Gale's POV
I woke up and Y/n was already awake, she was stroking my hair and still stuck in my arms that are wrapped tightly around her body.
"Y/n, you're awake!" I said excitedly and sat up.
"Yeah, I woke up not too long ago. Thank you for finding me I probably would have died if it weren't for you" She says
"Of course, I found your camp and I knew it was yours because I saw your jacket, then I found the tracker jacker nest and tree with the knives in it and I knew I needed to find you"
"So, what happened? How did you get teamed with the careers?"
"They told me to join them, and I said no, but then they tried to kill me so I was forced to agree. We were teamed up for a couple of days and the night that they chased you up the tree I offered to take watch all night. Then I let you out of the tree and the next morning Cato and I fought, I knocked him out and then left to find you but I got lost so it took a while. I found you lying in the grass by the river, you were out for like two days."
"Really? what'd I miss?"
"Well another boy and girl died, but the careers went back to the cornucopia and took everything, they made a big camp and they have a huge pile of food and weapons." She nodded "I saw you went hunting, nice job with the snares."
"Thank you, it was hard but remembered how you taught me"
"Are you hungry? You haven't eaten in like 2 days,"
"It's weird, I'm not that hungry actually." That's really weird, I put my hand up to her forehead, it was super hot.
"Oh, you're burning up, you have a fever," I said
"Oh. I think I have some pills for that, there in my backpack" I get out the pills and have her take two and drink a lot of water. She takes off her jacket and sits in the shade, I have her eat 2 rolls and a beef stick. She starts to feel a little better. She told me everything that happened on her first days here, and I told her about mine.
"Should we destroy the careers pile?" I ask her
"I like that idea, but how would we do it?" She asks
"They planted the explosives around it, in case anyone tries to get into it. If we can make all of them go off then everything will be gone. And they will have to actually do something to win, not just sit around all day"
"Cool, we'll have to get them out of their camp somehow, make a distraction"
"We could use your idea and start a big fire to draw them in, then we could go and set off the explosives with some rocks or something"
"Let's do it. One of us can start the fire, and the other can go to the site and destroy everything."
"Yeah, but who will do what?"
"I could set the fire and then get as far away as possible, and you could go to their camp"
"Okay, let's do it today"
We went out and gathered a bunch of leafy branches that will make a lot of smoke when she lights them. We found three places to start three big fires so that all the careers go to see them and kill whoever made them. We got the piles ready to start, all Y/n has to do is light them and then run as far away as she can from the fires.
"Okay, all you should have to do is set each fire then the next, then the next. Then run to safety. I'm gonna go to their campsite and find a way to set off the explosives, then we'll meet up back at the river and find a new spot to stay. Got it?" I say
"Yes, but what if they don't fall for it?" Y/n asks
"They were stupid enough to let me make sure that you don't get to escape, even after I admitted to all of Panem that I'm in love with you. I'm pretty sure they'll fall for it."
"Ha, you're right." She says. "Well it may take a while to get to their camp, you should probably get going."
"Yeah, please be careful. I'm serious, once you've started those fires run the hell away, you cant let them find you"
"Okay, you be careful too. Don't let them see you." I grabbed one side of her face gently and kissed her.
"Of course, I'll be careful. I'll see you later. I promise" I left to get to their campsite.
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Y/n's POV
I woke up surprised to be in the strong embrace of Gale's arms. He must have found me. I look up at him, he's still asleep. I gently stroke his hair with my hand and he wakes up. He was so happy that I'm finally awake. He said I'd been asleep for 2 days.
He asked if I was hungry, but I wasn't, which was weird because I hadn't eaten in 2 days. He felt my forehead and said I have a fever. He had me take two of the pills and drink a lot of water, then I ate 2 rolls and one beef stick.
Gale told me everything that happened when I was out. Two more people gone and that's it. He told me why he had to team up with the careers and that they now have a giant pile of supplies and weapons.
We made a plan to destroy every bit of it so that they can get up off their asses and do something. I'm gonna lure them in with a fire, then Gale will go to their campsite and use the explosives they planted to destroy it.
Before we went our separate ways, Gale kissed me. I wonder what Peeta thinks of Gale and me being together. Is he happy for us? Is he worried that we won't get to spend as much time together? Wait no, only one of us can make it back. And it needs to be Gale. If it comes down to just the two of us I'll eat a handful of nightlock if that's what it takes, but whatever I do, Gale needs to be the one who goes home.
I started lighting the first fire, I heard a little twig snap behind me. I looked back and didn't see anyone.
"Hello?" I said as I got a knife ready to throw. "Who's there?" I was expecting one of the careers, but I was shocked when I saw a little girl. She's from 11, she looks around ten years old but she has to be at least twelve.
"Please don't throw it" She says, I put my knife down.
"Don't worry, I won't. What's your name?"
"Rue," She says "heard that you gonna destroy the careers pile. I was also plotting my own idea to destroy it" I laughed a little bit.
"You can come with me if you'd like. I'm lighting fires to draw them all in, and the boy from my district in gonna destroy it while they're all gone."
"Cool," She comes with me and tells me all about her time in the arena so far. I tell her about mine and everything that happened. I mentioned Gale and she laughed a little bit.
"What so funny?" I ask
"Is all of that true?" She says
"Is all of what true?"
"You and him?"
I laughed. "Yup. I was surprised at first" She giggled again. We got to the next area and we both started the fire and made it huge.
"Okay, come on, before they get to the first one. We have to get as far away as possible." I said we continue the last one.
"Rue, can you start this one? I'm gonna climb a tree and see if they're coming" I say
"Okay" She starts on making the fire. I found a tree and started climbing up. I got to a place high enough I could see their camp. Nobody was there anymore. But I saw Gale looking around all of it trying to find a way to set off the explosives. But they are all on their way to at least the first fire right now. I looked down a bit and saw one of the careers coming from behind Rue. Oh no.
"Rue!" I yelled, but it was too late, the boy threw his spear into her stomach. I fell out of the tree but there was so much adrenaline in me that I barely felt it. The boy tried to come for me now, but I threw 3 knives at him, -two in his stomach and one directly in his heart. Rue fell to the ground.
"Rue? A-are you okay?" I say
"You have to destroy it all." She says
"I will, I promise. you're gonna be okay" I knew that she was dying but I wanted her to be comforted in her last moments.
"Y/n," She said almost in a whisper
"Yeah"
"Can you sing to me?"
"Of course"
I thought for a second. I know what I'm gonna sing. It's called the meadow song. My mother sang it to me when I was younger.
Deep in the meadow, Under the willow.
A bed of grass, A soft green pillow.
Lay down your head, And close your eyes.
And when they open, the sun will rise.
A tear streamed down my face.
Here it's safe, and here it's warm.
Here the daisies guard you against every harm.
Here your dreams are sweet, and tomorrow brings them true.
Here is the place, where I love you.
Rue drew her final breath and shut her eyes. Her cannon went off just after the boys who killed her went off. I cried there looking at her, as her head rested in my lap. I can't just leave her like this. I have to show some kind of respect for her. I zip up her jacket and lay her hands resting on her stomach. I gather a bunch of flowers of purple, white, blue, pink, and orange, and lay them all around her, I place a bundle of them in her hands, and I even braid some into her hair. She was too young, too small. With nobody to volunteer for her, she deserved better.
I kissed her forehead and before I left, I held up my three middle fingers, it's a symbol of thanks, of admiration, and goodbye. I started to walk again, when I heard a big explosion. It must have been Gale destroying the supplies.