Becoming Adamant [#1]

Chapter 21 - "Let Him Go"

I wipe of the blood from my hands, on my pants and I immediately run over to Talon as I see he’s struggling with the pain. He’s got blood all over his lower abdomen. “Talon, are you alright?” Yeah, I know it’s a damn stupid question. He just got stabbed and all. I’ve sheathed my knives as I look over his injuries. Damn it! I’m not the freaking doctor of the two of us. That’s Talon. He is the smart one when it comes to blood and injuries and stuff…I can hear that he’s struggling to keep his breathing controlled. His body is in shock and I don’t know what to do. But I do know that someone out there does. “Now would be a good time for a parachute, Blight!” I let out quietly as I try to stop Talon’s bleeding.

He’s losing control over his breathing as I get to our backpacks and gather them all right next to him. He’s trying to grab my arm with his right hand. I look him in the eyes as he says the next words. “You need to go…” He barely manages to say before he has to try and breathe again. I grab his hand and hold it tightly. I’m not gonna leave him here. Damn it, I’m not smart like everybody else. I’m Sylvia Mason for crying out loud! I don’t do what everybody else would’ve done, I do what I do and that’s the end of it. “Now you’re being stupid…there’s no way in hell that I’m leaving you here.” I then say as I get his and my own backpack on. I hand him the sword that he can lean on it. I don’t care what the Capitol thinks about this. I don’t care what people say. They can just bite the damn dust and watch me!

“Now you’re being stupid, Feisty.” He says as he starts coughing. “I’m only gonna slow you down and make you vulnerable to attacks.” He then continues once he’s allowed to. “You’re gonna use the sword for support and we’re gonna find some shelter for the night…we’re both going.” I say to him, simply ignoring what he just said. I get ready and then I’m practically waiting for him. “Right now the only thing slowing me down is your damn attitude…I’m not gonna let you give up and die here.” I say as I then practically drag him and have him lean on me heavily. I can tell it causes him an awful lot of pain, but we have to get going. We need to get to higher ground. As he manages to stand, slightly, I hear thunder rolling in over us along with dark clouds.

I need to try and get us up the terrain, if it’s only for a little stretch anyways. We need to keep our distance to the Career, whom I don’t know where are at the moment. They must’ve heard the cannon and wondered whose kill it was. We manage to start walking and we’re taking it really slow. I know Talon is protesting against this, but he must also know that I would never listen to him in the first place. I keep a careful eye ahead as we are on the move. Carrying Talon’s weight, my own and both of backpacks are really taking its toll, but I refuse to complain about it. It’ll just prove Talon’s case more than mine and right now, I’m not a fan of it.

Talon is really struggling even though I’m keeping a very low pace for the both of us. Truth be told, I don’t have much strength myself to keep any pace at all. Any ounce of strength I have goes to keeping us both moving. We don’t get much higher in the terrain, but we gain some height as we come to a halt. Just as we do, Talon’s sword slides on a tree-stem and he hits the ground. He’s holding fiercely to his stomach-region as he hits the ground. I move over and try to get him to sit up, but his strength is fading fast. I put down most of the stuff and take out my knives as I glance quickly around us. There’s no way we can move much further. We need to find shelter and Talon needs to rest badly. On top of that, the sky above us is filling up dark clouds, meaning it’ll probably be pissing down on us tonight. I need to find something to shelter us.

I barely dare to walk around a bush to find what I’m looking for. It’s like this big tree-stem that seems to form a wooden cave of some sort. I notice some holes from where I’m standing, but there are big-ass leafs around that I know I can use to cover them up. I walk right back to Talon, whom I haven’t let out of my sights once. “Hey, Talon…there’s something we can use as shelter further beyond that bush over there.” I say as I tilt my head towards the bush. He barely nods as he’s trying the best he can to stay on his feet at the moment. I grab all of our stuff and I help him over there. He almost crashes to the ground and moans in pain. I help him lie more comfortable on one of the backpacks before I go for those leafs I saw earlier and cover up whatever holes this tree-stem has.

