Clove's POV
3 has finished the reburying the land mines, so now all the supplies we don't have with us are protected. Though, as I said before, since I'm over cautious I am still carrying a blanket, some food, two canteens of water (gotta stay hydrated), a sleeping bag, matches, the leather string, and some other odds and ends in my backpack. I'm the only one to be carrying a backpack with me, so I look kind of stupid. But who cares? If somehow someone steals our supplies, I have extra provisions; everybody else (excluding Cato) can starve and freeze to death.
It is beginning to get dark. We light a fire and set shifts. 3 and I first, Cato and Sierra next (Glimmer pouted at this), Glimmer and Marvel, then it's morning. Peeta has no shift tonight. I sit down with my back to the Cornucopia. Holding a large knife in my hand, just in case. 3 is sitting on the other side of the tent. I hear a faint little noise coming from the tent about thirty minutes into my shift. I quietly creep over and look inside.
Peeta is quietly repeating the name over and over, "Katniss, Katniss, Katniss..." it's kind of haunting.
Before anyone else can notice that he's calling for her (he'd probably be dead right after and not in a quick manner) I wake him up. "Peeta," I hiss. He stirs, "Peeta, wake up!"
Peeta jerks awake, "Whaaa?"
I put my finger to my lips and point out. He looks confused and suspicious at the same time.
"For the love of Jupiter, I'm not going to kill you, I swear, though it won't be me killing you if you don't get out of bed, so come on."
Peeta hesitantly gets out of his sleeping bag, picking up the spear I gave him, and placing his machete in his belt.
I yank him out of the tent and call quietly, "3 I'm going for a walk around the perimeter!"
Then without waiting for a reply I pull Peeta into the forest. After we are far away from the Cornucopia I stop, Peeta has his hang gripped tightly around the spear. "What do you want with me, Clove?"
"You really love her don't you?"
Peeta splutters, "What?"
"Katniss, you really love Katniss."
"No, I don't I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Drop the act Peeta. I know you love her. I've seen the way you look at her and the way you talk about her, and to complete the picture you were whispering her name in your sleep, which is really kinda creepy."
Peeta stares at me for a long time, all we have is the moon light to see each other, and luckily the moon is bright. "So what now? Are you going to kill me for it?" he asks, sounding like he preparing himself for a fight.
"No," I say. "I'm not going to kill you, but I'll make a deal with you."
"What kind of deal?"
"I'll protect Katniss and you as much as I can."
"What?" he asks, confused.
I take a deep breath, "I'll protect you and Katniss for as long as I can, but if choosing between me and you guys, I'll choose me to live."
"Why?"
I ignore his question. "Just tell me one thing and I'll keep this deal with you."
"What?"
"Katniss got her eleven using a bow didn't she?"
"How did you know that?" Peeta asks, astonished.
"Well," I say, "It was a guess really. I've been watching you two, I know that you're amazing with camouflage and that you're fairly good with a knife. I know that Katniss can tie knots better than anyone I've ever seen and that with the weapons she's fair, but not extraordinary, there was one weapon that she didn't use, the bow so there was only one way really that she could have gotten an eleven."
Peeta looks astonished, "Wow, I never thought about it like that."
"Yeah, well I may be small, but I'm probably the smartest in the Alliance." I smirk.
"You sure seem to be the smartest."
"Thanks."
"Now, why are you willing to do this for me?"
I give him a slight smile, "Because I know what it feels like to be in love."
"What? Who-?"
Then I turn around and walk away, leaving a confused Peeta to follow me back to the camp.
Back at camp, I see that Cato is yelling at 3. "-SO YOU JUST LET HER GO OUT IN THE FOREST ALONE?!"
"No, no, she was with the, the, boy from 12," 3 stutters.
"OH YEAH AND I BET HE WAS ARMED?!" Cato exclaims.
I jump in before Cato murders 3, "Whoa, Cato, I'm fine."
"Gods, Clove, don't go off like that." Cato rubs his forehead.
"Like what?" I ask.
