a moment. She swore she was a idiot over and over again. "I'm Dru by the way." she said opening her eyes to look at the guy again.

[Ashley Bates]

"I'm Ash. Apollo cabin. It's a pleasure." He said with simple southern charm as he watched Dru slump down to the ground looking exhausted. He wasn't sure what the girl had been doing out here but it was clear that she was about done up. Still, it was good that she had thought to catch her breath because if they left now chances were Ash would end up carrying her back to camp which probably wouldn’t go over well.

"Here." He called to her before reaching down and removing a small canton that was clipped to his belt. It was filled with water and while he had expected to use it himself before the night was over the girl looked like she needed it more. "That you're tired I can tell and you could use a drink. It will help keep you hydrated until you get back to camp at least."

Ash walked over and offered the canteen as he hunkered down on his haunches so that he could be on Dru's level. As he waited for her to take it and drink he glanced around their surroundings taking them all in as if expecting a surprise attack at any minute. "How long have you been out here? You got pretty far considering your leg." She couldn't have been moving fast so chances were she hadn't started out after curfew like he had. If that was the case then she had been out here for a few hours and been making her way back to camp in he own. Color him impressed.

[Dru Alberts]

“Nice to meet you Ash” Dru said but internally winched as he spoke, The Heavy southern accent brought back bad memories of home. Something she would rather not relive. That part of her life was filled with disapproval and shunning. She never wanted to be lonely it was forced upon her. She calmly nodded and took the canteen from the boy “Thank you” she said simply before taking a sip. She really didn’t need water but she wouldn’t say no to the help.

As he got to her level she looked up at him and handed him the canteen back. “Ive been here for a couple hours.” she said using the tree behind her to help her stand back up. Her cast wasn’t hard to walk it it just made everything slower and more annoying. “Yeah I was out here filming and hadn’t realized it was getting dark till it was.” she said with a slight laugh. Yeah she goofed.

[Ashley Bates]

Ash nodded his head at her thanks and took the canteen back when she was through with it. He would have thought she would have wanted to wait longer, maybe catch her breath a little, but Dru was apparently not the type that was easy to keep down. That was fine. He could respect determination so long as it didn't turn into self deception. Fortunately Dru at least seemed to have the fortitude to back up her willingness to continue on.

Standing up from his crouch position Ash dusted off his jeans. "Hopefully you got the footage you were were looking for. What are you going to be using it for if you don't mind me asking." He could perhaps understand better than anyone how easy it was to get lost in what you were doing when what you were doing was important to you. To him Dru had just as good a reason for being out here as he did. Granted the sooner he could set her on the right track the better but he figured whatever had gotten her out here was worth it. "The path isn't far. If you're ready to leave I'll have you headed in the right direction in no time."

[Dru Alberts]

"Its for a contest I'm trying to enter." Dru explained as she walked over to where he was standing. This cast couldn't get off any sooner for her. She was tired, so tired of that damn thing. "It was just enough to finish the video hopefully. Well, more hopefully than definitely. Its hard to get out here and look for more." she said giggling as she looked at ash. "Shall head out then?"

She looked over and watched the raising moon rise over the clearing the both stood in and smiled at it. Ash may be a son of Apollo but the latter of the two was in power currently. She smiled and looked at ash "I'm sorry to have interrupted your hunting, and to think Artemis was going to give you a full moon to hunt with."

[Ashley Bates]

Ash nodded when she gave her explanation about the film contest. It was about as excited as he ever got about anything but he did add a comment that showed he was interested. "That's a rare talent. I don't think I've ever met an aspiring movie producer before." He wondered if she was planning on showing off her finished product here at camp and decided not to press the issue. Besides, if something like that happened he would hear about it one way or the other at some point.

With another nod Ash motioned for Dru to follow and moved back off into the woods in the direction he had come. She seemed to be worried about interrupting him but Ash didn't really mind. "There will be other nights." He said simply. "And a man who can't break his habits to help someone had best be about quitting them. Besides, the lady Artemis knows better than anyone that sometimes finding what you want takes time." He paused for a moment to glance up at the moon and then continued. "Perhaps Artemis thought you might need someone to help you on your way."

