[color=a187be][i][b][center]Annabeth Gulch[/center][/b][/i][/color]

Seeing the roc flinch and thrash about Annabeth grew confident that they had this. [color=a187be]"Can't get cocky, it's still alive, and still angry. Colette! See if you can summon your bat again to distract it! I need to reload the balista!"[/color] Annabeth wasted no time grabbing the bolts that fell out previously. Luckily they were still intact well enough to be used again, and without the Roc banging ti's head against the wagon Annabeth was able to load the balista. However there was a different concern: The heard the tell-tale sign of the wagon wheel creaking, and one bad bump could knock a wheel off and leave them stranded. Annabeth had to think fast. While this next shot could entangle the roc even more, it would only be a matter of time before the roc broke free. At least if Eural and Colette retreated into the forest they would be safe from the roc, but Annabeth hasn't seen any signal from the Extraction Crew if they had succeeded in retrieving the wagons or not. Not only that but Annabeth couldn't see Arcadius anywhere. She feared that the roc might have dropped him to his doom, and who knows what would happen to him out in the open. [color=a187be]"Think Annabeth, THINK!"[/color]

That's when she remembered that she still had her bow and arrows. It was a risky idea, but it was a risk she had to take. They couldn't afford to lose the wagon out in the open even if the roc was tied up. But if Annabeth could mount one of the horses, she could move faster than the wagon, pepper the roc with arrows, and keep moving until the Extraction Crew was ready. There was a lot that needed to be done and Annabeth couldn't do it all alone. She had to trust the others for this plan to succeed.

[color=a187be]"Eural I don't think the wagon can last much longer if the roc keeps attacking it. Give me one of one of the horses and find a safe place to stash the wagon, but also somewhere where you can aim the balista. I'll move faster without the wagon. I'm going to ride one of the horses and distract the roc with my bow. Colette, I need you to stay with the wagon and operate the balista. I don't know if you had have much experience with it, but all I need you to do is shoot the roc when I tell you to. It's already locked and loaded, just pull hard on this lever to release the bolt."[/color]

There wasn't much time left. Eural did as ordered and unhooked Samson from the harness, but as he was doing that the roc was getting free. If Colette's bat can't keep it distracted it might charge into the forest. Or worse, it might flee and return to it's nest. Annabeth couldn't waste time watching it however. She would shoot a few arrows at the roc but before she could draw her bow Eural had Samson out of the harness and saddled. [color=a187be]"No time to waste. Remember Colette, have your bat distract the roc and get ready to fire the balista on my orders!"[/color] Before she got on Sampson, Annabeth handed Colette her sword. [color=a187be]"I know you can do this. I have faith in your strength!"[/color] Giving her new friend a reassuring pat on the shoulder Annabeth went to mount Samson. The stallion was still jumpy at the roc's attack but Annabeth did her best to calm it down. 

[color=a187be]"Calm down, shh, shh... I'll take care of you, okay? Let's go, come on!"[/color]

Sitting on top of Samson Annabeth rode out of the forest and into the open plains. With any luck the roc would see her and give chase. But without the dragging the wagon along Samson would be able to go much faster, and if the roc was still bound it couldn't fly after them.