My aching body finally relaxes as I fall back against a log that lies on the ground. There were not many of us left in the arena. If the Capitol wanted to they could push us all together with some sort of creature or natural disaster but I think there has been enough blood shed for one day. They might leave us alone long enough to get a good night's rest.
Katniss stays silent next to me, her head resting on a log as she stares up at the sky. Her eyes are red and dry from the constant crying.
I wanted to comfort her somehow since I knew what it was like to lose someone, but I didn't know how. Over the past few days, we had only spoken to one another when needed to. If she needed me to find firewood or fill our canteens with water, all the other conversations were through Rue. She would ask questions and try to figure out the people we were back home, occasionally asking Katniss about Peeta or me about Cato. Although I felt weird admitting so much to her, it kinda helped.
Just to have someone who was there for you, someone who made the worst situations feel ok, she made everything so much better.
Cato made me feel better at one point too, that night on the roof almost made me forget about the situation we were in. I thought that I had changed him, and made him realize what the games really were, but apparently I didn't. Watching him chase Katniss up that tree with excitement made me feel sick. He enjoyed this, he enjoyed the killing the rest of us dreaded.
I wanted to believe that he saved me back at the cornucopia, that he saw that boy from three about to kill me and he just leaped forward out of his love for me. I desperately wanted it to be true, but I couldn't help but think he killed the boy just because he wanted to. Of course, the boy had a purpose when the supplies were there, but once Cato came back to everything destroyed he had no use for him anymore. It was just another
opportunity to get rid of someone. Eliminate the competition.
I couldn't let Rue die in vain, one of her last requests was for one of us to win, and if that was going to happen Cato would have to die either way.
"Where did you learn that song?" Katniss finally spoke, her eyes still staring ahead. "My mom. She used to sing it to me when I was little," I say, my lips curving into a brief smile as I think of her. She turns to me, face drained of any emotion, "She must be worried." I feel my stomach turn in on itself in response to her words.
"Actually," I mutter under my breath. I try to speak but nothing comes out. Come on, why is this so hard for me to say? "She's," I froze as I realized I had never had to say it before. I had never had to say she was dead, because everyone already knew. At least back home. She was well known, always helping anyone who needed it, so the news of her death spread fast.
After that, I was filled with overwhelming sadness and everything else just seemed pointless. For a while, I just shut everyone out. I became practically invisible in school, after the initial shock nobody cared anymore. Even the few friends I had left me, all but Sky that is.
"She's dead," I say, Katniss's expression lightening. Her eyes go from dark and angry to a look of pity."Oh, I'm sorry for your loss," She says quickly before looking down to her lap. "You?" I ask. "What?" she says.
"Where did you learn the song?" I say. She slowly looks up to the canopy formed in the leaves of the trees, staying quiet as she thought. "It was well known around my District, but," she paused, taking in a stuffy breath, "my dad was the one who taught me before he died." I bite back my lip, unsure of what to say. After Rue's death I had assumed this was her first loss, I guess I just didn't think.
Aside from the career districts and the few wealthy we had, everyone else was miserable. The districts were starved, tortured, and overworked. Most of us probably have seen death and watched our loved ones be taken. Sometimes even right in front of us.
"I'm sorry for your loss as well," I say. She only nods, still silent aside from her occasional sniffles. "Look," I say, causing her to turn toward me, "I know how you must be feeling right now. I also know what you're probably thinking. There's only one winner, right?" She still doesn't speak, only staring at me with her dark eyes. "If you want me to leave then I will," I say quickly. Her eyes widened a bit, she was shocked I had suggested it.
She thought for a bit before opening her mouth. "Can you still fight," she says. I drew my eyebrows together, confused as to why she was asking. I nodded. "Even with your arm," she says slightly louder while pointing at the bandages wrapped around me. "Yes, I can. Why?" I ask.
"You're still a useful ally. Rue's not here but I can still use your help, and I think you can use mine," she says. I smile, feeling the trails of my long dried tears stinging my skin a bit.
Like I had come to realize right after Jenna's death, I couldn't do this on my own. I need an Ally, and one with skills like Katniss's is just an added bonus. If we play the game right, without backstabbing or stealing from one another, there is a good chance one of us will come out alive.
"Team," I say while holding out a hand. She hesitates but slowly reaches out to grab it. "Team," she responds.
Suddenly a loud sound booms through the arena, it was an announcer. My heart raced as I thought of everything he could say. A Feast, wasn't it? This late in the game it was probably time for one anyway. Tempting us all with some valuable item we desperately needed, placing it right in the mouth of the cornucopia, forcing us all to fight one another yet again.
