The Mockingjay's Melody

Chapter 11: Autumn SilverSnow

I screamed, thrashing in the arms of my attacker, as the Careers beat Rowan until he was gasping for air. I shrieked again, tears streaming down my face. They had destroyed everything she loved, the Capitol, that is. I knew that Rowan would never attack them while they had me. He should but he wouldn't. I sobbed, screaming Rowan's name as he continued to gasp, straining what little air was left in his lungs. My heart stopped and my blood froze as they landed a hard blow to his gut with their shoes. He gasped then his form crumpled, him grasping his stomach and cradling his ribs as they continued to abuse him. He was barely conscious now. I dropped to my knees, staring in horror at Rowan's bloody form.

This had gone on long enough.

I elbowed my attacker in the nose and heard the satisfying CRUNCH of his nose breaking. He screamed, partly out of pain, partly out of rage, then loosened his grip on me. I twisted out of his grip and pulled the syringe out of his hand, then smashed his head against the rock wall. He slumped to the floor, unconscious, and I whipped around before his comrades could react. I punched the female from district 2, then dodged a punch from the male of district 2. I kicked the district 1 female in the gut and watched her form crumple, just like Rowan's did, before I turned around and punched the male from district 2 in the face. I glanced around, panting, and surveyed my work. All of the tributes were now slumped against the wall, or on the floor, unconscious. I glanced down at the syringe in my hand, then smashed it against the rock wall. It would be better if no one could use it. I glanced at Rowan and hurried to his side. He had several small scrapes and bruises, but what I was REALLY worried about was inside. He was holding his ribs although he was unconscious, and his skin was pale.

The Careers had really given it to him.

I picked him up and slung him over my shoulder. I kicked the female from district 2, who had begun to rouse, then spun on my heel and dashed out of the cave with Rowan slung over my shoulder. I didn't stop running until I was well out of range of the cave. I laid Rowan down and stood with my hands on my knees, panting. A sudden shriek echoed across the forest and was followed by a cannon. 3 more cannons followed along with rounds of screams. Whatever had killed the Careers, it hadn't been me or Rowan, for that matter. Once I had caught my breath, I sat down and glanced at Rowan. He looked even worse than I did, his skin matted with dry blood. I shivered. This was going to be much worse than I expected if something was hunting tributes.

Rowan wasn't conscious the day after the attack. He had been in his unconscious state for nearly 21 hours and still wasn't conscious when I woke. I removed his over shirt and his pants so he was only in his undergarments, then I rinsed his clothes in the river nearby and left stones on them so they could dry. I hiked back to our current "campsite" and ate something. I removed his undergarments after a while, which I wasn't embarrassed about at all, and walked back down to the stream to retrieve his over clothes. I placed the undergarments in the stream and weighed them down in the current with some rocks. I waited for a few minutes before retrieving them and laying the clothes on the bank, with rocks on the corners to weigh them down. I brought his over clothes back up to our campsite, dressed him in them, then stood with my hands on my knees and bent over, panting. After I had caught my breath, I hiked back DOWN to the bank and retrieved his undergarments. I hiked up to our campsite once more and took off his over clothes and dressed him in his undergarments, then in his over clothes. Then I brought him down with me when I went down to the bank.

I dove into the water, for once feeling freer than I had ever felt in the districts. I swam with the grace of a swan, yet with the skill of the fish. I had been raised to wield the trident, a deadly weapon in the hands of district 4 tributes. I had also been taught to swim with grace, and more, the maneuvers under the water to battle your opponent. I swam, then let my body begin to sink, feeling the water as it enfolded my limbs. Such a precious thing, it was. The water. It was a beautiful concept, yet it could be as dangerous as a trident. I crawled onto the beach and sat beside Rowan, who was still unconscious. I began to examine his wounds. I had hesitated several moments before when I had tried to do it. I couldn't risk wounding him further, though, and so I hadn't done it. I ran my hand over his ribs and he winced impulsively, curling tighter around his torso. I cringed, forcing myself to keep going. I NEEDED to know how badly he was injured.

