Later that evening they set up camp near a smooth boulder that Thalos normally used. Percy dropped his stuff in a pile and began to prepare to head out.
He took his knife, some rope, his water bottle, and a bag to carry the bounty from his prey. No need to go too far from what Thalos told him, the Golden Shrikes nested in the trees just by the plains.
So he set out without saying much, just giving Thalos a curt nod before sinking into the dark forest.
It was always the same. Old trees creaking and raking against his nerves, nocturnal birds buzzing between the trees above him, hunting the insects that occasionally jumped on his neck.
Percy resisted the urge to crush a gnat that landed on his neck and just flicked it off. He didn't want to make much noise. The shadows between the trees shouldn't be disturbed.
