Spurious Minds

Chapter Two

Chapter Two
Clove Kemmings's Point of View

A tangy wood scent hits my nose as I sit hunched over a branch, my blade slivering layers off of the tip, creating a point. Cato is kneeled near the fire, kindling in a pile by his boots; the sun low but still providing light from where it is in the sky. The stump is hard beneath me, and then, losing interest, I toss the jagged make-shift spear someplace near the packs.  

"Clove," Cato says, turning his flinty blue gaze toward mine. "Can you hand me the matches?"  

I nod, tossing the box to him, and then I hear the scrape of a stick being lit. Soon there is a fire blazing, the shine of orange and the reflection of the flames hitting Cato's face in a glow.  

"Cato...," I begin, a plan forming while the images of Thresh's murderous look and the weakened state of Twelve's female tribute flashing to mind. "I've got an idea, I think." 

"You think?" Cato asks. "What is it? To nab one of the others? We should seriously get a move on Lover Boy, don't you think? They're weakened-" 

"It's about them," I cut in. "I believe they could help. Firefly's smart," I reason, referring to the girl from Twelve. "And... I'm guessing Lover Boy's still strong, even with that cut you gave him. She had medicine, for him... Are you under the impression that she actually cares for him?"  

"Yeah, I guess," he replies. "I mean, why would she put her life on the line like that if she didn't? Though it might still be a ruse for sponsors..."  

"I'm not sure," I tell him. "The way she scrambled away after Thresh's cannon... It was like... I'm not sure. But I think they could be an asset."  

"The girl's pretty handy with a bow...," Cato comments, and I nod. "But wouldn't that stint our chances of winning, ourselves?" he asks, and I respond the same way: another nod.  

"But they're in the same boat as us..." 

"And the girl might not be genuine...," he says.  

"I dunno," I reply. "We'll just have to see how it plays out, I guess. But are you up for taking them on as allies?" I ask.  

"If we're the final four, I'll slit their throats to save yours, but if we're not, then it doesn't matter."  

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  

"If the odds are in their favor, they're in. But if they're not, we will win." Cato says. "Look, Clove. They're a threat. Fire Girl... she could end you as fast as you could her. And Lover Boy, he wasn't good for much, but he's got a silver tongue, and a good stock of muscle. I woulda' killed him right then had he not brought on the deal." I watch him take a breath, rubbing a hand over his face. "I still want to kill the girl, and I want us to win." 

"Cato," I begin, but then he fixes me with a look, and I am silent. Eyes stare stonily into mine, an air of, this discussion is over, reflecting through them. This is the one time I'll let him do this. I don't really want to fight-but, if I have to, I will. Cato's jaw is set, before he comes to stand over me, head tall, with a cascade of stars behind him.  

"Don't be glum," he tells me. "There's something to be happy for, and you're looking at him."  

He's trying to be the over-confident boy that makes me laugh. It's working; I don't want it to. I fight the feeling of amusement in my throat, so I won't make a sound, and get that flashing smirk. 

"Shut up," I snap, standing from my seat to get that wood and wittle. I think that the point could be sharper, if I carve carefully. I'm trying to find a distraction, and he knows it.