The Lost Chance

Chapter Four

[Clove's POV]

I walk slowly behind Cato, making sure he's always a few steps ahead.

Just promise me one thing. Don't be like the others.

I have no idea what he means. This doesn't even seem real. I know a few girls back in the training center who would literally kill for a chance to have a walk with Cato in the woods.

"You still catching up, Clove?" he asks as he hacks away a vine with his sword.

"Yeah, I'm good," I fight to keep my voice steady. I'm starting to get dizzy, but I can't tell him that. "Where are we going anyway?"

"My place," he stops so I could catch up.

"You live in the middle of a forest?" Despite my throbbing head, I smiled.

Cato laughed. It sounded good, and he looked even more handsome when he laughed. Sunlight danced on his golden hair, and filled the air with infectious laughter. My smile grew wider.

"No, silly," we continued to walk until we reached a vast clearing. Targets are everywhere. "I mean my own personal training place. My place,"

I look around the clearing. Dummies are placed at different spots, and a few unlucky ones are lying around missing both arms, or a head. He doesn't seem to run out of dummies either, since there's a big pile of them to the left.

Weights and shields are stacked to the right, and two more swords lay peacefully on the ground. They all seem to have been used for quiet a while, except the targets.

"You don't use the targets?" I ask.

"I'm no good at aim," he says simply. "Come on, show me what you got,"

For some reason, I hesitated. Is it because I don't trust him completely yet? I have never seen this side of him before. The only side I saw is the monstrous side. The Cato that would be willing to burn and erase a whole town off a map if he was told to.

Looking at his deep blue eyes, I found the answer. I hesitated because I didn't want him to think that I'm not good enough.

"Hey, Fuhrman?" he prepped up a target.

"Yeah, sure," I got out four knives and expertly held all of them in one hand. "Out of the way, Cato,"

He did as I told him to and stood next to the pile of dummies. I take a deep breath, and throw my first knife.

It flies straight and true to the bull's eye located on the target's head. I looked at Cato and he was nodding approvingly at the dummy. I take another deep breath as my head throbbed painfully.

This time, the knife flies towards the bull's eye on the target's chest.

"I couldn't even hit anywhere near the bull's eye," Cato exclaimed. "Clove, you're good,"

I just nod as black spots danced in my vision. The beating sun isn't helping either. I take shallow, quick breaths and throw the remaining two knives at once. One hits the bull's eye on the target's left leg and the other on the right.

I couldn't take it anymore. I crumple to the ground.

"Clove? Clove!" Cato runs towards me, "What happened?"

"Head hurts," I say through gritted teeth.

"Can you walk?" he straps his sword to his belt.

"Yeah, I think," Cato helps me to my feet, but as soon as I stand without his help, I fall.

This is embarrassing. My first day with the heart throb and I'm falling like a baby. I try to get up again when suddenly I'm whisked off the ground.

"Clove, a question," he smiles as he adjusts me on his two arms, 'What's your exact weight?"

"Shut up," I manage to say before passing out.

When I wake up, a cold compress is on my head and I'm in a familiar room. My room. What happened again? Oh right. I passed out. Cato must have carried me all the way home.

But how? He didn't even know my name then. How could he have known where I live?

"Finally awake?" My head instantly snaps to the direction of his voice.

"Cato, you're here," I say stupidly.

"Obviously," he sits on my bed and stares at me with those intense blue eyes, "This time, are you sure you're OK?"

"How did you know where I live?" I ask him, ignoring his question.

"Well, I carried you all the way to the main town and you're little sister was there," he explained shortly, "Now tell me Clove Fuhrman. Are you really OK?"

He carried me all the way to the main town. I'm sure it didn't tire him, since he's so fit and I couldn't have weighed more than half a ton. But the thought of him doing it...

"I'm fine, thanks to you," I notice my four knives are back as well. "Did you... ?"

"Yeah, I did," Cato scratched the back of his head, "You were asleep for three hours, so I figured I'd get them back for you,"

"Wait, three hours? It's nighttime already?" I jump out of bed and look out the window, "Cato, why didn't you go home?"

"I had to make sure, OK?" he threw himself on my bed.

Silence engulfs the room. I couldn't help but feel giddy.

"Hey Clove," he finally said, "You promised me something right? So I'll promise you one thing as well,"

I look at him, his big frame taking up the entire space of my small bed. He looked so relaxed, so peaceful, I never thought I'd see him this way.

"What's that?"

"I'll keep you safe, no matter what. Deal?"

He just met me. Saw me passed out. Carried me in his arms. He must have thought I'm weak or something. I couldn't stand that thought anymore ever since I hit Angel in the thigh. I'm not weak. The mere thought of someone else looking out for me other than me is foreign.

But I say it anyway.

"Deal,"