"Like without telling anyone." Cato has anger rising in his voice.
"I told 3."
"Exactly what I mean," Cato says.
3 is smart enough to stay quiet.
"What were you doing anyway?"
"I was talking to Peeta." I say simply.
"About?"
"It's really none of your business."
Cato frowns at me, but he can't say because he's my boyfriend that he's worried about me and he knows that I know it.
The watch that I got from the Cornucopia beeps, "Oh, look, 3 our shift's over, guess we can go to sleep now." I say before Cato can ask me about the exact things that Peeta and I were talking about. "Cato, I'll get Sierra up for you."
I step into the tent and shake Sierra awake, "Mm?"
"It's time for your shift." I inform her.
"Oh," she yawns, "okay."
I lie down in my thermal sleeping bag, but I don't settle into sleep for a couple hours. So I lie awake and think about random things. Jocey would be nagging me about my bloody shirt. I would tell her that I don't have another change of clothes, and she'd probably tell me just to take my shirt off and just wear my vest and undergarments. I almost laugh at the thought of it.
I fall asleep thinking of Cato.
"Clove! Knife-Girl! Wake up!" I am awoken by Cato; he is standing over me, blue eyes shining in the night.
"Mm, what?" I yawn.
"Get out of the tent and you'll see." He tells me, ugh you're annoying when you're trying to be mysterious.
I get out of the tent, after I fold my sleeping bag back up and place it in my backpack. I'm the last one out; everyone is staring at a light in the distance. Someone has a fire lit in the forest.
Marvel grabs a spear, Cato has his sword, I have my knives, Sierra her trident, Peeta his machete and the spear I gave him, and 3 has a spear.
"Glimmer and 3 you guys stay behind and guard our things." I instruct.
"What?! No way am I staying with this, this, weak little..." Glimmer has an.... interesting choice of words. "Who put you in charge anyway? You're too small and weak to be a leader!"
"Excuse me?" I ask.
"Apparently she's deaf too," Glimmer says sarcastically. "I said that you're too small and weak to be a leader."
I turn my back to her, to prevent me from ripping her throat out.
"Aw look, she's crying."
Alright that's it. I take a large knife from my vest and throw it over my shoulder, it pierces Glimmer's jacket, and I threw it with so much force that it pinned her to a tree.
I walk calmly up to Glimmer, who is trying to pull the knife out from the tree. I pull another knife from my vest and put it to her throat; her pulse is going a million miles per hour. "Want to call me small and weak again?"
Before Glimmer can reply in a snarky way, Sierra interrupts. "I'll stay with 3."
I turn to look at Sierra, I'm guessing that she just saved Glimmer's life; I can have quite a temper. "Alright," I say. I pull the knife from the tree in one easy fluid motion. "Don't cross me again." I tell Glimmer, and I begin to go into the forest, the others quickly following in my wake.
We all follow the light, it's so obvious where it is, I mean, it is the only light in this whole Arena. We silently creep up to the clearing where the light's source is. The girl from 8 is sleeping by the dying fire. I cock my head sideways, indicating that we should go in. All the sudden the five of us burst out of our hiding, causing the girl to jerk awake.
She screams when she sees us and tries to run. Cato grabs her hair before she can get five feet. "Please, please," she begs. "Please don't kill me."
I feel a pang of regret for her, then I remind myself that she's from 8, her District prevented my father from coming home, from meeting me.
"Ah, honey," Glimmer says sweetly. "That's not what the games are about."
Cato laughs and takes his sword and stabs the girl in the abdomen. She lets out an agonized scream, I have to look away.
Her District killed your father; her District killed your father I have to keep telling myself, to keep me from rushing to her aid.
"Twelve down and eleven to go!" Marvel shouts.
We all hoot.
The girl has a backpack, we check through it and find, an empty canteen, half a bag of dried berries and one match. Wow. "Better clear out so they can get the body before it starts stinking," Cato remarks.
We all murmur assent, then walk away from the site.
"Shouldn't we have heard the cannon by now?" Marvel asks.
