The Hunger Games - Peeta Mellark (1)

}13{ - Predator & Prey

Evening had begun to fall and the Careers regrouped to fill their emptied bottles of water in the lake.

They'd stumbled through the thick smoke of fire, threatening to slow them down.

A fire had seemed to be burn a good chunk of the arena and chased tributes towards the middle.

Which meant the careers were ready to kill.

They huffed and coughed out the vapor as they reached the edge of the lake.

Glimmer was the first to see her.

Katniss.

She cheered triumphantly and the rest of the group joined.

Livia however was silent, sending Peeta a understood look.

This was it. It was about to get harder from here.

Livia knew the number one target had been Katniss but after- it would be her and Peeta.

They had a plan- to split up and meet at the lake later on, when it was safer.

The idea was that it would be harder to kill both of them if they weren't together, but it still wasn't Livia's favorite idea.

The group chased Katniss across the lake and forced her up a tree.

Having the higher ground, Katniss smiled.

"How's everything with you?" Katniss called down cheerfully.

"Well enough", Cato started, "How about yourself?"

"It's a bit warm for my taste", She joked, "The air's better up here. Why don't you climb up and join me?"

"I think I will." He spat.

"Here, take this, Cato." Glimmer started as she handed him her archery set.

He only pushed it away, motioning to the sword on his belt.

"No, I'll do better with my sword." Cato started as he began to climb the tree.

She gave Cato time to hoist himself into the tree before she began to climb again.

She was another thirty feet in the air when the branch Cato grabbed cracked and he flailed to the ground.

He hit the ground hard before jumping back to his feet, swearing like a fiend.

Livia holds in her snicker as he failed.

"What the hell?" Cato hissed, attempting it again and failing once again.

"Move over, idiot." Glimmer jeered as she pushed him aside to attempt it herself.

Glimmer scaled the tree until the branches began to crack under her feet and then had the good sense to stop.

Katniss was at least eighty feet high now.

Glimmer tried to shoot her which caused her to lodge arrow in the tree near Katniss.

She seized it and waved it teasingly above Gilmmer's head.

Livia snickers were drowned out by the group's conspiratorial growling.

It didn't matter, twilight had arrived and their window of attack on Katniss was closing.

Finally, Peeta huffed harshly, "Oh, let her stay up there. It's not like she's going anywhere. We'll deal with her in the morning."

The rest of the group begrudgingly agreed before settling in to sleep underneath the tree.

The birds were settling down for the night, singing lullabies to their young.

Night creatures emerged.

An owl hooted.

And the faint scent of a skunk cut through the smoke.

However much her gut told her to stay awake, Livia's exhaustion consumed her.

She swayed slightly, and the last thing she remembered was Peeta gently pushing her head to rest on his shoulder.

She instantly gave into the temptation knowing Peeta would be awake- and that he wouldn't let anything happen to her.