The Capitol Games

Chapter 40

I wake up, feeling very rested and very calm. And very warm. I hear quiet, calm chattering, and feel bundles of clothes on top of me. This time, however, I don't mistakenly wonder if I'm back home, safe and sound, but I wonder how I feel this soothed, considering I'm in the Hunger Games arena. To my utter relief, my headache has disappeared. Then I smell a wonderfully familiar scent, something that smells like apples, musk and mint. Zeke.

I open my eyes, then, and see that I'm lying down on my back on a cool, dry, earthy floor. There's a bundled up jacket underneath my head, and a couple more over my shoulders and torso. Zeke is sitting up besides me, in the sleeveless white tank that's the bottom most layer of our arena attire, taking off the fingerless gloves from his hand.

"Hey," I say so softly, it's barely a whisper. I intended to say it louder, but I've evidently not used my voice for a while.

Zeke hears though, and he instantly turns towards me. Concern colours his features.

"Hey," He says back, taking my hand in his as his other hand slips behind my shoulders. "How are you feeling? Do you want to sit up?"

At my nod of affirmation, Zeke gently helps me ease up. For the first time, I properly get a look at the little cave hideout we're in.

The mouth of the cave is slightly lowered, and there's a small slope going up from it, that leads to the flat, wide, and hollow space, where all of my allies are. Sunlight swims in, balmy and bright from the mouth of the cave, and a bit more trickles in from a couple of small rocky openings at the very back corner of the cave. I recognise that corner as the one that had a small fire lit last night. It's really lucky placement, as the smoke would waft out from there, get twined into the pine trees over the holes: a perfect, discrete, mechanism.

My allies are all in the cave, some chatting, and some, like Keaton and Laython, still asleep. Addie is sitting with Kace, holding a water bottle in her hand, and allowing Kace to monitor her water intake as she tells him about our journey through the rain, river, and snow. Kace's injured arm, which I remember was a harsh shade of red last night, now looks cleaned, treated, and bandaged.

Finnick is leaning against the wall of the cave, sorting out his weapons. He looks very focused on it; there's no casual grin on his face, no careless grace in his posture, but rather focus, a frown, and something else that I can't put my finger on. Mayra is sitting silently with Kylie and Calla, as the latter two chatter away about something. She keeps throwing worried glances as Keaton, who's still very pale and asleep. Laython's dosing off as well, but he looks much more nourished and warm than he did yesterday.

Zeke helps me sit up and immediately hands me a bottle of water. "Drink up," He says. "We filled it from a freshly melted river this morning."

I take the bottle from him, unscrew the lid, and take a sip of water. As it washes down my dry, scratchy throat, I think that water is probably the best thing I've tasted in my whole life. I finish the bottle in a heartbeat, and Zeke already has another bottle unscrewed and waiting for me.

"Slowly," he says, his face the portrait of concern. As I take the new bottle from him, Kace catches my eye. His face splits into a smile. Addie notices this, and looks my way too. The two of them are on their feet a moment later, and walk over to me. Finnick, Mayra, Kylie and Calla then notice that I'm awake, and chime their greetings to me. Finnick drops the weapons his was arranging, and a grin breaks over his face, as he lifts his hand in a wave.

"Do you feel as bad as you look?" Addie asks with a beaming smile as she comes and settles down next to me.

After swallowing my gulp of water, I say, "I'm going to say yes, because I actually feel pretty good."