The Life of A Victor || Finnick Odair

CHAPTER 66

"All right, we got what we came here for. We can go now. It must be almost supper time, so they might kill us if we take any longer." She muttered, getting up from her crouched position after covering the space again with dirt.

"Yeah, we better hurry. I don't want to see Prim angry," Katniss said, walking alongside Dove to the Victors' Village.

"Prim angry?" Dove asked, incredulous. She couldn't even imagine such a pure little girl being angry.

"Believe me, you don't want to see it," Katniss promised, causing Dove to chuckle.

After supper, Finnick and Dove slept in the house right beside Katniss's. It was similar to their own in Four, although the decorations did reflect the district they were in, making it slightly different from their home.

With the promise of writing and calling each other often, the two finally left District Twelve after a brief farewell from Prim, Katniss, and Peeta. Haymitch was also in Twelve. However, he was too drunk to even know Finnick and Dove had been there to begin with.

"Finally home," they muttered once they were in front of their house in Four. It was quite late, as they had arrived way past sunset. Their bags hit against their entrance floor with a loud thud, which resonated around the calm and silent Victors' Village.

A room in the house right across from them, which was Dove's parents' house, lightened up. One of them had heard the noise and wanted to check. As if on cue, Ron opened the main door, taking a glance at the couple before hugging them.

Most District Four victors had been allowed to go back home months ago, which meant leaving the rest back in the Capitol. Although Finnick had also been dismissed weeks before Dove, since he was part of her therapy with Dr Aurelius, he was authorised to stay back.

"It's been a long time, dad," Dove greeted, hugging him back just as her mother also ran out of the house. "You too, mum."

"My God, Dove. Dr Aurelius said it would just be a few weeks. But it has been almost two months!" Librae exclaimed worriedly, letting go of her daughter to make sure she was fine.

"It's nothing. Finnick and I were allowed to defend Katniss in her trial, since they think we're like her best friends or something. Anyway, I'm glad we could help her. That's why it took longer," Dove explained, trying to get her mother to calm down, while Ron had an exhausted smile on his face. "Let's talk tomorrow. You're both tired."

It took a bit to convince them, but in the end, Ron guided Librae back into their home. Dove stood in place until they closed the door behind them, turning around her house with Finnick, who seemed amused at the situation they had just been in.

"If they have been like that, just imagine how the others will be. Oh, even Johanna. Melo did write saying they had moved in together last week," he said, leaving the bags scattered around the entrance without a care in the world to walk to their room. After such a long and tiring trip, they fell asleep as soon as they closed their eyes.

Fluttering her eyes open, Dove relaxed at the sight of the shell-decorated wooden desk by the window. She was finally home. After almost an entire year. After another Hunger Games, a war, and the consequences of it. She forced her body up and walked to the only bag she had carefully left on the desk. The one with the urn, bow, and quiver.

It was the break of dawn, early enough to proceed with her own private funeral for Alder. She hauled the bag over her shoulder and put on her boots quietly before leaving her house. The sea was an astonishing orange colour, just like the horizon, where the sun was coming out.

"Isn't it beautiful, Alder?" She muttered, leaving her boots and bag on the sand, far away from the water, so they wouldn't get soaked. Looking down, she realised her dress would surely get drenched, but she couldn't do much at the moment. She took her belt and pulled the skirt, so the fabric could cover the belt until the bottom of the skirt reached over her knees.