Investigating

Patricia walked to the edge of the forest, carrying nothing but a water bottle. After lunch, Patricia had changed into her traditional hiking outfit consisting of athletic shorts and a 3/4 sleeve t-shirt. A ball cap protected her face from the sun, and her curly dark hair was tucked into a pony tail. Zachary had not arrived yet, so she sat down and leaned against the tree. The sun shined on her and her belly was full, so she was quiet content Patricia was quite eager to see Zachary again. They had only been separated for an hour or so, the strict seating arrangement forcing them to enjoy lunch on opposite sides of the mess hall. Patricia sipped at her water bottle, enjoying the sunshine.

I approached the forest, well the trail that I was tower Patricia at. I didn't eat much at lunch, and had left early so I could prepare for this investigation of sorts. I had on some ripped up blue jeans, a hole in both knees that showed my leg slightly with a camp shirt, dyed in a darker pattern to mimic camouflage. I was armed, obviously with my tessen hidden within my shirt and my sword on my hip as I saw her and smiled. "Hey!" I called a I picked up my pace, running towards her as my blak hair blew slightly in the wind. I also had a backpack, as well as a strange looking watch on my wrist.

Patricia sat up and walked towards Zachary. With his sword and backpack, Patricia felt unprepared, but she felt her neck and remembered her necklace (that turned into a pretty awesome celestial bronze sword, of course.) When Zachary was an arm's length away, she noticed how strange his watch was. She took his arm and lifted it up so she could see it better. It was pretty awesome- looking. She looked up into his eyes and grinned. "So, what did this thing do, exactly?"

I smirked and winked at her with my haze/green eyes as she noticed my watch and comments on it. "You'll see" I told her with a grin as I twisted a dial on it and then looked ahead at the trail. "So, are you ready?" I asked with a grin as I made sure my hiking boots were laced and my backpack contained the things I needed from iPod and headphones to emergency blanket and ambrosia. I was really confident I had everything, as being a Boy Scout for a few years had taught me a few things like always be prepared. Prepared for what? Anything.

The daughter of Hebe wanted to smile even wider she she saw Zachary wink. He didn't look silly or anything (he was quite good-looking in her opinion), but many boys his age lacked that confidence Zachary radiated. He wasn't cocky or arrogant,and he didn't need to show his strengths because they were simply part of him.
Patricia peered behind his shoulder at his back pack. "I'm glad one of us is prepared, at least." Once they entered the forest, Patricia (of course) tripped. She grabbed onto Zachary, who thankfully prevented her from falling.

I smiled and nodded when she had commented on being prepared, I always true to be prepared but..well most of the time I wasn't. We took a quick moment of silence, awkward silence...as then proceeded to enter the woods. It wasn't long before she tripped on a root and I grabbed her, keeping her from falling. "Careful, leaves cover lots of stuff, and in this forest it could be a trap" I warned and took her hand in mine, quietly leading her along the slightly worn trail. The trail itself was grown over, covered in debris and in disrepair so badly it was hard to tell wear the path actually was.

Patricia thanked him quietly as caught her and led her down the path. Her small hand felt even smaller in his large one, and the ends of her ears turned pink. For a moment, Patricia couldn't concentrate on the path because all she could feel was his hand in hers. But she soon shook it off, because she couldn't think of anything more embarrassing then tripping again.
Patricia could barely see the path. But soon she was in her hiking rhythm, and easily navigated among the debris of the forest.
In her mind, Patricia was debating what they would find. Hopefully, something awesome. But with her luck, it would be a colony (group, family, whatever) of bunnies or something like that.

I continued to lead her down the path until we were deep in the forest, then I stopped to turn to her. "So, where do you start to hear the noises?" I asked softly as I twisted a knob on my watch again edited looking around, my hand on the hilt of my blade just in case. The forest was a lot more dangerous than people said, several campers ha died from the monsters within the camps forest, as well as countless injuries. I myself had been hurt in these forests before.

Patricia had been thinking so deeply it took her a moment to figure out where they were. She walked around for a moment and found the familiar landmark, a fallen tree, and walked around it. Suddenly, she stopped. A faint noise, like a trumpet, buzzed in her ears.
"Don't you hear it?"
Zachary looked at her with confusion. She lead him to the spot, and let him hear the noise.
"You can only hear it when you're standing in this spot. Odd, isn't it?"

I nod and tapped my watch, activating a scanner contained within it to detect both a heat signature as well as metallic signatures. Often monsters could have metal in them from eating armor an weapons from past campers. After a moment of looking around te spot I finally had a match. It wasn't an abnormal heat signature, but beneath the stone I was standing on was some sort of metallic container, 12 inches by 5 inches by 8 inches. Looking to grin at Patricia I moved off the stone and bent down, straining as I tried to lift it. "There's something under here"

Patricia eyes went wide as she watched him use his watch. He had to be one of the most interesting people she had ever met, even for a half-blood. She nodded eagerly when he said there was something under the stone he was standing on. Patricia leaned down and tried to help him lift it. She had a small frame so she appeared at first not to be much help, but her years at camp had made her strong. Together, her and Zachary were able to lift up the stone.
Patricia bent down and picked up a metal box. By now, the trumpet-like noise was louder, but it was silenced by her touch. She examined the box. Despite a small dent or two, the box looked like it had been recently been buried, but that simply could not have been possible. The box looked like it came from a time long before Patricia or Zachary, and it was dated 1857. There was engraving on the box that looked liked roses, and quite a lovely-looking box. Patricia tried to open it, but it was locked. She looked up at Zachary. "I don't suppose your watch makes keys, does it?"

