Lovers In The Arena \\ Gale Hawthorne

Chapter 8: The Games (Gale's POV)

Gale's POV

When the gong rang I ran toward the cornucopia. Haymitch told us not to, but I knew I could do it. I saw Y/n just grab a backpack and run straight into the woods. Smart. But I grabbed a ton of knives, a sword, and a backpack, then one of the career tributes asked me to join their alliance. I said no but they tried to kill me so I agreed. 

After we grabbed everything we needed we went into the woods. I need to find Y/n, but I can't lead them to her because then they'll kill her. I plan to offer to take watch one night and then leave them to find her. So I stay with them. We all walk through the woods, for most of the day, looking for somewhere to set up a camp. It's dark now and we saw a glow of a fire.

"Come on let's get her" Cato, the leader of the group said. We all ran toward her and Cato stabbed her in the side. We kept walking, but we didn't hear a cannon go off, so they made me go back and kill her for good. I didn't want to but they made me, I went back and stabbed her where she would just die the quickest. When the cannon went off I went back to them and we kept looking for a place to sleep.

We found a place where we made a fire and we had all our weapons around us. One of the girls, Glimmer, said she was scared and wanted to sleep with me but I told her to suck it up and sleep alone. So then she didn't talk to me again, which was good because she's just as annoying as all the other girls at school. There are 12 tributes dead now, leaving twelve of us alive. I hoped that Y/n wasn't dead, but when it was dark and they showed everyone who died today I was relieved not to see her dead. 

I couldn't sleep that night because I was so worried about Y/n, I need to find her tomorrow.

The next morning we all woke up and found breakfast. Well not really, the careers always get sponsors so they sent us rolls and a bunch of different jellies. After we had all eaten we went to find more tributes to kill. I didn't plan on killing anyone, I was just gonna try not to get killed, but the careers love to kill people so I had to watch a lot of people die.

It was early afternoon, we were all walking near a river when we saw Y/n in this swimming area, she looked hurt because when they all started chasing her she was limping. They chased her until she quickly climbed a tree. I knew that she was much smaller than any of the careers so they wouldn't be able to reach her. Glimmer tried to climb up but the branches broke, and the same with Cato, Y/n told them to throw the sword, so Cato did and he missed. They all threw knives at her but they might as well have just given her their knives because they all got stuck in the tree.

I told them that we should just leave her alone for now and that she'll eventually have to come down. So we set up camp below the tree. Later we were all sitting by the fire talking and when they started to drift off, I offered to take watch all night. They agreed and I sat under the tree she was in. I was relieved that she was okay, and since I'm sort of watching her as well, she's gonna be okay all night.

I stayed up all night waiting for the right time to proceed with my plan. When the sun started to rise, everyone was still asleep, so I told Y/n to come down from the tree, and go to the river, where I'm gonna meet up with her. She agreed, before she left, I kissed her, because it could be the last time I do.

I sat by the tree again, and everyone started to wake up now. Breakfast was sent to us again, I took some of the rolls and put them in my bag because when I meet up with Y/n again I'm gonna give them to her. I don't know if she has been able to eat yet, I hope she was able to set some snares or something. Cato went to the tree to torment Y/n some more, but he saw that she was gone.

"Where the hell is she?!" He yelled

"Who?" One of the guys asked

"Y/n! You know, the girl we chased up the tree. The one we need to kill! Loverboy, you let her go, didn't you?! I should have known!" He went to attack me but I fought back, the other career didn't even try to get in the way so they all just ran. Cato and I fought, he sliced my arm, but it wasn't that deep, he started punching me, but I'm better at fighting than he is, so I got the upper hand, I knocked him out grabbed my backpack, and ran as fast as I could.

I turned wrong a few times, and now I'm lost. I sat down to think of where the river was, I didn't want to get more lost so I tried to be as quiet as possible to try to hear it. But I couldn't, there's nothing else to do now but keep walking. I walked all day, now it's almost dark. Y/n probably thinks I abandoned her again, I keep walking and eventually find the river. I walked along the side of it, I came across a camp. There were remains of a fire, a dead rabbit and squirrel, a jacket, and a backpack. It didn't take me long to realize that this is all Y/n's. I know because each district is given a different color jacket, like green, red, grey, orange, etc. This jacket is black, like mine. It's Y/n's camp, but where is she?

I look all around, I come across a tree with knives in it, it looked like someone was practicing, they were all spot on, just like Y/n throws. So those are hers as well. I see a bee's nest that looks like it was hit with a knife and fell, all the bees were out of it now. Y/n must have accidentally missed and hit the nest. I walk closer to it and see a few of the bees. But they're not bees, they're tracker jackers. One stung my hand.

"Shit!" I said when it stung me. I pulled the stinger out, I found some leaves that suck the venom out of the stings, I grabbed a few and wrapped them around my hand. I grabbed some extra just in case Y/n is somewhere and she's been stung. I look all over for her. Eventually, by the river, I see Y/n laying in the grass, past out. Or at least I hope she's just passed out.

"Y/n!" I run toward her and see she's been stung on her left arm once, her right arm twice, and there's one on her neck. She's still breathing though so that's good. I pick her up and take her back to the camp where she's not so out in the open. I laid her down in the soft grass and put the leaves on all her stings. She hasn't woken yet but once all the venom is sucked out, she should be able to wake up. When I got the leaves on all her stings, I kissed her forehead.

"You'll be okay" I whispered. I went to get the knives out of the tree, and when I got them I brought them back to the camp. I set more snares around the area, filled both our water bottles up, and found some edible plants that I recognized from training, I wasn't sure about eating them though because nightlock looked just like blueberries, and these could very well be poisonous for all I know. I did find a blackberry bush, and I was sure those are edible, I grabbed a handful and ate them by the river. 

It's dark now and Y/n still hasn't woken up, I pick some more of the leaves and replace them, because the newer they are, the more effective they'll be. I checked my snares and I got another two rabbits. I cooked one over a fire I made, but once it was done, I put out the fire. 

After I ate I couldn't sleep because there wouldn't be anyone to take watch. So I stayed up again, occasionally splashing my face with the cold river water to keep me awake. When the sun rises I start to doze off, but I can't sleep. If I do, someone will come and kill both of us. I get up and change Y/n's leaves again. Yesterday I heard 2 more cannons go off so that leaves 10 of us left.

Today was just like yesterday, I set snares, harvested roots, and plants, and took care of Y/n, who is still asleep. I let myself sleep tonight because the careers have their own camp now and they won't need to leave for a while. And if anyone else comes by, I'm a pretty light sleeper so I'll wake up if I hear them. I put Y/n's jacket back on her so she doesn't get super cold. I lay down next to Y/n, put a protective arm over her, and eventually fall asleep.