𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 ༄ 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝗇𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗂𝗋

chapter twelve

- THE GOLDEN ALLIANCE -

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NADIA DOVE INTO the water and immediately began kicking her legs as fast as she possibly could. Her efforts caused her limbs to grow tired, but she was making it through the water with little struggle and the added surge of adrenaline aided her in forgetting the growing weariness. Her strokes were quick and even though her right arm had started aching, she kept moving.

She figured she was around halfway to the cornucopia when her legs grew too tired, Nadia halting and quickly finding the aisle of rocks to her left would be a better way of getting there. Each pair of platforms had the same rocky border, Nadia pulling herself out of the water so she could run and hopefully be one of the first ones there.

Once she was up on her feet and running to the center, she realized a few of her fellow tributes had the same idea. Cashmere was already running and ahead of her in the race to the spoils, but to her delight, Woof was still in the water.

Nadia had just made it to the circular platform when she took a moment to look around, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. Cashmere was out of sight and anyone else who surrounded her wasn't close enough to be worried about yet.

It was a small victory and she would celebrate if this was any other situation, but she needed her knives and she needed them before anyone else got to them.

She went to enter the cornucopia around the corner, but a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the wall of the hot, silver structure that seemed to boil under the sun's rays.

Her back hit the metal with a harsh thud and as her eyes widened in panic being left without a weapon, Nadia balled her fist to throw a punch.

However, her fist never met their face as she looked up realizing Finnick had her hand and almost immediately she calmed. Almost.

"Damn you." She mumbled as she let out a flustered sigh, her heart beating faster than it already was. Finnick chuckled to himself as he offered her an arm and a leg sheath already stocked with knives.

"Good to see you too." He smiled, looking around for any potential trouble and waited for Nadia to strap on the sheathes to provide cover for her until she did.

"We're looking for Katniss?" Nadia questioned, gesturing to the bangle adorning his wrist as she equipped a knife, her nerves calming with the security of a weapon and Finnick's presence.

He nodded, gripping his trident tighter. "You go right, I go left?"

"Definitely." She nearly chuckled at the repetition, the man gone around the corner with a smile as she turned to go in the opposite direction.

Holding one of the knives up in defense as she turned, Nadia didn't even make it a foot before she stopped at the presence of Woof. He'd halted his advances towards her once realizing she was armed, the woman hesitant in throwing her knife.

She hadn't done this for eight years, and she forgot just how crazy people got. Because even without a single weapon on his person, Woof jumped at Nadia.

She groaned as his fist collided with her stomach once, then twice, but his attempts were useless against Nadia and her knives.

She blocked another punch with a swift cut across his closed knuckles, the man backing up as he held onto his hand that started to seep blood.

Without much of a thought or hesitation, justifying this only by the fact he attacked her first, Nadia advanced towards him and jabbed her blade through his chest.