I laughed at her comment about my watch and shake my head. "No, I'm afraid it doesn't but I do have the old fashioned tools" I smirked and reached into my backpack, sorting through several pockets before bringing out a roll of cloth. I set the leather-like cloth on the ground and unrolled it, revealing several shining lock picks. With a clever smirk and a quick glance at her I selected a hook and a point and inserted them into the lock, listening carefully as I soon unlocked the container. Setting the picks down I carefully lifted the lid of the case and the hinges creaked with age. Looking along the container I suddenly winced in pain and glanced at my finger, which was bleeding. Grunting I tucked the finger into my shirt to stop the bleeding and looked for the cause...there! A hidden blade on the roof of the container for anyone who tried to open it.

Patricia's eyes widened when she saw the blade on the roof of the lid. She laughed dryly. "Um.. Now I'm kind of scared to see what's in it, aren't you?" She looked at the hand he was wrapping in his t-shirt. "Are you okay?"
As she waited for him to answer,she picked up a pole of papers wrapped together with a pink ribbon. It was obvious the papers were enchanted somehow, for they looked like they would have the day they had been written on, which had to be at least a hundred years ago. She didn't start reading it, for she wanted to examine the other contents of the box. But once the words caught her eye, she couldn't stop reading. "It's in Latin." She raised her eyebrows and looked and Zachary. She handed the paper into his good hand. "Can you read it out loud?"

I didn't answer to the classic 'are you ok' question but I accepted the papers into my hands and quickly blushed once I deciphered some of the Latin text. "Well...." I chuckle dryly before clearing y throat as reading a little out loud. "Dear my love...I would have wished to tell you sooner..." I frowned "some of these letters are smudged, or not even Latin. See this word? French. And this one? Russian. It's a mixture of about five or six languages" I told Patricia before setting the papers inside of my bag-they would be needed to examine them later in my cabin. I placed my hand carefully back into the box and withdrew an amulet, opal on a silver chain inset with golden foil. It was real all right, I could easily tell and the age was exact but the condition...near mint.

As I examined the amulet I spoke to Patricia. "What else is in there?"

Patricia carefully rooted through the contents of the box, not putting it past the person who owned the box to conceal more weapons. She laid out her jacket, and laid the contents on the box on it. "A handkerchief, a little bottle of perfume, a wooden horse, a pocket watch, and.. a lock of blonde hair." There was three pieces of paper lodged in the bottom of the box. Patricia, after a moment of difficult, gently picked up the papers and laid them on the jacket. "Oh!"
Black and whit portraits of a young man and of a young woman laid before her. On the third piece of paper there was a short note. Patricia read it out loud. "To who may find this box- on May 19, 1887, Mary Louise Clare disappeared from Camp Half-Blood. She did not ever return. The cause of her disappearance and probable death is unknown. I have been asked to bury her last few possessions, or hide them really, from her former fiancé. He has become slightly crazed by her absence, and only time will tell what will happen to him.. It's unsigned. Odd, isn't it?"

I rub my scrubble, deep in thought. I really did need to shave again but right now I had bigger problems, this for one. It was if I was in a trance, but this was something about me, I would remain motionless, block myself out from the world as I thought before suddenly snapping out of it to look at her. "Odd, but sensible. Love can drive people crazy, trust me-I know from experience" I tell her as I run a few scars from my wrist before looking down at the papers. "Maybe we can find the identities of these people in the camp archives...it's a more secret part of the library" I tell her as I open my pad again and switch to a blank page, adding random and any notes I can about this new mystery.

Silently I turned to look up from my work and at Patricia before tucking the amulet into my pocket.

Patricia stared at Zachary as he stood there motionless. In the middle of rubbing his chin, he ceased to move for a few moments. Patricia was relieved that she didn't have to break the silence when he spoke. He said something about love, and knowing from experience. Patricia would have to cross-examine him about that later.. Then he talked about the camp archives. Patricia nodded, noticing him tuck the amulet in his pocket. Suddenly, a shadow crossed Zachary's face. She looked up, and realized the sun was setting. It would be dark soon. "Oh, darn. It's late." Time, especially when it was full of excitement, always passed quickly for Patricia. "How about we meet up again tomorrow morning. I'm eager to solve this mystery.z" Patricia smiled eagerly. They could continue their work let into the night, but Patricia felt tired.

I looked up and sighed, the sun was indeed setting. I had hoped for more light but after quickly noticing her yawn I stood as well. The forest was very dangerous at night, even more without light. Reaching into my backpack I retrieved a flashlight, switching the beam to wide and the power all onto the 75 LEDS I had installed for added light. I looked over at Patricia after packing the capsule and everything we had retrieved into my bag, and then offered my hand to her.

"Come on, lets get back before we become food for monsters" I told her, although the main reason I wished to go was for some time in my bunk, looking over these new artifacts we had discovered.

Patricia nodded and took Zachary's hand. Since she had tripped in broad daylight, he was probably scared on how she would manage in evening light. Patricia wasn't sure herself. She didn't mind holding his hand, though. It was steady and warm, unlike sweaty and hot hands she had held when she was younger.
The trek back to damp wasn't as bad as Patricia had feared, especially with Zqchary's flashlight. All too soon Patricia could hear and see the busy camp. Once they were out of the danger of the foret, Patricia gave Zachary's hand one last squeeze and let go. "See you tomorrow at the library." Patricia grinned and waved, making her way towards her cabin.

I smiled and waved as she left before going to my bunk

OOC; now what?

Ooc:post here http://www.camphalfblood.org/t18997p25-books-are-sometimes-better-than-people#1176857