The Heroes of Olympus, #3
The Mark of Athena
by Rick Riordan
Contents
XXXV
Overview
Annabeth survives a fall that breaks her ankle, forcing her to rely on training and resourcefulness. She improvises a splint from a Hermes Express crate’s Bubble Wrap, rehydrates, and commits to continuing alone. The Mark of Athena reignites, guiding her deeper despite her injury and isolation.
Summary
Annabeth crashes through a doorway into a lower chamber and immediately realizes her ankle is broken. Fighting shock with survival training, she assesses the sandstone room: blocked entrance above, a dark exit ahead, a water trench across the floor, and scattered ancient debris.
Weighing options, Annabeth rejects waiting for rescue because her quest demands solitude and help is unlikely. She drinks from the trench, cleans her scrapes, and inventories her gear. She locates crates and wicker boxes, then finds a Hermes Express crate lined with Bubble Wrap—its contents gone, but the wrapping usable.
Using two sturdy planks, leather straps from the boxes, and the Bubble Wrap, Annabeth splints and immobilizes her ankle. She crafts a makeshift crutch from a stair railing, steels herself through the pain, and stands. The Mark of Athena ignites above the corridor, urging her onward.
Accepting the risk and her isolation, Annabeth crosses the trench, chooses to proceed rather than call for help, and hobbles into the dark passage, following the blazing owl symbol deeper into the maze.
Who Appears
- Annabeth ChaseInjured and alone; breaks her ankle, improvises a splint with Bubble Wrap, rehydrates, and continues following the Mark of Athena.