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Ash set alone on his bunk stringing his bow for another late night hunting trip. He wasn’t sure if he would be going out tonight or not but the son of Apollo was nothing if not always prepared for the opportunity if it came up. Hunting to Ash was more than just a hobby, it was a calling. He wasn’t sure why the wild called him so greatly but even from a young age he had enjoyed it. In nature he had learned to forage, track and kill, all important skills for a demi-god and all things that had kept him alive before he came here.

It was too bad he didn't have a hunting partner but there were precious few other hunters at camp. There was the Artemis cabin of course but their closer mindedness to guys limited his options there. Not that Ash really minded hunting alone but some things were easier in pairs if you could trust the other person.

Ash had just finished preparing his bow when his thoughts were interrupted by the cabin door opening. As if summoned by his thoughts about the Artemis cabin the boy glanced to see his sister Alena standing in the doorway with a big grin on her face apparently back from a recent hunt herself. Ash had always liked Ali and her coming back now was a welcome sight. Giving her a small nod he set his bow aside and said "Welcome back Ali. I trust your travels went well?"

Ash rolled his eyes as Lucas started wailing like a fire truck. He didn’t really care about the skittles that much but his kid brother’s tantrum was a prime example of the root issue and bribing him with candy wasn’t teaching him any lessons. Sure he was only a kid but even kids needed to start learning that calling in the wambulance was not the way to handle the situation when things didn’t go your way. Unfortunately it looked like that underlying problem would be skipped over in the aftermath of the great skittles fiasco.

Sighing Ash shut his mouth and listened to Charlotte. An apology was at least a start even if it mattered about as much as a fart in a whirlwind now. If Charlotte said she was going to handle things then he would let her. She was the cabin leader after all and if he had a problem with what she decided then there were better ways to handle the situation than making a big deal about it here. “Fine.” He said cooly. “I’ll get a broom and at least start cleaning up this mess.” So much for that quick nap before dinner.

When Ash heard the voice from inside the closet his mood was not drastically improved. It was his brother Lucas. There could be no doubt about that. The only question now was how he was going to deal with this now that he knew who had taken his candy.

Ever since he had gotten to camp Lucas had been a holy terror. Ash couldn’t be for sure but he seemed like one of the youngest kids here and it was like everyone just let him have his free run of the place. That or maybe they had tried to keep him in line, failed and eventually given up. Either way something had to be done about this crazy behavior and if no one else was going to Ash supposed that left him to do the job himself though he doubted his kid brother was going to make it easy.

“You can’t stay in there forever Lucas.” He said in that emotionless voice that seemed to be his norm. It was a little scary that voice. It was all business that voice almost like he didn’t really care what the outcome of this situation was because he won either way. “You can either do this the easy way and come out now or I can wait until you’re asleep or sick or whatever and come in and get you. I can tell you now though that if I have to come in to get you I’m going to give you a noogie you are going to feel for the next month.”

Updated with Freedom!

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.”

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

“It’s not a problem. There’s no sense in apologizing for who you are.” Ash said dismissively. He didn’t really mind Jeremie’s talking, at least not at the moment, and besides, if it really was in the boy’s nature to be inquisitive then there wasn’t much Ash could do about it. It wasn’t weird and so long as the Athena guy didn’t mind Ash’s own quieter nature then they should be fine.

“If you don’t mind sharing this spot I might go ahead and string my bow here.” Since he hadn’t been able to sneak away there really wasn’t a point in leaving now if he could avoid it. Ash could string his bow here just as well as he could anywhere else. This being the case he decided to leave the question open to Jeremie since it was his reading that Ash had intruded on. “It’s not a complicated process and I can be out of your hair relatively quickly.”