"I'd say yes. Nothing to prevent them from going in immediately," Glimmer says. Wow, something slightly intelligent from her, guess there's a first and last for everything.
"Unless, she isn't dead," I say, it's possible.
"She's dead. I stuck her myself." Cato says indignantly, mimicking the struck motion with his sword.
"Someone should go back. Make sure the job's done." Marvel says.
"Yeah," I agree, "we don't want to have to track her down twice."
"I said she's dead!" I can feel Cato's temper rising. 2 isn't very well known for its patience and calmness...
"We're wasting time! I'll finish her and let's move on!" Peeta exclaims.
"Go on, then, Lover Boy," Cato says confidently. "See for yourself."
Peeta takes a torch and head back to where we killed the girl. He's limping from his leg injury, and his face is now swollen with his bruises. We all stay silent until he gets out of earshot.
"Why don't we kill him now and get it over with?" Glimmer asks.
"Let him tag along. What's the harm? And he's handy with a knife." I say.
"Besides, he's our best chance of finding her." Cato puts in.
"Why?" Marvel asks. "You think she bought into that sappy romance stuff?"
"She might have. Seemed pretty simpleminded to me. Every time I think about her spinning around in that dress, I want to puke." Ha Glimmer, you're just jealous that she got more attention than you did in your slutty dress.
"Wish we knew how she got that eleven." Marvel says wistfully.
"Bet you Lover Boy knows." Cato says.
Bet you Clove knows.
I hear Peeta coming back, apparently they do too, since they all silence.
"Was she dead?" asks Cato.
The fact
"No." Peeta says simply. "But she is now, ready to move on?"
It surprises me that the sun is already coming up, it was a short night. The sound of birds chirping fills the air making me feel sick for home. I miss waking up and going to training with Joce and Shawna. I miss seeing the sun rise over the mountains and getting congratulations from Patricia. I miss it all, and I don't intend to ever see it again, Cato's going to be the one to make it out of this Arena alive, not me.
We make it back to our camp when the sun is just over the tree line. Peeta makes us breakfast, though Marvel insists on watching him to make sure that he doesn't try and poison us or something. I decide to put some use to the long cord of leather string that I had in my backpack. I cut and tie the string in my jacket, making it so I can store knives there. I have my vest, but it's better to have more weapons on you than less.
3 comes over, "Can I help you?"
"No, 3, I'm fine on my own." I tell him.
He crouches down anyway. "My name isn't 3 you know," he says.
I really don't care either way.
"It's Sasha."
"That's great," I say, still tying holding places to the inside of my jacket.
Sasha takes my cutting knife from the ground, cuts himself a piece of leather, then he ties the string in through the little holes inside my jacket. When he's done, he's made 3 knife holding spots instead of just one at a time. He keeps helping me and I don't object, I mean, why would I? It takes four times less time than it would if I was doing it by myself. When I'm done I say, "Um, thanks..."
"Sasha."
"I know," I say before walking away and leaping to the supply pile. I sit inside the supply pile area and put knife after knife in my jacket. Then I find sheaths for knives and attach them to my belt. I already have a sheath for my sword, but I add more (smaller ones) for knives. By the time I'm done, everyone else has finished their breakfast, and I'm loaded to the teeth in knives. I grab an extra knife before hopping over the landmines to get my share of breakfast.
"And she finally arrives," Marvel remarks.
"We were just talking about if you didn't get here soon, I'd eat your breakfast." Cato informs me.
"Well isn't that sweet of you?" I say, picking up my piece of toast and an apple. I eat both of these fairly quickly and wash it down with a few mouthfuls of water.
"She eats so lady-like." Glimmer says sarcastically.
I look up and glare at Glimmer, "Wanna go again, princess?"
"Alright!" Marvel says quickly. "Why don't we discuss who to hunt next?"
We all murmur in agreement.
"I think we should go after that big one from 11." Glimmer says, I roll my eyes.
"His name is Thresh." I say.
"Does it look like I care?"
Does it look like I want to skin you alive with my knives? If so, that's a yes.
