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"How the hell did we end up here again?" the boy muttered under his breath, clearly annoyed. Aries and Estella were hidden among the thick branches of the trees, concealed from the chaos below. After a restful night, most of their wounds had healed, but as Estella expected, Aries's burns had left behind an ugly, jagged scar that ran from his shoulder down the length of his right arm—a cruel reminder of the fire they narrowly escaped.
Estella perched higher up in the tree, always the more agile of the two, while Aries remained a couple of branches below, not exactly blessed with the best climbing skills. Not far from them, Katniss rested against the tree trunk, her seared calf dangling off the edge of her branch. Directly below, the Careers were sleeping, and so was Peeta—an arrangement that still didn't sit right with Estella, despite her better judgment.
"Shh. You said we could help her, and that's exactly what we're doing," Estella reminded him, voice hushed.
"Yeah, well, I regret what I said. We could've been spending a peaceful afternoon together instead of babysitting." Aries grumbled in response, earning a sharp glare from Estella above. He raised both hands in mock surrender, though the smirk tugging at his lips gave away his amusement. Before Estella could respond, something flickering in the corner of her vision caught both their attention—just a few trees over stood Rue, small and silent.
Relief washed over Estella at the sight of the younger girl safe and unharmed. She was still bitter that Peeta had left Rue to rejoin the Careers, but seeing the girl in one piece reassured her. Maybe that boy wasn't as heartless as he seemed. Her gaze drifted down to the sleeping Careers while Aries silently gestured for Rue to come closer.
By the time Rue reached them, Katniss had stirred from her slumber. Estella's eyes fell to the angry red burn on Katniss's leg, eerily resembling Aries's own injury. She pulled out the medicine tin gifted by a sponsor and turned to Aries.
Aries questioned the decision with a raised eyebrow. "You intend to give that to her?" he inquired, a hint of disbelief coloring his tone. She simply shrugged in response, offering a matter-of-fact explanation. "She's injured, Aries," Estella stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
A low, almost inaudible grumble escaped Aries's lips. "She's not the only one who's hurting," he muttered under his breath, making no effort to conceal his contempt for Katniss. The depth of his dislike was palpable, hanging in the air like a heavy cloud. In truth, if given the choice, Aries would have much preferred to administer the medicine to Cato rather than Katniss. This preference served as a clear indication, a powerful testament, to the profound level of animosity he harbored towards her. It spoke volumes about his true feelings.
Estella sighed and rolled her eyes as Rue shifted uncomfortably between them, as if caught in the middle of an argument between feuding parents.
Without another word, Estella grabbed a twig and tossed it close to Katniss to alert her of their presence. Once the girl looked up, Estella held up the tin and mimed a throwing motion. Katniss nodded, catching on. With practiced precision, Estella gently tossed the container, and it landed smoothly in Katniss's palm.