[Dru Alberts]

"That's because most people want to be in front of the camera." Dru said simply as she started to follow him out of the woods. She made sure to keep up with him, cast or not she pulled her own weight. Ash was already helping her out he didn't need to do anything else to help her. She looked back at the moon before she looked at the boy leading the path for her. "Maybe she did. I mean. I would have made it back to camp." well "eventually" she mumbled at the end. To be honest she had no clue where they even currently were, the forest was massive and all looked the same.

"Aren't you scared to be out here at night?" she asked, peeking her head at the boy with a slight tilt. "Like there are things in here that seriously could maim you." Dru asked as the walked, she didn't understand how he could just come and hunt in here like mortals in her hometown did for deer. Deer didn't have four sets of teeth last time she checked.

[Ashley Bates]

As they walked Ash let Dru do most of the talking. He wasn't sure if it was nerves or if she felt like she just needed to fill the silence but whatever the case he didn't mind too much. It was better than him trying to figure out something and it was good to see that the girl seemed to trust him. For the most part Dru had made a favorable impression on him thus far. She did not play herself off as weak or helpless and was definitely tougher than she looked. Obviously she didn't mind pushing through her injury even though walking wasn't easy and he could appreciate those kinds of qualities in others.

The boy did finally speak up as she asked him a direct question. Ash thought for a moment and then responded. "Perhaps a little. The unknown can be like that but what kind of demi god would I be if I let fear have a hold on me?” He said plainly enough. Ash was not foolish enough to think that there was nothing out here that he should be afraid of, in fact, it was quite the contrary. He thought that whoever had said “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” had a very poor imagination. Either that or they weren’t a demi god. No, he knew there were things both in this forest and in the broader world that he should be afraid of Ash just chose not to let his fear control his actions or force him into a box.

“As for the hunting it’s how I keep sharp. I’ve always been good with a bow but being a good shot isn’t always enough to keep you alive. It is good to know how to survive on your own.” He paused for a moment and then gave her a slightly less serious expression. “All that is to say that I like it and it gives me time to think. It’s more peaceful out here than my cabin sometimes, even with the occasional monster.”

[Dru Alberts]

Dru simply nodded as Ash talked, intrigued by the boy. It wasn’t often that people seemed to surprise her yet he did. He didn’t fit the mold that you’d expect from an Apollo kid, but that was something Dru always liked in people. The ones that broke the stereotype, went beyond what people thought of them and made their own category. Dru never thought of her own fears like that, then again they were mostly self-fulfillment fears. She had her own agenda to keep to when it came to her fears.

She could understand the peacefulness of the woods. It was also that way for her, to escape that cabin. It was too gloomy for her, she could barely stand sleeping in there. “That’s what I do to escape as well. Well, before I fell out of a tree.” She said with a small giggle before continuing. “They are interesting woods, you can go through the same path every day and something will be different. Some new will be there.” She said as she walked, not breaking the eyes from the path in front of them that he was leading them down. It always surprised her how the woods felt so alive, the Nymphs that would appear every now and then. It was so quite yet so alive. “I’m not too keen on keeping my skills up to date, but it is a nice get away from the dullness of camp life.” She agreed with a nod of her head.

[Ashley Bates]

So the girl had fallen out of a tree. That would explain the cast. Ash had never fallen out of one himself but he could imagine that it was not a fun thing to do at all especially considering the end result. He could understand the feeling of needing to get away however. It was good to have a place to escape to because everyone needed to escape every once in a while. It could be for any number of reasons but having a place where you could be yourself without anyone else around was important.

“You would be surprised by how much the forest stays the same too. Tracks stay mostly undisturbed for days or weeks. Game trails are worn after several months of passage. The forest is a living, breathing thing but it’s the parts that stay the same that I like and that help me hunt.” Perhaps that made him seem a little dull but he didn’t care. Discovering the secrets of the forest that so many others did not see was a task in itself and a very rewarding way to pass the time. “Granted any reason is good enough to get away from camp for a while.”

He glanced at the girl as he led them through a line of brush making sure to clear the way for her to provide some steady footing. Cast or no cast he didn’t need Dru falling out here and hurting herself worse while he was trying to help. “Your cast. How much longer do you have to wear it?”