"Anyway," Cato says, interrupting, "I personally don't want to go into that field, he's had about a day to scout it out, and as soon as we go in he could pick us off one by one."
"Are you saying that you're scared?" Marvel taunts Cato.
Cato's hand flies to his sword in his sheath, it's my turn to interrupt. "No, he's just being reasonable." Marvel looks surprised that I'm standing up for Cato; after all we 'don't get along.' I'm pretty sure they slept through Cato's whole fit, though, I'm not sure how. "If we go into that field," I point towards the field. "Thresh knows his territory, and he's bigger than all of us, he killed Marino." I say pointedly to Sierra. "He's pretty good with a crescent sword, and while we stumble around in the tall grass, he can just kill us one at a time. So what Cato was saying, was actually smart, for once."
"Yeah," Sierra says, I wonder if she and Marino were friends or something. "We shouldn't go, Marino was good, and if Thresh killed Marino then it would be a bad idea to go into his territory. Let's just wait him out until he needs food or weapons."
"Reminding you that he already has a weapon and it's not like he's going to need a new one." Marvel says in an obviously voice to Sierra.
"Well, sure he has a weapon and since he's from 11 he probably knows his edible grains pretty well, so we'll just have to wait and see, I guess." I say.
"Let's have a vote," Cato says, "Everyone who wants to chase after Thresh raise your hand."
Marvel and Glimmer raise their hands.
"And all who don't." Cato says.
Cato, Sierra, Peeta, Sasha, and I raise our hands.
"Great," I say cheerily, "it's five on two, we win."
"That is totally not fair!" Glimmer exclaims.
"How is it not fair?" Sierra asks, sounding just about as fed up with Glimmer as me.
"It's obvious that he," Glimmer points furiously at the boy from 3, "is in love with her," she points to me, wait what?! "So he'll be on her side no matter what!"
Sasha blushes and says, "I-I-I'm not in love!"
"Yeah," Glimmer says sarcastically, "We all gaze lovingly at each other here, and help each other out whole crafting with their jackets."
I see the muscles tighten in Cato's arms.
Before Sasha can say anything I say, "It's funny how much you've been watching me Glimmer, is it because you're jealous?"
"Of you? What the hell would I be jealous of you for?"
"Maybe because I got a better training score and I have better chance of winning these than you."
Glimmer takes the bow from around her and aims an arrow at me.
I smirk, "Go on, shoot me."
Glimmer lets go of the arrow; everyone gasps. Cato looks like he might strangle Glimmer. I'll willingly let him do that. The arrow wizzes right over my shoulder. I smirk at Glimmer again. I don't even know why she chose a bow; it's obvious that she can't use one for her life. Seriously, I'm standing about five feet away from her and she can't even hit me. "Miss," I say, making my voice snarky.
Glimmer glares at me, and notches another arrow. "Alright," Cato says, probably doesn't want to risk my life again. Though seeing Glimmer's skill, that won't be an issue. "No need to go killing our allies."
"But Cato," Glimmer whines making the o longer.
"No, we still have other people out there to hunt, and then you can kill her." Like he would ever let Glimmer kill me.
A smile appears on Glimmer's face, she's probably thinking about the fun ways she can kill me. Ha, let that twig bitch try."Alright," she gives Cato a peck on the cheek.
He looks just as surprised as I do.
We all disperse around the camp. I go and make sure to tell Cato that I'm going into the forest but when he asks me if I need company, I tell him no. I need to go and think, alone. I just walk aimlessly around in the forest for what seems like hours, until I come across a small clearing. Plopping myself down in the clearing, I close my eyes and soak in the warmth of the sunlight. Of course, I'm not an idiot, I have a knife in one hand, ready to throw, and I still have my jacket, vest and belt. I'm well equipped for a fight.
When I hear a faint rustle, my eyes flick open immediately, and I see a flash of red then nothing else. All the sudden realization hits me, red, that's the color of the girl from 5's hair. She was spying on me, for how long, I don't know.
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