Justice, the 4th hunger games book, the story after mockingjay

Chapter Thirty

KPOV

I continue to scan the forest for any signs of movement as I wait to Marc to reach the bottom of the cliff, my arm is beginning to feel the strain of holding a drawn bow for such a long time but I persist through the pain, he is my ally and he is relying on me to protect him. It takes him just over half an hour to make it safely to the ground, I wait for him to steady himself and pull his trident free before I allow myself to begin my agonizing decent. I take a deep breath and close my eyes to collect my thoughts knowing that this is going to be much more difficult than climbing down from a tree. This is going to take a lot of strength, strength that I fear I do not have. I am going to be vulnerable as I decend and it will only take one attacker with a bow to take me out. I don’t know how far away the other Cornucopia is from here but if we are able to reach the cliff separating the two arenas. I just pray that Marc is observant and able to take anyone out before they reach him and me.

Hooking my bow over my back allowing for quick access I swing myself over the ledge with my good arm and stabilize myself before I begin to lower myself. To minimize the strain on my injured arm I wrap my left leg around the rope and trap it between my feet allowing me to control my decent. It takes me much longer than Marc to make the decent the fatigue I’m feeling from my now stabbing pain in my arm. Not far to go and then it’s just walking I remind myself as I slip into a simple routine, slide the hands down slide the feet, hands, feet, hands, feet.

I don’t dare look down, just focusing on slowly lowing myself to the ground I know is somewhere beneath me. I take a small break to adjust my position and that’s when I feel it, two pairs of eyes on me. I turn and scan the tree line trying to pin point my attackers position, nothing is visible, it must have just been my imagination though just as I am turning my attention back to my abseil I catch the glint of light that could only have come about from a piece of metal but before I am able to warn Marc of the imminent attack they strike.

“Marc!” I gasp.

Marc sees them coming but he is out numbered, three assailants all with swords and spears. Marc only has his trident, I have to do something. I wrap my leg more around the rope and stabilize myself before pulling off my bow and stringing an arrow. This isn’t going to be easy but I have to do something, he can’t take them all on. I take aim on a black haired man as he readies to take advantage of Marc defending himself against the second assailant. Unsure if they have spotted me I let me arrow fly forgetting to compensate for the swinging of the rope I only manage to pierce his shoulder but it’s enough for him to drop his weapon and give Marc a chance. Notching another Arrow to my bow I seek out the third but I manage to catch a glimpse of them as they disappear back into the trees, clearly too frightened, they must have just thought it was Marc alone. I see Marc struggling and hurry to descend so I can help more. I unwrap my leg and using my arms hurry to lower myself, I manage to abseil 20 metres in a matter of seconds before the worst happens. I miss-grip the rope and fall. I let out a scream as I fall I should have known better than to  try to get my feet under me before I hit the ground. My right boot is the first thing to come into contact with the solid gravel and I feel a sharp shooting pain followed by a loud audible ‘snap’. I don’t have time to react to the stabbing pain in my lower leg as the black haired man who I has disarmed with one of my arrows was now running towards me, spear raised in his good arm. Instinctively I roll up onto my left knee and in the same fluid movement roll my bow down my arm forcing a tight grip and reaching for an arrow with the other. Swiftly I take aim and before I realizes that his life is about to end, I let loose my arrow and watch as it hits home, right in his chest, right where his heart is.