The Tribute and the Victor

Chapter 19

As we walked along the path of footprints, I realised that Calix was trying to get as far ahead of me as possible. He clearly didn't want to talk to me. But I didn't want to talk to him either. Or Raven for that matter. Soon enough we approached a rather strange looking jungle. There was no warning. No change of landscape. Just a jungle. Sat there slap bang in the middle of the desert. Was it a mirage? I didn't know. But I wasn't intending on asking Calix, so I simply said nothing and carried on moving forward towards it. Suddenly I saw Ravens figure appear from the trees. I was reminded of the few hours before the reaping when Cinder and Ash had appeared from the forest. The more I thought about my two best friends, the more I wanted to go home. "Took you long enough!" Raven exclaimed as he approached us. "I wondered how long it would take for you to follow my footprints" he grinned. I said nothing. Calix said nothing. "Wow...what's up with you two sour pusses" he said raising his eyebrows. I didn't know what it was, just something about him... Annoyed me. "Nothing." Calix quickly spoke up and glared at me. "Well I've set up a better camp now, it's like a gold mine in there when it comes to resources" Raven explained as we headed towards the forest. We were only a few meters into the jungle when we stumbled across the small but cosy camp that Raven had set up for us. "We're not very far in" I said sourly. "Well sorry your royal highness, but that was kind of the idea. The careers would probably expect us to be in some well hidden hideout, so the last place they would search would be at the edge of the jungle." He hissed back at me. That evening I ignored both of them. As we ate the last of the food Calix suggested that we went hunting tomorrow, Raven thought it was a good idea and started to talk about some bird that he had seen in the jungle earlier that day, he reckoned that it would make an excellent meal. After a while I zoned out and thought about Caleb again. Just then I remembered the ring he had given me and twisted it off my finger gently. I studied it for a while and looked at the tiny crystals incrested into it. I soon noticed that they were just like the ones that were on my dress and headband that i wore on the night of the interviews. As I crept into my sleeping bag I noticed Raven staring at my ring. "I'll keep the first watch." He said softly. He looked as though he almost felt sorry for me. I just nodded and slowly drifted off. But before long, I was woken up to the sound of a piercing scream...