"Congratulations to those who have made it this far," He says, echoing throughout the entire arena for the seven of us who remain to hear, "There has been a slight rule change." Both Katniss and I snap our heads toward each other, probably thinking the same thing. A rule change? They were extremely rare, but even then they never happened this late into the games. "From now on, two victors may be crowned. That will be all," he says, the sound of his voice fading away into silence.
"Peeta," Katniss whispers under her breath. I look up at her, of course, she would want to find him. Despite the possibility of him being injured, he was still from her home. Just like Jenna was from mine. I'd hate anyone who didn't jump at the chance to team with their district partner. A chance I never had. If only Jenna had made it till now, we could have both won and made it out together.
All thanks to Katniss and Peeta's star-crossed lovers act, they might make it out together. Wait? Was it only them? Where they were the only couple everyone in the Capitol was rooting for, or were Cato and I just as equally bet on?
"I have to find him, Y/n," She says while standing, muscles tense. She was ready to fight if I initiated it, lucky for her I didn't. "Look," I say while standing as well, her stance not changing, "I wanna help you find him. I still view you as an ally, and if it helps I promise to leave in the final four. Without a fight, I promise I'll just go."
She studies me for a second before relaxing, "Alright, let's go."
Traversing the arena seemed easier than it ever had, especially with another person who was surprisingly equally skilled in survival as I was. We kept up a steady pace, ensuring we were not being followed until we finally made it to the river.
It ran down its jagged rock formations at a steady calming pace, making a pleasant sound. I take a look around me but still no Peeta. "Blood," Katniss blurts while bending forward to touch a crimson liquid that lay on the rocks. It wasn't fully dry meaning he had to have been moving around her recently. The two of us jump up over the rocks and keep looking. There was another cluster of blood, and then another. With each rock we climbed, another chain of red streaks revealed themselves to us. It was almost exactly like hunting a hurt animal.
As we came to a clearing I noticed the trails of blood were gone, nobody was in sight. "Peeta," Katniss yells, cautious of how loud she was. "Katniss," someone said, causing both of us to let out a quiet shriek.
I look at Katniss's leg and notice a gray ashy hand wrapped around it, my eyes wander the area, finally landing on its eyes. "Dammit Peeta you scared me!" She says while kneeling at his side to pull him from the crevice he laid in. I couldn't recognize him till his bright blond hair emerged, his entire body was covered in some sort of textured paint, and he looked like a moving rock.
"Thanks," he says before letting out a hiss. "Careful," He says. I slowly removed the rocks around his leg and brushed the paint off, making sure I didn't touch the cut on his thigh. "Here bring him over to the side," I say, lifting his legs while Katniss lifted his torso. "Oh Y/n, you're here too. Hi," He says with a smile before laying back against the hard rock. "He's losing blood," she says while feeling around his leg. "Wait! Your bandages," Katniss says while holding her hand out.
"Oh," I mutter, quickly reaching into my backpack to grab my roll. I was helping both of them a lot, for now, I was ok with it, but I sure hoped they would return the favor by sparing me when the time came. "Here," I say, offering up the small white roll of bandages. She takes them, instantly pulling a good length out to wrap.
"Can you lift his leg," she says. I follow and wrap my left arm around his leg, lifting with all the strength I had. Katniss begins to frantically wrap it around his leg, trying to hurt him as least as possible. "Y/n. Katniss. I-I," he tries to speak but is cut off by Katniss, "No! We are not going to leave you. We're not doing that." He closes his mouth and sits back, those same puppy eyes looking down at his wound. I was no doctor but I could tell it was worse than mine.
The blade may have punctured my arm but I could still move it, plus the spear tip wasn't that big meaning it didn't hit much. His leg however was completely immobilized, the cut was extremely deep and nearly ran down his whole thigh. Even as we lift him, supporting his upper body on both of our shoulders, he still is forced to walk on one leg.
"We need to find shelter for tonight," Peeta says. I look over at Katniss, she stares back quickly before looking around the forest. We were out here weaker than ever. With our weapons at our sides and Peeta relying on our support, someone like Thresh could easily come in and wipe us all out. We had to find shelter for our survival, and we had to find it fast.
Hill after hill we climbed it seemed that nowhere was a good place to set up camp. We needed somewhere secluded, somewhere like the place Jenna and I slept our first night, and suddenly I spotted it. "Over there!" I shout while pointing at my injured arm. There was a large rock formation not too far from us. As we near it we soon learn it wasn't just a mountain of rocks forming an overpass, it was an entrance to a cave. A cave perfect for hiding.