December 3rd
It was the last day of Reyna and Thalia's forced break from the Hunters and Reyna still hadn't found a gift for Piper. She went shopping the first day, with the money Apollo had given them, for groceries but she did keep her eye out for anything she thought Piper might like but as the day had gone on, she realized she didn't really know what she was looking for.
When they had first met, there was a tension in the air because Reyna had thought she had a crush on Jason and Piper was his new girlfriend. That tension hadn't melted for a while, until the battle with Gaia and they had made a sort of peace with each other. After that, they had talked and became friends, especially when Reyna realized she was aroace so Piper didn't have to think about her liking Jason again. They were friends but she didn't think she knew enough to get her a good gift.
Reyna was walking down a street filled with shops, trying t brain storm what to get when she finally decided that she needed help from someone. She needed someone who knew her really well. Jason? No, he would accidentally tell her. Leo? He'd have her get something explosive or a prank item. Annabeth? Hazel? No, they didn't know her outside of her demigod persona.
That's when it hit her. She needed to get to Oklahoma and talk to her father. They were close and he knew her real life better than any demigod.
Reyna couldn't take a plan because that would take too much time, and she didn't have nearly enough money for that or for the amount of taxi rides she would need. She needed something easy and free.
She started running towards Camp Half-Blood.
For mortals it would take hours to run to camp but with her being a demigod and daughter of Bellona and a Hunter of Artemis, so her stamina was good and her feet were quick. It took an hour of straight running, but she arrived at the top of Half-Blood Hill. Reyna speed walked down the hill, making sure she didn't slip of the snow, and made a bee line for the stables.
When she reached her destination, she found the Pegasus named Blackjack and brought him out of the stables and out into the snow.
"Alright, Blackjack," Reyna said to the winged horse. "I need a ride to Tahlequah, Oklahoma."
The Pegasus neighed and Reyna took that as a yes. She hopped onto it's back and they flew off.
It was a cold ride across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and all the other states between New York and Oklahoma but they finally touched down in Tahlequah without too much since Reyna used her power to share some strength with Blackjack.
"Thank you," she said to him s she hopped off. "I'll call you when I need a ride back."
Blackjack bowed and Reyna walked off to a little to see if she could find the McLean home. It was morning when she left and afternoon now and after twenty minutes of walking, Reyna guessed it was around 2:30 when she ran into a girl.
"Hello," There was a girl with black hair and skin the same color as Piper's in front of her. She was wearing a coat and was carrying a basket with some pomegranates inside.
'Hi," Reyna said. She clearing her throat and held out her hand. "My name is Reyna and I've come to see Tristan McLean."
"Oh," the girls eyes lit up at the introduction. "Piper has told me about you."
Reyna cocked her head to the side. "Really?"
"Yeah, you were the Praetor of Camp Jupitar for years!" she answered and grabbed hold of Reyna's still outstretched hand. "I'm Shel."
"So," Reyna asked as she shook hands, "you're a friend of Piper?"
Their hands dropped and Shel repositioned her basket under her other arm, "Yeah. We're. . . friends."
Something about the way she said the word 'friends' made Reyna think there was something more going on between them.
"Why do you want to talk to Mr. McLean?" Shel asked, clearly trying to change the subject.
Reyna put her hands in the pocket of her coat, "I need to ask him somethings for a game we are playing."
"Oh, you're Secret Santa game?" Shel asked nonchalantly.
Reyna was a bit taken aback by the fact that this stranger knew so much about her.
"Yeah," Reyna answered. Maybe she could help her.
"Well, I might be able to help you," Shel said eagerly. "She's been collecting bird feathers a lot these days. Puts them in her hair."
"Why?" Reyna asked.
"Feathers represent the sky," she answered.
Reyna nodded. Shel looked a little sad at the mention of Piper's boyfriend. She was starting to realize what was going on but she decided to ignore it for now.
"So, you think I should give her some feathers?" Reyna asked bluntly.
"Sure," Shel started shuffling side to side.
Reyna recognized the sign of uncomfort and decided to change the subject.
"My friend went to the Underworld to get her present," Reyna told her with a little laugh. "All I have to do is gather feathers."
Shel went silent for a minute.
"If you want a challenge. . ." Shel started, looking off to the left.
