Hurricane • F. Odair

twenty-two » silver halo

A L T H E A

Althea was nursing her third leaf of water when Katniss stiffened, causing the older woman's shoulders to tense.

"There," the girl said quietly, nodding behind Althea. With a sore turn of her neck, Althea saw three people emerge onto the beach. As if by prior agreement, Peeta picked up their belongings, Katniss drew her bow, and Finnick helped pull Althea into the trees behind them. The trio of creatures are a solid brick color, stumbling blindly on the wet sand. One is being dragged by another, while the third member wanders in loops of confusion, and perhaps delirium.

"Who is that?" Peeta asked softly, barely heard over the crash of waves and whistle of wind. "Or what? Mutations?"

Katniss nocked an arrow as Althea steadied herself. The dragged dropped to the ground, and in a seemingly fit of frustration, the dragger shoved the loop walker into the ground. Althea heaved a hefty sigh as Finnick's face lit up. They would recognize that temper anywhere.

Finnick looked to Althea briefly, the woman merely nodding. "Go."

"Johanna!" He called, running towards the red beings with a newfound vigor, and maybe hope.

Althea watched as Katniss and Peeta exchanged a look. Her fingers tightened on her returned sword. "Coin for your thoughts?"

She didn't like the way Katniss assessed her as a threat, sizing her up. Without a doubt that she could handle the girl, it wasn't exactly on Althea's agenda to kill the Girl On Fire. "Something tells me that coin is something you're lacking in these days."

"Didn't bring any with me to the arena, unfortunately."

Peeta eyed the women warily. "We were just thinking about joining them, is all," he tacked on quickly.

Good, she thought. Althea used her sword as a bit of a crutch to start towards the group until Peeta gently slipped a supportive arm around her waist.

"How's the leg?" she asked as they tromped along.

"Still working. Surprised it didn't malfunction when I hit the forcefield, though."

Althea frowned at the thought of electricity surging through his young body. He couldn't have survived without help. In realization, she sighed. "Finnick has a habit of bringing people back from the dead."

Peeta smiled lightly. It was an odd expression to see in such a place, something of innocent humor. Althea soaked up the rays of his sunshine nonetheless. In her bones, she still knew that she would watch the rest of the Capitol and this godforsaken arena burn before anyone lay hands on Peeta Mellark.

"Wiress and Beetee are with her," Katniss acknowledged, shocked.

Althea looked up to see that the girl was right. Beetee was lying on the ground, occasional groans of pain leaving his body as Wiress walked in circles behind them.

"Nuts and Volts? I've got to hear how that happened," an equally puzzled Peeta commented.

When they finally approached the group, Johanna was gesturing wildly to the woods. "We thought it was rain, ya know, because of all the lightning. And we were all so thirsty. But when it started coming down, it was blood. Thick, hot blood. You couldn't see. Couldn't speak without getting a mouthful. We just staggered around, trying to get out of it. That's when Blight hit the forcefield."

"I'm sorry, Johanna," Finnick soothed. He gently helped Althea to his side, despite her safety at Peeta's. Johanna acknowledged her then, taking in her appearance and wincing.