Rue's Story

Chapter 8 - Saving Katniss

I wake early the next morning and head back to Katniss and the careers. I want to see if she finishes her job and escapes. She might need some help, too, because those bugs sting really badly. She might even die from the stings!

When I arrive, she is still asleep but it doesn't take long for her to wake up. I smile when she sees me and do my sawing and pointing motions again and she nods in response before climbing up to the branch. She saws at it for what feels like ages but she is moving faster this morning than last night. I notice she gets stung a few times before she manage to break through the branch and shoves it as far from her body as she can and it crashes down on the unsuspecting careers below. That's my cue to get out of here. I leap back through the trees to my camp and gather up my supplies. First I need to get some leaves to heal her stings if I find her.

It doesn't take me long to get the leaves but now I have a real challenge: to find Katniss. I think the best way to do this is to follow her trail from her tree, if I can.

Luckily, she has left a trail and I follow it down into a small valley with a clearing not far from where she has collapsed unconscious. Somehow, I manage to drag her into the clearing and I settle her behind a fallen log where I hope I can protect her from the wind and rain until she comes around. I dress her stings with the leaves and just leave her to sleep.

***

"I'm not going to hurt you," Katniss says and I step out from behind the tree. It's been two days since the tracker jacker thing and she's finally come around.

We sit down to have some lunch. She has so much food! Plus she has the bow and arrows now so it will be even easier for her to hunt. She is so lucky. All I have is a little makeshift slingshot that I haven't used yet. I've been perfectly happy to just eat the leaves and berries I find. To be honest, I'm not really one for killing animals but some meat is nice.

As we talk, we plan an attack on the careers. It's such a good plan! I explain to her what I have seen. Over the past few days I've been spying on the careers. I explored that area behind the cliff too but there was just tall grass there. I didn't go further for the fear of hidden traps and dangers like snakes. I bet Thresh is down there, hiding.

The plan is this: we set up three fires which will smoke loads. I will light them, one by one, and the careers will be lead further and further away from their camp. While they are away, Katniss will destroy their food supply, helping us all get closer to victory.

"Goodnight Katniss," I say before bed, snuggled in her sleeping bag.

"Goodnight, Rue." she replies and I fall asleep immediately, warm for once in the bag and cuddled next to Katniss.