When I had finished I recounted how badly the bruises were underneath his undergarments. Few big ones, but nothing too bad. His ribs were a different thing, though. They must've broken a few because they were really rough and bruised. I set to work that day, finding a few of the plants I remembered from the book and chewed them into a poultice. Arnica, Comfrey and a few other herbs to help with the bruises and breaks. I used a marigold leave poultice for the cuts and scrapes, though. I wrapped his torso in some bandages I stole from the Careers at their fight and settled down to sleep.

I woke up to a warm arm wrapped around me. I glanced at Rowan, who was still sleeping, laying beside me with his arm wrapped around me. I grinned then curled up and lay back down, embracing his warmth with affection. I awoke a few hours later to find that his mat was empty. I sat up and glanced around with a panic but relaxed after I saw the message scratched in the dirt.

"Out swimming- be back soon! - Rowan".

I yawned, stretching, before I dressed in my over clothes and headed down to the river, where Rowan was sure to be swimming, waiting for me. I ran down to the shore to discover I was correct - Rowan was attempting to swim like someone from district 4 - graceful, with aquatic-like movements. I giggled before stripping until I was standing in my undergarments, then ran down to the riverbank and plunged into the icy depths, thankful for the refresher. I swam out towards Rowan, who was flailing his limbs gleefully. I giggled and plunged under the surface, grasped his waist with my hands, and pulled him under too. I surfaced, my hair stringy and wet but I didn't care. I glanced around me, treading water as I attempted to keep Rowan from sneaking up on me. I saw him only too late. He grasped my waist and dragged me under the water with him again. We fought playfully under the water until they were forced to surface to refill their air. I darted to the bank while Rowan followed, more slowly though. Once I was on the bank, I rang out my hair, then sat on the rocky riverbank. When Rowan walked out of the water, I grinned then said with a sort-of teasing tone, "You're getting so much better! But alas..." I gave an exaggerated sigh. "You'll never be as graceful as me, will you?" I flashed him a teasing grin and he rolled his eyes, grinning as well. He shivered, hauling himself onto the bank before I could say anymore. He whipped around and grabbed me so suddenly, I had no time to react before we plunged into the waves. I squirmed in his grip and he let me free. I surfaced, gasping and coughing, before glancing around to get back on him. He tickled my side from under the water and I laughed, whipping around. He disappeared back under the waves before I could get back at him. I swam as fast as I could back to the bank, he was following but more slowly, still. I heaved myself onto the bank then turned around to face him. "Cheater!" I laughed, resting my hands on my knees as I stood there, panting. He stifled a triumphant grin and I laughed. I gasped, heaving myself back to the forest as I neared my over clothes. He walked ahead of me, reaching his own clothes before I reached mine. A dark shape darted from the treeline and snatched me up before I had time to react. I was able to let out a scream at Rowan before the thing plunged under the waves, still holding me. I fought my pursuer as we twisted in the waves. I kicked it away with all my might and got a good look at the thing. Horror froze my blood and made my heart stop. It was the M.U.T.T. that had attacked me in the forest, when Rowan had saved me. I had time to raise my eyebrows in shock before arms yanked me out of the water. I knelt on the bank, on my hands and knees, trembling. My head was throbbing and I felt blood oozing down the side of my head. The thing leapt out of the water behind them and shrieked, a horrible, awful scream. I scrambled backwards as the thing flung Rowan into the water. It had flung him too far out to reach me in time. I glanced sideways and grabbed Rowan's hunting knife from his belt, then held it up in front of me. "Stay back!" I gasped, my head still throbbing. The M.U.T.T. took the knife from me and flung it into the murky depths after Rowan. It took menacing steps towards me and I continued to scrabble against the slippery rocks, my hands sliding against the water that coated them. The thing grasped my torso and heaved me into its arms.

I had time to give a panicked glance to Rowan before it sunk its teeth into my shoulder and the world went blank.