"Yeah?" Reyna pressed. Sure, she could go easy and walk around, looking for feathers, but she was Reyna Ramirez-Arellano. She wasn't going to the go easy.
Shel looked straight into Reyna's eyes. "There is one feather she doesn't have yet."
"What bird is that?"
"Harpies."
Reyna froze. She had never come across Harpies before but she had heard stories from Nico when he had come back to camp late.
"They're over there," Shel said, pointing towards her left, at a dark woods only a few feet away. "There's a nest of them that have been harassing people."
She could back out. She could decide to find feathers or find something else but fuck it, it was Christmas.
"Alright," Reyna said, taking a breath. "I'll do it."
She turned to walk away but something grabbed her arm.
"Wait!" Shel was grabbing her arm. "I'm coming too."
Reyna looked at her. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Shel set down the basket she had been holding.
"Alright," Reyna said unsurely. Why would she want to come? Shel was a mortal and Harpies were Greek monsters.
The two girls set off into the woods, silently. They didn't know what to say and didn't want to risk the Harpies seeing them before they were ready.
The sun was starting to set and the wind was to getting colder as Shel and Reyna wandered around the Harpy woods. They had been following the sound of a baby Harpy screeching for the last few minutes and Reyna was starting to feel like giving up.
"Get down!" Shel suddenly said and pulled Reyna to the ground.
A Harpy flew right over their heads and Reyna had to hold in a gasp.
"Scree!" the Harpy screeched as it flew back up above the trees.
"What the-" Reyna started.
"They spotted us," Shel whispered.
Reyna looked around. "We must be close to the nest."
"There!" Shel pointed towards a tree only a few feet away and there was a giant nest with little Harpies were sitting inside.
"Alright," Reyna said, making herself turn to strategy mode. "I'll fight the mom while you grab the feathers.
Shel nodded and they jumped up from the ground and ran towards the tree.
Almost immediately, the Harpy mother came back and Reyna turned to face it. They danced around each other, the Harpy clawing and Reyna slashing with a knife she always had in her boot. She got cut and scrapped by tree limbs and claws but Shel was free to grab some feathers and Reyna got a few marks in too.
Suddenly, she felt a hit from the back of her head. The father had arrived.
Together, the birds started to get the better hand and Reyna knew she could hold on much longer. She wondered if she would be able to run fast enough anyway. If when Shel got enough feathers, she could actually get away.
The two birds advanced onto her so she was pressured on to her back and she was now defending instead of attacking. She felt claws strike on her cheeks and forehead and blood start to fall. Nothing fatal but she'd be happy for her quick healing perk she would get back when she and Thalia re joined the Hunters.
She didn't have much time to think about it, because the two bird started to back off. Shel appeared, running towards the birds with something in her hand. The birds backed up and Shel turned around to say one word to Reyna.
"Run!"
Reyna for some reason knew that Shel didn't need her help. Maybe it was her powers but she knew it was okay to run. So she did.
She ran away from the tree and didn't top until she got out of the horrible forest. Panting, she sat down on her butt and breathed in.
Shel soon appeared with feathers scrunched into her hands.
"How-" Reyna breathing was starting to get under control. "How did you- stop them?"
"Snakes," Shel replied simply, "they hate those."
Reyna almost laughed. A Harpy was afraid of a simple snake.
"Thank you so much," Reyna told her. "Why did you want to come anyway?"
Shel went quite. She looked down at the round and sighed.
"You won't tell Piper?" she asked.
"If you don't tell her I'm her Secret Santa," Reyna said.
"I-" Shel paused. "I like her. Like, really like her."
"But she's with Jason," Reyna finished.
Shel nodded. "Of course I would never do anything to break them up, but I thought that if I could show her that I wasn't just a mortal girl. . ."
"But she's not here," Reyna pointed out.
"I know," Shel said, looking at her shoes again. "I just thought that since you're her friend and at the end you reveal who you are. . ."
"Of course I'll tell her," Reyna said instantly. She wasn't trying to break anyone up, but she knew what it was like to want someone's attention.
"Here," Shel handed Reyna the feathers.
"Thank you, again," Reyna told her. "I couldn't have done this with out you."
Shel smiled. "Of course."
Shel walked off towards her pomegranate basket and Reyna hoped that in one way or another, she would get to tell Piper how she feels.