Joanne came up to Syrus, Smoke trailing a few feet away. She didn’t get a chance to speak to him back in the cafeteria after he had apologized for hurting her. They had all been whisked away too quickly for that. “Syrus…” she began. “You don’t have to apologize for what happened earlier today, it was clearly far beyond your control. I don’t hold it against you in the least. But now we are all in this together, and you will have my full support, no matter what.” Joanne smiled. “You are brave without bounds Syrus. I see it, we all do. You just don’t believe it yet.” She paused. “I just wish we had met under different circumstances, not like this…not preparing for war.” Joanne leaned in, embraced him and gave Syrus a kiss on the cheek. “For luck,” she said. Syrus stood transfixed by the kiss as he watched Joanne and Smoke leave the war room. Joanne walked back to her cabin alone, save Smoke. She was deep in thought when she feet a presence near her…following her, but one not easy to define. Joanne grew uneasy, a mood matched by Smoke. At first she hurried onwards to her cabin and the Hunters. But the feeling never left her, and indeed grew stronger the closer she got to her cabin. Finally, just as she was about to enter a clearing, Joanne decided this game, whatever it was, had to end. She quickly drew and nocked an arrow on her bow, and aimed at a shadow under a nearby tree. Smoke stood before her growling, her hackles up. “Show yourself, whomever you are!” Joanne said. She was shocked to see a figure, dressed in a white tunic, leather boots and bracers. Covering her was a green hunters cloak with the hood pulled over her face and on her back was a quiver full of arrows She was tall and and well-built, and moved with the ease of a person long used to being in the woods. She was armed with a bow and dagger, but kept her hands well away from both. The figure stopped a few feet away from Joanne and pulled the hood back revealing a kind face framed by shoulder-length raven-black hair and striking silver-grey eyes. Joanne did a double take and quickly lowered her bow. Even if she had never seen her before, it was almost instinctual that she knew who this woman was. “Mother?” Joanne whispered in near disbelief. “Yes, my daughter,” Artemis said with a smile. The goddess knelt down as Joanne ran to her and wrapped her up in a tight motherly embrace. Joanne started to cry on her mother’s shoulder, from joy, or sadness Artemis could not tell. But the Goddess was happy and relieved Joanne had not rejected her outright from the moment both laid eyes on each other. Artemis soothed her daughter and after a few moments Joanne stopped crying. Artemis looked at Joanne, her expression touched with sadness. “As happy as I am to see you, Joanne I am sorry you had to learn of your heritage by the loss of your parents. But there was nothing I could do to save them, though I tried.” Joanne looked at Artemis. “I know mother, somehow I know. And it’s ok.” Artemis noodled. “I have watched you grow into a strong young woman from afar, my daughter. I so wanted to visit you, to speak to you, to touch you. But until now, I could not risk that.” The goddess stood up and took a regal bearing, “But circumstanced have changed. Come, we have much to discuss before your trials start tomorrow,” Artemis said., She held her hand out to Joanne, who took it. With the other Artemis beckoned Smoke to her side. Smoke came over sat beside her. She looked up at Artemis who grinned and stroked the wolf’s head lovingly. “I thank you Smoke for watching after my daughter all these years, and for being her friend,” she said. Joanne looked at her mother with only mild surprise. “You sent her to me, didn’t you.” It was not a question, rather a statement of fact Artemis nodded. “I knew that if I couldn’t be there, at least I could send somebody I trusted to help watch over you as you grew into womanhood.” The three walked off into the forest and disappeared from view.