The Hunger Games

Chapter Twenty-Three

EDELMIRA'S POV
I'm regretting this. I shouldn't of made that deal with Hayden. I don't need help. I work alone. I have a better chance of survival without him. But I can't go back. I've already left the woods and I know that Hayden will be in this field. If I do decide to turn back he'll just come find me. I could hide. Hayden's not the brightest person I know. But why bother. With the rule that there can be two victors if they're from the same district, I might as well find him. I feel very vulnerable in this field. The grass almost covers my head, but it offers no protection at all and it's thin so it's not like it's hiding me. Or maybe I just suck at hiding? I readjust the backpack and continue forward.The grass rustles behind me. Probably just the wind. I bite my lip, but I don't look back. There it is again. I bite my lip harder, and feel warm blood dribbling down my mouth. Dangit. I wipe my lip on my sleeve, but more blood trickles out. Oh well. I can wash it when I have more water. I brush back a loose piece of hair. The grass behind me rustles again and I string an arrow. I know it wasn't the wind, because there isn't wind. Nothing else moved, and I felt nothing. I pause and turn around. The grass stops moving. I'm not gonna turn my back. Someone darts out from the grass and grabs the bow and arrow from hands. I whirl around to face them, the pack sliding from my back onto my arm. I pick the strap up in my fingers and swing around blindly. I feel the bag make contact with my attackers face, but I don't think it really did anything because I'm shoved forwards into grass. I land on my stomach with a thud, I struggle to get up, but my shoulders are being held to the ground. I lay there for a few moments, my cheek pressed against the hard ground, panting. I reach in front of me and grab the backpack, ripping the zipper downward so that the bag opens. I grab a small handful of the blow gun darts and pull my arm back. The attacker realizes what's happening a moment to late, and I stab the darts into the back of his hand. He cries out and releases his grip. I jump to my feet and turn, grabbing him by the collar and throwing him to the ground. I twist him into his back so I can see his face.
"Hayden?" I say, confused. Did he trick me? Was he going to try to kill me?
"Hayden!" I shout angrily as he tries to get up. I push him back down and hold him there. He swears under his breath, looking at the darts I put in his hand.
"Can I get up?" He asks. "No." I snap back. "Why not?" "Because you'll attack me again!" I say, pulling the darts harshly out of his hand. He winces. "Damn you, Mira." "Edel! It's Edelmira!" I exclaim in frustration.
"Would you mind explaining why you attacked me?" I add, staring down at him. "I will if you let me up," "No."
"Then no, I won't explain." He says smugly. "Tell me. Now." I hiss, moving one of my hands up to his throat and pushing down lightly on where is windpipe would be. He gets the message. "Ok ok!" Hayden says, and I move my hand back to his shoulder.
"First of all, I wasn't attacking you," I snort in disbelief. "I thought you were someone else, when I realized it was you," He continues on. "I figured that if I stepped out of my hiding, you would shoot me before thinking to see who it was. You kinda have a habit of doing stuff before you think." I glare at him.
"No I don't." "Yeah, you do." Maybe I do, but why should I admit that?
"Then why did push me to the ground when I hit you with my bag?" "Reflexes." He answered simply. "And why'd you hold there?" I say, starting to let him up slowly. "Because you would just get back up and shoot me." "Not if I saw who you were." "Right. But you wouldn't have, until I dropped dead. You wouldn't have waited, you would have just let the arrow fly." Maybe. "And let's  remember here, I'm the one who got smacked in the face and stabbed in the hand." "Right. I'm sorry." Not. Haha. We just stare at each other in silence. I rise to my feet and grab the backpack, bow and quiver.
"Get your stuff." I tell Hayden, slinging the quiver over my shoulder. He gets up and grabs his pack, and puts it on.
"Where's your spear? You had a spear the first day." I ask. "I lost it," "Great. Free spears for anybody that comes this way." I say, cracking my knuckles.
"It was just one spear. It probably won't make a difference." Hayden comments, rubbing where the tracker was put into his arm. "But it might. What if someone who's really good with spears comes?" "Well it won't matter unless we stay here." "So we're leaving then?" I question. Good. I want to get back to the woods. "Duh. Why would we stay?" Hayden says, smacking his palm to his forehead. I roll my eyes. There's no getting out of this alliance now. If I turn he'll just follow me. "Well, where are we going?" I say slowly, trying not to loose my temper. "I found water. We should go there." "In this field or in the woods?" "Woods." Yes! This is good. Water, woods, I have a groosling, roots and some bread. "Then lead the way."