The next couple of days were pretty uneventful, in Hunger Games terms at least.
We continued to hunt for the district 12 girl, Katniss. No one challenged us along our way, in fact we saw no one at all.
"Something is bound to happen soon," Peeta spoke up during one evening.
Clove shot him a glare as sharp as the daggers she kept in her vest.
"No one asked you, lover boy."
Cato shook his head and chuckled.
"But it's true, we have only killed 1 person since the first 2 days. They will be getting bored."
As if he summoned a spell, there was a sudden change in the atmosphere.
I wasn't the only one who noticed. It was Glimmer- as dull as she is- who said our thoughts out loud.
"Something's wrong," she whispered, looking wildly around.
We were sitting at the stream near the cornucopia, Cato immediately got up to run out into the small clearing, us following on his heels.
He pointed to the north, where the land curved upwards into slight mountains. Only this time, they were surrounded by a dark cloud of ash and smoke.
"Fire," Marina whispered.
Glimmer clutched Cato's arm,
"It's heading towards us, it won't get us will it?"
Clove stiffens, but covers it up by scoffing at the blonde girls stupidity.
"Don't be dumb. They aren't trying to kill anyone, they are herding them."
"Towards us," Marina finished.
Cato nods his head.
"Exactly." He shrugs Glimmer off him as if she were an annoying bug and picks up his sword. It was medium size, but bulky but weighed barely a thing.
Without another glance back at us he strides straight towards the burning forest,
.....................................
This was where we struck gold, for a couple hours we searched the burnt area, looking for any sign of struggle or a injured tribute.
I could hear a distant sound of a stream of water,
"Cato, let's go check out the river. There's no one here."
The bigger boy turned to me with an annoyed expression.
"Aw is poor Marvel tired and thirsty?"
I rolled my eyes, I knew he was just trying to tick me off. But this made me feel oddly good. He is clearly threatened by me if he feels every need to constantly prove himself to be the leader.
"No, how about you use your brain for once? There's been a fire, smoke is everywhere. Where would you go if you were dehydrated, injured or burnt? A water source. But hey, if you want to keep searching through the burnt trees then go ahead."
I almost regretted snapping back at him, until he smiled.
He walked over and slapped me on the back as if we were good mates, and headed towards the stream.
"I like your thinking, it's smart."
I was a bit surprised, but I couldn't let that show. I wasn't the only one. Clove had gripped her daggers the second I had spoken up.
We all walked out to the stream, it consisted of large rocks where the water washed over it by barely an inch, letting us walk over it.
By now, Cato seemed to have calmed down. We were all laughing together out on the stream when all of a sudden I saw a slight movement in the bushes to our left,
It was her. Katniss. The girl who outshone me in not only the reaping, not only the parade, not only the rankings but also the interviews.
Bitter rage flooded through my blood. I didn't care if Cato or Clove or anyone called "dibs" on killing her. The second I catch her I am plunging my spear straight into her heart.
Peeta noticed her as well, he looked at me with pleading eyes.
But I don't care.
"There she is, get her!"
I shout, sprinting towards her. She scrambles to get out of the water before running into the forest.
But this time she wouldn't get away. I plunge into the woods, sprinting after her. She was at least 200 yards away from me.
She seemed to be dragging one leg behind her, she must have gotten injured in the fire.
Good.
I could hear the other Careers cheering and catching up from behind, she must have heard too as she leaped onto the nearest tree and started to climb.
I stop at the trunk, watching her scamper up.
Got you. No where you can go now.
The others stop next to me and watch her as she sits at the fork of a tree looking down at us.
Unexpectedly, she calls to us first.
"How you guys doing?"
Cato laughs before answering,
"Pretty good, what's it like up there?"
She shrugs,
"Pretty warm to be honest. You should come see for yourself."
"I think I will," he responds.
Glimmer takes off her bow and arrow and shoves it towards Cato,
"Here, use these."
He doesn't even spare her a glance. Instead he pulls out his sword,
"No, I'll use this instead." He clutches the sword before leaping up onto the tree.
Katniss turns and climbs even further up the tree, her nimble frame was able to be held by the thin branches.
We were much bigger than her, and all of the other tributes. We may still have been poor by the Capitols standard, but it was common that we would often get three meals a day. Other districts might only get one of they were lucky.
In this case, it was not to our advantage. Cato was barely 1/4 of the way to her before the branch he clambered onto snapped beneath him. He fell the the ground with a loud thump, for a second I wondered weather he snapped his neck.
I was disappointed when he stood up, glaring at the girl now laughing down at us.
"Let me,"
Glimmer knocks a arrow into her bow-
And misses. Clove and Marina share a pained look between each other.
I almost forgot about Peeta until he spoke up.
"Oh just leave her. She can't go anywhere, we will deal with her tomorrow."
He was right, it was twilight now, the sun slowly shrinking behind the trees.
Cato drops his sword dramatically to the ground.
"Fine. Go get some branches, I'll start a fire."
...................................
We sat around the fire. None of us brought food due to Catos carelessness as he stormed off after lunch without packing anything. But it didn't matter. We ate full meals often so it wasn't a matter of life and death.
It was the same routine when we sat around the fire at night: Glimmer curling up next to Cato as he plays with the coals in the fire. Clove either glaring at them or throwing her knifes at something. She was doing that now with a lizard that unfortunately scurried right in front of her.
Marina would try to make small talk with me every now and then, but I wasn't up for it. I couldn't get attached. I couldn't let myself.
But I would often find myself watching her play with her hair to pass the time. Or I would watch Clove organise her knifes for the 100th time that day. But each time I would catch myself, they have to die. I will have to kill them immediately if they show any sign of wanting to kill me.
I caught Peeta glancing up at the tree where Katniss's lay unmoving multiple times, the first being whilst we were watching the sky during the anthem for any deaths, his head was turned towards the tree.
After a while, I sighed before setting out my sleeping bag. The others followed in suit.
It had been a tiring day, and tomorrow would be an even bigger one.
I looked up at the tree one last time,
I'll get you, girl on fire. I'll get you.