I manage to get inside just before the rain starts plundering down. As I get in there, I see Talon’s shivering badly. He’s cold but at the same time he’s hot as hell…body-temperature-wise. Stupid-ass tribute! Talon and I were finally getting along and then this bastard just had to go on stab him! I mean, sure he was going to die anyways I suppose, but not now! Not yet! I sit down on my knees next to him to check his wound. It’s still nasty as hell, but it’s stopped bleeding…or, I’m not sure, but he’s still struggling.

“Hang in there, Talon.” I whisper slightly as I try to find something to use. God, we should’ve kept those sweaters! We could’ve used them as bandage at least! Wait, I have that bandage thingy on my leg. I quickly remove my boot and sock and take the damn thing off. I put it on Talon’s stomach-wound, but I know it won’t do him any good. He needs more than just covering his wound. “Don’t you dare let go, Talon!” I say as I hear his breathing turning quieter. As much as Talon’s having problems breathing, he manages to nod at my words. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Any time now, Blight, any time. “Come on, Blight, where is that damn parachute?!” I ask out loud enough for a camera to capture.

Actually, I should’ve said that even louder. I’m freaking pissed off right now. I know Blight is watching us. I know he can do something because he’s the one who’s supposed to help us! So freaking help me keep Talon alive, damn it! I guess you can call it coincidence because it doesn’t take many moments before Talon manages to point towards the outside of the ‘cave’. I haven’t even heard it as I turn my head and I see it. Yes, the parachute! Thank you, Blight! I think to myself as I run out in the pissing rain. My hands are cold, shaky and slippery as I try to take the damn lid off. Damn it, Talon did this the last time! How hard can it be? Not hard enough as I finally manage to open it. I find a note and painkillers. I’m about to find out that I may have thanked Blight a little too soon:

“Let him go, Feisty.
-B”

I stare at those words long and hard even though the rain is pissing down on me. He’s asking me to just let him die! That freaking drunk is asking me to let Talon go! He’s not gonna help me save him. I can just feel the rage fill up inside of me. “Thank you for nothing, Blight!” I stare right into to one of the cameras as I curl the paper angrily in my hand and walk back into the Cave. I can see that Talon’s slightly awake. I guess his curiosity is keeping him alive for now. “It’s just something for the pain…” I say as I open his bottle of water and help him taking the tablet and then drinking some water. He then lies his head back down. He remains quiet for a while, and so do I. What do I say to him? He’s going to die really soon, so what do I say to him?

“You need to leave me here in the morning…I’m only going to slow you down.” Talon then manages to say. I bend over to him and I give him my feisty look that should tell him otherwise. “Shut it, Talon, I’m not leaving you! I owe it to you. You’re not going anywhere unless I say so, you got that?” I then order him. He’s not gonna die! Not now! He better stick to that or else I’m gonna make sure he pays for it…well, one way or the other. He manages to grab my hand as he looks at me. “I’m going to go…to die, whether you like it or not…this body is already shutting down.” Talon then says, but I shake my head determined.

“No…no, you don’t get to die, alright? You’ve saved my life, probably twice already…I’m not good with debts and I refuse to have this one hanging over my head.” I answer as I can sense that I’m about to start gulping something, but I hold it down. Not here, not in front of the entire nation! “You…don’t owe me a damn thing, Feisty.” Talon says as he turns quiet. I let those words sink in as I just sit there with him. I try to sit with him like this the entire night. I don’t really get much sleep and the reason for that is probably that I’m so scared I’ll wake up by a cannon and that Talon will be dead. He’s not going to die. I say that he won’t and the universe better freaking listen!

I can understand how this can sound somewhat dramatic…or even romantic, but that’s not the point here. Talon is the only friend I’ve had…or made, in this place and in the Arena. I’ve always been next to him. He’s helped me more than I have helped him if I think it through thoroughly. Despite the fact that Talon and I have been nothing remotely close as friends back home, he’s tried to be as friendly as possible with me and my attitude (yeah, we’re two-in-one most of the time). If he dies on me now, which I know he probably, will, I’m all on my own!