Jeopardy: The Fourth Quarter Quell

Traitor - Aspen

Aspen

Today. Now.

After the lucky escape with the Capita nest yesterday, Kestral has been watching me out of the corners of her eyes. Every time I spot her doing it, I stroke the blade of the axe to remind her that I'm armed and she's not, and she turns away again.

The axe is starting to feel heavy, but I won't let go of it. Kestral will be there like a shot to take it herself. If she could lift it, of course. She looks strong but it's four days since we've eaten. I don't even feel it anymore. I just feel hollow. I only really remember when my head starts to swim. Even in the rain, which doesn't fall fast enough to even come close to dampening my thirst, things keep going wobbly. Rhea keeps a close eye on me for these moments - I'm always watched, it's a wonder I've got away with it this long - and when I start to sway she leaves Liam for a moment to put a hand on my shoulder. Hers is always warm and often trembling. I'd rather hit it off, but instead I have to smile and look weak.

Thankfully it's harder for them. They're used to eating when their arms tell them, and if you've ever heard a more stupid system than the arm-timetables then let me know. We don't have that nonsense in Seven. We trust our people to do the right thing at the right time, and even if half of them - more than half - are too thick to, at least we get that trust.

Maybe the people of Thirteen don't remember to eat unless they're told.

If I’d have got in with the Careers, I wouldn’t be hungry now.

The arena has turned rocky, suggesting cliffs or crags over the hills. But we can't find out because we're at some kind of steep face, rising up halfway over the sky if you stand directly under it. The rock is grimy white and cold to the touch. There’s no way over it, no path up it. The few trees that do stand in the crumbling ground that has replaced the soil lean half-heartedly on the face. Rhea has nestled Liam – still moaning and groaning, of course – into a nook and she stands out in the open, in the rain, her mouth turned up to catch the drops. Kestral is copying her, one eye on me. I look meekly at the floor. Liam’s just-as-useless partner Jakob looks worse than the rest of them despite doing fuck all. His eyes are sunk back into his face, his skin has a pallid sheen and he doesn’t even lick the rain trickling around his mouth. No spirit, no will to live. He won’t even be sad when he dies.

What would be really, incredibly useful now would be if somebody was at the top of the cliff and started attacking Rhea and Kestral. It’d give me time to do my thing and get away without being caught.

Now is the best time anyway.

Back in training, the instructor had said to go for the throat. She'd pointed out the exact spot to strike, ideally. The Careers had been at the next station, the weights, though Venus hadn't been doing anything and I thought I'd caught her eye a few times. I bet it was Luxury, the one who I saw fall down the slope, who'd refused to let me in, because Venus was impressed, I can tell.

Anyway, back to the task on hand. Liam is propped up, vibrating slightly. Since his crazy fit under the Capita nest yesterday he's been shaking constantly, alternating between yelling about the pain in his arm and his need for something to drink as if he thinks that'll help. His arm hangs limply the whole time, and the blood seeping through Rhea's makeshift dressing is tinged with a sort of green fluid; infection. No wonder he's starting to get feverish. I could just leave him and he'll die of his own accord, probably. Especially if Rhea isn't around to protect him...

"Aspen? Are you okay?"

I'm fine, great, even, but I sway on the spot a little and act as though I've not heard her so that she has to ask again, giving me time to put my sad face back on. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't...don't worry."